Evolving standards and regulation: Exploring the development and provision of closed circuit television in the United Kingdom

This article explores the emergence of standards and regulation associated with the provision of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance systems in the United Kingdom. It argues that despite the intrusive and controlling nature of CCTV technology there is limited formal intervention in the form of legislation, governing its introduction and use. Instead government has sought to influence the regulation of the technology indirectly through its ability to shape and govern policy networks in the policy arena. In doing so, it is argued here, that government remains the dominant actor in the policy process. He is director of the Public Management and Administration degree program. His research interests focus on the emerging governance structures associated with the development of electronic public services, citizenship, and democracy in the information age.     

Evaluations and grassroots politics: The case of Switzerland

The Swiss political system is unique in Europe, both as regards the widely developed rights of its citizens to take a direct hand in the political process and as regards the strong tradition of federalism and the broad-based powers of the Cantons, despite their smallness. Seen in this way, Switzerland, therefore, offers interesting illustrative material for investigating the “strain” placed by “grassroots politics” on the institutional design of evaluations. Werner Bussmann, Ph.D, is director of the “Effectiveness of Public Policies” (NFP 27) research program funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, in Bern, Switzerland. He also holds a post at the Federal Office of Justice. His research interests include intergovernmental relations, evaluation and organizational learning.     

Evaluation of agricultural research in Eastern,Central, and Southern Africa

Research and Development (R&D) evaluation within agriculture is becoming increasingly important as a planning tool in the research management process in eastern, central, and southern Africa. Evaluation of agricultural research in the region is performed at various levels for different purposes. This article traces the evolution of R&D activities, and looks at the current status of the agricultural research evaluation and the capacity to undertake such evaluations as a part of research management-both at the national and regional levels. It critically examines the experiences of the region in evaluating agricultural research and the efforts made to promote such activities, summarizing the lessons learned. Finally, the article analyzes the critical constraints impeding the successful adoption of the agricultural research evaluation process and offers suggestions, which could alleviate these constraints. From 1993 to 1997, he was an advisor on impact evaluation and policy analysis to the Southern Africa Center for Cooperation in Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Training (SACCAR), in Botswana. Graduated in agricultural economics from the University of Guelph, Canada, he started his professional career in Africa, at the University of Dar-es-Salaam in 1979. From 1982 to 1991, he worked for CIMMYT, and was then a senior economist at the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics in Canberra. He has worked and published in a range of subjects, including agricultural policy and development, agricultural marketing, production economics, farming systems research, capacity building, and impact assessment. Anandajayasekeram is the current president of the Association for Farming Systems Research and Extension and the Southern African Association for Farming Systems Research and Extension. Dr. David R. Martella has, since 1991, been Regional Agricultural Advisor at the United State Agency for International Development, Regional Economic Development Support Office for East and Southern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya. He previously worked as an agricultural economist and advisor for USAID in Mozambique. Martella has fifteen years of experience in farming and related enterprises as owneroperator in California, in Mexico, and in Swaziland. He also has sixteen years of research and program management experience in Africa. His areas of specialization include economic theory, econometrics and quantitative methods, and experimental design. Martella has a graduate degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University.     

Model-guided implementation of an instrument for program evaluation: The use of social policy and innovation models

A research program in the Netherlands is aimed at the implementation of an instrument for program evaluation in organizations for intramural treatment of juveniles with psychosocial and/or behavioral problems. The basis and guide for the implementation is a sequence of three complementary models, each model being more specific than its predecessor. The results of the research program in nine organizations suggest that the choice of an adequate guiding model depends on the policy level at which the organization is operating, the number of persons involved in the implementation, and the culture of decision-making in the organization. K. Mesman Schultz is senior investigator at the Leyden Institute for Social Policy Research (LISPOR) and director of the Research Centre for Youth-at-Risk (RCY) at the State University of Leyden, Rijnsburgerweg 100, 233 AE Leiden The Netherlands. His research mainly refers to diagnosis, decision-making and social policy in the field of youth care. W.I. Poot is investigator at LISPOR and RCY. She is in charge of the execution of utilization and implementation research projects in the field of youth care. P.H.M. van den Bogaart is senior investigator at LISPOR and RCY. He has wide experience in educational research and youth care research.     

Design and development of next generation of information infrastructure: Case studies of broadband public network and digital city

A comparative case study is conducted on three digital city (public networks) projects. The focus of the study is on the processes involved in the development of such networks and the consequences of such networks. This study looks at (1) two broadband network projects in Central New York and (2) one digital city project in Korea. For the U.S. cases, this study discusses problems in the development of public network projects in Central New York. The two broadband projects were funded under a state program to diffuse broadband technologies in economically depressed areas of the state. The digital city project was sanctioned by the Seoul metropolitan government and is now being developed. This study investigates the initiation of the information infrastructure projects, their policy formulation processes, and the development of such projects. A new praxis of new information infrastructure is recommended. He earned his Ph.D. and Master in Information Science and Telecommunications from Syracuse University. He researches and consults on telecommunications management and policy. He also researches telecommunications and information infrastructure regulation. His interests expand to include evaluating the processes and impact of large technological projects and policy by using qualitative and quantitative case study methods.     

The emergence of knowledge systems thinking: A changing perception of relationships among innovation,knowledge process and configuration

As agriculture develops, policy and management decisions increasingly focus on agricultural innovation emerging from utilizing knowledge and/or technology. This paper considers models for underpinning knowledge and technology policy and management. It describes the emergence of knowledge systems thinking. The system construct is applied to actors (individuals, networks and institutions) involved in knowledge processes. These actors potentially form a highly articulated and complex whole. Knowledge policy and management focus on measures that enhance the synergy between actors. Knowledge systems are viewed as “soft systems,” i.e., they only become systems as a result of active construction and joint learning. The soft systems perspective facilitates the identification of various knowledge system models, which have consequences for policy and management decisions with respect to investment, design, and training. In an attempt to create a unifying theory for these models, it is posited that these models are consistent combinations of innovation, knowledge process and structural configuration. Currently, he is the director of an international program on “Comparative research in knowledge systems in support of sustainable agriculture.”     

The Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research Program at the National Human Genome Research Institute

Organizers of the Human Genome Project (HGP) understood from the beginning that the scientific activities of mapping and sequencing the human genome would raise ethical, legal, and social issues that would require careful attention by scientists, health care professionals, government officials, and the public. The establishment of the ELSI (ethical, legal, and social implications) programs at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the Department of Energy (DOE) was thought to be vital to the success of the HGP in the United States. It also provided a novel approach to the simultaneous study of ethical, legal, and social issues and basic scientific issues. Eric Juengst, the first director of the ELSI program, described its origins in a previous issue of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal (Juengst 1991). Now in its seventh year, the ELSI program has accomplished much. This article summarizes the evolution and goals of the ELSI program at NHGRI, outlines the program's current research priorities with examples of activities within each priority area, and provides a look to the future, including the initiation of a strategic planning process.     

Inter-organizational collaboration,knowledge intensity,and the sources of innovation in the bioscience-technology industries

What makes some firms more innovative than others and what determines the source of these innovations are questions that are still not adequately answered due to the complex, often esoteric, nature of the innovation process. This paper considers the effect of one externally oriented strategy (extent of formal inter-organizational linkages) and one internally oriented strategy (degree of knowledge intensity) on overall levels of innovativeness and the source of these innovations. Using data collected from firms operating in the bioscience-technology industries in both New York and Utah, our results suggest that both of these strategies have a significant effect upon innovation levels and the source of innovation (internally versus externally stimulated). Interestingly, there were few firms that undertook both of these strategies simultaneously and thus the proposed interaction effect where increased absorptive capacity (on the basis of knowledge intensity) would make external linkages even more valuable could not be discerned. His interests lay in strategic technology management, intellectual property management, technology-based entrepreneurship, technology-based industry development, and regional economic development planning. Much of his work has focused on life-science related industries. He holds doctoral degrees in both technology studies and strategic management. He also works in the area of technology commercialization education for the U.S. Government’s Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer. He received his PhD from the University of Western Australia in 1998. His present research interests focus upon the nexus of strategy and innovation, and have included studies in the bicycle, financial services, airline and biotechnology industries.     

Evaluation from the inside: Participatory evaluation of agricultural research in the Philippines

This paper discusses the experience of a Philippines-based agricultural research program, where participatory evaluation is embedded in a broader, user-centered participatory research approach. Three case projects illustrate and analyze participatory evaluation of agricultural research in a developing country context. Different evaluation types are identified and their use in different phases of the research process is discussed. These field experiences show how “evaluation from the inside” can contribute to effective research planning and implementation, particularly in enhancing sensitivity to user needs and situations. network for user participatory rootcrop R&D sponsored by the International Potato Center in Asia. Under his leadership, UPWARD has increasingly sought to build participatory monitoring and evaluation into the network’s research and development activities. He has a Ph.D. in communication and innovation studies from Wageningen Agricultural University in The Netherlands. Prior joining UPWARD, Campilan worked with the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction and the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center. His research interests include communication of innovations, institutional linkage development, participatory research methods and tools, and strengthening local knowledge systems. From 1991 until 1997 he was coordinator of Users’ Perspectives With Agricultural Research and Development (UPWARD) network. He was previously based in Latin America. His main research interests include the socioeconomic and cultural aspects of crop genetic diversity conservation and utilization involving ethnobotanical studies, on-farm conservation, and work on seed systems. He is also interested in research on rural enterprise development. He has been actively involved in capacity building initiatives among national agricultural researchers, especially in participatory research methods and planning techniques. He can be contacted CIP-ESEAP, Kebun Percobaan Muara, Jalan Raya Ciapus, Bogor 16610, Indonesia, fax (62 251) 316 264, e-mail: G.Prain@cgiar.org. Her major responsibilities include facilitating the network’s activities on sustainable crop management R&D and on capacity building in participatory approaches and methods. At the UPWARD coordinating office, she is in charge of training, publications, and information management. She has extensive training and hands on experience in the use of participatory methods and tools, particularly through a Philippines project on soil resource management for sweetpotato production. She has an MSc in family resource management and development communication from the University of the Philippines at Los Ba?os. Her research interests include sustainable crop management, strengthening local R&D capacity, and field testing participatory methods and tools.     

Global environmental policy in social contexts: The case of China

In the last few years, China has taken steps to respond to the international trend to protect the global environment, especially with respect to global warming issues. This is primarily because China has now become the largest coal producer in the world. The emissions of carbon dioxide in China caused by fossil fuel burning are enormous. This factor has attracted growing, worldwide attention. Moreover, the low energy efficiency in production and consumption process has generated concern about how to keep the enrgy sector development in harmony with the environment. In addition, natural disasters, particularly the 1991 flood (the worst since the 1940s), has driven the government to reorient its national security in the broader international context. He also holds a research position at the Institute of Social Science, Danish Technical University, Denmark. He is now completing his Ph.D. work at the Institute of Economics and Planning, Roskilde University Center, Denmark. His research interest focuses on global environmental policy issues.     

Nonsexist curricula,sex of teacher,and children's sex-role learning

This study examined the impact of nonsexist curricula and teacher's sex on children's sex role learning. Thirty-two boys and 32 girls, aged three to five, were equally divided among four programs: nonsexist curriculum, female director; nonsexist curriculum, male director; control curriculum, female director; and control curriculum, male director. Sex role discrimination and preference were measured at the beginning and end of a six-month period. Exposure to the nonsexist curriculum produced significantly greater reductions in sex stereotyping on all measures than exposure to the control curriculum. Moreover, children in the male-directed nonsexist program displayed greater decreases in stereotypic knowledge and preference for sex-typed children's activities than those in the female-directed nonsexist program, while children in the male-directed control program showed more stereotypic increases on these measures than their counterparts in the female-directed control program. Finally, children under the direction of an opposite-sex teacher exhibited less stereotypic changes in preference for adult activities than children under the direction of a same-sex teacher. Implications for early childhood programs are discussed.This research was partially supported by an Oregon State University Foundation grant from the Shell Foundation and a grant from the Milne Computer Center.     

Innovation in open source communities through processes of variation and selection

This article concerns the question how innovation is achieved in open source communities. Open source communities are collections of geographically distributed individuals, who volunteer or are paid to participate in the development of highly innovative software programs. These communities are argued to be self-organizing systems in which high levels of variation are achieved. Next, this article focuses on selection as part of innovation. It is shown that selection is achieved through a rather simple principle of copying and following tags. Four tags are identified and discussed and it is demonstrated how they lead to the selection of software among the great level of variety. Ruben van Wendel de Joode is a Ph.D. student. He is part of Betade, which is one of the Delft interfaculty research centers; and the Dutch Institute of Government (NIG), the research school for public administration and political science. His Ph.D. research, scheduled to be finished mid 2004, focuses on open source. He has published numerous articles on OSS.     

Nuance, Complexity, and Context: Qualitative Methods in Genetic Counseling Research

Because of its potential for capturing complexity and process and its focus on communicating the meaning in human action, qualitative research is rapidly gaining acceptance in a wide variety of disciplines. Various qualitative approaches to research support its potential usefulness in genetic counseling research. Formulation of research questions and selection of appropriate qualitative methods are the first step. Interviewing, narrative analysis, focus groups, ethnography/participant observation, and participatory action research are only some of the most popular techniques that may be suitable in various situations. Processes of evaluation, analysis, and even ethical issues often differ somewhat from quantitative research. This article discusses these issues and the potential value of qualitative methods for research related to genetic counseling.     

Strategic types in institution building: A fit perspective

It is generally accepted that the institutionalization of new knowledge is the final stage in the process of knowledge diffusion and utilization, suggesting the need for conceptual models of institution building strategy. We describe four strategic types of institution building, which involve a transfer of knowledge and programs from a home setting to a host setting: consulting, management, adaptation, and entrepreneurial. The strategic types are conceptually derived in terms of the fit between the institutional components—content, context, and environment—in both home and host settings. Daniel S. Fogel received his B.S. and M.A. from the Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. He is currently Associate Dean and Director, Center for International Enterprise Development, and professor of business administration at the University of Pittsburgh. His two recent books areManaging in Emerging Market Economies: Volumes I and II. His current research focuses on strategic flexibility and innovation in interorganizational networks.     

The educational resources information center (ERIC): A system faces its future

A 1987 study of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) proposed several key improvements to ERIC's acquisition, synthesis, and dissemination activities, including a recommendation that ERIC products and services should be more widely available to diverse audiences. Achieving significant improvements in ERIC hinges on three factors: receiving additional resources, applying new technologies, and adapting systemwide management policies. Future system improvement options—such as expanding database and journal coverage, developing the capability to store and retrieve full-text documents, creating expert search systems, enhancing electronic dissemination, developing new publication series, and marketing ERIC products and services in ways that better reach practicing educators—also are discussed. Robert M. Stonehill is the acting director of the Educational Information Resources Division of OERI, and director of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) program. AT the Department of Education, he has worked in the areas of technology applications to educational management and information dissemination, testing and assessment, and evaluation of federal programs, particularly compensatory, education programs. He received a doctorate in educational research from the University of Colorado.     

TOWARD BETTER META‐ANALYTIC MATRICES: HOW INPUT VALUES CAN AFFECT RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SIMULATIONS

Simulations and analyses based on meta‐analytic matrices are fairly common in human resource management and organizational behavior research, particularly in staffing research. Unfortunately, the meta‐analytic values estimates for validity and group differences (i.e., ρ and δ, respectively) used in such matrices often vary in the extent to which they are affected by artifacts and how accurately the values capture the underlying constructs and the appropriate population. We investigate how such concerns might influence conclusions concerning key issues such as prediction of job performance and adverse impact of selection procedures, as well as noting wider applications of these issues. We also start the process of building a better matrix upon which to base many such simulations and analyses in staffing research. Finally, we offer guidelines to help researchers/practitioners better model human resources processes, and we suggest ways that researchers in a variety of areas can better assemble meta‐analytic matrices.     

Counselor values—Client freedom

A framework for an approach to counseling which respects the freedom of clients and yet leaves them open to the consideration of different value systems is presented. The framework is based upon values shared by many counselors and a stage model of counseling compatible with different theoretical approaches. It is hoped that consciousness of shared values and continuing dialogue will lead to a greater commonality of values.Michael J. O'Brien is Professor of Psychology at Loyola University of Chicago. He is active in the undergraduate Applied Psychology Program where there is a dual emphasis on theory and practice. For eleven years he was director of the M.A. program in Counseling Psychology for religious workers. (It is now a part of the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola.) His thinking on values has developed through the realization of the central part values in counseling. This article strives to synthesize devergent approaches to the question of values.     

Computers and commitment to a public management decision: An experiment

Based on results of an experiment, hypotheses are tested concerning the effects of computer use on decision commitment. The experiment required subjects to make an adoption decision regarding a hypothetical government agency's innovation. Subjects could choose from a variety of information sets, some computer based, some not, before making the decision. After their decision the subjects were given “new evidence” that contradicted their initial position. Two experimental treatments included more difficult access to the computer-based information and higher cost for the computer-based information. Results indicate that access difficulty diminishes confidence in decisions and leads to lesser commitment. However, the cost of the computer information seems to have little bearing on decision commitment. Barry Bozeman is director of the Technology and Information Policy Program of the Maxwell School of Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY 13244-4010. There he is professor of public policy and administration and affiliate professor of engineering. His research has focused on organization theory and public management, science and technology policy, and the use of technical information in decision-making. R.F. Shangraw, Jr. is vice president of Independent Project Analysis, Inc., Great Falls, Virginia. Previously, he was assistant professor of public administration at Syracuse University. His research interests include information management, decision-making, and public policy applications of expert systems.     

Evaluation of agricultural research in Latin America and the Caribbean

This article assesses the state of evaluation, and identifies priorities for improving evaluation, in agricultural research organizations in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean in the early 1990s. Based on thirteen case studies conducted in 1992, the article describes the institutional settings and regional patterns, and trends in evaluation practice. Illustrative cases from Argentina, Brazil, and Guatemala are presented. The organizations studied have extensive experience with evaluation; however, this experience has not been well documented or shared. Evaluation is generally the weakest phase in the management cycle. In the past, most evaluations have been extrinsically motivated, and as such, they have been of little use to local researchers and managers. Obstacles to improving evaluation include the centralization of administrative systems, weak program management, a lack of understanding of potential uses of evaluation in management, and limited knowledge of appropriate evaluation methods. Agricultural research managers feel that evaluation training should be provided as one component of a broader effort covering planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Since joining ISNAR in 1990, he has engaged in research, training, and advisory work on research management, with an emphasis on evaluation. Previously, for fifteen years Horton was head of the social science department of the International Potato Center in Peru. Horton received B.s. and M.S. degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University. His current interests include action research and learning, organizational assessment, and institutionalization of planning, monitoring, and evaluation. He worked for fourteen years at the Brazilian Corporation for Agricultural Research, conducting research and development activities in the areas of human resources and of strategic management. He is a full professor at the Department of Social and Work Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Brasilia, Brazil, where he teaches and advises at the undergraduate and graduate levels and does research and consulting. His current areas of interest are organizational behavior, training, organizational evaluation, and science and technology management.     

The research values of policy analysts

While there is growing consensus that conventional notions of the scientific method do not exhaust the methodological needs of policy analysis (at least applied analysis), there is less agreement as to what an improved method would entail. As a result, policy analysts must choose among often competing notions of what constitutes valid policy inquiry. Data from a content analysis of six policy journal articles together with responses from a survey of authors are used to determine what choices are made and whether these matter. Two sets of research norms are discovered within the policy studies community’one which mirrors traditional social science values and another which reflects recent attempts to adjust that methodology to meet the information needs of policy actors. Equally important, values tend, albeit slightly, to condition the character (e.g., degree of rigor or focus) of policy research. David M. Hedge is an associate professor of political science and director of the graduate program in public policy at West Virginia University. His research interests include regulatory politics, intergovernmental relations, and state politics/policy. Jin W. Mok is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Northern Iowa. His area of interests are public policy and methodology.