Supporting the allocation of software development work in distributed teams with multi-criteria decision analysis

In the fast moving software industry, projects have been increasingly developed by distributed teams, which are located in geographically remote offices and collaborate using information communication technologies. In such environments, project distribution presents specific challenges, as work in distributed teams increases project technical complexity, communication lines multiply and stakeholders’ interests may be divergent. Despite the importance and complexity of this type of problem, it seems that there is a lack of reports, in the literature, of systems that could support these decisions. This paper presents a real-world case study, where we developed a multi-criteria model for supporting the distributed team work allocation decision for a major global software company. It was developed with a group of software development project managers, using decision conferencing and multi-attribute value analysis. The model deals not only with software engineering attributes, but also “soft” and strategic issues, like team satisfaction and training opportunities. We also discuss some issues and challenges faced during this modelling process.     

我国知名大学校长个人特征研究

对34位知名大学校长个人特征研究发现:33位为男性而只有1位女性,他们主要来自东部和中部发达地区,94.11%在40~59岁时成为大学掌舵人,91.17%具备研究生学历,94.11%理工科专业出身,61.76%有国外大学学习的经历,50%至少有一个本校的学位,50%是中国科学院或中国工程院士,平均任职年限为4.6年,这些特征表现出与国外知名大学校长特征的差异性,并对知名大学校长的涌现和更好成长以及知名大学的发展有一定启示。     

浅谈业主对工程造价的控制

从业主角度出发 ,从五个方面下手 ,提出如何有效控制工程造价。指出设计阶段是关键 ,招投标是基础 ,严格把关竣工决算审核 ,并针对工程中的实际情况提出个人的看法和可实施的解决方案 ,供工程管理人员参考。     

基于社会服务项目的儿童福利资源整合

当前,我国儿童福利资源存在资源匮乏、供给分散、可获得性弱等问题,而社会服务项目则是解决这些问题的一种路径。以福利治理为理论视角,尝试以一个留守儿童社会服务项目为例的研究发现,该项目通过不同形式的合作整合了来自政府、军队、群团组织、社会组织、企业、社区等资源,提高了福利资源的供给效率,满足了留守儿童多元化的福利需求,但是,由于项目本身的周期性、制度保障的缺乏等限制,导致了项目难以持续发挥作用。因此,基于社会服务项目的福利资源整合只是一种基于实践基础上的暂时的整合,而最根本的还需要在福利制度上进行整合。     

Disaster and Development Paradigms: Too Close for Comfort?

The familiar distinctions between the disaster and development paradigms have become increasingly blurred. Yet, conceptual and policy dilemmas continue to pose challenges for the integration of the two paradigms into a single framework. Drawing on the literature and Ethiopia's Institutional Support Project, this article argues that the increased convergence of the two constructs may be too close for comfort, thus rendering the assertion that disaster‐risk reduction can help achieve sustainable development and vice versa mere rhetoric. Unless there is a shift from focusing on the hazard event to also recognising that disasters are not politically neutral, there is a danger of being locked into the hazard paradigm, despite the different labels, titles or metaphors that may be assigned to it.     

Escalation: The Role of Problem Recognition and Cognitive Bias

Escalation of commitment to a failing course of action is an enduring problem that remains central to the study of managerial behavior. Prior research suggests that escalation behavior results when decision makers choose to ignore negative feedback concerning the viability of a previously chosen course of action. Previous work has also suggested that certain cognitive biases might promote escalation behavior, but there has been little attempt to explore how biases other than framing affect escalation. In this article, we explore the extent to which decision makers actually perceive negative feedback as indicative of a problem and how this influences their decision to escalate. Although problem recognition and cognitive biases have been intensively studied individually, little is known about their effect on escalation behavior. In this research, we construct and test an escalation decision model that incorporates both problem recognition and two cognitive biases: selective perception and illusion of control. Our results revealed a significant inverse relationship between problem recognition and escalation. Furthermore, selective perception and illusion of control were found to significantly affect both problem recognition and escalation. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed. To improve problem recognition and reduce the incidence of escalation, practicing managers should implement modern project management practices that can help to identify and highlight potential problems while guarding against these two key cognitive biases that promote the behavior.     

The praxis of ethnic studies: transforming second sight into critical consciousness

This article focuses on a youth participatory action research (YPAR) program called the Social Justice Education Project (SJEP) that fostered young people of color’s critical consciousness. Their critical consciousness emerged through praxis (reflection/action) while focusing on preserving ethnic studies in Tucson, Arizona. Because the SJEP home was in ethnic studies, the youth also struggled to keep their program alive. The Arizona Department of Education claimed the program bred ‘radicals’ who wanted to overthrow the government and therefore lobbied the state legislature to ban K-12 ethnic studies in public schools. In January 2012, the ban went into effect, shutting down ethnic studies classes as well as the SJEP. Young people’s qualitative research on their struggle led to action to save the education that gave them hope for a more equitable and just world. The article addresses the praxis of YPAR, which sparks a thought process leading to the drive to take action. Observing and documenting educational injustices inspire the need to seek radical change of Self and schools. Through the reflection and action facilitated by YPAR, young people of color construct a message about the importance of ethnic studies for individual as well as social transformation.     

对外承包工程国际收支统计存在问题与改进建议

 对外承包工程是一项重要的国际经济合作方式之一,与其相关的多项交易均需纳入国际收支统计范围。本文分析了《国际收支和国际投资头寸手册（第六版）》（Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (Sixth Edition)）中有关对外承包工程国际收支统计的基本原则,并指出以间接申报为主要数据源的统计模式的弊端,建议从规范间接申报入手改进现有统计制度,最后提出了开展专项统计采集对外承包工程国际收支数据的远期规划。     

Probabilistic Reliability Modeling for Oil Exploration & Production (E&P) Facilities in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve

The aging domestic oil production infrastructure represents a high risk to the environment because of the type of fluids being handled (oil and brine) and the potential for accidental release of these fluids into sensitive ecosystems. Currently, there is not a quantitative risk model directly applicable to onshore oil exploration and production (E&P) facilities. We report on a probabilistic reliability model created for onshore exploration and production (E&P) facilities. Reliability theory, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), and event trees were used to develop the model estimates of the failure probability of typical oil production equipment. Monte Carlo simulation was used to translate uncertainty in input parameter values to uncertainty in the model output. The predicted failure rates were calibrated to available failure rate information by adjusting probability density function parameters used as random variates in the Monte Carlo simulations. The mean and standard deviation of normal variate distributions from which the Weibull distribution characteristic life was chosen were used as adjustable parameters in the model calibration. The model was applied to oil production leases in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Oklahoma. We present the estimated failure probability due to the combination of the most significant failure modes associated with each type of equipment (pumps, tanks, and pipes). The results show that the estimated probability of failure for tanks is about the same as that for pipes, but that pumps have much lower failure probability. The model can provide necessary equipment reliability information for proactive risk management at the lease level by providing quantitative information to base allocation of maintenance resources to high-risk equipment that will minimize both lost production and ecosystem damage.     

Project Adventure体育课程模式对大学生社会适应能力的影响

针对我国大学生社会适应能力的现状,采用文献资料调研、动态性现场实验等方法,以大学生社会适应能力提高的有效途径与方法为研究对象,对高校体育课程中运用Project Adventure体育教育模式的可行性和必要性进行了分析,指出高校体育课程中Project Adventure体育教育模式是促进大学生社会适应能力较为有效的途径与方法,并提出了将Project Adventure体育教学模式作为高校体育课程开设的思路与对策。