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Abstract: In this article, I comment on the prospect of integrating an intersectionality perspective into the developmental sciences. I do this by sharing impressions, insights, and questions that have emerged whilst attempting to look at and to look through an intersectionality lens. My comments focus on three main topics. First, I speculate what forms such an integration could take and argue that an integration that productively contributes to shaping developmental science into a transdisciplinary field is likely to change intersectionality research itself. I then reflect on the perceived ambiguity in terms of the unit of analysis (e.g., social systems vs. individuals) and the focus of research questions (i.e., description vs. explanation vs. intervention) in intersectionality research. Clarity and transparency in this regard is instrumental to productively identifying conceptual and methodological overlaps or intersections with other subdisciplines in developmental sciences. Finally, I highlight the importance of development being more comprehensively reflected in the conceptualizations, the research questions, and the subsequently employed methodologies in intersectionality research. I conclude with a plea for allowing our expertise to intersect to transdisciplinarily work toward creating systemic and perpetual progress in the developmental sciences—something, I believe to resonate strongly with intersectionality researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article discusses key issues in the integration of an intersectionality lens in the developmental sciences and introduces a peer‐reviewed thematic journal issue on this topic. We begin by briefly situating the importance of an intersectionality lens within the changing demographics and sociopolitical history in the United States, and within developmental science as a field. We provide a brief overview of recommendations on responsible use of intersectionality in developmental science. We then introduce contributions contained within this volume, and how each contributor grappled with the following question: How can an intersectionality perspective inform the developmental phenomena of interest and particular developmental theories you draw upon in your area of research? We end by noting that these contributions offer a collection of manuscripts that aim to increase dialogue among developmental scientists on ways to productively integrate an intersectionality lens in developmental science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of solar energy as one of environmentally friendly innovations has been adopted in rural Chinese society to save the environment and money. This study aims to explore the processes and drivers of, and the barriers to, rural people's adoption of solar water heater (SWH), including to analyze and synthesize the diffusion and adoption of practical solar energy innovations. Based on the integration of diffusion of innovations theory, the theory of reasoned action, and the theory of acceptance model, the factors of SWH adoption were established. Binary logistics regression was used to analyze the factors influencing rural people's decision to adopt SWH. The key drivers are social influence, physical need and innovation attributes, respectively. To achieve widespread effective innovations from policy level to rural communities, a two-step flow of diffusion from the government to salespersons and then to rural communities, especially earlier adopters, to motivate rural people's behavioral intention to innovation adoption is strongly recommended. The practical implications for other agricultural rural communities are that the adoption processes and drivers to behavioral change need high collaboration and commitment by related ministries along with the private and academic sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to understand why organizational adoption of virtual worlds has been much slower than expected, by empirically identifying factors that influence organizational intent to adopt virtual worlds. To do so, we developed a model of factors that influence organizational adoption of virtual worlds, based on the Technology–Organization–Environment framework. The model was tested using survey data from organizations, as well as secondary data. Interestingly, mimetic pressures and normative pressures exhibit the strongest effects on organizational intent to adopt virtual worlds. Contrary to expectations, none of the technical factors were to be found significant. These findings provide insights into why the organizational adoption rate of virtual worlds is much slower than expected. First, organizations are intended to adopt virtual worlds if other organizations are adopting virtual worlds. However, organizations are not adopting virtual worlds. Second, because respective competitors that have adopted virtual worlds are not benefiting or succeeding, organizations are not induced to adopt. Last, technological factors, such as relative advantage and compatibility, do not currently have a significant impact on an organization’s intent to adopt virtual worlds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study aims to investigate the impact of national culture and individuals’ cosmopolitanism on consumer innovativeness and innovation adoption behavior. Our research model proposes the linkage between an individual's cultural context and psychological and behavioral outcomes. The research model involves a hierarchical model of consumer innovativeness, including innate innovativeness, domain-specific innovativeness, and adoption of innovation. Data were collected in two culturally distinct countries: the U.S. and South Korea. The study's findings illustrate that the impact of national culture on an individual's innate innovativeness is evident. However, the direct effect of innate innovativeness on innovation adoption is significant only in the U.S. The effects of consumer cosmopolitanism and sociodemographics on consumer innovativeness and innovation adoption behavior are found to vary across the two countries. The managerial implications for the diffusion of global brands are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New York State's Library Systems face increasingly tight budgets. Consolidation/shared service is one potential way that systems can provide the same or higher level of service at decreased cost. The strong variability between systems, however, makes this difficult both to accomplish and appraise. This study surveyed 16 Cooperative Library System directors and IT managers to determine allocative and technical efficiencies that could arise from a consolidated or shared service arrangement. They were also surveyed on the local uniqueness of each function and their perception as to the potential benefits of this arrangement. IT training, Onsite Tech Support, Help Desk/Phone Tech Support/Email Tech Support, Public Database Support, Webhosting/Design/Development and Technology Grant Writing were found to be potential candidates for either shared or consolidated approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adopts fixed-effect panel methodologies to obtain TFP values for a sample of 76 countries from 1960 through 2003. Our results are robust to the use of different estimators (LSDV, Kiviet-corrected LSDV, and GMM). They show that TFP dynamics are characterized by a process of conditional convergence where most countries do not catch up with the U.S., and where human capital plays an important role in technology adoption, as suggested by Nelson and Phelps in 1966. Such a role is robust to the inclusion of controls for the quality of institutions in a country. Further, our results imply a plausible link between stages of development and returns to different levels of education. Finally, we calculate the minimum human capital level necessary to generate catch-up and find that virtually all countries are above that level-a result that again emphasizes the importance of human capital in technology diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines “strategic latency,” a condition in which technologies that could provide military (or economic) advantage remain untapped. As difficult as it is to explain why certain ideas and technologies flourish and find rapid acceptance, it is equally hard to understand why some good ideas languish, only to be rediscovered and exploited under other circumstances. Why is latent capacity so often dormant? What are the indicators that latent capacity is on the verge of being weaponized? History is merely a list of surprises.... It can only prepare us to be surprised yet again. Kurt Vonnegut, Slapstick [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The widespread adoption and secondary use of electronic health records (EHRs) hold great promise for generating efficiencies in the pharmaceutical research and development process and for transforming the healthcare system overall. Illustrative examples and initial study results are provided on the use of EHR data in drug development, patient adherence, translational research, preventative care and transformation of the healthcare system. These respective programmes and approaches demonstrate great progress and hold tremendous promise. A major challenge will lie in combining these approaches in a common and connected environment for secondary usage of healthcare data. Such environments will support pharmaceutical organisations, healthcare providers, patients, payers and policy-makers in developing and adopting evidence-based solutions for improved and sustainable health outcomes for overall populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the author looks at the rising use of mobile telecommunications by Mongolian nomadic herders. Mobile phones have a unique ability to connect to pastoral nomads and provide timely and up-to-date market and weather news. However, civil society in Mongolia is concerned that alongside the growing use of new technologies, there will also need to be effective training on how to responsibility use the medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the evolution of the Finnish Innovation Strategy, the core element of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen's cabinets program in Finland. It states that the new innovation strategy aims to improve the core competencies of Finland through a radical university reform. It notes that the new strategy promotes the concept of open innovation systems, which would expand the innovation base through the participation of all citizens in the society to the innovation processes. It indicates that the strategy also intends to develop research and innovation environment, which would draw the best researchers, students, innovators, and investors to Finland.

This paper gives a summary of how the different information and communication technologies have changed the societies which have used them through the years. Consecration and adoption of different technologies have fulfilled beliefs and expectations that eventually have come true. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a response surface based on catastrophe theory to examine the interaction of information and profitability estimates on the firm's adoption of a new technology or innovation. As such, the paper builds on the conceptual ideas behind McCardle's (1985) work. An illustrative example using simulated data is presented to indicate how one might operationalize the key constructs for the purpose of estimating the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper is interpreting, from an evolutionary perspective, recent developments of work organization and human resource management policies at Fiat Auto, one of the world's largest automobile manufacturers, which achieved a successful restructuring in the early 1990s. Building on a heritage of adversarial labour relations and 'mass production' organizational principles, Fiat developed an original and to some extent hybrid version of 'lean' human resource management practices (teamwork, flexible compensation, multiskilling, etc.). The paper analyses this process of organizational change from an evolutionary perspective based on the concept of dynamic capabilities. From this standpoint, IR. HRM and work organization practices are the result of a learning process, based on original development, imitation, analogical replication, combination and selection of organizational capabilities; organizational capabilities have a cumulative and path-dependent nature; workplace innovations are also rooted in organizational absorptive capacities, that is, the ability of firms to exploit new (and often extramural) organizational and HRM developments; the existence of complementarities among organizational competencies, assets and choices in term of HRM are likely to push toward the adoption of a set or system of (rather than single and insulated) innovations in work organization, HRM practices and industrial relations policies. The data provided in the paper show that the process of innovation of workplace practices at Fiat Auto (summarized by the concept of the Fabbrica Integrata) is curiously non-linear. The newly designed HRM policies have, on the one hand, been resisted by the unions (who have not been involved in the design process) and by segments of the work-force; on the other hand, they have been hindered by existing organizational features and personnel practices which, in turn, were key success factors during the 1980s. This inertia is significantly... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]