Conceptual Foundations For Multidisciplinary Thinking

Our current intellectual system provides us with a far more complete and accurate understanding of nature and ourselves than was available in any previous society. This gain in understanding has arisen from two sources: the use of the 'scientific method', and the breaking up of our intellectual enterprise into increasingly narrower disciplines and research programs. However, we have failed to keep these narrow specialities connected to the intellectual enterprise as a whole. The author demonstrates that this causes a number of difficulties. We have no viewpoint from which we can understand the relationships between the disciplines and lack a forum for adjudicating situations where different disciplines give conflicting answers to the same problem. We seriously underestimate the differences in methodology and in the nature of principles in the various branches of science. This provocative and wide-ranging book provides a detailed analysis and possible solutions for dealing with this problem.

This title was first published in 2003. In this key volume, William Housley examines the concepts of multidisciplinarity and team practice in social care settings and considers how and why the two concepts have been brought together in recent years. Furthermore, he discusses the various theoretical assumptions that underpin models of multidisciplinary teamwork. This is contrasted with interactional and ethnomethodological approaches that have examined the lived reality of work practices and social organization. The author applies these approaches to understanding multidisciplinary team interaction and communication within social care settings through the use of conversation and membership categorization analysis. Topics covered include the negotiation and accomplishment of professional and lay role-identities, claims making and the display of knowledge in team settings, the use of narrative and stories in decision making and the local organization and accomplishment of team leadership. Furthermore, it is argued that recent developments and ideas concerning the re-engineering of team structures within health and social care settings would benefit from some consideration of observations generated from this approach to exploring multidisciplinary team practice.

This book reports on cutting-edge research and best practices in developing innovative service systems. It covers issues concerning the suitability of a given system for human use, human services, and excellent human experiences. It explores a wide range of ways in which human factors in engineering, ergonomics, human–computer interaction (HCI), cognitive engineering, and many other disciplines can contribute to the design and management of service systems. It considers aspects related to cost effectiveness, ethics, and privacy, among others, and covers applications in many areas, from healthcare to education, transportation, and the economy. Based on the AHFE 2020 Virtual Conference on the Human Side of Service Engineering, held on July 16–20, 2020, the book provides readers with a comprehensive overview of current research and future challenges in the field of service engineering, together with practical insights into the development of innovative services for various kinds of organizations.

Utopias - whether philosophical, literary, or actual experiments - are attempts to solve all social problems. In the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center, unfolding corporate scandals, and other devastating shocks, it is natural to search for practical lessons in utopian literature. In this collection noted sociologists renew the call to develop an altruistic social order. They address a wide variety of topics as they look for viable utopian ideas that can be applied to today's society. Written in an engaging, jargon-free style, and directed to introductory sociology students as well as anyone concerned with social problems, the book provides both visionary ideals and insights for pragmatic decision-making as we venture into an uncertain future.

Service-Dominant Logic presents a major paradigm shift in thinking about value creation and markets, moving from a ‘goods/product’ logic to a logic that treats the process of service provision as the basis of all exchange, both commercial and social. This timely Handbook brings together chapters written by a stellar cast of expert authors from around the globe, arranged around eleven core themes, to provide a comprehensive overview of key issues, developments, debates and potential future directions for this dynamic field of study: Part 1: Introduction and Background Part 2: Value Cocreation Part 3: Service Exchange Part 4: Service Ecosystems Part 5: Institutions and Institutional Arrangements Part 6: Resources and Resource Integration Part 7: Actors and Practices Part 8: Innovation Part 9: Midrange Theory Part 10: Selected Applications Part 11: Reflections and Prospects This Handbook is an essential reference text for scholars, students, consultants and advanced practitioners across a wide range of business & management practices and academic disciplines.

Extensive research conducted by the Hasso Plattner Design Thinking Research Program at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, USA, and the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany, has yielded valuable insights on why and how design thinking works. The participating researchers have identified metrics, developed models, and conducted studies, which are featured in this book, and in the previous volumes of this series. This volume provides readers with tools to bridge the gap between research and practice in design thinking with varied real world examples. Several different approaches to design thinking are presented in this volume. Acquired frameworks are leveraged to understand design thinking team dynamics. The contributing authors lead the reader through new approaches and application fields and show that design thinking can tap the potential of digital technologies in a human-centered way. In a final section, new ideas in neurodesign at Stanford University and at Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam are elaborated upon thereby challenging the reader to consider newly developed methodologies and provide discussion of how these insights can be applied to various sectors. Special emphasis is placed on understanding the mechanisms underlying design thinking at the individual and team levels. Design thinking can be learned. It has a methodology that can be observed across multiple settings and accordingly, the reader can adopt new frameworks to modify and update existing practice. The research outcomes compiled in this book are intended to inform and provide inspiration for all those seeking to drive innovation – be they experienced design thinkers or newcomers.

Papers presented at the second biennial Information Systems Foundations ('Constructing and Criticising') Workshop, held at The Australian National University in Canberra from 16-17 July 2004. The focus of the workshop was, as for the first in the series, the foundations of Information Systems as an academic discipline. The particular emphasis was on the adequacy and completeness of theoretical underpinnings and the research methods employed.

Covers the development, design, and utilization of virtual organizations and communities and the resulting impact of these venues.