ALMEIDA JÚNIOR, Antenor Teixeira. Espaços e atratores: estratégias de categorização na emergência de interferências sobre a conceitualização de violência. 2013. 184f. – Tese (Doutorado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Departamento de Letras Vernáculas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Linguística, Fortaleza (CE), 2013. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-01-19T18:35:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_tese_atajunior.pdf: 2885641 bytes, checksum: 4f0fc10c7ba0f795d9a6a874f8c74b94 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo(marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-01-20T10:53:28Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_tese_atajunior.pdf: 2885641 bytes, checksum: 4f0fc10c7ba0f795d9a6a874f8c74b94 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-01-20T10:53:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_tese_atajunior.pdf: 2885641 bytes, checksum: 4f0fc10c7ba0f795d9a6a874f8c74b94 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / In this research, I analyzed the characteristics and mechanisms that make categorization, as a cognitive process, a Complex Adaptive System and the strategies of categorization that work in the emergency of inferences for the conceptualization of the category VIOLENCE and subcategory URBAN VIOLENCE. The theoretical support for the investigation of the research aims are the assumptions of the paradigm of chaos, complexity and complex systems, as outlined by Bertalanffy (1977), Morin (2005), Holland (1995, 1998) and Larsen-Freeman and Cameron ( 2008; 2012), who propose the concepts of systems, complexity, attractors, phase space and characteristics and mechanisms of a Complex Adaptive System. In the case of inferential process, I sought theoretical support in Relevance Theory, as proposed by Sperber and Wilson (1995, 2001), Feltes (1999, 2007), Alves and Gonçalves (2006) and Yus (2008, 2013). To get to the characterization of categorization as a Complex Adaptive System, I considered the properties presented by Holland (1995) and Larsen-Freeman and Cameron (2008), seeking to expand the concept and explain the instability of the categorical system based on the complexity theory (Morin, 1977). For this investigation, based on the complexity theory, it was also necessary to include the concept of system, phase space and attractors so relevant to the methodological approach used in this research. Such a procedure resulted in a typology of categorization strategies for the analysis and explanation of how the various feasible spaces for the conceptualizing of VIOLENCE are triggered. The category "VIOLENCE" was chosen for analysis in view of its update status in the last twenty years and the various researches on the subject carried out by Larsen-Freeman and Cameron, Macedo and Feltes, scholars whose studies served as basis for the methodological proposal of this thesis. In order to verify the research hypotheses, a methodological design which involved intensive direct observation of 33 categorizers was used. The participants answered questionnaires about the categorization of VIOLENCE and participated of verbal protocols to verify the inference mechanisms involved in the process. The analyses result allow for the following conclusions: VIOLENCE categorization has the properties and mechanisms of Complex Adaptive Systems because the systems present, in whole and in parts, variation within a stable range. The categorizers use the inferential process to trigger the attractors that lead to the phase space in which diverse knowledge about violence is available for its conceptualization in a strategic way. / Nesta pesquisa, analisamos as características e mecanismos que tornam a categorização, como processo cognitivo, um Sistema Adaptativo Complexo e as estratégias de categorização que atuam na emergência de inferências para a conceitualização da categoria VIOLÊNCIA e a subcategoria VIOLÊNCIA URBANA. Nosso suporte teórico para a investigação dos nossos objetivos são os pressupostos do paradigma do caos, da complexidade e dos sistemas complexos, conforme delineados por Bertalanffy (1977), Morin (2005), Holland (1995; 1998) e Larsen- Freeman e Cameron (2008; 2012), que propõem os conceitos de sistemas, complexidade, atratores, espaço fase e características e mecanismos de um Sistema Adaptativo Complexo. No caso do processo inferencial, buscamos amparo teórico na Teoria da Relevância, conforme proposta por Sperber e Wilson (1995; 2001), Feltes (1999; 2007), Alves e Gonçalves (2006) e Yus (2008; 2013). Para chegarmos à caracterização da categorização como Sistema Adaptativo Complexo, levamos em consideração as propriedades apresentadas por Holland (1995) e Larsen- Freeman e Cameron (2008), buscando ampliar o conceito e explicar a instabilidade do sistema categorizacional à luz da complexidade (MORIN, 1977). Para essa investigação com base na complexidade foi necessário ainda incluir o conceito de sistema, espaço fase e atratores tão caros à abordagem metodológica utilizada. Esse procedimento resultou em uma tipologia de estratégias de categorização para análise e explicitação de como se aciona os diversos espaços possíveis para conceitualização de VIOLÊNCIA. Escolhemos a categoria VIOLÊNCIA para investigar nosso objetivo tendo em vista a atualização do assunto nos últimos vinte anos e pelos trabalhos com essa categoria realizados por Larsen-Freeman e Cameron, Macedo e Feltes, cujos estudos serviram de base para nossa proposta metodológica. Para verificarmos nossas hipóteses, utilizamos como desenho metodológico uma pesquisa com observação direta e intensiva de 33 categorizadores que responderam a questionários sobre a categorização de VIOLÊNCIA e participaram de protocolos verbais para verificação dos mecanismos de inferenciação. Os resultados das análises permitem as seguintes conclusões: a categorização de VIOLÊNCIA possui propriedades e mecanismos dos Sistemas Adaptativos Complexos, pois os sistemas apresentam no todo e nas partes, variedade dentro de uma estabilidade. Os categorizadores utilizam o processo inferencial para acionar os atratores que levam ao espaço fase em que se encontram diversos conhecimentos sobre violência para sua conceitualização de forma estratégica.

yes / Purpose: The aim of this research is to evaluate if the Complex Adaptive Systems theory can be used to explain resilience strategies within the pharmaceutical supply chain Research Approach: An in depth review of literature surrounding resilience in the pharmaceutical supply chain. In order to pursue this study agenda, data was collected from Scopus, the largest peer review journal as well as EBSCOhost. The PRISMA guideline was adopted in the systematic review process where 34 peer reviewed papers in the field of CAS, supply chain and supply chain resilience were identified with respect to methodologies employed, location of the study and approaches. Findings and Originality: The systematic review of literature shows that there are inherent similarities between the concept of resilience and the CAS theory. The CAS theory explains that PSC’s are dynamic, have emergent behaviours complex, adaptive, interconnected as well as possess schemas that regulate their operations. Hence if resilience strategies are to be employed to mitigate disruptive events they need to be harnessed in a manner to fit this particular supply chain. This work is innovative as it provides a new insight into the contemporary discourse on resilience strategy creation and deployment, examining the use of this theory in the PSC, and thus provides original contribution. Research Impact: This study contributes to the existing literature base, by providing theoretical underpinnings in the area of resilience and the pharmaceutical supply chain. This furthers the CAS agenda, SCR agenda and also presents an innovative output which warrants more detailed analysis and feasibility testing. Practical Impact: Complexity principles are multi-scaled and multi-domain and as such the suggestions put forward in this theoretical framework can be adopted in various supply chain networks as well as disruptive events. It provides new insights with regards to structures for managers seeking to design and improve resilience supply chains, a key element of which is the adoption of a holistic analysis by SC managers when developing resilience strategies. This is critical if disruptions are to be identified and mitigated before their impact is felt.

The relaxation of international boundaries has enabled the globalisation of markets making available an ever increasing number of specialised suppliers and markets. Inevitably this results in supply chains sharing suppliers and customers reflected in a network of relationships. Within this context firms buyers configure their supply relationships based on their perception of supply risk. Risk is managed by either increasing trust or commitment or by increasing the number of suppliers. Increasing trust and commitment facilitates collaboration and reduces the propensity for a supplier to exit the relationship. Conversely, increasing the number of suppliers reduces dependency and increases the ease of making alternative supply arrangements. The emergent network of relationships is dynamic and complex, and due in no small part to the influence of inventory management practices, tightly coupled. This critical organization of the network describes a system that contrary to existing supply chain conceptualisation exists far from equilibrium, requiring a different more appropriate theoretical lens through which to view them. This thesis adopts a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) perspective to position supply networks as tightly coupled complex systems which according to Normal Accident Theory (NAT) are vulnerable to disruptions as a consequence of normal operations. The consequential boundless and emergent nature of supply networks makes them difficult to research using traditional empirical methods, instead this research builds a generalised supply network agent based computer model, allowing network constituents (agents) to take autonomous parallel action reflecting the true emergent nature of supply networks. This thesis uses the results from a series of carefully designed computer experiments to elucidate how supply networks respond to a variety of market structures and permitted agent behaviours. Market structures define the vertical (between tier) and horizontal (within tier) levels of price differentiation. Within each structure agents are permitted to autonomously modify their prices (constrained by market structure) and collaborate by sharing demand information. By examining how supply networks respond to different permitted agent behaviours in a range of market structures this thesis makes 4 contributions. Firstly, it extends NAT by incorporating the adaptive nature of supply network constituents. Secondly it extends supply chain management by specifying supply networks as dynamic not static phenomena. Thirdly it extends supply chain risk management through developing an understanding of the impact different permitted behaviour combinations on the networks vulnerability to disruptions in the context of normal operations. Finally by developing the understanding how normal operations impact a supply networks vulnerability to disruptions it informs the practice of supply chain risk management.

Business processes can be divided into standardisable and non-standardisable processes. Such processes are characterised by their activities, events, states and time-points. The conditions in which process activities, events, states and time-points occur determines how they are observed, recorded and acted upon. Under predictable and stable conditions an observer can record them by predetermining them and this can be done using existing process design approaches and methodologies. Such processes are termed standardisable processes; for example a process for manufacturing cars. However, under unpredictable and unstable conditions an observer cannot record them by predetermining all the possible events, because uncertainty leads to unpredictable events occurring. Such processes are termed non-standardisable processes and in this thesis as emergent processes; for example special engineering projects like building the Channel Tunnel. Therefore, a new approach is required for designing non-standardisable processes. Process events are significant because the observer notices and records them. Significantly, the observer of events also has to act on them. Whether process events occur in predictable and stable conditions or unpredictable and unstable conditions, makes a difference to how an observer notices, records and acts on them. This is highly significant for this thesis argument, because as non-standardisable process events can be unexpected and unpredictable or emergent a new approach is required to design them. This thesis advances knowledge of designing non-standardisable processes by conceptualising them as emergent business processes (EBP) and contributing a new approach for designing them using action research and the deferred design approach as a process design methodology. Uncertain and unpredictable conditions is characterised here as emergence. The observer cannot predetermine all the possible process events for processes that operate in emergent conditions and cannot determine how to act upon unpredictable process events, because some events will be predictable and others unpredictable. The pragmatist research methodology was used to research to identify and resolve the problem with EBP in the Foreign Procurement Division (FPD) of the Kuwait Ministry of Defence. It was also used an approach for designing EBP. The research contributes the new understanding of non-standardisable processes as emergent business processes. This is a significant contribution because it is conceptualisation that is not found in the literature. This conceptualisation recognises the need to find new approaches for designing and implementing EBP. Therefore, the research also contributes a new approach for designing EBP using the action research methodology as a process design methodology.

Esta é uma pesquisa quali-quantitativa que tem por base teórico-epistemológica o Interacionismo Sociodiscursivo (ISD) e a Teoria da Complexidade, uma vez que ambas as teorias contribuem para a compreensão da ação de linguagem, enquanto Sistema Adaptativo Complexo (SAC), de sujeitos engajados em atividades de produção de textos. Dessa forma, na medida em que o desempenho de sujeitos de diferentes níveis de ensino tem sido apontado como problemático por órgãos de pesquisa em Educação, no que se refere às práticas de leitura e de produção textual, considerou-se relevante investigar a maneira como uma ferramenta digital de mineração de dados, neste caso, a ferramenta Sobek, pode evidenciar níveis de complexidade entre o conteúdo de um texto-referência e o texto-produzido. O objeto de estudo desta tese, portanto, é o recorte propiciado pela ferramenta Sobek, que ocorre por meio da geração de um grafo composto por palavras (signos) recorrentes nos textos, com vistas a sustentar a construção de uma perspectiva inter(trans)disciplinar, referente aos modos de extrair e interpretar o conteúdo desses a partir de níveis de complexidade. O corpus de pesquisa foi composto por 2 turmas de ensino superior, em nível de graduação, envolvendo a coleta de 34 textos. Esses textos foram submetidos à técnica de mineração de dados, com a utilização de uma nova versão da ferramenta, desenvolvida neste estudo, a qual permitiu importar e comparar, de forma automatizada, o conteúdo de dois textos, sendo possível gerar 3 tipos de grafos: de união, de intersecção e de diferença. O resultado da análise de dados indicou um padrão de estabilidade da ação de linguagem dos sujeitos, em relação ao conteúdo do texto-referência, sem apresentar significativa variabilidade de conceitos. Para além de uma nova versão da ferramenta, outra contribuição desta pesquisa foi a de sugerir que níveis de complexidade em caráter de estabilidade e variabilidade podem ser associados a zonas de desenvolvimento humano. / This is a quali-quantitative research whose theoretical and epistemological basis are the Interactionism Sociodiscursivo (ISD) and the Complexity Theory, once both theories contribute to the understanding of the language action, as Complex Adaptive System (CAS), of individuals engaged in text production activities. Thus, as the individuals‟ performance in different levels of education has been identified as problematic by Research Institutes of Education, related to reading and textual production practices, it was considered relevant to investigate the way a digital data mining tool, in this case, Sobek, may reveal levels of complexity between the content of a reference-text and a produced-text. The object of study of this thesis, so is the cut provided by Sobek tool, which occurs through the generation of a graph composed of words (signs) recurring in the texts, in order to support the construction of an inter(trans) disciplinary perspective, referring to ways to extract and interpret the content of the texts. The research corpus was composed of 2 classes of higher education at the undergraduate level, involving the collection of 34 texts. These texts were submitted to data mining technique, with the use of a new version of the tool, developed in this study, which allowed to import and compare, automatically, the contents of two texts automatically, been possible to generate 3 types of graphs: union, intersection and difference. The result of data analysis indicated a recurring pattern in the analyzed texts, which was to maintain the language action as stable as possible to the content of the reference-text, without presenting significant variability of concepts. In addition to the new version of the tool, another contribution of this research was to suggest that the levels of complexity in stability and variability may be associated with human development zones.

Reducing hospital readmissions is critical to the success and sustainability of both hospitals and the communities in which they reside. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore organizational strategies hospital leaders use to reduce hospital readmissions. The study was limited to hospitals in Southwest Missouri with readmission rates below the state average. Complex adaptive systems was the conceptual framework for the study because of the complex nature and numerous stakeholders of the healthcare system. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 15 hospital leaders via semistructured interviews and an analysis of organizational artifacts. Member checking was used to increase reliability and validity of the results. Data analysis was conducted using Yin's 5 step process including qualitative analysis software to identify major and core themes. The major themes identified in the study included population health, hospital operations and patient interactions, leadership and mission, and barriers to reducing readmissions. The implications for positive social change include the potential to improve services hospital team members provide to patients, which may improve the overall health of the communities they serve. By promoting improved health outcomes for local communities, society benefits through reduction of costs to the federal government and an overall improvement in the health of communities.

As the U.S. economy changed from industry to information, small cities suffered a decline in quality of life and an increase in poverty. The existing research has focused on demographics and descriptive attributes of micropolitan cities, but not on efforts to overcome these challenges. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand how a micropolitan city used economic and community development policies to rebuild its economy and improve quality of life. Using Holland's conceptualization of complex adaptive systems, research questions focused on triggers for policy creation and its use to create social change by improving the local economy and reducing the effects of poverty. Data for this qualitative case study were collected through open-ended questions in semi structured interviews with policymakers (elected officials), policy implementers (city employees), and policy influencers (community leaders). Interviews were supplemented with document review and photographic observation. The data were analyzed using descriptive coding, categorical aggregation, and direct interpretation to identify overarching themes of acceptance, resilience, building on strengths, and the interwoven nature of policy. The findings indicate that economic and community development policies can lead to positive changes such as the rehabilitation of blighted areas, growth of new and existing businesses, and influence state policy, illustrating the attributes of complex adaptive systems. The positive social change implications of this study include recommendations to city administrators to develop economic and community development policy based on their unique circumstances, to build partnerships, promote community change, and build a positive mindset to benefit their city and citizens.

The research question for this study is “Can concepts from complex adaptive systems and conversation analysis be used to research consumer behaviour?" This is, primarily, a theoretical question. After a wide-ranging literature search no scholarly publications linking the qualitative aspects of complex adaptive systems theory to marketing or consumer research were located. In addition, there appear to be few papers on consumer research which use conversation analysis. A theory for the research methodology was developed. It was argued that the production of a research theory and methodology to test the relevance and appropriateness of two very different theories - complex adaptive systems and conversation analysis was the major undertaking of this thesis. The problem of combining an essentially scientific perspective (complex adaptive systems) with an essentially qualitative one (ethnomethodology and conversation analysis) was resolved as part of the research process. A bridging theory was developed through the common ground offered by the sociology of scientific knowledge on the one hand and social-constructionist theory on the other. This methodology was successful in supporting the choice of conversation analysis as the data-collection method and provided the rationale for observing five characteristics of a complex adaptive system. The methodology was tested empirically and, in keeping with exploratory work, iteratively. It is not intended that this type of research will have predictive value. The complex adaptive system studied was consumers in a small group. There were two research locations with six data-collection sessions in each. The first location collected data from organisational groups. The second collected data from groups of consumers convened in a meeting room. / Data were transcribed and analysed for all sessions according to the conventions of conversation analysis. In the meeting-room sessions, data were also collected by electronic-group-support-systems technology and subjected to a modified form of content analysis. The broad findings showed the following. The assumption that there was little evidence of interest in complex adaptive systems among consumer behaviour researchers was confirmed. Apart from one paper calling for the use of conversation analysis in consumer behaviour research, there appeared to have been no subsequent reports of its adoption. The potential for conversation analysis in consumer research has probably not been understood because it was seen as a data-collection method only within an ethnomethodological perspective. The discursive theoretical perspective, which gives a prime position to conversation analysis in the construction of factual accounts, was found to be an innovative way to study consumer behaviour. A discursive theoretical research perspective could have provided a more robust theoretical justification for the fieldwork carried out in this study than the theory of the methodology that was first developed for this study. Conversation analysis did meet the five criteria proposed for surfacing a complex adaptive system in a small group but in an unexpected way. It met these criteria through the research process. In other words, by setting up an appropriate research environment and using conversation analysis, it was shown that a complex adaptive system was in operation. / An outcome of employing complex adaptive systems theory and conversation analysis is a new way of seeing groups of consumers as a self-organised, nonlinear, interactive entity. Conversation analysis has proven to be a method of empirically observing this entity, whilst preserving the consumer groups' complex adaptiveness. There were three conclusions. The first is that the discursive paradigm appears to be an alternative paradigm for consumer behaviour research that is appropriate for certain applications. For example, marketing communications and word-of-mouth communication. The second conclusion is that when small-group talk-in-interaction is recorded and analysed using conversation analysis, the characteristics of a complex adaptive system theorised in this study seem evident to the researcher. The third is that complex adaptive systems appear to be capable of being researched in the field, but more work is needed on defining the characteristics to be researched.

A principal purpose of this thesis is to present an economic evaluation of ecosystems. The concept of ecosystem health is adopted to ascertain the status of ecosystems. Ecosystem health is considered in part an economic concept and defined as a function of utility through the ecosystem services that satisfy various needs, subject to preserving the integrity of the adaptive cycle. In order to quantify the utility supplied by ecosystem services the novel utility index Ecosystem Outcome Protection Year (ECOPY) is developed. By forming this index, an evaluation can be performed using cost utility analysis, which avoids monetizing these benefits. An attempt is made to ascertain an appropriate approach for ecosystem management. It is reasoned that expert intuition can determine some kind of macro-regularities in ecosystems despite their complex dynamics. Hence, these inferences could be used for ecosystem management. Adaptive co-management is introduced as a means to bring about the collaboration of experts as resource co-managers. The concept of informed intuition is developed to bring about a systematic approach to learning and evaluation where the mental models of experts are transcribed using fuzzy cognitive mapping. However, it is argued that ecosystems as complex adaptive systems are non-ergodic and full of surprises. Accordingly, abduction, the logic of creative conjecture is systematically developed, for the purposes of maintaining mental model flexibility. This systematic application of abduction with an informed intuition forms the proposed abductive process of research, which is grounded in Shacklean potential surprise, a non-probabilistic function. To demonstrate this novel research process, a post-classical economic evaluation of Te Waihora lake ecosystem is undertaken, which employs the ECOPY index and potential surprise method. This empirical case study reveals various cost-effective management actions for improving lake health, which went beyond the intuitions of resource co-managers. This indicated the potential of the approach, which is considered a significant contribution for the methodological development of ecosystem management.

Introduction/ Objectives: Stroke, the third leading cause of death in Canada, is projected to rise in the next 20 years as the population ages and obesity rates increase. Family caregivers fulfill pertinent roles in providing support for family members who have survived a stroke, from onset to re-integration into the community. However, the transition from rehabilitation to home is a crucial transition for both the stroke survivor and family caregiver. As the stroke survivor transitions home from a rehabilitation facility, family caregivers provide different types of support, including assistance with navigating the stroke rehabilitation system. They also are a constant source of support for the stroke survivor providing them with continuity during the transition. In this exploratory study we examined family caregivers’ perceptions and experiences navigating the stroke rehabilitation system. The theories of continuity care and complex adaptive systems were used to examine the transition home from hospital or stroke rehabilitation facility, and in some cases back to hospital. Methodology: Family caregivers (n=14) who provide care for a stroke survivor were recruited 4-12 weeks following the patient’s discharge from a stroke rehabilitation facility. Interviews were conducted with family caregivers to examine their perceptions and experiences navigating the stroke rehabilitation system. Directed content analysis was used to explore the perceptions of family caregivers as they reflected on the transitions home. The theories of continuity of care and complex adaptive systems were used to interpret their experiences. Results/Conclusions: During the transition home from a rehabilitation facility, family caregivers are a constant source of support, providing the stroke survivor with continuity. Emergent themes highlight the importance of the caregiving role, and barriers and facilitators that impact the role, and influence continuity of care. Also, supports and services in the community were limited or did not meet the specific needs of the family caregiver. The acknowledgment of the unique attributes of each case will ensure supports and services are tailored to the family caregiver’s needs. Mitigation of systemic barriers would also decrease complexity experienced at the micro-level in the stroke rehabilitation system, and better support the family caregiver during the transition home from a stroke rehabilitation facility.