Narrow Results

My story is one where I thrust myself into an entrepreneurial endeavor at one of the world’s largest innovation hubs, achieving some successes, but ultimately falling short of the mission I set out to complete. Through an application of autoethnographic research, I propose the concept of coherence as a practical way to align entrepreneurial storytelling and management techniques as both are critical to successful venturing and key ingredients for an ensemble may be required to sustain the exploitation of an opportunity.

Storytelling in leadership research is usually approached positively and seen as a non-problematic resource or even a “tool” for leadership purposes. However, using stories and narratives involves challenges for leaders. Storytelling may result in intended outcomes, but it also carries a risk for undesirable leadership consequences. In the storytelling approach, there is a hidden assumption that listeners are homogeneous and that they are not critical or active. Empirical studies rarely approach failed storytelling experienced by leaders: the feelings of failure, reasons, and consequences. In this chapter, we focus on the risky nature of leadership storytelling as well as the element of learning to be a better leader inherent in it. Based on empirical qualitative data, we apply thematic and content analysis on interviews from 13 leaders. Based on the findings, we present the following five special dimensions/themes of failure, illustrating the risks involved in leadership storytelling: (a) diversity of the audience, (b) situation/context, (c) loss of authority, (d) storytelling skills, and (e) audience misinterpretation. We interpret the findings in the context of the leaders’ personal experiences, their meaning for the leaders’ self-reflection, and the leaders’ leadership learning for the future. Moreover, we discuss these dimensions from the perspective of diversity and the hidden assumption in the storytelling approach that the listeners are a homogeneous group.

In the context of underground construction, forensic engineering is taken to be the application of engineering principles and methodologies to determine the cause of a performance deficiency, often a collapse, in an excavation, and the reporting of the findings, usually in the form of an expert opinion within the legal system. The procedures that may be used in forensic geotechnical investigations and the interface of the engineer with the legal system are discussed. The application of the principles and methodologies outlined are illustrated through a brief account of the investigation of the collapse of a small part of an excavation in the Lane Cove Tunnel Project, Sydney, Australia, on 2 November, 2005.

A 3-D discrete element model with connective type was presented in this paper. Accordingly, a 3-D discrete element method code, which can calculate the transitional process from connective model (for continuum) to contact model (for non-continuum), was developed. The wave propagation in a 3-D concrete block under impact loading was numerically simulated, by using this code. Comparing its numerical results with those by LS-DYNA, the accuracy of this algorithm was presented. Moreover, the failure process of the concrete block under impact loading was demonstrated, which presented the basic dynamic transitional process from continuum to non-continuum. The two numerical examples prove that the new model and its code are powerful and efficient for simulating the dynamic failure problems accompanying with the transition from continuum to non-continuum. It also shows that the discrete element method will have widespread availability and perfect development prospect.

The hospitality industry has subsequently been struck by a range of disasters. Either; globally or regionally, natural or man-made disasters. Reflecting the hospitality and tourism industry’s vulnerability to hazardous events in the internal and external environment, they have caused dramatic fluctuations in Tourist arrivals and revenue. The chapter investigates the impact of these disasters and crises on hospitality and tourism industry. Aims to review some attempts to investigate the impact of disasters, how emergency planning could mitigate these impacts, and how to recover from it. Furthermore, it reviews the theories and models which could be used as an effective strategies to cope with uncertainty, how to plan, manage, and recover from such events. Emergency plans used by industry players to overcome the effect of such events and quick return to normality. Emergency planning could mitigate the effect of such events and recover from such disasters. The finding also emphasizes the power of media in clearing the ambiguity, which helps marketing efforts towards tourists to change their attitudes and visit safe rather than visiting hazardous destinations. Effective planning and the urgent need for better cooperation, coordination and awareness efforts among the industry stakeholders, government agencies, and local communities could mitigate the negative impact of hazardous events, allowing organizations to learn from the past to prevent the same effects in the future.

In order to explore the integral safety degree, probable failure type and failure mechanism of high dam, the combination of overloading and strength reduction method is adopted to simulate the progressive failure and potential destabilization pattern of dam-foundation system. By using finite element method, the overloading of dam-foundation system is carried out firstly and then keeping the load combination unchanged, by reducing rock material strength parameters step by step. The general safety degree of dam-foundation system is obtained. The method mentioned above has been used in Guangzhao roller compacted concrete (RCC) gravity dam, the finite element calculation results show that integrated safety degree of GuangZhao RCC Gravity Dam is greater than 3.0 and the safety degree of the dam foundation surface which is the weakest position of the dam-foundation system is greater than 2.0. The research results indicate that the safety coefficient can satisfy the engineering requirement and the method is efficient and accurate in high dam safety evaluation.

The purpose of this study was to predict 10kV cable failures based on deficiency data, and provide data basis for maintenance adjustment. Deficiency Data Analysis (DTA) tree is built on history data. Then probability distribution of deficiency and failure data is constructed considering the family characteristics. Kullback-Leibler distance is used to analyze the correlation between deficiency and failure, which is used to predict failure based on monitoring and testing data. Shenzhen Nanshan power supply company adopted the algorithm analysis achievement, as a result, the cable failure number drop 18% comparing to last year. It is proved that this algorithm can be used to predict malfunctions of cables, then according maintenance could be carried out and enhance system reliability.