Poster presentations
The Meaning of Creativity in Successful Leadership
Janne-Valtteri Nisula (Turku School of Economics, Finland)
Subject: the main aim in this research project is concentrated in the question: ”What is the meaning of creativeness in successful leadership?” Method : phenomenolgical–hermeneutical Results: on the backround of this doctoral work is authors thesis on the same issue. This base research was completed with theoretical part, research interviews and with final judgements. There are 283 pages of direct interviewtransciption on famous creative finnish influentials. Creativity is seen as general human faculty. It is described as a faculty that: 1) enables man to see things from different point of view 2) enables man to invent and form new ideas 3) enables the synthesis in a mans mind 4) enables man to act successfully in extraordinary challenging situations and positions. The theory of creativity is based on general understanding within various fields of science. Leadership consists partly of management and partly of leadership. Leadership theory is mainly based on Peter Koestenbaums ideas. Success acts as a qualifier between creativity and leadership. Success is visible in all situations where man is able to achieve challenging goals. Research interviews are focused on business- and artistic leaders. The research focus is inbound individual action and processes. The results of this predicted leader creativity is to be judged trough the success of the organization.
A Knowledge-based Fuzzy System for Regional Small and Medium Enterprises Development
Mehrdad Roham, Anait Gabrielyan (Saint-Petersburg State Polytechnical University, Russia)
1.A knowledge-based fuzzy system for regional small and medium enterprises (SME’s) development classification is presented in the paper. 2.The aim of the research is to illustrate how fuzzy inference systems can be used in classification and ranking problems. Classification and ranking of the regional units is of significant importance for the planning of the optimal regional SME’s development. The paper aims to present abilities of fuzzy systems as an alternative approach to classic statistical methods for the purpose of efficient classification. 3. To solve classification and ranking problems within a knowledge -based fuzzy system, it is necessary to describe the elements of the fuzzy systems and provide results in a usable and understandable form. The basic elements of the fuzzy system methodology described in the paper are: fuzzification, knowledge representation using fuzzy rules, inference machine, and defuzzification. For the first two elements, a knowledge acquisition from experts has been performed. The next two elements are calculation procedures based on fuzzy logic. Mamdani type model for fuzzy reasoning have been analysed and implemented. 4. The application of the system is illustrated by the example of classification region in one of the 28 regions in the Iran. The relevant indicators were analysed using the fuzzy set approach and processed by fuzzy rules. The knowledge-based system is developed using FuzzyTECH. As a result, a hierarchical ranking of the regions SME can be obtained. The ranking results may vary with changes in selected indicators, fuzzification methods, applied rules and method of defuzzification.
A Self-Evaluation Survey of Local Governments in Latvia
Edvins Vanags (Latvian Statistical Institute, Latvia), Ilmars Vanags (Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, Latvia)
Latvia is the second European country after Sweden that has implemented a self-evaluation (conjuncture) survey of local governments. The source of data on self-evaluation is the answers given by the heads of local governments to qualitative questions. The programme of the self-evaluation survey conducted by the Latvian Statistical Institute is more comprehensive than the Swedish programme. In addition to the traditional conjuncture research questions it also includes sociological questions and an open-ended question on the problems and hardships encountered by local governments. The questionnaire consists of five parts: employment, economy and finance, quality of local government performance, population participation, local government reform. The questions characterise the present tendency (8 questions), future tendency (6 questions), present level (4 questions), future level (1 question), limiting factors (1 question), 15 questions are of the type “yes” and “no” answers. Information from local governments is collected once a year. Seven present tendency questions have a note of future in them, as the answers to these questions, although referring to the whole year must be given in the middle of the year. The balance of answers is used as an indicator of answers to every question. A composite indicator for all the survey – the local governments confidence indicator - is calculated. Quantitative statistical information is used in the process of analysis too. The analysis concerns Latvia as a whole, the five planning regions and the six statistical regions as the NUTS 3 level units. The results of the survey are presented in the form of text, tables and graphs (diagrams). The book “The first self-evaluation of local governments” has been published.
Making Sustainable Living a Reality
Stuart Rose (Began Garden Atriums, Poquoson, Virginia, USA)