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This paper aims to examine how mobile technologies impact virtual team leaders and provides insight into how mobile technologies afford leaders varied capacity to accomplish their team work.

The author addresses the research questions by assessing a large, qualitative data set drawn from surveyed mobile team leaders, analyzing the data using Leximancer software to explore naturally emerging concepts and then interpreting the data thematics using axial coding.

In addition to demonstrating that virtual team leaders are well aware they use mobile technologies regularly, this paper also suggests e-leaders be known as m-leaders, clarifies the entanglements of mobility and leadership practices and offers insight into the m-leader affordance dimensions of multimediality, multimodality, multichronicity and multimotility.

This paper is among the first to investigate team leaders relative to mobile technology as well as what such technology offers m-leaders and mobile teams. Additionally, the size of the data set provides unique insight into m-leaders’ experiences across myriad sectors.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impacts of the communication time-delays to the distributed containment control of the second-order multi-agent systems with directed topology.

A basic theoretical analysis is first carried out for the containment control of the second-order multi-agent systems under directed topology without communication time-delay and a sufficient condition is proposed for the achievement of containment control. Based on the above result and frequency-domain analysis method, a sufficient condition is also derived for the achievement of containment control of the second-order multi-agent systems under directed topology with communication time-delays. Finally, simulation results are presented to support the effectiveness of the theoretical results.

For the achievement of containment control of the second-order multi-agent systems under directed topology with communication time-delay, the control gain in the control protocols is completely dependent on the communication topology structure and the maximum of time-delay in the control protocols is dependent on the given control gain and communication topology structure.

The paper investigates the containment control of the second-order multi-agent systems under directed topology with communication time-delays and presents a sufficient conditions for the achievement of containment control. The results and approach proposed in the paper may benefit interesting researchers.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the neural-network-based containment control of multi-agent systems with unknown nonlinear dynamics. Moreover, communication constraints are taken into account to reflect more realistic communication networks.

Based on the approximation property of the radial basis function neural networks, the control protocol for each agent is designed, where all the information is exchanged in the form of sampled data instead of ideal continuous-time communications.

By utilizing the Lyapunov stability theory and the Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional approach, sufficient conditions are developed to guarantee that all the followers can converge to the convex hull spanned by the stationary leaders.

As ideal continuous-time communications of the multi-agent systems are very difficult or even unavailable to achieve, the neural-network-based containment control of nonlinear multi-agent systems is solved under communication constraints. More precisely, sampled-data information is exchanged, which is more applicable and practical in the real-world applications.

Operations researchers and management scientists develop many techniques which could improve management practice. Few of these promising innovations are implemented. In this paper, a model is developed to explain this ‘implementation gap’ based on (1) attitudinal differences (a motivation gap) between change agents (operations researchers and management scientists) and managers, and (2) the differences between desired and available resources for implementation (a feasibility gap). Strategies for closing this gap are also discussed.

The paradox is identified of the few women who attain high managerial positions compared with public perceptions of extensive occupational progress on the part of women entering the labourforce. In accounting for this paradox the status of research and theory on women in management in the US is described, gaps in this knowledge identified, explanations offered for the current state of development, and prospects for the future are considered.

Internationalization is viewed as an important strategy in the context of a country in transition from central planning to market orientation. Efforts to internationalize universities are being carried out at both national and institutional levels. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there has been no study to investigate how individual institutions approach internationalization and what they gain from that process. This paper aims to investigate the enhancement of teachers’ and students’ knowledge and skills using internationalization in Vietnam universities as a strategy.

Semi-structured interviews with leaders from 12 universities were conducted to investigate their perceptions, strategies and perceived outcomes of the internationalization process of their universities. Data analysis involved coding the transcripts of interviews into themes.

Results show that current approaches to internationalized activities in Vietnamese universities are ad hoc in nature, while resources and language incompetence of staff and students are limited. In line with other previous studies, limited resources and lack of English competence among educators and students were found to be the key obstacles and challenges for internationalized activities. The authors also note an issue that apparently has not been raised elsewhere in the relevant research literature, which is the challenge for the sustainability of knowledge production via research and publications.

Findings from this study not only contribute to Vietnamese universities but also to other developing institutions which do not have strong international exchange programs or have not experienced strong benefits from international exchange programs.

This paper presents base‐line data about the incumbency or length of time spent in office by Australian vice‐chancellors who held appointments in the years 1963 to 1983. Principal findings of the analysis are that the average length of incumbency has declined from 13.6 years for 1963 to 8.0 years for 1983 vice‐chancellors, that the period 1983 to 1987 will witness an unprecedentedly high rate of turnover among vice‐chancellors, and that an increasing proportion of vice‐chancellors no longer regard their incumbency as their final full‐time professional appointment. The conclusions are related to apparent stratification and ranking among Australian universities in an emerging system of higher education which is becoming more complex.

The purpose of this paper is to propose an explication of the concept of “maturity,” as it applies to communication evaluation and measurement (E&M) practice, along with contextualization of recent maturity model adoption within academic and professional communities.

Drawing from previous work on maturity models within other fields, recent communication scholarship and industry practice, this paper fills a gap in the literature by offering a theoretical conceptualization of communication E&M maturity, including the construct’s core dimensions and sub-dimensions.

Communication E&M maturity is conceptualized into four essential elements: holistic approach, investment, alignment and culture. The contribution of E&M efforts is represented as the direct support of corporate strategy, and ultimately increased value, from the communications function. Operational elements of maturity include levels of analysis, time, budget, tools, skills, process, integration, motivations, relationships and standards.

In exploring the factors necessary for “mature” E&M programs, and specifically emphasizing the need for a holistic approach, along with sufficient investment and alignment, and conducive cultural factors, the research builds upon existing work examining how communication can serve to inform corporate strategy and create value for an organization. Greater understanding and application of the maturity concept has the potential to advance the field by increasing both accountability and credibility for the work done by the communications function.

Resource cutbacks and changing concepts on how best to deliver human services have created a greater need for collaboration among those involved in these systems. Collaboration can threaten the existing distribution of power among the organisations and groups involved in the system. Six propositions are advanced that are derived from field experience in several human service settings. These suggest that stakeholders with power gain legitimacy quickly. Others who are less powerful must build their own capacity and power base to assure themselves access to collaborative efforts. This permits a redistribution of power, thus increasing the diversity of perspectives and preventing unilateral control. Convenors will need to have sufficient power to play their chosen role. Stakeholders must perceive the outcomes of collaboration outweighing its costs. Their participation hinges partly on the power of convenors to create sufficient incentives to induce participation. Stakeholders must act collectively to influence and manage events within the larger contextual environment.

Distribution network protection is a complicated problem and mal-operation of the protective relays due to false settings make the operation of the network unreliable. Besides, obtaining proper settings could be very complicated. This paper aims to discuss an innovative evolutionary Lightning Flash Algorithm (LFA) which is developed for solving the relay coordination problems in distribution networks. The proposed method is inspired from the movements of cloud to ground lightning strikes in a thunderstorm phenomenon. LFA is applied on three case study systems including ring, interconnected and radial distribution networks. The power flow analysis is performed in Digsilent Power Factory software; then the collected data are sent to MATLAB software for optimization process. The proposed algorithm provides optimum time multiplier setting and plug setting of all digital overcurrent relays in each system. The results are compared with other methods such as particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm. The result comparisons demonstrate that the proposed LFA can successfully obtain proper relay settings in distribution networks with faster speed of convergence and lower total operation time of relays. Also, it shows the superiority and effectiveness of this method against other algorithms.

A novel LFA is designed based on the movements of cloud to ground lightning strikes in a thunderstorm. This method is used to optimally adjust the time multiplier setting and plug setting of the relays in distribution system to provide a proper coordination scheme.

The proposed algorithm was tested on three case study systems, and the results were compared with other methods. The results confirmed that the proposed method could optimally adjust the relay settings in the electric distribution system to provide a proper protection scheme.

The practical implications can be conducted on distribution networks. The studies provided in this paper approve the practical application of the proposed method in providing proper relay protection in real power system.

This paper proposes a new evolutionary method derived from the movements of cloud to ground lightning strikes in thunderstorm. The proposed method can be used as an optimization toolbox to solve complex optimization problems in practical engineering systems.