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Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
versão On-line ISSN 2411-9717
versão impressa ISSN 0038-223X
J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall. vol.112 no.7 Johannesburg Jul. 2012
A practical knowledge management framework within the pyrometallurgical industry
J.C. CoetzeeI; W.S.B. van BeekII, III; A. BuysIII
IPotchefstroom Business School, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchesftroom, South Africa
IILonmin Smelting Operations, North West Province, South Africa
IIIPotchefstroom Business School and Director, Pondera Innovation Cc., Sasolburg, South Africa
In this article, a case is made for the importance of the transfer and management of tacit knowledge to ensure continued sustainable competitive advantage within the pyrometallurgical industry in South Africa. The state of knowledge management (KM) is assessed through a theoretical and empirical study. The empirical part of the study was conducted by means of a survey questionnaire. An important prerequisite within the research entailed determining the current state of KM within the pyrometallurgical industry, and the findings are presented throughout this article. The research argues for initiatives to address the high turnover of pyrometallurgical knowledge workers. This industry needs to entrench tacit knowledge and therefore address the problems associated with the continuous loss of inherent specialized knowledge. Appropriately, emphasis is placed on identifying initiatives required to embed and retain not only human capital lost through mobility, but rather retaining tacit knowledge through a practical KM framework.
Keywords: tacit knowledge, explicit knowledge, knowledge sharing, knowledge management strategies.
Drucker (1989, 2001, 2003) states' (t)here exists a transition from the blue-collar worker, which characterized the 1900s, to the technologist, someone who works both with his/her hands and his/her theoretical knowledge, as a transition towards knowledge workers. These knowledge workers have freedom to move to other companies because knowledge has multiple applications in the information age. A knowledge worker is an organizational employee who, whenever he or she performs knowledge work, adds intellectual value to the organization's memory. A knowledge worker is an empowered person who both knows (has access to) and affects (measurably changes) the organization's memory in a profitable sense. Profitable sense assumes the business process being aligned to organizational strategy and the value (outcome) of the individual's work effort being measurable (Misch and Tobin, 2006).
The research draws attention to the fact that employees acquire knowledge based on individual capabilities. Consequently, this knowledge should be shared within an organization before the knowledge worker leaves, which is a fashionable trend in South Africa.
Knowledge workers contain knowledge within their minds that is an integral part of the human complexity. Traditionally, one thinks of assets as definable and concrete, but the knowledge assets of workers are much harder to quantify. The skills and competencies of knowledge workers are important aspects of sustainable competitive advantage within companies, specifically within the changed global economy. Knowledge offers speed and it allows its possessors to deal with situations quickly, including complex situations (Davenport and Prusak, 2000). Within the context of sustainable competitive advantage for a company, the preservation of such knowledge becomes imperative.
One of the great assets of South Africa is the minerals deposits that serve as one of the primary drivers for the South African economy. These minerals are mined and processed through various fields, of which one is the pyrometallurgical industry, where minerals are processed by means of high-temperature methods. The pyrometallurgical industry is known for its high dependency on experienced and skilled employees. Unfortunately, the pyrometallurgical industry is also known for the high turnover of knowledge workers. Coetzee et al. (2011) explained that a high turnover rate exists within the pyrometallurgical industry and the management and retention of knowledge therefore become even more critical. In addition, with the noticeable outflow of skilled and experienced metallurgical engineers leaving South Africa, recruiting becomes difficult. Therefore, before these knowledge workers leave the organization, the knowledge inherent in their work experiences and skills needs to be actively maintained through management interventions.
This view is arguably in line with the research on KM by Nonaka (1994, 1998), Davenport and Prusak (2000), Steyn (2003), Chaffey and Wood (2005, pp. 227, 222), Squier (2006), and Rebernik and Sirec (2007). These mentioned, others, among others, researched the phenomenon of knowledge workers and the management of their knowledge.
Unfortunately, very little research on recommended KM strategies exists within South Africa's pyrometallurgical industry; hence, the suitability of this study.
According to various authorsNonaka (1994, 1998), Davenport and Prusak (2000), Kreiner (2002), Drucker (1989, 1993, 2001, 2003), Steyn (20030, Chaffey and Wood (2005), Squier (2006), and Rebernik and Sireč (2007)the knowledge of workers is the emphasis within the new economy and has become the focus of management in modern organizations. Nonaka (1994)] draws a distinction between two types of knowledge inherent within workers, namely tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge.
Explicit knowledge can be expressed in words and numbers and shared in the form of data, manuals, and universal principles. Explicit knowledge can be easily codified and transferred by means of conventional mechanisms such as documents, blueprints, and procedures. Tacit knowledge, on the other hand, is highly personal and difficult to formalize. This type of knowledge includes aspects such as subjective insights, intuitions, and hunches (Desouza, 2003). Tacit knowledge is not normally transferred as it is acquired, and the process of acquiring tacit knowledge requires personal experience (Eucker, 2007). In other words, tacit knowledge is knowledge that cannot be articulated or verbalized. In an organization, people know more than what they verbalize (Foos et al., 2006).
In South Africa, KM is still a new field of study, although much research on KM has been linked with other themes such as retention, multiculturalism, and principles and practices. Sutherland and Jordaan (2004) researched the factors affecting the retention of knowledge workers, Finestone and Snyman (2005) investigated the phenomenon of managing knowledge within an added dimension of multiculturalism, and Squier (2006) considered the principles and practices of KM.
Most importantly, Coetzee et al. (2011) concluded that a noteworthy 79 per cent of the respondents in their research agreed that an organization's core competencies reside in the minds of a few key employees.
On the other hand, Steyn (2003) states that the technology explosion has misled some organizations into believing that technology could replace the knowledge and skills of an experienced person. This narrow focus could have far-reaching and long-term negative implications for the sustainable competitive advantage of companies. In addition, Coetzee et al. (2004) found that 93 per cent of the respondents disagreed that technology could replace the skills and experience of an employee. Therefore, the present study argues that knowledge resides in people's minds and not in technology. In an attempt to address the underlying issue of retaining tacit knowledge within the pyrometallurgical industry in South Africa, the main objective is the promotion of a practical KM framework.
Theoretical framework
Creating knowledge in an organization
According to Squier (2006), the challenge in managing the knowledge assets of the organization introduces a new business philosophy, namely KM. KM, in turn, aims at connecting people to people and people to information. In order to facilitate knowledge sharing activities within an organization, Von Krogh et al. (2000) proposed five general enablers for knowledge creation:
Introduce a knowledge vision
Manage the conversation
Maximize the efficiency of talented employees in order to mediate their tacit knowledge between what is and what should be
Create the correct context for knowledge creation
Globalize the tacit knowledge within a specific unit with the rest of the units in the organization.
Figure 1 explains the process of organizational knowledge-creation by an employee, which is a continual interaction between tacit and explicit knowledge. The original model by Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) was adapted by Villalba (2006).
The model is referred to as the SECI (socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization) model. Squier (2006) states that all four processes need to be realized as an integrated process of knowledge creation. Unless shared knowledge is articulated, it cannot easily be controlled by the organization as a whole. The process can be explained as follows:
The tacit-to-tacit quadrant is, for instance, when a production manager discusses and learns about the latest process difficulties with one of his colleagues. According to Nonaka (1998), the process of creating tacit knowledge through shared experiences is called socialization
The tacit-to-explicit quadrant is a process where, for example, the production engineer puts his thoughts into an electronic mail describing how to solve the difficulty based on previous experience. This process is called externalization and is important for the knowledge creation process
In the explicit-to-explicit quadrant, the production supervisor reads the electronic mail and combines the solution with his current operating procedures to resolve the problem
In the explicit-to-tacit quadrant, the production manager combines the knowledge from the engineer and the actions of the supervisor into standard operating procedures. This is the process of embodying explicit knowledge into tacit knowledge and is closely related to learning by doing (Nonaka, 1998).
Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) and Villalba (2006) maintain that it is the individual who performs the transfer between explicit and tacit knowledge. However, the individual has to share the knowledge in order to create the knowledge-creating spiral at an organizational level. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) and Villalba (2006) also conclude that some form of management needs to take place in order to ensure that the knowledge of the individual worker is being shared with co-workers. When facilitated within the correct context, new knowledge can be created, resulting in a more competitive organization.
Interestingly, Coetzee et al. (2011) explain that the pyrometallurgical industry requires a fair amount of practical experience and knowledge. This principle was tested by making three similar statements to the respondents. Eighty-seven per cent of the respondents agreed that they have learned more from interacting with work colleagues than from theory. This is quite significant and refers directly to the transfer of tacit knowledge. Eighty-nine percent of the respondents agree that pyrometallurgical engineers do require specific knowledge and experience in order to operate processes effectively.
Tacit knowledge is the information about work processes and products that individuals hold above and beyond what organizations have documented. It is the 'tricks of the trade' that promote organizational functioning, overall expertise, and competitive advantage (Droege and Hoobler, 2003). Internal individual processes, such as experience, reflection, internalization, and individual talent create tacit knowledge. This cannot be conveyed through lectures or found in databases, textbooks, manuals, or internal newsletters (Rebernik and Sireč, 2007). Rebernik and Sireč, as well as Droege and Hoobler, touch on two very important aspects of tacit knowledge, namely expertise and experience, which outlive the best equipment, resources, and textbooks.
Knowledge management strategies
Various KM frameworks and models are available in the literature and most of them have similar inherent communalities. An integrated conceptual KM model is described by Uit Beijerse (2000) and focuses on nine streams of KM. As evident from Figure 2, the central aim is to make knowledge productive.
This can be achieved by aligning the nine streams of KM within the organization. In addition, the nine streams of KM should be supported by the organization's culture, structure, and strategy. The process of creating the nine streams of knowledge commences with the identification of the type of knowledge required, followed by identifying the type of knowledge already available, resulting in the identification of a knowledge gap. The knowledge gap can be addressed through the creation and/or acquiring of new knowledge. Once the gap is closed, the knowledge is locked within the organization and needs to be shared and utilized. The last of the nine streams of knowledge is the evaluation of the utilized knowledge. To ensure the continuous creation of productive knowledge, the process should commence again from the beginning.
According to Uit Beijerse (2000), a KM strategy is important mainly for the evaluation of knowledge and remains the primary mechanism of managing knowledge within the organization. Structure as the secondary mean is important for the development, acquisition, and locking of knowledge. The third organizational procedure is culture. Culture is important for the sharing and utilization of knowledge. Such a culture is characterized by openness, flexibility, and an inclination for taking risks. Marquardt's (2002) top-ten strategies for KM are quite similar to that of Uit Beijerse (2000):
Share responsibility for collecting and transferring appropriate knowledge
Systematically capture relevant external benchmarked knowledge
Organize internal learning events, including strategic reviews on the competitive environment, system audits to review effectiveness, internal benchmarking reports, and symposia that bring together customers, suppliers, and experts
Instil creativity and innovation through small-scale experiments with feedback, reward imaginative and risky efforts, as well as to encourage brainstorming of multiple ideas to produce one good idea
Encourage and reward innovation
Train staff in appropriate knowledge storage and retrieval
Maximize knowledge transfer across the boundaries through job rotation and team mixing
Develop a knowledge coded and stored database around organizational values and learning needs
Create mechanisms for collecting and storing learning. Knowledge development is included in the personnel evaluation process
Apply theory in practice to create new knowledge within the organization.
Similarly, Chaffey and Wood (2005) describe the European Framework of KM, which portrays a holistic view of the business processes, knowledge processes, and capabilities required to support knowledge management. The framework offers a perspective on KM that places organizational business processes at the core. Chaffey and Wood further note that businesses should understand how knowledge adds value to business performance and place emphasis on the inclusion of all participants. Five main processes, referred to as the processing life cycle, according to Chaffey and Wood, are as follows:
Identify knowledge required as well as the knowledge gap that needs to be closed
Innovation is vital and knowledge can be created through training, learning, doing, and problem-solving
Store knowledge, memorized and tacit, in documents or databases
Share knowledge between the right people, at the appropriate time, via documents and databases
Apply knowledge in order to make correct decisions.
The framework offers a perspective on KM that places organizational business processes at the core. Chaffey and Wood's KM strategy is a defined and co-ordinated plan of action that enables core business processes to operate. In general, a KM strategy should be aligned with the corporate business objectives and activities; it also needs to enable all elements of the knowledge processing lifecycle and it should be balanced between individual and organizational capabilities (Chaffey and Wood).
In research by Kruger and Snyman (2005), it was concluded that business strategies and KM strategies should feed upon each other and need to work interdependently. Knowledge should drive strategy and KM should be driven by strategy. Therefore, before launching a KM programme, one needs to return to strategy and the governance thereof.
According to Villalba (2006), KM strategies enforce a lifelong perspective of learning that promotes constant opportunities for skills development and learning, both formal and informal.
The various KM frameworks and models have similar communalities within them. Most importantly, any KM strategy should be aligned with the business strategy. However, the various KM strategies as frameworks have not addressed management's role to retain or lock the tacit knowledge within the organization. Therefore, in pursuit of the objective, the next section highlights the importance of the retention of tacit knowledge by
Elaborating on the concept of tacit knowledge
Identifying the process of embedding and transferring tacit knowledge
Exploring the impact of losing tacit knowledge.
The main objective of this study was to conduct research on the different aspects of knowledge management with specific reference to tacit knowledge in order to create a practical KM framework within the pyrometallurgical industry. Different initiatives that could be utilized to embed tacit knowledge within an organization were also explored. To achieve the main objective, the secondary (theory evaluation) objectives of this study were identified as:
To provide an overview of KM with an emphasis on tacit knowledge creation and sharing
To provide an overview of KM frameworks or models found in literature to formulate a KM strategy.
Empirical research objectives
The aim of the empirical research was to determine strategies for sustainable competitive advantage through KM within the pyrometallurgical industry. This resulted in a newly created and proposed practical KM framework that could be utilized by industries to assist in the retention of tacit knowledge for sustainable competitive advantage.
A quantitative approach was chosen to meet the research objectives. The reasons for this decision were based on the amount of time and cost involved in conducting a qualitative research study compared to a quantitative study. Consequently, for this study, questionnaires were utilized and sent by means of electronic mail. Open-ended questions, dichotomous questions, as well as scaled-response questions were exploited in the measuring instrument. Open-ended questions assisted the research regarding the creation of new ideas or novel points of view (Fisher, 2007).
Because of the large number of pyrometallurgical units within the South African industry, it was not possible to determine accurately the sampling frame. Therefore, non-random purposive sampling was employed. Purposive sampling is often called judgemental sampling, because the researchers pick the sample that they think would deliver the best information in order to satisfy the research objectives in questions (White, 2002). Managers and engineers were selected from various pyrometallurgical units. The decision about the size of the sample can be very complex and can be influenced by the population characteristics, research objectives, time, statistical precision, and judgement (Fisher, 2007; Struwig and Stead, 2004). In order to meet the research objectives, the sample size was selected based on a required margin of error of 10 per cent at a ninety per cent confidence level. The sample size calculation is indicated in Equation [1]:
S = sample size required
N = number of people in population (550)
P = estimate of people who possess attribute of interest (80 per cent)
A = accuracy desired (10 per cent)
Z = number of standard deviations of the sampling distribution corresponding to the desired confidence level. A factor of 1.64 was used for a 90 per cent confidence level. (Struwig and Stead, 2004).
It is estimated that between 500 and 600 engineers and managers are servicing the production leg within the pyrometallurgical industry. From Equation [1], the calculated sample size for this population should have yielded a requirement of 40 questionnaire responses for analysis. In total, 105 survey questionnaires were sent out via electronic mail. The response rate from the survey was 36 per cent and yielded 38 returned questionnaires. The response rate is in line with the average response rate achieved from electronic mail surveys. The number of returned questionnaires is close to the calculated sample size with a small margin of error of 0.05 per cent. It can therefore be concluded that the results from analysing the questionnaires will have a 10 per cent accuracy coupled with a 90 per cent confidence interval level.
In order to assess the internal consistency of the survey questionnaire, the Cronbach alpha test was utilized. The Cronbach alpha test assesses how reliably survey questions are answered (Field, 2005). Cronbach's alpha values range between zero and one, where values above 0.7 suggest higher internal consistency. A historical benchmark value of 0.7 is commonly utilized to suggest that at least some of the items measure the same construct (subjects or topics). From the Minitab 15 statistical software package, the formula for calculating the Cronbach alpha value for internal consistency was employed.
Quantitative research discussion
A total number of 38 engineers and managers responded to the tacit knowledge management survey. The respondents represented five of the six main pyrometallurgical categories found in South Africa. The only exception was that of the aluminium industry. The ferrochrome together with the iron-and steelmaking respondents represent 50 per cent of the industry. This is in line in terms of the magnitude of the ferrochrome and steelmaking operations found in South Africa, respectively. Of concern is the number of engineers and managers who have resigned in the last two years. Fifty-one per cent of the respondents have more than two engineers or managers who have resigned.
Initiatives used to embed tacit knowledge within the industry
Various multi-choice scaled-response questions were posed to the respondents in order to determine whether the pyrometallurgical industry is practising some of these initiatives. The respondents could choose from a number of options. The first category consisted of an option between 'Yes', 'No', 'Not Sure', and 'In the process of doing it.' The second category consisted of the options 'Yes, but not working', 'Yes, and it is working', 'No', 'In the process of implementing', and 'Not sure'. The distinctive categories gave more information compared to conventional categories. The various questions and the responses are shown in Tables I-III. The headings of the discussion of these three tables will be referred to as the discussion flows and the responses grouped accordingly.
Two questions were employed to determine whether the pyrometallurgical industry has implemented a KM strategy and whether the strategy is linked to the business strategy.
These are:
- In the event that one of your key employees gives notice and you cannot convince him or her to stay, what will you do to tap into his tacit knowledge before he or she leaves the organization?
- In your view, what systems must be in place to ensure that the tacit knowledge of key individuals is embedded within the organization?
From Question 2, Table I, KM strategy implementation, it can be concluded that 42 per cent of the industry does not have a KM strategy. Only 16 per cent of the respondents are of the opinion that the KM strategy is implemented and working. In terms of the linkage between the KM strategy and the business strategy, 37 per cent indicated that it is not interlinked (Question 2, Table I).
Droege and Hoobler (2003) suggested that a reward system might be used to motivate employees to engage in knowledge sharing. From the empirical study, an overwhelming 79 per cent of the respondents indicated that their balanced scorecard system does not reward them for sharing their knowledge (Performance management of knowledge transfer: Question 4, Table I). On the positive side, 13 per cent of the industry respondents indicated that they are measured and rewarded for transferring their knowledge.
Companies committed to transferring tacit knowledge often set up formal mentoring programmes and make the passing of knowledge to young employees an explicit part of the job descriptions of skilled senior staff (Davenport and Prusak, 2000). The question regarding the implementation of mentorship programmes (Question 12, Table I) reveals that 45 per cent of the respondents indicated that a mentorship programme is implemented, but only 24 per cent are of the opinion that it is working. An alarming 26 per cent do not have a mentorship programme. As Davenport and Prusak state, mentorship programmes are about passing on knowledge from skilled senior staff to younger employees. Thirty-nine per cent of the respondents feel that their organizations do not have enough mentors to transfer the knowledge to younger employees (Enough mentors and coaches to transfer knowledge (Question 20, Table I)).
According to Davenport and Prusak, knowledge transfer involves two actions, namely transmission and absorption. In order to ensure that this transmission occurs, succession planning and job rotation are required to start the process. According to the question regarding, succession-planning part of knowledge management (Question 10, Table I), 50 per cent of the respondents indicated that succession planning forms part of the KM process. The calculated margin of error for this question is 16 per cent. This again indicates that a larger sample size would reduce the error. As with the mentorship programme, 26 per cent of the respondents indicated that no succession planning is practised within their organizations.
In terms of job rotation, 63 per cent of the respondents indicated that job rotation is not practised within their organizations (Practising of job rotation to transfer knowledge: Question 13, Table I). This is alarmingly high and is one possible reason for the relationship between job rotation and having enough resources.
As can be seen from Question 16, Table I (Enough resources for knowledge transfer), 63 per cent of the respondents indicated that their organization does not have enough resources to transfer knowledge to succession planning candidates. This could possibly be attributed to the absencs of job rotation.
One of the strategies proposed by Droege and Hoobler (2003) to promote tacit knowledge diffusion encourages individuals and departments to work together to share information and resources. To ensure implementation, a social network system should be in place. According to the question asked on the availability of a social network that exists in order to share information (Question 8, Table I), 47 perc ent indicated that no social network system is in place. This again is alarming and it indicates that the departments are working in isolation.
No information was found from the literature regarding tacit KM during an employee's notice period. It is suggested that this aspect of tacit KM should be researched. In this study, three aspects were identified. The first aspect relates to whether the organization requires the employee to codify tacit knowledge and key learning before leaving the company. A convincing 92 per cent indicated that this was not expected from them (Codifying of tacit knowledge part of condition of employment: Question 9, Table I).
The second aspect investigated shadowing of employees during their notice period. From the analysis of the response to the question on shadowing of people leaving the organization (Question 6, Table I), it can be concluded that most of the pyrometallurgical organizations do not have a formal shadowing system in place during the notice period. This issue is again highlighted in the discussions of the open-ended questions.
The third aspect is that of employing previous employees as consultants to elicit tacit knowledge. From the response given on the topic of the contracting of previous employees (Question 7, Table III), it is clear that 47 per cent of the respondents stated that their organization sometimes contracts in a previous employee, and 21 per cent said that they do it frequently. Therefore, in total, 68 per cent of the organizations do from time to time contract in previous employees.
Gorelick, Milton, and April (2004) stated that dedicated resources should be committed to KM projects. In order to evaluate current practice in the pyrometallurgical industry, respondents were asked whether their organization had a department dedicated to KM.
Question 22, Table I (Dedicated knowledge management department) indicates that although 66 per cent have no such department, 19 per cent indicated that they do. This is encouraging and shows that some organizations perceive KM seriously.
Uit Beijerse (2000) lists nine streams of KM. The nine streams ultimately identify knowledge gaps that need to be addressed through the development of new knowledge or the acquisition of knowledge. Once the gap is filled, the knowledge is locked within the organization, ready to be shared and utilized. The empirical research focused on three of the nine streams (i.e., identification of critical knowledge, locking the knowledge within the organization, and utilizing the knowledge to the benefit of the organization). From Question 15, Table II (Identification of critical knowledge), it is evident that 55 per cent of the respondents stated that their department had recognized that it is crucial to share knowledge.
Although 55 per cent indicated that they have identified the critical knowledge needed, only 18 per cent of them are capturing the knowledge that resides in the minds of their employees (Capturing of crucial knowledge: Question 17, Table II). This correlates with the 53 per cent of respondents indicating that captured knowledge is not exploited (The usage of captured knowledge: Question 18, Table I).
Based on the information on identification, capturing, and the utilization of knowledge, it is concluded that most of the pyrometallurgical organizations need to address these issues. According the Davenport and Prusak (2000), one could also transfer tacit knowledge through the recording of stories and experiences of senior practitioners on video before they leave the company. Question 21, Table 1 (Using media to capture knowledge) indicates that the above proposed practice is used by only 16 per cent of the organizations.
Tacit knowledge that has been codified into explicit knowledge should be managed via a document management system in order to ensure that new employees could benefit from the captured tacit knowledge. According to the response given on Question 14, Table 1 (Success of document management system) 45 per cent of the respondents indicated that the document management system is used with the objective to assist them in the transfer of knowledge.
Information results from placing data within some context, which can then be viewed as processed data (Freeze and Kulkarni, (2007). It is therefore important for this information to be easily available. From the response to Question 19, Table II (Easy access to information), 58 per cent of the respondents indicated that their organization's information management system allows easy access to the information required in decision-making.
Although little media is used to transfer tacit knowledge, it can be concluded that the document management systems and information management system assist with tacit knowledge transfer. Tacit knowledge could be transferred intentionally or unintentionally. Formal forums like conferences and benchmarking are seen as intentional tacit knowledge transfer.
Question 1, Table III (Formal knowledge exchange forums) and Question 5, Table III (Use of benchmarking activities) indicate a relationship and show that intentional knowledge transfer does not occur that frequently. Of concern is that 26 per cent of the organizations never conducted a formal technical knowledge exchange forum.
Different opinions and suggestions came from the open-ended questions posed to respondents, and can be summarized in three categories. Firstly, 23 per cent of the respondents were of the opinion that it is too late to transfer an employee's tacit knowledge during his notice period. Tacit knowledge transfer requires a considerable length of time to transfer. A more proactive approach was suggested, whereby continuous transferring of tacit knowledge is done by means of knowledge exchange forums and personal contact during normal day-to-day activities. Succession planning is also a key enabler to ensure tacit knowledge transfer to the employee earmarked to relieve his or her colleague. Rotation of employees on a three-yearly interval would then also assist in tacit knowledge transfer. The respondents did, however, suggest that in the event that an employee resigns, a person should be allocated to him in order to capture all tacit knowledge not captured previously.
Secondly, 18 per cent of the respondents suggested that more emphasis should be placed on documenting what the resigning employee knows. This could be done by reviewing what that person knows that needs to be captured. The employee should then be removed from his normal duties and document all the key knowledge of processes and organization in his possession. All reports on projects should either be completed or updated. The employee should draw up a list of uncompleted work as well as future work that is crucial for organizational success. Another aspect is understanding what knowledge is captured in that person's files and electronic data folders on his personal computer. The resigning employee should index all files and documents in order to add context for the next employee. One-on-one sessions should be conducted with this employee in order to capture all insights required.
Thirdly, the majority of respondents (58 per cent) suggested that another person should shadow the resigning employee for the remaining notice period. An interview should be conducted as soon as possible between the resigning employee, successor, and immediate manager. During this interview, key areas of knowledge transfer need to be identified and transferred. This could also be done by the successor shadowing the resigning employee for two weeks. After the two weeks, the roles should change over and the resigning employee should then shadow the successor. Relationship building is still critical and the contact details of the resigning employee need to be kept up to date in order to facilitate future knowledge transfer. In the event that no successor is available, a caretaker should fulfil this role.
The second open-ended question focused on the systems that need to be in place to ensure that tacit knowledge is embedded within an organization. Respondents identified the practice of succession planning as a first initiative that requires employees to be matched in order to ensure that trust is the basis of knowledge transfer. Organizations should also have enough resources to facilitate succession planning. A lean organizational structure may have short-term cost savings but in the long run, the organization would pay for the knowledge lost as a result of it. A 'train-to-be-promoted' concept should be practised. This implies that the experienced coach may be promoted only once he or she has trained a successor.
Secondly, a formal mentorship programme should be in place to transfer the knowledge and experience from the older generation in the organization to the younger generation. Meetings should be scheduled on a monthly basis. An incentive system should also be in place in order to reward the mentor.
Thirdly, emphasis should be placed on documenting projects, focusing on lessons learned, problems experienced, and the solutions. This type of report writing should also form part of the key performance indicators to ensure that knowledge is documented. Once the report is written, it should be stored in a document management system to ensure continuity and easy access. Keyword searches based on plant-specific location could assist in future searches. A culture of using old reports should be created. All new engineers should initially read all previous reports during their training phase. Another important aspect of these documents is that the key learnings should be incorporated in the training material. This would require a central person to administrate all the documents and reports. All pyrometal-lurgical processes should strive to have an overarching 'manual' that contains all previous learnings and experiences.
Fourthly, most of the respondents indicated that formal forums should be held quarterly. During such forums, the technical aspects of the work should be discussed through presentations. An industry specialist may also present to the young engineers during such a forum. It is important to involve not only the engineers, but also the supervisors operating the process. The link between theory and practice could be enhanced in such discussions. A culture of talking about technical aspects would also be nurtured in such forums.
Fifthly, most organizations have outsourced their training. This, however, is not to the advantage of knowledge transfer, because outside training facilitators do not have the first-hand knowledge and experience. It is therefore important to hand-pick your training facilitators in order to ensure that the right knowledge is transferred within the right context. Usually, a well-experienced supervisor or engineer is used in such a role. The use of training aids such as DVD recordings and computer-based training could also assist in transferring the knowledge from previous experienced employees who have left the organization.
A sixth suggestion entailed the concept of 'management-by-walkabout.' There has to be regular and genuine interaction by management and engineers with employees. This, in turn, leads to the dissemination of information upwards, sideways, and downwards.
As a seventh suggestion, benchmarking with other pyrometallurgical operations could foster tacit knowledge transfer between different departments and organizations. During such benchmarking events, knowledge is interchanged. The newly acquired knowledge from benchmarking activities should also be documented for future reference. Benchmarking could assist in creating a network of international professionals. This network list should be kept up to date and regular contact should be established to nurture the channel of knowledge exchange.
Lastly, engineers are caught up in daily activities, resulting in the fact that no or very little time is spent on creating new knowledge and understanding the underlying issues of processes. More time should be made available for engineers to capture and transfer their knowledge. In addition, retention agreements should be drawn up to assist in the retention of the tacit knowledge of engineers.
Concludings remarks
The respondents viewed KM as an important aspect of the organization. Regarding the questions posed, it can be concluded that 68 per cent of the respondents link organizational success to the success of KM. Of concern was the low level of KM implementation. A number of valid and practical suggestions were made by the respondents and have been used in developing the tacit KM framework (Figure 3). From the analysis of the results of the survey questionnaire discussed, some recommendations follow.
Implementing a practical framework to embed tacit knowledge
The analysis from the two open-ended questions discussed yielded suggestions regarding practical aspects that could assist in embedding tacit knowledge within an organization. These aspects, combined with the information from the literature study, formed the basis from which a practical framework was developed. The framework has not been tested to verify its validity.
The proposed framework aim is to assist management in mastering the sharing of tacit knowledge within the organization. Figure 3 represents a newly created proposed framework referred to by the authors as 'the practical tacit KM framework'. The framework consists of seven phases. These phases follow typical process flow patterns, starting at Phase 1 through to Phase 7. The linkage between Phase 7 and Phase 1 indicates that the tacit KM framework is a continuous process.
Phase 1 - Set or evaluate a tacit knowledge management strategy
During the first phase of the framework, the senior management within the organization should embark on a strategic planning exercise. During this exercise, a tacit KM strategy should be drawn up that is aligned with the business strategy. It is recommended that a KM SWOT analysis be completed. From the SWOT analysis, key strategic areas within the organization need to be identified that would require the active management of tacit knowledge. During this exercise, senior management should also decide on whether they want to build the tacit knowledge base within the organization or whether they are willing to bring in outside consultants to fill the tacit knowledge gap.
Phase 2 - Establish a clear sense of purpose towards tacit knowledge management
In order to get the buy-in from middle management to action the tacit KM strategy, a strong sense of purpose is required. Middle management needs to be aligned and committed to the process. This may be achieved by setting a clear end vision and sketching the importance of KM strategy. Aspects like organizational core competencies that create a competitive advantage and the creation of a learning organization could be identified to establish the sense of purpose. Management should realise the potential and power that lie within the sharing of tacit knowledge.
Phase 3 - Establish the building blocks required for tacit knowledge transfer
The following building blocks are proposed to facilitate tacit knowledge transfer:
Conduct regular benchmarking activities and establish knowledge networks
Conduct regular knowledge exchange forums.
Implement standard well-documented report writing procedures. Also, ensure effective future electronic searches
Ensure that enough resources are available within the organization to establish a pool of engineers (i.e. experienced and candidate engineers)
Establish regular 'management-by-walkabout'. A good rule of thumb is to spend at least 30 per cent of one's time on the plant
Implement succession planning to allow the identification of key personnel that need to be trained to replace individuals resigning or being promoted. Another suggested rule of thumb could be that a person may be promoted only once the trainee can duplicate the trainer's tasks
Implement a mentorship programme with monthly interactions and a duration of two years.
Phase 4 - Identify the key individuals who hold the tacit knowledge required for organizational success
After ensuring that the building blocks mentioned in Phase 3 are established, the process of actively managing tacit knowledge can commence. During this phase, managers of each functional area should embark on an exercise to identify those individuals who hold a considerable amount of tacit knowledge of processes. The following questions could assist with the identification of such individuals.
Which engineers can we not afford to lose today?
What knowledge is giving us the competitive advantage over our competitors? Who in our department holds this knowledge?
Who is the person that one can always go to when you require a quick and reliable answer about processes?
It is proposed that a detailed list of the identified individuals should be drawn up indicating the niche in tacit knowledge inherent in that specific person.
Phase 5 - Establish key relationships and outcomes between identified individuals and receivers
Once the key individuals have been identified, management should analyse the rest of the pool of engineers within their departments. Receivers of tacit knowledge should be identified to be connected to one of the key experienced individuals. The following two questions may assist management in identifying the receivers.
Which engineers have great potential, but are still lacking experience and coaching?
Which engineers are perceived to be 'high flyers' and which engineers are the 'pillars' in our department?
Once the receivers have been identified, a relationship should be established between the key individual holding the tacit knowledge and the identified receiver. This may be done by creating a strong sense of purpose that is driven by the vision for tacit knowledge management. Both parties should understand that this relationship is established to build on the tacit knowledge base of the organization. Specific outcomes should also be drawn up for the identified areas where management feels that tacit knowledge transfer is required.
Phase 6 - Establish a measurement and reward system to foster tacit knowledge transfer
Tacit knowledge resides in the minds of employees. This makes it very difficult to measure. One could, however, set up some measurement system to determine if tacit knowledge transfer occurred. It is proposed that the hours of interaction between the key individual and receiver are tracked and measured. As a starting point, two hours per week of interaction is recommended. Another proposed measurement method is by means of an interview between the key individual, receiver, and manager. During such an interview, plant-specific questions should be asked about the process. The receiver should then prove that he or she understands the underlying principles. A proper reward system should be in place to motivate the sharing of knowledge. The measurement system could be linked to the reward system. An increase in interaction time between the sender and the receiver should lead to a larger reward. Another incentive may be to issue a retention agreement with the key individuals with the understanding that one of the required outcomes at the end of the period is the demonstration of tacit knowledge transfer.
Phase 7 - Establish regular reviews and relationship-building interventions
It is of utmost importance to conduct regular reviews on the established relationships. Relationship-building interventions should be held to ensure that the identified individuals overcome any obstacles that may stand in the way of sharing their knowledge. The outcome of such interventions should be stronger relationships and a better understanding of each other's mindsets. This could also strengthen teamwork in the workplace.
As evident from Figure 3, the proposed framework is a continuous process. The entire process should be reviewed on an annual basis to identify any opportunities or threats that may influence tacit knowledge transfer.
Finally, Proverbs 24:3-6 states 'A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers' (Bible, 2001).
Please note that this article is based on research done by coauthor Willem Schalk Burger van Beek in completion of his MBA studies at the PBS of the North-West University.
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Paper received Jun. 2011
revised paper received Mar. 2012


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Tampa Bay Bucs Training Camp: Day 7
In what was likely the hottest day since training camp opened, the Tampa Bay Bucs pushed through another padded practice Friday morning. Returning to limited action were safeties Mark Barron (toe) and Ronde Barber. Eric Wright also was limited with a tight back. Offensive guard Carl Nicks left practice early. Coach Greg Schiano said he thinks it was just heat related. Mike Bennett was out there but did not participate in practice. Oh No Myron; Good Play! Cornerback Myron Lewis… Read More »

subset: commoncrawl


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If a dog gains weight for no apparent reason and its diet has not changed, it is possible the canine may be developing a thyroid problem. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid becomes underactive, and the illness is typically caused by one of two underlying diseases - lymphocytic thyroiditis or idiopathic thyroid gland atrophy - according to VCA Animal Hospitals.
A dog with an underactive thyroid gland may also display clinical signs such as lethargy and lack of motivation, a thinning coat, excessive shedding and darkened skin pigmentation. VCA reports that when the thyroid becomes underactive, a dog's metabolism slows down, which has a detrimental effect on nearly every part of the dog's body. Increases in a dog's cholesterol levels are associated with about 75 percent of canines with the illness.
The diagnosis of hypothyroidism is made based on the classic clinical signs, as well as a simple blood tests and a specialized thyroid panel. While there is no cure for hypothyroidism, a veterinarian will readily be able to treat the disease with hormone supplementation. If you notice any of the clinical signs of hypothyroidism, you should bring your canine companion to a pet health professional as soon as possible.


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NYPA Approves Low-Cost Hydropower to Support Grand Island Pharmaceutical Company's Plans to Add 30 Jobs
November 23, 2004
ALBANY—A Western New York pharmaceutical company—Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc.—has pledged to create 30 new jobs in return for low-cost hydropower from the New York Power Authority's (NYPA) Niagara Power Project in Lewiston.
"It's great news for Western New York because the expansion will further solidify the future of Fujisawa Healthcare's state-of-the-art operation," said Louis P. Ciminelli, NYPA chairman. "We're delighted to help make this possible through our allocation of low-cost hydropower."
The new jobs, which will be added over the next three years to a work force of 109, are in connection with plans by Fujisawa for a $9 million expansion of its manufacturing facility in Grand Island, including a quality-control laboratory.
The facility, at 3125 Staley Road, currently produces a non-steroidal topical ointment, trademarked as Protopic, for treatment of moderate to severe eczema. The planned expansion will permit the production of two additional dermatological prescription medications, for psoriasis.
The NYPA trustees approved an allocation of 700 kilowatts (kw) for Fujisawa from a block of hydropower known as replacement power. The 445,000-kw block, like a second, smaller amount of Niagara power called expansion power, is reserved for businesses within a 30-mile radius of the project switchyard, in Niagara, Erie and Chautauqua Counties. Together, the two blocks of power, totaling 695,000 kw, are some of the lowest cost electricity in the state, linked to more than 43,000 jobs in the region.
The Western New York Advisory Group, consisting of the Power Authority, Niagara Mohawk, Empire State Development Corp. and the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, recommended the allocation to Fujisawa. Late last year, the members of the group signed a Memorandum of Understanding for allocations of available Niagara power on a continuous basis to maximize the economic development benefits of the hydroelectric project.
"Since the agreement, we've made Niagara power allocations to a total of 22 Western New York companies, including Fujisawa, to create more than 2,200 jobs," said Chairman Ciminelli. "These allocations stem from the collaborative efforts spearheaded by Governor George E. Pataki to strengthen Western New York's manufacturing base and the region's overall economy."
The 2,400,000-kilowatt Niagara Project is the single largest source of electricity in New York State.
Fujisawa, whose corporate office is in Deerfield, Ill., markets proprietary pharmaceutical products in the U.S. and abroad. It's a subsidiary of Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., based in Osaka, Japan.


text: Music videos LaxTrack: Con Bro Chill – Partied Out (Video) Lacrosse Playground / June 27, 2012 Con Bro Chill is on its way to becoming even bigger than OK Go. "Partied Out!" is Con Bro Chill's latest single off the album "3D Music". This music video was shot in January in Portland, OR, and was completely Continue Reading Share


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Editor for this issue: Tomoko Okuno <tomokolinguistlist.org>
Publisher: John Benjamins http://www.benjamins.com/ Journal Title: English World-Wide Volume Number: 24 Issue Number: 1 Issue Date: 2003 Main text: Table of contents Articles An instrumental study of the monophthong vowels of Singapore English David Deterding 1 - 16 The formation of regional and national features in African English pronunciation: An exploration of some non-interference factors Augustin Simo Bobda 17 - 42 An account of distinctive phonetic and lexical features of Gambian English Lothar Peter, Hans-Georg Wolf and Augustin Simo Bobda 43 - 61 "Celtic English": Influences on a South Wales valleys accent J. Roderick Walters 63 - 87 The changing sociolinguistic status of the glottal stop in northeast Scottish English Jonathan Marshall 89 - 108 Book Reviews Review of "The Handbook of Language Variation and Change" by J. K. Chambers, Peter Trudgill and Natalie Schilling-Estes (eds.) Charles Boberg 109 - 113 Review of "English in Cameroon" by Hans-Georg Wolf Anne Schr�der 113 - 118 Review of "Ethnicity and Language Change: English in (London)Derry, Northern Ireland" by Kevin McCafferty John M. Kirk 119 - 122 Review of "Urban Scots Dialect Writing" by Anette I. Hagan Robert McColl Millar 122 - 126 Shorter Notices Book notice: Whos Centric Now? The Present State of Post-Colonial Englishes by Bruce Moore (ed.) 127 - 130 Book notice: World English. A Study of its Development by Janina Brutt-Griffler 130 Book notice: Analysing English in a Global Context: A Reader by Anne Burns and Caroline Coffin (eds.) 130 - 133 Book notice: A New English Language. Politics, and Identity in Gibraltar by Anja Kellermann 133 - 135 Book notice: Milestones in the History of English in America by Allen Walker Read 135 - 136 For more information: http://www.benjamins.nl/cgi-bin/t_seriesview.cgi?series=EWWMail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue


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by Anton Shilov
Asustek Computer has been expanding its mobile computers market share quite rapidly in the recent years, thanks to high-end notebooks as well as low-cost netbooks, but in order to make a further jump the company needs attractive mainstream laptops that are very popular among consumers nowadays. According to some media reports, the company has is about to start a serious assault on this market.
Asustek Computer has teamed up with Best Buy – one of the U.S. biggest retail chains – as well as Foxconn Electronics (a trademark of Hon Hai Precision Industry) – once the company's arch-rival on the market of contract electronics manufacturing – in order to create a highly-competitive lineup of mobile computers that will be sold across the USA in Best Buy stores.
According to Taiwan Economic News, in the three-party cooperation, Asustek will handle designing and crafting; Foxconn Electronics will take charge of manufacturing; and Best Buy will be responsible for offering design concepts that meet local consumer demand and distributing finished products.
The collaboration between three companies is a rather unusual one as Asustek and Foxconn have been competitors for many years and the latter is hardly interested in helping to push Asus-branded products. However, during the times of global economic crisis many companies reconsider their priorities and begin to collaborate in the fields where it makes sense.
These days Asustek needs to solidify and improve its positions on the market of branded notebooks, whereas Foxconn Electronics is interested in gaining as many clients as possible to boost utilization of its manufacturing capacities. Naturally, Best Buy is focused on getting the best possible products it can into its stores and collaboration with well-known brand may become a success for the retail chain.
Neither Asustek, nor Best Buy or Foxconn commented on the news-story.


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I remember discussing the merits of long fermentations. He knew that but apparently had concluded that so long as his customers were satisfied, there was no need to change things.
Peter, are you certain that Dom was aware of the merits of long ferments? Did you talk about the additional flavor long ferments provide?
Scott,Yes and yes. In fact, Dom told me that he had previously used small amounts of yeast and overnight fermentation, as was reported in Reply 122 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,504.msg11222/topicseen.html#msg11222.I see that I misspoke on the fermentation times of Dom's dough. The fermentation time that Dom mentioned to me was 1-2 hours according to Reply 122 referenced above.Peter


text: Learn how Atlanta has transformed from an early 1800's settlement into the international city that it is today. Travel to a variety of neighborhood galleries and museums offering extraordinary and unique exhibits. Explore the city's diverse and vibrant culture scene filled with festivals, live music, theater & dance and world-class shopping & dining.


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Debates of May 10th, 2000
House of Commons Hansard #94 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pornography.
- Hungary
- Divorce Act
- Canadian National Railway
- Israel
- Nature Conservancy Of Canada
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Alexi Bérubé, Mp For A Day
- Canada-France Parliamentary Day
- Dr. Mary Percy Jackson
- Pensions
- Musical Group Harm'Manik
- National Press Club Book Drive
- Youth
- Mothers' Day
- Acoa
- Human Resources Development
- Cbc
- National Defence
- Human Resources Development
- Hepatitis C
- Export Development Corporation
- Genetically Modified Organisms
- Sierra Leone
- Airline Industry
- National Defence
- Health
- Western Grain Transportation
- Health
- National Defence
- Employment Insurance
- Rcmp
- Fisheries
- Presence In The Gallery
- Government Response To Petitions
- Committees Of The House
- Petitions
- Questions On The Order Paper
- Motions For Papers
- Citizenship Of Canada Act
- Canadian Tourism Commission Act
- Division No. 1289
- Sales Tax And Excise Tax Amendments Act, 1999
- Division No. 1290
- Pornography
2 p.m.
The Speaker
As is our practice on Wednesday we will now sing O Canada, and we will be led by the hon. member for Fraser Valley.
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Tom Wappel Scarborough Southwest, ON
Mr. Speaker, for the country of my ancestors, Hungary, the year 2000 marks a special anniversary. The Hungarian state is 1,000 years old.
At Christmas in the year 1000 AD, almost 500 years before Europeans stumbled upon the new world, Stephen, the first king of the Magyars, was crowned with a crown sent by Pope Silvester II. King Stephen later became St. Stephen, canonized on August 20, 1083.
Many celebrations are planned in Hungary for this historic milestone. On May 19 and 20 in Budapest the Hungary 2000 Conference will be convened. The Canadian parliament will be represented by a delegation of the Canada-Hungary Parliamentary Friendship Group led by me.
I look forward to extending congratulations on behalf of all parliamentarians as Hungary celebrates 1000 years of statehood, the Magyar millennium.
Divorce Act
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Paul Forseth New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC
Mr. Speaker, one year ago today the Minister of Justice said in response to the special joint committee report "For the Sake of the Children", "Canadians agree that when families break down, the needs and best interests of children must be the highest priority".
Sadly, a year has elapsed and this high priority item is nowhere to be seen. The minister has caved in to the bureaucratic insider systems agenda of just leaving the Divorce Act as it is. The concerns are the same wherever I go in Canada about the shortcomings of the Divorce Act for the child-parent relationship.
We need shared parenting put in the law. The act must serve children's needs first and grandparents must be permitted their rightful place in the law. Maintenance should reflect the principle of ability to pay and demonstrated need. There must be easier access to the superior courts and all orders must be easily enforced, especially child access terms and parental guardianship. The act must respond to false allegations.
On behalf of parents, grandparents and most of all the children, I pray that the House of Commons does not have to hear a similar plea for action on May 10, 2001 but rather, that the Canadian Alliance government will have already acted.
Canadian National Railway
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Alex Shepherd Durham, ON
Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of the House to a ceremony which took place today. The Canadian National Railway donated a vast collection of photos collected by it over the last 150 years of railway building to the Canadian Museum of Science and Technology.
From the Grand Trunk Railway to the National Transcontinental, to the Newfoundland railway system and the Canadian Northern, railways have been the building blocks that have made our country.
These pictures are available to Canadians on the web. This shows how the new technologies being learned by Canadians can help celebrate our past history and culture.
On behalf of parliament, I would like to thank the CNR for its contributions to making the stories of the building of our country available to all Canadians so that we can appreciate the struggle that has made Canada the great country it is today.
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Irwin Cotler Mount Royal, QC
Mr. Speaker, today is the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel.
Israel is not simply the Andy Warhol of the international media. Rather, it must be seen and understood as the drama and development of civilization itself, as a first nation of humankind.
In a word, the Jewish people are a prototypical aboriginal people just as the Jewish religion is a prototypical aboriginal religion and Hebrew an aboriginal language.
The Jewish people still inhabit the same land, bear the same name, worship the same God, study the same Bible and speak the same language as they did 3,500 years ago and whose abiding hope and dream is to live in peace with the other indigenous nations and peoples of the region, the Arab nations and Palestinian people.
Nature Conservancy Of Canada
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Rick Limoges Windsor—St. Clair, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to advise all hon. members that the Nature Conservancy of Canada invites them to a dedication of its latest conservation project. This project is made possible with the assistance of Shell Canada Limited and local partners in memory of the late Shaughnessy Cohen, my friend and your former colleague. This event takes place this afternoon from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the dining room of the National Press Club.
Aboriginal Affairs
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Roy H. Bailey Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Mr. Speaker, grassroots aboriginals continue to phone me and send me faxes, e-mails and letters pleading that the Government of Canada hear their concerns.
These aboriginal men and women detest being treated like beggars in their own communities by their own band councils while at the same time being ignored by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. These desperate citizens want equal treatment under local government as other Canadians enjoy. Their neighbours in rural municipalities, towns and villages elect men and women who must practise openness and accountability and who know there are severe penalties if they contravene legislation.
All the natives ask is to be treated equally. They want bondable licensed and trained administrators to handle their financial transactions approved by the band council. They want annual budgets and an annual external audit.
Why does the government show contempt to the petitions of grassroots natives who are being denied time proven legislation and the accountability and responsibility enjoyed by other Canadians?
Multiple Sclerosis
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Paddy Torsney Burlington, ON
Mr. Speaker, May is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. The MS Society of Canada has led the way for people living with MS. During the month of May, volunteers across Canada participate in fundraising and awareness campaigns to support MS research and to provide services.
This year the MS Society of Canada hopes to build on past successes and raise even more than the $19 million generously gifted by Canadians from coast to coast. These funds enabled the MS society last year to direct an additional $3 million to 13 potentially groundbreaking research projects and 36 research scholarships.
Colleagues, please join me in urging all Canadians to join these dedicated volunteers in achieving their goals. Congratulations to the MS Society of Canada; you make an incredible difference by helping the people living with MS.
Alexi Bérubé, Mp For A Day
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Caroline St-Hilaire Longueuil, QC
Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to welcome to Parliament Hill Alexi Bérubé, MP for a day for Longueuil.
As the winner of the second "MP for a day" contest in the riding of Longueuil, Alexi Bérubé, a secondary IV student at École Jacques-Rousseau, distinguished himself out of some fifty students in the national history course who participated in the contest.
I must admit that the choice was not an easy one, because all 11 finalists, whom I had the pleasure of meeting, presented worthwhile qualities. I want to congratulate the other ten finalists for their excellent performance, as well as all the other students who took part.
During his stay in Ottawa, Alexi, who is accompanied by his teacher Jean-Paul Bohémier, will have the opportunity to familiarize himself with the parliamentary duties of MPs.
With this contest I wanted to interest young people in the world of politics, and to familiarize them with it, for they are the decision makers of tomorrow.
On behalf of all my colleagues, I welcome Alexi and wish him an enjoyable stay among us.
Canada-France Parliamentary Day
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Yvon Charbonneau Anjou—Rivière-Des-Prairies, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw to the attention of this House that today is the third Canada-France parliamentary day, organized under the auspices of the Canadian group of the Canada-France Inter-Parliamentary Association, in co-operation with the Fédération canadienne France-Canada, the Embassy of France, and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Once again this year, the day will begin with a symposium on "Cultural diversity and the new technologies", at which French and Canadian experts will exchange views and hold discussions with participants.
There will also be a working meeting between the Canada-France federation and our parliamentary group, and the day will close with a dinner at which the Secretary of State for the Francophonie and the Ambassador of France will speak.
As hon. members can see, France and Canada are collaborating closely to promote cultural diversity in a changing world characterized by new technologies and the globalization of trade exchanges, within the enhanced Canada-France Action Program signed in December 1998 by the prime ministers of France and of Canada.
Dr. Mary Percy Jackson
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Charlie Penson Peace River, AB
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Mary Percy Jackson, a rural medical pioneer. Dr. Jackson passed away last Saturday in Edmonton at the age of 95.
In 1929 Dr. Jackson was fresh out of medical school in England and was looking for adventure. She found it in the Battle River area of the Peace River country where she became the resident doctor and made her rounds on horseback.
Her patients, who were mainly Cree and recent immigrants, pitched in to buy her a horse. The working conditions were rough and isolated. Supplies and provisions were scarce. In spite of that she was successful and highly regarded because of her dedication to her patients. She used her ingenuity to overcome the isolation, transportation challenges and lack of medical equipment.
In 1990 Dr. Jackson was awarded the Order of Canada in recognition of her service.
I had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Mary Percy Jackson and of listening to her stories of practising medicine under tough conditions. I debated health care issues with her when she was almost 90 years old.
Her memorial service will be held on June 3 in Manning and Keg River, Alberta.
Statements By Members
May 10th, 2000 / 2:10 p.m.
Alexa McDonough Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, imagine being a senior citizen having worked hard all of your life and planned for a modest retirement on fixed income with just enough money to pay for essentials and drugs with a little bit left over to treat your grandchildren. Then imagine $2,000 or even $5,000 a year being yanked from your savings because the federal government signed a treaty with Washington.
Eighty thousand Canadian retirees face that very problem. Until 1996 these pensioners were taxed on 50% of their social security. Today it is 85%.
Last week I met with CASSE, a group appealing to their Windsor MP and the finance minister to restore the 50% exclusion in effect when they planned for their retirement. Because of the sudden drop in income, seniors are being forced to move into cheaper apartments, are being ejected from nursing homes and are suffering erosion of their modest lifestyles.
I call on the finance minister today to restore the 50% exclusion or at the very least grandfather this rule so that it will no longer punish people who are already retired.
Musical Group Harm'Manik
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Ghislain Fournier Manicouagan, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would like today to honour the brilliant performance by the musical group Harm'Manik, which has 70 members, students between the ages of 15 and 17 who attend the Manikoutai composite high school in Sept-Îles.
At the most recent New York Heritage Festival, held on April 28 and 29, they did so well that the jury gave them two firsts and one gold and one silver award for the scores they received.
Their excellent performance earned the Harm'Manik group an invitation to the Dallas Gold Festival in 2001, an honour in itself. Of the 3,000 musicians taking part in the New York Heritage Festival, only the Harm'Manik group was invited.
Speaking for myself and all the residents of Manicouagan, I congratulate Harm'Manik and wish them every success in their preparations for Dallas 2001.
National Press Club Book Drive
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Nancy Karetak-Lindell Nunavut, NU
Mr. Speaker, today the members of the National Press Club of Canada are launching a book drive to help provide books for the community of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut whose library burnt down in 1998.
The Cambridge Bay book drive kick-off is tonight at the National Press Club. Anyone wishing to donate books can drop them off at the press club at 150 Wellington Street until the end of May.
The recent book drive spearheaded by my colleague the hon. member for Ottawa—Vanier resulted in an astonishing 125,000 pounds of books for the Aqsarniq Middle School in Iqaluit, therefore enabling us to donate to every community in my riding in Nunavut.
I thank the National Press Club for its interest and wish it every success in its book drive and sincere thanks on behalf of my constituents for everyone's generosity. Thank you, mutna .
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Progressive Conservative
Peter MacKay Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House of a real success story involving Canada's youth.
The national youth at risk pilot project initiative resource collection "Open Your Mind—Open Their Lives" is the result of nine national organizations, 28 communities and hundreds of local partners in youth working together. Teen Express 2000 in Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough is one of seven profiled as extremely successful. Teen Express 2000 was established during the summer of 1998 as a co-operative venture among the Pictou County Women's Centre, New Glasgow Youth Centre, New Glasgow/Westville Police Service, YM-YWCA of Pictou County and Recreation New Glasgow.
Establishing partnerships and creating mechanisms for shared information between organizations related to youth is the goal. This is achieved by means of a four step process: building awareness, gaining commitment, implementation and sustainability.
Communities and organizations form partnerships that will provide support, leadership, expertise and the commitment needed to develop a sustainable program for youth and children. Many agencies and individuals are unaware of just how beneficial youth networking can be in their community. Teen Express 2000 is a shining example to all.


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The Homer Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center has reset the drawing for the 2013 car and ATV raffle to 6 p.m. Dec. 10. It will be held at the Best Western Bidarka Inn.
Car raffle tickets are $100 each, ATV tickets are $35 each and combo car-ATV tickets are $130 each. Every 20th car raffle ticket drawn wins a prize. The last ticket to be drawn wins $25,000 toward a new vehicle purchase at Stanley Ford or $15,000 cash. The winning ATV ticket-holder gets the choice of a $6,000 shopping spree at All Seasons Honda or $4,000 cash.
For more information, call the chamber at 235-7740.


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Topic: Design of ticketing system
Hello all!
This is my first post on this forum. I am new to Ruby on Rails and to web development at all. I am looking for advice how to realize idea that is on my mind. I am now in the middle of Ruby on Rails 3 tutorial by Michael Hartl.
I need to create an application that is going to be reserving tickets in the cinema. I just do not have an idea how should I start to design it. Can anyone give me any advice(maybe somekind of tutorial?) how should I proceed with designing such a system? I am thinking about at least 3 actors in such system (user-person who is going to reserve tickets, seller - person who will be selling reserved tickets to users who reserved them, manager - person who will be adding new movies and have view at everything that is going on)
How should I visualize my concept and then how could I code it? At this moment most of You probably will laugh at me but this is really important for me.


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quote Repoma393You can have two sabres with mag lock/shield/rocket pods but no slag gun. If they raise the level cap you will be able to have all of the above.Hey i was wondering if there is a way to have two sabers with mag lock and sheild but also have the rocket pods and the slag gun?
quote Solx1. And to get those 464, you have to cycle through several other stats, at least eight or so? Figuring eight stats in a constant cycle, that would equate to over 3700 tokens. Of course it could just be seven stats, maybe only six. Then again it could be nine. Upshot, you could have up to nine stats maxed out, meaning pinpoint accuracy, very low recoil, a shield that recharges to double capacity with no delay, double health, and most elemental weapons having up to a nine in ten chance of affecting any enemy.1. It takes 464 Badass Tokens into 1 stat to get it ti 100%.
2. The Conference Call + The Bee can kill Terra in under 20 Seconds.
quote KR_1250Actually, the 1% increase only applies to the first time you use a Badass Token on a skill. It drops to 0.6%, 0,5... Eventually it goes down to 0.1%.quote Ded ValveDamn right.[color=maroon]I'm talking about raising the level cap not the badass rank which are negligible at best.
I have just finished the game with Axton at Lv32 last night and have never cashed in any badass tokens.
A 1% increase just doesnt interest me. I'm just gonna save them for a while longer.
quote Ded ValveYou'd be surprised how long I can stay with a game. But yeah, I'd be bored eventually. I'm just saying it's possible. Too bad it doesn't boost the turrets.In order to get your badass rank that high (assuming it even goes that high) do you have any idea how long it would take and how many characters you'd have to play as? Borderworlds will be out by then and you'd probably get sick of the series looooong before then.
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A Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) generation facility is proposed for construction in the New York State Electric Gas (NYSEG) service area near the city of Watkins Glen close to the west shore of Seneca Lake. This facility is to be connected to the nearby 115kV transmission system. During power system off peak times the plant would take energy from the transmission system and compress air into a below ground cavern. During system peak loading periods the compressed air would be used to generate electricity.
This study was performed to provide a preliminary assessment of the impacts of the proposed plant on the power system facilities in the area. From the impact assessment, generation and compression load levels were chosen to maximize generation output while minimizing negative impacts and their resultant mitigation costs. The study results indicate that a generation level of 210 MW and a compression load of 170 MW are appropriate for the CAES plant.
The study results indicate that the operation of the CAES plant in either the 210 MW generating or 170 MW compressing mode is acceptable. This analysis was conducted assuming no contingencies. With contingencies the expectation is the CAES plant would be limited to certain input and output power levels that would be controlled administratively.


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The Harrisburg High School boys' golf team took down West Frankfort 147-168 Tuesday at Shawnee Hills Country Club.
Alexander Tison took medalist honors for the Bulldogs by firing a 34. Garrett Jenkins wasn't too far behind with a 36.
Jenkins' day started on the par-5 No. 6 at Shawnee Hills were he recorded an eagle with a drive piped down the middle of the fairway, followed by a hybrid to the middle of the green and closed things off with a 12-foot putt for eagle.
Ben Fowler closed with a 37 and Patrick Bittle busted out a 40 for the top four scores for the Bulldogs.
Ryan Williams shot a 40, while Dillion Street put up a 41 on the day.
Harrisburg (19-1) will travel to McLeansboro to play Hamilton County Tuesday.
Location, ST | website.com


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My SO and I are looking to add a puppy to the family. We're going to rescue so in all likelihood whatever we get will be a mix. But we're looking at catahoulas and catahoula mixes.
We do agility with our current dog and also hike and backpack. My dog goes to work with me and I'm fairly sure we can handle the energy level.
So, does anyone have any experience with the breed? Based on what I've been reading, it seems people either love them or hate them. I'm just looking for general opinions.
My ex's grandparents had one. She was a lunatic. Sweet and probably would have been a good dog in a home more like your's, but there she was a nut I assume due to boredom. If you do agility and hike and can deal with a dog with a excessive amount of energy, they'd probably make great dogs. Callie was sweet and wanted to be good, but she had no real outlet for her intense energy so was just hyper and obnoxious all the time.
We have one at the barn. Having only been exposed to a sample of one, I don't know if the whole breed is like this or just this one.
1) Not the most outgoing dog. Very loyal to the owner, but it took a few years before the dog really warmed up to me.
2) Regards farm work as a Very Serious Matter. Enjoys being around livestock. Reminds me of my Quarter Horse: doesn't waste a lot of energy on pointless activities, and moves like lightning when something needs attending to.
3) Somewhat dominant and territorial. Not over the top aggressive, but definitely enjoys the opportunity to tell another animal where it's not allowed to go. Patrols the perimeter.
Originally Posted by carp
We have one at the barn. Having only been exposed to a sample of one, I don't know if the whole breed is like this or just this one.
1) Not the most outgoing dog. Very loyal to the owner, but it took a few years before the dog really warmed up to me.
2) Regards farm work as a Very Serious Matter. Enjoys being around livestock. Reminds me of my Quarter Horse: doesn't waste a lot of energy on pointless activities, and moves like lightning when something needs attending to.
3) Somewhat dominant and territorial. Not over the top aggressive, but definitely enjoys the opportunity to tell another animal where it's not allowed to go. Patrols the perimeter.
All of the above. I have one here at our farm. Takes farm work extremely seriously. Have had to get after her a few times for nipping at horses hind heels (she's too agile to get kicked, was more worried about puncture wounds on the horses). When we adopted this dog, she had been at the shelter for a year. One person tried to adopt her and they lived in an apartment (NOTE - these dogs need LOTS of room to run), and returned her within a week. Not really her fault in my book, she was locked up all the time and chewed on everything, hasnt done anything wrong since being here as far as chewing. When we got her here to our farm.......she literally ran laps around the barn for an hour. Literally one hour. she was overjoyed to be free of that kennel.
They are very farm oriented. She'll herd anything that she can. she can keep 15 horses in a straight walking line through a gate by herself. We've never trained her to do any of this lol.
I will say they are prone to chase smaller things. in my case that was my two rat terriers. When we went to see her at the adoption place - they warned us she would give chase to small animals - she never hurt them intentionally, would just chase and play (and typically roll them accidentally from what the lady said). We brought my 2 opinionated, napoleon complexed terriers up there to visit her and see if they mesh. She tried to give chase like they said, and I just smirked. Adoption lady was scared to death she'd hurt them....... my terriers whipped around and gave her a piece of their mind. My catahoula was shocked to death and scared straight - she's never attempted it again.
She is around other large and small dogs, cats, horses, a goat, calves and sheep and doesn't have any problem with any of them.
I have toyed with teaching her agility, you just won't believe how friggin' agile and quick they can be....
She's my bat eared, ADHD, slightly neurotic (in a good way lol) baby and you couldn't pry her out of my cold dead hands. In the right environment (LOTS of space), they are a blast!
We have two aussie/catahoula crosses from the same littler. They are completely different from each other. One is lean, fast, intense kind of dog and the other is a happy go lucky roly poly bundle of fur. The only thing they have in common is that they are the smartest pair I have ever owned. I love them both dearly but the breed is not for everyone. As with all breeds they can vary in personality. Maybe you could work a trial to make sure you are right for each other and the newcomer has a good family fit.
Thanks for the input everyone. We've got some thinking to do. We don't really have a ton of space. We just have a regular fenced yard. I need to think about whether our daily activity level will be enough to keep one happy.
The dog would go to the office with me everyday and get two or three play breaks during the day.
The dog would hopefully play with my current dog, who outlasts most other dogs on play dates.
The dog would get one walk a day, two if that's what it takes. My boyfriend is willing to pick up running again. I hate running and am not, lol.
Weekly class. Starting with obedience then hopefully agility.
Daily practice for obedience or agility.
Fortnightly hiking.
Interactive play through fetch or other games.
Our current dog does all this and lays on the couch a lot. My problem is I can't tell if she's a lazy dog or if we just do a good job of sapping her energy. When we hike she carries a five pound pack and NEVER gets tired.
I found a catahoula mix a few years back. Unfortunately I wasn't able to keep him, but I did have him for about a month.
I really liked him. He was about a year old and did not have the best upbringing, so he was afraid of certain noises and places he wasn't used to. He was really focused on people, though, and I thought he would have been a good candidate for more training. He was good with people and not aggressive, but he was really primarily focused on people he knew, mostly ignoring strangers. If I hadn't already had a young dog that needed training at the time, I would have probably kept him. The only reason I did not was that he was young and really needed someone who could spend more time with him than I could.
I have an 18 mo. (approx) Catahoula & at least for my dog, your activity level sounds fine! Diesel needs exercise but he is much easier to tire out than my 15 lb terrier mix. We think he might be mixed with a bit of hound (which could account for his slightly more laid-back nature) but he certainly looks like other Catahoulas on the internet & is a powerful 70 lb boy.
We take him for two 1/2 hour walks (sometimes a little jogging is my back is ok) twice a day and do more serious outdoor time on the weekends, lure coursing, dog-friendly hiking, swimming in the summer. He's a very friendly dog, which I understand is NOT breed-standard. He loves to put his head into your lap & is a CHAMPION couch snuggler. He is not at all dog aggressive & plays perfectly with my little mutt. All in all, he's a great dog!!
He does like to herd things. I accidentially *taught* him to alert me when the house cat sneaks out. He won't really chase but does corner & hold.
I'll try to link a facebook picture of him but I'm not sure of my privacy settings . . .
Good luck on your puppy search!
keep in mind that most, possibly ALL, of the "catahoula mixes" you'll find in shelters and rescues are actually just merle-colored mixes of much more common breeds. So if you get a "catahoula mix" from a rescue it's probably just a collie mix and will do wonderfully on your listed schedule of activities.
Purebred catahoulas are hard-core working/hunting dogs. If you don't have a real job in mind for one to do, I don't think you should actively seek one out. Doing agility and obedience is great, but it's not really a job. Lots of people get an active breed of dog and think, oh, we'll do agility! but really, how much time will you actually spend doing agility per week? not that much, most people spend less than two hours per week actually training agility-specific skills. Of course you'll need to spend a lot of time exercising the dog so the dog is sufficiently fit to do agility, but that doesn't work the dog's mind.
@Wendy, that is true. I kind of get the feeling that anything lab sized and merle colored is labelled a Catahoula.
Well I just got a call back from a rescue today and they are going to do a home visit this weekend. I'm located near Northern Virginia, but this rescue trucks dogs from Texas. So the specific puppy I'm looking at is from the Texas area. The have the mama dog too and say her temperament is very even. So fingers crossed and hoping for the best!
Thanks for the input everyone.
c_d-sounds like you have a lot to offer to that lucky pup! Some friends have a Catahoula of the less formal persuasion, per Wendy's great description, and that dog is energetic out, laid back in, smart and affectionate even without free run of the property. Will look forward to hearing how it works out for you and the pup!
Did you end up adopting a 'houla? We adopted one from Louisiana back in November and MY GOD... I mean seriously, MY GOD she is insane. We have a farm, acreage, and four other permanent canine residents (in addition to the cats and the horses). I have fostered puppies/dogs for years and I have never, in my entire life, had a dog with this much energy, drive, intelligence, and chewing power. We got her as a tiny foster puppy and the ONLY reason we adopted her is because there is no way on earth anyone else would have.
Don't get me wrong - we have grown to love her but everything that everyone above said is correct... she takes her "jobs" seriously, and she makes her own jobs up. Her newest job is wanting to go outside around 11pm and stand on the front porch. Just stand there, staring into the darkness (we live in a rural area). Then when she gets bored, she runs around to the back of the property and sits next to the gate into the horse pasture and just sits there and guards the horses. You can't catch her to bring her inside so she gets to stay outside until she gets bored again, makes her way back to the front porch, and body slams herself against our bedroom windows while using her shrill whine/bark to wake us up.
We can't keep anything... ANYTHING... within reach. Counters, dressers, nightstands, coffee tables, etc. Every door to everywhere stays closed and it looks like our house is staged for a real estate listing because you won't find a single item out anywhere. Unless it's furniture that is too big to be shoved into a closed off room/closet.
She loves to herd the cats and the two smaller terriers but they are slowly starting to stand up for themselves. She's also DEFINITELY the alpha.
Would love to hear from other 'houla owners on what jobs you have given/taught that help with energy We are starting wagit games in September and hoping that will relieve some energy. She also goes to daycare once a week and that sort of helps - she sleeps for a few hours when she gets home before being re-energized.
"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle" - Winston Churchill
Check out Central Virginia Horse Rescue
Wow! She sounds intense! We didn't end up getting a Catahoula. We got some little feist, terrier mix thing haha. We were looking for a medium to large dog and somehow ended up with a little 25 pound terrorist, but he's a lot of fun. Here's a pic of him, it should work: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater He looks like a big dog, but in that pic he hasn't even hit 25 pounds.
I love using puzzle toys like tug-a-jugs to keep their minds busy. Honestly, your girl sounds way more drive-y than my two right now. They manage to keep each other pretty busy with rough housing. I feel for you!!
Haha! A terrorist eh? Isn't it funny how things work out He is REALLY attractive, what a cool looking dog.
In a moment of desperation I once purchased two "nearly indestructible" dog toys at a price tag of $29.99 each. Gave them to her, walked off to switch a load of laundry with an "I win!" grin on my face, and returned 10 minutes later to find her chewing apart my sonicare toothbrush (it was ON and vibrating against her teeth - ouch!). The toys? I found a small piece of ONE. I cried for like 10 minutes.
Have you ever heard someone say that catahoula's can climb trees? They aren't kidding. CLIMB TREES. When the rescue group brought her to our farm, they set her down and I called to her and she ran to me, sat in front of my feet and looked at me like "Yes? What are my instructions?" 8 weeks old. I should have known then.
t's been an adventure to say the least!
This is her at about 6 months old
I have one, she's close to 11 now. She was around 5 when I got her and someone had actually put a lot of training into her before we got her. She has always been a pretty mellow, very smart girl. She developed systemic lupus within the first year I had her and has required VERY specialized medical care since then. She was always a favorite at her internist's office because of her sweet personality.
My in-laws in TX have a male. He's pretty chill too. Smart and very loyal to the family. Both of ours are really good with all other dogs, big and small.
That being said, our dogs are not typical of the breed. Ours are pretty low drive, easy going personalities. I'm pretty partial to the breed now, but I favor big working breeds- we had a rotti and have a GSD (though don't tell that to my sheltie and my chi-jackie). If you're used to working with higher drive, working dogs and you have a job for them to do, I say check into the breed. But I wouldn't recommend for a timid or first time dog owner or apartment dweller.
Kinda like with horses though, sometimes people fall for a pretty paint job instead of really thinking about the what's the best fit for them. They sure can be pretty dogs...which is why you can sometimes find quite a few needing new homes.
Ulysses- the most perfect all-terrain vehicle ever. Hencho en Mexico
Mr. Walter Bumblepants - Foster Dog Extraordinaire
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Messy Hairsprayed Blonde Curly Style
This look is sultry and sexy as this woman has her hair long and curly. The hair is thick and has lots of volume. Curly bangs fall forward onto the forehead with thick curls falling long down on the sides and back.The hair is cut long.For the hair colour, the hair is dark blonde.
Royston Blythe Artistic Team Glamour Collection


text: John Love: There was a store that sold Western wear in Great Falls, Montana in the early to mid-1960s. The son of the owner advertised to buy bags of silver dollars during this time when all the bags were coming out of the Treasury. A man from Washington state brought in two bags of uncirculated 1901-S Morgans at the advertised price of $1150 a bag, $1.15 per coin. That was the only original bags of 1901-S dollars I ever heard of, even to this day. Even LaVere Redfield didn't have 1901-Ss and he had most of the S-Mints.