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Digital technologies have an increasing, often debated, role in our world: in this book we are concerned with the relation between technologies and the common, the ensemble of elements connecting human beings. Our motivation lies in the observation that the common is often dispossessed by platform capitalism. Can we, as scholars, help to identify and build digital technologies that nourish the common rather than dispossessing it? To answer this question, we look at Participatory Design (PD) as an inspiring example for other scholarship. In the light of designing viable alternatives, in this book we review and discuss the actual status of PD research taking into account a reinvigorated political perspective. Our goal is to understand, from the most recent literature in PD, how such field can contribute to socio-technical alternatives to platform capitalism. We also point to the limitations of actual PD, in terms of missing elements when looking at the political agenda on nourishing the common that we propose. More specifically, we look at PD literature trying to answer the following research question: "how could PD research contribute to a renewed political research practice in the age of platform capitalism?". To answer this question, we engaged in a narrative literature review of the last years of activity in the field. This literature review is grounded on the framework, developed by us as a contribution to PD itself, of a Participatory Design promoting commoning practices, or nourishing the common, the ensemble of the material and symbolic elements tying together human beings. Such framework identifies four practical strategies for scholars, professionals, and activists in the field of PD interested in building a contemporary activist agenda: 1) to identify an arena of action that is potentially socially transformative; 2) to clarify how the social groups involved in a specific technological process can connect to commoning; 3) to promote and enact an open ended design process that is facilitated but not ...

AbstractThe circular economy (CE) presents a contemporary approach to integrating economic activity and environmental well‐being sustainably, opposing the linear open‐ended system. However, implementing this paradigm poses challenges, needing a fundamental shift in companies' strategies and business models. Emerging technology can support companies in transition toward CE and in particular artificial intelligence (AI) can play a crucial role in facilitating this transition by supporting companies not only in specific CE activities but also in strategically redefining their entire business models. Recognizing the increasing importance of both AI and CE in management literature, our paper seeks to integrate these two distinct streams of literature. Starting from existing studies, it tries to provide a framework able to understand the role of AI technology into enhancing CE. Through a systematic literature review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis protocol, using keywords research on three databases, we identified 63 articles that concurrently address both CE and AI topics. Subsequent co‐occurrence and content analyses revealed how AI is utilized to bolster CE efforts leveraging the ReSOLVE framework (from the acronymous of Regenerate, Share, Optimise, Loop, Virtualise, and Exchange)—an operational tool for CE. The last step consists into the development of a conceptual framework outlining four stages of AI's engagement with the CE: namely System optimization, System redesign, Business Model redesign, and Ecosystem innovation. From our study emerges that while AI is already recognized for enhancing specific activities within CE, its potential as a strategic planning tool for business model redesign and ecosystem innovation remains largely unexplored.

Currently, many instructors of organ playing are teaching that all toe pedaling without the use of the heel is the only possible method for pedaling in the organ works of J. S. Bach. While that may be the current thinking, it is necessary to examine all of the sources available, and also to use rational thinking when deciding whether or not to use toes, heels, or a combination of them. This article will examine the issue, and when it may be preferable to use a heel depending on what the music itself is doing, and a variety of other factors.

Hymn playing styles can vary from country to country in addition to what is sung for Masses. This article will compare those styles and repertoire, making observations about not only the accompanying styles but also about the kind of repertoire sung.

La rana toro –Aquarana catesbeiana– fue introducida voluntariamente en Uruguay en 1986 con fines de cría para consumo humano. Su producción en cautiverio no fue viable económicamente y el abandono de la producción promovió la liberación accidental o deliberada de diversos ejemplares. Estos organismos llegaron a ambientes naturales y seminaturales, proliferan y se dispersan exitosamente. Durante febrero-mayo 2019, se aplicó un protocolo de erradicación de especies exóticas invasoras en la zona baja de la cuenca del Río Santa Lucía (Canelones, Uruguay). Se registraron ejemplares de A. catesbeiana en siete cuerpos de agua artificiales ubicados en cuatro establecimientos rurales. Los sitios fueron aislados con una cerca de 1 m de altura para contener la dispersión de adultos y juveniles. El plan de erradicación presentó tres etapas: 1) gestión de autorizaciones y permisos de acuerdo al marco legal de Uruguay, 2) definición de criterios para la selección de sitios de intervención y 3) aplicación y evaluación de técnicas de control recomendadas en la bibliografía publicada. Se analizan los costos de la aplicación del mencionado plan y se determina la eficiencia de las cuatro técnicas de control aplicadas, los estadios fenológicos, épocas del año y el número de ejemplares capturados por cada metodología. De las cuatro técnicas evaluadas, la red de arrastre resultó el método más eficiente (ejemplares capturados/costos aplicación). Para replicar las técnicas de erradicación, se recomienda la integración de todos los métodos aplicados, así como evaluar nuevos.

With the increasing complexity and dynamism of the modern work experience, the importance of the psychological contract has become increasingly clear. Organizations and researchers alike have recognized the implications of this contract for employee performance, satisfaction and well-being. However, certain work contexts can increase psychosocial risks, making it crucial to investigate the individual and contextual characteristics that can promote well-being and mitigate risks. In this study, we examined the impact of psychological contract types and task repetitiveness on organizational commitment among call center employees. By conducting a cross-sectional study involving 201 call center employees working in-person and administering an ad hoc questionnaire, we aimed to enrich the scientific literature on the psychological contract and its implications for the call center work environment. Our findings revealed that a transactional psychological contract has a negative impact on affective and normative commitment, potentially undermining employees' sense of obligation and responsibility towards these organizations. To promote healthy work relationships and well-being among call center employees, we suggest the importance of a relational psychological contract. By highlighting the role of psychological contract types in organizational commitment, our study offers valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners.

With this paper we contribute to the ongoing discussion on the transformations of Participatory Design to address current societal transformations. We focus on how the implications of the emergence of financialized capitalism, characterized by "accumulation by dispossession", could be reduced by the nourishment of the "common". In taking this approach, we claim that nourishing the "common", which refers to the ensemble of the material and symbolic elements that tie together human beings, would allow a renewal of Participatory Design, reinvigorating its political agenda. We base our reasoning on a project called ThinkDigiTank, the goal of which is the construction of a digital platform supporting a network of Italian "think tanks", which refers to organizations aimed at producing political and cultural thinking. In this paper, we theoretically articulate the needs of a PD process nourishing the common and we discuss the empirical case, highlighting the possibilities of a renewal in PD and practical strategies to support commoning practices.Full text at ACM