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South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences
On-line version ISSN 2222-3436
Print version ISSN 1015-8812
S. Afr. j. econ. manag. sci. vol.17 n.1 Pretoria Jan. 2014
Projectification and its consequences: narrow and broad conceptualisations
Johann Packendorff; Monica Lindgren
School of Industrial Engineering and Management, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
In this article, we argue that an increased focus on the processes of projectification would be beneficial to project research. By introducing a distinction between narrow and broad conceptualisations of projectification, we extend this research area from its current concern with the increased primacy of projects in contemporary organisational structures into an interest for cultural and discursive processes in a society in which notions of projects are invoked. Through an illustration from our earlier empirical research on the sustenance of project work form and its consequences, the implications of applying broad conceptualisations are further discussed.
Key words: projectification, organisational structure, discourse analysis, project research.
1 Introduction
In this article we focus on the emerging notion of projectification (cf. Midler, 1995; Maylor, Brady, Cooke-Davies & Hodgson, 2006) -suggesting that it should be seen not only as a management fad and a structural trajectory in corporate re-structuring, but also as a multi-faceted phenomenon to be studied in its own right. By theorizing projectification as a cultural and discursive phenomenon as well, project research may be able to analyse both how and why corporate structures change as a result of increased project intensity, and how these change processes unfold. This includes their consequences for individuals, project teams, organisations, industrial networks and society.
The notion of projectification has emerged as projects have become a common form of work organisation in all sectors of the economy during recent decades. It is perhaps most visible in the transformation of traditional firms into "project-based firms", i.e., organisations in which almost all operations are organised as projects and where permanent structures fulfil the function of administrative support (cf. Hobday, 2000; Cicmil & Hodgson, 2006; Söderlund & Tell, 2009). The basic reason for this diffusion seems to be that the project, viewed as a task-specific and time-limited form of working, is perceived as a controllable way of avoiding all the classic problems of bureaucracy with which most "normal" organisations are struggling (Packendorff, 1995; Hodgson, 2004; Cicmil, Hodgson, Lindgren & Packendorff, 2009). The project is seen as a promise of both controllability and adventure (Sahlin-Andersson, 2002) and as a necessity when complex and extraordinary business tasks are to be managed (Cicmil et al., 2009). In that sense, project-based work is also part of the wave of new 'post- bureaucratic' organisational forms that have entered most industries during the most recent decades (cf. Clegg & Courpasson, 2004; Gill, 2002; Hodgson, 2004; Lindgren & Packendorff, 2006a; Söderlund, 2011).
It is thus not surprising to find that the scholarly debate on topics like research directions, areas of interest, theoretical and methodological assumptions relating to this development have been intense (cf. Packendorff, 1995; Söderlund, 2004; Winter, Smith, Morris & Cicmil, 2006; Cicmil et al., 2009; Jacobsson & Söderholm, 2011; Hällgren, 2012). From its very inception, project management research has been defined through its focus on the single project as unit of analysis, understood as a manageable and researchable item whose intrinsic mechanisms were to be uncovered in pursuit of project success (Packendorff, 1995). As a result of the practical developments whereby projects became a dominating form of organising in many organisations, project management research eventually also came to include inquiry into the management of bundles of projects, for instance, programmes, project portfolios, and project management offices, and the processes whereby projects and programmes were granted increased primacy as organisational forms (Maylor et al., 2006). As suggested by Söderlund (2004), a re-phrasing of the field from 'project management research' to 'project research' is thus important in order to acknowledge this development. This was also to further extend the area of interest beyond single organisations through analysing the organising of inter-firm projects (cf. Braun, Müller-Zeitz & Sydow, 2012) and through attending to patterns and developments at sectorial and societal levels (Lundin & Söderholm, 1998).
The development towards the use of projects for handling complex tasks and creative renewal in contemporary organisations has, in project research literatures, increasingly been referred to as 'projectification'1 (cf. Midler, 1995; Ekstedt, Lundin, Söderholm & Wirdenius, 1999; Bredin & Söderlund, 2006; Maylor et al., 2006; Kerr, 2008; Arvidsson, 2009; Ekstedt, 2009; Blomquist & Lundin, 2010; Aubry & Lenfle, 2012; Bergman, Gunnarson & Räisänen, 2013). In this narrow view of projectification -which Maylor et al. (2006) refer to as 'organisational projectification', research is focussed mainly on the contents and consequences of organisational re-structuring initiatives taken in order to increase the primacy of projects within a firm and its immediate supply network (p. 666). However, the concept has also been employed in a broader sense, building on recent critical inquiry into individual experiences of project work (cf. Packendorff, 2002; Lindgren & Packendorff, 2006a; Hodgson, Paton & Cicmil, 2011; Lindgren, Packendorff & Sergi, 2014) and the analysis of projects as a central discursive theme in contemporary society (cf. Lindgren, Packendorff & Wáhlin, 2001; Chiapello & Fairclough, 2002; Cicmil et al., 2009; Kuura, 2011). Taken as a whole, extant research thus presents us with a situation whereby processes of projectification are becoming increasingly relevant for the understanding of almost any aspect of the contemporary economy. At the same time, most project research appears to be empirically limited to reified and entitative notions of 'projects' or 'programmes', without reflecting on the processes whereby these phenomena are constructed, developed and institutionalised.
Arguing that an increased focus on the processes of projectification in the broad sense would be beneficial to project research, we will (1) explore the established narrow usage of the concept; (2) identify streams of thought in the emerging broad notion of projectifi-cation; and (3) provide an illustration from our own on-going research into the benefits of moving from a narrow to a broad view. Before delving into these three main issues, we will briefly relate this back to the on-going debate on current developments in project research and practice.
2 Project research - from where, to where?
Project work was for a long time seen as a marginal phenomenon in the world of organisations, and was also constructed as an opposite of dominating on-going operations (Lundin & Söderholm, 1995; Ekstedt et al., 1999; Cicmil et al., 2009). The increased use of projects and project management in almost all societal sectors has resulted in a powerful and well-established practical knowledge field that set out to provide project managers with tools and methodologies for achieving project success. It is a discipline originally focussed on forms and vocabularies for planning and control, supported by powerful conceptual and visual imagery such as Gantt charts and network diagrams. Since the 1970s, several aspects of the task of leading projects have gradually been included, such as team leadership, risk management and stakeholder management. The creation of globally-accepted project management certifications built on these forms and vocabularies and the ensuing professionalisation of the project manager's role are some of the most recent ingredients in the establishment of project management as a distinct practical discipline in business life and society (Hodgson & Cicmil, 2007). The discipline also incorporates current developments in the management of portfolios for projects and project management offices, thereby expanding into positions and organisational levels other than the single project.
Project research thus set out early to understand the specifics of this 'deviant' form of organising, materialising as projects, temporary organisations, adhocracies or an instance of post-bureaucratic organising (Clegg & Courpasson, 2004; Hodgson, 2004; Lindgren & Packendorff, 2006a). The scholarly field thus sprung out of a growing need to handle exceptional situations in a structured manner and the notion of exceptionality is still a trigger for research (cf. Hällgren & Wilson, 2011). The theoretical and practical developments have often paralleled each other, and project research has increasingly adopted theoretical concepts and constructs from general management and engineering research in order to advance understanding of projects and project management (Packendorff, 2014).
The on-going debates on theoretical influences and perspectives within project research are of vital importance for future developments, in the sense that all well-established disciplines usually find ways of escaping stagnation, at the same time becoming easy victims of precisely the same thing. Among the promises in current project research, we thus find an expanding but maturing stream of research concerned with the development of the discipline beyond established concepts and theories. It is a growing literature questioning the relevance and consequences of dominating perspectives (cf. Packendorff, 1995, Cicmil et al., 2006; Blomquist & Lundin, 2010), vividly debating, for instance, theoretical foundations (Söderlund, 2004, 2011), axiological assumptions (Cicmil & Hodgson, 2006), root metaphors (Packendorff, 1995), ontological/epistemological orientations (Winter, Smith, Morris & Cicmil, 2006; Blomquist & Lundin, 2010; Sergi, 2012), field limitations (Hallin & Karrbom Gustavsson, 2010) or the way of identifying research problems and questions (Hällgren, 2012). Twenty- years ago, project management was still a marginal phenomenon. Now it is a dominant work form in many organisations and industries, and has also attracted increased interest in general management literature (cf. Söderlund, 2011). Project researchers should thus have an even better opportunity than before to contribute to the development of general knowledge on contemporary management problems and practice (Jacobsson & Söderholm, 2011; Packendorff, 2014).
As project research gradually evolves into a distinct field in its own right, characterised by more or less notions that are taken for granted on how projects should be studied and theorised, project researchers will inevitably be met by expectations to 'perform research' in a legitimate manner. That could mean to submit to labelling projects without further ado, to exaggerate similarities between projects while suppressing the differences, and to add knowledge to extant bodies of knowledge without questioning the raison d'être of these bodies, thereby taking part in promoting and sustaining a certain view of reality, of knowledge, of good and bad. It would also imply that projects to be studied are sought within the usual industries, among the usual professionals and through the established channels (Hallin & Karrbom Gustavsson, 2010).
The alternative is, of course, to embrace the fluidity and ambiguity of the project concept, viewing project work as an ongoing social construction in society, of which we are all co-constructors, as a process of institutionalisation and change, of power and emancipation (Sergi, 2012). But that does imply that research must be founded upon explicit assumptions about ontology, epistemology and axiology, rather than slipping into the comfort of letting project management journal editors judge what is publishable. Attention to basic assumptions will not only enhance the development of project research and its relevance to general management scholars; but may also imply a changed view of how project management knowledge is made relevant and available to practitioners. Project management knowledge is often presented to the public in the form of a toolbox, generally applicable and ready for use (Packendorff, 1995), thereby conveying an image of project management practitioners in desperate need of clarity, order and standardised procedures. As noted by Pellegrinelli (2010), research should instead be a reflection and articulation...
"...of their lived experiences -what they often see and tend to do. [...] Managing is often less about planning, directing and controlling and more about coping. The absence of clarity and certainty is not an impediment to action, but a call for it - to 'get on'. Social reality for them feels malleable and changing, amenable (at least to some degree) to their influence. Some practitioners have got over, or learnt to live with, the sea-sickness" (p. 237).
Where research on projectification is concerned, the taken-for-granted nature of rational and structural approaches inherited from mainstream- project research implies obvious limitations to the research questions that can be stated, the methodologies that might be employed, the theoretical perspectives that are seen as relevant, and the analyses and conclusions that are made possible. Our notion of 'narrowness', in the views of projectification that tend to dominate project research, stems from such limitations. By limiting research on projectifi-cation to organisational restructurings only, many questions concerning the reasons, implications and consequences of projectification are left unanswered and suppressed. Our alternative, the broad notion of projectification, implies a widened approach to all these issues. The main differences between the narrow and broad views of projectification are summarised in Table 1.
The narrow and broad conceptualisations differ not only in terms of what projectification means (formal restructuring vs. cultural construction) but also in terms of consequences. While the narrow conceptualisation is aimed primarily at identifying how projectified structures are built and how this affects organisational effectiveness and prosperity, the broad conceptualisation also includes consequences for individuals, groups and societies. In the following two sections, we will further discuss the two conceptualisations, with their main underpinnings, directions and research implications.
3 Projectification as restructuring: Narrow views
The conceptualisation of projectification that we term narrow is usually based on an instrumental and structural notion of the project form as an organisational solution to certain types of tasks. This is a notion reminiscent of classic organisation theory, in which the need for handling complex and nonroutine tasks was identified during the heyday of contingency theory.
Examples of such early theoretical treatments are the identification of single unit production tasks (Woodward, 1958), the 'adhocratic' organisational form needed for innovative and extraordinary work (Mintzberg, 1979) and the notion of temporary organisational settings as rational and task-oriented exceptions from ordinary organisational life (Miller & Rice, 1967). These lines of reasoning were later extended in several ways, such as Heckscher and Donnellon's (1994) suggestion of post-bureaucratic ways of organising work according to tasks rather than departments, Goodman's (1981) treatise on temporary systems as an emerging form of work organisation, and Ciborra's (1996) idea that innovative organisations should be analysed as platforms enabling various organisational forms, improvisations and experiments in pursuit of innovation and creativity.
Against this general backdrop, the specific use of projects and project management in contemporary organisations has been further analysed in a series of writings intended to shed light on what the project form may contribute to organisational prosperity, how the project form is combined with other organisational configurations, and what managerial challenges occur in the process of projectifying on-going operations (Söderlund & Bredin, 2011). This is often done by invoking the notion of the project-based organisation as a distinct organisational form, a solution to certain strategic and managerial problems, and the end state of a series of organisational restructurings (Hobday, 2000; Söderlund & Tell, 2009). Referring to Davies et al. (2006), Maylor et al. thus trace projectification back to the insight that:
"[...] organisations in all types of industries are finding that traditional organisational structures, including functional departments, business units and divisions set up for managing high-volume throughputs of standardised products and services and for making decisions in a relatively stable technological and market environment, are no longer adequate. In the rapidly changing and increasingly turbulent and uncertain environment they face today, organisations are finding that some sort of project organisation is better suited to the kind of one-off or temporary problems that they have to deal with" (Maylor et al., 2006:664).
In contemporary literatures, this increased use of the project-based form in an organisation takes several different shapes and is justified with reference to both historical developments and intended benefits. While the individual project as such, a temporary, unique, goal-focussed and complex undertaking (cf. Packendorff, 1995), seems to be a rather standardised matter, there is a range of possible ways of incorporating it into an existing organisation. The various matrix arrangements available are a recurring theme in the literature (Larson & Gobeli, 1987; Davies et al., 2006; Maylor et al., 2006; Arvidsson, 2009), as well as the various solutions to the problem of integrating multi-project-based operations into coordinated portfolios through standardised project management methods and project management offices (De Maio, Verganti & Corso, 1994; Engwall & Jerbrant, 2003; Blomquist & Müller, 2006; Aubry et al., 2007). The project-based organisational form thus centres on the individual project as the unit in which production and innovation take place, in a setting characterised by product/systems complexity, cross-functional cooperation, batch-oriented production, horizontal communication and team-based work (Söderlund & Tell, 2009; Söderlund & Bredin, 2011).
A limited number of studies have focussed explicitly on the processes of projectification over time. Midler (1995) and Söderlund & Tell (2009) describe projectification as a series of restructurings whereby traditional functional structures are gradually transformed into heavyweight project forms and projects become increasingly autonomous and customer-focussed. In both these cases, the drivers are external market demands, implying increased customisation and technology integration, in combination with internal aspirations to simplify organisational communication and decision-making and to empower project teams. In their review of several studies of projectification, Maylor et al. (2006) also add that these restructurings imply an increased number of projects, increased reliance on codified bodies of project management knowledge (such as stage-gate models and inhouse standardised frameworks), an increased emphasis on project performance when evaluating organisational effectiveness, and an increased prevalence of project management offices and similar functional devices geared to project-based operations.
Some of this research is also concerned with the consequences of projectification. Maylor et al. (2006), Turner, Huemann & Keegan, (2008) and Söderlund & Bredin (2011) point to potentially negative consequences for both organisational and individual levels, such as the danger of re-bureaucratisation, neglecting the need for integration of projects into programmes or portfolios, limited time for knowledge development, overwhelming deadline stress, and lack of trust and social continuity. Jerbrant (2014) emphasises that projectification is indeed driven by perceived consequences, in the sense that every subsequent restructuring solves some problems but also creates new ones, thus portraying projectification also as a series of emerging uncertainties that have to be handled.
All in all, the narrow conceptualisation of projectification shows great efforts to identify the basic structural tenets of project-based organisational forms and the conditions associated with the gradual restructuring of former functional organisations. The literature also demonstrates a well-developed understanding of the relation between market developments, technological change and the aspects of organisations that are affected and altered in the processes of projectification. Some research has also taken individual perspectives into account, departing from not only organisational effectiveness but also individual well-being as central to the understanding of consequences and outcomes. The basic weakness of the narrow view, i.e., that projectification is analysed as a rational and straightforward process rather than as a development characterised by aspects such as bounded rationality, power and politics, cultural norms and constructs is, however, not alleviated.
4 Projectification as cultural and discursive processes: Broad conceptualisations
The broad conceptualisation of projectification involves the cultural and discursive societal processes whereby projects and project-like- circumstances are institutionalised in individual lives, the organising of all sorts of work, and society at large. Unlike the definition by Maylor et al. (2006) of 'societal projectifi-cation', this broad view is not a mere extension of the study of the implementation of project-based structures beyond firms and their immediate supply chain networks, but rather a different theoretical view in which formal structural units are seen as institutionalised social constructions and not as stable entities. It is a conceptualisation that draws not only on sociological understandings of an increasingly episodic orientation in contemporary society (cf. Bennis & Slater, 1968; Sennett, 1998), project-oriented discursive modes of justification (Chiapello & Fairclough, 2002), but also on the tendency to perceive all sorts of individual and societal processes as temporary and transitory by nature:
"Many observers have noted the contemporary decay in production of thoroughgoing literary Utopias (in sharp contrast with the ferment of the 18th and 19th centuries), and their replacement by satirical or polemical versions of life in the mass society of the future (e.g., George Orwell's 1984); what has gone unremarked is the enormous proliferation of short-term quasi-Utopias of all sorts -conferences, meetings, "task forces", research projects, experiments and training exercises. It is as if we have traded the grand visions of social life as it might be lived for miniature societies, to which one can become committed intensively, meaningfully, satisfyingly - and impermanently" (Miles, 1964:465).
In their discussion on the cultural and political modes of understanding and justifying reality with reference to the history of mankind, Chiapello & Fairclough (2002) claim that a new 'justificatory regime' is emerging in contemporary society - the project-oriented cité. In comparison with the six historical cités - which were based on, e.g., religious beliefs, bourgeois civil society values, industrial logics or market mechanisms - the project-oriented justificatory regime puts primacy on activity, project initiation and social networks as basic tenets of societal activity. The successful and prosperous individual is an adaptive, flexible and connective team player, able to generate enthusiasm and handle multiple cultural traditions, always prioritising availability, employability and new projects over social stability and lifelong plans (cf. also Bennis & Slater, 1968; Lindgren et al., 2001).
"In contrast with the Industrial Cité in which activity means 'work' and being active means 'holding a steady and wage-earning position', in the Project-oriented Cité activity overcomes the oppositions between work and non-work, steady and casual, paid and unpaid, profitsharing and volunteer work. Life is conceived as a series of projects, the more they differ from one another, the more valuable they are. What is relevant is to be always pursuing some sort of activity, never to be without a project, without ideas, to be always looking forward to, and preparing for, something along with other persons, who are brought together by the drive for activity. When starting on a new project, all participants know that it will be short-lived. The perspective of an unavoidable and desirable end is built in the nature of the involvement, without curtailing the enthusiasm of the participants. Projects are well adapted to networking for the very reason that they are transitory forms: the succession of projects, by multiplying connections and increasing the number of ties, results in an expansion of networks" (Chiapello & Fairclough, 2002:192).
Beyond the notion of projects as a core aspect of contemporary societal life, projectification is also discursively linked to the strong and dominating notion of project management as a standardised field of codified knowledge (cf. Hodgson & Cicmil, 2007). By naming something as a 'project', a number of discursive expectations on the work process are brought from the well-established project management discipline into the local situation by project participants (Pellegrinelli, 2010; Lindgren et al., 2014). Projects are usually expected to be planned, controlled, detached episodes of passion, dedication and commitment, arenas for flexible action and task-focussed social relations (Nocker, 2009), as strictly coordinated and enclosed activity systems (Bechky, 2006). They are also constructed as exceptional work episodes, as temporary 'states of emergency' where danger and urgency prevail and everyday norms and rules do not apply (Lindgren & Packendorff, 2006a; Lindahl, 2007). Hence, as extraordinary settings in- which individuals submit to almost any kind of conditions because it is a only passing moment. The labelling of projects is also closely related to reification (Cicmil et al., 2006). 'A project' is often compartmentalised by its co-constructors into an independent and distinct object that is controllable and manageable if proper methodologies are used. The inherent performativity of the project concept (Pellegrinelli, 2010; Sage, Dainty & Brookes, 2013), with its emphasis on rationality and controlled passion can thus be expected to be an important aspect of understanding projectification.
The processes and consequences of projectification have been increasingly studied in this fashion during the past decade (cf. Lindgren et al., 2001; Sahlin-Andersson, 2002; Grabher, 2002; Clegg & Courpasson, 2004; Hodgson, 2004; Lindgren & Packendorff, 2006a, 2006b, 2007; Cicmil et al., 2009). This research has emphasised the need for examining the underlying discursive developments in which the notion of rational project management has become a legitimate and desirable phenomenon in contemporary society and a driver behind the creation of projectified organisations within which the work occurs. Among the themes of these studies we find, e.g., the (re-)masculinisation of post-bureaucratic work practices (Gill, 2002; Buckle & Thomas, 2003; Lindgren & Packendorff, 2006a; Styhre, 2011), the performative notion of project management as creeping into established professional identities (Hodgson, 2002; Lindgren & Packendorff, 2007; Paton, Hodgson & Cicmil, 2010), and the construction of new power relations in the wake of standardisation and professional certification initiatives (Hodgson & Cicmil, 2007). The project management discourse thus contributes to the reification of projects as distinct, given, unquestionable and manageable items separated from their history and context (Cicmil & Hodgson, 2006; Lindgren et al., 2014); to the dichotomisation of projects vis-á-vis permanent and stable organisational arrangements, (Cicmil et al., 2009); to the 'grandiosification' of projects as a superior alternative to ineffective, rigid, boring bureaucracies (Gill, 2002; Grabher, 2002), and to the compartmentalisation of projects into settings in which admirable achievements take place under conditions where normal rules do not apply (Lindgren & Packendorff, 2006a; Lindahl, 2007). Some recent research also highlights the emotional consequences of the projectified work, portraying projects as emotionally charged and potentially addictive and harmful spaces (Rehn & Lindahl, 2011; Rowlands & Handy, 2012; Lindgren et al., 2014).
Amid the consequences of projectification, it is also important to note the ambitions and hopes tied to projects and how such ambitions and hopes have become taken for granted in project work. Through goal-setting and planning, ambitions and hopes are projected into the future, almost to the extent that the future is 'lived' in advance, taken for granted and secured through project planning (Pitsis, Clegg, Marosszeky & Rura-Polley, 2003). Being successful in a projectified society is closely linked to being available, flexible and connected, while sacrificing lifelong plans, stable conditions and social predictability (Chiapello & Fairclough, 2002). Invoking the project discourse thus implies not only the exclusion and suppression of non-project aspects, but also the disconnecting of everything that does not fit into the project management discourse.
To sum this up, the broad conceptualisation of projectification includes the focus on organisational restructuring in the narrow view, but extends the notion of projectification into societal and individual life and employs cultural, sociological and critical theoretical perspectives in the analysis of processes and the consequences of this. It implies that the increased prevalence of projects and project management processes in organisations is not only analysed from the perspective of rational structural responses to competitive and technological changes, but is also set in a cultural and discursive context in which notions of projects and project management are central to societal development in general. We will now illustrate how these insights can be useful in the study of projectification in practice.
5 Applying narrow and broad views of projectification: An empirical illustration
In this section we will return to some of our earlier research on projectification processes in- order to illustrate how a broad conceptualisation may contribute to knowledge and theoretical development. In the particular study revisited here, we considered the consequences of increased project-orientation in organisations (cf. Lindgren & Packendorff, 2006a; 2006b; 2007, 2008, 2009; Lindgren et al., 2014). A range of organisations in ICT consulting and the performing arts were studied by means of interviews with individuals who were working in projects and who were members of the same project teams. This means that individuals were asked for the spontaneous story of their life, including both work and life in general, during the implementation time of their respective projects. Individual interviews lasted for about two-three hours. After typing up the tape-recorded material, we extracted different narratives linked to aspects of projectification by means of thematic analysis. Inspired by Martin's (2001) method, we thus emphasised narratives on the production and re-production of the project work form, the invocation of project management discourses, how the individuals related their way of living to what was happening in 'projects', and the dynamic relations between organisation and 'projects'.
It appeared that all the organisations studied experienced similar problems in the wake of their on-going projectification, usually manifesting in individual stress, delays and budget overruns in projects, and a lack of overview of the project portfolio.
Integrating the various problems into a model of ongoing projectification (Lindgren & Packendorff, 2008), we found that they were indeed related and tended to sustain each other over time. We summarised this in terms of an 'evil cycle of projectification' (see Figure 1) built from a narrow conceptualisation.
According to the narrow-view analysis, the legacy of neglecting capacity issues in project-based environments (stage A) is reflected in the attitude that additional projects can always be added and that starting a project earlier will imply that it will also be delivered earlier (B). When adding projects to the portfolio, it is usually possible to identify individuals who have enough spare time to take on additional tasks (C). The usual consequences of this are delays and budget overruns in project implementation (D), as it now appears that the organisational capacity was indeed lacking in terms of overload and managerial attention. Owing to improvisational measures and fire-fighting, most projects are still being delivered satisfactorily (E). The impediments to learning and improvement thus remain too significant for the basic lack of understanding concerning organisational capacity to be alleviated (A).
The measures taken in the organisations studied included support and anti-stress training for employees, increased emphasis on leadership and control in the individual projects, and the introduction of project portfolio management models. Nevertheless, the basic problems tended to persist.
This narrow view analysis of the processes of projectification reveals not only the incremental and stepwise manner in which the project form is granted primacy in organisations (cf. Jerbrant, 2014), but also the fact that the project-based organisations may well become subject to inertia and bureaucratisation (cf. also Hodgson, 2004). Processes of projectification imply not only that operations are split up into flexible and innovative units, but also that several aspects of repetitive organising that could also be beneficial in project-based settings are left behind. In this case, we find not only the familiar tendency to overlook issues related to capacity and load in project work (cf. Wheelwright & Clark, 1992), but also an absence of HRM in project situations (Bredin & Söderlund, 2006), neglect of the additional pressures on employees caused by- organisational complexity, and multiple deadlines (cf. Turner et al., 2008; Cicmil & Gaggiotti, 2009), and a lack of insight into the operational risks related to reliance on heroic action. In the cases studied here, the notion of projects serves not only to structure operations in a dynamic and flexible way, but also to transfer responsibility and accountability from managers to teams and individuals without offering relevant organisational infrastructures or resources. From this narrow analysis of projectification, we can thus identify several important aspects of problematic organisational restructurings and point to possible ways of resolving them. At the same time, it was clear to us that many of these problems were already familiar to managers and employees in the organisations studied, and that almost nobody could imagine an alternative way of organising project-based work. As noted by the ICT consultant Carl and his project leader Eric:
"The salespersons will always promise the customers quicker and cheaper projects than possible. They will always make them believe that we will fix their problems through a fast installation of our software, but in practice, we always have to make far-reaching modifications. And those modifications mean delays. When the project schedule cracks down, we just have to sit there with our extra hours. It has been like that in almost all my projects" (Carl).
"Well, you don't actually plan for that kind of work peaks. When you make a time schedule, you estimate the duration of each work package and then add some slack. You don't plan for any bigger problems. No projects go exactly as planned and you don't know everything from start. But if you were to investigate and estimate everything beforehand, you would never come to the implementation phase" (Eric).
In order to understand how the various actors tend to be repeatedly caught up in such situations, a broad notion of projectification can be employed, whereby the actions taken are seen as internalising cultural values and invoking performative discourses on projects and project management. From such a perspective (Figure 2), general discursive notions of projects as temporary, extraordinary, adventurous, controllable and delimited are drawn upon in work episodes labelled 'projects'. Extraordinarisation implies a discursive view of all projects as more or less unique, so it is not really possible to handle them together in a fully-integrated way. This is supported by the notion of projects as temporary, so they spill over to a view of project work as temporary, optimistically framed as opportunities that cannot be missed. People justify the fact that they are at the mercy of such conditions by drawing upon project-orientation in constructing their identities, performing as flexible, innovative, dedicated professionals. When problems appear, they may question the number of concurrent projects, thereby dismissing the situation as a matter of planning. They thus understand the situation to require even more project planning rather than questioning the processes of extraordinarisation and temporarisation. The consequent difficulties are then- compartmentalised as isolated mistakes and as instances of heroic action that have created some sense of meaningfulness and excitement. When actors frame their work in such a way and take this way of working for granted as inevitable, project work and its consequences will be justified as normal and necessary and will thus be sustained over time.
At the same time, other notions appeared to be suppressed and sometimes non-existent, such as repetitiveness (people and organisations live through a series of projects, not one project only), normalisation (project work is and should be seen as everyday things in these contexts), resilience (awareness of the limits of heroic masculinity is needed), risk (project risks and deviations cannot be fully controlled) and inter-relatedness (projects are related to each other and to the rest of the organisation throughout their existence). It can thus be concluded that the problems identified and their sustainability may depend upon invoking project management in a traditional and non-reflective way, and that some of the measures taken may actually aggravate the situation, as they are also based on traditional notions.
With this brief illustration, we maintain that a broad conceptualisation of projectification offers a better understanding of its reasons, as well as new ways of explaining the persistence and continuation of project-based work forms despite their problematic consequences. Pro-jectification is driven not only by notions of suitability and effectiveness for certain organisational tasks, but also by the widespread legitimacy of project management as a rational managerial toolbox and project-orientation, as an internalised understanding of what it means to be a successful, productive and enterprising individual in contemporary society. At the same time, it should be noted that this broad understanding is not external to narrow conceptualisations and understanding of projectification, but rather builds on and includes them, but with different ontological, epistemological and axiological assumptions as points of departure. It also implies that new ways of formulating and resolving consequences of projectification can be identified (Spicer, Alvesson, & Kärreman, 2009). For example, the broad conceptualisation offers new ways of attending to the unwanted and problematic consequences of organisational projectification as identified through research employing narrow conceptualisations; by redefining problems with overload, stress or high project failure rates as problems related to institutionalised over-optimism, responsibilisation of individuals and expectations of omnipotence in project control, focus could shift to organisational cultures and management ideologies as sources of improvement instead of project maturity models and control systems.
6 Conclusion
In this article, we have argued that an increased focus on the processes of projectification would be beneficial to project research. By introducing the distinction between narrow and broad conceptualisations of projectification, we have extended this research area from its current concern with the increased primacy of projects in contemporary organisational structures (cf. Maylor et al, 2006) to an interest in the cultural and discursive processes in society in which notions of projects are invoked. What separates the two conceptualisations is not the levels or units of analysis, but basic research assumptions.
Based on this, we propose that future research on projectification should actively employ a view of projects and project-based organising as cultural and discursive phenomena.
We would thus not only be able to add to our knowledge of how project-based work is organised in everyday practice, but also increase our understanding of how societal discourse, organisational culture and individual identity construction are inter-related in the reproduction of project work in specific and post-bureaucratic organisation in general. We would also become more aware of both the full consequences of project-based work practices, and possible ways of attending to these consequences critically and constructively.
The study of projectification is not a matter for project researchers alone. Scholars of organisational theory interested in 'bringing work back in' to enhance understanding of contemporary organisational matters (cf. Barley & Kunda, 2001) should find studies of projectification most useful in developing new theoretical notions on, for instance, post-bureaucratic organisations, virtual organisations, entrepreneurial processes, the organisation of innovation work, new leadership forms and new HRM practices. When work processes, complex tasks, long-term work change and life itself are increasingly treated as instances of project management, what happens, who benefits and what power structures emerge? Are we experiencing a shift towards post-bureaucratic organisation, or is it better understood as re-bureaucratisation at different levels of analysis?
What about projects as outbursts of emotional labour, as projections of desire and hope rather than rationally planned activity systems? In addition to this, work-life problems in projectified work need continued attention, as do also the related issues of leadership and followership, of entrepreneurship and innovation. Project research has an important role to play in such a development.
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Accepted: December 2013
1 As noted by Söderlund & Bredin (2011:9), there are also similar conceptualisations for this phenomenon, such as 'projectization' (Peters, 1992), projectivization' (Ekstedt et al., 1999) and 'project intensification' (Bredin & Söderlund, 2006). In this article, the concept of 'projectification' is seen as also including these other labels for the phenomenon.


text:
- Description
DetailsTempotest Stripe Chocolate Brown/Natural 158 Awning Fabric is a durable and beautiful fabric that offers unique Hi-Clean Teflon wrapped fiber protection to provide resistance to grease, oil, pollution, dust, mold, and fungus. Tempotest Stripes are excellent for all outdoor awnings, canopies, marine toppings, umbrellas and more. The tough Teflon finish in your Tempotest Stripe awning fabric offers a waterproof and stain resistant surface that is easy to keep clean and regularly maintain without losing any of the color or luster in your Tempotest fabric. By choosing Chocolate Brown/Natural 158 awning fabric, you are also helping to be respectful to the environment. Tempotest USA has invested its manufacturing plants in the pursuit of energy savings through electric and thermal energy rather than fossil fuels. Enjoy your Tempotest awnings knowing you are supporting a future of manufacturing that is responsible to the planet.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Digital artist Zachary Knoles really touched the spot when he redesigned video games and its characters as aged, dusty covers of classic paperback novels.
Given the complex story of Xenogears, it would be quite an interesting read as a sci-fi novel from the 80s.
Here's more of his work: Kerrigan from StarCraft II now looks like a drow from a 90s AD&D novel, and Samus got transformed into a robot from some Russian sci-fi.
G/O Media may get a commission
Certified Organic CBD Oil
Zacharyknoles [DeviantART, via TheOmegaNerd]
To contact the author of this post, write to: email@example.com


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For Your Consideration — Jasper's take on three plays opening in Columbia this week
Jasper loves going to the theatre. On rare occasions, he'll just show up and be surprised by what he gets. But most of the time, he does his homework. There are three shows opening in the city this week. One … Continue reading
Posted in Ait Federolf, Cindy Flach, David Mamet, David Randall Cook, Jasper Magazine, Larry Hembree, Randall David Cook, TRUSTUS, USC Lab Theatre, Workshop Theatre Tagged Anything Goes, Cindy Flach, David Mamet, Jasper Magazine, Larry Hembree, Left Hand, Oleanna, Randall David Cook, Third Finger, TRUSTUS Theatre, USC Lab Theatre, Workshop Theatre Leave a comment


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posted: Sep 19, 2005 category: Reviews
...Atomica makes lovely, layered, atmospheric, dream pop. These songs are very melodic for this genre. Usually bands such as this tend to rely too much on the toys they're working with and less on actual songwriting. Not so for this band. The melodies are enchanting and haunting. But the toys make lovely sounds as well. This is a great trip-hop, dreamy pop record.
Read the whole review...
Metropolitan @ shopPOSI


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Early last Spring I purchased these cool towers of bright colored tea lights
for the purpose of making these tea light "suckers" for a craft sale
I saw this cute idea on Dawn Griffiths blog – thanks Dawn! and she made them with a Christmasy theme, and with a different stamp, but I liked the variety of bright spring colors and thought how cute this would be for a bridal shower treat or for our ladies retreat. All we would need to do is add a Bible verse to the back. In fact, one lady bought several of these at the craft sale for that very reason. She was going to give them to her Bible study group at their last meeting.
Well, I had several left over tea lights so when Glenda demonstrated how we can use our Big Shot to cut out Aluminum Flashing, and she showed us this cute tea light flower made from the aluminum flashing and the Flower Folds Bigz Die
Glenda showed us how to "step it up" by embossing them using Stampin' Ups! great embossing folders, put them together with my glue dots, added the colorful tea lights and WHEEEEE!! Another cool idea for the craft sales. Thanks Glenda for all your great ideas!! I'm a little preferential to the polka dot one. Which one do you like?
OK – there are a LOT of tea lights in these tubes and I still have some left over, BUT…I got to thinking what would I do with the empty tubes…can't throw anything out – right!?
Recycle / Reuse
The more I looked at the tubes sitting there I thought how cute it would be if I filled them with candy like you see in the stores at Christmas time, but who wants to wait for Christmas to get candy? So I found some of my retired Halloween Designer Paper and wrapped the bottom to hide the label (that refused to cooperate) and some stickers leftover from a previous craft sale project
Recycle / Reuse,
and now I have a fun treat for my grandkids when they come trick or treating. I wonder if it will fit in their trick-or-treat bag? tehe
I used our new 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch and the 1 3/4" Circle Punch to back up my cute Halloween stickers, some Linen Thread and 5/8" Black grosgrain ribbon pulled it all together.
So For Now…
Happy Halloween!!'
ChristiPin It Now!


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This presentation delivered by Dr. Kevin Gannon, Grand View University, seeks to explore the ways in which contemporary policies and their impact upon communities are shaped by their historical contexts.
Oct. 15 is the last day to apply for Winter 2020 graduation.
Explore how critical self-reflection from our micro to our macro practice is needed for the Black Lives Matter movement to be started and sustained.
The College of Health and Human Services invites prospective students to a virtual open house to learn about health sciences at St. Ambrose University.
The last day of face-to-face classes is Nov. 24.
Residence Halls will be closed at the end of the business day, Nov. 25.
Finals week for SAU students is Nov. 30-Dec. 4.
Winter Commencement Exercises are Dec. 19.
Faculty must submit grades by Noon, Dec. 19.


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As you read this my wife is speeding to the nearest McDonald's in celebration of the unearthing of an all-important snacking factoid—there are four official, McDonald's-approved shapes for Chicken McNuggets. This changes everything.
Business Insider recently had the opportunity to step inside the hallowed halls of McDonald's headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois, where they sat in on a quality assurance meeting attended by chicken experts flown in from all over the snackosphere. That's where Barbara J. Booth, director of sensory science at McDonald's USA, dropped a bomb.
McDonald's has a director of sensory science. You can be a sensory scientist. Why am I not a sensory scientist? Screw it, I am now a sensory scientist, and you can't tell me any different.
Also, Chicken McNuggets must match one of four approved shapes as closely as possible to meet McDonald's "Gold Standard" for quality.
It all makes sense now—Bell, Bone, Ball and Boot. As Business Insider points out, McDonald's Canada calls the "Bone" shape "Bow-Tie", but either way it's still the four B's of McNugget royalty.
Of course McDonald's also monitors McNuggets for taste, consistency, breading thickness and other non-shape-centric factors, but I am pretty sure the shape is the most important.
Where is that damnable woman with my McNuggets?
No longer shall I sedately sit and eat without considering the form of the fowl I consume. From here on out I shall judge my McNuggets by the contour of their skin, and not the content of their carapace.
Dammit, these are all Ball-shaped. I feel cheated.
McDonald's Has Four Distinct Shapes Of Chicken McNuggets - Here's What They're Called [Business Insider via Boing Boing]


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Your body will die, but your name can live on forever... Or for however long it'll take for people to forget about comic creator Mark Millar's next project. He's auctioning off the name of his Nemesis lead character for charity.
This will be the third time Millar has auctioned off the chance for someone to have a character in one of his comic books named after themselves; the lead in Kick-Ass was the first, and the cop antagonist of Nemesis the second. Now,he's offering the chance for someone to become Evil Batman, with proceeds going towards a school helping handicapped children in Scotland. Millar explained:
I had chosen a good secret identity for Nemesis himself, but it seems almost selfish not to auction this now too and possibly reach the halfway line the kids need for this bus. I'm amazed how much cash was raised the first time around, but am hoping the auction to name the title character raises even more. Dave Lizewski loves the fact he's the lead in the Kick-Ass comic, movie and upcoming video-game and I'm hoping whoever wins this new auction is equally delighted. A huge thanks to them for finding the cash in these difficult times.
With the bidding open for a day so far, the auction is still at a surprisingly low $539.99 at time of writing. Considering that Nemesis is most likely going to follow Wanted and Kick-Ass into much-hyped movie and multimedia mainstream mode, we're expecting (and, because it's for charity, hoping) bidding goes much higher before the auction ends February 11th.
Win The Title Role Iin Nemesis! [eBay]


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Kay: The flaw there is probably the fact that C is early-bound. Because it's not late-bound, because it's not a dynamic system, pretty much the only way you can link in features is to link them in ahead of time. Remember when we had to boot the computer? There's no need for that. There's never been any need for it. Because they did it that way, you wind up with megabytes of features that are essentially bundled together whether you want them or not. And now a thousand system calls, where what you really want is objects that are migrating around the net, and when you need a resource, it comes to you no operating system. We didn't use an operating system at PARC. We didn't have applications either.
Binstock: So it was just an object loader?
Kay: An object exchanger, really. The user interface's job was to ask objects to show themselves and to composite those views with other ones.
Binstock: You really radicalized the idea of objects by making everything in the system an object.
Kay: No, I didn't. I mean, I made up the term "objects." Since we did objects first, there weren't any objects to radicalize. We started off with that view of objects, which is exactly the same as the view we had of what the Internet had to be, except in software. What happened was retrograde. When C++ came out, they tried to cater to C programmers, and they made a system that was neither fish nor fowl. And that's true of most of the things that are called object-oriented systems today. None of them are object-oriented systems according to my definition. Objects were a radical idea, then they got retrograded.
Binstock: How do you view the Actor model?
Kay: The first Smalltalk was presented at MIT, and Carl Hewitt and his folks, a few months later, wrote the first Actor paper. The difference between the two systems is that the Actor model retained more of what I thought were the good features of the object idea, whereas at PARC, we used Smalltalk to invent personal computing. It was actually a practical programming language as well as being interesting theoretically. I don't think there were too many practical systems done in Actors back then.


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Edward Norton is an undeniably brilliant actor. So when he decided to go gangsta, sporting cornrows, saying "axe" instead of "ask" and throwing out lines like, "I don't want no beef, I just wanna be vegetarian," for his latest film, "Stone," his "choices" were applauded. Rightly so, and Norton's performance as Gerald "Stone" Creeson, an imprisoned arsonist who enlists his wife Lucetta (Milla Jovovich) to help him manipulate his parole officer, Jack Mabrey (Robert De Niro) into helping him win his freedom, is, as always riveting.
That's not the problem. The problem is the movie in which the performance can be found.
Overwrought and ham-fisted, "Stone" is a film less about performance than it is sound design. Director John Curran, who previously worked with Norton in 2006 on "The Painted Veil," thuds away on the film's religious and moral overtures with the subtlety and elegance of a five-year-old trying to hammer out Mozart on a Wurlitzer. Running a constant stream of Christian talk radio and the deafening buzz of insects, Curran explores the "sound of God," but all you hear is the director's mind working overtime at creating atmosphere and forgetting plot.
U.S. & World
That's not to say the acting isn't atmospheric and exemplary. But what else would you expect from this cast?
Norton and De Niro previously starred in 2001 on "The Score," a film which features Marlon Brando's last big screen appearance. Watching them work together for a second time, in a volatile cat-and-mouse game, is the film's greatest strength, though you can't help but yearn for better circumstances for such fine actors.
Meanwhile, Milla Jovovich as human catnip, the consummate femme fatale, is enrapturing and tragic, but squandered on a script that goes nowhere, and Frances Conroy as Madylyn, Jack's long suffering, heavily sauced wife, is a portrait of silent pain.
But great acting can't save "Stone" from Angus MacLachlan's script, adopted from his own play though still stuck on a proscenium, or Curran's direction.
Norton began his career with exacting precision. From his brilliant Oscar-nominated debut in 1996's "Primal Fear" until 2003's "Italian Job," Norton's sole career misstep was "Death to Smoochy," which gave him the chance to go mano y mano with Robin Williams and, in retrospect, is rather enjoyable. Who knows if it was the studio breaking his spirit by forcing him to appear in an action movie he didn't want to do ("Italian Job") or just film fatigue but, since 2005, with the exception of "The Illusionist" and "The Incredible Hulk," Norton has made a string of shabby choices.
"Stone" sadly continues that trend.


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Emotionally charged, stunningly beautiful and delivering unprecedented character performances, Heavenly Sword truly showcases the awesome power of PlayStation 3. A dramatic tale of revenge sees Nariko, a fiery red-haired heroine embark on a quest for vengeance against an invading King and his army.
The story builds around the ancient Heavenly Sword which once belonged to a powerful deity. It can never be wielded by a mortal without it draining their life-force, killing them within hours. When the invading King (played by Andy Serkis of Lord of the Rings and King Kong) destroys the warrior clan that guards the Heavenly Sword, the clan leader's daughter, Nariko, takes up the sword in a desperate fight for survival.
Nariko must now pay the ultimate price as she embarks on one last mission of vengeance against the King and his army before her life is finally drawn to a close… Heavenly Sword combines the visceral action and visuals of the best action movies with a ground-breaking, free-style combat system. You can freely switch between multiple sword types and a wide range of weapons on-the-fly.
The latest physics technology has been integrated into the combat, resulting in destruction on an epic scale as you destroy opponents and the environment alike. Battle through lush environments with operatic grace and style taking your fight to the clouds, over water, through tree-tops and more. Enemies employ complex squad-based fight choreography and can attack one-on-one, in groups of several dozen, or even in battalions of thousands, pushing real-time AI to levels unseen before.
Dolby 5.1
1 Players


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SAN JOSE, Calif. - What better way to start the most historic weekend in San Jose Earthquakes history than by clinching the league's top regular-season honor?
On the eve of the club's new stadium groundbreaking ceremony, the Earthquakes were crowned Supporters' Shied winners Saturday night following Sporting Kansas City's 0-0 draw with the New York Red Bulls. The Shield is San Jose's second in club history and first since 2005.
As winners of the Supporters' Shield, the Earthquakes claim home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs.
While the team has two games remaining, the Earthquakes' record of 19-6-7 for 64 points is just four points shy of the all-time MLS record for points in a season (68) set by the LA Galaxy in 1998.
Of the 16 teams to hoist the Supporters' Shield trophy, six have gone on to win MLS Cup, one has lost in the final, five have been eliminated in the semifinals, and the remaining four fell in the quarterfinals.
The Supporters' Shield represents a history unlike many others in sport. Fans conceptualized the trophy in the early years of Major League Soccer and unveiled it at the inaugural Supporters' Summit prior to MLS Cup in 1998.
The Earthquakes will now turn their attention to Groundbreaking Day and their match against the LA Galaxy on Sunday. The club will attempt to break a Guinness World Record for largest participatory groundbreaking. With over 5,500 RSVP'd to attend, San Jose is on pace to top the previous mark of 4,532. The ceremony begins at noon PT at 1125 Coleman Ave. in San Jose (more info: www.sjearthquakes.com/groundbreaking). Following the event, the Earthquakes host the LA Galaxy at 4 p.m. on CSN California, Galavision, 1590 KLIV and 1370 KZSF for Ramiro Corrales Bobblehead Day, presented by Wells Fargo.


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A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
1749 - 1832
Historical Period:
The 19th Century
Goethe is often ranked with Shakespeare and Dante as one of the three most important poets in history. He spent the most important part of his life in Weimar and served the duchy in many official capacities. Although his interests ranged from biology to the theory of color, it is his literature, with its powerful presentation of human freedom and the search for meaning in life, that has been of enduring value.


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Q: How to enhance a dialog-based application with Menu, Toolbar...?
Q: How can I handle accelerators?
Q: How can I make my window resizable?
Q: How can I add scrolling to my window?
Q: How can I add document/view support?
Q: How can I print the contents of my window?
A: The answer to all of the above is: Don't. Create an SDI or MDI application instead.
All of the features mentioned above can be added automatically by the AppWizard when you choose SDI or MDI as the application type. The code which implements them is already part of MFC. And while it is possible to add those features to a dialog-based application, it usually requires some twisting and tweaking and lastly rewriting of code that is already there.
Historically, there were only two application types proposed by the AppWizard: SDI and MDI. The type "dialog-based" was only added in VC++ 5.0, and it is meant mainly for rapid prototyping or testing purposes. Only very few real-world applications live entirely within a modal dialog. The support MFC offers for dialog-based applications is very limited, as opposed to SDI or MDI.
So when you create an application using AppWizard, think twice and triple before choosing dialog-based. Only use it if you are sure that you will never want to add any of the features mentioned above. If you need the ease to create your UI using the resource editor, choose SDI and use a CFormView as the view type. Note that implementing any single of the above features in a dialog-based app is usually more complicated and risky than creating an SDI app right away and turning off the features that you don't need.
And in the case you already did a lot of implementation work in a dialog-based application: Create a new project as SDI. Choose CFormView as the view type. Now copy the dialog resource and the implementation code from your dialog class to the form view class: Most of your code will work without major modification in the new context.


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Hello fellow riders. I am a mechanically challenged rider who is tired of dealing with my BMW dealership in Toronto and decided to do the basic/easy maintenance myself. Only problem is that my cruiser's manual does not have instructions on how to change the oil and oil filer. Can anyone help? Does anyone know of a step by step picture guide, or video that can assist me?
On another note... Anyone in the GTA area that can recommend a private shop that works on BMW motorcycles?


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Tkinter, Tkinter 3000, and the Widget Construction Kit
This page could really need some restructuring. If you're interested in the WCK, start here.
Tkinter 3000 / WCK #
For information on the Tkinter 3000 extension library, see:
Tkinter Documentation (In Progress) #
This is a staging area for my An Introduction To Tkinter book. The reference sections are not included here; they're generated from source code by a separate tool. For a (possibly) more complete version, please see the most recently published draft.
An Introduction To Tkinter (stage)
Tkinter Articles #
Assorted articles on Tkinter and the Tkinter 3000 Widget Construction Kit.


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Opening statements made in Sandoval case
Defense says case wasn't solid from start
Opening statements were made Thursday in the trial of a man accused of being Albuquerque's arroyo molester.
Prosecutors said they have DNA from the accused, Genaro Sandoval, and it matches the evidence collected from a rape victim in 2003. Sandoval is charged with four other cases, but defense lawyers said there is nothing that proves Sandoval is the arroyo molester.
"What started out as a prank on Aug. 27, 2003, turned into an 11-year-old boy getting raped by the defendant," said prosecutor Lisa Traubado.
Authorities said the victim, then a sixth-grader at Hoover Middle School, decided to walk home that day because his stepmother didn't pick him up. Prosecutors said the victim was walking along the Embodito Arroyo when Sandoval allegedly lured him under the bridge.
"He starts asking him, 'Hey, could you write 'Matt sucks' under the bridge?'" Traubado said.
Prosecutors said it was a request to spray-paint the message, and then moon Sandoval's video camera as a supposed joke to someone Sandoval knew that got the boy's attention. Sandoval also told the boy he'd pay him, and when the boy agreed, that's when prosecutors said Sandoval attacked.
"There is absolutely no one else on earth who it could be other than the defendant," Traubado said.
The defense promises to attack the DNA samples taken from both the victim in the 2003 attack and Sandoval.
"If the DNA was correct, it would support all the other pieces of evidence," said defense lawyer Joe Riggs.
Riggs said the case against Sandoval wasn't solid from the start.
"(The victim) was clearly shaken, but he was remarkably lucid about what had happened to him just moments before," Riggs said.
The victim will take the stand at some point, but prosecutors said they aren't sure when.
The trial is expected to last a few weeks, and if convicted, Sandoval faces 18 years in prison.


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A while ago I decided to do what I thought was a ridiculous "shoot out" of sorts.
We were mixing an indie rock record for release on a small, indie label in the midwest and the producer and I had been reading a lot about summing busses, DAWs, etc.. The album we were working on was tracked in DP 4.6 (*NOTE: THIS WAS BEFORE I GOT DP 5.1) using all Neve 1272 and API (both Brent Averill originals, not clones) mic pres. We converted everything using Lucid AD converters. The instruments were drums, bass, guitars, vocals, some Rhodes, and keys. Pretty simple, straight ahead stuff, loud. Everything was tracked through good mics, pres, etc..
I have been working with DP for about ten years now. I've been recording for almost twenty. I've learned a lot about the bus in DP, I've learned how to manage my signal path going in to get the best resolution possible, how to manage my tracks in the mixer, how to manage the master, submix for better results, etc.. I listen to mixes today and mixes of just a couple years ago - before I started really concentrating on the master sum - and the improvements are clear.
We decided to try two mixes, one using the DP sum and one sending everything out through the MOTU 896HD D/As and into my Mackie 1604 VLZ mixer (an OLD one, circa late 90s). Every effort was made to keep the tracks exactly the same between the two mixes. All plugins were left the same and the Mackie was ONLY used for summing.
We then took the two mixes and leveled them in exactly the same way (L2) and burned them to CD. We asked seven people, NONE of whom were engineers (some were musicians who had recorded, one was a radio DJ and one a club owner, some were girlfriends, parents, etc.) to listen to the mixes and give us their impressions.
We didn't disclose which was which. While this is hardly a large enough sample size to make it statistically significant, the margin was surprising. Five of the seven people we asked preferred one mix over the other.
Can you guess which one the majority preferred? Mackie of Digital Performer? Before you scroll down I'd be interested in which one you predicted would "win." Scroll down for the "winner" .....
Five of the seven people chose the mix summed on the Mackie 1604 VLZ. The descriptions were that it "sounds better." These folks listened on their own playback device (cars, home stereos, some radio studio equipment, live PA rigs, etc..)
I've always had a hard time describing audio in terms other than physical impressions, tactile sensations. My impression was that the Mackie mix sounded softer than the DP. It had all the clarity and punch of the DP mix, but was a bit more cushioned. I can't say I'd always want to mix on the Mackie as the headroom isn't outstanding and it's not the right sound for every application, but this was a surprising result.
So, please post what you THOUGHT would be the "winner" and why you think the Mackie sounded the way it did.


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Grundfos glandless circulator pumps are used in commercial buildings for air conditioning and heating applications.
They are based on canned rotor technology, and characterised by the absence of a stuffing box or shaft seal. The pumped liquid cools and lubricates the motor and rotating parts.
Three distinctly different models of glandless circulator pumps are available. Please note that there are a number of specific product variants available for each model. Detailed information on these variants can be found in Grundfos WebCAPS.
Grundfos MAGNA
This pump model features the unique AUTOADAPT function as well as a permanent magnet motor. Pump housings in a variety of materials, as well as single and twin-head configurations are available.
Grundfos UPS
This standard model is designed for circulation of cold or hot water in heating systems, domestic hot water systems, cooling and air-conditioning systems. Three operational speeds are possible, enabling setting according to flow demand.
Grundfos UPE
This pump features electronic speed control operation in addition to normal Grundfos UP features. This allows the pump's duty point to be matched to system needs, which is especially valuable in heating circuits with high demand fluctuations.


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I am really hoping they do MAxx and all his supporting characters, he was always a character i enjoyed. I heard that Shocker Toys is doinga Maxx figure, so i hope that doesnt mean that we wont get one in this awesome line.
Page created in 0.07 seconds with 18 queries.


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Brand ©LDM Yoga, | ©LDM Mia Recording, Media/Tech by ©Mia J. Resorts | | Spring 2020-We all are still Stay Home/Lockdown status. Please take care of yourselves.↠♥A VR Expert♥Projects Ft Photography/Yoga, ♥A Paid Freelance, Published Office, Med Yoga Studies. ♥Welcome IG, Twitter, Blogger, and SL Readers. ♥https://ldmcampus.blogspot.com/
tea Hr – Someone You Loved
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Living
True wealth is the wealth of the soul
Your premier Second Life (TM) shopping resource
and I shall not litter.


text: > > That is sort of what I was thinking in desperation and my first hack :) > > The only thing it didn't do is set the tone/voltage settings again - > > which may explain why the first hack didn't retune - thats what I'm > > trying now - a combination of set tone/voltage plus reset & FE settings. > > But i was thinking whether we would treating the symptom in that case .. > I was wondering why the lock goes off at all in the first case .. Oh yeah, I agree the hack is doing stuff with the symptoms - I'm just trying to identify what fixes it so we can track down the cause. Do the multiswitches where you saw the problem support anything about tone/voltage switching BTW?


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Come Meet Erica Hettwer! HOTP's Newest Designer!
Welcome, Erica Hettwer, the newest member of our PW/HOTP Family! I had a moment to sit and chat with Erica, once she settled in.
We are delighted that Erica's is part of our family and I love her energy and creative spirit. It's always exciting to see the "talents" of our designers, and Erica comes from a long history of crafting. Take a moment to find out a bit more about Erica.
A little about Erica –
I was born and raised here in Canby, Oregon and so working here is quite literally a dream come true. I've been married for almost eight years now to my tall, dark and goofy husband, Andrew. We've got two kiddos. Mickey is six and a half and Audrey's just about to turn four. We live on a couple acres just south of town and have a dog, cat, goat and a cow! I'm hoping to add some chickens to the mix in a few years.
I started crafting at young age as I come from a long line of quilters. My mom taught me how to cross-stitch in the 4th grade and my granny taught me how to crochet about the same time.
I've been on scrapbooking design teams and have been lucky enough to have some cards published in magazines like Paper Crafts and Scrapbook Trends. I'm really excited about getting my first layout in the Sept/Oct issue of Creating Keepsakes!
What exactly will you working on?
I'm a Project Designer here at Hot Off The Press and I love it! I get to create cards and scrapbook pages all day. I'm also starting to do product videos so if you hear me sounding a little nervous during some of them, its because I'm so new! I also work mostly from home so I can still be with my kids and that is the very best part of this job.
What inspires your creativity?
I love challenges. My favorite part of this job is getting pretty strict guidelines, "use this and make this" and then finding a creative and fun way to make that work. Something about that just gets my creative juices flowing. Another way I get inspired is by cleaning my craft room. Just seeing all the fun stuff I have gives me ideas and then off I go! Of course, my room never really gets cleaned though. 😉
Favorite tool you love to work with:
My favorite everyday tool is the Tonic Paper Trimmer. It cuts so straight and the size markings are nice and easy to see. I also love HOTP stamps. They give such a clean impression and have some great designs!
Favorite "tricks" when creating?
One of my favorite tricks is fussy cutting. I love either cutting out images from my papers to use as embellishments or cutting along the edge of a pattern to create my own custom border!
Have you found something you can't like without, in other words, a favorite product?
I'm crazy about the new Happy Days line. The colors are just amazing and my One Little Word for this year is Happy! I also adore all of the crepe ribbons in our ribbon packs. They have a casual elegance that I can't get enough of.
Thanks Erica for taking some time and letting us into your world. As you walk down the halls here at HOTP, you can hear Erica's delightful giggles. Not that she's messing around, 😉 she just brings her attitude of sunshine!
Again, Erica, welcome to Paper Wishes & HOTP – we are excited you are here!
Thanks for reading my little blog!
~ Cristina
Like this post? Sign up for our weekly newsletter here to stay up-to-date on Paper Wishes news, promotions, and all things creative!


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Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (PlayStation 2) review
"Getting close to an unsuspecting enemy will cause things to slow down and go blurry, allowing the prince to initiate a very fast, and very stylish kill. His dagger will flash blue when the time is right to hit the attack button. If your timing is off, you'll bollocks up the sequence, and have to fight the enemy the old fashioned way, or else use a Sand Tank to rewind time and try it again."
Staff review by Marc Golding (July 26, 2007)
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If you enjoyed this Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones review, you're encouraged to discuss it with the author and with other members of the site's community. If you don't already have an HonestGamers account, you can sign up for one in a snap. Thank you for reading!
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Pope Benedict: God Works Wonders Through Prayer
The Holy Father continued his dicsussion of St. Paul's life on June 13.
Pope Benedict XVI says that the life of St. Paul shows that God can work wonders through those who grow ever closer to him in prayer.
"As our union with the Lord grows and our prayer becomes more intense, we too come to focus on the essential and to understand that it is not the power of our own means that creates the Kingdom of God, but God who works miracles through our very weakness," the Pope during the June 13 general audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall.
Continuing his recent weekly exploration of the lessons taught by the prayer life of St. Paul, Pope Benedict turned to the apostle's experience of contemplative prayer, as recorded in his Second Letter to the Corinthians. He noted that in "defending the legitimacy of his apostolate, Paul appeals above all to his profound closeness to the Lord in prayer, marked by moments of ecstasy, visions and revelations," and yet, at the same time, he also "willingly boasts of his weakness, in order that the power of Christ might dwell in him."
St. Paul uses this approach because he is eager for his readers to understand how "all the difficulties we meet in following Christ," including "suffering, difficulty and persecution," can be overcome "by opening ourselves trustingly to the action of the Lord," the Pope said.
The example of his life and trials should remind all Christians that it is "at the moment we feel our own weakness that the power of God becomes manifest."
Thus, "in a world in which we risk relying only on the power of human means," St. Paul calls us to "rediscover and bear witness to the power of prayer, through which we grow day by day as our lives are conformed to that of Christ."
Pope Benedict recalled that the Protestant theologian and 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Schweitzer described St. Paul as "a mystic and nothing more than a mystic," since the apostle was a man so "truly enamored of Christ and so united to him as to be able to say: Christ lives in me."
The lesson for our own lives, suggested the Pope, is to follow his example and "remain constant and faithful in our relationship with God, especially in moments of aridity, difficulty and suffering." Only then will we be able to face difficulties as St. Paul did, "in the conviction that we can do all things through him who gives us strength."
The Pope added that by giving more room to prayer "we will see our lives transformed and animated by the real power of God's love." He observed that this was the experience of Blessed Mother Teresa, who, in her contemplation of Jesus, "discovered the ultimate reason and incredible strength to recognize him in the poor and abandoned, despite her fragile figure." This is because, contrary to the suggestion of some, contemplation of Jesus Christ in prayer "does not distance us from reality," but "makes us ever more involved in human affairs," because the Lord draws us to himself in prayer, enabling us "to remain close to all our brothers and sisters in his love."


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The University of Michigan released a report today rating and ranking 104 federal government websites in terms of how well the satisfy citizens. The report is ...
The University of Michigan released a report today rating and ranking 104 federal government websites in terms of how well the satisfy citizens. The report is the well-known quarterly American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) E-Government Index. Each of the 104 websites is given a score on the Index's 100-point scale.
The report shows that satisfaction with e-gov is at an all-time high, had the greatest quarter-over-quarter increase since the study was founded 6 years ago, and that many individual government websites are outperforming private sector stalwarts like Amazon and Google in terms of customer satisfaction.
"The increase in e-government satisfaction also brings government more into pace with the private sector. While the e-government aggregate (75.2) still significantly trails private sector industries like portals and search engines (83) and e-retail (82), e-gov outperforms the online news and information industry aggregate (74), online brokerage and investment (74), and just edges out the online travel industry (75)."
The top score of 91 went to the Social Security Adminstration's (SSA's) retirement estimator. You can get to that website by going to www.ssa.gov/estimator
To download a free copy of the full report, please visit www.ForeSeeResults.com. To follow discussion about the report on Twitter, please visit #ACSI.
Looking for the latest gov tech news as it happens? Subscribe to GT newsletters.


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The UAB School of Education is located at 901 13th Street South, in Birmingham, Alabama. The school sits in the middle of a block between 13th and 14th Streets South, and University Blvd and 10th Avenue South.
Physical Address
UAB School of Education
901 13th Street South
Birmingham, AL 35294-1250
View a floor plan map of the Education Building.
Turn-by-Turn Directions
From I-65 Southbound
- Take the 4th Avenue South Exit.
- This is a one way street headed east.
- Stay on 4th Avenue South until you come to the 14th Street South intersection.
- Take a right onto 14th Street South.
- Stay on 14th Street South until you cross University Blvd. (also 8th Ave. South). The School of Education is located on the right side of 14th Street South, between University Blvd and 10th Avenue South.
From I-65 Northbound
- Take the University Blvd. Exit (Also 8th Avenue South).
- As you merge with University Blvd., stay in the right hand or middle lane.
- You will see an overhead crosswalk at the intersection of University and 13th Street South.
- You may turn right on 13th Street South and the School of Education will be on your left. If you choose to continue on University Blvd to 14th Street South and turn right, the School of Education will be on your right.
If you plan to park in a UAB lot, you must first obtain a permit from UAB Parking and Transportation Services. Parking permits can be applied for online or in person.
Parallel parking spaces (most with 2-hour meters) are available along 13th and 14th Streets, and along 10th Avenue South.


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Fitting Out Supper
9th May, 19:30 - 22:30
Last updated 2:49pm on 29 November 2019
The Clubhouse Is Open! Unfortunately the Visitor Moorings remain closed. The Launch Service is operating 0930 to 1830 daily. The Boat Park and the Club's Dinghy Fleet are both available to use.
Please continue to respect all of the Government's Social Distancing and COVID-19 Guidance.