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Showing posts with the label military research

Google Acquires New Robotic Technology

Google is making moves to acquire robotics firms to develop higher capabilities and products. Their purchase of Boston Dynamics and seven other companies indicate that they have made their way into the military market ( 1 ). The program is part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency that seeks to create a new generation of robots. Combining the knowledge of multiple agencies through acquisition raises Google’s stature in this field. The goal for the time being is to develop robots that mimic things in nature. It is likely that someday they will try and put different capabilities into the same robot. At present some of the interesting stuff includes a 28 mph running cheetah, SquishBot which changes shape to get in tight areas, and Petman which mimics human abilities ( 2 ). Each of these robots takes significant research, designing, and software.   Google has developed the Android service, plenty of applications, and has satellites that map the world. They are in a

Developing Global Cultural Intelligence in Multinational Firms

Organizations that work within multiple-countries have varying cultures and subgroups within their working populations. As multi-national firms become more common it is necessary for leaders to develop a level of cultural intelligence in order to function effectively with people of varying backgrounds. A team of researchers Rockstuhl, et. al. (2011) investigated an elusive concept that has been gaining attention called cultural intelligence. Where IQ helps one solve problems and emotional intelligence (EI) encourages inter-personal relations, cultural intelligence (EQ) may impact international leadership effectiveness. Changing environments require changes in the skill set of leaders. Due to these changes the careful selection, grooming, and development of leaders within the global economy are necessary to meet new challenges (Avolio, et, al., 2009). Despite this need, most leadership literature has been focused on domestic leadership skills without emphasis on decisions within a more