The 21st century is now almost upon us and, whilst this represents a somewhat artificial boundary, it provides an opportunity for reflection upon the changes, and the accelerating pace of change, in our social, economic, and natural environments. These changes and their effects are profound, not least in terms of access to information and communication technologies, at once global in effect and manifest locally. These changes and their consequent demands are reflected in the theme of this volume: Synergy Matters, proceedings from the 6th UK Systems Society International Conference.

When is an apple more than an apple? When it’s enjoyed with a nice cup of green tea, of course. Tea is brimming with special phytonutrients called catechins, which research shows may boost the effectiveness of another important nutrient in apples to inhibit blood clots and lower the risk of a heart attack. Who knew there were so many benefits beyond such delicious flavor? Over the past few years, scientists have made a number of dramatic new breakthroughs such as this one. Beyond discovering which Super Foods offer maximum health benefits, they now know that some nutrients actually work together to unlock your body’s full healing potential. And the good news is that reaping these benefits can be as effortless as opening your refrigerator. Food Synergy is your authoritative guide to harnessing the power of these delicious foods for better health. Inside, you’ll find: 12 simple rules to flood your body with powerful nutrients and help you get the amounts you need without supplements Helpful tips for finding the right foods that can actually boost your weight loss efforts Detailed advice about the foods to choose for their healing potential, along with shopping and storage advice to make it easy to have them on hand The latest news about four key power foods that help lower LDL cholesterol levels by more than 20 percent—the same effectiveness as some statin medications Dozens of simple, mouthwatering recipes and meal plans that make it easy for the entire family to eat well

Global economic integration has changed business conditions significantly. Corporations operating internationally and establishing foreign subsidiaries are facing the obligation as well as the challenge to profit from cross-border interaction. However, potential synergetic benefits provided by the international environment are accompanied by even more demanding challenges. This study elaborates to which extend German small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses could benefit from the implementation of a strategic cross-border synergy management. The study is based on a single case study deriving the research hypotheses and a survey investigating cross-border interaction throughout a sample of small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses. Based on the research findings, this paper proposes a holistic framework, designed for strategists of small and medium-sized manufacturing business. It outlines the establishment of the cross-border synergy management concept as part of the corporate strategy and the efficient and effective management of international interaction. ‘Synergies are not realized by themselves - they have to be identified and actively developed within a professionally coordinate process. Management of synergy seeking organizations is asked for intensive efforts beyond daily operations' (Weber and Roventa, 2006).

"Performing Matters" supports musical performance in the classroom throughout Key Stage 3. A series of projects - including supporting teacher's material - take you through musical performance, from combating nerves and increasing confidence, through to performing short pieces.

The people are the church—not just the pastor. Yet, in many congregations there is a heavy imbalance in the ownership of ministry. Clergy and paid staff are seen as God’s agents in the world, and congregants as occasional participants. Sometimes, clergy and other leaders perpetuate this imbalance. Ann Michel presents a more inclusive, collaborative understanding of ministry, which affirms the gifts and calling of both clergy and lay servants. She uses the concept of “synergy” as a theological framework undergirding this approach. Michel lays out an inclusive and collaborative paradigm of ministry affirming the work of both lay and clergy servants. Synergy also provides practical advice on the day-to-day skills of synergistic or collaborative ministry – how to engage others in ministry, how to build teams, how to manage meetings, how to develop others as leaders, etc. The book helps church workers, paid and unpaid, understand how their ministry relates to the mission of God and the ministry of the church, and provides practical guidance on the interpersonal ministry skills essential to any expression of collaborative ministry. "Synergy is both a practical and deeply spiritual resource that helps provide a more collaborative way of thinking about ministry shared between clergy and laity. Ann has captured the challenges that can present themselves as laity serve in ministry not only from her research but also from her personal experience as a lay person and respected Seminary theologian, and she offers practical ways to equip laity to fully live in this call of lay servants and lay staff members. As a lay person who has served on a church staff for more than 23 years, understanding this synergistic energy articulated so well in Ann’s writing has reignited my passion and affirmed my call." - Debi Williams Nixon, Managing Executive Director, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection

This volume critically evaluates more than a century of empirical research on the effectiveness of small, task-performing groups, and offers a fresh look at the costs and benefits of collaborative work arrangements. The central question taken up by this book is whether -- and under what conditions -- interaction among group members leads to better performance than would otherwise be achieved simply by combining the separate efforts of an equal number of people who work independently. This question is considered with respect to a range of tasks (idea-generation, problem solving, judgment, and decision-making) and from several different process perspectives (learning and memory, motivation, and member diversity). As a framework for assessing the empirical literature, the book introduces the concept of 'synergy.' Synergy refers to an objective gain in performance that is attributable to group interaction. Further, it distinguishes between weak and strong synergy, which are performance gains of different magnitude. The book highlights the currently available empirical evidence for both weak and strong synergy, identifies the conditions that seem necessary to produce each, and suggests where the search for synergy might best be directed in the future. The book is at once a high-level introduction to the field, a review of the field's history, and a scholarly critique of the current state-of-the-art. As such, it is essential reading for graduate students, advanced undergraduate students, and researchers interested in group dynamics generally -- and small group performance in particular.

Is your talent strategy a unique competitive advantage? As competition for top talent increases, companies must recognize that decisions about talent and its organization can have a significant strategic impact. Beyond HR shows how organizations can uncover distinctive talent contributions, strategically differentiate their HR practices and metrics, and more optimally allocate talent to create value. Illustrations from companies such as Disney, Boeing, and Corning describe a new decision science called Talentship, that reveals opportunities by identifying strategy pivot points and the optimal talent and organization decisions that address them. A unique framework helps readers identify their own distinctive strategic pivot points and connect them to talent decisions, showing how today’s “HR” can evolve to fulfill its potential as a source of strategic advantage.

This volume is a collection of chapters about contemporary issues within African philosophy. They are issues African philosophy must grapple with to demonstrate its readiness to make a stand against some of the challenges society faces in the coming decade such as xenophobia, Afro-phobia, extreme poverty, democratic failure and migration. The text covers new methodical directions and there is focus on the conversationalist, complementarist and consolationist movements within the field as well as the place of the Indigenous Knowledge System.The collection speaks to African philosophy’s place in intellectual history with coverage of African Ethics and African socio-political philosophy. Contributors come from a variety of different backgrounds, institutions and countries. Through their innovative ideas, they provide fresh insight and intellectual energy. The book appeals to philosophy students and researchers.

The Get Wisdom Bible Studies help women connect with Scripture in an accessible and energizing way. Teresa Swanstrom Anderson guides with a winsome style that is rich in depth, but still approachable for newer readers of the Bible. What Are You Hustling For? We glorify busyness. We hustle, hoping to gain approval and find acceptance. Yet for most of us, we simply hustle our way to burnout. But what if it's only pointless hustle that leads to burnout? What if meaningful struggle can lead us to growth and depth and even joy? The apostle Paul understood hustle--and struggle--better than most. But in prison, where we'd expect him to be burned out and depressed, he wrote a letter to his Philippian friends seeking to build them up, a letter filled with thankfulness, generosity, and joy. Focused on Jesus rather than concentrating on his own discomfort, Paul's actions brilliantly display what happens when hardship is used for the glory of God. We might feel that life is trying to bury us . . . but what we forget is that we're a seed. Philippians will show us how we can grow deep roots and blossom by finding the meaning in our struggle.

Development in Modern Africa: Past and Present Perspectives contributes to our understanding of Africa’s experiences with the development process. It does so by adopting a historical and contemporary analysis of this experience. The book is set within the context of critiques on development in Africa that have yielded two general categories of analysis: skepticism and pessimism. While not overlooking the shortcomings of development, the themes in the book express an optimistic view of Africa’s development experiences, highlighting elements that can be tapped into to enhance the condition of African populations and their states. By using case studies from precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial Africa, contributors to the volume demonstrate that human instincts to improve material, social and spiritual words are universal. They are not limited to the Western world, which the term and process of development are typically associated with. Before and after contact with the West, Africans have actively created institutions and values that they have actively employed to improve individual and community lives. This innovative spirit has motivated Africans to integrate or experiment with new values and structures, challenges, and solutions to human welfare that resulted from contact with colonialism and the postcolonial global community. The book will be of interest to academics in the fields of history, African studies, and regional studies.