A cost function study of the providers of TVA power

This paper examines these TVA power distributor issues: distribution of nonelectric utilities, municipal versus co-operative distributors, effects of high urbanization, marketing and customer recruiting (M&CR), conservation and load management (C&LM) programs, and service area boundary changes. A translog cost model is the basis for the analyses. The conclusions are: (1) TVA distributors experience electrical distribution inefficiencies when they distribute water and electricity, but when they also distribute gas, there are no additional effects; (2) TVA co-operatives enjoy electrical distribution cost advantages over TVA municipals; (3) the TVA municipals that serve the five largest metropolitan areas of the Tennessee River Valley have the highest electrical distribution costs; (4) M&CR efforts benefit TVA distributors; (5) the many TVA-sponsored C&LM programs produce varied fiscal effects for TVA distributors; (6) there are both diseconomies and economies to scale given proportional increases in output components brought about by hypothetical increases in TVA distributor service areas.     

Work environment and participation: the case of teachers in Denmark and New Zealand

Employees' participation in decision making at work is often identified as a key element in work environment quality. In this comparative case study, the focus is on teachers' work in Denmark and Zealand. The substantial variations in work environment quality found across four schools are shown to be associated with corresponding differences in participation. In particular, perceived work environment quality is associated with collective and representative forms of participation.     

Does volunteer work affect life satisfaction of participants with chronic functional limitations? An empirical investigation

As highlighted in the field of the social determinants of health, welfare programmes need to address psychosocial and material needs, since both are drivers of health conditions. This study is based on the assumption that volunteer work (unpaid activity defined here as ‘social treatment’- policy) may foster a higher life satisfaction of people with a chronic disability (resulting from long-term functional limitations). In particular, the analysis empirically tests a causal effect of an active participation in volunteer work on the life satisfaction of the participants, taking into consideration the role of self-reported quality of the public services provided (transport, emergency health and education services) and the big five individual personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness).For this propose, data provided by ISFOL (Institute for the Professional Training of Workers) for the year 2014 is used. Firstly, a propensity score matching strategy is implemented. This strategy allows to account for potential confounding factors that can affect both a propensity towards being a volunteer and being very satisfied with life. Secondly, a control function approach is also implemented to check the possible presence of a bi-directionality between participation in volunteering and subjective well-being.The results show that life satisfaction is significantly affected by being actively involved in social unpaid activity. A decisive role to carrying out this ‘social treatment’- policy is however attributed to the overcoming of economic and environmental constraints (e.g. low quality of health-care services) especially in Southern Italy.     

Technological change and participation in work organization: recent results from a European Community survey

In 1987–8 a large attitudinal survey covering all twelve Member States of the European Community was carried out by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in Dublin which focused on various aspects of participation by employee representatives in new information technology. This paper presents evidence on one of the central trade union concerns about technological change – that of work organization.

The paper first sets out an explanatory framework which is based on much of the literature, surveys and case-study evidence on the impact of new technology on work and employment. Second, the explanatory factors are used to explain the wide diversity in the levels of participation in work organization across the Community. The paper concludes that there is a significant North/South divide, with the northern EC Member States, particularly Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium having much higher levels of participation in work organization than their Mediterranean partners.     

TQM在高校教学质量保障体系中的应用

高等教育进入大众化阶段,加强质量意识、实施质量监控、提高教学质量和办学水平是高校可持续发展的必由之路。借鉴TQM理论,江苏科技大学构建质量保证体系的工作实践,提出构建全员参与、全程监控、质量持续改善的高校内部教学质量保障体系是提高高校教学质量的长效机制。     

The efficiency of TVA power distributors

This study utilizes linear programming and regression for identifying distributors of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) power that deviate from the normal efficiency levels and for listing distributor attributes that affect these efficiencies. The conclusions are: (1) most TVA distributors are reasonably efficient; however, they appear to be more efficient with respect to technical and scale measures than with respect to cost and allocation measures; (2) TVA distributors tend to over use labor and capital, but utilize purchased wholesale power appropriately; (3) TVA distributors display increasing, decreasing and constant returns to scale, depending on observation; and (4) firm attributes that impact efficiencies the most are: distribution of utilities other than electricity, state location, service area size, the relative amount of power distributed to small customers, the ratio of small customers to large customers and the total amount of electrical energy distributed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

浅析提高黑色路面质量的几个措施

沥青混凝土路面发生病害的原因,主要是由于路基土的承载力,大型汽车的交通量及路面结构三者失去平衡而造成的。为了提高沥青混凝土路面的质量,使其胜任交通荷载、气候条件等复杂因素的作用,目前可以从两个方面着手:对于现有路面,则要设法消除病害,加强养护维修,以保持其使用功能;对于新铺路面,则要从路面结构、路面材料、施工工艺等方面研究改进,以提高沥青混凝土路面行驶条件,保证质量、延长使用寿命。     

化工化学实验与学生安全素质培养的探讨

化工实验教学的改革,以改进实验教材,强化安全教育课程,规范学生实验行为,旨在全面提高学生的安全环保意识和安全素质。而以安全素质为核心的综合素质能力的提升,对高职学生一生的工作和生活都会产生巨大的影响。     

Cooperation and change in union settings: Problems and opportunities

This article examines the increased levels of change and cooperation that have recently occurred in union settings. The article reports the results of interview data from 33 union/management relationships studied over a four- to seven-year period. The types of change programs discussed include productivity sharing plans, (for example, Scanlon, Rucker, and Improshare plans), area and in-plant labor/management committees, quality circles, and quality of work life projects. The focus of the article is on the problems of implementing cooperative strategies. These occur at three stages in the process: (1) establishing the cooperative framework; (2) establishing the boundaries between the cooperative and adversary processes; (3) factors interfering with continuing commitment. The author concludes with a discussion of the implications for government, management, and unions.     

The future of work and family: Critical trends for policy,practice, and research

Work/life “thought leaders” from 28 large corporations carried out an environmental scanning process with the objective of linking work/life policies and practices to critical business and environmental trends. Globalization, technological change, and organizational flexibility are trends that have been commonly identified in other environmental scanning efforts, but their relationship to work/life issues has often been ignored. Similarly, the relationship of changing family structures to business goals has not received the attention it deserves. Through this linking process, work/life advocates can demonstrate the value of their efforts to other corporate decision makers. Innovative corporate work/life initiatives that are responsive to these important trends are described. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

安康学院大学生幸福感调查与建议

随着社会的加速发展,当代大学生对幸福的追求发生了微妙的变化。通过调查,发现学习、就业、家庭、婚恋、人际关系等是影响大学生整体幸福感的基本因素。基于调查,提出了提升大学生幸福感的建议:①加强对学生的世界观、人生观、价值观教育和引导培养积极心理品质;②创造条件,解决大学生的实际困难;③加强学业指导和辅导;④开展社会实践,创造大学生参与社会生活、提高环境适应能力的条件和机会;⑤加强校园的文化建设,搭建大学生体验幸福感的机会和平台。     

Target Costing Performance Based on Alternative Participation and Evaluation Methods: A Laboratory Experiment

This paper deals with the motivational impacts of alternative participation and performance-evaluation methods on the cost- reduction performance of product designers in the product development process. Alternative participation methods for establishing the target cost consist of the participative and the nonparticipative approaches. Also, the alternative performance-evaluation methods include evaluations based on only the controllable item measure and on both controllable and uncontrollable items measures. To test the hypothesis which are proposed with respect to the above impacts, a laboratory experiment was conducted on 120 subjects. When participation and performance evaluation factors are considered separately, the cost-reduction performance of product designers is improved if they can participate in the target-setting process and are evaluated by their controllable item information. In investigating their joint influence, it is found that the combination of the participative method and controllable item and nonparticipative and uncontrollable item information have improved cost-reduction performance. Among all the independent variables, controllable item information is the most dominant variable as it has the strongest influence on cost reduction. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Teams in Australia's automotive industry: Characteristics and future challenges

Australia's automotive industry has throughout the 1990s embarked on a sustained programme to improve product quality, productivity and quality of work life through the development of a more flexible and team-based work-force. This paper examines the results of these efforts through a study of Australia's four car makers and their largest component suppliers. The paper examines the role of union-management cooperation in implementing work teams, identifies the forms of work teams that have been developed as well as evidence for the alignment of organization capabilities to support team-based work. The effects of work teams on organizational performance and quality of work life are also examined. Implications are discussed.     

市政工程施工中的安全管理与质量控制

如今,国内城市化进程正在加速。同时,市政项目变得越来越突出。可以说,市政工程的建设效果可以无形地干扰城镇的日常运转,与人民的生活质量息息相关。市政建设活动的安全性和质量一直是有关部门高度重视的一部分。在此基础上,本文以市政工程为出发点,首先探讨了实施安全质量控制的关键意义,然后分析了目前工作中存在的困难和常见不足,最后提出了一些安全质量管理建议。不同层次的管控工作有效路径,可供参考。     

Labor Market Duality and Leisure Industries in Spain: Quality of Life Versus Standard of Living

Abstract . We discuss the effects that the emergence of the new postindustrial form of flexible capitalist organization has on the Spanish labor market and, by extension, on the working life of two representative groups of employees characterized by their casual and stable working conditions. This brings a growing duality in the labor market, where individuals who cannot escape casual employment coexist with those enjoying long‐term contracts. This concern includes how these changes affect the nature and the ways in which these particular groups understand quality of life and standard of living, which in turn serves to call into question the “end of work” and the expected “leisure society.” In addition, we highlight several circumstances that illustrate a decay in job quality and working conditions, particularly the increase in working hours. Parallel to this process we identify a work‐and‐spend behavior, resulting in overspent families that exhibit financial fragility and give up quality of life, associated with more free time, for higher living standards, which demand an increasing job commitment. Free time from work has become a scarce resource in Spain, and for those individuals belonging to what is known as the “new leisure class,” it is associated with high‐spending leisure activities, which has increased the economic importance of leisure industries.     

异形件加工中步进电机的控制研究

加工异形件时最主要的工作就是对步进电机的控制,我们在加工异形件时选用AT89C51单片机对步进电机进行控制。在实验中单片机主要控制换相顺序、步进电机的速度及步进电机的位置。本文通过介绍在异形件加工过程中使用步进电机带动执行机构运行,设计出异形件加工时的硬件驱动和软件驱动,保证加工异形件是的质量和效率。在实际应用中,该系统运行稳定、可靠,设计简单实用。     

FAILURE, UNCERTAINTY AND CONTROL: THE ROLE OF OPERATORS IN A COMPUTER INTEGRATED PRODUCTION SYSTEM

This article presents the findings of a case study which analyzed how new electronics and computing technology affected the role of process operators in a continuous process plant manufacturing pigments in Scotland. the first stage of the research was a participant observation study of the site over two years. Three years later, production managers and operators were interviewed, and an observation study was carried out over one full shift in the plant studied. the results demonstrate that the process operators required considerable skill, knowledge, experience and training to deal with process faults, cope with contingencies, and to control the process effectively. the operators reported that they found interest and challenge in the work. the impact of technical change on the quality of working life was, however, equivocal. the operators’ mobility was constrained, they were isolated from the rest of the plant, some messy manual tasks remained, and they were still dependent on the technical and chemical expertise of management and engineering staff to handle serious problems. Other operators were less enthusiastic about the work. Management expected the new systems to reduce human intervention and control. But the limitations of the computer controls and the high cost of error meant that effective production was more dependent on human presence and ability than in simpler batch production. Advances in computing technology may highlight the conflict between management desires to reduce human operator control and to design effective integrated production systems.     

The Conduct of Management and the Management of Conduct: Contemporary Managerial Discourse and the Constitution of the ‘Competent’ Manager*

The character and conduct of the manager has formed a central focus of attempts to govern economic life throughout the present century. and current programmes of organizational change involve radical attempts to reconstitute the nature and conduct of management. This is attempted through the identification and implementation of management competencies. Discourses of organizational reform such as human resource management, total quality management and business process re-engineering all place a critical emphasis on anti-bureaucratic, organic and flexible forms of organization, which are also seen to require the development of particular capacities and predispositions among managers. Essential to their vision of ‘managerial work’ is a composite of ‘entrepreneurial’ attributes. Management competencies appear to offer a congenial method for the reconstitution of the manager along ‘entrepreneurial’ lines, not simply because they are inherently founded on managers'self-management and self-presentation of identified behaviours, but also because they represent individualized forms of business functions (and are often associated with the establishment of market relations within the organization).     

轿车总装制造过程质量控制方法研究

“质量是上海大众的生命”这是上海大众一贯秉承的造车宗旨。对于整车制造部门来说,产品过程质量的控制是质量工作中的一个重要课题。本文将以上海大众的一个整车总装车间为研究对象,全面阐述新型QRK过程质量控制方法的基本理论、具体实施。     

规划公众参与的转型研究——以南京市为例

研究背景是中西方规划参与发展过程,分析南京公众参与的主要形式.总结南京总体规划修编中公众参与的组织过程中的经验,如综合运用多种参与形式、认真分析和回复参与意见、反映和采纳公众意见等,分析在制度建立、设计组织、参与对象、意见分析、技术方法方面的存在问题.结合总规修编的公众参与的组织案例,提出改进措施,要普及宣传、加强共享...