Customer reactions to self-checkout discontinuance

Self-service technologies (SSTs) increasingly permeate retail space. Yet, sometimes retailers decide to revert to human-delivered service mode by discontinuing their incumbent SST. In this study, we examine how self-checkout (SCO) discontinuance affects customers’ perceptions of SCO technology and purchase behavior. We conduct a natural field experiment by surveying two groups of customers pre- and post- SCO discontinuance: treatment group (who experience discontinuance) and control group (who do not experience discontinuance). Leveraging difference-in-differences analyses, we find that SCO discontinuance results in decreases in customers’ satisfaction with technology, intentions to use technology, perceived simplicity of technology, and basket size. Our results inform managers of the potential downsides of discontinuing SST and provide corroborating evidence of the technology’s benefits.     

Effects of individual resources and team-member exchange on service quality

While workplace resources are generally viewed as positively affecting performance, some studies indicate that not all resources increase performance. This study addresses the controversial disparate effects of workplace resources on performance by exploring functionally classified workplace resources in self-managing service teams and their relative impacts on team service quality. Considering membership dynamics and consequences between members, a field experiment was conducted in a cafeteria, with data collected through a working diary for workplace resources and a customer survey to evaluate service quality. Results suggest that efficacy-resources in self-managing teams should be controlled with caution as they may adversely affect team service quality. Supporting the person–situation interactionism perspective, workplace resources interact dynamically with individual employees and with situations. Esteem-resources were found to increase team service quality, while team-member exchange not only improved team service quality but also moderated the impact of esteem-resources on team service quality.     

Why are Small Firms Different? Managers’ Views

Do incentives differ between large and small organizations? Results from a representative survey of compensation managers are used to shed light on the issues. I find that (i) small establishments rely less on pecuniary incentives, and have a significantly more hostile attitude towards incentive schemes based on competition and relative rewards; (ii) large units are more vulnerable to mechanisms of efficiency wages, effects that remain even after controlling for differences in monitoring ability; (iii) large units are more prone to indicate that negative reciprocity is important, and that their employees care about relative pay. I argue that these findings fit with behavioral stories of incentives and motivation, in particular those stressing group interaction effects, inequity aversion and gift exchange.     

明代皖南平原的圩田与农业生产

洪武时期，旧有圩田得到迅速恢复；建文至正德期间，圩田有较明显的发展，扩大了耕地面积，富豪围垦在其中占有重要地位，同时，圩田发展与蓄水防洪的矛盾已经凸显；嘉靖以后，水灾呈现加剧的趋势，除固有的自然因素的原因外，过度围垦、民人渔利、修防低效等社会因素起着重要作用，同时，对圩田的治理有新的进展。圩田在皖南平原农业生产上具有重要作用。     

一纸灵魂的处方，一曲生命的悲歌——再读《红处方》

女作家毕淑敏在创作中始终关注着女性及其生存状况，《红处方》亦是如此，它被一些批评家看作是毕淑敏的女权主义开山之作，事实并非如此。在《红处方》中，强大的女性话语场背后透露出的是女性自我意识的缺失，但与之对应的是作者向读者进行着更为深切的生命体验展示及发自灵魂深处的人性拷问，为现实生活中的人们开了一纸灵魂的处方，具有深广的社会意义，对这一事实的认识是理解《红处方》的重中之重。     

密绕载流无限长螺线管管外的磁场

对于密绕载流无限长螺线管,管外的磁场是否严格为零与管外磁场和管内磁场相比是否可以忽略不计,这是两个完全不同的问题。     

小学体育新课标目标统领下单元教学计划的研究

新的全日制义务教育《体育(1至6年级)课程标准,》对体育课提出了运动参与、运动技能、身体健康、心理健康和社会适应等五大领域的教学目标。文章通过实验,在对比中阐述了以新课程标准为教学目标,进行有针对性的教学设计和课堂实施,可使学生各方面的发展更符合新时期的要求的观点,并提出了单元教学计划设计的方法。     

Moral suasion: An alternative tax policy strategy? Evidence from a controlled field experiment in Switzerland

With data gained from a controlled field experiment in Switzerland this paper analyses the effects of moral suasion on the timely paying and the timely filling out of the tax form 2001. Comparisons of different tax filing years and multiple regression estimations have been done using these two factors as dependent variables to check if there is a significant difference between the control group and the treatment group. In February 2002 the treatment group received a letter signed by the communes fiscal commissioner containing normative appeals. Results indicate that moral suasion has hardly any effect on taxpayers compliance behaviour. The strongest effect can be observed for the variable tax payments.Received: February 2003, Accepted: June 2004 JEL Classification: H260, H710BennoTorgler: Special thanks are due to the tax administration of Trimbach, especially to Adolf Müller and Gary Bitterli, who offered me the opportunity to collect the data and assisted the project. Furthermore I acknowledge the financial support of the WWZ-Forum and Swiss National Science Foundation and comments and suggestions from Doris Aebi, René L. Frey, the editor Kai A. Konrad and two anonymous referees.     

高技术企业知识体系概念框架及其内部互动模型——一个解释知识创新过程的新框架

企业知识是组织内部个人知识的集合体 ,但不是个人知识的简单加总。基于这个认识 ,本文构建了一个由知识员工、知识链和知识场构成的点、线、面互动的企业知识体系研究框架。高技术企业是追求持续知识创新的知识体系 ,知识创新通过知识点之间的互动完成 ,如同电荷之间的运动通过电场来进行 ,知识点通过知识场发生相互作用。本文提出了知识场的概念 ,分析了其与Nonaka的“巴”的区别与联系 ,并对其进行了分类。进一步的 ,根据高技术企业知识体系运行的基本路径 ,文章分别研究了体系内知识点通过知识场进行互动的基本模式与作用机制。文章试图提出一个能够解释知识创新过程的新框架。     

氡气场观测数据的统计分析

通过在原状土层中选定测孔进行观测数据的统计分析表明,孔中温度的作用、大气压力的作用、孔中温度与大气压力的交互作用、孔中温度与湿度的交互作用、大气压力与湿度的交互作用及孔中温度、大气压力、湿度三者之间的交互作用对氡气场没有显著影响;湿度对氡气场有显著影响。