Combining quality and quantity. A psychometric evaluation of the self-anchoring scale

In this study a psychometric comparison is made between a category rating scale with fixed anchors and a self-anchoring category rating scale where respondents themselves define the end anchors by referring to their personal experiences with the construct being measured. A student-satisfaction questionnaire was administered to 301 undergraduate students on two test moments separated by a 1-month period. Both types of category rating scales were crossed with both test moments according to a 2 ×  2 mixed factorial design. Our results show that respondents perceive the construct being measured in the same way with both rating scales. A comparison concerning different indicators of reliability, i.e. test–retest reliability, internal consistency and the error variances associated with each item, also failed to find a difference between both rating scales. In a last analysis it is demonstrated that using a self-anchoring rating scale or a rating scale with fixed anchors has a small but significant effect on the ratings of the respondents. In conclusion, a self anchoring scale may be the scale of choice if additional qualitative information from the anchors is warranted, but when quantitative comparisons between groups are required, rating scales with fixed anchors are preferable thanks to their ease of use.     

Driving on liquid sunshine – the Brazilian biofuel experience: a policy driven analysis

This paper analyses Brazil's experience with biofuels, focusing on the central role of the federal government as the main force driving the implementation of alternative locally produced ethanol (ethyl alcohol) and biodiesel. The pioneering, large scale ethanol programme that started over 30 years ago can be considered the most successful experience with the use of biofuels to date, as the government was able to rapidly implement the use of ethanol (ethyl alcohol) as a substitute for petrol in the 1970s and 1980s. The work contributes to the general discussion of sustainable and renewable energy sources and sets out the key policy mechanisms used. The paper also innovatively looks at the second large governmental intervention in the renewable fuels market – the biodiesel programme. In addition to the contribution to the debate surrounding command‐and‐control measures and economic incentive instruments, the paper analyses how lessons learned from the ethanol experiment were taken into consideration in the design and implementation of the biodiesel mandate, including social and environmental facets. It emphasizes the uniqueness of producing sugarcane ethanol in the Brazilian context and how attempts to carry out similar fast growing biofuels programmes may not be possible in other parts of the world. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

On fitting the conditional difference asymmetry models to square contingency tables with nominal categories

In this paper, we implement the conditional difference asymmetry model (CDAS) for square tables with nominal categories proposed by Tomizawa et al. (J. Appl. Stat. 31(3): 271–277, 2004) with the use of the non-standard log-linear model formulation approach. The implementation is carried out by refitting the model in the 3 ×  3 table in (Tomizawa et al. J. Appl. Stat. 31(3): 271–277, 2004). We extend this approach to a larger 4 ×  4 table of religious affiliation. We further calculated the measure of asymmetry along with its asymptotic standard error and confidence bounds. The procedure is implemted with SAS PROC GENMOD but can also be implemented in SPSS by following the discussion in (Lawal, J. Appl. Stat. 31(3): 279–303, 2004; Lawal, Qual. Quant. 38(3): 259–289, 2004).     

Social marketing with challenging target groups: smoking cessation in prisons in England and Wales

• Smoking levels among prisoners are much higher than amongst the UK population as a whole. Our research focuses on the development and implementation of a pilot smoking cessation project:
  • Using a social marketing process combined with the Health Behaviour Model, 159 participants, drawn from four prisons, undertook a smoking cessation programme.
  • Data was collected using a case study approach, with a variety of research methods: primarily depth individual and mini‐group qualitative interviews, but also document analysis and observation.
  • The findings draw on prisoners' perspectives in the context of the marketing mix in elements of the strategy design, implementation and evaluation.
  • The discussion identifies the need to maintain a consumer perspective, feeding into the marketing mix, and to identify and promote aspects of mutually beneficial exchange over and above basic health and monetary costs.
• The positive outcomes and insights gained show that using a social marketing strategy, as part of a smoking cessation programme, has important policy and practice implications. Lessons could be applied to other health issues and in similar settings such as forensic mental health.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of China's stock market reforms on its international stock market linkages

This paper investigates how China's stock market reforms have affected the stock market linkages between China and Korea, Japan and the US respectively. We firstly use a 4 × 4 asymmetric GARCH-BEKK model and a series of likelihood ratio tests to uncover China's regional and global linkages between 1992 and 2010 and during three sub-periods representing the stages of the Chinese reforms. The results show that Chinese stock market is linked to these overseas markets and the reforms permit spillovers to these markets from China. The subsequent regression analyses of the time-varying conditional correlations, in the presence of growing economic integration, exchange rate risk and financial turbulence, further indicate that the interdependences between China and the regional markets increase due to the implementation of liberalisation policies. However, the correlation between China and the global market remains weak even though this correlation responds positively to the institutional reforms on China's stock market additionally.     

设计阶段如何进行投资控制

项目投资控制贯穿于项目建设全过程,能否有效的控制投资,是每个项目管理者追求的重要目标之一。全过程投资控制中,设计阶段是最有效控制投资的阶段,能起到事半功倍的效果。但实际实施过程中,并没有很好的落实该阶段的作用。通过对方案设计、初步设计阶段如何进行投资控制,进行了分析,试图唤起设计以及项目管理人员真正的重视。     

Evaluating collaborative R&D programmes in information technology: the case of the U.K. Alvey programme

Increasing attention is being paid to the evaluation of the economic and technological impact of large, government-sponsored, collaborative research and development (R&D) programmes in information technology. However, the practice of evaluation is still in its infancy and, as yet, there exist few guidelines as to how to evaluate major information technology (IT) programmes with multiple objectives. This paper describes the evaluation of the U.K. Alvey programme, focusing on how the technological and economic impact of the programme on the U.K. economy is being evaluated. The various methods adopted to evaluate the programme arc described and related to the multiplicity of goals contained within the Alvey programme. Also, a concrete example is provided of ‘real-time’ evaluation. It is argued that ongoing, or real-time, evaluation has a range of advantages over the conventional ex-post (after-the-event) evaluation, including the ability to feed back evaluation results to those responsible for directing the programme. Although IT programme evaluations will inevitably differ according to the aims, strategies, and rationale of each specific programme, by demonstrating the range of methods and techniques used to evaluate Alvey, the paper hopes to contribute to the general field of IT programme evaluation.     

多基地药品运输方案优化研究

鉴于物流运输成本在医药企业运营中居高不下的现状,提出了药品运输优化思路。采用复合单位运价,构建了运输优化模型;结合位势原理求得模型最优解,并给出了最优运输方案布局图。算例结果表明了该运输优化方案的有效性,为企业物流运输的规划和设计提供重要参考价值。     

Criterion-robust optimal product designs for discrimination between nested response surface models

Consider the problem of discriminating between two rival response surface models and estimating parameters in the identified model. To construct designs serving for both model discrimination and parameter estimation, the M _γ-optimality criterion, which puts weight γ (0≤γ≤1) for model discrimination and 1 − γ for parameter estimation, is adopted. The corresponding M _γ-optimal product design is explicitly derived in terms of canonical moments. With the application of the maximin principle on the M _γ-efficiency of any M _γ'-optimal product design, a criterion-robust optimal product design is proposed.     

In at the deep end: Conducting processual research on organisational change

This article provides a series of reflections on the practice of carrying out processual research on organisational change. At a broad level, some of the main tasks associated with conducting company case studies are described and the benefits of this approach for dealing with complex change data are outlined. At a more specific level, the article addresses three main areas tied to the actual “doing” of processual research. First, the notion of tacit knowledge and “getting your hands dirty” by engaging in ongoing in-depth fieldwork. Second, the design and implementation of a longitudinal case study research programme. Third, the advantages and concerns of combining a range of different data collecting techniques in carrying out processual studies. Overall, the main intention is to provide some useful reflections and practical insights, as well as providing something of the flavour of carrying out this type of research.     

Closing the Gap Between Research and Practice in Health: Lessons from a clinical effectiveness initiative

Pressure to utilize research evidence in decisions about patient care and population health, so-called evidence-based medicine, has swept the health care systems of most industrial countries. In the UK, the attention of policy makers has recently turned from the production of more 'effectiveness information' to the more fundamental challenge of understanding the factors involved in influencing the attitudes and practices of health care professionals. This article seeks to contribute to this process by reporting the findings of an evaluation of a clinical effectiveness initiative established in Wales between 1996-9 (Locock et al . 1999). The study shows that a number of different factors are involved in improving the implementation of effectiveness information, including the strength of the evidence, and the role of peer influence. However it is the interaction of various elements rather than any single factor, which appears to be crucial. These findings are important not only for health but for informing future interventions across other parts of the public sector.     

Evaluating the Validity of Self-Reported Deviant Behavior Using Vignette Analyses

In this paper, the validity of vignette analyses of various forms of deviant behavior in the presence of opportunities is analyzed on the basis of ideas derived from cognitive psychology. Abelson’s Script Theory together with insights into human memory of visual and verbal information, allow the assumption that vignette analyses using visual stimuli are valid measures of deviant behavior in particular. The study includes an empirical examination of these ideas (n = 450). Nonparticipant observations and vignette analyses with visual and verbal material were carried out with regard to three forms of deviant behavior occurring in the presence of opportunities presenting themselves in everyday life. Observed and self-reported frequencies of deviant behavior or deviant intentions were counted and cross-tabulated. Log-linear analyses with dummy coding using observation data as reference category were run. Data analyses yielded the result that frequencies of deviant behavior were related to the techniques of data collection under consideration. Especially vignette analyses of the return of ‘lost letters’ that use both visual and verbal stimuli overestimate ‘actual’ (i.e. observed) return rates. This result is discussed with regard to the underlying methodological assumptions as well as its implications.     

Launching a new middle donor programme and making it work

• In 2009, WaterAid identified an opportunity. The opportunity was to create a middle donor programme with the objective of raising a significantly higher net contribution from existing supporters who fell between the mass Direct Marketing programme and the bespoke Major Donor programme. This paper provides a step by step guide to anyone considering launching or redefining their organisation's approach to middle donors. It describes the creation of the business case, development and implementation of an operational plan and, most importantly, provides top tips based on the lessons WaterAid learned as we put theory into practice.

Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

南宁市亭子冲河道整治工程蓄水坝规划方案设计

以广西南宁市亭子冲河道整治工程为例，论述了在规划方案设计过程中，通过对比分析各种蓄水坝形式的优缺点，合理选择蓄水坝形式，提出采用开敞式溢流堰方案的可行性及推广价值。     

How do the employment effects of job creation schemes differ with respect to the foregoing unemployment duration?

Based on new administrative data for Germany covering entrances into job creation schemes between July 2000 and May 2001, we evaluate the effects of this active labour market policy programme considering the timing of treatment in the individual unemployment spell. Applying propensity score matching in a dynamic setting where the time until treatment in the unemployment spell is stratified into quarters, regional (East and West Germany) as well as gender differences are considered in the estimation. The results in terms of employment present a heterogeneous, but disappointing picture. For West Germany, most of the estimates are insignificant at the end of the observation period, and only one positive exception could be established. In East Germany, none of the groups experiences an improvement of the labour market situation, but the employment chances tend to be reduced due to participation even 30 months after start of programmes.     

Beyond Interaction: Theories

An interaction between two factors in their effects on a dependent variable is here modelled as (first) summation of quantities derived from the two factors individually, and (second) a nonlinear relation between that sum and the dependent variable. There are only a few possible nonlinear functions that need to be considered. The dataset used as an example is a 3 × 3 table showing crossover interaction. The proposed explanation uses a quadratic curve (which has a descending limb and an ascending limb) to achieve reversal of the effect of one factor for some categories of the other factor.     

A view on Bhattacharyya bounds for inverse Gaussian distributions

Shanbhag (J Appl Probab 9:580–587, 1972; Theory Probab Appl 24:430–433, 1979) showed that the diagonality of the Bhattacharyya matrix characterizes the set of Normal, Poisson, Binomial, negative Binomial, Gamma or Meixner hypergeometric distributions. In this note, using Shanbhag (J Appl Probab 9:580–587, 1972; Theory Probab Appl 24:430–433, 1979) and Pommeret (J Multivar Anal 63:105–118, 1997) techniques, we evaluated the general form of the 5 × 5 Bhattacharyya matrix in the natural exponential family satisfying f(x|q)=\fracexp{xg(q)}b(g(q))y(x){f(x|\theta)=\frac{\exp\{xg(\theta)\}}{\beta(g(\theta))}\psi(x)} with cubic variance function (NEF-CVF) of θ. We see that the matrix is not diagonal like distribution with quadratic variance function and has off-diagonal elements. In addition, we calculate the 5 × 5 Bhattacharyya matrix for inverse Gaussian distribution and evaluated different Bhattacharyya bounds for the variance of estimator of the failure rate, coefficient of variation, mode and moment generating function due to inverse Gaussian distribution.     

关于高职教育人才培养方案的思考

高职教育人才培养方案是确定高职教育人才培养目标和保证教育质量的指导性文件。本文探讨了高职教育人才培养方案的制订过程,并对制订高职教育人才培养方案中遇到的问题提出建议。     

Sustainable development: The effects of environmental policy disclosure in advertising

Sustainable development is a key issue for society. Beside corporate's efforts, consumers should have responsibilities for environmental protection and consider sustainable coexistences between future generations and natural ecosystems. In this study, a 4 × 2 factorial between‐subject experiment is adopted to develop eight environmental policy disclosure scenarios based on different environmental advertising claims (product orientation, process orientation, image orientation, and environmental fact) and eco‐labels (available/unavailable) to explore the effect of consumer attitudes and behaviors. This study's results show that environmental advertising claims have significant effects on consumers' attitudes. The product, process, and image orientation advertising, along with advertising with eco‐labels, can induce more positive attitudes and stronger purchase intentions. Individuals with greater environmental concerns have a significant positive attitude toward environmental advertising. Consumer attitudes toward environmental advertising also have positive effects on purchase intentions and sustainable consumption behaviors. Finally, this study offers useful findings, practical implications, and insights.     

A method for improving ERP implementation success by the principles and process of user-centred design

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are implemented to increase the productivity and operational efficiency of companies. However, the implementation activities and changes within operational processes pose a temporary threat to productivity. Reported difficulties in implementation projects frequently relate to organisational and human-centred issues; like the ability and motivation of the organisation to accept the new ERP system. User-centred design (UCD) is a multidisciplinary process that aims at improving human working conditions by early user involvement in the system design, e.g. user observation or usability testing. UCD was originally developed for the design of interactive computer systems. The underlying question for this research is how the principles and process of UCD can be applied to ensure the usability of an ERP system. This article presents: first, a literature review of ERP implementations; second, a literature review of UCD applications; third, a method to combine the UCD and ERP system implementation processes; and finally a discussion of the UCD approach for ERP implementation.