Focusing the fuzzy front–end in new product development

Effectively managing the 'upfront or fuzzy front–end' (FFE) of the product development process is one of the most important, difficult challenges facing innovation managers. In this paper, we define the FFE as the period between when an opportunity is first considered and when an idea is judged ready for development. We classify the outcomes of the FFE into product definition, time, and people dimensions. We suggest several strategies to manage the FFE by assigning a FFE manager or team; by providing organizational support for FFE activities; by understanding the sources of FFE ambiguity; by building an information system; and by developing relationships with supporters, partners, and alliances.     

Initial Margin Requirements, Volatility, and the Individual Investor: Insights from Japan

Initial margin requirements represent: (1) a cost impediment to the wealth constrained investor and (2) a potential way of mitigating excessive volatility. However, prior empirical research finds that margins are not an effective tool in reducing volatility. We consider the possibility that margins primarily affect certain stocks and investors. Specifically, we test whether margins affect individuals who, as a group, we believe to be the investors most affected when margin requirements change. Our initial empirical tests, however, do not support this contention.     

Public Sector Capital and the Production Efficiency of U.S. Regional Manufacturing Industries

This paper applies a stochastic frontier production model with time-varying technical efficiency to investigate the relationship between public capital and technical efficiency. It is based on the proposition that public capital has an effect on actual output by enhancing technical efficiency, thereby reducing the gap between maximum potential output and actual output. Empirical results using panel data from U.S. state manufacturing industries during 1969–86 show that technical efficiencies varied substantially, both between states and between years; variations in technical efficiency are significantly explained by variations in public-sector capital.
JEL Classification Numbers: O20, H54, C23.     

Choice Research: A Wealth of Perspectives

This article is a navigation guide to the twenty papers that emerged from the workshops conducted at the Sixth Invitational Choice Symposium (Estes Park, Colorado, June 2004). The papers are categorized into three broad sets that focus respectively on choice modeling issues, on providing interdisciplinary perspectives on choice, and on relating choice research to real world concerns. Within each category, we offer provide brief integrative overviews linking subsets of papers.     

浅谈英语听力理解中的心理障碍及其克服方法

听在人类语言交际活动中占有很重要的地位。听、说、读、写——外语学习的基本步骤中，听排第一位。随着高考、大学英语四、六级考试对听力理解，听力测试的要求，学生对其产生的心理障碍也随及增长，引发出被动心理现象，疲倦感觉现象和紧张，恐惧现象。培养和提高听力水平和听力能力，必须从理论上认识听力理解的过程，从心理上克服种种障碍。     

韩国政府为实现环保型企业经营的政策及方案

文章论述了环境问题对人类的重要性及创造环保型的企业环境需要解决的问题,在此基础上,提 出了为实现环保型企业经营韩国政府所应该采用的政策及具体的实施方案。     

Artificial neural networks with feature transformation based on domain knowledge for the prediction of stock index futures

A feature transformation method based on domain knowledge for arti?cial neural networks (ANNs) is proposed. The method of feature transformation based on domain knowledge converts continuous values into discrete values in accordance with the knowledge of experts in speci?c application domains. This approach effectively ?lters data, trains the classi?er, and extracts the rules from the classi?er. In addition, it reduces the dimensionality of the feature space, which not only decreases the cost and time in the operation but also enhances the generalizability of the classi?er. The experimental results of the proposed approach will be compared and tested statistically with the results of the linear transformation method. The results show that the method of feature transformation based on domain knowledge outperforms the linear transformation in modelling of ANNs. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

审计责任与会计责任界定初探

审计责任与会计责任是两个容易混淆的概念。由于目前两种责任界定还不清楚，常常使人们误认为二者可以混同，导致针对注册会计师的审计诉讼案件越来越多。本文从二者的基本概念入手。分析了造成二者混同的原因，并提出了科学界定审计责任和会计责任的几点建议。     

绿色壁垒对我国纺织服装业的影响研究

为了避免绿色壁垒对我国纺织服装业造成更大的经济损失,保持行业的持续健康发展,本文分析了绿色壁垒对我国纺织服装业带来的积极影响和消极影响,进而提出应对绿色壁垒消极影响的措施。     

信息不对称条件下的中国零售业营销研究

一、信息不对称条件下中国零售业的营销困难 信息不对称给中国零售业营销带来了困难。那么，这些困难是什么？其具体表现形式又是怎样的呢？让我们逐一考察。