Returning to flight: simulation‐based training for the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Space Shuttle Mission Management Team*

Following the tragic loss of Columbia in early 2003, executives at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration implemented a simulation‐based training program to facilitate the development of the Space Shuttle Mission Management Team (MMT). This article discusses the findings from an evaluation of two multi‐day simulation training events. The results of both evaluations suggested that MMT members: (1) possessed shared beliefs in their joint capabilities to execute their corecompetencies; (2) were motivated and ready for their Return to Flight mission; (3) achieved targeted levels of team performance during the simulations; and (4) were both satisfied with the training program and found it useful for facilitating performance improvements. This note concludes with a discussion of lessons learned.     

State and Local Electric Utility Taxes:

ABSTRACT Competitive forces emerging nationally across the electric utility sector as a result of actual and anticipated deregulatory activity have forced the industry, various governmental units, and the general public to consider a number of important issues. One major concern is the extent to which state and local taxes imposed on the major investor-owned firms, traditionally embedded in regulated rates, will affect their competitive position relative to challenges from nonregulated competitors offering intrastate or interstate electricity sales. The most likely trend is tax revenue reduction accompanied by some efforts at revenue neutrality, as investor-owned firms lose their monopoly status in a more market-oriented environment and compete with smaller finns with relatively lower cost structures. The trend will also include customer-based taxation shifting the burden from the providers of electricity to the customers, with the providers remaining as tax collectors.     

Recovered errors and normal diagnostics in regression

Diagnostics for normal errors in regression typically utilize ordinary residuals, despite the failure of assumptions to validate their use. Case studies here show that such misuse may be critical. A remedy invokes recovered errors having the required properties, taking into account that such errors are closer to normality than are disturbances in the observations themselves. Simulation studies show consistent improvement over the usual methods in small samples. In addition, effects on normal diagnostics due to various model violations are examined. Received: January 1999     

The geometry of Black''s single peakedness and related conditions

By using geometry to analyze all three candidate profiles satisfying Black's single peakedness constraint, we characterize all associated election behavior. The same analysis is applied to related profile constraints where some candidate never is top-ranked, or never bottom ranked.     

Comparative Television Advertising: Examining its Nature and Frequency

Despite the frequent discussion and usage of comparative advertising, very few studies have empirically examined the phenomenon. This article reports the findings of a content analysis of 896 nationally televised advertisements. Results on the types of products compared, the competitive advantages stressed, the extent to which competition is noted, and the frequency of comparative advertising are reported. The study showed that strictly defined comparative advertisements are a relatively small percentage of total national television advertisements. Results also suggest that certain product types are more likely to utilize comparisons. Furthermore, quality is clearly the most common attribute stressed in comparative advertisements.