A simple proof of the latent root sensitivity formula

This note provides a simple proof of the formula for the partial derivatives of the latent roots of a matrix with respect to its coefficients.     

Recursions for the two-stage least-squares estimators

This paper presents recursion formulae for the two-stage least-squares estimators of the structural coefficients in a simultaneous equation model and for the residual sum of squares used in estimating the asymptotic covariance matrix. Included are formulae for updating estimates when a new set of observations is obtained and for revising estimates when a set of observations is discarded. The recursion formulae should prove to be of both practical and theoretical interest to econometricians.     

Strategic planning and business performance in the quoted UK hotel sector: results of an exploratory study

The purpose of this study was to conduct an exploratory investigation of the relationship between strategic planning and business performance. A multidimensional model of 11 variables was formulated after a review of the strategic planning-performance literature. Data were obtained from 63 hotel units representing eight quoted hotel companies, and various planning-performance relationships were examined. The results indicated that the key planning characteristics of throughness, sophistication, participation, and formality were positive, and in most cases significantly related, to seven indicators of business performance.     

The impact of research in countryside recreation policy development

This article illustrates the use made of recreation research in the Countryside Commission. It explains some of the different methods employed, describes the main results and shows the impact they have on policy development.

Research has been of key importance to the Commission during its recent review of recreation policies and the main directions of the emerging policies are highlighted.     

An assessment of human development,by region and country

The United Nations Development Program has introduced a composite index—the Human Development Index (HDI)—as a measure to replace GDP for assessing development of countries, using life expectancy, adult literacy, and adjusted per capita GDP as indicators. In this paper the authors suggest an alternative method for computing the index utilizing the same criteria.     

How Visual Brand Identity Shapes Consumer Response

Most brands are represented visually in print advertisements, and these visual representations must consistently identify the brand to the consumers who encounter it. At the same time, some of the particular visual elements used to represent the brand must change over time, because it is not acceptable to run the same ad year after year without refreshing its visual content. To explore these issues, a qualitative exploration was conducted with ad agency art directors and ordinary consumers. The focus was the criteria used by each group to determine when changes in the visual representation of the brand succeed, by staying consistent with the brand's identity, or fail, by violating expectations. Professionals, with their greater aesthetic sensitivity, had a more narrow latitude of acceptance for changes. A follow‐up experiment with consumers showed that aesthetically aware consumers were likewise more sensitive to alterations in visual brand identity than consumers for whom aesthetics were not central. Results are interpreted in terms of assimilation effects and degree of incongruity along with the moderating effect of aesthetic skill.