Survey of the computer-integrated manufacturing literature: a framework of strategy, implementation and innovation

A model of computer-integrated manufacturing as the integration of strategy, implementation and innovation is presented. Strategy emphasizes a clear understanding of the objectives and goals of the organization. Strategy can be understood in terms of the interaction between product and process strategies, critial success factors and product life-cycle. Implementation stresses an iterative incremental process based on strategy, user involvement and tolerance. Innovation is the result of a successfully implemented strategy. It is both organizational learning and change.     

The Schweinkopf hypothesis: Empirical evidence and refutation from Mansakonko

One of the central theorems in statistics is challenged by reported observations from the community of Mansakonko. This ambiguity threatens the precision of economic projections and thus development programme management. A review of the Mansakonko case suggests that the data supporting these observations are as accurate as can be expected under field conditions. Practical consequences of the apparent theoretical inconsistency led to an international games‐playing situation in which a transitory win‐win solution was achieved. Further research (s suggested to definitively resolve the theoretical impasse.     

Customer mind-set of employees throughout the organization

Previous research has provided strong evidence for the benefits of embracing a market orientation, an organizational focus highlighting the needs of customers, and the creation of customer value. This study extends this focus on the customer to the individual worker level. A construct, customer mind-set (CMS), is developed that reflects the extent to which an individual employee believes that understanding and satisfying customers, whether internal or external to the organization, is central to the proper execution of his or her job. In this exploratory study, the authors develop a parsimonious scale for measuring CMS. Relationships between CMS and significant organizational variables are examined to establish CMS's validity and provide some tentative insights into its value to researchers and practitioners. The authors believe the CMS construct will allow for operational-level analysis of the extent to which a customer orientation is embraced throughout an organization, permitting managers to implement targeted improvement strategies. Karen Norman Kennedy is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of South Florida. Her research interests include customer orientation and cultural change in organizations, as well as the evolving role of customers and employees in today's marketplace. Her work has been published in theJournal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, theJournal of Services Marketing, Industrial Marketing Management, and theJournal of Marketing Education. Felicia G. Lassk is an assistant professor in the Marketing Group of Northeastern University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of South Florida. Her research interests include customer orientation, salesperson job involvement, and measurement issues. Her articles have appeared in the theJournal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Industrial Marketing Management, and theJournal of Marketing Education, among others. Jerry R. Goolsby is the Hilton/Baldridge Eminent Chair of Music Industry Studies at Loyola University New Orleans. He received his Ph.D. from Texas Tech University. His research interests include issues related to market orientation and its implementation, customer and employee relationships, and sales interactions. His work has been published in theJournal of Marketing, theJournal of Marketing Research, theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and other marketing journals.     

USING A LAPLACE APPROXIMATION TO ESTIMATE THE RANDOM COEFFICIENTS LOGIT MODEL BY NONLINEAR LEAST SQUARES*

Current methods of estimating the random coefficients logit model employ simulations of the distribution of the taste parameters through pseudo‐random sequences. These methods suffer from difficulties in estimating correlations between parameters and computational limitations such as the curse of dimensionality. This article provides a solution to these problems by approximating the integral expression of the expected choice probability using a multivariate extension of the Laplace approximation. Simulation results reveal that our method performs very well, in terms of both accuracy and computational time.     

HRM as a pluralistic forum: assumptions and prospects for developing a distinctive research capability

In this paper, the dilemmas facing HRM on how to establish itself as a distinct area and yet avoid a particular disciplinary allegiance and level of analysis are assessed. HRM is seen, like business strategy, as a meeting ground between established disciplines.

HRM research to date is then assessed in this light and problems of the potential limitation ofcontributions of other relevant disciplines are assessed. The established findings in organizational development (OD) have, it is argued, been particularly neglected in HRM analyses of organization change. The importance of developing pluralistic HRM research is re-affirmed.

HRM as a pluralistic forum     

Populism and the Populists: The Incoherent Coherence of Coxey's March

Coxey's March was a multidimensional spectacle reflecting the disparate social and intellectual strands that comprised an energetic late 19^th‐century producer's movement. This well‐staged, though seemingly spontaneous, march was emblematic of a brand of grassroots populism that united producers from farm fields to factory floors. Their cause was propelled by an eclectic array of reformers whose distinct ideas to change the economic landscape were united only in their common vision of a more cooperative, rather than corporate, vision of the future. Coxey shared in that vision with his bold public works plan. In choosing a direct form of democratic expression, and then adorning it with religious and utopian symbols, his march to Washington reflected the essence of a progressive populism churning throughout the Gilded Age.     

The Information Content of Australian Managed Fund Ratings

Abstract:  We examine the information content of managed fund ratings for Australian retail investors. Because fund ratings, premised on a quantitative-qualitative model, are highly transitory, we question whether investors formulate their investment decisions with respect to changes in ratings and whether ratings, in turn, react to fund flows. We find that information regarding fund flows can be obtained from ratings, and that rating changes can have far-reaching effects. Investors flock to newly upgraded funds while they penalize those that have been downgraded by withdrawing funds. Investors are constantly anticipating ratings revisions, particularly downgrades, and we attribute this phenomenon to the role of qualitative factors in the ratings.