An investigation into some aspects of the efficiency of low-temperature laundering

The purpose of this research was to investigate the efficiency of laundering at low and recommended water temperatures using a heavy-duty biological detergent and a low-temperature detergent. The effectiveness of the process was measured in terms of the degree of stain/soil removal from laundered garments, and in the removal and transfer of bacteria from infected test pieces. The results indicate that with both detergents a reduction in washing efficiency occurs as the temperature of laundering is decreased, except when the difference between the recommended and low water temperature is small. Evidence was also obtained that shows that reducing wash temperatures decreases the degree of disinfection and increases the cross-infection of articles washed in the same load.     

Who Is in Control? The Role of Self‐Perception,Knowledge, and Income in Explaining Consumer Financial Behavior

The current research examines the relationship between consumer financial knowledge, income, and locus of control on financial behavior. Ethnicity is included as a potential moderator of the effects of these three variables on financial behavior. Findings suggest that consumers’ propensity to save, budget, and control spending depends partly on their level of perceived control over outcomes as well as knowledge and financial resources. Evidence of race and ethnicity as moderators is mixed.     

Economic Motivations for Limited Dependent and Qualitative Variable Models*

The greater availability of survey data, a succession of papers dealing with the statistical issues arising from the analysis of such data and the appearance of software packages, such as UMDEP, have led to a remarkable increase in the application of limited dependent and qualitative variable models in economics. Economic analysis of the behaviour of individual decision makers often leads to models which are of a limited dependent or qualitative variable nature. This paper attempts to show how the use of these models naturally arises from the more general framework of modifications to traditional economic optimization problems.     

The Wage Structure of Latino‐Origin Groups across Generations

We analyzed in detail the wages of Latinos of Mexican origin, Central/South Americans, and Puerto Ricans. The wage structure facing second and third‐ and higher‐generation Latinos is very similar to the wage structure of third‐ and higher‐generation White workers. Unlike African American workers, more than half of the native Latino/White wage gap can be accounted for by the lower educational attainment and potential experience of native Latino workers.     

Organizational differences in recruiting older department store workers in the US

Department store retailers need a reliable and stable labour resource, particularly for entry-level positions. Older workers may be an alternative labour pool for these positions. The goal of this study is to learn whether department store attributes and recruitment representative characteristics affect the use of formal and informal recruiting strategies in developing an older applicant pool. The findings indicate that small sales volume stores used both formal and informal recruiting practices significantly less than medium or large stores. Further, younger respondents and human resource support staff relied upon informal methods more than formal ones. Finally, highly educated recruiting representatives used formal recruiting methods more than those with less education.