The Evolution of Human Sigma

Different quality management concepts, including Six Sigma, have been applied by many different types of organizations. Although much important work has been documented regarding Six Sigma, a number of questions remain concerning the applicability of these concepts in various organizations and contexts. Currently, limited research has been conducted on the Human Sigma approach. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to analyse the principles and philosophies of Human Sigma and its relationship to Six Sigma through a systematic review of the literature. It is suggested that this in turn will lead to a better understanding of the Human Sigma approach and ultimately bridge the gap in the literature. Therefore, the paper argues that much can be learned from the principles and practices of Six Sigma, however the discussion further provides an assessment of the Human Sigma principles and their potential suitability to tourism businesses. In particular, specific similarities and differences concerning areas such as methodologies, tools, and results are presented in this article.     

Index

This paper provides empirical estimates of the stock market reaction to tender offers, both successful and unsuccessful. The impact of the tender offer on the returns to stockholders of both bidding and target firms is examined. The evidence indicates that for the twelve months prior to the tender offer stockholders of bidding firms earn significant positive abnormal returns. In the month of the offer, only successful bidders earn significant positive abnormal returns. Stockholders of both successful and unsuccessful targe firms earn large positive abnormal returns from tender offers, and most of these returns occur in the month of the offer. For all classes of firms, there is no significant post-offer market reaction. The market reaction to ‘clean-up’ tender offers is also estimated and target stockholders again earn significant positive abnormal returns.     

英国市场的品牌术——一个专业公关人士的视角

我不打算借本文分析品牌及其价值，因为业界已经有许多权威人士就此论题发表了成千上万的文章。我希望能从另一角度透视品牌化——从我自身出发。这，源于我把职业生涯的每一天都投入了品牌的建立和推广。     

Understanding online firestorms: Negative word-of-mouth dynamics in social media networks

Social media are, on the one hand, a highly beneficial environment for word-of-mouth (WOM) propagation of new ideas and products, and this has increasingly made them a focus of marketing communications. On the other hand, companies and their brands as well as politicians, governmental institutions, and celebrities have increasingly been facing the impact of negative online WOM and complaint behavior. In reaction to any questionable statement or activity, social media users can create huge waves of outrage within just a few hours. These so-called online firestorms pose new challenges for marketing communications. In this article, we group observations from recent online firestorms, identify related social and economic science theories, and derive generalized factors that form the basis for the proliferation of these dynamics. Furthermore, we discuss the consequences of online firestorms for marketing communications, and offer courses of action for marketers to navigate through crises of negative online WOM.     

Changing views of organization

This paper identifies and compares four views of organizations: traditional, bureaucratic, human organization, and the organizational system. These are described as having differing strengths and weaknesses in terms of their scientific bases, technological sophistication, ideological acceptance, and degree of institutionalization. Their futures as social technologies are projected in terms of specialization and complementarity. No view is seen as excelling in all features and, thereby, dominating the future. New views are viewed as exhibiting continuity as well as conflict with those of the past.     

Settlement trends and the crisis of automobility

A futures study, Britain in 2010, provides an opportunity for considering the challenge of excessive automobility, particularly the roots of the problem in a trend to dispersed land uses brought about by rising prosperity. In the UK, the USA and elsewhere these settlement trends severely curtail options for dealing with the problems of congestion, pollution and loss of rural land. As such trends are also likely to emerge in Asia, Eastern Europe and other developing countries, there are implications for the world environment.     

Bill-and-keep and the economics of interconnection in next-generation networks

As telecommunications networks are being transformed into all-IP, next-generation networks (NGNs), interconnection is attracting renewed regulatory debate. Next-generation features suggest that interconnection regimes developed for the internet or for traditional telephony networks are unlikely to be suitable in most NGN contexts. Efficient NGN interconnection will take advantage of NGNs’ technical possibilities (e.g., session control), facilitate their operational requirements (e.g., quality-of-service differentiation) and accommodate their service versatility. We discuss the application of alternative interconnection charging models (with a particular focus on bill-and-keep) by applying the main lessons from the interconnection literature in a framework designed for the practical needs of regulators. We show that in NGNs – as well as in other networks – there is no single interconnection charging model that maximizes economic efficiency in all circumstances. Finally, we discuss the implications for regulatory policy towards NGN interconnection.