bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eine Längsschnittstudie zur Motivation und Kommunikation beim netzbasierten Lernen in einem virtuellen Seminar
Authors: Konradt Udo , Marsula Andre , Rakuljic Marijana
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung. In einem virtuellen Seminar wurde die Qualität und die Bedeutung der computermediierten Kommunikation (CMC) sowie die Motivation der Seminarteilnehmer 1 Hier wie im Folgenden ist die weibliche Form immer mit eingeschlossen. im Längsschnitt erhoben. Hinsichtlich der Motivation wurden Aufgabendimensionen als Prädiktoren und intrinsische Motivation als Kriterium erfasst. Es zeigte sich, dass der Face-to-Face-Kommunikation (FFC) im Vergleich zur CMC sowohl eine größere Bedeutung als auch eine höhere Qualität zugesprochen wurde. Dieser Zusammenhang galt jedoch lediglich für die horizontale Kommunikation unter Studierenden. Für die vertikale Kommunikation mit dem Dozenten wurde kein Unterschied in der Qualitätsbeurteilung zwischen den beiden Kommunikationsformen gefunden. Insgesamt bewerteten die Teilnehmer die Qualität der CMC jedoch positiv. Personen mit größerer E-Mail-Erfahrung schätzten die wahrgenommene Qualität der CMC vergleichsweise geringer ein. Hinsichtlich der Aufgabenmerkmale war die Autonomie am höchsten und die Rückmeldung am geringsten ausgeprägt. Studierende, die die Lernsituation als anregender empfanden, erlebten auch die Aufgabe als bedeutsamer und transparenter und waren intrinsisch motiviert. Die Computer- und Medienkompetenz übte keinen Einfluss auf die Einschätzung des resultierenden Motivationspotenzials aus. Den Präsenzsitzungen wurde jedoch ein höheres Motivationspotenzial zugeschrieben als den virtuellen Sitzungen.
“1Brot, Wurst, 5 Sack Äpfel I.L.D“ -
Authors: Döring Nicola
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung. Die Kommunikation per SMS (Short Message Service) erlaubt auf der Basis der Mobilfunktechnologie GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) unter anderem den interpersonalen Austausch elektronischer Kurzmitteilungen von maximal 160 alphanumerischen Zeichen über das Handy. Welche kommunikativen Funktionen erfüllt die SMS? Der Beitrag fasst Befunde aus Nutzer-Befragungen zu Anlässen und Gratifikationen der SMS-Kommunikation zusammen und berichtet die Ergebnisse einer auf der kommunikationsorientierten Textsortenlehre basierenden Inhaltanalyse von N = 1.000 authentischen SMS-Texten. Es zeigte sich, dass Kurzmitteilungen vor allem zur Pflege bestehender privater Beziehungen (Verabredungen, Medienwechsel, Grüße, Sprüche) sowie zur informativen Koorientierung (Lageberichte) und Koordination (praktische Unterstützung) individualisierter Alltagsabläufe eingesetzt werden. Implikationen dieses inhaltsanalytischen Zugangs für die SMS-bezogene Gratifikationsforschung werden diskutiert.
Einführung in zeitreihenanalytische Verfahren für die Medienforschung
Authors: Bretz Hans-Joachim , Schmitz Bernhard
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung. In diesem Beitrag wird eine kurze Einführung in zeitreihenanalytische Verfahren vorgestellt, die für die Medienforschung besonders geeignet sind. Dabei wird zunächst anhand einer Reihe von Fragestellungen eine Übersicht über wichtige Methoden der Zeitreihenanalyse gegeben. Schließlich werden für einige der genannten Verfahren Anwendungsbeispiele anhand empirischer Daten zur Fernsehrezeption vorgestellt.
Aspekte des Leseerlebens: Skalenentwicklung
Authors: Appel Markus , Koch Erik , Schreier Margrit , Groeben Norbert
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung. In dem vorliegenden Beitrag wird über die Entwicklung eines umfassenden Fragebogens zum Leseerleben berichtet. Eine Untersuchung zur Itemselektion anhand einer studentischen Stichprobe ergibt 77 Items, die sich auf die folgenden 14 Dimensionen verteilen: Aufmerksamkeitsfokussierung, Aufgehen im Text, Vorstellbarkeit/Anschaulichkeit, Räumliches Dabeisein, Rezeptionsbeendigung, Spannung, Emotionale Beteiligung, Allgemeines Lesevergnügen, Identifikation, Parasoziale Interaktion, Kognitives Involvement, Thematisches Interesse, Analysierende Rezeption, Leichtigkeit des kognitiven Zugangs. Die zugehörigen internen Konsistenzen liegen in einem zufrieden stellenden bis sehr guten Bereich.
Mehrebenenanalysen mit hierarchisch-linearen Modellen
Authors: Richter Tobias , Naumann Johannes
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung. Dieser Beitrag gibt eine kurze Einführung in hierarchisch-lineare Modelle mit Zufallskoeffizienten, eine Klasse von Verfahren zur Auswertung von Daten mit hierarchisch geschachtelten Analyseebenen (z.B. Individuen in sozialen Gruppen, Messzeitpunkte in Personen). Ausgehend von den Unterschieden zu herkömmlichen linearen Modellen mit festen Effekten erläutern wir das Grundprinzip hierarchisch-linearer Modelle an einem Beispiel. Dann skizzieren wir das Vorgehen bei Parameterschätzung und Hypothesentestung, die Bedeutung unterschiedlicher Zentrierungsoptionen sowie Anwendungsvoraussetzungen hierarchisch-linearer Modelle.
PaiRS: Ein Skalierungsverfahren für die Eignungsdiagnostik
Authors: Staufenbiel Thomas , Kleinmann Martin
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung. Es wird ein auf Saaty (1980 ) basierendes, eindimensionales Skalierungsverfahren vorgestellt, bei dem aus Paarvergleichsurteilen eine Verhältnisskala konstruiert wird. Potentielle Anwendungsbereiche der Methode in der Eignungsdiagnostik werden ebenso wie die Vorteile im Vergleich zu anderen gebräuchlichen Verfahren diskutiert. Abschließend wird die Anwendung durch ein Beispiel aus der Praxis illustriert.
Wie kann man Geübtheit in Konzentrationstests erkennbar machen?
Authors: Hagemeister Carmen , Scholz Anja , Westhoff Karl
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung. Bei mehrmaliger Wiederholung eines Konzentrationstests kommt es zu einer Leistungsverbesserung, die aber keiner Fähigkeitsverbesserung entspricht. Diese Geübtheit erkennbar zu machen, ist das Ziel dieser Arbeit. Zum Erkennen der Übung wurden das Paradigma des “Aufgabenwechsels” und die dabei entstehenden Wechselkosten genutzt. Dreißig Personen trainierten einen Computer-Konzentrationstest nach dem Prinzip des Consistent Mapping (ein Reiz ist immer Zielreiz, ein anderer immer Distraktor) und weitere 30 Probanden nach dem Prinzip des Varied Mapping (ein Reiz ist abwechselnd Zielreiz bzw. Distraktor), jeweils dreimal, und zwar zu verschiedenen Terminen im Abstand von drei bis vier Tagen. Die Abschlussmessung wurde bei beiden Gruppen nach dem Varied-Mapping-Prinzip zum Ende der dritten Sitzung durchgeführt. Um die Geübtheit zu erkennen, wurden die Wechselkosten bei der ersten Messung der Varied-Mapping-Gruppe und der Abschlussmessung der Consistent-Mapping-Gruppe verglichen. Mit Hilfe einer Diskriminanzanalyse wurden 75% der Personen zu den Gruppen mit vorheriger Übung bzw. ohne vorherige Übung richtig zugeordnet. Am besten wurden die Gruppen getrennt durch die Reaktionszeiten vor und nach dem Wechsel von der nicht geübten Aufgabe zur geübten Aufgabe und durch den Fehleranteil direkt nach diesem Wechsel.
Ist an der Graphologie doch etwas dran?
Authors: Guthke Jürgen , Beckmann Jens F. , Schmidt Gabriele
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung. Im Beitrag wird zunächst das Problem der mangelnden Akzeptanz der Graphologie seitens der psychometrisch orientierten Psychodiagnostik thematisiert. Bisher vorliegende Validierungsstudien leiden z.T. unter erheblichen methodischen Mängeln und können daher keine eindeutigen Hinweise für oder wider die Gültigkeit graphologischer Methoden liefern. Berichtet wird von einer Studie mit N = 60 Studienanfängern. Es wurden die soziale und die kognitive Impulsivität, die soziale Gehemmtheit, die Leistungsmotivation, die Gewissenhaftigkeit, die Frustrationstoleranz und die innere Ruhe aufgrund einer standardisierten Schriftprobe von fünf Graphologen eingeschätzt. Diese Urteile wurden mit Befunden psychometrischer Instrumente (Fragebögen, objektive Persönlichkeitstests) verglichen. Zunächst zeigte sich auch hier das erwartete Bild fehlender Zusammenhänge. Berücksichtigt man jedoch die Tendenz, in Fragebögen sozial erwünscht zu antworten, als Moderatorvariable, so zeigen sich relativ hohe Zusammenhänge, z. B. für das Konstrukt Introversion / Extraversion.
Wissenschafts-Praxis-Forum
Authors: Sodenkamp Daniel , Schmidt Klaus-Helmut , Kleinbeck Uwe
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung. Es gibt zahlreiche Kennzahlensysteme zur Unternehmenssteuerung. Drei mehrdimensionale Ansätze, die jeweils sowohl finanzielle als auch nicht-finanzielle Kennzahlen umfassen, sind 1.) die Balanced Scorecard, 2.) die Erfolgsfaktoren-basierte Balanced Scorecard und 3.) das Partizipative Produktivitätsmanagement. Zur Vorbereitung einer vergleichenden Gegenüberstellung dieser Ansätze wird die Auswahl der zugrunde gelegten Untersuchungskriterien zunächst begründet. Anschließend werden die Ansätze nacheinander vorgestellt. Dabei werden auch Erfahrungen und empirische Ergebnisse mit den einzelnen Ansätzen berichtet. Abschließend werden die Ansätze anhand der eingangs begründeten Untersuchungskriterien verglichen.
Editorial
Authors: Schuler Heinz
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung. Der erste Jahrgang der Zeitschrift für Personalpsychologie wird im Hinblick auf die Zielsetzungen betrachtet, die zum Start der Zeitschrift formuliert wurden. Schwerpunkte bisheriger Publikationen sind Berufseignungsdiagnostik, Personalentwicklung und Evaluation. Besondere Resonanz fand die neue Rubrik “Diskussionsforum“.
Attention to Primes Modulates Affective Priming of Pronunciation Responses
Authors: De Houwer Jan , Randell Tom
Published: April 2003

Abstract. In studies on affective priming of pronunciation responses, two words are presented on each trial and participants are asked to read the second word out loud. Whereas some studies revealed shorter reaction times when the two words had the same valence than when they had a different valence, other studies either found no effect of affective congruence or revealed a reversed effect. In the present experiments, a significant effect of affective congruence only emerged when filler trials were presented in which the prime and target were identical and participants were instructed to attend to the primes (Experiment 2). No effects were found when participants were merely instructed to attend to or ignore the primes (Experiment 1), or when affectively incongruent filler trials were presented and participants were instructed to ignore the primes (Experiment 2).
What Does the Implicit Association Test Measure? A Test of the Convergent and Discriminant Validity of Prejudice-Related IATs
Authors: Gawronski Bertram
Published: April 2003

Abstract. Drawing on recent criticism of the Implicit Association Test (IAT), the present study tested the convergent and discriminant validity of two prejudice-related IATs to corresponding explicit prejudice measures in a German student sample (N = 61). Confirming convergent validity, (a) an IAT designed to assess negative associations related to Turkish people was significantly related to the explicit endorsement of prejudiced beliefs about Turkish people, and (b) an IAT designed to assess negative associations related to East Asians was significantly related to explicit prejudice against East Asians. Moreover, confirming discriminant validity, (c) the Asian IAT was unrelated to the explicit endorsement of prejudiced beliefs about Turkish people, and (d) the Turkish IAT was unrelated to explicit prejudice against Asian people. These results further corroborate the assumption that the IAT is a valid method to assess the strength of evaluative associations in the domain of prejudice and stereotypes.
On-line Processing of Social Stereotypes During Spoken Language Comprehension
Authors: Heredia Roberto R. , Blumentritt Tracie L.
Published: April 2003

Abstract. Four experiments investigated stereotype processing during the on-line comprehension of spoken sentences. Participants listened to a critical prime (terrorist) embedded in a sentence and then made lexical decisions to visually presented standard-related (bomb) or stereotype-related targets (Arab) or unrelated controls for both conditions. For Experiments 1A and 1B, the preceding context provided no contextual information about the critical prime. Targets were presented at prime offset (Experiment 1A) or 300 ms after prime offset (Experiment 1B). In Experiments 2A and 2B, the preceding context was biased towards the stereotype meaning of the critical prime. Visual targets were presented at prime offset (Experiment 2A) or 300 ms after prime offset (Experiment 2B). Experiment 1A revealed a priming effect, but only for the standard meaning (i.e., bomb) of the critical prime. This effect was further replicated in Experiments 1B, 2A and 2B; however, for these experiments, unlike Experiment 1A, the results revealed lexical inhibition for the stereotype meaning of the critical prime. That is, lexical decisions to the stereotype-related targets were actually slower than the stereotype-unrelated controls. The results are discussed in terms of current social cognitive models of stereotype processing.
Reducing Prejudice Through Priming of Control-Related Words
Authors: Araya Tadesse , Akrami Nazar , Ekehammar Bo , Hedlund Lars-Erik
Published: April 2003

Abstract. We investigated the effect of incidentally presented constructs that imply self-control on activated stereotypes associated with immigrants. To activate immigrant stereotypes, participants responded to a scale that measures people’s prejudice toward immigrants. They were then primed, using scrambled sentences, with words that were related to self-control (e.g., control, restrain, self-regulate) or with neutral words. After the priming task, participants evaluated an ambiguous behavior of a target person. On the basis of three experiments, the results showed that participants primed with the control-related words rated the target behavior more positively than those primed with neutral words. The results are discussed in relation to previous research on self-control, automatic influence of activated constructs, and prejudice reduction.
Coping with School-Related Stress and Family Stress in Healthy and Clinically Referred Adolescents
Authors: Seiffge-Krenke Inge , Weidemann Sandra , Fentner Sonja , Aegenheister Nicole , Poeblau Miriam
Published: April 2003

This study compares stress perception and coping style in 77 early and late adolescents differing in psychological health. Coping with two normative, age-specific stressors, namely, school-related stressors, and conflicts with parents was investigated via the Coping Process Interview, which assesses coping immediately after an event has happened. Results obtained from the interviews were validated by the results of standardized questionnaires assessing stress perception and coping style in dealing with school-related stress and family stress. Both stressors were not perceived as structurally similar events. Differences were obtained with respect to the appraisal of the stressor, causal attribution, the amount of thoughts, feelings, and actions in order to cope with these stressors, but not in achieved effects and reappraisal. In addition, differences between clinically referred and nonconspicuous adolescents emerged with respect to stress perception and coping style. Clinically referred adolescents, independent from diagnosis, experienced higher levels of school-related stress and family stress and also exhibited a more dysfunctional coping style when dealing with both types of stressors.
How ”Implicit\ Are Implicit Color Effects in Memory?
Authors: Zimmer Hubert D. , Steiner Astrid , Ecker Ullrich K. H.
Published: April 2003

Abstract. Processing colored pictures of objects results in a preference to choose the former color for a specific object in a subsequent color choice test ( Wippich & Mecklenbräuker, 1998 ). We tested whether this implicit memory effect is independent of performances in episodic color recollection (recognition). In the study phase of Experiment 1, the color of line drawings was either named or its appropriateness was judged. We found only weak implicit memory effects for categorical color information. In Experiment 2, silhouettes were colored by subjects during the study phase. Performances in both the implicit and the explicit test were good. Selections of ”old\ colors in the implicit test, though, were almost completely confined to items for which the color was also remembered explicitly. In Experiment 3, we applied the opposition technique in order to check whether we could find any implicit effects regarding items for which no explicit color recollection was possible. This was not the case. We therefore draw the conclusion that implicit color preference effects are not independent of explicit recollection, and that they are probably based on the same episodic memory traces that are used in explicit tests.
The Elusive Matching Bias Effect in the Disjunctive Selection Task
Authors: Roberts Maxwell J.
Published: April 2003

Abstract. When reasoning with conditional statements (i.e., if [not] p then [not] q), for example when solving Wason’s selection task, subjects tend to display matching bias: Options which match the entities named in the rule tend to be selected irrespective of whether this is logically appropriate. Recently, there have been suggestions that the underlying causes of matching bias reflect a general phenomenon that applies to many types of logical rule, not just conditionals. A study is reported in which performance is investigated for selection tasks with categorical or disjunctive rules. Although matching bias was clearly present for categorical rules, inverted matching bias was identified for disjunctive rules, calling into question the generality of the phenomenon and its explanations. In addition, performance at one task was not correlated with performance at the other, calling into question recent cognitive capacity accounts of selection task performance.
Goal Specificity and Learning with a Hypermedia Program
Authors: Vollmeyer Regina , Burns Bruce D.
Published: April 2003

Abstract. Problem solving research has found that a nonspecific goal (NSG) leads to better learning than a specific goal (SG). This effect can be understood in terms of dual-space search theories of problem solving. To apply the theory, we studied goal specificity effects with a hypermedia program in which participants had to learn about the outbreak of World War 1, either with the goal to find twenty dates (i.e., SG) or with the goal to explain the reasons for the war (i.e., NSG). As expected, compared to the SG-group, the NSG-group correctly answered more factual questions about the text during the task, spent more time on average per page, and more often looked for extra information. In a final questionnaire with factual and inferential questions, the NSG-group still performed better than the SG-group. The NSG-group may also show better transfer of what they had learnt to a new situation.
Comprehending Spoken Metaphoric Reference: A Real-Time Analysis
Authors: Stewart Mark T. , Heredia Roberto R.
Published: April 2003

Abstract. Speakers and writers often use metaphor to describe someone or something in a referential fashion (e.g., The creampuff didn’t show up for the fight to refer to a cowardly boxer). Research has demonstrated that readers do not comprehend metaphoric reference as easily as they do literal reference ( Gibbs, 1990 ; Onishi & Murphy, 1993 ). In two experiments, we used a naming version of the cross-modal lexical priming (CMLP) paradigm to monitor the time-course of comprehending spoken metaphoric reference. In Experiment 1, listeners responded to visual probe words of either a figurative or literal nature that were presented at offset or 1000 ms after a critical prime word. Significant facilitatory priming was observed at prime offset to probes consistent with the metaphorical interpretation of the figuratively referring description, yet no priming was found for either probe type at the downstream location. In Experiment 2, we partially replicated Experiment 1 results at prime offset and found no priming at a probe point placed 1000 ms upstream from prime onset. Taken together, the data from these two experiments indicate that listeners are able to comprehend metaphoric reference faster than literal reference. Moreover, the effect appears to be strongest at prime offset, suggesting that activation of the nonliteral interpretation is closely tied to the relationship between the figuratively referring description and the intended referent. Implications for theories of metaphor comprehension, as well as for research in spoken metaphor, are discussed.
Single-Use Versus Mixed-Use Learning of Transformations: Evidence for Conceptual Integration
Authors: Müller Burkhard
Published: April 2003

Abstract. The principle of use-specificity proposes that “compiled” knowledge encapsulates the knowledge use in the acquisition context. The efficiency of knowledge use should be a monotone function of use-specific practice. Transfer between different uses of function concepts should decrease with increasing practice. In contrast, the hypothesis of conceptual integration proposes that conceptually integrated knowledge can be used flexibly. The efficiency of knowledge use should be a monotone function of concept-specific practice. The probability to integrate a feature is assumed to depend on its relevance within the acquisition context. Transfer between different uses of function concepts should increase with increasing practice. In Experiment 1, the effects of practicing a single versus two different uses of symbolic functions on learning and subsequent transfer were investigated at 1 day and 2 consecutive days of practice. In Experiment 2, these effects were investigated for 4 days of practice. The findings support the hypothesis of conceptual integration. Performance was mainly a function of concept-specific training. Limited usability of acquired knowledge was rare and disappeared completely at higher levels of practice.
Copyright and the network
Authors: Bide Mark
Published: April 2003

The development of the global network has not altered the law of copyright – all existing legislation applies. However, some new legislation has been necessary. Some owners of intellectual property believe technical measures are more effective than the law. Others are seeking to find new ways of licensing usage. A third group is more concerned with moral rights than with property rights.
Archiving — the full‐text solution: an innovative way to electronic archiving
Authors: Turner Alan , Steele Pippa
Published: April 2003

Somerset Computing Limited has developed a unique search engine that allows publishers and societies to produce electronic archives with full‐text searching and the ability to carry out high‐level search requests without major rekeying or tagging, making it the most cost‐effective solution for full‐text searching available. This technology has relevance to many publishing areas including legal publishers, academic publishers, STM publishers, learned societies and professional typesetters. This article describes how Somerset Computing has utilized its expertise and this innovative in‐house software to provide the British Academy with an affordable, fully searchable solution to the electronic archiving of the Proceedings of the British Academy.
E‐journals: developing country access survey
Authors: Smart Pippa
Published: April 2003

Concern over the information gap between developed and developing countries has led to a number of initiatives to promote access to information, but is there a potential of overlapping and conflicting information being given to the recipients? And what are publishers' attitudes towards the supply of their content at greatly reduced prices, or for free? During 2002 INASP was commissioned to undertake a survey to identify publishers' activities and opinions in this area. The survey found that the majority of respondents were involved in one or more access programmes and there was a willingness from both the commercial and the non‐commercial sector to provide their information in this way.
Book Reviews
Authors: Newton Rachel , Watkinson Anthony , Wood Dee
Published: April 2003

Classification Made Simple (2nd edn) by Eric J. Hunter Ashgate Publishing Ltd 2002, Price £18.00, 160 pp., paperback, ISBN 0‐7546‐0795‐X

Internet Law and Regulation (3rd edn) edited by Graham J.H. Smith Sweet & Maxwell, 2001, £145.00, 778 pp., hardback. ISBN 0‐421705906

Super Searcher, Author, Scribe: Successful Writers Share their Internet Research Secrets by Loraine Page (series editor Reva Basch) CyberAge Books, 2002, $24.95, 225 pp. ISBN: 0910965587
Service evaluation in a special library: supporting development research at the Institute of Social Sciences Library, New Delhi
Authors: Ghosh Sharmila
Published: April 2003

Today more and more organisations are involved in research, action‐research and advocacy on development issues, particularly in the social services and human development sector. Most of these issues and themes are inter‐disciplinary in nature and characterised by overlapping subject boundaries. Research on such areas therefore generates information which is consequently inter‐disciplinary in nature. To manage such information, special libraries and thematic, issue‐based information centres have developed. Such libraries are highly idiosyncratic as far as their collection, users, services, queries and information processing are concerned. Describes the special library at The Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi which tries to establish a synergy between the research focus of the Institute and the information derived from research. The library and resource centre has a computerised information management system, which promotes a collaborative and symbiotic relationship between research and information (i.e. between research staff and library professionals). Suggests ways in which the particular quality of its service can be demonstrated.
Coping with multiple dimensions of work‐family conflict
Authors: Rotondo Denise M. , Carlson Dawn S. , Kincaid Joel F.
Published: April 2003

One way to reduce work‐family conflict is for individuals to have the ability to effectively cope with the stressful demands. The relationships between four styles of work and family coping (direct action, help‐seeking, positive thinking, and avoidance/resignation) and levels of work‐family conflict are considered. Two different forms of work‐family conflict (time‐based and strain‐based) were examined as well as the effect of direction (work interfering with family, family interfering with work) to examine the efficacy of different coping styles. Help‐seeking and direct action coping used at home were associated with lower family interfering with work conflict levels. Avoidance/resignation coping was associated with higher conflict levels of all types. The results suggest individuals may have greater control and opportunity for positive change within the family domain compared with the work environment.
Employee evaluations of company occupational pensions
Authors: Hales Colin , Gough Orla
Published: April 2003

Having discussed the growth and current status of company occupational pensions and the claimed role of pension provision in fostering employee loyalty to an organisation, this paper reports the findings of a research study that investigated employees’ perceptions of these types of pension scheme, a perspective that has hitherto been somewhat neglected. The findings show that, although employees had joined a company scheme largely automatically as a concomitant of employment, their current assessments of, and concerns about, different aspects of occupational pension schemes are framed in more nuanced, instrumental and individualistic terms: the attractive features of these schemes are not so much those that provide security for the employee as “breadwinner” and their dependants as those that offer a cost‐effective way for the individual to build up a fund for their own, possibly early, retirement. Company pension schemes are seen more as contingent private transactions than as part of long‐term stable commitments by and to an employer. On the basis of this evidence, it is argued that, if the employer is perceived as merely one possible pension provider among many, any link between pension provision and employee loyalty or commitment, a link that was always tenuous, is extremely fragile.
Fuzzy criticality assessment model for failure modes and effects analysis
Authors: Braglia Marcello , Frosolini Marco , Montanari Roberto
Published: April 2003

This paper presents a tool for reliability and failure mode analysis based on an advanced version of the popular failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) procedure. To help the analyst formulating efficiently effective criticality assessments of the possible causes of failure, the fuzzy logic technique is adopted. Particular attention has been devoted to support the maintenance staff with a fuzzy criticality assessment model easy to implement and design. To test the proposed methodology, an actual application concerning a process plant in milling field for human consumption flour is showed in the paper.
Relationship marketing and a new economy: it’s time for de‐programming
Authors: Gummesson Evert
Published: April 2003

Some economic conditions change gradually and sometimes sudden discontinuities occur whereas other conditions remain stable for decades, even centuries. In this sense there is always a new economy in the making. The author claims that marketing theory lags behind and that marketing as it is taught and researched today is a relic of the 1960s, patched up with decorations such as services, relationships and e‐business. Academe is hiding behind an allegedly scientific front of deductive and reductionistic customer surveys, applying increasingly sophisticated statistical techniques that process data of decreasing quality. Generation of marketing theory requires more of inductive and systemic case study research allowing us to confront the complexity, ambiguity and dynamism of the real world with more common sense and less ritual. We need to keep developing marketing theory to avoid turning education into brainwashing. New marketing theory should focus on the value of the total offering; a balance between production‐centric and customer‐centric aspects; and should recognize relationships, networks and interaction as core variables.
Key Internet characteristics and e‐commerce issues in Arab countries
Authors: Aladwani Adel M.
Published: April 2003

This study describes the state of the Internet in Arab countries. It reports certain Internet characteristics and e‐commerce issues in the region and brings some of the critical challenges facing the diffusion of the Internet and its applications in Arab countries to the attention of policy makers in these nations. Overall, the review reveals that most Arab countries still have a long way to cover before being able to fully realize the benefits of the Internet.
Jordan and ICT‐led development: towards a competition state?
Authors: Al‐Jaghoub Saheer , Westrup Chris
Published: April 2003

This paper describes Jordan's strategy to develop a strong ICT sector that will be internationally competitive. This strategy is analysed in two ways. First, by a comparison with two countries, Ireland and Singapore, with similarities as nation states and which are widely seen as successful in promoting and sustaining strong ICT sectors. Second, through an analysis of Jordan as a competition state where the role of the state is being redefined so as to implement policies in a globalising world. It is found that Jordan exhibits many of the characteristics of a competition state in terms of the promotion of mixtures of public and private partnerships and in developing relations with international agencies and multinational enterprises to create a strong ICT sector. Using these analyses, the prospects for Jordan's initiative are assessed and issues that will be of importance for its success are pointed out.
Egypt and ICTs
Authors: El Sayed Heba , Westrup Chris
Published: April 2003

The aim of the paper is to move beyond globalisation as a concept and explore processes of globalisation that are linked to ICTs, using Egypt as an example. The paper explores how ICTs have been linked to economic and social development by international agencies such as the UNDP and the World Bank. It focuses on the national initiatives of the Egyptian government to facilitate development through ICTs and shows the variety of agents – other governments, multinationals, international development agencies, new government agencies, local companies – necessary in these plans. We argue that ICT facilitated development has led to the formation of new, and more complex, networks of relations where ICTs act as a common point of interest and where the roles of these diverse actors are redefined in this process. The example of Oracle and the installation of an ERP system in an Egyptian company are used to illustrate these points.
Dual‐rail improved adiabatic pseudo‐domino logic with auxiliary clock: a low‐power partially‐adiabatic CMOS logic family
Authors: Tan W.M. , Lau K.T.
Published: April 2003

An improved structure for adiabatic pseudo‐domino logic (APDL) family is presented in this paper. The modified dual‐rail improved APDL (MDIAPDL) exhibits lower power dissipation than the conventional static CMOS as shown in HSpice simulations. Comprehensive circuit simulations show that the MDIAPDL 4 bit shift register can recover over 95 per cent of the energy dissipated in conventional static CMOS 4 bit shift register.
Computing electrical potential in unbounded two‐dimensional regions
Authors: Chaudhry Maqsood A. , Schinzinger Roland
Published: April 2003

Finite difference and finite element methods have serious limitations when applied to unbounded regions. This paper describes a hybrid method which uses a conformal transformation to map the original boundaries, including those at infinity, to a bounded region and only then applies a numerical method based on finite differences or finite elements when no direct solution is obvious. Testing this approach by means of examples for which exact solutions are obtainable, the hybrid method is applied to determine the electrical potential at specific points in the field of a capacitor with long plates that in their cross‐sectional view are parallel to each other, and in the field of a microstrip line at some distance from it. In both the cases, the results are in agreement with analytically derived results. The method is simple, readily applied by undergraduate students, yet accurate and thus of use in professional engineering work as well.
Thick‐film strain gauges on alumina, zirconia and steel substrates
Authors: Belavic Darko , Hrovat Marko , Santo Zarnik Marina , Bencan Andreja , Smetana Walter , Reicher Roland , Homolka Heinz
Published: April 2003

Strain gauges can be realised by printing and firing thick‐film resistors on ceramic substrates that are usually based on alumina. However, sensing elements made on some other substrates – tetragonal zirconia or stainless steel – would exhibit some improved characteristics, either due to a lower modulus of elasticity or a higher mechanical strength. As thick‐film resistors are developed for firing on alumina substrates their compatibility and possible interactions with other kinds of substrates have to be evaluated. The sheet resistivities and noise indices of the resistors were comparable, whereas the gauge factors were lower for the dielectric‐on‐steel substrates. The temperature coefficients of resistivity (TCR) of the resistors on the ZrO2 and dielectric‐on‐steel substrates were higher than the TCRs on the alumina substrates, which was attributed to the higher thermal expansion coefficient of the tetragonal zirconia and the stainless steel.
The dual paradigm nature of knowledge management: implications for achieving quality outcomes in human resource management
Authors: Gloet Marianne , Berrell Mike
Published: April 2003

Two paradigm orientations exist in the emerging field of knowledge management (KM). In one paradigm, information technology predominantly influences ideas about knowledge management. In the other, organizational learning is the major influence. For KM to contribute effectively to organizational strategy, organizations must build and strengthen the linkages between KM, human resource management (HRM), and business development. The dual paradigm nature of KM suggests that strategies driven by information technology exhibit quite different characteristics to those driven by organizational learning, the former being driven by technology, while the latter is dominated more by a focus on people. It is important for HR practitioners to understand how certain paradigm orientations to KM can lead to very different paths into thinking about HRM practices and can result in a lack of continuity between various strategic initiatives in an organization. In turn, quality initiatives in HRM will be affected. Suggestions for dealing with the dual paradigm nature of KM are also offered.
Enterprise knowledge tree model and factors of KMS based on E‐C
Authors: Huosong Xia , Kuanqi Du , Shuqin Cai
Published: April 2003

In the emerging economy, knowledge is now recognized as an important basis for competitive advantage and many firms are beginning to establish knowledge management systems (KMS). Within the last few years, although the topic of knowledge management (KM) has been studied, our understanding of how the design of the KMS affects its use and definition of KM is still rather limited. This paper presents a model of the enterprise’s knowledge trees, which is related to several knowledge management processes. The gray information and knowledge are, in their respective capacities, to provide the enterprise with great effectiveness. The gray dimension of enterprise knowledge is defined in line with the model of enterprise knowledge and fractal dimension. Also the key factors of KMS of shared knowledge are discussed in this paper. The results of the study will benefit not only the design of KMS, but also the business model transformation of competitive advantage.
Performance measurement tools: the Balanced Scorecard and the EFQM Excellence Model
Authors: Wongrassamee S. , Simmons J.E.L. , Gardiner P.D.
Published: April 2003

Performance improvement is high on the agenda of many companies around the world and with the growing number of improvement models now available care has to be taken to adopt an approach that will yield the most attractive return on investment. This paper compares and contrasts two widely known and well‐publicized improvement models: Kaplan and Norton’s Balanced Scorecard and the EFQM Excellence Model. Each consists of a non‐prescriptive template offering managers a relatively small number of categories of key performance metrics to focus on. Here, they are examined from a critical perspective with regard to five central issues represented by five questions relating to objectives, strategies and plans, target setting, reward structures and information feedback loops. The analysis conducted reveals that despite having some significant differences both approaches seem to be developed from similar concepts. The paper concludes that it is difficult to find a perfect match between a company and a performance measurement framework and that further research should concentrate on how to implement strategic performance frameworks effectively in specific types of organization.
The dead hand of the past: the implementation of new quality standards in a business support organization
Authors: Fallon Grahame , Berman Brown Reva , Allen Jon
Published: April 2003

The paper explores the potential problems which UK business support organizations may encounter when introducing the Business Excellence Model (BEM). Many of these problems result from the negative attitudes engendered by experience of past programs of change. A business support organization which was about to introduce the BEM was the site used to collect empirical data by means of participant‐observation and interview methods on the issue of implementing quality standards procedures. Conclusions are drawn as to the difficulties which business support organization managers are likely to encounter when introducing the BEM.
Identification in Methicillin-Susceptible
Staphylococcus hominis
of an Active Primordial Mobile Genetic Element for the Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome
mec
of Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Katayama Yuki , Takeuchi Fumihiko , Ito Teruyo , Ma Xiao Xue , Ui-Mizutani Yoko , Kobayashi Ichizo , Hiramatsu Keiichi
Published: April 2003

We previously reported that the methicillin resistance gene
mecA
is carried by a novel type of mobile genetic element, SCC
mec
(staphylococcal cassette chromosome
mec
), in the chromosome of methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA). These elements are precisely excised from the chromosome and integrated into a specific site on the recipient chromosome by a pair of recombinase proteins encoded by the cassette chromosome recombinase genes
ccrA
and
ccrB.
In the present work, we detected homologues of the
ccr
genes in
Staphylococcus hominis
type strain GIFU12263 (equivalent to ATCC 27844), which is susceptible to methicillin. Sequence determination revealed that the
ccr
homologues in
S. hominis
were type 1
ccr
genes (
ccrA1
and
ccrB1
) that were localized on a genetic element structurally very similar to SCC
mec
except for the absence of the methicillin-resistance gene,
mecA.
This genetic element had mosaic-like patterns of homology with extant SCC
mec
elements, and we designated it SCC
12263
and considered it a type I staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC). The
ccrB1
gene identified in the
S. hominis
strain is the first type 1
ccrB
gene discovered to retain its function through the excision process as judged by two criteria: (i) SCC
12263
was spontaneously excised during cultivation of the strain and (ii) introduction of the
S. hominis ccrB1
into an MRSA strain carrying a type I SCC
mec
whose
ccrB1
gene is inactive generated SCC
mec
excisants at a high frequency. The existence of an SCC without a
mec
determinant is indicative of a staphylococcal site-specific mobile genetic element that serves as a vehicle of transfer for various genetic markers between staphylococcal species.
Structure-Function Studies of
Escherichia coli
RpoH (σ
32
) by In Vitro Linker Insertion Mutagenesis
Authors: Narberhaus Franz , Balsiger Sylvia
Published: April 2003

The sigma factor RpoH (σ
32
) is the key regulator of the heat shock response in
Escherichia coli
. Many structural and functional properties of the sigma factor are poorly understood. To gain further insight into RpoH regions that are either important or dispensable for its cellular activity, we generated a collection of tetrapeptide insertion variants by a recently established in vitro linker insertion mutagenesis technique. Thirty-one distinct insertions were obtained, and their sigma factor activity was analyzed by using a
groE
-
lacZ
reporter fusion in an
rpoH
-negative background. Our study provides a map of permissive sites which tolerate linker insertions and of functionally important regions at which a linker insertion impairs sigma factor activity. Selected linker insertion mutants will be discussed in the light of known sigma factor properties and in relation to a modeled structure of an RpoH fragment containing region 2.
Type II Protein Secretion in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
: the Pseudopilus Is a Multifibrillar and Adhesive Structure
Authors: Durand Éric , Bernadac Alain , Ball Geneviève , Lazdunski Andrée , Sturgis James N. , Filloux Alain
Published: April 2003

The type II secretion pathway of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
is involved in the extracellular release of various toxins and hydrolytic enzymes such as exotoxin A and elastase. This pathway requires the function of a macromolecular complex called the Xcp secreton. The Xcp secreton shares many features with the machinery involved in type IV pilus assembly. More specifically, it involves the function of five pilin-like proteins, the XcpT-X pseudopilins. We show that, upon overexpression, the XcpT pseudopilin can be assembled in a pilus, which we call a type II pseudopilus. Image analysis and filtering of electron micrographs indicated that these appendages are composed of individual fibrils assembled together in a bundle structure. Our observations thus revealed that XcpT has properties similar to those of type IV pilin subunits. Interestingly, the assembly of the type II pseudopilus is not exclusively dependent on the Xcp machinery but can be supported by other similar machineries, such as the Pil (type IV pilus) and Hxc (type II secretion) systems of
P. aeruginosa
. In addition, heterologous pseudopilins can be assembled by
P. aeruginosa
into a type II pseudopilus. Finally, we showed that assembly of the type II pseudopilus confers increased bacterial adhesive capabilities. These observations confirmed the ability of pseudopilins to form a pilus structure and raise questions with respect to their function in terms of secretion and adhesion, two crucial biological processes in the course of bacterial infections.
Propionyl Coenzyme A Is a Common Intermediate in the 1,2-Propanediol and Propionate Catabolic Pathways Needed for Expression of the
prpBCDE
Operon during Growth of
Salmonella enterica
on 1,2-Propanediol
Authors: Palacios Sergio , Starai Vincent J. , Escalante-Semerena Jorge C.
Published: April 2003

The studies reported here identify propionyl coenzyme A (propionyl-CoA) as the common intermediate in the 1,2-propanediol and propionate catabolic pathways of
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium LT2. Growth on 1,2-propanediol as a carbon and energy source led to the formation and excretion of propionate, whose activation to propionyl-CoA relied on the activities of the propionate kinase (PduW)/phosphotransacetylase (Pta) enzyme system and the CobB sirtuin-controlled acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA (Acs, PrpE) synthetases. The different affinities of these systems for propionate ensure sufficient synthesis of propionyl-CoA to support wild-type growth of
S. enterica
under low or high concentrations of propionate in the environment. These redundant systems of propionyl-CoA synthesis are needed because the
prpE
gene encoding the propionyl-CoA synthetase enzyme is part of the
prpBCDE
operon under the control of the PrpR regulatory protein, which needs 2-methylcitrate as a coactivator. Because the synthesis of 2-methylcitrate by PrpC (i.e., the 2-methylcitrate synthase enzyme) requires propionyl-CoA as a substrate, the level of propionyl-CoA needs to be raised by the Acs or PduW-Pta system before 2-methylcitrate can be synthesized and
prpBCDE
transcription can be activated.
The
Bacillus thuringiensis
PlcR-Regulated Gene
inhA2
Is Necessary, but Not Sufficient, for Virulence
Authors: Fedhila Sinda , Gohar Michel , Slamti Leyla , Nel Patricia , Lereclus Didier
Published: April 2003

We previously reported that
Bacillus thuringiensis
strain 407 Cry 32
−
secretes a zinc-requiring metalloprotease, InhA2, that is essential for virulence in orally infected insects. Analysis of the
inhA2
-
lacZ
transcriptional fusion showed that
inhA2
expression is repressed in a PlcR
−
background. Using DNase I footprinting experiments, we demonstrated that PlcR activates
inhA2
transcription directly by binding to a DNA sequence showing a one-residue mismatch with the previously reported PlcR box. It was previously reported that PlcR is essential for
B. thuringiensis
virulence in oral infection by contributing to the synergistic properties of the spores on the insecticidal activity of the Cry1C protein. We used complementation experiments to investigate whether the PlcR
−
phenotype was due to the absence of InhA2. The results indicated that overexpression of
inhA2
in the Δ
plcR
strain did not restore the wild-type phenotype. However, virulence was fully restored in the Δ
inhA2
complemented mutant. Thus,
inhA2
is the first example of a PlcR-regulated gene found to be directly involved in virulence. However, it is not sufficient for pathogenicity when the other members of the PlcR regulon are lacking. This suggests that InhA2 may act in concert with other PlcR-regulated gene products to provide virulence.