bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Rationality of Social Action and Social Systems
Authors: Genov Nikolai
Published: March 2007

Rationality as both key to and highly problematic in modern social organisation is a central topic for sociology which veers between analysing it at the levels of social action and social system. A Marxist interactionist approach shows that analysis of action must lead to concern for social relations and processes. Both the rationality and irrationality of social subjects are variously limited or expanded by the social environment, which in turn operates as a system of social relations in which sub systems contribute to the rationality of the societal system. Moving between these levels reveals the processual character of social rationality and adds to the understand ing of contemporary qualitative change in society and the contradictions which are involved.
Rethinking Durkheim's Intellectual Development I: On 'Marxism' and the Anxiety of Being Misunderstood
Authors: Alexander Jeffrey C.
Published: March 2007

In this paper I offer a new interpretation of the development of Durkheim's thought. Rather than linear progress, Durkheim's scientific career presented a distinctive circularity. Although always interested in a 'structural' theory, from the beginning of his work Durkheim sought a structural theory which would decisively differ from the materialist emphasis on coercion. In the first part of his career, however, Durkheim was unable to conceptualise such subjective structure in a satisfactory way. As a result, in his early writings between 1885 and 1893, Durkheim's theorising was incredibly unstable. Starting from an idealism he moved eventually to a materialism. The Division of Labour (1893) contains within itself all these unstable solutions, and even by the time of its publication Durkheim indicated an intense dissatisfaction with the result. Over the next three years he rewrote his theory in a fundamentally subjectivist way. Although throughout this period theoretical issues per se were uppermost in Durkheim's mind, so was the critical reception of his work. I examine the social and intellectual context of Durkheim's France, particularly a series of little known reviews of his first works, to establish this critical milieu, and I demonstrate how sensitive Durkheim was to these criticisms in this decisive period of theoretical change.
Problems of Social Change, Again?
Authors: Cardoso Fernando Henrique
Published: March 2007

This concise paper presents a critical glance over the theories of social change and over the new challenges facing those who wish to understand change in the contemporary world.
The Application of Participatory Action-Research in Latin America
Authors: Fals-Borda Orlando
Published: March 2007

A research methodology that combines theory, action and participation (PAR) committed to further the interests of exploited groups and classes has been initiated and tried in many Third World countries since the 1970s. PAR claims inspiration from phenomenological and Marxist trends adjusted to regional realities and factors; it challenges established academic routines without discarding the need to accumulate and systematise knowledge, and to construct a more comprehensive and human paradigm in the social sciences, and it proposes a series of techniques to combine knowledge and power without falling into the dangers of world annihilation This is illustrated with actual field studies and projects in Nicaragua, Colombia and Mexico.
Introduction
Authors: Berezin Mabel
Published: March 2007

Democracy and the modern nation-state are coextensive. Globalization in the economic sphere and shifting and collapsing borders in the political sphere pose challenges to the nation-state and to democratic practice. Citizenship, identity and civil society take on new meanings when they confront large-scale political and social change. Ethnos, the expression of the particular, as a cultural orientation threatens commitment to demos. The principal problem that democracy confronts in a global universe is the emergence of its others - ethnic nationalism, violence and incivility. This article explores how ethnos emerges from demos, the possibilities for constraining it and normative discussion of democratic loyalty and social equality.
Critical Issues Facing Society
Authors: Roy Rustum , Walker Robert A.
Published: March 2007

We describe herein an introductory STS course, designed for large numbers of students, which uses a large number of faculty instructors. Its content and style has evolved continuously for 20 years in a major research university and been adapted for use in small two-year and four-year campuses.
The National Biological Impact Assessment Program and the Public Perception of Biotechnology
Authors: Hagedorn Susan A.
Published: March 2007

There are two truths in this world: one of the laboratory, and the other of the media. What people perceive as the truth is truer in a democracy than some grubby little experiment in a laboratory notebook.(1)
Introducing Technology in Science Education: The Case of Guatemala
Authors: Cajas Fernando
Published: March 2007

In this article, the author studies the introduction of technology into the science curriculum. He offers a general framework for analyzing technology as artifact, knowledge, and social practice. This framework provides analytical tools to study the implications of technology in general education. The analysis is framed using two events: (a) the current movement of scientific literacy, which now includes technology literacy such as in the case of Project 2061, a science education initiative of the American Association for the Advancement of the Science and (b) international calls for including technology in the school curricula of developing countries. The primary context of this article is the demand of technology education in Guatemala.
Perceptions of Exercise Stages, Barrier Self-Efficacy, and Decisional Balance for Middle-Level School Students
Authors: Hausenblas Heather A. , Nigg Claudio R. , Downs Danielle Symons , Fleming David S. , Connaughton Daniel P.
Published: March 2007

It is important to examine theoretically the determinants of exercise for middle school children because of the rapid decline in exercise during adolescence. The purpose for this study was to examine the validity of the Stages of Change (SOC) construct of the Transtheoretical Model with 387 middle school children. The students completed an SOC, barrier self-efficacy, and decisional balance questionnaire, as well as objective and self-report measures of exercise behavior/fitness level. Classification by SOC revealed that 236 children were in the maintenance stage, 108 in the action stage, 25 in the preparation stage, and 18 in the contemplation/precontemplation stage. Barrier self-efficacy, 1-mile run/walk, curl-up, and push-up scores improved at each level from the precontemplation through to the maintenance stage. There were no significant differences in decisional balance scores across the SOC. This study provided preliminary cognitive and behavioral support for the use of the SOC construct with middle school children.
A Program to Promote Positive Body Image:
Authors: McVey Gail L. , Davis Ron
Published: March 2007

The effectiveness of a program designed to promote body image satisfaction and prevent eating problems in young adolescent girls was evaluated over a 1-year period. A total of 263 girls in Grade 6, one-half of whom were in the control group, completed questionnaires that assessed body image satisfaction and eating problems before and 1 week after the prevention program, and 6 and 12 months later. The six-session prevention program was developed around two principal components: (a) media literacy about the dangers associated with the idealization of thinness and (b) the promotion of life skills, including self-esteem enhancement strategies, stress management techniques, and peer relations skills. There was no program effect. Instead, the findings revealed significant increases in body image satisfaction and decreases in eating problem scores over time for participants in both the prevention and control groups.
Relationship between Adolescent Sexual Stereotypes and Working Mothers
Authors: Chandler Theodore A. , Sawicki Robert F. , Stryffeler Joan M.
Published: March 2007

Using a modified Likert format, 438 (225 boys, 213 girls) eighth graders indicated their agreement or disagreement with 8 randomized stereotypic statements concerning women's role and 12 statements concerning women workers. In addition, students rated as masculine, feminine, or both a randomized list of 20 occupations. Results indicate sex differences in several stereotypic statements. The sex differences are more differentiated than results found in earlier studies. Results also confirmed the hypothesis that sexual stereotypes would be more prevalent in the younger group than in the older. Highest positive correlation (r = .26; p < .01) was between liberal attitudes toward women's role and current employment of mothers of the females. Lowest correlation (r = .15; p < .05) was between less stereotyped view of occupation and current maternal employment of the females. There was no significant correlation between liberal attitudes toward women workers and current employment of the mothers of the females.
Filipino Children's Ratings of the Stressfulness of Experiences
Authors: Yamamoto Kaoru , Phillips James A.
Published: March 2007

A total of 156 Filipino fifth and sixth graders rated the stressfulness of 20 life events on a 7-point scale. Little sex differences were detected. Even though the children showed much variation in outlook across the three school-community settings, their judgments were rather uniform, the interschool rs among the scale values ranging from .78 to .81. The overall results revealed that the loss of parent had been rated the most upsetting at 6.76, and the arrival of a new sibling, the least upsetting at 1.25. Interestingly, the Filipino scale values correlated .85 with those of American children, obtained earlier, and .81 with those by Japanese children. Even the patterns of reported incidences were amazingly similar, the rs being .83 with the United States and .87 with Japan. Many of these childhood experiences, centering around the home and school, may carry similar meanings across cultural boundaries.
Imaginary Audience Behavior and its Relationship to Operational thought and Social Experience
Authors: Pesce Rosario C. , Harding Carol Gibb
Published: March 2007

Little research has been done to test hypotheses generated from Elkind's theory of adolescent egocentrism and its related construct, the imaginary audience. This study used Elkind and Bowen's Imaginary Audience Scale and investigated the relationship of cognitive developmental level and social experience to heightened sensitivity to the existence of an imaginary audience. It was predicted that social experience, as indicated by grade level and transition from elementary to high school, would relate to heightened sensitivity at least as consistently as cognitive level and that formal operational thought would not occur as prerequisite to this aspect of adolescent egocentrism, depending on social experience. Six hundred and seventy-five students in grades 6, 8, 9, and 12 were studied. Results indicated that higher sensitivity to an imaginary audience occurred at grades 8 and 9 regardless of cognitive level. In fact formal operational thinkers were observed only at grade 12 (n = 8), indicating that formal operational thought is not necessary in accounting for the onset of adolescent egocentrism, at least as represented by an imaginary audience.
Adolescent Egocentrism and Feelings of Invulnerability
Authors: Dolcini M. Margaret , Cohn Lawrence D. , Adler Nancy E. , Millstein Susan G. , Irwin Charles E. , Kegeles Susan M. , Stone George C.
Published: March 2007

This study examined the relationship between adolescent egocentrism and perceptions of risk in a sample of 458 middle school adolescents. Enright's Adolescent Egocentrism Scale (AES) and Elkind's Imaginary Audience Scale (IAS) were used to assess egocentrism. Analyses revealed unexpected findings regarding the relationship of the two egocentrism scales to risk perception. For females, high scores on the AES were associated with perceptions of high risk, and high scores on the IAS were weakly related to perceptions of low risk. Neither scale was related to risk perceptions for males. Theoretical and measurement issues are discussed.
Pubertal Status in Early-Adolescent Girls: Relations to Moods, Energy, and Restlessness
Authors: Buchanan Christy Miller
Published: March 2007

This study examined perceived pubertal change in relation to characteristics of early-adolescent girls' moods; energy, and restlessness. Fifty-two girls aged 9.1 to 10.8 years reported their moods, energy, and restlessness on 12 days over the course of 1 month. Average levels, variability, and intensity of these constructs were calculated Measures of certainty about self and perceived pubertal status and timing were also obtained. Girls who felt they were experiencing pubertal changes reported more negative moods and nervousness, and more variable negative moods, nervousness, energy, and restlessness over the month than did prepubertal girls. They also experienced more intense negative moods, nervousness, and restlessness relative to the average levels of these constructs for the sample. The hypothesis that associations between pubertal status and moods were due to heightened feelings of uncertainty about self was not supported. Mechanisms by which pubertal development may be linked to moods and energy are discussed.
The Social Construction of Ability Perceptions
Authors: Kramer Linda R.
Published: March 2007

The role of school and community contexts in the formation of gifted adolescent girls' self-perceptions of ability are explored in this article. Findings are based on an ethnographic study which used participant-observation, interviewing, and unobtrusive measures to collect data on girls' experiences in one middle school. The results of this study indicated that social interaction contributed to the development of self-perceptions of ability, and that self-perceptions of ability, in turn, influenced gifted girls' decisions about appropriate achievement-related behavior. The formation of ability perceptions was seen as a cyclic process: gifted girls' interpretations of significant others' beliefs about giftedness influenced their self-estimates of ability and classroom behaviors, and their behaviors brought them feedback about their own abilities.
Constraints to Activity Participation in Early Adolescence
Authors: Hultsman Wendy Z.
Published: March 2007

This study examined why early adolescents do not become involved in, or drop out of, organized recreation activities in which they have an interest or had previously been involved. The subjects were 940 fifth through eighth graders in a large metropolitan area of a southwestern state. Early adolescent involvement in new activities was perceived to be constrained by parents denying permission to join, lack of skills, and lack of transportation. Loss of interest, dislike for leaders, moving, and feeling too old were perceived reasons for ceasing participation. Results also suggested that early adolescents perceive constraints somewhat differently than do adults. Opportunities should capitalize on circumstances crucial to early adolescent development. Activity providers should focus marketing efforts on constraints identified by this age group as well as extolling the benefits and satisfactions derived from activities, to provide a continuity of challenge and interests as individuals move through various life stages.
Face-to-Face Interactions in Unacquainted Female-Male Adolescent Dyads
Authors: Kolaric Giselle C. , Galambos Nancy L.
Published: March 2007

Verbal and nonverbal behaviors of adolescents interacting in female-male dyads were examined for gender and context (i.e., topic of discussion) differences. Thirty dyads, comprised of unacquainted 15-year-olds, discussed a masculine, feminine, and gender-neutral task for 3 minutes each. The videotaped interactions were coded for verbal (questions, uncertainty, speaking time) and nonverbal (gestures, head/facial touches, smiling, gazing) behaviors. Codes also were developed for "display" behaviors that were hypothesized to differentiate girls and boys (chin strokes, hair flips, head tilts, coy looks, appearing smaller). On the verbal and nonverbal behaviors, girls and boys were more alike than different, although there were gender differences in speaking time (specific to context) and in smiling. Gender differences in four out of five display behaviors cut across context, with effect sizes in the medium to large range. Discussion focuses on developmental and contextual accounts of adolescents' interpersonal behaviors.
The Influence of Group Stereotypes on Adolescents’ Moral Reasoning
Authors: Horn Stacey , Killen Melanie , Stangor Charles
Published: March 2007

The purpose for this study was to investigate adolescents’judgments about the appropriate punishment of other adolescents for accused transgressions in situations where stereotype information was present or absent. Ninety-two male and 85 female, predominantly European-American, ninth-grade adolescents made judgments about the appropriateness of punishing members of social reference groups for accused transgressions about which there was no clear evidence that the students from the group actually committed the transgressions. In two of the four conditions the accused transgressions were consistent with group stereotypes whereas in the other two conditions the accused transgressions were inconsistent with group stereotypes. The majority of adolescents judged the act of punishing a group without proper evidence as wrong and used moral reasons to justify those decisions.
Parental Religiosity, Parenting Style, and Adolescent Social Responsibility
Authors: Gunnoe Marjorie Lindner , Hetherington E. Mavis , Reiss David
Published: March 2007

The hypotheses that parental religiosity would predict authoritative parenting and adolescent social responsibility were tested using data from fathers, mothers, and adolescents 10 through 18 years of age from 486 mostly Caucasian middle-class families participating in the Nonshared Environment (NSE) Study. Ratings of authoritative and authoritarian parenting were provided by trained observers using the Family Interaction Global Coding System. Survey instruments included measures of adolescent adjustment used previously by Hetherington and colleagues and a new index of religiosity that assesses the degree to which religious beliefs are manifested in parents’daily lives. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that religiosity was associated positively with authoritative parenting for both parents. Mothers’religiosity was associated negatively with authoritarian parenting; religiosity was unrelated to fathers’authoritarian parenting. Structural equation modeling indicated both direct effects and indirect effects (mediated by authoritative parenting) of mothers’and fathers’religiosity on adolescent social responsibility.
Teaching Personal Selling: Macro and Micro Perspectives
Authors: Griksheit Gary M.
Published: March 2007

No academician should need to be reminded of the importance of personal selling. Well prepared sales talent will be much sought after at educational in stitutions, in spite of the fact that there are few bona fide programs in sales training. In an experi mental program at the University of Utah, both under graduate and graduate level courses have been struc tured in terms of certain assumptions about selling, objectives of the selling-buying process and a model of the process. Finally, an abbreviated syllabus and the pedagogical tools employed are reviewed with com ments on application in the academic environment.
Client-Sponsored Projects in a Marketing Research Course
Authors: Humphreys Marie Adele
Published: March 2007

There are substantial pedagogical advantages to using research projects sponsored by "external" clients in a marketing research course. However, use of actual projects presents additional problems not present when the traditional lecture-case analysis approach is used. This paper discusses operational considerations, potential problem areas and suggested solutions based on the successful use of this approach over a three-year period.
Developing an International Marketing Course for the Future
Authors: Peters J. Irwin
Published: March 2007

Surveys of business people reveal that instruction in international marketing is given a low priority for job candidates. This article presents an argument for making international marketing an advanced course, which would integrate and elaborate on many of the more quantitative functional areas of business.
The Focus of Advertising Courses in Schools of Business: Managerial versus Skills in Execution
Authors: Buchanan Dodds I. , Sudia Joseph A.
Published: March 2007

Through survey data, the article explores the relative emphasis on creative and execution skills versus managerial topics in advertising courses in business schools nationwide. Content in business advertising courses is followed by "ideal" content and an attempt to flesh out a normative course.
Marketing Education and Marketing Success: Are they Related?
Authors: Hunt Shelby D. , Chonko Lawrence B. , Wood Van R.
Published: March 2007

This article reports the results of a study which investigated the relationship between long-term career success in marketing and possession of a marketing and/or MBA education. Data gathered from a sample of over 1,000 marketing practitioners led the authors to conclude that for the long-run career success of marketing students, the performance of marketing educators may be highly suspect.
Extending the Use of Art, Literature, and Popular Entertainment in the Marketing Curriculum
Authors: Lynch James , Shank Matt
Published: March 2007

The increasing attention that literary works are receiving in the marketing literature suggests that more extensive use be made of movies, television shows, plays, and novels in the marketing curriculum. The Breakfast Club and The Big Chill are used to show how an innovative course in consumer behavior could be structured using motion pictures.
The Importance of Skills of M.B.A. Students Seeking Marketing Positions: An Employers' Perspective
Authors: Arora Raj , Stoner Charles
Published: March 2007

The presence of various academic skills affects the employment prospects of recent M.B.A. graduates. Employer preferences toward M.B.A. job applicants are influenced by both the presence and the perceived level of development of these skills. For this article, adaptive conjoint analysis was used to derive the importance of skills used by recruiters in the selection decision. The utilities for various levels of these skills are estimated for employers from different areas of marketing specialization.
Restoration of the Earth: An Environmental Marketing "Reality"
Authors: Siegel Carolyn F.
Published: March 2007

Much writing in the past decade has called for the introduction of "reality" into marketing course work. This article suggests that the importance of the environment is a critical reality for marketing education in the 1990s and supports that position with documentation of student concern about the environment.
Marketing in the Changing World: A Course Emphasizing the Role of the Individual in the Marketing Environment
Authors: Urban David J.
Published: March 2007

In this article, the author describes the rationale, learning objectives, and content of a nontraditional marketing course which emphasizes individual self-development in the context of the broader marketing environment. Reactions to the course from academicians, businesspeople, and students are also presented. Marketing educators may consider adding the course or parts of it to marketing curricula to fill topical gaps which may exist.
Retail Marketing: Learning by Degrees
Authors: Jones Peter , Vignali Claudio
Published: March 2007

The United Kingdom's first undergraduate degree in retailing, a BA in Retail Marketing, was developed at the Manchester Metropolitan University in the mid-1980s. A number of the major players in the British retail community played an important part in the development process, and they have been actively involved in the running of the program. This article discusses the principal features of the degree program and outlines a number of further retail marketing initiatives that have been built on this successful foundation.
Using the Critical Incident Technique as a Learning Tool in Services Marketing Courses
Authors: Sautter Elise Truly , Hanna Joe
Published: March 2007

Service quality continues to be difficult to define and even more troublesome to assess. A methodology that has been used for both evaluating and exploring the nature of service quality is the Critical Incident Technique (CIT). This article outlines how a CIT exercise can be experientially incorporated into a services marketing course. The primary benefit of this learning activity is that students gain an appreciation for the complexity of service quality. In addition, educators receive valuable feedback to improve teaching quality in the services course.
Using Peer Evaluations to Assess Individual Performances in Group Class Projects
Authors: Beatty James R. , Haas Robert W. , Sciglimpaglia Donald
Published: March 2007

The use of various kinds of group projects is common in many types of marketing courses. A major problem in such courses is the equitable grading of group members based on the accountability of individual performances. This article provides an approach to using peer evaluations to assess individual performances within a group so that grades may be assigned in an equitable manner.
Ancient Wisdom: Parables for Modern Marketing
Authors: Vaidyanathan Rajiv , Vaidyanathan S. S.
Published: March 2007

Research in education has repeatedly shown the effectiveness of humor and stories in communicating important points to an audience. This article builds on theories of learning and brain hemispheric specialization to show how parables can be used to effectively communicate marketing concepts to students. Four marketing-relevant parables are presented.
Assessing the Impact of Executive MBA International Travel Courses
Authors: Schuster Camille P. , Zimmerman Robert O. , Schertzer Clinton B. , Beamish Paul W.
Published: March 2007

Over half of the more than 130 executive MBA (EMBA) programs that currently exist around the world include an overseas component. A primary justification for including an overseas component rather than, or in addition to, teaching an international business course on campus is that participants learn more by traveling to another country. However, no systematic assessment has been conducted to identify the impact of these courses on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward business. The assessment procedures in this study involved 90 participants in five groups of four EMBA international travel courses. The results of this study indicate that these international travel courses do affect cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral learning of the participants.
Toward a Model for Understanding and Improving Educational Quality in the Principles of Marketing Course
Authors: Adrian C. Mitchell , Palmer G. Dean
Published: March 2007

Society is demanding that higher education be more accountable for student learning. To complicate this further, faculty are now expected to develop the student’s leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills in addition to teaching the basics of their discipline. To examine ways of achieving such goals, the authors have embarked on a long-term program aimed at implementing classroom-based quality initiatives for higher education. This article reports on the implementation of a specific mix of teaching techniques in the Principles of Marketing course. Results show that students felt this approach more interesting, challenging, and motivating than the more traditional lecture approach. Students considered the use of chapter objectives and lectures/discussions as major contributors to learning. From these findings, a proposed model for understanding student learning in a Principles of Marketing course is presented.
Implementing an Interdisciplinary Marketing/Engineering Course Project: Project Format, Preliminary Evaluation, and Critical Factor Review
Authors: Skinner Deborah , Mckeage Kim , Seymour R. M. , Donahue Darrell W. , Christensen Tom
Published: March 2007

This article reports on an innovative product development class project in which marketing and bio-resource engineering students work together. The project modifies a project suggested by Lunsford and Henshaw employing marketing and engineering students. The project is executed as a professional development activity designed to give students a broader perspective on their discipline as well as model the types of work teams they will experience on the job. This article describes the approach to the project used by the interdisciplinary team of instructors, the faculty and the students™ responses to the project, and suggested improvements for further implementations.
Assessing Local Government Sexual Harassment Policies
Authors: Reese Laura A. , Lindenberg Karen E.
Published: March 2007

This article examines sexual harassment policies in local governments to assess compliance with model policies, and the nature and extent of training on the topic, and provides policy recommendations where policies appear lacking. A content analysis of municipal sexual harassment policies in the state of Michigan suggests that policy shortcomings are those of omission rather than commission. Few policies include any elements that have been identified as being detrimental to effective implementation processes. Rather, many policies are silent on aspects that are critical to successful implementation. And this silence has several very important potential repercussions for the effective implementation of policies as well as an ultimate reduction in the levels of workplace sexual harassment.
Municipal Revenue Forecasting with Time. Series Models: A Florida Case Study
Authors: Frank Howard A.
Published: March 2007

Forecasts of revenue from major sources in eight Florida cities suggest that simple time-series models such as the moving average and exponential smoothing may be appropriate for revising revenue forecasts within the fiscal year, a practice that has been shown to help local governments budget closer to the ever-tighter budget restraints they face. However, interviews with local officials and examination of their budget and accounting records confirm prior findings that limited forecasting expertise and data availability in local governments may limit the utilization of these methods. Moreover, the norm of revenue underforecasting, noted in this study and elsewhere, suggests a degree of risk aversion that may preclude experimentation with the models tested in the study. Ironically, this may place local officials at greater risk of misestimating revenue at a time when their revenue streams are becoming less reliant on the stable property tax and increasingly reliant on more volatile, economically sensitive sources such as fees and user charges.
Comparing Public Administration and Policy Analysis Approaches to Public Service Education
Authors: Lowery David , Whitaker Gordon P.
Published: March 2007

We systematically explore differences between the policy analysis and public administration/management approaches to public service education. From the literature, we identify four aspects of public service education that may differ between public administration/management and policy analysis: the students who enter each kind of program, the norms students gain through professional socialization in each approach, the career paths followed by graduates of each kind of program, and program graduates career satisfaction. We develop several hypotheses about differences in applicant pools, student socialization, and the careers of graduates of public administration and policy analysis programs. Finally, we discuss the importance of testing these hypotheses: why alternative findings might be expected and implications of tests of these hypotheses for public service education.
Mayors of American Cities: An Analysis of Powers and Responsibilities
Authors: Morgan David R. , Watson Sheilah S.
Published: March 2007

Using data from a 1987 nationwide survey of U.S. cities of 25,000 population and above, this research analyzes the formal authority and the informal powers associated with the office of mayor. We divide cities by mayor-council or council-manager form. The findings confirm that elected chief executives in mayoral cities possess considerably more formal authority than their counterparts in manager communities, yet informal mayoral powers are quite comparable among these two forms of government. Using ANOVA (GLS), we also predict variations in mayoral power using five demographic and political variables. Among mayor-council cities, location in a central city and large size are the best explanatory variables. For manager cities, regional location and the presence of partisan ballots and ward elections are the best predictors of mayoral power.
Administration Ethics and Judgments of Utility: Reconciling the Competing Theories
Authors: Brady F. Neil , Woller Gary M.
Published: March 2007

Administrative ethics in the 20th century is marked in part by the adoption of classic utilitarian decision-making techniques that try to maximize good effect in the lives of the citizenry. However despite a plethora of widely used quantitative techniques spawned by utilitarianism, the practical foundations of this ethical theory have been called into question with various discoveries by organization theorists that in actuality the classic theory is not a good general description of what successful managers do. This new model is often referred to as "satisficing." The new model also has a serious problem: No theory of satisficing has yet provided an understanding of how any decision making that is merely satisfactory can also be wholly ethical. This paper explores this tension and resolves it to some degree by arguing that the two theories are complementary, not competitive. We do this by relating each theory to patterned, or rule-guided, behavior and by examining how each contributes in its own way to a better understanding of managerial judgments of utility.
Marketing and the Natural Environment: What Role for Morality?
Authors: Crane Andrew
Published: March 2007

This article explores the literature relating marketing to the natural environment from the point of view of morality. It argues that the issue of morality has not been developed in any comprehensive or cohesive way in this literature and subsequently seeks to provide an analysis of the different ways in which morality has, to date, been applied and used. Five different moral perspectives are identified—namely, fair play, managerialist, reformist, reconstructionist, and interpretist perspectives. These are categorized according to the main moral issues typically examined, the core discipline from which the perspective has been developed, the form of morality ordinarily referred to, and the prevalent subject of moral enquiry. The various approaches are examined and their contribution assessed. The relationship between the perspectives is addressed, and it is suggested that from a macromarketing point of view, the reconstructionist and the interpretist perspectives might be expected to be the most fruitful avenues for future investigation.
Exorcising the Ghost of Cigarette Advertising Past: Collusion, Regulation, and Fear Advertising
Authors: Solow John L.
Published: March 2007

Cigarette advertising from 1952 through 1954 that made remarkable claims of protection for the smoker’s health were in part responsible for unprecedented declines in per capita cigarette consumption in 1953 and 1954. It has long been held that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) brought this competitive episode to a sudden halt by circulating a draft set of Cigarette Advertising Guides and subsequently enforcing those guidelines. Using a combination of documentary evidence and an analysis of cigarette advertising content, the author shows here that it was collusion on the part of the tobacco industry and not the actions of the FTC that brought the fear advertising of the early 1950s to an abrupt end.
Toward an Integrated Theory of Consumer Regulation
Authors: Venkatesh Alladi , Burger Philip C.
Published: March 2007

This article examines a wide body of research concerning the process and effects of consumer regulation. Contributions from Economics, Sociology, Law and other areas are examined and four major theoretical approaches to regulation are presented. It is our position that none of them deals effectively with the consumer's viewpoint. For example, in the capture theory, the producer's interest (or that of any other interest group) dominates. Public interest theory fails to develop a mechanism that links theory and practice. The social control theory of regulation explicitly assigns power to the government to control consumers. Consumer protection theory suggests that there could be considerable potential for government abuse of power when it assumes a paternalistic role.

What is needed is a consumer model of regulation that incorporates a non-paternal approach. Maintaining that the present approach of consumer research is too micro-empirically oriented, we propose a holistic approach that incorporates the goals of the government, industry and the consumer.
Socially Responsible Consumers: Profile and Implications for Public Policy
Authors: Antil John H.
Published: March 2007

Socially responsible consumption is an important prerequisite to successful voluntary conservation programs. This article reviews past research describing the socially responsible consumer and provides a more comprehensive profile of these consumers. Implications for the formation of public policy are discussed.
The Effects of Exporting and Importing on Two Dimensions of Economic Development: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Mullen Michael R.
Published: March 2007

A new theoretical model is developed to explain these controversial relationships. The a priori model receives support from a structural equation analysis of data from 107 countries. Exports are found to have a direct positive effect on an economic dimension and a direct negative effect on basic needs. Imports are shown to have the opposite direct effects. Indirect and total effects also are explored.
Breakfast in Detroit: Economics, Marketing, and Consumer Theory, 1930 to 1950
Authors: Mason Roger S.
Published: March 2007

Consumer theory struggled to establish itself in the early years of the twentieth century but made little contribution to marketing thought at that time. An uneasy relationship that had developed between marketing practitioners, marketing economists (that is, marketing academics who were economists by training and who drew primarily on the economics literature in their work), and mainstream economic theorists with respect to utility, value, consumer preference formation, and consumption. A growing lack of communication between the three groups was, at first, treated with indifference, but by the 1930s, had become too great to ignore. This article identifies the causes of tension that had developed over the years and looks at the attempts made by consumer economists to repair the damage and to achieve some reconciliation of ideas. In particular it describes events in the late 1930s and early 1940s, when concern over the relevance and direction of consumer theory reached a peak.
An Implementation of Model-Based Visual Feedback for Robot Arc Welding of Thin Sheet Steel
Authors: Clocksin W.F. , Bromley J.S.E. , Davey P.G. , Vidler A.R. , Morgan C.G.
Published: March 2007

Using conventional robots for metal/inert-gas (MIG) arc welding on thin (1- to 2-mm) sheet steel pressings is restricted by the difficulty of maintaining accurate fit-up and fixturing. Dimensional variations are introduced by wear of tools and fixtures, springback, and thermal distortion during welding. These variations cause errors in the position of the welding torch relative to the seam of as much as ±3.0 mm, preventing the formation of good welds. We describe an implemented system that forms and uses models for the automatic visually guided control of a MIG welding robot. The system uses its models to aid the detection of the following dimensional variations in sheet steel assemblies: gap width, standoff error, and lateral error. Lap, T, and butt joints are dealt with. By use of the model-based visual feedback techniques reported in this paper, errors in the position of the welding torch are corrected to within ±0.5 mm, which is a suitable tolerance for producing good welds in such assemblies. Furthermore, seam widths are detected to dynamically alter welding pa rameters. Artificial intelligence principles other than models are also used, including island parsing, back constraints, and pattern-directed inference.
Direct Kinematics and Assembly Modes of Parallel Manipulators
Authors: Merlet J-P.
Published: March 2007

In this article we address the problem of the direct kinematics of parallel manipulators and the corollary problem of their assembly modes (i.e., the different ways of assembling these mechanisms when their geometry are fixed).

As an example we consider first a 6-DOF manipulator with a trianglular mobile plate and variable links lengths. A geometric proof is presented to show that the number of assembly modes is at most 16. Then we show that solving the direct kinematics problem is equivalent to solve a l6th-order polynomial in one variable, which is presented. We exhibit one example for which there are effectively 16 assembly modes.

We extend then the results of this example to various architec tures of parallel manipulators with a triangular mobile plate (among them the famous Stewart platform). Unfortunately the method used in those cases cannot be extended to the most general parallel manipulators. We introduce a more general approach and present the results of this method on a particular case.
Specifying and Verifying Active Vision-Based Robotic Systems with the SIGNAL Environment
Authors: Marchand Eric , Rutten Éric , Marchand Hervé , Chaumette Francois
Published: March 2007

Active vision-based robot design involves a variety of techniques and formalisms, from kinematics to control theory, signal processing, and computer science. The programming of such systems there fore requires environments with many different functionalities, in a very integrated fashion to ensure consistency of the different parts. In significant applications, the correct specification of the global controller is not simple to achieve, as it mixes different levels of behavior, and must respect properties. In this paper we advocate the use of a strongly integrated environment that is able to deal with the design of such systems, from the specification of both continu ous and discrete parts down to the verification of dynamic behavior. The synchronous language SIGNAL is used here as a candidate in tegrated environment for the design of active vision systems. Our experiments show that SIGNAL, while not being an environment devoted to robotics (but more generally dedicated to control theory and signal processing), presentsfunctionalities and a degree ofinte gration that are relevant to the safe design of an active vision-based robotics system.
A Design and Control Environment for Internet-Based Telerobotics
Authors: Oboe Roberto , Fiorini Paolo
Published: March 2007

This paper describes an environment for the design, simulation, and control of Internet-based force-reflecting telerobotic systems. We define these systems as using a segment of the computer network to connect the master to the slave. Computer networks introduce a time delay that is best described by a time-varying random process. Thus, known techniques for controlling time-delay telerobots are not directly applicable, and an environment for iterative designing and testing is necessary. The underlying software architecture sup ports tools for modeling the delay of the computer network, design ing a stable controller, simulating the performance of a telerobotic system, and testing the control algorithms using a force-reflecting input device. Furthermore, this setup provides data about including the Internet into more general telerobotic control architectures. To demonstrate the features of this environment, the complete proce dure for the design of a telerobotic controller is discussed. First, the delay parameters of an Internet segment are identified by prob ing the network. Then, these parameters are used in the design of a controller that includes a quasi-optimal estimator to compensate small data losses. Finally, simulations of the complete telerobotic system and emulations using a planar force-reflecting master and a virtual slave exemplify a typical design-and-test sequence.
Sliced Configuration Spaces for Curved Planar Bodies
Authors: Sacks Elisha , Bajaj Chandrajit
Published: March 2007

We present the first practical, implemented configuration-space computation algorithm for a curved, planar object translating and rotating amidst stationary obstacles. The bodies are rigid, compact, regular, and bounded by a finite number of rational parametric curve segments. The algorithm represents the three-dimensional configu ration space as two-dimensional slices in which the moving object has a fixed orientation. It discretizes the configuration space into in tervals of equivalent slices separated by critical slices. The output is topologically correct and accurate to within a specified toler ance. We have implemented the algorithm for objects bounded by line segments and circular arcs, which is an important class for applications. The program is simple, fast, and robust. The slice representation is a natural and efficient abstract data type for geo metric computations in robotics and engineering.
Parallel-Coupled Micro-Macro Actuators
Authors: Morrell John B. , Salisbury J. Kenneth
Published: March 2007

This paper presents a new actuator system consisting of a micro- actuator and a macro-actuator coupled in parallel via a compliant transmission. The system is called the parallel-coupled micro-macro actuator, or PaCMMA.

In this system, the micro-actuator is capable of high-bandwidth force control owing to its low mass and direct-drive connection to the output shaft. The compliant transmission of the macro-actuator reduces the impedance (stiffness) at the output shaft, and increases the dynamic range of force. Performance improvement over single- actuator systems was expected in force control, impedance control, force distortion, and transient impact force reduction.

Several theoretical performance limits are derived from the sat uration limits of the system. A control law is presented. A prototype test bed was built and an experimental comparison was performed between this actuator concept and two single-actuator systems.

A set of quantitative measures is proposed and the actuator system is evaluated against them with the following results: force bandwidth of 56 Hz, torque dynamic range of 800: 1, peak torque of 1,040 mNm, and minimum torque of 1.3 mNm. Peak impactforce, fonce distortion, and back-driven impedance of the PaCMMA system are shown to be better than either of the single-actuator configurations considered.