bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Basis pursuit‐based intelligent diagnosis of bearing faults
Authors: Yang Hongyu , Mathew Joseph , Ma Lin
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to present a new application of pursuit‐based analysis for diagnosing rolling element bearing faults.

Design/methodology/approach

Intelligent diagnosis of rolling element bearing faults in rotating machinery involves the procedure of feature extraction using modern signal processing techniques and artificial intelligence technique‐based fault detection and identification. This paper presents a comparative study of both the basis and matching pursuits when applied to fault diagnosis of rolling element bearings using vibration analysis.

Findings

Fault features were extracted from vibration acceleration signals and subsequently fed to a feed forward neural network (FFNN) for classification. The classification rate and mean square error (MSE) were calculated to evaluate the performance of the intelligent diagnostic procedure. Results from the basis pursuit fault diagnosis procedure were compared with the classification result of a matching pursuit feature‐based diagnostic procedure. The comparison clearly illustrates that basis pursuit feature‐based fault diagnosis is significantly more accurate than matching pursuit feature‐based fault diagnosis in detecting these faults.

Practical implications

Intelligent diagnosis can reduce the reliance on experienced personnel to make expert judgements on the state of the integrity of machines. The proposed method has the potential to be extensively applied in various industrial scenarios, although this application concerned rolling element bearings only. The principles of the application are directly translatable to other parts of complex machinery.

Originality/value

This work presents a novel intelligent diagnosis strategy using pursuit features and feed forward neural networks. The value of the work is to ease the burden of making decisions on the integrity of plant through a manual program in condition monitoring and diagnostics particularly of complex pieces of plant.
Strain monitoring of railway bridges using optic fiber sensors
Authors: Zhan‐feng Gao , Yan‐liang Du , Bao‐chen Sun , Xiu‐mei Jin
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to suggest that Fraby‐Perot optic sensor is a practical measurement gage to monitor the strain of great structures such as railway bridges.

Design/methodology/approach

A remote strain monitoring system based on F‐P optic fiber and virtual instrument is designed to monitor the strains of a railway bridge.

Findings

The application results show that the Fraby‐Perot optical fiber sensors can accurately measure strain and they are suitable for the long‐term and automatic monitoring. In addition, the system has several advantages over conventional structural instruments including fast response, ability of both static and dynamic monitoring, absolute measurement, immunity to interferences such as lightning strikes, electromagnetic noise and radio frequency, low attenuation of light signals in long fiber optic cables.

Practical implications

Health monitoring of structures is getting more and more recognition all over the world because it can minimize the cost of reparation and maintenance and ensure the safety of structures. A strain monitoring system based on F‐P optic fiber sensor was developed according to the health monitoring requirements of Wuhu Yangtze River Railway Bridge, which is the first cable‐stayed bridge with a maximum span of 312 m carrying both railway and highway traffic in China. It has run stably in the monitoring field more than two years and fulfilled the monitoring requirement very well. Now the system has been transplanted successfully to the Zhengzhou Yellow Railway Bridge for strain monitoring. So the work can be referenced by other similar health monitoring projects.

Originality/value

Long‐term, real‐time monitoring of strain using FP fiber optic sensors in railway bridge is an innovation. A remote strain data acquisition and real‐time processing are another character of the system. The work studied can be referenced by other structures monitoring, such as tunnel, concrete bridges, concrete and earth dams.
A new heater design by radiation modeling and a new polymer waste‐saving mechanism design for the SIS process
Authors: Asiabanpour Bahram , Cano Robert , Subbareddy Chandrashekar , Wasik Farhana , VanWagner Lane , McCormick Thomas
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a heating system for the selective inhibition sintering (SIS) process that will produce uniform heat and minimize the polymer powder waste.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was conducted in two areas: the first was the production of uniform heat distribution. For this task, a lighting design software was used for the initial heater design. The result was then validated by thermal images, point‐by‐point temperature measurement, and physical part fabrication. The second area was the minimization of polymer powder waste. For this task, a finger‐based masking mechanism was designed, prototyped, and tested.

Findings

The lighting design software output illustrates that the square, crossed, and parallel patterns have very low variation and seem to be acceptable alternatives for the heating system pattern. Also, results show that the temperature variation for the ceramic heater is lower (therefore better) than the wire heater. Also, the study reveals that a finger‐based masking system design and prototype is very promising from the polymer powder waste‐saving standpoint.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to the software limitation, radiation is the only source of heat transfer in this research (convection and conduction were not considered). Also, a limited number of patterns were examined for the heater design; this number can be expanded in future research.

Originality/value

A new design and development method has been proposed for the heating system for the SIS process that could lead to better heaters and waste‐reducing mechanisms for the SIS process and similar applications.
Reflectance and transmittance of TrueFormTM powder and its composites to CO2 laser
Authors: Fan K.M. , Wong K.W. , Cheung W.L. , Gibson I.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of the effect of glass microsphere (GMS) and potassium bromide (KBr) powder as an additive on the reflectance and transmittance of TrueFormTM acrylic‐styrene co‐polymer (TF) powder to CO2 laser during selective laser sintering (SLS).

Design/methodology/approach

GMSs and KBr powder were chosen because glass is opaque to CO2 laser while KBr is transparent. The GMSs were treated with silane coupling agent and hydrofluoric acid to study the surface effect on the optical properties of TF/GMS blends. KBr powder was blend with TF powder in an attempt to modify the penetration depth of the laser in the powder bed. An integrating sphere was used to measure the reflectance of the powder bed. In the measurement of transmittance, a power meter was placed below the powder layer, which was supported by a KCl disc, to register the transmitted laser energy through the powder layer.

Findings

For the TF/GMS blends, smaller GMSs gave a higher reflectance while the surface treatments had little effect. The transmittance of both the polymer and the blends were very low. Although bulk KBr is highly transparent to CO2 laser, adding 30 vol% of KBr powder to TF hardly increased the transmittance of the powder bed.

Research limitations/implications

Experiments were carried out on a modified laser engraving machine rather than a commercial SLS machine. The laser energy density used was lower than that for normal SLS processes and no significant changes of physical condition of the powder bed were inflicted. The results only indicate the optical properties in the initial state.

Practical implications

The effects of transparent and non‐transparent fillers on the optical properties of the powder bed are presented.

Originality/value

This work furthers the understanding of heat absorption behavior of the powder bed during SLS.
Rapid tooling form accuracy estimation using region elimination adaptive search based sampling technique
Authors: Hanumaiah Naga , Ravi B.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an investigation on the straightness, flatness and circularity achievable on two direct RT methods: direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) and stereolithography (SLA).

Design/methodology/approach

The steps included manufacturing of samples in eight custom designs with widely used geometric features, intelligent sampling of measurement data, and estimation of corresponding form tolerance by the least square method (LSM). The region elimination adaptive search‐based sampling method involved selecting additional sampling points around the maximum deviation in both positive and negative directions from the corresponding reference feature. The LSM solutions, which are commonly used in metrology, are used to estimate the form tolerances considering the best points along with initial measurement data points.

Findings

Application of the region elimination search‐based sampling method enables form tolerance estimation from a limited number of sample measurements. The study of the DMLS and SLA processes suggested that form accuracy of SLA samples are relatively poor, though their dimensional accuracy is much better than DMLS.

Research limitations/implications

This paper was focused on estimating the form tolerances based on limited number of measurement data using region elimination search‐based sampling technique. It was assumed that build process parameters suggested by the material and RP systems vendors gives optimum results, presently it does not cover the effect of geometry and other causes of errors on form accuracy.

Practical implications

There are two major applications of this investigation and the corresponding knowledge base: evaluating the process capabilities of different rapid tooling processes for comparison and for selecting an appropriate process; and allocating tolerance based on manufacturability considerations, so that the designs are compatible with the process, leading to fewer iterations. A similar approach can be used for updating the capabilities of an improved process as well as include newer processes to develop a comprehensive database of RT process capabilities.

Originality/value

In most of the previous benchmarking studies, a given RT process is compared with conventional practice or a limited number of other RT processes, the capabilities in terms of dimensional accuracy, form tolerance, and surface properties (surface finish, wear, and scratch resistance) have not been studied very well. To the best of authors' knowledge, no efforts have been made to estimate form tolerances of the parts or tooling produced by rapid prototyping and tooling processes. Application of the region elimination search‐based sampling technique enables estimation of form tolerances that saves costly experimentations. It appears to be completely new in the rapid prototyping and tooling domain.
Strategic alliances in logistics outsourcing
Authors: Song Yim‐Yu , Maher Thomas E. , Nicholson Joel D. , Gurney Nicholas P.
Published: June 2007

Looks at the problems of logistics in military operations and today’s commercial businesses. Traces the development of logistics management from a subordinate activity within a product producing entity to its performance by a separate entity which specializes in this area and requires a strategic alliance. Looks at this issue from the perspective of the outsourcing company and the logistical company. Considers what happens when this process is reversed and provides implications for the future.
Sales strategies of car dealers during currency crisis in the Philippines
Authors: Kuang‐Jung Chen
Published: June 2007

Describes the findings of a study into sales approaches taken by car dealerships during the slump of the Philippine economy. Covers 287 respondents across 29 dealerships of Japanese manufacturers. Provides rationale for some of the actions taken such as expansion and new models. Suggests that the study opens a new area of possibly more sophisticated research on the Filipino car‐buying pattern with the focus on the buyer, not techniques employed.
Travel agents’ attitudes towards automation and the delivery of service
Authors: Deng Shengliang , Lawson Rob , Moutinho Luiz
Published: June 2007

Presents an exploratory study on travel agents’ attitudes towards automation. Surveys 167 travel agents from both Canada and New Zealand. Shows that there are four distinct groups of agents whose attitudes towards automation differ quite substantially and that these attitudes are related not so much to current use of technology but more to perceived future usage.
Encouraging fashion entrepreneurship in Singapore
Authors: Poon Teng Fatt James
Published: June 2007

Focuses on entrepreneurship in the fashion industry in Singapore, especially in the business of apparel fashion designing and retailing. Examines the factors that contribute to that success of this industry. Considers the support given to the fashion entrepreneur and the fashion schools in Singapore, including the difficulties encountered in starting and running such a business and the success factors. Concludes that the limited domestic market and lack of capital are the major difficulties. Suggests that whilst support has increased over the years, talent, the availability of capital and hard work seem to be the deciding factors determining success.
Advertising to ethnic subcultures: a study with bilingual Korean‐Americans
Authors: Dublish Sandipa
Published: June 2007

Examines the issue of how variations in language used in advertising affect advertising preference with a sample of bilingual, Korean Americans. Uses past literature to hypothesise that the level of acculturation would moderate ethnic consumers’ preference for advertisements in English versus their native language. Extends previous research in the field of ethnic advertising by considering whether findings from studies conducted with Hispanic American consumers are applicable to Asian Americans. Shows that no significant differences were detected in bilingual Korean American preferences for advertisements in which the message was presented in English as compared with those that used Humgul (Korean language) to communicate with the audience. Concludes with suggestions for further research.
A cross‐cultural examination of the general theory of marketing ethics: does it apply to the next generation of managers?
Authors: Donoho Casey L. , Polonsky Michael J. , Roberts Scott , Cohen David A.
Published: June 2007

Confirms the empirical test of Hunt and Vitell’s general theory of marketing ethics by Mayo and Marks across four cultures. Uses path analysis to show the core relationships of the general theory of marketing ethics were successfully replicated using over 1,500 students from seven universities in the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, and Australia. States that tomorrow’s managers appeared to use a more deontological approach to making ethical judgements about personal selling. Extends its original research by confirming the positive relationship between the probability and the desirability of consequences. Concludes that, although the model was originally intended to explain management ethical decision making, the study shows that it may be possible to generalize as to how individuals make ethical life decisions.
Social comparison and possessions: Japan vs Canada
Authors: Ogden Harold J. , Venkat Ramesh
Published: June 2007

Compares the social comparison experience on young Japanese adults with a similar one on young Canadians. Reveals that satisfaction of the Japanese with their possessions did not change with the social comparison experience in the same way as it did with Canadians. Suggests the Japanese reaction was on a more general level of effect with possessions, rather than simply satisfaction as was the case in Canada. Observes an interaction between direction of social comparison and respondents’ gender that was considerably different in nature from that of Canadians. Suggests that Canadians had a stronger desire for more and better possessions, willingness to strive for more possessions, together with a high degree of how possessions contribute to self‐image.
The founding of the Born Global company in Denmark and Australia: sensemaking and networking
Authors: Rasmussan Erik S. , Koed Madsen Tage , Evangelista Felicitas
Published: June 2007

Attempts to consider how a founder has reduced equivocality in relation to support networks and reducing risks, especially in an international environment. Presents the case studies of five Danish and Australian born global companies. Considers different global models and their limitations. Presents the findings of recent surveys in this area. Concludes that internationalization has not been the primary objective in the founding process and gives direction for further research.
Strategy making by multicultural groups – it works if leadership is effective
Authors: Vallaster Christine
Published: June 2007

Attempts to demonstrate how a shared vision amongst group members is developed. Endeavours to understand the process through which members of a multicultural group, Asian and Western, develop and sustain a consensus, the way they interpret, give meaning and make sense of what went on during the process of strategic decision making. Explores the cross‐cultural differences in cognitive perception, affective and communicative dimensions. Suggests that findings show these categories as highly interrelated and determine the shared vision.
Examining the effects of environmental interchangeability with overseas students: a cross cultural comparison
Authors: Ryan Maria M. , Ogilvie Madeleine
Published: June 2007

Reports the findings from a study examining how overseas students adapt to their new country of residence. Looks at the place attachment process of migrant students studying in Australia and Singapore. Focuses the analysis on adaptation to the physical and social environments. Discusses attachments to objects and provides suggestions as to how universities can assist in the adjustment process.
The reliability of Webster’s marketing culture instrument: some western Australian findings
Authors: McNeil Margaret , Myers Stephen , Adam Douglas
Published: June 2007

Explores the reliability of Webster’s (1990) instrument for measuring the marketing culture of an organization. Uses data from 1,400 western Australian employees of a large public sector service organisation to create a detailed analysis of Webster’s six dimensions, service quality, interpersonal relationships, selling task, organisation internal communication and innovation. Highlights methodological concerns that in the present study some items on Webster’s (1990) battery moved to different factors, resulting in a lower alpha reliability for the service quality dimension. Suggests that some items require rewording to make their intended meaning more explicit.
American executives’ perceptions of the business climate of the two emerging markets of India and China
Authors: Panigrahi Bhagaban , Ede Fred O. , Calcich Stephen
Published: June 2007

Presents the results of an empirical investigation into American executives’ perceptions of business climates in India and China. Addresses six distinct issues cocnerning economy, management, marketing, government, labour and finance. Attempts to establish the homogeneity of internal consistency of the shortened version of Buntzman’s 31 item scale used in the study. Surveyed 110 US businessmen working in these countries. Suggests that findings show India to possess a more favourable business climate but perceive China’s economy to be better.
The effect of adaptors’ race and the cultural adaptation on attraction: Americans adapting to Thais
Authors: Pornpitakpan Chanthika
Published: June 2007

Investigates the effect of adaptors’ race and cultural adaptation on attraction when American salespersons adapt to Thai buyers. Suggests that the results support the hypohtesis that the race of foreigners, despite the fact that they were born and raised in the same country moderates the effect of adaptation on attraction. Highlights that when Americans do adapt their behaviour, adaptation by those who are more racially different from the Thai perceivers is more effective than those who are less racially different. Provides some managerial implications.
Forecast of non‐alcoholic beverage sales in Taiwan using the Grey theory
Authors: Lin Chin‐Tsai , Hsu Pi‐Fang
Published: June 2007

This study applied the GM(1,1) model of Grey theory to forecast sales of eight sub‐category non‐alcoholic beverages in Taiwan between 2001 and 2003. According to our measured results, the accuracy of the new forecasting model exceeds 95 per cent. The validity of predictions using the new model is clearly high. The model estimates that the total beverages market will grow, but growth rates will vary for individual sub‐categories. In relation to current growth, from 2001 to 2003, tea drinks, carbonated drinks, functional drinks and sports drinks will experience decreased market growth, while bottled water and fruit and vegetable juices will be a high growth market and coffee drinks and other drinks will enjoy improved sales. These results provide a valuable reference for the Taiwanese beverage industry developing marketing plans.
The ski slope to prosperity: an analysis of the potential impact of reverse auctions in government procurement in five Southeast Asian nations
Authors: Settoon Randall P. , Wyld David C.
Published: June 2007

The Institute for Supply Management recently declared that the cost savings and efficiencies to be gained through e‐Sourcing can provide benefits not only to individual entities that use them for the acquisition of goods and services, but in the aggregate, to the economy as a whole (Davies, 2002). This study examines the potential impact of strategic implementation of e‐Sourcing in public procurement in Southeast Asia. The results of the study demonstrate that the use of competitive bidding events, popularly known as reverse auctions, when used as part of an overall e‐Sourcing program, can have demonstrable economic and budgetary benefits. Using governmental data supplied by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank and employing proven econometric methodologies, the study shows that their would be vast differences in Asian economies as a result of the effective use of competitive bidding events as part of an overall e‐Sourcing strategy. We conclude by presenting an action plan for implementing an e‐Sourcing strategy for acquisition practices.
Fareast goes West – new opportunities for Asian brands in Europe
Authors: Joachim Fuchs Hans
Published: June 2007

Posits Asian countries have to redefine their competitive strategies and adjust their industries to the new situation that is happening in Europe. States Asian companies in the European climate require a new brand management approach, whereas in the USA 60 per cent of imported consumer hard goods come from China, but reckons this over‐dependence is dangerous and this is why Chinese companies are targeting Europe.
Satisfying different customer groups for IS outsourcing: a Korean IS company’s experience
Authors: Kim Bowon , Park Kyungbae , Kim Jinyong
Published: June 2007

It is important for an IT service company (IS company) to fully take into account the differences in customer satisfaction across different customer groups. In this article, we consider three layers of customers in the client company. There are project directors who interface with and accept the final product (i.e. IT system) from the IS company, users who actually use the IT system for their daily operations, and finally operators who do maintenance works for the IT system. We propose that each customer group (i.e. project director, user, or operator) evaluates the IT systems success with a different set of criteria. Transaction relationship and partnership turn out to be important determinants for the project directors: task‐related and IS‐related output performances seem to be less influential. The reverse conclusion can be made for users and operators. One additional insight is that IS company’s efforts to understand its customer’s tasks and share risks with the customer company might have unexpected effects. Although the project directors seem to like such close involvement, it can be detrimental to the users’ satisfaction with the IS outsourcing projects.
Perceived impact of thin female models in advertising: a cross‐cultural examination of third person perception and its impact on behaviors
Authors: Wan Fang , Faber Ronald J. , Fung Anthony
Published: June 2007

This study seeks to determine if body image disturbance and eating disorders that have plagued Western women are now becoming more common in Asia as well. Additionally, it attempts to examine perceptions of the impact of models in advertising in both cultures. The third person effect which states that people believe the media impacts others more than themselves is tested to determine if this contributes to behaviors related to body image. A comparison of responses from young women inHong Kong and the US indicate that both cultures are similar in the degree of body dissatisfaction and dieting behavior exhibited. However, Western women spend significantly more time exercising and are more willing to have plastic surgery to improve their appearance. The third person effect appears robust across cultures, but generally does not contribute significantly to explaining body image related attitudes and behaviors. The results have important implications for both third person effect and cross cultural consumer behavior.
Marketing in Asia‐Pacific logistics companies: a discriminant analysis between marketing orientation and performance
Authors: Panayides Photis M.
Published: June 2007

The marketing literature has emphasised the importance of marketing orientation as a means of achieving organisational objectives. A number of studies that have examined the marketing orientation and business performance relationship have found mixed results culminating in inconclusive evidence. This paper examines the marketing practices and investigates the marketing strategy‐business performance relationship across logistics companies in the Asia‐Pacific region. The exploratory analysis suggests a positive relationship between market segmentation and performance. Differentiation and market orientation do not seem to be significantly associated with improved performance, although cross‐functional customer focus shows a significant relationship. Further discriminant analysis of the significant predictor variables suggests that two variables, viz. market segmentation and positioning, and cross‐functional customer focus are useful in differentiating between high and low performers. Managerial and further research implications for this increasingly important industry in the Asia‐Pacific region are discussed.
Assessing import channels for a land‐locked country: the case of Lao PDR
Authors: Banomyong Ruth
Published: June 2007

Lao PDR, as the sole land‐locked country in South East Asia, is dependent upon available infrastructure in neighbouring countries for fast and efficient import of goods. The validity of a cost model for multimodal transport, which was originally proposed by Beresford and Dubey (1990) and developed by Beresford (1999), is tested against a real case in international logistics, namely the import of wine from Marseilles in France to Vientiane in Lao PDR. The main elements of the model are as follows: cost, time, distance, transport mode and intermodal transfer. The model is tested using real data over a series of alternative routes between Marseilles and Vientiane. The selection of appropriate international logistics system will have a direct impact on the efficiency of Lao PDR import channels. The research findings clearly demonstrate that the “sea‐road” combination via Danang Port in Vietnam is the most competitive in terms of costs while the “sea‐rail‐road” option via port Klang in Malaysia and through Thailand offers the fastest transit time.
A brand share prediction model based on several disparate sources of data: an empirical model of detergent choice in Mumbai, India
Authors: Banerjee Arindam
Published: June 2007

We describe the application of a nested logit function for modelling consumer brand choice using household transaction data from the Indian market. This is unique since it is one of the first attempts to integrate disparate consumer information sources available at various levels of aggregation towards developing a prediction model for brand market share in India. We test the usefulness of the model for forecasting brand market share in the premium detergents market in Mumbai, India. The results of the model building exercise reveal the importance of advertising, specifically the role of ad message in influencing brand choice. It is concluded that such modelling initiatives show significant returns for market planning exercises in developing markets. However, the need for streamlining the collection of market data and its subsequent organization in a form that can help develop more portent prediction models is apparent.
The impact of the English language on cross‐cultural consumer research in Asia and Latin America
Authors: Black Gregory S.
Published: June 2007

This article reports a study using respondents from three different cultures – traditional Americans, Hispanics, and Taiwanese – to assess the reliabilities of measures assessing 29 consumer constructs used in various studies reported in major marketing journals. In general, these measures were designed for use with a traditional American sample and are not reported to have been used with other cultural samples. Results indicate that for respondents who demonstrate a certain level of English language fluency, regardless of where they are from, these measures perform reliably across cultures. Thus, under certain circumstances, the fears that researchers have about instrument reliability across cultures may be largely ungrounded.
Role of supplementary services in the purchase of credit card services in India
Authors: Goyal Anita
Published: June 2007

Service products being intangible and experiential in nature are different to evaluate prior to purchase and consumption. Consumers perceive risk while purchasing services and rely on various information sources to make a purchase decision. In services, personal sources of information are considered more than non‐personal sources of information. The present study focuses on understanding the significance of supplementary services as nonpersonal source of information to consumers for pre‐purchase evaluation of credit card services. In other words, whether information regarding supplementary services can help consumers make pre‐purchase evaluation of credit cards. In addition to pre‐purchase evaluation, the impact of supplementary services is studied towards post‐purchase evaluation of credit card services. Supplementary services being a part of full service product offer by marketers can be utilised as a beneficial tool to create interest and developing awareness among consumers.
Effect of product usage, satisfaction and involvement on brand switching behaviour
Authors: Shukla Paurav
Published: June 2007

The study addresses the effect of product usage, satisfaction derived out of the same and the brand switching behaviour in several product categories while looking at the product involvement level in the Indian marketplace. A fair amount of work has been done in the area of customer satisfaction and loyalty and many customer satisfaction indexes are available in the market using different variables and characteristics. The study attempts to understand the brand switching behaviour of the customers and its relation not with just satisfaction derived out of the product but also connects to the usage pattern of the customers and product involvement. Five categories (vehicles, television, soap, hair oil, and ice cream), involving varying levels of involvement were chosen. Cluster analysis was used to understand the grouping of the characteristics across the categories and their effect on brand switching behaviour in correlation with satisfaction and involvement level. It was observed that product usage and related level of satisfaction fail to explain the brand switching behaviour. Product involvement was found to have moderate impact on readiness to switch. The study emphasises that marketers will have to keep a constant eye to understand the usage pattern associated with their products and the satisfaction derived out of it and also at how customers involve themselves with the product to lessen the brand switching behaviour among their customers.
A proposed method for the development of marketing mix of the tea drink market
Authors: Wu Couchen , Wu Shwu‐Ing
Published: June 2007

Explores ways of developing the marketing mix for the market in drinking tea, rejecting a number of existing marketing mix models. Adapts methods popular in product design and applies them to the marketing mix of the tea‐drinking market. Uses Suh’s principle of product design, explaining it in detail, then applies this to drinking tea, using a random sampling survey to discover consumer needs, perceptions and attitudes. Reports also on an empirical study of 799 Taiwanese households to find out more about the Oriental tea market. Presents the data analysis, including a comparison of brand loyalty. Indicates that market segmentation and marketing mix should be developed simultaneously and claims that this paper provides a method for doing that.
Developing green products: learning from stakeholders
Authors: Polonsky Michael Jay , Rosenberger Philip J. , Ottman Jacquelyn
Published: June 2007

The complexities of environmental issues require that when developing new green products marketers have to seek‐out, involve and learn from stakeholders with environmental expertise. These stakeholders have information that lies outside the organisation’s main area of expertise and can assist the firm in developing less environmentally harmful products. This article examines US and Australian markets’ perceptions of stake‐holders’ potential to influence the green new product development (NPD) process and what strategies can be used to involve stakeholders in this process. The findings suggest that marketers believe some stakeholders with “high” influencing abilities should be involved in the green NPD process, although it appears that in practice, firms use very basic methods to include these stakeholders. It also appears that there is limited formal interaction between the firm and its stakeholders and that respondents are not engaging and learning from others with green product expertise.
Factors influencing Taiwanese consumer preference for foreign‐made white goods: USA versus Japan
Authors: Lundstrom William J. , Lee Oscar W. , Steven White D.
Published: June 2007

Considers the factors which influence Taiwanese decisions to buy Japanese or US refrigerators, basing the conclusions on the results of a survey of 586 respondents drawn from Taiwan’s four largest cities – Taipei, Kaoshiung, Taichung and Tainan. Describes how the questionnaires were constructed and pretested, and explains how the data was recorded (using a 5‐point Likert‐type scale) and analysed (using factor analysis and t‐tests). Tests particularly for cultural values of the Chinese, consumer ethnocentrism, openness to foreign culture, country image, and consumer sophistication. Finds that, despite the longer presence of Japanese goods in Taiwan, Japan’s proximity to Taiwan, and more cultural similarities between the Japanese and Taiwanese, Taiwanese consumers rate the USA’s country image factor higher than Japan’s, with consequent implications regarding intention to buy US goods. Recommends that US marketers build on their advantageous country image when they promote US appliances in foreign markets. Cautions against making too much of this snapshot data but concedes that further research into different foreign markets, different appliances, and with a longitudinal approach, would ascertain if findings are consistent with this survey, which has obvious benefits as new markets, such as China and India, open up to western goods and appliances.
A lifestyle analysis of New Zealand customers
Authors: Todd Sarah , Lawson Rob , Faris Fiona
Published: June 2007

Presents the results of a survey of consumer lifestyles in New Zealand, undertaken in 1995‐96, and compares the findings with those of a previous study undertaken in 1989. Describes the research methodology – questionnaire construction, data collection (3773 questionnaires analysed), sample representation, and data analysis (k‐means non‐hierarchical clustering techniques on SPSS for Windows). Identifies seven segments of the population and their relative sizes. Categorizes these segments as: active family values people; conservative quiet lifers; educated liberals; accepting mid‐lifers; success‐driven extroverts; pragmatic strugglers; and social strivers. Records changes that have been observed since 1989, specifically in attitudes towards the self, opinions about the family, social standards, and New Zealand as a country in which to live. Points out that groups have had to be renamed as their emphasis has shifted and that numbers have swelled some groups while shrinking others – particularly noticeable is the disappearance of active family values people (and their replacement with pragmatic strugglers) and the emerging accepting mid‐lifers group. Provides an insight into New Zealand’s consumer lifestyles and indicates how change affects values and lifestyles.
A study of children’s consumer socialization in Hong Kong over a five‐year period: income spending and saving
Authors: McNeal James U. , Herndon Neil C. , Yeh Chyon‐Hwa
Published: June 2007

Reports on two studies conducted in Hong Kong, one in 1989, the other in 1994, to see if children’s socialization as consumers has changed in the intervening years. Formulates hypotheses, based on the earlier research, that children will receive spending money by the time they are four, that the amount will increase as they get older, children will spend money by the age of four, they will also save money, older children will visit more shops than younger children, and children will go shopping without parents by the age of four. Outlines the research methodology used – 318 questionnaires used for analysis, composition of the sample of respondents, demographics – and records how analysis of variance was used to make comparisons with data from the earlier study. Considers income, spending and saving attitudes in children, as well as how they spend and what they buy. Finds that, in 1994 (compared to 1989) children aged 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12 receive more money; 4, 7 and 10 year olds spend a higher percent of their income, saving has decreased for 4, 7 and 10 year olds, children’s real income has doubled since 1989, independent shopping trips seem to have been postponed until the child is 6 but co‐shopping with parents has increased for all ages; most shopping trips without parents focused on food stores and street vendors that were easily accessible from home, but purchasing behaviour has not changed significantly. Indicates that Hong Kong children are pursuing a western (US) model of spending income, rather than the Chinese model of saving, and that children are undergoing consumer socialization and consumer education – as evidenced by the single fact that in 1994 $161.8 million was spent in Hong Kong by children aged 4‐12.
Assessing service climate at an Australian university
Authors: Brenders David A. , Hope Peter , Ninnan Abraham
Published: June 2007

Presents the findings of a qualitative study of university science, the Student Focus Project, as it relates to the concept of service culture as defined by McCormack, Neil and Triplett. Assessed 24 focus groups of undergraduate students to find out opinions on positive and negative aspects of student life. Concludes that the approach highlighted reliable themes regarding successes and failure of the university service culture.
Tourist behaviour and the determinants of secondary destination
Authors: Liu Chu‐Mei
Published: June 2007

Outlines the findings of a study into the secondary destination choices of tourists visiting the Philippines. Defines the tourist mega‐system. Looks at the framework and methodology used and attempts to link these with the holistic approach of Jafari regarding tourism structure and stages which the tourists go through.
Strategies for Japan’s protected market: rice as a case in point
Authors: Wong Yim‐Yu , Furuse Tae , Maher Thomas E.
Published: June 2007

Outlines the Japanese system of protectionism as a global barrier and focuses on the rice markets as one of the first markets to be opened up. Analyses the reasons for this and offers strategies for overseas companies to take advantage of this opportunity. Suggest that these examples can then be applied to other markets.
Survival strategies of hightech corporations: applicable insights from executive narratives
Authors: Chacko George K.
Published: June 2007

Gives an in depth view of the strategies pursued by the world’s leading chief executive officers in an attempt to provide guidance to new chief executives of today. Considers the marketing strategies employed, together with the organizational structures used and looks at the universal concepts that can be applied to any product. Uses anecdotal evidence to formulate a number of theories which can be used to compare your company with the best in the world. Presents initial survival strategies and then looks at ways companies can broaden their boundaries through manipulation and choice. Covers a huge variety of case studies and examples together with a substantial question and answer section.
Low Temperature Sinterable Multilayer Glass‐ceramic Substrates
Authors: Fu S.L. , Chen L.S. , Lu J.N.
Published: June 2007

Substrate
materials that can be sintered at temperatures lower than 1000°C have been prepared and
studied. The main compositions were achieved by adding low softening point glasses to cordierite. A
96‐97% relative density can be obtained for cordierite to which 50‐60 wt
% borosilicate glass is added. The dielectric constants are approximately 5.5‐6.5, and
the loss tangents are below 2% at 1 MHz. Lamination of five layers of the aforementioned
material tape‐cast into green tapes (40 mm × 40 mm) can be sintered into a
single substrate (34 mm × 34 mm). In addition, the compatibility between the
substrate material and the inner electrode and buried resistor material has also been studied.
Large AI/SiC Baseplate Packages for Digital and Microwave
Applications
Authors: Lefeuvre A. , Caplot M. , Stranieri C. , Massiot P.
Published: June 2007

Packages for multichip modules in
military airborne applications must hava some fundamental characteristics: high
thermal conductivity, low density, good mechanical properties and a coefficient of thermal
expansion nearly equal to that of the microelectronic substrate installed in the package. In
many cases, the substrate is alumina with a CTE of 6.5 ppm/°C. Materials such as
aluminium, titanium or Kovar fulfil only part of the above requirements. This is critical when
large packages are used, such as in electronic warfare systems where modules include
wideband RF circuits with large alumina substrates next to dense digital circuits. The solution
is then aluminium/ silicon carbide (Al/SiC). The
aim of the paper is to present the development and qualification of large packages combining
both RF and digital circuitry. The size taken into account in the study is 220 × 220
mm: it covers most of the electronic needs in terms of surface. Various aspects have
been analysed from the perspective of the package manufacturer and the end‐user. The interest of Al/SiC is shown by a thermal analysis of a
conduction cooled module with different core materials: the reduction in temperature
gradient, which for some components reaches 20° C, has a strong effect on the module
reliability. The different technological choices, for a first type of packages, are
described: an Al/SiC baseplate with an iron‐nickel alloy for the ring and
the lid, brazed feedthroughs (within the Al/SiC baseplate) and connectors,
surface treatment, ring brazing material, lid welding technique. A second type of packages is
also presented: the main difference lies in the interconnections. RF ceramic
(HTCC) inserts are introduced in the ring frame. Various RF measurements show
the interest of the different package technologies, especially the ceramic inserts with very good
results up to 20 GHz.
Combifilm: A Novel Thick‐ and Thin‐film Technology with Two Signal Layers for High‐speed Hybrid Circuits Signal Layers for High‐speed Hybrid Circuits
Authors: Pedersen U.P.I. , Aaserud O. , Bungum O.W.
Published: June 2007

This paper describes the processing and electrical
characterisation of an interconnection substrate technology called Combifilm. The study focuses on
digital applications. According to calculations, the conductivity of the reference plane is shown not to be
critical in the low gigahertz range. Electrical measurements were performed at low and high frequencies
(up to 5 GHz). Measurements of the attenuation were compared with calculations. Crosstalk
measurements were carried out from different line pitches and compared with numerical calculations. It
was determined that a line pitch of 300 μm would give sufficiently low crosstalk for many digital
applications. The SUSPENS model was used to estimate the performance of
different substrate technologies for modules with high speed ECL circuits. Two hypothetical systems
with different wiring demands were studied for each technology. For a module with low or moderate
wiring demands, Combifilm yielded a silicon efficiency (silicon‐to‐substrate
ratio) and a clock rate that were between the PCB‐based
chip‐on‐board technology and thin‐film multilayer technology. The estimated
clock rate was about 60% of that of the wire‐bonded thin‐film module. The
module size of Combifilm was shown to be sensitive to the wiring demand, and for a high wiring density
case the estimated size was approximately the same as for a chip‐on‐board module.
Laser Beam Micro Welding as a New Interconnection Technique
Authors: Glasmacher M. , Pucher H.‐J.
Published: June 2007

Laser Beam Micro Welding represents an alternative joining technique to the well known soldering processes. Hereby the leads are welded directly to the conducting tracks of the circuit board. The advantages such as high temperature strength,
reduced manufacturing time and simplified material separation at the end of the life‐cycle can
be used successfully, if the drawbacks such as sensitive process behaviour are well controlled. To
obtain this objective, the basic principles of laser beam heating and characteristic process stages of
different micro welding scenarios are discussed. Applying simplified solutions of the equation of heat
conduction, good parameter sets can be found for different welding applications. These examples
show the potential of laser beam welding in the field of microelectronics.