bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shop until you drop? An exploratory analysis of mall experiences
Authors: Gilboa Shaked , Vilnai‐Yavetz Iris
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The present exploratory study aims to link various fields of inquiry dealing with the consumer experience so as to conceptualise the mall experience and delineate its components.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 119 informants wrote narratives about their mall experience. Of these stories, 100 underwent narrative and content analysis in order to identify key components of the mall experience.

Findings

The findings show that the mall experience can be conceptualised as a holistic subjective phenomenon, encompassing a behavioural core accompanied by cognitive and emotional reactions. Four different mall experiences were identified: seductive, interactive museum, social arena, and functional.

Research limitations/implications

This exploratory study offers a theoretical conceptualisation of the mall experience.

Originality/value

The paper offers a new conceptualisation of the mall experience, based on a behavioural core with associated cognitive and emotional reactions. The paper identifies four types of mall experience. It redefines the impact of the physical environment on customers' reactions; expands the theory regarding hedonic and utilitarian consumption; and stresses the social role of the mall.
Direct versus indirect channels
Authors: Nicolau Juan L.
Published: January 2013

Purpose

This article aims to investigate whether intermediaries reduce loss aversion in the context of a high‐involvement non‐frequently purchased hedonic product (tourism packages).

Design/methodology/approach

The study incorporates the reference‐dependent model into a multinomial logit model with random parameters, which controls for heterogeneity and allows representation of different correlation patterns between non‐independent alternatives.

Findings

Differentiated loss aversion is found: consumers buying high‐involvement non‐frequently purchased hedonic products are less loss averse when using an intermediary than when dealing with each provider separately and booking their services independently. This result can be taken as identifying consumer‐based added value provided by the intermediaries.

Practical implications

Knowing the effect of an increase in their prices is crucial for tourism collective brands (e.g. “sun and sea”, “inland”, “green destinations”, “World Heritage destinations”). This is especially applicable nowadays on account of the fact that many destinations have lowered prices to attract tourists (although, in the future, they will have to put prices back up to their normal levels). The negative effect of raising prices can be absorbed more easily via indirect channels when compared to individual providers, as the influence of loss aversion is lower for the former than the latter. The key implication is that intermediaries can – and should – add value in competition with direct e‐tailing.

Originality/value

Research on loss aversion in retailing has been prolific, exclusively focused on low‐involvement and frequently purchased products without distinguishing the direct or indirect character of the distribution channel. However, less is known about other types of products such as high‐involvement non‐frequently purchased hedonic products. This article focuses on the latter and analyzes different patterns of loss aversion in direct and indirect channels.
Extending the prevalent consumer loyalty modelling: the role of habit strength
Authors: Ottar Olsen Svein , Alina Tudoran Ana , Brunsø Karen , Verbeke Wim
Published: January 2013

Purpose

This study aims to address the role of habit strength in explaining loyalty behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses 2,063 consumers' data from a survey in Denmark and Spain, and multigroup structural equation modelling to analyse the data. The paper describes an approach employing the psychological meanings of the habit construct, such as automaticity, lack of awareness or very little conscious deliberation.

Findings

The findings suggest that when habits start to develop and gain strength, less planning is involved, and that the loyalty behaviour sequence mainly occurs guided by automaticity and inertia. A new model with habit strength as a mediator between satisfaction and loyalty behaviour provides a substantial increase in explained variance in loyalty behaviour over the traditional model with intention as a mediator.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existent literature by providing an extension of the prevalent consumer loyalty theorizing by integrating the concept of habit strength and by generating new knowledge concerning the conscious/strategic and unconscious/automatic nature of consumer loyalty. The study derives managerial implications on how to facilitate habit formation and how to influence habit‐based versus intention‐based loyalty behaviour. The external validity of this study is assured by nationwide representative samples in two countries.
Corporate governance disclosure in the annual report
Authors: Darmadi Salim
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore disclosure on corporate governance mechanisms in annual reports of Islamic commercial banks in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a sample comprising seven Islamic commercial banks in Indonesia, the present study constructs the so‐called Corporate Governance Disclosure Index (CGDI) to score the banks' disclosure level. Corporate governance mechanisms addressed in this study include Shariah Supervisory Board, the Board of Commissioners, the Board of Directors, board committees, internal control and external audit, and risk management.

Findings

It is revealed that Bank Muamalat and Bank Syariah Mandiri, the county's two largest and oldest Islamic commercial banks, score higher than their peers. Disclosure of the sample banks on some dimensions, such as board members and risk management, is found to be strong. On the other hand, disclosure on internal control and board committees tends to be weak.

Practical implications

This study shows that the average disclosure level among the sample banks is relatively low. Hence, this result has important implications for the enhancement of corporate governance disclosure of Islamic banks, thereby wider acceptance and enhanced reputation could be gained.

Originality/value

This paper is believed to be among the first to explore the practice of disclosure on corporate governance mechanisms among Islamic commercial banks. Additionally, it focuses on Indonesia, the largest Muslim country that has a different institutional setting from that in other Muslim countries.
Comparative study of the performance of Islamic and conventional banks
Authors: Wasiuzzaman Shaista , Nair Gunasegavan Umadevi
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to analyze the differences in bank characteristics of Islamic and conventional banks in Malaysia, especially when it comes to their profitability, capital adequacy, liquidity, operational efficiency and asset quality are also considered. Corporate governance issues and economic conditions are also included in the analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 14 banks (nine conventional and five Islamic) were considered over the period of 2005‐2009. Three stages of analysis were performed. First, descriptive statistics were computed to understand the differences in characteristics of the two types of banks. Next, to determine whether these differences were significant, independent t‐tests were carried out on each variable. Finally, regression analysis was carried out to analyze the effect of the variables on bank profitability.

Findings

It is found that the return on average assets, bank size and board size values of conventional banks was higher compared to Islamic banks. The other variables – operational efficiency, asset quality, liquidity, capital adequacy and board independence – were higher for Islamic banks. Significant differences between the two bank types were found for all the variables, except for profitability and board independence. All variables except for liquidity, board characteristics and type of bank, were found to be highly significant in affecting profitability.

Originality/value

This paper looks at the differences between Islamic and conventional banking systems in Malaysia. Contrasting results were found for the independent t‐tests and regression analysis, which makes it an interesting study that should be pursued further.
Increasing operating room productivity by duration categories and a newsvendor model
Authors: Lehtonen Juha‐Matti , Torkki Paulus , Peltokorpi Antti , Moilanen Teemu
Published: January 2013

Purpose

Previous studies approach surgery scheduling mainly from the mathematical modeling perspective which is often hard to apply in a practical environment. The aim of this study is to develop a practical scheduling system that considers the advantages of both surgery categorization and newsvendor model to surgery scheduling.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was carried out in a Finnish orthopaedic specialist centre that performs only joint replacement surgery. Four surgery categorization scenarios were defined and their productivity analyzed by simulation and newsvendor model.

Findings

Detailed analyses of surgery durations and the use of more accurate case categories and their combinations in scheduling improved OR productivity 11.3 percent when compared to the base case. Planning to have one OR team to work longer led to remarkable decrease in scheduling inefficiency.

Practical implications

In surgical services, productivity and cost‐efficiency can be improved by utilizing historical data in case scheduling and by increasing flexibility in personnel management.

Originality/value

The study increases the understanding of practical scheduling methods used to improve efficiency in surgical services.
A comparison of two diagnostic performance measures
Authors: Tolga Taner Mehmet , Sezen Bulent , Atwat Kamal
Published: January 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to compare two diagnostic performance measures, i.e. signal‐to‐noise ratio (S/N ratio) and partial area under receiver operating characteristic curves (pAUC). It proposes the use of S/N ratio rather than pAUC for establishing optimal cut‐off point for diagnostic biomarkers.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper discusses the properties, uses, advantages and shortcomings of the two performance measures, namely the partial area under receiver operating characteristic curve (pAUC) and Taguchi's signal‐to‐noise (S/N) ratio. The benefits of S/N ratio have been illustrated in a sample of four biomarkers, each having five cut‐off points. The S/N ratio is compared to the pAUC index. The SAS software is employed to calculate pAUC and AUC.

Findings

This paper shows that S/N ratio can be used as a measure of diagnostic accuracy. The cut‐off point with the highest S/N ratio is the optimal cut‐off point for the biomarker. The proposed method has the advantages of being easier, more practical and less costly than that of pAUC.

Practical implications

This paper includes implications for the development of a more practical, equally powerful and less costly means of measuring clinical accuracy thereby reducing the costs and risks resulting from wrong selection of cut‐off point can be decreased.

Originality/value

This paper supports suggestions in the recent literature to replace pAUC with a new, more meaningful index.
Reducing hospital associated infection: a role for social marketing
Authors: Conway Tony , Langley Sue
Published: January 2013

Purpose – Although hand hygiene is seen as the most important method to prevent the transmission of hospital associated infection in the UK, hand hygiene compliance rates appear to remain poor. This research aims to assess the degree to which social marketing methodology can be adopted by a particular organisation to promote hand hygiene compliance. Design/methodology/approach – The research design is based on a conceptual framework developed from analysis of social marketing literature. Data collection involved taped interviews given by nursing staff working within a specific Hospital Directorate in Manchester, England. Supplementary data were obtained from archival records of the hand hygiene compliance rates. Findings – Findings highlighted gaps in the Directorate's approach to the promotion of hand hygiene compared to what could be using social marketing methodology. Respondents highlighted how the Directorate failed to fully optimise resources required to endorse hand hygiene practice and this resulted in poorer compliance. Practical implications – From the experiences and events documented, the study suggests how the emergent phenomena could be utilised by the Directorate to apply a social marketing approach which could positively influence hand hygiene compliance. Originality/value – The paper seeks to explore the use of social marketing in nursing to promote hand hygiene compliance and offer a conceptual framework that provides a way of measuring the strength of the impact that social marketing methodology could have.
Evaluation of a family‐centred children's weight management intervention
Authors: Jinks Annette , English Sue , Coufopoulos Anne
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conduct an in‐depth quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a family‐based weight loss and healthy life style programme for clinically obese children in England.

Design/methodology/approach

The mixed method case study evaluation used included obtaining pre and post measurements of anthropometry and a range of attitude and behavioural attributes. The qualitative phase of the study involved in‐depth interviews and focus groups.

Findings

The programme is demanding and resource intensive and designed as an intervention for children needing most help with their weight. Participants included the families of five referred children (n=18 individuals) and the intervention team (n=7). All but one child had reduced BMI centiles at the end of the programme. There were also improvements to a number of self‐report aspects of healthy eating and levels of activity and quality of life, self‐esteem and levels of depression indicators. The qualitative evaluation generated a number of insightful data themes.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include the case study design and small sample numbers. Also weight loss is an important indicator of any weight management programme's success however the short length of time programme was run is a barrier to seeing any substantive changes in any of the participating children's weights.

Practical implications

The evaluation conducted gives insights into the positive aspects of the programme and can inform development of similar programmes.

Originality/value

There are few examples of in‐depth and comprehensive quantitative and qualitative approaches used to evaluate this type of intervention.
Social influences on young people's sexual health in Uganda
Authors: Bell Stephen , Aggleton Peter
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of social context on young people's sexual lives and sexual health, and to highlight the need for HIV prevention and sexual health programmes which better take into account these contextual influences.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on findings from a multi‐method, qualitative study involving young people aged between 11‐24 years, conducted in three rural areas in Uganda. Data were collected by means of 52 single‐sex focus group discussions, 117 in‐depth interviews, and further participatory research with 23 of these young men and women. Contextual information was gathered through interviews with parents (17), teachers (7), religious leaders (7), local clan leaders (6), community‐based NGO/CBO workers (12) and local government staff (33).

Findings

Local beliefs about age and gender suggest that intimate relationships and sexual behaviour among young people are forbidden, or at least should be hidden. Social norms produced and reproduced both by adults and young people themselves increase the likelihood of secretive, unprotected sexual relations, and inhibit young people's ability to seek sexual health‐related support and advice.

Originality/value

An understanding of these contextual influences has important implications for improving the design of HIV prevention and sexual health programming in rural communities in Uganda.
Authenticity in learning – nursing students’ experiences at a clinical education ward
Authors: Manninen Katri , Welin Henriksson Elisabet , Scheja Max , Silén Charlotte
Published: January 2013

Purpose

This study aims to explore and understand first year nursing students’ experiences of learning at a clinical education ward.

Design/methodology/approach

The setting is a clinical education ward for nursing students at a department of infectious diseases. A qualitative study was carried out exploring students’ encounters with patients, supervisors, students and other health care professionals. A total of 19 students were interviewed. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis investigating both the manifest and the latent content.

Findings

The most important components in students’ learning are mutual relationships and a sense of belongingness. A mutual relationship between the students and the patients is created and becomes the basis of students’ learning. Belongingness means the students’ experience of being for real a part of the team taking care of the patients.

Research limitations/implications

The study, while linked to a particular teaching hospital, offers insights of more general nature by linking the findings to a theory of transformative learning.

Originality/value

This study adds a deeper understanding of students’ perspectives of significant characteristics to take into account when organizing clinical practice in health care education. Being entrusted and supported by a team of supervisors to take care of patients at a clinical education ward early in the education program provides an experience of internal and external authenticity. The students learn from, with and through the patients, which contributes to meaningful learning, understanding nursing, and professional development.
Differences between American and Indian consumers' visual images
Authors: Patel Neha , Vila‐López Natalia , Kuster‐Boluda Ines
Published: January 2013

Purpose

A company's corporate image is very important and it can be conveyed through visual images. In order to provoke interest and grasp attention, visual application is an important communication process. The purpose of this paper is to explore the cultural aspects that affect consumers' interpretation of visual communication in terms of corporate imaging/branding through electronic images on the internet. Specifically two different countries' cultures are being compared: the United States and India.

Design/methodology/approach

Web images of 30 brands, selected from a list of top 100 brands have been chosen and compared in both scenes.

Findings

The results show that some differences really do exist, especially regarding illustrations, groups of people and information in the visual image.

Research limitations/implications

There are additional sub‐cultures in both countries. Future research could take these sub‐cultures into consideration.

Practical implications

Marketing managers should take cultural aspects into consideration when developing virtual marketing campaigns because culture does matter when it comes to visual images as not every culture prefers the same types of visual appeals. Additionally, by adapting visual images to cultures a company will be able to clearly identify its target group and can be assured that the right audience is being reached.

Originality/value

Much research has been done on examining Western countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom with Asian countries such as China and Japan, but not with India.
Characterization and evaluation of a PMMA‐based 3D printing process
Authors: Polzin Christian , Spath Sebastian , Seitz Hermann
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to characterize and evaluate a new 3D‐printing process based on Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA).

Design/methodology/approach

A benchmark part and standard parts were designed, printed by a 3D‐printer and characterized.

Findings

3D printed PMMA parts have a tensile strength of 2.91 MPa and a modulus of elasticity of 223 MPa. The mechanical properties can be improved by infiltrations with epoxy (tensile strength: 26.6 MPa, modulus of elasticity: 1,190 MPa). The surface quality of the parts can be improved by infiltration with wax for usage as lost models. The minimum feature size is 0.3 mm.

Research limitations/implications

The PMMA‐based 3D printing process can be used for manufacturing concept models, functional parts and lost models for investment casting.

Originality/value

This is the first paper investigating a PMMA‐based 3D printing process.
Some investigations for small‐sized product fabrication with FDM for plastic components
Authors: Singh Rupinder
Published: January 2013

Purpose

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is an additive manufacturing technology commonly used for modelling, prototyping, and batch production applications. The purpose of this paper is to investigate properties of plastic replicas, fabricated as small‐sized product moulds with FDM.

Design/methodology/approach

From the identification of component, prototypes of ABS plastic material were prepared for commercial end‐user applications, such as vacuum moulding, vacuum casting, investment casting, etc.

Findings

The study highlighted the best settings of orientation and support material quantity for the selected component on FDM machine, from the dimensional accuracy and economic points of view.

Originality/value

Final replicas prepared are acceptable as per DIN 16901 and ISO (UNI EN 20286‐I‐1995) standard for industrial applications. The results are also supported by SEM analysis.
Legally scored
Authors: Li Chan Wen , Seow Hsin‐Vonn
Published: January 2013

Purpose

Achieving equal treatment of credit applicants has been a legitimate concern of legislators and the credit industry. However, measures taken to date in attempting to comply with anti‐discrimination laws arguably do not allow for the most effective use of credit scoring models, and could run counter‐intuitive to the intention of legislation through indirect discrimination. The purpose of this paper is to offer an alternative interpretation that preserves the intention of legislation and also retains the integrity and effectiveness of credit scoring models.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper makes a legal analysis of anti‐discrimination laws in the UK, with US law as a comparison, aiming to demonstrate that concerns in using information protected under anti‐discrimination laws as variables may be misplaced, because nothing in these laws precludes the inclusion of all relevant variables in modelling.

Findings

The inclusion of variables representing protected characteristics in credit scoring models may not contradict current anti‐discrimination laws.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations exist from the perspectives of customer relationship and the need for further checks and balances. Conclusive validation of the findings will need to come from the courts. The paper provides a springboard for empirical research on whether the inclusion of variables representing protected characteristics in credit scorecards continues to produce better decision‐making models.

Practical implications

The findings benefit credit risk modelling as a whole in facilitating the development of credit scorecards that are in compliance with anti‐discrimination laws, without sacrificing their effectiveness.

Originality/value

The paper presents a fresh perspective and alternative solution to legal concerns regarding the use of protected characteristics in credit scoring, which will be useful to the credit industry.
Managing compliance risk after MiFID
Authors: Musile Tanzi Paola , Gabbi Giampaolo , Previati Daniele , Schwizer Paola
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on changes in the compliance function within major European banks and other financial intermediaries and on the effects of Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

The four areas of research seek to answer the following questions: Is the positioning of the compliance function “at the top” of the organizational structure? Are the roles attributed to the compliance function, their knowledge and their instruments consistent with their responsibilities? Do the methodologies applied follow a qualitative and/or a quantitative approach? Is the interaction between the compliance function inside and outside the structure appropriate to the goals of compliance? In total, 31 top international groups based in Europe were invited to take part in the research, 16 of them accepted.

Findings

The authors observed a resolute adjustment to the regulations in terms of macrostructure and high levels of compliance function competences in investment services and business knowledge, with a low variation. The encouraging news coming out of the results of the research is the confirmation of the presence of a connection between the compliance function and both the system of values and of incentives.

Originality/value

The paper's international sample offers a unique opportunity to highlight the critical areas of the compliance function within international groups, with growing operational complexity in a framework of principle‐based regulation.
Business value of RFID‐enabled healthcare transformation projects
Authors: Anand Abhijith , Fosso Wamba Samuel
Published: January 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to assess the business value realised from radio frequency identification (RFID)‐enabled healthcare transformation projects as compared with other industries. The paper starts with a review of RFID technology in the healthcare industry and further extends to an in‐depth analysis of mini‐case studies collected from RFID Journal, a leading professional journal dedicated to RFID technology, in order to identify the major benefits of the implementation of RFID systems as well as its business value achieved. In addition, there is further analysis that is being carried out on other industries to have an overview of the benefits of RFID implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

Key findings on RFID systems are being obtained from a thorough review of case studies collected from the RFID Journal's database – which for this purpose, provided 20 cases from the healthcare industry and 49 cases from other industries – so as to assess the business value of RFID‐enabled healthcare transformation projects.

Findings

Implementation of RFID systems in healthcare resulted in enhanced automational, informational and transformational effects that helped to eliminate paper‐based processes, manual processes and low visibility of patients, staff, equipments and data, etc. Such a transformation definitely gave rise to high financial performances, patient satisfaction and better decision quality on their treatments, which in turn provided a high control, co‐ordination and planning of the healthcare organisation. Further, the results showcase the business value of RFID technology and the benefits gained within the healthcare sector, in comparison with other industries. Overall, this case analysis has indicated that implementation of RFID clearly produced evident effects at the process level of an organisation, thus leading to substantial gains at the organisational level.

Originality/value

This paper delivers a review of case studies on RFID‐enabled transformation projects and process innovations, mainly in the healthcare industry, albeit it extends to other industries. For this reason, a review on RFID technology is being discussed while 69 cases are being scrutinised. The results from this paper therefore provide significant evidence of RFID‐enabled healthcare and organisational business value.
Adult safeguarding and the role of housing
Authors: Parry Imogen
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and encourage good practice in adult safeguarding by housing providers, despite their unclear and largely unregulated role in this area.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature search on policy and research on the role of housing in adult safeguarding. Good practice search, drawn from No Secrets consultation responses and more recently, from other housing providers.

Findings

Despite the current weak incentives for housing providers to engage in adult safeguarding, some have done so effectively, overcoming barriers to joint working.

Research limitations/implications

This is not a comprehensive study of all good practice in this area; much will exist “unsung” and unrecognised.

Practical implications

Increase housing providers' involvement in adult safeguarding.

Originality/value

The paper is of value, as there is a dearth of literature on the role and potential of housing and adult safeguarding.
The value added of hedge fund styles in multi‐asset portfolios
Authors: Heidorn Thomas , Kaiser Dieter , Lucke Daniel
Published: January 2013

Purpose

Academic research has shown that diversification today may not only include stocks and bonds but also alternative investments like hedge funds. However, practical and effective methods to identify the hedge fund styles that really enhance the risk return characteristics of a traditional portfolio as well as optimal allocation sizes are not available. The aim of the paper is to try to close this gap by proposing a portfolio optimization approach based upon the traditional market exposures of the different hedge fund strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

For this purpose, the paper first measures the bull and bear market betas of the main hedge fund strategies (equity market neutral, event driven, global macro, relative value, and managed futures). Based on the strategy characteristics, the authors then develop a systematic framework that calculates what percentage of each basic asset should be substituted for by hedge fund strategies to achieve the maximum results. The paper uses hedge fund index data from Hedge Fund Research and Barclay Hedge for the January 1999‐April 2011 sample period.

Findings

The empirical results show that this approach leads to an improvement in the annualized return of the optimized portfolio.

Originality/value

The paper adds to the existing literature by showing that it is possible to substitute traditional assets with hedge fund indices based on their exposures (beta) in varying market environments as a way to optimize the overall portfolio.
Analyst coverage and types of institutional investors
Authors: Chan Kam C. , Zhang Feida , Zhang Weining
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between institutional holdings and analyst coverage in the context of the heterogeneous nature of institutional investors.

Design/methodology/approach

Similar to prior studies (e.g. Ke and Ramalingegowda; Ramalingegowda and Yu), this paper obtains institutional investors' trading classifications (transient, dedicated, and quasi‐indexing) from Brian Bushee directly. To examine the hypotheses, the paper uses a two‐step instrumental variable approach demonstrated in O'Brien and Bhushan to mitigate the simultaneity relationship between the change in analyst coverage and the change in the number of heterogeneous institutional investors.

Findings

The findings suggest that such relations are different among transient, dedicated, and quasi‐indexing institutional investors. Specifically, there are three major results. First, a change to the number of analyst coverage has the lowest impact on the change in the number of dedicated institutional investors. Second, a change in the number of transient institutional investors has a higher impact on change in analyst coverage than those for change in the number of dedicated and quasi‐indexing institutional investors. Third, changes to analysts' buy or sell recommendations have the least impact on the change in the number of dedicated institutions, relative to transient and quasi‐indexing institutions.

Research limitations/implications

The findings suggest that institutional investors are not homogeneous. Research studies on institutional investors need to disentangle the differences among different types of institutions.

Originality/value

The paper provides a comprehensive study on different institutional investors and analyst coverage. The findings show the complex nature of the interaction between institutional investors and analyst coverage.
Achieving supply chain utopia: companies need to prioritise investing in people
Authors: Williams Hugh
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of training staff in supply chain management.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a case study of heating and hot water system manufacturer, BDR Thermea. Discusses the success BDR Thermea experienced as a result of a training and education program for its employees on issues surrounding supply chain management.

Findings

Describes how BDR Thermea doubled its goal of saving €12 million through inventory reductions, reaching 27 million, as a result of this training program.

Originality/value

The paper offers insight from an industry expert on how investing in people can help an organization achieve both financial and operational goals.
Electronic health records
Authors: Otto Peter , Nevo Dorit
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand one aspect of electronic health record adoption by studying the impact of policy interventions on the adoption among hospitals, physicians and patients, using a system dynamics simulation model.

Design/methodology/approach

A system dynamics simulation model of the existing distribution network was built. Policy experiments were conducted to compare the performance of each.

Findings

Using data from the Greater Capital Region, Northern New York State, the findings from the simulation experiments suggest that while there is no single right intervention, a combination of measures can promote the adoption of electronic health records by different stakeholders.

Research limitations/implications

The results are based on simplified operational and structural assumptions regarding the diffusion of electronic health records among stakeholder groups. Some of the variables are based on theoretical rather than quantifiable values.

Social implications

The results of this study have practical implications when it comes to designing effective policies to improve the adoption rate of electronic health records. The theoretical contribution will help stakeholders to take leadership roles in policy discussion.

Originality/value

This paper is a theoretical study describing a unique application of simulation methods to an important area of application. Use and evaluation for model‐based approaches could provide additional insight about the potential value of simulation for social learning and effective approaches to making public policy decisions.
Examining price promotions, venue and place of residence as predictors of alcohol consumption
Authors: Raciti Maria , O'Hara Rebecca , Sharma Bishnu , Reinhard Karin , Davies Fiona
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand the effect of price promotions, venue and place of residence on low‐risk, risky and high‐risk alcohol consumption behaviour of young women between 18 and 24 years of age who attend university in Australia, Wales and Germany.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative, self‐administered questionnaire collected data from a convenience sample of three universities in three OECD countries with high alcohol consumption being: a regional Australian university (n=305), a city Welsh university (n=354) and a rural German university (n=325).

Findings

First, the multinomial logistic regression results revealed that price promotions and venue influenced alcohol consumption in Wales alone while place of residence influenced alcohol consumption in Australia; however, price promotions, venue and place of residence had no effect on young women attending university in Germany. Second, the binomial logistic regression results for Wales reported a sensitivity to price promotions for all three alcohol consumption risk classifications; however, location was of little consequence to risky drinkers when compared to high risk drinkers. For Australia, the place of residence did not influence alcohol consumption for both risky and high‐risk drinkers.

Originality/value

The value of this study lies in the examination of three levels of alcohol consumption – low‐risk, risky and high‐risk – for the same cohort across three countries using the same test instrument and standard alcohol consumption metrics. As such, this study provides a more meaningful macro view of alcohol consumption; thus has the capacity to contribute to effectual intervention strategies.
Colony life history and lifetime reproductive success of red harvester ant colonies
Authors: Ingram Krista K. , Pilko Anna , Heer Jeffrey , Gordon Deborah M.
Published: January 2013

We estimate colony reproductive success, in numbers of offspring colonies arising from a colony's daughter queens, of colonies of the red harvester ant,Pogonomyrmex barbatus.

A measure of lifetime reproductive success is essential to understand the relation of ecological factors, phenotype and fitness in a natural population. This was possible for the first time in a natural population of ant colonies using data from long‐term study of a population of colonies in south‐eastern Arizona, for which ages of all colonies are known from census data collected since 1985.

Parentage analyses of microsatellite data from 5 highly polymorphic loci were used to assign offspring colonies to maternal parent colonies in a population of about 265 colonies, ages 1–28 years, sampled in 2010.

The estimated population growth rate Rowas 1·69 and generation time was 7·8 years. There was considerable variation among colonies in reproductive success: of 199 possible parent colonies, only 49 (˜ 25%) had offspring colonies on the site. The mean number of offspring colonies per maternal parent colony was 2·94 and ranged from 1 to 8. A parent was identified for the queen of 146 of 247 offspring colonies. There was no evidence for reproductive senescence; fecundity was about the same throughout the 25–30 year lifespan of a colony.

There were no trends in the distance or direction of the dispersal of an offspring relative to its maternal parent colony. There was no relationship between the number of gynes produced by a colony in 1 year and the number of offspring colonies subsequently founded by its daughter reproductive females.

The results provide the first estimate of a life table for a population of ant colonies and the first estimate of the female component of colony lifetime reproductive success. The results suggest that commonly used measures of reproductive output may not be correlated with realized reproductive success. This is the starting point for future investigation asking whether variation in reproductive success is related to phenotypic variation among colonies in behavioural and ecological traits.
Are populations of large‐bodied avian frugivores onLuzon,Philippines, facing imminent collapse?
Authors: Española C. P. , Collar N. J. , Marsden S. J.
Published: January 2013

Avian frugivores acrossSoutheastAsia, and in thePhilippines in particular, are seriously threatened owing to massive loss of habitat and direct exploitation through hunting and the pet trade. Their declines may have dire consequences for wider ecological processes as many frugivores are also seed dispersers. Twenty‐five species of pigeons, parrots and hornbills were surveyed using distance sampling along nearly 500 km of line transects at 14 sites across the island ofLuzon. We documented surprisingly few reliable disappearances of frugivores from individual forest patches – in fact ours and other fieldwork since 2000 have increased the known extent of occurrence of several species. However, green racquet‐tailPrioniturus luconensishas been recorded at only seven out of 29 historic sites in the last 10 years; although possibly a function of poor coverage, this may be a real range contraction. Still more alarming was the absence of large parrots from most sites with apparently intact habitat surveyed. Even where present, large parrots exhibited lower densities than related species in similar habitat inSoutheastAsia. Multiplying site‐specific density estimates by reserve area, we estimated population sizes for species in five reserves selected from the current protected area network. For six species, including four of six parrots, largest populations in any reserve in Luzon numbered < 1000 individuals, and nearly one‐third of all populations in reserves were < 100. Given differing opinions and evidence on minimum viable population (MVP) thresholds, we used a range ofMVPvalues to predict the likelihood that frugivore populations will persist in various reserves. AtMVPs of 500, frugivore communities in all but 2–3 of the largest reserves are not expected to survive. Although seed dispersers may fare better than seed predators (large parrots), and many frugivores are good fliers that can disperse between widely separated sites, we express the concern that without stricter species and site protection a major collapse of frugivore communities may occur across Luzon, with serious implications for ecosystem functioning.
Intermittent access ethanol consumption dysregulates CRF function in the hypothalamus and is attenuated by the CRF‐R1 antagonist, CP‐376395
Authors: Simms Jeffrey A. , Nielsen Carsten K. , Li Rui , Bartlett Selena E.
Published: January 2013

Corticotrophin‐releasing factor (CRF) is a mediator of stress responses and a key modulator of ethanol‐mediated behaviors. We report here that the CRF receptor 1 (CRF‐R1) antagonist, CP‐376395 reduces 20% ethanol consumption in animals trained to consume ethanol on an intermittent, but not a continuous, schedule. Furthermore, using [35S]GTPγS binding assays, we demonstrate that CRF‐mediated G‐protein signaling in the hypothalamus of the intermittent drinkers is decreased when compared to controls suggesting that the effects of CP‐376395 are mediated by extrahypothalamic mechanisms. The present study provides further support for the use of CRF‐R1 antagonists for the treatment of alcohol use disorders and suggests that ethanol consumption dysregulates CRF function in the hypothalamus.
The oral health status, practices and knowledge of pregnant women in south‐western Sydney
Authors: George A , Johnson M , Blinkhorn A , Ajwani S , Bhole S , Yeo AE , Ellis S
Published: January 2013

Background

Current evidence highlights the importance of oral health during pregnancy. However, little is known about the oral health of pregnant women in Australia. The aim of this study was to report the oral health status, knowledge and practices of pregnant women in south‐western Sydney.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey of 241 pregnant women attending a large hospital in south‐western Sydney.

Results

More than half (59.3%) reported dental problems during pregnancy, less than a third (30.5%) saw a dentist in the last six months, only 10% had received any information about perinatal oral health and many (>50%) were unaware of the potential impact of poor maternal oral health on pregnancy and infant outcomes. Analysis revealed a significant difference (<0.05) in the uptake of dental services among pregnant women who had higher household incomes, private health insurance, received information about perinatal oral health and knowledge about maternal oral health.

Conclusions

The participants reported significant barriers to obtaining dental care including limited access to affordable dental services and lack of awareness about the importance of maternal oral health. The findings suggest the need for preventive strategies involving dentists and antenatal providers to improve maternal oral health in Australia.
Genotype‐Based Association Analysis Using Discordant Pairs: A Penetrance Odds Ratio Approach
Authors: Grover Vaneeta K. , Cole David E.C. , Hamilton David C.
Published: January 2013

Genotypic counts of paired relatives discordant for a complex late‐onset disease are often used to test for genetic association. The power of the various statistical test options, when data on covariates are unavailable, has been the focus of recent research. Comparison of the Cochran‐Armitage, Bhapkar, and McNemar tests indicates that none is superior to the others in all cases. Using an alternative approach, we found that the theoretical genotypic frequencies of the discordant pairs depend only on the penetrance odds ratios, after conditioning. These odds ratios can be estimated by maximizing a product binomial likelihood and provide insight into the mode of inheritance. We identified cases where exact maximum likelihood (ML) estimates can be explicitly obtained. This approach led us to two tests for association which depend on likelihood ratio (LR) or score statistics. We quantified the power of these tests analytically and examined their performance through simulation. We explored the utility of these tests with an example from the literature—the association between complement factor H (CFH) polymorphisms and age‐related macular degeneration. The LR and Score tests serve as simple and effective ways of interpreting paired case‐control data sets.
A Likelihood Ratio Test for Genome‐Wide Association under Genetic Heterogeneity
Authors: Qian Meng , Shao Yongzhao
Published: January 2013

Most existing association tests for genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) fail to account for genetic heterogeneity. Zhou and Pan proposed a binomial‐mixture‐model‐based association test to account for the possible genetic heterogeneity in case‐control studies. The idea is elegant, however, the proposed test requires an expectation‐maximization (EM)‐type iterative algorithm to identify the penalised maximum likelihood estimates and a permutation method to assess p‐values. The intensive computational burden induced by the EM‐algorithm and the permutation becomes prohibitive for direct applications to GWASs. This paper develops a likelihood ratio test (LRT) for GWASs under genetic heterogeneity based on a more general alternative mixture model. In particular, a closed‐form formula for the LRT statistic is derived to avoid the EM‐type iterative numerical evaluation. Moreover, an explicit asymptotic null distribution is also obtained, which avoids using the permutation to obtain p‐values. Thus, the proposed LRT is easy to implement for GWASs. Furthermore, numerical studies demonstrate that the LRT has power advantages over the commonly used Armitage trend test and other existing association tests under genetic heterogeneity. A breast cancer GWAS dataset is used to illustrate the newly proposed LRT.