bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utility theory model for equipment selection
Authors: Marzouk M.
Published: April 2007

This paper presents a model for equipment selection in earthmoving operations, utilizing multi‐attribute utility theory, analytical hierarchy process and computer simulation. Fleet configurations in the developed model are generated randomly from predefined fleet scenarios within a specified range. Simulation experiments are conducted for these generated configurations. The performance of these configurations is obtained from simulation experiments in the form of four measures which represent loader utilization, hauler utilization, project duration and project total cost. The utility values which represent the degree of satisfaction with those measures are estimated. These utility values are multiplied by their corresponding measures’ weights, calculated utilizing the analytical hierarchy process, in order to estimate the expected utility for each configured fleet. The fleet configuration that has the largest utility value is selected as the optimum fleet for the case at hand. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the different features of the developed model.
Diagnosing the organizational culture of an Australian engineering consultancy using the competing values framework
Authors: Igo Tony , Skitmore Martin
Published: April 2007

To operate successfully, a commercial organization must satisfy the everchanging demands of its clients, its owners, its employees and society as a whole. To do this, it must have a good understanding of its persona as perceived by its own members and the entities it deals with. This persona, or image an organization presents of itself, and the way in which it is perceived by its external environment and its internal members, is commonly referred to as its Corporate Culture (Deal and Kennedy, 1982; Silverzweig and Allen, 1976). The tangible aspects include corporate logos, uniforms and clothing, office layout, use of ‘in‐vogue’ technology and business processes, while behavioural indicators can include relative importance of social issues and norms such as time keeping, and adherence to prescribed procedures. This paper describes research within a single, large, Australian engineering,
procurement and construction management consultancy aimed at identifying the form of its current corporate culture and the extent to which this is perceived to be appropriate by those involved. Using Quinn and Rohrbaugh’s (1983) Competing Values Framework, the overall cultural profile of the organization and dominant characteristic traits is determined through an in‐house electronic survey employing the Organizational Cultural Assessment
Instrument. This indicated that the company has a dominant market‐oriented culture. In contrast, the most desired form was found to be the employee focused culture ‐ indicating a misalignment between what employees thought was needed and what was perceived to exist. This finding is considered in the light of recent reports identifying the detrimental effect of market‐oriented cultures, and the supporting role of employee focused cultures, in
achieving construction project quality outcomes.
Risk management and the NSF for older people
Authors: Cowan Jane
Published: April 2007

Examines the issues faced in the implementation of the National Service Framework for Older People from the perspective of the risk manager in secondary care. It suggests that a paucity of published data about clinical risks and incidence of errors in this age group make it difficult to gauge the level of risk to older people within the UK’s health‐care system. The themes of patient safety and risk management are given insufficient emphasis in the NSF. By neglecting the role of the clinical risk manager in the safe implementation of the NSF, many opportunities for learning from adverse events could be lost. An efficient means to assess, disseminate, learn and progress from the problems encountered in caring for older people is called for.
Institutional brokerage anti‐money laundering detection scenarios ‐ Filling the gaps
Authors: Sobol Robert N.
Published: April 2007

Certain institutional trading operations executives of major broker‐dealers currently are indicating that there is a paucity of guidance from regulators and others on the potential characteristics of anti‐money‐laundering activities in their specific business areas. Because of requirements to file suspicious activity reports with regulatory authorities where these enterprises suspect potential money‐laundering activities, these executives are trying to build and grow the best possible methods of detection to detect potential instances of money laundering, especially where they may have little information as to the identity of the parties who are originating transactions in their institutional contexts. Because of these issues, the existing securities industry AML guidance that is available must be analyzed carefully, keeping in mind the need to construct new scenarios addressing the specific circumstances of the institutional brokerage context.
SEC proposes rules requiring offshore advisers of offshore hedge funds to register under the advisers act
Authors: Goldstein David A. , Kelly Bryan
Published: April 2007

On July 20, 2004, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published for comment proposed rules under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the Act), which would require many non‐U.S. hedge fund advisers to be registered with the SEC. The proposed rules would require non‐U.S. investment advisers to look through their hedge funds (U.S. and non‐U.S. funds) to count all U.S. investors therein as clients for purposes of the Section 203(b)(3) “private adviser” exemption. The SEC stated in the proposing release that it did not intend the proposed rules to change current policy of substantially limiting the extraterritorial application of the Act to dealings between a registered non‐U.S. investment adviser and its non‐U.S. clients. However, there remains some ambiguity as to the application of this policy, which has been developed over the past 12 years through a series of no‐action letters. In addition, notwithstanding the SEC’s statement in the proposing release, the proposed rules could be read as changing current SEC policy in a couple of respects. This article explains those issues.
Riggs order articulates bank secrecy act compliance requirements
Authors: Pilecki Paul S , Mancusi Michael A.
Published: April 2007

Riggs Bank N.A. of Washington, DC entered into a consent order with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in July 2003, received a cease and desist order from the Federal Reserve Board later that year, and was assessed a $25 million penalty by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in May 2004, all for Bank Secrecy Act violations. In general, Riggs was deficient (i) in designing a program tailored to the risks of its business that would ensure appropriate reporting, (ii) in implementing the procedures it did have, and (iii) in responding to classic “red flags” of suspicious conduct. As a result, Riggs failed to file a number of timely and complete suspicious activity reports (SARs) and late and complete currency transaction reports (CTRs) for high‐risk accounts. In discussing the violations that occurred, FinCEN articulated internal control, customer due diligence, compliance monitoring, and independent testing standards that Riggs did not meet, and that other institutions should regard as rules of general applicability.
The Benefits and potential pitfalls of cooperating with regulatory agencies and the government: How to navigate the minefield
Authors: Davis Harry S. , Alestra Mary F.
Published: April 2007

Conventional wisdom dictates that if you represent a corporate entity (or even a senior corporate official) involved in a securities or other regulatory investigation ‐ whether by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Commodities Futures Trading Commission, New York Stock Exchange, National Association of Securities Dealers or one or more of the state attorneys general or other federal or state regulators ‐ it is important to cooperate fully in the investigation, even if that means “confessing” to corporate wrongdoing. Indeed, there are many benefits to cooperation, such as potentially avoiding criminal prosecution or an enforcement proceeding altogether or negotiating reduced penalties. And for regulated industries or regulated entities, there may be no choice but to provide full cooperation in order to avoid making an enemy of your regulator. But there are important potential pitfalls as well to cooperating with governmental or self‐regulatory investigations ‐ pitfalls that sometimes outweigh the benefits of cooperation. These potential pitfalls include bringing problems to the government’s attention about which it might not learn otherwise, or strengthening the government’s case against your client by doing the regulators’ work for them, such as by marshalling the evidence against your client for use by the regulators. And more and more, regulators are requiring entities to waive the protections of the attorney‐client privilege and work‐product doctrine as one of the prices you need to pay to be treated as a cooperator. If a regulatory authority insists on a privilege waiver, any documents turned over to the agency also may be available to potential third‐party litigants, such as the class‐action bar, or other government entities. In fact, the regulatory agency itself may use the formerly privileged materials to support a complaint against your client. Because of these potential pitfalls, the cooperation road may resemble a minefield at times, with the client one wrong step away from disaster. For that reason, it is critical for counsel to avoid reflexively choosing to cooperate in a regulatory investigation aimed at his or her client. Although cooperation may turn out to be the right approach to many regulatory investigations, each situation must be analyzed based upon its own individual facts so that the benefits of cooperation can be balanced appropriately against the pitfalls before making an informed decision as to what is best for the client in any particular circumstance.
Opting out of the “opt‐out” provision: The new order protection rule from the SEC
Authors: Anson Mark
Published: April 2007

The Trade‐through rule (TTR) was established in 1975; it was designed to ensure that investors got the best price available for a stock trade. Under the Trade‐through rule, a customer’s order must be routed to the exchange or order market system where the best current price exists at any given moment. For example, if the best price quote for an order is listed by a specialist market maker at the NYSE, a customer order must be routed to the NYSE floor; it may not “trade through” to another exchange. The TTR is really an anti‐trade‐through rule; i.e. it prevents the trading through of orders. In fact, to reflect this reality, the SEC has given the TTR a new name: The Order Protection Rule. In concept, the TTR is a good idea to ensure that investors get the best price possible when trading stocks. At the time the TTR was adopted, it was designed to address a fragmented marketplace for stock trading. However, the financial markets have changed radically since the rule was first adopted. The dramatic increase in the use of personal computers in the early 1980s as well as the advent of electronic communication networks (ECNs) in the 1990s changed the trading landscape.
Mutual funds, NSMIA and the state securities regulators – When do state enforcement remedies become improper regulation?
Authors: Hardy Callcott W.
Published: April 2007

On September 3, 2003, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer announced what quickly became the gravest scandal in the mutual fund industry in the 65 years since Congress passed the Investment Company Act of 1940. Spitzer’s office discovered that some hedge funds had been permitted to trade shares of open‐end mutual funds after that day’s net asset value (NAV) for those mutual funds had been set (typically at 4:00 PM eastern time). This practice allowed the hedge funds to profit based on corporate news announcements released after that time, and therefore not reflected in the mutual funds’ daily NAV. Moreover, Spitzer disclosed that some mutual fund advisers had only selectively enforced the stated limits in their prospectuses on frequent trading, or market timing, of those mutual funds. In some cases, mutual fund advisers had permitted selected investors to conduct frequent trading in mutual funds in return for investments (sometimes referred to as “sticky assets”) in other investment vehicles, or had permitted frequent trading by officers of the adviser itself. And some mutual fund advisers had selectively disclosed information about portfolio holdings of the funds to hedge funds that used that information to arbitrage the mutual funds’ positions. This was the second major securities industry scandal uncovered by Spitzer’s office in just two years. In 2002, Spitzer’s office uncovered the research analyst independence scandal that culminated in a global settlement with the country’s major investment banks. Spitzer’s 15‐person Securities Bureau appeared more nimble and better informed than the thousands of staff members at the Securities and Exchange Commission, the federal agency charged with regulating the mutual fund industry. The SEC ‐ already under fire for the unprecedented wave of corporate and brokerage industry scandals that led to adoption of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act ‐ had to endure yet another round of vocal public criticism.
Adviser “client notice and consent” for principal trades and the impact of “real‐time” reporting
Authors: Cohen Lawrence
Published: April 2007

Broker/dealers and investment managers that trade municipal securities on behalf of their clients are preparing for the shift from “end‐of‐the‐day batch” trade reporting to “real‐time” transaction reporting. In January 2005, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”) will be initiating its Real‐time Transaction Reporting System (the “RTRS”). Amended MSRB Rule G‐14 now requires dealers to report transactions in municipal securities within 15 minutes of the time of trade execution, instead of by midnight on trade date. Rule G‐12(f) was amended to require municipal securities dealers to submit inter‐dealer transactions to the Central Comparison System within the same time frame. Investment advisers that engage in principal transactions with their clients or that are dually‐registered as, or affiliated with, broker/dealers that trade securities as principals on behalf of investment adviser clients generally must comply with the client notice and consent requirements set forth under Section 206(3) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). In light of the acceleration of the MSRB’s trade reporting requirement, investment advisers should consider the extent to which these new requirements impact their obligation to notify clients of the fact that a principal trade is being processed and to secure each client’s approval prior to the completion of each transaction. At the very least, the implementation of the RTRS should prompt advisers to confirm, in fulfillment of their best execution obligations, that each broker/dealer that is executing their municipal securities trades complies with the new 15‐minute reporting window.
The increasing risk of legal challenges to an employer’s compensation policies and practices: Considerations for compensation self‐assessment
Authors: Reynolds Christopher P. , Black Richard W.
Published: April 2007

In recent years, the compensation practices of employers, including financial services firms, have come under increasing attack by the government and private plaintiffs amid allegations of pay discrimination. These attacks have taken place in a number of forums, ranging from administrative investigations, to single‐plaintiff and multi‐plaintiff litigation and, perhaps most significantly, to the class action arena. An employer’s potential exposure in these types of cases ‐ especially those brought on behalf of multitudes of employees ‐ can be significant. This past summer, for example, Morgan Stanley announced a $54 million settlement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of a class action that included claims of gender discrimination in pay. Shortly thereafter, The Boeing Co. agreed to pay up to $72.5 million to settle a class action gender discrimination suit brought by approximately 29,000 salaried and hourly female employees alleging discrimination in pay, promotions, overtime, assignments, bonuses, and other conditions of employment. In the well‐publicized Wal‐Mart employment discrimination class action, the district court certified a class action involving pay discrimination claims covering more than one million women in both hourly and salaried jobs in Wal‐Mart’s 3,400 stores across the nation. And, last year, a law firm primarily engaged in representing plaintiffs in discrimination litigation was enlisted by the National Council of Women’s Organizations to investigate alleged discrimination at Wall Street firms, including compensation discrimination.
Registering a hedge fund manager as an investment Adviser: A practical guide through the process
Authors: Scherl David , Barnett David , Lerner David
Published: April 2007

On October 26, 2004 the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted new rules and rule amendments under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) that will require most hedge fund managers to register with the SEC as investment advisers by February 1, 2006. The actions taken by the SEC will necessitate that hedge fund managers begin preparing for SEC registration at least four to six months in advance of registration. In light of these new rules, this article summarizes: The significant provisions of the Advisers Act that hedge fund managers will need to become familiar with; The SEC registration process that a hedge fund adviser will have to follow; The SEC inspection program and some practical tips that hedge fund advisers should consider implementing. Because the regulatory framework imposes a variety of obligations and prohibitions on hedge fund managers, who, up until now, have operated without significant regulatory oversight, we recommend that fund managers who are likely to become subject to the registration rules should, well in advance of the February 1, 2006 registration deadline, familiarize themselves with the legal and operational changes that will affect them and assemble the information they will need to commence and complete the registration process. This article is designed to introduce fund managers to that framework.
Hedge fund managers: Summary and implications of new rules requiring SEC registration
Authors: Taylor Carolyn E.
Published: April 2007

On October 26, 2004, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission” or the “SEC”) adopted a new rule and related amendments requiring, among other things, that hedge fund managers register with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”) by February 1, 2006. In this article, we refer to the totality of the recent rulemaking as the “new rules.” The new rules and a lengthy interpretive release (the “Adopting Release”) were made available to the public on December 2, 2004.The new rules only slightly modify the text of the proposed rules published by the SEC on July 20, 2004. We will refer to the July 20, 2004 rules as the “proposed rules.” The proposed rules, which were opposed by two of the five SEC commissioners at the time they were announced, provoked a loud outcry and strong opposition. According to the Adopting Release, the SEC received 161 comment letters from investors, hedge fund managers, mutual fund managers, law firms, and others. Of these, only 36 supported the proposed rules, 83 argued against them, and the remainder presented a neutral view. The objections included “concerns about the costs of compliance under the new rule[s], questions about [SEC] effectiveness in preventing hedge fund fraud, and the potential intrusiveness of [SEC] oversight of hedge fund managers.”
A summary of the Financial Services Authority's enforcement procedures in the United Kingdom
Authors: Falkner Robert , Gerty Jon
Published: April 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the Financial Services Authority's (FSA's) enforcement procedures pursuant to powers granted by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FMSA”) to impose a variety of sanctions on firms and individuals for breaches of rules under FSMA and other legislation.

Design/methodology/approach

Describes FSA's approach to enforcement; how the FSA decides to commence an enforcement investigation; the FSA's powers to gather information and investigate; the FSA's policies and procedures on interviews; the FSA's policies on publicity; how a firm under investigation should involve both internal and external counsel; how the FSA decides to take enforcement action; the role of the Regulatory Decisions Committee (RDC); the FSA's power to prosecute criminal offenses; civil court proceedings, including injunctions, restitution orders, and insolvency proceedings; FSA disciplinary actions; the Statutory Notice Procedure; how the FSA issues decision notices; the role of the Tribunal; and settlement and mediation procedures.

Findings

The FSA is increasingly ready to commence enforcement proceedings and where necessary, impose significantly higher financial penalties than before in respect of rules breaches. While familiarity with the detailed procedural rules is important, it is not a substitute for the exercise of common sense and judgement. Each case is different. A final determination of the matter through settlement negotiations is strongly encouraged by the FSA.

Originality/value

An essential summary and reference guide to the FSA's enforcement powers and procedures especially relevant to senior management and to those in compliance who are dealing with actual or potential FSA enforcement action.
Kids research meets reality TV
Authors: Wolfman Anuska
Published: April 2007

Considers how qualitative youth research findings are best conveyed to clients, in this age of “Big Brother” and the like. Points out that, because children are so familiar with electronic media and aware of consumer brands, it makes sense if market research on them is carried out in environments which are familiar to them and with their active participation, in effect leaving the cameras with the participants. Argues that PowerPoint presentations and the resulting video footage are not the best way to achieve effective communication, because there is so much information for the client to go through, or else valuable data may be left out. Suggests that, instead, short films are a powerful tool to communicate cultural differences and customer typologies, because this type of information is difficult to categorise in hard data, and the debrief experience is also improved. Outlines how this approach works: all the research process is filmed, not just segments, various cameras are used including small and unobtrusive ones, and since children nowadays are used to being filmed, they can be left to use the simpler cameras themselves.
Advertising to children in Spain
Authors: Volz Gerhard W. , Bances Handschuh Felipe , Poshtakova Dora
Published: April 2007

Describes the new legal and regulatory norms in Spain which aim to protect children from the constant advertising and marketing messages that they are exposed to; these are in line with the Spanish Constitution’s concern for protection of honour, privacy and image, and they recognise that children have a naivety and credulity that must not be exploited. Outlines the specific product areas of protection, which cover tobacco, alcohol, toys, medicines and beauty products, dangerous products, and junk food. Moves onto specific activities like direct marketing, TV and radio, lotteries, games and gambling, pornography and sponsorship; and then to advertising and characters, including cartoons and celebrities. Concludes with restrictions on the advertising of products which involves children as actors: the emphasis here is that children must not be shown in dangerous situations, for instance with toys that are not safe for them at the age level shown.
Marketing food and drink to children responsibly
Authors: Samson Neil
Published: April 2007

Looks at how food and drink have been marketed to children over the last 15 years. Shows how the “compression culture” of the 1990s, where parents were cash rich and time poor, combined with trends towards fewer children, dual income families and rising divorce rates to foster parental indulgence of children during “quality time”, and thus to “kid power”. Describes how products became aimed at children, as food manufacturers realised that if they made products that appealed to children and induced them to ask their mothers for it, these products would probably be bought. Moves on to the pressure on companies to produce and advertise healthier foods because of the incidence of childhood obesity, and the responses to this of firms like McDonald’s, Kraft and Kellogg’s: reduction of sugar, fat and salt content and additives, promotion of healthier and more active lifestyles, a switch to targeting mothers instead of children, and use of the internet. Concludes with a list of points for consideration by responsible marketers of foods with high fat, sugar and salt levels: they concern advertising honesty, transparency and balance.
Responsible advertising in Europe
Authors: Gray Oliver
Published: April 2007

Examines how self‐regulation in advertising, within a framework of legislation, can help reverse the trends toward childhood obesity and excessive consumerism by protecting children from undesirable advertising practices. Outlines how this works in Europe: a code of advertising practice is created, based on the codes of the International Chamber of Commerce, and a self‐regulatory organisation (SRO) is formed to operate this, with the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) providing a single voice for self‐regulation. Describes how SROs actually enforce the codes by giving advice, handling complaints, monitoring advertising in their markets, and referring serious cases of abuse to the appropriate legal authority. Assesses how well the system is working: the number of complaints being handled is small in proportion to the total number of advertisements, and those concerning food and children form a small portion of the total number of complaints, but there is room for improvement. Shows how the 2004 EASA Self‐Regulation Charter makes specific commitments to cover any gaps in existing coverage. Concludes with five ways that marketers can help effective self‐regulation: keep to the spirit of the codes, educate your staff, use SRO advice on copy and other aspects, review complaints and monitor results, and challenge incorrect claims.
Youth marketing in Japan
Authors: Sato Nana , Kato Yuko
Published: April 2007

Reports on Japan, a country in which the falling birth rate gives marketers some interesting opportunities. Explores how smaller numbers of children leads to more money being spent on each, in particular the “six pockets” or six sources of financial support that children have from their two parents and four grandparents. Illustrates this by the example of Studio Alice, a photographic studio that lends ceremonial costumes to maximise the appeal to grandparents of the child’s appearance. Continues with “Morning Musume”, a manufactured pop group of ordinary young girls who audition on a TV show; aspirational clothing brand Narumiya International has been able to supply fashionable costumes for this at prices considerably higher than competitors. Moves on to the cosmetics industry: this is now a large market for the under‐tens, aided by appealing packaging, suitable products that are safe for children, low prices, child‐oriented sales channels, and information sources like magazines and TV advertisements. Shows how children under 16 are now the focus of the huge mobile phone market, especially for emails, and indicates the problems and advantages involved in the desire for this fashion accessory. Outlines how Japan’s corporate marketing teams are now trying to assess what children want, and the problems involved in designing questionnaires for young Japanese children, who are less used than Europeans or Americans to expressing opinions in public.
Kids as stakeholders in business
Authors: Horgan Sheena
Published: April 2007

Reviews how business can interact with children in a commercially viable but ethically acceptable way. Explains why children are generally regarded as consumers and stakeholders: their increased spending power, ability to make consumer choices, influence over family purchasing decisions, and media and brand awareness. Moves on to concerns about how business treats children as consumers, expressed in the term “corporate defiance”: these concerns include the marketing of unhealthy foods, enticement of children by brands onto chat room internet sites, illegal employment of children, and a general parental dislike of companies treating children as consumers (for instance because it undermines their control over their children). Outlines UK regulations protecting children, issues in self‐regulation, examples of good practice, and critically examines the defences used by business over marketing to children: it’s a free market, the importance of choice, the non‐critical influence of advertising, the generality of pester power, and the effectiveness of self‐regulation.
What kids and parents really think about licensing
Authors: Geeson Andrea
Published: April 2007

Interviews British parents and children for their views about merchandised products like toys and clothes, including the effects of peer and media pressure, and how children’s ages correlate with the desire for merchandised or branded goods. Includes eight detailed messages from 11 women and girls, accompanied by their photographs and age details; one mother tellingly says that she empties non‐merchandised bio yoghurt into a Thomas the Tank Engine pot in order to induce her daughter to eat it. Observes that some parents admit that their own inclination for merchandised goods contribute to their child’s longing for licensed toys. Concludes, however, that these candid responses express resentment at having to pay extra for merchandised products, while another adverse effect of licensed goods is the perceived brand dependency that many youngsters are developing; by being so desirable, these goods can engender disappointment, bullying and even crime.
Kids today and tomorrow
Authors: Crosby Rachel
Published: April 2007

Analyses UK children’s television viewing habits and suggests how their media consumption may evolve; the research is by MediaCom, where the author is head of Kids TV. Finds that what children say they watch differs from what they actually watch; this is known as the Chucklevision effect. Outlines factors that produce change in media consumption: paramount is the falling price of technology like computers, satellite TV and DVD players, but others are the changing family unit, an increase in organised play, and the growing availability of adult brands to children. Looks at the increased TV viewing choices available to children in recent years, noting however that they are actually watching slightly less TV and may anyway prefer adult programmes to those designed for them. Addresses the issues of whether internet use will replace TV viewing, UK versus US programmes and the role of the BBC in programme making, changes in reported favourite programmes since 1997, the influence of TV advertisements, and what adverts children like.
Common denominators: what unites global youth?
Authors: Stock Tim , Lena Tupot Marie
Published: April 2007

Analyses how the basic similarity of youth culture worldwide allows marketers to segment it across a four‐quadrant lifestyle matrix: the quadrants are In‐Crowd, Pop Mavericks, Networked Intelligentsia, and Thrill Renegades. Shows how this results from dividing young people by the oppositions of sober versus sensorial, and popculture versus subculture. Relates this fourfold classification to the brands that are likely to appeal to each: for instance, mobile phones are central for Pop Mavericks, but the Networked Intelligentsia prefers the internet. Concludes that brands must empower young people as evolving consumers and allow them to choose what is natural for them, rather than attempting to impose choices on them.
Materialism among adolescents in urban China
Authors: Chan Kara , Zhang Hongxia , Wang Iris
Published: April 2007

Looks at attitudes of Chinese adolescents to materialism, including the effect of age on materialism and the influence of family and peers. Outlines the values of Chinese culture: thrift, respect for parents, group orientation, social harmony, good manners, face, and academic achievement; these values could impact both positively and negatively on endorsement of materialistic values. Points out that parental expectations of their children’s material success have increased since the one child per family policy. Finds that older adolescents were more materialistic than younger ones, that more materialistic adolescents tended to communicate more with their peers and less with their parents, and that television (which now reaches 92 per cent of households) has no effect because the Chinese government’s strict rules about TV programmes’ content requires them to reflect traditional values.
Marketing to children and young people in Norway
Authors: Skirstad Hans E.
Published: April 2007

Looks at the legal position surrounding advertising to the young in Norway; this is regulated by the 1972 Marketing Control Act (MCA), but this has no total prohibition against direct advertising to children. Outlines the MCA’s concepts of “good marketing practice” and “unfair in relation to consumers” as these affect protection of children, and the work of the Consumer Ombudsman (CO) in monitoring whether marketing and business contract terms comply with the MCA. Moves on to the CO’s requirements on cinema advertising, and then to the 1992 Broadcasting Act’s prohibition of advertising which targets children. Concludes with the Internet: the CO works on the assumption that the MCA applies to all marketing, and there are detailed guidelines on websites, which have to consider the development stage of the target group and not take advantage of their credulity and lack of experience.
Interactive kids, passive parents
Authors: Horgan Sheena
Published: April 2007

Purpose

Technology has experienced a period of rapid growth and development in the last ten years. This article seeks to determine whether age has an effect on how people embrace new technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is an analysis that answers the question: How are today’s parents coping with the conundrum that is this rapidly evolving technology‐centric and interactive age?

Findings

Finds that there is nothing new in parents not understanding their children’s music, fashion or views.

Originality/value

Provides a review of relevance to providers and consumers of new technology products and services.
Why young consumers adopt interactive technologies
Authors: Arthur Damien , Sherman Claire , Appel Dion , Moore Lucy
Published: April 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an explanation for why young consumers adopt interactive technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The data analysed in this paper was taken from a series of in‐depth interviews and two online surveys initially conducted for the 2005 and 2006 Lifelounge Urban Market Reports.

Findings

The results suggest that five key values held by young consumers explain their adoption of interactive technologies. Following the explanation of each finding is a vignette of how the social networking site MySpace utilises interactive technologies to enable young consumers to convey their values.

Originality/value

This paper fills a gap in the literature by providing a values‐based structure of why young consumers adopt interactive technologies.
How rural children in China consume media & advertising
Authors: Chan Kara , McNeal James
Published: April 2007

Purpose

This study investigates household access to traditional and new media, media exposure, time spent on media and other activities, and attention to advertising among rural children in mainland China.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 1,008 rural children ages six to 13 in four Chinese rural provinces was conducted in March 2003. Questionnaires were distributed through elementary schools. The number of students in each school varied from 150 (in Heilongjiang) to 575 (in Yunnan). All the schools were situated in counties with population of less than 131,000. A national research company was appointed to administer the data collection.

Findings

Ninety‐eight percent of rural Chinese children have access to television and 71 percent have access to children’s books. Access to other broadcast and print media was under 50 percent. Most of the media consumption was in‐home. Rural children spent most of the time playing with friends, study and watching television. Older children spent more time on media and other activities than younger children. Boys spent more time on electronic games, radio and videotapes than girls. Respondents reported that they sometimes watched television commercials while they seldom attended to advertisements in all other media.

Originality/value

This paper offers insight to design media strategies to disseminate product information to rural children in China.
Advertising to children: a changing media landscape
Authors: Edmond Suzanne
Published: April 2007

The Department of Health published statistics in the summer of 2006 forecasting a continuation in the rise in childhood obesity over the next few years, casting serious doubt about its ability to meet its own target to halt the year‐on‐year rise by 2010. In the same week, in recognition of the dangerous levels of inactivity in the UK, the Government announced a dedicated “Minister of Fitness” in an effort to encourage people to lead healthier and more active lifestyles. In the midst of concerning lifestyle trends that effect us all, as individuals, parents, businesses and politicians alike, the debate over the role of food and soft drink advertising to children continues. The premise that is often portrayed by the press is that the industry is putting profit ahead of consumers’ health. This reflects a misunderstanding of the basic nature of the obesity problem, which is caused by an imbalance between energy consumed and energy expended. As the Secretary of State has intimated, over the last 25 years whilst the levels of calorific intake have been in continual decline, activity levels have declined at a fifty percent faster rate.
Blame our evolved gustatory preferences
Authors: Saad Gad
Published: April 2007

Purpose

To argue that childhood obesity is minimally influenced by media sources. Rather, our evolved gustatory preferences for fatty and sweet caloric foods, which were adaptive in our evolutionary history, yield maladaptive outcomes in today’s plentiful environments.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is discursive relying on several literature streams to make the key points of the current paper.

Findings

Obesity, whether in children, adolescents, or adults, is minimally linked to media images. The “media‐obesity” postulated relationship stems from the blank slate viewpoint of the human mind, which places undue importance on environmental cues and related socialization forces.

Research limitations/implications

Highlights the fact that social scientists have expended too much intellectual capital in investigating largely illusory links between food advertising and childhood obesity, when in reality this relationship is tenuous at best.

Practical implications

Policy makers should spend less time worrying about the regulation of media images as these have little effect on behaviors with deleterious consequences (including childhood obesity).

Originality/value

One of the few papers (if not the only one) in the marketing literature to apply evolutionary‐based theorizing in understanding the forces that shape individuals’ food consumption habits.
Managers, budgets and organisational change: unbundling some of the paradoxes
Authors: Marginson David , Ogden Stuart
Published: April 2007

The interplay between accounting and organisational change has been a topic of considerable interest in recent years. This paper is concerned with exploring the ways in which managers’ attitudes towards budgets may be influenced by processes of organisational change. Traditionally a high reliance on accounting measures of performance has generally been associated with provoking unfavourable reactions from managers on account of the pressure they experience to meet pre‐determined budgetary targets, with concomitant dysfunctional consequences for the achievement of organisational objectives. In contrast the paper argues that processes of organisational change, particularly the increasing use of “stretch” targets and empowerment strategies, may be prompting a more positive disposition towards budgets amongst managers. Drawing on recent research evidence, and building on notions of “psychological empowerment”, the paper suggests that managers may value the existence of pre‐determined budgetary targets as an “empowerment facilitator” in conditions of uncertainty. This possibility opens up new directions in behavioural accounting research.
Formation Mechanism of AlN–SiC Solid Solution by Combustion Nitridation in Si3N4–Si‐Al‐C System
Authors: Kata Dariusz , Shirai Kenshiro , Ohyanagi Manshi , Munir Zuhair A.
Published: April 2007

The synthesis of solid solutions of AlN–SiC was investigated through the combustion reaction between Si3N4, aluminum, and carbon powders and nitrogen gas at pressures ranging from 0.1 to 6.0 MPa. The combustion reaction was initiated locally and then the wave front propagated spontaneously, passing through the cylindrical bed containing the loose powder. In the presence of Si3N4 as a reactant, it was feasible to synthesize solid solutions at an ambient pressure (0.1 MPa). The relationship between nitrogen pressure and full‐width at half‐maximum of the (110) peak of the product showed that lower pressures produced more‐homogeneous solid solutions. Some aspects of formation of the AlN–SiC solid solutions were discussed with special emphasis on the influence of nitrogen pressure and reactant stoichiometry.
Microstructure of Ti(CN)–WC–NbC–Ni Cermets
Authors: Ahn Sun‐Yong , Kim Seong‐Won , Kang Shinhoo
Published: April 2007

An investigation of the microstructural evolution and dissolution phenomena in a Ti(C0.7N0.3)–xWC–yNbC–20Ni system is reported. In Ti(C0.7N0.3)–yNbC–20Ni systems, a phase separation occurs between the Ti(CN) core and the (Ti,Nb)(CN) rim phases when the system contains >15 wt% NbC. This phase separation results from the increased misfit between the cores and the solid‐solution rim phases with the addition of NbC. Based on data obtained from a previous study and compositional analyses of the rim structure of the Ti(C0.7N0.3)–yNbC–20Ni system, the average dissolution rates of WC and NbC appear to be approximately the same with respect to that of Ti(CN), under given sintering conditions (1510°C for 1 h). In addition, compositional changes in the rim structure of the Ti(C0.7N0.3)–xWC–yNbC–20Ni system are compared with those for a Ti(C0.7N0.3)–xWC–20Ni system to explain the effect of NbC on WC dissolution in the Ti(C0.7N0.3)–WC–NbC–Ni system. The presence of NbC in the Ti(C0.7N0.3)–xWC–20Ni system is found to suppress the dissolution of WC.
Sintering and Microstructure Modification of Mullite/Zirconia Composites Derived from Silica‐Coated Alumina Powders
Authors: Yaroshenko Viktor , Wilkinson David S.
Published: April 2007

This paper addresses the densification and microstructure development during firing of mullite/zirconia composites made from silica‐coated‐alumina (SCA) microcomposite powders. Densification occurs in two stages: in the presence of a silica–alumina mixture and after conversion to mullite. The first stage of densification occurs through transient viscous phase sintering (TVS). This is best promoted by rapid heating, which delays the crystallization of silica to higher temperatures. A further sintering stage is observed following mullitization. The introduction of seeds promotes solid‐state sintering, most probably due to refinement of the mullite matrix. For seed concentrations up to about 1% the sintering kinetics depend on seed concentration. This suggests that nucleation still remains the rate‐controlling mullitization step. Above this concentration the reaction becomes growth controlled. Introduction of seeds also promotes direct mullitization without transient zircon formation that was observed in a previous study of the same process without seeding. Seeding also promotes the development of elongated grains by way of a solid‐state recrystallization process.
Exuding Liquid from Grain Boundaries in Alumina
Authors: Ravishankar N. , Carter C. Barry
Published: April 2007

Bicrystals of alumina with anorthite glass in the boundary were prepared by hot pressing. Annealing of the bicrystals leads to the migration of the intergranular liquid to the free surface of the sample. It is proposed that the migration is driven by the difference in the wetting behavior of the free surface and the boundary.
Hydrolysis Deposition of Thin Films of Antimony‐Doped Tin Oxide
Authors: Tsukuma Koji , Akiyama Tomoyuki , Imai Hiroaki
Published: April 2007

Thin films of antimony‐doped tin oxide have been obtained by a new technique, the so‐called hydrolysis deposition method, in which hydrolyzed solids are precipitated from metal fluoride solutions. Mixed solutions of SnF3 and SbF3 produce antimony‐ and fluorine‐doped tin oxide films. The amount of antimony can be controlled in a wide range by adjusting the initial fluoride concentrations of the solution. The film containing 2.9 mol% antimony heated at 500°C has an electrical resistivity of 1.0 × 10−3Ω·cm, which is lower than previously obtained by wet‐chemical techniques.
R‐Curve Behavior of In Situ Toughened α‐SiAlON Ceramics
Authors: Zenotchkine Misha , Shuba Roman , Kim Joo Sun , Chen I‐Wei
Published: April 2007

R‐curves of single‐phase Y‐ and Ca‐containing α‐SiAlON ceramics have been measured. They range from flat ones for fine‐grain ceramics to pronounced rising ones when large elongated grains are present. The highest toughness measured reached 11.5 MPa·m1/2 over a crack extension of about 1000 μm.
Synthesis and Microstructural Characterization of Unsupported Nanocrystalline Zirconia Thin Films
Authors: Gorman Brian P. , Anderson Harlan U.
Published: April 2007

A polymeric precursor spin‐coating technique is illustrated in which yttrium‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films are produced on Si, Al2O3, and NaCl at temperatures less than 350°C. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) examinations show that the YSZ films are nanocrystalline (grain size of less than 5 nm), fully dense, and have a stabilized cubic fluorite structure. Using the polymeric precursor spin coating method, unsupported nanocrystalline thin films of YSZ with thicknesses ranging from 30 to 1000 nm are prepared by transferring the films from a host substrate to metallic TEM grids with unsupported areas exceeding 1 mm2.
Pressureless Sintering and Properties of Titanium Diboride Ceramics Containing Chromium and Iron
Authors: Kang Shin H. , Kim Deug J. , Kang Eul S. , Baek Seung S.
Published: April 2007

The simultaneous addition of 0.5 wt% Cr and Fe was found to enhance the densification of TiB2. The densities of specimens that were sintered for 2 h at 1800° and 1900°C were 97.6% and 98.8% of the theoretical value, respectively. The mechanical properties of the specimen sintered at 1800°C, which had a strength of 506 MPa and a fracture toughness of 6.16 MPa·m1/2, were much better than those observed in the specimen sintered at 1900°C.