bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complexity Factors and Intuition‐based Methods for Facility Network Design
Authors: Swink Morgan , Robinson E. Powell
Published: June 2007

Logistics managers frequently utilize decision support systems (DSS) to make facility network design decisions. Many DSS do not provide optimization capabilities, but instead rely on scenario evaluation as a means for developing solutions. We experimentally assessed the performances of decision makers, including experienced managers, who used four variants of a scenario evaluation‐based DSS to solve realistically sized network design problems of varying complexities. Complexity factors included DSS attributes, problem size, network types, and demand dispersion patterns. Decision makers' performances were assessed relative to optimal solutions.

Overall, the decision makers generated relatively high‐quality solutions using the DSS variants. The type of design problem solved did not significantly impact problem‐solving performance. However, performance degraded and variability in solution quality escalated as problem size was increased. The availability of incremental solution cost improvement cues in the DSS significantly improved solution quality and reduced performance variability. Iconic graphic enhancements to the DSS did not consistently affect performance. However, significant interactions existed among the effects of DSS graphics capabilities, DSS information cues, and problem attributes.
Managing Delphi Surveys Using Nonparametric Statistical Techniques*
Authors: Schmidt Roy C.
Published: June 2007

Information systems researchers have often turned to a variant of the Delphi survey technique to support their research of key issues in their field. Two particular weaknesses of past studies using this approach have been a lack of a definitive method for conducting the research and a lack of statistical support for the conclusions drawn by the researchers. In this paper, the author presents a method, based on nonparametric statistical techniques, to conduct ranking‐type Delphi surveys, perform analysis, and report results. The author takes this one step further by illustrating an actual analysis of a Delphi survey. The analysis is compared to results that were presented without the benefit of the author's approach. This paper shows that use of the advocated approach can streamline and strengthen studies, improve the validity of results, and thus better serve the consumers of the research findings. Since the ranking‐type Delphi is so popular among information systems researchers, a consistent method is needed to apply to their data collection, analysis, and reporting of results. This paper provides such a method in concise form and illustrates the use of the method in a manner affording comparison between it and previous practice.
The Significance of Information Systems Research on Emerging Technologies: Seven Information Technologies that Promise to Improve Managerial Effectiveness*
Authors: Kendall Kenneth E.
Published: June 2007

Emerging information technologies are those excitingly novel advances that decision makers are just beginning to notice. These emerging products or processes may have been invented some time ago, but are only now beginning to reveal practical applications. This paper examines this collection of seven studies exploring emerging technologies, classifying them so the context of their results can be related to other emerging technologies. Once the research is classified and the contribution and managerial significance of the research is identified, it becomes apparent that certain barriers exist, holding back the technology from wider use and appreciation. Common obstacles include resistance to, or difficulty with, using the technology; uncertainty concerning the value of the technology; and the complexities involved with implementation. This paper concludes with recommendations for future research aimed at breaking down the barriers in order to move from the technological emergence phase to the technological sublime phase in which decision makers and other end users understand the technology, realize and appreciate its value, and put the technology to its best use.
Media Appropriateness: Effects of Experience on Communication Media Choice
Authors: King Ruth C. , Xia Weidong
Published: June 2007

Organizations are faced with a myriad of emerging advanced information technologies. Management may be anxious about the numerous choices while simultaneously yearning for instant realization of benefits promised by the adopted technologies. Management should also be aware that the eventual institutional use of these technologies is dependent upon the learning and training opportunities presented to individuals. Individual approval or established perceptions toward technology appropriateness are mostly idiosyncratic and contingent upon numerous factors such as task goals or prior technology experience.

This paper examines the effect of learning experiences with nine communication media, based on perception changes of media appropriateness. Two hundred and ninety‐five MBA students participated in a longitudinal quasi‐experimental study. Results indicate that traditionally rich media such as face‐to‐face, group meetings, and telephone were consistently perceived to be more appropriate than emerging new media over time. However, an individual's specific experience with communication media affects perceptions of media appropriateness, and this is particularly evident in computer‐based communications. In addition, changes in perception of media appropriateness were directly related to the participants' learning experience and were particularly salient with new media. Furthermore, increased use of some media was found to be associated with decreased use of other media. This study demonstrates that deliberate technology‐use mediation can be an effective management mechanism to facilitate an individual's ability to gain experience in the use of new technologies. This paper also suggests that an individual's media experiences and temporal factors are two important but underemphasized factors in understanding and studying technology choice and use.
Participation in Strategic Decision Making: The Role of Organizational Predisposition and Issue Interpretation*
Authors: Ashmos Donde P. , Duchon Dennis , McDaniel Reuben R.
Published: June 2007

Each time managers are faced with a strategic decision they decide how to decide. Specifically, they make choices about who has necessary information and, therefore, who needs to participate in the decision. Such responses to strategic issues are believed to be affected by the way in which decision makers interpret issues. However, organizations develop habitual responses to issues and may be predisposed because of their attention to rules and routines, or because of past performance, to respond to strategic issues in certain ways regardless of how issues are interpreted. We examined the direct and indirect effects of predisposition (rule orientation and past financial performance) and interpretation of strategic issues on the participation of internal stakeholder groups in strategic decision making. Executives in 52 organizations indicated that rule orientation and performance are directly linked to participation in strategic decision making, and that interpretation and rule orientation are directly linked to each other. Implications for managers include the notion that any effort to improve decision‐making effectiveness by shaping how organizational members frame and interpret issues will be constrained by the organization's existing routines as well as its past performance.
Managing the International Strategic Sourcing Process as a Market‐Driven Organizational Learning System*
Authors: Hult G. Tomas M.
Published: June 2007

This study examines the effects of market‐driven organizational learning on a select set of strategic sourcing outcomes involving the sourcing function of a Fortune 500 multinational corporation. The focus is on the dyadic activities and relationships between the domestic and international strategic business units (SBUs) and the corporate buying center. The hypothesized relationships are tested on the overall sample and based on a two‐by‐two matrix framework defined by international versus domestic settings and frequent versus infrequent sourcing scenarios. Based on a sample of 179 domestic and 167 international SBUs, the results suggest that market‐driven organizational learning in the strategic sourcing units influences customer satisfaction, relationship commitment, and cycle time of the sourcing process. However, while the set of learning orientations appears to be strategically robust across the four quadrant scenarios (moderator settings), the sourcing situations differ somewhat in the specific tactical learning orientations preferred.
Special Research Focus on Supply Chain Linkages: Challenges for Design and Management in the 21st Century*
Authors: Mabert Vincent A. , Venkataramanan M.A.
Published: June 2007

Supply chain management is a central and important area for academic research due to its impact on firms competing in today's global economy. Managing the flow of materials from supply sources to the ultimate customer represents a major challenge for today's managers. To assist managers, the concept of supply chain management has been adopted by many business leaders as an important way to assist in designing, planning, and controlling the network of facilities and tasks that comprise the many stages of the supply chain. In turn, the flow of academic research in the area has increased to provide a better set of guidelines for effective implementation and execution.

This article sets the stage for recently completed research concentrating on supply chain management issues. First, a definition of supply chain management is provided and compared to recent usage in this area and logistics management. Also, a framework is provided that structures this dynamic and complex management task. Second, a review of past research is presented to illustrate the many paths supply chain management has traveled, and important contributions to supply management understanding and decision making. Third, recently completed research articles are introduced that have been selected to be part of this special issue of Decision Sciences. And fourth, future research directions for supply chain management that need to be pursued by interested investigators are discussed.
Effects of Source and Participant Anonymity and Difference in Initial Opinions in an EMS Context*
Authors: Kahai Surinder S. , Avolio Bruce J. , Sosik John J.
Published: June 2007

This laboratory experiment studied the effects of source and participant anonymity, and differences in initial opinions in an electronic meeting system (EMS) context. Results indicated that (a) inhibition to participate did not mediate the effect of anonymity on participation as suggested in prior deindividuation and EMS literature; and (b) the effect of anonymity on participation, satisfaction, and postdiscussion agreement depended on the level and type of anonymity involved and whether initial opinions among group members were similar or different. A mechanism that suggests that anonymity may cause participants to focus more on their task by turning attention away from other participants partly accounts for the effects of source and participant anonymity on participation in this study. Future work should focus on determining how different types and levels of anonymity influence process and outcomes in different types of groups.
Will a Risk‐Averse Decision Maker Ever Really Prefer an Unfair Gamble? Sometimes, He Will
Authors: Prakash Arun J. , Chang Chun‐Hao , Hamid Shahid , Smyser Michael W.
Published: June 2007

The comments of Horowitz (1998) on the Prakash, Chang, Hamid, and Smyser (1996) paper are specifically directed towards Lemma 4 of the original paper. This reply proposes that Horowitz fails to recognize that the conditions stated are only necessary but not sufficient, and solutions can be obtained for some specific utility function for a given level of wealth in the case of a neutral gamble and for a range of wealth for unfair gambles. We derive the conditions to show that a risk preference function that satisfies the restrictions of Lemma 4 can exist for a given level of wealth.
Environmental Management in Operations: The Selection of Environmental Technologies*
Authors: Klassen Robert D. , Whybark D. Clay
Published: June 2007

Manufacturing firms have given management of the natural environment higher priority as public awareness and scrutiny has increased. To help understand management's role in this process, a basic conceptual model of environmental management within operations is developed. The model proposes that the general orientation of operations managers on environmental issues ranges from proactive to reactive, and this is intrinsically related to the investment pattern in environmental technologies. Results from an empirical validation of this model are presented for a sample of plants from the furniture industry. Three distinct groups were identified based on the linkage between environmental management orientation and investment in environmental technologies. Counter to the prescriptive environmental literature, which recommends that proactive orientation should emphasize pollution prevention (i.e., fundamental product and process changes), proactive managers implemented a balanced portfolio that also included a sizable proportion of pollution control technologies (i.e., traditional end‐of‐pipe controls and remediation). Contextual factors also differentiate among these three groups, thus suggesting options for senior management to assist plant managers to become more proactive and to improve environmental performance.
The Role of Organizational and Information Technology Antecedents in Reengineering Initiation Behavior*
Authors: Grover Varun , Fiedler Kirk D. , Teng James T. C.
Published: June 2007

Business Process Reengineering (BPR) has been a major catalyst of the pervasive organizational change we have witnessed over the past decade. Although one can speculate on the reasons for the popularity of this phenomenon, it is important that we carefully examine its underlying antecedents for initiation, implementation, and ultimately success, if we are to add value to practitioners of this concept. This study empirically examines the importance of facets of the organizational structure, IT knowledge resources and infrastructure, and the IS function in the initiation of BPR. Data from 313 corporations were gathered using a carefully validated survey, and initiators were compared with noninitiators. The results strongly suggest that client‐server architectures, the strategic integration of IS, and cross departmental interaction are among the more important factors facilitating initiation and can be important inputs in a BPR decision‐making process. The study attempts to build a contingent theory for BPR, and the more sustainable notion of fundamental process change.
Scheduling to Improve Field Service Quality*
Authors: Haugen Dyan L. , Hill Arthur V.
Published: June 2007

This research addresses the problem of scheduling technicians to travel from customer site to customer site to perform emergency maintenance on office machines, computers, robots, telecommunications equipment, medical equipment, heating/cooling equipment, household appliances, and other equipment. We call this the Traveling Technician Problem (TTP). In its simplest form, the TTP is a multiserver, sequence‐dependent, tardiness minimization problem. This research frames the TTP as a service quality maximization problem in which service quality is defined in terms of mean tardiness, mean technician phone response time, mean promise time, and mean response time. Tardiness is defined with respect to contractually guaranteed response times. Industry practice is to use dispatching rules to assign service calls to technicians. This research proposes scheduling procedures to maximize field service quality in a dynamic environment. A simulation experiment was used to compare three dispatching rules and three scheduling procedures for the TTP. The scheduling procedures dominated the dispatching rules on all four service quality measures. The proposed scheduling procedures hold promise for improving service quality in a wide variety of field service organizations and in other scheduling environments as well.
On the Measurements of Board Composition: Poor Consistency and a Serious Mismatch of Theory and Operationalization
Authors: Daily Catherine M. , Johnson Jonathan L. , Dalton Dan R.
Published: June 2007

Over two dozen operationalizations of board composition can be identified from the empirical literature. A structural equations confirmatory factor analysis (LISREL 8.03) suggests that these operationalizations do not constitute a single construct of board independence. Instead, analyses strongly indicate three separate constructs. Common operationalizations of board composition, then, are neither tenable surrogates for one another nor are they interchangeable. Implications for empirical aggregation of studies, theory/measurement convergence, and the current corporate governance public policy debate are discussed.
An Examination of Procedural and Object‐oriented Systems Analysis Methods: Does Prior Experience Help or Hinder Performance?*
Authors: Morris Michael G. , Speier Cheri , Hoffer Jeffrey A.
Published: June 2007

Interest in object‐oriented analysis (OOA) and object‐oriented design (OOD) has expanded rapidly over the last several years. Proponents of OOA and OOD have called the shift to these methods “revolutionary” and have cited a number of impressive claims with respect to their use. However, empirical research investigating these claims remains in its infancy. Moreover, an examination of the literature reveals inconclusive and often conflicting results for OOA and OOD methods relative to traditional data and/or procedural techniques.

This paper presents the results of an empirical study that examined both experienced and novice systems analysts using both procedural and object‐oriented techniques. This research examined whether experience in using procedural methods helped or hindered performance using OOA and compared procedural and OOA methods on the subjective mental workload induced.

A human problem‐solving model adopted from Newell and Simon (1972) provided the theoretical framework for this study. Dependent variables include subjective mental workload, solution quality, time to perform task, and attitudinal measures. Although some of these dependent variables have been used in past research, we believe this is the first time that subjective mental workload (SMW) has been examined in an IS context. Our results indicate that both novice and experienced subjects demonstrate higher SMW when using OOA. In addition, as a group, novices prefer object‐oriented techniques and find these techniques easier as compared to experienced subjects.
A Cross‐Validation Analysis of Neural Network Out‐of‐Sample Performance in Exchange Rate Forecasting
Authors: Hu Michael Y. , Zhang Guoqiang (Peter) , Jiang Christine X. , Patuwo B. Eddy
Published: June 2007

Econometric methods used in foreign exchange rate forecasting have produced inferior out‐of‐sample results compared to a random walk model. Applications of neural networks have shown mixed findings. In this paper, we investigate the potentials of neural network models by employing two cross‐validation schemes. The effects of different in‐sample time periods and sample sizes are examined. Out‐of‐sample performance evaluated with four criteria across three forecasting horizons shows that neural networks are a more robust forecasting method than the random walk model. Moreover, neural network predictions are quite accurate even when the sample size is relatively small.
Technology Use and Performance: A Field Study of Broker Workstations*
Authors: Lucas Henry C. , Spitler V.K.
Published: June 2007

Organizations invest in technology with the expectation that it will contribute to performance, and members of the organization must use technology for it to make a contribution. For this reason, it is important for managers and designers to understand and predict system use. This paper develops a model of workstation use in a field setting where the use of the system is an integral part of the user's job. The model is based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which we extended to include social norms, user performance, and two control variables. Brokers and sales assistants in the privateclient group of a major investment bank provided data to test our extended model. The core perception variables in TAM do not predict use in this study. Social norms and one's job requirements are more important in predicting use than workers' perceptions about ease of use and usefulness. The paper discusses the implications of these findings and suggests directions for future research.
Stock Evaluation Using a Preference Disaggregation Methodology
Authors: Zopounidis Constantin , Doumpos Michael , Zanakis Stelios
Published: June 2007

This paper presents a real application of a multicriteria decision aid (MCDA) approach to portfolio selection based on preference disaggregation, using ordinal regression and linear programming (UTADIS method; UTilités Additives DIScriminantes). The additive utility functions that are derived through this approach have the extrapolation ability that any new alternative (share) can be easily evaluated and classified into one of several user‐predefined groups. The procedure is illustrated with a case study of 98 stocks from the Athens stock exchange, using 15 criteria. The results are encouraging, indicating that the proposed methodology could be used as a tool for the analysis of the portfolio managers' preferences and choices. Furthermore, the comparison with multiple discriminant analysis (either using a stepwise procedure or not) illustrates the superiority of the proposed methodology over a well‐known multivariate statistical technique that has been extensively used to study financial decision‐making problems.
An Evaluation of Routing and Volume‐based Storage Policies in an Order Picking Operation
Authors: Petersen Charles G. , Schmenner Roger W.
Published: June 2007

Order picking, the assembly of a customer's order from items in storage, is an essential link in the supply chain and is the major cost component of warehousing. The critical issue is to simultaneously reduce the cost and increase the speed of the order picking activity. This study departs from the limited prior research that focused on either routing of workers or storage of warehoused items. The main objectives are to (1) evaluate various routing heuristics versus an optimal routine in a volume‐based storage environment, (2) propose several methods of implementing volume‐based storage, and (3) examine the interaction of the routing and storage policies under different operating conditions of pick list size and demand skewness. The experimental results show statistically significant differences in the mean route distance for the routing policies, storage policies, and their interactions. Further testing indicates that the choice of certain routing and storage policies in combination can result in increased picking efficiency.
Modeling IS Planning Benefits Using ACE
Authors: Ang James S. K. , Quek S. A. , Teo Thompson S. H. , Lui B.
Published: June 2007

This paper addresses the dearth of research on the determinants of IS planning benefits. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey of top IS executives from 450 companies in Singapore. Of the 103 responses (representing a response rate of 23%), 65 companies undertook IS planning. To test the hypothesis that the determinant‐benefit relationships are likely to be nonlinear, the Alternating Conditional Expectations (ACE) algorithm was used. This appears to be the first use of ACE in IS planning research.

IS sophistication, communications culture, technology forecasting, top management support, and firm size were found to be nonlinearly related to IS planning benefits (e.g., improved competitiveness, operations, and resource management). For example, IS sophistication affects improved competitiveness positively, and improved resource management negatively. It seems that IS sophistication is directed more at improving competitiveness, even though this may result in less efficient resource management due to bureaucratic procedures. However, at higher levels of IS sophistication, competitiveness stagnates and may even decrease, possibly due to bureaucratic bottlenecks. Implications of our results are discussed.
Underwriting and Calls of Convertible Bonds*
Authors: Cowan Arnold R. , Nayar Nandkumar , Singh Ajai K.
Published: June 2007

We model convertible bond calls under asymmetric information where, unlike Harris and Raviv (1985), we consider a nonzero call price and a call notice period. In the model, the use of underwriters conveys negative information. Consequently, the stock price decline is greater for underwritten calls than for nonunderwritten calls. Furthermore, underwritten calls are made earlier and when the conversion option is less deep in the money. Underwriting commissions and the stock price decline associated with a call are negatively related to the extent that the conversion option is in the money before the call. Empirical evidence in this paper and Singh, Cowan, and Nayar (1991) are consistent with the model's predictions.
Fitting the Lognormal Distribution to Surgical Procedure Times*
Authors: May Jerrold H. , Strum David P. , Vargas Luis G.
Published: June 2007

Minimum surgical times are positive and often large. The lognormal distribution has been proposed for modeling surgical data, and the three‐parameter form of the lognormal, which includes a location parameter, should be appropriate for surgical data. We studied the goodness‐of‐fit performance, as measured by the Shapiro‐Wilk p‐value, of three estimators of the location parameter for the lognormal distribution, using a large data set of surgical times. Alternative models considered included the normal distribution and the two‐parameter lognormal model, which sets the location parameter to zero. At least for samples with n > 30, data adequately fit by the normal had significantly smaller skewness than data not well fit by the normal, and data with larger relative minima (smallest order statistic divided by the mean) were better fit by a lognormal model. The rule “If the skewness of the data is greater than 0.35, use the three‐parameter lognormal with the location parameter estimate proposed by Muralidhar & Zanakis (1992), otherwise, use the two‐parameter model” works almost as well at specifying the lognormal model as more complex guidelines formulated by linear discriminant analysis and by tree induction.
Models and Methods to Support a New Type of Inventory Performance Measure: The ESWSO
Authors: Boone Tonya , Ganeshan Ram
Published: June 2007

When analyzing a reorder point, order quantity (r, Q) inventory systems, one important question that often gets very little, if any, attention is: When a stockout occurs, how large is it? This paper is directed at researchers and practicing inventory planners with two objectives. First, we provide several models and algorithms to compute the Expected Shortages When a Stockout Occurs (ESWSO) for a variety of stochastic environments. We show that when ESWSO, is used in conjunction with the traditional fill rate measures it greatly enhances a planners ability to plan for shortages. Second, we develop two cost‐minimizing inventory models—one addressing the backorder and the other the shortage scenario—to show how the ESWSO can be seamlessly integrated into an inventory‐cost framework to specify lot sizes and safety stocks.
A Framework for Measuring the Importance of Variables with Applications to Management Research and Decision Models*
Authors: Soofi Ehsan S. , Retzer Joseph J. , Yasai‐Ardekani Masoud
Published: June 2007

In many disciplines, including various management science fields, researchers have shown interest in assigning relative importance weights to a set of explanatory variables in multivariable statistical analysis. This paper provides a synthesis of the relative importance measures scattered in the statistics, psychometrics, and management science literature. These measures are computed by averaging the partial contributions of each variable over all orderings of the explanatory variables. We define an Analysis of Importance (ANIMP) framework that reflects two desirable properties for the relative importance measures discussed in the literature: additive separability and order independence. We also provide a formal justification and generalization of the “averaging over all orderings” procedure based on the Maximum Entropy Principle. We then examine the question of relative importance in management research within the framework of the “contingency theory of organizational design” and provide an example of the use of relative importance measures in an actual management decision situation. Contrasts are drawn between the consequences of use of statistical significance, which is an inappropriate indicator of relative importance and the results of the appropriate ANIMP measures.
Quality‐related Action Programs: Their Impact on Quality Performance and Firm Performance
Authors: Curkovic Sime , Vickery Shawnee , Dröge Cornelia
Published: June 2007

From analyses of the direct effects of 10 quality action programs on six firm performance outcomes, as well as their indirect effects through eight quality performance dimensions, two routes from action programs through quality performance to firm performance in the automotive supply industry are identified. The first is the product quality route, whose landmarks are superior quality performance on Conformance and Design Quality dimensions; the second is the relationship quality route, with superior Customer Responsiveness and Service. Both the product quality and the relationship quality routes lead to superior ROI; the former also leads to enhanced ROA, and the latter to enhanced market share performance. Associated key action programs are Committed Leadership, Cross‐Functional Quality Teams, Employee Empowerment, Supplier Development, and Closer Customer Relationships. The first three are internally focused, while the latter two are boundary‐spanning supply chain programs.
An Empirical Investigation of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Causal Model
Authors: Wilson Darryl D. , Collier David A.
Published: June 2007

The objective of this research is to test the theory and causal performance linkages implied by the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA). The survey instrument used a comprehensive set of 101 questions that were directly tied to specific criteria in the 1995 MBNQA Criteria. Results reported here represent the first published article that tests the MBNQA performance relationships and causal model using comprehensive measurement and structural models.

In general, our research concludes that (1) The underlying theory of the MBNQA is supported that “leadership drives the system that causes results”; (2) Leadership is the most important driver of system performance; (3) Leadership has no direct effect on Financial Results but must influence overall performance “through the system”; (4) Information and Analysis is statistically the second most important Baldrige category; (5) the Baldrige category, Process Management, is twice as important when predicting customer satisfaction as when predicting financial results; and (6) a modified “within system” set of five Baldrige causal relationships is a good predictor of organizational performance.
Modeling the Audit Opinions Issued to Bankrupt Companies: A Two‐stage Empirical Analysis*
Authors: Casterella Jeffrey R. , Lewis Barry L. , Walker Paul L.
Published: June 2007

Many observers are dissatisfied with the accounting profession's ability to warn the public of upcoming bankruptcy filings. Since regulators and users tend to treat an unmodified audit opinion as a “clean bill of health,” they do not expect the business to fail in the near future. Research has shown that more often than not, auditors end up letting users down when it comes to predicting bankruptcy filings with audit opinions.

Although auditors assert they are not responsible for predicting future events, it is very clear that their opinion decision is evaluated, at least in part, based on events that occur after the audit report date. The interesting and logical next step is to find out how companies exit bankruptcy. Do they liquidate or reorganize? Successful reorganization may, in the end, exonerate auditors and preserve their role as an early warning device. The opinion prediction model developed in the paper introduces a new bankruptcy resolution variable that proxies for the auditor's prognosis of the ultimate disposition of the soon‐to‐be‐bankrupt company. Using a sample of bankruptcy filings between 1982 and 1992, we find that auditors do not seem to be able to predict filings or resolution. Our tests of bankruptcy resolution support what auditors have been arguing for years: that they are not clairvoyant with respect to a client's future.
Financial Implications of the Decision to Increase Reliance on Contingent Labor*
Authors: Nayar Nandkumar Nandu , Lee Willinger G.
Published: June 2007

This paper provides the first systematic examination of the financial implications associated with increased reliance on contingent (i.e., temporary/part‐time) labor. Using measures of performance from income statement and balance sheet data, and stock returns, we find that the adoption of this labor practice is associated with superior subsequent performance. Concurrently, no increase in systematic risk and standard deviation of stock returns is observed. The increase in performance with no concurrent increase in systematic risk and standard deviation of returns perhaps explains the increasing popularity of this labor practice.
Rationality in Strategic Information Technology Decisions: The Impact of Shared Domain Knowledge and IT Unit Structure*
Authors: Ranganathan C. , Sethi Vijay
Published: June 2007

Rationality is a fundamental concept to several models of IT planning and implementation. Though the importance of following rational processes in making strategic IT decisions is well acknowledged, there is not much understanding on why discrepancies occur in the IT decision‐making process and what factors affect rationality. Drawing upon structural and resource‐based perspectives of strategy, this study examines the influence of shared domain knowledge and IT unit structure on rationality in strategic IT decisions. Data were gathered from 223 senior IT executives using a survey to examine the relationships among the research constructs. The results suggest a positive impact of shared domain knowledge and formalization of IT unit structure on rationality in strategic IT decisions. Further, a highly centralized IT unit structure was found to negatively influence shared domain knowledge. On the other hand, formalization of IT structure positively influenced shared domain knowledge. The implications of the findings for research and practice are presented.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Competence Constructs: Two‐Stage Multi‐Item Scale Development and Validation*
Authors: Stratman Jeff K. , Roth Aleda V.
Published: June 2007

This paper defines and operationalizes eight ERP competence constructs. We define ERP competence as a portfolio of managerial, technical and organizational skills and expertise posited as antecedents to improved business performance occurring after an ERP system is operational and functionally stable. To improve responses to changes in markets and products, manufacturers are increasingly adopting ERP systems. However, anecdotal accounts indicate that the realization of ERP's potential benefits is rare. Because of its pervasive influence on manufacturing and business performance, the need for scientifically developed and tested multi‐item scales pertaining to ERP competence is highly relevant to manufacturing strategy research. We follow a two‐stage normative process of scale development. First, we identify a portfolio of eight generic constructs that are hypothesized to be associated with successful ERP adoption. Each construct is then operationalized as a multi‐item measurement scale by applying a manual item sorting technique iteratively to independent panels of expert judges until tentative reliability and validity is established. Second, we further refine and validate the multi‐item scales using survey data from 79 North American manufacturing users of ERP systems.
A Purchasing Framework for B2B Pricing Decisions and Risk‐sharing in Supply Chains*
Authors: Arcelus F. J. , Pakkala T. P. M. , Srinivasan G.
Published: June 2007

This paper presents a common modelling structure for (i) the implementation of operational policies by individual purchasing managers of risk‐sharing agreements among supply‐chain partners, and (ii) the integration of brick and click purchasing policies in a B2B. The problem of price uncertainty created within these two environments is modelled as a stochastic repetitive‐sales problem, applicable to any probability distribution. The model identifies sufficient conditions for regenerative ordering cycles, which allows for the use of the renewal reward theorem. The end result is a two‐price purchasing policy, which may substantially ease implementation problems across a global corporation's purchasing managers world‐wide and across B2B markets.
Heterogeneity of Ventricular Fibrillation Dominant Frequency During Global Ischemia in Isolated Rabbit Hearts
Authors: CALDWELL JANE , BURTON FRANCIS L. , SMITH GODFREY L. , COBBE STUART M.
Published: June 2007

Introduction
: Ventricular fibrillation (VF) studies show that ECG‐dominant frequency (DF) decreases as ischemia develops. This study investigates the contribution of the principle ischemic metabolic components to this decline.

Methods and Results: Rabbit hearts were Langendorff‐perfused at 40 mL/min with Tyrode's solution and loaded with RH237. Epicardial optical action potentials were recorded with a photodiode array (256 sites, 15 × 15 mm). After 60 seconds of VF (induced by burst pacing), global ischemia was produced by low flow (6 mL/min), or the solution changed to impose hypoxia (95% N2/5% CO2), low pHo (6.7, 80% O2/20% CO2), or raised [K+]o (8 mM). DF of the optical signals was determined at each site. Conduction velocity (CV), action potential duration (APD90), effective refractory period (ERP), activation threshold, dV/dtmax, and membrane potential were measured in separate experiments during ventricular pacing. During VF, ischemia decreased DF in the left ventricle (LV) (to [58 ± 6]%, P < 0.001), but not the right (RV) ([93 ± 5]%). Raised [K+]o reproduced this DF pattern (LV: [67 ± 12]%, P < 0.001; RV: [95 ± 9]%). LV DF remained elevated in hypoxia or low pHo. During ventricular pacing, ischemia decreased CV in LV but not RV. Raised [K+]o did not change CV in either ventricle. Ischemia and raised [K+]o shortened APD90 without altering ERP. LV activation threshold increased in both ischemia and raised [K+]o and was associated with diastolic depolarization and decreased dV/dtmax.

Conclusions: These results suggest that during VF, decreased ECG DF in global ischemia is largely due to elevated [K+]o affecting the activation thresholds in the LV rather than RV.
Effects of Exercise Training on Abnormal Ventilatory Responses to Exercise in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure
Authors: Myers Jonathan
Published: June 2007

Patients with chronic heart failure frequently report shortness of breath during daily activities as their primary symptom. In recent years, many efforts have been made by researchers to explain the mechanisms that underlie the characteristic heightened ventilatory response to activity in patients with chronic heart failure. The degree to which the ventilatory response to exercise is heightened parallels the severity of the disease, and measuring the ventilatory gas exchange response to exercise can help quantify the patient's response to therapy. Prior to the 1990s, patients with chronic heart failure were generally discouraged from participating in programs of exercise training. However, in the last decade, studies have demonstrated that exercise training is quite safe for these patients, and a multitude of benefits have been reported. Among the benefits of training are improvements in the abnormal ventilatory response to exercise. Although many mechanisms could potentially explain this response, it appears most likely that this improvement after training is due to a reduction in lactate accumulation and an attenuation of the heightened muscle receptor reflex response that occurs in chronic heart failure. This article reviews the mechanisms of dyspnea in chronic heart failure, along with recent studies assessing the effects of training on abnormal ventilatory responses to exercise in these patients.
Performance of Phonoelectrocardiographic Left Ventricular Systolic Time Intervals and B‐Type Natriuretic Peptide Levels in the Diagnosis of Left Ventricular Dysfunction
Authors: Moyers Brian , Shapiro Mia , Marcus Gregory M. , Gerber Ivor L. , McKeown Barry H. , Vessey Joshua C. , Jordan Mark V. , Huddleston Michele , Foster Elyse , Chatterjee Kanu , Michaels Andrew D.
Published: June 2007

Background: Systolic time intervals measured by echocardiography and carotid artery tracings are validated methods of assessing left ventricular function. However, the clinical utility of phonoelectrocardiographic systolic time intervals for predicting heart failure using newer technology has not been evaluated.

Methods: We enrolled 100 adult patients undergoing left heart catheterization. Participants underwent computerized phonoelectrocardiographic analysis, left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure (LVEDP) measurement, transthoracic echocardiographic measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) testing. The heart rate‐adjusted systolic time intervals included the time from the Q wave onset to peak S1 (electromechanical activation time, EMAT), Q wave onset to peak S2 (electromechanical systole, Q‐S2), and peak S1 to peak S2 (left ventricular systolic time, LVST). Left ventricular dysfunction was defined as the presence of both LVEDP >15 mmHg and LVEF <50%.

Results: EMAT (r =−0.51; P < 0.0001), EMAT/LVST (r =−0.41; P = 0.0001), and Q‐S2 (r =−0.39; P = 0.0003) correlated with LVEF, but not with LVEDP. An abnormal EMAT ≥15 (odds ratio 1.38, P < 0.0001) and EMAT/LVST ≥0.40 (OR 1.13, P = 0.002) were associated with left ventricular dysfunction. EMAT ≥15 had 44% sensitivity, 94% specificity, and a 7.0 likelihood ratio for left ventricular dysfunction, while EMAT/LVST ≥0.40 had 55% sensitivity, 95% specificity, and a 11.7 likelihood ratio. In patients with an intermediate BNP (100–500 pg/mL), the likelihood ratio increased from 1.1 using the BNP result alone to 11.0 when adding a positive EMAT test for predicting left ventricular dysfunction.

Conclusions: Phonoelectrocardiographic measures of systolic time intervals are insensitive but highly specific tests for detecting abnormalities in objective markers of left ventricular function. EMAT and EMAT/LVST provide diagnostic information independent of BNP for detecting patients with left ventricular dysfunction.
Temporal Variations in Microvolt T‐Wave Alternans Testing after Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Oliveira Mário Martins , Fiarresga António , Pelicano Nuno , Da Silva Nogueira , Timóteo Ana Teresa , Carlos Isabel , Silva Sofia , Quininha Jorge
Published: June 2007

Background: Microvolt T‐wave alternans (TWA) have been accepted as a tool for assessing vulnerability to ventricular tachyarrhythmias. There is lack of data concerning prospective temporal variations in TWA measurements after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We analysed the temporal patterns of TWA in post‐AMI patients.

Methods and Results: TWA tests were performed <1 month (TWA_early) and 6 months (TWA_late) after AMI in 51 consecutive patients treated with successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Twenty seven patients (53%) had anterior wall infarctions and 24 (47%) had inferior/lateral wall infarctions. TWA was measured during a treadmill manual exercise protocol and defined as positive, negative and indeterminate. Group A included patients with TWA negative in both tests and Group B included those with TWA abnormal (positive or indeterminate) at first or second determinations. TWA_early was negative, positive and indeterminate in 38 (74.6%), 8 (15.6%) and 5 (9.8%) patients, respectively, whereas TWA_late was negative, positive and indeterminate in 30 (58.9%), 14 (27.4%) and 7 (13.7%) patients, respectively. TWA_early was classified as normal in 74.6% and abnormal in 25.4% of the cases, and TWA_late was normal in 58.9% and abnormal in 41.1%. TWA tests were concordant in 36 patients (70.6%) and discordant 15 patients (29.4%). At TWA_late, 10 patients (19.6%) changed from TWA negative to TWA abnormal and 4 patients (7.8%) from TWA abnormal to TWA negative. After TWA_early+TWA_late, 45% of the patients had 1 test classified as abnormal. Left ventricular ejection fraction was <50% in 22% of Group A and 52% of Group B (P = 0.037).

Conclusions: In the era of primary PCI, temporal changes in TWA measurements may occur frequently during the first 6 months post‐AMI. These findings should be considered in risk stratification strategies following AMI.
The 〈〈Chaos Theory〉〉 and Nonlinear Dynamics in Heart Rate Variability Analysis: Does it Work in Short‐Time Series in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease?
Authors: Krstacic Goran , Krstacic Antonija , Smalcelj Anton , Milicic Davor , Jembrek‐Gostovic Mirjana
Published: June 2007

Background: Dynamic analysis techniques may quantify abnormalities in heart rate variability (HRV) based on nonlinear and fractal analysis (〈〈chaos theory〉〉). The article emphasizes clinical and prognostic significance of dynamic changes in short‐time series applied on patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) during the exercise electrocardiograph (ECG) test.

Methods: The subjects were included in the series after complete cardiovascular diagnostic data. Series of R‐R and ST‐T intervals were obtained from exercise ECG data after sampling digitally. The 〈〈range rescaled analysis〉〉 method determined the fractal dimension of the intervals. To quantify fractal long‐range correlation's properties of heart rate variability, the detrended fluctuation analysis technique was used. Approximate entropy (ApEn) was applied to quantify the regularity and complexity of time series, as well as unpredictability of fluctuations in time series.

Results: It was found that the short‐term fractal scaling exponent (α1) is significantly lower in patients with CHD (0.93 ± 0.07 vs 1.09 ± 0.04; P < 0.001). The patients with CHD had higher fractal dimension in each exercise test program separately, as well as in exercise program at all. ApEn was significant lower in CHD group in both RR and ST‐T ECG intervals (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The nonlinear dynamic methods could have clinical and prognostic applicability also in short‐time ECG series. Dynamic analysis based on 〈〈chaos theory〉〉 during the exercise ECG test point out the multifractal time series in CHD patients who loss normal fractal characteristics and regularity in HRV. Nonlinear analysis technique may complement traditional ECG analysis.