bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Miscible displacement of a layer with finite width in porous media
Authors: Chen Ching‐Yao , Wang Shu‐Wei
Published: January 2003

Miscible displacement of a more viscous finite layer in porous media is simulated by means of high accuracy numerical schemes. Viscous fingers on the trailing front where the mobility ratio is unfavorable are found to catch up, however they never break through the stable leading front. Two stages of fingering orientation are observed. At an earlier time when the influences of finite thickness of the layer are not yet fully realized, the fingers move forward with the similar features to the conventional fingering findings. However, these fingering patterns are redirected upstream after the arrival of most of fingers to the leading front. The leading front remains stable with strong dispersion effects and moves nearly constantly with original displacing velocity. The growth rate of the layer thickness depends strongly on the viscosity ratio.
Heterogeneity among barterers and vendors in the informal economy
Authors: McCrohan Kevin F. , Sugrue Timothy F.
Published: January 2003

This research explored the nature of suppliers who participate in informal markets. The study was based on a national probability sample of 1,600 households. Those that had engaged in both barterer and vendor behaviors were found to have the most distinct profile. The barterer/vendor group demonstrated the highest level of expenditures with informal suppliers (suppliers operating in an off‐the‐books fashion). They were also found to be the youngest and to have the highest level of income and education. The strong relationship between acting as an informal supplier, as both a vendor and a barterer, and the propensity to consume in informal markets is the most striking conclusion of the study.
Using SERVQUAL to assess customer satisfaction with public sector services
Authors: Wisniewski Mik
Published: January 2003

The UK Government’s Best Value initiative is intended to ensure that local authorities provide best value in service delivery and emphasises the importance of ensuring a clear customer/citizen focus across all services. Local authorities are already using a variety of methods to capture the voice of the customer, with customer surveys being one of the most popular. Such surveys, however, have tended to focus solely on customers’ perceptions of services and not their expectations. This paper presents the results of using an adapted SERVQUAL approach across a range of Scottish council services. The results of the studies will be discussed, the use of SERVQUAL results by service managers reviewed and the contribution of SERVQUAL to continuous improvement assessed.
A preliminary study of a deformable body model for clothing simulation
Authors: Inui Shigeru
Published: January 2003

The body model which has been utilized in our clothing simulation does not deform and gives a boundary condition for mechanical calculation. To determine the shape of clothing in the case where clothing and body mechanically interact with each other, the body model used for this purpose has to be deformable. In this study, basic techniques for realization of the deformable body model were investigated. A tetrahedron was defined as a fundamental element for mechanical calculation of solid, and it was formulated with ordinal strain. Four kinds of cubes consisting of six tetrahedrons were defined as basic geometrical elements for constructing solids. Two kinds of cantilevers were constructed from the cubes and mechanical simulation was carried out with proper mechanical properties. A method of estimating internal mechanical properties of the human body was tested. The method is a modification of the simulation and is one of inverse problems. Treatment of collision is required for the simulation in which clothing and body mechanically interact with each other. The treatment of collision is based on a triangular element, and the processes consist of its detection and resolution. Simulation of a right cylinder solid wound by fabric like pipe was carried out to check collision treatment.
A case study of the SMEs’ organizational restructuring in Taiwan
Authors: Fu Hsin‐Pin , Chang Tien‐Hsiang , Wu Ming‐Ji
Published: January 2003

Business process reengineering (BPR) has been widely applied in many enterprises. However, most cases have targeted large enterprises. In Taiwan, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which account for at least 95 per cent of all enterprises, have played an extremely important role in Taiwan’s economic growth. The question of whether those SMEs can successfully implement BPR in order to strengthen their management structure is an important issue. Undertakes a detailed case study of an SME whose profits had fallen dramatically and which successfully implemented organizational restructuring (OR). Discovers that, although the SME in question did not make use of information technology to achieve the goal of organizational restructuring, by adopting use of BPR concepts and methods it achieved its goal of transformation. The model used for the implementation procedure of OR should provide a useful reference for other SMEs in Taiwan seeking to achieve perpetual operation, because most SMEs will eventually encounter similar problems.
The CORC experience: survey of founding libraries. Part II
Authors: Hsieh‐Yee Ingrid , Smith Michael
Published: January 2003

This survey conducted in late 1999 found that Cooperative Online Resource Catalog (CORC) founding libraries shared a strong interest in controlling Internet resources and finding ways to catalog such resources quickly. Many cataloged in MARC. Although only a small number of them experimented with Dublin Core, many of them wanted to explore its potential for organizing Internet resources. Other metadata schemes were also used by some libraries. Overall, the founding libraries considered their CORC experience positive, but had several concerns. Their experience suggests that more work is needed to make fast, automated cataloging a reality. Since the findings of this study reflect experience with CORC at the developmental stage, the researchers proposed that CORC usage be monitored to identify trends in organizing Internet resources. A survey of CORC subscribers could be conducted to understand usage patterns and guide CORC’s development and improvement.
Supply chain costing: an activity‐based perspective
Authors: Lin Binshan , Collins James , Su Robert K.
Published: January 2003

The purpose of this research paper is to help managers improve their understanding of logistics costs and the accounting for those costs in order to optimize use of the total cost approach to managing logistics processes. This paper will discuss the history and evolution of logistics management and activity‐based costing (ABC), the driving cost factors affecting the key logistics activities, and the use of ABC systems to help improve the allocation of logistics costs to specific cost objects. This paper also includes several important managerial implications and implementation techniques for an ABC system.
Organizational cultures, women managers and exclusion
Authors: Rutherford Sarah
Published: January 2003

Looks at broad approaches to organizational culture and offers a brief review of some recent work on gender and organizational culture. The possibility of seeing culture as a means of closure is explored. Seeks to define and operationalise organizational culture, in order to test the theoretical hypothesis on two case studies, and identify the ways in which aspects of culture acted to close off areas of work to women managers. Describes the constituents of this definition with reference to data from two case studies, and considers examples of the ways in which these different constituents of culture may act as means of closure to women managers in the organizations. Suggests that the approach provides a useful starting point for further research on organizational culture and gender, as well as giving a practical model for practitioners and consultants looking to develop a diversity inclusive culture.
Problems and pressures facing lone mothers in management and professional occupations – a pilot study
Authors: Gill Susan , Davidson Marilyn J.
Published: January 2003

Investigates the problems and pressures facing lone mothers in management and professional occupations. Qualitative data were gained from semi‐structured interviews with 20 lone mothers, and the sample also completed the Pressure Management Indicator questionnaire. The interviews revealed that the lone mothers experienced some of the problems and pressures previously reported by women in dual career couples, including difficulties with childcare, work overload and role conflict, but to a much greater degree. Finds also that the death of a partner, separation or divorce affects the career aspirations and career development of the women in the sample and that the lone mothers were less able to take advantage of job‐sharing and part‐time working because of greater financial pressures. The lone mothers reported higher levels of pressure from workload and the home/work balance than comparative normative groups. However, as stress moderating strategies they employed better use of problem‐focussed coping than other women and made more use of social support than other managers.
Sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions and international operations management
Authors: Hill Malcolm R.
Published: January 2003

This paper focuses on the terms of reference of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was drafted to support environmental sustainability through the mitigation of global warming. The paper provides information on the main features of the protocol, especially the commercial incentives for companies in industrialised countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Particular attention is paid to the role of the operations manager and strategist in the selection of processes, plant and equipment to meet these commercial incentives, and the location of industrial facilities under conditions of political and economic uncertainty. The paper demonstrates the importance of the political and economic factors influencing environmental investment decisions, particularly those factors which often lie outside the usual terms of reference of operations managers.
Is the team building industry nearing the apex of its S curve?
Authors: Rabey Gordon
Published: January 2003

Notes that teamwork has long been hailed as the key to operational success but the ceaseless changes in the workplace, triggered in part by the new technologies, are raising questions about the current validity of some of the claims. Teamwork per se is the essence of collective effort but the circumstances and the environment must be wholly supportive. Today these conditions are not always present. Suggests that it is timely to divert some of the attention being given to studying the components and functions of teamwork to the factors which create it. Debate on leadership versus management has blurred the issue and perhaps we need to remember that if the direct manager of a group is not aware of the latent power of a team and is not capable of stimulating, generating and maintaining the climate for its growth, an effective team will not be born.
Construction managers’ expectations and observations of graduates
Authors: Love Peter E.D. , Haynes Natasha S. , Irani Zahir
Published: January 2003

Considering the diversity of employment opportunities for construction management graduates, they increasingly need to have a portfolio of skills to work effectively and efficiently with other professions in the industry. In exploring this, tries to determine if construction management graduates are meeting the expectations of their employers. In considering the competitive forces impacting on the construction industry, seeks to establish whether construction managers are able to identify those key skills needed for the future success of the industry. In turn, this information is considered critical for the successful formulation of curricula. Therefore, to establish whether construction management graduates are meeting the expectations of contractors, a survey was distributed to managers to establish their expectations and observations of recent graduates. The survey results indicate that managers are generally satisfied with the skill level of graduate students. The survey also highlighted several important skills that were considered to be lacking in graduates. Acknowledging that there is always a need to improve the skill level of graduates, proposes a number of recommendations that are considered to improve the content of construction management curricula.
Antecedents of organizational commitment and the mediating role of job satisfaction
Authors: Lok Peter , Crawford John
Published: January 2003

Investigates the relationships between employees’ perceptions of organisational culture and subculture, and job satisfaction and commitment. Questionnaires containing the above measures were distributed to nurses employed in seven large hospitals and a total of 251 responses were obtained. Measures of leadership style and employee demographics were also included in the questionnaire. Regression analysis was used to investigate the extent to which nurses’ job satisfaction and commitment to their wards are predicted by their perceptions of the hospitals’ cultures (or organisational culture), the cultures of their wards (or organisation subculture), the leadership styles of their ward managers, and several demographic characteristics including age, experience, education and job tenure. It was found that ward culture was more predictive of commitment than was hospital culture. Also, statistically controlling for job satisfaction did not substantially reduce the influence on commitment of any of the independent variables included in this study. The results suggest that managers may need to focus more on organizational subcultures in generating greater commitment among employees.
The job strain model is enough for managers
Authors: Noblet Andrew , Rodwell John , McWilliams John
Published: January 2003

This paper reports on the results of a study aimed at identifying the relative influence of generic and job‐specific stressors experienced by a cohort of Australian managers. The results of a regression analysis revealed that both the generic components of the job strain model (JSM) and job‐specific stressors were predictive of the strain experienced by participants. However, when looking at the total amount of variance that is explained by the predictor variables, the combined influence of job demand, job control and social support contributed 98 per cent of the explained variance in job satisfaction and 90 per cent of the variance in psychological health. The large amount of variance explained by the JSM suggests that this model provides an accurate account of the work characteristics that contribute to the strain experienced by managers and no augmentation is needed.
Further investigation of the outcomes of loyalty to supervisor
Authors: Chen Zhenxiong
Published: January 2003

This study investigates the relationship between loyalty to supervisor and two employee outcome variables, i.e. job satisfaction and intent to stay. The proposed hypotheses were tested with a sample of 333 employees in the People’s Republic of China. The results indicate that loyalty to supervisor is positively related to job satisfaction and intent to stay. Loyalty to supervisor explained variance in these two outcome variables over and above that explained by organizational commitment. The results also confirm the previous findings that only the three extended loyalty to supervisor dimensions were significantly associated with employee outcomes, while the two original loyalty to supervisor dimensions were not. Implication, limitation and future study direction are also discussed.
Benchmarking the safety climates of employees and contractors working within a partnership arrangement
Authors: Fuller Colin W. , Vassie Luise H.
Published: January 2003

Partnership arrangements in industry have increased in interest because of the perceived business benefits that these alliances can bring to organisations. However, it has been claimed that it is important to align organisational cultures in order that these partnership arrangements are successful. This case study reports a benchmark assessment of employee and contractor safety climates in an offshore oil company that operated contractor partnership agreements in the North Sea. The study used a questionnaire in order to assess safety climates in terms of employees’ and contractors’ perceptions of safety management, workplace conditions and safety concerns. Factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to support the benchmark study in order to compare the employees’ and contractors’ beliefs in the organisation’s health and safety philosophy. The results obtained indicated that safety climates could be aligned in organisations that operate partnership agreements within a recognised health and safety management system. It is suggested that the approach presented is appropriate for benchmarking safety climates before and after partnership arrangements have been established in order to determine the level of cultural alignment that has been achieved.
The development of a benchmarking and performance improvement resource
Authors: Welch Steve , Mann Robin
Published: January 2003

Describes the aims, reasons for development, key features, and uniqueness of an online benchmarking and performance improvement resource. The paper begins by describing the historical context within which the Web site has been developed. It describes the growth in the use of business excellence, benchmarking and performance measurement, and how these improvement approaches are related to each other. The Web site’s uniqueness stems from how information within the resource is categorised by the Malcolm Baldrige Model and the European Business Excellence Model, the collection and linking of thousands of snippets of information from case studies and articles relating to best practices and benchmarking studies, the provision of a comprehensive list of performance measures and improvement techniques, and the way that the site has been designed based on the concept of benchmarking. An explanation of how the resource might be used to support an organisation’s benchmarking process is provided. The paper concludes by presenting the positive feedback obtained from an industry review of the Web site’s key features. The Web site aims to be launched by October 2001.
Product syntax and cross‐cultural marketing strategies
Authors: Ulrik Kragh Simon , Djursaa Malene
Published: January 2003

The marketing implications are examined of a recent research project which shows how respondents from England “read” furnishing interiors from Denmark, and vice versa, in ways which are fundamentally different from those intended by the owners. The differences arise not least because the two cultures hold very different ideas of appropriate product syntax; of how the furnishing items could and should be combined. The marketer’s strategic choice between a standardized and an adapted approach to a new market involves an assessment of the impact of the cultural variable. Using a model developed in previous work to assist in this strategic choice, the data on the two contrasting furnishing cultures is examined to illustrate some of the processes at work in the impact of the cultural variable, and to suggest some possible approaches to utilising the insights in the construction of culturally adapted promotional material.
Commentary: Towards a post‐structuralist marketing pedagogy – or from irony to despair (a two‐by‐two matrix approach)
Authors: Hackley Chris
Published: January 2003

I’m sorry, I’d really like to oblige but I cannot subject my precious paper to the brutal textual reductionism that is abstractisation. Aren’t abstracts most interesting for all they don’t say? Isn’t an abstract merely a textual device of indexicality, shouting and pointing “here is a paper” just like the disingenuous “last petrol before motorway” signs one learns never to believe because they really meant “last petrol before motorway” (not counting the other six petrol stations after this one). All you need to know, fellow marketing academics, is that you simply must read this commentary because, hey, you’re in it.
Public policy marketing: marketing exchange in the public sector
Authors: Buurma Hans
Published: January 2003

Customer‐oriented governments may use marketing tools to match their policy “products” with citizens’ requirements. However, these tools are not based on exchanges since governments, apart from cost recovery, do not demand any reciprocation for their products. The concept of public policy marketing could enable governments to “sell” their policies to citizens, based on non‐commercial marketing exchanges specific to the context of public administration. Then, social behaviour should be considered citizens’ reciprocation contributing to social effects the government has aimed for. Thus public policy marketing, though not yet tested in practise, can be expected to improve the implementation of those governmental policies in which citizen conduct is critical to success.
Management of flood disasters in the Jianghan Plain, China
Authors: Cai Shuming , Weng Chan Ngai , Kung Hsiang‐te , Liu Pin‐Shuo
Published: January 2003

This study examines the causes of flood disasters in Jianghan Plain, China and provides practical solutions to mitigate them. Results from this study indicate that both historical archives and more recent recorded data point to an increasing frequency in flood disasters since 1961. Furthermore, damage and losses from flood disasters have also increased significantly in the region. By analyzing the physical geographic factors and human activities, this study found that the main causative factors contributing to increasing flood disasters are landform/topography, climate elements, reduced drainage capacity of rivers in contrast to increased flood discharge, and human activities. Finally, the study examines various practical solutions to mitigate flood disasters in the Jianghan Plain.
The pyramid of success
Authors: Rockman Ilene F.
Published: January 2003

Outlines the different qualities required, and the different responsibilities, for those individuals climbing the career pyramid.
The portfolio: an instruction program assessment tool
Authors: Chapman Julie M. , Pettway Charlcie , White Michelle
Published: January 2003

Although Odum Library has had a strong instruction program for many years, it has lacked any form of evaluation other than statistics. The Odum Library Instruction Team made creation of such an evaluation system a high priority last year and devised tools that could assess many aspects of instruction. The tools created included end‐of‐class surveys for measuring student satisfaction, self‐evaluation forms, peer‐evaluation forms for constructive feedback, and class‐specific evaluation forms. Once these tools were in place, the Instruction Team needed a way to organize and analyze the information; after a review of literature and materials from the ACRL Institute for Information Literacy, a program portfolio was devised. The purpose of the portfolio, items included in the portfolio, selling the portfolio to the entire Reference Team, and tips for creating a portfolio are discussed.
The strategy of an active labour market policy
Authors: Sihto Matti
Published: January 2003

The strategy of an active labour market policy (ALMP) is popular, but its content is still far from clear. With this historical and contextual analysis, the author aims to capture the strategy’s core content. Development of the strategy has been full of paradoxes. However, the goal of improving the functioning of the labour market so as to promote full employment without accelerating inflation has remained, as have the central attributes of ALMP, its selectivity and supply‐side measures. Labour market circumstances have changed significantly since the creation of the strategy and many of its premises have been questioned. Although the strategy has been vital, it is today once again in crisis. However, encouraging employment development in some European countries shows that an active labour market policy can play an important role together with economic policy and the policy of the social partners.
New criteria of performance management
Authors: Basu Ron
Published: January 2003

The emergence of a global manufacturing and outsourcing network and the real time transparency of information via the Internet have redefined the business performance management process. New metrics are emerging as externally focused and adaptive for competing in the collaborative economy of suppliers, producers, distributors and customers. The challenge is how to optimise measures to improve and sustain business advantages. This paper suggests a six‐stage performance management process to meet these new criteria and convert challenges to opportunities.
Benchmarking UK Government Procurement Performance in Construction Projects
Authors: Holt Robin , Graves Andrew
Published: January 2003

Benchmarking is introduced as a practice of non‐financial assessment that promotes continual performance improvement. Its relevance to and possible consequences for the public sector are discussed in relation to a case study in construction procurement. A pilot study investigating the achievements of government clients in construction procurement has identified a need for better client “ownership” of project risk and opportunity. The article argues that benchmarking can provide the vehicle for this “ownership”. In conjunction with the clients and HM Treasury, a second stage of project assessment has just been completed and the methods and results described. The aim is to realize consistent, relevant and feasible metrics, co‐operatively authored by client practitioners and academics with reference to private construction organizations, that will then be used for purposes of on‐going self‐assessment at both project and strategic levels.
Energising the Organisation
Authors: Wang Catherine L. , Ahmed Pervaiz K.
Published: January 2003

This paper challenges a concurrent perception that total quality is a management fad and being replaced by business excellence, and suggests that quality is and will be a coherent part of, and a fundamental way to business excellence. This paper further proposes that quality management will move to a higher platform: creative quality, which will be the only sustaining competitive advantage in the future hyper‐dynamic business world. By elaborating the characteristics and reflexes in connection to the attainment of creative quality, this paper presents a new agenda for business excellence.
“It was a great system”
Authors: Alvarez Rosío
Published: January 2003

This paper examines discursive strategies deployed by individuals to manage the deinstitutionalization of technology during IS development. In particular, the strategy of face‐work is an inevitable response to requirements analysis, because it centers on identifying “problems”. Directly implicated are individuals who work with the legacy system, thus threats to face and place within the organization are inescapable. This research shows that individuals save face by valorizing the past. This face‐work is accomplished through constructing the legacy system as a great system of the past and by confessing to previous transgressive acts with this system that attests to their technological competence. Both strategies are an intricate part of identity negotiations that serve to secure an individuals’ place in the organization. In this study, the presence of expert consultants and researcher gave expression to particular skewed power relations during the interviews. Thus, face‐work is profoundly influenced by the discursive field in which it takes place. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Integrating SERVQUAL and Kano’s model into QFD for service excellence development
Authors: Tan Kay C. , Pawitra Theresia A.
Published: January 2003

With increasing market competition, it is not sufficient for organizations to rely solely on continuous improvement in order to maintain and develop their competitive edge. There is a need to begin a strategic move towards innovation. This paper proposes an integrated approach involving SERVQUAL, Kano’s model, and quality function deployment. The approach aims to help organizations to evaluate customer satisfaction, to guide improvement efforts in strengthening their weak attributes, and to expedite the development of innovative services through the identification of attractive attributes and embedding them into future services. A case study is presented to evaluate the image of Singapore from the Indonesian tourists’ perspective. Several strong and weak attributes of Singapore tourism were identified and analyzed. Strategies to improve the weak attributes were identified.
How leading companies create, measure and achieve strategic results through “line of sight”
Authors: Boswell Wendy R. , Boudreau John W.
Published: January 2003

Aligning employees with the organization’s strategic goals has become increasingly important as organizations struggle to gain or sustain a competitive advantage. This article defines “line of sight” as employee understanding of organizational objectives and how to contribute to those objectives. There has been much discussion among academics and practitioners, yet we have limited knowledge about what line of sight is, how to measure it, how it can be enhanced, and what it makes happen. Human resource professionals from leading organizations completed surveys and participated in focus groups to begin to explore these critical issues. Fruitful directions for future research and innovative practice are discussed.
Fayol’s 14 principles of management then and now:a framework for managing today’s organizations effectively
Authors: Rodrigues Carl A.
Published: January 2003

Early last century, for industrially‐developing economies, Fayol offered 14 principles of management aimed to help managers ascertain what to do to manage more effectively. Currently, service‐based and high‐tech industries are becoming dominant in some economies, such as the United States. Many organizations in these industries interpret the principles quite differently from the way they were interpreted in Fayol’s time. The differences and the cultural challenges managers face in implementing this new framework are presented.
A four‐faceted knowledge‐based approach to surmounting borders
Authors: Gupta Amar
Published: January 2003

While the evolving high bandwidth information highways provide the infrastructure for attaining “physical connectivity” across computing resources and information systems, the “on/off” ramps to such highways are still at a primitive stage. Huge manual effort is currently expended to develop knowledge‐based paradigms that can effectively transcend national borders as well as other types of borders. This paper examines the prevailing situation from four perspectives: knowledge acquisition; knowledge discovery; knowledge management; and knowledge dissemination. Unlike current approaches that tend to focus on one aspect only, an integrated approach that attaches appropriate weightage to each of the four facets is emphasized in this paper.
Knowledge, learning and IT support in a small software company
Authors: Kautz Karlheinz , Thaysen Kim
Published: January 2003

The literature in the field of knowledge management shows a certain preoccupation with information technology (IT) and technical solutions while it reflects a limited view of organisational knowledge. The practice of knowledge management is commonly degraded to implementation of new IT‐based systems, neglecting important organisational aspects, in particular human and social issues. This paper presents a case that involves a small Danish software company where these matters have been taken into account. The starting point for the utilisation of IT was a study of the concepts, knowledge and learning. Embedded in the daily activities of employees, IT, as just one of several measures, is intended to support and facilitate learning rather than regulate or impede the process. This will be demonstrated with two examples from the case. In this context, we will also examine to what extent it makes sense to distinguish between different types of knowledge and knowledge processes and how far different perspectives of knowledge management contribute to the deployment of appropriate IT support.
The role of intelligent resources in knowledge management
Authors: Carneiro Alberto
Published: January 2003

This paper aims to improve understanding of the process through which knowledge acquisition, technical tools and organisation actors can contribute to an organisation development in developing knowledge as a systemic competitive weapon. It examines the relationships between the technology and human value, because they are vital instruments of the knowledge management (KM) process. By considering that KM is related to intelligent agents, information technology (IT), and strategic decision‐support systems (SDSS), it attempts to provide useful insights on KM efficiency. A conceptual model of KM efficiency in the organisations supported by the combination of intelligent agents’ role and intelligent systems resources is presented. The model is divided in two areas: the area of technical tools for specification of intelligent systems resources and the area of intelligent agents destined to focus their roles on organisations’ performance. The major factors are discussed and directions for future research are suggested.
Users’ perceptions of the Web as revealed by transaction log analysis
Authors: Moukdad Haidar , Large Andrew
Published: January 2003

When information seekers use an information retrieval system their strategy is based, at least in part, on the perceptions they have formed about that environment. A random sample was gathered of more than 2,000 actual search queries submitted by users to one Web search engine, WebCrawler, in two separate capture sessions. The results suggest that a high proportion of users do not employ advanced search features, and those who do frequently misunderstand them. Furthermore, many users seem to have formed a model of the Web that imbues it with the intelligence found in a reference librarian, for example, but not a retrieval system. The linguistic structure of many queries resembles a typical human‐human communication model that is unlikely to produce satisfactory results in a human‐computer communication environment such as that offered currently by the Web. Design of more intuitive systems is dependent upon a more complete understanding of user behaviour at the intellectual and emotional as well as the technical levels.
Usage patterns of an electronic theses and dissertations system
Authors: Zhang Yin , Lee Kyiho , You Bum‐Jong
Published: January 2003

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) system is a national digital library of ETDs in South Korea. Provides a comprehensive picture of how this system has been used during its first two years in service since June 1999. The system transaction logs were collected and analysed to reveal the usage patterns of the system. Results of the study indicate that the KISTI ETD system usage has seen a significant increase since its second year. While most users appear to be domestic users, the system also attracts users from many other countries, suggesting that the KISTI ETD system has become a part of the international networked digital library of theses and dissertations. It was also found that there are a very large number of one‐time visitors to the KISTI ETD system. Nevertheless, the system began to maintain a frequent user group in its second year in service. The usage statistics regarding system features and the characteristics of users’ visits indicated that the search function was by far the most frequently used system function. Finally, discusses the implications of the findings.
A multidimensional study of the key determinants of effective SME marketing activity: Part 2
Authors: Hill Jimmy
Published: January 2003

This paper forms Part 2 of a monograph detailing a study that sought to examine the key determinants of SME marketing. It reports the key findings with respect to marketing competency in SMEs, explores the strong sales orientation of such firms, examines the nature and use of SME personal contact networks and considers to what extent formal marketing planning is practiced in such enterprises. New insights to these important areas of small firm research are presented. A new model of SME marketing competency is developed, depicting competencies at three levels, foundation, transitional and marketing in practice. The monograph concludes with a holistic interpretation of the data that enables the development of a new model of SME marketing.
Stakeholders and standards in the e‐book ecology: or, it’s the economics, stupid!
Authors: Coyle Karen
Published: January 2003

Standards are being developed in five primary areas of e‐book development: e‐book formats, digital audio formats, digital rights management languages, digital rights management systems, and distribution and promotion. Each of these standards has technological, economic and social aspects. This article describes some key e‐books standards and discusses how these aspects are shaping the emerging e‐book products.
What is “SCUP” and so what?
Authors: Boone Morell D.
Published: January 2003

Library planners often have the problem of finding institutional or organizational support to assist them with their building projects. The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) is a professional association composed of university planners, architects and administrators. SCUP addresses three campus planning‐related functions: academic planning, institutional decision making and resource planning, and facilities planning. The centerpiece of its activities is a large yearly conference in which members convene to share innovative ideas and developments in planning. This year’s conference in Boston was highlighted by a discussion on the future of resource planning in non‐traditional universities like The University of Phoenix.
Survey research design
Authors: Janes Joseph
Published: January 2003

This column continues a series on topics in research methodology, statistics and data analysis techniques for the library and information sciences. It discusses issues related to the design of survey research enterprises.
Copyright in the networked world: multimedia fair use
Authors: Seadle Michael
Published: January 2003

This column examines a “non‐legislative” report on “Fair use guidelines for educational multimedia”. Although the guidelines have serious flaws, they offer several positive features: they recognize that fair use applies to multimedia, they include photographs and numeric databases, and they provide easily understood metrics for the amount of material that can be used.
Heuristic economics – its cybernetic undertone
Authors: Ghosal A.
Published: January 2003

Presents the essentials of heuristic economics. Problems of planning and development, which are complex, ill‐structured and subject to uncertainty, often defy algorithmic mathematical/statistical solutions; hence there is scope for developing a heuristic approach.
Optimization based on information containing uncertainties
Authors: Chen Han‐Fu
Published: January 2003

Considers the problem of finding extrema of an unknown function L(⋅):I Rl× R or the root set of its gradient f(⋅) \underline \underline Δ ▽ L(⋅) on the basis of observations, which may contain two kinds of uncertainties: random noise and structural uncertainties. The latter is caused by the fact that observations may not be made on the recent estimate, may not even be carried out on f(⋅) but on some other function. The optimization algorithm and conditions guaranteeing its convergence are given.
“Control information”
Authors: Corning Peter A.
Published: January 2003

Norbert Wiener’s cybernetic paradigm represents one of the seminal ideas of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, its full potential has yet to be realized. For instance, cybernetics is relatively little used as an analytical tool in the social sciences. One reason, it is argued here, is that Wiener’s framework lacks a crucial element – a functional definition of information. Although so‐called Shannon information has made many valuable contributions and has many important uses, it is blind to the functional properties of information. Here a radically different approach to information theory is described. After briefly critiquing the literature in information theory, a new kind of cybernetic information will be proposed called “control information.” Control information is not a “thing” but an attribute of the relationships between things. It is defined as: the capacity (know‐how) to control the acquisition, disposition and utilization of matter/energy in purposive (cybernetic) processes. This concept is briefly elucidated, and a formalization proposed in terms of a common unit of measurement, namely the quantity of “available energy” that can be controlled by a given unit of information in a given context. However, other metrics are also feasible, from money to allocations of human labor. Some illustrations are briefly provided and some of the implications are discussed.
Kinetics of the biphasic modulation of phagocytosis
Authors: Kochel Bonawentura
Published: January 2003

A kinetic model for the biphasic modulation of phagocytosis, fulfilling the requirements of biochemistry of ligand‐binding reactions, was constructed on the basis of a biocybernetic notion of the feedback loop‐containing (autocalytic) process. Using boundary conditions for parameters of possible kinetic models, a single model was selected, in which the biphasic modulatory effect exerted on a phagocytic activity of human neutrophils by the peptide preparation Immax A1 was described as a result of mutual counteraction of two antagonistic compounds (stimulator and inhibitor of phagocytosis) competing for bacterial chemotactic peptide receptors on neutrophils. This model, in which the integrated luminescence‐based normalised measure of inhibition of phagocytosis stands for the reaction rate, was found to have a form of a 2:3 rational function of the peptide preparation concentration. A corresponding stoichiometric scheme, describing the binding both of the inhibitor and of the stimulator to neutrophils, was constructed on the assumption that inhibition was not total when connected with the generation of three‐component complexes, stimulator‐neutrophil‐inhibitor.
Bloodstream Infection in Neutropenic Cancer Patients Related to Short-Term Nontunnelled Catheters Determined by Quantitative Blood Cultures, Differential Time to Positivity, and Molecular Epidemiological Typing with Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis
Authors: Seifert Harald , Cornely Oliver , Seggewiss Kerstin , Decker Mathias , Stefanik Danuta , Wisplinghoff Hilmar , Fätkenheuer Gerd
Published: January 2003

To determine the rate of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) among cases of primary bloodstream infection (BSI) in febrile neutropenic cancer patients with short-term nontunnelled catheters, quantitative paired blood cultures (Isolator) from the central venous catheter (CVC) and peripheral vein were obtained between November 1999 and January 2001. Bactec blood culture bottles were obtained to determine the differential time to positivity (DTP). CRBSI was defined as a quantitative blood culture ratio of >5:1 (CVC versus peripheral) with proven identity of isolates from positive peripheral and CVC blood cultures as confirmed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Forty-nine episodes of primary BSI were detected among 235 cancer patients with febrile neutropenia. Of these, 18 episodes (37%) were CRBSI and 31 (63%) were BSI with an unknown portal of entry. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were present in nine cases of CRBSI (50%). The identity of isolates from peripheral and CVC blood cultures was confirmed in all cases. Earlier positivity (>2 h) of CVC-drawn versus peripheral blood cultures was observed in 18 of 22 CRBSI-associated blood cultures (sensitivity, 82%; specificity, 88%; positive predictive value, 75%; negative predictive value, 92%). In summary, CRBSI accounted for 37% of cases of primary BSI in this population of neutropenic cancer patients. DTP compares favourably with quantitative blood cultures for the diagnosis of CRBSI and may be particularly useful for patients in whom catheter salvage is highly desirable.
Genetic Diversity of
Vibrio cholerae
O1 in Argentina and Emergence of a New Variant
Authors: Pichel Mariana , Rivas Marta , Chinen Isabel , Martín Fernando , Ibarra Cristina , Binsztein Norma
Published: January 2003

The genetic diversity of
Vibrio cholerae
O1 strains from Argentina was estimated by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Twenty-nine isolates carrying the virulence genes
ctxA
,
zot
,
ace
, and
tcpA
appeared to represent a single clone by both typing methods; while 11 strains lacking these virulence genes exhibited several heterogeneous RAPD and PFGE patterns. Among the last group, a set of isolates from the province Tucumán showed a single RAPD pattern and four closely related PFGE profiles. These strains, isolated from patients with diarrhea, did not produce the major
V. cholerae
O1 virulence determinants, yet cell supernatants of these isolates caused a heat-labile cytotoxic effect on Vero and Y-1 cells and elicited significant variations on the water flux and short-circuit current in human small intestine mounted in an Ussing chamber. All these effects were completely abolished by incubation with a specific antiserum against El Tor hemolysin, suggesting that this virulence factor was responsible for the toxic activity on both the epithelial cells and the small intestine specimens and may hence be involved in the development of diarrhea. We propose “Tucumán variant” as the designation for this new cluster of cholera toxin-negative
V. cholerae
O1 strains.