bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Judgment Biases and Characteristics of Friendships of Mexican American and Anglo-American Girls and Boys
Authors: Bradley Lorena A. , Flannagan Dorothy , Fuhrman Robert
Published: March 2007

Gender and ethnic patterns in ratings and assessments of four dimensions of friendship qualities were investigated (emotional attachment, support, shared activities, and conflicts) with 122 Anglo-American and Mexican American early adolescents (63 girls; mean age 10.36 years), as were links between ratings and assessments. Participants named a favorite friend, rated their perceptions of the hypothetical behaviors of that friend or an unfamiliar peer in scenarios that varied by actor’s intention and outcome of the actor’s behavior on the participant, and completed two measures designed to assess friendship quality. Girls, but not boys, rated friends’ behaviors as more positive than the similar behaviors of unfamiliar peers and reported higher levels of attachment and support in their friendships. Similar rating patterns were found for Anglo-American and Mexican American participants. In addition, ratings of friends’ behaviors in scenarios that presented neutral intentions were correlated with the level of emotional attachment reported in the friendship.
After a Child Abuse Report:
Authors: Jonson-Reid Melissa
Published: March 2007

Child welfare researchers long have advocated a developmental perspective in research, practice, and policy. However, this perspective rarely has been applied to the study of children older than the age of 6 years reported for maltreatment. The present study was an exploratory examination of whether child welfare system responses and recurrent reports varied as a function of age among older children: late childhood (7 through 10 years), early adolescents (11 through 14 years), and older adolescents (15 through 17 years). Data were drawn from computerized tracking systems of maltreatment reports and child welfare services. Descriptive analyses and logistic regression models of the decision to provide services and the likelihood of report recurrence are presented. Findings indicated that trends in report characteristics and service provision for early adolescents differ from other age groups. Implications for further research are presented.
Continuities and Changes in the Study of Friendship and Peer Groups during Early Adolescence
Authors: Serafica Felicisima C. , Blyth Dale A.
Published: March 2007

Studies on friendship and peer relations and peer groups during early adolescence were reviewed in order to provide a historical perspective for the research reported in this special issue. Continuities and changes in the research questions, methods, and guiding theories are delineated. Factors that influenced the growth of research on friendship and peer relations are discussed. Directions for research are suggested and the ways in which the studies reported in this special issue extend the previous work or explore new dimensions are highlighted.
Health Information Sources and Preferences as Perceived by Adolescents, Pediatricians, Teachers and School Nurses
Authors: Levenson Phyllis M. , Morrow James R. , Morgan William C. , Pfefferbaum Betty J.
Published: March 2007

To facilitate establishment of comprehensive health education systems for students, the responses of 600 adolescents, 99 pediatricans, 71 teachers, and 70 school nurses were compared. Major findings are that professionals, across groups, were concordant in their perceptions of all items except one pertaining to preferred and actual sources of health information for students. Adults, however, differed from adolescents (p < .001) in their perceptions of all concerns pertaining to prefered and actual sources of information, student knowledge of where to get help, student ability to get help, the value of additional health information, the selection of various topics for classroom presentations, and the timing of topic introductions into classrooms. Results suggest the need to examine simultaneously the views of students and professional groups in order to provide salient, coordinated adolescent health education.
Extreme Dieting Behaviors in Early Adolescence
Authors: Stein David M. , Reichert Paula
Published: March 2007

A slide show with audio taped narration of two case stories involving eating disorders was presented to 4th-, 5th- and 6th-grade school children. Students completed a series of questions about their eating behaviors and compared their eating to that of the case subjects, who served as frames of reference for such constructs as "binging. " Between 3% and 4% of girls reported self-induced vomiting and/or secretly throwing away food to avoid gaining weight. The case story method seems to provide a means for students to qualitatively assess their eating behavior relative to an external frame of reference. Teachers and other professionals working with early adolescents should be aware that dieting behaviors are clearly emerging in elementary school. The methodology used in the present study has utility not only for screening persons who may be at risk for eating disorders, but also for psycho educational programs in health and nutrition.
Early Adolescents' Acceptability of Interventions Influence of Problem Severity, Gender, and Moral Development
Authors: Bear George G. , Stewart Michael
Published: March 2007

The influences of problem severity, gender and moral development on early adolescents' acceptability ratings of disciplinary interventions were examined among 8S seventh graders. Problem severity was defined qualitatively: In two vignettes, two students were portrayed as either talking and getting out of their seats without permission or cheating on tests (more severe problem). Results showed that early adolescents, particularly boys, perceived disciplinary interventions for cheating as more acceptable than interventions for talking and getting out of one's seat. In general, however, girls were more favorable in their acceptability ratings across interventions and problem situations. Both genders tended to view sending transgressors to the principal most favorably and Rogerian counseling least favorably. As predicted, sociomoral reasoning also emerged as a significant variable in the ratings of verbal-mediated interventions for cheating. Given inconsistent findings across previous studies and the complex manner in which multiple variables influence acceptability ratings, caution is warranted in applying research on intervention acceptability to practice.
An Extension of the Steinberg Accelerating Hypothesis
Authors: Ellis Nancy Borel
Published: March 2007

Informed by theoretical work of Hill and Holmbeck and empirical work on parent-child relations, children's reproductive development, and family structure, this study builds on the Steinberg accelerating hypothesis, which states that parent-child distance accelerates children s pubertal maturation. The sample consisted of 709 young adolescents (362 girls and 347 boys) and their mothers or fathers, who completed questionnaires at two time periods, 2 years apart. Parent-adolescent questionnaires included measures of parent-child emotional distance, peer influence, and child self-governance. Regression analyses indicated that effects of parent-child relationships on the rate of children's pubertal change differed by gender of child and family structure. Effects were more evident in girls, for intact families, and for children's reports. Although results supported the Steinberg accelerating hypothesis when parent-child distance was measured in terms of peer influence and child self-governance, results were opposite from those predicted for parent-child emotional distance.
Self-Perceptions of under Achievement and Support for the Achievement Ideology among Early Adolescent African-Americans
Authors: Ford Donna Y.
Published: March 2007

A study was conducted to explore the perceptions that early adolescent African-American students hold regarding the American achievement ideology and the ramifications of such support on their academic achievement or underachievement. Also assessed were social, cultural, and psychological determinants of underachievement as perceived by 148 fifth and sixth graders in an urban school district. The perceived determinants of underachievement are discussed relative to a paradox of underachievement. Descriptive, comparative, and discriminant analyses were used to examine differences in students' perceptions. Responses were compared by gender and academic program. Results were not significantly statistically different by gender. Gifted students, however expressed the greatest support for the achievement ideology, and they perceived determinants of achievement and underachievement differently than did average students who, along with males, were more likely to personify a paradox of underachievement. Implications and recommendations are discussed for urban educators working with early adolescent African-American youth.
Dialectics, Developmental Contextualism, and the Further Enhancement of Theory about Puberty and Psychosocial Development
Authors: Lerner Richard M.
Published: March 2007

Contemporary theory in the study of human development in general and of adolescence in particular emphasizes reciprocal and changing relations between the developing person and his or her changing context. This article analyzes the Adams et al dialectical model of the role of a key component of adolescent development-puberty-in such person-context relations. To interpret the model's meaning and critique its usefulness, the present article considers the place of this formulation within the recent history of theory development in the human developmental sciences. It is argued that dialectics is flawed as a means to understand variation in puberty-context relations because it involves an inherently teleological notion of change; as such, dialectics cannot be used successfully to model the multidirectionality and plasticity of adolescent development. A developmental contextual alternative formulation is presented.
Gender and Age in the Relation between Stress and Children's School Adjustment
Authors: Goodman Sherryl H. , Brumley H. Elizabeth , Schwartz Kathy R. , Purcell David W.
Published: March 2007

The role of gender and age in the relations between children's school adjustment and negative stress was studied in a sample of 60 fifth and 61 seventh graders. Maladjustment and competence in the school setting were indicated by the Teacher-Child Rating Scale. Negative stress was measured by the amount of negative change reported by the child on the Life Events Checklist. Results indicated that, in the context of high stress, boys, relative to girls, were rated as more maladjusted but not as engaged in more acting out. Some support was found for the hypothesis that early adolescents are more likely than younger children to be rated as less competent in relation to more stress. Results suggest that gender is more central than developmental state in the relation between children's stress and school adjustment. Some implications for teachers and school counselors are discussed.
The Relation between Parenting Transitions and Adjustment in Young Adolescents
Authors: Kurdek Lawrence A. , Fine Mark A. , Sinclair Ronald J.
Published: March 2007

For three independent samples (mean age = 12.33 years, n = 711; mean age = 10.89 years, n = 225; and mean age = 12.05 years, n = 534, respectively), young adolescents who had experienced 0, 1, 2, and multiple parenting transitions were compared on adjustment scores that were derived from self-reports of grades, health, drug abstinence, self-esteem, and self-mastery (Sample 1); peer reports of peer acceptance (Sample 2); and parent reports of well-being (Sample 3). Overall, there was qualified evidence of a negative linear relation between the number of parenting transitions experienced and adjustment. With controls for parenting transition effects, parenting practices regarding involvement and supervision accounted for unique variability in adjustment in each sample.
Separation-Individuation, Social Support, and Adolescent Egocentrism
Authors: Vartanian Lesa Rae
Published: March 2007

Data regarding imaginary audience (IA)and personal fable (PF) sensitivity, separation individuation concerns, and social support were collected from 100 young adolescents (a) to replicate and extend previous findings of relations among those variables, (b) to compare the predictive power of social support and separation-individuation concerns for IA and PI; and (c) to compare newly developed and traditional measures of IA and PE Overall, the results replicated those from previous studies and highlighted the importance of resolving measurement issues surrounding IA and PF: For example, the relative importance of social support as compared to separation-individuation processes differs depending on how IA is measured. The "new look" model seems to fit for a global, object-relational ideation view of I4, but not for the typical self-consciousness conceptualization of that construct. Directions for further research and suggestions for improving measures of IA and PF are discussed.
Associations between Peer Relationships and Depressive Symptoms
Authors: Oldenburg Christopher M. , Kems Kathryn A.
Published: March 2007

Popularity and friendship are distinct constructs within the domain of peer relationships, and each is related to children's adjustment. The current study extended earlier research by testing whether the relations of popularity and friendship quality to depressive symptoms are moderated by age and gender. Participants (166 fifth graders, 156 eighth graders) completed rating scales about peers to assess popularity and self-report questionnaires to assess friendship quality and depressive symptoms. Friendship quality and popularity were correlated significantly, but the magnitude of the association was small Although friendship quality and popularity each made an independent contribution to predicting depressive symptoms, the association between popularity and symptoms of depression was stronger for girls than for boys. Possible explanations for the differing associations for boys and/or girls are discussed.
Early Adolescence and Prosocial/Moral Behavior I:
Authors: Fabes Richard A. , Carlo Gustavo , Kupanoff Kristina , Laible Deborah
Published: March 2007

In this introductory article, the purpose of the special issue on prosocial and moral development during early adolescence is presented. This issue is the first of two special issues and focuses on the role that individual processes play in influencing young adolescents’ prosocial and moral development. Presented also is a new meta-analysis of data on age and gender differences in prosocial behavior with particular focus on early adolescence. It was found that prosocial behavior during adolescence rarely has been studied, but that there are general increases in prosocial behavior during this time when compared with early age periods. Moreover, gender differences in prosocial behavior (favoring girls) increase during this time. A relatively short review of the individual mechanisms by which these changes occur follow. A call for more research and suggestions for future directions in this research also is provided.
Best Friendships, Group Relationships, and Antisocial Behavior in Early Adolescence
Authors: Laird Robert D. , Pettit Gregory S. , Dodge Kenneth A. , Bates John E.
Published: March 2007

Correlations between adolescents’ own antisocial behavior and adolescents’ perceptions of the antisocial behavior of their best friends and friendship groups were examined in this study. The strength of those correlations was expected to vary as a function of the qualities of the dyadic friendships and group relationships. Perceptions of peers’antisocial behavior and dyadic friendship and group relationship qualities were collected through interviews with 431, 12- through 13-year-old adolescents. Measures of adolescents’ concurrent and subsequent antisocial behaviors were obtained from the adolescents and their teachers. Adolescents who perceived their friends and groups as participating in antisocial behavior had higher self-reported and teacher-reported antisocial behavior ratings. Perceptions of best friend antisocial behavior were correlated more strongly with adolescents’own concurrent, but not subsequent, antisocial behavior when high levels of help, companionship, and security characterized dyadic friendships. The results are discussed in terms of peer influence and friendship selection processes.
The Overseas Internship Experience
Authors: Toncar Mark F. , Cudmore Brian V.
Published: March 2007

This article introduces the Overseas Internship Experience, a program designed expressly for undergraduate business students who wish to have an overseas experience but are either unable or unwilling to participate in traditional study-abroad programs. The program, in operation since 1996, includes a 6-week supervised summer internship in Oxford, England; a variety of cultural heritage visits; supervised travel to neighboring countries; and substantial opportunity for independent travel. The development and administration of the program are discussed as well as the advantages of the program to its various constituencies, including students, faculty, home and host college, internship sponsor, and future employers. Disadvantages and criticisms of the program are also discussed.
Practitioner and Academic Recommendations for Internet Marketing and E-Commerce Curricula
Authors: Mitchell Ted , Strauss Judy
Published: March 2007

Many business schools are in the process of designing e-commerce courses and programs in response to the growing need for university graduates skilled in online technologies and strategies. To assist with program design, this research investigated both academic and practitioner views of the skills and topics important for e-commerce and Internet marketing programs. Study results indicate an average of 53 academic credits comprising the following skilland cognitive-based clusters: Web page and site design, Web site marketing, server-side programming and management, telephony and videoconferencing, marketing strategy, macroenvironmental issues, and information and networking strategies. This article identifies recommendations for specific courses and programs and reports on the current and anticipated future features of corporate Web sites for program planning purposes.
A Competency-Based Method of Grading for the Marketing Principles Course
Authors: Reed Jerome B.
Published: March 2007

This paper presents a method of providing a differentiated product to the heterogeneous group of students in the market ing principles course. It is the use of competency-based grading. This grading system requires that a student under stand marketing principles and how each is applied to attain a "C"; be able to integrate these principles and how each is applied to attain a "B"; and that an "A" requires the above plus the application of the integrated principles in the so lution of a major marketing case. A theoretical rationale for this approach based on learning hierarchies is provided. The method of application is then presented as are initial student reactions to it. Student reactions are generally positive.
Market for Training Students in Small Business Marketing
Authors: Brannen William H.
Published: March 2007

Small business is a market segment worthy of the attention of marketing educa tors. This article presents results of a survey of male and female college students as a student source of input to the marketing curriculum planning process. Students agreed on the inadequacy of coverage given to small business in present marketing curricula. Career plans of 40% men and 29% women students include a manage ment career in small business. Men (70%) and women (65%) agreed that they would take a course in small business marketing. What are marketing-oriented marketing educators doing to serve this market?
International Marketing and Public Policy: A Necessary Option in the M.B.A. Curriculum
Authors: Mccrohan Kevin F.
Published: March 2007

The increasing importance of the overseas operations of U.S. firms, foreign firms operating in the U.S., the expectations of governments that their commercial enterprises conduct business within the confines of foreign policy objectives, and of businesses which demand various forms of aid to compete in international or U. S. markets, all point to a continuing and more closely defined relationship between the international business executive and the government. The purpose of the curriculum suggested in this article is to train young men and women to operate successfully in an area where close business and government cooperation will be a necessity.
Using Microcomputers for Data Collection in Research Classes
Authors: Fritzsche David J.
Published: March 2007

This article presents a method for using analysis in survey research courses.
APL Lets You Put Big Ideas into Small Programs Quickly and Easily
Authors: Valentin E. K.
Published: March 2007

APL is a very powerful, yet almost unknown, computer language that is now available for several micros. After a few hours of hands-on self-instruction, it is possible to construct many illustrations for the classroom, develop complex statistical programs, and replicate much of today's expensive software.
Improving Response Rates in Marketing Research Course Projects
Authors: Bellizzi Joseph A. , Hite Robert E.
Published: March 2007

This article presents results from a study of two methods of increasing the response rate to student marketing research projects. The two methods are sponsorship and type of appeal used.
Unconscious Biasing of Student Examination Scores: A Case of Sequential versus Random Information Retrieval
Authors: Pettit Kathy L. , Baker Kenneth G. , Davis Laura D.
Published: March 2007

Crowded sections of certain marketing classes necessitate use of multiple versions of objective exams which vary in test question sequences. The current experiment examines the effect of question sequencing on exam performance as it relates to memory factors. Question sequencing is found to affect exam performance, and a method is suggested to avoid exam inequivalency and to eliminate possible unconscious biasing of student grades.
Academic Marketing Research and Institutional Objectives: Realities and Possibilitics
Authors: Valentin E. K.
Published: March 2007

Studies consistently fail to confirm that research increases teaching effectiveness; moreover, critics of academic marketing research doubt its practical value. This article suggests that criteria commonly used to evaluate research productivity for promotion and tenure purposes may be partly to blame for the alleged shortcomings. Potential remedies are offered as well.
Demography: An Enhancement of Marketing Decisions
Authors: Pol Louis G. , Ambrose David M. , Brown William M.
Published: March 2007

While demographic methods and population trends receive some attention in most marketing curricula, the full value of this body of knowledge is almost never incorporated. Given the decision making and strategic planning orientation of marketing as a discipline, the inclusion of a demographic perspective is needed if better decisions are to be made. An integrated approach for including a more extensive demographic perspective in a marketing curriculum is presented.
The Uses of History in Marketing Education
Authors: Nevett Terence
Published: March 2007

Growing interest in marketing history is providing a major new focus for marketing studies. This article examines the benefits of adopting a historical perspective in teaching marketing. This perspective involves both the historical "facts" and the techniques employed by historians, which can be particularly useful in areas unsuited to the application of scientific method. Suggestions are made for incorporating history into the marketing curriculum.
History's Place in the Marketing Curriculum
Authors: Witkowski Terrence H.
Published: March 2007

Compared to many other topics in the marketing curriculum, the history of our discipline receives scant coverage. This article explains why marketing history should be considered an important subject. It then offers a few suggestions on how more accurate and interesting historical material can be integrated into our curriculum.
A "Real-World" Approach to Coursework in Sales Management
Authors: Kimball Bob
Published: March 2007

Educators and practitioners agree that coursework should help students understand the actual business environment. This article describes an innovative approach to teaching business courses which addresses the functions of a position and also how to be effective, gain power and recognition, play the corporate "game," and move up the ladder.
Services Marketing Education: A Pragmatic Paradigm
Authors: Wisenblit Joseph
Published: March 2007

This article outlines a pedagogical model for teaching a graduate services marketing course with highly pragmatic applications for service professionals. The author has developed a methodology, based on active learning principles, that integrates the students' professional experiences into the course while emphasizing the practical, managerial applications of the services marketing literature. Integral to the model is a series of measures that evaluate the effectiveness of the course on an ongoing basis and provide timely feedback to enable the inclusion of new material relevant to the students' evolving professional needs.
The Dark Side of Experiential Learning Activities
Authors: Schibrowsky John A. , Peltier James W.
Published: March 2007

While educators have been sensitized to ways students act dishonestly in traditional classroom settings, academic dishonesty in business simulations and other experiential learning activities has received little attention. This article identifies how students might act dishonestly in experiential activities and discusses methods to prevent and detect academic dishonesty.
Professional Selling and Relationship Marketing: Moving from Transactional Role-Playing to Partnering
Authors: Tanner John F. , Castleberry Stephen B.
Published: March 2007

Relationship marketing is growing in importance, but academia has been slow to find methods of incorporating it into existing courses. Partnering, a form of relationship marketing, involves personal selling strategies designed to build relationships. This article presents methods by which traditional, single-transaction role-playing in professional selling courses can be redeveloped into partnering role-playing, which more accurately reflects the nature of professional selling in the relationship marketing paradigm.
Integrating Quality Improvement Tenets into the Marketing Curriculum
Authors: Marshall Greg W. , Lassk Felicia G. , Kennedy Karen Norman , Goolsby Jerry R.
Published: March 2007

Business schools have been criticized for failing to keep up with the changing business environment. An area of dynamic change in business is the move toward quality improvement. Quality improvement methods focus the entire organization on the customer This article examines options available to marketing educators interested in integrating tenets of quality improvement into the marketing curriculum in order to meet the needs of student and employer stakeholders.
A Gap Analysis of Professional and Academic Perceptions of the Importance of International Marketing Curriculum Content and Research Areas
Authors: Lundstrom William J. , White D. Steven
Published: March 2007

The authors surveyed marketing academicians and practitioner members of the American Marketing Association who designated international marketing as a field of interest. This study compares and contrasts the importance each group places on 62 skill and research areas traditionally associated with international marketing education. The findings offer insight into areas of agreement between the two groups and identify gaps between their perceptions of the importance of a range of topics that includes general marketing knowledge, research, foreign languages, cultural differences, and world regions.
Student-Generated Exams: Testing and Learning
Authors: Green Donna H.
Published: March 2007

Using student-generated questions for examinations enhances student currency in readings, is involving, and reduces test anxiety. The conscious evaluation of each question and attention to test composition results in better, more involving, learning-assessment tools. This article reviews related literature, details and discusses the methodology, and summarizes current wisdom on effective question writing.
Student Team Performance: A Method for Classroom Assessment
Authors: Deeter-Schmelz Dawn R. , Ramsey Rosemary
Published: March 2007

By teaching teamwork, instructors can increase the likelihood of a successful project and students' abilities to work in a team. A team performance assessment instrument is tested that can be used to provide feedback throughout student team projects. The principal components analysis resulted in a 13-item, single-factor solution that explained 68.7% of the variance. Implications for educators are discussed.
Using the Classics to Expand Public Administrative Thought: An Exhortory Note
Authors: Kramer Fred A.
Published: March 2007

Public administrators—both practitioners and academics—need to develop critical-thinking skills. The mental exercise required to assess the validity of myths and metaphors can help develop this capacity to think beyond boundaries of problems.

Drawing from the work of diverse authors such as Percy Bysshe Shelley, the early nineteenth-century poet, and more current works of the philosopher Neison Goodman, this article shows how the conflict inherent in metaphors can be an exercise in creativity. Examples particularly relevant to public administration are drawn from Homer's Odyssey.
Everyday Politics in Public Administration
Authors: Miller Hugh T.
Published: March 2007

The politics-administration dichotomy was long ago dismissed as either a descriptive or (except for a few notable holdouts) prescriptive account of what the role of public administration should be. Yet the dichotomy endures in practice and in habit of mind, embedded in institutional traditions and in the legal code as well.

Political involvement-coalition formation, symbol manipulation, constituency mobilization-by public administrators is an everyday occurrence. Inside and outside the agency are struggles over resource distribution, professional norms and proper procedures, or the level of threat/reassurance that should be attached to various events, groups, or individuals.

Political engagement remains problematic for public administrators, however. If political involvement is permitted, someone will have to rethink the meaning of Progressivism, neutral competence, professionalism, and an expert-based civil service. More daunting still, compelling critiques of representative democracy have placed electoral institutions on the table for discussion as well.

A hopeful future for public administration is grounded in a renewed assertion of the viability and meaningfulness of the public interest as a standard against which claims offered in the public conversation may be judged. A healthy public discourse preserves and creates an authentic polls that is able to focus on community aims and purposes, hence clarifying public administration's legitimate role in governance.
Resolution of the Civil Service-Collective Bargaining Dilemma
Authors: Williams Richard C.
Published: March 2007

The conflict between the parallel rule-making systems of civil service and collective bargaining has existed in local and state employment since collective bargaining emerged among large numbers of these employees. This article traces the development of a number of legal theories tried by courts in a number of key states to resolve this dilemma. It concludes with a more detailed analysis of the evolution of court opinion in Ohio resulting from the imposition of its 1983 Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act. Lessons for drafting future legislation in other states are abstracted from this analysis.
The Challenges of Teaching Information Technology Use and Management in a Time of Information Revolution
Authors: Lan Zhiyong , Cayer N. Joseph
Published: March 2007

This manuscript reports findings from a recently conducted survey on information technology use and management by public managers in Arizona state- and local-government agencies. Based on these findings, we argue that public administration programs are facing new challenges in their efforts to provide training in information technology use and management. Public management specific computer labs may be necessary for public administration training to be responsive to students' needs and to keep pace with rapid changes in information technologies.
Technical Assistance for Citizen Participation: A Case Study of New York City's Environmental Planning Process
Authors: Cohen Nevin
Published: March 2007

Ensuring public participation in environmental decision making is advantageous to government officials and the general public. Technical assistance can make participation more effective by enabling citizens to understand complex technologies. This paper examines whether providing technical assistance has made a difference in New York City, where officials have funded consultants so that citizens can more effectively monitor the city's waste management and sludge disposal programs. While city-financed consultants have enabled citizen advisory groups to monitor environmental review and project design and to secure environmental improvements to proposed facilities, they have not helped to promote citizen acceptance of the technologies or their locations. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of alternative methods of providing technical assistance and suggests areas for further research.
Reinventing the Federal Government: The Role of Theory in Reform Implementation
Authors: Thompson James R. , Jones Vernon D.
Published: March 2007

This paper presents the results of a field investigation into the implementation of President Clinton's "reinventing government' initiative: the National Performance Review (NPR). We examine the efforts of six federal agencies and identify some specific points of tension that have arisen during implementation. The paper concludes that the evident lack of any theoretical coherence to the reforms and the corresponding inability to "tell what's false" have contributed to the development of these points of tension and are likely to present continuing problems to managers attempting to resolve the multiple competing objectives included in the NPR recommendations.
Change from Below
Authors: Sarbaugh-Thompson Marjorie
Published: March 2007

What is the relationship between program implementation and bureaucratic entrepreneurship? The work presented here, based on a comparative case study of three public programs, integrates both implementation and entrepreneurship into a larger framework encompassing patterns of program development. Additionally, it describes a pattern of bureaucratic entrepreneurship called bottom-up entrepreneurship to indicate that people working at lower levels of the system developed the programs. Comparing patterns of entrepreneurship with patterns described in the implementation literature suggests two critical dimensions of program development. These dimensions involve efforts to gain acceptance among actors engaging in the action (lower level acceptance) and efforts to gain acceptance from actors with the authority to provide funding and officially adopt new programs (upper level acceptance). The author uses these two factors to construct a program development framework that both integrates and distinguishes between entrepreneurship and implementation.
Can the Overcommercialization of Cause-Related Marketing Harm Society?
Authors: Polonsky Michael Jay , Wood Greg
Published: March 2007

The role of social responsibility within business has been debated for decades. It appears that there is a growing understanding that doing the right thing for society can not only be good for business but is also a responsibility of the modern corporation. Causes, corporations, and society have benefited from corporate involvement with social issues. However, it also appears that in some cases, there may be potential pitfalls associated with merging social and corporate objectives. The “overcommercialization” of some activities designed to benefit society may in fact harm those that these activities are trying to help. This article examines potential pitfalls associated with cause-related marketing and provides recommendations for reducing the potential negative consequences.
Public Perception' of Government Regulation
Authors: Cunningham Bernard J. , Sethi S. Prakash , Turicchi Thomas
Published: March 2007

Conventional wisdom has it that people view current levels of government regulation of business activities as excessive and inefficient. This study was designed to investigate people's perception of government regulation. The study was conducted through personal interviews with 579 males, 1849 years old, in seven major metropolitan areas across the nation. Individuals were asked about their feelings as to 1) the adequacy of regulation in five types of marketing activities ranging from truth in advertising to mail-order buying; and 2) the impact of regulation on the price of five types of products ranging from automobiles to convenience foods.

Among the major findings: respondents did not feel there is "too much" regulation in specific product or service areas, they recognized that regulation may cause prices to go up, and they believed that regulation can benefit both the business and the consumer. The attitudes toward regulation were product or service-specific and there was little or no "halo effect." Moreover, socioeconomic and demographic variables were not at all significant in predicting people's attitudes toward regulation.
A Multistage Approach to Comparative Marketing Analysis
Authors: El-Ansary Adel I. , Liebrenz Marilyn L.
Published: March 2007

The search continues for a general framework which might be utilized for comparative marketing analysis. We postulate here that the search for a single framework is futile, because the complexity of marketing requires adaption to changes in the surrounding environments. Interactions with the environment result in the development of a host of marketing systems. Even when equivalent data are available, some aspects may be impossible to correlate across cultures. Hence we present a four-stage illustrative model to indicate a philosophy of comparative research study design.
A Strategic Perspective on Regional Redevelopment
Authors: Nason Robert W. , Dholakia Nikhilesh , McLeavey Dennis W.
Published: March 2007

The race among regions for industrial development, especially of the high-tech variety, has intensified in recent years. Pressures to reindustrialize are engendering a variety of strategic responses at the national and subnational levels. The objective of this article is to place regional reindustrialization in the context of strategic marketing planning. Regional redevelopment is viewed as a macro-level market process that is amenable to strategic direction. The decision process for regional redevelopment is presented in terms of four strategic problem areas, each of which requires new macro techniques. Research needs are identified section highlights the policy issues.
Measures of Structural Change in Macromarketing Systems
Authors: Layton Roger A.
Published: March 2007

Marketing systems can be thought of as exchange networks and modeled in graph theoretic terms. In aggregate form, networks of exchanges cumulate to trade flows and can be modeled using the trade flows methodology. Beginning with a trade flows table, a potentially useful approach to assessing structural change is suggested by Theil's (1972) work on entropy-based measures. These measures are applied to the Australian trade flows data for 1968-1969,1974-1975, and 1978-1979. An alternative graphic approach to the assessment of structural change using dual scaling also is considered.
Machines Made of Words: The Influence of Engineering Metaphor on Marketing Thought and Practice, 1900 to 1929
Authors: Scully Joseph I.
Published: March 2007

This article examines how marketing thought and practice from 1900 to 1929 were affected by the ideas and language of engineering. Content-analysis data revealed a significant use of engineering metaphors in both marketing texts and advertisements of the period, suggesting a strong connection between the prevalent societal valuation of engineering activities and the evolution of marketing activities.
History and Cyberspace: A Marketing History of the CD-ROM Book Industry
Authors: Rassuli Katfhleen M. , Tippins Michael J.
Published: March 2007

This article explores the history of the CD-ROM book industry from the development of the technology, which enabled publishers to store text, graphics, and audio on compact disc, through the early growth stage. Special attention is given to niche markets first targeted by the publishers and the problems they faced in trying to penetrate the vast consumer book market. Macro repercussions of the introduction of this new technology are highlighted. The article also briefly discusses research issues surrounding the writing of recent histories and draws conclusions and implications for marketing.
Constructing Stable Grasps
Authors: Nguyen Van-Due
Published: March 2007

This paper shows how all force-closure grasps can be made stable by constructing virtual springs at the contacts, such that the grasped object has a desired stiffness matrix about its stable equilibrium. The paper develops a simple geometric relation between the stiffness of the grasp and the spatial configuration of the virtual springs at the contacts. The stiff ness of the grasp also depends on whether the points of con tact stick or slide without friction on straight or curved edges or faces of the object.
Computational Methods for Task-directed Sensor Data Fusion and Sensor Planning
Authors: Hager Greg , Mintz Max
Published: March 2007

In this article we consider the problem of task-directed information gathering. We first develop a decision-theo retic model of task-directed sensing in which sensors are modeled as noise-contaminated, uncertain measurement systems, and sensing tasks are inodeled by a transforma tion describing the type of information required by the task, a utility function describing sensitivity to error, and a cost function describing time or resource constraints on the system.

This description allows us to develop a standard condi tional Bayes decision-making model where the value of information, or payoff, of an estimate is defined as the average utility (the expected value of some function of decision or estimation error) relative to the current proba bility distribution and the best estimate is that which max imizes payoff. The optimal sensor viewing strategy is that which maximizes the net payoff (decision value minus observation costs) of the final estimate. The advantage of this solution is generality—it does not assume a particular sensing modality or sensing task. However, solutions to this updating problem do not exist in closed form. This motivates the development of an approximation to the optimal solution based on a grid-based implementation of Bayes' theorem.

We describe this algorithm, analyze its error properties. and indicate how it can be made robust to errors in the description of sensors and discrepancies between geomet ric models and sensed objects. We also present the results of this fusion technique applied to several different infor mation gathering tasks in simulated situations and in a distributed sensing system we have constructed.
An LQ-Based Task-Space Performance Measure for Robots
Authors: Wredenhagen G.F. , Bélanger P.R.
Published: March 2007

This paper examines robot performance about a target point where the linearized robot dynamics can be used. We introduce a task-space performance index characterized in terms of a Linear Quadratic cost criterion for a class of robots. The performance in dex encapsulates the robot kinematics and dynamics, robot pose, the task and motor torques. The index is examined under var ious conditions: low, medium and high levels of motor torque. We assume that the linearized robot dynamics are a perfect rep resentation of the real-world robot and that the sensors are ideal and unfettered by noise. Results are obtained under each of these conditions and we also derive the expression for the best possi ble task-space performance. Task-space performance is related to more physically meaningful quantities such as robot bandwidth and RMS motor torque. Given actual motor torque limits, the theoret ical RMS torque calculations allow us to ascertain realistic levels of performance for the real-world robot. Examples of task-specific performance are given for the Puma 560 wrist-partitioned robot, the Rediestro robot and the Stanford Arm for a simple task.
Post-Exposure Effects of Music-Generated Vibration and Whole-Body Acoustic Stimulation among Symphony Orchestra Musicians
Authors: Brodsky Warren
Published: March 2007

Fifty-four professional symphony orchestra musicians randomly assigned to one of three conditions (No-Music, Music-Alone, or Music + Vibration) received eight individual 50-minute sessions over a period of eight weeks. Sessions consisted of a regimen involving relaxation exercises, verbal conversations, and semi-structured visual imagery tasks, while seated in the Somatron Acoustic Massage?TM Power Recliner. Non-significant between-group differences were found in regard to subjects' Profile of Mood States scores during individual sessions and between the sessions across time. Nevertheless, significant group differences were found for both Music-Alone and Music + Vibration conditions when compared to the No-Music condition, as well as between the two music conditions themselves. These differences surfaced from a content analysis of session transcript data. Most specifically, the musicians exposed to Music + Vibration stimulation demonstrated increased subjective level of relaxation, intensified depth of verbal narrative, and multiplication of visual scenes within imagery tasks.
Timbre Perception of Brief Tones
Authors: Wang Cecilia Chu
Published: March 2007

Subjects were asked to listen to short tones of decreasing duration. The durational value at which the first sign of timbre change occurred was recorded for each tone. These values were found to vary with tone frequencies but not with intensity levels, and they did not indicate any certain fixed number of oscillations. Although individual subjects were consistent at their own perceptual task, great deviation was found across subjects.
Further Research on the Musical Development Sequence
Authors: Swanwick Keith
Published: March 2007

Following the publication in 1986 by Swanwick and Til1man ot a musical development model, further research in Cyprus gives parallel results, showing strong agreement between judges on the use of criteria for assessing children's compositions and articulating the same sequential order of development predicted by the spiral categories. This replication stronglx supports the original claim of an invariant sequence of musical developmenlt and demonstrates the predictive power of the model. A random selection ot children's compositions drawn from over 600 items collected in a different cultural setting, along with the use of seven independent assessors attracts exceptionally significant levels of correspondence between assigned criteria and the actual age of the children. Tests for variance and significhLnt difference suggest that the older two groups of UK children,Ire more advanced than their Cyprus peers. There are consequential implications fr music curriculum development, for assessment procedures, for further work on musical development, and on the relationship of composing to perform- ing and audience listening.