bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
UK International Joint Ventures with the Triad: Evidence for the 1990s
Authors: Glaister Keith W. , Husan Rumy , Buckley Peter J.
Published: March 2003

This paper identifies and analyses some basic trends and patterns in international joint venture activity between UK firms and partner firms located in the Triad (North America, Western Europe and Japan) over the 1990–96 period. Several dimensions of UK international joint venture activity are examined: trends over time, geographic distribution of foreign partners, industry characteristics, the purpose of the venture, the number of partners and the UK partners' equity shareholding. The study serves to update and extend previous analyses of UK international joint venture activity with partners from developed market economies.
Application of TQM Principles in the International Technology Transfer Process of Industrial Production Plants: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Quazi Hesan A. , Bartels Frank L.
Published: March 2003

This paper attempts to illustrate the application of the principles in Total Quality Management (TQM) to the International Technology Transfer (ITT) processes used in industrial production plants. Disaggregated analysis of the ‘technology transformation’ process is deployed to highlight the application of TQM. AT&T's ‘customer–supplier’ model of quality is introduced to explain the interactive roles of the parties involved. It argues that the existing literature deals inadequately with the issues raised and discussed in this paper. A conceptual ITT‐TQM model is proposed. Such a model should ensure proper assimilation of imported technology and permit continuous improvement of the processes leading to the customer satisfaction. It is suggested that the success of the model depends on the ‘win‐win‐win’ strategies of the supplier, the process owner and the customer. Examples from various sources are presented to reinforce the argument. In addition, international standards such as the ISO 9000 standard and frameworks for TQM such as the US Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the European Quality Award (European Foundation for Quality Management) are posited as necessary to ensure quality technology transfer.
Innovation Management as a Post‐Modern Phenomenon: The Outsourcing of Pharmaceutical R&D
Authors: Jones Oswald
Published: March 2003

The institutionalization of R&D by large, modern organizations is regarded as one of the most significant social and economic factors of the twentieth century. In recent years post‐modern organizations have begun to replace bureaucratic control with market control. This approach is particularly attractive in the case of R&D employees who have been relatively successful in resisting direct managerial control. Government statistics are used to demonstrate that external R&D increased from 5% to 16% of internal R&D expenditure between 1989 and 1995. This trend is examined in the context of consolidation within the UK pharmaceutical industry, which has considerable implications for the sustainability of high‐technology industry in the UK.
Using Single Respondents in Strategy Research
Authors: Bowman Cliff , Ambrosini Véronique
Published: March 2003

A survey of empirical papers has revealed a number of studies that have used single respondents, usually the CEO or a top management team member, to make inferences about certain strategic dimensions of their business. In this note, we highlight some of the problems in using this approach. We base our comments on a study of 76 businesses where multiple respondents were accessed. We conclude that, because of often wide variations in responses between members of the same top team (measured by Cronbach alpha), the use of single respondents in this type of strategy research is probably unreliable.
In Search of the Lemmus Lemmus: An Investigation into Convergent Competition
Authors: Saunders John , Stern Philip , Wensley Robin , Forrester Ros
Published: March 2003

This paper explores the reasons for industries converging upon poor strategies. The phenomenon is likened to the periodic mass suicide of the lemmus lemmus (the Norwegian lemming). It gives historic examples of the phenomenon, and evidence of its occurring within a simulated business environment. A literature review shows how it can be explained using theories from economics, psychology and competitive analogies used in business. An inputs‐process–outputs model provides a theoretical framework for Lemmus Lemmus strategies and is used to derive hypotheses.
The Politics of ‘Transnational Organized Crime’: Discourse, Reflexivity and the Narration of ‘Threat’
Authors: Edwards Adam , Gill Pete
Published: March 2003

Over the past decade the perceived ‘threat’ of transnational organised crime (TOC) to the security of western political economies has become a principal issue on the agendas of key international forums such as the United Nations, G7/8 elite industrial countries and the Council of Europe. The intense policy activity around this threat is indicative of a key trend in post-Cold War international relations, that is, the reorientation of western security, intelligence and defence agencies toward crime control. Risk assessments and research evidence provided by international relations departments in higher education institutions, especially in the USA, have been particularly influential in providing the rationale for this reorientation. It is argued here, however, that there is a danger of intellectuals being drawn into the legitimisation of policies the terms of which are defined for them rather than by them. This jeopardises the critical contribution which academic research can make to policy change and learning, in particular it precludes a more reflexive approach to ‘evidence-based’ government. The paper draws upon discourse analysis and the study of ‘governmentality’ to develop a more reflexive interrogation of the assumptions underpinning this policy-shift in post-Cold War international relations. This is exemplified through an analysis of the two principal competing discourses on the threat of TOC and these are distinguished in terms of their focus on ‘criminologies of the other’ and ‘criminologies of the self’. The former narrates threats to security in terms of external, nationally and ethnically defined, pressures. The later perceive threats more in terms of the internal challenges now facing ‘sovereign’ governments struggling to command highly diverse, dynamic and complex social-political problems like organised crime. The ways in which these competing discourses constrain and enable alternative policy responses to TOC are examined.
The real balance effect and the non‐neutrality of money in a simple model of a small open economy
Authors: Lawler Phillip
Published: March 2003

The paper examines the implications of the real balance effect for the neutrality of money in a small open economy model which contains an explicit treatment of aggregate supply. Two specific results emerge. First, an unanticipated monetary expansion is neutral in both the long and short runs, whilst an anticipated increase in the money supply has real short‐run effects. Secondly, the non‐neutrality associated with an anticipated monetary expansion manifests itself in a fall in output and employment during the transition to the new steady‐state.
Welfare effects of pricing in anticipation of Laspeyres price‐cap regulation: an example
Authors: Law Peter J.
Published: March 2003

A monopolist in a simple two‐period model knows that a price cap will be imposed on a Laspeyres index of the firm's prices in the second period. (Tariff basket regulation is relevant to some UK utilities.) A simple example is developed to study the welfare changes that result from strategic weight manipulation by the firm as a consequence of its ability to adjust first‐period revenue shares and interperiod price relatives. Uniform regulation requiring an equal percentage reduction in all of the regulated firm's prices provides a natural standard for comparison. One particular configuration of parameters induces identical pricing and welfare under the two forms of regulation in the example. Otherwise, compared with uniform regulation in the example, Laspeyres index regulation raises producer welfare but reduces consumer welfare in the first period and may also reduce consumer welfare in the second period. A numerical illustration shows that total welfare may also be lower under Laspeyres regulation.
Market Demand and Income Distribution: a Theoretical Exploration
Authors: Lambert Peter J. , Pfähler Wilhelm
Published: March 2003

This paper sets out to explore theoretically how a change in the distribution of disposable income affects the market demand for a good or service. With the help of only minimal information on the shape of the Engel curve and the transition from one distribution to the other, a variety of empirically relevant constellations are identified in which the size (or mean income) effect on market demand is counteracted by the distributional effect. Since the determining factors are expressed by relations between summary statistics, the results at the same time provide theoretically sound restrictions on economic approaches to market demand analysis.
What Difference a Wife Makes: The Effect of Women's Hours of Work on Husbands' Hourly Earnings
Authors: Blackaby D. H. , Carlin P. S. , Murphy P. D.
Published: March 2003

This paper investigates the relationship between a wife's work‐hours decision and her husband's hourly earnings. It is found that, among men in Managerial and Other Manual occupations, having a working wife significantly reduces the husband's hourly wage rate. The findings are robust to various estimation techniques and imply for these cases that productivity or discrimination effects associated with a wife working 40 hours per week lead to a reduction in the husband's hourly earnings of around 15 per cent.
Decentralized Policymaking in a Long‐run Growth Model with Seigniorage and Taxes
Authors: Ghosh Sugata , Mourmouras Iannis A.
Published: March 2003

The paper introduces decentralized policymaking into a game‐theoretic model with output growth through capital accumulation, and in which the determination of taxes, seigniorage and the long‐run growth rate of the economy reflects the strategic interactions between the government, the central bank and the private sector. The paper investigates, among other things, the impact on the long‐run growth rate of a higher degree of inflation aversion of the central bank and a higher degree of inefficiency in the tax system.
Under–provision of Inputs in Joint Ventures with Market Power
Authors: Lin Ping , Saggi Kamal
Published: March 2003

A joint venture with market power benefits from restricting its output which, in turn, requires the partners to restrict the supply of their inputs. However, since each partner benefits only partially from restricting its input, both over–supply their inputs from the viewpoint of the optimal use of market power. We show that this pecuniary negative externality in the partners’ input decisions mitigates the standard under–provision problem that arises in joint ventures. We also show that the degree of this problem declines as demand becomes less elastic.
The Internet, Intel and the Vigilante Stakeholder
Authors: Badaracco Joseph L.
Published: March 2003

The Internet furore over Intel’s flawed Pentium chip provides an important case study of the ethical ambiguity of internet communications and the legitimacy of certain forms of “electronic activism”. Joseph Badaracco, Jr., is John Shad Professor of Business Ethics at the Harvard Business School and his co‐author is a former Research Associate at Harvard and currently on the editorial staff of Inc. magazine.
Ethical Behaviour and Securities Trading
Authors: Goslings Jan H.W.
Published: March 2003

“Economic man does not ask himself ethical questions”. Yet securities trading inevitably raises many ethical issues, and ethical behaviour may be restricting and costly. Drawing on his economics background and his executive experience in the insurance and pension investment industry, as well as supervisory positions on the European Option Exchange, Dr Goslings analyses the securities markets and their structure, and explores their moral strengths and weaknesses in The Netherlands and elsewhere, before offering some practical recommendations. He has held part time professorships at Erasmus University and Maastricht University teaching finance and is currently preparing a new course on risk and insurance. He is also active as an independent consultant at Wentholtweg 26, 7214 EG Epse, The Netherlands.
: EBEN97 in Prague
Authors: Bohatá Marie
Published: March 2003

This year the European Business Ethics Network celebrates the tenth anniversary of its founding by holding its Annual Conference in Prague. We are happy to print this announcement from the Organizing Secretary of the Conference Planning Committee.
The Ethics of Tax Planning
Authors: Stainer Alan , Stainer Lorice , Segal Alexandra
Published: March 2003

Any system of taxation depends on a substantial degree of compliance from the taxpayer. But do ethical considerations stop at obeying the letter of the tax law, or do they drive one to take a more critical and socially responsible attitude towards tax avoidance as well as evasion? Dr Alan Stainer is Head of Engineering Management at Middlesex University, Bounds Green Road, London N11 2NQ, and Founder Director of the International Society for Productivity & Quality Research; Lorice Stainer is Senior Lecturer in Business Ethics at the University of Hertfordshire Business School and a Business Ethics Consultant; and Alexandra Segal is a Chartered Accountant, Taxation Manager with Keelings Chartered Accountants, London, and a Taxation Consultant.
Dealing with Organised Crime in a Foreign Country
Authors: Huang Peter
Published: March 2003

“What is the worth of moral values that only inform easy decisions but are impotent in more difficult circumstances?” Yet should one not at times tailor one’s moral views to suit circumstances? Drawing on his personal business experience in Taiwan Peter Huang reflects on the ethical issues raised by trying to do business honestly in a climate of organised crime. Currently completing his MBA at London Business School, he is of Taiwanese origin and returned there from Canada to found his own design company.
Public service ethics: lessons from the health sector
Authors: Dargie Charlotte S.
Published: March 2003

Souzy Dracopoulou (ed), Ethics and values in health care management
Bribery and Corruption: the OECD Convention on Combating the Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions
Authors: Moran Jon
Published: March 2003

This article discusses the effects of the OECD Convention on Combating the Bribery of Foreign Public Officials, which was signed in 1997 and is due to be implemented by the signatory nation‐states this year. The Convention represents the expansion of legal measures to combat the bribery of foreign public officials by individuals or corporations, and it has been accompanied by the Organisation of American States’ Convention Against Corruption. Previously the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which applied only to United States individuals or corporations, ‘stood alone in the world as a legal barrier to transnational bribery’ (Low, Bjorklund and Atkinson 1998:245). This article proceeds in stages to evaluate implications of the Convention. Firstly the Convention is placed in the context of the increased focus on transnational business bribery in recent years. Second, the main points of the Convention are outlined. Third, the issues and problems posed by the Convention for business are discussed. Finally some themes regarding enforcement by the relevant authorities are outlined.
Honesty in negotiation
Authors: Provis Chris
Published: March 2003

It is often suggested that deceptive behaviour in negotiation is ethical. A number of academic writers have put that view, and several have even suggested that a contrary approach is naÃve. Writers argue either that deceptive behaviour is generally expected or else that such behaviour is necessary to enable us to guard ourselves against exploitation. But in fact participants in the negotiating process differ in what they expect, and we can be careful without being deceptive. That is how we ought to proceed, if we want to treat others as responsible decision‐makers. Our obligations in business negotiation are the same as elsewhere. Business is not a distinct game with defined rules, like poker. Neither ‘business’ nor ‘negotiation’ are by their nature set apart from other situations. The behaviour which is appropriate in negotiation depends on the circumstances. As in other situations, we have an obligation to pay attention to others to ascertain their actual expectations and intentions, and then act accordingly.
An analysis of the ethical environment of the international accounting profession
Authors: Farrell Brian , Cobbin Deirdre
Published: March 2003

This paper analyses the ethical cultures of the international accounting profession by using the concept of ‘mainstreaming’ to describe the commitment of an organisation to the ethical function in its operations. The objective of the research on which the paper is based was to rate the efforts of 62 respondent national associations of professional accountants worldwide to incorporate the ethics function into the core operations of their organisations. Sixteen environmental factors were used in the analysis. They were set up as a group of criteria to assess the ethics procedures and systems of the accounting associations, and were divided into two categories. The first group was code based and contained items on code of ethics development and functions which would indicate whether ethically‐friendly management attitudes and systems were in place as a central focus of operations. Some of these elements were capable of fostering a ‘proprietary interest’ attitude on the part of members towards their codes of ethics, which in turn encourages code compliance. With the second group, other key operational aspects were examined to provide a balanced set of criteria. Interrelated elements among factors important to an ethical environment are included in the findings. The study concludes that on average the international accounting profession has attitudinal and systemic approaches that are ‘mainstream’. In general addressees were involved in code authorship and the public had adequate access to codes. However, increased use could be made of ethics professionals in the development of codes, of professional development courses to further the ethics skills of members, and of communication channels to foster a unifying approach to ethics. The study provides criteria for individual associations to assess their mainstreaming status against the international findings.
Integrated risk management and global business ethics
Authors: Sison Alejo Jose´
Published: March 2003

The key concept in Business Ethics has changed from ‘corporate social responsibility’ to ‘integrated risk‐management’. This change, first wrought by American laws, has been extended to other countries through globalization. The most important laws concern corruption, anti‐trust, consumer safety, environmental protection and insider‐trading. The ‘Federal Corporate Sentencing Guidelines’ have particularly been helpful in identifying and valuing business risks. The author proposes a ‘next‐generation’ Business Ethics integrating personal, professional and organizational ethics in the context of an institutionalized, country‐sensitive ‘corporate culture’.
Trust, reputation and corporate accountability to stakeholders
Authors: Swift Tracey
Published: March 2003

This paper explores the relationship between accountability, trust and corporate reputation building. Increasing numbers of corporations are mobilising themselves to put more and more information out into the public domain as a way of communicating with stakeholders. Corporate social accounting and stakeholder engagement is happening on an unprecedented scale. Rather than welcoming such initiatives, academics have been quick to pick faults with contemporary social auditing and reporting, claiming that in its current form it is not about demonstrating accountability at all, but rather about building corporate reputation. Academics argue that ‘accountability should hurt’, that if accountability is an enjoyable process, then the organisation isn’t doing it right. For organisations that are currently engaging with stakeholders and ostensibly becoming more transparent about their corporate social performance, this kind of critique is likely to be bewildering. This paper argues that central to the notion of accountability and to contemporary social accounting practice is the concept of trust. Accountability is based upon a distrust of corporate management, whereas corporate reputation building is about strategically seeking to establish trust in stakeholder relationships in order to negate formal accountability requirements. Using a split trust continuum, the paper seeks to explain and synthesise what seem to be two very different paradigms of organisational transparency.
Ethics in regulation
Authors: Davies Howard
Published: March 2003

This paper was given as the opening address at the 13th Annual European Business Ethics Network Conference' held in Cambridge 12–14 September 2000. The Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, Howard Davies, first outlined the background to the present approach to financial regulation in the UK. He described the principle‐based regulatory regime which is now in the process of being implemented, and the role of rules, regulations and guidelines in making this effective. However, compliance is not sufficient; for the system to work there needs to be an ethical culture at the level of the organisation, and a commitment to integrity on the part of those who work in the sector. The Financial Services Authority aims to work with the industry to build individual and corporate responsibility.
Science and ethical investment
Authors: Taylor Robert
Published: March 2003

The article explores the relationship between science and ethical investment, which is often concerned with the application of science and technology through commercial organisations. The article considers the contribution that scientific understanding makes to ethical investment, and the way in which ethical investment can improve the public perception of science. It then goes on to consider the historical relationship between science and society and the lessons that might be learnt from scientific study in developing a methodology for ethical investment. The conclusion reached is that scientific understanding provides the bedrock for many of the concerns which arise in ethical investment, as well as providing an indication of the nature of the research involved.
Whistleblowing procedures at work: what are the implications for human resource practitioners?
Authors: Lewis David
Published: March 2003

This paper explains why it is desirable for employers to have whistleblowing codes, and draws upon professional guidelines and empirical research to suggest the possible contents of whistleblowing policies and procedures. The paper discusses who and what should be covered and examines the issues of confidentiality and anonymity, reprisals and malicious allegations. It also highlights the need to provide advice and assistance to those who have concerns about wrongdoing at work. The author outlines the possible stages in a whistleblowing procedure, indicates how a concern should be raised and handled, and suggests how a procedure might be communicated and monitored. The paper concludes by emphasising that whistleblowing procedures provide an important safeguard against problems being overlooked and may be vital if legal pitfalls are to be avoided.
Human rights in industrial relations – the Israeli approach
Authors: Frenkel David A. , Lurie Yotam
Published: March 2003

Basic human rights are supposed to protect people from abuse and harm. They are the means whereby we protect our humanity. One would expect, therefore, that basic human rights would be valid and sacred in any context, including industrial relations. However, the complexity of the employee–employer relationship obscures this issue, and it is not clear whether such rights can be protected or whether they are valid in the context of industrial relations. Since rights are relational, they are preconditioned on the special nature of the relationship between employee and employer. Hence, the specific meaning that these rights have in industrial relations cannot be grounded in the notion of human rights as such, but rather depends on the special relationships between employers and employees. Though much legislation has been passed to regulate the relationship between employees and employers, the issues surrounding this relationship remain one of the most debated topics in business ethics. Our paper focuses specifically on the right to equal pay and the right to privacy. With respect to the right to property, the paper examines whether there is a conflict between general human rights and the fundamental right of employers to their property. The Israeli legislature has responded to this conflict by enacting ‘protective laws’ that legally outline and mandate certain human rights. Under these laws, employees are prevented and prohibited from waiving the rights granted to them by law, even if employed in private industries. Despite this legislative effort, market forces are at times stronger, and consequently some basic rights are not fully applied or implemented.
What Makes an Independent Regulator Independent?
Authors: Stern Jon
Published: March 2003

As private capital is increasingly invested in utilities across the globe, the issue of regulation and its inferace with different types of government, culture and society has become every more complex. This article focuses on the design of regulatory systems outside the US and the UK. With references to current practice in many countries, the author argues that formal regulatory independence and accountability is not always a necessary condition for effective regulation (though where feasible and effective it carries potential economic benefits). On the other hand, he also argues that an informal or advisory regulatory system may work better in some situations. In all circumstances, informal accountability and a clear understanding of the “rules of the game” are crucial for effective regulation.
Why is Manchester United So Successful?
Authors: Szymanski Stefan
Published: March 2003

Football is now a big industry worth studying in its own right: but it is also an excellent laboratory for studying success. The author argues that this is partly because, in contrast to say, American Football, there is less equalisation of resources between the clubs and English football is a highly competitive market. This article discusses one of the most successful clubs ever and argues that the reasons behind its success do not characterise football generally. It discusses how the different kinds of success in the English football industry are related to business success generally.
Defending the Beachhead: Telstra versus Optus
Authors: Roberts John H. , Nelson Charles J. , Morrison Pamela D.
Published: March 2003

Much less has been written about market defence strategy than about market attack. This article focuses on one aspect of defensive strategy, defending against a new market entrant – though much of the thinking would also apply to other competitive assaults, like a major new product launch. The article outlines a model of the response of the Australian telecoms incumbent, Telstra, after deregulation. The authors conclude that market leaders should avoid price wars, understand the points in the consumer decision process that are defendable and use inertial strategies. Consumers' views of the incumbent can dramatically change their perceptions of the new entrant too.
Lexical Form Class Information Guides Word‐to‐Object Mapping in Preschoolers
Authors: Hall D. Geoffrey , Graham Susan A.
Published: March 2003

We demonstrate that lexical form class information can play a powerful role in directing the establishment of word‐to‐object mappings in referentially ambiguous situations. A total of 144 3‐ and 4‐year‐olds heard a novel label, modeled syntactically as either a proper name or an adjective, for a stuffed animal of a familiar kind. We then added a second object of the same kind and asked children (1) to choose one of the two objects as the referent of a second novel label, also presented syntactically as either a proper name or an adjective, and (2) to decide whether this second label could also apply to the object they did not choose. In each of three experiments, preschoolers were most likely to reject two words for the same object if both words were proper names (as if one dog could not be both “Fido” and “Rover”). They were significantly less likely to do so if both were adjectives (as if one dog could be both “spotted” and “furry”) or if one was a proper name and the other was an adjective (as if one dog could be both “Fido” and “furry”). Information about lexical form class thus contributed significantly to the formation of linkages between words and objects.
Cognitive Moderators of Children's Adjustment to Stressful Divorce Events: The Role of Negative Cognitive Errors and Positive Illusions
Authors: Mazur Elizabeth , Wolchik Sharlene A. , Virdin Lynn , Sandler Irwin N. , West Stephen G.
Published: March 2003

This study examined whether children's cognitive appraisal biases moderate the impact of stressful divorce‐related events on psychological adjustment in 355 children ages 9 to 12, whose families had experienced divorce within the past 2 years. Multiple regression indicated that endorsement of negative cognitive errors for hypothetical divorce events moderates the relations between stressful divorce events and self‐ and maternal reports of internalizing and externalizing symptoms, but only for older children. Positive illusions buffer the effects of stressful divorce events on child‐reported depression and mother‐reported externalizing problems. Implications of these results for theories of stress and coping, as well as for interventions for children of divorced families, are discussed.
Behavioral Inhibition, Heart Period, and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia: An Attachment Perspective
Authors: Stevenson‐Hinde Joan , Marshall Peter J.
Published: March 2003

This study shows that relations between behavioral inhibition and cardiac activity may be clarified by identifying attachment status, whereas relations between security of attachment and cardiac activity may be clarified by identifying inhibition status. Assessments at 4.5 years (N = 126) included heart period (HP), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), behavioral inhibition (BI), and security of attachment. There was no main effect of BI status (Low, Medium, High) on either HP or RSA. Instead, it was only the Secure children who showed the predicted relation between low BI and high HP or RSA, with the Low BI‐Secure group having significantly higher HP than either the High BI‐Secure or the Low BI‐Insecure groups. Turning to attachment, both HP and RSA increased significantly from an assessment during separation from mother to an assessment 3 min after reunion. The only subgroups showing a significant increase in HP, however, were those with both secure attachment and an absence of high BI.
Financial Strain, Parenting Behaviors, and Adolescents' Achievement: Testing Model Equivalence between African American and European American Single‐ and Two‐Parent Families
Authors: Gutman Leslie Morrison , Eccles Jacquelynne S.
Published: March 2003

This study tested the equivalence of a theoretical model of parenting behaviors linking financial strain to adolescents' achievement for African American and European American families and for single‐ and two‐parent families. The sample included an economic cross‐section of African American (n = 387) and European American families (n = 230) from single‐ (n = 171) and two‐parent (n = 446) homes. Multi‐group analyses revealed no significant differences in the structural equation models between the African American and European American families, or between the single‐ and two‐parent families. Results demonstrated that negative parent – adolescent relationships and parental school involvement mediated the relation between financial strain and adolescents' academic achievement.
Universal, Developmental, and Variable Aspects of Young Children's Play: A Cross‐Cultural Comparison of Pretending at Home
Authors: Haight Wendy L. , Wang Xiao‐lei , Fung Heidi Han‐tih , Williams Kimberley , Mintz Judith
Published: March 2003

Using longitudinal data from five Irish American families in the United States and nine Chinese families in Taiwan, in conjunction with an emerging body of evidence in the cultural psychology literature, we propose universal, culturally variable, and developmental dimensions of young children's pretend play. Possible universal dimensions include the use of objects, and the predominantly social nature of pretend play. Developmental dimensions include increases in the proportion of social pretend play initiated by the child, the proportion of partner initiations elaborated upon by the child, and caregivers' use of pretend play initiations to serve other, nonplay social functions. Culturally variable dimensions include the centrality of objects, the participation of specific play partners, the extent of child initiations of social pretend play with caregivers, the various functions of social pretend play in interaction, and specific themes. These findings raise the theoretical issue of how universal and variable dimensions of pretend play interact in specific communities to create distinctive development pathways.
The Future of Infant Categorization Research: A Process‐Oriented Approach
Authors: Oakes Lisa M. , Madole Kelly L.
Published: March 2003

We call for a shift from a content‐oriented approach to a process‐oriented approach to the study of categorization in infancy. Although gains have been made in our understanding of infant categorization by evaluating the categories to which infants respond, further understanding of infant categorization, and how categorization changes with development, requires that we more directly assess infants' category formation. We argue that two directions for future research will continue to enhance our understanding of categorization in infancy (and beyond). First, contextual variations (e.g., the effects of task, stimuli, and other factors) on infants' categorization must be better understood. Second, we must more directly evaluate the kinds of information infants use when forming categories, as well as how their use of such information changes with age, task, and so forth. We argue that these two foci will provide clearer understanding of the origins and early development of categorization.
The Development of Relational Landmark Use in Six‐ to Twelve‐Month‐Old Infants in a Spatial Orientation Task
Authors: Lew Adina R. , Bremner J. Gavin , Lefkovitch Leonard P.
Published: March 2003

The ability to use the relations between visible landmarks to locate nonvisible goals (allocentric spatial coding) underlies success on a variety of everyday spatial orientation problems. Little is known about the development of true relational coding in infancy. Ninety‐six 6‐, 8.5‐ and 12‐month‐old infants were observed in a peekaboo paradigm in which they had to turn to a target location after displacement to a novel position and direction of facing. In a landmark condition, the target position was located between two landmarks, contrasted with a control condition in which no distinctive landmarks were provided. Six‐month‐old infants performed poorly in both conditions, 8.5‐month‐olds were significantly better with the landmarks, and 12‐month‐olds solved the task with or without landmarks. A follow‐up study confirmed that the 8.5‐month‐olds used both landmarks to solve the task. This demonstration of allocentric spatial coding in 8.5‐month‐old infants shows earlier competence than that found in previous work in which only infants at the end of the first year were able to use landmarks relationally.
Helping Mothers Discuss Sexuality and AIDS with Adolescents
Authors: Lefkowitz Eva S. , Sigman Marian , Au Terry Kit‐fong
Published: March 2003

The current study was designed to alter experimentally mothers' style when discussing sexuality and AIDS with their adolescent children. Mothers of 11‐ to 15‐year‐olds (N= 50) were assigned to an intervention or control group, resulting in 20 dyads in each group. All dyads were assessed twice, on self‐reported and observed communication, AIDS knowledge, and perceived vulnerability to AIDS. Intervention group mothers received two training sessions. Observational data revealed that intervention group mothers reduced their amount of speaking, asked more open‐ended questions, acted less judgmental, and discussed dating and sexuality more than did control group mothers. Intervention group adolescents reported increased discussions of birth control and increased daily comfort talking to their mothers. There was some evidence that intervention group girls increased in AIDS knowledge. There was no change in AIDS‐related beliefs.
Dyadic Analyses of Friendship in a Sample of Preschool‐Age Children Attending Head Start: Correspondence between Measures and Implications for Social Competence
Authors: Vaughn Brian E. , Colvin Tameka N. , Azria Muriel R. , Caya Lisa , Krzysik Lisa
Published: March 2003

Friendships among a large sample of preschool‐age children (N= 471) attending Head Start were assessed. Based on sociometric data, friendship dyads were identified as reciprocated (mutual choice) or nonreciprocated (unilateral choice). Dyads were further classified with respect to gender composition as either same‐ or mixed‐gender dyads. Older children were more likely to participate in a reciprocated friendship than were younger children and reciprocated dyads were more likely to be same‐gender than were nonreciprocated dyads. Analyses of interaction between dyad partners revealed that reciprocated friends interacted more frequently across all categories of interaction coded and looked at each other more frequently than did members of nonreciprocated dyads. For the positive interaction subscore, the friendship status effect was modified by a significant interaction with gender composition such that significant effects of friendship status were obtained only for same‐gender dyads. Additional analyses indicated that the average social competence level was greater for reciprocated dyads than for nonreciprocated dyads. The findings suggest that reciprocated friendships are meaningful for preschool‐age children and may serve as special socialization contexts in which the repertoire of behavior can be exercised and perhaps improved. They also highlight the salience of same‐gender friendships in the preschool classroom.
Sleep and Adjustment in Preschool Children: Sleep Diary Reports by Mothers Relate to Behavior Reports by Teachers
Authors: Bates John E. , Viken Richard J. , Alexander Douglas B. , Beyers Jennifer , Stockton Lesley
Published: March 2003

Prior literature suggests that there may be relations between children’s sleep disorders or inadequate amounts of sleep and behavioral adjustment. Most relevant studies concern clinical populations, however, and relatively few concern community populations. Moreover, previous studies have not addressed empirically the possible role of family functioning as a factor in the relation between children’s sleep and adjustment. The present study, conducted in a predominantly low‐income, community sample (N= 202), measured 4‐ to 5‐year‐old children’s sleep patterns through daily logs kept by mothers, and measured family stress and parenting practices through detailed, multifaceted interviews and incidental observations of parent‐child interactions. Children’s adjustment, both positive and negative, was measured through preschool teacher reports on multiple occasions. A structural equation model showed that disrupted child sleep patterns (variability in reported amount of sleep, variability in bedtime, and lateness of bedtime) predicted less optimal adjustment in preschool, even after considering the roles of family stress and family management practices.
Toward A Formalism for Conversation Protocols Using Joint Intention Theory
Authors: Kumar Sanjeev , Huber Marcus J. , Cohen Philip R. , McGee David R.
Published: March 2003

Conversation protocols are used to achieve certain goals or to bring about certain states in the world. Therefore, one may identify the landmarks or the states that must be brought about during the goal–directed execution of a protocol. Accordingly, the landmarks, characterized by propositions that are true in the state represented by that landmark, are the most important aspect of a protocol. Families of conversation protocols can be expressed formally as partially ordered landmarks after the landmarks necessary to achieve a goal have been identified. Concrete protocols represented as joint action expressions can, then, be derived from the partially ordered landmarks and executed directly by joint intention interpreters. This approach of applying Joint Intention theory to protocols also supports flexibility in the actions used to get to landmarks, shortcutting protocol execution, automatic exception handling, and correctness criterion for protocols and protocol compositions.
Model Selection in an Information Economy: Choosing What to Learn
Authors: Brooks Christopher H. , Gazzale Robert S. , Das Rajarshi , Kephart Jeffrey O. , MacKie–Mason Jeffrey K. , Durfee Edmund H.
Published: March 2003

As online markets for the exchange of goods and services become more common, the study of markets composed, at least in part, of autonomous agents has taken on increasing importance. In contrast to traditional complete–information economic scenarios, agents that are operating in an electronic marketplace often do so under considerable uncertainty. In order to reduce their uncertainty, these agents must learn about the world around them. When an agent producer is engaged in a learning task in which data collection is costly, such as learning the preferences of a consumer population, it is faced with a classic decision problem: when to explore and when to exploit. If the agent has a limited number of chances to experiment, it must explicitly consider the cost of learning (in terms of foregone profit) against the value of the information acquired. Information goods add an additional dimension to this problem; due to their flexibility, they can be bundled and priced according to a number of different price schedules. An optimizing producer should consider the profit each price schedule can extract, as well as the difficulty of learning of this schedule.

In this paper, we demonstrate the tradeoff between complexity and profitability for a number of common price schedules. We begin with a one–shot decision as to which schedule to learn. Schedules with moderate complexity are preferred in the short and medium term, as they are learned quickly, yet extract a significant fraction of the available profit. We then turn to the repeated version of this one–shot decision and show that moderate complexity schedules, in particular two–part tariff, perform well when the producer must adapt to nonstationarity in the consumer population. When a producer can dynamically change schedules as it learns, it can use an explicit decision–theoretic formulation to greedily select the schedule which appears to yield the greatest profit in the next period. By explicitly considering both the learnability and the profit extracted by different price schedules, a producer can extract more profit as it learns than if it naively chose models that are accurate once learned.
Interactive Construction and Animation of Layered Elastically Deformable Characters
Authors: Turner Russell , Gobbetti Enrico
Published: March 2003

An interactive system is described for creating and animating deformable 3D characters. By using a hybrid layered model of kinematic and physics‐based components together with an immersive 3D direct manipulation interface, it is possible to quickly construct characters that deform naturally when animated and whose behavior can be controlled interactively using intuitive parameters. In this layered construction technique, called the elastic surface layer model, a simulated elastically deformable skin surface is wrapped around a kinematic articulated figure. Unlike previous layered models, the skin is free to slide along the underlying surface layers constrained by geometric constraints which push the surface out and spring forces which pull the surface in to the underlying layers. By tuning the parameters of the physics‐based model, a variety of surface shapes and behaviors can be obtained such as more realistic‐looking skin deformation at the joints, skin sliding over muscles, and dynamic effects such as squash‐and‐stretch and follow‐through. Since the elastic model derives all of its input forces from the underlying articulated figure, the animator may specify all of the physical properties of the character once, during the initial character design process, after which a complete animation sequence can be created using a traditional skeleton animation technique. Character construction and animation are done using a 3D user interface based on two‐handed manipulation registered with head‐tracked stereo viewing. In our configuration, a six degree‐of‐freedom head‐tracker and CrystalEyes shutter glasses are used to display stereo images on a workstation monitor that dynamically follow the user head motion. 3D virtual objects can be made to appear at a fixed location in physical space which the user may view from different angles by moving his head. To construct 3D animated characters, the user interacts with the simulated environment using both hands simultaneously: the left hand, controlling a Spaceball, is used for 3D navigation and object movement, while the right hand, holding a 3D mouse, is used to manipulate through a virtual tool metaphor the objects appearing in front of the screen. Hand‐eye coordination is made possible by registering virtual space to physical space, allowing a variety of complex 3D tasks necessary for constructing 3D animated characters to be performed more easily and more rapidly than is possible using traditional interactive techniques.
Animation of Biological Organ Growth Based on L‐systems
Authors: Durikovic Roman , Kaneda Kazufumi , Yamashita Hideo
Published: March 2003

In contrast with the growth of plants and trees, human organs can undergo significant changes in shape through a variety of global transformations during the growth period, such as bending or twisting. In our approach, the topology of a human organ is represented by a skeleton in the form of a tree or cycled graph. The length of skeleton growth can be simulated by an algebraic L‐system that also produces discrete events. The paper shows how to include global transformations into the formalism of L‐systems to obtain a continuous process. The shape of the organ is approximated by a number of ellipsoidal clusters centred at points on the skeleton. The proposed growth model of the organ continually responds to the positional changes of surrounding organs, thereby changing the organ shape locally. In our study, the stomach of a human embryo is used for the demonstration of organ development, and the methodology employed is also applicable to the animation of animal organs and their development.