bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of organisational change on public sector employees implementing the UK Government's “Back to work” programme
Authors: Greasley Kay , Watson Paul , Patel Shilpa
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of organisational change on public sector employees utilising the implementation of the UK Government's “Back to work” programme (BTW) as a case study example. The paper seeks to explore the employee response to the changes they experience as a result of this new initiative.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was adopted for this study, employing in‐depth interviews across the UK. The interview strategy sought to focus on the individual experiences and perceptions of those involved in the operation of the programme.

Findings

The findings highlight how the interviewees face organisational change as part of their everyday life, with the pace of change increasing and becoming more radical. Many of these organisational changes are related to the introduction of new initiatives that require amendments to existing working practices. It was found that a lack of permanency and constant switching of initiatives, imposed by central government, could result in cynical attitudes towards a new initiative as interviewees await the newer, bigger and brighter programme.

Practical implications

The study indicates that when a new initiative is introduced this involves change which impacts on employees and there needs to be a management response to this challenge to ensure that initiatives are successful. Notably there needs to be a move from quick fix, early‐win outcomes as new programmes take time and effort.

Originality/value

The paper presents empirical evidence of the impact of change as a result of a new initiative involving public sector employees. It demonstrates how the political context driving new initiatives like the BTW programme affects employees on the “shopfloor” and emphasises the need for management to respond to this challenge.
From normative to tacit knowledge: CVs analysis in personnel selection
Authors: Vieira Campos Proença Maria Teresa , Valente Dias de Oliveira Eva Teresa
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This study aims to investigate decision‐making processes and to identify factors which influence managers in the selection of job applicants' CVs and how these factors differ from the firm's recruitment and selection policy.

Design/methodology/approach

Twenty‐four semi‐structured interviews were conducted among HR managers or similar staff members responsible for recruiting and selection in small, medium, and large‐sized Portuguese firms. The interview comprised two parts: description of the selection policies that they used followed by a CV assessment game to understand decisions regarding the acceptance of a specific candidate.

Findings

Interviewees' narratives are similar, describing a step‐by‐step process based on the firm's explicit policy and the model of a prediction of the job candidates' future performance based on subjective criteria.

Research limitations/implications

Possibly, the results described are related to the research methodology – more specifically the use of a fictional set of CVs where the decisions made do not have any consequences. At the same time, managers are more relaxed when playing the “CV game” and tend to adopt more genuine and usual behaviours.

Practical implications

The paper calls for an integrative practice in CV analysis combining both the structured and rational dimension and the informal dimension (tacit knowledge, emotion and intuition).

Originality/value

The paper stresses the paradoxical behaviour of practitioners. On the one hand, the “good” of rational procedures is part of their rhetoric; on the other hand, the use of emotion and intuition is revealed in their practices.
Customer‐orientated Six Sigma in call centre performance measurement
Authors: McAdam Rodney , Davies John , Keogh Bill , Finnegan Anthony
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to explore the role of Six Sigma performance measurement at both strategic and operational levels within call centres where the definition of Six Sigma is widened to include systems thinking constructs.

Design/methodology/approach

A two‐phase methodology is used involving two call centre cases within a call centre group. Phase 1 establishes the need for Six Sigma customer‐based measures in addition to internal performance measures and phase 2 studies the implementation of this wider set of Six Sigma performance measures.

Findings

The development and application of Six Sigma performance measures that cover both strategic and operational performance measures lead to a more sustainable approach to business improvement, rather than traditional call centre internal performance measures which may be misleading for the overall performance of the call centre.

Research limitations/implications

The development of the strategic and operational, or double, DMAIC approach offers opportunities for developing wider applications in service contexts using customer‐orientated performance measures.

Practical implications

If call centres rely solely on internal performance measures, a misleading picture of call centre performance may be obtained. There is a need to apply Six Sigma to cover both strategic and operational performance measures.

Originality/value

A combined strategic and operational approach to Six Sigma has been developed which enables service‐based organisations (call centres) to develop sustainable business improvement.
The effect of gauge measurement capability on MCp and its statistical properties
Authors: Shishebori Davood , Zeinal Hamadani Ali
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to consider the effect of gauge measurement capability on the multivariate process capability index (MCp).

Design/methodology/approach

With respect to measurement capability, the paper investigates the statistical properties of the estimated MCp and considers the effect of gauge measurement capability on the lower confidence bound, hypothesis testing, critical value and power of testing for MCp at the mentioned state.

Findings

The results show that gauge measurement capabilities will notably change the results of estimating and testing the process capability index.

Originality/value

The research would help quality experts to determine whether their processes meet the required capability, and to make more reliable decisions.
Multi‐response robust screening in quality construction blue‐printing
Authors: Besseris George J.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to circumvent the multi‐distribution effects and small sample constraints that may arise in unreplicated‐saturated fractional factorial designs during construction blueprint screening.

Design/methodology/approach

A simple additive ranking scheme is devised based on converting the responses of interest to rank variables regardless of the nature of each response and the optimization direction that may be issued for each of them. Collapsing all ranked responses to a single rank response, appropriately referred to as “Super‐Ranking”, allows simultaneous optimization for all factor settings considered.

Research limitations/implications

The Super‐Rank response is treated by Wilcoxon's rank sum test or Mann‐Whitney's test, aiming to establish possible factor‐setting differences by exploring their statistical significance. An optimal value for each response is predicted.

Practical implications

It is stressed, by example, that the model may handle simultaneously any number of quality characteristics. A case study based on a real geotechnical engineering project is used to illustrate how this method may be applied for optimizing simultaneously three quality characteristics that belong to each of the three possible cases, i.e. “nominal‐is‐best”, “larger‐is‐better”, and “smaller‐is‐better” respectively. For this reason, a screening set of experiments is performed on a professional CAD/CAE software package making use of an L8(27) orthogonal array where all seven factor columns are saturated by group excavation controls.

Originality/value

The statistical nature of this method is discussed in comparison with results produced by the desirability method for the case of exhausted degrees of freedom for the error. The case study itself is a unique paradigm from the area of construction operations management.
Effect of individual components on system's reliability
Authors: Chandler Mark R. , Affan Badar M.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of individual components' reliability on a system's reliability. The system refers to the Financial Management Information System (FMIS), the US Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) web‐based project approval and tracking software. Its components are 61 project information fields.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis would view each highway project‐funding request as an activity with cycle‐dependent performance for which success probability can be calculated as Reliability, R. The reliability analysis of the 61 FMIS fields results in a series system with Rsys the “estimated reliability” of finding “true” values in all 61 information fields during one highway‐related project funding authorization review.

Findings

Of an estimated 200 projects approved, there was previously estimated a 50 percent to 80 percent unreliability rate, while the study found an unreliability rate of approximately 80 percent.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to the nature of federal government software, data can be very difficult to acquire in this working environment, but a simple calculation was relatively successful in confirming the “estimated reliability” of finding “true” values and showing how the reliability could dramatically decrease.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the applicability of reliability analysis to project approval software, showing the progression from estimated data to bounding the estimate using reliability theory.
Do incentives, complexity and the demand for leisure explain caesarean‐section deliveries?
Authors: Costa i Font Joan
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the determinants of quality in obstetric care and particularly why caesarean sections (CS) are experiencing unprecedented increases in developed societies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper exploits a population‐based database containing records on the determinants of CS to study the effects of hospital complexity and private financing and controlling for clinical and social determinants. The data refer to the entire population deliveries data from year 2003 as collected by the Catalan Health Service (Conjunt Mínim de Base de Dades). This paper employs multivariate statistical analysis and it distinguishes between total, programmed and non‐programmed deliveries.

Findings

Privately financed hospitals and hospital complexity are significant determinants of the probability of a CS. Overall, the paper finds significant clinical variability between public and private hospitals. The significance of mother's age suggests that the delay in the motherhood is more likely to increase the probability of a CS in public hospital deliveries while it is not the case of private hospitals. It finds that demand for leisure and capacity explains CS in public hospitals but not in private hospitals.

Practical implications

Quality of care is influenced by reimbursement mechanism along with provider complexity, which suggests that there is scope for improvement in providers pay per intervention.

Originality/value

The nature of the data and methods.
Policy in the knowledge economy social network: a social capital redux
Authors: Goorha Prateek
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to suggest how enabling policy should be focused in a knowledge economy by developing the concept of a knowledge economy social network (KESN).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs an interdisciplinary approach in developing the KESN by drawing on concepts and methodology from economics, political science and social network theory.

Findings

The KESN's social capital is defined. As such, maintaining accountability, increasing cohesion and connections among knowledge actors are suggested as relevant guidelines for policy in the KESN.

Research limitations/implications

The knowledge economy should ideally be seen as having unique needs compared to the traditional economy in devising policy.

Practical implications

The paper suggests using the KESN as a basis for devising policy for a knowledge economy.

Originality/value

The paper uses an interdisciplinary approach to studying the knowledge economy and introduces the KESN.
Economic reforms and social justice in India
Authors: Satija Kalpana C.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to specify some historical and current issue regarding this subject. Like, what has been the relative importance attached to the different aspects of policy; what has been the pace and progress of reform process.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins with a short discussion of the background of the study and overview of post‐independence economic policy. Hence it is a descriptive study that it finds some data from government site. This paper is thought to provide more reliable information about above impacts for policy makers and State and Central Government.

Findings

The paper specifically focuses upon economic reforms and social justice in India, issues relating to the progress of economic reforms, need of reforms for human face. More generally, the paper suggests that government should make relatively limited use of key performance Indicators for economic reforms and have high‐level participation rates benchmarking for social justice exercises.

Research limitations/implications

Some implications are the timing of the various policies and, more importantly, their sequencing and the relative importance attached to the different aspects of policy, in as much as domestic priorities relating to the provision of education, health and employment, globalization of the economy.

Practical implications

The paper can help to promote administrative, managerial, and financial support for economic reforms and social justice in India and emphasis the responsibility to the state and central to enlarge reforms opportunities and encourage economic development.

Originality/value

Indian Government decides to accelerate the rate of economic growth and to speed up industrialization, to develop heavy industries, to reduce disparities in income and wealth through economic reforms and social justice.
Christian mutual funds, codes of ethics and corporate illegalities
Authors: Dion Michel
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the compatibility between the religious investing criteria of some Christian mutual funds and the “ Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility” (ICCR) shareholder resolutions about corporate unethical/illegal practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Among all ICCR 2007‐2008 shareholder resolutions, the paper analyze unethical practices that could lead to corporate illegalities for business corporations that are included in the portfolios of Christian mutual funds. It will determines to what extent such companies have codes of ethics that clearly explained the expected behaviour from their employees, managers, or directors about given ethical issues: sexual orientation discrimination, conflicts of interest on the board and slave labour in the supply chain.

Findings

About the issue of slave labour in the supply chain, managers of Christian mutual funds could not invoke ignorance since in the code of ethics of one company, there is no provision dealing with slave labour. Concerning conflicts of interest on the board, managers of Christian mutual funds could not identify potential risks related to those companies, since the problem is the applicability of their codes of ethics. Finally, companies have very different ways to address or not the issue of sexual orientation discrimination in their codes of ethics.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper is twofold: first to compare companies Christian mutual funds are investing in (on the basis of Christian selection criteria) and companies for which there are ICCR resolutions (the aim of such resolutions is to change some questionable or unethical aspect of a given business corporation), and second to see to what extent corporate codes of ethics are written in a way to reduce or increase the potentiality of ethical conflicts.
Substituting corporate saving for personal saving
Authors: Dwayne Barney L. , Schooley Diane K. , White Harry
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the hypothesis that savers may be substituting equity capital gains from stockholdings for traditional measures of personal saving. The analysis also aims to investigate dividend yield (DY) as a signal to investors about corporate saving rates (CSRs).

Design/methodology/approach

Regression analysis is used to examine the relationship between personal saving and corporate saving. The personal saving rate (PSR) is the dependent variable while three measures of corporate saving (S&P500 corporate saving rate (SPSR), S&P500 DY and national income and product accounts (NIPA) CSR) alternatively serve as the independent variable.

Findings

The results confirm that personal saving is negatively related to corporate saving for large‐cap publicly traded firms. The study also finds a significant positive relationship between DY and PSR, offering support that DY provides an observable signal about corporate saving.

Research limitations/implications

The relationship between personal and CSRs is found to be robust through time. However, the downward spiral the US economy is experiencing today will provide unique and interesting data for examining the relationship in future studies.

Originality/value

This analysis differs from previous approaches by utilizing retained earnings, rather than stock market capital gains, to measure corporate saving, and provides new evidence that individuals substitute corporate saving for personal saving. The alarm expressed by the media and government over falling PSRs may not be warranted. Individuals appear to adjust personal rates to reflect the changes in corporate saving and reach the total saving rate that is optimal.
On the interactions of financing and investment decisions
Authors: Bae Sung C.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the relation between financial leverage and investment opportunities of Chinese industrial firms, which operate in a vastly different financial environment than USA and Japanese firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Multivariate regression analysis is performed using four versions of debt‐equity ratio as dependent variable to extensive firm‐level data for the 2000‐2004 period.

Findings

The market total debt‐equity (MTDE) ratios of Chinese firms are significantly negatively related to their investment opportunities, indicating that Chinese firms with higher investment opportunities tend to borrow less. The results, however, reveal that the financing‐investment relation is sensitive to the approach used to measure financial leverage. The results further show that long‐term debt‐equity ratios of Chinese firms are not significantly related to their investment opportunities, suggesting that corporate long‐term debt has a minimal role in the leverage‐investment relation for Chinese firms.

Practical implications

The present study opens for a further research on the determinants of the negative relation between financial leverage and investment opportunities of Chinese firms documented in this study. For this line of future research, several unique features of Chinese markets including non‐tradable shares, domestic vs foreign shares, high degree of information asymmetry need to be taken into account.

Originality/value

The present study extends and updates the existing literature on the relation between financial leverage and investment opportunities of Chinese firms by providing new and concrete evidence from extensive data over a more recent period.
Effects of underwriters, venture capital and industry on long‐term initial public offering performance
Authors: Yip Yewmun , Su Yuli , Boon Ang Jiun
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the choice of underwriters, venture capital (VC) support, industry and their interactions have any impact on the long‐term performance of initial public offerings (IPOs).

Design/methodology/approach

Using standard event study methodology, 12 months of abnormal monthly returns for 1,772 IPOs are obtained. ANOVA and regression analyses are performed on both abnormal returns (ARs) and cumulative ARs to investigate the effect of underwriter choice, VC support and industry and their interactions on the long‐term performance of IPOs.

Findings

Under a multi‐factor framework, only significant underwriter and VC effects are found. Short‐term price momentum and long‐term price reversal pattern is most pronounced for IPOs that are underwritten by leading investment banks and backed by venture capitalists. The beginning of price reversal coincides with the expiration of IPO lockup period. Although by the end of the first year, IPOs on average underperform the market, investors can earn above market returns by investing in IPOs that are underwritten by leading investment banks and backed by venture capitalists, and divest before the expiration of the lockup period.

Research limitations/implications

The results are limited by the accuracy of the models used in measuring ARs.

Practical implications

The results seem to suggest that a profitable investment strategy may be implemented with regard to IPOs.

Originality/value

The paper analyzes the various effects and their interactions on the long‐term performance of IPOs.
Reverse‐LBOs, re‐LBOs and informational asymmetry hypothesis of LBO transactions
Authors: Kosedag Arman , Mehran Jamshid , Qian Jinhu
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the informational asymmetry (informational advantage of managers) in leveraged buyout (LBO) transactions.

Design/methodology/approach

Unlike previous studies of informational asymmetry in LBOs, this research uses a set of reverse‐LBO and re‐LBO firms. The paper proposes and empirically tests three hypotheses that draw on the informational advantage of managers in LBOs. Specifically, the value gain (VG) realized by the reverse‐LBO firms is compared with that realized by a control sample of firms; the wealth distribution between managers and pre‐buyout shareholders is studied; and, finally, the performance of re‐LBO firms relative to reverse‐LBO firms is evaluated.

Findings

The results do not support the view that managers use buyouts to exploit their informational advantage. Specifically; the performance of LBO firms under the private ownership is comparable to those of matching public firms; the management team's return in a LBO deal is not significantly more than pre‐buyout shareholders’ return; and repeating reverse‐LBO firms (re‐LBOs) do not necessarily perform better than the non‐repeating reverse‐LBO firms.

Originality/value

While reverse‐LBOs have been investigated to some extent in the prior literature, studies on re‐LBOs are quite scant – although these transactions offer a new and interesting avenue to examine the motivations behind LBOs in general. The use of the entire LBO − reverse‐LBO − re‐LBO cycle in testing the informational advantage of managers is a novelty. It is hoped that re‐LBOs will attract the amount of attention they deserve as these firms may offer interesting means to reinvestigate commonly debated theories of corporate finance.
A new algorithm for solving nonlinear boundary value problems
Authors: Ben Zitoun Feyed , Cherruault Yves
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a new algorithm for solving nonlinear boundary value problems (BVPs).

Design/methodology/approach

The method converts the nonlinear BVP into a system of nonlinear equations. By solving the system, the solution can be determined. Comparing the methodology with some known techniques shows that the present approach is simple, easy to use and highly accurate.

Findings

The proposed technique allows us to obtain an approximate solution in a series form which satisfies all the given conditions. Test problems are given to illustrate the pertinent features of the method. The accuracy of the numerical results indicates that the technique is efficient and well suited for solving nonlinear differential equations with initial and boundary conditions.

Originality/value

The paper provides a reliable technique which avoids the tedious work needed by classical techniques and existing numerical methods and does not require discretization in order to find the solutions of the given problems.
Resolution of industrial problems by a simple and universal new method
Authors: Cherruault Yves
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a general method for solving all problems arising in industrial processes and more generally in operational research.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper's aim is to present a new method based on α‐dense curves first developed at the beginning of the 1980s by Yves Cherruault and Arthur Guillez. This technique allows to solve all problems of operational research in a simple way. For instance, industrial problems leading to optimization or optimal control problems can be easily and precisely solved by this very general technique. The main idea consists in expressing n variables by means of a single one.

Findings

This new method, based on “alpha‐dense curves” allows to express n variables in function of a single variable. One of the most important applications is related to global optimization. Multivariable optimization problems can be quickly and easily solved, even for great numbers of variables and for integer or boolean variables. Every problem (linear or nonlinear) coming from operational research or from industry becomes simple to solve in a very short time on micro‐calculators.

Originality/value

This method is deduced from the original works of Yves Cherruault et al. of MEDIMAT laboratory. The reducing transformations were initiated at the beginning of the 1980s by Yves Cherruault and Arthur Guillez. Then they were generalized by the notion of α‐dense curves. A lot of applications were derived covering entirely the operational research and a part of functional analysis.
Diffusion of extended structures I polymers
Authors: Gaveau Bernard
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the diffusive motion of a polymer.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes the Fokker‐Planck equation for the probability distribution of the positions of the monomers and the stochastic equation for their positions (in the large friction limit). The average position is studied for a free polymer ring or an attached ring, respectively.

Findings

It is found that this motion is subdiffusive: at time t, the average position of the polymer is of order t1/4 rather than t1/2.

Originality/value

The paper is of value in showing that it is wrong to consider a polymer as a particle of large mass, owing to the fact the polymer has an internal structure.
Global optimization in integer or mixed variables and applications to industrial problems
Authors: Claude Mazza Jean
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe some applications of a universal method to industrial problems.

Design/methodology/approach

This method, called Alienor, is based on α‐dense curves, allowing to fill a space Rn and to express n variables by means of a single variable.

Findings

Using this method, any industrial problem leading to a cost function (linear or not) becomes easily and quickly resolved, even when integer or mixed variables are to be considered.

Originality/value

The paper is of value in showing how α‐dense curves allow the solving of most problems of operational research by using classical softwares.
Modelling and mathematical studies of neuronal NO‐synthase: NO versus NA theory
Authors: Guellal Saïd , Meulemans Alain , Khelifa Salim
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present modelling and mathematical studies of neuronal NO‐synthase and discuss the case for nitric oxide (NO) versus nitroso‐arginine (NA) theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Introduces recent studies, NO studied models and the experimental model before considering the diffusion‐reaction model. Enzymatic kinetics and an analysis of systems and the NA diffusion equations in mice cortex are given. Numerical results are featured.

Findings

Based on these studies, both a bio‐mathematical and physiological conclusions are given. The way to protect the brain was to inhibit the NO‐synthase of the neurons during a stroke.

Originality/value

The paper is of value, particularly as stroke is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide and the most common cause of dementia in western countries. In Europe, each year, over 1,200,000 people experience a stroke.
Stability of the linearization method in compartmental analysis
Authors: Hebri Belkhaled , Khelifa Salim , Cherruault Yves
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to prove that under sufficient conditions the linearization method used for identifying a nonlinear bicompartmental system is stable.

Design/methodology/approach

The problem of identifying a nonlinear compartmental system appears as badly stated a priori. In fact the problem is not to identify the general behavior law of exchange between compartments, but to assume these laws known such as in Michaelis‐Menten systems or in polynomial compartmental systems with coefficients that need to be identified. It has been proved previously that with a linearization method an approximation can be obtained to the identification of these nonlinear systems. To validate this method, a stability study is necessary.

Findings

Sufficient conditions are established for the evolution law of a nonlinear bicompartmental system under which the linearization method is stable, and an upper bound is given on the approximation error – with an application, in the last section to the case of an open Michaelis‐Menten system.

Originality/value

The paper is of value in establishing sufficient conditions about the evolution law of a nonlinear system in order to show that this method is stable and to give an upper bound on the approximation error.
Alienor method to solve multi‐objective linear programming (MOLP)
Authors: Maimos Mahamat , Cherruault Yves , Konfe Balira O. , Nkokolo Massamba Ange‐gar S.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an efficient algorithm to solve multi‐objective linear programming (MOLP) problem.

Design/methodology/approach

This new approach consists to convert the constrained multicriteria problem into an unconstrained global optimization problem. Then, the Alienor method coupled to the optimization preserving operators* (OPO*) technique is used to solve the transformed problem.

Findings

A determinist algorithm for solving general MOLP problem contributes to research in the decision‐makers area.

Research limitations/implications

Some improvements could probably be obtained. In future work, other scalarized functions will be used and this algorithm's complexity will be studied.

Practical implications

The new algorithm can be advantageously compared with other methods To illustrate this new approach, an example is studied.

Originality/value

A new algorithm is given which guarantees all efficient solutions are easily obtained in most cases.
A Taylor expansion approach using Faà di Bruno's formula for solving nonlinear integral equations of the second and third kind
Authors: Ben Zitoun Feyed , Cherruault Yves
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a method for solving nonlinear integral equations of the second and third kind.

Design/methodology/approach

The method converts the nonlinear integral equation into a system of nonlinear equations. By solving the system, the solution can be determined. Comparing the methodology with some known techniques shows that the present approach is simple, easy to use, and highly accurate.

Findings

The proposed technique allows the authors to obtain an approximate solution in a series form. Test problems are given to illustrate the pertinent features of the method. The accuracy of the numerical results indicates that the technique is efficient and well‐suited for solving nonlinear integral equations.

Originality/value

The present approach provides a reliable technique that avoids the difficulties and massive computational work if compared with the traditional techniques and does not require discretization in order to find solutions to the given problems.
On the new numerical solution of corona‐electrostatic electric field model with inductive electrostatic electrode for the industrial separation of granular mixture
Authors: Caron Armand
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the industrial separation of granular mixture by approximation of combined corona‐electrostatic electric field with feeder and inductive electrostatic electrode.

Design/methodology/approach

The original numerical method developed in Caron's Kybernetes paper is used and extended to an industrial construction. The method gives a mathematical model of an industrial process and converts the non‐linear partial derivative system into an iterative system of linear equations. Using the well‐known finite difference approximation, a numerical solution is computed very quickly.

Findings

In order to really obtain a computer‐aided numerical solution, it is necessary to define a really manageable approximation method. The new simulation results are detailed and show better results for the steady state in time processing and finally, to imagine improvements of the industrial processes.

Originality/value

The paper shows the fast numerical solution, which leads to confidence in the numerical approximations to imagine improvements of the industrial processes easily.
Global research and development: some new initiatives
Authors: Rudall B.H. , Mann C.J.H.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to review current research and developments with particular reference to some global initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

A general review and survey of selected research and development topics is given, and studies of some new projects and programmes discussed.

Findings

Illustrates the multi‐ and trans‐disciplinary natures of studies in cybernetics, systems and management science, with a view to further research and development activity.

Practical implications

The choice of reviews provides an awareness of current trends in these areas of endeavour.

Originality/value

The reviews are selected from a global database and give a studied‐assessment of current research and development initiatives.
The role of sociocybernetics in understanding world futures
Authors: Scott Bernard
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to set out some ideas about how sociocybernetics can contribute to understanding possible world futures. A central concept in cybernetics is “governance”, the art of steersmanship. As conceived by Ashby, Beer and others, this art is concerned with the management of variety. How do we face the challenge of managing all the variety that makes up “possible world futures”?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses the distinction between first and second order cybernetics as a way of bringing order to the wide variety of disciplinary studies that are relevant for the understanding of possible world futures.

Findings

Sociocybernetics is concerned with applying theories and methods from cybernetics and the systems sciences to the social sciences by offering concepts and tools for addressing problems holistically and globally. With its distinction between first order studies of observed systems and the second order study of observing systems, sociocybernetics provides a unifying epistemological and methodological conceptual framework. Within this framework, sociocybernetics accommodates a wealth of specialisms in the social sciences, ranging, for example, from the drivers and effects of technological development to sustainability to justice. The shared framework facilitates communication between social science specialisms and also between the social sciences, the natural sciences and the applied, technological sciences.

Originality/value

The paper will be of interest to anyone keen to see how ideas from cybernetics and the systems sciences can facilitate interdisciplinary approaches to the understanding of complex social systems.
Soft systems and research
Authors: Stowell Frank
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This paper is written in response to the question “What developments are taking place in systems?” as a contribution to the November 2006 Cybernetics Conference. The paper is based upon the assumption that what is meant by the question relates to research in an area of systems known as soft systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins with clarification about “Systems” and then the reader is taken on a personal journey through what are considered to be important contributions to soft systems research. The account includes reference to philosophical treatise on aspects relevant to some of the difficulties facing subjective research and some outcomes from research germane to the development of these ideas.

Findings

The paper recounts lessons learnt from the practice about the nature of undertaking soft systems research and whilst acknowledging that this research continues suggests that because of these soft systems has an intellectual and practical foundation.

Originality/value

Systems has become more contemplative about the nature of the world and how each one makes sense of it. Systems thinking and practice is no longer based solely on biological models but has a greater emphasis placed upon understanding and learning. Systems thinking now makes explicit that what comprises the whole is subjective but rigorous. The paper is of value to soft systems researchers and practitioners especially those who are attempting research/practice in which the clients are encouraged to participate in the process of learning.
Migrating personality theories Part 1: creating agentic trait psychology?
Authors: Yolles Maurice
Published: July 2009

Purpose

Pluralities of personality schemas reside across different Maruyama universes suggesting incommensurability and isolation. Schemas may migrate across Maruyama universes given appropriate means. As illustration, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) schema for personality temperament is migrated into a sociocognitive schema through the intermediary of knowledge cybernetics (KC). MBTI is a type approach that operates with polar opposites; however, conceptually there is no reason for it not to be associated with a trait space. Supposing that MBTI has traits at some horizon of meaning, then since traits are responsible for the creation of enduring states, sociocognitive explanations should be able to explain the stable states consistent with a variation of the McCrae and Costa proposition. As a result this paper aims to formulate for the first time a link between the MBTI type schema, a trait space, and a capacity for sociocultural descriptions.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses the meta‐framework of KC, part of the relevantial universe identified by Maruyama, to formulate a representation of MBTI. This also appears to be the first serious use of the Maruyama universe concept, and the first time that MBTI has been explored from a relevantial perspective. A consequence is the possible development of a more sophisticated trait theory that is capable of providing more complex information about personality.

Findings

The findings indicate that a more complex form of type theory is possible than has been provided by MBTI.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is limited to the investigation of MBTI. However, it offers a generic approach that can be applied to other solitary theories like MBTI. It also postulates a trait basis for the MBTI type approach.

Practical implications

The paper leads to the possibility of improved explanatory power for a type theory than is currently possible.

Originality/value

The paper adopts for the first time a relevantial meta‐framework approach to explore a development of MBTI. It has value to those researchers who may wish to explore the potential of more complex forms of type personality theory than are currently available.
Web mining technologies for customer and marketing surveys
Authors: Segall Richard S. , Zhang Qingyu
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the usefulness and results of applying web mining as extensions of data mining.

Design/methodology/approach

Web mining is performed using three selected software to databases related to customer survey, marketing campaign data, and web site usage. The three selected software are PolyAnalyst®of Megaputer Intelligence, Inc., SPSS Clementine®, and ClickTracks by Web Analytics.

Findings

This paper discusses and compares the web mining technologies used by the selected software as applied to text, web, and click stream data.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations include the availability of databases and software to perform the web mining. The implications include that this methodology can be extended to other databases.

Practical implications

The methodology used in this paper could be representative of that used for managers to manage their relationships with customers, their marketing campaigns, and their web site activities.

Originality/value

PolyAnalyst is applied to analyze text data of actual written hotel comments. SPSS Clementine is applied to customer web data collected in response to several different marketing campaigns, including age, gender, and income. ClickTracks is applied to click‐stream data for Bob's Fruit web site to generate click fraud report, search report with revenues, pay‐per‐click, and search keywords for all visitors.
On various neutrosophic topologies
Authors: Gallego Lupiáñez Francisco
Published: July 2009

Purpose

Recently, F. Smarandache generalized the Atanassov's intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) and other kinds of sets to neutrosophic sets (NSs) and also defined various notions of neutrosophic topologies on the non‐standard interval. One can expect some relation between the intuitionistic fuzzy topology (IFT) on an IFS and neutrosophic topologies on the non‐standard interval. The purpose of this paper is to show that this is false.

Design/methodology/approach

The possible relations between the intuitionistic fuzzzy topology and neutrosophic topologies are studied.

Findings

Relations on IFT and neutrosophic topologies.

Research limitations/implications

Clearly, the paper is confined to IFSs and NSs.

Practical implications

The main applications are in the mathematical field.

Originality/value

The paper shows original results on fuzzy sets and topology.
Extracting order from chaos
Authors: Sherif Joseph , Singhania Ram
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advance research that portrays chaos in number theory. Classical and quantum physics, and lately pure mathematics and system that exhibit deductive inference produced randomness and unpredictability over time.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper discusses the fact that in raising numbers to higher powers, it is noticed that the scale of intensities of order and tidiness is very poor and chaos occurs mainly when numbers are raised to even powers. When numbers are raised to odd powers, the chaos is obtained still, but was able to extract order from this chaos strangely enough.

Findings

Linear relationships if left to themselves long enough will eventually produce disorderly chaotic and inconsistent results. Chaos are being found where the order was thought to be found. But then, looking more closely, unexplained order is being found in what looked like chaos.

Practical implications

The results of this research may be applied to develop algorithms for random number generation and also for developing encryption algorithms for routers security and privacy.

Originality/value

The paper tackles one of the most unexplained phenomena where scientists are findings chaos where they thought they would find order.
Pansystems‐based fuzzy systems relations and clustering
Authors: Sheng Minglan
Published: July 2009

Purpose

Melting universality, quantification and relative computability into a meta‐synthesis, pansystems theory develops an investigation on W‐fuzziness and 0*‐fuzziness connected with generalized conceptions such as derivative, equation, variational principle and OR. The purpose of this paper is to unify various mathematical structures, fuzziness categories, definitions of systems are unified within a general framework.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper includes topics: pansystems approach to fuzzy systems and relations, pansystems variational principle and Zadeh's extension principle, pansystems clustering and its fuzzy embodiment, pansystems topology and approximation to fuzziness, relative unification of fuzziness and roughness.

Findings

Zadeh extension principle about fuzziness transmission can be considered as a specific model of pansystems extremum principle, and so the more modes can be developed. Based on them a further investigation is present on pansystems clustering, which is a W‐fuzzy clustering, an extension or sublation of traditional one and fuzzy one.

Originality/value

Pansystems clustering embodies mutuality of many logoi of different subbraches with classification‐styled OR, including related interpromotions of the principles among knowledge rediscovery, data mining, mathematical reasoning and the investigations of fuzzy systems. W‐fuzziness and 0*‐fuzziness realize a relative unification for many logoi and principles.
Indian Library Association (ILA) annual conference report
Authors: Swain N.K. , Kumar Satish
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Indian Library Association (ILA) held during December 13‐16, 2008 in Hyderabad.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a descriptive report.

Findings

The meeting discussed “Developing library and information resources and services in the internet era”, comprising “Public library as a community information centre/knowledge centre”, “Legislation for libraries in the internet era”, “Library 2.0 and Web 2.0”, “Collection/resource development policies”, “Management and evaluation of collection”, “Print and digital publications issues”, “Knowledge management and knowledge society” and “Open sources”.

Originality/value

Will be of interest to library and information professionals.
Balancing outreach and privacy in Facebook: five guiding decision points
Authors: Fernandez Peter
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight five decision points intended to serve as guideposts for librarians attempting to conceptualize their own efforts within Facebook.

Design/methodology/approach

Facebook has tendencies and restrictions that can be troubling for librarians committed to a certain conception of privacy. Each decision point highlighted in this paper is an opportunity to consider the implications of a particular decision in light of the privacy concerns created by Facebook. Rather than attempting to be exhaustive, it is an attempt to give a broad overview of the places that librarians should focus their attention.

Findings

Each of the five decision points is discussed and the implications considered.

Originality/value

It is hoped that the decision points discussed in this paper serve as a starting point for dealing with social networking privacy issues.