bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Patient Simulators in Nursing Education: An Overview
Authors: Nehring Wendy M. , Ellis Wayne E. , Lashley Felissa R.
Published: March 2007

Professional competency will be a critical performance outcome in the years ahead. Current investigations have found an alarming increase in the morbidity and morality rates of individuals in hospitals across the United States. With such findings, the competency levels of health care professionals, including nurses, are under scrutiny. The use of human patient simulators (adult and pediatric) in baccalaureate and graduate nursing education provides an excellent, objective tool by which to measure competency in the application of knowledge and technical skills. Emphasis is placed on educational, research, and evaluative applications of the simulators for nursing education. Critical Incident Nursing Management is further described as an instructional framework for the use of this technology. Last, administrative considerations will be addressed.
Publishing a Simulation Game
Authors: Gohring Ralph J.
Published: March 2007

There are hundreds of games tucked away in desk drawers and file cabinets which work when the designer is present to explain the model, answer questions, and patch up unforeseen problems. Such experiences are appropriately completed. In fact, it could well be argued that all games and simulations should be of this nature as the presence of the designer can greatly increase the richness and flexibility of the experience.
The Unemployment Game
Authors: Thatcher Donald C. , Robinson M. June
Published: March 2007

This simulation had its origins in the response to a number of game design workshop sessions which the presenters ran as in-service days for teachers and lecturers. The simulation was conceived as an exercise designed to give the participants empathy with those in the population who are unemployed or have been made redundant. The embryonic simulation is described in outline. The participants in the session were asked to make comments on the experience and to offer suggestions for the final version of the exercise. The response of the participants is discussed.
Modeling Short-Run Cost and Production Functions in Computerized Business Simulations
Authors: Gold Steven C.
Published: March 2007

This article develops an algorithm to model short-run cost and production functions using Sheppard's lemma in computerized business simulations. The algorithm is derived using duality theory to maintain consistency between the production technology and cost relationships of the firm. The short-run cost function is shown to depend on: variable factor prices, the production rate, and the level of the fixed factors. Sheppard's lemma is applied to derive the cost minimizing input demand levels based on the characteristics of the short-run cost function. A recommended system of equations is presented and discussed to simulate the theoretical model of the firm. A numerical example is given to illustrate how the parameters of the equation set can be estimated and how the functions behave. The system is shown to be flexible and may be applied to model a wide array of cost structures.
Flexible Combat Modeling
Authors: Bennett Bruce W.
Published: March 2007

Global changes in military affairs place new demands for flexibility on military models and analysis. Military models were historically designed to assess central European conflict, with limited options for examining alternative scenarios or other conflict variations. Military models today must deal with these issue, but must also reflect the more likely future regional conflicts, in which strategies, doctrines, forces, and environment will vary significantly from the European standard of the past. Models like the RAND Strategy Assessment System (RSAS) have already begun to meet these new requirements, addressing a multipolar world that poses a wide variety of prospective conflicts. It allows for relatively easy and powerful manipulation of conflict scenarios and parameters as well as providing graphical interfaces for both intermediate variables and final figures of merit. It also has begun to reflect some of the significant regional differences in conflict style. But several advances in the state of the art in military analysis are still required to provide the flexibility demanded by the new environment. These advances will be facilitated if two conditions exist. First, the likely differences among regional conflicts and coalition participants must be established. Second, a more systematic procedure to account for the secondary effects of new weapon technologies (on doctrine and opposition reactions) needs to be developed.
Forecasting Accuracy as a Performance Measure in Business Simulations
Authors: Teach Richard D.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the results of an experiment that investigated the link between the ability of business simulation team participants to forecast financial and/or market-related outcomes, and links this forecasting ability to the actual results of their decision making. This experiment was repeated six times over the course of an academic year. Each replication involved 12 consecutive decision periods. The experiment required each member of the student teams to forecast either the expected market share and sales of the product for which they were making decisions or to forecast the cash flows and profits of the simulated firm. The managerial position that the participant held during the simulation determined the type of forecast (market share, cash flow, etc.) he or she was assigned. The experiment showed a very strong link between the ability of the management team to forecast outcomes and their firm's performance, as measured by profitability.
My First Game: The Ms. Bonnie Episode
Authors: Sugar Stephen
Published: March 2007

They say a gamer remembers only two games-their first and last. This article is a reflection of a gamer 'first experience(s) with introducing a board game into an evening college classroom.
The Day I Learned to Play Games
Authors: Christopher Elizabeth
Published: March 2007

The author describes how her professional life changed as a result of her first experience of simulation/gaming. She expresses her amazement at the level of involvement by the players and the learning insights they gained during debriefing. She engaged in research to explain the nature of the total learning environment created by role-playing simulations and to find a method of predicting their learning outcomes. She further recounts how her studies earned her a doctorate and launched her on a career as an international consultant in the design and development of management training programs. The author concludes by acknowledging her debt to leading theorists and practitioners in the field.
With Appropriate Panache
Authors: Jones Ken
Published: March 2007

Interactive learning events that involve creativity and imagination are often introduced, run, and debriefed in a subdued and low-key manner when it might be more appropriate to consider flair and panache.
Dilemma and Depression in the Ninth Year
Authors: Nakamura Mieko
Published: March 2007

Spending 9 years applying gaming simulation as a tool for teaching, the author faces a dilemma. This dilemma, how it arose, what it consisted of, is retrospectively viewed by focusing on the most recently conducted games by the author. The dilemma that is currently having a depressing effect on the author is shared with readers in the hope that this could somehow provide a basis for hope in the future.
Community Service by Offenders: Agency Experiences and Attitudes
Authors: McIvor Gill
Published: March 2007

Community service orders (i.e., sentences) enable convicted offenders to perform unpaid work for the benefit of their local communities. The present article describes the experiences and views of 172 nonprofit social service agencies in Scotland that offered placements to, and supervised, offenders on community service orders during 1989. The results of the survey indicated that such work was highly valued by most agencies. Although approximately one half of the agencies had experienced some problems when supervising offenders on orders, these were usually of a relatively minor nature and agencies were, with very few exceptiom, willing to continue making placements available. The implications of the findings for social service agencies are discussed.
Long-Term Follow-Up of a Structured Group Treatment for the Management of Chronic Pain
Authors: Subramanian Karen
Published: March 2007

This article presents the long-term (18-22 month) follow-up outcomes of a previously published controlled study of cognitive-behavioral social group work treatment of patients experiencing chronic pain.
Practice Evaluation in the Context of Managed Care: Case-Recording Methods for Quality Assurance Reviews
Authors: Corcoran Kevin , Gingerich Wallace J.
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the practice evaluation model in the context of quality assurance reviews in managed care. Managed care demands the three essential elements of practice evaluation; namely, specified client problems and treatment goals, suitable measurements, and analysis of change. The article delineates and demonstrates two case-recording procedures that facilitate quality assurance reviews of clinical social work practice.
Examining Family Reunification Services: A Process Analysis of a Successful Experiment
Authors: Lewis Robert E. , Walton Elaine , Fraser Mark W.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the central elements of a family-based reunification service that was found to be effective in reducing foster care placements in Utah. In addition, the article assesses the relation between types of services and program outcomes.
Structured Group Work for Individuals with Schizophrenia: A Coping Skills Approach
Authors: Bradshaw William
Published: March 2007

Research regarding persons with schizophrenia has been a neglected area in social work group research. This article describes the development and testing of a structured group treatment. This experimental pretest-posttest treatment control study examines the effecriveness of group coping skills training (CST) in reducing relapse in persons with schizophrenia. CST involves training in time management, managing physiological arousal, cognitive restructuring, and social skills training. Results indicate that clients in CST had fewer hospitalizations, shorter hospital stays, and significantly better achievement of treatment goals compared with clients in the treatment control group both at posttest and at six-month follow-up.
Assessing the Satisfaction of Older Adults With Long-Term Care Services: Measurement and Design Challenges for Social Work
Authors: Geron Scott Miyake
Published: March 2007

During the past decade, the movement to empower consumers in all areas of social work practice has been joined by the growing recognition of the importance of the consumer's perspective in assessing and monitoring health and social services. An increasing number of social work practitioners and researchers have called for greater consumer involvement in assessing the quality of services related to the long-term care needs of older adults. This article presents an overview of strategies and approaches that social workers can use to measure the satisfaction of older consumers with long-term care services. Specific issues in the design of satisfaction instruments are discussed in detail. The article concludes by arguing that these issues, although technical in nature, must be addressed in social work research if the professton's claim of concern for consumer empowerment is to be realized.
"Keeping the Faith" and Market Realities: Physicians in an HMO
Authors: Budrys Grace
Published: March 2007

This article examines the efforts of physicians affiliated with prepaid practice groups to overcome negative occupational and, to some extent, societal attitudes about this form of practice. These physicians have responded by constructing a role that is "even more professional" than the one traditionally assumed by physicians; they emphasize patient care and avoid what they consider to be mundane administrative tasks. The surprising negative consequences of this role construction were revealed when the contract between the group practice and the HMO (health maintenance organization) with which the group had an exclusive contract to deliver patient care was dissolved. Although the physicians succeeded in creating a highly professional role for themselves, they lost their patients. The author argues that the model which has traditionally defined medical professionalism contributed to this outcome.
Physical Activity Practices among American Black Working Women
Authors: Mayo Kelly
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate lifelong patterns of physical activity and processes of managing physical activity among 24 employed American Black women using ethnographic methods of intensive interviewing and participant observation. This naturalistic field study was framed by a cultural-ecological orientation focusing on understanding and describing individual/environmental transactions influencing physical activity practices. Physical activity, shaped by early family experiences and later peer group activities, was defined as routine activities of everyday life and consciously planned and practiced exercise. In adulthood, alternating periods of physical activity and sedentariness were common.
The Process of Developing Personal Sovereignty in Women who Repeatedly Acquire Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Authors: Redfern-Vance Nancy , Hutchinson Sally A.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to generate a grounded theory that illuminates the social psychological processes of women who are beginning to change their behavior after repeatedly contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Twelve in-depth interviews with 10 women provided data. Interviews and field notes were analyzed according to the grounded theory method. A substantive theory is proposed that describes the process of women moving from self-abdication to personal sovereignty as they recognize personal risk, piece together the puzzle, shed the veils of illusion, and develop self-protective strategies. Awareness of the importance of personal sovereignty and the necessary progression through its phases can help clinicians provide client focused care aimed to alter women's repetitive, self-destructive, sexual behavior.
Using Technology for Collaborative Research and Writing
Authors: Krothe Joyce Splann , Pappas Vicki C.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the experience of using technology to facilitate collaborative research and writing. Initially, two faculty members at Indiana University and a research associate used a group decision support system (GDSS) called GroupSystemsT to design an active learning experience for undergraduate nursing students. In addition, GroupSystems was used to gather qualitative data from student participants. The authors then explored how tools within GroupSystems might support qualitative data analysis (QDA) and collaborative writing. Reflecting on the value of this technology and its potential applications, the authors conclude that the technology enhances the process of QDA but is not sufficient to achieve final negotiation and articulation of emergent themes. In addition, the authors suggest that use of the technology for collaborative writing challenges the conventional manner of assigning authorship.
Organizational Dramas and Dramatic Stagings about them
Authors: Golden-Biddle Karen
Published: March 2007

Introducing theater into a class on organizational behavior sheds new light on the joys, dilemmas, conflicts, and aspirations that humans experience at work. That is, experiencing a live dramatic performance about others' lives has the potential to personally move and to motivate students (and faculty) to consider work-related issues in different and novel ways. This article provides an understanding of how to incorporate theater into an organizational behavior class by exploring the theoretical underpinnings of such efforts, depicting one specific case, and identifying ways in which faculty can adopt this approach in their classes.
"Greening" Business Education: Teaching the Paradigm
Authors: Ryland Elisabeth K.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the introduction of a "green" master of business administration class into a business program, including the reasons for teaching the course, the New Environmental Paradigm, and how businesses can implement green thinking. It discusses outcomes and reactions (mostly positive) from students and administrators to this pioneering effort. The aim of the article is to share the experience with colleagues at other business programs and to encourage more initiatives in teaching the green business paradigm. A detailed, annotated reference list, a short list of recommended sources, and a syllabus are provided.
You be the Board Member: an Exercise in Setting Executive Pay
Authors: Miller Janice S.
Published: March 2007

This exercise requires students to work in small teams to determine executive pay for an actual CEO. The exercise illustrates several relevant theories of executive compensation, and may comprise one 75-minute class session or be divided into two parts.
Organizational Graffiti: A Different Approach To Uncovering Issues
Authors: Taylor Christopher
Published: March 2007

An exercise with variations is presented in which group members are encouraged to generate graffiti (sayings, slogans, pictures, symbols) so that organizational issues can be reflected in interesting and attention-getting ways. Comments on risks of this exercise and the roles of the facilitator and of the group are included.
Evaluating Organizational Behavior Teaching Innovations: More Rigorous Designs, More Relevant Criteria, and an Example
Authors: Shaw James B. , Fisher Cynthia D. , Southey Greg N.
Published: March 2007

Evaluations of new methods of teaching Organizational Behavior (OB) usually rely on course ratings collected at the end of the semester. This article discusses the need for more rigorous designs for assessing teaching innovations, and proposes evaluating OB courses on the basis of change in self-ratings of managerial competencies. Selfratings of managerial competencies and a more sophisticated evaluation design are used to compare the Practical Organizational Behavior Education (PROBE) method to the lecture/tutorial method of delivering of OB material. PROBE produces greater perceived managerial skill learning than lecture/tutorial delivery for females, younger students, students with little work experience, and students from Western cultures. The discussion points out how incorrect conclusions might have been reached about the relative effectiveness of the two methods had a less sophisticated evaluation design been used.
Age of Clutter: Conducting Effective Research Using the Internet
Authors: Fornaciari Charles J. , Loffredo Roca Maria F.
Published: March 2007

Using the Internet as a research tool presents new challenges including coping with information overload, problems obtaining and evaluating quality sources, and successfully integrating the information obtained using critical thinking. This article briefly describes the problems related to conducting research on the Internet. It then proposes a solution to help individuals conduct effective and efficient Internet-based business research. A sample World Wide Web-based search is provided to illustrate the essential strategies and steps necessary for conducting effective Internet research.
Management by Nosing Around
Authors: Pauchant Thierry C. , Mitroff Ian I.
Published: March 2007

Once a technology is implemented, it has the tendency to "disappear" and to become a tacit part of an organization. Drawing from 350 in-depth and confidential interviews with executives in many industries, we show how the invisibility of technologies strongly contributes to the emergence of industrial crises and disasters, threatening the survival of even large corporations. Stressing the quasi-dependence of most organizations on technologies such as the telephone or information systems and the inherent fragility of these complex technological systems, we indicate 10 strategies that what we call crisis-prepared organizations have implemented to expose the invisibility of their technologies and to challenge their dangerous basic assumptions.
Delaunay-Network Modelling of Creep Failure in Regular Polycrystalline Aggregates by Grain Boundary Cavitation
Authors: Van Der Burg M.W.D. , Van Der Giessen E.
Published: March 2007

In polycrystalline materials at elevated temperatures subjected to station ary loading, creep fracture occurs as a result of failure mechanisms on the size scale of grains, namely the nucleation and diffusive growth of cavities until coalescence leads to microcracks. In this paper, a polycrystalline aggregate is modelled by so-called Delaunay elements associated with individual grain boundary facets, whose constitutive behaviour represents dislocation creep inside the grains as well as the cavitation processes on the associated grain facet. Free grain boundary sliding and the elastic deformation of the grain material are also taken into account. Unit cells of polycrystalline aggregates containing many grains are investigated, assuming regular hexagonal grains and allowing for cavita tion on all facets, possibly at different rates. The development of creep damage is simulated numerically, starting from nearly no initial damage until an excessive number of microcracked grain boundaries cause disintegration of the polycrystal. It is demon strated that continuous stress redistributions take place during the failure process, and that nonuniformities in the nucleation activity can cause the formation of "zones" of stress at tenuation, where the grain boundaries damage and microcrack relatively quickly, sepa rated by "shielded" regions. As a result of this, it is found that the orientation of the first microcracks is perpendicular to the macroscopic largest principal tensile stress, as ex pected, but that the orientation of the microcrack pattern is not necessarily in the same direction.
The Effects of Videotape Feedback on Group and Self-Satisfaction
Authors: Diberardinis James P.
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the effects of videotape feedback on group and self-satisfaction. All subjects were given a problem-solving activity and were videotaped on a split-screen monitor. Immediately after completion of the activity a pre-test, designed to measure (1) perceived group satis faction and (2) perceived self-satisfaction, was administered. After the pre-test the groups viewed the videotape playbacks on a closed-circuit monitor. A post-test was administered to the experimental subjects. Re sults revealed that subjects' post-meeting satisfaction with "group" per formance was significantly altered after receiving objective feedback through videotape playbacks. Post-meeting self-satisfaction was not sig nificantly changed. Implications of these findings and the positive and negative effects on behavior and learning are discussed.
Perception Mapping—Visual Analysis and Feedback of Survey Information
Authors: Ellermeier Joel
Published: March 2007

Various combinations of tables, charts, graphs, and explanatory verbiage are normally used to analyze and feed back survey data to groups. Percep tion mapping provides an alternative to the many pages typically used in this process. The picture format of a perception map allows a great amount of information to be packed into a single display. Among other features, the display highlights the different viewpoints among group members while maintaining their anonymity. Some illustrations of afew ways perception maps can be used in organizations are presented to help the reader learn how to read, interpret, and possibly find his or her own use for these displays.
Comparison and Extensions on Frost's and Weick's Analyses of Blind Spots
Authors: Nord Walter R.
Published: March 2007

Basic themes in the preceding papers by Frost and Weick are identified. The papers and the authors are compared, and suggestions are offered for eliminating some of the blind spots in the study of organizations.
A Multilevel Evaluation of Interpersonal Skill Training in a Federal Agency
Authors: Regis McNamara J. , Schwandt David R. , Goldstein Jan H. , Medlin Steven
Published: March 2007

A quasi-experimental design using multiple levels of measurement was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a U.S. General Accounting Office communications training program. Results from a multivariate analysis of variance indicated that employees who underwent training reported more positive attitudes about communication skills and performed better on knowledge and recognition assessments than did control groups in the study. With the exception of employees' ability to apply knowledge of communication skills to simulated written problems, the relative amount of change on the measures was not very large. The course and its instructor were rated very favorable by the partici pants, though certain aspects of the course-such as the evaluation, written exercises, and booklets and handouts-were more negatively valued by course participants. The results from this project are comparable to those obtained elsewhere, though the direct benefit of such changes to the organization are less clear.
Participation and Pay
Authors: Bullock R.J.
Published: March 2007

The participation literature generally avoids the risky area of pay decisions. This research investigated the impact on individual attitudes of participation in important pay decisions. A merit pay plan was participatively designed, installed, and maintained in a professional engineering organization (N = 380). The plan involved nomination by peers and supervisors of outstanding per formers for a cash bonus of approximately $2000. Using objective and subjective measures, participation predicted increases in understanding and commit ment to the new pay plan, organizational involvement, job involvement, and job satisfaction. Participation also predicted improvements in the perceived performance-pay contingency and pay equity, but it did not improve pay satis faction. A follow-up analysis of the award recipients showed that merit award status predicted increased job satisfaction, performance-pay contingency per ceptions, and commitment. Several aspects of participative pay decisions are discussed.
A Contingency Approach for Conflict Intervention
Authors: Prein Hugo
Published: March 2007

This article deals with the effectiveness of intervention strategies applied by and seen from the perspective of a third party. I have taken as my starting point a so-called contingency approach, according to which an intervention strategy has to be chosen dependent upon the type of the conflict and the context within which it occurs. Three strategies are distinguished: mediation and two types of third party consultation. An analysis of 69 actual cases of internal and external organizational advisors reveals one rather generally applicable strategy in addition to two more specific strategies. This result accentuates the fruitfulness of a contingency approach and makes it necessary to qualify its appropriateness.
Joint Responsibility
Authors: Pazy Asya
Published: March 2007

The career literature advocates a joint person-organization responsibility for the career development of employees. Along similar lines, this study explored the relationships between individual and organizational career management and employee career effectiveness. The results indicated that two elements of individual career management—planning and proactivity—contributed to career effectiveness. Perceived organizational career management enhanced the affective aspects of career effectiveness (career attitudes and identity) and was also associated with personal planning. The study lends support to an implicit, untested, and widely shared assumption regarding the contribution of organizational career management to individual effectiveness.
Performance Appraisal as Effective Management or Deadly Management Disease
Authors: Carson Kenneth P. , Cardy Robert L. , Dobbins Gregory H.
Published: March 2007

Understanding person and system sources of work variation is fundamental to performance appraisal. Two divergent perspectives on this issue, the traditional human resource management view and the statistical process control view (Deming, 1986), are contrasted. Two studies are reported that investigate two specific questions that arise from a broader view of the appraisal process. Results indicate that managers and subordinates believe that typical poor performance has different causes and that actual productivity levels far outweigh person or system sources of performance variance in appraisal judgments. Implications for performance appraisal practice and research are discussed.
Determinants of CEO Pay in Service Industry Firms
Authors: Culpan Refik , Murti Vedula N. , Culpan Oya
Published: March 2007

This article proposes a model comprising company- and executive-specific variables as determinants of compensation for chief executive officers and reports an empirical testing of the model based on a sample of 170 service industry firms. An empirical test of the model was also conducted for banking and utility firms, the two major subgroups of the sample. An attempt was made to identify interindustry variations in the determinants of compensation for chief executive officers through separate investigation into banking and utility firms. Theoretical and practical implications of the research findings are discussed.
The Impact of Decision-Making Methodology on Job Evaluation Outcomes
Authors: Hornsby Jeffrey S. , Smith Brien N. , Gupta Jatinder N. D.
Published: March 2007

This research investigated the impact of different consensus decision-making methodologies and individual needs on compensation committee decisions using the Factor Evaluation System (FES), the U.S. Civil Service's nine-factor job evaluation system. Differences between subjects' initial evaluations and final group evaluations were assessed to investigate the impact of three consensus decision-making techniques (the traditional consensus approach, Nominal Group Technique, and Delphi Technique) on job evaluation outcomes. Also, subjects' scores on a job evaluation decision-making satisfaction questionnaire were used to assess their perceived satisfaction of the decision-making process. Results indicate that the traditional consensus approach yielded higher evaluations, the Nominal Group Technique yielded lower evaluations, and no change was found using the Delphi Technique. Furthermore, differential levels of satisfaction were found across the techniques.
Organizational Politics and Employee Attendance
Authors: Gilmore David C. , Ferris Gerald R. , Dulebohn James H. , Harrell-Cook Gloria
Published: March 2007

Organizational politics has been conceptualized as a source of stress and conflict in the work environment, with the potential for dysfunctional outcomes at both the individual and organizational level. One possible consequence of politics is the exercise by employees of withdrawal behaviors, particularly absenteeism. Further, the likelihood of negative outcomes may be substantially enhanced by the lack of understanding. The present study investigated the extent to which such understanding, measured as tenure working for supervisor, moderated the erceptions of politics-employee attendance relationship. Moderated regression results (after controlling for quality of supervisor-subordinate relationship) provided support for the hypothesis, demonstrating that under conditions of lower tenure working for supervisor, increases in perceptions of politics were associated with lower attendance, whereas no relationship was found between politics and attendance under conditions of higher tenure working for supervisor. Implications of the results are discussed.
Cooperation, Conflict and the Evolution of Communication
Authors: Noble Jason
Published: March 2007

This paper presents a general model that covers signaling with and without conflicts of interest between signalers and receivers. Krebs and Dawkins (1984) argued that a conflict of interests will lead to an evolutionary arms race between manipulative signalers and sceptical receivers, resulting in ever more costly signals; whereas common interests will lead to cheap signals or "conspiratorial whispers." Previous simulation models of the evolution of communication have usually assumed either cooperative or competitive contexts. Simple game-theoretic and evolutionary simulation models are presented; they suggest that signaling will evolve only if it is in the interests of both parties. In a model where signalers may inform receivers as to the value of a binary random vari able, if signaling is favored at all, then signalers will always use the cheapest and the second cheap est signal available. Costly signaling arms races do not get started. A more complex evolutionary simulation is described, featuring continuously variable signal strengths and reception thresholds. As the congruence of interests between the parties becomes more clear-cut, successively cheaper signals are observed. The findings support a modified version of Krebs and Dawkins's argument. Several variations on the continuous-signaling model are explored.
Animat Market - Trading Interactions as Collective Social Adaptive Behavior
Authors: Cliff Dave , Bruten Janet
Published: March 2007

We argue that human economic interactions, particularly bargaining and trading in market envi ronments, can be considered as collective social adaptive behaviors. Such interactions are social in the sense that they depend on socially-agreed market regulations and communication protocols, and are collective in the sense that global market dynamics depend on the interactions of groups of traders. Moreover, the tools and techniques of adaptive behavior research could be profitably employed to build predictive models of existing or planned market systems. Despite these poten tial applications, we note that there is a near-total absence of papers in the adaptive behavior lit erature that deal with autonomous agents capable of exhibiting trading behaviors. We summarize work in experimental economics where human trading behavior is studied under laboratory con ditions. We propose that such experiments could and should be used as 'benchmarks' for evaluat ing and comparing different architectures and strategies for trading animats. We present results from experiments where an elementary machine learning technique endows simple autonomous- software agents with the capability to adapt while interacting via price-bargaining in market envi ronments. The environments are based on artificial retail markets used in experimental econom ics research. We demonstrate that groups of simple agents can exhibit human-like collective mar ket behaviors. These results invite a Braitenberg-style eliminative materialism perspective on the dynamics of experimental retail markets.
Management and Organisational Factors in New Product Development (NPD) Success
Authors: Barclay Ian , Dann Zoe
Published: March 2007

The desire to improve the performance of their new product development activities and process is firmly established within companies. This paper describes an attempt to produce an evaluation taxonomy and framework to enable comparisons to assess their NPD performance and the factors leading to success. This framework is based on a product's complexities (structural and functional) and related factors and commercial constraints. In particular, it looks at the management and organisational factors involved in NPD and how these may be enhanced to increase NPD success rates. These factors were investigated during a three-year Engineering and Physi cal Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded research programme. The outcome of this research programme is the Assessment Tool and Methodology (ATM) which evaluates a company's NPD activities and process performance. The various ways in which the ATM may be used are explained.

Significant findings relating to success in product development are shown from the initial results comparing successful product devel opments from a variety of companies. Also described are the results of a survey of company based NPD performance improvement ap proaches and the related NPD performance measurement systems and metrics being used. The results from the use of the ATM with Japanese companies within Japan are also included as a comparison.
An Integrated Prototype System For Cost-Effective Design
Authors: Shehab E.M. , Abdalla H.S.
Published: March 2007

Modem manufacturing companies are moving towards a system of concurrent engineering in order to improve competitiveness. One of the targets of concurrent engineering philosophy is to reduce both cost and time involved in product development at the conceptual stage of the design process. Therefore, if the product manufacturing cost is estimated at an early design stage, designers would be able to modify a design to achieve proper performance as well as a reasonable cost. This paper describes the development of an integrated prototype system for modelling product cost throughout the entire product development cycle. The proposed system is composed of a CAD solid modelling system, user interface, various knowledge bases, process optimisation, databases, design for assembly module and cost estimation module. The system is integrated with a material selection software, to facilitate the material selection process. To overcome uncertainty in the knowledge of cost model, a novel fuzzy logic model is developed and implemented in the developed system to generate reliable estimation of cost.

Cost modelling of both a machining component and an injection-moulding component are considered in this research paper. The estimated cost for a moulded component included the costs of material, mould and processing.

The main function of the system, besides estimating the product cost, is to generate initial process planning that includes generation and selection of machining processes, their sequence and their machining parameters. In addition, a feature-by-feature cost estimation report is generated using the proposed system to highlight the features of high manufacturing cost.

The tangible benefit of implementing this system is that the product manufacturing cost can be estimated at the early stage of the product development cycle. Therefore, a quicker response to customers' expectations is generated. One of the advantageous features of this system is that it warns users of features that are costly and difficult to manufacture. In addition, users can modify the product design at any stage to achieve the targeted cost. Two case studies are demonstrated and discussed to validate the proposed system.
Modeling Manufacturing Quality Constraints for Product Development
Authors: Otto Kevin N. , Ho Christopher M.
Published: March 2007

When bringing a new or improved product to market, a design and manufacturing enterprise can speed the process and improve the result by understanding and designing within the manufacturing process used We propose process characterization modeling and experiments aimed at uncovering their effect upon product functional requirement metrics In a real industrial design and manufacturing enterprise however, social and managerial problems drive any such design-for manufacturing integration modeling Modeling and experiments are limited to activities that provide direct answers to short-term real identfied problems This means that only a continuous improvement approach is practical to con struct process constraint models We develop and demonstrate a methodology to quantify the quality constraints imposed on a product design by its manufacturing process We start with the sequence of operations transforming the incoming material into the final product which is dia grammed into a topology of the operational sequence Next, performance metrics are identified which correspond to the customer requirements Using engineering analysis a basic model is developed relating known product and material variables to the metric Production data, either from designed experiments or from natural variation occurring during production, are measured to validate the basic model Next each operation in the process topology is analyzed for potential effect upon the model Modes of impact of each operation upon the metric are conceived, and quantified into the basic model These modes become either supported or not by the production data The methodology, therefore is one of con tinuously improving the understanding of the process imposed constraints to improve the product We demonstrate the metholdology with a run ning example characterizing the process imposed constraints upon a low temperature co fired ceramic circuit assembly
A Comparison of Equality Constraint Formulations for Concurrent Design Optimization
Authors: Tappeta Ravindra V. , Renaud John E.
Published: March 2007

In this research two comparative studies are conducted in application to the concurrent design optimization method of Simulta neous ANalysis and Design (SAND) In one study three different forms of equality constraints referred to as compatibility constraints in the SAND procedure are compared with respect to their impact on algorithm efficiency. Results indicate that the form of the compatibility con straints can have a significant impact on performance in the SAND based procedure. In a second study a Generalized Reduced Gradient (GRG) optimizer and a Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) optimizer are compared with respect to their efficacy as the internal opti mizer within the SAND based optimization procedure. Comparative studies indicate that the SQP method is preferred over the GRG method in application of SAND based design. The comparative studies were conducted in application to two Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) test problems.

The method of SAND was originally developed as an optimization strategy for structural design problems. Recent studies have focussed on applying the principles of SAND to multidisciplinary design environments In this research we focus on the concurrency that can be achieved in multidisciplinary design environments using SAND. In a multidisciplinary design environment the SAND approach facilitates each of the seven principles of concurrent engineering as described in Prasad, 1996. The SAND based method provides for: parallel work groups, parallel product decomposition, concurrent resource scheduling, concurrent processing, minimal interfaces, transparent communi cation and quick processing. Application studies confirm that a significant savings in the number of analyses required for design optimiza tion are observed when using the SAND approach of concurrent design. SAND based design delivers on the promise of concurrent engi neering, namely to develop optimal designs, working concurrently, while reducing design cycle time.
Design for Accuracy and Repeatability for Robots Using Taguchi Methods
Authors: Chunhe Gong  , Imin Kao
Published: March 2007

In this paper, we apply Taguchi Methods in the framework of concurrent engineering design for robot-based manufacturing sys tems to obtain higher accuracy and repeatability for robot end-effectors. It is well known that the configurations of robot end-effectors in workspace will affect the accuracy and repeatability Taguchi Methods are employed to find the configuration and location within which the accuracy and repeatability are the best. The optimal position with higher accuracy and repeatability is determined by using the signal-to- noise ratios (S/N ratios), which are defined according to the "smaller-the-better" characteristics of Taguchi Methods to measure the accu racy and repeatability The results match well with the theoretical analysis of the repeatability and accuracy of the end-effector based on the kinematic relationship. In addition, we also study the random and systematic errors due to joint uncertainties and examine their effects on the accuracy and repeatability. The analysis using S/N ratios yields results that are consistent with expectation. The results demonstrate that Taguchi Methods and S/N ratios are very useful tools in design for accuracy and repeatability of robotic end-effectors. The sensitivity and consistency of accuracy with respect to the tolerance of joint angles are represented by 3D surfaces. The tolerance design is per formed, using the sensitivity analysis, to satisfy requirements stipulated by design criteria One of the significant results of consistency analysis is the "threshold" value of tolerance for concurrent engineering design considerations. Simulation results show that the consistency of accuracy and repeatability will be increased dramatically once the tolerance is below such a threshold Both sensitivity and consistency analysis are shown to be important in tolerance design for achieving the desired accuracy and repeatability and for enhancing quality.
A Concurrent Engineering Approach for Product Design Optimization
Authors: Seif M.A.
Published: March 2007

Concurrent engineering is a parallel approach that is intended to maximize quality, reduce lead time, and lower costs. In this work, the concurrent engineering methodology has been adopted to ensure design optimization of mechanical systems. Design optimization problems have been synthesized based on the nature of the relation between the parameters and the restrictions imposed by virtue of op erational conditions and the complexity of weighting the competitiveness of design objectives Solution methodologies have been developed for explicit and implicit relationships. Moreover, the concept of modeling has been used to develop a set of attnbutes that provides the best possible solution These approaches are devised to warrant optimum performance of mechanical components, subsystems, and systems. Examples pertaining to these solution methodologies are presented. These examples cover a wide range of applications in mechanical sys tems and would help clarify the overall framework of problem-solution schemes frequently encountered in the design of mechanical sys tems.