bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Role of HRM in Service Delivery in Healthcare Organizations: A Study of an Indian Hospital
Authors: Tomar Avantika , Dhiman Amit 
Published: January 2017

The new service management school of thought acknowledges a set of new human resource management (HRM) practices, underpinned by the concept of satisfaction mirror between customers and front-line workers. HRM practices in the cycle of success include careful selection, high-quality training, well-designed support systems, empowerment, teamwork, appropriate measurement, rewards and recognition, and the development of a service culture. The model for achieving cycle of success in interactive service works is known as the high involvement work systems (HIWS). There is some research evidence about the positive influence of high involvement HR practices on effective service delivery. This exploratory study examines the role played by HR practices in maintaining the quality of service delivery, in the context of healthcare services. It specifically studies the administrative factors and HR policies that aid effective service quality and the practices that bring down the quality of care provided in a private sector Indian hospital. This being a relatively new area, an inductive approach was used. The study relied on semi-structured interviews for the purpose of data collection. Along with data collection, core theoretical concepts were identified and tentative linkages were developed between the theoretical core concepts and the data. The findings show that the emphasis is more on supreme hospitality and patient amenities than medical treatment. The healthcare industry is witnessing a significant change. A consultant is no longer the ‘king’; this position has now been taken by the patients. Of late the emphasis is on patient satisfaction in terms of the facilities provided rather than the nature of medical treatment given. This is primarily so for organizations such as this hospital which aim at providing world-class care and for which ‘patient centricity’ is the hallmark. HR specific issues such as standardization of nursing activities, appraisal systems, effective communication channels, and compensation structure, all affect the quality of service provided in a hospital. Similar research can be conducted across other healthcare organizations to replicate and validate the findings regarding the changing scenario in the industry.
Perceptions of Software Professionals regarding Performance Management Processes: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Singh Anupriya 
Published: January 2017

Performance management has been considered as a critical tool aimed at strategically managing the contribution of human resources. As opposed to mere appraisal of performance, performance management as a process has a more holistic orientation which aims to define, facilitate, measure, and constantly improve performance at the individual, team, and organizational levels. The primary purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of software professionals regarding certain performance management process dimensions (viz., performance planning, feedback, and employee participation in the process); system knowledge and justice dimensions (viz., procedural, distributive and interactional justice with respect to the performance management system) and their potential inter-relationship. The study was carried out on a sample of 341 software professionals in four software firms in the NCR region. Three survey instruments, i.e., perception of performance management process dimensions questionnaire, perceived system knowledge questionnaire, and perception of organizational justice dimensions questionnaire, were designed and used for the study. Results revealed that: Software professionals of all the four organizations were fairly satisfied with performance planning and their participation in performance management process; but only moderately satisfied with feedback. Perceived system knowledge of the software professionals was moderate. They perceived the performance management systems to be interactionally just to a large extent, but pointed towards a need for improvement on procedural and distributive dimensions. Significant positive correlation was seen between justice dimensions, performance management process dimensions, and perceived system knowledge. Inter-correlations within performance management process dimensions and justice dimensions were also positive and significant. Stepwise multiple regression analysis suggested feedback as the most significant predictor that explained maximum variance in each of the justice dimensions, viz., procedural, distributive, and interactional justice. The other two predictors were perceived system knowledge and employee participation in performance management process. Findings of this research have significant implications for HR practitioners. Feedback, perceived system knowledge and their participation in performance management process were found to be significant variables influencing their perceptions regarding fairness of the system and hence, may need specific attention especially in the software industry context. Strong inter-relationship was found amongst all dimensions relating to performance management process; perceived system knowledge, and justice dimensions pointing towards the significance of an integrated and systemic approach towards the process and have significant implications for improving the overall design, implementation, and outcomes of the performance management system.
A Kaleidoscopic Study of Pricing Performance of Stochastic Volatility Option Pricing Models: Evidence from Recent Indian Economic Turbulence
Authors: Singh Vipul Kumar , Pachori Pushkar 
Published: January 2017

A whole host of researchers have modeled volatility as a non-constant stochastic process, based on the principle that volatility follows a stochastic process whose parameters are not directly observable in the market. The objective of this research paper is to empirically investigate the forecasting performance of three most dominant models of this species namely, Hull-White (1988), Heston�s (1993), and Heston-Nandi GARCH (2000) option pricing model. These three models have been collaterally compared and contrasted against Black-Scholes and market for pricing S&P CNX Nifty 50 index option of India. The Hull-White model not only warrants a range of stochastic volatility specifications but also incorporates correlation of volatility of asset return and its price changes. The closed form Heston�s (1993) model explicitly and elaborately communicates non-lognormal distribution of the assets return, leverage effect, and mean-reverting property of volatility. The model of Heston-Nandi, also in closed form, successfully incorporates variance of asset returns as a range of GARCH process. It strongly permits correlation between returns of the spot asset and variance and also technically accepts multiple lags in the dynamics of the GARCH process. To decide, determine, and delineate the effectiveness of stochastic models against the Black-Scholes and market, the current paper adopts a structured approach of relative error price, viz., percentage mean error (PME) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The most turbulent period of the Indian economy � January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008 — was considered appropriate for testiing the suggested model. It was a testing time for the Indian economy as well as a critical period questioning the sustainability of all financial products/models and challenging their fundamental platform depicted as equity market. How to safeguard investors� faith and at least protect their investments if not multiply returns in the face of such financial hardships remained a burning question for all thinkers and experts on the subject. Data pertaining to the specific period of such drastic disturbance was analysed with the help of the proposed models. After rigorous churning of specific data taken across various models, the Heston model was found to outperform and surpass other models.
Are Managers Measuring the Financial Risk in the Right Manner? An Exploratory Study
Authors: Shirur Srinivas 
Published: January 2017

The basic problem with corporate finance is that it deals with the fundamental analysis issues while the tools used are those applicable for technical analysis. That is the reason why finance managers often arrive at wrong decisions which snowball into issues like the subprime crisis. Initially, Markowitz model was used to calculate risk for portfolio management. It gave importance only to systematic risk as unsystematic risk could be avoided through diversification. Later on, CAPM model was developed for corporate finance and project finance for calculation of risk. Finance models dealing with risk management are applicable only for a short period and that too for an average of a large number of companies. The approach to apply risk measurement technique suitable for portfolio management to corporate finance is not correct. Even the econometric techniques applied to validate calculation of risk for portfolio management should be different from those applied for corporate finance. The present article analyses the problems of applying such risk measurement techniques for corporate finance purpose. A company faces mainly two types of risks: liquidity risk and bankruptcy risk. In case a company suffers from bankruptcy threat (which may or may not lead to actual bankruptcy), i.e., possibilities of closure due to losses, there will be two possibilities: The company may move with market index in normal times while it may come down suddenly with index and may not bounce back (Kink in the beta curve), as in the case of MTNL and Jet Airlines. There may be a sudden bankruptcy threat as in the case of Satyam. The latter case does not allow investors to react. However, corporate managers will have to take account of the first possibility of bankruptcy risk which cannot be ignored by assuming beta to be constant. This paper examines three companies, Mastek, Jet Airlines, and MTNL, in this category. The author suggests that instead of segregating risk into systematic and unsystematic risk, it should be segregated into bankruptcy and liquidity risk. In this way, unsystematic risk is also priced while determining the value of a company.
Sponsor, Ambusher, and Other: Consumer Response to Three Strategies
Authors: Gupta Seema , Maity Moutusy , Pandey Satish C 
Published: January 2017

Sponsorship, in advertising and marketing, has enjoyed considerable currency with managers, especially in the context of sporting events. However, this strategy option is constantly challenged by ambush marketing (which seeks an unofficial association with the event) as well as by a neither strategy (i.e. firms not undertaking either sponsorship or ambush marketing). At the core of all the three strategies is the expectation that a firm's association (official or unofficial) or non-association with a sporting event will result in certain benefits for the brand. This study measures and compares consumer responses to the three strategy options available to a firm for a sporting event. This research uses the Resource Advantage (RA) Theory to examine the interrelationships among the three types of firms and the environment in which these firms compete. RA theory posits that when a firm has a resource that is rare among competitors, then that resource has the potential for producing competitive advantage for that firm (Barney, 1991). The Hierarchy of Effects (HOE) model is used to formulate hypotheses regarding the possible consumer responses to the three strategy options. The HOE model predicts that consumers usually go through the stages of cognition, affect, and purchase intention after being exposed to a piece of promotion (i.e. communication). Sponsorship can be a source of competitive advantage as it may lead to greater consumer awareness, positive attitude, and a higher intention to purchase. Some firms may try to engage in ambush marketing. On the other hand, some other firms may choose to follow a neither strategy. This study is set in the context of an international sporting competition, the ICC Cricket World Cup held in South Africa, in 2003. It finds that while sponsorship is effective in creating awareness, it does not lead to liking and⁄or preference for the brand. Others are able to break the clutter in the world of intense competition where event-related promotions are seen as a means of fulfilling marketing objectives. Moreover, the relationship between attitude and intention to purchase is not significant for any of the three strategy options. These findings indicate that any association with an event provides scope for elementary messages which may be suitable for increasing awareness but does not lead to higher order effects of building positive attitude and intention to purchase.
Vibrotactile Sensitivity of the Human Hand's Glabrous Skin
Authors: Lundström Ronnie 
Published: January 2017

Vibrotactile thresholds have been measured on 15 different test points on the glabrous part of the human hand within the frequency range of 25–1000 Hz. The experiments were carried out on three male and three female subjects, aged between 30 to 39 years. For all points tested typical U-shaped threshold graphs were obtained. The lowest thresholds, approximately 115 dB (re. 1 nm/s) were measured in the region of 250–300 Hz. Only small differences in sensitivity were seen between points tested.
Oculomotor Alignment and Visual Contrast Thresholds during Separate and Simultaneous Lateral and Vertical Whole-Body Vibrations (5 Hz, 1.2 ms−2)
Authors: Griefahn Barbara , Bröde Peter , Jaschinski Wolfgang 
Published: January 2017

This paper concerns the hypothesis that whole-body vibrations transmitted through the seat impair oculomotor alignment and degrade spatial retinal resolution. The decrement was assumed to increase gradually from single-axis lateral via single-axis vertical and dual-axis linear to dual-axis circular motions. 14 men and 6 women (19–26 yrs,) with good binocular vision took part in two experimental sessions where either fixation disparity or contrast threshold for vertically and horizontally oriented test patterns were determined during 5 conditions. The latter comprised a control (az = ay = 0) and 4 conditions where 5 Hz sinusoidal vibrations of 1.2 ms−2 r.m.s. were applied separately, either vertically or laterally or simultaneously in both directions, once without and once with a phase shift of 90° thus causing dual-axis linear or circular motions. The variability of vertical fixation disparity and the contrast thresholds for horizontal gratings increased whenever the subjects were exposed to vertical motions (alone or combined with lateral motions). The results indicate an increased difficulty to recognize properly characters and graphic patterns that contain horizontal lines. The greater difficulty for binocular alignment may eventually cause asthenopic complaints.
A Comparison of the Structural Efficiency of Some Braced Domes
Authors: Soare M. V. , Răduică N. 
Published: January 2017

Starting from the usual conception of braced domes for the roofing of tanks, the optimization of the steel consumption was investigated as a function of the following two parameters: type of braced dome and shape of the bar sections. Four geometries were investigated namely, ribbed domes, Schwedler-type domes with simple diagonals, having the same or alternate orientation, and Schwedler-type domes with crossed diagonals. As for the sections, open (hot-rolled) sections and rectangular sections have been investigated. The main conclusions of the research are: 1. the snow loading on half the dome is the most unfavourable loading; 2. the hollow section is more advantageous than the open one; 3. Schwedler-type domes are more advantageous than the ribbed ones (among the three variants there are no important differences); 4. a cyclic configuration of the braced dome ensures the best statical behaviour of the dome.
Imposed Lack of Fit as a Means of Enhancing Space Truss Design
Authors: Hanaor A. , Levy R. 
Published: January 2017

Space trusses with a high degree of static redundancy, such as double-layer grids, are highly sensitive to imperfections. Substantial reductions in load-bearing capacity are caused primarily by random lack of fit (LOF) of members, associated with brittle-type compressive member buckling. A substantial increase in load-bearing capacity and/or reduction in weight can be achieved by imposing lack of fit on selected members in a controlled manner. Such prestressing by imposed lack of fit utilizes the compressive capacity of nominally tensile members and can be used to compensate for the deleterious effect of random lack of fit. A simple algorithm is presented for obtaining LOF patterns that minimize weight or maximize load-bearing capacity for a class of trusses in which members' cross-section properties are proportionally fixed. The algorithm is based on the flexibility method of structural analysis and on the simplex method of linear programming. Some illustrative examples suggest the possibility of doubling load-bearing capacity or halving weight in some design cases.
An Efficient Packed-Store Solver for Structural Frameworks
Authors: Falzon C. 
Published: January 2017

This paper deals with a proposed new method for solving the systems of linear simultaneous equations generated by matrix methods of structural analysis. The solver, which uses a slightly modified form of the ‘packed store’ concept, can directly determine and store any pattern of coefficients and the corresponding out-of-core requirements beforehand. Hence with this solver one is not limited by the necessity to minimise the band-width or profile. With some ‘unconventional’ but easy to produce ‘patterns' it is possible to greatly reduce the number of numerical operations required and in addition use considerably less memory. For example to analyse a 100-joint rectangular plane frame, the method needs about half the arithmetical operations and three quarters of the memory requirements of conventional solvers. Since only minimal ‘house-keeping’ is required, the execution time is approximately halved. The solver has been incorporated into a structural analysis package which over the past two years was used to analyse a large number of examples.
Space Frames: An Alternative to the Architectural Cube
Authors: Gabriel J. Francois 
Published: January 2017

In architecture, the cube is ubiquitous. It is easier to produce architectural drawings of parallelepipedic buildings, but such buildings are not any better structurally, functionally or aesthetically than buildings based on the cross section of a honeycomb, for example. What is essential in the physical fabric of a building is that floors be horizontal and that floor plans be regular and orderly, lest the user become confused. A space frame is a better structural matrix than a post-and-beam matrix. The problem for the architect is then, first, to make habitable spaces within a space frame, where all the columns are oblique. Secondly, since architecture is not merely the making of habitable spaces, the job of the architect is to make sure that his spaces fulfill the aesthetic as well as the practical needs of the users.
From Gravitation Toward Levitation
Authors: Emmerich David Georges 
Published: January 2017

Architecture is the art of defining and realising forms. Its morphological language was developed progressively, laying the foundation for a specific space-vocabularly. After being an inhabitant of caverns, the homo faber started to recreate the same kind of cavities, using the same ponderous stone material. During this process, a small set of forms was discovered: cone, pyramid, cylinder, prism and sphere. The comprise, alone or in juxtaposition, dissected or interpenetrated, our architecture to date. Today, the production of high strength materials, efficient especially in tension allows a further step toward more differentiated structural compositions, both in the matter of their components and their overall shapes. The basic morphology of these extremely light structural configurations contains a whole range of forms: antiprisms, polyhedra, torus, space-packings, all kind of hyper-spatial arrangements, creating a completely new architectural vocabulary.
Structures Without Rules And Their Implementation In Architecture
Authors: Friedman Yona 
Published: January 2017

Architecture implies regularity for the designer and rule-lessness for the user. This state of things suggests the necessity of a new look into “erraticity”, “irregularity” and “randomness” as elements of the design process. A short examination of these terms makes a revision of the concepts of “order” and “disorder” unavoidable. Such a revision might help in the emergence of new kinds of structures, new concepts of architectural space, and, ultimately, a new approach to architecture.
Higher Dimensional Periodic Table Of Regular And Semi-Regular Polytopes
Authors: Lalvani Haresh 
Published: January 2017

This paper presents a higher-dimensional periodic table of regular and semi-regular n-dimensional polytopes. For regular n-dimensional polytopes, designated by their Schlafli symbol {p,q,r,…u,v,w}, the table is an (n-1)-dimensional hypercubic lattice in which each polytope occupies a different vertex of the lattice. The values of p,q,r,…u,v,w also establish the corresponding n-dimensional Cartesian co-ordinates (p,q,r,…u,v,w) of their respective positions in the hypercubic lattice. The table is exhaustive and includes all known regular polytopes in Euclidean, spherical and hyperbolic spaces, in addition to others candidate polytopes which do not appear in the literature. For n-dimensional semi-regular polytopes, each vertex of this hypercubic lattice branches into analogous n-dimensional cubes, where each n-cube encompasses a family with a distinct semi-regular polytope occupying each vertex of each n-cube. The semi-regular polytopes are obtained by varying the location of a vertex within the fundamental region of the polytope. Continuous transformations within each family are a natural fallout of this variable vertex location. Extensions of this method to less regular space structures and to derivation of architectural form are in progress and provide a way to develop an integrated index for space structures. Besides the economy in computational processing of space structures, integrated indices based on unified morphologies are essential for establishing a meta-structural knowledge base for architecture.
Clarity, Ambivalence or Confusion? An Assessment of Pressure Group Motives at the Hinkley Point 'C' Public Inquiry
Authors: Roberts Jane 
Published: January 2017

Interviews with group objectors at the Hinkley 'C' Inquiry sought to ascertain both the level of resources that they were devoting to the Inquiry, and the objectives and expectations of achieving them that the groups held. It is concluded that:- 1. Although groups claimed to be pursuing strategies that were external to the Inquiry process, the nature of the Inquiry limited the success of this approach. 2. he representatives of groups interviewed displayed ambivalence, simultaneously believing participation was worthwhile and that the Inquiry was a sham. 3. Groups' most successful tactic was that of delay through mass objection and participation. The Public Inquiry system may present a formidable obstacle to the implementation of any future UK nuclear power programme.