bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hedging late frost risk in viticulture with exotic options
Authors: Cortina Elsa , Sánchez Ignacio 
Published: April 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to model and to value a temperature derivative to hedge late frost risk in viticulture.Design/methodology/approachStarting from 11 years of historical temperature data collected in Mendoza, Argentina, the authors reconstruct the missing data using principal component analysis. The frequency content of time series is examined by the periodogram method; ordinary least squares are used to estimate the trends of minimum, maximum and average temperatures, and hypothesis tests of univariate and bivariate normality are performed on deseasonalized and filtered temperature returns. The authors express the temperature dynamics by correlated Ornstein‐Uhlenbeck processes and historical data were fitted into the model to obtain parameters estimates. An Asian‐type option on a temperature index is constructed and its price and sensitivities are computed by Monte Carlo method.FindingsThe authors define an index in terms of minimum and average temperatures that, under some simplifying hypotheses, quantifies the damage produced by a late frost. To hedge the late frost risk, an Asian‐type option on the index is constructed. Together with the results concerning the design and pricing of the option, the analysis of historical data reveals non‐negligible linear trends, negative in minimum temperature and positive in maximum and average temperatures. These findings may be consistent with the hypothesis of global warming or with the presence of out‐of‐phase very low frequency components.Originality/valueThe authors have not found in the literature a similar option to hedge the risk of spring frosts faced by fruit producers.
Assessment and optimization of an airplane's environmental impact
Authors: Agarwal Ramesh , Zhang Zheming 
Published: April 2013

PurposeThe ratio of the energy liberated during a flight to the revenue work done (ETRW) of an airplane can be employed as a key indicator to assess its environmental impact. It remains constant during the life cycle of the aircraft and is fixed by its designers. The goal of an environmentally optimum airplane is to minimize the ETRW. This paper seeks to address these issues.Design/methodology/approachFor an existing airplane, there are two major parameters that can greatly affect the ETRW, which are the ratio of actual payload to maximum possible payload “c” and the flight range R. The goal of this paper is to study the effect of c and R on ETRW and minimize it by using a genetic algorithm (GA). The study is performed on a Boeing 737‐800 and a Boeing 747‐400 aircraft as well as recently proposed aircraft designs, namely the Boeing second generation Blended‐Wing‐Body (BWB) and MIT Double‐Bubble D8.2.FindingsIt turns out that the maximum possible values of payload and range do not necessarily lead to a flight with minimal environmental impact. For new aircraft designs, the minimization of ETRW should account for advances in materials, alternative fuels, structures, aerodynamics and propulsion technologies which can be taken into consideration at the design stage.Research limitations/implicationsIt should be noted that other factors which also affect the emissions, namely the aircraft operations and air traffic management, are not included in the ETRW.Originality/valueThe optimization study is valuable in determining the payload and range of an existing aircraft or a new aircraft configuration for minimal environmental impact.
Inclusion effects of J2‐perturbed motion over Melton's problem
Authors: Soleymani Ahmad , Toloei Alireza 
Published: April 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the inclusion effects of the linearized time‐varying J2‐perturbed terms for relative accuracy increase significantly over Melton's problem.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is based on the previous studies provided by Ross's paper. He gives a set of equations based on the C‐W equations which incorporates the J2 gravitational perturbations and states in his introduction that this method can be expanded for the elliptical reference orbits as described by Melton.FindingsOne challenge in implementing the relative motions is maintaining the relations as it experiences gravitational perturbations, most notably due to non‐spherical Earth. Simulation results show that the inclusion of time‐varying J2 perturbation terms in the derived linear equations increased the accuracy of the solution significantly in the out‐of‐orbit‐plane direction, while the accuracy within the orbit plane remained roughly unchanged.Practical implicationsBy reason of replacing approximate terms (e, M) in this solution, for continues accuracy increase of time‐varying parameters containing θ(t) and RO(t), this solution could be useful in the element‐errors evaluation and analysis of orbital multiple rendezvous missions, that are involved to the limited orbit periods.Originality/valueThe originality of this paper is to develop Melton's researches. He provided a method for generalizing the linear equations of motion to an elliptical orbit which enabled the determination of a time‐explicit, approximate solution. In this regard, there is no paper which has evaluated the inclusion effects of the linearized time‐varying J2 perturbation terms over Melton's equations with such an approach.
Microcredit position in micro and small enterprise performance: the Malaysian case
Authors: Mahmood Rosman , Mohd Rosli M. 
Published: April 2013

PurposeThis paper aims to evaluate the microcredit position in the performance of micro and small enterprises (MSEs). In the case of Malaysian MSEs, the paper also aims to examine other relevant factors, especially entrepreneur‐specific factors, which may be equally important for improving firm performance.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were collected from 756 MSE samples in Kelantan, the state where a large majority of the microcredit recipients under AIM and TEKUN run their business. Descriptive and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data.FindingsMicrocredit is positively and significantly related to the performance of MSEs across all the microcredit programs under investigation. Other entrepreneur‐specific factors, especially entrepreneurial values and management practices are equally significant for enhancing firm performance.Practical implicationsThis study reminds policy makers, support institutions and small entrepreneurs that the microcredit program alone is not enough for improving the performance of MSEs. Besides microcredit, entrepreneur‐specific factors are equally important for firm performance. Thus, readjustment to the existing microcredit programs, especially on entrepreneurial and managerial developments, should be made so that entrepreneurial values and management competencies of the entrepreneurs could be enhanced from time to time for superior performance of MSEs.Originality/valueThis paper proves that microcredit is important for firm performance. It also reminds theorists and practitioners that entrepreneur‐specific factors should not be neglected in their theoretical or practical consideration of micro and small firm performance.
Impact of information sharing and green information systems
Authors: Meacham Jeramy , Toms Lisa , Green Kenneth W. , Bhadauria Vikram S. 
Published: April 2013

PurposeThis paper aims to theorize and assess a structural model that depicts the impact of an organization's capability to share information with supply chain partners through a focused green information system for the purpose of improving environmental performance.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 159 manufacturing managers and analyzed using a structural equation modeling methodology.FindingsThe general capability to share information with supply chain partners coupled with the specific capabilities of green information systems enhances environmental performance. Green information systems serve as a partial mediator to the relationship between supply chain information sharing and environmental performance.Research limitations/implicationsWhile environmental sustainability has implications for all categories of supply chain partners, the study sample focuses on the manufacturing sector only.Practical implicationsEvidence supports the need for manufacturers to develop information sharing and green information system capabilities to improve environmental performance.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to empirically assess the role of information systems in achieving environmental sustainability. The results of this investigation support the proposition that information sharing among supply chain partners is a key to achieving environmental sustainability.
Canadian public relations students' interest in government communication
Authors: Berry Jeremy 
Published: April 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine Generation Y communicators' interest in government communications.Design/methodology/approachThis paper outlines the results of a descriptive quantitative survey conducted with 39 students and recent public relations graduates at Calgary, Canada's Mount Royal University.FindingsThe results from the small, purposive sample confirm some assumptions employers have about Generation Y and challenge others. The results identify key themes requiring future research.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited in its sample size, but is not meant to be representative. It is a purposive, exploratory study that provides valuable insight into future research.Originality/valueThe paper sheds further light on this important topic and fills a gap in the research specific to Generation Y government communicators, offering valuable insight into the recruitment and retention of Generation Y staff in Canadian governments.
Welfare participation by immigrants in the UK
Authors: Drinkwater Stephen , Robinson Catherine 
Published: April 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the welfare participation of immigrant groups in the UK, which has experienced a large growth in its immigrant flows and population levels in recent years, especially following EU enlargement in 2004. The analysis particularly focuses on the types of benefits that immigrants tend to claim, as well as examining differences by area of origin. It also examines the factors that determine social assistance benefit claims, including an investigation of the impact of education, ethnicity and years since migration.Design/methodology/approachA series of probit regression models are estimated using data from the UK Labour Force Survey collected between 2004 and 2009.FindingsSocial welfare claims vary considerably by immigrant group as well as by the type of benefit claimed in the UK. There are also differences by immigrant group in the factors determining social assistance claims.Research limitations/implicationsIt is very difficult to generalise on the issue of welfare participation by immigrants in the UK. This is important, given policy changes towards migrants from non‐EU countries and in relation to welfare reforms.Originality/valueThe limited previous work in this area for the UK has tended to analyse all benefit claims made by immigrants as a whole, whereas this analysis splits immigrants into different groups and focuses on the types of benefits that are claimed. This has important implications, particularly given the recent increase in immigration to the UK.
Immigration and welfare state cash benefits: the Danish case
Authors: Pedersen Peder J. 
Published: April 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to summarize existing evidence on welfare dependence among immigrants in Denmark and to produce new evidence with focus on the most recent years.Design/methodology/approachThe paper combines a broad descriptive/analytical approach with multivariate estimation on the impact on welfare dependence from individual background factors.FindingsThe main finding is the importance of aggregate low unemployment for immigrants to assimilate out of welfare dependence. Fairly small effects are reported from policy changes intending to influence the economic incentives between welfare programs and jobs.Research limitations/implicationsWhile panel data as used in the paper have a great potential, still a number of policy changes are not identified at the individual level. In further work it would be relevant to broaden the coverage including also some small policy programs and to extend the analysis to cover the period including the financial crisis years.Social implicationsThe paper has a potential to influence public attitudes in this area and to inform further public policy regarding benefit programs.Originality/valueThe main new result is the finding, at a disaggregate level, of how changes in immigration policy and cyclical changes interact, influencing the assimilation into or out of dependence on cash benefit programs.
Social assistance among immigrants and natives in Sweden
Authors: Anders Gustafsson Björn 
Published: April 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the issue of social assistance receipt among immigrants to Sweden and compare to receipt by natives.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the institutional background, reports statistical information and surveys the literature on the immigrant‐native disparity in social assistance receipt.FindingsMost out‐payment for social assistance in Sweden refers to foreign‐born persons, a category comprising 14 percent of the population. Immigrants tend to assimilate out of social assistance receipt. However, receipt continues to be higher many years after immigration among immigrants from non‐rich countries than for natives with several identical characteristics. The elevated probabilities of social assistance receipt among immigrants from non‐rich countries are interpreted to be mainly due to failed integration into the labor market at the destination.Practical implicationsPolicies for integrating immigrants into the labor market are also policies for reducing social assistance receipt among immigrants and reducing immigrant‐native social assistance disparity. However, other factors such as the structure of Swedish welfare policy play a role as well.Originality/valueThis is the first survey of the literature on disparities in social assistance receipt between immigrants and natives in Sweden.
The gender subtext of new public management‐based work practices in Swedish health care
Authors: Hedegaard Joel , Ahl Helene 
Published: April 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework for researching gender equality implications of Clinical Microsystems, a new public management‐based model for multi‐professional collaboration and improvement of health care delivery.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on literature from gender in organizations, new public management, multi‐professional collaboration and organizational control to critically analyze the Clinical Microsystem model.FindingsWhile on the surface an egalitarian and consensus‐based model, it nevertheless risks reinforcing a gendered hierarchical order. The explicit emphasis on social competencies, on being collaborative and amenable to change risks, paradoxically, disfavoring women. A major reason is that control becomes more opaque, which favors those already in power.Practical implicationsThe paper calls for researchers as well as practitioners to incorporate concerns of equality in the work place when introducing new work practices in health care. For research, the authors propose a useful theoretical framework for empirical research. For practice, the paper calls for more transparent conditions for multi‐professional collaboration, such as formalized merit and advancement systems, precisely formulated performance expectations and selection of team members based strictly on formal merits.Originality/valueA gender analysis of a seemingly anti‐hierarchical management model is an original contribution, adding to the literature on Clinical Microsystem in particular but also to critical studies on new public management. Moreover, the paper makes a valuable practical contribution in suggesting ways of avoiding the reproduction of gender inequalities otherwise implied in the model.
Economic recession and investment on human resource information systems (HRIS)
Authors: Iwu Chux , Benedict Henrie 
Published: April 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of an economic recession on human resource information systems (HRIS) investment decisions by asking: Are there high levels of disinvestment in HRIS during a recession? Are there low levels of trust and confidence in HRIS during a recession? Could there be an absence of concerted commitment in leveraging technology, even in the face of an economic crunch?Design/methodology/approachAn HRIS impact questionnaire was used, targeting human resource and financial managers. The data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Programme for Social Sciences (SPSS).FindingsThe findings suggest that while a recession is acknowledged, the continued use of HRIS is not considered a risk factor that warrants cost cutting.Originality/valueThis is an original study. It will add value by indicating to management the significance of strategic decision making. The study also points out the need for further research in order to make more sense of certain variables.
The analysis of demographic and work life variables which affect the occupational commitment of nurses
Authors: Benligiray Serap , Sonmez Harun 
Published: April 2013

PurposeIt is very important for health institutions to develop the occupational commitment of their nurses. While the occupational commitments of the nurses develop during their education, they also change according to certain variables during their work life. In order to employ nurses who are more committed to their occupation, it is essential to know the effects of these variables on occupational commitment. The purpose of this paper is to exhibit and test a model that will display the correlation between demographic, work life and family life variables and occupational commitment.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted with the participation of 355 nurses employed in seven state hospitals with 500 or more bed capacity and three medical faculties under the administration of Ankara Ministry of Health, using the proportional distribution method in stratified sampling. Structural equation modeling was used for analysis.FindingsThe results of the analysis suggest that there is a relationship between the nurses’ professional commitment and age, education, parental status, tenure and working hours scheme. Although the previous studies generally revealed a positive relationship between professional commitment and age and tenure, the relationship found out in this study is a negative one. Similarly, although a negative relationship was presented between professional commitment and parental status and working hours scheme, the relationship revealed in this study is a positive one. Further, unlike the previous studies, this study found out no relationship between the nurses’ professional commitment and weekly working time.Originality/valueThis study is an original study, having been applied to a different sample in a different cultural environment. The authors sincerely believe that the results of the study will be beneficial to the scientific world.
A comparative study of hybrid machine learning techniques for customer lifetime value prediction
Authors: Tsai Chih‐Fong , Hu Ya‐Han , Hung Chia‐Sheng , Hsu Yu‐Feng 
Published: April 2013

PurposeCustomer lifetime value (CLV) has received increasing attention in database marketing. Enterprises can retain valuable customers by the correct prediction of valuable customers. In the literature, many data mining and machine learning techniques have been applied to develop CLV models. Specifically, hybrid techniques have shown their superiorities over single techniques. However, it is unknown which hybrid model can perform the best in customer value prediction. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to compares two types of commonly‐used hybrid models by classification+classification and clustering+classification hybrid approaches, respectively, in terms of customer value prediction.Design/methodology/approachTo construct a hybrid model, multiple techniques are usually combined in a two‐stage manner, in which the first stage is based on either clustering or classification techniques, which can be used to pre‐process the data. Then, the output of the first stage (i.e. the processed data) is used to construct the second stage classifier as the prediction model. Specifically, decision trees, logistic regression, and neural networks are used as the classification techniques and k‐means and self‐organizing maps for the clustering techniques to construct six different hybrid models.FindingsThe experimental results over a real case dataset show that the classification+classification hybrid approach performs the best. In particular, combining two‐stage of decision trees provides the highest rate of accuracy (99.73 percent) and lowest rate of Type I/II errors (0.22 percent/0.43 percent).Originality/valueThe contribution of this paper is to demonstrate that hybrid machine learning techniques perform better than single ones. In addition, this paper allows us to find out which hybrid technique performs best in terms of CLV prediction.
Selection of RFID solution provider
Authors: Sari Kazim 
Published: April 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive framework to help managers of a business enterprise effectively evaluate candidate RFID solution providers and then select the most suitable one.Design/methodology/approachThe selection of an RFID solution provider is modeled as a new hybrid fuzzy multi‐criteria decision making problem. The proposed decision model is based on integration of Monte Carlo simulation with fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods. In addition, an illustrative case is used to exemplify the proposed approach.FindingsA quantitative methodology based on a structured framework, for the selection of the most appropriate RFID solution provider.Practical implicationsThis research study is a very useful source of information for managers of a business enterprise in making decisions about evaluation and selection of RFID solution providers or RFID system integrators.Originality/valueThis study addresses the evaluation and selection of RFID solution providers for the managers of a business enterprise and proposes a new hybrid decision‐making methodology for the problem.