bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical synthesis system with hybrid DLO‐MOGA optimization
Authors: Gerard Scanlan Anthony , Halton Mark Keith 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a hierarchical circuit synthesis system with a hybrid deterministic local optimization – multi‐objective genetic algorithm (DLO‐MOGA) optimization scheme for system‐level synthesis.Design/methodology/approachThe use of a local optimization with a deterministic algorithm based on linear equations which is computationally efficient and improves the feasibility of designs, allows reduction in the number of MOGA generations required to achieve convergence.FindingsThis approach reduces the total number of simulation iterations required for optimization. Reduction in run time enables use of full transistor‐level models for simulation of critical system‐level sub‐blocks. Consequently, for system‐level synthesis, simulation accuracy is maintained. The approach is demonstrated for the design of pipeline analog‐to‐digital converters on a 0.35 μm process.Originality/valueThe use of a hybrid DLO‐MOGA optimization approach is a new approach to improve hierarchical circuit synthesis time while preserving accuracy.
Comparison of first‐ and second‐order 2D finite element models for calculating AC loss in high temperature superconductor coated conductors
Authors: Ainslie Mark D. , Flack Tim J. , Hong Zhiyong , Coombs Tim A. 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to provide a comparison of first‐ and second‐order two dimensional finite element models for evaluating the electromagnetic properties and calculating AC loss in high‐temperature superconductor (HTS) coated conductors.Design/methodology/approachThe models are based on the two‐dimensional (2D) H formulation, which is based on directly solving the magnetic field components in 2D. Two models – one with a minimum symmetric triangular mesh and one with a single‐layer square mesh – are compared based on different types of mesh elements: first‐order (Lagrange – linear) and second‐order (Lagrange – quadratic) mesh elements, and edge elements.FindingsThe number and type of mesh elements are critically important to obtain the minimum level of discretization to achieve accurate results. Artificially increasing the superconductor layer and choosing a minimum symmetric mesh with triangular edge elements can provide a sufficiently accurate estimation of the hysteretic superconductor loss for a transport current.Originality/valueThis paper describes how the selection of mesh type and number of elements affects the computation speed and convergence properties of the finite element model using two different types of meshing. It offers an insight into the different factors modelers must consider when modeling HTS coated conductors and the methods that may be applied when extending the model to complex device geometries, such as wound coils.
Geometrical information coded in Maxwell's equations: a review
Authors: Baldomir Daniel , Pereiro Manuel , Arias Juan 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show how the geometrical information of Maxwell's equations is coded into the constitutive equations.Design/methodology/approachThe Maxwell's equations have been written with the tensorial algebra into a three‐dimensional Euclidean space and compared with the usual four‐dimensional relativistic approach.FindingsThis simple geometry allows the finding of the relativistic information coded on the electric and magnetic fields, showing that they are not independent as relativity affirm obtaining their transformation for a moving inertial observer.Originality/valueThe main value of the paper is to present a simple mathematical tool which enables the engineers or applied physicists to obtain the relativistic transformations of the fields without using four‐dimensional geometries and the more sophisticated mathematical techniques.
The role of channel orientation in B2B technology adoption
Authors: Asare Anthony K. , Brashear Alejandro Thomas G. , Granot Elad , Kashyap Vishal 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an in‐depth understanding of the issues that organizations consider and experience when making the decision to adopt B2B technologies.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a qualitative approach to collect and analyze data. In‐depth interviews were conducted to help generate new themes, and ideas about B2B technology adoption. After the data were collected, the authors used an elaborate multi‐stage process to code, analyze, and interpret the data generated from the interviews.FindingsThe main theme that emerged out of this study is that an organization's response to requests from its trading partner to adopt B2B technologies is highly influenced by its marketing channel orientation. The study identifies three types of marketing channel orientations that can influence a firm's technology adoption decision and demonstrates how each of these orientations influence a firm's responses and attitudes towards B2B technology adoption.Originality/valueThe study is important to practitioners since it helps them recognize the value of understanding their trading partner's channel strategies and orientations as they develop strategies to get their suppliers to adopt B2B technologies. It also contributes to the academic literature by demonstrating the value of a firm's channel strategy orientation, a very important concept that has been ignored in the channels and B2B technology adoption literature.
Bond audit, a method for evaluating business relationships
Authors: Wendelin Robert 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to create an audit method for analyzing and improving business relationships. This is accomplished by specifying bonds on a lower abstraction level than in earlier theory regarding bonds in order to classify the different types of bonds and analyze their strength.Design/methodology/approachThe findings are based on 14 case studies in seven different industries. The methodology used is systematic and based on the abductive approach. Qualitative interviews were conducted.FindingsBonds were found to be important regulators of business relationships in this study. The main finding is that a bond audit can be used as a tool for analyzing business relationships and for consulting activity with the aim of strengthening or weakening business relationships.Practical implicationsBy influencing the bonds using bond management, companies can strengthen or weaken the business relationship.Originality/valueThe paper describes an audit method for analyzing business relationships by stringently analyzing all parts of it using the bond‐auditing tool, and thus auditing bonds more specifically than has been done previously.
Towards the next generation of public management
Authors: Almqvist Roland , Catasús Bino , Skoog Matti 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to present an empirical case where fundamental changes in the environment have forced an organization to re‐evaluate its management control systems and possibly search for destabilizing supporting routines in order to unlearn the established ways of measuring and controlling within the organization. The problem, however, is that organizational technologies often work in the other direction, i.e. they promote stability in organizational routines. The paper seeks to increase understanding regarding the importance of destabilizing, or, as the authors like to call them, sensebreaking activities within organizations that are present in rapidly changing environments.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used multiple sources and multiple techniques to collect data; interviews with managers, participation in meetings, and document analysis such as annual reports, pamphlets, speeches and Swedish Armed Forces's (SAF's) web site.FindingsThe study is clearly presented in a design‐oriented way. The benefits, however, are that it illustrates that the available models take for granted that the organization has a mission that is accepted. When the mission is debated, the focus and practice of management control falls into pieces. Also, when the ontology of the organization is debated, flexibility does not suffice. The proposition is that it is through sensebreaking that a reflective position may be held. That is, a position where everything may be questioned and that this questioning never stops.Originality/valueThe study of the SAF could probably be labeled a study of an extreme case. Extreme cases facilitate theory building because the dynamics being examined tend to be more visible than they might be in other contexts. The caveat, however, is that this particular case study risks becoming anecdotal since the SAF is, per definition, one of a kind. The paper's argument, however, is that the SAF acts as an illustration of the limits (and possibilities) of management control theory and how it is framed as a technology in a milieu that is neither relatively stable nor stable, but rather under extraordinary pressure for change.
Implementing the UK Central Government's policy agenda for improved third sector engagement
Authors: Jones Martin , Liddle Joyce 
Published: February 2011

PurposeAs many states recognise the need to enter into new relationships with the third sector, strategic commissioning of services has moved up the political agenda. The establishment of the Office of the Third Sector in the UK Cabinet Office heralded a commitment to engage the “voice” and “choice” of third sector organizations in designing, delivering and measuring public service delivery. This paper seeks to report on the findings gathered from a series of workshops and other data collection on public sector commissioning of third sector service delivery, and to highlight some tensions and emerging issues in this policy field.Design/methodology/approachQualitative data from workshops were supplemented with observations, interview data, existing research, and secondary data from a number of government agencies and third sector representative organizations.FindingsThe findings from the workshops and other data collection methods will feed into future design and development of training programmes for public sector and third sector officers. They should also inform the policy debate and enhance understanding of some of the tensions and problems facing practitioners in this policy field.Originality/valueLittle research exists on third sector or public sector commissioning, and this work will be of value to policy makers, practitioners and academics concerned with strategic commissioning. The paper augments existing theory on state and non‐governmental relationships and the contribution of third sector agencies to public service delivery.
Towards a humanitarian logistics knowledge management system
Authors: Tatham Peter , Spens Karen 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to offer a conceptual model and an associated taxonomy to support the development of a body of knowledge in support of the logistic response to a natural or man‐made disaster.Design/methodology/approachBased on a literature review, the paper outlines the difficulties associated with the logistic response to a disaster, before discussing a generic approach to knowledge management. The literature review is then used to identify two potential models (the Supply‐Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) and the UK Defence Lines of Development (LOD)), which are then further developed and integrated in order to underpin a knowledge taxonomy.FindingsThe paper proposes a model that combines both the SCOR and LOD models into a unified approach as a first step towards the development of a broad‐ranging reference source to support humanitarian logisticians and, thereby, improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the response to future disasters.Research limitations/implicationsAs a first step towards the creation of a knowledge taxonomy, this conceptual paper does not attempt to validate the model, but it proposes an approach by which this could be undertaken.Practical implicationsGiven the plethora of non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) in the broadest sense of this categorization, and also recognizing the varied nature of their aims, objectives and approaches, the paper pays particular attention to the need to develop a model that can be supported by the NGO community as a whole.Originality/valueThe paper proposes an improved model to support the development of a body of knowledge in support of the logistic response to a natural or man‐made disaster.
Mega fires: can they be managed effectively?
Authors: Maditinos Zissis , Vassiliadis Christos 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a review of mega fire catastrophic phenomena and bring out some useful aspects for more effective pre‐, during and post‐disaster management of mega fires.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses two very recent (2007) mega fire cases (Peloponnese – Greece and California – USA) to provide evidence of the magnitude of this kind of disaster and how their impacts can be mitigated if certain management practices are implemented.FindingsMega fires are major catastrophic events, with multiple impacts for the communities and areas in which they happen. They are very difficult to manage, mainly owing to their magnitude. However, their negative effects and impacts can be mitigated if pre‐, during, and post‐disaster activities and measures are planned and implemented.Originality/valueThis paper could be useful to practitioners and public service managers that are responsible for the development of fire management policies and management of mega fires situations.
Disempowerment through disconnection
Authors: Scharffscher Kristin S. 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the relationship between local women's relief initiatives and international relief workers in Batticaloa, eastern Sri Lanka, during the post‐tsunami emergency.Design/methodology/approachInterviews with representatives from women's organizations in the tsunami‐affected town of Batticaloa, local and national nongovernment organizations (NGOs) based in Batticaloa, as well as international aid agencies are discussed in relation to theories on resilience, vulnerability, gender and humanitarianism.FindingsObserving that women in a disaster‐affected area often represent important knowledge and resources, this paper documents how international relief workers failed to connect and cooperate with local women's organizations in post‐tsunami Batticaloa. It suggests that the reasons behind the disconnection can be linked to “us and them” undercurrents of international relief work – the lingering remnants of a colonial heritage. The disconnection may have led to a disempowerment of local capacities, flaws in the international relief activities, and reduced resilience among Batticaloan women in relation to the Sri Lankan civil war.Research limitations/implicationsDespite a growing volume of policies and guidelines on the importance of involving local capacities, there are inadequacies in the way international relief agencies operatevis‐à‐visdisaster‐affected communities, including women's established relief networks.Practical implicationsThe paper points at some reasons why international relief organizations struggle to engage local women's resources in their emergency operations. It suggests that cultural, social, and linguistic barriers are among those that need to be addressed if relief workers are to provide effective and sustainable assistance to crisis‐affected communities.Originality/valueCoupling theories of resilience, vulnerability, gender, and humanitarianism, this paper argues that women in disaster‐affected areas must be involved in international relief operations in a way that reflects their actual knowledge and resources. Presenting original interview material and documents collected during the first six months of the post‐tsunami operation, as well as through a follow‐up study in 2008, the paper points at international aid agencies' apparent inability to acknowledge local women's resilience and take their capacities into account. It also points at some of the ways in which this compromised the effectiveness and sustainability of international relief work in post‐tsunami Batticaloa.
Predictable patterns in ETFs' return and tracking error
Authors: Rompotis Gerasimos G. 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess whether exchange‐traded funds (ETFs) can beat the market, as it is expressed by the Standard and Poor (S&P) 500 Index, examine the outperformance persistence, calculate tracking error, assess the tracking error persistence, investigate the factors that induce tracking error and assess whether there are predictable patterns in ETFs' performance.Design/methodology/approachThe author uses a sample of 50 iShares during the period 2002‐2007 and calculates the simple raw return, the Sharpe ratio and the Sortino ratio, regresses the performance differences between ETFs and market index, calculates tracking error as the standard deviation in return differences between ETFs and benchmarks, assesses tracking error's persistence in the same fashion used to assess the ETFs' outperformance persistence, examines the impact of expenses, risk and age on tracking error and applies dummy regression analysis to study whether the performance of ETFs is predictable.FindingsThe results reveal that the majority of the selected iShares beat the S&P 500 Index, both at the annual and the aggregate levels while the return superiority of ETFs strongly persists at the short‐term level. The tracking error of ETFs also persists at the short‐term level. The regression analysis on tracking error reveals that the expenses charged by ETFs along with the age and risk of ETFs are some of the factors that can explain the persistence in tracking error. Finally, the dummy regression analysis indicates that the performance of ETFs can be somehow predictable.Originality/valueThe findings of this paper may be of help to investors seeking investment choices that will help them to gain above market returns. In addition, tracking error‐concerned investors will be helped by the findings of the paper. Finally, the findings on return predictability can also be helpful to investors.
Financial development, international migrant remittances and endogenous growth in Ghana
Authors: Adenutsi Deodat E. 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide further insights into understanding the finance‐growth nexus by verifying the hypothesis that financial development promotes economic growth through its capacity to attract increased international migrant remittances to Ghana.Design/methodology/approachA dynamic equilibrium‐correction mechanism model for the period 1987(3)‐2007(4) was estimated following the Johansen cointegration procedure. This approach produced maximum likelihood estimators of the unconstrained cointegrating vector, and suggested the number of cointegrating vectors without relying on an arbitrary normalization.FindingsThe findings reveal two stylized facts with reference to Ghana. First, although financial development Granger‐causes international migrant remittance inflows, it is in itself directly detrimental to endogenous growth. Second, international migrant remittance inflows are statistically significant in explaining variations in endogenous growth in the short run as well as in the long run.Practical implicationsSince directly, financial development hampers endogenous growth, but Granger‐causes increased inflows of migrant remittances, and these remittances impact positively but marginally on endogenous growth, it follows that the sequencing of implementing Ghana's financial reform programmes should be re‐examined, whilst an enabling environment is created to induce Ghanaians living abroad to remit home through official channels.Originality/valueInternational migrant remittances were found to be statistically significant in promoting endogenous growth, albeit marginally. Financial development does not directly engender growth, unless it succeeds in attracting non‐debt foreign capital in the form of remittances through the formal sector. Financial development causes migrant remittance inflows which impact positively on growth.
Term suggestion with similarity measure based on semantic analysis techniques in query logs
Authors: Chen Lin‐Chih 
Published: February 2011

PurposeTerm suggestion is a very useful information retrieval technique that tries to suggest relevant terms for users' queries, to help advertisers find more appropriate terms relevant to their target market. This paper aims to focus on the problem of using several semantic analysis methods to implement a term suggestion system.Design/methodology/approachThree semantic analysis techniques are adopted – latent semantic indexing (LSI), probabilistic latent semantic indexing (PLSI), and a keyword relationship graph (KRG) – to implement a term suggestion system.FindingsThis paper shows that using multiple semantic analysis techniques can give significant performance improvements.Research limitations/implicationsThe suggested terms returned from the system may be out of date, since the system uses a batch processing mode to update the training parameter.Originality/valueThe paper shows that the benefit of the techniques is to overcome the problems of synonymy and polysemy over the information retrieval field, by using a vector space model. Moreover, an intelligent stopping strategy is proposed to save the required number of iterations for probabilistic latent semantic indexing.
The unpromising quality and evolution of Spanish public hospital web sites
Authors: García‐Lacalle Javier , Pina Vicente , Royo Sonia 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe objective of this paper is twofold: first to determine to what extent Spanish public hospitals are using their web sites to provide useful information to users and to improve hospital‐patient relationships, and second to determine which factors have an influence on web site adoption and level of development over time.Design/methodology/approachThe web sites of public hospitals were searched for and analysed in 2005 and 2008. Their contents and features were scored using an 86‐item checklist. Several hypotheses were proposed regarding the influence of internal and external factors on web site adoption and level of development. Logit and linear regressions were conducted to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsHalf of the Spanish public hospitals do not have a web site. The hospital web sites were acceptable in the information dimension but should improve their interactive features, as well as their navigation and usability. No significant improvements were observed during the period analysed. The size of the hospitals was a determining factor for web site adoption and level of development in both years. However, from 2005 to 2008, external factors – in particular internet penetration – became a significant factor to explain the adoption and level of development of web sites.Practical implicationsCitizens are increasingly relying on the internet to search for health‐related information. Hospital managers should exploit the advantages of implementing and properly developing a web site in order to improve the patient‐care provider relationships and offer citizens reliable information about healthcare.Originality/valueTo date, no empirical study has analysed the factors that influence the implementation of hospital web sites or the evolution of their contents and quality over time.