bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Measuring barriers to incontinence care seeking
Authors: Heit Michael , Blackwell Linda , Kelly Susan 
Published: July 2007

AbstractAimsThe objective of this study was to establish the factor validity of a modified Melnyck's Barrier Scale and estimate its reliability in an ethnically heterogeneous incontinent female population.MethodsComputer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) were conducted on a nonprobability sample of 275 incontinent females (95 Caucasian, 95 African American, 80 Hispanic, 5 Other). Study participants were asked to rate the degree to which barrier items affected their seeking medical care for incontinence on a 4‐point Likert scale ranging from 0 (none) to 3 (greatly). A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to confirm the structure of the modified Melnyk's Barrier Scale and assess its fit in our racially heterogeneous incontinent female population. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were estimated to establish the reliability of the final barrier measurement model and its subscales.ResultsThe 14‐item modified Melnyk's Barrier Scale contained 3 items that loaded on the inconvenience factor (factor loadings 0.659–0.812). Three items loaded on the relationship factor (factor loadings 0.452–0.796). Two items loaded on the site‐related factor (factor loadings 0.554–0.960). Three items loaded on the cost factor (factor loadings 0.481–0.891). Three items loaded on the fear factor (factor loadings 0.457–0.624). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the final 14‐item modified Melnyk's Barrier Scale was 0.828 (Inconvenience subscale 0.79, Relationship subscale 0.68, Site related subscale 0.69, cost subscale 0.71, fear subscale 0.57).ConclusionWe offer the Barriers to Incontinence Care Seeking questionnaire (BICS‐Q) to epidemiologic researchers, given its factor validity and reliability, to operationalize barriers when studying relationships between ethnicity and health care disparities. Neurourol. Urodynam. 27:174–178, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The thinking organization: How patterns of thought determine organizational culture
Authors: Pitre Evelyn , Sims Henry P. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThursday evening, 7:30 P.M. In his office on the seventh poor, Michael G. Smith, new CEO of Avant‐Garde Computer, Inc. (AGC), examines the most recent sales report. The message is depressing: sales have leveled off in the past year, AGC is a small and innovative young company located in the Silicon Valley. Founded eight years ago, AGC's specialization is engineering graphics design software. The founder, an engineer himself, had successfully marketed two highly specialized software packages for mechanical and electronic design. Two years ago, the need for capital became acute, and the founder sold AGC to a very large multinational corporation.Michael G. Smith was appointed CEO by the consortium. He recognizes the difficulty of AGC's current situation, but he is optimistic that he can revive the company. His strategy would be to broaden AGC's market by adapting and offering its graphics products to other end‐user specialists besides engineers, and to add a counseling service to educate and orient clients to graphics applications. However, he foresees that the members of AGC's team would not be thrilled by his view of the future, since they are concerned solely with the engineering applications of the company's products. Quite honestly, he really does not know how to introduce these major strategic changes without losing either the team's spirit or the team.
Motorola's long march to the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
Authors: Bhote Keki R. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractIn the beginning was the Need and the Need had no name. Because the Need had no name, the people were ignorant of it, and happy. But the evil Variation was upon the land, yet nobody cared. And Variation did abideth in the United States, when out of the East came a force and smote the U.S., carrying back across the Pacific gold and silver, businesses and jobs. And Bob Galvin, chairman of the board of Motorola, was not happy and called upon the messengers of God to deliver the country from this evil. The first was Edward of Deming, who did preach among the managers and the money changers. But they rent their garments and shouted: “Go tell it to the Japanese.” Next was the Philistine Phil Crosby, who proclaimed “Quality is free.” But all the people laughed, and Crosby went to Florida and he did then laugheth. Then, out of the wilderness, came Dorian the Shainin, who walked the length and breadth of the land and preached: “Attack Variation. It is evil.” And Shainin shunned the captains and centurions and gathered about him peasants of sturdy stock from Rath and Strong, General Motors, Motorola, and other companies. At Motorola, his disciple, Keki Bhote, stood up and told the people: “Verily, verily I say unto you, heed the guru Shainin,for surely, he will lead you to the promised land.” And then Bob Galvin created the Motorola Training and Education Center, and MTEC did walk the earth and eat the apple of knowledge. And Shainin and Bhote and MTEC knew each other and begat Advanced Diagnostic Tools (ADT) and Planned Experiments (PE). Over 8,000 of the unbelievers were converted. Then from the depths of the Communications Sector was born Six Sigma; and lo and behold, the Need finally had a name—Six Sigma.—From a Motorola skit at a Six Sigma rally.
Company identity, quality improvement, and labor‐management relations in Danish, Italian, Japanese, Scottish, and U.S. firms
Authors: Tomlinson William H. , Paulson Steven K. , Arai Joji , Briggs Douglas H. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractAs EC‐92 approaches, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Scotland, and the United States will all be potential producers for this huge market. A questionnaire survey was sent to a wide variety of types and sizes of firms in these five countries, to explore their managers' perceptions of company identity, productivity/quality improvement, and the labor‐management relations environment. Survey results indicate that the Japanese regard the employee as the strongest stakeholder while the Europeans and Americans decidedly claim the customer, followed closely by the owners. The Japanese, but not the Europeans or the Americans, reflect a very strong belief that the firm's prosperity is related to improvements in their own lives. In Japan, unions are excellent partners with management in corporate communications, participative management, and productivity improvement. This partnership environment among the Europeans and Americans reflects a lower level of harmony and understanding. However, there is a rising optimism for improved labor‐management cooperative relationships in Denmark, Italy, Scotland, and the United States, as the decade of the nineties generates increased competition in the world marketplace.
Getting the job done over there: Improving expatriate productivity
Authors: Bird Allan , Dunbar Roger 
Published: July 2007

AbstractDespite increased participation in international markets, poor performance and failure rates of US. expatriate managers remain high. Major factors contributing to failure include a manager's inability to adjust to the job, inability to adjust to the new culture, or a manger's spouse and family's inability to adjust to the new assignment. Strategies to improve expatriate productivity include organizational support in the form of improved job training, cultural and language training, predeparture and postarrival mentoring, and health and stress‐reduction training. This support should also be extended to the spouse and other family members.
Comparing cross‐cultural thinking preferences
Authors: Talbot Richard P. , Geyer Robert L. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractDo different cultures have diffrent thinking preference? Are German engineers in Germany more left‐brained than their Asian or American counterparts? Are Japanese managers take risk than American managers?The Herrmann Brain Dominance Inrtrument (HBDI), a pencil and paper assessment tool that measures bemispberic preference, has been translated into several foreign languages and is just beginning to be used in other countries. This article takes a brief look at some recent preliminary findings.
Total quality management in the public sector
Authors: Milakovich Michael E. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe failure of government productivity efforts to improve the quality of public service bas prompted calls for the complete overhaul of management procedures. Increasingly, elected and appointed officials recognize that productivity enhancement efforts alone do not lead to improved service quality. Past government efforts have proven to be ineffective in motivating employees to continually improve quality. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a theory‐based option that allows public managers to reward truly exceptional individual performance, yet increase the capacity for agency‐wide cooperation and process improvement. The current interest in applying TQM techniques to public services provides a promising model for launching a Total Quality Management (TQM) improvement strategy for the American public sector at all levels. This article examines the origins of TQM, describes bow the philosophies of leading quality theorists apply to the public sector, suggests ways to overcome barriers to implementation, and presents a brief overview of current Federal government total quality improvement efforts.
Partnering in the construction industry: Win‐win strategic management in action
Authors: Mosley Donald , Moore Carl , Slagle Michelle , Burns Daniel 
Published: July 2007

AbstractWhen two organizations have contractual difficulties, only the lawyers make money. This describes the adversarial situation prevalent in the construction industry, particularly in the public sector, where owner and contractor often spend more time in legal maneuvers after completion of the project than was spent in the actual construction.Partnering, a management process for productivity improvement through changes in organizational procedures and interorganizattonal relationships, was first applied in the private sector. In the public sector, managers in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recognized partnering as a tool to help them operate more effectively in their changing, more competitive environment. In this article, the authors describe how partnering was applied for the first time by the Corps of Engineers.Partnering did not solve all the problems that surfaced in the project. It did, however, provide an effective alternative to the strictly adversarial mode of operations previously found on such projects and was effective in addressing some problems that previously might have resulted in litigation.
A look at continuous improvement at Northwest airlines
Authors: Midas Michael T. , Devine Thomas E. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractSince 1776, Americans have proved time and again that whether they are in the military, industry, athletics, or the public sector they can work for the common good if there is a leader on hand who can create an effective challenge and vision for the future; ensure an understanding by all of the strategic and tactical action plans necessary to move towards it; provide guaranteed structured opportunities for all members to influence the decision process and improve work processes; and generate a sustained commitment from all managers to help their team members be successful. The employees of Northwest Airlines Maintenance Overhaul Facility in Atlanta, composed of numerous different cultures resulting from 1980 mergers, demonstrated from 1986 through 1989 that continuous improvement can be achieved through hard work, mutual respect, and a determination to become the best. Their non‐cookbook approach to the continuous improvement process was developed with the active participation and involvement of the rank and file, and has inspired to many who have visited their facility over the past three years.
Planting the seeds of TQM
Authors: Majumdar Amit , Smolenyak Megan , Yencho Nancy 
Published: July 2007

AbstractEmerging over the last ten years from a protected and regulated role, the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) is now facing the realities of international competition. Using the principles and tools of total qualify management (TQM), SAIL is undergoing a total quality transformation. Poor quality has cost the company in terms of greater inventory, scrap costs, and by‐product ratings, and therefore values have been degraded. SAIL'S new companywide TQM program focuses on quality of products and services, human resources, continuous innovation, customer service and satisfaction, and capitalization of corporate resources.
A project milestone bonus plan: Bringing a plant startup on‐line, on time, on cost
Authors: Butler Robert J. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractStarting up a major appliance plant is an enormously complex task involving thousands of projects at numerous locations, all coming together to attain an on‐cost production plan. This task is tough enough to manage when the plant is a greenfield startup in the United States. It is several magnitudes more complex when it is undertaken by a US. company in central Mexico in a new joint venture with a Mexican partner.In such a recent joint‐venture greenfield startup, a major appliance manufacturer went from concept to full production in less than half the normal startup time. According to this case study, giving the technical team bonus incentives helped build the commitment necessary to achieve success.
East Germany's race for productivity growth
Authors: Link Franz Josef , Fröhlich Hans‐Peter 
Published: July 2007

AbstractEast Germany's rapid transition from command economy to market economy has revealed the true extent of economic decline under the old system. Productivity in Eastern German factories is much lower than previously assumed. In/act, much of the existing stock of capital can no longer be used. Investors from Western Germany or from abroad, therefore, will have to provide new product and manufacturing technology, as well as invest in human capital. Because productivity is the key to economic recovery for Eastern Germany, it is essential that this capital transfer rapidly gain momentum. Because the region is attractive to outside investors, the prospects for this happening are quite favorable. At the same time, however, various administrative and legislative obstacles still block a more rapid flow of external investment.
How the flow of materials can lead to customer satisfaction: A study points the way
Authors: Byrne Patrick M. , Markham William J. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractDespite the enormous amount of attention focused on customer service and quality improvement, only one in ten U.S. suppliers—manufacturers, distributors, and retailers—can successfully execute a strategy based on customer satisfaction. The rest suffer from inadequate logistics. Improving the logistics process—that is, the management of the flow of materials from the original raw material sources to the ultimate customers—is vital to organizational success.
Erie excellence council applies Deming's principles
Authors: Brown James H. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractHow do you develop constancy of purpose for an entire community? How do you breakdown barriers between and develop cooperation among organizations? How do you go beyond organizational system optimization to community system optimization? How do you institute quality education in a community?The Erie Excellence Council (EEC), a Pennsylvania community quality council, initially is working to reach these goals by applying eight of Dr. W. Edwards Deming's 14 Points to education, transportation, government, communications, manufacturing, and service. Eventually all fourteen principles will be applied to these sectors.
Design of experiments offers powerful tools for quality improvement
Authors: Bhote Keki R. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractEager to improve their products, market share, profits, and return on investment, U.S. firms are turning to quality management principles for help. Although leadership, worker motivation and participation, and quality systems are important, the design of experiments is the key to the magic kingdom of quality, for it has proven to be the best technique for solving quality problems.
Doing everything right the first time pays off handsomely at cadet uniform services
Authors: Raynor Michael E. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe shift to a post‐industrial economy will require service companies to pay manufacturing‐level wages. Cadet Uniform Services of Toronto, Canada, is able to pay up to double the average wage for its industry, but only because its systems enable employees to be more than twice as productive. This article provides insights into how Cadet does it.
A simple method for promoting cooperation in an enterprise built on internal competition
Authors: Tribus Myron 
Published: July 2007

AbstractForum, in which Dr. Myron Tribus confronts Issues that managers face when implementing quality‐improvement processes in their organizations, is designed as a resource—a place to ask questions and get authoritative answers. If you have any comments on this column, or questions you would like Dr. Tribus to discuss in the future, please address them to: Forum, National Productivity Review, 22 West 21st Street, New York, NY10010. All submissions will be acknowledged, and requests for confidentiality will be respected.
TQM flops—A chance to learn from the mistakes of others
Authors: Gilbert James D. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractIn the three case studies discussed here, total quality management efforts were made to remedy grave problems in production. In the first two cases, the programs offered too little too late. In the third case, the company succeeded against all odds. All three instances teach valuable lessons. Neither the names of the companies nor their products are given, for obvious reasons.
After product quality in Japan: Management quality
Authors: Yahagi Seiichiro 
Published: July 2007

AbstractRealizing that productivity programs, total quality control systems, and other operational measures are no longer sufficient for improving bottom‐line performance, many Japanese top executives are focusing on the innovation of management as the next stage in increasing sales, market share, and profits. Total integrated management (TIM) is the method used to make this innovation take place. TIM examines the quality of the multiple management factors affecting the company, focusing on management cycle (vision, strategy, planning, control, and implementation). The innovation of management cycle is performed first, based on its quality evaluation. The quality of each of the other factors evaluated, and the level of interaction between these factors, dictate where and how the rest of the management quality reforms must be performed. In this way, each facet of the company is integrated into a concerted, comprehensive corporate management policy of innovation, which maximizes the potential for growth in sales, market share, and profit.
Duke power integrates employee rewards with its business vision of excellence
Authors: Wilkinson Janis G. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractSometimes the greatest barrier to making quality work is the human one. Duke Power Company committed itself to overcoming that barrier by completely revamping its rewards system. The company took rewards and benefits that had been stitched together like a patchwork quilt for nearly ninety years, and reshaped them into a system that focuses on quality, motivates employees to excellence, and supports strategic business objectives.
Total quality or performance appraisal: Choose one
Authors: Scholtes Peter R. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractMany teachers of total quality, following the lead of W. Edwards Deming, suggest that TQM and performance appraisal are incompatible. Indeed, Deming lists “evaluation of performance, merit rating and annual review” as the third of his “Seven Deadly Diseases.” Why can't TQM and performance appraisal co‐exist? At the center of the case against performance appraisal are the fundamental values and principles of TQM. TQM requires customer‐consciousness, systems‐thinking, an understanding of variation, an appreciation of teamwork, a mastery of improvement methods, and an understanding of the process of personal motivation and learning. These very requirements of TQM are subverted by performance appraisal. TQM requires us to understand, control, and improve processes for the benefit of the customer. Performance appraisal aims at controlling an individual's behavior to the satisfaction of his or her manager. The two approaches represent a fundamental choice for leaders: one or the other; not both.
How to really change the federal government
Authors: Scully John P. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThis article, by a member of the National Performance Review, explores how to create change in the federal government. In ten sections it discusses (1) the problem—our wasteful and nonproductive government; (2) the role of vision and leadership in initiating and sustaining change; (3) the elements of learning and change and how they are related and occur; (4) the nature of the bureaucratic model and its incompatibility with governmentwide learning and change; (5) why the solution does not lie in creating more structure; (6) a collective model for sustained learning and change; (7) the implications for the federal government; (8) potential mechanisms for putting our new paradigm into actual practice; (9) some additional thoughts on sustaining learning and change permanently; and (10) application of this model to creating change in procurement.
Reducing complexity and working with bottlenecks improves an oil refinery's engineering performance
Authors: Ginn Dana , Barlog Ray 
Published: July 2007

AbstractHow is it that a department staffed by smart, competent individuals can be a poor performer? In the case of one engineering department, an improvement team discovered that productivity and cycle‐time problems stemmed from poor management of work flow. This article details the steps that the department took to identify the obstacles to smooth operations and to improve productivity and decrease cycle time.
The international logistics of freight forwarding: Performance measurement at the harper group
Authors: Tangeman Nanci A. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractBetween 1,600 and 3,000 freight forwarders operate in the United States. Sometimes called “travel agents for freight,”forwarders provide a wide range of services, including cargo booking, air cargo documenting, and consolidating cargo from numerous shippers. Freight forwarders usually do not own aircraft, but book space on commercial and cargo airlines on behalf of companies around the world that manufacture or supply virtually every type of product. The Harper Group, a San Francisco‐based forwarder, has over 380 offices in 44 countries. Its Circle Airfreight subsidiary is one of the largest international air export forwarders in the United States. In 1993 the company expanded its quality program to measure internal and supplier performance, as well as customer service in its Circle subsidiary. Harper's program is one of only a handful of programs in the industry.
Using activity‐based costing and value analysis to take the pain out of downsizing at a naval shipyard
Authors: Porter Thomas J. , Kehoe Joseph G. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractActivity‐based costing is ideally suited to downsizing and restructuring support departments that handle functions such as personnel, accounting, administration, and materials management. Using the Charleston, South Carolina, Naval Shipyard as an example, this article shows how combining activity‐based costing and value‐added analysis techniques made support activities visible and understandable, facilitated the restructuring of support functions, helped judge which activities were necessary, and improved the cost and performance of activities.