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The recent publication of Cysticercosis—an Analysis and Follow‐up of 450 Cases, by Drs. Dixon and Lipscombe (M.R.C. Special Report, Series No. 299) which is believed to contain…
Abstract
The recent publication of Cysticercosis—an Analysis and Follow‐up of 450 Cases, by Drs. Dixon and Lipscombe (M.R.C. Special Report, Series No. 299) which is believed to contain information relating to all human infestations with C. Cellulosœ in this country up to 1957, prompts one to look at another picture of cysticercosis, viz., C. bovis in cattle. Almost all the cases of human cysticercosis followed up in the report were among British service personnel who had served in India and other eastern sectors, but chiefly India. Since no British troops have served in this area for the past 13 years, human cysticercosis, always a rare disease, is becoming even rarer.
Mario Alguacil, Juan Núñez-Pomar, Carlos Pérez-Campos and Vicente Prado-Gascó
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of brand-related variables as congruence and brand trust on the traditional model formed by perceived quality, perceived value…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of brand-related variables as congruence and brand trust on the traditional model formed by perceived quality, perceived value (PV) and satisfaction, in order to compare predictive models for the variables of PV, satisfaction and future intentions of 683 users of sports services.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis has been carried out using two different methodologies. First, three models have been proposed to be analyzed by hierarchical regression models, in order to subsequently propose a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to verify the existence or not of necessary and sufficient conditions.
Findings
The results indicate that both the classic service variables and the elements related to the brand significantly predict PV, satisfaction and future intentions, in some cases with greater predictive weight being given to congruence and trust than the classic service variables. In addition, linear models have been shown to improve their predictive capability by including brand-related variables, especially the future intentions model. After the fsQCA, congruence and trust have proved to be sufficient combinations to achieve high levels of PV and future intentions, while this is not the case for satisfaction.
Originality/value
The importance of the aspects related to the brand, either on their own or in combination with the classic service variables, is demonstrated, contributing to the literature on brand image in sports services, which is practically non-existent.
Objetivo
El objetivo es analizar el papel de las variables relacionadas con la marca como la congruencia y la confianza en la marca en el modelo tradicional formado por la calidad percibida, el valor percibido y la satisfacción, con el fin de comparar modelos predictivos para las variables de valor percibido, satisfacción e intenciones futuras de 683 usuarios de servicios deportivos.
Diseño/Metodología/Enfoque
El análisis se ha llevado a cabo utilizando dos metodologías diferentes. En primer lugar, se han propuesto 3 modelos para ser analizados mediante modelos de regresión jerárquica, con el fin de proponer posteriormente un análisis comparativo cualitativo de conjuntos difusos para verificar la existencia o no de condiciones necesarias y suficientes.
Resultados
Los resultados indican que tanto las variables clásicas del servicio como los elementos relacionados con la marca predicen significativamente el valor percibido, la satisfacción y las intenciones futuras, en algunos casos con un mayor peso predictivo de la congruencia y la confianza que las variables clásicas de servicio. Además, se ha demostrado que los modelos lineales mejoran su capacidad predictiva al incluir las variables relacionadas con la marca, especialmente en el modelo de intenciones futuras. Después del análisis cualitativo comparativo, la congruencia y la confianza han demostrado ser combinaciones suficientes para lograr altos niveles de valor percibido e intenciones futuras, mientras que no ha sido así en el caso de la satisfacción.
Originalidad/valor
Queda demostrada la importancia de los aspectos relacionados con la marca, por sí solos o en combinación con las variables clásicas del servicio, contribuyendo a la literatura sobre la imagen de marca en los servicios deportivos, que es prácticamente inexistente.
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Peter J. Rimmer AM and Claude Comtois
This study revisits the Great Canadian Grain Logistics Crisis of 2013-14 to explore the competitiveness of the country's grain exports. An approach to comprehending the dilemmas…
Abstract
This study revisits the Great Canadian Grain Logistics Crisis of 2013-14 to explore the competitiveness of the country's grain exports. An approach to comprehending the dilemmas of the international grain supply chain and trade, and national logistics policy in an era of multinational corporations, draws upon the literature on global value chain analysis. This analysis identifies both the grain industry's global and local dimensions. An important literature on the 'politics’ of the supply chain is also called into play to discuss who controls what aspects. This task of interpreting the various steps in Canada's grain logistics chain recognizes the key economic actors - producers, grain companies, railway companies, port terminal operators and export buyers - and political struggles between them as they each seek to maximize their self-interest. Policy implications for streamlining logistics operations are drawn from identifying where changes in the supply chain arrangements have gained or lost opportunities in export markets, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.
Eldest of the five sons of Professor Claude Dornier, founder of the Dornier Company, Herr Claudius Dornier (62) is a Vice‐President of the BDLI and served as President in 1966. He…
Abstract
Eldest of the five sons of Professor Claude Dornier, founder of the Dornier Company, Herr Claudius Dornier (62) is a Vice‐President of the BDLI and served as President in 1966. He became Chairman of Dornier in 1962.
Sharon Reeves, John Hagen and Christine Jewell
To report on the 9th International Symposium on Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) held at the Universite Laval in Quebec City.
Abstract
Purpose
To report on the 9th International Symposium on Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) held at the Universite Laval in Quebec City.
Design/methodology/approach
A review of the main activities of the symposium.
Findings
Building on the successes of previous ETD symposia, the content presented at this one demonstrated how the ETD has matured and captured the attention of the higher education communities worldwide. With more organizational interest in the growing Institutional Repository movement, the links between ETDs and institutional repositories is not only natural but well positioned as open access and archival preservation techniques become common in electronic and scholarly publishing.
Originality/value
A piece that of value to all involved with information management.
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Gérson Tontini, Luciano Castro de Carvalho, Nair Fernandes da Costa Schlindwein and Victor Tomarevski
The purpose of this paper is to present a practical instrument for self-evaluation of maturity in the processes of procurement and supply management, applicable to small and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a practical instrument for self-evaluation of maturity in the processes of procurement and supply management, applicable to small and medium-size companies, as well as to show how the use of this evaluation tool may help companies to decide what to improve in these processes.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on an empirical and theoretical framework, the instrument developed measures the maturity of procurement and supply management activities in four macro-processes: materials management, purchase process, supplier evaluation process and process of procurement planning. For testing the self-evaluation instrument, the authors evaluated the maturity of 48 hospitals and 37 metal-mechanic manufacturing companies located in the southern region of Brazil. To show how to use this tool to decide what to improve in procurement and supply processes, the authors conducted a comparative analysis of a hospital and a metal-mechanic company, in relation to the sample of the same segment.
Findings
The results show that the instrument is reliable for practical application. Metal-mechanic industries have a greater maturity in the purchase process than in the other three macro-processes. The management of materials is the most mature macro-process in hospitals. Comparing hospitals to metal-mechanic companies, the present research shows that, between 20 and 99 employees, hospitals tend to have a higher level of maturity in the purchase process than metal-mechanic companies. With 100 employees or more, metal-mechanic companies are more mature than hospitals in procurement planning and in selection/evaluation of suppliers.
Originality/value
Presenting a useful self-evaluation instrument, this work demonstrates that the measurement of the maturity level, and benchmarking it with other companies, may help a firm to decide what to improve in its processes of procurement and materials management, showing how an economic sector can understand itself better. Few scientific studies have practical application to the assessment of the degree of maturity of procurement and supply management processes. Besides that the authors did not find other papers presenting a comparison of different segments.
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Christopher Changwe Nshimbi and Inocent Moyo
Despite enacting numerous legislations, policies and practices accommodating third country nationals, Europe continues to erect a fortress against foreigners. The recent migration…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite enacting numerous legislations, policies and practices accommodating third country nationals, Europe continues to erect a fortress against foreigners. The recent migration crisis on the shores of the Mediterranean seem to validate this view. As Europe searches for optimal solutions to the migration crisis, recent media and humanitarian organisation reports of surging African and Middle Eastern refugees and migrants bring into sharp focus and test these immigration measures. For this cause, the purpose of this paper is to interrogate European Union (EU)-Africa relationships on international migration issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Located in the evolving field of border studies, the paper employs the concepts of displacement and humanitarianism in an effort to frame the EU-Africa relations on migration in the context of borders, boundaries and frontiers. A thorough review and critical analysis of relevant legislations, literature and media reports on the Africa-Europe migration interface is also conducted.
Findings
The militarisation, securitisation, restrictive and, sometimes, draconian immigration regimes do not provide sustainable solutions to the migration crisis facing Europe. A rethinking around the integration and inclusion of immigrants into Europe's socioeconomic fabric, and addressing fundamental and structural weaknesses in EU-Africa relationships and respective economies is essential.
Originality/value
Theoretically, the paper attempts to understand better, the way the EU and Africa engage each other on international migration issues, in the context of border studies. Empirically, the paper positions itself in policy engagements and the quest for practical solutions by the two continents in view of the migration crisis currently facing Europe.
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Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some…
Abstract
Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.
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This paper tests whether Bayesian A/B testing yields better decisions that traditional Neyman-Pearson hypothesis testing. It proposes a model and tests it using a large, multiyear…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper tests whether Bayesian A/B testing yields better decisions that traditional Neyman-Pearson hypothesis testing. It proposes a model and tests it using a large, multiyear Google Analytics (GA) dataset.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is an empirical study. Competing A/B testing models were used to analyze a large, multiyear dataset of GA dataset for a firm that relies entirely on their website and online transactions for customer engagement and sales.
Findings
Bayesian A/B tests of the data not only yielded a clear delineation of the timing and impact of the intellectual property fraud, but calculated the loss of sales dollars, traffic and time on the firm’s website, with precise confidence limits. Frequentist A/B testing identified fraud in bounce rate at 5% significance, and bounces at 10% significance, but was unable to ascertain fraud at the standard significance cutoffs for scientific studies.
Research limitations/implications
None within the scope of the research plan.
Practical implications
Bayesian A/B tests of the data not only yielded a clear delineation of the timing and impact of the IP fraud, but calculated the loss of sales dollars, traffic and time on the firm’s website, with precise confidence limits.
Social implications
Bayesian A/B testing can derive economically meaningful statistics, whereas frequentist A/B testing only provide p-value’s whose meaning may be hard to grasp, and where misuse is widespread and has been a major topic in metascience. While misuse of p-values in scholarly articles may simply be grist for academic debate, the uncertainty surrounding the meaning of p-values in business analytics actually can cost firms money.
Originality/value
There is very little empirical research in e-commerce that uses Bayesian A/B testing. Almost all corporate testing is done via frequentist Neyman-Pearson methods.
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