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Since lean manufacturing considers that “Inventory is evil”, the purpose of this paper is to find and quantify the relations between work-in-process inventory (WIP), manufacturing lead time (LT) and the operational variables they depend upon. Such relations provide guidelines and performance indicators in process management.

The authors develop equations to analyse how, in discrete deterministic serial batch processes, WIP and LT depend on parameters like performance time (of each workstation) and batch size. The authors extend those relations to processes with different lots and the authors create a multiple-lot box score.

In this paper, the relations among WIP, LT and the parameters they depend on are derived. Such relations show that when WIP increases, LT increases too, and vice versa, and the parameters they depend on. Finally, these relations provide a framework for WIP reduction and manufacturing LT reduction and agree with the empirical principles of lean manufacturing.

Quantitative results are only exact for discrete deterministic batch processes without any delays. Expected results might not be achieved in real manufacturing environments. However, qualitative results show the underlying relations amongst variables. Different expressions might be derived for other situations.

Understanding the relations between manufacturing variables allows operations managers better design, implement and control manufacturing processes. The box score, implemented on a spreadsheet, allows testing the effect of changes in different operational parameters on the manufacturing LT, total machine wait time and total lot queue time.

The paper presents a discussion about process performance based on the mutual influence between WIP and LT and other variables. The relation is quantified for the discrete deterministic case, complementing the models that exist in the literature. The box score allows mapping more complex processes.

When and how did modern rankings emerge? This paper aims to answer that question by taking a closer look at the history of American baseball. In the 1870s, baseball was the first team sport to introduce a competitive system, the league, that determined the champion based on teams’ overall number of wins and losses. The in-depth analysis of the baseball discourse from the 1850s to the 1870s shows that leagues were introduced as a solution to a specific problem: how to identify deserving champions that had proved their ability again and again over the course of a season. The rising awareness of this problem was due to a shift in the baseball discourse of the 1860s, which established a new, statistical understanding of athletic achievement that demanded consistency of performance together with an acceptance that even champions lose a game once in a while. Rankings and other statistics, based on constant scoring of individual plays and increasingly sophisticated methods, helped institutionalize this new understanding of achievement and, in so doing, made the introduction of the league system possible. Moreover, the league system proved to be dependent on rankings – in the form of league tables – that made it possible to observe and experience the championship race, making rankings an essential element of modern competitive sports. Given that today’s rankings apply similar ideas of achievement to other fields (e.g., the “excellence” of universities), the story draws attention to the history of a specific imaginary of achievement that transcends the field of sports and should be studied more widely to understand the institutionalization of rankings in other fields.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the shortcomings of traditional cost accounting techniques in lean companies and then it seeks to analyse the validity and convenience of value stream costing (VSC) as a tool in a company that has adopted some concepts of lean manufacturing.

The paper reviews the relevant literature in order to discuss the deficiencies of costing methods in lean manufacturing. It evaluates the requirements of VSC and provides a concrete illustration of VSC in the continuous improvement process of a point of sales terminal assembly line.

The paper evidences the possible mistakes of cost accounting. The necessity and validity of VSC in lean manufacturing are presented, followed by a case example. In order to make continuous improvement decisions, VSM, VSC and box score offer complete information on the performance of the value stream.

Although accompanied by an application on a real case study, this is not an empirical investigation on the adoption of VSC.

VSC requirements agree with the fundamentals of lean management. Therefore, VSC is a valid tool for lean companies, although the applicability depends on the maturity of the lean implementation.

This paper contributes to the lean accounting literature because the management accounting literature still lags behind the lean transformation. This is one of the first papers on VSC in relevant journals and the first one to combine VSC and box scores with value stream mapping. The paper will be useful to academics involved in new accounting systems but also to practitioners who are implementing lean manufacturing.

In times of information overload, researchers have found ways to synthesise a large amount of data from numerous studies bearing on the effectiveness of treatment for alcohol problems. Two of these ways are discussed: formal meta‐analysis and the box‐score ‘mesa grande’. It is concluded that meta‐analysis cannot answer questions regarding which treatments give the best results in the alcohol field. The mesa grande has certain limitations, which are described, but is useful for the formation of treatment policies when a clear summary of the research evidence on treatment effectiveness is needed. By contrast, large multi‐centre randomised controlled trials with enough statistical power to detect small effects of treatment should normally be preferred when a decision has to be made as to which of two or more specified treatments should be implemented in practice. Unfortunately, two multi‐centre trials, one in the USA and one in the UK, have given rise to the ‘dodo bird’ verdict of equivalent effectiveness of four treatment modalities. The findings of the UK Alcohol Treatment Trial cannot be used to advise treatment providers and practitioners which one of two treatments, MET or SBNT, should be preferred in practice. In the absence of relevant research findings, four possible ways of making this decision are outlined, including the suggestion that MET should serve as the first step in a stepped‐care model of treatment provision.

The current 5.4 million English Learners (ELs) make up the lowest performing academic group in the United States (US) today. A number of weaknesses and struggles in the field of EL education have been simmering below the surface for years, and while previously treated as an unspoken dysfunction in our education system, the inequitable treatment of ELs can no longer be ignored. There is an urgent need to ensure equitable, inclusive, high-quality educational opportunities and outcomes for ELs, including preparation for college and career readiness. This study relies on two established legal policy research methodologies, specifically the four-step method of analysis and the quantitative method of “simple-box scoring,” to systematically analyze case law outcomes and identify seven litigation trends from cases over the past 40 years. This research can provide alternative proactive remedies other than costly litigation and demonstrates the need for a more effective coordination of mechanisms to unite institutions that service ELs. This study bridges the gap of critical knowledge needed to help educators, attorneys, and professors who prepare school leaders and teachers to meet legal requirements for ELs, each of whom are entitled by law to access mainstream curriculum. Further limitations and implications are presented.

A valuable, although little-used, case data analysis technique, degrees-of-freedom analysis (DFA), is the subject of Chapter 12. Given the richness of case data and its prevalence in business marketing research, DFA has the potential to become an important addition to one's “research workbench.” Donald Campbell (1975) first proposed this theory testing.

This chapter presents three business-to-business marketing applications; the first two involve use of the technique to compare the extent to which four theories of group decision making are manifested in organizations. The third application illustrates how the technique is useful for theory development in the context of manufacturer–distributor relationships. The contribution is in demonstrating how researchers can link “traditional” (i.e., logical positivistic) hypothesis testing procedures to examine theoretical propositions in case study research. This approach is one way of achieving a critical test (Carlsmith, Ellsworth, & Aronson, 1976), that is, testing the relative empirical strengths of competing theories. The chapter highlights the value of generalizing case data to theory versus the inappropriate attempt to generalize such data to a population (Yin, 1994). The explication and demonstration of this technique is not available elsewhere to the degree that Chapter 12 provides.

Times are changing. There was a day when you would walk to the corner store for the morning newspaper, to catch up on the events of the previous day. Maybe all you had was do is retrieve the paper from the flower bed in your front yard to find out last night's box scores of your favorite team. Then, of course, there was the college student who would spend countless hours at the library researching information needed for class tomorrow. Or maybe you just wanted to know the weather forecast.

Though exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are similar to mutual funds, we identify several reasons how they are different based on their structure and trading characteristics. Therefore, we argue that the determinants of fund closure decisions for ETFs will not be the same as the mutual funds. We systematically explore those factors.

We use Cox Proportional Hazard model, which is considered a superior method, over the logistic regression models. All previous studies are based on logistic regressions.

We investigate the closure rate of ETFs over the 1995–2018 sample period. We find that the first three years are the most critical period for the survival of ETFs. Our full sample results show that early fund performance, the investment style of the fund, the expense ratio and fund family size are the most relevant factors influencing the likelihood of closure. When we consider equity-only funds, we find that key factors that influence fund closure are early fund performance, the expense ratio, failure to grow the fund's assets relatively quickly and the equity investment category of the fund.

Tracking error could be a significant factor. However, we have several missing values in the data. Therefore, we are forced to drop that variable. However, we use the SD of daily returns in lieu of that. Similarly, we were constrained by the availability of data for the equity style box scores.

Our study suggests that individual investors will be better off by investing in ETFs that are at least three-year to four-year old. If individuals want to invest in ETFs from the date of inception, the probability of survival is higher for an ETF within a larger fund family.

Hopefully, our research will attract the attention of CFPB and provide a warning to individual investors when they choose to invest in ETFs. More and more ETFs are getting included in retirement savings. So, abrupt ETF closures are likely to have large social implications for the future.

We are the first to use Cox Proportional Hazard model. We base our arguments from latest research on ETFs that the one earlier paper on ETF closure has missed. So, we examine the issue in a more systematic way.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of fighting (in addition to other variables) as it relates to attendance at minor league hockey games (ECHL).

Building upon previous research on hockey attendance, a regression model is specified with attendance as the dependent variable and fighting (measured as a running average of fights-per-game) as an independent variable. The sign and statistical significance of fighting is tested through the regression model.

Despite recent tragedies in the hockey world and public outcries against fighting, fighting is found to have a positive and significant effect on attendance at ECHL games.

Findings suggest that if fighting is removed from hockey in North America that teams will suffer attendance wise and it will hurt the overall profitability of teams and leagues. Teams in the ECHL that do not fight often may wish to have more “enforcers” on the team which would increase the number of fights and increase attendance.

Despite calls for its outright ban, fighting is popular with hockey fans. Even in a world where many game-day promotions are aimed at families, fighting appears to have a place in the game and is a desired attribute of this sport in terms of its entertainment value to fans.

First study of the ECHL (AA-equivalent minor league for professional hockey) on a game-by-game basis. This paper examines the role of fighting and violence in the world of professional sports. The regression model also includes highly detailed data on game day promotions used by all of the teams. The value of the paper lies in the public debate about fighting in hockey. The findings and implications of this paper are also of value to team and league management as it relates to fighting in hockey.