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A report on this subject has recently been issued by the Local Government Board. It owes its origin to the interest—unfortunately brief—that was aroused some two years ago, when…
Abstract
A report on this subject has recently been issued by the Local Government Board. It owes its origin to the interest—unfortunately brief—that was aroused some two years ago, when certain allegations were made concerning the methods in vogue on the other side of the Atlantic for, the preparation of meat products intended to be placed on the English market, and has been drawn up by Dr. A. W. J. MACFADDEN. The report is based on the results obtained by Public Analysts throughout the country, who, in the performance of their official duties, were called upon to examine various samples of canned meat sent out by the United States packing houses; on certain statements made by trade representatives to Dr. MACFADDEN; and, finally, on the results of some analyses of canned meats made by Mr. ELLIS RICHARDS, F.I.C., at the request of the Board. The figures must be regarded as representative of the state of affairs then and now. By far the greater quantity of canned meat that reaches this country and is consumed therein is imported from the United States, and hence, almost of necessity, any criticisms that are made regarding this part of our food supply resolve themselves into criticisms of the Federal Meat Inspection law of the United States and the way in which it is applied by the officials there. The conclusion that Dr. MACFADDEN draws as to the efficacy of this law so far as it regards ourselves is one that was expressed in this journal in May last. He observes that “our position, so far as safeguards provided by American law are concerned, is apparently much as it was before the enactments came into force,” that “so far as the use of preservatives is concerned, the new law has not affected the conditions under which the canned meat trade has been conducted with this country in past years,” and that “the onus of protecting their inhabitants in this respect continues to rest, in the first place, with the Governments of the foreign countries themselves.” The first two statements are sufficiently damning, and the corollary is, of course, obvious. The difficulties must be tackled from this side, but the entire absence, up to the present, of all official standards renders the task of the Public Analyst and the other municipal officials who are jointly concerned with him as regards the health of the districts with which they are connected, a most difficult one, and the business of the unscrupulous “poisoner for dividends,” to use an American phrase, correspondingly easy. We go a little farther than Dr. MACFADDEN, and say that the new law does not protect us even with regard to the general wholesomeness of these products. As late as January last the Inspecting Officer of the Manchester Port Sanitary Authority had occasion to draw attention to the unsatisfactory nature of certain canned goods that were imported direct from America. The examination of a consignment of 1,200 six‐pound tins of canned meat showed that 157 tins were blown, and that 156 tins were of doubtful quality. It follows that in this single instance 1,800 pounds of garbage were exported to this country from the United States, the new law notwithstanding.
It is now common for finance textbooks to discuss the concepts of the CAPM, diversification benefit, and systematic risk, as measured by beta. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
It is now common for finance textbooks to discuss the concepts of the CAPM, diversification benefit, and systematic risk, as measured by beta. The purpose of this paper is to clarify aspects of these concepts and make the textbooks readers aware of them. In particular, this paper seeks to: (1) clarify the notion that “diversification reduces risk,” (2) provide geometric expositions and algebraic expressions of portfolio benefits in the context of both total risk and market risk, and (3) improve the interpretation of beta.
Steven Fisher, Robert Chi, Dorothy Fisher and Melody Kiang
The purpose of this paper is to generate an understanding of the value-added to students enrolled in selected undergraduate business programs from an academic and market…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to generate an understanding of the value-added to students enrolled in selected undergraduate business programs from an academic and market perspectives. Although there are numerous studies that rank undergraduate colleges and universities, the selection of the “best value” undergraduate business program is a formidable task for prospective students. This study uses data envelopment analysis (DEA), a linear programming-based tool, to evaluate undergraduate business administration programs. The DEA model connects costs (inputs) with benefits (outputs) to evaluate the value-added to students by undergraduate business programs from a market as well as academic perspectives. The study’s findings should assist prospective students in selecting business programs that provide the best value from their individual perspectives. The results can also help schools to identify their corresponding market niche and allocate their recourses more effectively.
Design/methodology/approach
Use DEA method. DEA was developed by Charnes et al. (1979) to evaluate the performance of multi-input and -output production operations. The analytical and computational capacities of DEA are firmly based on mathematical theory.
Findings
This study takes a different approach toward the ranking of college programs. Most studies rank-order programs (universities) based on arbitrary weightings of attributes of quality and provide a general ranking of programs that is said meet the needs of many different constituencies including students, parents, donors, administrators’ faculty and alumni.
Originality/value
This is an original research using DEA and The Bloomberg/Businessweek online data for business school ranking.
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James C. Brau, John Gardner, Hugo A. DeCampos and Krista Gardner
Blockchain technology offers numerous venues for supply chain applications and research. However, the connections between specific blockchain features and future applications have…
Abstract
Purpose
Blockchain technology offers numerous venues for supply chain applications and research. However, the connections between specific blockchain features and future applications have been unclear to date in its evolution. The purpose of this study is to fill this void.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors advance the understanding of blockchain in supply chain management by providing a new research framework built on unique blockchain features as applied across core supply chain functions.
Findings
This study’s framework is a feature-function matrix that integrates four overarching supply chain functions (i.e. supplier management, logistics, production processes and customer management) with nine blockchain features (i.e. traceability/provenance, accessibility, visibility, immutability, distributed/shared ledger, validity, peer-to-peer transacting, pseudonymity and programmability). This study’s feature-function framework is supported by a structured, systematic review of reviews using PRISMA methods. The authors use the framework to present a future blockchain research agenda in supply chain management.
Originality/value
The authors provide a new blockchain feature/supply chain function framework and provide a structured path for future research.
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Mark E. Mendenhall, Frank C. Butler, Philip T. Roundy and Andrew F. Ehat
This paper aims to study the formation and preservation of behavioral integration (BI) in the top management team (TMT) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the formation and preservation of behavioral integration (BI) in the top management team (TMT) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1844 to the present.
Design/methodology/approach
An analytically structured history approach within a case exemplar framework is adopted. Theoretical insights are extrapolated from the case study to form a process model of BI formation and preservation in TMTs.
Findings
The findings reveal that three factors primarily influence BI creation (induction, education and cementation) and that BI is preserved via an iterative process that is driven by CEO conservatorship, intentional mentoring and social modeling.
Originality/value
This study investigates an unexplored area in upper echelons theory: the process by which BI is formed and preserved in TMTs and presents a process model of BI formation and preservation that shifts attention in the literature from analyses of the effect of BI on various organizational outcomes to how it can be formed in the first place and then preserved.
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According to the US National Safety Council (NSC), in 2001 there were 1,537,600 injuries and illnesses reported for all work occupations in America. The National Safety Council…
Abstract
According to the US National Safety Council (NSC), in 2001 there were 1,537,600 injuries and illnesses reported for all work occupations in America. The National Safety Council estimated that these work injuries and related costs totalled more than US$132bn annually, with an average cost of US$85,848 per injury or illness. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, janitors and cleaners have the fifth highest occupational injury and illnesses rate in the US. In 2001, janitors and cleaners reported 52,600 injuries or illnesses, with more than 38,600 of these injuries requiring time away from work. Custodial accidents and illnesses are costing more than US$4.5bn each year. Custodial costs have a dramatic effect on large organisations. Boeing in Seattle, Washington, and Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, were the focus of a research study conducted by Brigham Young University Facilities Management faculty and students in 2003. A new cleaning approach called OS1 (Operating System One) was developed by ManageMen, a custodial consulting company. Boeing and Sandia implemented the OS1 system over several years. The research compared pre‐OS1 custodial recordable accidents, incidents and lost work days with post‐OS1 implementation accidents, incidents and lost work days. The findings, presented in this paper, show that, with the implementation of OS1, recordable accidents and lost work days were significantly reduced, with some reductions as high as 90 per cent. The study also showed a significant reduction in overall custodial operating costs.
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James A. Gentry, Paul Newbold and David T. Whitford
The objectives of this study are to offer cash based funds flow components as an alternative to financial ratios for classifying the financial performance of companies; to test…
Abstract
The objectives of this study are to offer cash based funds flow components as an alternative to financial ratios for classifying the financial performance of companies; to test empirically the ability of funds flow components to distinguish between failed and nonfailed companies with special emphasis on working capital components; to analyse the empirical results and make recommendations for future study.
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Pracha Peter Eamranond, Arti Bhukhen, Donna DiPalma, Schawan Kunuakaphun, Thomas Burke, John Rodis and Michael Grey
The purpose of this explanatory case study is to explain the implementation of interprofessional, multitiered lean daily management (LDM) and to quantitatively report its impact…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this explanatory case study is to explain the implementation of interprofessional, multitiered lean daily management (LDM) and to quantitatively report its impact on hospital safety.
Design/methodology/approach
This case study explained the framework for LDM implementation and changes in quality metrics associated with the interprofessional, multitiered LDM, implemented at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center (SFHMC) at the end of 2018. Concepts from lean, Total Quality Management (TQM) and high reliability science were applied to develop the four tiers and gemba rounding components of LDM. A two-tailed t-test analysis was utilized to determine statistical significance for serious safety events (SSEs) comparing the intervention period (January 2019–December 2019) to the baseline period (calendar years 2017 and 2018). Other quality and efficiency metrics were also tracked.
Findings
LDM was associated with decreased SSEs in 2019 compared to 2017 and 2018 (p ≤ 0.01). There were no reportable central line-associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) or catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) for first full calendar quarter in the hospital's history. Hospital-acquired pressure injuries were at 0.2 per 1,000 patient days, meeting the annual target of <0.5 per 1,000 patient days. Outcomes for falls with injury, hand hygiene and patient experience also trended toward target. These improvements occurred while also observing a lower observed to expected length of stay (O/E LOS), which is the organizational marker for hospital’s efficiency.
Research limitations/implications
LDM may contribute greatly to improve safety outcomes. This observational study was performed in an urban, high-acuity, low cost hospital which may not be representative of other hospitals. Further study is warranted to determine whether this model can be applied more broadly to other settings.
Practical implications
LDM can be implemented quickly to achieve an improvement in hospital safety and other health-care quality outcomes. This required a redistribution of time for hospital staff but did not require any significant capital or other investment.
Social implications
As hospital systems move from a volume-based to value-based health-care delivery model, dynamic interventions using LDM can play a pivotal role in helping all patients, particularly in underserved settings where lower cost care is required for sustainability, given limited available resources.
Originality/value
While many hospital systems promote organizational rounding as a routine quality improvement process, this study shows that a dynamic, intense LDM model can dramatically improve safety within months. This was done in a challenging urban environment for a high-acuity population with limited resources.
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Jirawat Akkranupornpong and Brian H. Kleiner
States that shareholders, as owners of the company, have a right to claim on a portion of the future profits of the business. Lists seven points given advantages of issuing stock…
Abstract
States that shareholders, as owners of the company, have a right to claim on a portion of the future profits of the business. Lists seven points given advantages of issuing stock for companies, and discusses the reasons for issuing stock and the different types. Contends that the reason for success in issuing stocks is that markets realise when there is excellent management and success for a company.
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Kristen Bell De Tienne and G. Stoney Alder
Employee evaluation and monitoring have been common in America since colonial times. With industrialization, employers have implemented increasingly creative ways to monitor…
Abstract
Employee evaluation and monitoring have been common in America since colonial times. With industrialization, employers have implemented increasingly creative ways to monitor employees. For example, in the early part of this century, Ford Motor Company employed investigators to enter employees' homes to verify that employees were not overly drinking and that their homes were clean