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The application of an artificial neural network (ANN) to forecast the construction duration of buildings at the predesign stage is described in this paper. A three‐layered back‐propagation (BP) network consisting of 11 input nodes has been constructed. Ten binary input nodes represent basic information on building features (i.e. building function, structural system, foundation, height, exterior finishing, quality of interior decorating, and accessibility to the site), and one real‐value input represents functional area. The input nodes are fully connected to one output node through hidden nodes. The network was implemented on a Pentium‐150 based microcomputer using a neurocomputer program written in C+ +. The Generalized Delta Rule (GDR) was used as learning algorithm. One hundred and thirty‐six buildings built during the period 1987–95 in the Greater Bangkok area were used for training and testing the network. The determination of the optimum number of hidden nodes, learning rate, and momentum were based on trial‐and‐error. The best network was found to consist of six hidden nodes, with a learning rate of 0.6, and null momentum. It was trained for 44700 epochs within 943 s such that the mean squared error (judgement) of training and test samples were reduced to 1.17 × 10−7 and 3.10 × 10−6, respectively. The network can forecast construction du‐ration at the predesign stage with an average error of 13.6%.

Despite interest in social stereotypes such as gender, race and age, professional stereotypes of frontline employees is still a new topic that requires measurement in the banking services. The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a reliable banker stereotype scale that reflects all useful dimensions.

A multi-dimensional scale is developed using a mixed method in the French context. Qualitative data were collected from two samples (11 private banking clients, 17 retail banking clients). Quantitative data were collected from two diversified samples built by quotas: an exploratory sample (n = 226) and a confirmatory sample (n = 579). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test and validate the scale.

The measurement scale proves to be valid and reliable. The scale is then used in a conceptual model as an explanatory factor of expected relational benefits where relations are analyzed using structural equation modeling. The model successfully provides some explanatory links between the banker stereotypes and the expected relational benefits.

The concept of the professional stereotype can be further used to better understand relationship quality and customer satisfaction through relational benefits, and more widely as a part of the know your customer (KYC) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) procedures.

The scale identifies four behavioral dimensions (partner, paternalistic, subordinate and shark) and one about dress code (formal clothing).

The paper aims to analyse the development of broadcast radio in the USA during the 1920 s, focusing on the legislative and regulatory background, considering the broadcasting spectrum, programme content, and nature of radio as an information resource at that time.

An analysis of primary materials, and of recent secondary materials, is carried out.

The legislative and regulatory framework failed to take note of the unique attributes of information resources, and attempted to treat them in the same manner as more traditional resources. Records of the early days of USA radio are very limited. More positively, radio information resources played a major part in developing several aspects of society, including education, agriculture, and jazz culture.

The study shows lessons for development of current information society. The research is limited to one communication medium, in one country, in one decade. It is not a full historical analysis of the development of radio broadcasting, rather it is limited to information resource aspects, largely of public sector broadcasting.

The paper is the first study of the early development of radio broadcasting from an information perspective. It shows the value of the “information‐as‐resource” model for analysing developments in the communication of information.

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether students perceive grade inflation as a problem. It questions whether differences exist in perceptions based upon gender and grade point average (GPA).

Previously validated scales were used to assess perceptions. The sample included 108 full-time traditional-aged undergraduate students from a private university.

Students do not believe A grades are given more than deserved; however, they believe some receive higher grades than deserved. Grades are seen as an accurate reflection of achievement. Neither gender nor GPA differences were found on grade inflation perceptions, although women believe faculty give higher grades to receive better student evaluations.

This paper combines student perceptions about grade inflation and analysis by gender and GPA.

A collection of essays by a social economist seeking to balance economics as a science of means with the values deemed necessary to man′s finding the good life and society enduring as a civilized instrumentality. Looks for authority to great men of the past and to today′s moral philosopher: man is an ethical animal. The 13 essays are: 1. Evolutionary Economics: The End of It All? which challenges the view that Darwinism destroyed belief in a universe of purpose and design; 2. Schmoller′s Political Economy: Its Psychic, Moral and Legal Foundations, which centres on the belief that time‐honoured ethical values prevail in an economy formed by ties of common sentiment, ideas, customs and laws; 3. Adam Smith by Gustav von Schmoller – Schmoller rejects Smith′s natural law and sees him as simply spreading the message of Calvinism; 4. Pierre‐Joseph Proudhon, Socialist – Karl Marx, Communist: A Comparison; 5. Marxism and the Instauration of Man, which raises the question for Marx: is the flowering of the new man in Communist society the ultimate end to the dialectical movement of history?; 6. Ethical Progress and Economic Growth in Western Civilization; 7. Ethical Principles in American Society: An Appraisal; 8. The Ugent Need for a Consensus on Moral Values, which focuses on the real dangers inherent in there being no consensus on moral values; 9. Human Resources and the Good Society – man is not to be treated as an economic resource; man′s moral and material wellbeing is the goal; 10. The Social Economist on the Modern Dilemma: Ethical Dwarfs and Nuclear Giants, which argues that it is imperative to distinguish good from evil and to act accordingly: existentialism, situation ethics and evolutionary ethics savour of nihilism; 11. Ethical Principles: The Economist′s Quandary, which is the difficulty of balancing the claims of disinterested science and of the urge to better the human condition; 12. The Role of Government in the Advancement of Cultural Values, which discusses censorship and the funding of art against the background of the US Helms Amendment; 13. Man at the Crossroads draws earlier themes together; the author makes the case for rejecting determinism and the “operant conditioning” of the Skinner school in favour of the moral progress of autonomous man through adherence to traditional ethical values.

The author′s purpose is to show by reference to Schmoller′s own writings that he can be classified as a social economist. Schmoller rejected the study of economics in isolation, but preferred a holistic approach. He eschewed laissez‐faire and thought little of self‐seeking entrepreneurs who made no contribution to the common good.

This essay was written as a university assignment for an expert dementia practice module as part of the Masters in Applied Professional Practice. This paper aims to provide a critical discussion of the recognition and management of delirium superimposed on dementia.

The findings of this paper showed that the recognition of delirium superimposed of dementia is not well recognized, but early intervention and management can result in preferential outcomes. This requires the use of appropriate recognition tools and for all health-care staff to have specific training within this area.

Education is imperative to improving delirium recognition.

Education is imperative to improving awareness.

The research implications of this paper demonstrate that appropriate training and education of health-care staff is imperative for the timely recognition of delirium and the improvement of care.

This paper was undertaken as an assignment for the University of Highlands and Islands.

There has been enormous interest over the past decade in the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for data processing applications. By and large, this interest has been well‐founded. ANNs, however, offer no panacea to the data analyst. They are as prone to misuse as any other method and the details of their functioning are often clouded in mystique. This has made a firm understanding of their functioning difficult. Presents a brief introduction to the most widely applied class of ANN, the feed‐forward network. Gives an overview of its functioning for both classification and regression problems.

The paper aims to present a conceptual framework for analysing CSR practices in global supply chains. It also seeks to demonstrate how a pioneering Swedish company, IKEA, implements and manages CSR practices at its suppliers.

A case analysis of IKEA illustrates the implementation and management of CSR practices in supply chains. The focus is on internal and external integration of CSR practices in the supply chain. IKEA holds a leading position in its supply chain and is a global brand‐owner. Personal interviews are performed with employees from one of the company's trading areas.

Practising CSR in supply chains requires that CSR is embedded within the entire organisation, including subsidiaries abroad and offshore suppliers. It includes employee training and sharing of experience, training of key personnel at the supplier level, positive incentives for suppliers in the form of long‐term contracts and enlarged purchasing orders, and regular auditing of suppliers' performance.

The paper focuses on CSR practices in a specific company's supply chain. Therefore, the findings cannot be generalised to other companies. Also, the practices have been studied from the perspective of the focal company.

The CSR practices of IKEA can serve as inspiration for other companies that are considering adopting corporate codes of conduct.

The paper presents a company that has a long tradition for working with environmental and social issues. The paper demonstrates how the actual management of CSR practices is determined by context‐dependent factors.