Digital Commons Network^™

Ssrn As An Initial Revolution In Academic Knowledge Aggregation And Dissemination, David Bray, Sascha Vitzthum, Benn Konsynski

Sascha Vitzthum

Within this paper we consider our results of using the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) over a period of 18 months to distribute our working papers to the research community. Our experiences have been quite positive, with SSRN serving as a platform both to inform our colleagues about our research as well as inform us about related research (through email and telephoned conversations of colleagues who discovered our paper on SSRN). We then discuss potential future directions for SSRN to consider, and how SSRN might well represent an initial revolution in 21st century academic knowledge aggregation and dissemination. Our paper …

Initial Public Offerings And The Failed Promise Of Disintermediation, A. Christine Hurt

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

It Takes More Than House Calls: Organizing To Win With A Comprehensive Union-Building Strategy, Kate Bronfenbrenner, Tom Juravich

Kate Bronfenbrenner

[Excerpt] Until recently, some national and local union leaders still argued that labor should circle the wagons and take care of existing members rather than spend scarce resources on organizing nonunion workers. Today those voices have largely been silenced by the hard numbers of labor's dramatic decline. As expressed in the platform of the new AFL-CIO leadership slate, the American labor movement must "organize at an unprecedented pace and scale." The question unions face today is no longer whether to make organizing a priority but how that can best be achieved.

Virtual Environments Innovation And R&D Activities: Management Challenges, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Companies will not survive long unless they join a threefold revolution in management itself, innovation, and information technology. Innovation plays a central role in economic development, at regional and national level. In the competitive environment companies are obliged to produce more rapidly, more effectively and more efficiently in new product development which is a result of research and development (R&D) activities. It is necessary for them to put together different capabilities and services with the goal, through cooperation between suppliers and customers, service providers and scientific institutions to achieve innovations of high quality. Depending on the type of industry, the …

Final Report : The Effects Of Plant Closing Or Threat Of Plant Closing On The Right Of Workers To Organize, Kate Bronfenbrenner

Kate Bronfenbrenner

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Strategic And Coordinated Bargaining Campaigns In The 1990s: The Steelworkers’ Experience, Kate Bronfenbrenner, Tom Juravich

Kate Bronfenbrenner

"With the refocusing of attention of the labor movement on organizing, an increasing number of scholars have been directing their research toward the nature and practice of current union organizing efforts. These scholars have begun updating a literature that had grown sorely out of touch with the organizing experience of America’s unions and have provided the foundation for a more sophisticated understanding of the organizing process. While we applaud this resurgence in organizing research, there has not been a comparable resurgence in research on collective bargaining…"

Worker Turnover And Part-Time Employment At Ups, Kate Bronfenbrenner

Kate Bronfenbrenner

Over the last ten years we have seen a dramatic increase in the utilization of part-time workers by the United Parcel Service (UPS). This increase has been coupled with a stunningly high turnover rate of 150 percent among these workers. This study documents the deteriorating work environment for part-time workers at UPS and finds that a lack of full-time opportunities, a pervasive pattern of management mistreatment, and an alarmingly high injury rate are the primary determinants of the high turnover rate.

An Overview Of Userra And The Fmla's Provisions For Military Families, Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center

Conferences, Panels, and Events

Two federal laws offer employment protections specifically to service members and their families. This is a summary of these laws, the USERRA and provisions of the FMLA.

A Sampling Of Workplace Flexibility Laws And Programs For Military Personnel, Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center

Conferences, Panels, and Events

A variety of laws, policies, and programs govern the availability and utilization of workplace flexibility in the military as an employer for both service members and civilians. This document provides examples of those laws, policies, and programs, categorized by the type of flexibility governed.

Virtual R&D Teams: A Sustainable Infrastructure For Promoting Smes, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are a major part of the industrial economies. Their survival and growth has therefore been a prominent issue. Research and development (R&D) enables firms to create new technologies and/or to build on existing technologies obtained through technology transfer. Nowadays unpredictable environment suggests that many firms seek new ways of conducting their business through some kind of R&D activities to make a profit and stay ahead of the competition. To survive in the global economy SMEs have to improve their products and processes exploiting their intellectual capital in a dynamic network of knowledge-intensive relations inside …

The Study Of Price Accept Threshold For The ??Lue Highway??Tour Of The North-East Region In Taiwan, Hung-Yen Chou, Jin-Long Lu, Chiang Fu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

The “Blue Highway” in the NE region of Taiwan includes the tour itineraries of Keelung-Suao, Suao-Hualien and Keelung-Hualien, each with its individual oceanic scenic features and its potential corresponding onshore scenic spots. This study explores the relationship between the “Blue Highway” tour portfolios and price attributes to collect the preference recognition of the public concerning the NE region “Blue Highway” tour itineraries and prices with the stated preference method. The utility function of the discrete choice model assumes the impact effect among attributes to be in a linear relationship plus percentages. The price threshold model improves the assumption of this …

Rfid-Enabled Warehouse Optimization: Lessons From Early Adopters In The 3pl Industry, S. F. Wamba, T. R. Coltman, Katina Michael

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

This paper presents the impact of RFID technology on the picking and shipping processes of one RFID-enabled warehouse in the 3PL industry. The findings from our study confirm initial results from many studies where RFID implementation has been shown to enable business process redesign, improve data quality, real-time data collection and synchronization and enhance system integration. In this study we show that the full potential of RFID technology is dependent upon the involvement of all supply chain members involved in implementation. Moreover, firms considering implementing RFID technology need to take into account their investment in complementary assets such as employee …

Info 530: Erd & Dfd Diagrams, James Gross

James Gross

Drexel University, Info 530/780.

Agenda: Evolving Regional Frameworks For Ag-To-Urban Water Transfers, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center, Western Water Policy Program, Western Water Assessment (Program), Red Lodge Clearinghouse

Evolving Regional Frameworks for Ag-to-Urban Water Transfers (December 11)

The permanent transfer of water from agricultural users to municipalities has become a common feature of water management in several western states. In many cases, these voluntary market‐based transfers provide significant benefits to both the buyers and sellers, but many third parties—including remaining irrigators, rural businesses and communities dependent upon agricultural economies—have been negatively impacted. While some impacts of these so‐called “buy and dry” transfers are largely unavoidable, many can be lessened by temporary arrangements that only shift water to cities in years when municipal supplies are inadequate, such as drought and post‐drought storage recovery, and by consolidating individual farm‐to‐city …

Slides: Pvid/Mwd Land Management, Crop Rotation And Water Supply Program, Ed Smith

Evolving Regional Frameworks for Ag-to-Urban Water Transfers (December 11)

Presenter: Ed Smith, General Manager, Palo Verde Irrigation District, Southern California

25 slides

Slides: Lower Arkansas Valley Super Ditch Company, Inc.: Water Leasing Program, Peter Nichols

Evolving Regional Frameworks for Ag-to-Urban Water Transfers (December 11)

Presenter: Peter Nichols, General Counsel of the Lower Arkansas Valley “Super Ditch” Company, Trout, Raley, Montano, Witwer & Freeman PC, Colorado

33 slides

Slides: Idaho Rental Pool: Rules And Procedures, Idaho Water Resource Board, Jerry R. Rigby

Evolving Regional Frameworks for Ag-to-Urban Water Transfers (December 11)

Presenter: Jerry Rigby, Counsel for Fremont‐Madison Irrigation District, Rigby, Thatcher, Andrus, Rigby & Moeller, Idaho

25 slides

Defining Value Based Information Security Governance Objectives, Sushma Mishra

Theses and Dissertations

This research argues that the information security governance objectives should be grounded in the values of organizational members. Research literature in decision sciences suggest that individual values play an important role in developing decision objectives. Information security governance objectives, based on values of the stakeholders, are essential for a comprehensive security control program. The study uses Value Theory as a theoretical basis and value focused thinking as a methodology to develop 23 objectives for information security governance. A case study was conducted to reexamine and interpret the significance of the proposed objectives in an organizational context. The results suggest three …

Ada News - 12/08/2008, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.

Training And Service Quality: A Case Study Analysis Of Regional Australian Restaurants, Grant Cairncross, Simon J. Wilde, Lucinda Hutchinson

Dr Simon J Wilde

The incorporation of training procedures, both formal and informal, within hospitality firms is recognised as a vital element in achieving sustainable perceived service quality. Yet, despite this importance, relatively little is known about the extent, nature and determinants of training in hospitality firms in regional Australia. Restaurants in particular have proven hard to analyse because many are what the Australian Bureau of Statistics calls micro-businesses who employ less than five staff, or are small businesses with five to twenty employees, and have little in the way of training resources and expertise in the area. An examination of six restaurants in …

Why Do People Use Or Not Use An Information Technology: An Interpretive Investigation On The Adoption And Use Of An Electronic Medical Records System, Li Long

Theses and Dissertations

In the literature of information technology acceptance, much empirical evidence exists that is inconsistent with Technology Acceptance (TA) Models. The purpose of this study is to find out why the extant TA models fail to predict in reality as they purport to in theory. This research argues that the extant literature has not been able to explain how individuals actually form their perceptions about using an information technology. Since past research attempting to do this has been unsuccessful or empirically refuted, this research uses an interpretive case study to investigate the experiences of professionals’ adoption and use of an information …

2008-12-04, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Morehead State Board of Regents Agenda Books and Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Work Is Fun: The Phenomenon Of Boys Enjoying Work In A Camp Setting, Zina Lenore Bennion

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived outcomes of participation in a summer camp that included physical work and service as a major component. A qualitative data analysis approach was used. A convenience sample of 10 male adolescents and 10 parents were selected. The data was analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Data analysis was used to ascertain perceived outcomes from the program from both boys and their parents. Analysis of the data showed the emergence of a core theme of boys learning to work and enjoying work. Enjoying work was the term chosen to represent …

Dealing With Virtual R&D Teams In New Product Development, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

National and global collaboration in research and development (R&D) is becoming increasingly important in creating the knowledge that makes research and business more competitive. Multinational enterprises have increased their research and development (R&D) investment in different countries. These multiple sites encourage the development of more ideas, due to the varied international backgrounds in global networks and the knowledge spillovers. In order to secure the viability of business processes, services and products R&D teams need to access and retrieve information from as many sources as possible. From the other perspective virtual teams are important mechanisms for organizations seeking to control scarce …

Effective Basemetal Hedging: The Optimal Hedge Ratio And Hedging Horizon, Michael Dewally, Luke Marriott

Finance Faculty Research and Publications

This study investigates optimal hedge ratios in all base metal markets. Using recent hedging computation techniques, we find that 1) the short-run optimal hedging ratio is increasing in hedging horizon, 2) that the long-term horizon limit to the optimal hedging ratio is not converging to one but is slightly higher for most of these markets, and 3) that hedging effectiveness is also increasing in hedging horizon. When hedging with futures in these markets, one should hedge long-term at about 6 to 8 weeks with a slightly greater than one hedge ratio. These results are of interest to many purchasing departments …

Developing A Grounded Theory Model On Collaboration In Learning, Michelle J. Boese, Hong Sheng, Richard H. Hall

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Purpose of This Research is to Develop a Grounded Theory Model to Explain the Factors Influencing Collaborative Learning in Higher Education, the Role of Technology in Facilitating Collaboration, and the Outcome of Collaboration. We Assigned 28 Participants to Small Groups to Work on Course-Related Questions; Half of the Groups Were Face-To-Face Groups and the Other Half Groups Were Collaborating in a Simulated Virtual Environment with the Aid of Information Technology. Interview Data Was Collected and Analyzed Following the Grounded Theory Approach. Congruent with Distributed Cognition Theories, the Results of Our Study Suggest that Both Social and Technological Factors Were …

Relationships Between High School Students’ Perception Of Teacher Effectiveness, Attitudes Towards Hospitality And Intent To Select Hospitality As A Career, Eva Marie Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

The aspects of the learning environment have the potential to be an important influence in the career decision-making process of students. Teacher effectiveness was also a revealed as a component of student success. However, the connection between teachers’ effectiveness and student’s career development exhibited a gap in the literature. The idea that a teachers’ effectiveness in the classroom can have a direct impact on a students’ decision to choose a vocation, particularly hospitality, as a post secondary career path has not been thoroughly examined. The purpose of this study was to explore possible relationships between student perception of teacher effectiveness …

Multivariate Mixed Data Mining With Gifi System Using Genetic Algorithm And Information Complexity, Suman Katragadda

Doctoral Dissertations

Statistical analysis is very much dependent on the quality and type of a data set. There are three types of data - continuous, categorical and mixed. Of these three types, statistical modeling on a mixed data had been a challenging job for a long time. This is due to the fact that most of the traditional statistical techniques are defined either for purely continuous data or for purely categorical data but not mixed data. In reality, most of the data sets are neither continuous nor categorical in a pure sense but are in mixed form which makes the statistical analysis …

Workplace Spirituality And Buddhist Meditation, Pawinee Petchsawang

Doctoral Dissertations

Spirituality has received increased attention in the management field over the past few decades. However, there has been little empirical work supporting the benefits of bringing spirituality to the workplace. This dissertation aims to examine the effectiveness of an intervention (the Buddhist Mind Development Program (BMDP)) that is designed specifically to promote spiritual well-being in an Eastern context. First, workplace spirituality was defined to be grounded in the literature. Second, a workplace spirituality measurement was developed relying on conventional psychometric approaches. Third, a quasi experimental study—a pretest and a posttest with nonequivalent comparison groups design—was employed.

The data were collected …

Minerva 2008, The Honors College

Minerva

This issue of Minerva includes an article on the completion of the restoration of Colvin Hall; a reflection by Ruth Nadelhaft, former UMaine Honors program director; and an article on Honors alumnus and Nobel Peace Prize winner Bernard Lown and his 2008 Rezendes Visiting Scholar in Ethics Lecture/Distinguished Honors Graduate Lecture.