Showing papers by "University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee published in 1995"

The Role of Interorganizational and Organizational Factors on the Decision Mode for Adoption of Interorganizational Systems

Abstract: The dramatic growth of interorganizational systems (IOS) has changed the way organizations conduct their business, and has resulted in significant tangible and intangible benefits being realized by participating firms. However, the implementation of these IOS requires the cooperation and commitment of all the participating members. These members may have complex economic and business relationships among themselves that can result in a number of social, political, and economic factors influencing the adoption and implementation of IOS. This study examines the role of interorganizational and organizational factors on the decision mode for adoption of IOS, in the specific context of electronic data interchange (EDI). Four interorganizational factors, based on the socio-political framework derived from research in marketing, and five organizational factors based on research in IS were used in the study. The data for the study were collected through a large scale field survey. Two respondents, the sales/purchase manager and the IS manager, from 201 firms responded to the survey. The results of discriminant analysis of the data reveal that two interorganizational variables, competitive pressure and exercised power, and two organizational variables, internal need and top management support, are important variables to differentiate firms with proactive decision mode from firms with reactive decision mode. The study also evaluates the differences between proactive and reactive firms on three implementation outcomes. Proactive firms are found to have greater extent of adaptation, more external connectivity with trading partners, and better integration of EDI information in their internal IS applications.

Who appreciates family‐responsive human resource policies: the impact of family‐friendly policies on the organizational attachment of parents and non‐parents

Abstract: The 1991 General Social Survey of 745 randomly selected workers in the United States assessed the impact of family-responsive human resource policies, such as parental leave, flexible schedules, and child care assistance on organizational attachment. Employees who had access to family-responsive policies showed significantly greater organizational committment and expressed significantly lower intention to quit their jobs. Additionally, child care information referral had a greater impact on affective commitment among employees eligible for that benefit. The data supported the theory that offering assistance to employees in need symbolizes concern for employees and positively influences attachment to the organization. The contrasting theoretical explanation–that people are more attached to companies when they individually benefit from progressive human resource policies–received considerably less support. The practical implication of the study for human resource management professionals is that providing comprehensive family-friendly policies may have a positive impact beyond the individual employees who tap these benefits.

The Strain Index: A Proposed Method to Analyze Jobs For Risk of Distal Upper Extremity Disorders

Abstract: Based on existing knowledge and theory of the physiology, biomechanics, and epidemiology of distal upper extremity disorders, a semiquantitative job analysis methodology was developed. The methodology involves the measurement or estimation of six task variables (intensity of exertion, duration of exertion per cycle, efforts per minute, wrist posture, speed of exertion, and duration of task per day); assignment of an ordinal rating for each variable according to exposure data; then assignment of a multiplier value for each variable. The Strain Index is the product of these six multipliers. Preliminary testing suggests that the methodology accurately identifies jobs associated with distal upper extremity disorders versus jobs that are not; however, large-scale studies are needed to validate and update the proposed methodology.

Wavelet neural networks for function learning

Abstract: A wavelet-based neural network is described. The structure of this network is similar to that of the radial basis function (RBF) network, except that in the present paper the radial basis functions are replaced by orthonormal scaling functions that are not necessarily radial-symmetric. The efficacy of this type of network in function learning and estimation is demonstrated through theoretical analysis and experimental results. In particular, it has been shown that the wavelet network has universal and L/sup 2/ approximation properties and is a consistent function estimator. Convergence rates associated with these properties are obtained for certain function classes where the rates avoid the "curse of dimensionality". In the experiments, the wavelet network performed well and compared favorably to the MLP and RBF networks. >

The effects of psychoeducational care provided to adults with cancer: meta-analysis of 116 studies.

Abstract: Purpose/objectives To determine how educational and psychosocial care provided to adults with cancer affects seven outcomes--anxiety, depression, mood, nausea, vomiting, pain, and knowledge. Design Meta-analysis. Sample 116 intervention studies. A standardized mean difference between a treatment and control group (i.e., an effect-size value) was calculated for 98 studies; for 18 additional studies, it was only possible to code the direction of treatment effect (i.e., whether the treatment or control group had a higher score). Most analyses were limited to the 98 studies from which an effect-size value was obtainable. These studies were published between 1976 and 1993 and were based on data obtained from 5,326 patients with cancer. Methods A comprehensive literature search yielded more than 20,000 potentially relevant citations that were reviewed. Study, subject, treatment, and outcome characteristics of the studies meeting selection criteria were coded. Main research variables Manner of subject assignment to treatment condition; type of control group; publication form; type of psychoeducational care; and the outcomes of anxiety, depression, mood, nausea, vomiting, pain, and knowledge. Findings Statistically significant, beneficial effects were found in relation to all seven of the outcomes. Three threats to validity were examined and were not found to be a problem related to the outcomes examined. Conclusions Psychoeducational care was found to benefit adults with cancer in relation to anxiety, depression, mood, nausea, vomiting, pain, and knowledge. Differentiating among the effectiveness of various types of psychoeducational care was problematic. To maximize the utility of this knowledge for clinicians, more research is needed to evaluate the relative effectiveness of different types of psychoeducational care. Implications for nursing practice A strong research base has established the beneficial effects of psychoeducational care. Clinicians should examine their practice to determine if research-based psychoeducational care is being used sufficiently.

Aspiration and laryngeal representation in Germanic

Abstract: The phonetic gesture of stop consonant aspiration, which is predictable in a Germanic language such as English, has been described traditionally as ranging from a ‘puff of air’ upon release of closure (Heffner 1950) to the segmental occurrence of a following voiceless glottal approximant /h/ (Trager & Smith 1951). Within the generative phonology paradigm, however, aspiration has been construed as a featural property rather than as an independent segment of its own, often casually identified simply as [+aspiration], or, following Chomsky & Halle (1968), as a positive specification resulting from ‘heightened subglottal pressure’. We take this kind of view here as well, employing a notation with superscript h ([Ch]) to indicate representations in which aspiration is encoded as an integral feature of the segment with which it is associated, while we explore the phonological realisation of aspiration in Germanic as the reflex manifestation of a spread or open glottis, an idea first advanced in the seminal work of Kim (1970), and since developed in Anderson & Ewen's treatment of ‘|O| languages’ (1987: 195–199)

Dissolution and reduction of magnetite by bacteria.

Abstract: Magnetite (Fe3O4) is an iron oxide of mixed oxidation state [Fe(II), Fe(III)] that contributes largely to geomagnetism and plays a significant role in diagenesis in marine and freshwater sediments. Magnetic data are the primary evidence for ocean floor spreading and accurate interpretation of the sedimentary magnetic record depends on an understanding of the conditions under which magnetite is stable. Though chemical reduction of magnetite by dissolved sulfide is well known, biological reduction has not been considered likely based upon thermodynamic considerations. This study shows that marine and freshwater strains of the bacterium Shewanella putrefaciens are capable of the rapid dissolution and reduction of magnetite, converting millimolar amounts to soluble Fe(II)in a few days at room temperature. Conditions under which magnetite reduction is optimal (pH 5-6, 22-37 degrees C) are consistent with an enzymatic process and not with simple chemical reduction. Magnetite reduction requires viable cells and cell contact, and it appears to be coupled to electron transport and growth. In a minimal medium with formate or lactate as the electron donor, more than 10 times the amount of magnetite was reduced over no carbon controls. These data suggest that magnetite reduction is coupled to carbon metabolism in S. putrefaciens. Bacterial reduction rates of magnetite are of the same order of magnitude as those estimated for reduction by sulfide. If such remobilization of magnetite occurs in nature, it could have a major impact on sediment magnetism and diagenesis.

A Meta-Analysis Summarizing the Effects of Pornography II Aggression After Exposure

Abstract: This meta-analytic review examines the effect that exposure to pornography produces on aggressive behavior under laboratory conditions considering a variety of possible moderating conditions (level of sexual arousal, level of prior anger, type of pornography, gender of subject, gender of the target of aggression, and medium used to convey the material). The summary demonstrates a homogeneous set of results showing that pictorial nudity reduces subsequent aggressive behavior, that consumption of material depicting nonviolent sexual activity increases aggressive behavior, and that media depictions of violent sexual activity generates more aggression than those of nonviolent sexual activity. No other moderator variable produced homogeneous findings. The implications of the results for theoretical approaches to understanding the impact of pornography receives discussion, as do the limitations of such findings.

The relationship of pupil control to preservice elementary science teacher self–efficacy and outcome expectancy

Abstract: The investigators' intentions in this study were to examine preservice elementary teachers' sense of self-efficacy with regard to science teaching and to define the construct of self-efficacy with greater clarity. Additionally, the construct of pupil control was examined. To gather information toward these purposes, we investigated the following questions: Do prospective elementary teachers' efficacy beliefs relate to their beliefs concerning classroom management or control?; and How is a measure of self-efficacy related to prospective teachers' self-reported choice concerning the teaching of science, amount of time spent in performing “hands-on” science, and/or perceived effectiveness as future elementary science teachers? Self-efficacy was measured as two distinct constructs, personal self-efficacy and outcome expectancy. Significant correlations were found between personal science teaching self-efficacy and (1) the number of college science courses taken; (2) the number of years of high school science taken; (3) respondent's choice of science instructional delivery; and (4) respondent's perceived effectiveness in teaching science. When the outcome expectancy subscale is considered, however, only one significant correlation is indicated; perceived effectiveness in teaching science was significantly correlated with outcome expectancy. Personal science teaching self-efficacy was significantly correlated with pupil control ideology while outcome expectancy was not. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Firm Turnarounds: an Integrative Two‐Stage Model

Abstract: This paper presents a model proposing that turnaround firms exhibit two classes of response to decline: (a) decline-stemming strategies that reverse the dysfunctional consequences of decline, and (b) recovery strategies that position the firm to better compete in its industry. We further propose that effective top management actions supporting both of these strategies are vital to recovering from decline. Our model of the turnaround process questions some existing assumptions about turnarounds and extends theory in several key areas. First, we argue that success in initially stemming decline requires managers to go beyond retrenchment or focusing on financial issues to include effective management of a firm's external stakeholders and internal climate and decision processes. Second, we outline important contingencies impacting each class or stage of response to decline and discuss the interaction between stages. Finally, we demonstrate how our model provides explanations for several unresolved issues regarding turnarounds and has implications for management practice.

Confined and Submerged Liquid Jet Impingement Heat Transfer

Abstract: The local heat transfer from a small heat source to a normally impinging, axisymmetric, and submerged liquid jet, in confined and unconfined configurations, was experimentally investigated. A single jet of FC-77 issuing from a round nozzle impinged onto a square foil heater, which dissipated a constant heat flux. The nozzle and the heat source were both mounted in large round plates to ensure axisymmetric radial outflow of the spent fluid. The local surface temperature of the heat source was measured at different radial locations (r/d) from the center of the jet in fine increments. Results for the local heat transfer coefficient distribution at the heat source are presented as functions of nozzle diameter (0.79 ≤ d ≤ 6.35 mm), Reynolds number (4000 to 23,000), and nozzle-to-heat source spacing (1 ≤ Z/d ≤ 14). Secondary peaks in the local heat transfer observed at r/d 2 were more pronounced at the smaller (confined) spacings and larger nozzle diameters for a given Reynolds number, and shifted radially outward from the stagnation point as the spacing increased. The secondary-peak magnitude increased with Reynolds number, and was higher than the stagnation value in some instances.

Exposure to Pornography and Acceptance of Rape Myths

Abstract: This paper quantitatively summarizes the literature examining the association between acceptance of rape myths and exposure to pornography. In this meta-analysis, nonexperimental methodology shows almost no effect (exposure to pornography does not increase rape myth acceptance), while experimental studies show positive effect (exposure to pornography does increase rape myth acceptance). Although the experimental studies demonstrate that violent pornography has more effect than nonviolent pornography, nonviolent pornography still demonstrates an effect.

The influence of population density on outcrossing rates in Mimulus ringens

Abstract: The influence of population density on pollinator movements and outcrossing rates was studied in experimental arrays of Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkeyflower), a wetland perennial species with a mixed-mating system. Each population was composed of genets with unique multi-locus combinations of homozygous genotypes, facilitating determination of outcrossing rates through paternity exclusion. Replicate arrays were cloned from the same set of genets to minimize differences in floral and vegetative morphology among density treatments. Two arrays were planted at each of three spacings typical of the range of densities found in natural M. ringens populations. Both the proportion of pollinator flights between plants and the frequency of outcrossing were significantly greater at high density. These results suggest that ecological and demographic factors, such as population density, can significantly influence levels of inbreeding in species with mixed-mating systems.

Provocation of Hypotension During Head-Up Tilt Testing in Subjects With No History of Syncope or Presyncope

Abstract: Background Head-up tilt test is increasingly being used to evaluate patients with syncope. This study was designed to evaluate the specificity of head-up tilt testing using different tilt angles and isoproterenol infusion doses in normal volunteers with no prior history of syncope or presyncope. Methods and Results One hundred fifty volunteers were randomized to two groups of 75 each. In group 1, subjects were further randomized to have head-up tilt testing at a 60, 70, or 80 degree angle at baseline followed by repeat tilt testing during a low-dose isoproterenol infusion that increased the heart rate by an average of 20%. In group 2, after having a baseline head-up tilt test at a 70 degree angle for a maximum of 20 minutes, subjects were randomized to have a repeat tilt table testing at a 70 degree angle during a low-dose, 3 μg/min, or 5 μg/min isoproterenol infusion. In group 1, syncope or presyncope along with hypotension developed in 2 subjects during the baseline test at 60 and 70 degrees of tilt and...

Local Prediction of a Spatio-Temporal Process with an Application to Wet Sulfate Deposition

Abstract: A prediction method is given for a first- and second-order nonstationary spatio-temporal process. The predictor uses local data only and consists of a two-stage generalized regression estimate of the local drift at the prediction location added to a kriging prediction of the residual process at that location. This predictor is applied to observations on seasonal, rainfall-deposited sulfate over the conterminous United States between summer 1986 and summer 1992. Analyses suggest that predictions and estimated prediction standard errors have negligible to small biases, there is spatially heterogeneous temporal drift, and temporal covariance is negligible.

Scale Dependency of Hydraulic Conductivity Measurements

Abstract: The hydraulic conductivity of five stratigraphic units in a carbonate aquifer has been measured with slug, pressure, and pumping tests, and with two calibrated digital models. The effective test radii range from less than one to greater than 10,000 meters. On log-log plots hydraulic conductivity increases approximately linearly with test radius to a range between 20 and 220 meters, but thereafter, it is constant with scale. The increase in magnitude of hydraulic conductivity is similar to scaling effects reported at seven additional sites in a variety of geologic media. Moreover, the increase in magnitude correlates with an increase in variance of log-hydraulic conductivity measured at successively greater separation distances. The rate of increase in both parameters, and particularly the range, have characteristic values for different pore systems. The larger ranges are consistently present in units with greater secondary porosity. Therefore, scaling effects provide a qualitative measure of the relative importance of secondary and primary permeability, and they can potentially be used to distinguish the dominant type of pore system.

Spectral redundancy: Intelligibility of sentences heard through narrow spectral slits

Abstract: The intelligibility of word lists subjected to various types of spectral filtering has been studied extensively. Although words used for communication are usually present in sentences rather than lists, there has been no systematic report of the intelligibility of lexical components of narrowband sentences. In the present study, we found that surprisingly little spectral information is required to identify component words when sentences are heard through narrow spectral slits. Four hundred twenty listeners (21 groups of 20 subjects) were each presented with 100 bandpass filtered CID ( “everyday speech ”) sentences; separate groups received center frequencies of 370, 530, 750, 1100, 1500, 2100, 3000, 4200, and 6000 Hz at 70 dBA SPL. In Experiment 1, intelligibility of single 1/3-octave bands with steep filter slopes (96 dB/octave) averaged more than 95% for sentences centered at 1100, 1500, and 2100 Hz. In Experiment 2, we used the same center frequencies with extremely narrow bands (slopes of 115 dB/octave intersecting at the center frequency, resulting in a nominal bandwidth of l/20 octave). Despite the severe spectral tilt for all frequencies of this impoverished spectrum, intelligibility remained relatively high for most bands, with the greatest intelligibility (77%) at 1500 Hz. In Experiments 1 and 2, the bands centered at 370 and 6000 Hz provided little useful information when presented individually, but in each experiment they interacted synergistically when combined. The present findings demonstrate the adaptive flexibility of mechanisms used for speech perception and are discussed in the context of the LAME model of opportunistic multilevel processing.

Studying Courts Comparatively: The View from the American States

Abstract: In this study, we perform a basic exercise to illustrate the vital influence of institutional rules and structures on judicial behavior, and the impor tance of recognizing this influence in models of judicial choice. Specifically, we estimate several models of state supreme court justices' voting on the death penalty. Beginning with a simple preferences model, an institutional model, and an additive preferences-institutional model, we explore the extent to which our understanding of judicial behavior is enhanced or changed through models that include the interactive effects of institutional features with other sources of influence on judicial choice. Our most fundamental point, clearly supported by the results, is that the effects of case facts, per sonal attributes, and environmental features are conditioned by institutional arrangements. Any explanation of judicial choice must consider carefully the impact of institutional context on the exercise of judicial discretion. Through this approach, the incons...

The PREP system of nursing interventions: A pilot test with families caring for older members

Abstract: The PREP system of nursing interventions, designed to increase preparedness (PR), enrichment (E), and predictability (P) in families providing care to older people, was pilot tested for acceptability and preliminary effectiveness. Eleven family units were assigned to the PREP group and 11 to a standard home health control group. The PREP group scored approximately one SD higher than the control group (p <.05) on the Care Effectiveness Scale, indicating greater preparedness, enrichment, and predictability. Further, on a rating of overall usefulness, the PREP group rated their assistance from PREP nurses (M = 9.75) as significantly higher (p <.01) than the control group rated assistance from the home health nurse or physical therapist (M = 6.57). Although not statistically significant, mean hospital costs for the PREP group ($2,775) were lower than for the control group ($6,929). Results provided support for a full intervention trial. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The repair of speech act misunderstandings by abductive inference

Abstract: During a conversation, agents can easily come to have different beliefs about the meaning or discourse role of some utterance. Participants normally rely on their expectations to determine whether the conversation is proceeding smoothly: if nothing unusual is detected, then understanding is presumed to occur. Conversely, when an agent says something that is inconsistent with another's expectations, then the other agent may change her interpretation of an earlier turn and direct her response to the reinterpretation, accomplishing what is known as a fourth-turn repair.Here we describe an abductive account of the interpretation of speech acts and the repair of speech act misunderstandings. Our discussion considers the kinds of information that participants use to interpret an utterance, even if it is inconsistent with their beliefs. It also considers the information used to design repairs. We describe a mapping between the utterance-level forms (semantics) and discourse-level acts (pragmatics), and a relation between the discourse acts and the beliefs and intentions that they express. We specify for each discourse act, the acts that might be expected, if the hearer has understood the speaker correctly. We also describe our account of belief and intention, distinguishing the beliefs agents actually have from the ones they act as if they have when they perform a discourse act. To support repair, we model how misunderstandings can lead to unexpected actions and utterances and describe the processes of interpretation and repair. To illustrate the approach, we show how it accounts for an example repair.

Predictive validity and time dependency of self-efficacy, self-esteem, personal goals, and academic performance.

Abstract: This article seeks to clarify some conceptual and empirical ambiguities regarding self-efficacy and self-esteem in the educational, psychological, and organizational literatures. The validity of se...

Career Linking: An Intervention to Promote Math and Science Career Awareness.

Abstract: A 1-year intervention was designed to improve minority students' awareness of and preparation for math and science careers. Specifically, goals focused on increasing students' career knowledge, self-esteem, math and science achievement, choice of high school, and high school course selection in math and science. Results indicated success in career knowledge and high school choice and moderate success in achievement, self-esteem, and math and science course selection. Results are discussed in terms of implications for counseling.

Climate, Race, and Imperial Authority: The Symbolic Landscape of the British Hill Station in India

Abstract: Nostalgia for home is quite natural among expatriates. The English country life recreated in the hill stations of India, however, was elaborated on by the greater prestige of an imperial people. This paper examines the hill station as a landscape type tied to nineteenth-century discourses of imperialism and climate. Both discourses serve as evidence of a belief in racial difference and, thereby, the imperial hill station reflected and reinforced a framework of meaning that influenced European views of the non-western world in general. Because the hill station was seen as a resource to be protected for use by the British ruler, the standards used in colonial settlement planning are framed in these discourses of privilege and difference. Primary attention is given to the high imperial age from 1870 to 1914 when construction activity was greatest. Ootacamund, the summer capital of the Madras presidency in southern India, serves as the case study for evaluating this landscape type.

Single and multiobjective structural optimization in discrete-continuous variables using simulated annealing

Abstract: A multivariable optimization technique based on the Monte-Carlo method used in statistical mechanics studies of condensed systems is adapted for solving single and multiobjective structural optimization problems. This procedure, known as simulated annealing, draws an analogy between energy minimization in physical systems and objective function minimization in structural systems. The search for a minimum is simulated by a relaxation of the statistical mechanical system where a probabilistic acceptance criterion is used to accept or reject candidate designs. To model the multiple objective functions in the problem formulation, a cooperative game theoretic approach is used. Numerical results obtained using three different annealing strategies for the single and multiobjective design of structures with discrete-continuous variables are presented. The influence of cooling schedule parameters on the optimum solutions obtained is discussed. Simulation results indicate that, in several instances, the optimum solutions obtained using simulated annealing outperform the optimum solutions obtained using some gradient-based and discrete optimization techniques. The results also indicate that simulated annealing has substantial potential for additional applications in optimization, especially for problems with mixed discrete-continuous variables.

The Problem of Misplaced Control Limits

Abstract: The paper draws on simple data analysis and time series ideas to assess the limitations of standard control chart procedures in various practical applications in which the underlying assumptions of control charts may be materially violated and, in consequence, the control limits may be misplaced. To give an idea of the kinds and frequency of violations that occur in practice, we summarize an empirical study of a sample of 235 quality control applications. This collection includes two data sets reported by leading statisticians that are explicitly discussed here to illustrate difficulties in the proper placement of control limits. The results of the study of all 235 data sets suggest that violations of assumptions are the rule rather than the exception in practice.

In situ technique for synthesizing Fe-TiC composites

Abstract: In-situ formation of Fe-TiC metal matrix composites are studied to determine processing procedures and resulting microstructures. It is possible to synthesize composites with up to 30 vol% TiC and composites up to 10 vol.% TiC can be statically cast. Vacuum synthesis avoids foaming. Microstructures show the carbides are spherulitic and distributed uniformly in the ferrous matrix.

Structural and interpersonal impact of heterosexual assumptions on lesbian health care clients.

Abstract: In this feminist narrative study using in-depth interviews and focus groups, a racially and economically diverse sample of 45 lesbians described their access to and experience with health care. The multistaged narrative analysis revealed structural and interpersonal conditions uniquely faced by lesb

Loyalty differences in the use of internal and external reference prices

Abstract: Recent findings in reference price research suggest that consumer characteristics may affect whether they use an internal reference price (IPR) or an external reference price (ERP) in price judgments. In this paper, we investigate the role of one such characteristic, brand loyalty, in the use of either type of reference price. Specifically, we employ a latent class-type approach to divide consumers on the basis of their brand loyalty into an ERP and an IRP segment. Analysis of the margarine and liquid detergents categories shows that consumers who are highly loyal to a brand are likely to use external reference prices whereas less brand-loyal consumers rely on internal reference prices. We discuss the implications of this finding and suggest directions for future research.