Showing papers on "Empirical research published in 1981"

Expertise in Problem Solving.

Abstract: : It has become increasingly clear in recent years that the quality of domain-specific knowledge is the main determinant of expertise in that domain. This paper begins with an examination of the shift from consideration of general, domain-independent skills and procedures, in both cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence, to the study of the knowledge base. Next, the empirical findings and theoretical models of other researchers in physics problem solving are detailed and summarized. Then our own work is presented, consisting of eight empirical studies. These studies show, in general, the importance of differences in the knowledge bases of experts and novices to their problem solving success. More specifically, they show that it is difficult to use protocols of problem solving episodes to illuminate the differences in the knowledge bases of experts and novices, that experts and novices perceive the problem themselves differently, i.e., novices respond to the surface features of a problem while experts respond to its deep structure, that less successful novices, at least, have deficiencies in their declarative knowledge of physics, that novices tend to lack knowledge of when to use certain physics knowledge, and that deficiencies in knowledge appear to prevent novices at times from making key inferences necessary for solving problems. Finally, these results and their implications for theories of intelligence, are discussed. (Author)

Internal Determinants of Export Marketing Behavior: An Empirical Investigation:

Abstract: Although interest in export marketing has been growing rapidly, only a few empirical studies have been conducted on the internal determinants of the export marketing behavior of firms. The authors ...

On the Differences Between Scientific and Artistic Approaches to Qualitative Research

Abstract: My intention in this paper is to identify 10 dimensions in which artistic and scientific approaches to qualitative research differ. The term qualitative research does not have a long history in the field of education and in many ways it not only hides the important distinctions which need to be made, but it is, itself, misleading. The major distinction we seek is not between qualitative and nonqualitative forms of research since all empirical research must of necessity pay attention to qualities, but between what is studied in a scientific mode and what is studied artistically. There can be no empirical research, that form of research that addresses problems in a material universe, that does not aim to describe, interpret, predict or control qualities. The major distinction to be made in the conduct of research is not located in the phenomenon of study but in the mode in which that study occurs. The difference that counts is between what is studied artistically and what is studied scientifically. These differences are the ones to which this paper is addressed. At the outset it should be said

Experience Curves and Dynamic Demand Models: Implications for Optimal Pricing Strategies:

Abstract: Recent empirical research shows that supply and demand conditions are typically not stable over time. The evolution of these factors and the firm's ability to impact the evolution have important pr...

The empirical evidence

Abstract: Theoretical foundation for viewing the organization conceptually as a set of objectives and a set of constraints expressed as a mathematical programming model have been presented. It has been shown how coordination, diversification and incentives are treated in this framework. It has been shown that the variables have a certain relationship but their actual impact on organizational performance depends on the particular circumstances. This chapter presents a series of empirical studies where this view of the organization has been assumed. These studies show how the particular circumstances are modeled, the kind of questions asked, and the conclusions that have been reached. The studies presented are based on three different research approaches: case studies, laboratory experiments, and computer simulation experiments. The coordination principles that are considered in the context of decentralized planning are: the price-directive approach and the budgeting approach. The chapter reviews a laboratory experiment by Moore. Moore's experiments examined the interaction between organizational design, human information processing and decision making.

Empirical and Theoretical Underpinnings of Bilingual Education.

Abstract: Empirical research on the consequences of bilingual education for minority language children is reviewed, and a theoretical model is constructed in order to account for the research findings. It is...

Measurement of Monopoly Behavior: An Application to the Cigarette Industry

Abstract: A simple scheme is proposed to measure monopoly pricing behavior. The coefficient of the tax rate term in a price equation identifies the ratio of price to marginal cost. No direct measurement of costs is required, so a major problem for other empirical studies of monopoly is avoided. Empirical results for cross-section time-series data support rejection of atomistic competition but also provide evidence against the operation of an effective cartel in the cigarette industry. The model represents an alternative interpretation of related results in a recent paper by Barzel. Application of the methodology to other markets is feasible.

User Involvement in System Design: An Empirical Test of Alternative Approaches

Abstract: 'User involvement' in the development of informationsystems is often assumed to be key to successfulimplementation. However, few empirical studies have clearlydemonstrated a relationship between user involvement and twokey indicators of system success: system usage and userinformation satisfaction. The authors test the generalhypothesis that user involvement is a more complex conceptthan previous research would indicate; there are differenttypes of involvement and different stages in the systemdevelopment life cycle in which users may become involved.In a study of 83 users and 23 information systems managersin 23 companies, they found that only the activity of usersign-offs on project phases had a significant correlationwith both user information satisfaction and satisfaction with the information systems group. The authors concludethat there is a complex relationship between the type anddegree of user involvement and other organizational andindividual factors; this relationship affects both usersatisfaction with and usage of the resulting systems. Somesuggestions for further research taking this complexity intoaccount are given.

An Empirical Test of Models of Salespersons’ Job Expectancy and Instrumentality Perceptions:

Abstract: The author reports the results of a study of the motivational implications of the industrial salesperson's personal characteristics and his or her perceptions of the job, the company's organization...

Shortening of the PLC—AN Empirical Test

Abstract: Analysis of changes in the length of the introductory and growth stages of the product life cycle of 37 household appliances over a 50-year period provides the first empirical evidence for the comm...

Bringing Some Clarity to Role Ambiguity Research

Abstract: Theoretical development of the concept of role ambiguity and empirical research on this concept have proceeded fairly independently of one another. Empirical work has confounded role ambiguity with both job dissatisfaction and formalization. A new model of ambiguity is offered, emphasizing unpredictability, rather than information deficiency. This model accords with expectancy theory.

Power, Conflict, and Satisfaction in Distribution Channels—An Empirical Study

Abstract: Drawing from the literature on channels of distribution, four hypotheses concerning the relationships between power, satisfaction and conflict are developed. These hypotheses are tested using data from the channel of distribution for bulk beer. Finally, the causal model underlying the hypotheses is tested, using causal path analysis and an alternative causal model is presented which provides a better fit with the data and which also helps to explain some troublesome findings from previous research.

Management Promotions: Individual and Organizational Factors Influencing the Decision Process

Abstract: Factors likely to influence promotion decisions include the decision process, attributes of the decision maker(s), the organization's promotion policies and support systems, and other elements of the organizational and environmental context. The decision process includes strategy formulation, candidate search, information handling, evaluation and choice, and planning for implementation. We present 16 propositions regarding promotion decisions that are suitable for empirical testing.

The Integration of Research Studies on the Use of Simulation as an Instructional Strategy.

Abstract: Claims about the efficacy of simulation as an instrumental strategy are both relatively unsubstantiated and inconclusive. This study evaluates 93 empirical research studies concerned with simulation for instructional purposes using meta-analysis as a procedure to integrate the results of research findings. The simulation studies could be classified as being concerned with student cognitive development or retention, or attitude formation. Meta-analysis of the data revealed that simulation as an instructional strategy is only more effective than the lecture method for attitude formation. The results also suggested that the simulation characteristics, duration, and sample size of the simulation group are important variables.

Ethical Beliefs in Marketing Management: a Cross‐Cultural Study

Abstract: Presents an empirical study of the ethical standards of marketing management practices evaluated by practising managers. Considers two important dimensions of this: cross‐cultural and inter‐management level perspectives. Concludes that it is advisable to first, try to avoid least desirable marketing practices, and second, upgrade the moral standard in the business community.

Identification of supplier induced demand in the health care sector.

Abstract: This paper explores the issues and pitfalls encountered when attempting to test empirically the hypothesis that physician, hospital, or any other input supply level induces increasing demand for health services in the strict sense of demand shift and, through that, increased demand for the input in question. Evidence is presented which suggests that an empirical test of the supplier induced demand (SID) hypothesis of the type traditionally performed may not in fact be feasible with cross-sectional aggregate data such as is usually used.

The Competitive Effect in Bonus Bidding: New Evidence

Abstract: One of the major unsettled questions in the study of competitive bidding concerns the impact of additional competition in auctions on the optimal bid levels of competing firms. Numerous theoretical and simulation studies suggest an inverse relationship between the expected number of competitors and the bid level of a particular firm in sealed bid auctions involving objects of uncertain value. The few empirical studies that have been done contradict this assertion. In this article, we address this issue by pointing out a serious statistical defect in previous empirical work and by reestimating a bid level equation by using a more appropriate technique. New evidence is provided which reconciles the differences between previous empirical results and the major predictions of the widely accepted bidding theory models. The new results presented here support the conclusions of the theoretical studies.

Intra-firm trade and the developing countries

Abstract: Reasons for developing countries' concern with intrafirm trade are summarized. Existing sources of data are evaluated, and conceptual and definitional problems addressed. Existing data are employed to establish trends in developing countries' intrafirm trade; U.S. non-petroleum imports from majority-owned foreign affiliates in developing countries are a declining share of total U.S. such imports. Recommendations for further data collection and empirical research are offered.

Learning approach and outcome: some empirical observations

Abstract: Various kinds of empirical investigations have shown that differences in learning strategies or approaches exist. In the present study it is argued that in many such studies, in spite of the disparities in the theoretical and methodological frameworks employed, the differences between strategies are often described in rather similar terms. What emerges from such research is quite often a distinction between a memorizing, reproductive strategy or approach on the one hand and on the other a strategy which is characterized as implying a focussing on comprehending main ideas and principles and, in general, on a more organizing and reflective attitude towards the learning material. The results of the empirical study reported here indicate: (a) that a similar distinction exists in every-day thinking about learning, and (b) that whether a person, according to his own spontaneous description, uses one or the other of these two approaches appears to have interesting consequences for the outcome. The main consequence of differences in approach may however perhaps not be found in how much people learn in a quantitative sense, but rather in what kind of information is focussed on and learned. It is argued that a more descriptively orientated psychology of learning is urgently needed, i.e. a kind of research which attempts to reveal what learning in real life is like and which furthermore in a more sensitive way tries to reveal the consequences of differences in strategy or approach for the outcome of learning.

An Empirical Estimation of a Production Function: The Case of Major League Baseball

Abstract: All productive enterprises, whether they be for profit or non-profit, are similar in that they all in volve a production process and therefore a produc tion function. The production function, once identified, not only demonstrates the relationship between inputs and outputs, but may also give the producer information concerning factor shares, marginal productivity, and returns to scale. The producer is then able to choose the most efficient combination of factors, as well as be made aware of any tradeoffs that exist among the factors; for ex ample, the substitution of capital for labor. Identi fying its production function is a key element in maximizing the efficiency of any enterprise. Team sports, such as baseball, are similar to other enterprises in this respect. A team attempts to provide a product (victories)1 by employing various inputs (the skills of the team members). Like any other enterprise, it is helpful to the baseball team to be able to identify its production functioa The production function could then serve as a basis for team member salaries, as well as determin ing which team members should play. Just as a manufacturer may be concerned with a tradeoff between capital and labor, a baseball team may fac& the problem of playing an individual who is a good hitter versus one with more power. In acquir ing talent through trades and the free agent market, the team must again make decisions on such trade offs. For example, the question of whether a power hitter should be traded for a singles hitter,2 or whether the team should be willing to sacrifice hitting strength to acquire more pitching strength, must be answered. These decisions are all made in the context of a baseball production function, although most likely based on an informal notion of the production function rather than on more formal knowledge supported by empirical evidence. This paper has two purposes. The first is to identify those factors that contribute to team suc cess, and then to empirically estimate the effect of each factor. Secondly, the results of the empirical testing will be employed in constructing a measure of a league's most valuable player,

A Simultaneous Equation Analysis of Advertising, Concentration and Profitability

Abstract: Nearly two decades of econometric research have been completed in testing relationships between industrial market structure and performance. Recently, a number of authors have reexamined these studies and cautioned on a number of conceptual difficulties which subject the results and interpretation of previous empirical work to question. One primary criticism of previous research has been the failure to account for the simultaneous nature of the interrelation among elements of industry structure, conduct and performance [2; 4; 5; 11; 22; 25; 30]. While the determinants of variables such as profits, advertising and concentration have been examined separately within the context of single equation models, the underlying theory suggests that these variables are more properly considered as jointly determined within a system of simultaneous equations.' Estimation of single equation models when a simultaneous system is appropriate leads to parameter estimates that are both biased and inconsistent. Previous empirical studies of the structure-performance relationship have also suffered due to the omission of certain critical variables. First, the role of international trade as an element of market structure has yet to be generally incorporated into empirical studies, in spite of recent theoretical work that has demonstrated its potential importance [3; 20; 21]. Second, interindustry differentials in the price elasticity of demand have been neglected, even though theoretical analysis clearly underscores the necessity of explicity accounting for

An Empirical Test of the Theory of On-The-Job Search

Abstract: Preunemployment search is the fundamental labor market process generating beneficial effects of advance notice. Yet theory indicates that workers receiving notice may not search, whereas others may search even without advance notice. Our weighted results ...

Intuitive Data Processing as a Potential Source of Bias in Naturalistic Evaluations

Abstract: in the 17th century, for example, rebelled against the influence of Aristotelian thinking and the methods of acquiring knowledge (especially about the physical universe) current in his own day. In particular, he warned against a number of sources of distortion which he called Idols. Those associated with sensory perception and intuitive methods of analysis he called the "Idols of the Tribe," since he believed them to be "inherent in human nature, and the very tribe or race of man" (Bacon 41). Recent research in human perception and cognition has given substance and specificity to many of Bacon's concerns. In addition, there has been growing interest in the implications of this type of research in various social settings, in particular, to courtroom testimony (Yarmey, 1979) and to decision making in business (Wright, 1980). Because bias threatens an evaluation, it is not surprising that there is considerable literature on the topic. It is possible to group various forms of bias under three broad headings. First, there are ethical compromises, actions for which the evaluator is personally culpable. Second are what may be called value inertias, unwanted distorting influences which reflect the evaluator's background experience. The first part of this paper is a brief survey of these two categories, mainly to indicate the scope of each and so distinguish them from the third category, cognitive limitations in dealing with data. The major purpose of the paper is to elaborate the third category. This takes the form of a survey of faulty intuitions which have been identified in empirical research. Only those aspects which appear to have direct relevance to evaluation (in particular, naturalistic evaluation) are included. This is not to suggest that current naturalistic approaches to research and evaluation are undisciplined and merely impressionistic. They are not, of course. But such a catalog of commonly-found intuitive biases is justified even if it is not accompanied by concrete proposals as to how each may be eliminated or reduced. To be sure, the presentation may appear to be somewhat negative (after all, it is a list of defects) but if it helps sensitize naturalistic inquirers to potential problem areas, its contribution will be positive.

Teacher Careers and Comprehensive Schooling: An Empirical Study:

Abstract: This paper is based on an investigation of a reorganized comprehensive school. Although in the tradition of the `new' sociology of education, it is critical of aspects of such an approach. It attem...

Social science information and public policy making

Abstract: A survey of federal officials reveals the belief that government should make the fullest possible use of social science information-and yet most of the information developed by social scientists winds up in specialized libraries or data banks, where it remains unused. Why don't public officials make greater use of the information social scientists develop? What can social scientists do to ensure that their findings are used? To answer these and related questions, Robert Rich reports the results of a unique experiment designed to facilitate the use of research data by public officials in federal agencies. Rich interviewed both researchers and users of research data over the two-year life of a Continous National Survey (CNS) experiment to discover the extent to which the CNS mechanism was successful and to record the levels and types of use that officials made of the data provided. Rich reveals that factors such as the timeliness, cost, and relevance of data do not guarantee that information will be used. He examines patterns in the actual use of survey data by agency officials and explores key organizational factors, such as the compatibility of information with various bureaucratic interests. He discusses the preoccupation of public officials with bureaucratic issues regarding the ownership and control of information, identifies the incentives that prompt bureaucrats to pass along new information and the government officials' difficulties in developing policies and programs for meeting national needs. Rich notes that studies of knowledge inquiry systems, found in the research literature of many social science disciplines have been dominated by a "rationalistic bias." This "bias" is expressed in terms of the belief that the act of acquiring information will automatically lead to its use, in turn, automatically leading to improved policy or decisions. He contends that empirical studies of how information is actually used do not support the assumptions of rational choice theory. The new chapter also discusses types of information, knowledge, and use; prospects for the development of learning organizations in government; and the politics of expertise. This book will be of interest to social scientists and public policy makers. Robert F. Rich is professor of law and political science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also professor in the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, and was the director of that Institute from 1986-1997. He is the founding editor of Knowledge: Creation, Diffusion, Utilization (now Science Communication).

Community Power and Population Increase: An Empirical Test of the Growth Machine Model'

Abstract: Attempts to relate community power to policy outputs have been criticized for lacking theoretical relevance and statistical significance. To overcome these criticisms, this research employs a power-policy model based on a political economy framework which utilizes Molotch's conpetion of the community as a growth machine. Analysis of the Permanent Community Sample provides strong power-policy relationships that support the major tenets of the growth machine explanation: As members of the business elite gain power, they can successfully promote population growth that provides them with greater profits through higher property values. The most widely cited common good for growth, lower unemployment, does not accrue. This supports the relevance of a political economy approach to community phenomena and suggests different directions for community power research.

Management Information Systems, Communications, and Departmental Power: An Integrative Model

Abstract: After a review of related theoretical and empirical research, I develop a theoretical framework that positively relates the use of management information systems to determinants of departmental power, including interdepartmental communications. The determinants of power are adapted from the theory of strategic contingencies [Hickson, Hinings, Lee, Schneck, & Pennings, 1971] and this theory is modified by the introduction of the importance of departmental tasks as a mediating variable in the relationship between power and its determinants.