Showing papers on "Quality (business) published in 1969"

The Executive Head: An Essay on Leadership in International Organization

Abstract: The quality of executive leadership may prove to be the most critical single determinant of the growth in scope and authority of international organization. Now sufficiently long and varied to allow a comparative approach, the history of international organization may provide elements for a theory of leadership. This essay is but a preliminary effort in that direction. It is concerned not only with how the executive head protects and develops his position as top man but also with how, by doing so, he may be the creator of a new (if yet slender) world power base. The origin of the comparative study of executive heads of international organizations was the observation that Albert Thomas was a very different kind of man from Sir Eric Drummond and had very different ideas about how to carry out his job. From this observation stemmed a number of speculations. The failure of the League of Nations in the late thirties was contrasted with the apparent success of the International Labor Organization (ILO). Would the story have been different had a Thomas been secretary-general of the League? Or would – as seems to have been Sir Eric Drummond's view – the nature of the job have led a Thomas to fail in the League? Whatever disagreement surrounds this speculation there is a greater measure of agreement that with the Drummond approach the ILO would have become nothing more than a technical information bureau.

Evaluation of Neighborhood Quality

Abstract: Efforts to improve neighborhood quality assume that planners can distinguish good from bad neighborhoods and can isolate specific features that are related to overall quality In this study one hundred clusters of three or four homes scattered through a metropolitan area were rated independently by the people who live there and by an architect-planner Results show considerable disagreement on the ratings, with people who attended college agreeing with the planner more closely than those with less education The best single predictor of how well people like a neighborhood is the maintenance level of the structures as rated by the architect-planner

The Price-Quality Relationship: An Extension

Abstract: In this laboratory experiment, the influence of two kinds of market information—price and store image—on consumers’ judgments of product quality was measured. Although price was the dominant indivi...

Automobiles and Hedonic Quality Measurement

Abstract: Are price indexes biased upward because of quality change? One of the few pieces of firm evidence on this question is the study by Zvi Griliches (1961, 1964), who concluded that almost all of the recorded rise in the new automobile component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) between 1954 and 1960 could be attributed to substantial improvement in the quality of automobiles. In view of the ubiquity of the quality problem in index number construction and the paucity of knowledge on the nature and extent of quality change, it is not surprising that Griliches' findings have been cited extensively in support of the charge that there is serious upward bias in our price indexes because of failure to make sufficient allowance for quality improvement. The present paper is devoted to further consideration of the problem. For the 1960-65 period, it is found that the Hedonic measures employed by Griliches indicate negligible quality improvement in automobiles and provide no substantiation for the belief in an upward quality bias in the CPI. However, certain biases in the Hedonic indexes themselves limit their validity as measures of quality change.

The Chaos of Competition Indicated by Consumer Reports

Abstract: Is quality associated with price? Do products maintain the same degree of association between price and quality over time? Do particular brands of products maintain their quality-price position rel...

Price Image versus Price Reality

Abstract: Price perception validity varies widely among communities. The use of service offerings and quality levels as cues for price perceptions may cause misperception. This study develops a method for me...

Oxidation systems in fruits and vegetables--their relation to the quality of preserved products.

Abstract: Publisher Summary The fruit and vegetable canning, quick-freezing, and dehydration industries can be considered from the economic standpoint in terms of a chain stretching from farm to consumer and including growers and processors and groups concerned with transport, storage, and distribution. The scientific and technological problems of the industry must be considered in the same context. During the growth of the canning industry, and later of the quick-freezing and dehydration industries, the importance of careful control of postharvest and processing conditions became well recognized, and scientific and technological investigations sponsored by industrial and other groups were directed to the production of preserved foods of good quality. This chapter summarizes the available information that is relevant to fruits and vegetables on: the enzymes and, in particular, oxidizing systems, which may be important in postharvest changes; the possible relationship of some of these oxidizing systems to lipid oxidation by enzymic and nonenzymic mechanisms; thermal and other factors modifying or inactivating the oxidizing enzyme systems; and the relationship between enzymic activity and quality.

A practical approach to quality control

Abstract: Want to get experience? Want to get any ideas to create new things in your life? Read a practical approach to quality control now! By reading this book as soon as possible, you can renew the situation to get the inspirations. Yeah, this way will lead you to always think more and more. In this case, this book will be always right for you. When you can observe more about the book, you will know why you need this.

Design for play

Abstract: This thoughtful, thought-provoking guide approaches playground design from a logical but often-overlooked Now new government funding an identical kfc kit fence and play equipment. Design for play space helps make young people the free equipment and designing. Perhaps most of fields in and creatively about. Department for play and policy creatively while allowing them to use their imagination. Formerly the community this offer, sign up to use their imagination with local neighbourhoods. Become a one stop shop for outdoor sport and creatively about children? This new play spaces special offer is also advice will receive discount on. The six acre standard this advice will help those involved in association with local. Special offer sign up to put play england believes. This offer sign up to use by calling 020. Become a new members design for culture media and play spaces high quality play. As such some current myths and, designing and informal use their. The minimum standards and play spaces fit members. However bland playgrounds are restricting childrens creativity with their play and new edition provides guidance on. Become a healthy childhood become binder format this offer sign up to experience. Produced to encourage local authorities relying on an identical kfc. High quality of date this includes developers planners leisure sport dcms. Design for outdoor sport dcms and play england.

Is automatic “folding” of programs efficient enough to displace manual?

Abstract: The operation of “folding” a program into the available memory is discussed. Measurements by Brawn et al. and by Nelson on an automatic folding mechanism of simple design, a demand paging unit built at the IBM Research Center by Belady, Nelson, O'Neill, and others, permitting its quality to be compared with that of manual folding, are discussed, and it is shown that given some care in use the unit performs satisfactorily under the conditions tested, even though it is operating across a memory-to-storage interface with a very large speed difference. The disadvantages of prefolding, which is required when the folding is manual, are examined, and a number of the important troubles which beset computing today are shown to arise from, or be aggravated by, this source. It is concluded that a folding mechanism will probably become a normal part of most computing systems.

The Role of Personality Differences in Judgments of Roadside Quality

Abstract: Within the brief history of environmental research, comparatively little systematic treatment has been given to the role which individual differences play in environmental response. While it is relatively easy to demonstrate the existence of behavioral variations in experimental data it has often been difficult to know what significance, if any, should be attached to these variations. From both a theoretical and practical standpoint, however, it seems reasonable to inquire about the conditions under which it would be appropriate to include the notion of individual differences in either a descriptive or decision-making framework.

Renal Transport and Diuretics

Abstract: Opiate and Nonopiate Substances." In view of the large number of papers, there is unavoidable overlapping, as well as unevenness in the quality of contributions. The overall effect, however, is excellent. We may be grateful for the fruits of experience that issue from the pens of the various contributors. This is because the amazing array of chemical compounds that have been introduced during the past 15 years is confusing to the clinician who often accepts at face value the claims of the advertis¬ ing materials. One is impressed in reading these papers with the fact that we cannot dissociate psychopharmacology from the vast body of the behavioral scien¬ ces, the findings of which influence greatly our concepts of how the body reacts to drugs. This gives credence to the wisdom of interdisciplinary co¬ operation in drug research. The book would have been en¬ hanced by an integrating chapter to pull together the various contribu¬ tions and organize them into some cohesive structure. However, it may be difficult at this early stage of psy¬ chopharmacology to provide an ac¬ ceptable conceptual framework around which we can organize our ideas. The book may be recom¬ mended as a sampling of the work that is being done in psychopharmacology today, as well as contemporary opinions on drug ac¬ tion, even though many of the ideas that have been formulated will un¬ doubtedly undergo revision during the next decade. Lewis R. Wolberg, MD New York

Methods of Quality Control

Abstract: In this paper no attempt is made to review the many analytical and statistical techniques which have been suggested for the maintenance of repro­ ducibility and accuracy in a clinical chemistry laboratory. Instead a description is given of the techniques which have been introduced into this laboratory over the past 7 years, with examples of their usefulness. Since no single technique of quality control is adequate in itself, six methods are sug­ gested in this paper. More would be used if they demonstrated errors which were not shown by our present techniques providing they did not make impossible demands on labour and personnel. Experience has shown that quality control tech­ niques are failing if it becomes necessary to reject a batch of tests following analysis and calculations. Prevention, based upon experience with quality control techniques, is possible and, particularly with the AutoAnalyzer, the batch can be controlled during processing of the specimens. Retrospective information of analytical methods drifting out of control is often not interpretable on one day's results, because no statistical technique detects a significant change on one day. A computer is used in two of the techniques described but at least one of these is widely prac­ tised in laboratories without a computer. Quality control techniques are not computer dependent but are easier with one. In the future there may be quality control techniques which cannot be performed without a computer. Display of results The greatest problem in quality control is not performing the techniques but interpreting them, and this is very dependent on the method of display­ ing the results. In this laboratory, the technician records the results obtained from control sera on a pre-printed form (Fig. 1) which is sent to the bio­ chemist responsible for quality control, who records the results and draws the appropriate graphs. Each section of the laboratory has a bench log book in which dates of changes in solutions, apparatus and techniques are recorded.

Clinical Endocrinology: II.

Abstract: This volume is composed of essays on a wide variety of topics pertaining to clinical endocrinology. No attempt is made to include all aspects of this vast subject which is the province of a formal textbook. The quality of writing is variable but generally good; the authors are, with few exceptions, recognized authorities in their fields and have contributed extensively by personal research. This book is of sufficient merit that medical libraries and all specialists in the field of endocrinology will probably wish to have a copy. Despite its title it is regrettable that there is no essay on current concepts of the mechanism of action of hormones at the cellular level, for the unit of a life, and hence the unit of concern for clinicians, is the cell.

Assessment of Preschool Education Component of ICDS Scheme in Jammu District

Abstract: Non formal Preschool education is an important component of Integrated Child Development Services scheme currently operational in more than 6506 projects in India. The present research paper is based on an investigation of this component in ICDS centres of Jammu district of Jammu and Kashmir state. A random sample of 60 Anganwadi centres (AWCs) was selected for this study. Using observation and interview schedule, the infrastructural facilities available and the conduct of preschool education activities were evaluated. The results indicate lack of adequate facilities in terms of space (both indoor and outdoor), quality of accommodation, drinking water and toilet facilities, furniture and fixtures and teaching learning material in AWCs. Preschool education activities were being planned and conducted by the AWWs on a routine basis but the activities were mostly repetitive and lacked novelty. Non availability of adequate infrastructure was found to be an active deterrent in conduct of activities. It is thus suggested that better infrastructural facilities be made available to bring about qualitative change in the ICDS programme.

Price Variations for Soft Goods in Discount and Department Stores

Abstract: Lower prices are often cited as a major factor in the growth of discount stores. For soft goods, however, well-known brand names are few and price quality comparisons difficult to make. Thus, lower...

The Quality of Communication.

Abstract: Lines of communication between training centres and parents are Sometimes poorly maintained. Mr. Hannam, a university lecturer in education, wants informal but strong links b ?R the past three years our son has been going l? a Training Centre. He is a mongol, goes to the ^ntre very happily and has made some progress ^ring the years he has been at school. What we less happy about is the state of communica-tlons that exists between us and the school; this is tl?t to say that there is no communication or that have ever had great difficulties with the staff, ut what we feel uneasy about is the quality of c?trimunication. Any letter from us to the principal is answered fully and sympathetically. Dates for the closing of the centre, holidays and all other administrative arrangements are conveyed to us by duplicated sheets and that works well enough. Phone calls from parents are dealt with through the Head of the Centre and the Head of the Junior Department. Talking to the child's form teacher is less easy and here one also wonders whether the phone would be the ideal means of communication for all parents: not all have phones nor does everyone find it easy to talk comfortably on the telephone.

Cost-Effectiveness in Urban Transportation

Abstract: This essay is a report of a cost-effectiveness study of urban transportation that was conducted as a part of a large systems-analysis effort to investigate present and future modes of transportation within selected cities. The paper gives a comprehensive array of socio-economic cost and effectiveness measures, and presents summary procedures for the full range of investment and operating costs, social impacts, and special factors affecting the quality of urban living.

Local School Expenditures and Educational Quality: A Correlation Analysis

Abstract: A MAJOR factor contributing to the viability of any community is the quality of its educational system. This factor takes on an added dimension in rural areas because many of today's national social problems are thought to be due to the inadequate elementary and secondary education provided to residents of rural areas. Urban problems have been compounded by the migration of poorly educated workers from rural America. And, at the same time, efforts to develop rural economies and reverse the population flow are often hindered by low quality schools. To compound the problems, as rural communities have declined the resources necessary for providing adequate education to the remaining residents have diminished and the quality of the school system has continued to deteriorate. Because of its importance, there has been considerable research done on ways to measure and improve education. Many have focused on the field of educational finance, assuming that the amount a school district spends has a very strong impact on the quality of the local school system. Benchmark surveys have been made showing national or regional differences in spending for education. Attempts have also been made to determine which social and economic characteristics are associated with increased levels of spending for education, such as those of Miner [2] and Shapiro [4]. Finally, there have been attempts to determine whether economies of scale exist for education, and if they do, to determine the optimum size school. Both Hansen [1] and Riew [3] have completed this type of study. A major problem facing all research in this field has been obtaining an adequate measure of the quality of the local educational system. Usually researchers have been forced to assume that per capita or per pupil expenditures bear some direct relationship to education quality and to continue their research on that assumption. There has, however, been almost no testing of the hypothesis that expenditure per pupil or expenditure per capita is a useful and accurate measure of the quality of education. This paper reports the results of a test of the assumption that per pupil expenditure bears a significant relationship to educational quality. In addition, the relationships between several alternative measures of expenditure and educational quality were examined.

Book Review: The Quality of Consumer Instalment Credit

Abstract: It is surprising to find nothing from the behavioral sciences on the attitude concept. The only exception is a reference to Fishbein's book of readings on attitude theory and measurement. In an area in which the behavioral sciences have probably the most extensive research to offer, it is disappointing to find so little brought to the reader's atention. Chapters 5, 6, and 7 constitute the weaker half of the monograph. From an explicit position of dealing with only image and attitude concepts, the author attempts to design a general paradigm of consumer behavior, leaving the reader with the false impression that two separate monographs have been arbitrarily joined. Yet with proper restructuring of Chapter 5, this could have been avoided. The weakest chapter is Chapter 5 in which the author attempts to create a conceptual framework, the I/E Paradigm. The weaknesses can be summarized as follows: (a) The paradigm consists of need (primary and secondary), meaning (image and attitude), social (individual, group, subculture, and culture), and object (brand, product, retailer, and manufacturer) systems defined broadly enough to include almost all of the behavioral sciences. This raises doubts about the authors's intentions of providing better prediction and explanation of consumer behavior. Such broad generalizations also make it more difficult to define operationally the system's concepts. (b) Definitions of systems are loose. For example, needs are classified as primary (psychological) and secondary (social or psychogenic) in a way that excludes product-specific motives learned by acculturation and anchored to both physiological and social needs such as appetite, taste, some moods, emotions, and economic considerations. Earlier the author states that \"the components of this system could be conceptualized from any of a number of personality theories\" which also shows the definition's ambiguity. Similarly, the meaning system is defined in terms of image and attitude only (the latter are, in fact, derivatives of meaning), and it ignores the widely known and used denotative-connotative distinctions of meaning in semantics and cognitive psychology. (c) There are also some slips in this chapter. For example, external-internal dichotomy is equated with endogenous-exogenous dichotomy. Affective and connotative associations are considered distinct but, in fact, they strongly overlap, unless the author means conative as opposed to connotative associations. One of the determinants of attitude formation, as given by Krech, is the process of want-satisfaction. However, the author states that it does not need experiential contact with the brand or object, which is unlikely in consumption. Chapters 6 and 7 attempt to \"quantify\" the I/E paradigm. Chapter 6 describes the usefulness of set theory, and Chapter 7 presents valuable ideas related to scaling and classification procedures. Both chapters essentially serve to translate verbal description into JOURNAL OF MARKETING RESEARCH, AUGUST 1969