Home  About us  Contact
 

Operational

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting21%
Life Sciences14%
Earth and Environmental Science11%
Medical Sciences10%
Engineering9%
Chemistry9%
Humanities and Social Sciences7%
Mathematics and Statistics4%
Information Science and Computing4%
5 Other Domains11%
Distribution within Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting
Industrial & Labor Relations9%
15 Other Subdomains82%

Terms modified by Operational

  • operational amplifier
  • operational change
  • operational characteristic
  • operational condition
  • operational consideration
  • operational constraint
  • operational cost
  • operational criterioN
  • operational data
  • operational decision
  • operational definition
    		•
  • operational diagnosis
  • operational diagnostic criterioN
  • operational efficiency
  • operational environment
  • operational framework
  • operational implementation
  • operational improvement
  • operational indicator
  • operational level
  • operational management
  • operational measure
    		•
  • operational mode
  • operational parameter
  • operational performance
  • operational plan
  • operational practice
  • operational principle
  • operational procedure
  • operational process
  • operational range
  • operational research
  • operational risk
    		•
  • operational sex ratio
  • operational simplicity
  • operational stability
  • operational system
  • operational taxonomic unit
  • operational temperature
  • operational tolerance
  • operational variable

    • Selected Abstracts

    Making Exchange Entitlements Operational: The Food Economy Approach to Famine Prediction and the RiskMap Computer Program

    DISASTERS, Issue 2 2000
    John Seaman
    The effect of production failure or some other shock on household income and food supply depends upon: (a) the pattern of household income, and (b) its ability to compensate for any deficit which may have occurred, for example, by the sale of assets or finding additional paid employment. The corollary is that the prediction of the likely effect of some event on the future state of the economy or food supply of a population of households requires an understanding of the economy of the households concerned and the economic context to which these relate. This paper describes an attempt to develop an approach to prediction using a dynamic model of economy based on quantitative descriptions of household economy obtained by systematic rapid field-work and summarises the experience of the use of this approach to date. [source]

    Operational and structural optimization of multi-carrier energy systems

    EUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL POWER, Issue 5 2006
    Martin Geidl
    Abstract This paper presents an approach for the combined optimization of energy systems including multiple energy carriers such as electricity, natural gas, and district heat. Power flow and conversion between the different energy infrastructures are described as multi-input multi-output coupling, what enables simple analysis and optimization of the flows. While previous work deals with operational optimization (multi-carrier optimal dispatch and power flow), this paper focuses on optimization of the couplings between the different networks, that is the structure of the system. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

    Mobile Agent Computing Paradigm for Building a Flexible Structural Health Monitoring Sensor Network

    COMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 7 2010
    Bo Chen
    While sensor network approach is a feasible solution for structural health monitoring, the design of wireless sensor networks presents a number of challenges, such as adaptability and the limited communication bandwidth. To address these challenges, we explore the mobile agent approach to enhance the flexibility and reduce raw data transmission in wireless structural health monitoring sensor networks. An integrated wireless sensor network consisting of a mobile agent-based network middleware and distributed high computational power sensor nodes is developed. These embedded computer-based high computational power sensor nodes include Linux operating system, integrate with open source numerical libraries, and connect to multimodality sensors to support both active and passive sensing. The mobile agent middleware is built on a mobile agent system called Mobile-C. The mobile agent middleware allows a sensor network moving computational programs to the data source. With mobile agent middleware, a sensor network is able to adopt newly developed diagnosis algorithms and make adjustment in response to operational or task changes. The presented mobile agent approach has been validated for structural damage diagnosis using a scaled steel bridge. [source]

    Reference-Free Damage Classification Based on Cluster Analysis

    COMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2008
    Hoon Sohn
    The ultimate goal of this study was to develop an in-site non-destructive testing (NDT) technique that can continuously and autonomously inspect the bonding condition between a carbon FRP (CFRP) layer and a host reinforced concrete (RC) structure, when the CRFP layer is used for strengthening the RC structure. The uniqueness of this reference-free NDT is two-fold: First, features, which are sensitive to CFRP debonding but insensitive to operational and environmental variations of the structure, have been extracted only from current data without direct comparison with previously obtained baseline data. Second, damage classification is performed instantaneously without relying on predetermined decision boundaries. The extraction of the reference-free features is accomplished based on the concept of time reversal acoustics, and the instantaneous decision-making is achieved using cluster analysis. Monotonic and fatigue load tests of large-scale CFRP-strengthened RC beams are conducted to demonstrate the potential of the proposed reference-free debonding monitoring technique. Based on the experimental studies, it has been shown that the proposed reference-free NDT technique may minimize false alarms of debonding and unnecessary data interpretation by end users. [source]

    Application of the New Keystone-Species Concept to Prairie Dogs: How Well Does It Work?

    CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2000
    Natasha B. Kotliar
    This prompted Power et al. (1996) to refine the definition: keystone species have large effects on community structure or ecosystem function (i.e., high overall importance), and this effect should be large relative to abundance (i.e., high community importance). Using prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) as an example, I review operational and conceptual difficulties encountered in applying this definition. As applied to prairie dogs, the implicit assumption that overall importance is a linear function of abundance is invalid. In addition, community importance is sensitive to abundance levels, the definition of community, and sampling scale. These problems arise largely from the equation for community importance, as used in conjunction with removal experiments at single abundance levels. I suggest that we shift from the current emphasis on the dualism between keystone and nonkeystone species and instead examine how overall and community importance vary (1) with abundance, (2) across spatial and temporal scales, and (3) under diverse ecological conditions. In addition, I propose that a third criterion be incorporated into the definition: keystone species perform roles not performed by other species or processes. Examination of how these factors vary among populations of keystone species should help identify the factors contributing to, or limiting, keystone-level functions, thereby increasing the usefulness of the keystone-species concept in ecology and conservation. Although the quantitative framework of Power et al. falls short of being fully operational, my conceptual guidelines may improve the usefulness of the keystone-species concept. Careful attention to the factors that limit keystone function will help avoid misplaced emphasis on keystone species at the expense of other species. Resumen: Se ha sugerido que el concepto de especie pilar no sea usado más en ecología y conservación, principalmente debido a que el concepto ha sido pobremente definido. Esto instigó a Power et al. (1996) a refinar la definición: las especies pilar tienen grandes efectos en la estructura de una comunidad o la función de un ecosistema (alta importancia en lo general), y este efecto debe ser grande en relación con la abundancia (alta importancia en la comunidad). Usando los perros de pradera (Cynomys spp) como ejemplo, revisé las dificultades operativas y conceptuales encontradas durante la aplicación de esta definición. Al aplicarse a perros de pradera, la suposición implícita de que la importancia en lo general es una función lineal de la abundancia es inválida. Además, la importancia en la comunidad es sensible a los niveles de abundancia, a la definición de comunidad y a la escala de muestreo. Estos problemas surgen, en gran medida, de la ecuación para la importancia en la comunidad, al ser usada conjuntamente con experimentos de remoción a un solo nivel de abundancia. Sugiero que el énfasis actual en la dualidad sobre especies pilares/no pilares cambie para examinar cómo varía la importancia en lo general y en la comunidad; (1) con la abundancia, (2) a lo largo de escalas espaciales y temporales, y (3) bajo diversas condiciones ecológicas. Además, propongo que sea incorporado un tercer criterio en la definición: las especies pilar llevan a cabo funciones no llevadas a cabo por otras especies o procesos. El análisis de cómo varían estos factores entre poblaciones de especies pilar ayudará a identificar los factores que contribuyen, o limitan las funciones a nivel pilar, incrementando con ello la utilidad del concepto de especie pilar en ecología y conservación. Aunque el marco de trabajo cuantitativo de Power et al. no llega a ser completamente operacional, mis guías conceptuales pueden mejorar la utilidad de este concepto. Una atención especial a los factores que limitan el funcionamiento pilar ayudaría a evitar un énfasis mal ubicado en especies pilar a costa de otras especies. [source]

    Capability, Quality, and Performance of Offshore IS Vendors: A Theoretical Framework and Empirical Investigation

    DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 2 2010
    Prashant C. Palvia
    ABSTRACT Information systems (IS) offshoring has become a widespread practice and a strategic sourcing choice for many firms. While much has been written by researchers about the factors that lead to successful offshoring arrangements from the client's viewpoint, the vendor's perspective has been largely scarce. The vendor perspective is equally important as offshore IS vendors need to make important decisions in terms of delivering operational and strategic performance and aligning their resources and processes in order to meet or exceed targeted outcomes. In this article, we propose and test a three-level capability,quality,performance (CQP) theoretical framework to understand vendor outcomes and their antecedents. The first level of the framework represents three vendor capabilities: relationship management, contract management, and information technology management. The second level has three mediating variables representing process quality: partnership, service, and deliverable quality. The third level has three dependent variables representing vendor outcomes: operational performance, strategic performance, and satisfaction. The model was tested with 188 vendor firms from India and China, the two most popular destinations for IS offshoring. Results support the CQP framework; vendor capabilities are significant predictors of intermediate quality measures, which in turn affect vendor outcomes. Implications of the study findings to both theory development and IS offshore vendor strategic decision making are discussed. [source]

    Treatment-resistant bipolar depression: towards a new definition

    ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 6 2009
    I. Pacchiarotti
    Objective:, To summarize the conceptual and operational definitions of treatment-resistant bipolar depression and to review the evidence-based therapeutic options. Method:, Structured searches of PubMed, Index Medicus, Excerpta Medica and Psyclit conducted in December 2008. Results:, Criteria for treatment resistance in bipolar depression are commonly based on concepts stemming from treatment resistance as defined for unipolar depression, an approach that proved to be inadequate. In fact, the addition of an ad hoc criterion based on lithium and other mood stabilizer unresponsiveness after reaching adequate plasma levels appears to be a patch that attempts to take into account the uniqueness of bipolar depression but fails to become operational. Recent data from randomized clinical trials of new anticonvulsants and second-generation antipsychotics should lead to the development of a modern definition of treatment-resistant bipolar depression, and specific therapeutic algorithms. Conclusion:, We suggest a redefinition of resistant bipolar I and II depression. We propose different degrees of severity within bipolar depression in a stepwise manner. [source]

    Scaling up Participatory Watershed Development in India

    DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 2 2002
    Shashi Kolavalli
    ,Participation' is widely accepted as a prerequisite to successful watershed development in India, but there is no shared understanding of its meaning, nor of how to make it operational. Meaningful participation, in which communities work collectively, help make decisions and share costs, is limited primarily to projects implemented by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Participation in government projects is more superficial because staff lack the skills and incentive to engage in meaningful participation. Strategies to scale up meaningful participation require a large number of NGOs. However, the number of NGOs with the necessary skills and values is limited, so a realistic strategy must seek to improve the capabilities and incentives of government agencies. Their performance may improve by making them accountable through transparent processes and participatory monitoring and evaluation. NGO-facilitated access to information for communities can potentially change power relations and initiate political processes that make both community leaders and government agencies more accountable to communities. [source]

    Epidermal transient down-regulation of retinol - binding protein 4 and mirror expression of apolipoprotein Eb and estrogen receptor 2a during zebrafish fin and scale development

    DEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 11 2006
    Angèle Tingaud-Sequeira
    Abstract Very little is known about the molecular control of skin patterning and scale morphogenesis in teleost fish. We have found radially symmetrical epidermal placodes with down-regulation of retinol - binding protein 4 (rbp4) expression during the initial paired fin and scale morphogenesis in zebrafish (Danio rerio). This finding may be related to changes in keratinocyte cytodifferentiation and/or the integument retinoid metabolism. rbp4 transcripts are expressed afterward in the central epidermis of the scale papilla and gradually extend to the epidermis, covering the growing scale, whereas no transcripts were detected in posterior margin epidermis. In contrast, induction of apolipoprotein Eb (apoeb) and up-regulation of estrogen receptor 2a (esr2a) transcripts were observed in the epidermis at initiator sites of zebrafish ectodermal/dermal appendage morphogenesis. This expression was maintained in the posterior margin epidermis of the formed scales. esr2a was also strongly expressed in neuromasts, whereas no rbp4 and apoeb transcripts were detected in these mechanosensory structures. The observed epidermal molecular events suggest that epidermis patterning is due to an activator,inhibitor mechanism operational at epidermal,dermal interaction sites. rbp4 transcript expression was also strongly down-regulated by 1-phenyl-2-thio-urea (PTU). As this inhibitor is commonly used to block obscuring pigmentation during in situ hybridization studies, this finding suggests that PTU should be used with caution, particularly in studying skin development. Developmental Dynamics 235:3071,3079, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

    BioPrEP , a regional, process-based approach for assessment of land with high conservation value for Bush Heritage Australia

    ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION, Issue 1 2010
    Brendan Mackey
    Summary, A framework is presented for terrestrial conservation assessment that has been developed for Bush Heritage, an Australian non-profit organisation that manages land of outstanding conservation value through acquisition or working in partnership with other landowners. The framework is called Biodiversity Prediction using Ecological Processes and comprises seven conservation goals, with a set of candidate criteria and indicators for each goal. Particular emphasis is given to criteria that relate to habitat quality in addition to the more conventional focus on land quantity. The MCAS-S graphic user interface is used to help analyse the indicators and visualise the results in a transparent way that assists the decision-making process. The interface also allows indicators to be weighted differently, which among other things, allows analyses to reflect inter-regional differences in what represents high quality land. The framework was tested in a case study region (the Woodland region of south-eastern Australia), and the results reveal land that is potentially a priority for conservation investments. While the framework and case study results are indicative, and further analyses are required before they can be considered operational, the approach has potential application to other organisations in the private conservation sector. [source]

    TAKING OUT THE PINS: ECONOMICS AS ALIVE AND LIVING IN THE HISTORY OF ECONOMIC THOUGHT

    ECONOMIC PAPERS: A JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECONOMICS AND POLICY, Issue 2 2005
    William Coleman
    The paper seeks to vindicate the value of the study of the history of economic thought (HET). It argues against the complaint that the study is antiquarian. It contends that, although HET does not confer operational and objective skills, it does provide insight into economic ideas, and sharpens our acumen in responding to them. [source]

    Chitosan-Glutamate Oxidase Gels: Synthesis, Characterization, and Glutamate Determination

    ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 23 2005
    Maogen Zhang
    Abstract The biopolymer chitosan (CHIT) was chemically modified with glutaric dialdehyde (GDI) and used for the covalent immobilization of enzyme glutamate oxidase (GmOx). The relationships between the loaded, retained, and active units of GmOx in the CHIT-GDI-GmOx gels were determined by electrochemical assays. The latter indicated that on average ca. 95% of the GmOx was retained in the CHIT-GDI matrix that was loaded with 0.10,3.0 units of the enzyme. The maximum activity of the GmOx immobilized in the gels corresponded to ca. 5% of the activity of the free enzyme. Platinum electrodes coated with CHIT-GDI-GmOx gels (films) were used as amperometric biosensors for glutamate. Such biosensors displayed good operational and long-term stability (at least 11,h and 100 days, respectively) in conjunction with low detection limit of 0.10,,M glutamate (S/N=3), linear range up to 0.5,mM (R2=0.991), sensitivity of 100 mA M,1 cm,2, and short response time (t90%=2,s). This demonstrated an efficient signal transduction in the Pt/CHIT-GDI-GmOx+glutamate system. The CHIT-GDI-GmOx gels constitute a new biosensing element for the development of glutamate biosensors. [source]

    Entrepreneurial Management and Governance in Family Firms: An Introduction

    ENTREPRENEURSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE, Issue 4 2004
    Lloyd P. Steier
    Many organizations, ranging from small entrepreneurial start-ups to large, multi-business and multi-national enterprises, exhibit a family dimension. Although there is much evidence that this familial dimension is pervasive in organizing economic activities, it remains understudied. The articles in this special issue further our understanding of family businesses and how they might be usefully managed and organized at operational and policy levels. They examine important topics,management succession, agency costs in family versus non-family firms, the effects of culture, and family elites in rent-seeking societies,and improve our understanding of the role of family in entrepreneurial wealth creation at both firm and societal levels. Importantly, these papers further our understanding of the contingencies and contexts wherein family based approaches to organizing enterprise might yield advantages or disadvantages. [source]

    Time series analysis of wind speed with time-varying turbulence

    ENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 2 2006
    Bradley T. Ewing
    Abstract The characterization of the time series properties of wind speed, in terms of the mean and variance, is important and relevant to both engineers and businesses. This research investigates the first and second moments of the Texas Tech WERFL wind speed data utilizing the ARMA-GARCH-in-mean framework. The methodology allows the conditional variance to depend on the size of past shocks (i.e. gusts) in the series. Results have important implications for wind energy production as well as for the operational and financial hedging strategies of companies exposed to wind-related risk. The findings can be summarized as follows: (i) mean wind speeds measured at different heights above ground exhibit persistence and are highly dependent on immediate past wind speed values; (ii) regardless of the height at which the data were collected, wind speed exhibits time-varying variance; (iii) persistence in conditional variance increases with height at which the data were collected; (iv) there is strong evidence that conditional volatility is positively correlated with mean wind speed while the magnitude of this relationship declines with height. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

    Intrinsic Ictal Dynamics at the Seizure Focus: Effects of Secondary Generalization Revealed by Complexity Measures

    EPILEPSIA, Issue 2 2007
    Christophe C. Jouny
    Summary:,Purpose: Partial seizures (PSs) may be self-limited regional events or propagate further and secondarily generalize. The mechanisms and dynamics of secondarily generalized tonic,clonic seizures (GTCSs) are not well understood. Methods with which to assess the dynamic of those events are also limited. Methods: Seizures were analyzed from patients with intractable partial seizures undergoing monitoring with intracranial electrodes. Inclusion in this study required patients to have at least one PS and one GTCS. From >120 patients, seven patients fulfilled these criteria, three with mesial temporal (MTLE) onset seizures and four with neocortical lesional (NCLE) onset seizures. In total, 50 seizures were analyzed by using the matching pursuit (MP) method and the Gabor atom density (GAD), a measure of signal complexity derived from the MP method. Results: The GAD complexity pattern at the seizure focus for the initial ictal period is remarkably consistent in a given patient, regardless of whether secondary generalization occurs. Secondary generalization produces greater modification of seizure activity at the focus in patients with NCLE than in patients with MTLE. In seizures from four patients with NCLE, secondary generalization resulted in an average increase of 115% in complexity at the focus compared to PSs. Conclusions: GAD shows that seizure dynamics of PSs are often very stereotyped from seizure to seizure in a given patient, particularly during early ictal evolution. Secondary generalization is more likely to produce changes in the duration and dynamics at the seizure focus in NCLE patients compared with MTLE patients. These observations suggest distinct mechanisms (e.g., feedback) that are operational during secondary generalization. [source]

    Optimal Portfolio Allocation under Higher Moments

    EUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2006
    Eric Jondeau
    C22; C51; G12 Abstract We evaluate how departure from normality may affect the allocation of assets. A Taylor series expansion of the expected utility allows to focus on certain moments and to compute the optimal portfolio allocation numerically. A decisive advantage of this approach is that it remains operational even for a large number of assets. While the mean-variance criterion provides a good approximation of the expected utility maximisation under moderate non-normality, it may be ineffective under large departure from normality. In such cases, the three-moment or four-moment optimisation strategies may provide a good approximation of the expected utility. [source]

    Magnetic Multi-Functional Nano Composites for Environmental Applications

    ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 8 2009
    Jie Dong
    Abstract A novel concept is proposed to synthesize a new class of composites featuring magnetic, molecular sieve and metallic nanoparticle properties. These multi-functional materials have potential applications as recyclable catalysts, disinfectants and sorbents. The magnetic property enables effective separation of the spent composites from complex multiphase systems for regeneration and recycle, safe disposal of the waste and/or recovery of loaded valuable species. The zeolite molecular sieve provides a matrix which supports a remarkably new, simple, efficient and economical method to make stable, supported silver nanoparticles by silver ion exchange and controlled thermal reduction. The silver nanoparticles generated in this way have excellent properties such as high reactivity and good thermal stability without aggregation, which act as nano reactors for desired functionality in a wide range of applications. Magnetic component (Fe3O4), molecular sieve matrix (zeolite) and silver nanoparticles generated by ion exchange followed by controlled reduction, together form this unique novel composite with designed functions. It represents a practically operational, economical, sustainable and environmentally friendly new advanced functional material. This paper focuses on the novel synthesis and characterization of the composite, with an example of applications as sorbents for the removal of vapor-phase mercury from the flue gas of coal-fired power plants. [source]

    Why some companies excel at conducting business globally

    GLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 4 2006
    Mark A. Royal
    Operating on the global stage presents a formidable set of challenges to even the World's Most Admired Companies. Recent research by Hay Group reveals that the companies most effective in conducting business globally excel in five key areas of strategic, operational, and people management,capabilities important for any company that aims to be a global player. © 2006 Hay Group [source]

    Learning a new leadership game plan at Paychex

    GLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 4 2005
    Dan Heffernan
    The rules for success have changed at perennially successful Paychex. Greater operational and product/service complexity requires a new leadership style to produce the strong performance stakeholders have come to expect. Through a new set of leadership development programs, the Paychex operations organization is rapidly reshaping its leadership culture by setting expectations and building competencies for proactive problem solving, open dialogue, and greater accountability. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

    Model,data synthesis in terrestrial carbon observation: methods, data requirements and data uncertainty specifications

    GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2005
    M. R. Raupach
    Systematic, operational, long-term observations of the terrestrial carbon cycle (including its interactions with water, energy and nutrient cycles and ecosystem dynamics) are important for the prediction and management of climate, water resources, food resources, biodiversity and desertification. To contribute to these goals, a terrestrial carbon observing system requires the synthesis of several kinds of observation into terrestrial biosphere models encompassing the coupled cycles of carbon, water, energy and nutrients. Relevant observations include atmospheric composition (concentrations of CO2 and other gases); remote sensing; flux and process measurements from intensive study sites; in situ vegetation and soil monitoring; weather, climate and hydrological data; and contemporary and historical data on land use, land use change and disturbance (grazing, harvest, clearing, fire). A review of model,data synthesis tools for terrestrial carbon observation identifies ,nonsequential' and ,sequential' approaches as major categories, differing according to whether data are treated all at once or sequentially. The structure underlying both approaches is reviewed, highlighting several basic commonalities in formalism and data requirements. An essential commonality is that for all model,data synthesis problems, both nonsequential and sequential, data uncertainties are as important as data values themselves and have a comparable role in determining the outcome. Given the importance of data uncertainties, there is an urgent need for soundly based uncertainty characterizations for the main kinds of data used in terrestrial carbon observation. The first requirement is a specification of the main properties of the error covariance matrix. As a step towards this goal, semi-quantitative estimates are made of the main properties of the error covariance matrix for four kinds of data essential for terrestrial carbon observation: remote sensing of land surface properties, atmospheric composition measurements, direct flux measurements, and measurements of carbon stores. [source]

    Paradoxes of Public Sector Customer Service

    GOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2001
    Jane E. Fountain
    The use of customer service ideas in government continues to be widespread, although the concept and its implications for public sector service production and delivery remain poorly developed. This paper presents a series of paradoxes related to customer service and its use in government. The central and most troubling paradox is that customer service techniques and tools applied to government may lead to increased political inequality even as some aspects of service are improved. The argument is structured by examination of the following: the predominant structural features of service management in theprivate sector, the assumption that customer satisfaction is a central objective of service firms, the understanding of customer service that informs current federal reform efforts, and the operational and political challenges of customer service as a public management objective. [source]

    Common Threat and Common Response?

    GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION, Issue 3 2007
    The European Union's Counter-Terrorism Strategy, its Problems
    On the basis of an analysis of the European Union's common definition of the post-9/11 terrorist threat, this article provides a critical assessment of the EU's response. The EU has arrived at a reasonably specific definition of the common threat that avoids simplistic reductions and is a response that is sufficiently multidimensional to address the different aspects , internal and external, legislative and operational, repressive and preventive , of this threat. Yet the definition is undermined by differences between national threat perceptions. The preference for instruments of cooperation and coordination rather than integration, and poor implementation are having a negative impact on the effectiveness of the common response, the legitimacy of which is also weakened by limited parliamentary and judicial control. [source]

    Forming partnerships with parents from a community development perspective: lessons learnt from Sure Start

    HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 6 2009
    Virginia MacNeill FCIH PhDArticle first published online: 22 JUL 200
    Abstract The aim of this study is to explore some of the issues of service user participation in the planning and delivery of public services from a community development perspective. It draws on an action research evaluation study of a local Sure Start programme, which was introduced into an area without a tradition of community involvement in decisions about local services. The study describes and analyses the challenges of parent participation in the organisation and delivery of the Sure Start programme at an operational and strategic level, using findings from semi-structured interviews, observations and critical conversations with Sure Start parents, staff and members of the Sure Start management board. The main substantive findings are that there was a lack of shared understanding of the nature of parent participation in all its facets and this undermined the efforts of parents and staff in the development of the programme. These findings also raise broader issues about participation, the place of parental partnerships with professionals and ways in which collaboration between the two may be interpreted and evolve. [source]

    Synthesis and Characterization of a Composite Zeolite,Metglas Carbon Dioxide Sensor,

    ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 7 2005
    G. Giannakopoulos
    Abstract The synthesis of a faujasite,Metglas composite material that can be used in gas-sensing applications is presented. A continuous faujasite film was synthesized on a Metglas magnetoelastic strip using the secondary growth method. The ability of the new composite to remotely sense carbon dioxide in a nitrogen atmosphere at room temperature over a wide range of concentrations is demonstrated by monitoring the changes in the resonance frequency of the strip. The novel sensor combines the electromagnetic properties of the magnetoelastic material with the adsorption properties of the faujasite crystals. Experiments performed over a period of a few months showed that the composite sensor remained fully operational, thus indicating its long-term stability. Furthermore, the present work demonstrates that a zeolite,Metglas composite can be used as a sensor of an analyte in a mixture as long as it adsorbs selectively larger amounts of the particular analyte than other compounds present in the mixture. [source]

    Modeling an HR shared services center: Experience of an MNC in the United Kingdom

    HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2006
    Fang Lee Cooke
    An increasing number of large and multinational organizations are moving to shared services models in delivering the human resource function. It is commonly believed that the adoption of an HR shared services model can transform the role of HR by enabling the HR function to be more strategic at the corporate level and more cost-effective at the operational level. However, few academic studies have been carried out to investigate challenges to implementing an HR services center successfully and the impact of adopting an HR shared services model on different groups of employees. Through a case study of a multinational corporation, this article reveals that there remains a significant gap between literature espousing the efficacy and utility of HR shared services and the extent to which the adoption of such a model is successful. The financial and emotional cost of moving to a shared services model can outweigh the tangible cost savings predicted by firms. The idea of separating the HR function into strategic, operational, and administrative components may prove to be too simplistic, although it underpins the initiative of HR shared services. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

    Private equity and HRM in the British business system

    HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007
    Ian Clark
    Who owns the firm? Do changes in owner matter? Will change affect the operational and strategic role of the HR function? For some, the answer will be no precisely because mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, buyouts and privatisations are central activities for a British-based business where short-term value for shareholders and financial engineering are key management objectives that structure and inform the work of HR professionals. For other readers, the answer may well be yes; ownership and owner strategies do matter, particularly if a firm is acquired by a relatively new actor in the market for corporate control , the private equity firm. [source]

    Partnership structures and agendas and managers' assessments of stakeholder outcomes

    INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009
    John O'Dowd
    ABSTRACT The theory of workplace partnership suggests that partnership structures combining strategic and operational arrangements and addressing substantively significant agendas of broad scope should lead to positive outcomes for the main stakeholder groups: employers, employees and unions. Data from a survey of managers involved in all known partnerships in unionised companies in the Republic of Ireland in 2000 are used to distinguish ,integrated business partnerships', where such structures and agendas prevail, and ,exploratory partnerships' characterised by operational or strategic structures only and relatively sparse or narrow agendas. Managers involved in integrated business partnerships are shown to assess more positively a range of current and expected outcomes of significance for each stakeholder group. However, managers' assessments and expectations also point towards a bias in favour of employer interests in the outcomes of integrated business partnerships. The theoretical and policy implications of the results are considered. [source]

    South Africa's Workplace Forum system: A Stillborn Experiment in the Democratisation of Work?

    INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS JOURNAL, Issue 3 2001
    Geoffrey Wood
    The 1995 South African Labour Relations Act introduced a system of Workplace Forums, a form of works council. Currently, Forums are only operational in a small minority of workplaces. This article explores the reasons underlying the apparent failure of this new system. [source]

    Perceptual Organization Based on Common Region in Infancy

    INFANCY, Issue 2 2007
    Ramesh S. Bhatt
    We examined whether infants organize information according to the newly proposed principle of common region, which states that elements within a region are grouped together and separated from those of other regions. In Experiment 1, 6- to 7-month-olds exhibited sensitivity to regions by discriminating between the displacement of an element within a region versus across regions. In Experiments 2 (6- to 7-month-olds) and 3 (3- to 4-month-olds), infants who were habituated to 2 elements in each of 2 regions subsequently discriminated between a familiar and novel grouping in familiar and novel regions. Thus, infants as young as 3 to 4 months of age are not only sensitive to regions in visual images, but also use these regions to group elements in accord with the principle of common region. Because common region analysis is critical to such basic visual functions as figure-ground and object segregation, these results suggest that the organizational mechanism that underlies many vital visual functions is already operational by 3 to 4 months of age. [source]

    Assessing and managing the benefits of enterprise systems: the business manager's perspective

    INFORMATION SYSTEMS JOURNAL, Issue 4 2002
    Shari Shang
    Abstract. This paper focuses on the benefits that organizations may achieve from their investment in enterprise systems (ES). It proposes an ES benefit framework for summarizing benefits in the years after ES implementation. Based on an analysis of the features of enterprise systems, on the literature on information technology (IT) value, on data from 233 enterprise systems vendor-reported stories published on the Web and on interviews with managers of 34 organizations using ES, the framework provides a detailed list of benefits that have reportedly been acquired through ES implementation. This list of benefits is consolidated into five benefits dimensions: operational, managerial, strategic, IT infrastructure and organizational, and illustrated using perceived net benefit flow (PNBF) graphs. In a detailed example, the paper shows how the framework has been applied to the identification of benefits in a longitudinal case study of four organizations. [source]