Standardization and Control for Confounding in Observational Studies: A Historical Perspective

Control for confounders in observational studies was generally handled through stratification and standardization until the 1960s. Standardization typically reweights the stratum-specific rates so that exposure categories become comparable. With the development first of loglinear models, soon also of nonlinear regression techniques (logistic regression, failure time regression) that the emerging computers could handle, regression modelling became the preferred approach, just as was already the case with multiple regression analysis for continuous outcomes. Since the mid 1990s it has become increasingly obvious that weighting methods are still often useful, sometimes even necessary. On this background we aim at describing the emergence of the modelling approach and the refinement of the weighting approach for confounder control.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/13-STS453 the Statistical Science (http://www.imstat.org/sts/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Implementasi balance score card perspektif penjaminan mutu pendidikan Islam

The orientation of this article is to investigate and examine more deeply the meaning of the balance score card, aspects of the balance score card and its implementation in the perspective of quality assurance of Islamic education. In this paper, the author tries to analyze more deeply and systematically in implementing new management strategies that can encourage quality improvement in institutions by using a balanced score card approach based on Islamic principles. The type of research in this article uses a library research approach in which data collection techniques are obtained from various primary references and secondary data which are then reduced and keyed. Research results: (1). Application of Balance Score Card in Islamic Education Quality that is balanced both financially (profit) and non-financially (non-profit), (2). Standardization of Performance Measures from the Perspective of the Balance Score Card (in terms of finance, customers, internal business processes and learning and growth). With a comprehensive performance measurement that does not only measure financial but combines financial and non-financial measures, educational institutions can carry out better organizational performance

Doing less but getting more: Improving forced-choice measures with IRT.

Multidimensional forced-choice (MFC) questionnaires typically show good validities and are resistant to impression management effects. However, they yield ipsative data, which distorts scale relationships and makes comparisons between people problematic. Depressed reliability estimates also led developers to create tests of potentially excessive length. We apply an IRT Preference Model to make more efficient use of information in existing MFC questionnaires. OPQ32i used for selection and assessment internationally is examined using this approach. The latent scores recovered from a much reduced number of MFC items are superior to the full test?s ipsative scores, and comparable to unbiased normative scores

Print Advertising In The Us And Hong Kong: A Comparative Analysis

Given the static condition of the global economy marketers are cutting advertising budgets commensurate with dismal sales. It is a longstanding belief that utilizing a standardized advertising approach not only controls good ideas and provides for a consistent image but it also has the benefit of controlling expenses through economies of scale. With this in mind, the purpose of the study was to determine the degree of standardization or lack thereof in advertising strategies in the cosmetics and fragrances advertising industries in the United States and Hong Kong. The findings of this study suggest that there is a high level of standardization in the advertising for perfumes because Hong Kong belonged to the British for a long time and individuals’ needs and desires for love and acceptance are the same irrespective of geography. On the other hand only a moderate form of standardization was noted in the advertising for cosmetics. This may be attributed to the fact that different beauty concepts are held among different regions. Implications of the findings are also noted.print advertising, standardization, glocalization, cosmetics and fragrance industry

Eras of electric vehicles: electric mobility on the Verge. Focus Attention Scale

Daily or casual passenger vehicles in cities have negative burden on our finite world. Transport sector has been one of the main contributors to air pollution and energy depletion. Providing alternative means of transport is a promising strategy perceived by motor manufacturers and researchers. The paper presents the battery electric vehicles-BEVs bibliography that starts with the early eras of invention up till 2015 outlook. It gives a broad overview of BEV market and its technology in a chronological classification while sheds light on the stakeholders’ focus attentions in each stage, the so called, Focus-Attention-Scale-FAS. The attention given in each era is projected and parsed in a scale graph, which varies between micro, meso, and macro-scale. BEV-system is on the verge of experiencing massive growth; however, the system entails a variety of substantial challenges. Observations show the main issues of BEVsystem that require more attention followed by the authors’ recommendations towards an emerging market

Haute couture or pret-a-porter: Creating and diffusing management practices through the popular press

Management fads are increasingly a hot topic within Organization Theory. Recent articles have described the production process of fads, the role of «ideological» waves in explaining their emergence, and the development of management rhetoric supporting the fads. Despite this growing interest, management fads are seen as an outcome of the actions of Universities, business schools, and consulting firms in producing formal management knowledge; the role of the popular press, meanwhile, remains largely unexplored. Our paper aims to fill this gap by exploring the role of the popular press in producing and legitimating management fads. We argue that the popular press is a primary factor in diffusing and legitimating management fads. The popular press also represents a new laboratory for the construction of management practices. Being deeply rooted in the social context, magazines and newspapers link management practices with social acceptance, coupling management and society at large. We use both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to analyze the data. The data set consists of a collection of articles on Human Resource Management published during the last decade in leading newspapers and magazines in Italy. We suggest that the dynamics of the diffusion and popularization of management practices in Italy over the last decade represents a fair example of the processes that have taken place throughout the Western world.popular press; diffusing management practices;

No Child Left Behind: Flowers don’t grow in the desert

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