12,197 research outputs found
Paying for Status? - The effect of frequent flier program member status on air fare choice
Frequent flier programs (FFPs) are said to affect airline customer behaviour such that revenue of sponsoring airlines increases. To this end prior research relies on assumptions of competition, lock-in effects and variations in scale and scope of FFPs. Whether a FFP by itself induces a price premium remains unanswered. In an effort to shine some light on this question, we apply discrete choice analysis to a new proprietary data set of actual frequent flier member flight behaviour (fares paid, FFP points received) over a 12-months period. We take advantage of the variations in the structure of FFPs (Gold, Silver and Bronze tier levels), to assess both the existence of a FFP price premium and the price premiums average monetary value in US$ per FFP member. Our findings suggest that FFP members are willing to pay a price premium of up to six percent, which is directly attributable to the FFP.discrete choice analysis, loyalty programs, relationship marketing, price premium, frequent flier program, CRM
Macroscopic fe-simulation of residual stresses in thermo-mechanically processed steels considering phase transformation effects
Residual stresses are an important issue as they affect both the manufacturing processes as well as the performance of the final parts. Taking into account the whole process chain of hot forming, the integrated heat treatment provided by a defined temperature profile for cooling of the parts offers a great potential for the targeted adjustment of the desired residual stress state. However, in addition to elastic, plastic and linear thermal strain components, the complex material phenomena arising from phase transformation effects of the polymorphic steels have to be considered in order to predict the residual stresses. These transformation strains account for the plastic deformation at the phase boundary between the emerging and the parent phase. In addition, they are strongly related to the transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) phenomena which depend on the stress state. The aim of this study is the investigation of TRIP effects and their impact on residual stresses regarding the typical hot forming steels 1.7225 (DIN: 42CrMo4) and 1.3505 (DIN: 100Cr6) by means of an experimental-numerical approach. The TRIP behaviour of the materials under consideration is integrated into an FE simulation model in the commercial software Simufact.forming for the purpose of residual stress prediction. The experimental thermo-mechanical investigations are carried out using a quenching and forming dilatometer. These experiments are numerically modelled by means of FEM which allows TRIP coefficients to be determined phasespecifically by numerical identification. For validation of the improved FE-model, an experimental thermo-mechanical reference process is considered, in which cylindrical specimens with an eccentric hole are hot formed and subsequently cooled by different temperature routes. Finally, the numerical model is validated by means of a comparison between residual stress states determined with X-ray diffraction and predicted residual stresses from the simulation
A new analysis of 14O beta decay: branching ratios and CVC consistency
The ground-state Gamow-Teller transition in the decay of 14O is strongly
hindered and the electron spectrum deviates markedly from the allowed shape. A
reanalysis of the only available data on this spectrum changes the branching
ratio assigned to this transition by seven standard deviations: our new result
is (0.54 \pm 0.02)%. The Kurie plot data from two earlier publications are also
examined and a revision to their published branching ratios is recommended. The
required nuclear matrix elements are calculated with the shell model and, for
the first time, consistency is obtained between the M1 matrix element deduced
from the analog gamma transition in 14N and that deduced from the slope of the
shape-correction function in the beta transition, a requirement of the
conserved vector current hypothesis. This consistency is only obtained,
however, if renormalized rather than free-nucleon operators are used in the
shell-model calculations. In the mirror decay of 14C a similar situation
occurs. Consistency between the 14C lifetime, the slope of the shape-correction
function and the M1 matrix element from gamma decay can only be achieved with
renormalized operators in the shell-model calculation.Comment: 9 pages; revtex4; one figur
The impact of Lyman- radiative transfer on large-scale clustering in the Illustris simulation
Lyman- emitters (LAEs) are a promising probe of the large-scale
structure at high redshift, . In particular, the Hobby-Eberly
Telescope Dark Energy Experiment aims at observing LAEs at 1.9 3.5 to
measure the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) scale and the Redshift-Space
Distortion (RSD). However, Zheng et al. (2011) pointed out that the complicated
radiative transfer (RT) of the resonant Lyman- emission line generates
an anisotropic selection bias in the LAE clustering on large scales, Mpc. This effect could potentially induce a systematic error in the BAO and
RSD measurements. Also, Croft et al. (2016) claims an observational evidence of
the effect in the Lyman- intensity map, albeit statistically
insignificant. We aim at quantifying the impact of the Lyman- RT on the
large-scale galaxy clustering in detail. For this purpose, we study the
correlations between the large-scale environment and the ratio of an apparent
Lyman- luminosity to an intrinsic one, which we call the `observed
fraction', at . We apply our Lyman- RT code by post-processing
the full Illustris simulations. We simply assume that the intrinsic luminosity
of the Lyman- emission is proportional to the star formation rate of
galaxies in Illustris, yielding a sufficiently large sample of LAEs to measure
the anisotropic selection bias. We find little correlations between large-scale
environment and the observed fraction induced by the RT, and hence a smaller
anisotropic selection bias than what was claimed by Zheng et al. (2011). We
argue that the anisotropy was overestimated in the previous work due to the
insufficient spatial resolution: it is important to keep the resolution such
that it resolves the high density region down to the scale of the interstellar
medium, physical kpc. (abridged)Comment: 11 pages, published in A&
Success Factors for an E-Government Strategy: Austrian Experiences, Indonesian Challenges
Focus of this paper are success factors for the implementation of an E-Government strategy. Whileconcepts for a sophisticated strategy process in Public Sector are delivered on a regular basis, the gapbetween ambitious planning and its implementation seems to get wider. Authors seek to define whatmakes a “good strategy” in order to enhance management capacity. Meanwhile some scholars fromPolitical Science see limitation of Governments on announcements which are not followed up bysufficient action rather as systematic problems, challenging concept and rules of liberal westerndemocracy, or owed to growing complexity of Governance under the conditions of globalization. Incontext of the introduction of New Public Management and its perception of citizens as customers andon the basis of new available technical options in Information Society, a key Governance reform projectin European and other Countries over the last fifteen years has been the introduction of E-Government.European market leader in this field is Austria. The author reviews concept and implementationexperiences of the Austrian E-Government strategy, analyzes key success factors and opens adiscussion, under which conditions a successful implementation of E-Government can take place inIndonesia
Educational Governance Today
In the communication and knowledge based globalvillage, under the conditions of dynamic Change inan economy driven world, education has become acomplex and challenging endeavor, both for individualsand organizations. Learning has changeddramatically: knowledge and skills are quickly outdatedand devaluated, giving education a new meaningwithin an individual biography; schools, universitiesand other providers of education go throughorganizational revolutions, who are challenging theirself-concept and management; governments areunder pressure to reshape Educational Governanceaccording to new paradigms with the overall goalto sustain national or regional competitiveness. Arekey actors in the education system ready to face thesechallenges and to modernize their organizations?Starting from an overview on the Complexity of Learningin modern societies, generalizable consequencesare reviewed in a case study on Germany. It leads toa framework for a necessary research project incountries such as Indonesia, which are still aheadof educational reform. The focus is on the organizationalmeso and macro level that is playing the keyrole in Educational Governance
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