The Evolution of Competing Using Analytics

Competing using analytics is often heralded as a new concept spurned by advances in high-speed computing, the digital age and the internet. However, evidence for using analytics as the basis for gaining a competitive advantage exists much earlier. In his key paper written in 1953 William Edwards Deming wrote that better quality through the use of statistical techniques can lead to a competitive advantage for firms. He also pointed out that for a more effective use of these techniques, top management should not only become familiar with the results of statistical methods; they should study also the problems of organization by which to achieve a wider and more effective use of these methods.Similarly, quality guru Joseph Juran also a Deming contemporary noted that the Japanese learned to compete on quality which is something the Americans did not understand until it was too late and they lost market share. This paper explores Juran’s and Deming’s thoughts on competing on quality and evaluates its usefulness and lessons to the modern post-industrial world and one in which BIG DATA is being collected and used by many firms across a variety of industries in an effort to develop a competitive advantage from the use of statistical analysis. It also debunks the common misconception that competing on analytics is something new and novel which represents a call to action for managers in analytically challenged companies since they will now be under investing in function that has been around for over half a century

Virtual Proximity to Promote Expatriate Cultural Adjustment, Innovation, and the Reduction of Stress Levels

Given the dramatic increase in the number of expatriates living and working abroad, there is a need to advance the research into how to make sure these employees achieve success on their assignments. Often, these expatriates assume managerial roles and are intended to be the gatekeepers of information. Typically, this information is necessary for the success of their colleagues, in both their home country and their host country. The expatriate’s role is to facilitate the integration of organizational knowledge from both their home and host countries, as well as key sources in their host country’s local environment. However, historically, there has been an exceptionally high failure rate in expatriate engagements. There are various factors discussed in the literature related to this failure rate including the stress of cultural integration and isolation from family. This often interferes with the expatriate being able to perform of their key responsibilities, which is to innovate. This research will launch pilot studies to investigate the use of social media, and computer mediated communications, to develop virtual proximity, its effects on cultural integration, the maintenance of professional relationships on a global scale, and its effect on the reduction of stress and the innovation process

Using genetic algorithms for credit scoring system maintenance functions

ABSTRAC

The media are fueling beliefs about voter fraud despite the fact that it is incredibly rare

It’s election season in the US, which also means that fears about voter fraud are back in the news and on the lips of many politicians. In new research which examines the role of local media in stoking concerns about voter fraud, Brian J. Fogarty, David C. Kimball, and Adriano Udani find that in states where the media frequently mention voter fraud, the public become more concerned about it. This effect is heightened for Republican voters and even more so for those who live in states under Democratic legislative control

Restructuring the Michigan Child Care Fund: Reducing Costs and Improving Outcomes

Michigan’s policy to distribute the Child Care Fund (CCF) to counties at a flat rate of 50% as stated in the Michigan Comprehensive Laws 400.117a provides no structured incentive to the counties to use evidence based practices that are cost-effective for locally based delinquent youth intervention programs. This policy analysis answers the following questions: (1) would retaining delinquent youth in the community produce a cost benefit and/or better outcomes than confinement and (2) is public safety at risk if delinquent youth are retained in the community? Utilizing a policy analysis framework our evidence found that community based services provide better outcomes than confinement for delinquent youth and that retaining delinquent youth in the community does not represent an increased risk to public safety. Policy change is recommended to incentivize the use of best practices which may produce significant economic and social benefits to the state and delinquent youth who should receive the best possible care. This can be accomplished through a shift in state reimbursement rates from the current 50% rate to an increased rate for evidence based strategies

First Irish delivery following sequential, two-stage embryo and blastocyst transfer.

BACKGROUND: The timing of embryo transfer (ET) after in vitro fertilisation (IVF) remains controversial, and there are no reliable guidelines available to prospectively identify which patients would benefit from either day-3 or blastocyst transfer. While blastocyst transfer is generally favoured over day-3 transfers, very few IVF patients get both in the same treatment cycle. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report on a 35.5-year-old female with tubal factor infertility who underwent IVF, which included transfer of a fresh day-3 embryo and a thawed blastocyst frozen at day 6. Transfer occurred on two separate days (days 3 and 6) in a two-stage/dual catheter fashion and resulted in a healthy term singleton livebirth. CONCLUSIONS: While combined day-3 and day-5 ET has been available elsewhere for several years, this is the first description of its successful application in Ireland and confirms the effectiveness of coordinated two-stage transfer in a single IVF treatment cycle

ASPOD modifications of 1993-1994

ASPOD, Autonomous Space Processors for Orbital Debris, provides a unique way of collecting the space debris that has built up over the past 37 years. For the past several years, ASPOD has gone through several different modifications. This year's concentrations were on the solar cutting array, the solar tracker, the earth based main frame/tilt table, the controls for the two robotic arms, and accurate autocad drawings of ASPOD. This final report contains the reports written by the students who worked on the ASPOD project this year

From Process to Product: Your Risk Process at Work

The Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) and Human Research Program (HRP) at the NASA/Johnson Space Center work together to address and manage the human health and performance risks associated with human space flight. This includes all human system requirements before, during, and after space flight, providing for research, and managing the risk of adverse long-term health outcomes for the crew. We previously described the framework and processes developed for identifying and managing these human system risks. The focus of this panel is to demonstrate how the implementation of the framework and associated processes has provided guidance in the management and communication of human system risks. The risks of early onset osteoporosis, CO2 exposure, and intracranial hypertension in particular have all benefitted from the processes developed for human system risk management. Moreover, we are continuing to develop capabilities, particularly in the area of information architecture, which will also be described. We are working to create a system whereby all risks and associated actions can be tracked and related to one another electronically. Such a system will enhance the management and communication capabilities for the human system risks, thereby increasing the benefit to researchers and flight surgeons

The ethos of physical activity delivery in mental health: a narrative study of service user experiences.

Our research into the physical activity experiences of people with severe mental illness has led us to take seriously the social and cultural environment in which physical activity is delivered. In this study, through narrative methodology, we examine service user accounts of physical activity to illuminate the characteristics of physical activity groups that are experienced as positive, helpful, or beneficial. We present several qualities and show how effective leadership and coaching is central to these qualities being present. We conclude that it is not so much what activity is delivered, but how it is delivered that is critical for sustained participation and positive outcomes

Managing for ocean biodiversity to sustain marine ecosystem services

Managing a complex ecosystem to balance delivery of all of its services is at the heart of ecosystem-based management. But how can this balance be accomplished amidst the conflicting demands of stakeholders, managers, and policy makers? In marine ecosystems, several common ecological mechanisms link biodiversity to ecosystem functioning and to a complex of essential services. As a result, the effects of preserving diversity can be broadly beneficial to a wide spectrum of important ecosystem processes and services, including fisheries, water quality, recreation, and shoreline protection. A management system that conserves diversity will help to accrue more “ecoservice capital” for human use and will maintain a hedge against unanticipated ecosystem changes from natural or anthropogenic causes. Although maintenance of biodiversity cannot be the only goal for ecosystem-based management, it could provide a common currency for evaluating the impacts of different human activities on ecosystem functioning and can act as a critical indicator of ecosystem status