Examining client perceptions of partnership quality and its dimensions in an IT outsourcing relationship

This paper reports on an empirical study of the multidimensionality of partnership quality in IT outsourcing arrangements and the relationships between these dimensions of partnership quality. A two-phase national survey was conducted to collect empirical data to confirm the dimensions of partnership quality in an IT outsourcing arrangement from the client organisation perspective and to identify the significant relationships between these dimensions using a second generation multivariate analysis technique—partial least squares (PLS). The findings from results of the data analyses show that inter-organisational trust, shared business understanding and to a lesser extent, functional and dysfunctional conflict between the client organisation and the outsourcing vendor in an IT outsourcing relationship are the key determinants of partnership quality. The key outcome variable for high partnership quality between the client organisation and the outsourcing vendor in an IT outsourcing relationship is mutual beneficial sharing of risks and benefits. Commitment in an IT outsourcing relationship is confirmed as a multidimensional construct of behaviour commitment and temporal/continuance commitment and was found to be influenced by the other dimensions of partnership quality. The key findings of this study provide support for the notion that trust and shared business understanding are key drivers in the IT outsourcing partnership style relationship ensuring that the sharing of risks and benefits are realised and conflict is minimised leading to a high quality and ultimately successful partnership between the client organisation and the outsourcing vendor. Furthermore our findings indicate that behavioural commitment to the contractual obligations of an IT outsourcing relationship sustains an ongoing temporal commitment to the partnership between the client organisation and the outsourcing vendor

Caste Confusion and Census Enumeration in Colonial India, 1871-1921

The colonial censuses of India were colossal attempts to enumerate castes according to a hybrid taxonomy that mixed local knowledges with European preconceptions and misconceptions. From 1871 onward, colonial administrators were determined to categorize and count the castes of India, yet experienced many difficulties in classifying, enumerating, and compiling caste data. The administrative practice of census making and taking in colonial India during the 1890s incorporated anthropometric and ethnological tools from "scientific" anthropology. The introduction of these measures in the census schedule and in enumeration furnished caste with a biological and racial connotation. Yet this biological vision of caste never fully took hold and was contested by colonial administrators and Indian political activists who did not believe in anthropometry. In detailing the complications of colonial census work in India, the authors show that epistemological problems with envisioning and enumerating caste were the rule rather than the exception. Les recensements coloniaux de l'Inde étaient de colossales tentatives visant à dénombrer les castes en fonction d'une taxonomie hybride amalgamant les connaissances locales aux préconceptions et aux idées fausses venues d'Europe. ¤ partir de 1871, les administrateurs de la colonie résolurent de catégoriser et de compter les castes indiennes, mais ils éprouvèrent de nombreuses difficultés à les classifier, à les dénombrer et à compiler les données à leur sujet. Durant les années 1890, on commença à faire le recensement administratif de l'Inde coloniale en empruntant des outils anthropométriques et ethnologiques à l'anthropologie >. L'introduction de ces mesures dans le bulletin de recensement et leur emploi durant le dénombrement donnèrent à la notion de caste une connotation biologique et raciale. Pourtant, cette vision biologique de la caste ne s'est jamais véritablement imposée et fut contestée par les administrateurs coloniaux et les activistes politiques indiens qui ne croyaient pas à l'anthropométrie. En exposant en détail les complications de recenser l'Inde coloniale, les auteurs montrent que les problèmes épistémologiques entourant la façon d'envisager et de dénombrer les castes étaient la règle plutôt que l'exception

Central Bank communication and monetary policy: a survey of theory and evidence

Over the last two decades, communication has become an increasingly important aspect of monetary policy. These real-world developments have spawned a huge new scholarly literature on central bank communication —mostly empirical, and almost all of it written in this decade. We survey this evergrowing literature. The evidence suggests that communication can be an important and powerful part of the central bank’s toolkit since it has the ability to move financial markets, to enhance the predictability of monetary policy decisions, and potentially to help achieve central banks’ macroeconomic objectives. However, the large variation in communication strategies across central banks suggests that a consensus has yet to emerge on what constitutes an optimal communication strategy. JEL Classification: E52, E58Central Bank, communication, monetary policy

Comparison of Fuel Performance in Novel Palladium Based Electro-catalysts

This paper investigates the performance of several fuels on novel palladium based electro-catalysts, including sodium-formate, ammonium-formate, and potassium-formate, and ethanol and isopropyl alcohol. Comparisons were done through the use of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA). Results adjusted for surface area showed that potassium formate and ethanol performed the best. Of these, potassium formate showed the strongest overall performance when accounting for parametric differences

Central Bank Communication and Monetary Policy: A Survey of Theory and Evidence

Over the last two decades, communication has become an increasingly important aspect of monetary policy. These real-world developments have spawned a huge new scholarly literature on central bank communication—mostly empirical, and almost all of it written in this decade. We survey this ever-growing literature. The evidence suggests that communication can be an important and powerful part of the central bank’s toolkit since it has the ability to move financial markets, to enhance the predictability of monetary policy decisions, and potentially to help achieve central banks’ macroeconomic objectives. However, the large variation in communication strategies across central banks suggests that a consensus has yet to emerge on what constitutes an optimal communication strategy.

Dynamics of Military Procurement: Changes in Military Consumption Patterns

human development, consumption, globalization

The mental health of children and adolescents: report on the second Australian child and adolescent survey of mental health and wellbeing

FOREWORD This report provides compelling reading for everyone interested in the health and wellbeing of Australian children and adolescents. Based on a survey conducted in the homes of over 6,300 families with children and/or adolescents aged 4 to 17 years, the report presents a comprehensive picture of the mental health of young Australians. It documents the prevalence and type of mental health problems, the impact of those problems on families and young people themselves and the role of health and education services in providing assistance. While the primary sources of information were parents and carers, the survey also engaged directly with young people 11 years and older who completed their own survey. This information provides unique insights about aspects of their emotional lives and behaviour that are generally not visible to parents and carers

Free Variables and the Two Matrix Model

We study the full set of planar Green's functions for a two-matrix model using the language of functions of non-commuting variables. Both the standard Schwinger-Dyson equations and equations determining connected Green's functions can be efficiently discussed and solved. This solution determines the master field for the model in the `$C$-representation.'Comment: 8 pages, harvma

Trades-Related Post-Secondary Educational Attainment among Immigrant and Canadian-Born Young Adults in Alberta

This paper examines trades-related and university educational attainment (by age 25) of immigrant and Canadian-born Alberta youth while controlling for gender, family socio-economic status, high school grades, and parental encouragement regarding higher education. Data from the longitudinal Alberta School-Work Transitions Study (1996 – 2003) reveal significant differences between immigrants and non-immigrant young adults in terms of trades-related post-secondary education (PSE). Multinomial logit analysis shows that Alberta immigrant youth are significantly more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to attain trades-related PSE credentials by age 25. Important factors explaining these differences include parental encouragement and high school grades. Cet article porte sur les réalisations relatives aux métiers et à l’éducation universitaire avant l’âge de 25 ans chez de jeunes immigrants d’une part et de jeunes albertains nés au Canada d’autre part. L’étude tient compte du sexe, du statut socioéconomique de la famille, des notes au secondaire et de l’appui parental en ce qui touche l’enseignement supérieur. Les données provenant d’une étude longitudinale albertaine portant sur le passage de l’école au travail (Alberta School-Work Transitions Study 1996 – 2003) révèlent des différences significatives entre les jeunes adultes immigrants et non-immigrants quant à l’éducation postsecondaire associée aux métiers. Une analyse logit multinomiale démontre que les jeunes albertains immigrants sont nettement plus susceptibles que leurs homologues nés au Canada à obtenir un diplôme d’éducation postsecondaire associée aux métiers avant l’âge de 25 ans. Parmi les facteurs importants qui expliquent ces différences notons l’appui parental et les notes au secondaire