Developing a Cutting Edge Curriculum Undergraduate Level Economics

This paper assesses the undergraduate economics curricular at three academic institutions, one in the US and two in the UK, using a case study methodology. The results of this paper indicates that if the level of integration between research and teaching is very high, if the curriculum is ‘relevant’ interdisciplinary; and if the student selection process is robust and seeks only to admit only the most intellectually able students, then this may not only have a positive effect on the ranking of the institution itself but also on the ranking of the economics department of the institution. Furthermore, it can be demonstrated that there is also a correlation between the rankings of institutions and the institutions economic departments with former students as well as former and current staff being awarded Nobel Prizes. Keywords: Education, Economics, Innovation, Teachin

STRESS - STEREO transiting exoplanet and stellar survey

The Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory - STEREO, is a system of two identical spacecraft in Heliocentric Earth orbit. We use the two Heliospheric Imagers (HI) on board, which are wide angle imagers with multi-baffle systems to do high precision stellar photometry in order to search for exoplanetary transits and understand stellar variables. The cadence (40 min for HI-1 and 2 hrs for HI-2), high precision (< 1% scatter for R < 8 and a few per cent for fainter objects), wide magnitude range (R mag - 4 to 12) and broad sky coverage (nearly 20 percent just for HI-1A and 60 per cent of the sky in the zodiacal region for all the instruments combined) of this instrument marks this in a space left largely devoid by other current projects. This thesis describes the instrument and its capabilities, the semi-automated pipeline devised for the reduction of this data and the general characteristics of the data obtained. This thesis explains the data analysis methods used in identifying exoplanetary transits and stellar variables along with some of the early results. The thesis concludes with a description of the work in progress and also outlines some of the future prospects of this massive STRESS data set

Factors influencing green consumerism behavior among Penangites

Environmental apprehension has demanded greater responsibility and consciousness amongst individuals to be sustainable in their everyday activities. To synthesize business strategy, it is essential to identify the factors that influence green behavior among consumers. The main purpose of this research is (1) to determine the factors that contribute to intention to green consumerism behavior; (2) to determine the mediating effect of intention on green consumerism behavior on factors contributing to green consumerism behavior and (3) to decide if there is a moderating effect of green advertisement on the relationship between intention to green consumerism and green consumerism behavior. This study consisted of six independent variables: moral norm, environmental concern, perceived knowledge, perceived environmental responsibility, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control, a mediator: intention to green consumerism, a dependent variable: green consumerism behavior i.e. purchase behavior, conservation behavior and recycle behavior and moderating variable, green advertisement. A total of 17 hypotheses were developed. Regression was used to analyze the mediation and moderation effect. The population was Malaysian consumers and a mall intercept survey using systematic random sampling yielded 387 respondents who had shopped in hypermarkets and supermarkets in Penang. The results showed 13 hypotheses being supported. Results showed moral norm, environmental concern, perceived knowledge, perceived environmental responsibility and subjective norm has a significant relationship to intention. Intention has a significant relationship to behavior however, intention did not mediate the relationship between the independent variables and behavior. It was also found that perceived behavioral control has a significant direct relationship with behavior. Moderating effect of green advertisement was significant, there was a quasi-moderation between intention and conservation behavior and intention and recycle behavior. The findings of this study while contributing to the body of knowledge, may also assist policy makers and marketers in their sustainability effor

Designing Fitness Apps Using Persuasive Technology: A Text Mining Approach

Popularity and pervasiveness of mobile apps have great potential to motivate healthy behavioural modifications. Considering the increased prevalence of obesity, overweight and sedentary lifestyle in modern societies, this study takes an important step in proposing design elements for fitness apps that can stimulate enhanced physical activity behaviour. We posit that persuasive technology principles infused into social cognitive theory elements will lead to the design of successful fitness apps. We empirically validated our conceptualization using app descriptions and lifecycle data of mobile apps. Implications for practice and future research are discussed

Government Policy, Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Functions - Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sector: Evidence from China

The aim of this paper is to investigate how employee related CSR guidelines and government policies influence HR functions in terms of diversity and equal opportunity, training and education, remuneration, labour relations and occupational health. The analysis is based on case study of firms operating in Primary Industry (Oil &amp; Gas), the Secondary Industry (Automobiles) and in the Tertiary Industry (Telecommunications). CSR emerged far earlier in firms based and originating from developed economies, but this has just happened in China and there’s limited research on how CSR contribute to the sustainability of the workers and the development of human capital. This paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolution of CSR, its implementation and its effectiveness on HR functions and how these vary between China’s different Industries. The results of this paper indicate that there is considerable overlap between China’s Labour Law and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) disclosure guidelines. The CASS CSR disclosure requirements were found to be more comprehensive than the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) CSR disclosure requirements in the context of the selected five Human Resource (HR) functions. While no discernible pattern was found, either inter or intra industry, in the level of disclosure according to either CASS or GRI CSR guidelines or between them there were some notable results. With regards to Occupational Health and Safety firms in Primary Industry provided more information corresponding to both GRI and CASS CSR guidelines than did firms in either the Secondary or the Tertiary Industry. While all firms complied with CASS CSR disclosure requirements associated with Training and Education except one form in Tertiary Industry, firms in Primary Industry disclosed more Training and Education information in the context of GRI CSR disclosure requirements. Interestingly, while firms in all industries complied with the GRI CSR disclosure requirements relating to Diversity and Equal Opportunity, mostly firms in Tertiary Industry complied with the CASS CSR disclosure requirement relating to the disabled employment rate. Key Words: CASS, China’s Labour Law, CSR, GRI, Human Resource Function

POPULARITY AND AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT OF MOBILE APPS: ENABLING EFFECTIVE MOBILE ADVERTISEMENT

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

A modified Muskingum routing approach for floodplain flows: theory and practice

Hydrological or hydraulic flood routing methods can be used to predict the floodplain influences on a flood wave as it passes along a river reach. While hydraulic routing uses both the equation of continuity and the equation of momentum to describe the dynamics of river flows, the simpler data requirements of hydrological routing makes it useful for preliminary estimates of the time and shape of a flood wave at successive points along a river. This paper presents a modified linear Muskingum hydrological routing method where the floodplain effects on flood peak attenuation and flood wave travel time are included in routing parameters. Developing the routing parameters initially involved routing hydrographs of different flood peak and duration through a 1-dimensional model of a generalised river reach in which a range of geometrical and resistance properties were varied. Comparison of upstream and simulated downstream hydrographs for each condition investigated, allowed the attenuation and travel time (storage constant, K, in standard Muskingum routing) of the flood wave to be estimated. Standard Muskingum 1 routing was then used to develop downstream hydrographs for each K value together with assumed storage weighting factors (x) ranging from 0 to 0.5. Flood peak attenuations were again determined through comparison of the upstream and routed downstream hydrographs and with these, linear relationships between x and these attenuations were developed. Actual weighting factors, corresponding to storage constants, were subsequently determined using these relationships for all attenuations determined from the 1-dimensional model simulations. Using multi-variate regression analysis, the computed values of K and x were correlated to catchment and hydrograph properties and expressions for determining both K and x in terms of these properties were developed. The modified Muskingum routing method based on these regressed expressions for K and x was applied to a case study of the River Suir in Ireland where good agreement between measured and routed hydrographs was observed.Deposited by bulk importTS 11.02.1