Web-based Training and Teaching: A Frequency-based Approach

To those involved in teaching and training, the 80/20 rule is probably one of the most universal phenomenon, e.g., 80% of questions come from 20% of students and 80% of time spent is on 20% of subjects. This article describes our experience in designing and beginning to create a prototype web-based teaching and training (WBTT) program at the Franchise University (FranchiseU; The URL is http://www.bus.lsu.edu/franchise.). Our objectives include demonstrating how the concept of the 80/20 rule can be used to create a WBTT program satisfying the major requirements of education brokerages on the Internet. To illustrate how the program operates, we describe its organizational model

Strategic Growth of Firms in the Digital Economy: Simulation and Research Proposal

With the rise of the Internet as an important dimension of business, fierce competition is resulting in industries that fit skew distributions, where those few firms that can best leverage the digital economy accrue the majority of the revenues. Porter points out that the Internet erodes industrial profitability and intensifies the need for sound strategy. As a tool for modeling the growth of firms in the competitive Internet environment, we apply Herbert Simonís model for business firm growth and relate its two key parametersórate of entry and industrial growth potentialóto Porterís strategic theories. We also introduce the idea of individual growth potential as a measure of firm competitiveness within an industry. We present a research proposal to empirically test the model, and provide the results from a simulation to demonstrate the applicability and usefulness of Simonís model to the business environment in the digital economy

Strategic Growth of Firms in the Digital Economy: A Simonian Research Agenda

Strategic growth of firms, in the words of Herbert Simon, is within the framework of decision making under “massive and unending uncertainty.” In the rapidly changing digital economy, the cycle of winning and losing and asset redistribution intensifies as the speed of information exchange increases. It is thus more necessary than ever to find explanatory theories to describe, model, and predict the emerging market structures of the hypercompetitive digital economy. In this paper, we draw upon several Simonian models of bounded rationality in decision making and propose a research agenda for strategic growth of firms in the digital economy. The agenda consists of three major topics: (1) skew distributions in the digital market competition, (2) empirical laws of information use, and (3) a framework of strategic information systems. Some ongoing projects related to the agenda are discussed

Information Technology Transfer in Econometric Forecasting: A Pictorial Approach

Successful information technology transfer requires effective communication and clear, concise information exchange. This paper, using the Louisiana econometric model as a case study, proposes a pictorial approach to present and manage complex factors essential to information technology transfer. The approach utilizes multi-layer entity-relationship diagrams to provide a meaningful framework for the entire forecasting process, provide clarity to ensure better model maintenance when changes in social/economic structures require reformulations, and provide a procedural and data dictionary for clear documentation. The pictorial approach is both intuitive and readable, capable of serving as a task management tool, a model implementation aid, and a system maintenance resource

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and E-Commerce

Technology has drastically changed how businesses operate. Internet and the subsequent “E-Commerce,” have granted customers more bargaining power than ever. Thus, Continuous Customer Relationship and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) become the goal for customer retention. CRM, if performed correctly, allows creative marketing people to gain insights from information for new product ideas or new promotional campaigns and turn them into profits. CRM has extended beyond sales and marketing to include functions such as finance, R&D, channel partners, and even customers. This paper discusses the concept of customer-centric approach in CRM and its components. The current CRM market, key players, and trends are also reviewed

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

Search for supersymmetry in events with one lepton and multiple jets in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for anomalous couplings in boosted WW/WZ -> l nu q(q)over-bar production in proton-proton collisions at root s=8TeV

Peer reviewe