A Contraction Based Approach to Tensor Isomorphism

Tensor isomorphism is a hard problem in computational complexity theory. Tensor isomorphism arises not just in mathematics, but also in other applied fields like Machine Learning, Cryptography, and Quantum Information Theory (QIT). In this thesis, we develop a new approach to testing (non)-isomorphism of tensors that uses local information from contractions of a tensor to detect differences in global structures. Specifically, we use projective geometry and tensor contractions to create a labelling data structure for a given tensor, which can be used to compare and distinguish tensors. This contraction labelling isomorphism test is quite general, and its practical potential remains largely unexplored. As a proof of concept, however, we apply the technique to a very recent classification of 4-qubit states in QIT

One Mandarin Benefits the Whole Clan: Hometown Infrastructure and Nepotism in an Autocracy

This paper studies nepotism by government officials in an authoritarian regime. We collect a unique dataset of political promotions of officials in Vietnam and estimate their impact on public infrastructure in their hometowns. We find strong positive effects on several outcomes, some with lags, including roads to villages, marketplaces, clean water access, preschools, irrigation, and local radio broadcasters, as well as the hometown’s propensity to benefit from the State’s “poor commune support program”. Nepotism is not limited to only top-level officials, pervasive even among those without direct authority over hometown budgets, stronger when the hometown chairperson’s and promoted official’s ages are closer, and where provincial leadership has more discretionary power in shaping policies, suggesting that nepotism works through informal channels based on specific political power and environment. Contrary to pork barrel politics in democratic parliaments, members of the Vietnamese legislative body have little influence on infrastructure investments for their hometowns. Given the top-down nature of political promotions, officials arguably do not help their tiny communes in exchange for political support. Consistent with that, officials favor only their home commune and ignore their home district, which could offer larger political support. These findings suggest that nepotism is motivated by officials’ social preferences directed towards their related circles, and signals an additional form of corruption that may prevail in developing countries with low transparency.nepotism, infrastructure construction, official’s hometown, political connection,political promotion, social preference, directed altruism

The impact of brand relationship and perceived quality on brand loyalty in the emerging market context of Vietnam

Brand loyalty is critical to business and marketing strategy as it provides competitive advantages for companies. With marketing shifting its emphasis from marketing mix to relationships, research on brand loyalty has focused on approaches to build consumer–brand relationships that are conducive to fostering brand loyalty. However, as consumer–brand relationships are complex and research into this phenomenon proliferates, the task of building and managing brand relationships for marketers is challenging. Little attention has been paid to consumer–brand relationships in emerging markets. Given its enormous market opportunities and intensified competition, Vietnam presents an opportunity for research on consumer–brand relationships that will provide marketers with insights into developing effective relationship-building strategies aiming at fostering brand loyalty. The purpose of this research therefore is to examine empirically the relevance of various dimensions of brand relationship in the context of an emerging market. Based on a review of related literature, a theoretical model was developed to examine the impact of brand identification, brand trust, brand relationship quality, and perceived quality on brand loyalty. This research employed both qualitative and quantitative methods, with the latter being the dominant approach. The qualitative stage used in-depth interviews to determine the relevance of existing constructs in the theoretical model in the context of Vietnam. A mall-intercept survey was conducted in the two largest cities in Vietnam, with 400 consumers who gave responses to the constructs’ measurement scales in relation to clothing brands bought in the last six months. The measurement scales used in the survey were assessed and refined, and then the theoretical model and hypotheses were tested. The results indicated that brand trust and brand relationship quality are the two important antecedents of brand loyalty, with brand trust showing the largest effect. In addition, the effect of brand identification on brand loyalty was mediated mostly by brand trust or by brand relationship quality. The results also showed that the effect of perceived quality on brand loyalty was mostly mediated by brand trust. The findings emphasised the importance of brand identification and perceived quality in brand loyalty. The mean scores obtained from descriptive statistics also suggested that for clothing products, Vietnamese consumers are not very emotionally attached to their brands. The current research contributes to the literature on consumer–brand relationships and emerging markets with empirical evidence from Vietnam. The results have practical implications for marketers in Vietnam, suggesting that they should focus not only on standard marketing mix strategies to enhance positive perceptions of a brand, but also on building strong consumer–brand relationships. It is suggested that the interpretation of the results should take into account limitations in terms of the design and setting of this research. More research is required to address the limitations of this research as well as to extend the body of literature by considering longitudinal designs and replicating the tests in different categories of consumer product and service as well as in different emerging and transitional markets

The impact of brand relationship and perceived quality on brand loyalty in the emerging market context of Vietnam

Brand loyalty is critical to business and marketing strategy as it provides competitive advantages for companies. With marketing shifting its emphasis from marketing mix to relationships, research on brand loyalty has focused on approaches to build consumer–brand relationships that are conducive to fostering brand loyalty. However, as consumer–brand relationships are complex and research into this phenomenon proliferates, the task of building and managing brand relationships for marketers is challenging. Little attention has been paid to consumer–brand relationships in emerging markets. Given its enormous market opportunities and intensified competition, Vietnam presents an opportunity for research on consumer–brand relationships that will provide marketers with insights into developing effective relationship-building strategies aiming at fostering brand loyalty. The purpose of this research therefore is to examine empirically the relevance of various dimensions of brand relationship in the context of an emerging market. Based on a review of related literature, a theoretical model was developed to examine the impact of brand identification, brand trust, brand relationship quality, and perceived quality on brand loyalty. This research employed both qualitative and quantitative methods, with the latter being the dominant approach. The qualitative stage used in-depth interviews to determine the relevance of existing constructs in the theoretical model in the context of Vietnam. A mall-intercept survey was conducted in the two largest cities in Vietnam, with 400 consumers who gave responses to the constructs’ measurement scales in relation to clothing brands bought in the last six months. The measurement scales used in the survey were assessed and refined, and then the theoretical model and hypotheses were tested. The results indicated that brand trust and brand relationship quality are the two important antecedents of brand loyalty, with brand trust showing the largest effect. In addition, the effect of brand identification on brand loyalty was mediated mostly by brand trust or by brand relationship quality. The results also showed that the effect of perceived quality on brand loyalty was mostly mediated by brand trust. The findings emphasised the importance of brand identification and perceived quality in brand loyalty. The mean scores obtained from descriptive statistics also suggested that for clothing products, Vietnamese consumers are not very emotionally attached to their brands. The current research contributes to the literature on consumer–brand relationships and emerging markets with empirical evidence from Vietnam. The results have practical implications for marketers in Vietnam, suggesting that they should focus not only on standard marketing mix strategies to enhance positive perceptions of a brand, but also on building strong consumer–brand relationships. It is suggested that the interpretation of the results should take into account limitations in terms of the design and setting of this research. More research is required to address the limitations of this research as well as to extend the body of literature by considering longitudinal designs and replicating the tests in different categories of consumer product and service as well as in different emerging and transitional markets

The end-user perception of healthcare waiting environment designs

Waiting environments often represent the first interaction point of the healthcare journey and as such contribute to end-user overall experience. The design of these spaces should therefore make the experience as positive as possible. The body of evidence about the relationship between healthcare built-environments and end-user outcomes has grown rapidly in recent years. However, as opposed to inpatient and longterm care, few studies have focused on the design of outpatient settings and their waiting environments. In order to improve the waiting experience, it is necessary to understand how end-users perceive the design of the healthcare waiting environments. This research therefore aims to understand how end-users in the United Kingdom perceive the design of outpatient healthcare waiting environments (OHCWEs). A mixed methods research consisting of quantitative and qualitative techniques was developed to address key research objectives in four studies. In Study 1, end-user perceptions were explored through 24 photo-elicitation interviews. Content analysis of the data revealed that end-users described their perception of the design of OHCWEs using design descriptors and/or emotional, cognitive and associative terms. This contributed to the understanding of the content and language that participants used to describe the design. In Study 2a, 66 participants rated images on semantic differential scales. Using Principal Component Analysis, the level of pleasantness and typical healthcare appearance were extracted as two end-user main perceptions. As these two perceptions were found uncorrelated, a direct causal effect relationship between them could not be assumed. This challenged existing knowledge suggesting a positive effect on end-users related to untypical healthcare appearance. In Study 2b, learning from the review of the literature and from the studies 1 and 2a were consolidated to form a theoretical foundation for the research design of Study 3 to assess design attributes. In Study 3, participants (N=116) evaluated seven design attributes and their sub-attributes on perceived level of pleasantness using photo-realistic renderings which were specifically created. Conjoint Analysis revealed that wooden flooring, an open reception area, upholstered, single chairs that are arranged in rows, clear signage and additional features e.g. indoor plants or refreshment facilities were perceived most pleasant. The quantifiable measures about the contribution of each design attribute to perceived level of pleasantness extend existing knowledge in evidence-based design and hence represent conceptual contributions. In addition to the conceptual contributions, this research also contributes to the practical and methodological development of evidence-based design. The methodological framework provides a novel way of measuring end-user perceptions of the design in OHCWEs. The developed method allowed a more complete view on end-user insights which would not have been possible using traditional, pure methods. Additional learning about the design enabled the formulation of practical design recommendations to improve end-user perceptions of OHCWEs. Being able to assess the pleasantness of healthcare environments has the potential to improve the well-being of end-users

Into the Gap: A Mixed Methods Study of Acculturation, Stress, and Refugee Family Functioning

Every day, new waves of refugees result from increasing social, political and environmental instabilities around the world. Numerous studies have detailed the various stressors and adjustment issues that refugees face when resettled in a new host society. The majority of these studies focus on individual-level variables and not on the family as a whole. Thus, more studies are needed to understand how refugee families adjust in the resettlement context in order to promote positive outcomes. Studies that have examined family-level functioning often focus on how acculturative differences increase stress in refugee families, contributing to higher levels of familial tension and conflict. This is referred to as the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis. However, these adverse effects have not been found consistently. The purpose of this dyadic, mixed methods study is to address the limitations in the literature by testing the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis, and to explore the relationship between acculturation, stress and refugee family functioning. Survey results of this study did not provide support for the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis. Perceived stress did not mediate the relationship between acculturation gaps and family functioning. Qualitative findings supported the notion that acculturation changes across the life course. Most tension and stress occurred during the early part of resettlement, when children were younger. As children and parents adjust to the host society, they learn and accept their differences and recognize these differences as strengths. These results and findings have important implications for service providers and resettlement agencies in establishing services that are crucial to the long-term adjustment of refugee families. Advisor: Yan R. Xi

Into the Gap: A Mixed Methods Study of Acculturation, Stress, and Refugee Family Functioning

Every day, new waves of refugees result from increasing social, political and environmental instabilities around the world. Numerous studies have detailed the various stressors and adjustment issues that refugees face when resettled in a new host society. The majority of these studies focus on individual-level variables and not on the family as a whole. Thus, more studies are needed to understand how refugee families adjust in the resettlement context in order to promote positive outcomes. Studies that have examined family-level functioning often focus on how acculturative differences increase stress in refugee families, contributing to higher levels of familial tension and conflict. This is referred to as the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis. However, these adverse effects have not been found consistently. The purpose of this dyadic, mixed methods study is to address the limitations in the literature by testing the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis, and to explore the relationship between acculturation, stress and refugee family functioning. Survey results of this study did not provide support for the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis. Perceived stress did not mediate the relationship between acculturation gaps and family functioning. Qualitative findings supported the notion that acculturation changes across the life course. Most tension and stress occurred during the early part of resettlement, when children were younger. As children and parents adjust to the host society, they learn and accept their differences and recognize these differences as strengths. These results and findings have important implications for service providers and resettlement agencies in establishing services that are crucial to the long-term adjustment of refugee families. Advisor: Yan R. Xi

One Mandarin benefits the whole clan: hometown favoritism in an authoritarian regime

We study patronage politics in authoritarian Vietnam, using an exhaustive panel of ranking officials from 2000 to 2010 to estimate their promotions’ impact on infrastructure in their hometowns of patrilineal ancestry. Native officials’ promotions lead to a broad range of hometown infrastructure improvement. Hometown favoritism is pervasive across all ranks, even among officials without budget authority, except among elected legislators. Favors are narrowly targeted toward small communes that have no political power, and are strengthened with bad local governance and strong local family values. The evidence suggests a likely motive of social preferences for hometown

One Mandarin Benefits the Whole Clan: Hometown Favoritism in an Authoritarian Regime

We study patronage politics in authoritarian Vietnam, using an exhaustive panel of ranking officials from 2000 to 2010 to estimate their promotions’ impact on infrastructure in their patrilineal hometowns. Favoritism is pervasive across all ranks, even among officials without budget authority. Promotions of officials strongly improve hometown infrastructure including roads, marketplaces, and irrigation. In contrast to democracies’ pork-barrel politics, elected legislators are not influential. Favoritism is likely motivated by officials’ social preferences for hometowns rather than by political considerations, because favors are narrowly targeted to small communes, and are stronger where local culture emphasizes the family bond

One Mandarin Benefits the Whole Clan: Hometown Favoritism in an Authoritarian Regime

We study patronage politics in authoritarian Vietnam, using an exhaustive panel of ranking officials from 2000 to 2010 to estimate their promotions' impact on infrastructure in their hometowns of patrilineal ancestry. Native officials' promotions lead to a broad range of hometown infrastructure improvement. Hometown favoritism is pervasive across all ranks, even among officials without budget authority, except among elected legislators. Favors are narrowly targeted toward small communes that have no political power, and are strengthened with bad local governance and strong local family values. The evidence suggests a likely motive of social preferences for hometown