Grades or labels? Beef prices and quality

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1406-1412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Mann ◽  
Daniel Erdin
Keyword(s):  
A Priori ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Production Methods ◽  
Grading Systems ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The One ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Price Differences

Purpose The difference between quality grades and quality labels is that the latter are awarded on the basis of production processes, whilst the former are conferred on the strength of the actual production results. In the course of a de-ideologisation of society, it might be assumed that the price differences between quality grades would grow larger and larger, while those between quality labels would tend to shrink. The purpose of this paper is to develop and test this hypothesis. Design/methodology/approach Regressions for the calf market on the one hand and for 4,180 cattle-market data sets on the other are run with Stata. Findings The results largely confirm the rising importance of grades between 2000 and 2014. In the period under consideration, a price spread occurs between the individual grades of the Swiss grading system, whilst the surcharge for organic products shrinks. No price discrimination is identified a priori for conventional labels. Practical implications The focus of both chain management and policy makers should be put on effective grading systems rather than on labelling production methods. Originality/value This is the first econometrical comparison of the price effect of both grades and labels.

Coaching skills for recovery a decade of providing coaching skills for recovery training at a healthcare NHS foundation trust

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Kathryn Cyrus
Keyword(s):  
Work Practice ◽  
Clinical Approach ◽  
Personal Recovery ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Coaching Skills ◽  
The Difference ◽  
To Come ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain

Purpose Overview of coaching for recovery. The paper aims to show an overview of work that was carried out over 11 years with groups of mental health and physical staff. As the facilitator who had run this course for the duration in Nottingham, this was an excellent opportunity to be at the forefront of a brand new project. Design/methodology/approach The introduction of the skills are taught over two consecutive days followed by a further day a month later. The idea of coaching is to be enabled to find the answers in themselves by the use of powerful questions and using the technique of the grow model, combined with practice enables the brain to come up with its own answers. Using rapport and enabling effective communication to deliver the outcome. Findings Evidence from staff/clients and the purpose of the paper shows that when you step back it allows the individual patients/staff to allow the brain to process to create to come up with their solutions, which then helps them to buy into the process and creates ownership. Research limitations/implications The evidence suggests that the approach that was there prior to the course was very much a clinical approach to working with clients and treating the person, administering medication and not focussing on the inner person or personal recovery. The staff review has shown that in the clinical context change is happening from the inside out. Practical implications “Helps change culture”; “change of work practice”; “it changed staff focus – not so prescriptive”; “powerful questions let clients come to their own conclusions”; “coaching gives the ability to find half full. Helps to offer reassurance and to find one spark of hope”. Social implications This has shown that the approach is now person-centred/holistic. This has been the “difference that has made the difference”. When this paper looks at the issues from a different angle in this case a coaching approach, applying technique, knowledge and powerful questions the results have changed. The same clients, same staff and same problems but with the use of a different approach, there is the evidence of a different outcome, which speaks for itself. The coaching method is more facilitative, therefore it illicit’s a different response, and therefore, result. Originality/value The results/evidence starts with the individual attending and their commitment to the process over the two-day course. Then going away for the four weeks/six for managers and a commitment again to practice. Returning to share the impact if any with the group. This, in turn, helps to inspire and gain motivation from the feedback to go back to work invigorated to keep going.

scholarly journals Evaluating the individual- and country-level variations in tax morale

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 816-832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin C. Williams ◽  
Besnik Krasniqi
Keyword(s):  
Tax Compliance ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Social Actor ◽  
Actor Model ◽  
Tax Morale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The One ◽  
The Individual

Purpose Recently, a small but burgeoning literature has argued that tax non-compliance cannot be fully explained using the conventional rational economic actor approach which views non-compliance as occurring when the pay-off is greater than the expected cost of being caught and punished. Instead, a social actor approach has emerged which views tax non-compliance as higher when “tax morale”, defined as the intrinsic motivation to pay taxes, is low. To advance this social actor model, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the individual and national heterogeneity in tax morale, which is crucial if tax compliance is to be improved. Design/methodology/approach To do this, the authors report data from the 2010 Life in Transition Survey on tax morale in 35 Eurasian countries. Findings Logit econometric analysis reveals, on the one hand, that there is higher tax morale among middle-aged, married, homeowners with children, with a university degree and employed, and on the other hand, that there is higher tax morale in more developed countries with stronger legal systems and less corruption, and higher levels of state intervention in the form of both taxation and expenditure. Research limitations/implications Rather than continue with the rational actor approach, this paper reveals that how an emergent social actor approach can help to more fully explain tax non-compliance and results in a different policy approach focused upon changing country-level economic and social conditions associated with low tax morale and thus non-compliance. Practical implications These results display the specific populations with low tax morale which need targeting when seeking to tackle tax non-compliance. Originality/value This paper provides a new way of explaining and tackling tax non-compliance in Eurasian countries.

scholarly journals The insoluble problems of books: what does Altmetric.com have to offer?

2018 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 691-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Torres-Salinas ◽  
Juan Gorraiz ◽  
Nicolas Robinson-Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Special Focus ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
The Social ◽  
Google Books ◽  
Data Source ◽  
Alternative Sources ◽  
The One

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the capabilities, functionalities and appropriateness of Altmetric.com as a data source for the bibliometric analysis of books in comparison to PlumX. Design/methodology/approach The authors perform an exploratory analysis on the metrics the Altmetric Explorer for Institutions, platform offers for books. The authors use two distinct data sets of books. On the one hand, the authors analyze the Book Collection included in Altmetric.com. On the other hand, the authors use Clarivate’s Master Book List, to analyze Altmetric.com’s capabilities to download and merge data with external databases. Finally, the authors compare the findings with those obtained in a previous study performed in PlumX. Findings Altmetric.com combines and orderly tracks a set of data sources combined by DOI identifiers to retrieve metadata from books, being Google Books its main provider. It also retrieves information from commercial publishers and from some Open Access initiatives, including those led by university libraries, such as Harvard Library. We find issues with linkages between records and mentions or ISBN discrepancies. Furthermore, the authors find that automatic bots affect greatly Wikipedia mentions to books. The comparison with PlumX suggests that none of these tools provide a complete picture of the social attention generated by books and are rather complementary than comparable tools. Practical implications This study targets different audience which can benefit from the findings. First, bibliometricians and researchers who seek for alternative sources to develop bibliometric analyses of books, with a special focus on the Social Sciences and Humanities fields. Second, librarians and research managers who are the main clients to which these tools are directed. Third, Altmetric.com itself as well as other altmetric providers who might get a better understanding of the limitations users encounter and improve this promising tool. Originality/value This is the first study to analyze Altmetric.com’s functionalities and capabilities for providing metric data for books and to compare results from this platform, with those obtained via PlumX.

scholarly journals Anatomical variation of the distal femur - a CT data analysis of 24,042 knees

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4_suppl2) ◽  
pp. 2325967118S0003
Author(s):  
Cornelia Merz ◽  
Andre Steinert ◽  
Wiliam Kurtz ◽  
Franz Xaver Köck ◽  
Johannes Beckmann
Keyword(s):  
Distal Femur ◽  
External Rotation ◽  
Anatomical Variation ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Medial Condyle ◽  
First Results ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Ct Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Femoral Size

Based on a large quantity of CT data, variations in distal femoral geometry was examined and evaluated for TKA. A retrospective study was performed on 24,042 data sets generated during the process of designing individual knee implants. Following parameters were recorded for the distal femur: Femoral absolute anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) extent, lateral and medial condyle and trochlea size, distal condylar offset (DCO) between lateral and medial condyle, and the difference between medial and lateral posterior condylar offset (PCO) measured in AP direction. Variable patient geometry was found with analysis of the AP and ML extent. Approximately one-third of the patients would experience size conflicts of +/- 3 mm with standard arthroplasty systems. 62% of the knees had a DCO> 1 mm. 83% of the distal femur had a mediolateral difference in PCO> 2 mm, which corresponds to about 3° external rotation and does not correlate with the femoral size. There is a distinct variability of femoral AP and ML extent as well as offsets / asymmetries. Medial and lateral PCOs are different and do not correlate with femoral size. This first results in mismatches between size of implant and individual knee anatomy and secondly in possible softtissue release and different femoral external rotations to adapt systems with fixed distal geometry to the individual situation.

Tracking the Covid zones through geo-fencing technique

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 409-417
Author(s):  
Anto Arockia Rosaline R. ◽  
Lalitha R. ◽  
Hariharan G. ◽  
Lokesh N.
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Automated System ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Privacy Concern ◽  
Security Measures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Alert Message ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Individual

Purpose Because of the outbreak of Covid 19, the entire world is thinking of new strategies, preventive measures to safeguard the human life from the widespread of the pandemic. The areas where people are affected are marked as containment zones and people are not allowed to exit out of those areas. Similarly, new people are not allowed to enter inside those areas. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology to track the Covid zones, to enhance and tighten the security measures. A geo-fence is created for the containment zone. The person who enters or exits out of that particular zone will be monitored and alert message will be sent to that person’s mobile. Design/methodology/approach After tracking the location of a suspicious individual, the geo-fenced layer is mapped in the area and then the virtual perimeter is used for further trapping process. This geo-fenced layer can be viewed by the citizens as soon as it is updated by the Covid monitoring team. The geo-fencing is a concept of building a virtual perimeter area. This virtual perimeter monitoring system helps in monitoring the containment zones effectively. It reduces operational costs by using an automated system based on wireless infrastructure. It also alerts the authorities immediately to catch the violators. Thus, it helps to speed up the process of inspecting the containment zones and monitoring the individuals who violate the rules given by government. Findings The proposed methodologies will be an effective way to track the Covid’s communal spread. But the workflow of the system demands the required data sets and permission in legal manner to set up the environment that maintains the constitutional law and order in practice. The application developed was a prototype to display how it works if the required data sets are provided by the government. There are several tracking models that are released across the world such as Aarogya setu (India), Trace together (Singapore) and Hagmen (Israel). All these models are based on Bluetooth proximity identification; though Bluetooth proximity identification is helpful for high range in a short distance, the privacy concern is debatable one. Using modern technology, it is so easy to crack the individual gadgets and with Bluetooth enabling it makes things even worse. Thus, it is important to maintain the tracking a safer and secure one, and another issue with those Bluetooth-based applications is that tracking can be done only if the user enabled the Bluetooth option, if not the entire functioning would become a mess. The proposed methodology of tracking without Bluetooth will ensure data security also. Originality/value This was developed as a project by our third-year students of the Department of Information Technology of our college.

scholarly journals Works councils and performance appraisals

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-50
Author(s):  
Christian Grund ◽  
Dirk Sliwka ◽  
Krystina Titz
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Performance Appraisals ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Works Councils ◽  
Bonus Payments ◽  
Actual Use ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Works Council ◽  
The Individual

PurposeWe analyze the role of works councils for the use of performance appraisals (PA). We distinguish between the incidence of PA systems as intended by the firm and their actual implementation on the level of the individual employee.Design/methodology/approachWe draw on two complementary data sets. These are the German Linked Personnel Panel (LPP), which combines firm-based information with information provided by several of those employees, and the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), which is a representative longitudinal study of persons living in Germany.FindingsWe find that works councils tend to promote rather than restrict PA. Employees working in establishments with a works council are more likely to face a formal PA procedure. Works councils also act as a transmission institution for the actual use of an existing PA system – i.e. among the firms that claim to implement PA for all their employees, the likelihood of their employees actually having regular appraisals is substantially larger when works councils are in place. Moreover, the existence of works councils is positively related particularly to PA systems, which affects bonus payments.Research limitations/implicationsWe contribute to the understanding of the work of works councils in firms. In more general, we shed light to the relation of industrial relations and human resource management in firms.Practical implicationsThis result hints at a higher acceptance of PA systems in firms with works councils. It seems likely that the stronger formalization of such systems necessitated by codetermination laws increases the likelihood of supervisors consistently carrying out such appraisals.Originality/valueWe are the first who complement the analysis of the existence of HR practices (PA system) with its actual use for employees.

A classification approach based on variable precision rough sets and cluster validity index function

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 1778-1789
Author(s):  
Hongkang Lin
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Number ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Cluster Validity ◽  
Cluster Validity Index ◽  
Index Method ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Variable Precision Rough Sets ◽  
Optimal Number Of Clusters

Purpose – The clustering/classification method proposed in this study, designated as the PFV-index method, provides the means to solve the following problems for a data set characterized by imprecision and uncertainty: first, discretizing the continuous values of all the individual attributes within a data set; second, evaluating the optimality of the discretization results; third, determining the optimal number of clusters per attribute; and fourth, improving the classification accuracy (CA) of data sets characterized by uncertainty. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The proposed method for the solution of the clustering/classifying problem, designated as PFV-index method, combines a particle swarm optimization algorithm, fuzzy C-means method, variable precision rough sets theory, and a new cluster validity index function. Findings – This method could cluster the values of the individual attributes within the data set and achieves both the optimal number of clusters and the optimal CA. Originality/value – The validity of the proposed approach is investigated by comparing the classification results obtained for UCI data sets with those obtained by supervised classification BPNN, decision-tree methods.

Kriterien der ethnischen Identität

1983 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-42
Author(s):  
Harald Haarmann
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Problem Area ◽  
Methodological Issues ◽  
Large Measure ◽  
Individual Features ◽  
The One ◽  
The Individual

SUMMARY Criteria for Ethnic Identity Despite numerous publications on theoretical and methodological issues regarding ethnic identity (ethnicity), many methodological problems relative to this topic remain insufficiently clarified. This article deals particularly with the problems involved in establishing and evaluating criteria of ethnic identity. The author assigns the complex of problems regarding ethnic identity significant status within a theory of the ecology of language. Specific points covered in methodological issues involving the formation of concepts and application of terminology involve: 1. problems of the weighting of distinctive features; 2. problems in the mutual boundary-marking between ethnic groups (i.e., problems of ethnic borders); 3. problems in the changeability of ethnic identity; 4. problems in the correlation of language and ethnicity; 5. problems of the polarity of subjective and objective features of ethnicity; 6. problems of multiple identities and the role of ethnic identity; 7. problems in the historical dimension of ethnic identity; 8. problems in the linking of groups within language communities of the same national identity. In international sociological and sociolinguistic research, unanimity of opinion exists only on the fact that ethnic identity cannot be characterized by a single feature but rather by a series of individual features (the accumulation of features). The priorities to be attached to the individual features are in large measure disputed. The author proceeds from the assumption that ethnic identities in real life are formed through a stronger or weaker dominance of individual features; they should be characterized accordingly. An unacceptable a priori evaluation or weighting of features is thus avoided. In the specific context of a long-term research program on the smaller language communities and ethnic languages of Europe, the author particularly examines the role of language in ethnicity. Contrary to most previous contributions to discussions of this problem area, the author distinguishes between the general linguistic affiliation as a characteristic of ethnic identity on the one hand (cf. the relationship in point 4) and the criterion of language-oriented group formations (cf. relationship in point 8). The problem area of the principle of language community is illustrated using the example of the Transcarpathian Gypsies in the Ukraine. RESUMO Kriterioj de la etna idento Malgraŭ multaj ĝisnunaj eldonajoj pri la etna idento (etneco), multaj metodaj pro-blemoj rilataj al tiu temaro restas nesufice klarigitaj. La jena artikolo aparte traktas la problemaron de la starigo kaj elvalorigo de kriterioj de la etna idento. La autoro al-jugas al la problemaro pri la etna idento gravan rangon interne de teorio pri la lingva ekologio. Apartaj punktoj, traktitaj en metodaraj demandoj, rilataj al la formado de konceptoj kaj la apliko de terminaro, estas: 1. problemaro pri la elvalorigo de karakteraj trajtoj; 2. problemaro de la reciproka limigo inter etnaj grupoj (t.e. problemoj pri etnaj limoj); 3. problemaro pri la šanĝebleco de la etna idento; 4. problemaro pri la rilato inter lingvo kaj etneco; 5. problemaro pri la polusigo de subjektivaj kaj objektivaj trajtoj de etneco; 6. problemaro de pluroblaj identoj kaj la rolo de etna idento; 7. problemaro ce la historia dimensio de la etna idento; 8. problemaro de la formiĝo de grupoj interne de lingvaj komunumoj de la sama nacia idento. En la internacia sociologia kaj socilingvistika esplorado, unuanimeco de opinio ekzistas nur pri la fakto, ke ne eblas karakterizi la etnan identon nur per unusola trajto, sed, male, per aro da opaj trajtoj (la kuniĝo de trajtoj). Oni grandparte disputas pri la prioritato, kiun oni aljuĝu al la opaj trajtoj. La autoro progresas ek de la asumo, ke la etnaj identoj en la vera vivo estas formitaj per, jen pli forta, jen pli malforta, rego de opaj trajtoj; oni karakterizu ilin lau tio. Tiel, oni evitas neakceptindan aprioran elvalorigon au elpezigon de trajtoj. En la aparta kunteksto de longdaura esplorprogramo pri la pli malgrandaj lingvaj komunumoj kaj etnaj lingvoj de Europo, la autoro aparte pristudas la rolon de la lingvo ce la etneco. Kontraue al la plejmultaj ĝisnunaj kontribuoj al diskutoj pri tiu problemaro, la autoro distingas inter la ĝenerala lingva aparteno kiel trajto de la etna idento unuflanke (komparu la rilton ce punkto 4) kaj la kriterion de la formigo de grupoj surbaze de lingvo (komparu la rilaton ce punkto 8). La problemaro de la prin-cipo de la lingva komunumo estas ilustrita per la ekzemplo de la transkarpataj ciganoj en Ukrajnio.

Autism research dynamic through ontology-based text mining

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Macedoni Luksic ◽  
Tanja Urbancic ◽  
Ingrid Petric ◽  
Bojan Cestnik
Keyword(s):  
Text Mining ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Research Topics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Main Research ◽  
New Research ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The increase of prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been accompanied by much new research. The amount and the speed of growth of scientific information available online have strongly influenced the way of work in the research community which calls for new methods and tools to support it. The purpose of this paper is to present ontology-based text mining in the field of autism trend analysis that may help to understand the broader picture of the disorder since its discovery. Design/methodology/approach – The data sets consisted of abstracts of more than 18,000 articles on ASD published from 1943 to the end of 2012 found in MEDLINE and of the documents’ titles for all those articles where the abstracts were not available. Findings – In this way, the authors demonstrated a steeper exponential curve of ASD publications compared with all publications in MEDLINE. In addition, the main research topics over time were identified using the “open discovery” approach. Finally, the relationship between a priori setting up research topics including communication, genetics, environmental risk factors, vaccination and adulthood were revealed. Originality/value – Using ontology-based text mining the authors were able to identify the main research topics in the field of autism during the time, as well as to show the dynamics of some research topics as a priori setting up. The computerised methodology that was used allowed the authors to analyse a much larger quantity of information, saving time and manual work.

Product order affects consumer preferences for variety bundles

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 869-884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauricio Mittelman ◽  
Eduardo B. Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Order Effect ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Visual Aesthetics ◽  
Product Attitudes ◽  
The One ◽  
Display Order ◽  
Product Order

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of a variety bundle's product display order on consumer preferences. When forming a variety bundle, manufacturers, retailers and advertisers need to decide on the order in which their products are displayed. The authors provide empirical evidence that this apparently trivial display decision can systematically affect consumer preferences. Design/methodology/approach Four experiments were performed with over a total of 1,000 participants. Logistic regressions were conducted on the collected data sets to provide support for the hypothesis and its underlying psychological mechanism. Findings Results showed that product attitudes systematically affect choices among variety bundles that differ only in the order in which their products are displayed. When choosing among flat and horizontal variety bundles, Western consumers preferred the one that had the product they like the most to the left. This phenomenon was observed in different product categories, among left-to-right readers from different Western countries and languages, and with both hypothetical and consequential decisions. The incremental weight given to the first piece of information (i.e. “first” product in the bundle) explains this product order effect. Originality/value Although a significant amount of research has been conducted to understand the factors that affect consumer preferences for product bundles, little attention has been devoted to the role of visual aesthetics. The research addresses this gap, and in so doing contributes both to the marketing and to the visual aesthetics literature. One simple yet key implication of the product order effect documented here is that the value consumers assign to a variety bundle depends on the order in which its products are displayed.

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