scholarly journals Cherry Picking: Consumer Choices in Swarm Dynamics, Considering Price and Quality of Goods

Symmetry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1912
Author(s):  
Damian Knopoff ◽  
Valeria Secchini ◽  
Pietro Terna

This paper proposes a further development of the mathematical theory of swarms to behavioral dynamics of social and economic systems, with an application to the modeling of price series in a market. The complexity features of the system are properly described by modeling the asymmetric interactions between buyers and sellers, specifically considering the so-called cherry picking phenomenon, by which not only prices but also qualities are considered when buying a good. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to depict the predictive ability of the model and to show interesting emerging behaviors, as the coordination of buyers and their division in endogenous clusters.

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Eschen ◽  
Franzisca Zehnder ◽  
Mike Martin

This article introduces Cognitive Health Counseling 40+ (CH.CO40+), an individualized intervention that is conceptually based on the orchestration model of quality-of-life management ( Martin & Kliegel, 2010 ) and aims at improving satisfaction with cognitive health in adults aged 40 years and older. We describe the theoretically deduced characteristics of CH.CO40+, its target group, its multifactorial nature, its individualization, the application of subjective and objective measures, the role of participants as agents of change, and the rationale for choosing participants’ satisfaction with their cognitive health as main outcome variable. A pilot phase with 15 middle-aged and six older adults suggests that CH.CO40+ attracts, and may be particularly suitable for, subjective memory complainers. Implications of the pilot data for the further development of the intervention are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 952-956
Author(s):  
M. V. Malyshkina ◽  
M. V. Miroslavskaya

Aim. The presented study aims to develop the methodology for assessing the quality of management of organizational transformation processes. Tasks. To achieve the set aim, the authors solve the following problems: determine the essence and content of socio-economic transformation, formulate quality assurance principles for the management of transformation processes, draw attention to the problem of selecting a unified quality criterion for the management of organizational transformation processes. Methods. This study uses general scientific methods of cognition, including analysis and synthesis. It also applies a systems approach to identify the major problems of assessing the quality of management of transformation processes, including the problem of selecting a unified quality criterion for the management of transformation processes and formulating the principles of ensuring the quality of management of transformation processes. Results. The global problem of managing transformation processes in the economic system consists in the complexity of the managed processes, which increases due to the multidimensionality, mutual influence, and the resulting uncertainty of interactions between the elements of the system. It is concluded that the methodology for assessing the quality of management of transformation processes is based on the principle of integrating separate measures to improve the quality of management of system elements into a single system of management actions and the principle of ensuring that management actions are primarily aimed at preventing possible negative consequences of the transformation of economic systems, i.e. reducing the potential impact of unfavorable events and their consequences. To assess the effectiveness of targeted management actions and productive actions aimed at organizing, controlling, and guiding the transformation process, the authors actualize the problem of selecting an adequate quality criterion for the management of transformation processes in economic systems and put forward a hypothesis about a possible unified criterion of management quality. Conclusions. The principle of integrating separate measures to improve the quality of management of system elements and the principle of ensuring that management actions are aimed at preventing possible negative consequences lie at the core of the methodology for assessing the quality of management of transformation processes in economic systems. The quality assessment methodology should be developed in the direction of finding a unified quality criterion for managing transformation processes in economic systems.


2021 ◽  
pp. medethics-2020-107096
Author(s):  
Waldemar Głusiec

Background and aimsFew Polish hospitals have Hospital Ethics Committee (HECs) and the services are not always adequate. In this situation, the role of HECs, in providing, among others, ethical advice on the discontinuation of persistent therapies, may be taken over by other entities. The aim of our research was to investigate, how often and on what issues hospital chaplains are asked for ethical advice in reaching difficult medical decisions.MethodsA survey of 100 Roman Catholic chaplains was conducted, that is, at least 10% of all chaplains currently working in Polish hospitals.ResultsOf the participants, 29% confirmed receiving requests for advice in making a morally difficult medical decision. Receiving this type of request was not conditional on the place of their service, duration of their pastoral mission or HEC membership. The largest group of chaplains (21%) encounter questions concerning the ethical dilemmas associated with discontinuing persistent therapy. Patients and their families most often raise issues related to the methods of birth control, and the medical staff raise the issue of termination of pregnancy—as reported by 9% and 15% of chaplains, respectively. Most of the chaplains asked for help (79%) experience a deficit of specialist knowledge in the area of medicine or ethics.ConclusionsIn order to improve the quality of ethical consultations in Polish hospitals, in addition to further development of HECs, it is postulated to develop a system for bioethical education of chaplains.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (12) ◽  
pp. 1298-1316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magali Jara ◽  
Gérard Cliquet ◽  
Isabelle Robert

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to tackle the issue of store brand equity by considering two store brand’s positioning strategies: those with high perceived added value (the organic store brands), as opposed to economic brands. It takes place in the current environmental considerations showing the important role played by the packaging in determining the store brand equity. Design/methodology/approach A PLS Path model divided into four sub-models enables the authors to make specific predictions about customers’ purchase intentions. It also provides a concise operational calculation of the brand equity of each studied store brand. Findings Results show that economic brands build their equity with reinforced packaging, and organic brands maximise their brand equity by using simple packaging. In general, reinforced packaging improves the perceived quality of economic store brands but destroys that of organic brands. The calculations of overall equity scores for each studied store brand reveal that economic brands could benefit from further development whilst organic brands already maximise their equity. Practical implications Results will enable large retailers to develop effective campaigns focussing on perceived quality and more specifically by designing packaging that are suitable for the positioning of their brands – a simple packaging for organic brands and a reinforced packaging for economic brands to maximise customers’ value. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to deepen the store brand equity, comparing two contrasting types of brands, by studying specifically variations of the levels of customers’ perceived quality depending of two types of packaging.


1992 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Watson ◽  
M. Law ◽  
G. P. Maguire ◽  
B. Robertson ◽  
S. Greer ◽  
...  

1996 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alistair Inglis

A comparative study was made of the ways in which Australian universities are disseminating information about their courses over the World Wide Web. The study examined the quantity and quality of the information provided, the forms in which information is presented, and means of access to the information. The results of the survey indicated that while the majority of universities are now publishing at least some information over the World Wide Web, both the quantity and quality of information is variable. Implications for further development of institutional course information databases are discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 232
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Nassar ◽  
Husam Aldeen AL-Khadash

This study aims to highlight the experiences of Jordanian Certified Public Accountant (JCPA) exam that started with the establishment of the Legal Accounting Profession organisation law in June 2006. This study is considered the first study in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan that looks at the evaluation of the Jordanian Chartered Public Accountant exam, in comparison to the requirements of international accounting education standards. Furthermore, this study focuses on the sixth standard IES6 that relates to the assessment of professional accountants and that is based on the best practices in professional accounting examinations in the world. This current study has adopted the method of distribution of questionnaires to gather information from those who participated in taking the exam, with the group of those who were successful, and others that were not so lucky. The accounting practice analysis was based on the standards, the best accounting practices, and the results of the interviews, which when were completed produced a number of recommendations. The recommendations or results found, push for the further development of the JCPA exam and improves the quality of the exam, to advance to the universal level of professional examinations. Of the most important recommendations is to work on increasing the number of times the exam is held annually, which can be done easily if the exam becomes computer based. It’s also important to develop specific firm dates for the JCPA exam or to announce the dates at the beginning of each year, and not to announce the exam time two months prior to the exam as it is currently. Finally, the announcement and clarification of specific percentages given to specific material included in the exam such as dedicating 25% of the examination to International Auditing Standards and so on.


Antibiotics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajal K. Saha ◽  
Chris Barton ◽  
Shukla Promite ◽  
Danielle Mazza

The scope of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) surveys on community pharmacists (CPs) is uncertain. This study examines the breadth and quality of AMS survey tools measuring the stewardship knowledge, perceptions and practices (KPP) of CPs and analyse survey outcomes. Following PRISMA-ScR checklist and Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework seven medical databases were searched. Two reviewers independently screened the literatures, assessed quality of surveys and KPP outcomes were analysed and described. Ten surveys were identified that assessed CPs’ AMS perceptions (n = 7) and practices (n = 8) but none that assessed AMS knowledge. Three survey tools had been formally validated. Most CPs perceived that AMS improved patient care (median 86.0%, IQR, 83.3–93.5%, n = 6), and reduced inappropriate antibiotic use (84.0%, IQR, 83–85%, n = 2). CPs collaborated with prescribers for infection control (54.7%, IQR 34.8–63.2%, n = 4) and for uncertain antibiotic treatment (77.0%, IQR 55.2–77.8%, n = 5). CPs educated patients (53.0%, IQR, 43.2–67.4%, n = 5) and screened guideline-compliance of antimicrobial prescriptions (47.5%, IQR, 25.2–58.3%, n = 3). Guidelines, training, interactions with prescribers, and reimbursement models were major barriers to CP-led AMS implementation. A limited number of validated survey tools are available to assess AMS perceptions and practices of CPs. AMS survey tools require further development to assess stewardship knowledge, stewardship targets, and implementation by CPs.


2020 ◽  
pp. 192-200
Author(s):  
Viktor Seliutin ◽  
Leonid Yatsun ◽  
Oleksandr Olshanskiy

Introduction. The article deals with the evaluation of the Kharkiv restaurant industry as a fractal system by means of SWOT-f analysis. Modern ideas about socio-economic systems are based on a synergistic concept that is organically linked to fractal theory. By fractal structure, the restaurant industry is a seven-tier holarchical system that contains such determinants as the assortment and quality of the restaurant service, technology, management, marketing, changes, forms of clustering and competitiveness. The systematic nature of the restaurant industry implies a similar structure of external factors. One of the common methods of strategic evaluation is SWOT analysis. The proposed method of SWOT-f analysis is a modified tool for strategic analysis of sectoral and regional-sectoral systems, which are considered as fractal structures, which ensures the adequacy of their perception and accuracy of forecasting. Purpose of the article is to identify the main parameters of the modified SWOT-f-analysis as a strategic tool for evaluating the restaurant industry, assessing the strengths and weaknesses, as well as threats and opportunities for the development of the restaurant industry in Kharkiv as a fractal system in three scenarios: pessimistic, realistic and optimistic. Method. A modified SWOT-f analysis was used to evaluate the restaurant industry, which consists in structuring the factors of influence on the activity of the enterprise on fractal principles, and also assumes the application of three development scenarios: pessimistic, realistic and optimistic. Result. It is determined that SWOT-f-analysis is a more expedient tool of strategic analysis, since it contains all elements of classical SWOT-analysis; structured as a holarchical system, which gives it greater logic; built on evolutionary principles; has a more reasonable connection between internal structural elements and environmental factors; and also allows to define the limits of setting the goals of the enterprise development in pessimistic, realistic and optimistic scenarios. The assessment of the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the threats and opportunities for the development of the restaurant industry allowed to identify a more logical and structured profile for each scenario.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document