HUMAN FACTOR AND ITS EFFICIENCY EVALUATION IN REVENUE CENTERS

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-211
Author(s):  
Gracjan Chrobak

Human factor is one of more important resources of the organization, reflecting status quo of its intangible assets. Skilful managing these components increases entity’s potential in the long run. So-called key performance factors (KPIs) can be regarded as a starting point for its measurement. Reviewing “work factor” in an enterprise helps “capturing” areas of low productivity, improving tasks implementation, appropriate employees motivating, making efforts for continuous development. KPIs are grouped within the framework of four perspectives referring: internal processes, client, learning and owner. This study sets out to assess achievements of individual divisions of a service company in each of these areas, by using properly designed indicators. The main thesis of the publication maintains that the statistic range based on arithmetic means of branch performance ratios allows to determine the size of the competence gap of a given revenue center.

2021 ◽  
pp. 096372142199204
Author(s):  
Barbara A. Mellers ◽  
Siyuan Yin ◽  
Jonathan Z. Berman

Is the pain of a loss greater in magnitude than the pleasure of a comparable gain? Studies that compare positive feelings about a gain with negative feelings about a comparable loss have found mixed answers to this question. The pain of a loss can be greater than, less than, or equal to the pleasure of a comparable gain. We offer a new approach to test hedonic loss aversion. This method uses emotional reactions to the reference point, a positive change, and a negative change. When we manipulated the reference point (i.e., pleasurable and painful), two distinct patterns emerged. Pain surpassed pleasure (loss aversion) when the reference point was positive, and pleasure exceeded pain (gain seeking) when the reference point was negative. A reference-dependent version of prospect theory accounts for the results. If the carriers of utility are changes from a reference point—not necessarily the status quo—both loss aversion and gain seeking are predicted. Loss aversion and gain seeking can be reconciled if you take the starting point into account.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 319
Author(s):  
Hany Fahmy

The Prebisch-Singer (PS) hypothesis, which postulates the presence of a downward secular trend in the price of primary commodities relative to manufacturers, remains at the core of a continuing debate among international trade economists. The reason is that the results of testing the PS hypothesis depend on the starting point of the technical analysis, i.e., stationarity, nonlinearity, and the existence of structural breaks. The objective of this paper is to appraise the PS hypothesis in the short- and long-run by employing a novel multiresolution wavelets decomposition to a unique data set of commodity prices. The paper also seeks to assess the impact of the terms of trade (also known as Incoterms) on the test results. The analysis reveals that the PS hypothesis is not supported in the long run for the aggregate commodity price index and for most of the individual commodity price series forming it. Furthermore, in addition to the starting point of the analysis, the results show that the PS test depends on the term of trade classification of commodity prices. These findings are of particular significance to international trade regulators and policymakers of developing economies that depend mainly on primary commodities in their exports.


2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 18-28
Author(s):  
Johannes J Britz

This article focuses on the current trends and initiatives in human capacity building in Africa. It takes as it starting point that human capacity development is essential for Africa to become an information and know-ledge society and therefore an equal partner in the global sharing of knowledge. Four knowledge areas are identified and discussed. These are education, research and development, brain drain and information and documentation drain. The paper concludes that there is a clear understanding in Africa that its future lies with education and that most African leaders have a strong political will to invest in human capacity building on the continent. It is also clear that much has been done, particularly primary education. Africa will most defi-nitely benefit from this in the long run. Problem areas remain however. These are in the needed growth of research and development and how to address the brain and information drain phenomena.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Lyubimov

The Russian economy heavily relies on exports of its natural resources. However, the resource-based status quo does not seem to be the route towards Russia’s long-run prosperity. To improve its position in the global income ranking, Russia needs to diversify its exports and make them more complex. Using highly detailed data on trade flows and applying network theory apparatus, we evaluate the level of export complexity in Russia from 1995 to 2016 and compare it with that of its BRICS fellow members. We find that Russia is stagnant with respects to its relative level of export complexity. This sluggishness embraced the entire period between 1995 and 2016, much longer than the stage of anemic growth that started there a decade ago. We also conclude that the current stock of know-how in Russia is relatively low and fragmented, thus not letting Russia diversify into a broad range of more complex products. Russia might also need to export a wider variety of products to richer economies. Today, on a par with Brazil and South Africa, it supplies a broader range of goods to its slowly growing next-door neighbors.


2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona From Attebring ◽  
Johan Herlitz ◽  
Inger Ekman

Background: Secondary prevention is important in preventing new cardiovascular events after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Aim: To explore patients' experiences of secondary prevention after a first AMI. Methods: A qualitative approach with hermeneutical analysis of in depth interviews was used. Results: Twenty patients (12 men and 8 women, aged 34–79 years) were interviewed. None of the patients was previously treated for cardiovascular disease except one that had a history of angina pectoris. Two main themes emerged from the analysis. 1) Impact of medication: patients interpreted bodily sensations as a consequence of being medicated rather than as a result of their heart attack. The medication led to feelings of being intruded upon but also to positive feelings of security. 2) Impact of health professionals: communication with health professionals resulted in confusion about both treatment and the severity of the coronary disease. Patients expressed a need of being reassured by their physician regarding their physical status. Conclusions: Health professionals need to consider the impact of pharmacological treatment on patients' life, at least in patients who suffer from a first AMI. The point of departure in secondary preventive work must be patients' beliefs about their condition and the treatment they receive. Nurses and physicians must be aware of the information each patient has been given, and from this starting point, they have to be in concordance with one another. From the patients' perspective it is deemed necessary for the physicians to discuss the disease and the consequences it may have, both in the near future and in the long run, as soon as possible.


Author(s):  
Jacek CABAN ◽  
Paweł Droździel ◽  
Ján VRÁBEL

The intense human activity determines the continuous development of systems and means of transport, which contributes to the intensification of existing road traffic risks and the emergence of new ones. Reduction in the number of fatalities of road accidents is dependent on investment in transport infrastructure, the development of safety sys-tems for means of transport and the care for the technical condition of vehicles. Fur-thermore, the human factor is manifested in the growing awareness of hazards and im-proving skills of vehicle drivers. The article presents the construction, operating principles and technical capabilities of the most commonly used hydraulic rescue tools. All this was presented against the background of selected problems occurring during rescue opera-tions while releasing victims caught in car wrecks.


2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R Saving

The Medicare system is facing a financial crisis brought on by the combination of rapidly rising consumption of health care services by beneficiaries and financing based on generation transfers. This paper simulates a transition to prepaid Medicare where each generation puts aside funds for the health care it will demand later in life. By prepaying Medicare we increase the nation's capital stock which in the long run will allow the nation to enjoy greater consumption for both working and retired generations and we achieve immunity from generation size shocks. By transferring the baby boomers and younger generations into a prepaid system we can complete the transition in less than fifty years and achieve an ultimate contribution rate of 1.26% of taxable payroll instead of the more than 12% of taxable payroll that will be required if we remain in the status quo.


Author(s):  
Hui-min Meng ◽  
Bing-hui Wu

With the continuous development of the level of informatization, the standards of the social talent market for talents from all walks of life have also been continuously improved. As an international language, English plays a pivotal role in improving its own social competitiveness. With the continuous development and growth of globalization, domestic and foreign companies are closely connected, and many multinational companies have emerged. The opportunities for domestic college graduates to work in foreign companies have gradually increased. Therefore, a good English foundation is a very important work skill. At the same time, with the continuous emergence of new technologies such as computer technology and big data technology, the Internet education model has gradually developed into a new type of education model, which has continuously replaced the traditional offline education method and the hybrid online and offline Teaching has gradually become a hot topic in contemporary society. This article elaborates on the combination of online and offline teaching methods of college English and explores and analyzes from the perspective of complementary advantages and maximization of teaching resources. Taking the characteristics of “online & offline” mixed teaching as the starting point for analysis, expounding the composition of three aspects of teaching content before class, during class and after class, forming a three-stage classroom teaching model, and then achieving the optimization of the classroom structure. Quality improvement and other effects.


Author(s):  
Shiu-Ching WU

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.作者在論述對基因科技的不同觀點後,指出在兩極化的爭論中,雙方的後現代倫理觀背後均隱含相同的預設,即個人自主性與同意原則背後的線性思考、還原立場和全體是部分的總合的機械觀。作者提出了另一種非線性、非還原的後現代觀點,並將嘗試從非線性思考中推論出對道德觀的可能蘊涵。作者根據非線性的後現代道德立場,提出吾人面臨基因科技作出因應的道德指導方針。If machine engine is the emblem of the industrial age, computer for the advanced industrialization, it would be safer to say that genetic information revealed through decoding genome can be an emblem of the ongoing postmodern age. Leaving safety and availability issues aside, the rapid development of genetic technology, including artificial reproduction, genetic therapy, genetic engineering and cloning, opens many choices never thought before. Likewise, it also radically challenge our traditional way of handling with giving birth, enhancing health, curing disease and improving farming productivity. Many questions arise, such as, would it be moral to reproduce by way of 'unnatural' means? would it be moral to manipulate our human nature at one's will? Or, would it be moral to play God? All and all, these questions lead to the final one, i.e., where will genetic technology may lead to? the brave new world or humanity's extinction?The aim of this paper is to investigate two leading postmodern ethical perspectives and their different moral implications toward technology in general, and genetic development in particular. I will point out that both positions represented by Engelhard t and Bauman, although being the same at criticizing Enlightenment reason and modem universalization of morality, are bifurcated at our moral attitudes toward genetic technology. The bifurcation, as I argue, becomes clearer, if we read Engelhardt through Silver's Remaking Eden, and read Bauman through Fox's Superpigs and Wondercorn. The alliance, as I understand, helps us to see that, while Engelhardt/Silver pair sees new possibility developed through genetic technology, including refashioning one's nature, thus, a brave new world, what Bauman/Fox pair sees, on the contrary, is the possible catastrophe created by manipulating the very same techniques. Which direction should we lead to?My main thesis in this paper is to argue that underlying the bifurcation is the same theoretical assumption, namely, linear and reductive thinking pattern regarding part-whole relations. Likewise, their respective postmodern ethics shares the very same starting- point, i.e., the concept of freedom based on linear and reductive reasoning. Likewise, either based on the free choices of moral person to refashion human nature (Engelhardt/Silver), or based on 'the duty to visualize the future impact of action' (Bauman), I see that both alternatives are one-sided. As I will continue to argue in this paper, there is an alternative way of understanding postmodernity defined by nonlinearity, nonreductivity and top-down causation. The moral implication of nonlinear and nonreductive thinking, I hold, is a paradigm shift from moral theory based on linear and reductive thinking. Likewise, I would also suggest that, from the standpoint of nonlinear postmodern ethics, we don't have to choose between either overaction through individual freedom uninhibited by the state authority, or simply choose to do nothing because of fearing unintentional consequences in the long run. Instead, as I would conclude in the paper, we can work out different ELSI(ethical, legal. social issues) guidelines in terms of different degrees of individual perturbations and genetic risks with respect to various time periods.3DOWNLOAD HISTORY | This article has been downloaded 17 times in Digital Commons before migrating into this platform.


Author(s):  
Jorge Luis Fernandez ◽  
Juan Edel Gutierrez ◽  
Luis A. Castro ◽  
Luis-Felipe Rodríguez

Entrepreneurs in Mexico start their businesses out of need, based on good ideas or to accomplish a “dream”. Nonetheless, starting out a business is not an easy task. Usually, business owners lack either professional background or financial knowledge, and focus only on keeping the business afloat, while trying to obtain profits. Business Intelligence and Analytics serve a great purpose in the growth of any company, but it is usually left out or ignored by small or medium enterprises, due to a lack of knowledge or because owners do not consider it necessary for a mid to long term plan. In the long run, businesses usually fail to achieve profit or cannot continue, and end up not knowing what went wrong. The information that a business generates could serve as a starting point for good and solid decision making, but the culture that dominates small and medium enterprises on any industry leaves important information unrecorded or unattended, forcing them to work based only on trial and error.


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