Orderings of component level versus system level at active redundancies for coherent systems with dependent components

This paper investigates the issue of stochastic comparison of multi-active redundancies at the component level versus the system level. Based on the assumption that all components are statistically dependent, in the case of complete matching and nonmatching spares, we present some interesting comparison results in the sense of the hazard rate, reversed hazard rate and likelihood ratio orders, respectively. And we also obtain two comparison results between relative agings of resulting systems at the component level and the system level. Several numerical examples are provided to illustrate the theoretical results.

Ergonomics and Forensic Engineering

In disputes, forensic engineers routinely investigate available hardware and software and may examine other engineering attributes and activities. Human factors and ergonomic (HF&E) aspects may be considered, but these tend to be more limited or overlooked. This paper discusses an HF&E framework for forensic analysis, including its four major subdisciplines (micro-, meso-, macro-, and mega-ergonomics), the role each plays throughout the product life cycle, and examines their relationship to known and foreseeable use and misuse of a product or system. A taxonomy of errors, including distinguishing features of individual user errors versus system use errors, is presented and then used in a diagnostic rubric developed for forensic engineers to help identify HF&E issues as part of a forensic analysis. A health care setting case study is offered to demonstrate rubric use, but the rubric is generalizable to other domains.

Towards a management system standard for innovation

The purpose of this letter is to provide background and rationale for developing a management system standard to further the profession of innovation management. A systems approach is not new; however, the ISO 56002 Innovation management system - guidance standard is providing a common language and framework for building an innovation capability. The letter describes the innovation management principles and the system elements. We have heard that even having a standard for innovation management is an oxymoron. The publication of ISO 56002 in 2019 has triggered a broader conversation about the merits and drawbacks of a management system standard for innovation work. Some issues have been pointed out by Joe Tidd in his review and critical assessment of the standard (Tidd, 2021). As experts involved in drafting the standard, we can offer informed perspectives of this assessment by focusing on four topics related to context, innovation strategy, adaptable processes and tools, and process versus system approaches. These perspectives are ours alone and do not represent the views of the ISO Working Group. We invite the community to engage in this discussion to evolve our thinking about standardization for innovation management.

Considerations of the proximate mechanisms and ultimate functions of disgust will improve our understanding of cleansing effects

To understand the consequences of cleansing, Lee and Schwarz favor a grounded procedures perspective over recently developed disgust theory. We believe that this position stems from three errors: (1) interpreting cleansing effects as broader than they are; (2) not detailing the proximate mechanisms underlying disgust; and (3) not detailing adaptive function versus system byproducts when developing the grounded procedures perspective.

Comparing and Contrasting a Program versus System Approach to Evaluation: The Example of a Cardiac Care System

This paper focuses on the application of systems thinking concepts to evaluate systems. The terms systems and systems thinking concepts are first defined. The use of systems thinking concepts in program and system evaluation are then highlighted. It is noted that while there are methods available to assist evaluation practitioners in applying systems thinking concepts to program evaluation, there is a need for similar guidance in applying systems thinking concepts to evaluating systems. System Evaluation Theory (SET) is then reviewed as one evaluation theory designed to apply systems thinking concepts to evaluating systems. A case illustration is presented to help teach practitioners how to apply SET’s three steps. The discussion focuses on comparing the differences between evaluation questions answered by applying systems thinking concepts versus those using program logic models.

Is too much help an obstacle? Effects of interactivity and cognitive style on learning with dynamic versus non-dynamic visualizations with narrative explanations

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of visual/verbal cognitive style and interactivity level in dynamic and non-dynamic multimedia learning environments. A group of 235 biology students learned about photosynthesis either from a computer-based animation or a series of static pictures with spoken explanatory text. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: with or without the possibility to pause, to play, or to fast-forward/rewind the learning environment (self-paced versus system-paced condition). Participants obtained better results when learning with the system-paced environment than with the self-paced one. A significant triple interaction between cognitive style, type of pacing, and type of visualization showed that highly developed visualizers learned poorer with self-paced static pictures than with system-paced static pictures. There were no significant effects regarding verbal cognitive style. Results shed more light on the relation between different levels of interactivity and visual cognitive style, when learning from static pictures.

Considerations of the proximate mechanisms and ultimate functions of disgust will improve our understanding of cleansing effects

To understand the consequences of cleansing, Lee and Schwarz favor a grounded procedures perspective over recently-developed disgust theory. We believe that this position stems from three errors: (1) interpreting cleansing effects as broader than they are; (2) not detailing the proximate mechanisms underlying disgust; and (3) not detailing adaptive function versus system byproducts when developing the grounded procedures perspective.

The Inter-Jurisdictional Language of Quality Assurance: Comparing Theory and Practice

This is a comparative study of two reports on the assurance of quality in higher education that appeared contemporaneously in two similar and closely connected jurisdictions. Using NVivo summative content analysis software, documentary analysis, archival records, WTO submissions, and focus groups and interviews the paper identifies and compares several recurring areas in which nomenclature is at least nominally mutual, such as: the boundary line between academic support services and student services, balancing commonality and diversity, the institution versus the basic academic unit as the focus and scope of assurance, self-regulation versus system regulation, the assurance of quality versus the enhancement of quality, the role of league ranking, performance indicators, and benchmarking, aggregation. Seen in terms of theory-driven evaluation, the study suggests that finding a trans-jurisdictional common ground for quality assurance is more advanced in theory than in practice.