Search results

The purpose of this paper is to show how to properly use the method of replacement to construct mixed two- and four-level minimum setup split-plot type designs to accommodate the presence of hard-to-assemble parts.

Split-plot type designs are economical approaches in industrial experimentation. These types of designs are particularly useful for situations involving interchangeable parts with different degrees of assembly difficulties. Methodologies for designing and analyzing such experiments have advanced lately, especially for two-level designs. Practical needs may require the inclusion of factors with more than two levels. Here, the authors consider an experiment to improve the performance of a Baja car including two- and four-level factors.

The authors find that the direct use of the existing minimum setup maximum aberration (MSMA) catalogs for two-level split-plot type designs may lead to inappropriate designs (e.g. low resolution). The existing method of replacement for searching exclusive sets of the form (α, β, αβ) available in the literature is suitable for completely randomized designs, but it may not provide efficient plans for designs with restricted randomization.

The authors provide a general framework for the practitioners and have extended the algorithm to find out the number of generators and the number of base factor at each stratum, which guide the selection of mixed two-level and four-level MSMA split-plot type designs.

There is evidence that quality improvement projects developed with the participation of patients and family members are more likely to result in a sustainable change. To identify the intervening factors is an important step in promoting and supporting patient and family members’ engagement.

A survey was carried out with 90 hospitals. A total of 35 intervening factors were evaluated by the healthcare professionals from the quality area using a Likert scale. Factor analysis was applied to identify the relationship among the factors and cluster analysis and the standardized scores for each new latent variable were obtained to observe the association between them and hospitals profile. Cluster analysis allowed to group the hospitals with similar responses and to analyze whether there was any association with the profile of the institutions.

A total of ten intervening factors are identified: two in the financial dimension, five in the structural and three in the personal and cultural. The standardized scores of latent variables suggest that the financial factors could be affected by the hospital capacity. The structural factors could be impacted by the accreditation status, location (region) and administrative control (ownership). And the personal and cultural factors could be by the location and dominant organizational culture. All of factors are influenced by the performed quality management activities. The cluster analysis allowed the identification of three groups in the financial dimension, and four in the other two dimensions. Except for the accreditation status in the personal and cultural dimension, no evidence of association between the groups and the variables raised to characterize the profile of the hospitals was found.

The study contributed to identify the relationship among the intervening factors turning possible to simplify and reduce them more comprehensively than those originally identified in the literature and at the same time maintaining the representativeness of the original variables.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships as to complementarities and redundancies of the main quality programs in large Brazilian companies by a comparative and critical analysis of their implementation in those companies.

In the paper the survey methodology was utilized. The data collection was done from “Ranking Valor 1000” list, which comprises the 1,000 largest Brazilian companies; the assumption was that in these companies the embryos of the emerging models in quality management were to be found. The data collected from questionnaires were analyzed through statistical methods.

The findings showed that the large organizations in Brazil have been investing in quality programs.

This paper presents the limitations which are inherent to the research method applied, that is, the results should not be generalized because the collected data are not originated in a probabilistic sample.

The paper shows that the companies where the Six Sigma program was implemented are those with the strongest tradition in the market; the companies that most invested in quality by adopting these programs were successful according to the quality performance indicators as well as concerning the return on investment; and the main causes of failure in the quality programs analyzed in this study were shortage of financial resources for the proper implementation of the programs and the fragile support given by the company management.

This paper may prove to be significantly helpful to a better and deeper understanding of the factors influencing the quality programs adopted by Brazilian companies.

The purpose of this paper is to present designs for an accelerated life test (ALT).

Bayesian methods and simulation Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) methods were used.

In the paper a Bayesian method based on MCMC for ALT under EW distribution (for life time) and Arrhenius models (relating the stress variable and parameters) was proposed. The paper can conclude that it is a reasonable alternative to the classical statistical methods since the implementation of the proposed method is simple, not requiring advanced computational understanding and inferences on the parameters can be made easily. By the predictive density of a future observation, a procedure was developed to plan ALT and also to verify if the conformance fraction of the manufactured process reaches some desired level of quality. This procedure is useful for statistical process control in many industrial applications.

The results may be applied in a semiconductor manufacturer.

The Exponentiated‐Weibull‐Arrhenius model has never before been used to plan an ALT.

Sensory evaluations to determine the shelf life of food products are routinely conducted in food experimentation as a part of each product development program, whether it includes a new product, product improvement or a change in type or specification of an ingredient. In such experiments, trained panelists are asked to judge food attributes by reference to a scale of numbers. The “failure time” associated with a product unit under test is usually defined as the time required to reach a cut‐off point previously defined by the food company. Important issues associated with the planning and execution of this kind of testing are total sampling size, frequency of sample withdrawals, panel design, and statistical analysis of the panel data, to list a few. Different approaches have been proposed for the analysis of this kind of data. In particular, Freitas et al. proposed an alternative model based on a dichotomization of the score data and a Weibull as the underlying distribution for the time to failure. Also, through a simulation study, the bias and mean square error of the estimates obtained for percentiles and fraction defectives were evaluated. These quantities were used to estimate the shelf life. The simulation study used only the same sample plan implemented in the real situation. This paper focuses on the planning issues associated with these experiments. Sample plans are contrasted and compared in a simulation study, through the use of the approach proposed by Freitas et al.. The simulation results showed that, in general, one can get results much more precise and with smaller bias with a shorter follow‐up time, allocating more panelists to each evaluation time.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the status of Six Sigma's status in Brazilian companies and understand the integration of this program with other quality management approaches. Additionally, the critical success factors (CSFs) for Six Sigma implementation and primary Six Sigma program characteristics were identified. Finally, the results of the used of Six Sigma were analysed.

An extensive literature review illustrates the primary Six Sigma characteristics and its relationship with other quality approaches. The research methodology encompasses survey development and statistical analyses. Questionnaires are distributed to 1,000 large firms in the manufacturing and service industries in Brazil. Altogether, a total of 198 firms, of which 46 companies adopted the Six Sigma program, participated in this study.

The results suggest a synergic and incremental pattern of quality model implementation. The study reveals that companies that have adopted Six Sigma have a long history of implementing quality programs, which suggests a certain level of quality maturity. The studied companies perceive in Six Sigma an incremental evolution, which can be combined with earlier initiatives and provides strong synergy with ISO 9000. The findings of this study confirm the distinctive Six Sigma role structure suggested by several authors. However, three possible configurations of the role structure were found that differ in terms of training and the dedication of human resources involved in the Six Sigma program.

This study demonstrates the inherent limits of the research method adopted, the use of a non-probabilistic sample and a reliance on self-reported perceptions, which introduces bias to the analysis.

Important managerial implications of this study are related to the Six Sigma structure adopted. The capillarity of the program in the organisation as a whole can be related to the type of role structure configuration adopted. This structure can have an impact in terms of both numbers and employees’ and managers’ degree of involvement, as well as the type of training and resources provided.

The diffusion of Six Sigma in Brazilian companies is less widespread than in other countries. Three possible configurations of the role structure were found that differ in terms of the training and dedication of human resources entailed by the Six Sigma program. Three CSFs factors were identified: organisation, infrastructure and human resources.

Presents a special issue, enlisting the help of the author’s students and colleagues, focusing on age, sex, colour and disability discrimination in America. Breaks the evidence down into manageable chunks, covering: age discrimination in the workplace; discrimination against African‐Americans; sex discrimination in the workplace; same sex sexual harassment; how to investigate and prove disability discrimination; sexual harassment in the military; when the main US job‐discrimination law applies to small companies; how to investigate and prove racial discrimination; developments concerning race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; developments concerning discrimination against workers with HIV or AIDS; developments concerning discrimination based on refusal of family care leave; developments concerning discrimination against gay or lesbian employees; developments concerning discrimination based on colour; how to investigate and prove discrimination concerning based on colour; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; using statistics in employment discrimination cases; race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning gender discrimination in the workplace; discrimination in Japanese organizations in America; discrimination in the entertainment industry; discrimination in the utility industry; understanding and effectively managing national origin discrimination; how to investigate and prove hiring discrimination based on colour; and, finally, how to investigate sexual harassment in the workplace.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the implementation of mobile learning in a nursing course at The Open University of Hong Kong, and identify the potentials of, and constraints on, introducing mobile technologies in the instructional design of nursing education. The paper also considers the pedagogical implications of the expansion of mobile learning in the field of nursing.

The research adopts a qualitative approach to obtain the students’ and teacher’s experiences, opinions, and expectations on mobile learning. Two focus groups with 20 student participants were conducted and an in-depth interview with the course teacher was arranged. The Framework for the Rational Analysis of Mobile Education (FRAME) model was used as the research framework to support data collection and analysis.

The aspects of device usability, interaction learning, and social technology as suggested in the FRAME model were partly fulfilled in the study. Mobile technology enhanced the portability and accessibility of learning information, and networking tools facilitated interaction among students and between students and the teacher. However, the readability of text was limited due to constraints on the user interface and screen size, and concerns over the reliability of learning content were also raised, given the abundance of unfiltered online information. The difficulty in updating the content of multimedia materials and sourcing videos of an appropriate level, together with the problem of device networking, also limited the usefulness of mobile learning. Attention should also be paid to the perceptual differences between students and the teacher on the nature and functions of mobile learning.

This empirical study provides a detailed evaluation of the delivery of mobile learning in a nursing course. The findings reveal the strengths and limitations of using mobile technologies to support the nursing education.

This paper aims to present the findings of a survey into attitudes towards the environment and the pro-environmental behaviours of young adults in Vietnam.

An online survey was administered to university students in Vietnam’s two most populous cities, Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City (N = 391).

The results suggest that environmental considerations are not taken into account in young Vietnamese adults’ purchase intentions. This is more evident in expressive purchases, but also, to some degree, in utilitarian purchases.

For the marketers of environmentally friendly products, this represents at least two key challenges: first, to try to shift the attitudes of young adult consumers towards thinking of environmental friendliness as an attractive characteristic and status-filled activity for potential expressive purchases. Second, making environmentally friendly alternatives of expressive goods more visible and more widely available in Vietnam.

Non-government organisations and governments seeking to protect the environment need to consider this unique dynamic in social marketing campaigns to increase the desirability of pro-environmental product choices and other pro-environmental behaviours.

This paper examines pro-environmental behaviours and intentions of young adults in Vietnam for the first time. The paper establishes that self-expression is more important than the environment, and it is also evident that these young consumers are still vulnerable to perceived social pressure when it comes to expressing themselves.

Examines the demographic transformation of Orange County, Los Angeles, USA and the designation of districts known as Little Saigon and Koreatown. Contends that Orange County is fifth in the USA for fastest growing Asian communities. Uses a comparative social ecology approach to show how Koreans and Vietnamese have managed to establish their ethnic communities. Finally discusses the challenges faced in sustaining their communities, given the resistance from Anglo residents for “foreigners”.