Opportunities for meaningful change exist with any new experience. Occasionally, these opportunities can have a significant effect, either as a catalyst for change, or via the…
Abstract
Opportunities for meaningful change exist with any new experience. Occasionally, these opportunities can have a significant effect, either as a catalyst for change, or via the process of experience itself. The most powerful experiences are those that generate new ideas, and possibly new behaviors or approaches to service. LibQUAL+™ is unique in that it provides both the opportunity to rethink a library’s service program, as well as a process that compels library staff to consider the importance of, and respond to, user perceptions in the improvement of library services. This paper suggests that when libraries decide to participate in LibQUAL+™, they should use the experience as a critical first step in a longitudinal analysis of library collections and services. With the commitment to listening to users and rethinking the service program, the LibQUAL+™ process is inherently transformative.
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Samer BuHamdan, Aladdin Alwisy and Ahmed Bouferguene
The purpose of this paper is to develop a clear understanding of the features that increase the probability of condos’ sale, with a focus on design-related features.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a clear understanding of the features that increase the probability of condos’ sale, with a focus on design-related features.
Design/methodology/approach
The present research uses survival analysis (SA) and the Cox proportional-hazards regression (CPHR) to analyze condo sales data provided by the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton (RAE) (Alberta, Canada).
Findings
The analysis of the provided data shows that the listed price, building age, appliances and condo fees have less effect on the time a condo spends on the market compared to the condo’s physical features, such as construction material, interior finishing and heating type and source.
Research limitations/implications
The data used in the present research comes from one geographical area (i.e. Edmonton, Canada). Furthermore, the data provided by the RAE does not include any real estate transactions not involving a realtor. Additionally, the present research, owing to its focus on design-related features, does not control features related to the external environment, such as community and transportation proximity.
Practical implications
The findings of the present research help construction practitioners (e.g. architects, builders and realtors) better understand the features that influence condo buyers’ decisions. This knowledge helps to develop designs and marketing strategies that increase the likelihood of selling and decrease the time listed condos spend on the market.
Originality/value
The present research expands our knowledge of the drivers influencing the purchasers’ decisions concerning the building’s physical features that can be controlled during the design stage. Also, analyzing the provided data by using SA and CPHR, as followed in this paper, facilitates the inclusion of records that are listed but not sold, which helps to overcome the survivorship bias and avoid the over-optimism that exists in the present literature.
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Sandy Toogood, Steven Boyd, Andy Bell and Helen Salisbury
In 1997 Tom was a 32‐year‐old man with a diagnosis of severe intellectual disability and autism who engaged in high‐rate challenging behaviour. Tom's out‐of‐area placement was…
Abstract
In 1997 Tom was a 32‐year‐old man with a diagnosis of severe intellectual disability and autism who engaged in high‐rate challenging behaviour. Tom's out‐of‐area placement was about to break down and he needed help urgently. For 16 months specialist challenging behaviour services supported Tom directly in a single‐occupancy service. They conducted functional assessment and delivered multi‐level intervention, including medication withdrawal, environmental enrichment, skills teaching, augmented communication and targeted behavioural intervention. Support was then transferred to mainstream learning disability services. Following intervention, the rate of challenging behaviour shown by Tom fell significantly from more than 200 instances per day to almost none. Community involvement and engagement increased. Tom moved into shared accommodation with support from mainstream learning disability services at no additional cost. Improvement at intervention was still apparent 10 years later. Tom's story adds to a growing number of articles showing how focused intervention can deliver lasting improvement in quality of life. Four aspects of Tom's story are discussed in the light of the Mansell Report.
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This paper develops the concept of managerial discretion. Discretion, defined as individual empowerment to act, has received increased attention in the management literature…
Abstract
This paper develops the concept of managerial discretion. Discretion, defined as individual empowerment to act, has received increased attention in the management literature, particularly in the policy area. This research develops an instrument to measure discretion of individual managers. Vignettes are used to measure the willingness of managers to act in response to dilemmas that have organizational policy implications. The investigation of the reliability and validity of the developed measure, the Individual Discretion Questionnaire (IDQ), reveals that it identifies variability in managerial response and correlates significantly with two other established measures: locus of control and organizational ethical culture. The results suggest that this assessment tool may provide a means to identify how willing individual managers are to take preventive action in situations that present financial and sociopolitical risks to their organization.
Devotes the entire journal issue to managing human behaviour in US industries, with examples drawn from the airline industry, trading industry, publishing industry, metal products…
Abstract
Devotes the entire journal issue to managing human behaviour in US industries, with examples drawn from the airline industry, trading industry, publishing industry, metal products industry, motor vehicle and parts industry, information technology industry, food industry, the airline industry in a turbulent environment, the automotive sales industry, and specialist retailing industry. Outlines the main features of each industry and the environment in which it is operating. Provides examples, insights and quotes from Chief Executive Officers, managers and employees on their organization’s recipe for success. Mentions the effect technology has had in some industries. Talks about skilled and semi‐skilled workers, worker empowerment and the formation of teams. Addresses also the issue of change and the training that is required to deal with it in different industry sectors. Discusses remuneration packages and incentives offered to motivate employees. Notes the importance of customers in the face of increased competition. Extracts from each industry sector the various human resource practices that companies employ to manage their employees effectively ‐ revealing that there is a wide diversity in approach and what is right for one industry sector would not work in another. Offers some advice for managers, but, overall, fails to summarize what constitutes effective means of managing human behaviour.
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Raafat G. Saadé and Semaan Sarraf
In Northern Regions, ice covers that form on rivers, streams, and lakeswith the onset of winter, cause various problems related to winter navigationand pollution dispersion among…
Abstract
In Northern Regions, ice covers that form on rivers, streams, and lakes with the onset of winter, cause various problems related to winter navigation and pollution dispersion among others. Warm water, from industrial plants, discharged into these rivers cause partial or total melting of the ice cover over considerable distances. The present work investigates the melting of a thin non‐uniform ice cover subject to varying water and air temperatures under turbulent flow conditions. A two‐dimensional depth averaged turbulence model coupled with a heat transfer model is used to simulate laboratory conditions of ice cover melting. Computational results were compared with experimental investigations. The average melting of the ice cover was found to be in close agreement with the experimental measurements with the exception of the leading edge region.
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The review of food consumption elsewhere in this issue shows the broad pattern of food supplies in this country; what and how much we eat. Dietary habits are different to what…
Abstract
The review of food consumption elsewhere in this issue shows the broad pattern of food supplies in this country; what and how much we eat. Dietary habits are different to what they were before the last War, but there have been few real changes since the end of that War. Because of supplies and prices, shifts within commodity groups have occurred, e.g. carcase meat, bread, milk, but overall, the range of foods commonly eaten has remained stable. The rise of “convenience foods” in the twenty‐five year since the War is seen as a change in household needs and the increasing employment of women in industry and commerce, rather than a change in foods eaten or in consumer preference. Supplies available for consumption have remained fairly steady throughout the period, but if the main food sources, energy and nutrient content of the diet have not changed, changes in detail have begun to appear and the broad pattern of food is not quite so markedly stable as of yore.