Managing Quality in the E‐Service System: Development and Application of a Process Model

In this paper, we develop a process model for assessing and managing e‐service quality based on the underlying components of the e‐service system and, in turn, address the growing need to look in more detail at the system component level for sources of poor quality. The proposed process model is comprised of a set of entities representing the e‐service system, a network defining the linking between all pairs of entities via transactions and product flows, and a set of outcomes of the processes in terms of quality dimensions. The process model is developed using Unified Modeling Language (UML), a pictorial language for specifying service designs that has achieved widespread acceptance among e‐service designers. Examples of applications of the process model are presented to illustrate how the model can be use to identify operational levers for managing and improving e‐service quality.     

Impact of Customer Traffic and Service Process Outsourcing Levels on e‐Retailer Operational Performance

Many service firms deliver services via a mix of internally developed and delivered (i.e., insourced) and externally developed and delivered (i.e., outsourced) service processes. Service process outsourcing is especially common in e‐retailing. Portions of e‐retail customer ordering processes and delivery processes can be digitized and contracted to third‐party vendors. Via outsourcing, service systems change from dyadic to triadic. Prior research examines consumer perceptions of dyadic (consumer to e‐retailer) outcomes, but little research considers service co‐delivery with outsourcing partners (i.e., triadic systems). Literature also does not focus on joint associations of service process outsourcing and customer traffic with e‐retailer operations. We analyze several years of data on North American e‐retailers. We first examine factors associated with e‐retailer outsourcing levels, for front‐end and back‐end service processes. We observe customer traffic is positively associated with future outsourcing. We then examine how outsourcing moderates associations between contemporaneous customer traffic and e‐retailer operational performance, as measured by numbers of processed orders, website response times, and customer satisfaction. Results suggest outsourcing levels are associated with operational outcomes, yet surprisingly, high outsourcing and high traffic jointly may not benefit e‐retailers.     

The Job Search Club for International Students: An Evaluation

Job search clubs for international students were evaluated. Participants (67% women, 33% men) were 24 students, representing 7 countries and 17 graduate programs. Pre/posttest measures were completed. Significant increases were noted in 5 job search activities. Participants had greater career self-efficacy, vocational identity, and required less information regarding their occupational choice. Overall, the program was highly rated. Content analysis of open-ended evaluation items revealed suggestions for program improvements. It indicated (a) the importance of discussing the U.S. culture; (b) increases in confidence, skills, and progress in the job search; and (c) positive feelings about the intervention.     

Tree-based modeling of time-varying coefficients in discrete time-to-event models

Lifetime Data Analysis - Hazard models are popular tools for the modeling of discrete time-to-event data. In particular two approaches for modeling time dependent effects are in common use. The...     

欧洲的慈善理念

十年前,在德国的一些大城市里能看到一些很大的广告牌,上面有一位穿着黑色正装、自信十足、年纪较长的男子。这位看上去很像是银行董事长的先生坐在一把轮椅上,下面写有一行字：“‘帮助令人担心的孩子们行动’（Aktion Sorgenkind）将变成‘帮助他人行动’（AktionMensch）”。     

PREDICTING DEPRESSION FROM MARITAL DISTRESS AND ATTRIBUTIONAL PROCESSES*

This study examined the interaction between marital distress and spouses' attributions and expectancies regarding the marital relationship in predicting depressive symptoms in a mixed sample of 59 clinic and nonclinic couples. The best single predictor of depression for both sexes was a measure of disaffection, reflecting emotional distance and alienation in the marriage. However, prediction of wives' depression in multiple regression analyses was enhanced by measures of overt marital disharmony, attribution of causality for relationship difficulties to their own behavior, and failure to attribute difficulties to their husbands' behavior. Regression analyses accounted for 55% of the variance in wives' depression, in contrast to only 32% for husbands. Treatment implications are discussed.     

Community orientation of services for persons with a psychiatric disability. Comparison between Estonia,Hungary and the Netherlands

This article explores the way mental health services and social services are orientated on assisting people with a psychiatric disability to participate in different areas of community life. A large research project about community participation in three different countries (Estonia, Hungary and the Netherlands) confirms the findings of other studies that – regardless of geographical location – people with a psychiatric disability have difficulty fulfilling social roles in the community. They are often faced with fewer opportunities than other citizens, due to their health problems, stigma, discrimination and poverty [World Health Organisation. (2011). World report on disability. Geneva: WHO]. An important objective of social work is to help people find their way in society. Surprisingly enough, in all three countries, most social workers are mainly focused on solving individual problems, and not on community participation. Shifting the focus starts by having a clear awareness of the notion of community participation. Social workers have to work both on supporting individuals to find their way in the community (individual support), and on supporting social networks in the community to accommodate persons with a disability on the basis of equal and valued citizenship (community support).     

A Two-Dimensional Two-Layered Societal Index of Interpersonal Destructiveness: Internal Consistency Analysis

Although the World Health Assembly emphasized as early as in 1996 the need for violence prevention, there is still no generally accepted index for interpersonal destructiveness in a society. Hereby we propose a Societal Index of Interpersonal Destructiveness (SIID) that could be used to compare interpersonal violence in different societies. SIID is a composite of two sub-indices: (1) Index of Interpersonal Destructiveness Prerequisites, and (2) Index of Interpersonal Destructiveness Consequences. This study addresses the construction and internal consistency analysis of SIID. The Indices for periods 1989–1993, 1994–1999, 1999–2004, 2005–2007 and 2008–2010 are computed and for 28–48 countries, depending on availability of high quality and comparative data across time. We conclude that SIID has considerable potential as an internally consistent yardstick for evaluating and comparing the level of interpersonal destructiveness of societies worldwide.     

The impact of mosses on the growth of neighbouring vascular plants,substrate temperature and evapotranspiration on an extensive green roof

Currently the majority of vegetation used on shallow extensive green roofs are species of Sedum, which are able to survive in the harsh green roof environment. While mosses frequently colonize green roofs in Europe, intentional planting of mosses on green roofs is less common, especially in North America. Mosses may contribute to the ecosystem services provided by green roofs, and may act as facilitators of vascular plants. This study examined the effect of three different moss species on soil temperature, water loss rates and the growth of neighbouring vascular plant species. Overall, the presence of mosses in this experiment impacted the neighbour species differently, suggesting that mosses are best used in particular species combinations. One species of grass showed a net benefit of moss neighbours, suggesting that facilitation may be operating. Mosses reduced soil temperature relative to bare substrates; net evapotranspiration of green roof modules planted with mosses varied depending on the identity of moss and neighbour species.