TWO-STAGE PROCEDURES FOR TESTING HOMOGENEITY OF MEANS AGAINST ORDERED ALTERNATIVES IN ONE-WAY ANOVA WITH COMMON UNKNOWN VARIANCE

In this paper we present two-stage procedures for testing the equality of normal means against ordered alternatives in one-way ANOVA with common and unknown variance. The procedures proposed are analogous to Williams's and Bartholomew's single-stage methods. A table of percentiles needed for implementation is provided. Some Monte Carlo results for estimating the power of both procedures are given.     

Small employers and health benefits: findings from the 2002 small employer health benefits survey

Overall, 19 percent of small employers offering health benefits made changes to their health plan between 2001 and 2002. Sixty-five percent increased deductibles and co-pays; 35 percent switched insurers; 30 percent increased the employee share of the premium; and 29 percent cut back on the scope of benefits. Twenty-six percent increased the scope of benefits offered. Nearly one-quarter of small employers offering health benefits think their firm would change coverage and 3 percent think it would drop coverage if the cost were to increase an additional 5 percent. Most small employers offer sound business reasons for offering health benefits to workers. Many report that it helps with employee recruitment and retention, and increases productivity. More than three-quarters report that offering health benefits is "the right thing to do." Most small employers that do offer health benefits report that it has a positive impact on various aspects of the business, such as recruitment, retention, employee attitude and performance, employee health status, and the overall success of the business. Most small employers that do not offer health benefits tend to think that not offering them has no negative impact on the above aspects of their business or the overall success of the business. However, those not offering benefits are more likely than those offering them to report that most of their employees are high-turnover and stay on the job only a few months. Small employers that offer health benefits tend to be distinctly different from those not offering them. Worker income in firms not offering health benefits tends to be considerably lower than in firms that do offer them. Employers not offering health benefits are more likely than those offering them to have a smaller proportion of full-time employees, and employers that do not offer health benefits have a larger proportion of females, workers under age 30, and minority employees. Of small employers that offer dependent coverage, more than 40 percent report that workers do not take coverage for their dependents because the dependents have coverage from somewhere else, but 35 percent report that employees decline dependent coverage because they cannot afford the premiums. Many small employers that do not offer health benefits are potential purchasers. Eleven percent are either extremely or very likely to start offering health benefits in the next two years, and 22 percent are somewhat likely to start offering health benefits.     

Suicide Attempts by Adolescent Latinas: An Exploratory Study of Individual and Family Correlates

Epidemiological data show high rates of suicide attempts among adolescent Latinas. Few studies have addressed the psychosocial, cultural and family correlates of suicide attempts among this age group of a rapidly growing population. The authors studied 31 adolescent Hispanic females who were receiving mental health services; 14 girls had attempted suicide in the previous five years and 17 had never attempted suicide. The two groups of girls did not differ significantly with respect to demographic profiles, levels of depression, family type, acculturation, or self-esteem. However, as hypothesized, the mutuality between girls and their mothers was lower among suicide attempters. Maladaptive coping skills of withdrawal and wishful thinking were more commonly used by attempters, and non-attempters used emotional regulation and problem-solving more frequently. Findings are discussed within the context of the empirical and theoretical literature and implications for practice are considered.     

2 Old Assumptions,New Work

Abstract

We review the literature on nonstandard work with three aims: to portray the breadth and nature of the research and theorizing to date, to document the challenges and opportunities this domain poses to both practice and theory, and to bring the study of nonstandard work more to the center stage of micro-OB. After defining nonstandard work and documenting scholarly interest in it, we discuss the literature on the experience of nonstandard workers, on managing the nonstandard workforce, as well as that on managing the interface between standard and nonstandard workers. We analyze the themes that are raised in these literatures and point to new research questions that need to be addressed. Research on nonstandard work can enhance our understanding of the nature of work, the relationship between individuals and organizations, and how organizations and individuals can undertake these new work forms.     

A routine-based framework implementing workload control to address recurring disturbances

Abstract

This research focuses on responsiveness in high variety manufacturing environments. To achieve it, the article proposes to develop Dynamic Response Capabilities (DRCs) of the manufacturing system defined as the abilities to readjust the planned operating parameters of workload, capacity, and lead time, in the wake of disturbances. To inform their development, built on the Workload Control theory, a routine-based framework is proposed. The framework supports an integrated approach for the implementation of adaptive decision-making routines for workload, capacity, and lead time readjustments at different stages in the order fulfilment process. Findings from two empirical cases show the appropriateness of the framework to develop and utilise DRCs in different settings of disturbances. Results of a simulation study, with one of the case companies, also shows the effectiveness of the framework to drive performance improvements in presence of recurring disturbances leading to demand variability.     

License Mapping for ERM Systems: Existing Practices and Initiatives for Support

In the process of analyzing and/or mapping license agreements into their electronic resource management (ERM) systems or in developing services to support the license mapping process, library professionals were interviewed to provide a status report of license mapping in academic libraries. Areas discussed include existing practices, challenges, and support for and benefits of the mapping process. These conversations from the trenches should help professionals in the early stages of ERM implementation better conceptualize resource needs and effective practices for license mapping.     

THE SYMBOLIC CONSTRUCTION OF RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES ON RUSSIAN NATIONAL TELEVISION

Analysis of 1995 Vremya (Russian national television) newscasts reveals few traces of the cold-war framework that dominated news media discourse throughout the world for almost four decades. The ability of Vremya to reconstruct its images of Russia and the United States reaffirms the contention of Edelman, Hall, and others that media news accounts evoke a spectacle that is an ideological product, not a set of facts. The spectacle of politics is a fetish, a creation that then dominates the thought and action of its creators.     

Politics,Plurality and Problemsheds: A Strategic Approach for Reform of Agricultural Water Resources Management

Starting from the assessment that past efforts at reform in agricultural water management in developing countries have achieved very little, this article argues that a fundamental change is required in the approach to policy and institutional transformation if the present deadlock in the internalisation of ecological sustainability, human development/poverty alleviation and democratic governance into the ‘core business’ of water bureaucracies is to be overcome. ‘Social engineering’ approaches need to be replaced by ‘strategic action’ approaches that acknowledge the inherently political character and the plurality of actors, institutions and objectives of water management — a perspective operationalised here around the notions of ‘problemshed’ and ‘issue network’.     

Working with legal pluralism: widowhood,property inheritance,and poverty alleviation in urban Senegal

This article explores the role of women's inheritance and ownership of property in urban Senegal. It shows how being able to inherit and own property promotes the economic and emotional security of widows and their children in urban areas, and discusses the challenges posed by legal pluralism in working on poverty alleviation and social protection in the city.