Orthogonal series density estimation for complex surveys

We propose an orthogonal series density estimator for complex surveys, where samples are neither independent nor identically distributed. The proposed estimator is proved to be design-unbiased and asymptotically design-consistent. The asymptotic normality is proved under both design and combined spaces. Two data driven estimators are proposed based on the proposed oracle estimator. We show the efficiency of the proposed estimators in simulation studies. A real survey data example is provided for an illustration.     

Elements of Social Capital and Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students

Lifetime childlessness has increased in Europe. The relationship between childlessness and psychological wellbeing varies by the wellbeing measures employed, life stage and societal context. Health-related predictors of childlessness (health selection) may mediate the relationship between childlessness and wellbeing and/or influence wellbeing directly. This paper examines the relationship between lifetime childlessness, depressive mood and quality of life in early old age using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) (N = 21,295). Region-specific Ordinary Least Squares Analysis is performed to investigate this relationship and the mediating roles of health selection and marital status are explored. No main effect of childlessness is observed in any of the regions net of socio-demographic, economic and health factors. The significant role of health selection in this relationship is only evident in Eastern Europe. The findings of this study support a more in-depth analysis of the role of marital status in mediating the relationship between childlessness and psychological wellbeing. Consistent relationships between marital status and both measures of wellbeing support further analysis of marital selection in this regard.     

Location‐invariant Multi‐sample U‐tests for Covariance Matrices with Large Dimension

For two or more multivariate distributions with common covariance matrix, test statistics for certain special structures of the common covariance matrix are presented when the dimension of the multivariate vectors may exceed the number of such vectors. The test statistics are constructed as functions of location‐invariant estimators defined as U‐statistics, and the corresponding asymptotic theory is used to derive the limiting distributions of the proposed tests. The properties of the test statistics are established under mild and practical assumptions, and the same are numerically demonstrated using simulation results with small or moderate sample sizes and large dimensions.     

Comparison between count of cumulative conforming sampling plans and Dodge–Romig single sampling plan

In this research, a new sampling system is introduced based on the concept of count of cumulative conforming control charts (CCC-charts). The proposed method is based on Markov modeling and negative binomial distribution. The proposed sampling system is compared with traditional sampling methods like Dodge–Romig single sampling plan based on lot tolerance percent defective (LTPD) and Dodge–Romig single sampling plan based on average outgoing quality limit (AOQL) and its superiority for larger values of lot sizes and process average is denoted using a comparison study.     

Testing homogeneity of several covariance matrices and multi-sample sphericity for high-dimensional data under non-normality

A test for homogeneity of g ? 2 covariance matrices is presented when the dimension, p, may exceed the sample size, n_i, i = 1, …, g, and the populations may not be normal. Under some mild assumptions on covariance matrices, the asymptotic distribution of the test is shown to be normal when n_i, p → ∞. Under the null hypothesis, the test is extended for common covariance matrix to be of a specified structure, including sphericity. Theory of U-statistics is employed in constructing the tests and deriving their limits. Simulations are used to show the accuracy of tests.     

Understanding the lived experience of bullying in Australian workplaces: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

The purpose of this article is to develop a deeper understanding of a negative behavior at work through a study of the lived experience of bullying in Australian workplaces. Although there is considerable research available on workplace bullying, extant research largely provides empirical examinations of the prevalence, causes, and consequences of the phenomenon. By contrast, the research herein reported offers an in-depth account of bullying from the frame of reference of those who have experienced it and demonstrates the difficulties faced by them when coping with it. The study’s data source is drawn from reports submitted to the Australian Parliamentary Inquiry on workplace bullying. The reports were analyzed by using the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis. The study highlights the impact of bullying at work on individuals’ lives and the coping mechanisms used for dealing with the impact. This article also reveals that bullying destroys organizations’ succession planning efforts as competent and talented individuals leave jobs as a way of coping with bullying. The study further shows that some individuals eventually choose to end their lives as a way of coping with bullying. The article thus adds evidence to anecdotal suggestions of the link between bullying and suicide in Australia.     

Professional and Functional Alternative Social Workers: A Case Study of Malaysia

The objective of this study was to compare “professional” (PW) and “functional alternative” (FA) social workers. The findings suggested that there were no significant differences between PWs and FAs in intervention, evaluation methods, work ethics, and values. The PWs, in clients' eyes, were better at delivering services, while FAs' services were more satisfactory to the clients. While PWs were supposed to be “professional,” FAs were more “professional” than PWs in their performance despite their lack of recognition as “professional social workers”. These critical findings should encourage academics and practitioners for further discussion on conceptual implications of both practices and expand future research.     

Time truncated acceptance sampling plans for generalized exponential distribution

Acceptance sampling plans for generalized exponential distribution when the lifetime experiment is truncated at a pre-determined time are provided in this article. The tables are provided for the minimum sample size required to ensure a certain median life of the experimental unit when the shape parameter is two. The operating characteristic function values of the sampling plans and the associated producer's risks are also presented. It is shown that the tables presented here can be used if instead of median life, other percentile life is chosen as the criterion or if the shape parameter is not two. Examples are provided for illustrative purposes.