Receiving shadows: governance and liminality in the night-time economy

This paper focuses upon the emergence of the night-time economy both materially and culturally as a powerful manifestation of post-industrial society. This emergence features two key processes: firstly a shift in economic development from the industrial to the post-industrial; secondly a significant orientation of urban governance involving a move away from the traditional managerial functions of local service provision, towards an entrepreneurial stance primarily focused on the facilitation of economic growth. Central to this new economic era is the identification and promotion of liminality. The State's apparent inability to control these new leisure zones constitutes the creation of an urban frontier that is governed by commercial imperatives.     

An interactive three-stage model for mutual funds portfolio selection

The aim of this work is to be a useful instrument for helping finance practitioners on the selection of suitable mutual fund portfolios. The portfolio selection problem is characterized by imprecision and/or vagueness inherent in the required data and more generally, in the context where investors have to make decisions. In order to mitigate these problems, a three stage model has been proposed based on a multi-index model and considering several market scenarios described in an imprecise way by an expert. The proposed fuzzy model allows the Decision Maker to select, by means of an outranking method, a suitable portfolio taking into account the uncertainty related to the market scenarios and the imprecision and/or vagueness associated with the model data.     

A graph coloring approach for image segmentation

In this paper we develop a segmentation scheme for digital images based upon an iterative binary coloring technique that takes into account changing behavior of adjacent pixels. The output is a hierarchical structure of images which allows a better understanding of complex images. In particular, we propose two algorithms that should be considered as image preprocessing techniques.     

Turnover turned over: an expanded and positive perspective

The negative impact of turnover is well documented in the literature. This paper examines turnover with a unique, positive focus. Turnover is reviewed, not only from the standpoint of the organizational theorist, but with economic, sociological, and psychological/social psychological perspectives. Often ignored benefits of turnover are noted.     

Forecasting: A hybrid approach

It has recently been shown that the Box-Jenkins approach to forecasting time series is superior to an econometric approach over a relatively short horizon. The results here support this contention. A combination of the two approaches, however, proves to be clearly superior to either one separately. By taking account of changes in economic and weather related variables in a time series model, improved forecasts are obtained.     

Corporate social responsibility: an assessment of the enlightened self-interest model

Much recent discussion of corporate social responsibility has concerned operationality. Many activities subsumed under corporate social responsibility can be shown to be public or partially public goods. The theory of public goods can clarify and explain some complex problems of operationalizing the social responsibility doctrine. An examination of philanthropy provides some behavioral applications.     

The Impact of Racism on Social Work Education

One of the most difficult problems in teaching social services has to do with the development of an analytic framework for an understanding of the delivery of social services within the community. This paper examines a particular systems framework that allows the student to conceptualize and evaluate what services are being delivered, what specific inputs and connections of agency with community act to produce this service, and what changes in the system may be possible. The model allows ready connection with practice, policy, and research components of the curriculum.