Integration of the information systems in the production process: a case study

This paper evaluates the execution of an ERP – enterprise resource planning in a production process. The changes that were made to processes to make them compatible with ERP modules and adaptations that were required by the ERP implementation are presented. The presented study is different from the normal patterns of a vertical implementation, since its application is not direct. In order to use the standard modules of the ERP system, the internal processes were embellished and the data collection steps were integrated into the production process (production orders, inventory, production, daily consumption, daily output). The case study shows that the ERP implementation caused an improvement of the processes in the areas adjacent to production (purchasing, logistics, distribution, supply and sales). In conclusion, this paper presents the main advantages and disadvantages of the ERP system implementation, as well as some considerations and recommendations for the future ERP implementations.     

Physical consequences of falls in the elderly: a literature review from 1995 to 2010

In the last decade, population ageing has been registered as a global phenomenon. A relation exists between falling and ageing, since falling frequency increases significantly with age. In fact, one in three older adult falls annually. Although ageing is generically associated with decrease and degeneration of psychological and physical functions, it is still not common for the correct identification of risk factors to lead to a clinical prognosis of the elder being in risk of falling. Therefore, the goal of this review article is to identify, categorise and analyse typical ageing and fall factors mentioned in the literature as well as to quantify the number of times they were referenced. The research considered hundreds of publications, but analysis was then restricted to the 87 most pertinent articles written in English and published in journals or scientific magazines between 1995 and 2010. We concluded that falls among older adults can be characterised by the following: anatomic characteristics and physiological consequences of ageing; the pathologies that induce falls, which can be neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and other diseases; causes and risk factors of falls that can be behavioural, biological, environmental or socio-economic; type of physical consequences of falls, including fractures, bruises, injuries or other physical consequences; and strategies to prevent, mitigate or rehabilitate, which can be of a physical, environmental or behavioural nature.     

Incidence du handicap sur l'absentéisme: faits observés dans six pays de l'Union européenne

Partant des données collectées dans six pays de l'Union européenne (Autriche, Espagne, Grèce, Irlande, Italie et Portugal) entre 1995 et 2001, les auteurs étudient l'infuence du handicap sur l'absentéisme des travailleurs. Ils observent que les travailleurs handicapés sont plus souvent absents que les travailleurs valides, constat établi après contrôle des effets de l'état de santé des personnes interrogées, de la fréquence de leurs visites chez le médecin et du nombre de nuits d'hospitalisation. L'absentéisme s'accroît aussi avec la gravité du handicap. L'effet total du handicap représente une augmentation marginale de 6 à 26 jours d'absence par an, selon le pays.     

A multi-criteria approach for managing inter-enterprise collaborative relationships

Collaboration amongst enterprises is a common strategy used to increase competitiveness. Thus, enterprises that are collaborating need to define and use performance measurement/management frameworks composed of performance elements (objectives, performance indicators, etc.) that facilitate the management of their activity, as well as monitor their strategy and processes. There are many factors, e.g. trust, interoperability of Information Systems, etc. that need to be managed properly in order to support collaborative success. However, such factors and performance are not usually managed together. Furthermore, these factors and performance elements are interrelated but these influences are commonly overlooked. This paper aims to present an approach based on the Analytic Network Process (ANP) to manage collaborative relationships under an integrated approach by considering not only the inter-enterprise performance elements, but also the factors that influence collaboration. The approach is then applied to a collaborative enterprise network belonging to the renewable energy sector. With this innovative approach, enterprises will obtain significant information for the decision-making process, regarding which are the factors and performance elements that have the greatest impact on their competitiveness, and therefore should be prioritized.     

A new variability order based on tail-heaviness

In this paper, we introduce a new variability order that can be interpreted in terms of tail-heaviness which we will call the tail dispersive order. We provide the new definition, its interpretation and properties and the main characterization. We also study the relationship with other classical variability orders. Finally, we study the tail dispersive order in some classical parametric families and provide some applications in insurance and finance. We conclude with a numerical example applied to log returns distributions.     

Maternal Punitive Reactions to Children's Negative Emotions and Young Adult Trait Anger: Effect of Gender and Emotional Closeness

The current study tested whether young adult's recollected reports of their mother's punitive reactions to their negative emotions in childhood predicted anger expression in young adulthood and whether emotional closeness weakens this association. Further, a three-way interaction was tested to examine whether emotional closeness is a stronger protective factor for young women than for young men. Results revealed a significant three-way interaction (gender × emotional closeness × maternal punitive reactions). For young men, maternal punitive reactions to negative emotions were directly associated with increased anger expressions. Maternal punitive reactions to young women's negative emotions in childhood were associated with increased anger in adulthood only when they reported low maternal emotional closeness. Findings suggest that maternal emotional closeness may serve as a buffer against the negative effects of maternal punitive reactions for women's anger expression in young adulthood.     

El modelo de Contingencia de Fiedler en Procesos de Fabricación Progresiva

Resumen

En las organizaciones productivas, la influencia de los líderes se manifiesta en el nivel de eficacia grupal y como consecuencia en el logro de objetivos. Comprobar la capacidad de predicción de los modelos sobre el liderazgo existentes en el marco teórico de la Psicología Social puede resultar beneficioso para el diseño de futuras organizaciones y la remodelación de las actuales. Estudiamos aquí el Modelo de Contingencia de Fiedler, aplicándolo a procesos de fabricación progresiva. Los resultados obtenidos nos llevan a aceptar las hipóteis del modelo en solamente tres de las ocho condiciones de favorabilidad que éste plantea. Con la misma valoración del tipo de liderazgo del modelo nos muestran también los datos: 1. Que no existe correlación entre el rendimiento de los grupos y el grado de experiencia de los líderes.

2. La falta de correlación entre el nivel de accidentabilidad grupal y los diferentes tipos de liderazgo.

3. Un rendimiento superior en aquellos grupos en los que el tipo de motivación del líder y de los superiores de éste coinciden.

     

When the Floods of Compassion Are not Enough: A Nation's and a City's Response to the Evacuees of Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina exposed serious deficiencies in the social support safety net at the federal, state, and local level. This article explores the impacts of the disrupted safety net through participant observation and interviews with service providers and evacuees resettled in one southern city. Their stories illustrate how vulnerable low‐income groups struggle to cope with disaster within the context of inadequate larger support systems and the legacy of racism. The data also illustrate the limits of the local resources and response, given the years of retrenchment and underfunding and increasing dependence on nongovernmental sources of support. The authors explore some of the implications of this trend for evacuees' long‐term recovery and social work intervention.