Integration capabilities as mediator of product development practices–performance

The use of integration practices, both internal (where various functions work together) and external (links with customers and suppliers during development), are espoused in the new product development (NPD) literature. However, empirical findings in the literature suggest adoption of integration practices does not necessarily lead to positive performance. We introduce the concept of integration capabilities to explain the relationship between use of integration practices and NPD performance. We tested a mediation model using data from 141 Japanese and American firms and found that effects of both types of integration on time and product performance were mediated by the integration capabilities developed. We also found differential effects of the type of integration. The findings demonstrate that developing superior integration capabilities are needed for companies to meet and exceed product development expectations in terms of both product and time performance. Simply, a company may utilize integration practices but if it does not utilize them in such a way as to generate real capabilities, the use of integration practices may not lead to positive performance effects.     

Theology of liberation and some problems of religious change in Brazil

It has been said that in Brazil the Catholic Church, by the adoption of the Theology of Liberation, chose the poor, but the poor chose the ever growing churches and sects of Pentecostal derivation. This paradox haunts the sociology of religion, in Brazil and elsewhere. This paper suggests to its solution a hypothesis inspired by Weber's ‘Religious Directions of the World and their Directions’ (the ‘Zwischenbetrachtung’).The social, political and economic efficacy of a given religious movement is essentially linked to its theodicy. In other words, the passage of religion to politics, if understood as the exit from religion as allegedly motivated by religion itself, involves a contradiction as it implies the elimination of its basic religious motivation. The inner-worldly success of a religious tendency depends, therefore, on the persistence of a properly religious ‘rejection of the world’. In fact the whole of the Theology of Liberation movement falls under a certain cognitive penumbra, a kind of theological and philosophical syncretism, which constitutes both its main strength and its main weakness.     

Predicting Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Intentions of College-Aged Males: An Examination of Parents’ and Son's Perceptions

Abstract

Objective: To examine male students’ and their parents’ human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine communication in relation to males’ willingness to discuss the vaccine with their health care provider and the likelihood of being vaccinated. Participants: Dyads (n = 111) of students and parents. Methods: Participants completed a HPV vaccine survey based on the risk perception attitude framework in 2009. Results: Male students’ perceived susceptibility for HPV and self-efficacy to talk to their provider were directly related to their intention to discuss the HPV vaccine, and their intention was directly related to their likelihood of being vaccinated. Parents’ perceived self-efficacy to talk to their son and response efficacy of the vaccine were directly related to their intention to talk to their son; however, parents’ intention was not related to the likelihood of their son being vaccinated. Conclusions: College males may benefit from HPV vaccine educational programs that include communication skills training to discuss the HPV vaccine with their parents.     

Sample size determination for 2k-r experiments with a binomial response

This paper provides closed form expressions for the sample size for two-level factorial experiments when the response is the number of defectives. The sample sizes are obtained by approximating the two-sided test for no effect through tests for the mean of a normal distribution, and borrowing the classical sample size solution for that problem. The proposals are appraised relative to the exact sample sizes computed numerically, without appealing to any approximation to the binomial distribution, and the use of the sample size tables provided is illustrated through an example.     

Promoting social Europe? The development of European youth unemployment policies

Since the beginning of the millennium, the institutions of the European Union have intensified their political efforts to combat youth employment. Youth‐specific policy initiatives were launched after the financial and economic crisis of 2008, and the overall subsequent rise of unemployment rates among young people. In this article, we analyse and assess these developments on the basis of an analysis of European policy documents and interviews. Our conclusions are twofold. One, we argue that the Europe 2020 Strategy and its flagship initiatives devoted to youth do not constitute a new policy field or approach, but are rather the outcome of an incrementalist logic of policy development. Two, the European youth strategy is clearly committed to activation, and it pushes policy developments towards a minimalist policy approach of precarious protection. Both developments are explained by the actor constellations and path dependencies of the European policy arena.     

A Dyadic Approach to Understanding the Link Between Sexual Functioning and Sexual Satisfaction in Heterosexual Couples

Researchers have demonstrated that several dimensions of sexual functioning (e.g., sexual desire, arousal, orgasm) are associated with the sexual satisfaction of individuals in a committed mixed-sex (male–female) relationship. We extended this research by comparing a dyadic model that included both own (i.e., actor effect) and partner (i.e., partner effect) domains of sexual functioning to an individual model that included only actor effects. Participants were 124 mixed-sex couples who completed online measures of sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction. Data analysis using the actor–partner interdependence model (APIM) and structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that the dyadic model had a better fit than the individual model. Women’s sexual desire and orgasm and men’s erectile functioning were significant positive predictors of both own and partner’s sexual satisfaction. These results are discussed in terms of the importance of taking a dyadic approach to research and clinical work related to sexual satisfaction.     

Older Women with Cardiovascular Disease: Perceptions of Initial Experiences and Long-Term Influences on Daily Life

ABSTRACT

In 2004, we conducted qualitative interviews with 29 White women diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD) living in Southwest Virginia, aged 69 to 92 years (M age = 79.2 years; SD = 6.8); time since diagnosis ranged from 1 to 50 years (M = 14.3; SD = 11.2). We explored the women's initial illness episode and the influence of CVD on their current daily functioning, family activities and relationships, and social engagement. The women were slow to seek help for CVD symptoms. Postrecovery, 62% of women perceived their heart disease as influencing change in their daily lives. The influence of CVD varied depending on how congruent behavior changes were with their sense of self.     

Income distribution in Italy: A nonparametric analysis

Using kernel density estimation, this paper describes the real income distribution and how it evolved over time in Italy. Data are cross-sectional samples from the population of Italian households during the period 1987–1998. A non parametric test is applied to asses whether the observed changes in the distribution are statistically significant, while the presence of more than one mode in the distributions is investigated by a bootstrap test. Empirical results show that the Italian income distribution significantly changed over time, accompanied by a decreasing inequality pattern until 1991 and a subsequent rise. No marked income gains were perceived, while the real “losers” of the decade seem to be households in the middle-upper income range. Supported by the MURST project 98-13-45. We would like to thank Nicholas Longford for his precious support and encouragement, two anonymous referees, the participants of the seminar at CEPS/INSTEAD in Luxembarg, and of the 40 ^th SIS Conference in Florence, for helpful comments and suggestions. The usual disclaimers apply.     

Quick estimation of tourist nights spent in Italy

ISTAT currently disseminates monthly provisional data on arrivals and nights spent in the Italian tourist establishments after 90 days from the end of the reference month, according to the EU Directive on Tourism Statistics. The aim of the paper is to compare some quick estimation methods able to improve timeliness and quality of provisional estimates. According to a super-population model, on the basis of available quick responses of provinces which tourist data are available within 45 days, some predictors are proposed in addition to that actually used. An empirical application has been carried out, using true monthly data on nights spent in Italy in 2002 and comparing predictors derived from balanced sampling theory and regression methods.