Improving occupational safety in a bedding manufacturing plant: A case study in management problem solving

The development and evaluation of a data-based intervention program to reduce work-related injuries in a bedding manufacturing plant are described. This is an example of a “pure” study in the pragmatic paradigm, and therefore this article follows a nontraditional format. It is written for busy corporate managers rather than for social science researchers. [Editor's note: Because this article was written independently of the conceptual framework outlined in Table 3 of my introductory article to this Special Feature section, there is no formal discussion by Rose and Harshbarger of the issues raised by the table. However, these authors did provide feedback to me through personal communication that their report was very positively received by its target audience (company management) because of its clarity of presentation and its simple but dramatic message: significantly improved safety performance and bottom-line savings for the company. In addition. Rose and Harshbarger reported that they were able to follow up this project with similar, very successful safety programs at several other large corporations.]     

Cultural Representation of Disabled People: Dustbins for Disavowal?

Impairment and imagery are neglected within the social model approaches to disability. This is connected to a neglect of representation. Comparing the experience of disabled people to that of women, I explore the prejudice underlying cultural representation, using a variety of theoretical models. I conclude by suggesting an explanation for popular prejudice against disabled people.     

Evolutionary theory in sociology: An examination of current thinking

After long neglect, evolutionary thinking is receiving new emphasis in the social sciences. Although evolutionary theories in biology are complex, changing, and often controversial, the basic concepts of variation, selection, and transmission potentially have powerful applications in sociology. In such uses, a crucial distinction must be made between developmental processes and evolutionary processes. Two main approaches characterize current evolutionary thinking in sociology: sociobiological explanations, and coevolutionary accounts of the interaction of genes and culture. Evolution through natural selection can occur with genes, cultural elements, and any other self-replicating codes. Although social learning is the cultural analogue of genetic transmission, cultural evolution does not necessarily maximize genetic fitness. Newly emerging sociological theories of evolution hold promise of integrating micro- and macroprocesses, providing explanations of complexity and diversity in social change, reconciling ideas of agency and structure, and linking sociology to biology without misleading reductionism.     

Krisen in Familienunternehmen und Unternehmensfamilien Über parallele, interdependente Dynamiken in Familie und Unternehmen

How can the situation of a crisis in the two systems of family and business of a family business be understood and conceptualized? What does a business crisis mean for the members of the business family, especially for those who work there? What kind of mutual influences and irritations do these different, but closely linked social systems of a family business exert on each other? The article explores the field of crises in family business and business families and tries to answer these questions.After a first overview of some accepted concepts a general understanding of the term crisis for family and business in family businesses is developed. Based on the first results of a current research project conducted by the authors, the mutual influences of a business crisis and a family crisis on either family or business are looked at; especially the performance and role(s) of the business family in the crisis of their enterprise are analysed. Finally a model is developed, which serves to describe the parallel and interdependent dynamics of the crises in family and business of a family business.     

An algorithm for the evaluation of the incomplete gamma function and the first two partial derivatives with respect to the parameter

A simple to use, straight coded, Fortran 4 algorithm, is presented. This algorithm has the ability to:

1) evaluate the Incomplete Gamma function, Y(r,λx), for parameter values in the range 0 < r < 20.0 and upper limit of integration values in the range 0 75.0;

2) evaluate both the first and second partial derivatives of y with respect to the parameter

3) evaluate both the Euler Di and Trigamma functions, ψ(r) and if ψ′(r)for 0<rf.20.0.

In all cases the accuracy is nine or more significant figures. The user has several choices of data output format     

A case-study in the clinical epidemiology of psoriatic arthritis: multistate models and causal arguments

In psoriatic arthritis, permanent joint damage characterizes disease progression and represents a major debilitating aspect of the disease. Understanding the process of joint damage will assist in the treatment and disease management of patients. Multistate models provide a means to examine patterns of disease, such as symmetric joint damage. Additionally, the link between damage and the dynamic course of disease activity (represented by joint swelling and stress pain) at both the individual joint level and otherwise can be represented within a correlated multistate model framework. Correlation is reflected through the use of random effects for progressive models and robust variance estimation for non-progressive models. Such analyses, undertaken with data from a large psoriatic arthritis cohort, are discussed and the extent to which they permit causal reasoning is considered. For this, emphasis is given to the use of the Bradford Hill criteria for causation in observational studies and the concept of local (in)dependence to capture the dynamic nature of the relationships.