Advance Letters as a Means of Improving Respondent Cooperation in Random Digit Dial Studies: A Multistate Experiment

Advance letters can potentially reduce the degree of nonresponsein random digit dial (RDD) surveys; however, they can also havea heterogeneous impact on subgroups, disproportionately raisingparticipation rates among certain segments of the populationand thereby having a detrimental effect on nonresponse bias.This is, in part, because advance letters can only be used inRDD surveys with the subset of respondents for whom an addresscan be identified. It may also be related to who in a householdsees the letter. We assess whether the use of advance letterscan improve the level of participation in the Behavioral RiskFactor Surveillance System (BRFSS) without introducing otherpotential data biases. The data reported here corroborate previousfindings, in terms of the positive impact that advance letterscan have on overall response rates (approximately a 6-percentage-pointgain). Moreover, the advance letters were cost-efficient inthat the cost of obtaining a fixed number of completed surveysusing advance letters was lower than the cost without letters.However, the positive impact of the advance letter on reducingnonresponse may have been offset to some extent in that theadvance letter may have biased the sample of those who completedthe interview toward older, white respondents and those of highersocioeconomic status, and away from younger, nonwhite individualsand persons with lower education and income levels. This lattergroup was underrepresented in the final sample and also lesslike to remember having received a letter.     

A comparative study of U.S. and Iraqi students

This study uses a sample comprised of U.S. students and Iraqi students to determine if differences occur over ethical perceptions based on cultural/demographic issues. Irrespective of demographics, the results of this study indicate significant cultural differences between Iraqi students and American students with regard to selected ethical issues concerning graduate education. Specifically the differences occurred in the students' perceptions of winning is everything, selling one's soul, logic before emotion, and pander to professors. Iraqi students consistently viewed these beliefs as more necessary for success in their graduate education than did their American counterparts.     

Innovation in Strategic Human Resource Management: Building Capacity in the Age of Globalization

This article addresses innovation as a strategic instrument in human resource management capacity building in the age of globalization. To meet the challenges of globalization—negative as well as positive—capacity building is needed in areas of organization, management, governance, and public administration all over the world. Innovation is defined, strategic innovations and innovative strategies are explained, capacity building is delineated, and over 22 areas or realms of innovation are identified, explained, and emphasized as strategic instruments of capacity building. Viewing human resources as human capital and beyond, the article argues that without human resources nothing can be accomplished, and without a well-trained, well-developed, well-appreciated, and well-managed human resources, modern organizations of government and business cannot meet the challenges of the globalization age, which demands a new generation of future-oriented, anticipatory managers who can develop effective visions and manage organizations by riding the high waves of change in the turbulent world.     

Editor's Introduction to the Mini-Symposium on Human Resources Management and Total Quality Management in the Age of Globalization

Public Organization Review -     

The fetish of the click: a small history of the computer mouse as vulva

This paper examines the fetish of the click through a technofeminist history of the computer mouse as vulva. It argues that this material turn is a necessary corrective to abstractions of the click in contemporary media studies and the long history of phallic technological practices. Drawing from anthropological, Marxist, and psychoanalytic approaches to fetish, this paper enables a rethinking of the computer mouse in the materiality of what it is and does within its broader cultural formation. This interpretation of the computer mouse serves as a feminist claim to ubiquitous computing technology. Further, the argument connects the computer mouse’s supposed obsolescence to the new and emerging technologies of touch pads and screens.     

A new lifetime model with regression models,characterizations and applications

In this article, we introduce a new extension of Burr XII distribution called Topp Leone Generated Burr XII distribution. We derive some of its properties. Useful characterizations are presented. Simulation study is performed to assess the performance of the maximum likelihood estimators. Censored maximum likelihood estimation is presented in the general case of multi-censored data. The new location-scale regression model based on the proposed distribution is introduced. The usefulness of the proposed models is illustrated empirically by means of three real datasets.     

Construction of circular partially balanced-Repeated measurement designs using cyclic shifts

Repeated measurement designs are widely used in medicine, pharmacology, animal sciences and psychology. These designs balance out the residual effects. The situations where balanced repeated measurements designs require a large number of the subjects, partially-balanced repeated measurements designs should be used. In this paper some infinite series are developed which provide circular partially-balanced repeated measurement designs for p (periods) even. Catalogues of circular partially-balanced repeated measurement designs are also presented for v (treatments) ≤ 100 with p = 5, 7 & 9.     

Characterization of the municipal solid waste stream in Kabul,Afghanistan

The goal of this study was to assess the existing solid waste management stream in Kabul, Afghanistan, as a basis for developing a sustainable solid waste management system. Achieving the goal of this study necessitated (1) assessment of the major factors affecting the solid waste stream and it collection; (2) estimation of the solid waste generation rate; and (3) characterization of the solid waste composition. The solid waste characterization data demonstrated that the solid waste stream in the city of Kabul, although similar to low income countries in Asia, especially to South Asian countries, is unique in composition and solid waste generation rate. The solid waste stream was characterized with large organic fraction of approximately 70% and specific weight of 413 ± 52 kg/m³. The estimated solid waste generation rate ranged between 0.31 and 0.43 kg/capita/day. It is expected, however, that the solid waste stream characteristics for the city of Kabul will change over time to be similar to waste streams of cities in the region with similar socio-economic, cultural and religious background.     

On estimation of population mean based on two measurements

There are many estimators for population mean: arithmetic mean, median, root mean square, geometric mean, harmonic mean, and so forth. Which one is the best? Here, we answer this question given two measurements from a uniform distribution.