An Information‐Processing Approach for Evaluating In‐Store Retail Operational Design Strategies

We develop a model to evaluate retail store operational design strategies using an information‐processing perspective of organizational design. We propose that three model constructs pertaining to in‐store shopper task uncertainty—the product mix complexity, the service production complexity, and the product mix changeover—create shopper encounter information requirements (IR). These requirements can be met using specific retail service operational design choices for managing shopper encounters, namely, designing layouts for self‐service (SS) and providing employees with task empowerment (TE). The model is then operationalized using a two‐stage approach to develop new multi‐item, measurement scales. The psychometric properties and predictive validity of the scales and model are then confirmed by using structural equation modeling with survey data from 175 merchandise retail store managers. We find that our model can be generically applied across the retail industry to understand how shopper encounter IR motivate retailer store design choices and can be used to determine whether to design stores for SS or to provide store employees with TE. We then evaluate the efficacy of the studied store design choices on customer delivery satisfaction, and offer some suggestions for future research.     

Substrate reinforcement and dialectal differences in Melanesian Pidgin

Stabilization of a new contact language involves a process of levelling, or the reduction of variants. One of the factors influencing which grammatical variants are retained in the process is substrate reinforcement – the existence in the substrate languages of a congruent structure with a similar function. This article illustrates substrate reinforcement in the development of the three current dialects of Melanesian Pidgin. First, evidence of earlier variability is presented and the sociolinguistic conditions that later led to greater stability are described. Second, five grammatical features that differentiate the dialects are examined. For each feature, it is shown first that at least two variants were previously in use. Then evidence is presented illustrating correspondence between the particular variant retained in the dialect and a feature of the substrate languages of that geographic area. Differing substrates reinforced different variants, and this accounts for these dialectal differences.     

“Scissors,Please”: The Practical Accomplishment of Surgical Work in the Operating Theater

The focus of this article is on professional activity in the operating theater. We explore how surgeons and nurses organize their activities, how social interaction is used to help structure and define situations, and how differentials in knowledge are constructed and oriented to. We utilize some ideas and concepts from symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, and conversation analysis to analyze small clips of audio‐ and video‐recorded interaction. Focusing on how surgeons and nurses request, provide, and apply surgical instruments, the analysis shows how surgical work is accomplished through talk and bodily conduct. We conclude that, examined in detail, the social interaction between surgeons and nurses is analytically inseparable from the “technical” demands of their work.     

Piet Draghoender's Lament

The main purpose of the paper is to provide a context for “Piet Draghoender's Lament, “a most remarkable piece of oral literature composed spontaneously by a 76‐year‐old illiterate Coloured farmer facing eviction from his birthplace. His feelings and attitudes are representative of the entire Kat River community.

The paper explains the claim of the Draghoenders to their land in terms of the concept of “bloedgrond”: the blood which they inherited and the blood which they spilled to “free” the ground and to make it their own. It also analyses the agonised conflict in Draghoender's mind between his innate resentment and his religious conviction that it is his duty to submit to the will of God. The paper concludes by recounting the subsequent history of the Draghoender family, which illustrates the way in which their religious beliefs undermined their ability to fight for their rights.     

Heart Disease Risk Perception in College Men and Women

Abstract

The authors sought to assess the perception of risks for coronary heart disease (CHD) in college men and women. They surveyed 470 undergraduates from 2 major 4-year institutions who completed a questionnaire that measured perceived risks for heart disease. Sixty-eight percent of the respondents rated their risks as lower or much lower than those of their peers, indicating a clear optimistic bias. The research also revealed that the students who exercised regularly rated their risk of coronary disease lower than those who did not do so. In addition, women perceived a number of risk markers to be more potent or causative factors than men did. A significant number of participants did not comprehend commonly understood causal relationships associated with heart disease risk. The findings in this preliminary investigation suggest that college men and women do not accurately perceive their risks for developing heart disease.     

On the validity of MAPE as a measure of population forecast accuracy

The mean absolute percent error (MAPE) is the summary measure most often used for evaluating the accuracy of population forecasts. While MAPE has many desirable criteria, we argue from both normative and relative standpoints that the widespread practice of exclusively using it for evaluating population forecasts should be changed. Normatively, we argue that MAPE does not meet the criterion of validity because as a summary measure it overstates the error found in a population forecast. We base this argument on logical grounds and support it empirically, using a sample of population forecasts for counties. From a relative standpoint, we examine two alternatives to MAPE, both sharing with it, the important conceptual feature of using most of the information about error. These alternatives are symmetrical MAPE (SMAPE) and a class of measures known as M-estimators. The empirical evaluation suggests M-estimators do not overstate forecast error as much as either MAPE or SMAPE and are, therefore, more valid measures of accuracy. We consequently recommend incorporating M-estimators into the evaluation toolkit. Because M-estimators do not meet the desired criterion of interpretative ease as well as MAPE, we also suggest another approach that focuses on nonlinear transformations of the error distribution.     

SOCIAL STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH IN THE SOUTHERN BLACK BELT

Black Belt counties in the southeastern United States are among the very poorest of all. Much of the economic, political, and social landscape of the region still echoes the problems of its antebellum past. Black white relations in the region are still characterized by antagonisms at all levels of social life. In this study, I examine the impact of social and material conditions of the Black Belt on mental health. I use data from a sample of Black and White workers in North Carolina, a state that re ects many of the racial dynamics found across the Southeast. Findings show that racial patterns in psychological distress are associated with the strength of political and economic elites in the Black Belt who have historically maintained power through racial subjugation. In conclusion, I discuss the theoretical implications of the findings.