A comparative analysis of school-to-work transitions in the European Union1

The present paper describes some aspects of ‘school-to-work’ transition by analyzing the employment situation of individuals as a function of the time elapsed since the completion of education or training. Our perspective is interdisciplinary, comparative and dynamic, with special focus on the patterns in southern European countries. In the literature, most of the studies have had the basic approach of constructing indicators based on retrospective information on the time of first leaving continuous education, and current information on status and characteristics of the person's economic activity – expressing the status of activity as a function of the time elapsed since leaving continuous education. In this approach, essentially cross-sectional (though in part retrospective) information is interpreted as if it pertains to real cohorts. Much of this comparative analysis of school-to-work transitions in EU countries has been based on the EU Labour Force Survey, the 2000 round of which incorporated a special module to collect information on the subject. Our basic approach is to use the longitudinal data from the European Community Household Panel to identify, at the time of each wave, the person's most recently completed education and training, and study this in relation to the person's current employment situation and other characteristics as a function of the time elapsed since that completion. Hence, in form at least, our approach is similar to that of earlier studies based on the LFS, though there are considerable differences in substantive content and statistical methodology resulting from the use of different types of data. We also demonstrate how data from a panel survey may be cumulated over time to obtain a more adequate sample size.     

Intelligent Procedures for Intra‐Day Updating of Call Center Agent Schedules

For nearly all call centers, agent schedules are typically created several days or weeks before the time that agents report to work. After schedules are created, call center resource managers receive additional information that can affect forecasted workload and resource availability. In particular, there is significant evidence, both among practitioners and in the research literature, suggesting that actual call arrival volumes early in a scheduling period (typically an individual day or week) can provide valuable information about the call arrival pattern later in the same scheduling period. In this paper, we develop a flexible and powerful heuristic framework for managers to make intra‐day resource adjustment decisions that take into account updated call forecasts, updated agent requirements, existing agent schedules, agents' schedule flexibility, and associated incremental labor costs. We demonstrate the value of this methodology in managing the trade‐off between labor costs and service levels to best meet variable rates of demand for service, using data from an actual call center.     

The state and civil society in disaster response: post-tsunami experiences in Tamil Nadu

This paper, based on the report "The State and Civil Society in Disaster Response: An Analysis of the Tamil Nadu Tsunami Experience," (Srinivasan, Nagaraj, & Venkatesh, 2005) is essentially an empirical analysis of state and civil society responses in Tamil Nadu (India) to the tsunami of December 26, 2004. It examines interventions by state and non-state agencies, as well as people's experiences in the relief and rehabilitation phases to identify factors influencing both positive and negative outcomes of the tsunami response. Issues related to vulnerability and exclusion, equity, transparency and accountability in different sectors of disaster intervention are explored to highlight themes revolving around reach and efficacy of relief and recovery processes. These analyses bring out some interesting lessons with regard to the importance of institutional autonomy, non-politicized decision-making, and synergetic state-civil society interfaces in fostering inclusive, transparent and accountable rehabilitation processes. The roles played by institutional responsiveness and flexibility in shaping an effective disaster response also emerge very clearly from this study of the Tamil Nadu experience. Another crucial finding points to the need for detailed, reliable and disaggregated geo-demographic and socioeconomic records as a resource base for informing relief and rehabilitation interventions. The study draws extensively from the experiences and insights of people affected by, and involved in tsunami response, and from secondary knowledge resources available on the disaster.     

A stepwise algorithm for selecting category boundaries for the chi-squared goodness-of-fit test

A stepwise algorithm for selecting categories for the chisquared goodness-of-fit test with completely specified continuous null and alternative distributions is described in this paper. The procedure's starting point is an initial partitioning of the sample space into a large number of categories. A second partition with one fewer category is constructed by combining two categories of the original partition. The procedure continues until there are only two categories; the partition in the sequence with the highest estimated power is the one chosen. For illustartive purposes, the performance of the algorithm is evaluated for several hypothesis tests of the from H₀: normal distribution vs. H₁: a specific mixed normal distribution. For each test considered, the partition identified by the algorithm was compared to several equiprobable partitions, including the equiprobable partition with the highest estimated power. In all cases but one, the algorithm identified a parttion with higher estimated power than the best equiprobable partition. Applciations of the procedure are discussed.     

Optimal orthogonal block designs for four-mixture components in two blocks based on F-squares for Becker's models and K-model

Orthogonal block designs in mixture experiments have been extensively studied by various authors. Aggarwal et al. [M.L. Aggarwal, P. Singh, V. Sarin, and B. Husain, Mixture designs in orthogonal blocks using F-squares, METRON – Int. J. Statist. LXVII(2) (2009), pp. 105–128] considered the case of components assuming the same volume fractions and obtained mixture designs in orthogonal blocks using F-squares. In this paper, we have used the class of designs presented by Aggarwal et al. and have obtained D-, A- and E-optimal orthogonal block designs for four components in two blocks for Becker's mixture models and K-model, respectively. Orthogonality conditions for the considered models are also given.     

An Analysis of Manufacturer‐Retailer Supply Chain Coordination in Cooperative Advertising*

In the literature of cooperative (co‐op) advertising, the focus of the research is on a relationship in which a manufacturer is the leader and retailers are followers. This relationship implies the dominance of the manufacturer over retailers. Recent market trends have shown a shift in power from manufacturers to retailers. Retailers, as a result, may now possess equal or even greater power than a manufacturer in some instances when it comes to retailing. Based on this new market phenomenon, we intend to explore the role of co‐op advertising in a manufacturer‐retailer supply chain through brand name investments, local advertising expenditures, and sharing rules of advertising expenses. Two co‐op advertising models are developed and compared. The first co‐op advertising model is based on the traditional leader‐follower relationship of a manufacturer and a retailer. The second model incorporates partnership into co‐op advertising coordination. Business examples and managerial implications of the models have been discussed. A cooperative bargaining technique is utilized to implement the partnership co‐op advertising model.     

Generalized neighbor designs with block size 3

A generalized neighbor design relaxes the equality condition on the number of times two treatments as neighbors in the design. In this article, we have considered the construction of some classes of generalized neighbor designs with block size k=3 by using the method of cyclic shifts. The distinguishing feature of this construction method is that the properties of a design can easily be obtained from the sets of shifts instead of constructing the actual blocks of the design. A catalog of generalized neighbor designs with block size k=3 is compiled for v∈{5,6,…,18} treatments and for different replications. We provide the reader with a simpler method of construction, and in general the catalog that gives an open choice to the experimenter for selecting any class of neighbor designs.     

Inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to population–environment research for sustainability aims: a review and appraisal

The causes and consequences of demographic changes for the environment, and the possible ways of influencing population dynamics to achieve ‘sustainability’, have been the subject of many debates in science and policy in recent decades. However, the body of knowledge concerning relationships between population dynamics and sustainability is quite fragmented, dispersed over many disciplines, and encompasses diverse theories, paradigms and methodologies. This paper reviews four selected frameworks: linear, multiplicative, mediated, and system-theoretical approaches and perspectives. We represent how population–environment relationships are conceptualized, provide examples of research questions and accepted approaches, and critically assess their utility for different sorts of research for sustainable development. We note the growing recognition of the value of embracing complexity in population–environment research, and how this is consistent with normative aims of development.