Time Series Modeling of Degradation Due to Outdoor Weathering

Environmental variables have an important effect on the reliability of many products such as coatings and polymeric composites. Long-term prediction of the performance or service life of such products must take into account the probabilistic/stochastic nature of the outdoor weather. In this article, we propose a time series modeling procedure to model the time series data of daily accumulated degradation. Daily accumulated degradation is the total amount of degradation accrued within one day and can be obtained by using a degradation rate model for the product and the weather data. The fitted model of the time series can then be used to estimate the future distribution of cumulative degradation over a period of time, and to compute reliability measures such as the probability of failure. The modeling technique and estimation method are illustrated using the degradation of a solar reflector material. We also provide a method to construct approximate confidence intervals for the probability of failure.     

Restaurant Revenue Management at Chevys: Determining the Best Table Mix

Revenue management has been used in a variety of industries and generally takes the form of managing demand by manipulating length of customer usage and price. Supply mix is rarely considered, although it can have considerable impact on revenue. In this research, we focused on developing an optimal supply mix, specifically on determining the supply mix that would maximize revenue. We used data from a Chevys restaurant, part of a large chain of Mexican restaurants, in conjunction with a simulation model to evaluate and enumerate all possible supply (table) mixes. Compared to the restaurant's existing table mix, the optimal mix is capable of handling a 30% increase in customer volume without increasing waiting times beyond their original levels. While our study was in a restaurant context, the results of this research are applicable to other service businesses.     

Transaction‐Specific Investments,Relational Norms,and ERP Customer Satisfaction: A Mediation Analysis*

Integrating the perspectives of transaction cost economics, the resource‐based view, and resource dependency theory, this study analyzes the institutional settings of enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations in China. Specifically, it examines how bilateral transaction‐specific investments (TSIs) and relational governance mechanisms influence customer satisfaction with ERP implementations. The model is empirically tested using data from on‐site interviews with 208 ERP customers in China. The results demonstrate that the effects of vendors’ and customers’ TSIs on customer satisfaction are facilitated by multiple‐stage micromediational chains. The influence of TSIs on customer satisfaction is mediated by relational norms, and the impact of relational norms on customer satisfaction is bridged by perceived service quality and customer trust. Furthermore, the influence of vendors’ TSIs is stronger than the influence of customers’ TSIs. The findings contribute to business research and practice by providing valuable insights into how ERP vendors and customers should strategize TSIs to enhance relationship performance.     

社区管理与服务专业主干课程建设研究

社区管理与服务在我国城乡和谐社会建设中具有重要的地位,但由于属于新兴专业,其课程设置目前仍有待完善之处。这些问题包括总体社区工作课程过多且存在一定重复,忽略社区服务的具体环节和技巧教育,以及各课程之间相互区隔缺乏沟通联动等。笔者以为社区管理与服务专业的主干课程,当以社区工作服务群众时所需的技能体系为基础进行设计。具体包括强化社区服务各环节技能的训练,并打破现有课程之间的藩篱,在不同的课程之间,尤其是社区工作专业技巧课程之间建立起前后的承接关系。     

必然、实然与应然：高校法律援助机构服务社会研究

高校法律援助机构的建立缓解了法律援助供需矛盾,但其发展过程中存在诸多亟待解决的问题,如自身管理混乱、经费不足、当事人不信任等。在分析了高校法律援助机构要服务于社会的必要性和可行性的基础上,通过对高校法律援助机构现状及弊端的研究,提出要加强高校法律援助机构服务社会的具体措施,包括完善相关立法、引进实习律师或高年级取得律师职业资格证的学生、规范其设立程序、确立双层管理体制及与社会组织合作等,以建立服务社会型高校法律援助机构。     

农村社区公共服务与农村社会工作：需求与应答

农村社区公共服务的特性及发展现状要求加强农村社会工作建设。这一现状可以概括为：供给严重不足和供给效率低下。当前要真正做到为农民、农村提供有效的、有保障的、均等化的公共服务就必须进行制度创新。这个制度创新的核心内容在于建立真正的农民组织，使农民成为农村公共服务建设的主体。农村社会工作从价值观到工作目标、工作方法都有助于这一目标的达成，特别是在农村居民对公共服务的需求评估、培育社区居民的自我发展能力等方面。     

我国省区服务业综合竞争力的DEA组合评价

我国服务业发展的地区不平衡及服务业内部的结构性不平衡问题较为突出,本文运用超效率DEA的两阶段法对我国各省区第三产业、传统服务业和新兴服务业的发展状况进行了分析评价,并进一步分析指出影响服务业发展的深层次因素。     

政治资源配置与服务型政府建设

政治资源配置作为服务型政府建设中的重要组成部分,通过不同的配置方式,它会对服务型政府建设的目标、路径等产生不同的影响。因此,探讨服务型政府建设及政治资源配置中存在的配置低效、无效、分配不公正等问题,从理念层面、制度层面和行动层面找到相应的解决策略,具有非常重要的意义。     

服务质量评价模型比较

服务质量越来越受到企业的重视,但对服务质量的评价世界上却有不同的方法,每种方法实证的结果差异很大。现通过分析不同的评价模型,力求完善评价理论,从而提出适合饭店业的服务质量评价模型。     

Entropy as a measure of centrality in networks characterized by path-transfer flow

Recently, Borgatti [Borgatti, S.P., 2005. Centrality and network flow. Social Networks 27, 55–71] proposed a taxonomy of centrality measures based on the way that traffic flows through the network—whether over path, geodesic, trail, or walk, and whether by means of transfer, serial duplication, or parallel duplication. Most of the extant centrality measures assume that traffic propagates via parallel duplication or, alternatively, that it travels over geodesics. Few of the other flow possibilities have centrality measures associated with them. This article proposes an entropy-based measure of centrality appropriate for traffic that propagates by transfer and flows along paths. The proposed measure can be applied to most network types, whether binary or weighted, directed or undirected, connected or disconnected. The measure is illustrated on the gang alliance network of Kennedy et al. [Kennedy, D.M., Braga, A. A., Piehl, A.M., 1998. The (un)known universe: mapping gangs and gang violence in Boston. Crime Prevention Studies 8, 219–262].