EMPIRICAL AND JUDGMENT-BASED SALES-FORCE DECISION MODELS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS*

Multiple-predictor empirical and single-predictor judgment-based models represent the two basic types of sales-force decision models (SDMs). The important similarities and differences between the two modeling approaches are identified and discussed. The SDM literature is reviewed to determine how each model type has been applied and to evaluate previous attempts at model validation. A research study designed to compare the normative sales-call allocations generated from each modeling approach is presented. Study results indicate that empirical and judgment-based SDMs would produce similar normative guidelines. The implications of this finding are discussed.     

CATEGORY WIDTH COGNITIVE STYLE AS A FACTOR IN ACCOUNTANTS' PERCEPTIONS OF ACCOUNTING INFORMATION

This paper reports the findings of a laboratory experiment designed to investigate the relationship of category width (CW) cognitive style with accountants' perceptions of accounting information. Subjects drawn from large accounting firms in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne, Australia, were classified into broad, medium, and narrow categories following the test devised by Pettigrew [19]. Subjects were requested to state their level of confidence in decisions they had made after receiving (1) conventional accounting information or (2) conventional accounting information and human resources accounting (HRA) information using a one-group pretest-posttest design. The results indicated a significant relationship between CW cognitive style and the accountants' confidence in their decisions. Furthermore, CW cognitive style moderated the accounting-information/decision-making relationship.     

论加强社会工作与创新社会管理体靛

社会工作是创新社会管理体制的关键环节.因为加强社会工作是化解社会工作的重要手段,是健全社会利益协调机制的客观要求,是实现弱势群体权益保护的有力杠杆.要加强社会管理,创新社会管理体制,就必须大力推进社会工作的快速发展.要推进社会工作的快速发展,就必须坚持政府主导,实现社会工作的专业化、职业化发展;整合社会资源,建立以社区...     

流浪儿童救助保护的现状、问题与对策分析

目前我国流浪儿童救助保护工作取得很大进步,但是也仍然存在一些问题,如没有专门的法律法规;一些地方政府投入不足,积极性不够;现行救助保护政策中的返家政策难以有效救助流浪儿童;救助理念滞后等。为进一步完善流浪儿童救助保护工作,需要地方政府根据实际情况出台流浪儿童救助保护条例;需要国家出台具体的鼓励措施调动地方积极性,并加大投入力度;采取预防性干预措施,从源头减少流浪儿童,同时为返家儿童提供跟踪服务和制定儿童寄养服务政策;救助机构要以儿童为本,实现更人性化的管理。     

管理伦理新解

管理伦理是以人的管理行为为载体而表现出来的伦理道德 ,是伦理道德在管理领域的一种具体的、特殊的表现。因而 ,管理伦理既是一种过程伦理、一种制度伦理 ,也是一种组织伦理、一种德性伦理     

Compulsory income management: Combatting or compounding the underlying causes of homelessness?

Compulsory Income Management (CIM) is a form of conditional welfare that involves the mandatory quarantining of a portion of welfare recipients’ social security payments. Quarantined funds are accessible via a government-issued debit card, with restrictions surrounding where and on what funds can be spent. Official justifications of CIM have framed these policies as attempts to combat substance abuse and gambling problems, and to thus secure better outcomes for welfare recipients and their families. Central to this narrative has been the argument that welfare quarantining will ensure more money is spent on ‘essentials’, including accommodation. No existing studies, however, have specifically interrogated the impacts of CIM on housing security. This article responds to this gap in the literature by reviewing existing research concerning CIM's impacts and locating this research within broader debates regarding the causes of homelessness and the efficacy of individualised policy interventions. In doing so, it highlights CIM's potential to exacerbate housing insecurity not only through technical issues such as rental transfer failures, but also by contributing to underlying stressors such as economic disadvantage; relationship difficulties, poor health and addiction; and social stigma. The article concludes that – far from addressing the structural causes of homelessness – CIM has enflamed them.     

Manufacturing Proactiveness and Performance*

Since Skinner's [40] landmark article depicting the manufacturing function as the “missing link” in corporate strategic processes, a portion of the blame for inferior performance in many firms has been attributed to the subordinate strategic position of manufacturing. It has been argued that part of the solution to misalignments between the capabilities possessed by manufacturing and the requirements dictated by customers is for manufacturing to take a more proactive stance. However, little research has been reported which examines manufacturing proactiveness empirically. In this paper, we address this gap by developing an operational definition of manufacturing proactiveness and testing empirically whether a link exists between proactiveness and performance based on data collected from a sample of manufacturers. Based on the manufacturing strategy literature, we identify two major dimensions of manufacturing proactiveness: (1) the degree of manufacturing's involvement in the strategic processes of the business unit; and (2) the degree of commitment to a long-term program of investments in manufacturing structure and infrastructure aimed at building capabilities in anticipation of their need. We develop reliable scales for measuring each of the dimensions of proactiveness and use the data to provide evidence of a clear link between manufacturing proactiveness and business performance. We show that investments in structural programs coupled with either high levels of manufacturing involvement in strategic processes or planned investments in infrastructural programs correlate with higher than average performance.     

客户价值评价指标体系设计

客户关系管理是目前管理研究的热点,企业对客户价值的评估是其基础问题之一。如何设计一套实用的客户价值评价指标体系仍是尚未解决的问题。针对这种情况,在客户全生命周期管理的指导下,本文设计了一套分别针对最终客户和中间客户的评价指标体系,详细阐述了其管理应用,并进行了具体案例分析,证实了该指标体系的有效性。     

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.