ALBERT

Notes: Combustion modifications to minimize NOX emissions have magnified the importance of waterwall corrosion in coal-fired boilers. The physics and chemistry controlling corrosion processes can be highly non-linear and are challenging to describe in terms of their likely overall combustion behavior. This paper describes the application of a multi-point, real time corrosion surveillance system to a large boiler firing high sulfur coal. This technology, incorporating electrochemical sensing and wireless signal transmission, enables combustion engineers and plant operating personnel to make informed decisions regarding the quantitative relationships between operating conditions, NOX emissions, and any resultant extent/magnitude of waterwall corrosion.

Notes: Historically, technical colleges in Australia have monopolised the delivery of vocational education and training. Industry exerted little influence over curriculum content and design and had to accept whatever colleges offered them in terms of skilled staff. Starting in the 1980s, a deregulated training market and increasingly intense competition have compelled technical colleges to "corporatize" their services to retain business. Colleges now listen closely to industry and attempt to provide what industry demands in terms of skilled people through a range of consultative partnerships. These partnerships have led to some exciting and innovative changes to the structure and delivery of vocational training programs. Companies that have proactively worked with colleges have enhanced learning opportunities for their staff and increased organizational competitiveness. This paper outlines some significant benefits realized by one company through its business partnerships with technical colleges.

Notes: The notion of risk is receiving greater attention in research on supply chain management by academics and practitioners alike. As firms collaborate and combine forces to compete as extended enterprises against other integrated supply chains, risk is linked to the interdependence among supply chain partners. Academic interests appear to focus mostly on the risks associated with logistics and its impact on the timely delivery of goods. Beyond these concerns, the events of 9/11 have heightened consideration for supply chain risks related to possible security breaches and terrorism. This paper highlights six areas of supply chain-related risks. It discusses these risks at length, showing how they are endemic to the extended enterprise, and attempts to develop a typology for categorizing them. It also addresses the implications for supply chain managers as they balance a concern for risk with their efforts to search for, select, nurture, and manage their set of supply chain partners.

Notes: This study applied Job Descriptive Index (JDI) to measure job attitudes among approximately 80 employees of four different small businesses. Through a standardized procedure, each employee filled out the survey form, responded to a structured interview, and then completed the survey form again. Employees showed significant difference in job satisfaction before and after the structured interview. Medians from four dimensions - work, supervision, promotion, and co-worker - were found to besimilar to norms but the medians of pay were much lower than the norm. Nevertheless, pay did not represent the lowest correlation with job satisfaction. Satisfaction at supervision did. Also employees reported work to have the highest correlation with job satisfaction. Demographic factors, such as age, work status, gender, and seniority did not show significant impact over job satisfaction.

Notes: The concept of outsourcing is a recognised business planning strategy; senior corporate management and facilities services have been progressively outsourced in the UK for many years. However, transforming an outsourcing business plan into an effective and balanced operating contract remains challenging. Getting your outsourcing project properly positioned in the business, procuring the right integrated facilities contractor and then subsequently mobilising and managing the contract can be a difficult journey to navigate. This paper describes how to approach the principles and practicalities of outsourcing noncore services and how to make sure that some of the principal pitfalls along the road of the outsourcing project are avoided. It finally offers some ideas on how to get the most out of a project in the long term.

Notes: Conventional wisdom dictates that if you represent a corporate entity (or even a senior corporate official) involved in a securities or other regulatory investigation - whether by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office, Commodities Futures Trading Commission, New York Stock Exchange, National Association of Securities Dealers or one or more of the state attorneys general or other federal or state regulators - it is important to cooperate fully in the investigation, even if that means "confessing" to corporate wrongdoing. Indeed, there are many benefits to cooperation, such as potentially avoiding criminal prosecution or an enforcement proceeding altogether or negotiating reduced penalties. And for regulated industries or regulated entities, there may be no choice but to provide full cooperation in order to avoid making an enemy of your regulator. But there are important potential pitfalls as well to cooperating with governmental or self-regulatory investigations - pitfalls that sometimes outweigh the benefits of cooperation. These potential pitfalls include bringing problems to the government's attention about which it might not learn otherwise, or strengthening the government's case against your client by doing the regulators' work for them, such as by marshalling the evidence against your client for use by the regulators. And more and more, regulators are requiring entities to waive the protections of the attorney-client privilege and work-product doctrine as one of the prices you need to pay to be treated as a cooperator. If a regulatory authority insists on a privilege waiver, any documents turned over to the agency also may be available to potential third-party litigants, such as the class-action bar, or other government entities. In fact, the regulatory agency itself may use the formerly privileged materials to support a complaint against your client. Because of these potential pitfalls, the cooperation road may resemble a minefield at times, with the client one wrong step away from disaster. For that reason, it is critical for counsel to avoid reflexively choosing to cooperate in a regulatory investigation aimed at his or her client. Although cooperation may turn out to be the right approach to many regulatory investigations, each situation must be analyzed based upon its own individual facts so that the benefits of cooperation can be balanced appropriately against the pitfalls before making an informed decision as to what is best for the client in any particular circumstance.

Notes: The purposes of this study were to investigate components of apparel Web sites and to examine whether differences existed among the types of Web retailers in their components. Thirty-six apparel Web sites were classified into four categories: virtual e-retailer, catalog company, bricks-and-mortar retailer, and multi-channel retailer. The Web sites were content analyzed according to the components of the apparel Web including merchandise, promotion, and customer service. Significant differences were found among the four types of Web retailers as to the components (product description, product price information, advertising, catalog service promotion, placing order, and returns policy) included on the Web sites. Currently, competition among Web sites is not based on what information is available, but how information is provided. Therefore, to differentiate themselves from competitors, each type of Web retailer should take advantage of their unique Web strategy within their own retail channel.

Notes: Examines the nature and success of corporate communication initiatives within a large retail franchise organization. Challenges faced by communication strategists in franchised organisations are discussed and initiatives for overcoming these barriers are outlined. Research conducted through Deakin University into franchisee awareness of, and support for, corporate instigated policy is outlined. The research, centred on corporate communication tools, found strong franchisee awareness of corporate policy with a few exceptions. Franchisee support for policies varied considerably. Recommendations for more effective communication between franchisors and franchisees include greater corporate initiated consultation and clearer promotion of core ideas that justify and explain rather than preach and demand.

Notes: A major decision area for manufacturing firms is the strategy that assigns specific products, processes, customers, and markets to individual facilities within multi-facility firms. No empirical studies have been reported that identify differentiating factors in manufacturing structures or overall facility strategies. Based on responses from 305 plants, this research empirically determines the major dimensions differentiating manufacturing facility structures. Most of these support previous theories of decisions being made on differences in products, processes, materials, and customers/markets. Strategic groupings are determined and defined as "standardizers", "customizers", and automators". Differences in each of these groupings are investigated for competitive priorities and performance indicators.

Notes: Bakers Delight Holdings is the largest retail bakery chain in the world. With over 650 bakeries in three countries the company employs both a large number of bakery staff in its company-owned bakeries and several hundred corporate staff in support offices. Bakery employees include shop assistants, baking apprentices and bakery managers while the corporate offices have staff in areas including information technology, training, operations, purchasing, recruitment and marketing.