ALBERT

Notes: Two decades ago it was hypothesized that met expectations mediate the relationship between recruitment sources (internal vs. external) and post-hire outcomes. The current study tested this mediator hypothesis with new employees and found that those who entered the organization via internal recruitment sources experienced less unmet expectations than employees recruited via external recruitment sources. In addition, unmet expectations mediated the relation between type of recruitment source (internal vs. external) and both job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The study also found a considerable number of employees who reported that they have used multiple recruitment sources.

Notes: This study used three variables from a self-regulatory job-search framework to investigate individual differences in the relationship between applicants' perceived procedural fairness of selection tests and job-pursuit intentions. Employment commitment, job-search self-efficacy, and motivational control were hypothesized to moderate the procedural fairness – job-pursuit intentions relationship while controlling for pretest attitudes and perceived performance. Applicants (N=291) for entry-level clerical jobs with large federal agencies completed pretest and posttest surveys. Results suggested that only job-search self-efficacy and motivational control moderated the relationship between perceived procedural fairness and job-pursuit intentions. The relationship was stronger for applicants with higher levels of job-search self-efficacy and lower levels of motivational control.

Notes: The use of multi-source feedback has proliferated in the United States in recent years; however, its usefulness in other countries is unknown. Using a large sample of American managers (n=3793), this study first replicated earlier studies demonstrating that simultaneous consideration of self and other ratings of leadership skills is important for managerial performance ratings. In addition, the impact of self–other agreement on performance was investigated among 2732 managers in five European countries (U.K., Germany, France, Denmark, Italy). Results indicated that the effect of self and other ratings in the prediction of performance differs between the U.S. and the European countries in that the simultaneous inclusion of both self and other ratings is generally less useful in those countries than in the U.S. Further, the effect of self–other agreement varies among the European countries. Implications for multi-source feedback interventions as well as multi-national personnel management are discussed.

Notes: This paper investigated three factors, two related to accountability and one an individual difference factor, which may influence rating level: (1) identifiability, (2) to whom one feels accountable (audience), and (3) conscientiousness. In study 1, results from students who rated their instructors indicated that not only did raters relatively high in conscientiousness report feeling more accountability but also that identifiability and conscientiousness interacted in predicting rating level. Raters relatively low in conscientiousness provided higher ratings when identified but raters relatively high in conscientious did not provide higher ratings. Rating audience did not influence rating level. Study 2 replicated the findings from study 1: Low conscientious raters assigned higher ratings when identified than when anonymous but high conscientious raters did not assign higher ratings when identified. Implications are discussed.

Notes: This study investigated whether scores of item response accuracy (AC) and item response latencies (RLs) from a computer based artificial language test (ALT) uniquely predicted grades in a Spanish language course at a U.S. law enforcement training academy. As expected, ALT–RLs added to the prediction of course grades provided by ALT–AC. This finding held even after controlling for scores on a logical reasoning test. Results are discussed in terms of the potential benefits of using RLs to predict performance in training.

Notes: In contrast to the vast majority of justice literature that controls for applicant gender, the present study investigated the role of applicant gender in relation to applicant procedural and distributive justice perceptions after being informed of an organization's reject/accept decision. A sample of 503 students completed a selection test, believing the results would be used to make initial selection decisions for an organization recruiting from a university. Two weeks later, participants were given selection decisions (randomly assigned), and procedural and distributive justice perceptions were assessed. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated gender moderated the relationship between selection decision favorability and organizational justice perceptions. As hypothesized, in comparison with rejected males, rejected female applicants reacted most negatively to both forms of justice. On the other hand, selected female applicants had a more positive reaction than selected male applicants to both procedural and distributive justice. Potential implications for these and other findings are discussed.

Notes: Two quasi-experimental studies were conducted to examine the equivalence of an online unsupervised test battery (ICES ability, interests and personality tests) in relation to supervised paper administration and to test whether differences were because of the lack of supervision, the test being online as opposed to on a PC, or the computerization of the test. In the first study, data from a sample of 86 employed individuals suggested a lack of equivalence on ability scales between online unsupervised and paper supervised testing modes. Effect sizes ranged from .04 to .49 and corrected coefficients of equivalence and stability from .65 to .81. Study two used a more controlled design as well as obtaining data on personality and interest scales. Data from 118 college and university students were collected, with 64 students replicating the design in study 1 and 54 tested in supervised paper and supervised PC modes. For the ability scales, a similar pattern to study 1 was seen between supervised paper and unsupervised online testing as well as between supervised paper and supervised PC testing. Data for interest and personality scales were more positive showing lower effect sizes and higher coefficient values across testing modes. When ability test data from the online testing group were compared with data from the PC group, results showed that the scales were affected by the computerization process rather than the lack of supervision or because they were in online as opposed to PC mode.

Notes: This study investigates the factors that motivate the preference of individuals, or ratees, participating in multi-source assessment (MSA) processes for some raters over others. Two rater characteristics were assessed to attempt to identify these preferences: rater familiarity and the affect toward the rater. Two separate studies were conducted to assess the extent to which these characteristics are used. The extent to which the purpose of the appraisal (developmental vs. administrative) and the rating source (peer vs. subordinate) influenced the use of these characteristics was also investigated. Evidence from these two studies suggests that ratees selected their raters based on rater familiarity but not on affect. In addition, while the purpose of the appraisal did not influence selection patterns, the preference for peers was motivated by different factors than the preference for subordinates. The implications of these results for research and practice are discussed.

Notes: We tested empirically whether potential employers require and/or prefer human resources (HR) professionals who hold an HR certification. We analyzed each of 1873 HR job announcements available over a 1-week period on , , , and . Results showed that only nine (i.e., .48%) job announcements stated that there was a requirement and only 70 (i.e., 3.73%) job announcements stated that there was a preference for job applicants with any type of HR certification. In spite of the low overall demand for certified HR professionals, results indicated that the demand is slightly higher for jobs posted on , certain job titles (e.g., HR Director, HR Generalist), HR specialty areas (e.g., employee relations, general HR), industries (e.g., manufacturing), and for jobs requiring more years of HR job experience. Overall, results suggest that the field of HR needs to do a better job of gathering evidence about validity, utility, and lack of adverse impact regarding the use of certification in selection and assessment decision making. Once this evidence is collected, employers may perceive HR certification as a more critical signal of a job applicant's future contributions.

Notes: In the article by N. Schmitt, F.L. Oswald, B.H. Kim, M.A. Gillespie and L.J. Ramsay entitled “The Impact of Justice and Self-serving Bias Explanation of the Perceived Fairness of Different Types of Selection Tests” in Volume 12, Numbers 1/2 of International Journal of Selection and Assessment, six means that appear in 〈link href="#t6"〉Table 6〈tabular xml:id="t6"〉6〈title type="main"〉 Subgroup Reactions to Biodata, Situational Judgment Inventory, and ACT/SAT Measures〈table frame="topbot"〉〈tgroup cols="10" align="left"〉〈colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" align="left"/〉〈colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" align="left"/〉〈colspec colnum="3" colname="col3" align="char" char="."/〉〈colspec colnum="4" colname="col4" align="char" char="."/〉〈colspec colnum="5" colname="col5" align="char" char="."/〉〈colspec colnum="6" colname="col6" align="char" char="."/〉〈colspec colnum="7" colname="col7" align="char" char="."/〉〈colspec colnum="8" colname="col8" align="char" char="."/〉〈colspec colnum="9" colname="col9" align="char" char="."/〉〈colspec colnum="10" colname="col10" align="char" char="."/〉〈thead valign="bottom"〉〈entry morerows="1"〉Measure〈entry morerows="1" align="center"〉Group〈entry namest="col3" nameend="col4" align="center"〉Fairness〈entry namest="col5" nameend="col6" align="center"〉Relevance〈entry namest="col7" nameend="col8" align="center"〉Performance Belief〈entry namest="col9" nameend="col10" align="center"〉Comp. Performance〈row rowsep="1"〉〈entry namest="col3" nameend="col3" align="center"〉Mean〈entry align="center"〉SD〈entry align="center"〉Mean〈entry align="center"〉SD〈entry align="center"〉Mean〈entry align="center"〉SD〈entry align="center"〉Mean〈entry align="center"〉SD〈tbody valign="top"〉〈entry morerows="5"〉BiodataCauc.2.35.843.32.843.79.763.04.63〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉Afr.Am.2.42.903.08.883.80.653.03.61〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉His.Am.2.65.803.29.924.33.753.23.75〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉Asian2.36.863.25.823.79.803.00.83〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉Male2.33.913.24.893.76.743.07.67〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉Female2.39.853.30.843.81.753.04.65〈entry namest="col1" nameend="col10"/〉〈entry morerows="5"〉ACT/SATCauc.3.25.973.08.883.331.033.011.00〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉Afr.Am.2.651.012.90.812.97.972.72.90〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉His.Am.2.68.992.84.982.70.902.66.96〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉Asian3.291.043.09.983.001.032.59.97〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉Male3.39.983.20.853.401.073.241.02〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉Female3.08.992.99.883.201.012.84.96〈entry namest="col1" nameend="col10"/〉〈entry morerows="5"〉SJICauc.2.18.813.09.853.54.702.99.60〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉Afr.Am.2.19.813.03.793.47.832.90.58〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉His.Am.2.10.833.221.103.70.902.90.28〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉Asian2.101.002.94.923.60.832.97.66〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉Male2.12.863.03.853.40.732.95.69〈entry namest="col2" nameend="col2"〉Female2.21.823.09.843.57.732.99.56〈note xml:id="t6n1" numbered="no"〉Note: Cauc., Caucasian; Afr.Am., African American; His.Am., Hispanic American; Asian, Asian American., on page 168 are incorrect. In the correct table, which is printed below, each of the corrected means appears in the “Relevance” column. It should be noted that none of the original tests of significance or statements about the means reported in the text were incorrect.

Notes: The resurgence of personality tests in selection has sparked interest in factors that may increase the utility and acceptability of these tests. Following a justice framework, the present study explores two possible methods for improving the psychometric properties and test-taker perceptions of a widely used measure of personality, the NEO-Five Factor Inventory. The first manipulation altered respondents' frame-of-reference (FOR) by adding “at-work” tags to the personality test. The second provided information about the validity and appropriateness of the personality test for selection. Under the controlled setting of a laboratory experiment, participants (n=345) were randomly assigned to one of the conditions in the following between-subjects design: 2 (FOR: work specific vs. generic) × 2 (information: validity vs. control). The FOR manipulation produced consistent effects on the personality test responses, but in contrast to recent claims, produced no effect on test perceptions. Alternatively, the information manipulation primarily influenced job-relatedness perceptions, but had a modest negative effect on the psychometric properties of the personality test. These results show some possibilities, and difficulties, for enhancing perceptions of personality tests. They also have important implications for justice theory because they suggest that interactions among the procedural justice rules may yield unexpected and contradictory effects.

Notes: The present study begins to fill a gap in the recruitment literature by investigating whether the effects of negative publicity on organizational attractiveness can be mitigated by recruitment advertising and positive word-of-mouth. The accessibility–diagnosticity model was used as a theoretical framework to formulate predictions about the effects of these recruitment-related information sources. A mixed 2 × 2 experimental design was applied to examine whether initial assessments of organizational attractiveness based on negative publicity would improve at a second evaluation after exposure to a second, more positive information source. We found that both recruitment advertising and word-of-mouth improved organizational attractiveness, but word-of-mouth was perceived as a more credible information source. Self-monitoring did not moderate the impact of information source on organizational attractiveness.

Notes: In this paper, an approach to decision making in managing human resources that integrates multi-attribute decision making techniques with expert systems is described. The approach is based on the explicit articulation of qualitative decision knowledge which is represented by a tree of attributes and decision rules. The decision making process is supported by DEXi, a specialized expert system shell for interactive construction of the knowledge base, evaluation of options, and explanation of the results. Practical use of the shell is illustrated by an application in the field of personnel selection for a top manager position.

Notes: This study examined the relationship between lateness, absenteeism, and overall job performance among nursing home employees. We addressed four issues: (a) agreement between subordinate and superior in their ratings, (b) the stability of rated lateness and rated absenteeism over 6 months, (c) the correlation between ratings of lateness and absenteeism assigned by the worker to himself or herself and the corresponding ratings from supervisors, and (d) the relationship of rated lateness and rated absenteeism to impressions of overall job performance. Neither attendance nor punctuality showed inter-rater agreement between the worker and his/her supervisor on either of the two occasions. Ratings of attendance were not stable across time for either the subordinate (r=.16) or the supervisor (r=.04), but punctuality ratings showed moderate temporal stability over 6 months for both subordinate (r=.59) and supervisor (r=. 41) impressions. On the first administration of the rating form, attendance and punctuality were not significantly correlated to each other in either the workers' self-ratings (r=.17) nor the supervisors' ratings of the workers (r=.08). On the second administration, however, these two facets were moderately correlated with each other in both workers' (r=.54) and supervisors' (r=. 39) impressions of employee behavior. Compared with attendance, punctuality was somewhat more highly correlated with impressions of overall job performance from the perspective of the worker herself/himself as well as the supervisor.

Notes: The last decade has witnessed a resurgence of organizational socialization research. However, a critical question has been neglected: Is there a common underlying pattern to organizational socialization? We investigated newcomer learning, job satisfaction and intent to quit as common indicators of socialization, in research with 222 newcomers at two organizations during the crucial post-entry period. The results support a learning-dependent model of newcomer adjustment, with learning in specific domains related to improved attitudinal outcomes. Some aspects of organizational socialization were not uniform across the two organizations, suggesting a need for further development of socialization models and greater accounting for this in organizational socialization research.

Notes: This paper presents the results of a theory-guided validation study conducted in a large urban transit authority. Four selection predictors were evaluated: an eye–hand–foot co-ordination test, a cognitive and perceptual ability test, a work preference inventory, and a behaviour description structured interview that assessed adaptive and interpersonal skills. These predictors were evaluated against a comprehensive domain of job performance that included on-the-job observations, accidents, complaints, commendations, absences, organizational commitment, and job and work involvement. Although the results were mixed, the results generally support the use of measures of non-intellective variables (i.e., work preference inventory and interview) when predicting transit operator performance.

Notes: This paper reports on two studies that investigated the relationship between the Big Five personality traits, self-estimates of intelligence (SEI), and scores on two psychometrically validated intelligence tests. In study 1 a total of 100 participants completed the NEO-PI-R, the Wonderlic Personnel Test and the Baddeley Reasoning Test, and estimated their own intelligence on a normal distribution curve. Multiple regression showed that psychometric intelligence was predicted by Conscientiousness and SEI, while SEI was predicted by gender, Neuroticism (notably anxiety) and Agreeableness (notably modesty). Personality was a better predictor of SEI than of psychometric intelligence itself. Study 2 attempted to explore the relationship between SEI and psychometric intelligence. A total of 130 participants completed the NEO-PI-R, the Baddeley Reasoning Test, and the S & M Spatial intelligence test. In addition, SEI and participants conceptions of intelligence were also examined. In combination with gender and previous IQ test experience, these variables were found to predict about 11% of the variance in SEI. SEI was the only significant predictor of psychometrically measured intelligence. Inconsistencies between results of the two studies, theoretical and applied implications, and limitations of this work are discussed.

Notes: The present study is an examination of the influence of rater characteristics as a source of bias in job characteristics information, as gleaned from the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS). Participants (N=133) completed an initial JDS for own job characteristics. Non-incumbents (n=104) then completed a secondary JDS in order to rate incumbents' job characteristics. Non-incumbents' personality dimensions, own job characteristics, job satisfaction level, and incumbent satisfaction level were hypothesized as predictors of ratings of job characteristics of incumbents. Results indicate that two characteristics, job autonomy and dealing with others, were influenced by non-incumbents standing on these characteristics, and demonstrated evidence of the false consensus effect. Limitations and implications for interpreting job information are discussed.

Notes: A predictive validation study of the situational interview (SI) and the patterned behavioral description interview (PBDI) was conducted for the criterion of teamplaying behavior. Both the SI and PBDI were valid predictors (r=.41, .34, respectively). Only the SI, however, had incremental validity. Reasons for this finding are explained in terms of the development and scoring of SI items, conducting a pilot study, use of a panel who took notes, and the method of including/excluding interview applicants and questions for a validation study.

Notes: Based on Becker's theory (1998) and pilot work (2000), I developed a situational judgment test of employee integrity. In this study, I examine whether scores on this test predict integrity-relevant outcomes. The analysis of data from fast service employees, engineers, and production workers revealed that employees' integrity scores were correlated with managerial ratings of career potential, leadership activities, and job performance. Integrity was not related to the quality of interpersonal relationships.

Notes: This study investigates the effects of rater personality (Conscientiousness and Agreeableness), rating format (graphic rating scale vs. behavioral checklist), and the rating social context (face-to-face feedback vs. no face-to-face feedback) on rating elevation of performance ratings. As predicted, raters high on Agreeableness showed more elevated ratings than those low on Agreeableness when they expected to have the face-to-face feedback meeting. Furthermore, rating format moderated the relationship between Agreeableness and rating elevation, such that raters high on Agreeableness provided less elevated ratings when using the behavioral checklist than the graphic rating scale, whereas raters low on Agreeableness showed little difference in elevation across different rating formats. Results also suggest that the interactive effects of rater personality, rating format, and social context may depend on the performance level of the ratee. The implications of these findings will be discussed.

Notes: This study examined whether items from a biodata inventory were consistent with theory-based constructs as suggested by the ecology model. The model posits five constructs explain biodata predictive ability. Items were sorted using the theory-based construct domains. The resulting scale scores were assessed for evidence of content, criterion-related, and construct validity in a sample of 6032 automated systems controllers. Results suggested moderate support for the theory-based constructs. A notable finding was that items capturing a theoretical construct were impacted by the life stage in which they were anchored. Results further suggest the need to examine if certain life stages are more predictive than others or perhaps if certain constructs are more predictive when related to a particular life stage.

Notes: Almost all book chapters, review articles, and textbooks in the field of personnel selection suggest that work sample tests are associated with lower levels of ethnic group adverse impact than paper-and-pencil tests of cognitive ability. However, the empirical literature is heavily dependent on adverse impact estimates obtained from incumbent samples rather than applicant samples. As such, parameter estimates are subject to range restriction from prior selection and on-the-job experiences. Further, an emerging consensus in the selection literature indicates that any method of assessment can be associated with high or low levels of adverse impact – depending on the nature of the construct(s) being measured. To begin to examine these issues, we present two recent sets of applicant data from public sector jobs (for a management and entry-level job, each with technical and interpersonal skill requirements) and show that adverse impact of work sample exams might be more extensive than realized. We discuss the mismatch between what the field of employee selection “knows” and what is said in articles/summaries about work samples. Employers and other practitioners who depend on advice in academic overview articles may be overly optimistic and eventually disappointed by minimal reduction in adverse impact. Implications for workforce diversity and future research needs are also discussed.

Notes: This paper explores the information-seeking behaviors newcomers engage in relating to their psychological contract and addresses the impact of work values (autonomy, advancement, group orientation and economic rewards) and work locus of control (LOC). We propose that these individual characteristics could explain differences in the frequency with which newcomers search for information about the promises their employer has made to them. A two-wave longitudinal study was conducted in which 527 newcomers from eight organizations participated. The results largely support the proposed relationships between work values and contract-related information seeking, while the relation between work LOC and contract-related information seeking is rather weak. Implications for psychological contract formation are discussed.

Notes: Recognizing that associations between personality and job performance can depend on situational characteristics, three samples of proactive, commission-earning sales-people were studied. Objective sales were found to be a function of individuals' Achievement Orientation and Potency, but also of low Agreeableness. Associations with Conscientiousness were not contingent on the level of other Big Five characteristics.

Notes: In contrast to the focus of the public debate over trade liberalisation on job losses there is a widespread view among economists that unemployment and trade issues should be considered separately. This view cannot be justified theoretically, and ignores the growing number of general equilibrium trade models with unemployment. In a simple model with an exogenous wage floor, trade liberalisation can lead to either gains or losses depending on the production technology, severity of the factor market distortion, factor intensities of the industries and conditions in trading partners. Definite results can be derived about gains from liberalising trade with lower wage floors, about relative abundance of the unemployed factor dampening losses when trade is liberalised, and about gains when the good which uses the unemployed factor is exported. The theoretical models are then linked to the policy modelling literature, using the example of recent Australian controversies over liberalisation of trade in automobiles and textiles. It is argued that trade liberalisation would be better advanced by including endogenous employment in trade policy simulation exercises and by discussing employment effects rather than brushing them aside as temporary adjustment problems or regional difficulties.

Notes: Books reviewed:MARCUS HAACKER (ed.), The Macroeconomics of HIV/AIDS.C. FRED BERGSTEN and JOHN WILLIAMSON (eds), Dollar Adjustment: How Far? Against What?EILÍS FERRAN, Building an EU Securities Market.GARY S. FIELDS and GUY PFEFFERMANN (eds), Pathways Out of Poverty: Private Firms and Economic Mobility in Developing Countries.

Notes: This paper summarises the findings from a major international research project on the poverty impacts of a potential Doha Development Agenda. It draws on an intensive analysis of the DDA Framework Agreement and associated scenarios. The implications for world markets are established using a global modelling framework, the outputs of which form the basis for a dozen country case studies of the national poverty impacts of the DDA scenarios. Liberalisation targets under the DDA have to be quite ambitious if the round is to have a measurable impact on poverty. We expect the near-term poverty impacts to be mixed; some countries experience small poverty increases and others more substantial poverty declines. On balance, poverty is reduced under the core DDA scenario, and this reduction is more pronounced in the longer run. Deeper cuts in developing country tariffs are found to make the DDA more poverty friendly. It is also clear that, in order to generate significant poverty reductions in the near term, complementary domestic reforms are required to enable households to take advantage of the new market opportunities. Over the long run, sustained poverty reduction depends on stimulating economic growth, which suggests that trade reforms must go beyond tariffs and subsidies, also addressing barriers to services trade and investment.

Notes: In these remarks, I argue that a plausible reason that anti-dumping actions are so widely abused for protectionist purposes is that they represent a rare instance of essentially unilateral actions that are permissible within the WTO: under the banner of anti-dumping actions, governments can block imports and provide their industries with import relief without fear of retaliation or demands for compensation from their trading partners. Cognisant of the great potential for abuse of anti-dumping actions, the WTO Agreement on Implementation of Article VI represents an extraordinarily detailed attempt by WTO member governments to ‘reign in’ this potential through a detailed set of rules governing the acceptable methodologies and procedures for initiating anti-dumping actions. But as long as the underlying incentives for abuse remain, governments are likely to continue to find new and increasingly ingenious ways to respond to these incentives without running afoul of the rules. To create incentives for the use of anti-dumping measures that are more in line with a cooperative international environment, I suggest extending WTO compensation provisions to cover anti-dumping actions. In this way, the WTO might in effect ‘harness retaliation’ and convert it into a tool of international order in the area of anti-dumping actions.

Notes: This paper presents an analysis of obstacles facing exporting firms in developing countries by diagnosing the efficiency of trade logistics in the Middle East and North Africa region (MNA). Using logistics chain analysis for six export commodities, it presents evidence that transport and non-transport logistics costs for export commodities from the MNA region are quite substantial, ranging from 7–25 per cent of landed product prices. Underlying these costs are key bottlenecks identified as: inefficient trucking and transport services, low export volume leading to long shipping times and the need for costly inventory accumulation, aggressive, obstructive customs authorities and procedures, low and inconsistent product quality, an underdeveloped transport intermediary sector, inefficient cross-border transit procedures and others. Recommended actions to address developing a national transport policy, overhauling the regulatory regime for the trucking sector, export promotion measures, increasing competition in port and air freight services, reorienting customs authorities towards trade facilitation and developing cross-border transit procedures similar to the TIR Carnets model.

Notes: Abstract: Logistics service providers are professionals who serve clients such as manufacturers, raw material suppliers, distributors, retailers and shippers within the supply chain. Traditionally, the formulation of logistics strategies to execute various logistics services has been based solely on experience. In this paper, an intelligent case-based logistics strategy system (CLSS) is designed to help logistics service providers to develop strategies under various customers' demands. The proposed system, which is suitable for use in warehouse operations in the Hong Kong/Pearl River Delta region, enhances the effectiveness of logistics strategies formulations by integrating case-based reasoning technology seamlessly with various data management software such as a data warehouse, on-line analytical processing and a multidimensional database management system. Through applying CLSS in Eastern Worldwide Company, the resource utilization is maximized while work efficiency is greatly enhanced. As a result, the overall logistics operations are smoothened significantly.

Notes: Abstract: Understanding and adapting to changes in customer behavior is an important aspect for survival in a continuously changing environment. This paper develops a methodology based on decision tree analysis to detect the change in classified customer segments automatically between two data sets collected over time. We first define three types of changes as the emerging pattern, the unexpected change and the added/perished rule. Then, similarity and difference measures are developed for rule matching to detect all types of change. Finally, the degree of change is developed to evaluate the amount of change. Our suggested methodology based on decision tree analysis in the change detection problem can be used in more structured situations in which the manager has a specific research question and it also detects the change of classification criteria in a dynamically changing environment. A Korean Internet shopping mall case is evaluated to represent the performance of our suggested methodology, and practical business implications for this methodology are also provided. We believe that the change detection problem and the suggested methodology will become increasingly important as more data mining applications are implemented.

Notes: Abstract: Decision tree induction has been widely studied and applied. In safety applications, such as determining whether a chemical process is safe or whether a person has a medical condition, the cost of misclassification in one of the classes is significantly higher than in the other class. Several authors have tackled this problem by developing cost-sensitive decision tree learning algorithms or have suggested ways of changing the distribution of training examples to bias the decision tree learning process so as to take account of costs. A prerequisite for applying such algorithms is the availability of costs of misclassification. Although this may be possible for some applications, obtaining reasonable estimates of costs of misclassification is not easy in the area of safety.This paper presents a new algorithm for applications where the cost of misclassifications cannot be quantified, although the cost of misclassification in one class is known to be significantly higher than in another class. The algorithm utilizes linear discriminant analysis to identify oblique relationships between continuous attributes and then carries out an appropriate modification to ensure that the resulting tree errs on the side of safety. The algorithm is evaluated with respect to one of the best known cost-sensitive algorithms (ICET), a well-known oblique decision tree algorithm (OC1) and an algorithm that utilizes robust linear programming.

Notes: Abstract: Although sorting techniques (e.g. card sorts) are widely used in knowledge acquisition and requirements acquisition, they have received little formal attention compared to related techniques such as repertory grids and laddering. This paper briefly describes the main sorting techniques, and then provides a detailed tutorial on one variety (repeated single-criterion sorts), using a worked example. Guidelines for choice and sequencing of techniques are given, both in relation to varieties of sorting technique and in relation to other techniques. It is concluded that the sorting techniques are a valuable part of the elicitor's methodological toolkit.

Notes: Abstract: Among the knowledge elicitation techniques card sorting is notable for its simplicity of use, its focus on subjects' terminology (rather than that of external experts) and its ability to elicit semi-tacit knowledge. Card sorting involves categorizing a set of pictures, objects or labelled cards into distinct groups using a single criterion. This paper focuses on the challenges associated with analyzing the data that result from card sorts, especially when large data sets are generated. Traditional semantic analysis methods that require direct researcher interpretation of elicited linguistic terms are distinguished from methods that are purely syntactic, and hence can be automated. Each paper within this special issue is summarized and its contribution to card sorting in general, and data analysis in particular, is highlighted. The set of novel computational techniques presented in several of the papers in this issue is examined. The paper concludes by noting that even large-scale data sets can be meaningfully analysed by combining well-known interpretative methods with the new computational approaches presented within this special issue.

Notes: Abstract: Web page design guidelines produce a pressure towards uniformity; excessive uniformity lays a Web page designer open to accusations of plagiarism. In the past, assessment of similarity between visual products such as Web pages has involved an uncomfortably high degree of subjectivity. This paper describes a method for measuring perceived similarity of visual products which avoids previous problems with subjectivity, and which makes it possible to pool results from respondents without the need for intermediate coding. This method is based on co-occurrence matrices derived from card sorts. It can also be applied to other areas of software development, such as systems analysis and market research.

Notes: Abstract: Picture sorts were used to investigate perceptions of women's office clothes, with a sample of ten male and ten female subjects who normally worked in an office environment. The pictures on the cards were taken from catalogues, and showed women's outfits which might be worn in an office. The subjects sorted the cards repeatedly and generated criteria and categories of their own choice. Some of the criteria and categories had not been previously reported in the clothing research literature. Over half of the male subjects, but none of the female subjects, used ‘married/unmarried woman’ as a sorting criterion, although only one of the images sorted showed a wedding ring. A significantly higher proportion of male than of female subjects used dichotomous categorization (i.e. sorting the cards into two piles for one or more of the criteria). The reasons for this are obscure, but do not appear to be a simple outcome of males not knowing much about female clothing. Previous research into clothing has tended to involve researcher-centred approaches such as semiotics; the results from this study suggest that there would be advantages in wider use of subject-centred approaches such as card sorts, both in this domain and elsewhere. It was concluded that card sorts were a useful method and should be more widely used.

Notes: Abstract: Card sorts are a knowledge elicitation technique in which participants are given a collection of items and are asked to partition them into groups based on their own criteria. Information about the participant's knowledge structure is inferred from the groups formed and the names used to describe the groups through various methods ranging from simple quantitative statistical measures (e.g. co-occurrence frequencies) to complex qualitative methods (e.g. content analysis on the group names). This paper introduces a new technique for analyzing card sort data that uses quantitative measures to discover rich qualitative results. This method is based upon a distance metric between sorts that allows one to measure the similarity of groupings and then look for clusters of closely related sorts across individuals. By using software for computing these clusters, it is possible to identify common concepts across individuals, despite the use of different terminology.

Notes: Abstract: Card sorts can be used to study the way human subjects acquire and organize conceptual knowledge. Analyses of card sorts often involve subjective examination of criteria or category names or using clustering techniques, neither of which lend themselves well to direct statistical analysis. This paper defines NMST, a quantitative measure of knowledge discrimination based on repeated, single-criterion card sorts that is independent of criteria or category names and that is particularly amenable to statistical analysis. The NMST measure is illustrated by applying it to a particular data set collected in a large multinational card sort study of subjects, where the knowledge area comes from a first-year programming course. Applied to this data set, the NMST measure is shown to distinguish, with statistical significance, between a set of subjects with only an introduction to programming and a set of subjects who have completed the equivalent of a bachelor's degree or higher in a computing-related discipline.

Notes: Abstract: This paper presents a case study of the use of a repeated single-criterion card sort with an unusually large, diverse participant group. The study, whose goal was to elicit novice programmers' knowledge of programming concepts, involved over 20 researchers from four continents and 276 participants drawn from 20 different institutions. In this paper we present the design of the study and the unexpected result that there were few discernible systematic differences in the population. The study was one of the activities of the National Science Foundation funded Bootstrapping Research in Computer Science Education project (2003).

Notes: Abstract: This paper describes a multi-institutional study that used a repeated single-criterion card sort to investigate graduating computer science students' knowledge of programming concepts. The study seeks to improve computer science instruction by gaining insight into how graduating students retain and assimilate introductory programming knowledge into their broader understanding of the discipline. A total of 291 card sorts was elicited from 65 undergraduate students in their final year of study at eight colleges and universities throughout the USA. To fully exploit the rich qualitative and quantitative aspects of the card sort data, an integrative analysis process was used that combined content analysis with two measures, normalized minimum spanning tree and edit distance, both developed specifically to analyze card sort data.

Notes: Abstract: Administrative knowledge or office knowledge is the knowledge used in conjunction with the support operations in an organization. Systems managing this knowledge are referred to as extended office systems (EOSs). EOSs will be used to support knowledge exchanges in organizations. The types of knowledge handled by EOSs are illustrated and their characteristics are highlighted. Based on these characteristics, a formalism is proposed, which utilizes structural and descriptive links to achieve an extensible, open-ended representation. A prototype system using the representation and incorporating approximately 200 items of knowledge has been developed and can answer questions about a software engineering company.

Notes: Abstract: In this study a wavelet-based neural network model, employing the multilayer perceptron, is presented for the detection of electrocardiographic changes in patients with partial epilepsy. Decision making is performed in two stages: feature extraction using the wavelet transform, and multilayer perceptron neural networks (MLPNNs) trained with the backpropagation, delta-bar-delta, extended delta-bar-delta and quick propagation algorithms as classifiers. The classification results, the values of statistical parameters and performance evaluation parameters of the MLPNNs trained with different algorithms are compared. Two types of electrocardiogram beats (normal and partial epilepsy) obtained from the MIT-BIH database were classified with accuracy varying from 90.00% to 97.50% by the MLPNNs trained with different algorithms.

Notes: Abstract: For the past three decades or so the flexible flow shop (FFS) scheduling problem has attracted many researchers. Numerous research articles have been published on this topic. This study reviews research on the FFS scheduling problem from the past and the present. The solution approaches reviewed range from the optimum to heuristics and to artificial intelligence search techniques. I not only discuss the details from the selected methods and compare them, but also provide insights and suggestions for future research.

Notes: Abstract: The ship design process is a highly data-oriented, dynamic, iterative and multi-stage algorithm. It utilizes multiple abstraction levels and concurrent engineering techniques. Specialized techniques for knowledge acquisition, knowledge representation and reasoning must be developed to solve these problems for a ship design expert system. Consequently, very few attempts have been made to model the ship design process using an expert system approach. The current work investigates a knowledge representation–reasoning technique for such a purpose. A knowledge-based conceptual design was developed by utilizing a prototype approach and hierarchical decompositioning. An expert system program called ALDES (accommodation layout design expert system) was developed by using the CLIPS expert system shell and an object-oriented user interface. The reasoning and knowledge representation methods of ALDES are explained in the paper. An application of the method is given for the general arrangement design of a containership.

Notes: Abstract: An intriguing recent development is the vogue for formal documentation of the processes and procedures allegedly followed by an organization. The Author examines the possible drawbacks of such an approach, and discusses possible explanations for its present ubiquity.

Notes: Abstract: It is estimated that 4.6 billion tons of non-hazardous solid waste materials are produced annually in the USA. The potential reuse for a portion of the materials in the construction of highways and roads suggests that valuable benefits in terms of economic and environmental gains are possible. This paper describes the development of a prototype computer-assisted tool or expert system to help manufacturers assess and analyze their industrial residuals as potential road construction material. This represents an expansion in the application of intelligent systems to domains where a few, hard-to-find technical reports have represented the main source of expertise available to practitioners for years. The system, developed through the use of an object-oriented software shell, Level5 Object, was designed in a user-friendly Windows environment which allows users with little or no computer training to effectively evaluate material residuals.

Notes: Abstract: We present a new architecture of a diagnostic system composed of an associative memory with feedback connections. This new architecture requires limited computer resources, it is fast, and it can run on small computers. The diagnostic process is described by a deduction system that performs an abductive inference. The abductive inference itself is explained by the verbal category theory. We model both processes by an associative memory that performs the inference with the aid of the feedback connections. The represented knowledge is arranged in groups that define taxonomy. An embedded diagnostic system for the determination of a disorder with applications in modern industrial machines is presented.

Notes: Abstract: To cope with the requirements of high dimensional accuracy for injection molding components, it is important to optimize the process parameters in order to sustain the high level dimensional quality of the molded parts. In this respect, a study in the domain of process optimization is of paramount importance in terms of determining the optimal set of injection molding parameters. To this end, a methodology to establish an integrated model which consists of both fuzzy logic reasoning and a genetic algorithm is proposed. These two artificial intelligence techniques can complement each other to form an integrated model which capitalizes on the merits and at the same time offsets the pitfalls of the involved technologies. To validate the feasibility of the proposed model, a case study related to injection molding optimization is also covered in this paper.

Notes: This article shows how consideration of seating arrangements in theatres can be used as a basis for constructing an interesting probability model.

Notes: This article considers some probability calculations for a television game show.

Notes: This article discusses concepts of unfairness in allocations of objects (coins) to positions (students) and introduces possible measures for unfairness based on intuition.

Notes: The self-weighted mean (WS) – in which each value is weighted by itself – is presented in several contexts and illustrated. It is incorporated in a set of more familiar means. Intuitions concerning WS are explored.

Notes: All introductory statistics students must master certain basic descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations and correlations. Students must also gain insight into such complex concepts as the central limit theorem and standard error. This article introduces and describes the Friendly Introductory Statistics Help (FISH) computer program, which is free and easy-to-use software designed to help students learn such introductory statistical concepts.

Notes: Cooking and tasting chicken soup in three different pots of very different size serves to demonstrate that it is the absolute sample size that matters the most in determining the accuracy of the findings of the poll, not the relative sample size, i.e. the size of the sample in relation to its population.

Notes: Infants are not too young to engage in real, useful statistical work. This activity allowed comparisons between distributions of two species of flowers in three different habitats.

Notes: Rolling dice and tossing coins can still be used to teach probability even if students know (or think they know) what happens in these experiments. This article considers many simple variations of these experiments which are interesting, potentially enjoyable and challenging. Using these variations can cause students (and teachers) to think again about the statistical issues involved – and learn in the process.

Notes: This article disproves a conjecture that the ratio of the maximum standard deviation to the range of a set of data decreases as the number of data points increases. It also provides an alternative and more general approach for examining the standard deviation as a function of the range.

Notes: This article describes how the mail merge facility within Microsoft Word can be used in conjunction with Microsoft Excel to generate personalized assignments for students at all levels.