eStatement Studies: A Reliable Database for Financial Benchmarks

ABSTRACT

2000/01 FOOD AND BEVERAGE MARKET PLACE, 5th ed. Lakeville, CT: Grey House Publishing, 2000, 1626 pp., $225.00, ISBN 1-891482-47-5. Online at: <http://www.greyhouse.com/> $445.00/yr.

2000/01 FOOD AND BEVERAGE MARKET PLACE SUPPLIERS GUIDE, 2nd ed. Lakeville, CT: Grey House Publishing, 973pp., $225.00, ISBN 1-891482-34-3. Online at: <http://www.greyhouse.com/> US $445.00/yr. Reviewed by Hal P. Kirkwood.

THE BEST OF TIMES: A PERSONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL ODYSSEY. Wasserman, Paul. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, Inc, 2000, 458 pp., $35.00, ISBN 0-7808-0433-3. Reviewed by Alexius E. Macklin.

THE DIRECTORY OF BUSINESS INFORMATION RESOURCES, 9th ed. Millerton, NY: Grey House Publishing, Inc., 2001, 1,800 pp., Softcover $230.00 ISBN 1-891482-98-X, Hardcover $255.00, ISBN 1-891482-99-8. Reviewed by Judith M. Nixon.

E-BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY FORECAST. PricewaterhouseCoopers Technology Center: PricewaterhouseCoopers, 1999,240 pp., US$ 300.00, ISBN 1-891865-02-1. Reviewed by James Galbraith.

GUIDE TO BUSINESS INFORMATION ON CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE. Konn, Tania. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 2000. 235 pp., US $60.00, ISBN 1-57958-263-X. Reviewed by Hazel Cameron.

TECHNOLOGY FORECAST: 2000. PricewaterhouseCoopers Technology Center: PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2000, 774 pp. (a CD-Rom is included), US$ 450.00, ISBN 1-891865-03-x. Reviewed by James Galbraith.

STATISTICAL HANDBOOK ON CONSUMPTION AND WEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES. Kaul, Chandrika and Valerie Tomaselli-Moschovitis, editors. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1999, 312 pp., $65.00, 1-57356-251-3. Reviewed by Judith M. Nixon.

NEW EDITIONS OF STANDARD REFERENCE WORKS: ORGANIZATION CHARTS, 3rd Edition. Nick Sternberg and Scott Heil, Editors. Detroit: Gale Group, 2000, 353 pp., $165.00, ISBN: 0-7876-2452-7, ISSN 1526-0879. Reviewed by Judith M. Nixon.     

Meeting Our Customers’ Expectations: A Follow-Up Customer Satisfaction Survey After 10 Years of Free Document Delivery and Interlibrary Loan Services at Texas A&M University Libraries

A customer satisfaction survey was conducted at Texas A&M University Libraries to determine how we can continue to deliver the best document delivery/interlibrary loan service possible for our customers. The results confirm our excellence in delivering this popular “Get it for me” service. The findings also enable us to make some changes in our process to further improve the service.     

Ventilatory acclimatisation is beneficial for high-intensity exercise at altitude in elite cyclists

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between ventilatory adaptation and performance during altitude training at 2700?m. Methods: Seven elite cyclists (age: 21.2?±?1.1?yr, body mass: 69.9?±?5.6?kg, height 176.3?±?4.9?cm) participated in this study. A hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) test and a submaximal exercise test were performed at sea level prior to the training camp and again after 15 d at altitude (ALT15). Ventilation (V_E), end-tidal carbon-dioxide partial pressure (P_ETCO₂) and oxyhaemoglobin saturation via pulse oximetry (SpO₂) were measured at rest and during submaximal cycling at 250?W. A hill climb (HC) performance test was conducted at sea level and after 14 d at altitude (ALT14) using a road of similar length (5.5–6?km) and gradient (4.8–5.3%). Power output was measured using SRM cranks. Average HC power at ALT14 was normalised to sea level power (HC%). Multiple regression was used to identify significant predictors of performance at altitude. Results: At ALT15, there was a significant increase in resting V_E (10.3?±?1.9 vs. 12.2?±?2.4?L·min^?1) and HVR (0.34?±?0.24 vs. 0.71?±?0.49?L·min^?1·%^?1), while P_ETCO₂ (38.4?±?2.3 vs. 32.1?±?3.3?mmHg) and SpO₂ (97.9?±?0.7 vs. 94.0?±?1.7%) were reduced (P?V_E at altitude as significant predictors of HC% (adjusted r²?=?0.913; P?=?0.003). Conclusions: Ventilatory acclimatisation occurred during a 2 wk altitude training camp in elite cyclists and a higher HVR was associated with better performance at altitude, relative to sea level. These results suggest that ventilatory acclimatisation is beneficial for cycling performance at altitude.     

Linking academic knowledge and professional experience in using statistics: a design experiment for business school students

The aim of the empirical study presented in this paper is to explore how students link academic knowledge with workplace experience. I carried out a research study with a group of 36 business school students entering a 3-year masters level apprenticeship programme. In an introductory statistics course, I designed and implemented a four-step learning activity, based on an Exploratory Data Analysis approach and inspired by an authentic workplace situation. I report the findings of qualitative research based on the recorded discussions between students and the reports they wrote at each step in the experience. I found that three different forms of rationality—technical, pragmatic and scientific—led them to shape the problem differently. I observed that they hardly used statistical tools because pragmatic rationality which is linked to their experience as salespersons prevails, although access to a managerial approach suggests the use of more statistical knowledge.     

Innovation in times of financialization: Do future-oriented innovation strategies suffer? Examples from German industry

Shareholder value, short-term strategies, quarterly financial reports, and performance-based remuneration are strong indicators of a financial market-oriented company. It is questionable whether innovativeness and sustainable innovation capabilities can be maintained in times of financialization focused on short-term efficiency instead of free space for creativity and learning. Using the example of established German industrial companies, I examined the extent to which financialization and financial market actors steer innovation strategies and practices. In-depth interviews with companies, cluster managers and banks and reviews of financing data do not reveal a direct influence of financial investors on innovation activities. On the contrary, companies’ managements still have the power to decide how much financial control and standardization they allow for their companies’ innovation practices. The pressure on these German companies to innovate comes from their strong market orientation rather than from financialization.