Factors Influencing Word-of-Mouth Recommendations by MBA Students: An Examination of School Quality,Educational Outcomes,and Value of the MBA

Word-of-mouth recommendations from current students are an important source of influence when prospective MBA students are selecting a school. Based on a sample of 16,297 graduating MBA students, this paper uses multiple regression analysis to identify the factors that affect a school recommendation and to assess their relative importance. Separate models are developed based on prior research on service quality, educational outcomes, and perceived equity; then, variables from the separate models are combined into an overall model. Implications are discussed for school administrators and the marketing professionals who support them.     

Shipping in the Northwest Passage: a Pandora's box

The discovery of America led to dreams of a westerly route to India and China from Europe by way of its most northerly extension. Evidence for the existence of such a route was laboriously collected by explorers from the time of Frobisher in the late 16th century but not until 1903-6 was a full west-to-east passage effected, by Roald Amundsen. Today, interest in the Northwest Passage has been stimulated by the discovery of oil and gas in far northern latitudes and new technology is facilitating commercial voyages in these exceptionally inhospitable waters.     

Extracellular HIV Tat and Tat cysteine rich peptide increase CCR5 expression in monocytes

In our previous work we reported that HIV Tat and 6 cysteine rich peptides of Tat induce tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-induced ligand (TRAIL) in human monocytes (Yang et al., 2003). Here our results showed that HIV Tat and Tat cysteine rich peptide increase CCR5 expression in human monocytes, and this activity is inhibited by rabbit anti-Tat. Boiled Tat does not increase CCR5 expression in monocytes. These results provide insight into a new mechanism by which HIV Tat plays a key role in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection.     

The reluctant primary school teacher

The study attempts to identify the factors which affect teacher's reluctance to teach science, then explains an approach to help teachers teach science in a worthwhile manner over the school year while monitoring any changes in their confidence and competence. It was found that the condidence and competence of the teachers improved during the year such that they were able to teach successful science lessons on a regular basis. Specializations: primary science and technology education, curriculum development and implementation, teacher education. Specializations: primary science curriculum, early childhood education, gender and science. Specializations: primary science and technology education, issues related to girls in science and technology.     

Learning to learn in informal science settings

Visits to museums and science centres are a part of most school science programs- but are they really learning experiences? By accompanying classes on visits and talking with the teachers and students during and after these visits, information has been gathered on the ways in which school groups currently use visits to two informal science learning settings in Sydney- a science education centre and a large museum. Comparison of the teacher and student behaviours on these visits with current views on good teaching/learning practice, reveals considerable anomalies. At the same time, reported studies of museum visitors suggest that family groups use museums for learning in ways which are quite different from the way most school groups do. Can these apparent mismatches be translated into a pathway for developing new approaches to learning in informal settings?     

Embracing New Policies,Technologies, and Community Partnerships: A Case Study of the City of Houston's Bureau of Air Quality Control

As the City of Houston's Bureau of Air Quality Control embraced new policies, technologies, and rhetorical strategies, they simultaneously moved through Lukensmeyer and Torres's “four levels of public involvement,” which include the information, consultation, engagement, and collaboration levels (Lukensmeyer & Torres, 2006 Lukensmeyer, C. J., & Torres, L. H. (2006). Public deliberation: A manager's guide to citizen engagement. IBM Center for the Business of Government Collaboration Series. Retrieved November 2007 from http://www.businessofgovernment.org/pdfs/LukensmeyerReport.pdf  [Google Scholar]). Because of the technical and scientific nature of air quality inspections, increasing public involvement, especially the involvement of those in a predominantly African American and a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, has been a challenge. This article describes the Bureau's journey through the information level, where the Bureau opens public access and participation in the investigation and reporting process; the consultation level, where Bureau staff go door-to-door in poor and minority neighborhoods collecting citizen feedback regarding perceived environmental hazards; the engagement level, where the Bureau conducts monthly environmental meetings with neighborhood residents; and the collaboration level, where citizens are taught to collect evidence of environmental violations.