Strategies for B2B electronic markets : delivering business value to buyers and sellers

This paper discusses the key elements of effective and successful strategies for organisations engaging in Business-to-Business (B2B) Electronic Markets. Existing literature have concentrated on developing schemas for categorising B2B Electronic Markets, and evaluating the innovative business models they employ, with less focus on understanding the business value of B2B Electronic Markets from a multi-stakeholder, business strategy perspective. In the present business climate, business managers and executives are keen to discover strategies to maximise performance improvements associated with ICT adoption. Based on case studies of B2B Electronic Markets, this paper discusses the importance of (i) creating and distributing business value among the various stakeholders, (ii) determining a pragmatic approach for engaging in B2B Electronic Markets, and (iii) managing the transformation of business processes associated with B2B Electronic Markets. The study contributes to practice and research by presenting rich empirical insights into the operations ofB2B Electronic Markets, and providing suggestions for future research in the topic area.

Does the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program provide value for money?

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the economic case for the implementation of the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program on a population basis in Queensland, Australia, in order to reduce the prevalence of conduct disorder in children. Method: Threshold analysis was undertaken together with a limited cost-effectiveness analysis. Results: The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program is a dominant intervention; that is, it costs less than the amount it saves, until the reduction in prevalence falls below 7% where net costs become positive. Conclusions: Triple P is likely to be a worthwhile use of limited health funds. The economic case is promising, but further research is required to confirm the study results.

Self adjusted security architecture for mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs)

In this work we present a novel security architecture for MANETs that merges the clustering and the threshold key management techniques. The proposed distributed authentication architecture reacts with the frequently changing topology of the network and enhances the process of assigning the node's public key. In the proposed architecture, the overall network is divided into clusters where the clusterheads (CH) are connected by virtual networks and share the private key of the Central Authority (CA) using Lagrange interpolation. Experimental results show that the proposed architecture reaches to almost 95.5% of all nodes within an ad-hoc network that are able to communicate securely, 9 times faster than other architectures, to attain the same results. Moreover, the solution is fully decentralized to operate in a large-scale mobile network.

Heating effects on water repellency in Australian eucalypt forest soils and their value in estimating wildfire soil temperatures

Wildfires can induce or enhance soil water repellency under a range of vegetation communities. According to mainly USA-based laboratory studies, repellency is eliminated at a maximum soil temperature (T) of 280–400°C. Knowledge of T reached during a wildfire is important in evaluating post-fire soil physical properties, fertility and seedbed status. T is, however, notoriously difficult to ascertain retrospectively and often based on indicative observations with a large potential error. Soils under fire-prone Australian eucalypt forests tend to be water repellent when dry or moderately moist even if long unburnt. This study aims to quantify the temperature of water repellency destruction for Australian topsoil material sampled under three sites with contrasting eucalypt cover (Eucalyptus sieberi, E. ovata and E. baxteri). Soil water repellency was present prior to heating in all samples, increased during heating, but was abruptly eliminated at a specific T between 260 and 340°C. Elimination temperature varied somewhat between samples, but was found to be dependent on heating duration, with longest duration resulting in lowest elimination temperature. Results suggest that post-fire water repellency may be used as an aid in hindcasting soil temperature reached during the passage of a fire within repellency-prone environments.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of screening for lung cancer with low dose spiral CT (computed tomography) in the Australian setting

Introduction:
Low dose spiral computed tomography (CT) is a sensitive screening tool for lung cancer that is currently being evaluated in both non-randomised studies and randomised controlled trials.
Methods:
We conducted a quantitative decision analysis using a Markov model to determine whether, in the Australian setting, offering spiral CT screening for lung cancer to high risk individuals would be cost-effective compared with current practice. This exploratory analysis was undertaken predominantly from the perspective of the government as third-party funder. In the base-case analysis, the costs and health outcomes (life-years saved and quality-adjusted life years) were calculated in a hypothetical cohort of 10,000 male current smokers for two alternatives: (1) screen for lung cancer with annual CT for 5 years starting at age 60 year and treat those diagnosed with cancer or (2) no screening and treat only those who present with symptomatic cancer.
Results:
For male smokers aged 60–64 years, with an annual incidence of lung cancer of 552 per 100,000, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $57,325 per life-year saved and $105,090 per QALY saved. For females aged 60–64 years with the same annual incidence of lung cancer, the cost-effectiveness ratio was $51,001 per life-year saved and $88,583 per QALY saved. The model was used to examine the relationship between efficacy in terms of the expected reduction in lung cancer mortality at 7 years and cost-effectiveness. In the base-case analysis lung cancer mortality was reduced by 27% and all cause mortality by 2.1%. Changes in the estimated proportion of stage I cancers detected by screening had the greatest impact on the efficacy of the intervention and the cost-effectiveness. The results were also sensitive to assumptions about the test performance characteristics of CT scanning, the proportion of lung cancer cases overdiagnosed by screening, intervention rates for benign disease, the discount rate, the cost of CT, the quality of life in individuals with early stage screen-detected cancer and disutility associated with false positive diagnoses. Given current knowledge and practice, even under favourable assumptions, reductions in lung cancer mortality of less than 20% are unlikely to be cost-effective, using a value of $50,000 per life-year saved as the threshold to define a “cost-effective” intervention.
Conclusion:
The most feasible scenario under which CT screening for lung cancer could be cost-effective would be if very high-risk individuals are targeted and screening is either highly effective or CT screening costs fall substantially.

The cost of granting executive stock options with strike prices adjusted by the cost of capital

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to estimate the cost of granting executive stocks with strike prices adjusted by the cost of capital.

Design/methodology/approach – In the paper a Monte Carlo simulation approach developed in Longstaff and Schwartz is used in conjunction with the subjective valuation model developed in Ingersoll to value these executive stock options that are subject to performance hurdles.

Findings – The paper finds that standard European Black-Scholes-Merton option values overstate the true cost to the firm of granting these executive stock options. The option values also decrease with a higher dividend yield, a higher performance hurdle, a longer vesting period, and a shorter maturity.

Research limitations/implications – While the study in the paper is limited to the valuation of executive options, the methodology can be used to study incentive effects of executive stock options that have a performance hurdle.

Practical implications – The approach used in this paper to estimate the cost of granting executive stock options is a clear improvement over standard European option pricing approaches that often result in biased estimates.

Originality/value – This paper presents a first attempt to integrate the Ingersoll utility-theoretic model and the Longstaff and Schwartz least squares Monte Carlo algorithm to estimate the subjective value and the objective cost of executive stock options with a performance hurdle. This valuation approach will be useful in the study of other types of executive compensation.

Evaluating the efficiencies of university faculties : adjusted data envelopment analysis

Efficiency measurement is at the heart of most management accounting functions. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a linear programming technique used to measure relative efficiency of organisational units referred in DEA literature as decision making units (DMUs). Universities are complex organisations involving multiple inputs and outputs (Abbott & Doucouliagos, 2008). There is no agreement in identifying and measuring the inputs and outputs of higher education institutes (Avkiran, 2001). Hence, accurate efficiency measurement in such complex institutes needs rigorous research.

Prior DEA studies have investigated the application of the technique at university (Avkiran, 2001; Abbott & Doucouliagos, 2003; Abbott & Doucouliagos, 2008) or department/school (Beasley, 1990; Sinuany-Stern, Mehrez & Barboy, 1994) levels. The organisational unit that has control and hence the responsibility over inputs and outputs is the most appropriate decision making unit (DMU) for DEA to provide useful managerial information. In the current study, DEA has been applied at faculty level for two reasons. First, in the case university, as with most other universities, inputs and outputs are more accurately identified with faculties than departments/schools. Second, efficiency results at university level are highly aggregated and do not provide detail managerial information.

Prior DEA time series studies have used input and output cost and income data without adjusting for changes in time value of money. This study examines the effects of adjusting financial data for changes in dollar values without proportional changes in the quantity of the inputs and the outputs. The study is carried out mainly from management accounting perspective. It is mainly focused on the use of the DEA efficiency information for managerial decision purposes. It is not intended to contribute to the theoretical development of the linear programming model. It takes the view that one does not need to be a mechanic to be a good car driver.

The results suggest that adjusting financial input and output data in time series analysis change efficiency values, rankings, reference set as well as projection amounts. The findings also suggest that the case University could have saved close to $10 million per year if all faculties had operated efficiently. However, it is also recognised that quantitative performance measures have their own limitations and should be used cautiously.

An online environment for value added learning : more than you bargained for

Online web-based technologies are increasingly being used in educational and professional contexts to create an effective environment for teaching or professional learning. A number of studies have explored the intersections between on and off line teaching and learning, participants’ perceptions, and claims of connectedness and community fostered by online sites (Jones, 1998; Rheingold, 1995; Soderstrom, 2006). This paper will outline the development, functionality and usefulness of the online environment (Drupal) installed and used to support the Australian Government Summer School for Teachers of English. It includes an analysis of the virtual environment (social software) established for the Summer School. The research project aimed to determine what aspects of an online environment supported the success of this national professional development activity that incorporated physically present, and online communication, connection, and collaboration between 200 teachers over a period of seven months. In this paper the site manager explains their role and perspective of the potential of social software for learning.

Options for change in the Australian cervical cancer screening program in context of HPV detection and vaccination

Introduction:
Cervical cancer screening has been implemented for over a decade in Australia and has significantly reduced the mortality and morbidity of the disease. The emergence of new technologies for cervical cancer, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and DNA testing has encouraged debate regarding the effective use of resources in cervical cancer prevention. The present study evaluates the cost-effectiveness, from a health sector perspective, of various screening strategies in the era of these new technologies.

Methods:
A stochastic epidemiological model using a discrete event and continuous algorithm was developed to describe the natural history of cervical cancer. By allowing one member of the cohort into the model at a time, this micro-simulation model encompasses the characteristics of heterogeneity and can track individual life histories. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the HPV vaccine a Markov model was built to simulate the effect on the incidence of HPV and subsequent cervical cancer. A number of proposed screening strategies were evaluated with the stochastic model for the application of HPV DNA testing, with changes in the screening interval and target population. Health outcomes were measured by Disability-Adjusted Life-Years (DALYs), adjusted for application within an evaluation setting (i.e. the mortality component of the DALY was adjusted by a disability weight when early mortality due to cervical cancer is avoided). Costs in complying with the Australian updated guidelines were assessed by pathway analysis to estimate the resources associated with cervical cancer and its pre-cancerous lesion treatment. Sensitivity analyses were performed to investigate the key parameters that influenced the cost-effectiveness results.

Results:
Current practice has already brought huge health gain by preventing more than 4,000 deaths and saving more than 86,000 life-years in a cohort of a million women. Any of the alternative screening strategies alter the total amount of health gain by a small margin compared to current practice. The results of incremental analyses of the alternative screening strategies compared to current practice suggest the adoption of the HPV DNA test as a primary screening tool every 3 years commencing at age 18, or the combined pap smear/HPV test every 3 years commencing at age 25, are more costly than current practice but with reasonable ICERs (AUD$1,810 per DALY and AUD$18,600 per DALY respectively). Delaying commencement of Pap test screening to age 25 is less costly than current practice, but involves considerable health loss. The sensitivity analysis shows, however, that the screening test accuracy has a significant impact on these conclusions. Threshold analysis indicates that a sensitivity ranging from 0.80 to 0.86 for the combined test in women younger than 30 is required to produce an acceptable incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.

Conclusions:
The adoption of HPV and combined test with an extended screening interval is more costly but affordable, resulting in reasonable ICERs. They appear good value for money for the Australian health care system, but need more information on test accuracy to make an informed decision. Potential screening policy change under current Australian HPV Vaccination Program is current work in progress. A Markov model is built to simulate the effect on the incidence of HPV and subsequent cervical cancer. Adoption of HPV DNA test as a primary screening tool in the context of HPV vaccination is under evaluation.

Bringing Bourdieu to policy sociology : codification, misrecognition and exchange value in the UK context

The task of social scientists is to find ways of investigating and understanding the social, political and economic world, in order to offer insights into everyday and public life in the past, present and future. Bourdieu’s tool kit offers a particular way of theorizing the rules, narratives and self-held truths of social phenomena and of educational policy as a specific object of analysis. In this article I develop a series of propositions about the ways in which field theory might be applied to explain the abrupt public policy shift effected by the Thatcher government and the adjustments made to it by the Blair government. I suggest that a Bourdieuian approach shows policy working as a means of codification, as a doxa of misrecognition and as currency exchange within and across fields. I conclude with some thoughts about the difficulties of explicating interactions between fields.

Do indicated preventive interventions for depression represent good value for money?

The prevention of depression is of growing interest to researchers and policy makers. However, the question of whether interventions designed to prevent depression provide value for money at a population level remains largely unanswered. The current study assesses the cost-effectiveness of two indicated interventions designed to prevent depression: a brief psychological intervention based on bibliotherapy and a more comprehensive group-based psychological intervention following opportunistic screening for sub-syndromal depression in general practice. Method: Economic modelling using a cost utility framework was used to assess the incremental cost effectiveness ratios (ICERs) of the two interventions within the Australian population context, modelled as add-ons to current practice. The perspective was the health sector and outcomes were measured using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Uncertainty was measured using probabilistic uncertainty testing and important model assumptions were tested using univariate sensitivity testing. Results: The brief bibliotherapy intervention had an ICER of AU$8600 per DALY and the group-based psychological intervention had an ICER of AU$20 000 per DALY. The majority of the uncertainty simulations for both interventions fell below the cost-effectiveness threshold value of $50 000 per DALY. Extensive sensitivity testing showed that the results were robust to the assumptions made in the analyses. Conclusions: Following screening in general practice, both psychological interventions, particularly brief bibliotherapy, appear to be good value for money and worthy of further evaluation under routine care circumstances. Acceptability issues associated with such interventions, particularly to primary care practitioners as providers of the interventions and health system administrators, also need to be considered before wide-scale adoption is contemplated.

The relationship between emergence of the shortest path and information value using ant-like agents

Ant-like agents forage between two points. These agents' probabilistic movements are based on the use of two pheromones; one marking trails towards the goal and another marking trails back to the starting point. Path selection decisions are influenced by the relative levels of attractive and repulsive pheromone in each agent's local environment. Our work in [5] evaluates three pheromone perception strategies, investigating path formation speed, quality, directionality, robustness and adaptability under different parameter settings(degree of randomness, pheromone evaporation rate and pheromone diffusion rate). We re-evaluate two of these strategies in terms of the amount of information they provide using Shannon's formulation [3, 4, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17]. We determine information as the difference between uncertainty before and after path selection decisions. Our focus in this paper is on investigating relationships between the emergence of the shortest path and the amount of stigmergic information that exists in the form of pheromone. Agents are deployed centrally and emergence measures are determined using the worst, reference and best cases observed in [5]. Additionally, the amount of local and global information that is available to agents in each movement step is evaluated. Furthermore, Pearson's correlation coefficients between measures of emergence and the amount of information are calculated. The significance of these correlation coefficients is tested using a 2 tailed test at 1% level of significance. Consequently the relationship between the amount of information and emergent behaviour is established. Significant relationships between information and the emergence of the shortest path exist when strong emergent behaviour is present.

Regulatory theory insights into the past, present and future of general purpose water accounting standard setting

Purpose – Accounting and water industry experts are developing general-purpose water accounting (GPWA) to report information about water and rights to water. The system has the potential to affect water policies, pricing and management, and investment and other decisions that are affected by GPWA report users' understanding of water risks faced by an entity. It may also affect financial returns to accounting and auditing firms and firms in water industries. In this paper the authors aim to examine the roles of the accounting profession, water industries and other stakeholders in governing GPWA. Recognising that the fate of GPWA depends partly upon regulatory power and economics, they seek to apply regulatory theories that explain financial accounting standards development to speculate about the national and international future of GPWA.

Design/methodology/approach – Official documents, internal Water Accounting Standards Board documents and unstructured interviews underpin the authors' analysis.

Findings – The authors speculate about the benefits that might accrue to various stakeholder groups from capturing the GPWA standard-setting process. They also suggest that internationally, water industries may dominate early GPWA standards development in the public interest and that regulatory capture by accounting or water industry professionals will not necessarily conflict with public interest benefits.

Practical implications – Accounting for water can affect allocations of environmental, economic, social and other resources; also, accounting and water industry professional standing and revenues. In this paper the authors identify factors influencing GPWA standards and standard-setting institutional arrangements, and thereby these resource allocations. The paper generates an awareness of GPWA's emergence and practical implications.

Originality/value – This is an early study to investigate water accounting standard-setting regulatory influences and their impact.

Navigating the terrain of lived experiences: the value of lifeworld existentials for reflective analysis

In qualitative research we are often presented with a tension between having open and fluid interviews to support staying true to the lived experiences of participants and achieving a level of abstraction from the data in order to uncover the essential structures and meanings of that particular lived experience. A way of resolving this tension is through the application of theoretical frameworks. Van Manen’s four lifeworld existentials offer a lens through which to explore and navigate disparate interview data and uncover the essences of lived experience, without imposing categories upon the data itself. Drawing on a study exploring the lived experiences of childless women, we explore the process and principles in operationalising the existentials and discuss the potential implications for analysis and findings. The article demonstrates how Van Manen’s lifeworld existentials present us with a holistic and valuable method for reflective practice, in coming to understand lived experience.

Resolving the theory of planned behaviour's ‘expectancy-value muddle’ using dimensional salience

The theory of planned behaviour is one of the most widely used models of decision-making in the health literature. Unfortunately, the primary method for assessing the theory's belief-based expectancy-value models results in statistically uninterpretable findings, giving rise to what has become known as the ‘expectancy-value muddle’. Moreover, existing methods for resolving this muddle are associated with various conceptual or practical limitations. This study addresses these issues by identifying and evaluating a parsimonious method for resolving the expectancy-value muddle. Three hundred and nine Australian residents aged 18–24 years rated the expectancy and value of 18 beliefs about posthumous organ donation. Participants also nominated their five most salient beliefs using a dimensional salience approach. Salient beliefs were perceived as being more likely to eventuate than non-salient beliefs, indicating that salient beliefs could be used to signify the expectancy component. The expectancy-value term was therefore represented by summing the value ratings of salient beliefs, an approach that predicted attitude (adjusted R 2 = 0.21) and intention (adjusted R 2 = 0.21). These findings suggest that the dimensional salience approach is a useful method for overcoming the expectancy-value muddle in applied research settings.