Object oriented finite element analysis: a distributed approach to mesh generation

The object-oriented finite element method (OOFEM) has attracted the attention of many researchers. Compared with the traditional finite element method, OOFEM software has the advantages of maintenance and reuse. Moreover, it is easier to expand the architecture to a distributed one. In this paper, we introduce a distributed architecture of a object-oriented finite element preprocessor. A comparison between the distributed system and the centralised system shows that the former, presented in the paper, greatly improves the performance of mesh generation. Other finite element analysis modules could be expanded according to this architecture.

The design and development of an integrated system for object-oriented finite element computing

Finite Element Method (FEM) is widely used in Science and Engineering since 1960’s. The vast majority of FEM software is procedure-oriented. However, this conventional style of designing FEM software encounters problems in maintenance, reuse, and expansion of the software. Recently the object-oriented finite element method attracts the attention of lots of researchers, and now there is a growing interest in this method. In this paper, the object-oriented finite element (OOFE) is briefly introduced. Then the design and development of an integrated OOFE system is described. A comparison of the integrated OOFE system and a procedure-oriented system shows that our OOFE system has many advantages.

Object-oriented security modelling for healthcare

With the convergence of paper to electronic, the health industry is relying more on technology to maintain and update the well-being of patients. This reliance on technology requires an acute level of protection from unwanted technological disasters and/or human threats. Research shows insufficiencies with the implementation and use of security controls; as well as current analysis methods lacking the techniques to analyse technical and social aspects of security. The aim of this paper is to introduce an information security evaluation methodology for health information systems based on UML.

An empirical investigation of high relational orientation sport club members

Relationships between businesses, businesses and end customers, as well as between customers are an important area of practical and scientific interest. In the present era, largely due to digital technologies such as the database, public and private networks, and data collection and information distribution via TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) interface tools such as the World Wide Web (Web), the interest in relationships and related aspects such as trust as it relates to Web interactivity continues. An important antecedent empirical study established that arts patrons (customers) of a New York theatre company could be segmented according to their relational orientation, and that this orientation mediated between component attitudes and future purchase intentions. The study reported in this paper employs Web-based data collection and postal data collection methods in an investigation of the mediation effects of these data collection methods used with the same population of a premier football club in Australia. While a future aim is to more closely compare the outcomes established in the arts study with those from a similarly constructed study in the sporting arena, the focus of this initial paper is the differences in response exhibited by online respondents relative to postal survey respondents. The paper reports findings which do not support those of the antecedent arts and entertainment study concerning the weakness of overall satisfaction on the purchase intentions of high relational orientation customers. The paper also reports findings which give confidence to users of online surveys that despite differences in demographic profiles of these respondents and postal survey respondents, there is a degree of similarity in the responses of the two groups on the measures used in this study. The paper also suggests the need for further research into these data collection effects as they relate to relationship marketing.

Orientation and impact of nonprofit museum web sites

Museums face increasing pressure to attract wider audiences. This requires an understanding of visitor expectations and motivations for visiting the ‘real’ museum. Websites can act as an attracting mechanism for ‘real’ museum visits. However, for the most part, museums have concentrated their efforts on attracting visitors to promotional efforts and collecting statistical data on the demographic profiles of visitors. Museum websites as a means of attracting audiences have been ignored in the research literature. This paper researches the role of museum websites in developing audiences with special attention to the attracting power of the websites for visitors. Content analysis of 40 Australian museum websites was conducted using a structured tool, WebNPattract, designed and tested specifically for the purpose. Content analysis results can be used for the purpose of strategic positioning of the museum and cultural tourism. The paper outlines five aspects of museums—museum offer; corporate governance; finding the museum; characteristics; and governance communication—and two approaches to museum websites: the ‘aesthetic’ and the ‘services’ perspectives. Marketing implications can be deduced from website orientation.

Health information security evaluation: continued development of an object-oriented method

With the convergence of paper to electronic, the health industry is relying more on technology to maintain and update the well-being of patients. This reliance on technology requires an acute level of protection from
unwanted technological disasters and/or human threats. Research shows insufficiencies with the implementation and use of security controls; as well as current analysis methods lacking the techniques to analyse technical and social aspects of security. The aim of this paper is to introduce an information security evaluation methodology for health information systems based on UML.

The orientation of Australian coursework-focussed marketing masters degree

Using content analysis, this paper examines the orientation of Australian coursework masters degrees in marketing by analysing data collected from 38 university websites on the entry requirements, degree structure and research opportunities of the programs. The findings indicate that there appears to be an attempt to offer programs aiming at a range of “outcomes”, i.e. training for PhD, advanced studies in marketing, or accreditation for those in the industry. The diverse orientation of the degrees offered means that Australian institutions are potentially facing a challenge, targeting programs at different market segments.

The contextual nature of the market orientation and organisational performance relationship: an Australian and New Zealand study

As part of a broader study of the relationship between traditional and online marketing mix elements and organisational performance, the study reported in this paper utilised structural equation modelling to examine the relationship between market orientation and organisational performance. The study found that there was an insignificant relationship between market orientation and organisational performance, thereby lending support to studies conducted in the UK, Ghana, and the US (since the studies in the US by Narver and Slater (1990)), which found that there may be a contextual nature to the relationship between the two constructs. The study, therefore, does not support Pulendran et al. (2000).

The MORTN market orientation instrument - an empirical analysis

This paper focuses on Deshpande and Farley's (1998) MORTN market orientation instrument. Specifically, the paper investigates empirically the factor structure and reliability of the supposedly unidimensional instrument. When the MORTN instrument was tested utilising Australian organisations, a two-dimensional factor structure was found to fit the data more acceptably then the unidimensional structure proposed by Deshpande and Farley. These dimensions may be characterised as being Customer/Market Intelligence (Dimension One) and Customer Service (Dimension Two).

Developing the task and ego orientation at work questionnaire

Although widely researched in education and sport, little research examines employee achievement goal orientations in a work context. This article provides validity and reliability evidence for the Task and Ego Orientation at Work Questionnaire (TEOWQ) from a study of378 employees representing from eight different occupational categories. Confirmatory factor analyses indicate that are-specified model comprising two ego ("Being the best" and "being better than others") and two task sub-factors ("Learning" and "Effort") fit the data better than the original two-factor model. Temporal stationarity and stability of the constructs over time receive support. As hypothesized, task and task-effort orientations relate positively with persistence while ego orientation does not. The TEOWQ appears to be a valid and reliable instrument of achievement orientation in a work setting.

Brand orientation: another explanation of retailer performance

This paper postulates that organisational capabilities, particularly brand orientation, may provide an appropriate theoretical framework to explain variations in organisational performance among retailers. Brand orientation is viewed as a strategic capability, just like innovation. This allows for a distinction to be made with such core antecedent (However, it is important to distinguish between strategic capabilities (innovation orientation and brand orientation) and antecedent core) capabilities such as market orientation, operational orientation and human resource orientation which all organizations must have to some degree. This distinction is made to emphasise that all organisations operate with some degree of market, operational and human resource orientation, whereas organisations can choose to operate without either innovation or brand orientation. We argue that it is the inclusion of organisational capabilities with positional advantage and organisational performance that provides an holistic conceptual framework for the empirical investigation we are currently undertaking. The propositions discussed in this paper link the various relationships in the conceptual model within the context of Australian retailing organisations.

Brand orientation : conceptualisation, operationalisation and explanatory power

This study contributes to the brand management literature by providing a conceptualisation of brand orientation from a resource based theory perspective. Moreover, the study advances seminal brand conceptualisations through operationalising the construct and empirically testing its psychometric properties and explanatory power. The construct was explored within a services context focusing on Australian retail organisations, thereby extending brand management research beyond the manufacturing domain. Building on the work of leading brand authors four reflective dimensions of brand orientation are operationalised including distinctive, functional, value adding and symbolic capabilities. The results of this study suggest that brand orientation is a robust construct with strong explanatory power in regards to dependent constructs; positional advantage and organisational performance.

The role of brand orientation in explaining retail offer advantage

We provide a conceptualisation and operationalisation of brand orientation within the context of retailing. We then empirically test this operationalisation in terms of a retail offer advantage across the dimensions of merchandise, trading format, customer service and customer communication. Our results suggest that the degree to which a retailer values brands and its practices are oriented towards building brand capabilities provides a valuable theoretical framework to explain variations in retailers' advantage over their competitors.