Game situation information in video-based perceptual decision making : the influence of criticality of decisions

This study examined the effects of game situation information, manipulated in terms of time and score, on decisions made in a video-based perceptual test in basketball. The participants were undergraduate university students (n=159) who viewed 21 offensive basketball plays, under two test conditions (low decision criticality; high decision criticality). To manipulate the conditions, prior to each clip, the
participants were presented with a description of the remaining time and score differential. High decision criticality situations were characterised by a remaining time of 60 seconds or less and score differentials of 2 points or less. Low decision criticality situations were characterised by remaining time of 5 minutes or more and score differentials of 5 points or more. The participants indicated their decision (pass, shoot, dribble) after the visual display had been occluded for each clip. The results indicated that decision profiles differed under the low and high decision criticality conditions. More pass decisions were made under high decision criticality situations and more shoot decisions under low decision criticality situations. These variations differed according to the type of main sport played but not for the basketball competition level. It was concluded that game situation information does influence decision making and should be considered in video-based testing and training.

The view from the cushion : zen challenges to duality in the contemporary practice situation

Based on participant-observation fieldwork, interviews with western Zen practitioners, public dharma talks and personal interviews given by two contemporary Sōtō Zen teachers (Hōgen Yamahata and Ekai Korematsu), this paper explores the challenges to 'everyday' dualistic thought structures that Zen practice poses to the questioning student and the ontological and epistemological significance of these challenges to the worldview of the experiencing student. First, the teaching styles and non-dual emphases of the two teachers in the context of teacher/student exchanges are examined; and, secondly, the experiential challenges and changes in worldview from the practitioner's point of view are phenomenologically explored. By teasing out the parallels and links between the phenomenology of Zen practice and the philosophical underpinnings of Zen practice instructions, foundational philosophical tenets can be shown 'in action' in the contemporary practice situation and a window is opened on the ontological and epistemological significance of the experiential impact of Zen teachings.

Dot.Com rise as an indicator of business growth and economic progress : a retrospective view on telecom and banking sectors in Australia and India

In the year 2000, businesses in banking and telecom sectors worldwide re-engineered their value chain by extending their services by adapting ebusiness through dot.com launches. Subsequently, their validity became questionable with the spate of dot.com crashes and the IT stock meltdown. This book takes a retrospective view, indicating that e-business, as measured by dot.com growth trends, was a positive indicator for business growth in the sector and overall economic growth as it stimulated the respective economies. The book details an inductive analysis that studied if dot.com floats suggested any positive market capitalisation (broadly regarded as a measure of profitability) for the organisations, within two sectors, in two economies. In addition, there is detailed content analysis of global business trends, drivers, theories, sector/economy perspectives, achieved progress and instrumental cases. The book will be a view in retrospect for economists, business analysts, students of ebusiness and management (particularly MBA); academics and researchers.

How bank branches affect customer service quality perceptions.

The Australian banking industry has changed significantly with the introduction of electronic banking technology. This has led to a situation where facilities such as ATM machines and Internet Banking have become increasingly important in the service delivery process. Traditionally, there has been relatively little research into the role facilities play in service satisfaction. There is also little literature about how customers interact with service facilities. This has left banks grappling with facility design and planning issues. This article examines how Australian bank customers interact with local banking facilities by investigating five aspects of the service facility: Access, Atmospherics, Waiting Time, Technology, and Security. Findings suggest that facilities have a significant impact on customer satisfaction levels. Convenient and easy access, security, and a comfortable level of technology were identified by customers as the most important factors influencing their satisfaction levels.

Social cognitive theory in mobile banking innovations

This paper examines the behavior Australian youths have toward mobile banking. Social cognitive theory is the theoretical framework in which a conceptual model is empirically tested. The conceptual model includes five constructs (media, modeling, outcome expectancy, learning orientation and entrepreneurial orientation), which are proposed to influence an individual’s intention to adopt mobile banking. The conceptual model is tested in a sample of Australian youths and the analysis supports a portion of the proposed conceptual model. The findings support the link between the media and an individual’s entrepreneurial orientation with their intention to adopt mobile banking. The paper demonstrates how social cognitive theory is a useful foundation to understand the external and internal stimuli that influence an individual’s desire to adopt mobile banking.

Mobile banking innovations and entrepreneurial adoption decisions

This paper examines an individual’s entrepreneurial adoption decisions to use mobile banking for both business and social reasons. A conceptual model based on social cognitive theory is developed to explain an individual’s propensity to adopt mobile banking. The theoretical framework examines how advertising, experience, perceived risk, learning inclination, and entrepreneurial proclivity influence a person’s intention to use mobile banking. This paper stresses the role of financial risk in determining a person’s intention to use mobile banking and whether their entrepreneurial nature is influenced by their experience and advertising they are subjected to about the advantages or disadvantages of mobile banking. This paper ties together research on technological innovation with entrepreneurship and learning studies. The author stresses the importance for financial institutions to market the innovativeness of mobile banking whilst addressing security concerns. The impact of a person’s social environment through personal contacts and acquaintances underpins social cognitive theory and helps to understand the motives for a person adopting mobile banking. The paper integrates mobile banking literature with current thinking on the importance of entrepreneurship and learning influences to how a person adopts a technological innovation.

A survey of value-at-risk and its role in the banking industry

This paper discusses the various aspects of Value-at-Risk (VaR) and the VaR-based risk management process as it pertains to the banking industry. Since its inception in the 1990’s, VaR has become the industry standard by which market risk is both measured and managed by financial institutions today. However, there has been much debate regarding VaR’s validity and the extent of its role within the banking industry. Yet, now that it is an integral part of the regulatory framework, establishing VaR’s legitimacy is more important than ever. Therefore, this paper examines the recent literature on VaR’s use as a market risk management tool within the banking environment in an attempt to clarify some of the more contentious issues which have been raised by researchers. The discussion begins by highlighting the underlying theory on which VaR is based, specific aspects which have proven controversial and its use from a regulatory perspective. The focus then turns to what little literature exists on the subject of VaR and asset returns in an attempt to provide some direction for future research.

Detecting deviations from known paths and speeds in a surveillance situation

This paper presents techniques for analysing human behaviour via video surveillance. In known scenes under surveillance, common paths of movement between entry and exit points are obtained and classified. These are used, together with a priori velocity data, to serve as a model of normal traffic flow in the scene. Surveillance sequences are then processed to extract and track the movement of people in the scene, which is compared with the models to enable detection of abnormal movement

Entrepreneurship, e-finance and mobile banking

This paper focuses on the role of entrepreneurship and e-finance in determining a person's intention to adopt mobile banking. The approach utilised in this paper is to develop a conceptual framework that includes a number of propositions that are developed and justified by the literature. The main findings of this paper are that people's entrepreneurial inclination and learning tendency will determine how they respond to marketing and knowledge about mobile banking. The practical implications are that financial institutions involved in e-finance can focus their marketing efforts at increasing people's exposure to mobile banking.