International technology transfer:perceptions and reality of quality and reliability

Impressions about product quality and reliability can depend as much on perceptions about brands and country of origin as on data regarding performance and failure. This has implications for companies in developing countries that need to compete with importers. For manufacturers in industrialised countries it has implications for the value of transferred technologies. This article considers the issue of quality and reliability when technology is transferred between countries with different levels of development. It is based on UK and Chinese company case studies and questionnaire surveys undertaken among three company groups: UK manufacturers; Chinese manufacturers; Chinese users. Results show that all three groups recognise quality and reliability as important and support the premise that foreign technology based machines made in China carry a price premium over Chinese machines based on local technology. Closer examination reveals a number of important differences concerning the perceptions and reality of quality and reliability between the groups.

Perceptions of journal quality and research paradigm:results of a web-based survey of British accounting academics

This paper reports the results of a web-based perception study of the ranking of peer reviewed accounting journals by UK academics. The design of the survey instrument allows an interactive selection of journals to be scored. The webbased format is unique in that it also includes a step in which respondents classify the journals according to methodological perspective (paradigm). This is depicted graphically in the paper in a bubble diagram that shows the "positioning" of journals according to perceptions of both paradigm and quality.

Is there a trade-off between quality and productivity? The case of diagnostic technologies in Portugal

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, we compute quality-adjusted measures of productivity change for the three most important diagnostic technologies (i.e., the Computerised Tomography Scan, Electrocardiogram and Echocardiogram) in the major Portuguese hospitals. We use the Malmquist–Luenberger index, which allows to measure productivity growth while controlling for the quality of the production. Second, using non-parametric tests, we analyse whether the implementation of the Prospective Payment System may have had a positive impact on the movements of productivity over time. The results show that the PPS has helped hospitals to use these tools more efficiently and to improve their effectiveness.

Evaluating service quality and customer satisfaction evaluation in an emerging markets

Developing economies offer tremendous potential for future growth and organizations appreciating these consumers’ requirements stand to reap considerable returns. However, compared with more developed economies published consumer studies are few. In particular, there is a dearth of service quality research and hardly any from Africa. Furthermore, the little available research tends to apply Western methodologies, which may not be entirely appropriate. This research investigates East African consumer perceptions of retail banking using an approach that takes account of the research context. Qualitative research was undertaken to define the relevant service attributes. Performance along these was then investigated through a survey with over 2000 respondents. Principal component analysis identifies 13 core service dimensions and multinomial logistic regression reveals which are the key drivers of customer satisfaction. Comparison of the results with studies from other regions confirms that established standardized research instruments are likely to miss or under-represent service attributes important in developing countries.

The effect of lignin and inorganic species in biomass on pyrolysis oil yields, quality and stability

This paper investigates four reference fuels and three low lignin Lolium Festuca grasses which were subjected to pyrolysis to produce pyrolysis oils. The oils were analysed to determine their quality and stability, enabling the identification of feedstock traits which affect oil stability. Two washed feedstocks were also subjected to pyrolysis to investigate whether washing can enhance pyrolysis oil quality. It was found that the mineral matter had the dominate effect on pyrolysis in compared to lignin content, in terms of pyrolysis yields for organics, char and gases. However the higher molecular weight compounds present in the pyrolysis oil are due to the lignin derived compounds as determined by results of GPC and liquid-GC/MS. The light organic fraction also increased in yield, but reduced in water content as metals increased at the expense of the lignin content. It was found that the fresh oil and aged oil had different compound intensities/concentrations, which is due to a large number of reactions occurring when the oil is aged day by day. These findings agree with previous reports which suggest that a large amount of re-polymerisation occurs as levoglucosan yields increase during the aging progress, while hydroxyacetaldehyde decrease. In summary the paper reports a window for producing a more stable pyrolysis oil by the use of energy crops, and also show that washing of biomass can improve oil quality and stability for high ash feedstocks, but less so for the energy crops.

Egg quality and fecundity in rainbow trout: the determining factors and mechanisms of control

This thesis considers the factors involved in the determination of egg quality and fecundity in farmed stocks of rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri R) • Measurements of egg quality, ie. percentage survivals of eggs and fry, from the production batches of eggs of seven fish farms, showed mean survivals of 70% to eying but levels of only 35% to 4.5g fry (approx. 130 days post-fertilisation). Under optimum conditions survivals may reach 85% suggesting that husbandry methods exert significant influences on egg quality. Chemical analyses of the protein, fat, vitellogenin, ash, amino acids, free fatty acid and mineral levels of eggs of varying quality and from parents of different strains showed compositional differences even between individuals of the same stock. However, none of these differences were correlated with egg quality. Egg size showed similar variations but, again under hatchery conditions there was no correlation with differences in egg quality. The only factor which has been shown to exert a significant influence on egg quality is the time of stripping after ovulation. At 1 0°C eggs should be removed from gravid females within ten days of ovulation to achieve optimum egg and fry survival. Studies of egg production from approximately 10,000 broodstock revealed that total fecundity and egg size increased and relative fecundity decreased with increasing fish size. In general, most fish appeared to produce a constant volume of eggs. This is consistent with a hypothesis that egg size can only be increased by parallel reductions in fecundity. Feeding broodstock at half-ration (0.35% body weight day- 1 ) did not affect egg quality but reduced total fecundity and egg size and increased relative fecundity when compared with eggs produced by fish on full-ration. Comparisons of regressions of total fecundity against fish weight for three strains using ANOCO revealed that one strain was significantly more fecund than two other strains considered. Trout of the same strain maintained on different farms behaved similarly suggesting there was some reproducibility of strain characteristics.

Internal service quality and its impact on external service quality:a study of the role of internal customer types and the dimensions which are used to assess internal suppliers within an organisation and how this affects external service quality

This research explores the role of internal customers in the delivery of external service quality. It will consider any potentially different internal customer types that may exist within the organisation. Additionally, it will explore any potential differences in the dimensions that are used to measure service quality internally and externally. If there are different internal customer types then there may be different dimensions which are used to measure service quality between these types and this will be considered also. The approach adopted given the depth and breadth of understanding required, was an action research case based approach. The research objectives were:(i) To determine the dimensions of internal service quality between internal customer supplier cells. (ii) To determine what variation, if any, there is in the dimension sets between internal customer supplier cells. (iii) To determine any ranking in the dimensions that could exist by internal customer supplier cell type. (iv) To investigate the impact of internal service quality on external service quality over time. The research findings were: (i) The majority of the dimensions used in measuring external service quality were also used internally. There were additions of new dimensions however and some dimensions which were used externally, for internal use, had to be redefined. (ii) Variation in dimension sets were revealed during the research. Four different dimension sets were identified and these were matched with four different types of internal service interaction. (iii) Differences in the ranking of dimensions within each dimension set for each internal customer supplier cell type were confirmed. (iv) Internal service quality was seen to influence external service quality but at a cellular level rather than company level. At the company level, the average internal service quality at the start and finish of the research showed no improvement but external service quality had improved. Further investigation at the cellular level showed that improvements in internal service quality had occurred. Those improvements were found to be with the cells that were closest to the customer.The research implications were found to be: (i) some cells may not be necessary in the delivery of external service quality. (ii) The immediacy of the cell to the external customer and number of interactions into and out of that cell has the greatest effect on external customer satisfaction. (iii) Internal service quality may be driven by the customer affecting those cells at the front end of the business first. This then cascades back to those cells which are less immediate until ultimately the whole organisation shows improvements in internal service quality.

Evaluation of the quality and promotion of open learning materials

In the UK, Open Learning has been used in industrial training for at least the last decade. Trainers and Open Learning practitioners have been concerned about the quality of the products and services being delivered. The argument put forward in this thesis is that there is ambiguity amongst industrialists over the meanings of `Open Learning' and `Quality in Open Learning'. For clarity, a new definition of Open Learning is proposed which challenges the traditional learner-centred approach favoured by educationalists. It introduces the concept that there are benefits afforded to the trainer/employer/teacher as well as to the learner. This enables a focussed view of what quality in Open Learning really means. Having discussed these issues, a new quantitative method of evaluating Open Learning is proposed. This is based upon an assessment of the degree of compliance with which products meet Parts 1 & 2 of the Open Learning Code of Practice. The vehicle for these research studies has been a commercial contract commissioned by the Training Agency for the Engineering Industry Training Board (EITB) to examine the quality of Open Learning products supplied to the engineering industry. A major part of this research has been the application of the evaluation technique to a range of 67 Open Learning products (in eight subject areas). The findings were that good quality products can be found right across the price range - so can average and poor quality ones. The study also shows quite convincingly that there are good quality products to be found at less than 50. Finally the majority (24 out of 34) of the good quality products were text based.

Can computer-based testing achieve quality and efficiency in assessment?

This paper reports findings of a two year study concerning the development and implementation of a general-purpose computer-based assessment (CBA) system at a UK University. Data gathering took place over a period of nineteen months, involving a number of formative and summative assessments. Approximately 1,000 students, drawn from undergraduate courses, were involved in the exercise. The techniques used in gathering data included questionnaires, observation, interviews and an analysis of student scores in both conventional examinations and computer-based assessments. Comparisons with conventional assessment methods suggest that the use of CBA techniques may improve the overall performance of students. However it is clear that the technique must not be seen as a "quick fix" for problems such as rising student numbers. If one accepts that current systems test only a relatively narrow range of skills, then the hasty implementation of CBA systems will result in a distorted and inaccurate view of student performance. In turn, this may serve to reduce the overall quality of courses and - ultimately - detract from the student learning experience. On the other hand, if one adopts a considered and methodical approach to computer-based assessment, positive benefits might include increased efficiency and quality, leading to improved student learning.

Exchanging knowledge on participation by EU health consumers and patients in research, quality and policy

Sponsored by ZonMw (The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development) The Hague 11–12 April 2013

Organizational change, quality and cybernetics

DUE TO COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION AT ASTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES WITH PRIOR ARRANGEMENT

An examination of the relationship between work value similarity, work value fulfilment, leader-member exchange quality and work outcomes

DUE TO COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS, ONLY AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION AT ASTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY WITH PRIOR ARRANGEMENT

Optical quality and visual performance with customised soft contact lenses for keratoconus

Purpose: This study investigated how aberration-controlling, customised soft contact lenses corrected higher-order ocular aberrations and visual performance in keratoconic patients compared to other forms of refractive correction (spectacles and rigid gas-permeable lenses). Methods: Twenty-two patients (16 rigid gas-permeable contact lens wearers and six spectacle wearers) were fitted with standard toric soft lenses and customised lenses (designed to correct 3rd-order coma aberrations). In the rigid gas-permeable lens-wearing patients, ocular aberrations were measured without lenses, with the patient's habitual lenses and with the study lenses (Hartmann-Shack aberrometry). In the spectacle-wearing patients, ocular aberrations were measured both with and without the study lenses. LogMAR visual acuity (high-contrast and low-contrast) was evaluated with the patient wearing their habitual correction (of either spectacles or rigid gas-permeable contact lenses) and with the study lenses. Results: In the contact lens wearers, the habitual rigid gas-permeable lenses and customised lenses provided significant reductions in 3rd-order coma root-mean-square (RMS) error, 3rd-order RMS and higher-order RMS error (p ≤ 0.004). In the spectacle wearers, the standard toric lenses and customised lenses significantly reduced 3rd-order RMS and higher-order RMS errors (p ≤ 0.005). The spectacle wearers showed no significant differences in visual performance measured between their habitual spectacles and the study lenses. However, in the contact lens wearers, the habitual rigid gas-permeable lenses and standard toric lenses provided significantly better high-contrast acuities compared to the customised lenses (p ≤ 0.006). Conclusions: The customised lenses provided substantial reductions in ocular aberrations in these keratoconic patients; however, the poor visual performances achieved with these lenses are most likely to be due to small, on-eye lens decentrations. © 2014 The College of Optometrists.

Improving performance? The adoption and implementation of quality systems in U.K. nonprofits

There are increasing and multiple pressures on nonprofit organizations to demonstrate excellence in performance. Although there is a growing literature on the various approaches to performance improvement taken by nonprofits, little is known about the processes involved in the adoption and implementation of specific approaches. This article is about the adoption and use of one approach to performance improvement, quality systems, in the U.K. nonprofit sector. We report findings about factors that encourage nonprofits to adopt quality systems. We also analyze the distinctive challenges of implementing quality approaches in a nonprofit sector context and suggest critical success factors. The article concludes with a discussion of the organizational and policy implications of applying the management concepts of quality and performance to the nonprofit sector.