Genetics and competing strategies in a threshold model for mail processing

Multi-agent algorithms inspired by the division of labour in social insects are applied to a problem of distributed mail retrieval in which agents must visit mail producing cities and choose between mail types under certain constraints.The efficiency (i.e. the average amount of mail retrieved per time step), and the flexibility (i.e. the capability of the agents to react to changes in the environment) are investigated both in static and dynamic environments. New rules for mail selection and specialisation are introduced and are shown to exhibit improved efficiency and flexibility compared to existing ones. We employ a genetic algorithm which allows the various rules to evolve and compete. Apart from obtaining optimised parameters for the various rules for any environment, we also observe extinction and speciation. From a more theoretical point of view, in order to avoid finite size effects, most results are obtained for large population sizes. However, we do analyse the influence of population size on the performance. Furthermore, we critically analyse the causes of efficiency loss, derive the exact dynamics of the model in the large system limit under certain conditions, derive theoretical upper bounds for the efficiency, and compare these with the experimental results.

Workplace interactions and the polymorphic role of e-mail

Purpose - One of the principal organizational developments in the last decade has been the pervasive influence of computer mediated communication (CMC) tools. The purpose of this paper is to closely interrogate the day-to-day role of e-mail in explicating, influencing and shaping social and information interactions within an organization. Design/methodology/approach - A series of in-depth interviews (n = 29) were undertaken to elicit employee opinions on their e-mail adaptation, experiences and practices. Findings - The paper provides insights into the polymorphic role of e-mail, particularly the way in which it is adapted by individuals within the organization. Specifically, it shows how this tool interacts within day-to-day work activities and tasks. Research limitations/implications - This paper investigates only one CMC tool, e-mail, although it is envisaged that this initial work will be used to raise a new understanding of the socially skilled adaptation of other CMC tools by employees as well as leaders. Practical implications- Previously unreported insights into employee opinion are delineated in order to provide a focus from which organizations can train and develop their employees and leaders to maximise knowledge creation within the organization. Originality/value - This study assesses CMC from an under-researched "real-life" perspective in which everyday interactions are used to understand employee reactions to e-mail communication and hence foster an atmosphere in which these interactions assist organizational development.

Prepaid monetary incentives on mail survey response

Increasing mail survey response using monetary incentives is a proven, but not always cost-effective, method in every population. This paper tackles the questions of whether it is worth using monetary incentives and the size of the inducement by testing a regression model of the impact of prepaid monetary incentives on response rates in consumer and organizational mail surveys. The results support their use and show that the inducement value makes a significant impact on the effect size. Importantly, no significant differences were found between consumer and organizational populations.

The optimum prepaid monetary incentives for mail surveys

Increasing mail-survey response using monetary incentives is a proven, but not always cost-effective method in every population. This paper tackles the questions of whether it is worth using monetary incentives and the size of the inducement by testing a logit model of the impact of prepaid monetary incentives on response rates in consumer and organizational mail surveys. The results support their use and show that the inducement value makes a significant impact on the effect size. Importantly, no significant differences were found between consumer and organizational populations. A cost-benefit model is developed to estimate the optimum incentive when attempting to minimize overall survey costs for a given sample size. © 2006 Operational Research Society Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prepaid monetary incentives on mail survey response

Increasing mail survey response using monetary incentives is a proven, but not always cost-effective, method in every population. This paper tackles the questions of whether it is worth using monetary incentives and the size of the inducement by testing a regression model of the impact of prepaid monetary incentives on response rates in consumer and organizational mail surveys. The results support their use and show that the inducement value makes a significant impact on the effect size. Importantly, no significant differences were found between consumer and organizational populations.

Niederdeutsch im Internet. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen computervermittelter Kommunikation für den Spracherhalt:possibilities and limitations of computer-mediated communication for language preservation

Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht die Frage, in welchem Maße sich Institutionen, die niederdeutsche Kulturszene und individuelle Sprecher des Niederdeutschen moderne Kommunikationstechnologien wie das Internet zunutze machen und ob computervermittelte Kommunikation helfen kann, dem Rückgang des Niederdeutschen Einhalt zu gebieten. Die grundsätzliche Herangehensweise ist eine soziolinguistische, die das Internet als sozialen Handlungsraum versteht, in dem Individuen und Institutionen kommunizieren. Für eine derartige Perspektive stehen weniger das Medium oder das Genre im Mittelpunkt des Interesses als vielmehr das kommunizierende Individuum und die Sprachgemeinschaft, in diesem Fall die virtuelle Sprachgemeinschaft. Based on studies that analyse the potential of computer-mediated communication (cmc) to help fight language shift in lesser-used languages, this paper discusses the situation of Low German in Northern Germany. Over the last three decades, Low German has lost more than half of its active speakers. The article raises the question of whether and, if so, how Low German speakers make use of cmc to stem this tide. Following a sociolinguistic approach focussed on the individual speakers who use the Internet as a space for social interaction, it gives an overview of the discursive field of Low German on the internet and analyses in detail the most popular Low German discussion board. It shows that one of the main obstacles to a more successful use of cmc can be found in speakers' complex attitude toward written Low German. © Franz Steiner Verlag Stuttgart.

The effects of mailing design characteristics on direct mail campaign performance

Designing effective direct mail pieces is considered a key success factor in direct marketing. However, related published empirical research is scarce while design recommendations are manifold and often conflicting. Compared with prior work, our study aims to provide more elaborate and empirically validated findings for the effects of direct mail design characteristics by analyzing 677 direct mail campaigns from non-profit organizations and financial service providers. We investigate the effects of (1) various envelope characteristics and observable cues on opening rates, and (2) characteristics of the envelope content on the keeping rates of direct mail campaigns. We show that visual design elements on the outer envelope – rather than sender-related details – are the predominant drivers of opening rates. Factors such as letter length, provision of sender information in the letter, and personalization positively influence the keeping rate. We also observe that opening and keeping rates are uncorrelated at the campaign level, implying that opening direct mail pieces is only a necessary condition for responding to offers, but not per se a driver of direct mail response.

Designing an E-Mail Prototype to Enhance Effective Communication and Task Management: A Case Study

This paper deals with communicational breakdowns and misunderstandings in computer mediated communication (CMC) and ways to recover from them or to prevent them. The paper describes a case study of CMC conducted in a company named Artigiani. We observed communication and conducted content analysis of e-mail messages, focusing on message exchanges between customer service representatives (CSRs) and their contacts. In addition to task management difficulties, we identified communication breakdowns that result from differences between perspectives, and from the lack of contextual information, mainly technical background and professional jargon at the customers’ side. We examined possible ways to enhance CMC and accordingly designed a prototype for an e-mail user interface that emphasizes a communicational strategy called contextualization as a central component for obtaining effective communication and for supporting effective management and control of organizational activities, especially handling orders, price quoting, and monitoring the supply and installation of products.

The effect of mentoring electronic mail on student achievement and attitudes in a graduate course in educational research

This exploratory study of a classroom with mentoring and neutral e-mail was conducted in a public commuter state university in South Florida between January 1996 and April 1996. Sixteen males and 83 females from four graduate level educational research classes participated in the study.^ Two main hypotheses were tested. Hypothesis One was that those students receiving mentoring e-mail messages would score significantly higher on an instrument measuring attitude toward educational research (ATERS) than those not receiving mentoring e-mail messages. Hypothesis Two was that those students receiving mentoring e-mail would score significantly higher on objective exams covering the educational research material than those not receiving mentoring e-mail.^ Results of factorial analyses of variance showed no significant differences between the treatment groups in achievement or in attitudes toward educational research. Introverts had lower attitudes and lower final exam grades in both groups, although introverts in the mentored group scored higher than those introverts in the neutral group.^ A t test of the means of total response to e-mail from the researcher showed a significant difference between the mentored and neutral e-mail groups. Introverts responded more often than extraverts in both groups.^ Teacher effect was significant in determining class response to e-mail messages. Responses were most frequent in the researcher's classes.^ Qualitative analyses of the e-mail and course evaluation survey and of the content of e-mail messages received by the researcher were then grouped into basic themes and discussed.^ A qualitative analysis of an e-mail and course evaluation survey revealed that students from both the neutral and mentoring e-mail groups appreciated teacher feedback. A qualitative analysis of the mentoring and neutral e-mail replies divided the responses into those pertaining to the class, such as test and research paper questions, and more personal items, such as problems in the class and personal happenings.^ At this point in time, e-mail is not a standard way of communicating in classes in the college of education at this university. As this technology tool of communication becomes more popular, it is anticipated that replications of this study will be warranted. ^

2000 NHGRI e-mail request for HGP sequencing center information, and corresponding aggregate data from NHGRI, compiled by Kris Wetterstrand

Email exchange in 2013 between Kathryn Maxson (Duke) and Kris Wetterstrand (NHGRI), regarding country funding and other data for the HGP sequencing centers. Also includes the email request for such information, from NHGRI to the centers, in 2000, and the aggregate data collected.

Meningsskapande i utställningen : En komparativ etnografisk fallstudie av förskolegruppers multimodala kommunikation vid ett Naturhistoriskt museum och ett Science center

Som övergripande syfte vill denna studie undersöka hur två förskolegrupper kan meningsskapa i två olika utställningar genom att beskriva, analysera och jämföra dessa två förskolegruppers multimodala kommunikation vid utställningsbesök. Genom syftet vill denna studie ge ökad kunskap om multimodal kommunikation hos två förskolegrupper i två olika utställningar. I syftet ingår att studien önskar öka kunskapen om hur semiotiska resurser kan användas och vad som fokuseras genom språkbruk, som kommunikativa villkor för lärande i utställningar. Studien har en design av en komparativ etnografisk fallstudie. Videoinspelningar, MP-3 ljudinspelningar, deltagande observation och fältanteckningar har använts som instrument för datainsamling. Genom strategiska urval valdes 11 stycken treåriga förskolebarn och tre pedagoger för att besöka en utställning vid Naturhistoriska Museet och nio femåriga förskolebarn med två pedagoger for att besöka en utställning vid Tom Tits Experiment (science center). Det insamlade materialet transkriberades multimodalt och kunde därefter analyseras som text. Multimodal interaktionsanalys (Norris 2004, 2014) och ett språkbruksraster (Rostvall & West 2001) användes för analys. Resultatet visade markanta skillnader mellan utställningarna. Av den multimodala interaktionsanalysen visade utställningen vid ett science center en bredare användning av semiotiska resurser, då alla artefakters meningserbjudanden var både visuella och taktila, en del artefakter erbjöd även auditiva meningserbjudanden. Språkbruket i samma utställning var mycket varierat och barnen anmodade varandra. Slutsatsen blir av detta att förskolegruppernas a) meningsskapande villkoras av språkbruk och att b) om meningsskapandet ska ske i samarbete ökas den möjligheten dess mer symmetriska de sociala relationerna är.

Sjuksköterskans upplevelse och beskrivning av kommunikation med vuxna patienter med ADHD inom öppenvårdspsykiatrin : En kvalitativ intervjustudie

Bakgrund: Studier visar på patienters upplevelse av kommunikation med sjuksköterskor, att sjuksköterskor behöver ha kunskap om kommunikation och kunskap om de funktionsnedsättningar patienter med ADHD kan ha. Tidigare studier belyser också olika kommunikationsteorier som är användbara i vårdrelationer, men inte så mycket om sjuksköterskors upplevelser. Syfte: Att beskriva hur sjuksköterskor vid öppenvårdsmottagningar inom psykiatrin upplever och beskriver kommunikation med vuxna patienter med ADHD. Metod: Studien hade en kvalitativ design där data samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Analysmetoden utgjordes av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i ett tema, fyra kategorier och elva subkategorier. Sjuksköterskor vid öppenvårdsmottagningar upplevde kommunikation med patienter med ADHD som tärande och närande på samma gång. Olika kommunikationstekniker användes i kombination med kunskap om funktionsnedsättningar för att skapa de bästa förutsättningarna för kommunikationen med patienter. Bra bemötande och ett bra förhållningssätt rapporterades vara viktiga i kommunikationen med patienter. Slutsats: Sjuksköterskor inom öppenvårdspsykiatrin upplevde kommunikationen med patienter med ADHD som både närande och tärande. Sjuksköterskorna anpassar kommunikationen efter patientens behov och förmåga, och bemöter alla patienters olika behov med respekt. Sjuksköterskor ansåg att ett bra förhållningssätt och en gott bemötande var viktigt för att kommunikationen med patienter med ADHD skulle fungera optimalt.

Hur grafiska formgivare runt om i världen uppfattar skandinavisk grafisk design

Syftet med föreliggande studie har varit att kartlägga hur grafiska formgivare runt om i världen uppfattar skandinavisk grafisk design. 53 deltagare från industriländer deltog i studien som använde en kombination av mail-intervjuer och enkäter. Resultaten från denna studie indikerar att, oavsett kontinent, upplevs skandinavisk grafisk design som enkel och funktionell. Layouten uppfattades som rutnätsbaserad med mycket ljusrum och få grafiska element. Monokroma färger som svart, vit och grå utan gradienter och skuggor uppfattades som typiska för skandinavisk grafisk design; följt av jord- och pastellfärger. Sanserifer var mest förknippade med skandinavisk grafisk design. Motiv ansågs i denna studie att användas sparsamt, men när de används avbildar de naturen eller geometriska former. Foton och illustrationer ansågs användas ungefär lika mycket, illustrationer hade en smärre större preferens. Den upplevda påverkan av skandinavisk grafisk design varierade mellan deltagarna. Deltagarna som tyckte att påverkan var stor, ansåg att detta berodde på förespråkandet av enkelhet och funktion, sammanflätning av designområden och/eller frammaning av hållbar grafisk design. Deltagarna som ansåg att påverkan var låg, tyckte att för lite publicitet var en bidragande faktor.De flesta deltagarna i denna undersökning ansåg att skandinavisk grafisk design var enklare i jämförelse med vad de kunde se i sina hemländer. Vidare tyckte afrikanska, asiatiska och sydamerikanska deltagare  att färgerna hade lägre kroma.

O e-mail e o marketing de permissão

No domínio do marketing, o e-mail é amplamente reconhecido na literatura como uma das mais eficazes ferramentas de comunicação ao serviço das organizações. Contudo, o seu manancial de potencialidades tem sido ensombrado por um crescente fenómeno de spam, capaz de influencia negativamente as suas taxas de eficácia. Face a este problema, a presente investigação foi dirigida em torno de uma das suas possíveis soluções - o marketing de permissão.