First impressions matter: Signalling as a source of policy dynamics

We first establish that policymakers on the Bank of England's Monetary PolicyCommittee choose lower interest rates with experience. We then reject increasingconfidence in private information or learning about the structure of the macroeconomy as explanations for this shift. Instead, a model in which voters signal theirhawkishness to observers better fits the data. The motivation for signalling is consistent with wanting to control inflation expectations, but not career concerns orpleasing colleagues. There is also no evidence of capture by industry. The papersuggests that policy-motivated reputation building may be important for explainingdynamics in experts' policy choices.

Typographic layout and first impressions: testing how changes in text layout influence reader's judgments of documents

This study explores how the typographic layout of information influences readers' impressions of magazine contents pages. Thirteen descriptors were used in a paired comparison procedure that assessed whether participants' rhetorical impressions of a set of six controlled documents change in relation to variations in layout. The combinations of layout attributes tested were derived from the structural attributes associated with three patterns of typographic differentiation (high, moderate, and low) described in a previous study (see Moys, 2014). The content and the range of stylistic attributes applied to the test material were controlled in order to focus on layout attributes. Triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative data indicates that, even within the experimental confines of limited stylistic differentiation, the layout attributes associated with patterns of high, moderate, and low typographic differentiation do influence readers' rhetorical judgments. In addition, the findings emphasize the importance of considering inter-relationships between clusters of typographic attributes rather than testing isolated variables.

Narrow band imaging (NBI) during medical thoracoscopy: first impressions

Background This is the first ever evaluation of narrow band imaging (NBI), an innovative endoscopic imaging procedure, for the visualisation of pleural processes. Methods The pleural cavity was examined in 26 patients with pleural effusions using both white light and narrow band imaging during thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia. Results In the great majority of the patients narrow band imaging depicted the blood vessels more clearly than white light, but failed to reveal any differences in number, shape or size. Only in a single case with pleura thickened by chronic inflammation and metastatic spread of lung cancer did narrow band imaging show vessels that were not detectable under white light. Conclusion It is not yet possible to assess to what extent the evidence provided by NBI is superior to that achieved with white light. Further studies are required, particularly in the early stages of pleural processes.

Looking too Old? How First Impressions of Older-looking Candidates Contribute to Unfavorable Selection Decisions

Building on theories of impression formation based on faces, this research investigates the impact of job candidates’ facial age appearance on hiring as well as the underlying mechanism. In an experiment, participants decided whether to hire a fictitious candidate aged 50 years, 30 years or without age information. The candidate’s age was signaled either via chronological information (varied by date of birth) or via facial age appearance (varied by a photograph on the résumé). Findings showed that candidates with older-appearing faces—but not chronologically older candidates—triggered impressions of low health and fitness, compared to younger-appearing candidates. These impressions reduced perceptions of person-job fit, which lowered hiring probabilities for older-appearing candidates. These findings provide the first evidence that trait impressions from faces are a determinant of age discrimination in personnel selection. They call for an extension of current models of age discrimination by integrating the effects of face-based trait impressions, particularly with respect to health and fitness.

Across the ferry: first impressions of America and its people.

Mode of access: Internet.

First impressions of England and its people.

Mode of access: Internet.

Pot-pourri parisien and first impressions of New York ...

Mode of access: Internet.

First impressions of England and its people.

Mode of access: Internet.

First impressions; or, Hints to those who would make home happy.

Mode of access: Internet.

First impressions of England and its people.

Mode of access: Internet.

First impressions and perceived roles: Palestinian perceptions on foreign aid

This paper summarizes some results of a wider research on foreign aid that was conducted in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2010. It seeks to describe the impressions and feelings of Palestinian aid beneficiaries as well as the roles and functions they attached to foreign aid. To capture and measure local perceptions on Western assistance a series of individual in depth interviews and few focus group interviews were conducted in the Palestinian territories. The interview transcripts were processed by content analysis. As research results show — from the perspective of aid beneficiaries — foreign aid is more related to human dignity than to any economic development. All this implies that frustration with the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict inevitably embraces the donor policies and practices too.

Mobilie Banking adoption: a novel in the portuguese context

Dissertação apresentada como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Estatística e Gestão de Informação

Sistema de Informação para gestão da produção e manutenção de ferramentas

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia de Sistemas

Successful Implementation of an ERP System

Työn tarkoituksena on tarkastella ERP-järjestelmän käyttöönottoa ja tarjota ohjekartta kuinka tehdä se menestyksekkäästi. Lisäksi työ kartoittaa Konecranesin saamia etuja ja hyötyjä yrityksen ottaessa ERP-järjestelmä käyttöön. Käyttöönottoprojekti, sen vaiheet ja muut merkittävät ERP-projekteihin liittyvät vaiheet on kuvattu työssä yksityiskohtaisesti. Ensiksi ERP-järjestelmän käyttöönottoa tarkastellaan kirjallisuuteen perustuen. Myöhemmin sitä tarkastellaan perustuen kirjoittajan kokemuksiin ja havaintoihin ERP-järjestelmän käyttöönotosta, ja vertaillaan käytännön suhdetta teoriaan.ERP-järjestemät ovat kalliita ja niiden käyttöön ottaminen on aikaa vievää. Viimeisen vuosikymmenen aikana yritykset ovat enenevissä määrin alkaneet ottamaan ERP-järjestelmiä käyttöön. ERP-järjestelmät ovat saavuttaneet kasvavaa suosiota mm. niiden operaatioita integroivan ja tehostavan luonteesta ansiosta sekä niiden kyvystä tarjota päivitettyä tietoa reaaliajassa.Myös menestyksekkäissä ERP-projekteissa on parantamisen varaa. Mitattaessa ERP- projektin menestyksellisyyttä pitäisi käyttää sekä määrällisiä että laadullisia mittareita. On helppoa käyttää ainoastaan määrällisiä mittareita. Usein kuitenkin laadulliset asiat ovat tärkeämpiä. Ihmiset on saatava sitoutumaan yhteiseen tavoitteeseen kommunikaation avulla. Huonoja ensivaikutelmia on vaikea muuttaa. Vaikka vaikuttaisikin siltä, että ERP-projekti on onnistunut, kun kaikki näyttää hyvältä ”paperilla”, loppujen lopuksi systeemiä käyttävät ihmiset päättävät projektin menestyksellisyydestä. Järjestelmän käyttöönottohetkeä on pidettävä ERP-projektin ensimmäisenä vaiheena.