Affect Operator Performance Research Articles

Neural dynamics of delayed feedback in robot teleoperation: insights from fNIRS analysis.

As robot teleoperation increasingly becomes integral in executing tasks in distant, hazardous, or inaccessible environments, operational delays remain a significant obstacle. These delays, inherent in signal transmission and processing, adversely affect operator performance, particularly in tasks requiring precision and timeliness. While current research has made strides in mitigating these delays through advanced control strategies and training methods, a crucial gap persists in understanding the neurofunctional impacts of these delays and the efficacy of countermeasures from a cognitive perspective. This study addresses the gap by leveraging functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to examine the neurofunctional implications of simulated haptic feedback on cognitive activity and motor coordination under delayed conditions. In a human-subject experiment (N = 41), sensory feedback was manipulated to observe its influences on various brain regions of interest (ROIs) during teleoperation tasks. The fNIRS data provided a detailed assessment of cerebral activity, particularly in ROIs implicated in time perception and the execution of precise movements. Our results reveal that the anchoring condition, which provided immediate simulated haptic feedback with a delayed visual cue, significantly optimized neural functions related to time perception and motor coordination. This condition also improved motor performance compared to the asynchronous condition, where visual and haptic feedback were misaligned. These findings provide empirical evidence about the neurofunctional basis of the enhanced motor performance with simulated synthetic force feedback in the presence of teleoperation delays. The study highlights the potential for immediate haptic feedback to mitigate the adverse effects of operational delays, thereby improving the efficacy of teleoperation in critical applications.

Factor analysis of dynamic capabilities on public health centers operation performance

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine how the variables of supply chain performance, performance of medical personnel, and occupancy overload affect operating performance moderated by dynamic capability variables. In a case study of public health center in Indonesia.Design/methodology/approach: This study uses the SEM-PLS quantitative method to analyze the questionnaire data obtained from 112 respondents consisting of medical administrators, nurses, and doctors. Validity and reliability tests were also used to ensure that the data were normally distributed and reliable.Findings: This study found that the supply chain performance variable and the performance of medical personnel had a positive effect on the operational performance of the public health center either through moderating the dynamic capability variable or not. Meanwhile, occupancy overload was found to have a negative effect on the operational performance of the public health center. And the moderating of the dynamic capability variable is only able to reduce its negative impact.Research limitations/implications: This study covers only a small number of public health center in Indonesia, so it is quite difficult to produce generalizable findings. This study also did not involve other internal and external variables that could potentially affect the operational performance of the public health center.Practical implications: The findings of this study can be a suggestion for the government and the management of the public health center to pay more attention to the variables that affect the operational performance of the public health center. Variables that have a positive impact should be increased and variables that have a negative impact should be mitigated.Social implications: Health centers that have effective and efficient operating management will be able to maximize the performance of patient services armed with available resources. The findings of this study can help the public health center to anticipate a surge in patient visits which can reduce the operating performance of the public health center.Originality/value: This study combines the variables of supply chain performance, medical personnel performance, occupancy overload, dynamic capability, and operating performance in one causality model framework. In contrast to other studies that did it separately.

One-Coil Long-Stroke Permanent Magnetic Actuator Design Applied to Load Breaker Switch for Railway

This paper proposes a design for a one-coil long-stroke permanent magnet actuator (PMA) applied to a load breaker switch with a novel mechanism applicable to railways. As a new load breaker switch applicable to railway overhead lines has a double-insulation structure of the vacuum interrupter (VI) and a disconnect switch (DS) for higher insulation, the actuator to control the switch requires a very long stroke. While the traditional mechanism of the PMA implements a stroke of 10 to 30 mm, the load breaker switch with a double-insulation structure requires a stroke of 120 mm. To do so, we used the finite element method (FEM) and designed a novel one-coil long-stroke PMA. Then, values from FEM analysis were compared with measured holding force data, and a simplified prototype test-jig was used to confirm the actuator’s operating characteristics. In addition, the electromagnetic force, plunger rotation, and part weight ratio, which affect operating performance, were adapted in its design. By doing so, we confirmed the operating performance required for the one-coil long-stroke PMA for a new load breaker switch with a double-insulation structure with a VI average opening speed of 1.4 m/s and an average closing speed of 0.9 m/s at 1/2 of full stroke.

Reduced Simulation: Real-to-Sim Approach toward Collision Detection in Narrowly Confined Environments

Recently, several deep-learning based navigation methods have been achieved because of a high quality dataset collected from high-quality simulated environments. However, the cost of creating high-quality simulated environments is high. In this paper, we present a concept of the reduced simulation, which can serve as a simplified version of a simulated environment yet be efficient enough for training deep-learning based UAV collision avoidance approaches. Our approach deals with the reality gap between a reduced simulation dataset and real world dataset and can provide a clear guideline for reduced simulation design. Our experimental result confirmed that the reduction in visual features provided by textures and lighting does not affect operating performance with the user study. Moreover, by conducting collision detection experiments, we verified that our reduced simulation outperforms the conventional cost-effective simulations in adaptation capability with respect to realistic simulation and real-world scenario.

Estimation of operating profit of liner ship from integrated mathematical model considering design, hydrodynamic performance, and operation

Traditionally, it has been difficult to evaluate the operating efficiency of ships using objective and credible indicators in order for ship owners and seafarers to confidently plan an optimized transportation strategy considering accurate ship performance. This is due to a number of factors that affect operating performance; the type of ship, cargo, ship speed, sea route, and weather conditions. This paper aimed to estimate the operating profit of a liner LNGC based on a mathematical model developed considering design information, accurate hydrodynamic performance, and operation. Operating profit was assumed to be the expected income minus the CAPEX, OPEX, and VOYEX. The proposed model was used to simulate a voyage from the departing terminal to the arriving terminal to estimate RPM, engine power, electric power, BOG accumulation, BOG combustion, fuel oil and gas consumption, combustion, and operating profit. Finally, the operating profit surface for project life cycle of 25 years including transportation, anchoring at a terminal, and re-docking was reviewed to decide the optimized transportation strategy.

How does reverse factoring affect operating performance? An event study of Chinese manufacturing firms

PurposeAs a popular supply chain finance (SCF) strategy, reverse factoring has been widely adopted by buyer firms. However, the extant literature provides scant empirical evidence on the performance effect of reverse factoring. The purpose of this study is to seek to narrow this gap by empirically examining the relationship between reverse factoring and operating performance and the contingency conditions of this relationship.Design/methodology/approachBased on a sample of 167 announcements of reverse factoring implementation made by publicly listed Chinese manufacturing firms between 2014 and 2018, this paper employs a long-term event study approach to analyze the operating performance effect of reverse factoring as well as the moderating effects of production and innovation capabilities.FindingsThe event study results indicate that reverse factoring has a positive effect on buyer firms' operating performance in terms of cost efficiency and operating margin. In addition, both production and innovation capabilities positively moderate the relationship between reverse factoring and operating margin. However, neither of them moderates the relationship between reverse factoring and cost efficiency.Originality/valueThis is the first study that empirically examines the impact of reverse factoring on operating performance based on secondary data. Furthermore, it sheds light on the SCF literature by providing insights into the contingency effects of production and innovation capabilities, which also extends our understanding of the application of extended resource-based view in SCF research.

Does Merger Type or Industry Affect Operating Performance of Acquiring Firms? A Long-Term Merger Performance Study in India

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As) are being increasingly used the world over, for improving competitiveness of firms through gaining greater size and/or market share, broadening the product/service portfolio, reducing business/financial risk, entering new markets and geographies, and consolidation for achieving economies of scale etc. While there has been lot of hype and hope around mergers, and research about stock market reactions to such announcements, it is important to examine, if merging with other firms in same or other industries, actually improves the financial operating performance, for justifying such merger activities. This research study has aimed to study the impact of mergers on the operating performance of acquiring firms, by examining pre-merger and post-merger financial performance ratios, using the sample set of publicly traded acquiring firms in India between 1991-2015. Further, the sample has been segregated to study the impact for 1) mergers occurring among different industry segments, and 2) mergers between acquiring and acquired firms belonging to same industry (horizontal or vertical), or between firms in unrelated industries (conglomerate). The results from the analysis suggest that there are variations in terms of impact of mergers on operating performance, in different industry sectors in India. In particular, there was a positive impact on profitability for acquiring firms in the Banking & Financial Services industry, while the impact was significantly negative for mergers in Sugar & Agri-Products, Pharmaceutical and Textiles Sectors. The impact was mildly negative for Chemicals Sector, and mixed impact for the other sectors. Also, mergers seem to have caused significant decline in returns performance for horizontal mergers, while the impact has been neutral for vertical and conglomerate mergers.

Neural Efficiency of Human-Robotic Feedback Modalities Under Stress Differs With Gender.

Sensory feedback, which can be presented in different modalities – single and combined, aids task performance in human–robotic interaction (HRI). However, combining feedback modalities does not always lead to optimal performance. Indeed, it is not known how feedback modalities affect operator performance under stress. Furthermore, there is limited information on how feedback affects neural processes differently for males and females and under stress. This is a critical gap in the literature, particularly in the domain of surgical robotics, where surgeons are under challenging socio-technical environments that burden them physiologically. In the present study, we posited operator performance as the summation of task performance and neurophysiological cost of maintaining that performance. In a within-subject design, we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to assess cerebral activations of 12 participants who underwent a 3D manipulation task within a virtual environment with concurrent feedback (visual and visual + haptic) in the presence and absence of a cognitive stressor. Cognitive stress was induced with the serial-7 subtraction test. We found that while task performance was higher with visual than visual + haptic feedback, it degraded under stress. The two feedback modalities were found to be associated with varying neural activities and neural efficiencies, and these were stress- and gender-dependent. Our findings engender further investigation into effectiveness of feedback modalities on males and females under stressful conditions in HRI.

Does supply chain visibility affect operating performance? Evidence from conflict minerals disclosures

AbstractFirms are increasingly held accountable for their suppliers' transgressions. Consequently, firms need to develop upstream visibility to exercise control over their supply chains. An emerging body of work has recognized the importance of supply chain visibility and has examined it using analytical models, behavioral methods, and case studies. Still, large‐sample empirical evidence on the benefits of supply chain visibility remains elusive. We seek to bridge this gap by examining conflict minerals disclosures (mandated by the 2010 Dodd‐Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act) and financial reports to evaluate whether firms with greater visibility into their conflict minerals supply chains achieve improved operating and market performance. We use the data from conflict minerals disclosures (Form SD) to distinguish between firms that have high or low visibility into their conflict minerals sources. Then, we use event study methods to analyze differences in operating and market performance between firms with high visibility and firms with low visibility. We find that firms with high visibility into their conflict minerals supply chains achieve higher profitability than comparable firms with less visibility. In addition, we find that firms with high visibility into their conflict minerals supply chains realize improved sales performance and stock market valuations. Our results are relevant to managers because they show that firms can attain operational and market benefits by improving visibility in their supply chains.

Human-Machine Interface Degree of Freedom Effects on Performance in Space Telerobotics.

INTRODUCTION: There are many potential human-machine interfaces for controlling complex robotics. However, restrictions in hardware, software, or human capability may pose limits on the input device degrees-of-freedom (DOF). This study examined effects on operational performance and strategy when interface DOF were limited, hypothesizing that different limitations on interface DOF would affect operator performance and technique.METHODS: Experiments used a Canadarm2 simulator with a dual-joystick interface adapted to operate under limited DOF conditions. Four interfaces were compared: full multiaxis (FM), limited translation (TL), limited rotation (RL), and without simultaneous translation/rotation or "non-bimanual" (NB). Subjects were tasked with operating the Canadarm2 in a simulated ISS control scenario to approach and grapple a moving cargo vehicle within a 90-s time limit.RESULTS: No significant difference was seen between FM and RL in task time or grapple success, and both were significantly different from TL. NB exhibited significantly increased task time from FM and RL, but no significant difference in grapple success rate. When rotating, subjects decreased time spent using multirotation for NB over FM.DISCUSSION: Similar performance between FM and RL suggests that restricting rotation may be preferred for interfaces with DOF design limits. For the NB condition, there was increased task time combined with decreased multirotation, highlighting potential use for NB in training for rotation efficiency. Two different strategies were observed during TL to overcome inability to visually track, align with, and move toward the target simultaneously. Examination of these techniques provides insight on which strategic elements were most critical for success.Hall SA, Stirling L. Human-machine interface degree of freedom effects on performance in space telerobotics. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(12):1022-1030.

Does Culture Affect Operating Performance in Private Equity Buyouts?

Using a dataset of 583 private equity (PE) leveraged buyouts (LBOs) from 14 European countries, we examine the moderating impact of national culture on the operating performance of PE portfolio companies. We argue that high performance orientation of a society positively affects operating performance development because it aligns incentives with PE sponsors who need to satisfy high return expectations in a short period of time. In our baseline estimates, we find that PE-backed firms outgrow their respective industries significantly in terms of total assets and employment post-LBO. A country’s performance orientation reinforces this effect: A one standard deviation increase in countries’ performance orientation is associated with an industry-adjusted rise of about 11% in total assets and more than 6% in employment over the course of four years, respectively. Independent of a country’s performance orientation, PE-backing does not meaningfully impact post-LBO profitability, which suggests a growth profitability tradeoff. We also test whether growth comes at the expense of higher leverage and thus higher risk, but cannot find a significantly higher debt burden in performance oriented societies. Thus, our findings indicate that portfolio firms in performance oriented societies grow faster but at similar risk as their peers in non-performance oriented societies.

Stock Recommendations for Politically Connected Firms

AbstractSocial network connections of corporations can significantly affect operating performance and firm valuation. Political connections are one form of social networking which often manifests into improved firm profitability as a result of political favors granted by politicians. However, analysts often have greater difficulty forecasting the earnings of politically connected firms than those of non‐connected firms. This is because politicians often grant political favors to firms in an unpredictable manner making it difficult for market participants to time precisely when political benefits will translate into higher firm profitability. I examine how political connections affect analysts’ stock recommendations using a unique dataset of political contributions in the US over the period 1993–2012. I show that analysts’ recommendations are less profitable for firms with high connectedness than for firms with low (or no) connectedness. I also find that analysts are less effective in translating earnings forecasts into profitable recommendations for highly connected firms. Overall, the findings suggest that analysts do not impound all of the information concerning corporate political connections efficiently into their primary research outputs.

Using Empirical Research and Human Performance Modeling to Predict Astronaut Performance in Long-Duration Space Missions

The invited symposium session consists of four papers describing the S-PRINT project, sponsored by NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP). The efforts undertaken as part of this project were to develop tools and empirically-based guidelines that support human performance researchers, mission planners, automation designers, and astronauts in long-duration missions. The Space Performance Research Integration Tool (S- PRINT) project addresses aspects of the work environment that are characterized by workload transitions that might occur during long-duration missions. Workload transitions are a potential worst-case scenario, in which under-loaded astronauts experience automation failures that require immediate diagnosis and intervention. The research has focused on the underload situation and on the effects that fatigue has on performance, human performance during overload / multitasking situations, and on automation design factors that affect operator performance. In this symposium, the investigators will present four papers (identified below) that describe different aspects of the research completed to develop the S-PRINT model. The session will show an integrated approach of using empirical research and human performance modeling to predict operator performance in operations that are in the design phase. In part, this symposium will highlight the way that the products from this research can be used to help the above-listed users (a) anticipate and avoid potential problems related to unexpected workload transitions by identifying the expected effects of operator fatigue, automation system design, and task factors on overload performance, and to (b) assure systems can be designed in such a way as to optimize performance in space exploration missions, particularly those that are experienced during longer term missions (6+ months).

Can Time Buffers Lead to Delays? The Role of Operational Flexibility

In operating systems where the feasible start time of activities is uncertain, the available (actual) time buffers for conducting the activities are distinct from planned (scheduled) time buffers. We study how, and why, do these two buffers (scheduled and actual) affect operating performance? We propose a stylized model that explicitly accounts for operational flexibility to examine these questions. Additionally, we evaluate the empirical content of our model by taking its predictions to real-world data from the airline industry. Our theoretical results show, and empirical results confirm, that both scheduled and actual time buffers impact operating performance. Specifically, smaller actual time buffers and larger scheduled time buffers are associated with poorer operating performance. Moreover, both these effects are moderated by operational flexibility, i.e., the negative impact of these buffers are stronger with lower flexibility. Our empirical results also serve to illustrate that these two operational variables are not just statistically significant, but, from a practical perspective for the airline industry, explain a substantial part of delays compared to the variables identified in past literature. Overall, we highlight the importance of understanding both the direct effect of time buffers and the role of resource flexibility in managing operational performance.

Scaling Robotic Systems for Dismounted Warfighters

As robot usage becomes more widespread, there is a pressing need to develop smaller, lighter robotic control systems that have good training transfer from larger systems; do not overload the operator cognitively or physically; and enable good performance across a variety of settings. This article describes four experiments designed to investigate options for scaling robot controllers for dismounted use. The authors evaluated many different controller characteristics, chosen from consideration of available options and guided by factors expected to affect operator performance in realistic missions. These factors included camera display screen size, comparisons of handheld versus head-mounted displays and split screen displays versus toggle-driven and multimodal displays, and three approaches to reducing the size of the control interface. Each configuration examined was chosen on the basis of theory-based expectations and availability of technology. Participants were 108 soldiers from various military occupational specialties with ages ranging from 21 to 38. Results demonstrated the following fruitful methods for reducing controller size: reducing driving displays to between 3.5 and 6.5 inches, using handheld displays (HHDs), adding a tactile belt to a toggle screen for driving and map reading, and miniaturizing existing control size. All recommended options for reducing controller size had no adverse impact on cognitive requirements or performance.

A resource dependence theory perspective of ISO 9000 in managing organizational environment

More than 900,000 organizations worldwide have registered to the ISO 9000 quality management standard. Despite its growing popularity, few studies have offered a coherent theoretical basis for the standard's appeal. A theory-based explanation enhances understanding and appreciation for the standard, and provides clarity on how the standard benefits organizations. In this paper, we invoke the resource dependence theory (RDT) to purport that the standard is used by organizations as a tool to manage their organizational environment. It does this by specifying procedures that organizations need to manage their organization–environment boundary spanning processes. Using the RDT perspective, a model with three key constructs embodying ISO 9000 was developed: internal processes, relationships with customers and relationships with suppliers. The latter two were treated as being part of the task environment. We predicted that the external aspects of the standard affect operating performance (a measure of effectiveness), both directly and through internal processes. Empirical data from 416 ISO 9000 registered Australian manufacturing plants validated the RDT perspective, and suggest that the three constructs, individually and in isolation, are not as effective as when they are considered together. By invoking RDT, a new theoretical viewpoint to ISO 9000 has been developed that adds to other theoretical perspectives, and goes some way to explaining the growing popularity of this standard with organizations.

Probabilistic modeling and dynamic optimization for performance improvement and risk management of plant-wide operation

This study presents a novel algorithm for constructing a probabilistic model based on historical operation data and performing dynamic optimization for plant-wide control applications. The proposed approach consists of applying a self-organizing map (SOM) for identifying representative plant operation modes based on a discounted infinite horizon cost and approximate dynamic programming techniques for learning an optimal policy. A quantitative measure for risk is defined in terms of transition probability, and a systematic guideline for striking balance between risk and profit in decision making is provided with a mathematical proof. The efficacy of the proposed approach is illustrated on an integrated plant consisting of a reactor, a storage tank, and a separator with a recycle loop and Tennessee Eastman challenge problem. The algorithm is useful for learning an improved policy and reducing risk in plant operation when a plant-wide model is difficult to obtain and uncertainties affect operation performance significantly.

Knobology in use: an experimental evaluation of ergonomics recommendations

The scientific basis for ergonomics recommendations for controls has usually not been related to active goal-directed use. The present experiment tests how different knob sizes and torques affect operator performance. The task employed is to control a pointer by the use of a control knob, and is as such an experimentally defined goal-directed task relevant to machine systems in general. Duration of use, error associated with use (overshooting of the goal area) and movement reproduction were used as performance measures. Significant differences between knob sizes were found for movement reproduction. High torques led to less overshooting as opposed to low torques. The results from duration of use showed a tendency that the differences between knob sizes were reduced from the first iteration to the second iteration. The present results indicate that the ergonomically recommended ranges of knob sizes might differently affect operator performance.

Are convertible bond calls harbingers of bad news?

Two decades after Harris and Raviv’s (1985) article, a definitive answer to the question of whether convertible bond calls signal bad news remains elusive. Our study overcomes the limitations of previous studies by examining the operating performance of calling firms. We find strong evidence that firms calling their convertible bonds experience a significant decline in operating performance over the three years subsequent to the announcement of the call. This result is independent of mean reversion and other factors that affect operating performance. Our findings provide a resolution to the current puzzle associated with the information content of convertible bond calls.

Effect of Error Severity on Human Trust in Hybrid Systems

Computerized systems are often employed to support control and decision-making tasks in complex and dynamic environments. Trust or mistrust in these systems has been demonstrated to significantly affect operator performance. Consequently, errors of trust or mistrust may compromise system performance, with potentially disastrous results. Accordingly, trust should be considered in both the design and operation of human/machine systems. In order to do so, metrics and methods for the measurement of trust must be developed along with models of human performance that incorporate trust and related system variables. Current approaches to trust measurement rely solely on subjective metrics, which are based on different theoretical concepts of trust between humans that may not necessarily be as relevant to machines. Although researchers have been able to establish a relationship between trust and behavior, these models lack an analytic foundation. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to develop a quantitative approach that relates trust to changes in system parameters and severity of errors.