Effect Of Environmental Uncertainty Research Articles

Effects of environmental uncertainty on source range estimates from horizontal multipath

A method has been developed to estimate source range in continental shelf environments that exhibit three-dimensional propagation effects [M. S. Ballard, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 134, EL340–EL343, 2013]. The technique exploits measurements recorded on a horizontal line array of a direct path arrival, which results from sound propagating across the shelf to the receiver array, and a refracted path arrival, which results from sound propagating obliquely upslope and refracting back downslope to the receiver array. A hybrid modeling approach using vertical modes and horizontal rays provides the ranging estimate. According to this approach, rays are traced in the horizontal plane with refraction determined by the modal phase speed. Invoking reciprocity, the rays originate from the center of the array and have launch angles equal to the estimated bearing angles of the direct and refracted paths. The location of the source in the horizontal plane is estimated from the point where the rays intersect. In this talk, the effects of unknown environmental parameters, including the sediment properties and the water-column sound-speed profile, on the source range estimate are discussed. Error resulting from uncertainty in the measured bathymetry and location of the receiver array will also be addressed. [Work supported by ONR.]

A Conceptual Model for Investigating the Possibility Effect of Environmental Uncertainty on the Relationship between Supply Chain Operational Capabilities and Business Performance

This paper expands previous research by modelling the contingency effect of environmental uncertainty on the relationship between supply chain operational capabilities (SCOC) and business performance. Previous research found that there is strong relationship between SCOC and business performance. However, the contingency effect of environmental uncertainty is not included. In addition, the last research was focused on SMEs, but similar study related to creative industries is rarely to find. Even, creative industries have similarities to SMEs. Therefore, focusing on creative industries and adding environmental uncertainty in different country (Indonesia) would enrich the generalization, especially the issue in supply chain management. This paper also contributes to provide guidance in terms of relationship among the constructs in theoretical model for the managers of creative industries.

A Literature Analysis on the Relationship between External Integration, Environmental Uncertainty and Firm Performance in Malaysian SMEs

The effect of environmental uncertainty (EU) on the relationship between external integration and firm performance is examined for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia. Uncertainty is a changeability state of the environment including uncertain market, failure to forecast the impact of changes in environmental, and unable to expect the outcomes of a response choice. SMEs have scarcity resources in terms of financial, skills, knowledge and technology; therefore, the sustainable business successes of SMEs hinge more on suppliers’ capabilities and co-operative relationships as well as customer integration. Since SMEs operate under highly competitive environment, thus SMEs need to monitor their environment to identify potential collaborative opportunities with suppliers and customers. In addition, the close relationships with suppliers and customers allow SMEs to access to the latest process, technologies, materials and other methods of innovation. Particularly, there is a lack of studies that investigate the effect of EU on the external integration-firm performance relationship in Malaysian SMEs of manufacturing industry. As such, the implications of the three sources of uncertainty – demand uncertainty, technological uncertainty and competitive threats are discussed. Ultimately, this study could enrich the existing body of knowledge in supply chain integration, EU and performance of SMEs in the manufacturing industry.

The effect of environmental uncertainty and diapause investment on the occurrence of specialist and generalist species

The evolution of specialist and generalist strategies is a central topic in ecology with strong implications for the biodiversity and structure of communities. Environmental unpredictability has been suggested as a key factor affecting the relative advantages of generalist species. However, life cycle features, like diapause, can also play a major role in the competitive dynamics between generalists and specialists. Zooplanktonic communities of continental waters are suitable models to study this; they inhabit water bodies that vary temporally with different degrees of uncertainty and rely on the production of diapause stages to survive across the year. We developed a simple theoretical model with three competing species, i.e. two specialists and one generalist with lower competitive capability than the specialists. We explore the effect of environmental unpredictability and diapause modes on the coexistence regime and on the evolution of diapause investment patterns. Our aim is to get insight into factors affecting the diversity of zooplankton over an ecological time scale. Our results show that environmental uncertainty and diapause investment are important factors affecting the competitive dynamics between generalists and specialists strategies. Generalist species are able to persist through a hundred of growing seasons due to the “protection effect” afforded by density‐dependent diapause investment, and can even exclude the specialists (52% of replicates). Priority effects (i.e. which species has its period of habitat suitability earlier) and cross‐induction of diapause investment also have an impact on the structure of zooplanktonic communities. Diapause investment patterns were studied for a specialist species. Patterns to spread the risks of environmental variability by a means of a continuous and early production of diapausing eggs evolved within a hundred growing seasons.

Three-dimensional localization of transient acoustic sources using an ice-mounted geophone

This paper presents an approach to three-dimensional (3D) localization of ocean acoustic sources using a single three-component geophone on Arctic sea ice. Source bearing is estimated by maximizing the radial signal power as a function of horizontal look angle, applying seismic polarization filters to suppress shear waves with transverse particle motion. The inherent 180° ambiguity is resolved by requiring outgoing (prograde) particle motion in the radial-vertical plane. Source range and depth estimates and uncertainties are computed by Bayesian inversion of arrival-time differences of the water-borne acoustic wave and ice seismic waves, including the horizontally-polarized shear wave and longitudinal plate wave. The 3D localization is applied to geophone recordings of impulsive sources deployed in the water column at a series of ranges (200 to 1000 m) and bearings (0° to 90°) for three sites in the Lincoln Sea characterized by smooth annual ice, rough/ridged annual ice, and thick multi-year ice. Good bearing estimates are obtained in all cases. Range-depth localization is successful for ranges over which ice seismic arrivals could be reliably detected, approximately 200 m on rough ice, 500 m on smooth ice, and 800 m on multi-year ice. Effects of environmental uncertainty on localization are quantified by marginalizing over unknown environmental parameters.

The effect of environmental uncertainty, information quality, and collaborative logistics on supply chain flexibility of small manufacturing firms in India

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between environmental uncertainty, information quality, and proactive logistics practices on supply chain flexibility. Design/methodology/approach – A survey of 75 Indian small-scale manufacturers in Coimbatore (Southern India) was conducted. Findings – India, which is a thriving emerging economy, is an ideal location for this study. Results indicate that if managers wish to ensure improved supply chain flexibility, firms must work to improve information quality. Research limitations/implications – The small sample size is a limitation of the study, so too is the narrow sector targeted (small-scale manufacturing). Practical implications – The results reinforce the fact that supply chain management has many elements that can impact a manufacturing firm's responsiveness, which is especially true in an emerging market like India. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first to survey small-scale manufacturing executives regarding their acceptance of and use of supply chain concepts under environmental uncertainty.

The Effects of Environmental Uncertainty and Information Technology Fit on Logistics Performance: Focused on the Moderating Roles of Logistics Strategy and Organization Structure

The Effects of Environmental Uncertainty and Information Technology Fit on Logistics Performance: Focused on the Moderating Roles of Logistics Strategy and Organization Structure

The Effects of Environmental Uncertainty and Information Technology Fit on Logistics Performance: Focused on the Moderating Roles of Logistics Strategy and Organization Structure

The Effects of Environmental Uncertainty and Information Technology Fit on Logistics Performance: Focused on the Moderating Roles of Logistics Strategy and Organization Structure

Which types of management accounting system information can be used to respond adequately to environmental uncertainty? The effects of user participation and tolerance of ambiguity

Previous research findings have shown that the relationship between environmental uncertainty and the usefulness of management accounting system (MAS) information is varied. However, there are few studies exploring whether the personalities would influence the aforementioned relationship. This paper argued that the tolerance of ambiguity produces different levels of need for various types of MAS information. Through a survey of 306 middle managers of publicly owned companies in Taiwan, and by using LISREL to perform this analysis, the present study has revealed that environmental uncertainty has a direct effect, specifically, on the usefulness of aggregated information. However, the indirect effects of environmental uncertainty on the usefulness of broad-scope, aggregated, and timely information are brought about through positive association with user participation. Furthermore, the mediating effect of user participation is stronger under the conditions of a low tolerance of ambiguity (TA), than it is in conditions of high TA. This study has found that high environmental uncertainty indirectly leads to particularly high usefulness of MAS information through user participation. Furthermore, compared to managers with a high TA, those with a low TA are more sensitive to user participation, when considering the relationship between environmental uncertainty and the usefulness of MAS information. Key words: Management accounting system, user participation, tolerance of ambiguity, interaction-term LISREL.

The Influence of Customer Relationship Marketing Strategies on Supply Chain Relationships: The Moderating Effects of Environmental Uncertainty and Competitive Rivalry

Purpose: A firm's customer relationship marketing strategy also may affect its attitudinal loyalty toward its main supplier. Furthermore, environmental uncertainty and competitive rivalry could moderate this relationship. This research investigates both questions. Methodology/Approach: The empirical study involves a structured survey of 141 industrial firms. A structural equation technique with EQS 6.1 estimated the causal model. Multi-sample analysis revealed whether environmental uncertainty and/or competitive rivalry act as moderators. Findings: The influence of customer relationship marketing on attitudinal loyalty toward the main supplier is positive but indirect, working through effective communication, satisfaction, and trust. However, when environmental uncertainty is high, the negative direct effect becomes significantly more intense, and when competitive rivalry is high, the positive indirect effect through satisfaction and trust is less intense. Originality/Value: This study explores potential new paths in the relationship marketing field. Most scholars focus on the influence of a firm's relationship marketing strategy on customers' loyalty, but no previous works consider its potential influence on the firm's relationship with other partners in the supply chain, notably its strategic suppliers. Research Implications: Structured academic research on this topic is lacking, even though many firms have implemented customer relationship programs. Supply-side researchers must evaluate the effects of such programs. Furthermore, this study combines different theoretical approaches. Practical Implications: Practitioners can use the findings to segment their customer base and develop specific programs adapted to each target.

The Effect of Environment Uncertainty and Organization Structure on the Level of Enterprise Informatization

The Effect of Environment Uncertainty and Organization Structure on the Level of Enterprise Informatization

Bayesian Acoustic Source Track Prediction in an Uncertain Ocean Environment

This paper develops an approach for probabilistic prediction of the future locations of a moving ocean acoustic source based on probability distributions for past source locations as determined by Bayesian acoustic tracking inversion. The Bayesian track estimation for past times considers both source and environmental parameters as unknown random variables constrained by noisy acoustic data and prior information, and numerically samples the posterior probability density (PPD) using Markov-chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. Applying a probabilistic prediction model for constant-velocity source motion to each of the PPD samples produces source location probability distributions for future times. These prediction distributions account for both the uncertainty of the source-motion model and the uncertainty in the state of knowledge of past source locations including the effects of environmental uncertainty. Results of Bayesian track estimation and prediction are represented as a sequence of joint marginal probability distributions over source range and depth, and as the most probable track with uncertainties. Probability distribution for the time and range of the closest point of approach (CPA) are also computed for inbound tracks. The approach is illustrated with synthetic acoustic data at two noise levels and with measured data from a shallow-water site in the Mediterranean Sea.

Impact of Quality Management on Hospital Performance: An Empirical Examination

Understanding the impact of quality management approaches on organization performance is essential in the healthcare arena. Prior research, however, is inconsistent in regard to the link between various quality management practices and firm performance. That is, some researchers find a strong link between quality management and firm performance, while others do not. The authors believe the use of causal models and an expansive view of quality management may help to bridge these opposing viewpoints or perspectives. To that end, the current research “decomposes” the construct of quality management into two subdimensions of quality practices and quality context, providing a richer conceptualization and understanding of the overall construct. Additionally, they employ structural equation modeling to evaluate the causal sequence showing that both quality practices and quality context are distinct model components concurrently operating through the endogenous construct of quality management to positively impact hospital performance. The implications for hospital managers and executives are clear: in order to improve hospital performance, the scope of the organization's quality activities need to be very broad and encompassing. Last, the authors assess the potential moderating effects of environmental uncertainty and hospital size on the quality management-performance relationship.

Effect of perceived environmental uncertainty on exporter–importer inter-organisational relationships and export performance improvement

Limited research exists on the effect of environmental uncertainty on inter-organisational relationships and export performance improvement in supply chains that transcend national boundaries, especially in developing markets such as sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the dominance of the economic perspective in export performance literature, increased attention over the last decade has turned to the Resource Base View (RBV) and the relational perspective. Highlighting this theoretical gap, we develop an approach that argues export market buyers gain advantage by leveraging internal resources and draw upon RBV and relational exchange theory. Data from 262 fresh-produce export suppliers in Zimbabwe was used to investigate the effect of perceived environmental uncertainty on inter-organisational relationships and supplier export performance. Results indicate that perceived environmental uncertainty dimensions have varied influence over inter-organisational relationships. Results support the relational theory's tenet that commitment to future exchanges is associated with export performance improvement, and driven by a reciprocal pattern of each partner's perception of the other's commitment, relationship-specific investments and dependence. These inter-organisational relationships are seen as complementary resources of the firm, which export market buyers can rely on through power to coerce developing export suppliers to cooperate in conditions of perceived market turbulence and high competitive intensity. Market turbulence emerged as a complex factor and is negatively linked to commitment and cooperation. Contrary to prior research, cooperation had a negative effect on export performance improvement.

Effects of Environmental Uncertainty on Organizational Intention to Adopt Distributed Work Arrangements

Uncertainty in the external environmental context has been shown to affect organizational change and innovation. Distributed work arrangement is an organizational innovation that has the potential to enable a firm to meet the challenges of an uncertain environment more effectively. With the emergence of virtual organizations, such work arrangements are likely to gain increasing popularity. This exploratory empirical study employs a structural model to examine how environmental uncertainty affects organizational predisposition (adoption intention) toward distributed work arrangements. Environmental uncertainty has two different dimensions: environmental complexity (heterogeneity) and environmental variability (dynamism). In this paper, environmental dimensions are modeled to influence adoption of distributed work arrangements through shaping the organizational perceptions of three innovation characteristics: perceived relative advantage, compatibility and complexity. Data analyses using partial least squares statistical technique revealed that environmental complexity is negatively associated with perceived relative advantage, and perceived compatibility. Perceived relative advantage and perceived compatibility are in turn positively related to adoption intention for distributed work arrangements. However, environmental variability has no significant effect on the three innovation characteristics. Contrary to past findings that suggest organizations are more predisposed toward innovations in a complex environment, our study found that organizations in an environment of lower, rather than higher complexity are more likely to adopt distributed work arrangements. Implications for organizations are discussed.

Environmental uncertainty in modeling of shallow-water reverberation

Simulated monostatic shallow-water reverberation is produced by a broadband model that accounts for propagation and scattering in a waveguide that is horizontally stratified on average, but subject to slightly rough interfaces and small, random spatial fluctuations in density and sound speed. This model has been used to infer parameters characterizing these inhomogeneities (scattering parameters) from experimental data, assuming a specific background geoacoustic profile. In realistic situations, however, the background environment may either not be known with precision or may be too variable to admit a range-independent characterization. It is even possible that several geoacoustically distinct alternative sets of environmental parameters are plausible. This may occur, for instance, when geoacoustic inversion is used to determine a background profile. In this presentation, the effects of environmental uncertainties, including the existence of alternative geoacoustic profiles, on scattering parameters inferred from reverberation data are examined. [Work supported by ONR.]

The effects of environmental uncertainty on farmers' sense of locality and futurity: a Swedish case study

The aim of this paper is to explore local reactions to the environmental problems derived from the building of a train tunnel through the largest ground water reservoir in southern Sweden. The present and the future of the community have been put into question through an intensified local discourse on issues of ‘risk’, ‘identity’, ‘nature’ and ‘social continuity’. In this discourse meanings, values and traditional knowledge relating to the landscape and the place where people have lived for generations play a prominent role. Questions that are addressed in the present paper are: How does toxic contamination and falling ground water levels affect single‐family households, small‐scale family agricultural producers and large‐scale farms in terms of changed perspectives and concerns for their environment, livelihoods and the local community? What are the effects for a farming community from uncertainty about how the natural environment will respond to a technological impact on the landscape? This paper is based on field observations and in‐depth interviews conducted in two local communities on the Hallandsås ridge in the province of Skåne in south‐west Sweden.

Partnership Performance in Supply Chains - The Impact of Collaboration

This study investigates the performance consequences of collaboration in supply chain partnerships, and also investigates whether environmental uncertainty affects the degree to which collaboration is desirable. With a sample drawn from international subsidiaries of Nordic multinational corporations (MNCs), the authors find that collaborative partnerships contribute to increased levels of partnership performance both in terms of relationship effectiveness and in terms of cost reduction benefits. The moderating effect of environmental uncertainty, however, had no impact on the relationship between collaboration and performance. The implications of these findings for academics and practitioners are discussed.

The effect of environmental uncertainty and strategic applications of IS on a firm’s performance

In our study, we empirically examined the relationships among perceived environmental uncertainty (PEUN), the level of the strategic applications and the facilitators of IS strategic alignment. Using a systems approach, we also showed some ways that these relationships impact the performance of a firm. Apparently, PEUN has an indirect effect on IS strategic applications through the facilitators of alignment. An uncertain environment, a high level of strategic applications and well-arranged facilitators of alignment can contribute more to the improvement of performance than in a less uncertain or stable environment. Therefore, the benefits of a high level of strategic applications can still be realized in a competitive and uncertain environment. However, when the environment is stable (low PEUN), an excessively low level of strategic applications may decrease a firm’s performance.

A new look at nurse burnout: the effects of environmental uncertainty and social climate.

As healthcare organizations deal with changes in the external environment, uncertainty in the internal environment is created. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among environmental uncertainty, social climate, and burnout among staff nurses. Multiple regression analysis was used to explore relationships among study variables. Perceived environmental uncertainty predicted burnout among staff nurses, although there was no significant relationship between burnout and objective measures of unit activity. The social climate of the workplace was negatively associated with burnout. The authors concluded that social networks are important during times of change and uncertainty in the work environment; in other words, a supportive workplace can protect against burnout.