Factor Analysis Tools Research Articles

Using Factor Analysis Tool to Analyze the Important Packaging Elements that Impact Consumer Buying Behavior

The objective of this study is to determine the elements that play an important role on consumer’s buying behavior. The purpose of this research is to find out the main important factors related with the packaging effect. Companies in order to create the right packaging for their products, they must understand the consumer buying process and understand the role and the impact of packaging elements as variables that can influence the purchase decision. So, by understanding what factors influence the buying behavior and what packaging elements are most important it help companies making the right decisions about product and their package. This research through empirical data tries to find the relationship between consumer buying process as the main variable of the study and some independent variables like, packaging color, printed information, packaging material, design of wrapper, printed information, brand image, and innovation and practicality that help consumers in their decision buying process. The primary research data are collected through a structured questionnaire and SPSS software is used for analysis purposes. Finally, factor analysis is also employed to find out the most important factors of packaging elements that are more important for consumers during the process of decision while buying. The data obtained rated the package design, printed information, and innovation and practicality as more important factors during the buying process.

ASSESSING AND COMPARING THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS AFFECTING OFFLINE IMPULSIVE CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR IN INDIA

Consumers tend to buy more than they planned when out for shopping. The factors leading to the customers to buy more than they planned to on the basis of impulse are several and discussed in this paper. Primary data has been collected by only questionnaires on which descriptive analysis, factor analysis and correlation tools have been used to analyse the impact of different factors on impulsive buying behavior. The findings imply that the factors- past purchase experience, attractive store design and location trigger most impulse buys among consumers. However, factors like a good aroma and hedonic and emotional motives play a less important role in making consumers buy impulsively. Also, the study found that the post purchase dissonance is higher in unemployed/retired, married females than the other respondents’ categories of the survey. Moreover the study found that the factors are mostly independent of each other and do not correlate with other factors, except a set of few including hedonic motives and past purchase experience.

Applying human factor analysis tools to a railway brake and wheel maintenance facility

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate three techniques to extract human factor information from specific railway maintenance tasks. It describes the techniques and shows how these tools can be applied to identify improvements in maintenance practices and workflow. Design/methodology/approach – Three case studies were conducted on single group of technicians (n=19) at a railway maintenance workshop in Luleå, Sweden. Case study I examined the posture of the technicians while they were changing the brake shoes of freight wagons; the study employed the Standard Nordic Questionnaire and a videotape using the Ovako Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS). Case study II looked at maintenance repair times required to change the wheel axle on freight wagons at the workshop. A video filming method suggested by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work was used to measure actual maintenance time. Finally, case study III considered the technicians’ (n=19) perception of work demands, their control over the work and their social support while performing maintenance tasks (brake shoe and wheel axle maintenance); to this end, the case study used a demand control support questionnaire. Findings – In the first case study, the Standard Nordic Questionnaire confirmed that technicians at this particular railway vehicle maintenance workshop suffer from back and shoulder pain. The Ovako Working Posture Analysis showed that 21 percent of the working time required to fit the brake wedge and cotter pin fits into two OWAS categories: category 3, where “change is required as soon as possible,” and category 4, where “change is required immediately”. Problems stem from poor workplace layout, incorrect posture and inaccessibility of tools and components. In the second study, the video analysis indicated that the working time to change the wheel axle of a freight wagon is greatly affected by poor workplace layout. The third case study showed that the technicians have lower “psychological demands” (mean=13), “higher control over work” (mean=16) and “high social support” (mean=22). Practical implications – The objective of this study was to apply knowledge about human factors to the functional relationships between maintenance personnel, tasks and the working environment to improve safety. If the workplace layout, working posture, maintenance manuals and accessibility of tools are poorly planned, maintenance performance can be adversely affected. The results of this study should assist maintenance management to design new policies and guidelines for improving the work environment. Originality/value – Three case studies were conducted at a railway maintenance workshop in Luleå, Sweden, to collect data on how human factors affect various railway maintenance tasks.

Application of positive matrix factorization to source apportionment of surface water quality of the Daliao River basin, northeast China

Surface water monitoring networks play an important role in the stream water quality management. Since a time series of data is obtained from the monitoring network, multivariate statistical techniques can be used to identify important factors or pollution sources of water system. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) is an improved factor analysis tool that has had limited application to water systems. The objective was to apply PMF to monitoring data to apportion water pollution sources in the Daliao River (DLR) basin. The DLR basin includes the Hun and Taizi River catchments in northeast China. This basin is densely populated and heavily industrialized. Fourteen monitoring stations located on the two rivers were used for monitoring 13 physical and chemical parameters from 1990 to 2002. Results show that five sources/processes in the Hun River and four in the Taizi River were identified by marker species and spatial-temporal variations of resolved factors, including point and nonpoint sources for both rivers. In addition, the industrial pollution source emission inventory data were used to compare with the resolved industrial sources. Results reveal that chemical transformations have influenced some chemical species. However, this influence is small compared with observed seasonal variations. Therefore, identification of pollution point and nonpoint sources by their seasonal variations is possible, which will also aid in water quality management. The spatial variation of the industrial pollutants typically corresponded with the urban industrial pollution source inventories.

INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND THE MARKETING ORIENTATION PRACTICES OF NIGERIAN SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES: A Factor Analytic Assessment

The study investigated the effects of industry environmental factors on the marketing practices of small business enterprises in Lagos, Nigeria. The study sets out to consider the importance of the dimensions of industry environments on SBEs marketing practices and to ascertain the degree of association between the two, if any. Using a survey design and quota sampling, structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from 545 entrepreneurs and senior marketing personnel. These were analyzed using factor analysis, ANOVA and other tools in the predictive analysis software (version 19.0). The findings shows that market turbulence and buyer power were the most influencing industry factors. The study also found a significant and positive relationship between industry factors and marketing practices of the surveyed SBEs. The paper proposed a model to explain the influence of industry factors on marketing practices of SBEs. It further makes some recommendations for marketing practitioners and suggestions for further studies

PlantTFcat: an online plant transcription factor and transcriptional regulator categorization and analysis tool

BackgroundPlants regulate intrinsic gene expression through transcription factors (TFs), transcriptional regulators (TRs), chromatin regulators (CRs), and the basal transcription machinery. An understanding of plant gene regulatory mechanisms at a systems level requires the identification of these regulatory elements on a genomic scale.ResultsHere, we present PlantTFcat, a high-performance web-based analysis tool that is designed to identify and categorize plant TF/TR/CR genes from genome-scale protein and nucleic acid sequences by systematically analyzing InterProScan domain patterns in protein sequences. The comprehensive prediction logics that are included in PlantTFcat are based on relationships between gene families and conserved domains from 108 published plant TF/TR/CR families. These prediction logics effectively distinguish TF/TR/CR families with common conserved domains. Our systematic performance evaluations indicate that PlantTFcat annotates known TF/TR/CR families with high coverage and sensitivity.ConclusionsPlantTFcat provides an analysis tool to identify and categorize plant TF/TR/CR genes on a genomic scale. PlantTFcat is freely available to the public at http://plantgrn.noble.org/PlantTFcat/.

TrFAST: A Tool to Predict Signaling Pathway-specific Transcription Factor Binding Sites

Recent advances in the development of high-throughput tools have significantly revolutionized our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying normal and dysfunctional biological processes. Here we present a novel computational tool, transcription factor search and analysis tool (TrFAST), which was developed for the in silico analysis of transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) of signaling pathway-specific TFs. TrFAST facilitates searching as well as comparative analysis of regulatory motifs through an exact pattern matching algorithm followed by the graphical representation of matched binding sites in multiple sequences up to 50kb in length. TrFAST is proficient in reducing the number of comparisons by the exact pattern matching strategy. In contrast to the pre-existing tools that find TFBS in a single sequence, TrFAST seeks out the desired pattern in multiple sequences simultaneously. It counts the GC content within the given multiple sequence data set and assembles the combinational details of consensus sequence(s) located at these regions, thereby generating a visual display based on the abundance of unique pattern. Comparative regulatory region analysis of multiple orthologous sequences simultaneously enhances the features of TrFAST and provides a significant insight into study of conservation of non-coding cis-regulatory elements. TrFAST is freely available at http://www.fi-pk.com/trfast.html.

Development of the Philippines National Solid Waste Management Strategy 2012-2016

Abstract A decade after the passage of Republic Act 9003, otherwise known as the Philippine Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, an in-depth and year-long analysis of its successes and remaining gaps is undertaken. The National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) has gathered experts and practitioners to document the status of compliance to the law by local government units and diagnose the issues and barriers affecting its implementation. With support from Solid Waste Management for Local Government Units (SWM4LGUs) Project being implemented by AHT GROUP AG on behalf of the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ), the NSWMC has developed the National Solid Waste Management Strategy for the years 2012 to 2016.The Strategy consists of ten (10) components, namely: Bridging policy gaps and harmonizing policies, Capacity development, social marketing and advocacy, Sustainable financing, Creating economic opportunities, Knowledge management on technologies and innovation, Organizational development and enhancing inter-agency cooperation, Compliance monitoring, enforcement and recognition, Good governance, Caring for vulnerable groups, and Reducing disaster and climate change risks. Each is defined by key initiatives, which are further elaborated with objectives, indicative actions, justifications, responsible entities, time frame, target groups and resource requirements. This paper describes the processes involved in strategy development, including the review of policies, situational analysis, issue categorization, validation of strategic issue statements, elaboration of strategic components, and prioritization of key initiatives through factor analysis and stakeholder management tools.

Leadership through Innovation and Creativity in Marketing Strategies of Indian Telecom Sector: A Case Study of Airtel Using Factor Analysis Approach

The telecom sector have been touched and influenced by the process of liberalization and globalization in India. The customer is the king in the market. Telecom companies deal in intangible product that is the call service. With the entry of private players, the competition is becoming intense. In order to satisfy the customer, every company is trying to implement a program of marketing strategy. Keeping this in mind, the present study is designed to analyze the marketing strategy in Indian Telecommunication sector .This study aims to identify the factors responsible for success in terms of getting a market leader position .Brand Airtel is chosen as a case study as it has emerged as a market leader within a short span of time in spite of so many mobile companies prevailing in the market. The study describes the result of survey done with respondents which are the present subscribers of Airtel. The result and analysis is done by using the Factor Analysis tool. The study concludes that out of thirty two marketing strategies, eleven factors are extracted which are found to be more prominent in implementing the marketing strategy. The Company’s marketing strategies are studied and out of which prominent strategies like branding strategy, business operation strategy, target marketing strategy, Service strategy, Network, promotion and pricing strategy are identified. In the end, with the help of results, how successful is the company in implementing the blue ocean strategy is also analyzed.

A Study on the Application of Factor Analysis Tools for the Sustainable Product Design Process

A Study on the Application of Factor Analysis Tools for the Sustainable Product Design Process

Financial Efficiency of Merged Banks in India after Globalization Period — Factor Analysis Approach

The Indian business environment has altered radically since 1991 with the changes in the economic policies and introduction of new institutional mechanisms. It has been observed that such changes have its own impact on the performance both financially and operationally in the business environment through various measures including the process of merger and acquisitions. It has contributed a fuel to dynamism in the Indian economy (It is expected that in the new atmosphere M&As will play a more significant role in business). This paper discusses financial efficiency of merged banks in India after globalization period. It is based on a sample of nine merged banks and banks drawn from PROWESS database developed by CMIE. In this paper factor analysis tool is used. The study indicated that the performance of the banks is facilitated with the help of ratios grouped into seven factors — both in case of pre and post merger period of banks. So, the banks can concentrate their attention by grouping the ratios to improve their performance further. It is also a fact that the component of ratios in each group is different between pre and post merger. Therefore the banks can concentrate their attention on the variable that helps the growth and act accordingly based on their nature of performance; and it could be used as a basis for framing policies relating to M&As in service sector and to identify the areas of improvement for better profitability and performance for the banks.

Human factors at sea: common patterns of error in groundings and collisions

This research aimed to identify and map the common patterns of human and organizational causes underlying two types of marine accident: groundings and collisions. Generalizing patterns of causality from relatively unique and individual accident events required a structured and exploratory analytical approach. Two complementary human factor analysis tools were employed to analyse a set of 30 detailed marine accident reports produced by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Common patterns of causality were identified for both groundings and collisions. Groundings commonly resulted from a failure to adequately plan a passage, coupled with either a problem locating the vessel, or communication problems on the bridge. Collisions often involved a fishing vessel and a bulk carrier or cargo vessel, and commonly resulted from both a problem identifying the existence or speed of the other vessel and, again, an inadequate planning process. Generalizing these common causal patterns from a number of accidents identifies a range of points at which crews, managers and policymakers can intervene to forestall the development of these accidents. The method developed here may also be productively extended and applied to other accident types and used as an ongoing risk management tool.

Quantitative Appraisement on Ecological Carrying Capacity in Coastal Rapid Developing Region of Hainan Province

Abstract The ecological carrying capacity, an important indicator to evaluate the sustainable development of the ecosystem, means the potential ability of the natural ecosystem to carry socioeconomic development while the ecosystem is healthy. It is limited by the carrying capacity of natural resources and environment and the elasticity of the ecosystem. It will be greatly significant to study the ecological carrying capacity of Hainan Province, the first ecological province admitted by the State Environmental Protection Administration in China. Not only is the natural ecosystem reflected, but also the effects of human activities are emphasized by integrating the ecosystem health analysis into the ecological carrying capacity research. The research results, using the Factor Analysis tools of software SPSS, indicate that the ecological carrying capacity of Hainan Province fluctuated obviously from 1996 to 2005. The level of the ecological carrying capacity of Hainan Province was relatively high in 1996, and reached into trough from 1997 to 1999. It has steadily ascended to be above the middle level since the 21st century. The results also show that policy factors, especially the implementation of the ‘Ecological Province’ strategy, were important driving forces to influence the ecological carrying capacity. With the population rapidly increasing, the land and water resources per capita have decreased quickly. The amount of the ecological carrying capacity was promoted remarkably by socioeconomic development especially economic growth and technology applications. All of these will provide useful suggestions to establish and enact regional development policies, especially for protecting and reconstructing the ecology and environment of Hainan Province.

URBAN HOUSING DEVELOPMENT: TOWN PLANNING ISSUES

Town planning is seen to have imposed some degree of constraint on housing development and is discussed in a voluminous literature on the relationship between the planning system and housing land supply. The constraints are believed to have partly contributed to the increase in housing production costs leading to a mismatch between housing supply and demand. Since the government has entrusted the private sector to play an important and bigger role to meet housing needs, local planning authorities and planners should be more cautious in fulfilling their role in housing development. This paper attempts to raise some pivotal aspects of town planning that relate to the problems associated with housing land development in West Malaysia. The primary data was gathered through personal interviews with selected housing developers and analyzed using the factor analysis tool in SPSS. The result of the analysis shows that several aspects of town planning are strongly correlated with development plans and development control factors particularly on land identified for housing, layout planapproval and complying with planning standards.

URBAN HOUSING DEVELOPMENT: TOWN PLANNING ISSUES

Town planning is seen to have imposed some degree of constraint on housing development and is discussed in a voluminous literature on the relationship between the planning system and housing land supply. The constraints are believed to have partly contributed to the increase in housing production costs leading to a mismatch between housing supply and demand. Since the government has entrusted the private sector to play an important and bigger role to meet housing needs, local planning authorities and planners should be more cautious in fulfilling their role in housing development. This paper attempts to raise some pivotal aspects of town planning that relate to the problems associated with housing land development in West Malaysia. The primary data was gathered through personal interviews with selected housing developers and analyzed using the factor analysis tool in SPSS. The result of the analysis shows that several aspects of town planning are strongly correlated with development plans and development control factors particularly on land identified for housing, layout planapproval and complying with planning standards.

UCP2 and 3 Deletion Screening and Distribution in 15 Pig Breeds

The uncoupling protein family is a mitochondrial anion carrier family. It plays an important role in the biological traits of animal body weight, basal metabolic rate and energy conversion. Using PCR and PCR-SSCP, we scanned the porcine uncoupling protein 2 gene (UCP2) and uncoupling protein 3 gene (UCP3) and found seven deletion sites, three in UCP2 and four in UCP3. The deletions in 15 pig breeds showed that deletion influenced weight. The genotype compounding of seven deletion sites in 15 pig breeds had significant effects on performance traits of the pig, such as body weight. We predicted the potential protein factor binding sites using the transcription factor analysis tool TFSearch version 1.3 online. Two deletions (1830 nt and 3219 nt) in UCP3 were found to change the transcriptional factor sites. The 16 bp deletion in 1830 nt added a SP1 site and a 6 bp deletion in 3219 nt removed two MZF1 sites. Seven deletion polymorphisms were covered in introns of linkage genes of UCP2 and UCP3, showing that UCPs have conservation and genetic reliability.

Dcode.org anthology of comparative genomic tools

Comparative genomics provides the means to demarcate functional regions in anonymous DNA sequences. The successful application of this method to identifying novel genes is currently shifting to deciphering the non-coding encryption of gene regulation across genomes. To facilitate the practical application of comparative sequence analysis to genetics and genomics, we have developed several analytical and visualization tools for the analysis of arbitrary sequences and whole genomes. These tools include two alignment tools, zPicture and Mulan; a phylogenetic shadowing tool, eShadow for identifying lineage- and species-specific functional elements; two evolutionary conserved transcription factor analysis tools, rVista and multiTF; a tool for extracting cis-regulatory modules governing the expression of co-regulated genes, Creme 2.0; and a dynamic portal to multiple vertebrate and invertebrate genome alignments, the ECR Browser. Here, we briefly describe each one of these tools and provide specific examples on their practical applications. All the tools are publicly available at the website.

Statistical and spatial assessment of soil heavy metal contamination in areas of poorly recorded, complex sources of pollution

In recent years, soil contamination assessment studies have aimed to quantify the extent and identify its sources. However, the quantification of the contributions to pollution from different sources still represents a serious challenge to the environmental scientists and engineers. Statistical and spatial analysis tools have been used successfully to assess the volume and spread of soil contamination. The techniques suggested so far require good historical record of the study area in addition to the large amounts of soil quality data that need to be collected. Furthermore, they are only able to identify/provide a qualitative description of the pollution sources and do not guaranty convincing results in cases of complex or poorly recorded contamination. Research described in this paper has developed a methodology that combines statistical and geostatistical analysis tools with geographic information systems for the quantitative and spatial assessment of contamination sources. In a previous paper, principal component and factor analysis tools where shown to successfully explore the physical processes behind pollution. This information is proven invaluable in the design of canonical correlation analysis for the soil contamination data, so that distinctive pollution sources are separated quantitatively. The geostatistical analysis tools in conjunction with geographic information systems address the spatial dimension of the data and the pollution sources. The practical aspects of the methodology are illustrated using soil contamination data from Lavrio old mine site in Greece.