Horses For Courses Research Articles

Methods of estimating destination price competitiveness: a case of horses for courses?

Price competitiveness is a key factor in the overall tourism competitiveness of a country or a destination. Given its importance to overall destination competitiveness, various indicators of prices have been developed. Different indicators shed light on different aspects of competitiveness, and the measures which are most useful depend on what questions are being explored. The authors explore several of the different indicators aimed at measuring destination price competitiveness, describing the strengths and weaknesses of using each. Some of the key aspects which condition which indicators should be used are: the need for accuracy and tourism-specific detail versus timeliness; the need for cross-country (or cross-destination) comparisons of the prices tourists are actually paying; the need for estimates of changes in relative price competitiveness over time and the need to provide overall summary measures of a country's price competitiveness at a point of time or changes in it over time. The specific measure used will therefore depend on the particular analytical and practical need of researchers and destination managers.

Reply from Gordon B. Drummond and Brian D. M. Tom

Reply from Gordon B. Drummond and Brian D. M. Tom

Horses for courses: The need for pragmatism and realism as well as balance and caution. A commentary on Angel

0277-9536/$ e see front matter 2011 Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.06.049 One of the major impediments to translating scientific advances into benefits for human populations is the different, sometimes conflicting, explanatory models and terminologies used in different fields of endeavour and the fundamental differences in the goals and the values placed upon different goals. For example, the article I will be commenting on, “Agency versus Structure: Genetics, Group Membership, and a New Twist on an Old Debate” (Angel, 2011) is framed in sociology-speak in terms of “agency” versus “structure”. Most non-sociological readers will not be familiar with these terms (and the definitions are, perhaps, not entirely simple and straightforward (Scott & Marshall 2009)) and the author acknowledges that there is dispute about the usefulness of this distinction (Angel, 2011). The current commentary article is written from my own perspective as a clinical psychiatrist. I have been involved in molecular genetic investigation of major psychiatric disorders for the last 20 years. I regard genetics as a scientific tool capable of improving understanding of the causes and triggers of illness. Medical practitioners have to be pragmatists (Craddock, Kerr, & Thapar, 2010). Medical training and practice requires willingness to adopt different models in different situations with the single over-riding aim of trying to get the best possible outcome for the patient seeking help (Craddock et al., 2008; Craddock et al., 2010). Angel’s (2011) article is an interesting and stimulating article that makes several important points. Many of the key views

Horses for courses: gee-gees with the speed gene

Horse breeders have long had to rely on stud books and trial and error. Now geneticists are upping the stakes

Horses for courses: risk information and decision making in the regulation of nanomaterials

Despite the widespread commercial use of nanomaterials, regulators currently have a limited ability to characterize and manage risks. There is a paucity of data available on the current production and use of nanomaterials and extreme scientific uncertainty on most aspects of the risk assessment “causal chain.” Regulatory decisions will need to be made in the near-term in the absence formal quantitative risk assessments. The article draws on examples from three different regulatory contexts—baseline data monitoring efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Toxic Substances Control, prioritization of risk information in the context of environmental releases, and mitigation of occupational risks—to argue for the use of decision-analytic tools in lieu of formal risk assessment to help regulatory bodies. We advocate a “horses for courses” approach whereby existing analytical tools (such as risk ranking, multi-criteria decision analysis, and “control banding” approaches) might be adapted to regulators’ goals in particular decision contexts. While efforts to build new and modify existing tools are underway, they need greater support from funding and regulatory agencies because innovative approaches are needed for the “extreme” uncertainty problems that nanomaterials pose.

Mixing it but not mixed-up: Mixed methods research in medical education (a critical narrative review)

Background: Some important research questions in medical education and health services research need ‘mixed methods research’ (particularly synthesizing quantitative and qualitative findings). The approach is not new, but should be more explicitly reported.Aim: The broad search question here, of a disjointed literature, was thus: What is mixed methods research – how should it relate to medical education research?, focused on explicit acknowledgement of ‘mixing’.Methods: Literature searching focused on Web of Knowledge supplemented by other databases across disciplines.Findings: Five main messages emerged: – Thinking quantitative and qualitative, not quantitative versus qualitative – Appreciating that mixed methods research blends different knowledge claims, enquiry strategies, and methods – Using a ‘horses for courses’ [whatever works] approach to the question, and clarifying the mix – Appreciating how medical education research competes with the ‘evidence-based’ movement, health services research, and the ‘RCT’ – Being more explicit about the role of mixed methods in medical education research, and the required expertiseConclusion: Mixed methods research is valuable, yet the literature relevant to medical education is fragmented and poorly indexed. The required time, effort, expertise, and techniques deserve better recognition. More write-ups should explicitly discuss the ‘mixing’ (particularly of findings), rather than report separate components.

What are the validated animal models for tendinopathy?

Chronic tendinopathy refers to a broad spectrum of pathological conditions in tendons and their insertion, with symptoms including activity-related chronic pain. To study the pathogenesis and management strategies of chronic tendinopathy, studies in animal models are essential. The different animal models in the literature present advantages and limitations, and there is no consensus regarding the criteria of a universal tendinopathy animal model. Based on the review of literature and the discussion in the International Symposium on Ligaments and Tendons-X, we concluded that established clinical, histopathological and functional characteristics of human tendinopathy were all important and relevant criteria to be met, if possible, by animal models. As tendinopathy is a progressive, multifactorial tendon disorder affecting different anatomical structures, it may not be realistic to expect a single animal model to study all aspects of tendinopathy. Staging of tendinopathy over time and clearer definition of tendinopathies in relation to severity and type would enable realistic targets with any animal model. The existing animal models can be used for answering specific questions (horses for courses) but should not be used to conclude the general aspects of tendinopathy neither in animals nor in human.

Designing a sustainable hydrogen energy economy

A general vision of a sustainable energy economy relying substantially on hydrogen produced from renewables is sketched as a potential solution to the twin global crises of climate change and depleting oil reserves. Core differences between this 'sustainable hydrogen economy' (SHE) and the original hydrogen economy (HE) proposed in the early 1970s are discussed. In transport, rather than posing a binary choice between hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric vehicles, it is argued that the old maxim of 'horses for courses' should be followed, with complementary deployment of these two technologies depending on the transport service to be supplied. Other key features of SHE are the use of distributed bulk hydrogen storages for season-to-season storage on electricity grids, and as a strategic energy reserve. The conduct of detailed energy-economic-environmental modelling is recommended to evaluate the SHE vision in particular national and regional contexts, and hence globally.

One size fits all: or horses for courses? Recovery-based care in specialist mental health services

The ‘recovery approach’ to the management of severe mental health problems has become a guiding vision of service provision amongst many practitioners, researchers, and policy makers as well as service users. This qualitative pilot study explored the meaning of ‘recovery’ with users of three specialist mental health services (eating disorders, dual diagnosis, and forensic) in 18 semi-structured interviews. The relevance of themes identified in mainstream recovery literature was confirmed; however, the interpretation and relative weight of these themes appeared to be affected by factors that were specific to the diagnosis and treatment context. ‘Clinical’ recovery themes were also seen as important, as were aspects of care that reflect core human values, such as kindness.

Clinical trial design: horses for courses

Fleischhacker and Goodwin contribute to the ongoing debate around the relative value of so-called “efficacy” and “effectiveness” trials. Comparisons between trials need to take into account the fact that different trials are designed to answer different clinical questions and that methodological choices inevitably involve compromises 1 - 2. Various approaches to describing the different priorities, and designs, of clinical trials have been suggested: e.g., explanatory vs. pragmatic 3, practical vs. large simple vs. efficacy 2 and large simple vs. small complex 4.

Why “soft science” is the key to regaining leadership in marketing knowledge

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to highlight what the authors regard as serious problems with the continuing dominance of a “hard science” view of what constitutes “top quality” research, and to present evidence that a “softer” approach will yield work that more closely aligns with the everyday reality of marketing.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a contrast between the marketing discipline and chemistry to illustrate their concerns about the use of “hard science” in academic marketing. This was supplemented with analyses of academic marketing work already published to illustrate particular points.FindingsThe authors propose that academic marketers need to take a “horses for courses” approach and ground their research in the reality of the discipline. Different areas within the discipline of marketing are debated, and it is concluded that some areas may still respond well to scientific approaches, while others may benefit from a relaxation into interpretive approaches. The paper argues the need to concentrate more on reflecting a reality that is recognised by the wider marketing community, rather than getting wound up in methodological strait‐jackets. To illustrate these points, the lack of recent progress in research on market segmentation is considered, and a “typical hard science paper” is critiqued. The authors summarise the reasons why it is wrong to apply a “hard science” approach on a carte blanche basis and argue for a more pluralist critical realist approach.Practical implicationsThe contention is that the over‐heavy trappings of science in much academic work have the effect of removing that work from practical norms. Therefore the practical implications of this paper are potentially significant.Originality/valueThe paper promotes the soft science stance as the most appropriate epistemology for mainstream academic marketing research.

Horses for Courses: Fund Managers and Organizational Structures

This paper considers the team management of mutual funds, fund manager ability, fund performance, and holdings. We find evidence suggesting a positive relation between fund performance and team management concurrent with a negative relation between managerial ability and the use of team management. Consistent with the notion that team management suppresses portfolio eccentricity and leads to more generic trading strategies, thereby both increasing returns and making returns less informative of fund manager ability, we also find that team management is associated with less idiosyncratic portfolio holdings and a greater loading on large capitalization, low book-to-market, and momentum stocks.

Horses for Courses: Fund Managers and Organizational Structures

Horses for Courses: Fund Managers and Organizational Structures

From Local Experiments to National Policy: The Origins of China's Distinctive Policy Process

China's national policy formulation undergone economic transformation and shaped the making of policies in promotion of private business and stock market regulation. China's distinctive process of central-local interaction in policy generation is one of its core strengths in reforming its economy.

Technology wars or horses for courses?

Mobile television is handicapped by a divergence of standards. Amidst the runners and riders, odds for DMB/DAB-IP and DVB-H has been shortening, as mobile operators place their bets. The comparison of DMB/DAB-IP and DVB-H is discussed in terms of spectrum availability and network cost.

Horses for courses [industrial bus

This paper examines the question of whether there is an ideal bus technology that can be applied to all test systems. While some companies may claim that a single technology is the ideal bus for all application needs, each bus has its strengths and is suited for different applications. With the variety of bus technologies available, engineers should consider key bus attributes such as latency, bandwidth, software support, distance support and availability when determining the appropriate bus for an application. Using a layered test architecture, with an integrated software framework, engineers can meet varying system needs by integrating buses to create a hybrid multiplatform system.

What is the place of psychological treatments in mood disorders?

While psychotherapy has many applications for mood disorders, this paper focuses on those psychotherapies (cognitive behaviour therapy or CBT, and interpersonal psychotherapy or IPT) that have been manualized, extensively evaluated, and positioned as definitive therapies for unipolar depressive disorders. This paper suggests some reasons as to why their role and utility remain unclear. First, despite many randomized controlled efficacy studies, differentiation from other psychotherapies or control interventions appears to occur only when the actual control treatment possesses few therapeutic ingredients. Second, their testing as if they have universal application for non-specific diagnostic entities (e.g. major depression), in trials where there is a high rate of non-specific responsivity to intervention, has limited our capacity to identify the circumstances in which such treatments have specific benefits. Thus, many of the limitations to the knowledge base more reflect limitations reflecting the current evaluation of all antidepressant therapies rather than being unique to the psychotherapies. This paper argues for a change in the paradigms for evaluating the psychotherapies, and argues for a 'horses for courses' approach for conceptualizing the roles of the psychotherapies in managing mood disorders, rather than any model assuming their universal application.

Horses for courses: optimising a new product development process

In this article the author aims to illuminate some of the factors that affect the selection and tailoring of process to one's needs. Designing a process is not too different from designing a product. As engineers, we know that almost every attribute of a product is a trade-off. Every benefit has to be bought; often by foregoing or limiting some other benefit, but always by increasing complexity, risk of error, and cost. So a good engineer will not include anything that does not earn its place by the value of its function. For processes, this means you should focus on the controls you need to manage business risk. Every task should have a purpose that generates more value than cost. Your process should be strongest in the areas that matter most to you.

“Horses for Courses” and “Thin Blue Lines”: Community Policing in Transitional Society

The export of policing models from the West has a long history. Current export processes are dominated by the transfer of community policing (COP) models from Anglo-American jurisdictions to societies currently regarded as undergoing a transitional process. The latter are frequently characterized by rising recorded crime rates and a delegitimation of their own police institutions. Consequently, COP appears to offer a welcome respite, especially when encouraged not just by policing missionaries from the West and donor cash but also by a variety of nongovernmental organizations that see COP effectiveness as a human rights resolution to police abuse. Using secondary data from a range of failed and transitional societies, this article challenges the motives, processes, and consequences of the export of such a Western policing model. The end result, from the preliminary evidence, seems to be one of deepening social schism in the country of import. COP is irrelevant to many such societies.

Horses for Courses? The Political Discourse of Globalisation and European Integration in the UK and Ireland

In recent years there has been growing interest in the role of discourses of globalisation and European integration in shaping political outcomes. As a variety of authors have suggested, these discourses may play a powerful causal role in determining the trajectory of policy change and, as such, should be treated as objects of enquiry in their own right. Yet, while much recent scholarship has pointed to the need for systematic empirical analysis of policy-making discourses, little such analysis has yet been undertaken. Our aim in this paper is to contribute to this task, by mapping contemporary appeals to globalisation and European integration in two EU states: Britain and the Irish Republic. We present findings from the discourse analysis (using QSR NVivo) of over 100 speeches backed by supplementary interviews in both cases. Building upon, extending and updating an earlier discussion, we develop a theoretical schema for the classification and mapping of a range of different discourses of globalisation and European integration. These we categorise in terms of the contingent or inevitable character attributed to the process in question and the positive, open-ended or negative connotations it is seen to entail. What becomes apparent is the highly strategic ways in which such discourses are used, the articulation of which depends greatly upon the context in which they are deployed and the audience for which they are intended.