Small Sample Survey Research Articles

Helicobacter pylori, Republic of Georgia

<i>Helicobacter pylori</i>, Republic of Georgia

Police Officers' Perceptions of Maps and Aerial Photographs

With the increasing adoption of geographic information systems (GIS) by police departments and other law enforcement agencies around the world, the issue of how effectively maps and related media communicate information has become germane. In the police department, Baltimore County, Maryland, USA, a small sample survey of police officers was conducted in order to test the utility of alternative visualisations of crime data presented at varying geographic scales. The ultimate objective was to enhance understanding of the effectiveness of maps and aerial photographs commonly used in the context of various investigative, community, managerial, and other applications of GIS tools. Generally, representations containing richer detail were preferred over the conventional abstract linear maps that are usually the default in the context of GIS. Given this situation, faster microprocessors and cheap mass storage provide a rationale for making available maps and other imagery providing police department personnel with intensely rich visualisations of their environments. The underlying assumption is that richer images convey more information and ultimately result in better decision-making. This research was supported by a grant from the US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice. Points of view are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the US Department of Justice. The authors contributed equally to the research.

Participation via collective action in government and NGO schools in Pakistan

Parent-teacher associations (PTAs) or school management committees (SMCs) are an important way of realising participation via collective action to improve schooling. Field visits, a literature review, and a small sample survey are the three sources used to explore the status of SMCs/PTAs that have been established by provincial governments and NGOs in Pakistan. My main finding is that to make participation effective in schooling, public-sector reforms need to be carried out to alter the power relations between parents, teachers, and government officials. In general, NGO schools performed only marginally better than government schools in engendering participation.

Plagiarism and its Treatment in Higher Education

This review of a perennial academic problem is prompted both by increasing media coverage of issues of cheating and plagiarism, and by the authors' own experience of the problems raised in dealing with it. We review the literature to explore the range of current concerns and issues. A small sample survey of higher education institutions is discussed, and the reasons for institutions' non-cooperation reviewed. Four cases drawn from the authors' experience are examined. The involvement of professional bodies is questioned.

Microfinance and Poverty in Bolivia

Both in its institutional range and in its penetration of financial markets, the microfinance sector in Bolivia rivals any in the world, and has played a major part in extracting the macro-economy from meltdown since the mid-1980s. We seek specifically to assess its impact on poverty, and do this through small-sample surveys on four microfinance institutions, two urban and two rural, using a range of poverty concepts: income (generated both through the borrower's enterprise and through the labour market), asset holdings and diversity, and various measures of vulnerability. All the institutions studied had, on balance, positive impacts on income and asset levels, with income impacts correlating negatively with income on account of poor households choosing to invest in low-risk, low-return assets. Microfinance may, however, augment vulnerability: average debt-service ratios of microfinance clients are disturbingly high, and if the coping mechanisms used by borrowers fail, borrowers may be forced out of the microfinance system, possibly resulting in decapitalisation and impoverishment. Poorer households are more restricted in their choice of coping strategy, and many as a consequence 'choose' coping strategies more likely to jeopardise their long-term income prospects, in particular asset sales and cuts in children's schooling. The more successful low-income borrowers are those who have voluntary savings deposits and do not rush into fixed capital purchases too early: collapse back into poverty is associated with multiple crises and the failure of one or more 'safety nets', in particular of one or more 'safety nets', in particular support from a member's solidarity group. The following actions appear to be promising for the further reduction of poverty in Bolivia: stronger efforts to mobilise rural savings, removal of lower limits on loan size, and the introduction of appropriate insurance mechanisms. In comparison with other anti-poverty measures, microfinance appears to be successful and relative cheap at reducing the poverty of those close to the poverty line, but ineffective, by comparison with labour-market and infrastructural measures, in reducing extreme poverty.

Development of a Prototype Time-Use Diary and Application in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Over the last 10 years, household travel surveys have evolved from travel or trip diaries to activity diaries and then to time-use diaries. In all previous diaries, whether trip, activity, or time-use, successive trips or activities have been collected in sequence and were assigned a sequence number, beginning with 1. In current research, a time-use diary was developed that collects data on both in-home and out-of-home activities, treats travel as another activity, but gets away from sequential numbering of activities through the day. The new time-use diary is designed to have respondents record their activities by indicating start and end times in a 24-h diary format, similar to ones used in sociological time-use research. The development of the survey instrument through testing and a focus group is described, and a description of the final diary format is provided. Also described are the results of a pilot and main survey in which households were recruited by telephone and then sent diaries in the mail. Completed diaries were returned by mail, with a number of reminder telephone calls made to increase the response rate. The pilot and main survey data are analyzed to show the detail of the activities obtained and the completeness of information that this format of diary produces. The results of this small sample survey are compared with those of a conventional travel diary survey, carried out in Baton Rouge about 2 years earlier, by using telephone recruitment, diary mail out, and computer-aided telephone interview retrieval of diary data. Results, such as the number of trips and activities per household and per person, are compared, as are the sociodemographics of the two samples. It is concluded that the day-planner diary format is a promising format that may provide better reporting of travel and activities than other diary formats.

Pricing and positioning for the Single European Currency – the state of play among Northampton small and medium‐sized enterprises

Pricing and positioning strategies are of increasing strategic importance and are crucial to the long‐term competitiveness of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Following the introduction of the Single European Currency (referred to as the “Euro” throughout this paper), the paper suggests that there will be a major squeeze on price differentials between European Union (EU) member states, creating a danger that existing price‐based positioning strategies will be undermined. This “European pricing and positioning time bomb” will affect UK SMEs (as well as larger businesses) over their short‐term planning horizon, even if UK entry into the Euro is delayed indefinitely. Strategic responses to the Euro will be most effective if they are planned and implemented at the earliest possible time. This paper explores and analyses the findings from a small sample survey of export‐active, consumer goods manufacturing, Northampton SMEs, carried out in late 1997. The aim is to establish their existing pricing and positioning strategies for EU Europe, their preparedness at that time for the introduction of the Euro and the main forms which their pricing and positioning strategies for the Euro were then taking. The findings suggest that most of the SMEs surveyed were in the early stages of planning for the Euro, but that many had not yet fully grasped its strategic marketing significance. Three categories of current marketing postures are identified: price standardisation, price but not product differentiation, and price differentiation supported by product differentiation between EU markets. The paper concludes by evaluating the effectiveness of responses based on these three alternative categories to the new marketing environment in EU Europe that the Euro will create. A set of strategic recommendations is also made for SMEs’ pricing and positioning strategies in the Euro context.

Survey Estimates of Drug-Use Trends in Urban Communities: General Principles and Cautionary Examples

Surveys to depict substance abuse rates and monitor trends in specific areas have become increasingly important policy tools. Yet, as illustrated by two national multiwave surveys, using small sample survey data and making longitudinal comparisons is fraught with interpretative problems. In the case of the metropolitan area “over-sample” of the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, for example, interpreting apparent declines in drug use has to take account of the devastating effects of Hurricane Andrew in the Miami Metropolitan area. In the case of a 41-community survey sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to evaluate substance abuse prevention, the difficulty is how to interpret small differences in drug use, which seem to follow no reasonable pattern with respect to treatment or comparison sites. Inferences from such surveys are confounded with statistical anomalies and unforeseen events. They are limited by the sample size. In part, the solution to these problems is to use other survey and nonsurvey data to validate their conclusions and to note their limitations. [Translations are provided in the International s Section of this issue.]

Inefficiencies in Public Electricity Provision and Impacts on Firms in Karachi’s Manufacturing Sector

The private costs of electricity supply failures are substantial and inimical to industrial productivity. Using results from a small sample survey of manufacturing firms in Karachi, the study documented the causes, extent and incidence of the failures, identified and classified the firms’ private responses, and estimated the capital share of internally produced power and the associated costs. The results are reported here to engender discussion for developing a policy model of infrastructure provision suited to a developing country like Pakistan. The most encouraging options are those that allow for cooperative provision amongst firms with concurrent reforms in the regulatory and institutional environments. An optimal policy will allow inter-firm trading of electricity making the power market competitive. Those firms that already have extensive private generating capacity due to weak public supply will realise scale economies by selling electric power to lower the costs of private provision. Competition in electricity supply implies that industrial users will find attractive substitutes in the private sector. This will lead to a reduction in the demand on public service, already limited in quantity and quality in key urban-industrial locations like Karachi.

A Research on Practical Use of the Data of Small Sample Survey, in the Analysis of the Data of Person-trip Survey

A Research on Practical Use of the Data of Small Sample Survey, in the Analysis of the Data of Person-trip Survey

Discounts for Degrees: External Benefits and University Fees

An efficient pricing system for university degrees should take into account the external benefits of degree programs. Results from a small sample survey comparing the external benefits of these programs are reported.

Updating Existing Travel Simulation Models with Small-Sample Survey Data Using Parameter Scaling Methods

The travel simulation models for many metropolitan areas were originally developed and calibrated with older large-sample travel surveys that can no longer be undertaken given today’s funding constraints. Small-sample travel surveys have been collected as part of model update activities required by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act and the Clean Air Act Amendments. Although providing useful information, these surveys are inadequate for calibrating elaborate simulation models by traditional techniques. Parameter transfer scaling based on small-sample surveys and other secondary source data can be a cost-effective alternative to large-sample surveys when existing models are being updated, particularly when the models tend to be robust and the required changes are relatively small. The use of parameter scaling methods to update the Delaware Valley Planning Commission’s existing travel simulation models is demonstrated. All available sources of data are incorporated into the update process including current survey data, census work trips from the Census Transportation Planning Package (CTPP), transit ridership checks, highway screenline counts, and Highway Performance Monitoring System travel estimates. A synopsis of experience with parameter scaling techniques including the model changes and resulting accuracy is provided. Overall, small-sample-based parameter scaling techniques were judged to be effective. The census CTPP data were evaluated versus the home interview and were found to be useful in the model recalibration effort as a source of small-area employment data by place of work and as a supplement to home interview data for model validation. However, a home interview survey is required as the primary source of travel data for both work and nonwork trips.

An Inquiry into the Continuing Relevance of Herzberg's Motivation Theory

ABSTRACTThis article investigates whether or not Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory is still applicable in the 1990s. Herzberg's original work was done in an America of industrial expansion and high employment. The current situation is one of downsizing, restructuring, and reengineering. This investigation was done by replicating Herzberg's 1959 study and comparing the results. The Herzberg methodology is described and analyzed, as is the subsequent literature on the Motivation-Hygiene Theory. Practical limitations resulted in a small sample survey being substituted for Herzberg's original interview technique. The results showed a decrease in recognition, advancement, and responsibility satisfiers and the disappearance of salary and working conditions as motivators or demotivators. Despite the small sample, the results provide enough useful data to validate Herzberg's theory in the 1990s.

Valuation by Capitalization: A Review of Comments by International Practitioners

Through a small-sample practitioner survey conducted in four world cities during late 1992, the similarities in the state of the respective prime CBD office investment property markets at that time were found to be paralleled by a consistency of trends in the valuation methodology adopted by practitioners for such property and in both the source of and relative importance of determinants of the capitalization rate.

A methodological note on cross-cultural accounting ethics research

Predicting international differences in ethical behavior is important for multinational accounting firms. This note reports an empirical test of the usefulness of Hofstede's five dimensions of culture to predict cross-cultural differences in ethical sensitivity. A small-sample survey of academic experts in cross-cultural management research in accounting and other business disciplines demonstrated that Power Distance and Confucian Dynamism were expected to be consistently related to ethical judgment in a series of eight accounting-related ethical vignettes, while Individualism showed strong effects, its direction depended on the nature of the ethical dilemma described in the vignette. Over all of the experts, there was statistically significant consensus. Implications of the findings for the research design of cross-cultural accounting ethics studies is also discussed.

The validity of Australian ancestry statistics.

"This article examines the contrast between objective and subjective perceptions of ancestry hidden in the 1986 [Australian] Census definitions which vitiates the published results and points to the limitations of validating uncertain collections by relating them to cognate series. It looks at the collection of ancestry statistics as a bold attempt at an impossible task which has yielded results that are often inaccurate, sometimes misleading and liable to abuse in their interpretation. It is suggested that some of the features of cultural structure could be more reliably ascertained by small sample surveys of perceptions and aspirations."

Socio‐economic differentiation among African peasants: Evidence from Acholi, Southern Sudan

AbstractThis paper is concerned with the nature and extent of inequality and poverty in a rural African economy which has yet to experience any form of modern economic growth. Southern Sudan remains one of the least developed areas in Africa, relying largely on subsistence crop cultivation and traditional pastoralism and where the only major modem sector activity is urban‐based public administration. The aim of this study is to quantify and explain the nature of differences in household well‐being in a fairly typical rural area of this economy set in the context of the Chayanov model ofpeasant behaviour. It is argued that policy‐making requires the exploration of the underlying behaviour of households and how they allocate land and labour in order to help support their survival strategies. Some general policy implications are drawn from the analysis of data collected in a small sample survey which may have a wider application in similarly neglected parts of rural tropical Africa.

Estimation Model of Diversion Rate on Urban Expressway with Fuzzy Set Theory

Analysis of route choice behavior will help traffic demand forecasting on urban expressway planning, because motorists choose appropriate route to go to destination smoothly. The objective of the study is to describe the structure of preference between expressway and street and build a practical diversion model with fuzzy set theory. First, considering fare term on route choice, Fuzzy Delphi Method (F. D. M.) is proposed to estimate the membership functions of main factors with small sample survey. Second, the diversion model between express-way and streets is designed with fuzzy reasoning. Third, traffic assgnment with fuzzy diversion model is applied to demand forecasting on Hanshin Expressway.

Literacy/Numeracy Provision and its Effectiveness in Psychiatric Hospitals

For many years the occupational therapist has been involved in dealing with the lack of literacy/numeracy skills of psychiatrically ill people. With the growing emphasis on ‘back to the community’, this is a much needed service in psychiatric hospitals. This article attempts to assess, with its small sample survey, the provision of such a service in psychiatric hospitals and its effectiveness. The survey findings reveal that there is a huge gap in the available resources. The authors suggest possible ways that improvement can be achieved.

The Simplified Travel Demand Estimation Method Based on Small Sample Surveys

We propose the Simplified Travel Demand Estimation Model. This model, which is basically extention of the conventional 4 step model, is based on small sample surveys and full use of rich existing PT survey results. Adaptation of this model to Miyazaki City and Utsunomiya City shows that 1) the Simpli-fied Travel Demand Estimation Model is adaptable to these cities with good estimation results, and that 2) three hund-red households are enough to estimate trip generation rates, trip length and disaggregate mode choice models which are the key parts of whole estimation process.