Tangible Information Research Articles

Intangible Information and Analyst Behavior

In this paper, we study whether firm intangible information affects analyst behavior. We find direct evidence that when analysts make more judgment-intensive decisions, such as issuing stock recommendations, they overweight intangible information, leading to overreaction to intangible information. On the contrary, when analysts make less judgment-intensive decisions, such as earnings per share (EPS) forecasts, there is no such evidence of overreaction. More specifically, analyst recommendations are much more sensitive to intangible information, while EPS forecasts are more sensitive to tangible information. The sensitivity of long-term growth forecasts to intangible and tangible information fall in between. We also test and find that the overconfidence bias in analyst recommendations contributes to the market overreaction to intangible information. Our results appear to be consistent with the overconfidence hypothesis put forth by Daniel and Titman (2006).

The uptake of research evidence: a systematic review of nurses' experiences of using research evidence in their practice.

Review question/objective The objective of this systematic review is to critically appraise and synthesise the best available evidence regarding the uptake of research evidence in clinical practice as experienced by nurses. This review seeks to answer the following questions: 1. What are the experiences of nurses in relation to the uptake of research into clinical practice? 2. What factors do nurses report as helpful in the uptake of research evidence into clinical practice? 3. What factors do nurses report as limiting the uptake of research evidence into clinical practice? Inclusion criteria Types of participants This review will consider qualitative studies that include all nurses working in any type of health care setting, including acute (hospitals), primary (community health), mental health and aged care. For the purpose of this review, the generic term ‘nurses’ will include registered nurses, enrolled nurses and assistants in nursing. The aim is to be as inclusive as possible and allow for global variations of nurse positions. Types of intervention(s)/phenomena of interest This review will consider studies that investigate the experience of nurses regarding the uptake of research evidence into clinical practice, including clinical decision making or clinical judgement. The term ‘clinical decision making’ for this review will describe any organisational aspects that influence decision making. The term ‘clinical judgement’ will describe the ‘different grounds for making judgements’. 20 (p. 1506) Additionally, for this review the terms research uptake or utilisations and evidence-based practice will be used interchangeably as they all represent the aspect of incorporating research evidence into clinical practice. Types of outcomes This review will consider any subjective accounts by nurses describing their experiences, either positive or negative, in relation to the uptake of research evidence into clinical practice.

Direct communication, the unquestionable ideal? Oncologists' accounts of communication of bleak prognoses

To explore the factors that influence the clinical practice of oncologists concerning disclosure of prognostic information. Focus group interviews with oncologists in three Norwegian university hospitals. Interview guide consisting of three patient cases where challenging aspects of prognostic information delivery were presented to the participants. Each group consisted of six participants, all groups with a mix of men and women, and ranging from very experienced consultants to relatively inexperienced residents in oncology. Transcribed interviews were qualitatively analyzed through categorization and condensation. The importance of openness when dealing with prognostic information towards the end of life was strongly advocated by all participants. However, there was a reluctance to give tangible information regarding survival, and a feeling that this part of clinical practice was a challenge. Skills in how to communicate negative prognostic information were attained primarily by observing colleagues, but also from personal experience. Existing guidelines for communication were not perceived as useful. Primarily focusing on open communication regarding bleak prospects of life expectancy entails a risk of overrunning the information needs of individual patients. Oncologists still see communication skills primarily as personal, and are at risk of not exploring and responding to the individual patient's wish for information.

Human-Display Interaction Technology: Emerging Remote Interfaces for Pervasive Display Environments

We're living in a world where information processing isn't confined to desktop computers-it's being integrated into everyday objects and activities. Pervasive computation is human centered: it permeates our physical world, helping us achieve goals and fulfill our needs with minimum effort by exploiting natural interaction styles. Remote interaction with screen displays requires a sensor-based, multimodal, touchless approach. For example, by processing user hand gestures, this paradigm removes constraints requiring physical contact and permits natural interaction with tangible digital information. Such touchless interaction can be multimodal, exploiting the visual, auditory, and olfactory senses.

Multidisciplinary teams designing products for aiding disabled people

The results of applying the AHP multicriteria technique are shown to decide which type of product must be designed to favor disabled people's social inclusion. The study was conducted in Cali where the census reported 8,618 cases of impairment involving alteration in body, hand, leg and arm movements. The aid products were classified under UNE-EN-ISO9999-2007 standard. The AHP multi-criteria technique allows stating and finding the solution to decision-making problems with different decision-makers, criteria and alternatives by handling tangible and intangible information in a structured and simple way. Three organisational actors participated in the study: the university (with different disciplines), a small enterprise and a user. It is worth noting the presence of engineering during this design stage since it has traditionally been relegated to the product materialisation stage, having little interaction with the other disciplines. The best alternative favoring social inclusion was the class of products aiding personal mobility (28.6%. relative importance). It can thus be concluded that multidisciplinary participation broadens how the problem is viewed, disciplines have a partial effect on weighting selection criteria and there is no alignment in the commercial perception of the university and the enterprise in this type of decision-making.

Object based image analysis for remote sensing

Remote sensing imagery needs to be converted into tangible information which can be utilised in conjunction with other data sets, often within widely used Geographic Information Systems (GIS). As long as pixel sizes remained typically coarser than, or at the best, similar in size to the objects of interest, emphasis was placed on per-pixel analysis, or even sub-pixel analysis for this conversion, but with increasing spatial resolutions alternative paths have been followed, aimed at deriving objects that are made up of several pixels. This paper gives an overview of the development of object based methods, which aim to delineate readily usable objects from imagery while at the same time combining image processing and GIS functionalities in order to utilize spectral and contextual information in an integrative way. The most common approach used for building objects is image segmentation, which dates back to the 1970s. Around the year 2000 GIS and image processing started to grow together rapidly through object based image analysis (OBIA - or GEOBIA for geospatial object based image analysis). In contrast to typical Landsat resolutions, high resolution images support several scales within their images. Through a comprehensive literature review several thousand abstracts have been screened, and more than 820 OBIA-related articles comprising 145 journal papers, 84 book chapters and nearly 600 conference papers, are analysed in detail. It becomes evident that the first years of the OBIA/GEOBIA developments were characterised by the dominance of ‘grey’ literature, but that the number of peer-reviewed journal articles has increased sharply over the last four to five years. The pixel paradigm is beginning to show cracks and the OBIA methods are making considerable progress towards a spatially explicit information extraction workflow, such as is required for spatial planning as well as for many monitoring programmes.

An approach to budget allocation for an aerospace company—Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and artificial neural network

Budgetary allocations of resources are made in all businesses, but their volume and composition vary; and efficient budget allocation is fundamental to flow in businesses. The objective of the allocation problem is to determine the required budget for each department (or section) of a company so as to maximize the sum of the company's benefits. The purpose of this paper is to find a suitable degree of fuzziness for preference rankings and to demonstrate an example of budget allocation using artificial intelligence programming, and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP). An efficient budget allocation method using FAHP will be provided for businesses. This method is suitable for use in evaluating proposed policies (including tangible and intangible information). A comparison between FAHP and artificial neural network (ANN) will be also made in this paper. An aerospace company's budget allocation problem is investigated as a case study in this research, which will illustrate how to solve this problem. The case study utilizes a two-stage interview (semi-structured interview and in-depth interview) to select their budget allocations given a number of tangible and intangible criteria. The results from the case study are pertinent to other real-world allocation problems that share many of the characteristics of problems, such as decision makers’ subjective opinions.

Making ourselves useful

“Knowledge transfer” is a phrase that encapsulates the flow of useful ideas arising from curiositydriven research into wider use in society – the fundamental reason why any government puts money into science. And it seems reasonable that they want something useful in return for the money, especially in the economic climate of the foreseeable future. The trouble is, such tangible outcomes can be difficult to identify in pure science. However, they do exist. Who would have thought that railway signalling would benefit directly from the search for ultra-high-energy cosmic rays? Urban smog detectors have a closer link to atmospheric monitoring by satellite, but it is the need to make instruments small enough and light enough for launch that also makes them portable and practical in towns. However, such an emphasis on concrete applications of research omits an important element of knowledge transfer, and one where astronomy, planetary science and geophysics excel. These fields excite, inspire and enthuse people at all stages of their lives, fostering an interest in science that benefits society in general – and young people who may be the skilled workforce of the future in particular. Equipping schools with telescopes and seismometers, teaming up amateur astronomers with professionals, and the many diverse activities across the world for IYA2009 all show the cultural and educational impact of our sciences. Not before time, the RAS along with other learned societies has sponsored a study of such less tangible benefits, with the aim of better quantifying the impact of our sciences. That way we will have some tangible information about the transfer of knowledge in the broader sense. Editorial NEws

Nutritional Education Tool to Improve Overall Dietary Attitude and Knowledge among Young Women

One of the weakest links in intervention programs to control malnutrition is the absence of proper nutrition education. Scarcity of appropriate and specific education material is weakness in Nutrition Education endeavours.As part of a community nutrition education program, nutrition education material in the form of a booklet was prepared keeping in view the updated scientific information. Qualitative research techniques such as focus group discussion and focused ethnography utilized to assess the existing community perception, beliefs to identify attitude preferences and resistance factors. Simple messages were prepared by reconstructing themes. Fifty-two women constituting two groups participated in the study. Women in Group-A, were those who had a tangible information seeking attitude, these were Farmers Training Institute trainees and those in Group-B were those who had never been exposed to any outside extension program, these were farm women of Kurubarahalli.The impact of the nutrition education tool was assessed by a check list of 31 questions. Significant improvements in knowledge was observed in all variables in both groups. Study demonstrated that nutrition and health related messages incorporated in the education material successfully transmitted to the target group of women.

Mixed valuation methods: a combined AHP-GP procedure for individual and group multicriteria agricultural valuation

This paper introduces a new assessment method classification, in which a third procedure, mixed valuation, is jointly included with the traditional economic and non-economic methodologies. The paper considers a case of multiple actors (from a previous work by the same authors—Aznar et al. (Estudios de Economia Aplicada, 25(2):389–409, 2007), in which a new technique for multicriteria agriculture valuation (MAVAM) was proposed. The method is specifically designed for situations in which scarce information about the elements being compared (quantified or not) is available. It works in individual and group decision making contexts and attempts to both obtain and incorporate the objective information associated with the tangible aspects of the problem and the subjective knowledge associated with the human factor into the valuation process. It combines two of the most extended multicriteria decision making techniques: the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Goal Programming (GP). The first of these enables tangible and intangible information stemming from known elements to be collected by using pairwise comparisons; the second allows the scarce information available and the personal approach to the valuation to be included in the valuation process. The proposed methodology is illustrated by means of its application to a case of individual and group valuation of an agricultural asset in the La Ribera district, Valencia (Spain).

Measuring knowledge management performance using a competitive perspective: An empirical study

This paper proposes an approach of measuring a technology university’s knowledge management (KM) performance from competitive perspective. The approach integrates analytical network process (ANP), which is a theory of multiple criteria decision-making and is good at dealing with tangible and intangible information, with balanced scorecard (BSC) that contains four perspectives, including customer perspective, internal business perspective, innovation and learning perspective, and financial perspective, being adopted as the indicators of KM performance measurement (KMPM). This paper makes three important contributions: (1) it propose a methodology of comparing an organization’s knowledge management performance with its major rivals to offer effective information for improving KM, increasing decision-making quality, and obtaining clear effort direction of attaining competitive advantage; (2) it explores the case involving a lot of findings that present the positions of the case organization against it major rivals and imply that the technology university has to reinforce knowledge creation and accumulation to catch up with its competitive rivals; and (3) it is generic in nature and applicable to benefit an organization. The results prove the proposed method can act as a measurement tool for the entire KM of an organization.

Developing an integrated management system for optimising project options

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss the development of an integrated management system (IMS) by linking quantitative and qualitative decision parameters with a view to rank and optimise capital projects. Roles and impacts of the non‐financial criteria have been combined with traditional financial criteria for decision‐making and management processes in dynamic project environment.Design methodology/approachBoth tangible and intangible information associated over project life cycle have been integrated and the dynamic operating environment is evaluated in proactive decision‐making process. In this research, a closed loop feedback system incorporating stakeholder's input with project's business objectives has been developed. The triple bottom line has been employed as decision‐making criteria. While the architecture, communication protocols and conceptual modelling framework of the overall system are briefly discussed, modelling of soft issues and underlying impacts have been discussed in details. The overall functionality of the system has been established incorporating a multi‐criteria decision hierarchy module and a number of intelligent functions. Integration of the system is achieved through a common database and appropriate user's interfaces.FindingsThe capability and functionality of the system prototype have been discussed with the focus on a road infrastructure project. Implementation of the model has been highlighted with appropriate examples.Practical implicationsThe initial design of the model is based on data gathered from a real life project. The practical implication of the prototype is significant for holistic analysis of investment decisions on complex projects.Originality/valueThe stated modelling technique of soft issues (e.g. overall satisfaction level and stakeholders benefit values) along with project's financial objectives in an integrated framework will benefit all industry sectors.

Amplification and asymmetry in crashes and frenzies

We often observe disproportionate reactions to tangible information in large stock price movements. Moreover these movements feature an asymmetry: the number of crashes is more than that of frenzies in the S&P 500 index. This paper offers an explanation for these two characteristics of large movements in which hedging (portfolio insurance) causes amplified price reactions to news and liquidity shocks as well as an asymmetry biased towards crashes. Risk aversion of traders is shown to be essential for the asymmetry of price movements. Also, we show that differential information can enhance both amplification and asymmetry delivered by hedging.

American College of Radiology White Paper on Radiation Dose in Medicine

The benefits of diagnostic imaging are immense and have revolutionized the practice of medicine. The increased sophistication and clinical efficacy of imaging have resulted in its dramatic growth over the past quarter century. Although data derived from the atomic bomb survivors in Japan and other events suggest that the expanding use of imaging modalities using ionizing radiation may eventually result in an increased incidence of cancer in the exposed population, this problem can likely be minimized by preventing the inappropriate use of such imaging and by optimizing studies that are performed to obtain the best image quality with the lowest radiation dose. The ACR, which has been an advocate for radiation safety since its inception in 1924, convened the ACR Blue Ribbon Panel on Radiation Dose in Medicine to address these issues. This white paper details a proposed action plan for the college derived from the deliberations of that panel.

Comparing with your main competitor: the single most important task of knowledge management performance measurement

The single most important task of knowledge management (KM) performance measurement is comparing your company with its main rivals. Most of the metrics and methods of knowledge measurement that have been developed are concentrated on measuring the knowledge within the organization, which may be nice to know, but is not critical. In this paper, we propose a methodology for comparing a firm's knowledge management performance with its major rivals using the Analytical Network Process (ANP) to obtain a clear direction of the effort required to gain or maintain a competitive advantage. The ANP approach employed in the present study is a theory of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM), and is good at dealing with tangible and intangible information. Our methodology is designed to make a detailed comparison of a firm's KM performance with that of its main rivals, in order to be able to provide effective information for improving its KM and to increase its decision-making quality. This paper makes three important contributions: (1) it develops a comprehensive model, which incorporates a variety of issues for conducting KM performance measurements in comparison with major rivals; (2) case experience is provided to help us understand the advantages and disadvantages of the methodology for KM performance measurement from a practical point of view, and (3) the results obtained from exploring the case firm present changes that the case firm can make, implying that the case firm must reinforce its knowledge creation and internalization so as to improve its position in comparison with its most competitive rivals. The method proposed by this paper is generic in nature and is applicable to benefit any firm.

An IT capital performance indicator study: evidence from a Taiwan financial service industry case study

Assessing the performance of information technology investments is an issue that concerns every IT manager. It is an enterprise's primary goal to integrate information technology into critical business processes effectively, but the value and influence of a firm's performance is very difficult to show in financial statements and quantify using regular assessment methods. This study first reviews the existing approaches in measuring tangible and intangible information technology assets and then points out the IT capital which is a novel concept to extend the existing approaches to tackle the issue of measurement and quantification. The research method is case study oriented. There are five live case studies we have conducted. A questionnaire is designed as the tool. Scoring from surveys and findings from interviews provide the main evidence of the degree of indicator applicability.

The impact of involvement on satisfaction for new, nontraditional, credence‐based service offerings

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the satisfaction formation process under conditions of varying involvement for new, nontraditional, credence‐based service offerings.Design/methodology/approachHypotheses were tested using an on‐line simulation of a service encounter, beginning with perceptions of an advertisement and continuing through satisfaction with the completed service report. ElderCare, an assurance service provided by Certified Public Accountants to the children of an elderly parent, was the context of study.FindingsThe findings indicated expectations were not influential in the satisfaction formation process for these services, regardless of involvement. Under conditions of high involvement, performance evaluation was the dominant predictor of satisfaction. Low‐involvement subjects used disconfirmation to assess satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of the research stem from the use of a convenience sample in a simulated service encounter. Future research should examine the influence of individual characteristics, particularly innovation, on the results. Additional research examining the determinants of model variables, from disconfirmation to involvement, across subjects in a variety of situations would also be valuable.Practical implicationsThis research suggests a heightened need to guide the consumer experience where expectations are hard to develop and performance is hard to evaluate. Providers should carefully spell out key service dimensions, provide tangible information about performance outcomes for high‐involvement individuals, and focus on emotional appeals, provider qualities and sensory aspects of the service for low‐involvement individuals.Originality/valueThis paper helps researchers and practitioners better understand the applicability of expectancy disconfirmation theory and role of involvement in the context of new, nontraditional, credence‐based services.

Providing Perpetual Access to Government Information

The past few years have seen the Government Printing Office (GPO) move from managing predominantly paper based government publications to collecting, organizing, and disseminating government information electronically. Serious concerns have been raised about perpetual access and authentication of government information in the new digital environment. This article focuses on GPO's plans to preserve both electronic and tangible government information resources and the initiatives being taken by GPO in collaboration with the library community and other stakeholders to address these matters.

Market Reactions to Tangible and Intangible Information

ABSTRACTThe book‐to‐market effect is often interpreted as evidence of high expected returns on stocks of “distressed” firms with poor past performance. We dispute this interpretation. We find that while a stock's future return is unrelated to the firm's past accounting‐based performance, it is strongly negatively related to the “intangible” return, the component of its past return that is orthogonal to the firm's past performance. Indeed, the book‐to‐market ratio forecasts returns because it is a good proxy for the intangible return. Also, a composite equity issuance measure, which is related to intangible returns, independently forecasts returns.

Earnings Announcements are Full of Surprises

We study the drift in returns of portfolios formed on the basis of the stock price reaction around earnings announcements. The Earnings Announcement Return (EAR) captures the market reaction to unexpected information contained in the company's earnings release. Besides the actual earnings news, this includes unexpected information about sales, margins, investment, and other less tangible information communicated round the earnings announcement. A strategy that buys and sells companies sorted on EAR produces an average abnormal return of 7.55% per year, 1.3%more than a strategy based on the traditional measure of earnings surprise, SUE. The post earnings announcement drift for EAR strategy is stronger than post earnings announcement drift for SUE. More importantly, unlike SUE, the EAR strategy returns do not show a reversal after 3 quarters. The EAR and SUE strategies appear to be independent of each other. A strategy that exploits both pieces of information generates abnormal returns of about 12.5% on an annual basis.