Collin J. Watson

Tightening the life-cycle construct: a taxonomic study of growth stage configurations in high-technology organizations

Over the years much has been written about the organization life cycle, yet there has been remarkably little attention given to the underlying construct of a life-cycle stage. It is proposed in this study that each life-cycle stage consists of a unique configuration of variables related to organization context and structure. Cluster analysis is used to derive a taxonomy of growth stage configurations in a sample of 126 high-technology organizations. The derived configurations suggest a sequence of four growth stages.

Human Judgment Accuracy, Multidimensional Graphics, And Humans Versus Models

Human judgment accuracy, human information processing, and decision-making aids are topics that have received considerable attention from accounting researchers (see Ashton [1982] and the references cited therein). Generally speaking, the accuracy of human judgment appears to be low (e.g., Ashton [1982, p. 30]), perhaps reflecting the inability of humans optimally to combine multiple sources of information under uncertainty. Three basic options for improving decisions have been outlined by Libby [1981, p. 101]: (1) change the presentation and amount of information, (2) educate the decision maker, and (3) replace the decision maker with a model. The impact of changing the presentation of accounting information on human judgment accuracy has received surprisingly little attention from financial accountants and auditors (see Libby [1981, p. 117]). One option for varying the report format of multiple sources of data is the use of multidimensional graphics in the form of schematic faces (see Chernoff [1973]). Moriarity and Roach [1977] and Huff, Mahajan, and Black [1981] have described the mechanics of constructing multidimensional graphics in the form of faces, and Moriarity [1979] applied such graphics to financial data. While the application of multidimensional graphics in accounting may be fruitful, it is still relatively

The influence of computer graphics on the recall of information

This article describes an experiment that examined the influence of computer plots of three dimensional graphics on the recall of information. Three dimensional graphics and a tabular mode of presentation were used to convey information to two experimental groups of subjects. The graphics were produced by using perspective projections. The outcome was that the three dimensional graphics did not result in greater recall of information than did a tabular representation for the task that was assigned.

A Canonical Correlation Analysis of Commercial Bank Asset/Liability Structures

Commercial banks have been the subjects of a large body of empirical re? search employing regression and econometric models and discriminant analysis. The purpose of this paper is to empirically identify and describe relationships, including hedging behavior, between the asset side and the liability/capital side of the balance sheets of a cross-section of large U.S. banks. Canonical correla? tion analysis is the statistical technique that is employed. Unlike regression anal? ysis which explains the behavior of a single dependent variable as a function of a set of independent variables, canonical correlation analysis relates two sets of variables. In the present case, one set of variables is the composition of the lefthand side of the balance sheet and the other set is the right-hand side. The vari? ables used in this study are asset and liability/capital categories expressed as a proportion of total bank assets (i.e., a percentage breakdown of the balance sheet or a common size statement). These proportions are used in lieu of the more usual financial ratios and no information exogenous to the bank is employed. A recent article by Stowe, Watson, and Robertson [22] examines the rela? tionships between the two sides of the balance sheets of a cross-section of 510 large, nonfinancial corporations. They used canonical correlation analysis to ex? plore relationships between the structure of the left- and right-hand sides of the balance sheet.1 The empirical results suggested several relationships: (1) the firms seemed to use hedging?matching the maturity structure of assets and lia? bilities; (2) some assets such as accounts receivable and real estate could be used as collateral for short-term bank or factor loans and mortgages, respectively; (3) commodity-producing firms should have higher levels of both inventories and accounts payable than service-providing firms; and (4) high-risk businesses may

Construct validity of voluntary and involuntary absenteeism

Construct validity of voluntary and involuntary employee absenteeism is examined in this study. Canonical correlation analysis of absenteeism measures and organizational, personal and attitudinal variables is used to assess empirically the discriminant validity of voluntary and involuntary absenteeism. The empirical results provide evidence consistent with the interpretation that voluntary and involuntary absenteeism are distinct constructs that are associated differentially with subsets of organizational, personal and attitudinal variables. Further study of causal absenteeism models that include voluntary and involuntary absenteeism constructs and organizational, personal and attitudinal variables is needed to more clearly explicate the antecedents of absenteeism.

Involvement of microtubules in prothoracicotropic hormone‐stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis by insect (Manduca sexta) prothoracic glands

Secretion of ecdysteroid molting hormones by insect prothoracic glands is stimulated by neuropeptide prothoracicotropic hormones (PTTH). Studies reported here were conducted to assess the effects of microfilament and microtubule inhibitors on in vitro ecdysteroidogenesis by prothoracic glands of Manduca sexta. Microfilament inhibitors (cytochalasins B and D) had no effect on basal or big PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis. Microtubule inhibitors (colchicine, podophyllotoxin, nocodazole) had no effect on basal ecdysteroid secretion, but suppressed PTTH-stimulated secretion in a concentration-dependent manner. The effect of nocodazole was partially reversible, suggesting it was not due to nonspecific toxicity. Colchicine had no effect on glandular ecdysteroid levels, indicating that inhibition was not due solely to blockage of secretion. The combined results are consistent with the hypothesis that microtubule-mediated transport of ecdysteroid precursors plays a critical role in stimulation of ecdysteroidogenesis by PTTH.

Univariate and multivariate distributions of the job descriptive index's measures of job satisfaction

Abstract This study examines the univariate and multivariate distributions of the Job Descriptive Indexs (JDI) scales for job satisfaction with work, supervision, pay, promotion, and co-workers. The results indicate that the sample distributions of four of the five scales differ significantly from normality. The exception is satisfaction with work. After normalizing square-root transformations were applied to the nonnormal scales, the results of a test for multivariate normality indicated that the transformed sample data for the satisfaction scales reasonably approximate multivariate normality. The implication for organizational researchers is that the use of univariate statistical procedures that are sensitive to nonnormality is questionable in analyses involving the JDI scales. When it is appropriate to analyze the scales jointly, normalizing transformations are recommended to induce approximate multivariate normality for the joint distribution.

A Multivariate Analysis of the Composition of Life Insurer Balance Sheets

A basic economic decision confronting a life insurer is the mixture of assets to buy and liabilities to sell. The asset and liability structures of life insurers involve interactions among their assets, among their liabilities, and between their assets and liabilities, as well as many regulations and institutional constraints unique to the life insurance industry. The purpose of this paper is, by using canonical correlation analysis, to examine empirical relationships between the structure of the assets and obligations of life insurers. Several significant cross-balance sheet relationships are found for a cross-section of 194 large life insurers.

Growth, energetics and food conversion efficiency during the last larval stadium of the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta)

Abstract 1. 1. The biochemical composition and energy content of last instar Manduca sexta larvae were determined daily during the feeding phase. Lipid content was significantly lower on day 1 (11.8%) than on days 2 (19.0%), 3 (18.8%) or 4 (21.3%), 2. 2. Energy content was lower on day 1 (18.89 kJ/g dry wt) than on days 2 (20.25 kJ/g dry wt), 3 (20.46 kJ/g dry wt) or 4 (21.13 kJ/g dry wt). 3. 3. Based on the amount of food eaten, feces produced, and weight gained, food digestion and conversion indices were calculated daily. Approximate digestibility decreased from 70% for the interval between days 1 and 2, to 62% for day 2–3, and finally to 56% for day 3–4. 4. 4. The efficiency of conversion of digested food increased from 60 (day 1–2) to 66% (day 2–3), and remained at that level for day 3–4. 5. 5. The efficiency of conversion of ingested food was 41% for days 1–2 and 2–3, then decreased to 37% for day 3–4.

Computer graphics representation of a statistical model used with a computer-aided diagnosis

A description of computer graphics of a multidimensional model that is used with computer-aided diagnosis or prognosis is presented. The model is discussed and computer graphics of the model are developed. The computer graphics are suitable as visual supplements for presenting the computer-aided diagnostic model to individuals who may be inexperienced in multivariate statistics.