Emersonian philosophy in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Leetras/Inglês e Literatura Correspondente

The Sell-in-May Effect in International Stock Markets

Abstract Several studies have presented evidence for higher returns in stock markets from the beginning of November to the end of April compared to the rest of the year. This phenomenon is well known as the Sell-in-May effect. The main focus of this thesis is to investigate whether the Sellin-May effect still exists in financial markets and whether the power of the effect deviates between time and markets. Additionally, we investigate discrepancies in risk and return between the summer and winter months, as well as the January effect, in order to examine whether these explanations could help us understand the existence of the Sell-in-May effect. In an effort to examine if the investors could exploit and profit from the market anomaly, we developed and simulated a trading strategy based on the Sell-in-May effect and performed various statistical tests against the Buy-and-Hold benchmark strategy. The output from the regression model showed evidence of an existing Sell-in-May effect. Neither the January effect nor differences in risk proved to be viable explanations for the existence of the effect. Further results indicated that the Sell-in-May strategy outperformed the Buy-and-Hold strategy in most scenarios, indicating that investors could exploit and profit from the market anomaly

The Sell-in-May Effect in International Stock Markets

Several studies have presented evidence for higher returns in stock markets from the beginning of November to the end of April compared to the rest of the year. This phenomenon is well known as the Sell-in-May effect. The main focus of this thesis is to investigate whether the Sell- in-May effect still exists in financial markets and whether the power of the effect deviates between time and markets. Additionally, we investigate discrepancies in risk and return between the summer and winter months, as well as the January effect, in order to examine whether these explanations could help us understand the existence of the Sell-in-May effect. In an effort to examine if the investors could exploit and profit from the market anomaly, we developed and simulated a trading strategy based on the Sell-in-May effect and performed various statistical tests against the Buy-and-Hold benchmark strategy. The output from the regression model showed evidence of an existing Sell-in-May effect. Neither the January effect nor differences in risk proved to be viable explanations for the existence of the effect. Further results indicated that the Sell-in-May strategy outperformed the Buy-and-Hold strategy in most scenarios, indicating that investors could exploit and profit from the market anomaly

INICJATYWA I INTENCJONALNOŚĆ W PODEJMOWANIU MISJI ZAGRANICZNEJ PRZEZ EKSPATRIANTÓW Z WŁASNEJ INICJATYWY (SIE)

The purpose of this article is to review the current theoretical achievements in the field of terminology related to self-initiated expatriation (SIE) in relation to the criterion of „initiative” and „intentionality”. The article is theoretical. Conducted etymological analysis on „self-initiated”, „initiative” and „intentionality” is a semantic contribution to the subject literature, is useful in defining the SIE definition criteria, which for researchers of this matter, is a key stage of their further empirical exploration in management practice. The construct of the „personal expatriate initiative” consists of proactivity, perseverance and independence. Independence of the SIE concerns the choice of the host country, convincing local employers to their qualifications, meeting legal conditions related to work and stay abroad, finding a place to live, etc. The SIE proactivity means, among others, to ensure continuity of employment abroad. Persistence SIE means striving to achieve self-appointed goals for a foreign mission and the ability to overcome barriers and failures that appear at every stage of the assignment. The article will contribute to the interest of scientists in this subject, will allow to clarify the definition framework for SIE and will make research on these employees in Poland complete the international exploration palette. In view of the different needs, motives, career progression, type of psychological contract binding SIEs with their employing companies, it can be expected that other organizational solutions will be adopted for these employees. Because the approaches, so far effective in managing traditional expats, may not be completely effective to SIE. This study will contribute to drawing the definition criteria for self-initiated expatriates, which will allow correct selection of respondents for subject research.Key words: expatriate, self-initiated expatriate, initiative, mobilityJEL: M14Celem tego artykułu jest dokonanie przeglądu dotychczasowych osiągnięć teoretycznych w zakresie terminologii odnoszącej się ekspatriacji z własnej inicjatywy (SIĘ – self-initiated expatriation), w odniesieniu do kryterium „inicjatywy” oraz „intencjalności”. Artykuł ma charakter teoretyczny. Przeprowadzona analiza etymologiczna dotyczy pojęcia „samoinicjowanej eskpatriacji”, „inicjatywy” i „intencjalności” stanowi wkład semantyczny do literatury przedmiotowej, jest przydatna w określeniu kryteriów definicyjnych SIE, co dla badaczy tej materii jest kluczowym etapem ich dalszych eksploracji empirycznych w praktyce zarządzania. Na konstrukt „osobistej inicjatywy ekspatrianta” składają się: proaktywność, wytrwałość i samodzielność. Samodzielność SIE dotyczy wyboru kraju goszczącego, przekonywania lokalnych pracodawców do swoich kwalifikacji, spełnienie warunków prawnych związanych z pracą i pobytem zagranicą, znalezienie miejsca zamieszkania itp. Proaktywność SIE polega m.in. na zapewnieniu sobie ciągłości zatrudnienia zagranicą. Wytrwałość SIE oznacza dążenie do osiągnięcia samostanowionych celów dla misji zagranicznej i umiejętność pokonywania barier, niepowodzeń pojawiających się na każdym etapie misji. Artykuł przyczyni się do zwiększenia zainteresowania tą tematyką wśród naukowców, pozwoli na doprecyzowanie ram definicyjnych dla SIE i spowoduje, że badania nad tymi pracownikami w Polsce uzupełnią pole eksploracji międzynarodowych. Wobec odmienności potrzeb, motywów, przebiegu kariery, rodzaju kontraktu psychologicznego, wiążącego SIE z firmami ich zatrudniającymi, można oczekiwać, że przyjęte zostaną inne rozwiązania organizacyjne względem tych pracowników, gdyż podejścia, skuteczne jak dotąd w zarządzaniu tradycyjnymi ekspatami, mogą zupełnie się nie sprawdzić w odniesieniu do SIE. Niniejsze opracowanie przyczyni się skutecznie do określania kryteriów definicyjnych dla samoinicjowanych ekspatriantów, co pozwoli na poprawny dobór respondentów do badań przedmiotowych.Słowa kluczowe: ekspatriant, ekspatriant z własnej inicjatywy, inicjatywa, intencyjność, mobilnoś

A primary care, electronic health record-based strategy to promote safe drug use: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe Northwestern University Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERT), funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, is one of seven such centers in the USA. The thematic focus of the Northwestern CERT is ‘Tools for Optimizing Medication Safety.’ Ensuring drug safety is essential, as many adults struggle to take medications, with estimates indicating that only half of adults take drugs as prescribed. This report describes the methods and rationale for one innovative project within the CERT: the ‘Primary Care, Electronic Health Record-Based Strategy to Promote Safe and Appropriate Drug Use’.Methods/DesignThe overall objective of this 5-year study is to evaluate a health literacy-informed, electronic health record-based strategy for promoting safe and effective prescription medication use in a primary care setting. A total of 600 English and Spanish-speaking patients with diabetes will be consecutively recruited to participate in the study. Patients will be randomized to receive either usual care or the intervention; those in the intervention arm will receive a set of print materials designed to support medication use and prompt provider counseling and medication reconciliation. Participants will be interviewed in person after their index clinic visit and again one month later. Process outcomes related to intervention delivery will be recorded. A medical chart review will be performed at 6 months. Patient outcome measures include medication understanding, adherence and clinical measures (hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, and cholesterol; exploratory outcomes only).DiscussionThrough this study, we will be able to examine the impact of a health literacy-informed, electronic health record-based strategy on medication understanding and adherence among diabetic primary care patients. The measurement of process outcomes will help inform how the strategy might ultimately be refined and disseminated to other sites. Strategies such as these are needed to address the multifaceted challenges related to medication self-management among patients with chronic conditions.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT01669473

Dylematy w doborze menedżerów na kluczowe stanowiska w filiach przedsiębiorstw międzynarodowych

The most usual consideration and research into the employment of expatriates or local managers - host country nationals (HCN) - at corporate branches in various countries are limited to the comparison of costs directly linked with their contracts (the costs of travel, remuneration and financial bonuses, and the costs of relocating families). The authoress, on the basis of the cost internalization formula of C. Hill and W. Kim, indicates those alternatives where, from the point of view of the corporate head office, it is more advantageous to employ expatriates as well as situations in which it is better to benefit from managers on the local market

Hydrogeological monitoring system - graphical presentation - the computer software version and database available in the Internet

The computer software Hydrogeological Monitoring System-Graphical Presentation was produced in the Polish Geological Institute. There are two versions of this software, a PC didactic version and Internet version. These two versions of the software are aimed at enabling the fast and easy access to data from investigations which are being carried out for many years in the PGI Groundwater Monitoring System. The program Hydrogeological Monitoring System-Graphical Presentation is available on the Polish Geological Institute WWW page (www.pgi.waw.pl/soh). The Internet version in comparison to the PC version contains additional information on the PGI Groundwater Monitoring System, the scope of investigations with the detailed information on chemical analyses, organization of the measurements and how to get access to the resulting data. The program is very interesting and is in a modern form to make accessible hydrogeological data-information on water table and chemical fluctuations in groundwater in Poland

Information verbale et information graphique<br />pour la description d'itinéraires :<br />une approche pluridisciplinaire

Our research work consisted in studying both types of description. The objective was to definethe characteristics and constraints involved to the verbal and graphic modes of expression. The studyalso concerned the relations between these two modes. The objective was to answer the question of thealternative or joint use of graphic and linguistic representations for the route descriptions. Finally, theobjective was to define a formal representation constituting an intermediate level which would allowto generate the basic elements of both types of expression of route directions.In order to reach this objective, we conducted a series of experimental studies based on theprinciple of translation. The participants of our three studies had to translate a representation under theanother representation having different structural and functional properties. During the execution ofthe task, they had at their disposal only the representation from which the translation had to be made.The method of translation allowed us to confirm the possibility of transfer from a mode towards theother one. On the other hand, it allowed us to detect, through the errors and the differences observed inthe representations obtained from the translation, the existence of the constraints for each mode ofrepresentation.Notre travail de recherche a consisté à étudier deux types de description : les descriptionsverbales et les descriptions graphiques d'itinéraires. Il s'agissait de définir des caractéristiques et descontraintes liées aux modes d'expression verbal et graphique. L'étude des modes d'expression aconcerné également les relations entre ces deux modes. L'objectif était de répondre à la question del'utilisation alternative ou conjointe de représentations graphiques et linguistiques pour la descriptiond'itinéraires. Enfin, il s'agissait de définir une représentation formelle constituant un niveauintermédiaire qui permettrait de générer les éléments de base des deux types d'expression de ladescription d'itinéraire.Afin d'atteindre cet objectif, nous avons mené une série d'études expérimentales basées sur leprincipe de traduction. Les participants de nos trois études devaient traduire une représentation sous laforme d'une autre représentation possédant des propriétés structurales et fonctionnelles différentes.Lors de l'exécution de la tâche, ils avaient à leur disposition uniquement la représentation à partir delaquelle la traduction devait être effectuée. La méthode de traduction a permis de confirmer lapossibilité du passage d'un mode vers un autre. D'autre part, elle a permis de détecter, parl'intermédiaire des erreurs et des différences relevées dans les représentations issues de la traduction,l'existence des contraintes propres à chaque mode de représentation