Business & Education Blog of an MBA Grad and PhD Student
Archive for March, 2010
Who’s afraid of Vitamin E?
Mar 16th
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I feel that there is a problem some people have fully understanding the ingredients listing on their food products. Recent regulation requiring nutrition information to be displayed prominently and ingredients lists to be accurate combined with truth-in-advertising laws have gone a long way in mitigating fear of foods; yet, a comprehensive ingredients list is a double-edged sword. Like fire in the hands of a child who does not know how to use it safely can be mean agonizing death; in the hands of a master chef, it can bring a scrumptious zest to lif .
For one thing, yes, there are some additives that are designed to extend the shelf-life–last time you made bread with only flour, water, and yeast, how long did it last (incidentally, check the ingredients in your “enriched flour”; it should list many of what people identify as “chemicals” but really are only the chemical names for common vitamins; such is the case with the pyridoxine and calcium pantothenate highlighted in red in the original post).
Some other “chemicals” are actually chemical names for common baking ingredients. Calcium carbonate, a component of mollusc shells and a common antacid, is simply chalk. All the -glycerides are simply different forms More >
Arrogance of Science, and Rubiks Cubes
Mar 6th
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I have found that modern scientists have a certain arrogance that was not as evident in the past–a sense that “science has arrived,” and “we didn’t know better back then, but we got it right, now.” And it is this feeling that science cannot do wrong now, I believe, more than anything else, that is dangerous. The other day, I heard on CBC radio (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is Canada’s public broadcaster, and might be compared to NPR, but it also comprises three radio streams and does broadcast content from alternative, contemporary, and classical music to talk radio) the other day that some scientists had begun to think that the greenhouse gases were out of control and that a viable solution would be to build an orbiting solar shield to counter global warming. That is precisely the kind of thinking that I find is absolutely irresponsible that happens across the pure, applied, and social sciences. We see it in medicine when a researcher makes the leap from “low blood levels of X result in Y,” to a drug that raises X and causes all sorts of complications with Z, W, and the other due to complex interactions that were difficult to More >
CYA: Consider Your Audience!
Mar 3rd
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It is interesting that Dr. Winsten-Bartlett mentioned the Academy of Management as a potential audience. I recently completed reviewing two papers for presentation at the Academy of Management annual meeting this August in Montréal in the Business Policy & Strategy category. Both papers were highly theoretical and quantitative and nature. From reviewing these papers I gained the sense that the Academy of Management comprises highly educated members of the academic and professional community who are prepared to delve deeply into topical and compelling issues that are thoroughly grounded in theory. The Academic of Management is an example of one of organization to which the results of my proposed quantitative study assessing the performance of Islamic Shariah-compliant debt instruments could be presented. In selecting the data for presentation to the Academy of Management, I would include a comprehensive review of the literature outlining the background behind Shariah law and the potential number of customers the issue affects. I would include a balanced assessment of the results, including a sensitivity analysis to put the data into context as well as test statistics to demonstrate the validity of the findings. Presentation at the annual meeting as well as publication in one of the More >
Evaluation Research: Motivations and Methods
Mar 3rd
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Powell (2006) outline numerous goals of evaluation research, including accounting for use of limited resources, increasing visibility of organizations, and to provide feedback to staff. With these goals in mind, organizations can employ one of the three methods previously discussed in the course: quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods.
In terms of quantitative evaluation research, while experimental or survey designs can still be used, due to the dynamic nature of an on-going programme, it can often be difficult to establish and maintain control variables, resulting in an inability to determine authoritatively sources of variation in performance. Survey methods can identify trends but are less than compelling methods for identifying causal relationships which could be much more convincing arguments to maintain or increase funding in today’s fiscal climate of frugality.
Similarly to summative research, qualitative research can provide a more holistic approach to evaluating social programmes. Powell (2006) points out that they can provide subjective views of dynamic programmes with great flexibility without being unduly intrusive to participants; however, he cautions that qualitative research, being subjective, is not able to provide objective data and results may or may not be representative or generalizable.
When considering evaluating a social programme’s effectiveness and making improvements, it would More >
