Call for Papers: Fifth Mustang International Academic Conference

Submission Deadline: September 15^th, 2014

Conference Date: Nashville, TN Oct.9-11^th.

The Conference and the Journals invite submissions in all business and social science disciplines, including accounting, anthropology, business, finance, communication, criminology, cultural studies, economics, education, management, international business, marketing, history, political science, psychology, sociology, social work, business ethics, and business law, in all areas domestic and international. Pedagogy, case studies, teaching notes, book reviews, cross-disciplinary studies, and papers with student co-authors are especially welcome.

The Conference is affiliated with our six peer-reviewed journals:

The International Journal of Social Science Research,

The International Journal of Economics and Social Science,

The Mustang Journal of Management and Marketing,

The Mustang Journal of Accounting and Finance,

The Mustang Journal of Business, and

The Mustang Journal of Law and Legal Studies.

Website

Will The U.S. Soon Be a Hot Manufacturing Nation?

Will American make its way back into leading manufacturing status? A report by the Boston Consulting Group indicates that the U.S. will see increases in manufacturing over the next couple of years as parity is achieved due to lower natural gas prices, stagnated wages in the U.S. and higher costs overseas. With a decline of energy costs from oil shale dropping to 50% and increases in the cost of manufacturing in countries like China there is much to cheer in the U.S. The good times can roar again.

American workers are becoming more productive, Chinese workers are more expensive, and the associated costs of manufacturing overseas have risen. A report by the Congressional Research Service found that the U.S. share of global manufacturing declined 30% in 2002 and that number dwindled  to 17.4% in 2012 (1). The new report by the Boston Consulting Group indicates that the costs of manufacturing in the U.S. versus many other places like China will be about the same giving the U.S. advantages. 

At present the advantage of producing products in low cost countries such as China and Asia is less than 5% (2). The U.S. and Mexico are starting to look like great places to manufacture items again. Mexico has had some increases in wages but their productivity has risen much more making them a local cheap labor supplier (3).  The U.S. as a producer of high technology and advanced manufacturing with a regional partner in Mexico is covering both the high and low demographic markets of production. 

Each region of the world has some high and low cost manufacturers. Large multi-national firms can move into areas that seek them the best advantages. These advantages can come from a whole range of factors that may include production costs, labor costs, labor skill, infrastructure, tax rate, telecommunications, science development, shipping costs, etc…  They have also not considered economically suppressed areas within the U.S. that could benefit from increased investment while being supported by stronger tertiary areas.

Many companies are likely to move back to economically stable nations. The U.S. with its increasing competitive costs and relatively stable political structure can be attractive to large multi-national firms. If a windfall of re-investment in the nation comes forth it will likely adjust the shipping and distribution channels across the world to ensure that more products move in and out of the country before heading to their final destinations. Asia will also likely become a larger consumer base where products are sold and a slightly slower manufacturing base where products are built.

Boston Consulting Group (2014). Made in America, Again. Why Manufacturing Will Return to the U.S. Retrieved April 25^th, 2014 from https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/articles/manufacturing_supply_chain_management_made_in_america_again/

How Groups Can Foster or Thwart New Product Idea Formation

Groups working together can be an enhancement to problem solving. This problem solving can be put to good use in developing products and services. Perpetually developing and advancing products and services help to develop market penetration, revenue generation, and greater opportunities. A paper by Nijstad & Stroebe (2006) delves into the idea generation process and how associated memory highlights categories  that lead to problem resolution. 

The idea generation process is the first step in finding solutions. According to Raaijmaker and Shiffrin’s people search their associative memory (SAM) to find new ideas (1981). They search through their memory creating a flow of thought whereby ideas and concepts spring forth by connecting various concepts, breaking them apart and generating concepts. 

Maintaining the free flowing stream of consciousness is important. Ideas should a.) be focused on quantity versus quality, b) seek unusual ideas, c) combination and improvement of ideas, d) not incorporate criticism of any idea (Osborn, 1953). It is important to simply gather and collect these ideas without judging them or creating social pressure to accept particular ideas. 

Our memories work a lot like categories and nodes. When nodes are activated in working memory this activation spreads to other connecting nodes creating multiple areas of connection (Collins & Loftus, 1975).  These nodes work within semantic networks. When a semantic network is activated a string of nodes with various concepts are brought forth (Brown et. al. 1998). Crossing categories of networks creates profound new knowledge. 

When problems arise we generally use an activation loop (long-term memory loop) and idea generation loop (working memory) to find a solution.  The working memory adjusts, moves, connects, disconnects and generally manipulates the information that was once stored in long-term memory (Baddeley, 1996) to produce new ideas. The larger a person’s working memory and general intelligence the more information they can manipulate at once. 

So how does idea generation work or falter in groups? An idea can cue new semantic networks that help to create new associations among members. The more people who dig through their long-term memory and spurt forward new connections in their working memory the more collective knowledge gained. When cues from the environment block new ideas from coming forward through criticism the type of new ideas are limited. It becomes more likely that only those ideas that confirm existing knowledge are shared. The result is that novel problem solving never makes its way into the conclusion. Market potential is lost when only pre-existing knowledge is rehashed for use. 

Baddeley, A. D. (1986). Working memory. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

Brown, V., et. al.  (1998). Modeling cognitive interactions during group brainstorming. Small Group Research, 29, 495–526.

Collins, A. M., & Loftus, E. F. (1975). A spreading-activation theory of semantic processing. Psychological Review, 82, 407–428.

Osborn, A. F. (1953). Applied imagination. New York: Scribner’s.

Nijstad, B. & Stroebe, W.(2006).  How the Group Affects the Mind: A Cognitive Model of Idea Generation in Groups. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 10 (3). 

Raaijmakers, J. G. W., & Shiffrin, R. M. (1981). Search of associative memory. Psychological Review, 88, 93–134.

National Trends in Campus Financial and Facility Management

The video discusses universities and how aging buildings in the 1960's are impacting where money is being spent. Private universities seem to have done better than public universities in recovery. Many universities are focusing on the mechanical functions of their buildings. However, depreciation is likely to rear its head in the future creating additional risks.

Mission Trails Golf Course-Where Nature Makes Its Home

Golf is one of those challenging sports that seems easy from the side lines. Spectators often underestimate the skill involved. What can be so hard about getting that little white ball into a hole? Happy Gilmore (Andy Sandler) says it best, “Why can’t you go into your home?” The primary problem in golf is not the ball but the player. Without the right swing that ball is going to go anywhere but back to its “home”.

 

Mission Trails golf course is 18 holes on the base of Cowles Mountain. The first nine holes wind around Lake Murray while the last 9 holes have some wilderness challenges. They also maintain a lighted driving range, refreshments, banquet facilities and pro shop. The golf course was once played by Tiger Woods.

 

Golf is a continuous learning process. According to Golf Smith try and maintain your V while swinging the club (1). The V is the result of a proper swing that ensures that your shoulders move first and your arms stay extended longer. The V will help your ball go further, create a natural swing and avoid slicing. You may read more HERE.  

 

Regardless of whether or not your ball goes straight or to someone else’s home you won’t suffer from enjoying the nice San Diego weather, the outdoor scenery, or the company. You can set up a tee time or a class from their website. 

 

Mission Trails Golf Course

7380 Golfcrest Place

San Diego, CA 92119

http://www.missiontrailsgc.com/

No Monkey Business with Math Calculating Primates

Most of us have difficulty with math. The exercise lands in the categories somewhere between going to the dentist and paying bills. However, math is an important function of higher order thinking. It requires the ability to understand quantities of information and put those into symbols for manipulation. According to a recent study in the National Academy of Science (PNAS) Rhesus Monkeys have the ability to do math using similar methods as humans. 

Using three Rhesus Macques that are four and five years old the researchers put them into an intense math learning program. The monkeys studied two to four hours a day and were rewarded with treats. Sometimes these monkeys studied seven days a week in their own learning classes. 

The monkeys touched a screen choosing between two options (1). The touch screen only required them to touch the right answers to get rewarded (conditioning). They were taught 26 abstract symbols by reinforcing correct learning. The monkeys were able to touch the biggest number 90% of the time.

The monkeys were able to move from using physical quantities to abstract Arabic numerals. Larger numbers received larger rewards. Correct answers created satisfaction in the learning. As an example they were taught the difference between XXX xx XXX xx or 11 as a higher number. It requires a fundamental shift in what these symbols represented to the monkeys. 

Humans are still the best in math and can learn more quickly than monkeys. However, the study does help us find the 97%+ similarities found between the two species. It is possible that monkeys have the capacity to use some of the mental processes of humans as well as the ability to think abstractly about numbers. Researchers have known for a long time how smart rhesus monkeys were and have used those in various programs include space flight. They now know they are capable of much more with the right education.  

The Study