Evaluating industrial modernization: Methods, results, and insights from the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Alliance

This paper examines the experience of the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Alliance (GMEA) in implementing an evaluation of its industrial extension services. As part of the U.S. Manufacturing Extension partnership, GMEA provides assistance to manufacturers to resolve industrial and business problems and upgrade technology, training, and business performance, focusing primarily on firms within the state of Georgia. The program has established an evaluation component along with other assessment and review mechanisms. Several evaluation methods are employed, including customer surveys, economic analyses of benefits and costs, controlled studies, and logic-based case studies. The article examines the strengths and weaknesses of these different approaches, reviews the insights each method offers, and discusses how the resulting evaluative information is used.     

Contrasting perspectives on the evaluation of industrial modernization: Introduction to the symposium

This paper examines the experience of the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Alliance (GMEA) in implementing an evaluation of its industrial extension services. As part of the U.S. Manufacturing Extension partnership, GMEA provides assistance to manufacturers to resolve industrial and business problems and upgrade technology, training, and business performance, focusing primarily on firms within the state of Georgia. The program has established an evaluation component along with other assessment and review mechanisms. Several evaluation methods are employed, including customer surveys, economic analyses of benefits and costs, controlled studies, and logic-based case studies. The article examines the strengths and weaknesses of these different approaches, reviews the insights each method offers, and discusses how the resulting evaluative information is used. The views expressed in this paper are the authors' and not necessarily those of the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Alliance or its sponsoring organizations.     

Controlled Restructuring in Finland?

Surveying the economic legislation and policies of the new Blue - Red coalition government in Finland in six separate fields - competition policies, industrial relations, income policies, the financial system, taxation and the public sector - the question is asked whether the different measures can be seen as parts of an overall strategy to change the Finnish mode of regulation. Is it possible that we are witnessing the development of a two-tiered form of corporatism, combining a more traditional social corporatism on the macro-level and a new liberal corporatism on an intermediate level of production and innovation?     

The instituting of brute facts

An earlier version of this paper was submitted to a working group at the Conference of the International Association of Philosophy and Literature (Atlanta, 1989), and discussed with H.N. Casta~neda (Bloomington, 1989). I am grateful for the valuable criticism received on both occasions. My visit to the United States was supported by a grant from the Dutch Koninklijke Academie voor Wetenschappen and from my own Faculty of Philosophy at Tilburg University, which I acknowledge with sincere gratitude.     

Psychological aggression in dating relationships: The role of interpersonal control

This research examines the relatively unexplored area of psychological aggression in dating relationships. One causal factor of particular interest is interpersonal control, that is, the degree to which one person controls another in a relationship. Data are collected on men and women inflicting and sustaining psychological abuse in heterosexual college dating relationships. The results show that interpersonal control is an important predictor of psychological aggression.     

Public budgets and public capital in boom towns

Local governments are subject to severe stress in periods of rapid change such as boom town growth - a common problem of both rural and urban towns in the sunbelt. We quantify this stress by measuring, with an econometric model, the budget deficits and the inadequacy of public facilities resulting from growth. The model emphasizes capital adjustment costs and bureaucratic inertia which slow the response of government budgets to the changing demands of their citizens. The efficacy of existing intergovernmental aid programs and other policies in mitigating growth-related problems is evaluated.