Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance Measurement for Sustainability: Does Firm Ownership Matter

Based on contingency and agency insights, this study examines the influence of ownership characteristics on performance measurement systems (PMSs) and outcome-based compensation systems driven by differences in organizational goals and objectives between state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs) in Vietnam. The influence of ownership characteristics on the design of PMSs received little attention from researchers so far. Moreover, the few studies that are available so far only examined the relationship between firm ownership characteristics and the presence and use of economic performance indicators and economic outcome-based compensation in firms. In this study, the scope of PMSs is broader, and sustainability indicators focusing on community programs, ethical behavior, and government regulation are included in addition to economic based indicators. Analyzing survey data with the use of partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM), we find that the higher the share of the government in an organization’s capital is, the significantly more governmental duty indicators and significantly fewer ethical indicators and economic indicators are included in the PMS and outcome-based compensation systems. The inclusion of community indicators is not associated with firm ownership characteristics. Meanwhile, non-SOEs include significantly more economic value indicators, but no societal measures, like ethical, community-oriented, and governmental duty indicators.
Assessing the innovative ability of FM teams: a review

Facility management (FM) teams must deal with the creation of value in the physical world of resources and a virtual world made of information. Therefore, an innovative approach in the day‐to‐day FM operation is crucial. Studying the innovative ability of the FM teams contributes to the ongoing discussion in the field concerning the innovative ability of in‐house FM departments in comparison to their outsourced counterparts. The focus of this article is on the innovative ability of in‐house and outsourced FM teams. The article addresses the issue of innovative ability of FM teams from a theoretical perspective, suggesting an assessment framework to be used, providing an overview of implementation mechanisms of an innovation project. It concludes with a methodological application of the framework developed.
Rules of Thumb and Attention Elasticities: Evidence from Under- and Overreaction to Taxes

Abstract This paper tests costly attention models of consumers' misreaction to opaque taxes. We report an online shopping experiment that involves shrouded sales taxes that are exogenously varied within consumers over time. Some consumers systematically underreact to sales taxes whereas others systematically overreact, but higher stakes decrease both under- and overreaction. This is consistent with consumers using heterogeneous rules of thumb to compute the opaque tax when the stakes are low, but using costly mental effort at higher stakes. The results allow us to differentiate between various theories of limited attention. We also develop novel econometric techniques for quantifying individual differences.
A Model for Blood Coagulation and Lysis Utilizing the Intrinsic and Extrinsic Pathways

A Model for Blood Coagulation and Lysis Utilizing the Intrinsic and Extrinsic Pathways. (May 2011) Daniel Edward LaCroix, B.S., Trinity University; M.S. Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Kumbakonam Rajagopal Blood is a complex mixture of formed cellular elements, proteins, and ions dissolved in a solution. It is a difficult fluid to model because it is a shear-thinning, viscoelastic fluid that stress-relaxes. In this study, a new mathematical model for whole blood is developed from a general equation for a fluid with a shear dependent viscosity. The model is then used as a backdrop for 28 different biochemical factors interacting to form a clot. The full intrinsic and extrinsic pathways are both used in the simulation; the inclusion of the full intrinsic pathway is something that had not been done prior to this work. The model is executed in one spatial direction in an infinite domain as well as within a rigid walled cylinder using a finite volume scheme. The rigid wall, similar to the new mathematical equation for blood, is an oversimplification of actual in-vitro conditions. The results of both simulations show the formation and dissolution of the clot. Sensitivity analysis is then performed in the finite domain model by adjusting the initial levels of factors Va and Xa. The results show that increasing the initial level of one or both of these factors leads to the quicker formation of a clot.
Pro-environmental behaviours of visitors to Thailand’s national parks and factors discriminating the behaviours

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to classify types of pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs) and to investigate factors discriminating PEBs of visitors to national parks in Thailand. The questionnaire was used to collect data from 800 Thai visitors. Data was analysed using factor analysis and discriminant analysis. The findings demonstrated that PEBs were classified into three groups. Perceived controllability represented the key variable discriminating the PEBs of visitors. The recommendations for provoking PEBs are 1) improving basic facilities to encourage PEBs of visitors, and 2) creating effective interpretive messages, which address the beneficial consequences when action is taken with appropriate behaviour.
Older People and the Enterprise Society: Age and Self-Employment Propensities

The UK, like most developed economies has an ageing population. In 1901 nearly one in seven were aged 50 and over but by 1997 this had doubled to one in three (ONS 1999) a trend that will continue over the next twenty years (Scase 1999:13). Accompanying this shift has been a burgeoning debate on the roles and involvement of older people in society and the economy (Laslett 1996; Phillipson 1998). Many of the themes in this debate, however, are contradictory. For example, self-definitions and cultural constructs associated with older people often emphasise growing old as liberating.
Barriers to frontline manager support for high-trauma workers

Purpose Exposure to high-trauma work has been associated with negative outcomes for individuals and organisations. Support for these employees can buffer and protect against mental health problems. Frontline managers (FLMs) are well placed to provide for employee support needs but are often not effective in doing so. The purpose of this paper is to identify and understand barriers to provision of four different types of social support as identified by House (1981) by FLMs to employees in a high-trauma workplace. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study investigates three Australian ambulance service organisations, including 72 interviews. Findings Nine barriers to support are identified that can obstruct the provision of optimum employee support. These relate to the FLM themselves, the workplace context and employee-centric factors. Research limitations/implications This paper is a single industry case study; further complexity may exist in other high-trauma industries. Future research should consult policy makers to develop strategies to address the barriers to FLM support. Practical implications FLMs are critical support persons as they are well placed to provide many employee support needs. Emotional support is the foundation for facilitating all other types of support to employees but results here indicate it is often lacking for workers in high-trauma workplaces for a range of individual and organisational barriers that operate in isolation and combined. Originality/value This paper juxtaposes House’s (1981) support framework with study findings to provide a model of the barriers to optimal employee support. This model contributes to a reconceptualisation of the relationship between employee and direct manager that is particularly pertinent for high-trauma contexts.
Linking municipal Best Value and market performance: the Portuguese experience

ABSTRACT Local municipalities are the public sector organizations closest to citizens and therefore they have the first responsibility for solving citizens’ problems and needs. The Best Value framework, developed in the UK, has been a useful tool for improving local services. This paper reports on an evaluation of the impact of the Best Value framework on Portuguese municipalities. Four hypotheses about the impact of the four pillars (the ‘Four Cs’) of Best Value on market performance were tested through structural path analysis. The results show that ‘challenge’ and ‘consult’ had a significant and positive impact on market performance, whereas ‘compare’ and ‘compete’ did not have a significant impact. IMPACT Using the Best Value framework improved Portuguese local municipalities’ market performance. The use of benchmarking was particularly successful. Local public authorities worldwide should definitely be questioning themselves about the services they provide and to what extent these services are responding to their citizens’ needs and problems.
Empirical analysis of export performance and economic growth: the case of Macedonia

The main aim of the paper is to investigate the export structure of Macedonian economy at product level and to analyse the impact of export sophistication on economic growth. The results show that Macedonian export has recorded a significant positive trend in the last two decades, but the export structure is still highly concentrated (the top 10 products have nearly half of the total country's export) and it is composed from products with relatively low complexity level (garments, basic metals, agricultural products). Additionally, the estimated results based on vector autoregression (VAR) model and Granger causality test demonstrate positive and statistically significant causal relationship between export sophistication and economic growth for the period 1995-2017. Hence, policy makers should design a policy that will initiate the process of export diversification and structural transformation by moving from products with lower added value to products with high complexity in order to accelerate the growth rate.
A transformative approach to corporate social responsibility: an antidote to corporate hypocrisy

ABSTRACT Despite the substantial budgets spent on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), customers’ reactions toward companies’ socially responsible strategies are not always in line with companies’ goals. This is mainly due to the rising CSR-related-hypocrisy occurring as a customer response to a common concern that companies are investing in symbolic CSR. These perceptions not only limit the sought-after outcomes of CSR but could result in a worsening of reputation and financial loss for services. As such, the key research question in this paper is: ‘From a customers’ perspective, what factors can help reduce the perception of CSR-related-hypocrisy within banking services? ’. In addressing this question, this paper adopts a transdisciplinary approach bridging the gap between CSR and Transformative Service Research (TSR) literature. Findings suggest that when CSR-related-activities positively affect the wellbeing of customers, it is less likely that they judge a firm CSR activity as a hypocrite. In the retail banking sector, this paper shows higher perceived bank information transparency results in lower levels of perceived CSR-related-hypocrisy, especially when CSR activities improve the financial self-efficacy of customers. By bridging TSR and CSR lenses, this paper posits CSR activities offer service companies a unique opportunity for creating ‘uplifting changes’ in the life of customers.
Never out of Now: Preference Falsification, Social Capital and the Arab Spring

ABSTRACT Could the Arab Spring have led to a rise in support for authoritarian governments in some states? Discussions of revolutionary diffusion during the Arab Spring focused on whether expressions of discontent spread to different states. Such discussions, however, neglect the potential for there to be a decrease in expressions of discontent in the wake of spreading revolutionary sentiment in certain contexts. The spread of revolutionary fervor in states with similar characteristics decreases perceptions that individuals will free ride in a revolution, and, thus, increases the perception that a revolution can succeed. This perceived increase in the probability of a revolution succeeding, however, can decrease expressions of discontent with the regime where the threat of an unfavorable alternative replacing the status quo is high. The empirical analysis of data collected before and after the Arab Spring provides evidence that the Arab Spring decreased criticism of the regime in some authoritarian contexts.
Effects of n-acetylcysteine on ischemic preconditioning: study in isolated rat hearts.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to assess if N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) changes the Ischemic Preconditioning (IP) in isolated rat hearts using only one cycle of IP. METHODS Heart Rate (HR), Coronary Flow (CF) and Myocardial Contractility (dP/dt) were registered in 30 Wistar rat's hearts. After anesthesia the hearts were removed and perfused with Krebes-Hensleit equilibrated solution with 95% of O2 and 5% of CO2 according Langendorff's method. GI: Control (n=6); GII: 20 min. ischemia (n=6); GIII: IP (n=6); GIV 50 microg/ml/min NAC before IP (n =6); GV: 100 microg/ ml/min NAC before IP (n=6). Parameters were measured after 15 min. of stabilization (T 0) and T3, T5, T10, T15, T20, T25 and T30 min. after reperfusion. Statistical significance was considered when P<0.05. RESULTS There were changes on HR comparing GI with GII at T20 and T25 and comparing GI with GIII, GIV with GV at T10 and T20 (P<0.05). CF was different comparing GI with GII at T3 and T5, GI with GIV at T10 and GI with GV at T10 and T25 (P<0.05). Myocardial Contractility was similar comparing GIII with GI and GV. GIII had higher dP/dt than GIV but without statistical difference (P>0.05). dP/dt was higher in GV than GIV but with statistically significant difference only at T30. CONCLUSION dP/dt was better in preconditioned hearts and was changed if using NAC in GIV. The use of NAC didn't change the effects of preconditioning on myocardial contractility in GV.
Decision Making and Wellbeing Among Women with Breast Cancer and Children at Home

The purpose of the study was to (a) describe decision-making, coping strategies, and wellbeing of women undergoing breast cancer treatment who have children at home; and (b) compare and contrast the treatment decisions, coping strategies and wellbeing of women with breast cancer who have children under 18 years old with those who do not have children under 18 years old at home. Secondary data analysis of transcribed interviews was performed using content and matrix analysis to determine decision making processes and coping strategies and a de-identified database, containing demographic data and scores from the FACT-B, was analyzed as indicators of perceived wellbeing. Findings indicate that children seem to have an influence on treatment decisions, coping and wellbeing. Women with children at home more often chose bilateral mastectomies and used more mind-body based complementary and alternative medicine. Also, in the social and family subscale score women with children have higher wellbeing. Finally, all women used all types of coping strategies with highest use of emotionbased coping and women citing children as an influencing factor. Further research is necessary to determine the extent of their impact. Ultimately, when caring or studying women with breast cancer, children must be considered a potential factor that modifies cancer treatment decisions.
Do Financial Reforms Promote Entrepreneurship?

Abstract This paper investigates whether financial reforms promote entrepreneurship. Using a panel of 41 developed and developing countries from around the world, we find that financial sector reforms are positively associated with early-stage entrepreneurial activity. In a variety of robustness checks, including a falsification test, we fail to find the evidence that this relationship is driven due to the omission of unobserved, country-specific factors. Investigating the relationship between reforms in different dimensions of the financial sector and entrepreneurship, we find reforms in directed credit, credit controls, banking supervision, and international capital flows dimensions to be significantly associated with early-stage entrepreneurial activity.
Role of Government in Developing Human Resource – Proposing-An Instrument for Improvement at Public Sector Organizations

South Asia is a land of wonderful people and innumerable natural resources. Be it agriculture to textile, be it a sport to international diplomacy and be it a tactical force to strategic weapons, Pakistan has been bestowed with a unique blend of human genes, soil and spirit. Nevertheless, as with every Great Nation, the challenges are also huge. Among them, challenges of managing population and employing the versatile human resource are of grave importance. This paper is a humble research effort which endeavors to compile the individual, yet functional, human resource organizational components already established one. The greatest challenge to Human Resource Development in Pakistan is that it does not maintain any institution to regulate human resources. Secondly, Pakistan has insignificant legislation for workforce management. The third Human Resource challenge, now being faced is a wide gulf between HR industry and academia. On the other hand, HRM has spread in all the arteries of business development world compared to the corporate world of 1980s. Finally, this paper proposes measures to be taken, under Government patronage, for ensuring sustainable Human Resource Development. These measures include formulation of a strategic HRD policy, making HR department a mandatory organ in every commercial and military undertaking, specifying key roles of every HRD player, continuous review of HRD policy and effective HRD quality assurance mechanism.
Analisis Pengaruh Syari’ah Compliance dan Islamic Corporate Governance terhadap Tindakan Fraud (Studi Empirik pada BUS di Indonesia Periode 2013-2017)

This study aims to provide empirical evidences whether the Profit Sharing Ratio (PSR), Islamic Investment Ratio (IIR), Islamic Income Ratio (IsIR), Zakat Performance Ratio (ZPR), and Islamic Corporate Governance (ICG) affect the Fraud Actions on Full-fledge Islamic banks in Indonesia. This study is a quantitative study using panel data in the period of 2013 to 2017 with a sample of 12 Islamic banks in Indonesia. The study employs Data Panel Regression with E-views 7.0 software. The results of the study indicate that the Profit Sharing Ratio (PSR), and Islamic Investment Ratio (IIR) have a significant influence on fraudulent actions. While the independent variable Islamic Income Ratio (IsIR), Zakat Performance Ratio (ZPR), and Islamic Corporate Governance (ICG) do not have a significant effect on fraudulent actions. [Tujuan penelitian ini untuk memberikan bukti empirik apakah Profit Sharing Ratio (PSR), Islamic Invesment Ratio (IIR), Islamic Income Ratio (IsIR), Zakat Peformance Ratio (ZPR), dan Islamic Corporate Governance (ICG) berpengaruh terhadap Tindakan Fraud Pada Bank Umum Syariah di Indonesia. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan menggunakan data panel untuk periode 2013 sampai dengan 2017 dengan sampel 12 Bank Syariah di Indonesia. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode analisis Regresi Data Panel dengan software E-views 7.0. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Profit Sharing Ratio (PSR), dan Islamic Invesment Ratio (IIR) memiliki pengaruh yang signifikan terhadap tindakan Fraud. Sedangkan variabel independen Islamic Income Ratio (IsIR), Zakat Peformance Ratio (ZPR), dan Islamic Corporate Governance (ICG) tidak memiliki pengaruh yang signifikan terhadap tindakan Fraud. ]
Internal Valuation of Assets with Liquidity Risk

FVA, funding valuation adjustment, is a new and controversial adjustment to the value of a firm’s derivatives position, joining CVA (credit valuation adjustment) and DVA (debt valuation adjustment), both of which attempt to account for the effects of counterparty credit risk on the value of a contract on a firm’s books. FVA adjusts for the fact that an investor who holds a security but finances it in the money market will have to pay a premium over the riskless rate in order to do so. This premium reduces the investment value of the position by an amount that is supposed to be captured by the FVA. The problem that Nauta raises is that this treatment does not distinguish between a security that is traded in a liquid market and can be sold for its fair value at any time, meaning overnight funding is OK, versus an illiquid security that must be financed through maturity. The article shows how this key difference translates into a liquidity-based FVA and an optimal funding horizon for less than perfectly liquid assets.
The Uses of Epidemiology in the Study of Neurotoxic Pollutants: Lessons from the Workplace

An exponential increase has occurred since World War II in the production of synthetic chemicals. During this 40-year period, chemical production capacity has increased worldwide by more than 350-fold [1]. More than a thousand new chemical compounds are now produced each year and are added to the 40,000 pure chemicals and the 2 million mixtures, formulations, and blends already in commercial use [2]. An unfortunate consequence of this "chemical revolution" has been the release into the human environment of a wide variety of synthetic chemical toxins. Because of inadequacies in premarket testing programs [3], precise data are lacking concerning the number of toxic chemicals in commerce. Exposures to toxic chemicals have, however, been found to produce a wide spectrum of illnesses, among them cancer from exposure to benzene [4], vinyl chloride [5], and the aniline dyes [6]; heart disease from carbon disulfide [7] and trinitrotoluene [8]; toxic hepatitis from methylene dianiline [9]; chloracne from polychlorinated biphenyls and tetrachlorodibenzodioxin [10]; and male reproductive impairment from dibromochloropropane [11]. Neurological and mental disorders also have been caused by exposure to chemical toxins. Such illnesses have for centuries been recognized consequences of exposure to lead [12], arsenic [13], and mercury [14]. More recently, however, acrylamide [15]; carbon disulfide [16]; dimethylaminopropionitrile (DM APN) [17]; n-hexane [18]; organophosphates such as parathion [19], leptophos [20], and tri-ortho cresyl phosphate (ТОРС) [21]; styrene [22]; and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic