Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: The Case of Islamic Banks

Islamic banks offer distinct financial services and as such have grown significantly in Bahrain, Bangladesh, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, Turkey and U.A. E over the past two decades. They are unique in the sense that they are accountable to fulfil a social and ethical role inherent in their character as an ‘Islamic’ institution. They also have a duty to discharge their accountability through disclosing corporate social responsibility (CSR) information consistent with the principles of Islam. However, recent anecdotal evidence finds that Islamic banks may not be fulfilling their social role in accordance with the prescriptions of Islam because they disclose less CSR information than expected. It has been suggested that disclosure may also be driven by the extant economic incentives. Hence, the exact nature of the CSR disclosure process by Islamic banks remains unclear due to a paucity of a priori research and statistical analysis of extant data. In light of that, this study develops an a priori model linking CSR disclosure to socio-political influences and corporate governance factors. Then resultant hypotheses are tested using regression analyses on a sample of 47 Islamic banks’ annual reports from 14 countries.
Does Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Improve Credit Ratings? Evidence from Geographic Identification

type="main"> We show that a firm's CSR policy is significantly influenced by the CSR policies of firms in the same three-digit zip code, an effect possibly due to investor clienteles, local competition, and/or social interactions. We then exploit the variation in CSR across the zip codes to estimate the effect of CSR on credit ratings under the assumption that zip code assignments are exogenous. We find that more socially responsible firms enjoy more favorable credit ratings. In particular, an increase in CSR by one standard deviation improves the firm's credit rating by as much as 4.5%.
The China model withering? Institutional roots of China’s local developmentalism

China’s new development wave since the mid-1990s is distinguishable by its strong urbanism. Urban governments, particularly at municipal and county levels, rushed to build industrial parks. Urban landscape was also fundamentally transformed by their massive investments in infrastructures – both residential and commercial properties. How to explain local governments’ continuing drive for development? Why has this particular policy combination gained traction among local officials? We approach these questions by making a simple assumption about local governments as revenue maximisers. Their desires for more revenues are constrained by two institutional changes. Vertically, the central government recentralised the fiscal system, leaving local governments in fiscal shortages. Liberalisation and regional competition in the late 1990s further exacerbated their revenue imperative. The land regime provided the final institutional link that enabled local officials to leverage urban infrastructure and real estate for industrial expansion. This study can shed some light on the ongoing debate about China’s development model in the urban literature.
TID and Displacement Damage Resilience of 1T1R ${\rm HfO}_2/{\rm Hf}$ Resistive Memories

RRAM memory cells demonstrate resilience to ionizing dose and displacement damage, despite the presence of a nonhardened access transistor. Degradation in RRAM performance was not observed until large displacement damage doses and complete functionality was regained by cycling. A significant reduction in both the high and low resistance memory states and a complete collapse of the resistive window was observed for large proton fluences in RRAMs tested. Degradation in resistance states is associated with the generation of additional vacancies, which leads to (an) additional filament(s) in parallel to the existing conductive filament. Additional vacancies from displacement damage in the oxide of the resistive element do not permanently degrade device operation. The low resistance state is recovered to the pre-irradiation resistance through cycling at nominal high-speed switching conditions. Recovery of the resistive window to pre-irradiation values is obtained by applying longer write pulses which migrate remnants of radiation-induced filaments.
Growth Theory Through the Lens of Development Economics

Growth theory has traditionally assumed the existence of an aggregate production function, whose existence and properties are closely tied to the assumption of optimal resource allocation within each economy. We show extensive evidence, culled from the micro-development literature, demonstrating that the assumption of optimal resource allocation fails radically. The key fact is the enormous heterogeneity of rates of return to the same factor within a single economy, a heterogeneity that dwarfs the cross-country heterogeneity in the economy-wide average return. Prima facie, we argue, this evidence poses problems for old and new growth theories alike. We then review the literature on various causes of this misallocation. We go on to calibrate a simple model which explicitly introduces the possibility of misallocation into an otherwise standard growth model. We show that, in order to match the data, it is enough to have misallocated factors: there also needs to be important fixed costs in production. We conclude by outlining the contour of a possible non-aggregate growth theory, and review the existing attempts to take such a model to the data.
Growth and Inflation Dispersions in EMU: Reasons, the Role of Adjustment Channels, and Policy Implications

This paper's analysis of growth and inflation dispersions in the euro area reveals several findings. First, these dispersions have declined appreciably since EMU; remaining dispersions are small but persistent, relating mainly to country-specific shocks, not differences in the transmission of common shocks. Second, the different behavior of interest rates just before and after the introduction of the euro has contributed significantly to growth dispersions. However, this has been a one-off shock whose effects, particularly on construction, should be declining over time. Third, financial sector integration could do much more to insure countries against shocks and increase consumption smoothing.
Interorganizational Commitment in Syndicated Cross–Border Venture Capital Investments

Cross–border venture capital has become increasingly common in recent years. Little is known, however, about the antecedents of venture capitalists’ commitment to portfolio firms in international settings. We used a multiple case study to build a grounded model of interorganizational commitment in cross–border syndication networks. The model proposes that changes in a venture's prospects influence investors’ commitment levels. This relationship is amplified by the remoteness of the investor and is mitigated by the investor's embeddedness in local syndication networks and the relative investment size. The model contributes to the literature on cross–border venture capital and interorganizational commitment in international settings.
Short-Selling Prior to Earnings Announcements

This paper examines short-sales transactions in the five days prior to earnings announcements of 913 Nasdaq-listed firms. The tests provide evidence of informed trading in pre-announcement short-selling because they reveal that abnormal short-selling is significantly linked to post-announcement stock returns. Also, the tests indicate that short-sellers typically are more active in stocks with low book-to-market valuations or low SUEs. The levels of pre-announcement short-selling, however, mostly appear to reflect firm-specific information rather than these fundamental financial characteristics. We believe that these results should encourage financial market regulators to consider providing more extensive and timely disclosures of short-selling to investors. Copyright 2004 by The American Finance Association.
Data quality assurance: an analysis of patient non-response.

PURPOSE Patient satisfaction is paramount to maintaining high clinical quality assurance. This study seeks to compare response rates, response bias, and the completeness of data between paper and electronic collection modes of a chiropractic patient satisfaction survey. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH A convenience sample of 206 patients presenting to a chiropractic college clinic were surveyed concerning satisfaction with their chiropractic care. Paper (in-clinic and postal) and electronic modes of survey administration were compared for response rates and non-response bias. FINDINGS The online data collection mode resulted in fewer non-responses and a higher response rate, and did not evince response bias when compared to paper modes. The postal paper mode predicted non-response rates over the in-clinic paper and online modalities and exhibited a gender bias. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS This current study was a single clinic study; future studies should consider multi-clinic data collections. Busy clinic operations and available staff resources restricted the ability to conduct a random sampling of patients or to invite all eligible patients, therefore limiting the generalizability of collected survey data. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Results of this study will provide data to aid development of survey protocols that efficiently, account for available human resources, and are convenient for patients while allowing for the most complete and accurate data collection possible in an educational clinic setting. ORIGINALITY/VALUE Understanding patient responses across survey modes is critical for the cultivation of quality business intelligence within college teaching clinic settings. This study bridges measurement evidence from three popular data collection modalities and offers support for higher levels of quality for web-based data collection.
Organizational citizenship behaviour: a study of young executives in Canada, Iran, and Turkey

One of the most interesting constructs in organizational studies and human resource management is perhaps the concept of organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). OCB emphasizes constructive and cooperative employee behaviours that contribute to the organization, yet do not fall within the domain of mandatory in-role behaviours. While researchers have investigated the role of contextual attitudes and dispositional attributes on the OCB, there is a lack in cross-cultural examination of this concept. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of individuals' job-related attitudes and dispositional characteristics on their OCB in three different societal cultures, that is, Canada, Iran, and Turkey. Data reported were collected from 220 young executives in these three countries. The results reveal similarities and differences among these cultures on cognitive and affective predictors of OCB.
Households’ responses to spousal job loss: ‘all change’ or ‘carry on as usual’?

Economic theory suggests that when a primary earner within a couple loses their job, one potential response is for the secondary earner to seek additional paid work to bolster their household finances. The empirical quantitative evidence regarding any such ‘added worker effect’ is mixed, and, to investigate why this might be, the article explores processes behind couples’ responses to job loss. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with a purposive sample selected from the Understanding Society Innovation Panel, the analysis examines: (a) anticipation surrounding job loss and job search responses; (b) the extent to which couples adopt long- or short-term labour market perspectives; and (c) whether couples seek to preserve their established division of paid and unpaid labour or re-configure their joint labour supply. Findings indicate that the use of additional spousal labour is only one response among many alternatives and it is typically invoked in cases of serious financial hardship.
The mutually reinforcing relation between international migration of highly educated labour force and economic crisis: the case of Greece

Although several studies aim at analysing the causes and impacts of the current economic crisis, especially involving the case of Greece, the role that highly educated population holds has not received wider attention. Based on an examination of both secondary data on the Greek economy/labour market and primary data collected by a survey that included 1821 graduates, this paper shows that underutilization of highly educated population harmed the competitiveness of the Greek economy, a factor which has significantly contributed to the creation of the current debt crisis and fostered the migration of graduates.
Assessing the impact of CCTV

The Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) technology was introduced to the UK under Home Office Crime Reduction Programme in 1998 in an attempt to reduce crime and be able to cut down the fear of crime and victimization. This research paper essentially brings out the impact and effectiveness of the CCTV technology on the society and also examines the cost to benefit ratio of the huge investments made. The data and analysis documented in this paper come from 13 out of the 684 CCTV projects undertaken in the UK. An astounding amount of ₤170 million was on offer by the government for this project, which pretty much reflects the faith and conviction that the UK had in this technology. However, the conclusions drawn from the paper don’t really imitate that the impact of CCTVs was an immaculate success.
Social and Commercial Entrepreneurship: Same, Different, or Both?

Entrepreneurship has been the engine propelling much of the growth of the business sector as well as a driving force behind the rapid expansion of the social sector. This article offers a comparative analysis of commercial and social entrepreneurship using a prevailing analytical model from commercial entrepreneurship. The analysis highlights key similarities and differences between these two forms of entrepreneurship and presents a framework on how to approach the social entrepreneurial process more systematically and effectively. We explore the implications of this analysis of social entrepreneurship for both practitioners and researchers.
The influence of follicle size, FSH‐enriched maturation medium, and early cleavage on bovine oocyte maternal mRNA levels

Transcription is arrested in the bovine oocyte within the first few hours of in vitro maturation, thus the stored maternal mRNAs accumulated in the oocyte are essential to sustain development until the Maternal‐Zygotic Transition. In vivo matured oocytes have superior blastocyst formation rates than in vitro matured oocytes, suggesting that the mRNA content of these oocytes is of higher quality. To determine which transcripts may be associated with developmental competence, a Suppressive Subtractive Hybridization was performed between oocytes collected by ovariectomy at 6 hr post‐LH surge and oocytes from slaughterhouse collected after 6 hr of maturation, resulting in a library enriched in these functionally important mRNAs. The clones were spotted onto a cDNA microarray and transcripts potentially associated with developmental competence were hybridized onto these slides. Hybridizations were performed with transcripts up‐regulated in oocytes cultured for 6 hr in the presence or absence of rFSH in vitro, and secondly with transcripts up regulated in early‐cleaving embryos versus those at the one‐cell stage at 36 hr postfertilization. From these hybridizations, 13 candidates were selected. Their functional association with embryonic competence was validated by measuring their relative transcript levels by quantitative real‐time PCR in eight different conditions: oocytes cultured with or without rFSH, early—versus late‐cleaving embryos, and oocytes from different follicle sizes (1–3, 3–5, 5–8, and >8 mm of diameter). The gene candidates CCNB2, PTTG1, H2A, CKS1, PSMB2, SKIIP, CDC5L, RGS16, and PRDX1 showed a significant quantitative association with competence compared to BMP15, GDF9, CCNB1, and STK6. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 73: 1367–1379, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Degrees matter: new evidence on sheepskin effects in the returns to education.

Because many individuals do not complete their degrees in the standard number of years, previous estimates of diploma effects, which have been based only on an individual's years of education, are biased. Using a data set from a matched sample of the 1991 and 1992 March Current Population Survey that has information on both years of education and diplomas received, this paper improves on earlier estimates and finds that using 'true' information on degree receipt substantially increases estimated sheepskin effects of high school and college degrees. Unlike past research, this paper finds that there are few statistically significant differences in sheepskin effects between race and sex groups. The relative returns to Associates and post-graduate degrees are also examined. Copyright 1996 by MIT Press.
Tourism Chains and Pro-poor Tourism Development: An Actor-Network Analysis of a Pilot Project in Costa Rica

This paper analyses a pilot project in Costa Rica aimed to examine and improve the market linkages of 24 small-scale tourism initiatives to tour operators in Costa Rica and the Netherlands. It links pro-poor tourism and the concept of tourism chain to actor-network theory. The analysis shows that the tangible results in terms of pro-poor tourism of the project itself were meagre, as, initially, only three and later only one out of 24 projects was included in the tourism chain. However, the analysis of this project contributes to an increasing body of knowledge on how to make tourism work for the poor, in Costa Rica as well as elsewhere. It argues to move beyond existing ways of theorising tourism and to explore the heuristics of conceptualising tourism in terms of actor-network theory and suggests to examine processes of translation in which the researcher follows and supports development organisations, incoming tour operators or any other particular actor in the process of creating associations that produce the desired effect: the increase of net benefits for the poor.
Explaining Recent Changes in the Partisan Identifications of Southern Whites

Scholars of southern partisan change have been reluctant to proclaim a realignment among southern whites. Despite a Republican advantage in presidential elections, a Democratic advantage continued to persist in party identifications. However, in the 1990s a Republican advantage in party identifications emerged, one that has persisted throughout the decade. Indeed in 2000 a majority of southern whites held Republican party identifications, while only one in three southern whites held Democratic identifications. This article examines the causes of the changing party identifications of southern whites in the 1990s and focuses on four explanations that have been discussed by scholars: the role of racial attitudes, social class polarization, social and cultural attitudes and general ideological realignment. Using a multivariate analysis, the study finds that national forces, specifically an ideological realignment and class-status polarization played some role in producing changes in partisanship of southern whites. However, regional differences between the South and the rest of the nation remained evident, with racial attitudes and views on abortion exerting significant effects on party identifications in the 1990s. The findings suggest that the Republican advantage in party identifications that emerged in the 1990s is durable and, if anything, is likely to increase in future years.
The Structure of Protection in Indonesian Manufacturing Sector

This paper aims to analyse structure of protections in Indonesian manufacturing sector. Firstly, it describes the evolution of Indonesian industrial and trade policies. To some extent, Indonesian industrial and trade policies follow a statement of the supporters of liberalization: “good times mean bad policies and bad times mean good policies”. Secondly, effective rate of protection analysis shows that Indonesian manufacturing sector has been liberalized more, especially after the 1997 economic crisis. The liberalization in manufacturing sector has also been encouraged by international/regional commitments such as the WTO, IMF, ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and other preferential trade agreements. Thirdly, Indonesian trade liberalization in the manufacturing sector was faster than that of Thailand and could catch up with Malaysian trade liberalization.
Behavioral Implications of Public Service Motivation

Research finds the behavioral implications of public service motivation (PSM) in prosocial behaviors such as volunteering, and explains the higher rate of volunteering among public and nonprofit workers with PSM. Although existing research focuses on the link between employee’s PSM and general volunteering, little is known about how workers’ volunteering activities differ across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. This study examines differences between public and nonprofit employees’ volunteering focusing on the types of organizations where they volunteer. The results indicate distinctive patterns of volunteering between public and nonprofit sector workers: Nonprofit workers are more likely to volunteer in religious and social/community organizations, whereas public workers are more likely to volunteer in educational organizations. The findings of this study call for a more systematic and multifaceted approach to understanding the link between PSM and volunteering.
Knowledge, Human Resources and Social Practice: The Knowledge-Intensive Business Service Firm as a Distributed Knowledge System

The knowledge base of firms is intrinsically linked to the knowledge of their employees. This is particularly the case in knowledge-intensive business services, where the production of services is almost entirely dependent on the ability of the firm to make use of the knowledge of the employees. Applying a distributed knowledge system view of the firm helps us understand that how knowledge is created is more important than what knowledge the firm and its employees have. This article presents findings from a case study of a large Danish knowledge-intensive business service firm. It turns out that knowledge not only resides in the minds of individual employees but also that it is constructed in the social interaction between members of teams.