Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Financial Literacy on Financial Behavior

A number of previous empirical studies found that, financially speaking, literate people tends to do budgeting, saving, controlling expenses, managing debt well, participating in stock market and planning pension fund, etc. In other words, the higher an individual’s knowledge and understanding of financial concept, the more likely they are to behave financially well in their daily life. Financial literacy is needed by everyone, including womenpreneur because not only they have to be able to manage their personal finance, they should also manage their business finance. Financially literate people are more likely to get access to external funding and to develop their business. This research aims to examine the role played by financial literacy on financial behavior of womenpreneur in Malang. Financial literacy was measured using 11 questions modified from Lusardi & Mitchell (2011) and financial behavior was measured using 8 questions taken from INFE. The sample was 95 respondents who were female (owners of) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Malang. The data were collected using questionnaire. We used Partial Least Square with Smart PLS 3 to examine the variables. After the first bootstrapping process, we drop some invalid indicators and then perform the second bootstrapping. The result showed that all of the remaining indicators were valid and financial literacy had been found to have positive significant (influence) on financial behavior.
Designing multi-channel technologies – the mediating role of risk perceptions

ABSTRACT The integration of online and offline distribution channels has become a major topic in practice and research. Several studies reveal beneficial outcomes for retailers if consumers use multiple channels. Therefore, many retailers offer multi-channel technologies (MCTs), i.e. click & collect, check & reserve and the availability check, which encourage this behavior. However, research is still sparse on how retailers should design these MCTs to provide the highest usefulness for consumers. Our study thus analyzes the impact of different MCT design characteristics on consumers’ perceived usefulness of these MCTs. Moreover, we examine how consumers’ perceived time and product availability risk mediate these effects. The results show that some MCT design characteristics exhibit the expected positive impacts on consumers’ perceived usefulness of the MCTs, while others seem to be less relevant and even counterproductive. In particular, a certain (vs. unspecified) product pick-up time and a high (vs. low) displayed inventory status lead to a higher perceived usefulness of the MCTs via the two risk dimensions. However, the immediate (vs. delayed) confirmation of product reservations does not have any positive effects. In fact, it even decreases the perceived usefulness of click & collect. These findings provide implications for the design of MCTs.
Institutional logics and sustainability of selected small and medium-sized audit firms

Although an abundance of research exists concerning larger audit firms, studies on small-scale audit firms are scarce. This study investigates how small and medium-sized audit firms deal with professional and commercial logic for sense-making and legitimisation of their strategies and practices to remain sustainable, particularly as audit practices, in a changing environment. The study focuses on a specific change event, namely a change in legislation that resulted in mandatory audit relief for certain small and medium-sized enterprises. Following a multiple-case study design, a qualitative research approach was used to show that small and medium-sized audit firms responded to a threat to their sustainability in an environment transformed by new legislation, by broadening the service offerings which coincided with selective adoption of practices related to commercial logic. Those retaining a more focused professional orientation had a positive outlook on the sustainability of their audit practices.
Decision Support for Multi-Benefit Urban Water Infrastructure

Author(s): Harris-Lovett, Sasha | Advisor(s): Sedlak, David | Abstract: Urban water systems in the United States are poised for massive change. Water infrastructure built in the 20th century has promoted public health and has protected ecosystems from pollution. However, much of this infrastructure is now coming to the end of its design life, and requires substantial investments to keep it functional. Our water systems also face new challenges from shifting precipitation patterns, sea level rise, and contaminants of emerging concern, among others. Modernizing our nation’s aging water infrastructure is imperative – and to meet 21st century challenges, we must do better than simply repairing it. The next generation of urban water infrastructure can also provide other societal benefits like resource recovery from sewage, increased wildlife habitat, and improved resilience to climate change effects in addition to water supply and wastewater treatment. Yet there still is little guidance for how water managers can include broader societal goals for multi-benefit infrastructure into what have historically been singular fields of engineered water supply and wastewater treatment. Without a better understanding of how public policy ties in to water infrastructure goals, improvements may only be made in moments of crisis, and the opportunity to create multi-benefit water systems will be lost.This dissertation seeks to support decision-makers in designing and implementing more equitable, holistic, and environmentally-sound urban water infrastructure. Chapter I assesses historical precedents for recycling sewage into drinking water in California to contextualize current concerns and challenges. Water recycling has had a rich and varied history in California; currently, potable water reuse is on the rise. Chapter II develops a legitimacy framework for potable water reuse in California, which facilitates decision-making about technologies that fit into the unique social, political, and cultural contexts of a particular locale. Chapter III provides a popular science look at the practice of potable water reuse, which is unfamiliar to many people and has faced stark public opposition in some areas. Chapter IV focuses on stakeholder perspectives to identify goals and strategies for multi-benefit wastewater treatment, as well as analyzes barriers to achieving these goals. Chapter V employs a quantitative multi-criteria decision analysis paired with stakeholder analysis and scenario planning to evaluate potential nutrient management options for the San Francisco Bay Area in uncertain future conditions.
Analysis of marketing performance of the dairy value chain in Tanga city, Tanzania

This study was conducted in Tanga city with the general purpose of analyzing market performance of dairy value chain and specifically to quantify and assess production costs of raw milk and to characterize the market structure, conduct and performance of the milk market. A formal survey was carried out to a random sample of 80 smallholder farmers and 30 milk traders using a questionnaire. Two processors were interviewed using a checklist. Accounting method was used to quantify milk dairy farmers’ production costs whereas dairy market performance was descriptively analyzed within the framework of the Structure-Conduct-Performance (S-C-P) market model. Gross profit margins for the major players (producers, traders and processors) at specific nodes along the dairy value chain were calculated. The average unit cost of production was found to be TSh 550 per litre of raw milk with contributions from labour (45.7%), feeds (19.4%) and dairy operations (e.g. veterinary services) (34.9%). The average production cost per litre (TSh 550) and farm gate price per litre (TSh 580) of raw milk were found to be statistically different at p≤ 0.05 level of significance indicating cost effectiveness of going producer price. Smallholder dairy farmers received gross profit margins of 5.2% and 21.4% in the formal and informal channels respectively while processors and vendors received gross profit margins of 18.8% and 36.1% per litre of milk respectively. Milk traders received higher Gross Profit Margin (GPM) because they sold their milk in informal chains which offer relatively higher prices. Low price for raw milk and limited bargaining power of Tanga Dairy Cooperative Union (TDCU) were revealed as barriers to dairy development in the City. It is recommended that a liberalized marketing system in price setting strategy and producers’ training on production techniques that will improve dairy productivity in the study area. Keywords: Marketing Performance, S-C-P market model, Dairy Value Chain Actors, Tanga
Essays on financial communication in earnings conference calls

Earnings conference calls are an important platform of financial communication. They provide researchers with unique opportunities to observe firm managers’ and financial analysts’ interactions and natural communication style in a daily-task environment. Relying on multidisciplinary theories and methods, this dissertation studies financial communication in conference calls from both the managers’ and the sell-side analysts’ perspectives. It consists of three self-contained studies. Chapter 2 focuses on managers’ communication strategies in conference calls. It explores, in the small non-negative earnings surprises setting, whether non-manipulators design communication strategies to separate themselves from earnings manipulators, and whether manipulators pool through obfuscation. Chapters 3 and 4 focus on sell-side analysts’ communication behaviour in conference calls. Chapter 3 examines how analysts’ people skills affect their communication behaviour and relationships with firm management. Chapter 4 applies both qualitative and quantitative discourse analyses and investigates how analysts use linguistic politeness strategies to establish socially desirable identities in publicly accessible analyst-manager interactions. The three studies combined contribute to the accounting literature by furthering our understanding of managers’ and analysts’ financial communication incentives and behaviour from multiple perspectives.
A Markov Chain Analysis of effect of traffic law enforcement on road traffic accidents rate in Ogun State, Nigeria

Ogun State is known for road traffic accidents and fatalities. Out of the 36 states in Nigeria, five states usually combine to give 50% of accidents recorded in the country and Ogun State is among these states. Ten years accident and traffic violation data obtained from Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) were used to assess the effect of traffic law enforcement on road traffic accidents rate in the state using Markov chain model. Markov chain model analysis revealed that drivers in Ogun State committed unsafe acts (overspeeding, Using mobile phone while driving and driving without driver’s license) 55 times and unsafe condition (driving without using seatbelt) 16 times before experiencing fatality or permanent disability. The study also revealed that 46% of drivers that committed unsafe acts and 13% of drivers that committed unsafe condition left driving with fatality. While 176% of drivers that committed unsafe acts and 58% of drivers that committed unsafe condition left driving with permanent injury. From the result of the study, traffic law enforcement in Ogun state was not adequate and effective. Keywords: Markov chain analysis, traffic law enforcement, road traffic accident, unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, fatality, permanent injury
How Capable are Small and Medium Enterprises in Conducting Innovation?

—Several studies have recognized innovation as an essential aspect of improving competitiveness. Prior studies also argued that small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should increase their innovation and technology to deal with competition. However, just how SMEs are capable of performing innovation still needs to be measured. This study purposes assessing the capability of SMEs to conduct the technological innovation. Technological innovation capability (TIC) is defined as a comprehensive set of characteristics of a company that facilities and supports its technological innovation strategies. The seven TICs in this study consist of learning, R&D, resources allocation, manufacturing, marketing, organization, and strategic planning capabilities. A sample of 62 companies located in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, in particular Wedoro—which is one of the footwear centers in East Java, was purposively selected from footwear SMEs. This study distributed questionnaires to collect the primary data and proceeded to analyze the data using descriptive analysis. The findings demonstrated that the majority of footwear SMEs in Sidoarjo are small businesses. Overall, their TICs are in the medium category, with the highest average strategic planning capability (4.96), with the lowest average being learning capability (1.83). Some solutions are suggested to increase these firms’ TICs.
Sustainable supply chain management: continuing evolution and future directions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to update the work of Carter and Easton (2011), by conducting a systematic review of the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) literature in the primary logistics and supply chain management journals, during the 2010–2018 timeframe. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology which follows the methodology employed by Carter and Easton (2011). An evaluation of this methodology, using the Modified AMSTAR criteria, demonstrates a high level of empirical validity. Findings The field of SSCM continues to evolve with changes in substantive focus, theoretical lenses, unit of analysis, methodology and type of analysis. However, there are still abundant future research opportunities, including investigating under-researched topics such as diversity and human rights/working conditions, employing the group as the unit of analysis and better addressing empirical validity and social desirability bias. Research limitations/implications The findings result in prescriptions and a broad agenda to guide future research in the SSCM arena. The final section of the paper provides additional avenues for future research surrounding theory development and decision making. Originality/value This SLR provides a rigorous, methodologically valid review of the continuing evolution of empirical SSCM research over a 28-year time period.
The functions of contracts in interorganizational relationships: A contract experts’ perspective

Previous research has shown how contracts are used together with relational governance (RG) mechanisms to manage interorganizational relationships (IORs). Moreover, research has found that contracts are used in safeguarding, adapting, and coordinating business relationships. Based on the findings of an interview study with 24 contract experts, we argue that, in addition to safeguarding, adaptation, and coordination, firms use contracts to: codify their deals; steer their internal work; and plan, promote, and steer collaboration. On the one hand, when used intelligently, contractual techniques that reflect different functions can enhance IOR performance. On the other hand, the careless use of contracts can negatively affect RG and IOR performance. Our research has notable theoretical and managerial contributions, as it develops the theory of the functions of contracts and argues that the functions are fundamental to designing a contract that aims to complement RG and support IOR performance.
The impact of country-level and fund-level factors on mutual fund performance in Vietnam

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of mutual funds’ performance at both a country level and a fund level in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach The different types of funds with more than three-year operation are selected to remove outliers of the stock market boom from 2015 to 2018. The data set includes 54 mutual funds operating during the period from 2008 until November 2018. Findings The research finds that there is a positive relationship between macroeconomics and mutual funds’ performance. Furthermore, country-level governance such as regulation effectiveness, political stability, economic growth and financial development has a positive correlation with mutual funds’ performance. However, the impact of fund-level factors is diverse with the no significant impact of board size on mutual fund’s performance, while passive funds perform better than active funds in Vietnam. Practical implications The research results suggest that investors should pay attention to the types of funds and operating expense when making an investment decision in mutual funds. There are some recommendations for both government policy-makers and the mutual fund industry that are likely to facilitate the development of this field in Vietnam. Originality/value The research contributes to the understanding of what are the factors that should be considered when investing in mutual funds.
Assessment of the prospects of value addition among small-scale rural enterprises in Nigeria: Evidence from North-eastern Adamawa State

The evaluation of the prospects of value addition in small-scale rural enterprises in North-eastern Adamawa State, Nigeria, was conducted in order to determine the profit potentials among the entrepreneurs. Data gathered through group discussions and interviews schedule with members/owners of enterprises in the communities were analysed using descriptive statistics and value-addition model. Results revealed that, majority (60.00%) of the small-scale entrepreneurs were males who were within the age range of 18 to 40 years (56.67%) with most (60.00%) having formal education ranging from primary to tertiary. While in the grain processing category groundnuts and maize were found to have highest margin of value addition with N3, 855 and N3, 225, respectively, fish processing recorded N220 as the most profitable in the livestock category. Hot pepper and tomato processing accounted for N2,180 each, as possessing the highest profit margin among the vegetable processors. The rural entrepreneurs reported inadequacy of markets for finished products (100.00%), limited capital for purchase of inputs (100.00%) and exploitative tax by government agencies (83.33%) as the most worrisome. It could therefore, be concluded that amidst the stated constraints, value addition on agriculture commodities in the area studied was found to possess high profit potentials. The study recommends that, small-scale farmers should be informed of the benefits of adding value to their agricultural commodities before marketing, and agencies that intend to encourage rural entrepreneurship should provide market and micro-finance linkages with absolute monitoring structures in order that beneficiaries adhere to appropriate agribusiness practices. Key words: Community, enterprises, Nigeria, small-scale, value-addition.
END USER INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE IN KENYAN UNIVERSITIES, A CASE OF CHUKA UNIVERSITY, KENYA.

Purpose: The study sought to establish the effects of end user involvement in the supply chain performance of higher learning institutions in Kenya.Methodology: The study was conducted at Chuka University procurement department and user departments comprising of 64 respondents from user departments and procurement. The study employed cross-sectional research design. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection. In order to determine the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, pretesting of the research instruments was conducted. To establish the validity of the research instrument, content validity was used while internal consistency method was used to determine the reliability. Correlation analysis followed by multivariate regression analysis was conducted between the independent variables and the dependent variable.Results: Results showed strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and procurement planning. The study also established that there was a strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and specification preparation. It was also established that there was strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and monitoring and evaluation. Lastly, there was strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and inspection and receipt of goods. The findings also revealed that the four independent variables under study only contributed to 63.4% of the dependent variable’s outcome.Conclusion: The study concludes that procurement planning, specification preparation, monitoring and evaluation, and inspection and receipt of goods are good measures of the end user involvement in the effective performance of supply chain, but that more studies need to be done to unearth the hidden variables contributing to the remaining 36.6% factors/variables, in order to get a full picture of the impact of the end-users on supply chain performance. Contribution to policy and practice: Research institutes and scholars will gain vital insights from the study when they want to research further and lastly government together with all its agencies will also gain important information that will inform the policies they come up with in future
Influence of Principals’ Performance Contracting on Compliance with Procurement Procedures in Public Secondary Schools in Machakos County, Kenya

Poor financial management leads to inefficiency, fraud, manipulations and misuse of financial resources in educational institutions in many countries around the world. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of principals Performance Contracting on influence of principals’ performance contracting on compliance with procurement procedures in public secondary schools in Kathiani Sub County Machakos County, Kenya. The study was based on Principal Agency Theory by Jerzemowska (2006). Descriptive survey design was used for the study. Target population comprised of principals, bursars and members of the tendering committee in all the 32 public secondary schools in the subcounty. All the 32 schools in the sub-county took part in the study by census. Purposive sampling was used to select principals, bursars and chairpersons of tender committee while simple random sampling was used to select committee members. Questionnaires and document analysis guide were used to collect pertinent quantitative and qualitative data. Pilot study was conducted to validate the instruments. Reliability was assessed using test-retest technique. The scores from both tests were correlated to get the coefficient of reliability using Pearson’s product moment formulae. Data was analyzed descriptively with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Through data analysis, the study established that in some schools, there was no bottomupapproach to procurement as recommended by the public procurement and disposal act for public institutions. Further the study established that, many schools had their financial transactions recorded on weekly or monthly basis which is contravention to accounting regulations and guidelines which stipulates that all financial transactions must be recorded in the cash book on a daily basis or as they happen. From the study findings, the study concluded that performance contracting has had little influence on procurement practices in schools. The study recommended among others that, school principals should be adequately trained on procurement procedures practices through capacity building programs.