Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reward Crowdfunding: Who to Attract at the Beginning of the Campaign? An Analysis in Terms of Revealed Networks of Preferences

This research study combines the theoretical teachings of revealed preferences, signal theory and weak tie theory to better understand the dynamics at work at the beginning of a campaign and to explain its success. By identifying the revealed preferences of early backers through their common past contributions, we characterize as strong or weak the nature of the complex preference ties between them. We build networks of the contributions made by the individuals identified as early backers to 9,425 campaigns run on the Ulule platform between July 2010 and September 2014. The results of this study underline the importance of the presence of strong preference ties between early backers and other platform users for the success of campaigns. They also corroborate the theory of the strength of weak ties. Later in the campaign, the intervention of backers with less specific preferences, in the position of intermediaries, positively influences the future outcome by accelerating the fundraising speed at the beginning of the campaign.
Investor Emotions and Speculative Bubbles

Between June 2005 and October 2007, when it peaked, the Chinese stock market rose five-fold. It then went into free fall losing 70% of its value over the following year, more than China’s total GDP. A similar trajectory played out between July 2014 and January 2016.This paper describes the powerful emotions unleashed during market crises of this nature. Specifically, we adopt a five-stage path-dependent model relevant to other bubbles and financial crises and test this empirically using the Chinese 2005-2008 stock market bubble as a case study. Results are consistent with investors experiencing a range of highly-charged emotions directly inter-related with different market states. Our evidence suggests that if we wish properly to understand and explain such destructive events we also need to recognise the vital role investor emotions play in their aetiology.
Biodiesel Production via Transesterification of Soybean Oil Catalyzed by Superhydrophobic Porous Poly(ionic liquid) Solid Base

In this work, the preparation and catalytic application of novel superhydrophobic porous poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) solid base catalyst have been reported. The PIL was synthesized by radical polymerization with subsequent anion exchange providing alkali catalysis. The as-prepared catalyst possesses favorable wetting properties in the reaction of biodiesel production. Various characterization techniques were utilized to characterize the as-prepared PIL catalyst, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, thermogravimetric analyses (TG), and static water contact angle measurement. In addition, the catalytic performance of the PIL catalyst was evaluated by the transesterification of soybean oil with methanol to produce biodiesel. The effects of various reaction param.
Customer Advocacy: A Strategy for Revamping E-Tailers’ Services in India

The purpose of the present study is to conceptualize and explore the strategic importance of e-advocacy of E-tailers’ service offerings. It explores the antecedents of e-satisfaction and e-loyalty for the E-tailers services. This paper reviews the recent analysis of service quality constructs, e-loyalty, and e-satisfaction in order to understand why e-advocacy is going to be a strategic option for E-tailers. A model was developed to assess with antecedent variables for e-advocacy behaviors; the model was tested on 165 e-buyers using confirmatory factor analysis for the construct validity. Further, the effect of latent variables has been assessed by the hypnotized model by multivariate analysis. E-satisfaction and e-loyalty through service quality constructs provide a way for e-advocacy and loyalty, while customer value has the effect on customer satisfaction but does not relate to customer advocacy for the E-tailers. Also, this paper helps in finding the relationship between satisfaction, e-loyalty and other e-service quality constructs such as convenience, security, and responsiveness. It will help the marketers to devise the strategy to improve the services offered by E-tailers for enhancing the customer loyalty and advocacy. The findings are helpful for E-tailers and marketers to improve its services in India. In addition, the findings of the study contribute to and extend the theory by identifying the new construct i.e. customer advocacy which will also influence the future intention of consumers.
COVID-19 and the Potency of Disruption on the Islamic Banking Performance (Indonesia Cases)

The indicators commonly used in conducting simulations are economic growth and the US Dollar exchange rate. The purpose of this study is to conduct a stress test on the impact of macroeconomic changes on key financial indicators of the three largest Islamic banks in Indonesia, which are subsidiaries of state-owned banks. The banks are Bank Mandiri Syariah (BSM), BNI Syariah (BNIS), and BRI Syariah (BRIS). The stress test method in this study uses three scenarios, namely: mild, moderate, and worst. Furthermore, the key financial indicators used in this research are assets, net profit, return on assets (ROA), and non-performing financing (NPF). The stress test results state that the mild scenario and moderate scenario of the Islamic banking industry can still endure. However, inthe worst-case scenario, NPF of the Islamic banking industry has a significant increase. Also, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, banks must mitigate risk early by strengthening liquidation, restructuring, and changing strategic initiatives. Also, there is an alternative to merge of Islamic Bank that subsidiaries from its state bank. Furthermore, the government and all stakeholders must collaborate to overcome the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak to avoid major losses to both the lives of the people and the nation's economy.
The Mitigating Effect of Stop-Losses for Delegated Investments on the Proneness Towards the Disposition Effect

This paper studies the behaviour of retail investors, that tend to be unwilling to make fi nancial decisions on their own and therefore follow other investors' strategies on online trading platforms, in particular with respect to their proneness towards the disposition effect. Therefore, we combine two mitigating effects on the proneness towards the disposition effect for signal receivers on an online trading platform, namely delegated investments and a stop-loss function. We fi nd that signal receivers undertaking delegated investment decisions on an online trading platform have a negative proneness towards the disposition effect. We further show that signal receivers on the<br>platform making use of a stop-loss are even less prone to the disposition effect than investors not making use of it. Thereby, we add a new investment type to the analysed asset classes of Chang et al. (2016) separated by delegation and no delegation.
Organizational Silence: A Barrier to Organizational Change

Purpose: There is little empirical evidence regarding the nature of Organizational Silence (OS) and its components. So, the purpose of this research is to identify the types of OS and its effects on Organizational Change (OC) at Sadat University in Egypt. <br><br>Design/methodology/approach: To assess OS, refer to (OS questionnaire, Schechtman, 2008; Brinsfield, 2009), and OC (OC questionnaire Dunham, et al., 1989; Lussier, 1990; and Kursunoglu &amp; Tanriogen, 2009). Out of the 692 questionnaires that were distributed to employees, 420 usable questionnaires were returned, a response rate of 60%. Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) was used to confirm the research hypotheses. <br><br>Findings: Results indicate that supervisors’ attitudes to silence, top management attitudes to silence and communication opportunities are associated. The research has found that there is significant relationship between OS and OC. Also, the research has found that OS directly affects OC. In other words, OS is one of the biggest barriers to OC of the employees at Sadat University in Egypt. <br><br>Practical implications: This research pointed to the need for organizations to adopt a culture which encourages and urges employees to speak in the labor issues and the non-silence in order for the administration to be able to realize these issues and try to solve them first hand in order to prevent their aggravation. <br><br>Originality/value: There is little empirical evidence in the literature aimed at defining, analyzing, and coping with OS. It has an impact on the ability of organizations to detect errors and learn. Therefore, organizational effectiveness is negatively affected. This research aims to measure the effect of OS on OC. Based on the findings of this research, some important implications are discussed.
Computerized School Selection and Placement System in The Greater Accra Region of Ghana: Perception of Stakeholders

The study was intended to find out whether the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) was a better alternative to the manual system in the process of selection of qualified students in the Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. A sample size of 306 was selected from a population of 994. Stratified and simple random sampling procedures were employed to select the subjects in the study sample. Respondents to the questionnaire and interview were randomly selected. A pilot study was conducted in the Eastern Region to test the validity and reliably of the instrument. The Cronbach alpha coefficient reliability at 0.7 was recorded. The data generated was processed and converted into percentages to facilitate the analysis and discussion processes. The results indicated that the introduction of the CSSPS did not significantly increase enrolment in the least endowed schools; neither did it minimize the preference for endowed schools. However, the CSSPS significantly minimized the human errors that characterized the manual system and accelerated the rate of selection and placement process. The major challenge to the CSSPS was the human factor in terms of refusal of parents and students to accept placement into other schools apart from their chosen endowed schools. It is recommended that the CSSPS should be used in combination with other placement systems such as the Random Placement Systems to achieve a mixed talent distribution of students across the schools in the study area.
The Gender Wage Gap in Myanmar: Adding Insult to Injury?

Gender wage inequality has been studied for decades, applying highly standardized regression decomposition techniques. It is common to find that education and experience explain small parts of the wage gap while differences in occupation and sector are important. Using three different surveys, all from 2017, we analyse the gender wage gap for urban workers in Myanmar. We start from a standard Mincer-type wage equation in which we condition on the workers level of education and years of experience. Subsequently we control for differences in occupational choice and sector of employment. Finally, we compare wages for men and women with similar characteristics, working in the exact same manufacturing enterprises. Our results show that the urban labour markets in Myanmar stand out as remarkable. In Myanmar, selection into wage work leads to an urban workforce in which the female wage-workers have higher levels of education than their male counterparts. Thus, female workers should, on average, have higher wages than male workers. Even so, the observed gender wage gap is 14-35 percent, depending on the survey analysed. Differences in educational attainment and selection into occupations and sectors cannot account for this wage gap. Instead, it is associated with a lower base wage for women and lower remuneration of women’s experience. Digging deeper, we go beyond the traditional standardized methods and utilize a matched employer-employee dataset to generate one-to-one comparisons of female and male production workers with the same level of education and experience who are employed in the same manufacturing enterprises. Even in this setting, in which the male and female workers are closely matched, we find an average wage gap of 13 percent. Our analysis thus indicates substantial discrimination against women in Myanmar’s urban labour markets, with the situation being worst for uneducated women in low wage jobs.
Managerial Rhetoric of Technology and Innovation, Institutional Ownership, and Stock Price Crashes

We compare actual R&amp;D spend with the managerial rhetoric around technology and innovation contained within corporate disclosures of US-listed firms. We find that, whilst actual R&amp;D spend and patents do not entice institutional investors to increase their stock holdings, firms that espouse technology and innovation in their corporate disclosures are quite successful in drawing in short-term horizon investors. Yet, such firms are more prone to future sudden idiosyncratic stock price crashes. Although it may seem that talk of technology and innovation represents a self-interested managerial effort to retain investors’ expectations, this would not explain why so many short-term horizon investors opt for such stocks in the face of persistent evidence of adverse market performance outcomes. As suggested by the economics of expectation, investors may become reluctant to timely face up to bad news in terms of unfulfilled technology and innovation outcomes, a behaviour that can hype investors’ expectations and overinflate stock prices for long periods. Eventually, when such investors become disillusioned by unjustifiable expectations that enables them to better discern the firm’s true state of economic fundamentals, the sudden and abrupt decline in their expectations triggers extreme firm-specific left-tail outcomes.
Improvement in Aluminum Complexes Bearing Schiff Bases in Ring-Opening Polymerization of ε-Caprolactone: A Five-Membered-Ring System

A series of five- and six-membered-ring Al complexes bearing Schiff bases was synthesized and their application to the ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone (CL) was studied. The five-membered-ring Al complexes have been shown to have a significantly higher polymerization rate than six-membered-ring Al complexes (2–3 fold for CL polymerization). The X-ray data revealed that the Al center of a five-membered-ring Al complex is farther from the Schiff base ligand than is that of a six-membered-ring Al complex. The results of density functional theory calculations also suggest that more space around the Al center of five-membered-ring Al complexes may reduce the steric repulsion in CL polymerization and increase the catalytic activity of five-membered-ring Al complexes.
Demographic Dividend in Gujarat - A Theoretical Perspective

The term Demographic Dividend occurs to a particular country when falling birthrates changes the age structure which further reduces the required investments in the Human Capital. Here we have tried to provide possible theory which can work for the Demographic Dividend for the state like Gujarat. I have also suggested policy action required to take advantage of Demographic Dividend in Gujarat State. Gujarat is the state where there are cities like Surat which accommodates highest number of Young People. Thus this paper in a way provides the possible areas where there is an urgent need to undertake exercises to work out Demographic Dividend at State Level as well as Country level aggregate. Demographic Dividend.
Empirical Analysis of RMB's Central Parity Formation Mechanism: From August 2015 to November 2019

This thesis works to identify the economic determinants of renminbi(RMB) central parity rate formation from August 2015 to November 2019. It also accesses the effect of the countercyclical factor in the determination of the central parity rate. In a vector error correction framework, the role of the onshore and offshore RMB exchange rate, the US dollar index, and RMB currency index are identified before the implementation of countercyclical factors. During the implementation, onshore and offshore RMB exchange rate both loses part of their explanatory power. Offshore RMB exchange rates even become statistically insignificant in the determination of the central parity rate. After setting the countercyclical factor as neutral in the mechanism, both onshore and offshore exchange rates regain their power and stay significant in the model. The role of the US dollar index gradually lessens in the central parity formation as time goes by. What is surprising is the RMB currency index becomes statistically insignificant when the countercyclical factor is removed in the central parity rate mechanism.
Requirements vs. Autonomy: What Works in Social Assistance?

Compliance requirements, such as active job search, in combination with monitoring and sanctions are a commonly used tool to induce effort among social assistance claimants and achieve reemployment as quickly as possible. We conduct a randomized field experiment in the Netherlands to test two alternative regulatory approaches, which both build on providing claimants with more autonomy. For our first treatment we fully exempt claimants from requirements, monitoring and sanctions. For our second treatment claimants follow a one-on-one counselling programme shaped according to their needs and wishes. We find that compared to control, exempted claimants are twice as likely to have a job with earnings above the benefit level roughly two years later. Also, we observe a shift from temporary to permanent employment contracts under exemption. For counselling we find largely temporary labor market effects. Using surveys, we find no evidence of effects on outcomes related to health and well-being, social participation and job search behavior for both treatments. We also analyze effects on subgroup level.
Determinants of Venture Capital Investments in India: A State Level Analysis

While India’s nascent startup industry has emerged to be amongst the top three startup industries globally, the grave challenge of lack of finance is thwarting the industry from reaching its potential. Insufficient funding is a major deterrent to startups’ growth which leads to death of startups at initial stages. Venture capital (VC) investments solve this problem of financial crunch and enable these startups to attain growth and scalability. Consequently, it becomes imperative to analyse and study factors that attract VC investments in a particular country. At present, there is limited literature on VC investments and their determinants pertaining to Asian countries. Specifically, no study has analysed the factors that impact VC investments in context of the Indian states. Building on the scanty literature, the present study has attempted to empirically determine the state level determinants that impact VC investments in startups in India. Using two-step System Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) on panel data for 15 states from 2008-2016, the study has analysed the impact of selected state-specific economic, infrastructural and institutional variables on VC investments. The results highlight that employment, teledensity, credit deposit ratio and state GDP positively affect the venture capital activity in a state. On the contrary, past venture capital investments and electricity available per capita negatively affect the venture capital activity in a state. The paper concludes with broad policy implications that will help policymakers create a conducive environment for fostering VC activity.
The Equity Risk Premium in January 2006: Evidence from the Global Cfo Outlook Survey

We analyze the results of the most recent survey of U.S. Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) which looks ahead to the first quarter of 2006 and beyond. We present expectations of the equity risk premium measured over a 10-year horizon relative to a 10-year U.S. Treasury bond. This multi-year survey has been conducted every quarter from June 2000 to November 2005. Each quarter the survey also provides measures of cross-sectional disagreement about the risk premium, skewness, and a measure of individual uncertainty. The individual uncertainty is deduced from the 80% confidence interval that each respondent provides for his or her risk premium assessment. We also present evidence on the determinants of the long-run risk premium. Our analysis suggests there is a positive correlation between the ex ante risk premium and real interest rates as reflected in Treasury Inflation Indexed Notes. The level of the risk premium also appears to track market volatility as reflected in the VIX index.
Organisational Culture and Bank Risk

Existing research has largely relied on employee surveys to measure organisational culture despite the significant shortcomings of this approach. We use multiple, unobtrusive sources of data to gain rich insights into bank culture without ever having to ask employees to ‘show us your culture’. Our measure is based on 20 individual indicators from six different sources, including information on internal fraud cases, customer complaints, and the quality of regulatory submissions. We use this data to investigate the hypothesised relationship between organisational culture and bank risk. We find robust evidence that poor culture leads to substantially higher risk, demonstrating the importance of bank culture for prudential outcomes.
Anchors Aweigh? Then Time to Go Upstream. Why We Need to Theorize ‘Mission’ Before ‘Drift'

Going beyond a narrow focus on social enterprise, Grimes, Williams, and Zhao (2019) advance a model of mission drift that they argue is relevant to understanding why—and with what consequences—all types of organizations might act in ways that are inconsistent with their identity and image. We applaud this effort, and agree that it is important to develop a theoretically rigorous approach to mission drift. Yet while the treatment that Grimes et al. (2019) develop is likely relevant to some organizations, their argument is built on a shaky foundation, where “mission” is conceptualized in simplistic terms as an organization’s single, orienting purpose. In turn, this leads the authors to make a number of problematic inferences about “drift” as a general phenomenon. This dialog details our concerns, and suggests that it is vital to go upstream, and theorize mission as a nuanced and variegated construct if we are going to generate meaningful insight about the nature, causes, and consequences of drift.