bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A multimedia‐based library orientation programme at Dyal Singh College Library, New Delhi
Authors: Madhusudhan Margam , Singh Poonam
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This paper is an outcome of the study made for designing the multimedia‐based orientation programme of the Dyal Singh College Library (DSCL), New Delhi, India. The purpose of this paper is to enlighten the new students and to create insight into the operations of the DSCL.

Design/methodology/approach

Macromedia Flash software is used in designing and developing the multimedia‐based library orientation programme of the DSCL. In this study, the quality and usefulness of the information provided is evaluated through feedback. The structure of the programme is divided into 227 snapshots lasting for 20 min. A survey was conducted using structured feedback comprising of five questions.

Findings

Regarding the implementation of multimedia‐based library orientation programme and the responses received from the respondents regarding usefulness of information presented in the programme, except “library online public access catalogue & internet browsing”, all other features are found to be either excellent or very good. The quality features, such as, easy to understand (76.44 per cent), programme content (60.23 per cent), programme graphics, sound and special effects (46.76 per cent) are rated as excellent; and the length of the programme (72.28 per cent) and comprehensiveness (51.74 per cent) are rated as good. The overall evaluation of the programme is rated as very good (62.55 per cent).

Research limitations/implications

This paper is not conceived to replace live college library tours, but rather to supplement them. In its present non‐linear form, the programme allows the user to start at the beginning and run through to the end. However, users cannot interact with the video but they can stop, forward and backward the programme.

Practical implications

Highly useful for new students who face the constraints of inconvenient timings and format; reduces the burden of the library staff of imparting physical library orientation and improves the library image in this age of information; and helps the user in overcoming the geographical and language barriers.

Originality/value

The paper provides the advantages of multimedia‐based library orientation in college libraries. The multimedia‐based library orientation programme has been developed as an effective means of conveyance and makes information handy and accessible on the college site as “virtual tour”. The entire programme can be viewed at and develops creativity among college librarians in designing such programmes.
Enhancing higher education students' employability and career management
Authors: Davey Anne
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the Bournemouth University Library's approach to enhance students' employability and encourage their career management.

Design/methodology/approach

The library reviewed its trade publications collection and created a set of web pages to exploit these and newly discovered resources.

Findings

Piloting the project using a few subject areas helped to uncover any inefficiencies, discovered tools that could be used (e.g. Ulrichsweb and Intute) to gain the best information and enabled the creation of a set of guidelines to distribute across the team. There are four phases to this project: review, information gathering, decisions and promotion.

Practical implications

Sifting out good quality authoritative information takes time, although this process is aided by using tools such as Intute for example. It is important to keep the web pages up to date.

Originality/value

This paper discusses how a higher education library service can engage with students' career management.
When in India do as the…
Authors: Prabhakar Guru Prakash
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The emergence of India as an economic power over recent years has created a need to understand the way in which business is carried out in that part of the world. It is also important to realize how businesses are founded and structured in India. Many Indian companies are family‐run businesses just like their Italian counterparts. This research attempts to study a typical Italian company, its experiences in India, its aspirations, the challenges faced in the context of an emerging economy and the possible roadways to map the future.

Design/methodology/approach

The work is based on an interview with Pietro Valfre'di Bonzo, chief corporate representative of Fiat International in India, conducted under the aegis of the GLOBE project (Global Leadership and Organizational Behaviour Effectiveness Research Programme). The GLOBE study was conducted across 62 nations worldwide. It was initiated to study the leadership behaviours of top leaders across the globe and attempts to find out the key leader behaviours that are vital to the businesses. It also studies what leader behaviours are important in different countries and what might click in India may not click in France, and so on.

Findings

The automobile industry is a fast‐moving industry as far as India is concerned with global competitors present on Indian soil. Many authors observe that the industrial sector to which an organization belongs and the common kinds of pressures encountered by organizations, such as the rate of technological change and the general level of environmental turbulence, affect organizational cultural practices. Fiat too is trying to adapt with the changing dynamics of the Indian automobile industry.

Practical implications

Western companies like Fiat face stiff competition from Indian car makers like Tata, Mahindra, Maruti etc. Pricing will play an important factor because of the emergence of a huge middle‐class population in India, promptly tapped by Tata, which has recently launched Tata Nano, touted as a triumph of Indian ingenuity and the world's cheapest car, costing just 100,000 rupees ($1,979; £1,366).

Originality/value

This is an original piece of work.
Developing complex, business‐to‐business products: issues and implications
Authors: Madhavaram Sreedhar , Appan Radha
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify issues that are critical to developing complex, business‐to‐business products and discuss implications for vendor firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employs the critical review approach to current complex product literature and draws from relevant literature streams in engineering, management, and marketing to propose a conceptual framework.

Findings

The critical review of the complex products research reveals the following as critical issues for research and practice in the development of complex products: definition, internal and external complexity, product and process complexity, standardized to customized complex products continuum, component and process modularity, and operant resources.

Research limitations/implications

This paper identifies six specific operant resources that are critical to the development of complex products and proposes a conceptual framework. Clearly, more needs to be done in terms of theoretical and empirical research with reference to the development of complex, business‐to‐business products. For example, researchers could empirically test the proposed framework; identify other relevant operant resources; and critique the proposed framework and develop a new, more comprehensive framework.

Practical implications

Firms that develop complex products could focus on developing the six operant resources that can help them become competent in developing complex products; and developing organizational structures and policies and providing an organizational environment that is conducive to developing robust internal and external social capital.

Originality/value

The proposed conceptual framework provides a theoretical foundation for practitioners and researchers to build on.
The convergence of corporate social responsibility practices
Authors: Misani Nicola
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain why many socially responsible firms appear to converge on a standard set of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices instead of striving to differentiate themselves from rivals and achieve competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

Three explanations of this convergence are presented as follows: herd behaviour, institutional isomorphism and strategic cooperation. The different empirical predictions of these theories are laid down. The resulting framework is used to analyse a recent self‐regulatory scheme launched by the steel industry, in which knowledge sharing was used to stimulate poor performers to curb carbon dioxide emissions.

Findings

Social practices of firms are very often driven by pressures to conform, instead of pressures to perform. Even firms that want to be innovative may be forced by stakeholder requests to adopt passive and imitative behaviour.

Practical implications

The paper suggests that there are two types of CSR – convergent and divergent – and that firms need to establish which type of CSR best fits their needs before they address the issues raised by stakeholders.

Originality/value

The literature on CSR focuses on the relationship between stakeholders and single firms. The paper tries to add to this literature by analysing the relationship between stakeholders and industries. The paper also contributes to the debate on the financial benefits of CSR by arguing that in industries where the convergent type of CSR is dominant researchers should not expect above‐average returns for socially responsible firms.
Alternative scholarly communication: management issues in a Ghanaian university
Authors: Asamoah‐Hassan Helena
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This paper sets out to present what the KNUST Library has done to introduce alternative scholarly communication in the form of an institutional repository to the University.

Design/methodology/approach

The study discusses management issues like agreement on policy to govern it, its acceptance by management and faculty as well as library personnel, and the software to be used that came into play along with challenges when the institutional repository was being planned and implemented.

Findings

The paper indicates that the introduction of the KNUSTSpace institutional repository has brought several benefits to the researchers in the University by offering them an alternative to the traditional means for scholarly communication and through that exposing their research to the world and the benefits that come with that. The University has also been show‐cased.

Originality/value

The paper clearly explains the key management issues encountered in the process of setting up the institutional repository and how they were tackled successfully. The paper will therefore be of assistance to libraries contemplating setting up institutional repositories.
Assessing the impact of new technology on internal operations
Authors: Mbambo‐Thata Buhle
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues surrounding implementation of technology in libraries. The paper aims to focus on the process of implementing mobile phone services at the University of South Africa (UNISA) Library, and how the introduction impacted on internal operations. It is based on a survey of staff concerning the impact of the first six months of the service implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a limited survey conducted within the University of South Africa (UNISA) Library. It discusses the impact and potential on staff within the library and the service processes. The study provides information for management decisions if there should be changes in the operations. It outlines lessons learned. It further stresses the need to monitor and evaluate processes of introducing new technology in libraries.

Findings

The paper indicates that the introduction of new services should not be simply an add‐on‐ service, but should also be followed by monitoring and evaluation of impact.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is limited to the University of South Africa (UNISA) Library. Applications in different settings may yield different results.

Practical implications

The findings could be used as lessons learned by other libraries wanting to introduce mobile phone services.

Originality/value

This is an original paper, not previously published providing useful information on the impact of new technology on library internal operations.
Retirement decisions in the context of the abolishment of mandatory retirement
Authors: Warren Amy M. , Kevin Kelloway E.
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to use the theory of planned behavior to test a structural model of retirement timing intentions of older workers in Canada following the abolishment of mandatory retirement.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 281 working individuals was conducted in order to test a model of retirement timing.

Findings

The model was a good fit to the data. Attitudes toward people at work predicted people's attitudes toward work. Attitudes toward work predicted age and life perceptions. Age and life perceptions predicted control. Control predicted social/policy influences, and finally social/policy influences predicted planned retirement age.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitations of this study were that the authors tested a model based on self report data. Furthermore the data were correlational therefore they cannot make causal inferences.

Practical implications

Work attitudes predict people's own perceptions of their life and age. And these are predictive of norms. Organizations need to consider people's perceptions of their work, if they are to retain workers past the normal retirement age. Implementing work practices/policies, e.g. flexible work, become key considerations for these organizations.

Originality/value

The authors now have empirical support for the contention that norms are important for investigating the short term effects of lifting mandatory retirement, but also when considering the long term effects that changing mandatory retirement policies may have on individual's retirement timing. Furthermore, they have a more comprehensive model of retirement timing.
Burnout and older workers' intentions to retire
Authors: Henkens Kène , Leenders Monique
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The central theme of this article is early retirement intentions and burnout among older workers. The paper aims to investigate whether there is a relationship between the burnout dimensions exhaustion, cynicism and competence and retirement intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were taken from a survey held among Dutch older workers (50+) and their spouses (n=2,892).

Findings

The results show that a high workload, heavy physical work, lack of challenge, autonomy and social support from colleagues and managers are related to burnout complaints, although in a different way for the three dimensions. The results show that besides the effect of burnout, retirement intentions are related to the level of marital quality. Older workers who report a higher level of marital quality report a stronger intention to retire. Burnout and retirement intentions are related, but appear to have partly different predictors. While burnout can generally be explained by the work environment, non‐work related factors enhance the understanding of retirement intentions.

Originality/value

This study shows that actual retirement is often preceded by feelings of burnout, in particular a mental detachment from work and feelings of exhaustion.
Do European employers support later retirement?
Authors: van Dalen Hendrik P. , Henkens Kène , Henderikse Wilma , Schippers Joop
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether employers' opinions and expectations regarding workers' retirement age are in line with the ideas of the EU‐Member States' governments to increase the participation of older workers and to postpone the transition from paid work into retirement at the end of the labour market career.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparative survey was used among employers from five European countries: Greece, Hungary, Spain, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Findings

The authors found that most employers are reluctant in supporting later retirement. Part of this reluctance is the result of the perception that an ageing work force is a burden rather than a boom to organizations.

Originality/value

This study shows that there still is a discrepancy between the aims formulated at the level of the European Union and member state countries with respect to stimulating the labour force participation of older workers and the attitudes of individual employers. In particular, the fact that employers perceive alternative solutions to the challenges of an ageing and shrinking workforce, other than delaying retirement, suggests that most employers will not be a major driving force for extending the working life.
A new fast converging Kalman filter for sensor fault detection and isolation
Authors: Jayaram Sanjay
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to present an approach to detect and isolate the sensor failures, using a bank of extended Kalman filters (EKF) using an innovative initialization of covariance matrix using system dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

The EKF is developed for nonlinear flight dynamic estimation of a spacecraft and the effects of the sensor failures using a bank of Kalman filters is investigated. The approach is to develop a fast convergence Kalman filter algorithm based on covariance matrix computation for rapid sensor fault detection. The proposed nonlinear filter has been tested and compared with the classical Kalman filter schemes via simulations performed on the model of a space vehicle; this simulation activity has shown the benefits of the novel approach.

Findings

In the simulations, the rotational dynamics of a spacecraft dynamic model are considered, and the sensor failures are detected and isolated.

Research limitations/implications

A novel fast convergence Kalman filter for detection and isolation of faulty sensors applied to the three‐axis spacecraft attitude control problem is examined and an effective approach to isolate the faulty sensor measurements is proposed. Advantages of using innovative initialization of covariance matrix are presented in the paper. The proposed scheme enhances the improvement in estimation accuracy. The proposed method takes advantage of both the fast convergence capability and the robustness of numerical stability. Quaternion‐based initialization of the covariance matrix is not considered in this paper.

Originality/value

A new fast converging Kalman filter for sensor fault detection and isolation by innovative initialization of covariance matrix applied to a nonlinear spacecraft dynamic model is examined and an effective approach to isolate the measurements from failed sensors is proposed. An EKF is developed for the nonlinear dynamic estimation of an orbiting spacecraft. The proposed methodology detects and decides if and where a sensor fault has occurred, isolates the faulty sensor, and outputs the corresponding healthy sensor measurement.
An implementation of a novel vision‐based robotic tracking system
Authors: Fatih Talu M. , Soyguder Servet , Aydogmus Ömür
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to present an approach to detect and isolate the sensor failures, using a bank of extended Kalman filters (EKFs) using an innovative initialization of covariance matrix using system dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

The EKF is developed for nonlinear flight dynamic estimation of a spacecraft and the effects of the sensor failures using a bank of Kalman filters in investigated. The approach is to develop fast convergence Kalman filter algorithm based on covariance matrix computation for rapid sensor fault detection. The proposed nonlinear filter has been tested and compared with the classical Kalman filter schemes via simulations performed on the model of a space vehicle; this simulation activity has shown the benefits of the novel approach.

Findings

In the simulations, the rotational dynamics of a spacecraft dynamic model are considered, and the sensor failures are detected and isolated.

Research limitations/implications

A novel fast convergence Kalman filter for detection and isolation of faulty sensors applied to the three axis spacecraft attitude control problem is examined and an effective approach to isolate the faulty sensor measurements is proposed. Advantages of using innovative initialization of covariance matrix are presented in the paper. The proposed scheme enhances the improvement in estimation accuracy. The proposed method takes advantage of both the fast convergence capability and the robustness of numerical stability. Quaternion‐based initialization of the covariance matrix is not considered in this paper.

Originality/value

A new fast converging Kalman filter for sensor fault detection and isolation by innovative initialization of covariance matrix applied to a nonlinear spacecraft dynamic model is examined and an effective approach to isolate the measurements from failed sensors is proposed. An EKF has been developed for the nonlinear dynamic estimation of an orbiting spacecraft. The proposed methodology detects and decides if and where a sensor fault has occurred, isolates the faulty sensor, and outputs the corresponding healthy sensor measurement.
A fairly balanced clustering algorithm for routing in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Zytoune Ouadoudi , Fakhri Youssef , Aboutajdine Driss
Published: July 2010

Purpose

Routing protocols in wireless sensor networks (WSN) are a crucial challenge for which the goal is maximizing the system lifetime. Since the sensor nodes are with limited capabilities, these routing protocols should be simple, scalable, energy‐efficient, and robust to deal with a very large number of nodes, and also self‐configurable to node failures and changes of the network topology dynamically. The purpose of this paper is to present a new algorithm for cluster forming in WSN based on the node energy required to transmit to the base station.

Design/methodology/approach

Rotation selection of cluster‐head considering the remoteness of the nodes to the sink, and the network node residual energy.

Findings

The simulation results show that this algorithm allows network stability extension compared to the most known clustering algorithm.

Originality/value

Giving a probability to become cluster‐head based on the remoteness of the node to the sink.
Workplace impact of social networking
Authors: Bennett James , Owers Mark , Pitt Michael , Tucker Matthew
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of social networking in the workplace and to assess its use as an effective business tool.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines positive and negative perceptions of social networking in the workplace and provides a critical review of literature in the area. The drivers of, and barriers to, change are explored, and whether the reasons for some organisations prohibiting or restricting social networking in the workplace are well‐founded or corporate suicide. The link between social networking and organisational culture is examined, looking at whether social networking tools are capable of revitalising and reshaping the culture and brand of an organisation, which in turn can lead to better ways of working and increased levels of employee productivity and satisfaction.

Findings

The findings indicate that the business advantages and benefits of social networking in the workplace are still very much underappreciated and undervalued. Although some organisations across the world have started to implement some of the facets of social networking technology and reap the business benefits, fear, resistance and risk are the opinions that still dominate many organisations.

Originality/value

The value of social networking technology in the workplace is yet to be determined. This paper addresses gaps in the current literature and demonstrates that the business benefits of social networking far outweigh the negative perceptions that are still predominant in the pre‐millennial generations. The paper highlights that social networking technology can facilitate improved workplace productivity by enhancing the communication and collaboration of employees which aids knowledge transfer and consequently makes organisations more agile. Moreover, social networking can provide enhanced levels of employee satisfaction by reducing the social isolation of teleworkers and making them feel part of organisational culture during long absences from the physical office.
Public awareness of “green” and “energy efficient” residential property
Authors: Eves Chris , Kippes Stephan
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the buyer awareness and acceptance of environmental and energy efficiency measures in the New Zealand residential property markets. This study aims to provide a greater understanding of consumer behaviour in the residential property market in relation to green housing issues

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on an extensive survey of Christchurch real estate offices and was designed to gather data on the factors that were considered important by buyers in the residential property market. The survey was designed to allow these factors to be analysed on a socio‐economic basis and to compare buyer behaviour based on property values.

Findings

The results show that regardless of income levels, buyers still consider that the most important factor in the house purchase decision is the location of the property and price. Although the awareness of green housing issues and energy efficiency in housing is growing in the residential property market, it is only a major consideration for young and older buyers in the high income brackets and is only of some importance for all other buyer sectors of the residential property market. Many of the voluntary measures introduced by Governments to improve the energy efficiency of residential housing are still not considered important by buyers, indicating that a more mandatory approach may have to be undertaken to improve energy efficiency in the established housing market, as these measures are not valued by the buyer.

Originality/value

The paper confirms the variations in real estate buyer behaviour across the full range of residential property markets and the acceptance and awareness of green housing issues and measures. These results would be applicable to most established and transparent residential property markets.
The effects of the country of brand and the country of manufacturing of automobiles
Authors: Fetscherin Marc , Toncar Mark
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer a new perspective of country of origin effects on consumers' brand personality perceptions of domestic and imported automobiles. It aims to assess the perceived similarities and differences between automobiles from two countries with respect to the country of origin of the brand (COB) and the country of manufacturing (COM) of that same brand.

Design/methodology/approach

An experimental design was used to investigate developed country consumers' brand personality perceptions of three cars: a domestic car; a car manufactured in a developing country by a developing country manufacturer; and a car from a developing country manufacturer that is manufactured in the developed country. Data were collected in the USA and therefore a US car was used as the developed country car. China was selected as the developing country of origin. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data.

Findings

Multivariate analysis of variance indicates that consumers' brand personality perceptions varied according to the country of origin (COB) of the brand and the country of manufacture (COM) of the brand. The COM of a car influenced the perceived brand personality of the car more than the COB. In some respects the Chinese car made in the USA was perceived to have a stronger brand personality than the US car made in China. This suggests that for cars the COM exerts a greater influence on the perceived personality of a brand than the COB.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should take a larger respondent pool, respondents from other countries, other automotive manufacturers as well as assess the impact of COM and COB on purchase intention and behavior.

Practical implications

Manufacturers of cars must understand the effect of COM and COB in order to build, position and protect their brands in international markets.

Originality/value

This paper provides an important contribution to the existing literature and business practice by providing a new perspective on country of origin research by using the multi‐dimensional construct of brand personality and analyzing the relationship between country of origin of a brand and country of manufacturing of that same brand.
Auditor conservatism following audit failures
Authors: Fafatas Stephan A.
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of audit failure on Big 4 audit firm monitoring activities. The paper analyzes changes in discretionary accruals (DAs) among clients of firms implicated in audit failure events and examines whether these DAs decline in the period following the event.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses archival data and regression analyses to test whether DAs for clients of implicated audit firms decline in the period following the audit failure as compared to clients of other Big 4 firms. Audit failures are identified during the years 1996‐2004 based on significant lawsuit settlements. The paper focuses on an office‐level analysis to control for audit quality differences which may vary across firm geographic locations as suggested by recent research.

Findings

Empirical results indicate that auditor response to audit failure has changed over time. Auditors implicated in audit failure events occurring in the post‐Enron and Sarbanes‐Oxley period enforce more conservative accounting choices in the year following the event. Specifically, clients of the implicated firm's office report a significant decline in discretionary accounting accruals relative to clients of other auditors in the same city location. However, a significant change in client discretionary accounting accruals is not found following audit failures that occurred prior to 2001, the year of the Enron bankruptcy.

Originality/value

The results of this paper extend the knowledge of the effects of litigation pressure on audit quality. Additionally, this paper helps address the question of how large‐scale audit failures witnessed at the beginning of the century have impacted audit firm conservatism.
Macroeconomic news and risk factor innovations
Authors: Gosnell Thomas , Nejadmalayeri Ali
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine if macroeconomic announcements affect the Fama‐French market, size, book‐to‐market risk factors and momentum factor.

Design/methodology/approach

Using unexpected announcements of major macroeconomic indicators, a study is made of how daily innovations of risk factors react to macroeconomic shocks. In a Flannery and Protopapadakis framework, the impact of macroeconomics surprises on the levels and volatilities of the risk factors is measured. A VAR model is employed as a robustness check. To better understand the mechanism of announcement impacts on risk factors, the relationship between the macroeconomics announcements and Fama‐French size/book‐to‐market portfolio returns is investigated.

Findings

Inflation, employment, consumption and business activities were found to affect levels and volatilities of risk factors. However, these macro variables affect risk factors differently. Inflation and non‐farm payrolls decrease the market risk premium while increasing the size premium. Personal income increases the size premium while reducing the book‐to‐market premium. Industrial production and GDP only influence the level of the momentum factor. In this model specification, producer inflation (PPI) and personal income increase the volatility of the size premium while business inventories increase the volatility of the market premium.

Originality

This paper's results support the notion that different risk factors capture different economic fundamentals.
Corporate governance and investor reactions to seasoned equity offerings
Authors: Huang Rongbing , Tompkins James G.
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the role of corporate governance in abnormal returns around announcements of seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) by publicly traded US firms from 2001 to 2004.

Design/methodology/approach

Cross‐sectional regression analysis was used to determine which variables are important to the market's reaction to the SEO, with a particular focus on corporate governance variables.

Findings

It was found that investors react more positively for firms in which different people hold the CEO and board chairman positions. Limited evidence was found that investor reaction is more positive when the board has a greater representation of outside directors, the CEO has less ownership, and the board is not too large. These findings suggest that investors react more favorably to SEOs by firms with stronger corporate governance mechanisms that reduce adverse selection or agency problems.

Practical implications

This paper's findings are evidence that stronger boards can reduce a firm's cost of raising additional equity capital. Originality/value – There is not believed to be any other published paper that examines the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on the reaction to SEOs with such a comprehensive sample or in post‐Enron periods.
Female executives and earnings management
Authors: Peni Emilia , Vähämaa Sami
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between earnings management and the gender of the firm's executives.

Design/methodology/approach

Panel regressions of discretionary accruals on a set of female executive dummies and firm‐specific controls.

Findings

The results provide considerable evidence to suggest that firms with female chief financial officers (CFOs) are associated with income‐decreasing discretionary accruals, thereby implying that female CFOs are following more conservative earnings management strategies.

Research limitations/implications

In general, the findings indicate that gender‐based differences in conservatism, risk‐aversion, and managerial opportunism may have important implications for financial reporting and corporate governance.

Originality/value

This paper extends prior research by addressing the potential effects of female executives on earnings management. The findings reported in this paper provide novel insights to the empirical financial accounting literature.
Accrued capital gains and ex‐dividend day pricing
Authors: Whitworth Jeff , Zhang Yi
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how recent capital gains affect ex‐dividend stock pricing. Traditional models assume that investors are motivated to sell a stock before its ex‐date to avoid paying higher taxes on dividends. However, if a stock has appreciated significantly, stockholders have an offsetting incentive to delay the realization of capital gains by continuing to hold the stock in spite of the higher dividend tax rate.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper develops a model showing that ex‐dividend price drops should be greater in the presence of larger accrued capital gains. The model was tested by regressing ex‐day pricing measures on the relative size of the recently accrued gain, along with other control variables.

Findings

Empirical tests confirm that accrued gains reduce the magnitude of the ex‐day effect, increasing the price drop ratio (ΔP/D) and reducing ex‐day returns. Also documented was that ex‐day price drops are larger for stocks that have recently experienced positive gains, that the observed effect of recent price performance is stronger for higher‐yield stocks, and that share turnover is usually lower for stocks with greater gains.

Research limitations/implications

This paper's findings suggest that the results of existing empirical investigations of ex‐day pricing should be interpreted with some caution, and that future studies should control for gains that occur prior to the ex‐date.

Originality/value

While the tax clientele explanation of ex‐day pricing has been investigated extensively, this is the first study to show how accrued gains and losses impact ex‐dividend price changes.
Restricted private information provision during short sale bans
Authors: Tse Yiuman , Williams Michael
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the 2008 SEC short selling ban on financial firms and whether this ban negatively impacted private information provision in these short‐restricted equities.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employs the French and Roll Variance Ratio (VR) as a proxy for private information provision in both an unconditional and conditional analysis. The unconditional analysis examines the VR across trading characteristics, firm characteristics, and time regimes. The conditional analysis models the VR in an event study framework where exogenous determinants of private information provision are held constant.

Findings

Empirical results indicate that private information provision increased due to the 2007 US financial crisis while information provision decreased due to the 2008 short selling ban. This study concludes that the 2007 financial crisis enticed informed short sellers into the market which then increased information provision. Further, the 2008 short selling ban restricted these informed short sellers from the market thus leading to a decrease in information provision in the short‐restricted firms. Interestingly, the information restricting effects of the 2008 ban were not severe enough to erode the gains in information provision originally induced by the financial crisis.

Originality/value

This paper specifically contributes by demonstrating that the 2008 SEC short selling ban negatively impacted private information provision. This paper contributes generally by showing that short sale bans' information effects are not completely restrictive. Rather, short sale bans' information effects are a function of firm characteristics and contemporaneous market conditions.
Risk modeling in crude oil market: a comparison of Markov switching and GARCH models
Authors: Luo Cuicui , Seco Luis A. , Wang Haofei , Dash Wu Desheng
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to deal with the different phases of volatility behavior and the dependence of the variability of the time series on its own past, models allowing for heteroscedasticity like autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (ARCH), generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH), or regime‐switching models have been suggested by reserachers. Both types of models are widely used in practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Both regime‐switching models and GARCH are used in this paper to model and explain the behavior of crude oil prices in order to forecast their volatility. In regime‐switching models, the oil return volatility has a dynamic process whose mean is subject to shifts, which is governed by a two‐state first‐order Markov process.

Findings

The GARCH models are found to be very useful in modeling a unique stochastic process with conditional variance; regime‐switching models have the advantage of dividing the observed stochastic behavior of a time series into several separate phases with different underlying stochastic processes.

Originality/value

The regime‐switching models show similar goodness‐of‐fit result to GARCH modeling, while has the advantage of capturing major events affecting the oil market. Daily data of crude oil prices are used from NYMEX Crude Oil market for the period 13 February 2006 up to 21 July 2009.
Obituaries
Authors: Andrew Alex M.
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to list and discuss several workers on cybernetics and systems, all fairly recently deceased. Online sources of further details are quoted.

Design/methodology/approach

The aim is to review developments on the internet, especially those of general cybernetic interest.

Findings

The demise of these workers is a great loss.

Practical implications

For all of the people listed, it is instructive to contemplate their achievements and to speculate on what else they would have done had they lived.

Originality/value

It is hoped this is a valuable periodic review.
Hybrid materials based on functionalised epoxy resin networks
Authors: Hernández‐Padrón Genoveva , Garcia‐Garduño Margarita , Rojas‐González Fernando
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe how sol‐gel synthesised silica particles are used to modify the characteristics (especially the thermal and mechanical properties) of either an epoxy resin (ER) or a −COOH‐functionalised ER (FER) substrate. In the systems studied here, spherical silica particles are embedded in ER or FER thermosetting polymeric substrates for producing translucent solid materials. There arise covalent unions between the SiO2 silanol surface groups of the particles and the functionalised FER ends, thus rendering SiO2‐FER core‐shell compounds.

Design/methodology/approach

The characterisation results confirm the affinity existing between ER and SiO2 particles as well as the existence of chemical bonds at the interface between the silica and FER phases.

Findings

An efficient and durable application against corrosion of metallic materials has been developed through the preparation and application of thin surface films made of finely disseminated SiO2 colloidal particles, which are trapped inside either FER or unfunctionalised ER epoxy resin polymer networks. The results of this test indicate that the anticorrosive performances of FER, SiO2‐ER and SiO2‐FER coating films are higher than that related to the ER coating alone.

Practical implications

These silica/ER hybrid materials can be employed as anticorrosive coatings of metallic substrates in commercial appliances, industrial devices and protection of artistic works, such as metal sculptures.

Originality/value

Preparation of organic‐inorganic hybrid materials of enhanced thermal and mechanical properties against corrosion. Functionalisation of an ER polymer network resulted in the improvement of the anticorrosive properties of the sole ER of departure while showing very good corrosion endurance.
Synthesis of yttria nanoparticles using NIPAM/AAc copolymer
Authors: Fadaie Sh. , Kashani‐Motlagh M.M. , Maghsoudipour A. , Faridnia B.
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of copolymer and starting material concentrations in homogeneous precipitation synthesis of Yttria nanoparticles and red‐emitting nanophosphors Y2O3:Eu3+. N‐isopropylacrylamide and acrylic acid (NIPAM/AAc) and urea are used.

Design/methodology/approach

To optimise synthesis condition of Y2O3:Eu3+ nanophosphor NIPAM/AAc copolymer was used as a modifier and the effect of various concentration of yttrium ions, urea and precipitation time on size, morphology and emission spectra were investigated.

Findings

Using NIPAM/AAc copolymer shows significant improvement on size and dispersion of nanoparticles. It is found that yttrium concentration, varying between 0.006 and 0.03 M, has a profound impact on the average size of particles, which systematically increases from 65 to over 165 nm. The rate of precipitation reaction, however, is shown to be independent of yttrium concentration. In contrast, as urea concentration increases from 0.2 to 5 M, the average particle size exhibits a gradual decrease from 183 to 70 nm. At extremely high urea concentration such as 5 M, a significant level of inter‐particle agglomeration is observed.

Originality/value

Based on this paper, the authors have successfully prepared some promising nanophosphors. The nanoparticles are studied by X‐ray diffraction, transmission electronic microscopy, zeta sizer, Infra red and photoluminescence spectroscopy.
The effect of individualism on private brand perception: a cross‐cultural investigation
Authors: Tifferet Sigal , Herstein Ram
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The present study has three aims: to find out whether individualism affects consumers' preference for private versus national brands; to assess the effect of individualism on the perceived importance of brand image dimensions (country‐of origin, packaging design and manufacturer reputation); and to assess the degree of cross‐cultural differences in individualism within a specific country, Israel.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 400 private brand customers participated in the study. Participants were students from eight universities and colleges in Israel. Students were carefully chosen to represent diverse cultural groups, based on their mother tongue: 100 students were native speakers of Arabic, 100 native speakers of Russian, 100 native speakers of Amharic and 100 native speakers of Hebrew.

Findings

Individualism predicted the inclination to purchase store brands better than demographic variables such as age, sex and income. Culture affected the importance of country of origin, and moderated the effect of individualism on the importance of manufacturer identity..

Originality/value

The paper documents research that is unique in studying psycho‐behavioral aspects of private brand consumers from the perspective of cultural differences, a venture that has rarely been taken in the past.
Vision effects: a critical gap in educational leadership research
Authors: Kantabutra Sooksan
Published: July 2010

Purpose

Although leaders are widely believed to employ visions, little is known about what constitutes an “effective” vision, particularly in the higher education sector. This paper seeks to proposes a research model for examining relationships between vision components and performance of higher education institutions, as measured by financial stability, student satisfaction and growth, process improvement, and learning and faculty satisfaction. The model proposes that vision attributes of brevity, clarity, abstractness, challenge, future orientation, stability, and desirability, and vision content relating to financial stability, student satisfaction and growth, process improvement, and learning and faculty satisfaction can affect performance through four vision realisation variables.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a critical review of existing theoretical concepts and empirical evidence, a new research model, as well as research hypotheses, are developed for future research.

Findings

With future empirical support, the model will help university and college administrators to effectively improve their institutional performance.

Originality/value

While vision is core to the prevailing vision‐based leadership theories, little is theoretically and empirically known about attributes for effective visions, particularly in the education sector. The paper proposes a model for future research to fill this gap.
Talent management in academies
Authors: Davies Brent , Davies Barbara J.
Published: July 2010

Purpose

Academies are semi‐autonomous schools set up outside the normal local government structures with sponsors from business and charity groups to create new and innovative ways of creating and sustaining school transformation. The aim of this paper is to assist in a strategic conversation within the academy movement on talent development.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper looks at talent identification, talent development and establishing a talent culture. It provides points in the text for readers to reflect on their own talent practice and provides case examples from current academies.

Findings

The paper shows that the longer‐term sustainability of the academy movement needs to address the key issue of developing leadership talent.

Originality/value

The paper provides an original and useful framework for developing talent management in academies.