bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determinants of excessive executive compensation
Authors: Cong Ling Mei , Wang Qinggang , Evans John
Published: December 2016

This study examines determinants of excessive executive compensation in PRC firms using 8,100 firm-year observations from 2003-2009. Employing an industry benchmarked excessive pay proxy, this study finds that CEO duality and ownership dispersion have significant positive associations with the probability of overpaying the executives. The presence of a large outside shareholder is negatively associated with the likelihood of excessive executive compensation. Results from this study have important implications for various stakeholders. For example, the PRC authorities need to further strengthen the corporate governance and constrain the power of management over the pay-setting process. More institutional investors could be encouraged to enter the PRC market to play a bigger role in monitoring managers. This paper makes an original contribution to the PRC executive compensation literature by providing unique insights into drivers of excessive executive compensation.
Corporate governance and bank performance: Evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Badrul Muttakin Mohammad , Ullah Md. Shahid
Published: December 2016

The study investigates the relationship between the corporate governance structure and performance of listed banks in Bangladesh. We find that board independence and board size have a significant positive impact on performance. However, female directors appear to have no impact on performance. Our evidence indicates that the extent of the managerial ownership level has a significant negative impact on bank performance. These results suggest that better corporate governance mechanisms are imperative for every banking company and should be encouraged for the interest of the investors and other stakeholders.
Positive influences of governance, legal, educational and market factors on audit environments
Authors: Boolaky Pran , O’Leary Conor
Published: December 2016

As companies trade beyond their national borders, corporate boards need to evaluate the effectiveness of audit regulatory environments in foreign countries. A model with which to assess the strength of financial audit and reporting standards of individual countries would be beneficial. This study develops and tests such a model. Many factors are identified which impact upon financial assurance environments. These include corporate governance, legal, educational and market factors. A thirteen variable model was devised to predict the strength of a country’s financial assurance environment. An actual score for this was obtained from a World Economic Forum report. Using the geographical area of sub-Saharan Africa, as this contains a range of economies from mature to developing, the model was tested on 28 countries. Eight of the thirteen variables were significant, proving that governance, legal, educational and market factors all impact positively on a country’s audit regulatory environment. Variations in individual countries’ scores are discussed. The implications are that a model can be developed and used by corporate boards to compare countries’ audit environments before deciding where to trade.
Poison pills and CEOs: The résumé matters
Authors: Sanford Jr Douglas , Ji Yong-Yeon , Oh Won-Yong
Published: December 2016

Previous research has linked poison pill to corporate governance characteristics such as ownership structure and board composition while overlooking the attributes of top managers involved in poison pill decision. Based on upper echelons perspective, we changed the focus by investigating the effect of CEO characteristics on poison pills, as measured by age, business education, and outside directorships. Using a sample of Fortune 500 manufacturing firms, we found that CEO business education is positively associated with poison pills, while CEOs’ outside directorships are negatively associated with poison pills. Furthermore, we found that CEO duality moderates the relationship between CEO business education and poison pills. We make implications for both corporate governance research and managerial practices regarding firms’ anti-takeover provisions
When are staggered boards beneficial?
Authors: Straska Miroslava , Waller Gregory , Offenberg David
Published: December 2016

We reexamine the negative relation between firm value and staggered boards. We document that firms with characteristics indicating low power to bargain for favorable terms in a takeover, but also indicating high potential agency costs, are more likely to have a staggered board in place. We also find that among these firms, those with staggered boards have higher valuation, as measured by Tobin’s Q. This result is robust to various controls for endogeneity. Our evidence suggests that staggering the board is beneficial for certain firms and challenges the commonplace view that board classification is an antitakeover device that necessarily harms shareholders.
A qualitative study on the auditors’ ‘true and fair view’ reporting
Authors: Ramachandran Jayalakshmy , Subramaniam Ramaiyer
Published: December 2016

Financial reporting by companies is strengthened with auditors’ report. An auditor’s report is a statement which communicates his views on the financial statements prepared by the company. When the auditors are satisfied with all the evidences they have verified, they state that the financial statements give a ‘true and fair view’. ‘True and fair view’ is in existence since a very long time as compared to various other terms. Since its introduction, ‘true and fair view’ had faced a number of criticisms. Past researchers had tried to explore this concept. None of them managed to give any additional information than was traditionally available in the books. This study concludes by stating that it is time to reconsider the concept of ‘true and fair view’.
Board committees and earnings management
Authors: Liu Jinghui , Harris Kate , Omar Noraini
Published: December 2016

Following the international effort of strengthening corporate governance, this study investigates the impact of Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendation (GCPR 2009) on the credibility of accounting information. By investigating 138 companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), this study demonstrates that the independence and activities of the board and sub-committees are negatively associated with earnings management represented by the discretionary accruals. The results of this study provide useful guidelines to policy makers, practitioners and academics
The corporate opportunity doctrine – An inflexible or flexible rule
Authors: Nwafor Anthony O. , Kate Okoli Chinwe
Published: December 2016

The corporate opportunity doctrine is often seen as a prophylactic rule of strict ethic which is inflexibly applied in enforcing the fiduciary duties owed by directors to their companies. A close examination of some of the cases in which the rule has been applied, however, reveals that apart from the general restatement of the rule by the courts, the actual application of the rule in those cases are reflections of the peculiarities of the individual cases. The paper argues that a flexible approach is more realistic and enjoins the courts in interpreting and applying the various provisions of the statute that have codified this rule, to lean more on those decisions that reflect sensitivity to the peculiarities of the cases.
Intellectual capital disclosure and corporate governance structure among Malaysian government-linked companies
Authors: Rahman Rashidah Abdul , Musman Musliha
Published: December 2016

This study examines the level of intellectual capital disclosure among the 32 Malaysian GLCs by comparing with the Non-GLCs for the period 2007-2009. In addition, this study also investigates the impact of board structure on the intellectual capital disclosure of Malaysian GLCs. The board structure mechanisms comprise; board composition, role duality, board size and cross directorship. The control variables consist of the company-specific characteristics –leverage, profitability and age of the company. The content analysis is used to extract the intellectual capital disclosure items from the annual report. The results show that the GLCs disclosed more intellectual capital information than Non-GLCs. Board size and leverage are significant and positively related to the intellectual capital disclosure of Malaysian GLCs.
Institutional ownership, audit committee and risk disclosure – Evidence from Australian stock market
Authors: Zhang XuanXuan , Taylor Dennis , Wise Victoria , Qu Wen
Published: December 2016

This study investigates the influence of institutional ownership and audit committees corporate risk disclosures. Focusing on analysing firms’ risk disclosures make in their 2009 annual reports, our sample constitutes a sample of 66 Australian listed firms. We divide institutional shareholders into dedicated-type institutional block shareholders and transient-type institutional block shareholders. We find that while there is no significant relationship between dedicated-type institutional block shareholders and risk disclosure, there is a positive relationship between transient-type institutional block shareholders and risk disclosures. Our result is consistent with a principal that wields limited monitoring resources while achieving high resource dependency over management. We also find a significant and positive relationship between audit committee independence and risk disclosures, showing the positive role played by audit committee in improving the information transparency and reducing information asymmetry in capital market.
Productivity and stock price reaction to spin-off decision
Authors: Manojj Manivannan , Sahay Mridula
Published: December 2016

In corporate governance, spinoff decision is made either to focus on a specific area of business or to get rid of businesses with low profit margin. Separation of some management assets for a better management of existing assets referred to as a spin off. The spun off or subsidiary company is formed by issuing new shares to the existing shareholders while losing some original or parent company shares. By doing so, shareholders’ value might be lost. With a sample of 65 companies spun off since 2009, this paper analyse the stock price movements of the spun off and the parent company and productivity in terms of turnover of the spun off company. From the analysis, there has been an increase in both productivity and stock price. This paper also emphasizes how corporate governance in spin off decisions can protect shareholders’ value.
Social capital interventions at firm level affecting performance in the Zimbabwean manufacturing sector
Authors: Siwadi Patience , Miruka Collins , Ogutu Florence Achieng
Published: December 2016

Social capital research has largely focused on developed economies and there is conflict of acceptance on the legality of some network relations across cultures. This study pioneered the interventions at firm level aimed at building social capital for company performance in the Zimbabwean manufacturing sector. This was in an effort to provide evidence of the need for network relations to enhance business performance. A survey method was used to collect data to confirm empirically the social capital interventions existing in the sector. Using an econometric model, 10 social capital variables were regressed to determine importance of the interventions. The bivariate results indicated that networks, level of trust and entertainment were significantly associated to firm performance. On the multivariate level, trust, presences of an entertainment budget and government liaison were positively associated with firm performance. It was concluded that investment in social capital through entertainment budget created profitable relationships which if nurtured builds trust which reduces transaction costs thus affecting the bottom line. So social variables which were significantly associated with performance worked in a symbiotic, cyclical nature.
Asymmetry between the cost of medical litigations and the number of medical litigations
Authors: Selatole Moshibudi J. , Ngwakwe Collins C.
Published: December 2016

The impact that rising costs of litigations has had on many countries has seen society deprived of good quality health care and a substantial extra-expenditure in health budgets. The financial and societal costs of medical malpractice litigations have also been a growing cause for concern in the developing country of South Africa. This paper attempted to contribute to the knowledge of this problem in the South African setting by examining settlement costs of medical litigations in one province of the country over a 6 year period, and examining the relationship between these costs and the number of litigations. No correlation was found between the number of litigations and the costs of litigations, this indicates that, aside from the number of litigations, other factors are responsible for rising costs of litigation. The paper recommends that the department should continue monitoring the environmental costs of litigations for budgetary and management purposes; and the need to introduce an electronic integrated medical litigations reporting system, as well as tort reforms to curb the costs of the litigations. This work also calls for substantial further research in terms of what disciplines, what medical errors, and what circumstances greatly influence litigation outcomes.
The decision makers’ perceptions toward the adoption of information technology by government institutions in Jordan and its affect on information accessibility, and decision making quality
Authors: Tbaishat Rami , Khasawneh Saleh , Taamneh Abdullah Mohammad
Published: December 2016

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of decision-makers towards the use of this technology and its impact on access to information and the quality of decision-making. Quantitative methodology was used to obtain the information necessary to achieve the objectives of this study. The results indicated the importance of computer technology in the Jordanian governmental organizations. The results revealed that the majority of the participants expressed positive perceptions about the technology. However, they still expected to have more active role of this technology in government institutions. Also, they provided many of the factors that led to some restrictions on the use of computers. In addition, the study revealed that the demographic characteristics that would hinder perceptions towards this technology seems mostly unfounded. Based on the results of this study, Joradanian government should provide its employees more training and education opportunities on the use of this technology, in order to maintain, improve and increase the use of such technology in the future.
Adoption of e-marketing tools by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – fad or future trend?
Authors: Gopaul Melanie
Published: December 2016

E-marketing is considered as one of the fastest growing fields in e-business, which has the potential to become a platform for SMEs to compete with larger enterprises even though they may not have adequate infrastructure and resources. Over the years SMEs have struggled to compete on some sort of equal footing with larger organisations and with the advent of technology and the growth in the use of e-marketing, the playing field is becoming more equal. The literature on the use of e-marketing tools by SMEs in South Africa, however, is limited. The purpose of this paper was therefore to investigate the extent to which South African SMEs utilise e-marketing tools. The author feels that the findings will be universally applicable to SMEs in most countries. Through providing a clearer understanding of e-marketing and its use, this paper may assist SMEs and entrepreneurs to improve their existing marketing strategies. The study followed a quantitative research approach, whereby a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to SME owners. The results indicate that SMEs utilise e-marketing tools moderately and that the utilisation will increase in the future.
ISO certifications and firms performance: Evidence from Oman
Authors: Atya Tariq Mohamed , Al Ani Mawih Kareem
Published: December 2016

This study investigates the impact of ISO certifications on the Omani industrial and services companies listed on Mascut Securities Market. The firm performance measured by financial performance and market performance. The first one is measured by return on assets, return on equity and net operating profit while the market performance is measured by market fair value of shares. ISO certifications were surveyed if the company does or doesn’t have the certificate. ISO certification effect on performance was investigated in 80 Omani firms from both industrial (60%) and services (40%) sectors. In the industrial sector, MANOVA test showed that the ISO has a significant effect only on NOP. In the services sector, MANOVA test showed that the ISO has a significant effect on market fair value and return on assets.
Debt capital, firm performance and change of CEO in firms listed on the Nairobi securities exchange
Authors: Otieno Odhiambo Luther , Ngwenya Sam
Published: December 2016

It is generally accepted that boards of directors play a fundamental role in corporate governance and the structure of the board plays a significant role in the functioning of a company (Jensen, 1993). The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between debt capital, firm performance, and change of CEO in firms listed on the NSE. The results of the study revealed that firms in which an individual shareholder has influence or controlling interest are reluctant to replace their CEO even when performance is below average. The results also revealed that the replacement of the CEO is not performance driven, but is debt capital driven. Specifically, the results suggest that medium leverage ratio is associated with change in CEOs on firms listed on the NSE.
Corporate social responsibility review
Authors: Lizarzaburu Edmundo R. , del Brío Jesús
Published: December 2016

This research paper represents a literature review of corporate social responsibility (CSR), as it has evolved and their use and impact in several countries. As a consequence of competitive markets, several entities must endeavor to reveal a picture of themselves as highly socially responsible enterprises. The increment in academic and practitioner interest in “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has led the development of a set of definitions regarding the concept and their application” (Jamali and Mirshak 2007). The term is not a new concept (Taneja, Taneja and Gupta, 2011) it was developed since 1950´s. Nowadays, several literature presents substantial evidence that CSR activities can play a significant role in enhancing a firm’s value (Mahfuja, 2013). In this scenario, the following paper examines the broad progress of the ideas behind the concept though its origins and evolution in a country focus approach, practices implementation and literature available from different authors over the time. Also, we outline a set of core elements that many scholars associate this term with and finally we develop a special focus towards the stakeholders approach among all theories available on this matter.
Governance of health care systems in an ageing world – the case of Australia
Authors: Banasik Ewa
Published: December 2016

The main argument of this paper is that because the burden of diseases increases with age, a greater numbers of older individuals will increase the demand for health care, and whether this demand will be met very much depends on how health care systems are governed. This task is particularly complex in jurisdictions with multi-layer governing systems such as the Australian health care system. Governance, described in terms of stewardship of the well-being of the population and as a central component for building effective health care systems, is increasingly considered to be very important for a well performing health care system (World Health Organization, 2000, 2007). Governance is, however, the least studied function in a health care system (Alliance 2009). Furthermore, the limited governance frameworks and assessments that have been developed thus far fail to include the political context in which health care systems operate (Baez-Camargo and Jacobs, 2011). This paper intends to fill this knowledge gap by exploring the political dynamics of the Australian health care system’s governance and its accountability. Furthering the discourse on governance is especially important in times when health care systems are confronted with the challenges of ageing populations
Are listed firms better governed? Empirical evidence on board structure and financial performance
Authors: Mateus Cesario , Hall Thomas , Mateus Irina B.
Published: December 2016

We examine the relationship among board characteristics (network centrality, leadership structure, outsider participation, portion of male directors, director age, and presence of financial experts) and firm-level financial performance (cash holdings, leverage, ROA, risk, and risk-adjusted return). Our data encompass firms from eight countries during 2003-2012. Unlisted firms are smaller and have less leverage. Despite the fact that unlisted firms have prima facie better average governance (they are less likely to have an executive chair (or CEO as chair of the board) and a higher average portion of outside directors), they exhibit worse risk-adjusted returns. Higher levels of director connectedness (centrality) are generally associated with more observable entrenchment (more cash, less leverage), whereas other board characteristics do not show clear relationships with entrenchment. Our findings are consistent with the view that firmly established CEOs are willing and able to pack the board with qualified and connected members, who nevertheless do not act to constrain CEO entrenchment. This is true for both listed and unlisted firms
The methodical framework of the development of adequate model of estimation of credit risk of the bank
Authors: D’yakonova Iryna , Mordan Yevgeniya , Sokolenko Kateryna
Published: December 2016

It was considered the modern methods of assessment of credit risk which are used by the foreign banks, in particular, their essence, advantages and disadvantages were discovered in this article. It was proposed and characterized the criteria of judgmental estimate adequacy of the models intended for analysis and forecast of borrower creditworthiness assessment, in particular such criteria as general accuracy of the model, the errors of 1st and 2nd kind, ROC – curve and GINI index.
The migration behavior model of Indonesian female migrant domestic workers in Egypt.
Authors: Suwandi Nurfaizi
Published: December 2016

This paper examines the migration behavior model of Indonesian female migrant domestic workers in Egypt. I develop a model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) combined with the Theory of Migration. Samples of 209 respondents are collected using convenience sampling technique. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is employed to analyze the empirical model. The findings indicate that respondents who do not have a previous employment status tend to have a better perception or attitude towards the profession of migrant domestic worker. Encouragement from the surrounding environment, including family and friends, who agree, hope, recommend, or persuade them to work as a migrant worker is a significant factor in improving the intention to become a migrant worker, especially in Egypt.
The effect of the type of controlling shareholders and corporate governance on real and accruals earnings management
Authors: Surifah Surifah
Published: December 2016

This research investigates the relationship between corporate governance and preference of earnings management selected by Indonesian banking controlling shareholders. This study uses all banks listed on Indonesian Stock Exchange from 2006 until 2011 as samples. The result shows higher real earning managements and lower accruals discretionary in family-controlled banks and private institution compared to government-controlled banks. Government-controlled banks prefer accrual-based earnings management and real activity-based earnings management through operating cash flow. In the other hand, family-controlled banks and private institutions prefer real earnings management through interest expense and discretionary expenses. Foreign-controlled- banks choose earnings management through discretionary expenses. The implementation of corporate governance in Indonesia banking is high and giving negative impacts both to accrual and real-based earnings management. Concentrated ownership gives positive influences toward the accrual earning management and real earning management through discretionary expenses. The bank size has a positive and significant influence on accrual earnings management, yet its effect is negative and significant on real earning management through interest expenses. The findings contribute to the development of financial accounting literatures because there are small numbers of previous research on accrual discretionary on family-owned companies. Company does not indicate the increase of earnings quality, but it is indeed indicating that controlling family pays more attention on choosing the real activity-based earnings management to cover the expropriation. Accrual discretionary-based earnings management is intra-period reversely thus it cannot cover the permanent expropriation of controlling owners. The research also contributes to the studies of real-based earnings management measurement in banking system which has not been become a concern of research on previous studies.
Using e-communication in the mobile telecommunications industry
Authors: Veerasamy Dayaneethie
Published: December 2016

This article examines how e-communication is used in the mobile telecommunications industry and the impact it has on relationship marketing. The use of new electronic media such as the Internet, e-mail, websites, cellular technology, blogs and social networking sites for communication purposes is called e-communication. Relationship marketing is about creating and maintaining long-lasting, profitable relationships with customers. E-communication makes it possible for the organisation to personalise their interactions with their customers which is one of the major benefits of relationship marketing. Allowing an organisation to identify their most important customers, aids in recognising the lifetime value of these individual customers. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the way in which e-communication is being utilised in the mobile telecommunications industry and evaluate how it can lead to creating and maintaining satisfied customers over the long term. This research was descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative in nature. Since this study is a precursor to a full study, only 20 respondents participated. The majority of the respondents were mobile phone users for 6-10 years. 85% of the respondents indicated that their service provider uses e-communication while 15% indicated that they do not use it. There were majority positive responses regarding trust, commitment and loyalty.
Questioning the context of corporate performance measures in benchmarking CEO compensation
Authors: Oberholzer Merwe , Barnard Jaco
Published: December 2016

The purpose of the study was to reflect on existing practices in studying the CEO pay performance issue, with special reference to the context wherein the financial performance measurements were employed. In total, an in-depth content analysis of 40 published articles was done. Some flaws were identified in prior research, namely some studies only use either market-based or accounting-based measurements, only a single performance measurement, measurements without the context of the subjacent risks, monetary values without substance as performance measurements and without the context of a theory. The contribution of this study is that a framework is developed to guide future studies with regard to the context wherein financial performance measures should be employed and that some theories, additional to the agency theory, were identified that should be tested more frequently in pay performance-related studies.
The effect of human and social capital on the knowledge of financing alternatives by new small business owners in South Africa
Authors: Fatoki Olawale
Published: December 2016

The failure rate of new SMEs is very high in South Africa. Financing constraints is one of the major causes of failure. The knowledge of the alternative sources of finance can help to reduce the financing constraints faced by new SMEs. The study investigated the effect of human and social capital on the understanding of financing alternatives. Self- administered questionnaire was used in a survey to collect data from data were from 136 owners of new SMEs in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The Cronbach’s alpha was used as a measure of internal consistency. Descriptive statistics and independent samples T-test used for data analysis. The results indicated that new SME owners with higher levels of generic and specific human capital have a better knowledge of financing alternatives. There are significant differences in the level of education and business courses and the knowledge of factoring, venture capital, Alt-X, bootstrapping, Islamic baking and crowdfunding. New SME owners with social capital as measured by direct and indirect ties have a better knowledge of financing alternatives.
Fraud risk management in private healthcare in South Africa
Authors: Maree Grebe Gerhard Philip
Published: December 2016

Worldwide, the healthcare industry aims to provide better health for all. However, fraud risk has become a threat to industries and organisations, including the healthcare industry. In the South African healthcare industry, it has been found that losses due to fraud risk amounted up to R8 billion per year. The purpose of this article was to explore the management of fraud risk within the South African private hospital industry and how this is managed. Primary data was collected by means of a survey, which involved management staff at head office level and at hospital level. The findings suggest that South African private hospitals could improve their current fraud risk management practices. By implementing the recommendations provided by the study, private hospitals will be able to manage fraud risk more effectively.
The relations between ownership structure and corporate performance: evidence from Bahrain stock exchange
Authors: Khamis Reem , Al-Ali Wajeeh , Hamdan Allam
Published: December 2016

In this article we examine the relation between ownership structure and corporate performance; the sample of the study included 42 out of 48 companies (resembling 87.5% of the population) of all sectors in Bahrain Stock Exchange in five years from 2007-2011. Several dimensions of ownership structure were studied and two different measurements of performance were used (ROA and Tobin’s Q) to capture the different results from using each one of them and to assess the relevance of each measurement to performance and to justify the conflicting results found by previous studies. Another objective of this study was to explore the patterns of ownership structure found in Bahraini market. The results of the study revealed that institutional ownership is the most common pattern of ownership structure that exists in Bahraini market. The results of testing the effect of ownership structure on performance were conflicting as expected depending on the measurement of performance that was used. Several recommendations were given to investors depending on the results obtained from the study and several points were cleared out to be addressed by future studies.
Testing the partial adjustment model of optimal cash holding: Evidence from Amman stock exchange
Authors: Zurigat Ziad Mohammad , Jawdat Nadia
Published: December 2016

This study aims at testing the partial adjustment model of cash holdings to investigate whether Jordanian industrial firms have a target cash holdings and how fast they move toward that target when any target deviation exists. A sample of 57 industrial firms listed in the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) over the period 2001-2013 is used. The study uses the estimated fitted values from the conventional cash equation as a proxy for the target cash holding. Using pooled and panel data analysis, the study provides evidence suggesting that cash flows, net working capital, leverage and firm size significantly affect the cash holdings of Jordanian firms. Moreover, it reveals that Jordanian industrial firms have a target cash level and make a target reversion whenever needed. However, Jordanian industrial firms adjust their actual cash holdings to its target level too slowly.
The effect of the firm’s age and financial leverage on its dividend policy – evidence from Kuwait stock exchange market (KSE)
Authors: Al-Sabah Turki
Published: December 2016

Identifying the major determinants of companies’ dividend policy has been the pith of various researchers and industry practitioners as well. In this research, the effect of the firms’ financial leverage and age on their dividend policy has been explored. Two hypotheses were formulated, where the first focused on examining the effect of the firms’ financial leverage and the second concentrated on investigating the effect of the firms’ age on their dividend policy. The sample assimilated in this study comprises of 38 Kuwait Stock Exchange listed companies from different industries. The period of investigation was five years, from 2009 to 2013. The hypotheses were tested using ordinary least square and fixed-effect panel regression. The results signify a negative relationship between the firm’s financial leverage and dividend payout ratio. Moreover, the results indicate a negative relationship between the firm’s age and dividend payout ratio.
Confidence of accountants in applying international financial reporting standards
Authors: Mala Rajni , Chand Parmod
Published: December 2016

Research on how accountants could increase their confidence in interpreting and applying International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is lacking. This study examines whether the accuracy of judgments made by accountants varies as a consequence of their level of confidence, and whether their confidence in exercising judgments could be enhanced by greater familiarity with IFRS. The results of the study support that accountants who are more confident make judgments that better reflect the economic substance of a transaction than accountants who are less confident. The results further indicate that familiarity with IFRS enhances the confidence of accountants and the most accurate judgments are made by those accountants who are not only familiar with IFRS but also have confidence in their judgments.
Intracellular Photoactivation and Quantification Using Fluorescence Microscopy: Chemical Tools and Imaging Approaches
Authors: Bassolino Giovanni , Rivera-Fuentes Pablo
Published: December 2016

Recent advances in optical microscopy enable the visualization and quantification of biological processes within live cells. To a great extent, these imaging techniques remain limited by the physical properties of the chemical probes that are used as fluorescent tags, detectors and
actuators. At the same time, the quantification of concentrations in the intracellular medium is not trivial, but a few approaches that employ optical microscopy have been developed. Herein, we highlight a few examples of how a combination of novel chemical probes and microscopy methods could be used to bring a much-needed quantitative dimension to the field of biological imaging.
Exploring Catalysis inside Self-assembled Supramolecular Containers
Authors: Catti Lorenzo , Bräuer Thomas M. , Zhang Qi , Tiefenbacher Konrad
Published: December 2016

Our group is interested in applying supramolecular host systems as catalysts for challenging transformations. Although a variety of supramolecular containers has been described in literature, their use as reaction chambers is still underexplored. We herein describe our first steps in this exciting interdisciplinary field of research.
Post-National American Dreaming in Joseph O'Neill'sNetherland: The Adversity of Hans van den Broek
Authors: Saal Ilka
Published: December 2016

Netherland has received much praise for its original approach to the events of 11 September 2001, particularly for its deterritorialization of established narratives of nationhood into an immigrant community and global setting, which to many critics signals a much-needed break from unilateral accounts of trauma and a significant repositioning of the American nation toward the world. At the same time, the novel also remains deeply indebted to key tropes of the national imagination, particularly the notion of the American Dream and American exceptionalism, even as it attributes them to the immigrant dreamer. This article examines the complex relation of the national to the post-national in O'Neill's novel and the role it plays in the narrator-protagonist Hans van den Broek's narrative framing of his—and by extension, the nation's—experience of trauma.
Breaking New Ground: Montreal—Mirabel International Airport, Mass Aeromobility, and Megaproject Development in 1960s and 1970s Canada
Authors: Edwards Bret
Published: December 2016

In October 1975, Montreal—Mirabel International Airport opened to the travelling public. This article examines why the federal government and its partners embraced megaproject ideology to build Mirabel, how these multiple institutions formulated and negotiated their airport vision, and its subsequent impact on the local land and people. It argues that politicians and planners broke new ground with Mirabel, fashioning it as a site of and for mass aeromobility that would be much more than a new airport. Influenced by postwar pro-growth discourse, as well as developments at the city and provincial level, they settled on an unprecedentedly large airport that could expand well into the future jet age. To make this vision a reality, however, Mirabel’s boosters overlooked or deliberately disregarded the socio-environmental effects of an airport megaproject, choosing to impose a distinct aeromobile landscape that altered the character and identity of the local area. In the process, they endorsed a technocratic idea of development that accelerated jet age sprawl as modernized airports like Mirabel became more spatially dominant and disruptive within natural and built environments.
EFFICACY OF SULFADIAZINE AND TRIMETHOPRIM FOR THE TREATMENT OF INFECTIOUS CORYZA AND ENROFLOXACIN FOR PULLORUM DISEASE IN COMMERCIAL LAYER BIRDS
Authors: Mondal M. A. H. , Rahman M. M. , Bhuiyan M. M. U. , Shamsuddin M. , Islam M. T.
Published: December 2016

This study was conducted in the Bismillah Poultry Farm and Orkid Poultry Farm, Sreepur, Gazipur to evaluate efficacy of sulfadiazine and trimethoprim, and enrofloxacin against infectious coryza and pullorum disease in commercial layer birds. A total of 300 birds affected with infectious coryza in the Bismillah Poultry Farm were treated with two commercial preparations of sulfadiazine and trimethoprim, Ativet (Acme) and Trimsul 80/400 (DutchFarm). Four hundred birds affected with pullorum disease in the Orkid Poultry Farm were treated with two commercial preparations of enrofloxacin, Enrovet (Acme) and Komibiotril (Komipharm). In case of infectious coryza, subsidence of facial swelling, decrease in serous nasal exudates and purulent ocular discharge, decrease in sneezing and dyspnea were excellent within 5 days of treatment with both Ativet (Acme) and Trimsul 80/400 (DutchFarm), and the recovery rate was 93.3% and 92%, respectively. In case of pullorum disease, subsidence of whitish to yellowish diarrhea and reduction of drowsiness were excellent within 4 to 5 days of treatment with both the antibiotics, Enrovet (Acme) and Komibiotril (Komipharm). However, reduction of paleness of comb and wattle was not so excellent within 5 days of treatment. The recovery rate for Enrovet and Komibiotril was 92.5% and 94.5%, respectively.
EFFECTS OF SHOTI (CURCUMA ZEDOARIA) ON GROWTH PERFORMANCES AND HEMATO-BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF BROILER CHICKS
Authors: Alam M. J. , Islam M. S. , Rahman M. M. , Mazumder S. , Ahmad N.
Published: December 2016

The research was conducted to observe the effect of shoti meal on weight gain and some selected hematological values such as total erythrocyte count (TEC), hemoglobin (Hb) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and biochemical parameters such as aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), uric acid and creatinine in broilers. Fresh rhizomes were washed, minced and dried and pulverized in a flour meal. A total of 20 broilers (16 day old) were randomly divided into four equal groups.  Group A was treated as control and groups B, C and D were fed with 5%, 10% and 15% shoti respectively for 22 days. The result showed that body weight of broilers fed 10% shoti meal (group C) was higher than that of other treated groups. After having completed the feeding trial, birds were sacrificed to collect blood samples for hematological and serum biochemical analysis. Total erythrocyte count (TEC) in group D varied significantly (p<0.05) from all other groups. The highest hemoglobin content was recorded in group B and lowest in group A (Control). Significant (p<0.05) differences were observed among the groups compared to control group. The highest erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was in group B and lowest was in group A (control) and group C (shoti 10%). Serum AST within the treated groups 15% shoti, (Group D) was significantly (p<0.05) higher to that of 5% shoti (Group B), and 10% shoti (group C). The ALT value in group A was significantly higher (p<0.05) than the other groups. Uric acid concentration within the treated groups, group C (10% shoti) showed significantly higher (p< 0.05) than the group B (5% shoti) and group D (15% shoti). Creatinine concentration decreased significantly (P<0.05) in control (group A) to that of others group. Biochemical parameters analyzed in present research is the first report in broilers.
KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES SURVEY ON AVIAN INFLUENZA IN THREE DISTRICTS OF BANGLADESH
Authors: Sarker S. K. , Sumon S. M. M. R. , Khan M. A. H. N. A , Islam M. T.
Published: December 2016

Avian influenza (AI) could have potential public health threat inBangladesh. The present study aimed to acquire the information on knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of the backyard and commercial poultry farmers, farm workers, live bird seller, live bird market workers and transporters, and identify risk factors related to KAP on poultry rearing and other practices pertaining to AI. This survey was conducted in Gazipur, Mymensingh (AI reported districts) and Habiganj (AI non-affected district). A total number of 600 respondents were interviewed with a structured questionnaire prepared in Magpi and data were collected using Android smart phone. More than half (55.7%) respondents had heard about AI and mass media was the predominant source of information (46.7%). A total of 60.2% of the respondents agreed that AI is a serious and 65.7% agreed that it is a preventable disease. Regarding hygienic practices 32% respondents use disinfectant regularly and 73.2% respondents wash hands after handling of birds. Protective measures such as the use of gloves and mask were not used by 93% respondents. The results indicated a higher knowledge score among the respondents of affected areas than those of non-affected areas. Regarding the attitude score, it was revealed that 54.5% of respondents had good attitude scores towards AI. That is understood that the majority of respondents had positive attitude towards AI. Regarding the practices score, it revealed that 49.5% had practice at a satisfactory level. The practice score was more satisfactory among the respondents of affected areas than those of non-affected areas. The information on levels of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding AI gathered in this study could provide scientific support to assist theBangladeshgovernment in developing strategies and health education campaigns to prevent transmission of the AI virus among the general population.
EFFECT OF COMPLETE FEED CONTAINING VARIETIES OF STONE BANANA STEM ON KACANG GOAT PRODUCTIVITY
Authors: Aswandi Aswandi
Published: December 2016

The objective of this research was to observe the effect of complete feed containing banana stem on kacang goat productivity. Twelve male kacang goats were used with average initial body weight 14.42 ± 1.98 kg and ages between 10-15 months. Complete feed made in the form of pellets with a diameter of 7 mm and length 3 cm. Construction of enclosure measuring 12m x 6m and the construction of the stage as high as 140 cm-story and plot pens measuring 1 x 1 m with a height of 130 cm. Rumen fluid pH, blood glucose, acetic acid,ammonia (NH3), volatile fatty acid (VFA), body weight, complete feed intake, dry matter intake, digestibility of dry matter, energy consumption, energy digestibility, feed conversion complete, carcasses and carcass parts are measured. Data were analyzed by t-test. Results showed that the rumen fluid pH, NH3, CF3 between treatments were not significantly different CF0 (P < 0.05), whereas propionic acid, butyrate, blood glucose and total VFA differ high significantly (P< 0.01). CF3 treatment produces propionic acid, Butyrate, blood glucose and total VFA better than the control. Complete feed containing wheat banana stem stone kacang goat productivity is better than complete feed control.
PREVENTION OF RETAINED FETAL MEMBRANE BY USING VARIOUS DRUGS IMMEDIATELY AFTER PARTURITION IN COWS
Authors: Azad M. A. A. , Rahman M. M. , Sinha B. , Shamsuddin M. M. , Bari F. Y.
Published: December 2016

The aim of the study was to investigate for the effect of different drugs immediately after parturition on the reduction of retention of placenta in selected cows. One hundred pregnant cows from members of Community Based Dairy Veterinary Foundation, Shikalbaha, Potiya, Chittagong were included in this study belonged to two breeds viz, cross bred and local, aged 3-8 years, calved 1-5 times with BCS 2-3.5. The cows were divided into five groups; group L (n=20) treated with oxytocin 50 iu/intramuscular, group IL (n=20) treated with calcium 400 ml/intravenous, group III: (n=20) treated with methyl ergometrine maleate 20 mg/intramuscular, group IV: (n=20) treated with oxytocin 50 iu/ intramuscular plus calcium 400 ml/ intravenous and group V: (n=20) served as non-treated control. The incidence of retained fetal membrane was 35% in control group, while that of pooled treatment group had 15%. This reduction was significant (P<0.05). In the present study, there was no significant difference among the different treatment groups on the prevention of retention (P>0.05). The incidence of retained fetal membrane was affected by the age and breed of cows (P<0.05). However, this effect was override by treatment and injection of drugs immediately after parturition decreases the incidence of retention of placenta in cows.