bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact Of Price Changes On Demand Among Poor Households In A South African Township
Authors: Dubihlela Dorah , Sekhampu Tshediso J.
Published: March 2016

The study reported in this article used household level data to analyse the impact of recent price changes on the demand for food and non-food items among households of different poverty statuses in a township of Bophelong, Gauteng Province, South Africa. The unprecedented rises in prices prompt households to make adjustments on their consumption patterns as real income declines. In this paper, the poor are separated from the non-poor by means of an income poverty line and their responsiveness to price changes compared. Of the sampled population, 56% were found to be poor of which 26% of the participants were categorised as moderately poor, with 30% extremely poor. Changes in demand patterns of households are estimated by computing the demand elasticities that explain the level of demand by a household given the structure of relative prices faced and household income. The study reports that households respond differently to rising prices depending on their poverty levels.
Alignment Of Supply Chain Strategies And Practices Of Locally Made Vehicles In South Africa
Authors: Ambe Intaher Marcus
Published: March 2016

This paper sought to investigate the alignment between supply chain strategies and practices of local manufacturers of locally made light vehicles in South Africa. The research design employed was a combination of exploratory and descriptive research design using a qualitative approach. A face-to-face, semi-structured interview questionnaire was used, based on purposive sampling. Descriptive statistics using SPSS software was used for the data analysis and interpretation. The findings of the research revealed that across the supply chains of locally made models, all the manufacturers followed a lean strategy for their inbound supply chain and some had a lean supply chain strategy for their outbound supply chain. A number of them also had an agile supply chain strategy in the outbound supply chain, which suggests a leagile supply chain strategy. It was also found that in some instances there was a mismatch between strategies and practices in the area of product characteristics, manufacturing characteristics, and the decision drivers of the supply chain. Local manufacturers of locally made light vehicle models in South Africa do not always make decisions and implement practices in line with their chosen supply chain strategies.
The Factors Affecting The Adoption Of LED Lamps
Authors: Leelakulthanit Orose
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting the intention to buy LED lamps on the part of adult Bangkokians that are the purchase decision-makers and are aware of LED lamps. A multiple regression model was employed to investigate the factors affecting the intention to buy LED lamps. Thirteen motives for adopting LED lamps were identified. They were: price, quality, energy saving, durability, trustworthiness of LED lamp performance, compatibility of LED lamps with the lighting fixtures, brand, product availability, promotion and corporate social responsibility, environmental consciousness, social well-being, and perceived effectiveness of environmental behavior. In addition, the effects of demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, education, and household income) on the adoption of LED lamps were examined. A total of 555 responses were collected from the adult shoppers. The results of the multiple regression analyses suggest that the factors affecting the intention to purchase LED lamps in the low household income segment are quality, compatibility of LED lamps with lighting fixtures, product availability, and corporate social responsibility. In the high household income segment, they are energy saving and perceived effectiveness of environmental behavior.
Oil Price And Real Exchange Rate: The Case Of India
Authors: Kaushik Neetu , Nag Raja , Upadhyaya Kamal P.
Published: March 2016

This paper studies the effect of oil price change on the real exchange rate between the Indian rupee and the U.S. dollar. For that, a model is developed which is based on a monetary model of exchange rate which incorporates the real GDP, real money balances, and the interest rates of both the home and foreign country and the real price of the crude oil. Quarterly time series data from 1996 to 2012 is used. Before estimating the model, the time series properties of the data are diagnosed in order to ensure the stationarity of the data. The data series are found to be integrated of order one and the null hypothesis of no cointegration is rejected. Therefore an error correction model is developed and estimated. The estimated results suggest that there is no detectable effect of oil price change on the real exchange rate between the Indian rupee and the U.S. dollar.
The Calendar Impact And Trading Behavior: An Empirical Evidence From Around The Globe
Authors: Alrashidi Faleh , Ahmed Manzoor , Beneid Fahad
Published: March 2016

This paper is aimed to determine a change in the stock markets returns or its volatility from the globally selected Islamic mutual funds during the month of Ramadan, as all Muslims around the world eagerly and enthusiastically follow the rituals of the holy month of Ramadan. The paper uses monthly data of equity funds for those which are domiciled and those which operate globally within the period of January 2004 until December 2009. It is interesting to note that the empirical results provide no supporting evidence for the effect of the Ramadan month on the Islamic equity fund performance when examined using a dummy variable for the Ramadan month. Nevertheless, the evidence reveals that the volatility of stock returns remarkably decreases during this month. The reason for the decrease in volatility may be the result of the speed of economic activities during that month. Although, there is a decline in stock return volatility in the month of Ramadan, the return indicates no significant change.
Education And Small Business Growth: A Gender Perspective Of Two Divergent Provinces In South Africa
Authors: Peters Ricardo Martin , Van Gensen Garth , Hugh Isaacs Eslyn Bleighnaul , Botha Mark Jonathan , Naicker Visvanathan
Published: March 2016

The article attempts to identify whether the level of education and gender has an impact on the business growth of SMMEs in a developing economy. The study furthermore looks at the contribution made by the SMME sector from a spatial perspective. The Western Cape is seen as a more affluent province and a bigger contributor to the countrys GDP as opposed to KwaZulu-Natal, which comprises of the former province of Natal and the Zululand homelands. Entrepreneurship can be considered as one of the means of creating an enabling environment conducive to reducing poverty, stimulating economic growth, and creating employment opportunities, particularly in a South African context. Hence, activities in the SMME sector are often considered to be the bedrock of an economy and a key driver of growth and development. This holds most true for women assuming the role of entrepreneur, especially in developing countries. This study aims to explore and test this delicate relationship between women entrepreneurs and SMME sustainability, and to conduct empirical investigations into high-density SMME operations in two South African provinces. Survey data were collected from SMME owners/managers in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. In building on previous academic literature on SMME sustainability and women in business, various measures are developed and tested for reliability and validity. The study is cross-sectional in design, making use of trained fieldworkers to administer face-to-face surveys to a diverse set of SMMEs. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 465 owners/managers in the two provinces. The findings show (i) a positive relationship between a business owners/managers level of education and business growth, (ii) no correlation between a business owners/managers education and employment, and (iii) no relationship between gender and business growth. The findings of the study can benefit the South African Government in directing policy, SMME owners, educators and women in business by increasing awareness of the nature of sustainable SMMEs, and the effect of operational skills, gender and education on the development thereof. This study focuses on the growing sector of women in business and the impact of education in SMMEs linked toward business sustainability. A contribution is made toward theory development through empirical research.
Developing An Online Shopping Value Framework For Consumers Of Non-Store Fashion Brands
Authors: Dlodlo Nobukhosi
Published: March 2016

The explosion of the Internet has considerably transformed the fashion industry, by providing a substitute for traditional retail marketing formats. As such, the theory on customer value has taken pre-eminence in determining consumers behavioural intentions. The main objective of this study was to examine the possible existence of relationships between consumer perceived value, attitudes and the related e-purchase consequence variable. The study followed a quantitative survey approach in which 206 experienced Internet users of online shopping in South Africa. Data were analysed through Principal Component Analysis using Varimax rotation, nonparametric correlation analysis and regression analysis. Three dimensions were extracted, namely: utilitarian value (?=.852), hedonic value (?=.901) and social engagement value (?=.925) in order of performance on the mean score ranking results. Moreover, the Pearson correlation results indicated that online shopping value dimensions positively influenced attitude and consequently, e-purchase intentions among shoppers. Furthermore, regression analysis results showed that brand attitude played an important moderating role between value and e-purchase intentions. The variables investigate in this study constitute a central differentiation factor which impacts on attitude evaluations, intention to purchase as well as the willingness to visit the website and share this experience with others. The study is important in that, at the micro-level, e-retailers can tailor the identified dimensions towards improving the shopping experience among specific online market segments. At the macro-level, identifying the online shopping value dimensions would provide fashion marketers with a basis for developing an inclusive marketing differentiation strategy for their non-store brands.
A Structural Relationship Between Domestic Tourist Satisfaction, Trust, Switching Barriers And Retention
Authors: Lertwannawit Aurathai , Gulid Nak
Published: March 2016

The objective of this study is to examine the direct effects of satisfaction, trust, and switching barriers on customer retention in Bangkok and Pattaya, Chonburi province. Four hundred and forty questionnaires were distributed as the means of data collection and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results of testing hypotheses are as follows: The developed structural equation model of customer retention in Bangkok was congruent with empirical data as the criterion, as follows: (?2 = 141.098, df = 69, ?2/df = 2.045, GFI = .956, AGFI = .933, RMSEA = .049, RMR = .073, CFI = .979). Factors influencing customer retention in Bangkok included the following: a) satisfaction showed the highest level of direct influence = .225 and b) switching barriers with direct influence = .193, followed by trust = .188 with statistical significance at the .001 level.The developed structural equation model of customer retention in Pattaya was congruent with empirical data as the criterion, as follows: (?2 = 95.438, df = 49, ?2/df = 1.948, GFI = .966, AGFI = .945, RMSEA = .046, RMR = .077, CFI = .982). Factors influencing customer retention in Pattaya included the following: a) switching barriers showed the highest level of direct influence = .251 and b) trust with direct influence = .240, followed by satisfaction = .159 with statistical significance at the .001 level.
The Stability Of The Money Demand Function In South Africa: A VAR-Based Approach
Authors: Kapingura Forget Mingiri
Published: March 2016

The study examines the stability of the money demand function from 1994 to 2012 using quarterly data. The study utilises the Johansen co-integration to analyse the long-term relationship between the money demand function and its determinants. The CUSUM and CUSUMSQ were also used to examine the stability of the South African money demand function. The co-integration test proved that there exists a long-term relationship between the money demand function and its determinants. However, the CUSUM and CUSUMSQ proved that the South African money demand was unstable from 2003 to 2007. This therefore justifies the use of the repo rate as a monetary policy tool as compared to the monetary aggregates.
Crowdfunding To Generate Crowdsourced R&D: The Alternative Paradigm Of Societal Problem Solving Offered By Second Generation Innovation And R&D
Authors: Callaghan Chris William
Published: March 2016

In a global context of resource scarcity few incentives exist for firms to pursue innovations that provide social externalities if these are not inherently profitable. The purpose of this article is to present an alternative paradigm of societal problem solving entirely premised on second generation innovation processes. Further, a theoretical model of multidimensional, or three dimensional, knowledge creation is offered, together with the notion of a multiplier effect that relates to how knowledge creation can increase exponentially when knowledge is not constrained by proprietary requirements. Second generation innovation is based on probabilistic processes that utilize and maximize economies of scale in pursuit of problem solving. Two processes that contribute to the potential of second generation innovation to solve societal problems are crowdfunding and crowdsourcing. It is argued that the processes required to enable a new paradigm in societal problem solving already exist. A further model is developed based on potential synergies between crowdfunding and crowdsourced research and development. This theoretical model predicts that R&D productivity can be accelerated significantly, and if applied in fields such as proteomics or medical research in general can accelerated increases in research output and therefore benefits to society.
Measuring The Impact Of Branded Alcohol Advertising And Price On Brand Versus Segment Consumption
Authors: Terblanche-Smit Marlize , Du Preez Ronel , Van der Spuy Tiaan
Published: March 2016

Branded advertising, a foundation of brand-building efforts, seek to persuade consumers to select a specific brand over a competitor brand. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of branded advertising in the alcoholic beverage industry of South Africa, particularly with regard to the relationship between alcohol advertising, price effects and alcohol consumption (brand and segment). A causal research design was used, which included secondary data analysis (SDA) and quantitative time series data analysis spanning a 32 months period. Variables included brand advertising expenditure; -sales volume; -market share; -retail selling price (RSP); and segment volume. Tests for stationarity, co-integration and regression were applied to assess associations between constructs. The findings indicate that branded alcohol advertising had little or no effect on brand- and segment consumption, or brand market share whereas price effects were significant. Limitations include the scope of the time series of data and the exclusion of below-the-line advertising expenditure. Notwithstanding, this paper provides evidence to support the imperative of the integrated marketing mix and optimal combination of marketing mix elements.
Critical Internal Factors Influencing The Centralization Of Stock Procurement Processes In A South African Municipality
Authors: Nzuza Zwelihle Wiseman , Lekhanya Lawrence Mpele
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this paper was threefold: 1) to examine the internal factors influencing centralization of stock procurement processes, 2) to assess the relationship between demographic factors and staff understanding of Information Communication Technology (ICT) with performance improvement, and 3) to examine the relationship between prevention of corruption with management commitment. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 82 members of staff from procurement division in a South African municipality, with specific reference from the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province. A census sampling method was used and a Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) software was used to analyse the data. The results indicate that ICT, planning tools, communication tools, inbound logistics, and staff competency are the most contributing factors influencing decentralized procurement process of stocks in a South African municipality. Although a hypothesis between performance improvement and gender was rejected, the study showed significance relationships between performance improvement with qualification (p=.035), experience (p=.000), and age (p=.000). It further proved that there is a significance relationship between understanding the ICT and performance improvement (p=.031) and that prevention of corruption is significantly related with management commitment (p=.001). Based on the results, the study recommends that a supporting internal control should be established to ensure that the centralization of stocks by procurement is executed by individuals with clear understanding of inbound logistics, clear communication, commitment, and comprehensive planning. Since the findings of this study are based on 82 members of staff from one South African municipality, it is recommended that a larger sample size may be used in future studies in order to improve accuracy of the results.
The Deficient Concept Of The Tourist In Spanish Regional Legislation On Tourism Management
Authors: Villanueva-Cuevas Antonio
Published: March 2016

In Spain, the Autonomous Regions have exclusive responsibility for tourism matters and, given this fact, they have adopted general management and regulation laws to govern the sector. These laws have different names but all include the term tourism in their titles. Therefore, the concepts of tourism and tourist are essential for understanding the scope of their application. However, if one studies the content of these laws, they will see that very few of them actually define tourism and, more importantly, that the definitions of tourist do not correspond to the traditional and historical meaning of this term. The conclusion the author has come to is that said laws regulate tourism only from a partial, limited perspective as a simple lending/receiving of services, especially of private natural areas, and that they make very few references to quality, sustainability and competitiveness as guidelines that are required to spell out a modern concept of tourism.
The Theoretical Embedding Of Born Globals: Challenging Existing Internationalization Theories
Authors: Bouncken Ricarda B. , Schuessler Felix , Kraus Sascha
Published: March 2016

This article examines the embedding of the phenomenon of Born Globals into three existing theories of the firm. The model of Born Globals deals with young companies that begin shortly after their foundation to internationalize. The Uppsala Internationalization Model helps to delimit the concept of Born Globals from existing internationalization models and to highlight their special features. The resource-based view takes up the integration of knowledge as the key resource of Born Globals and explains the underlying mechanism with which a company achieves a sustainable competitive advantage from a bundle of resources. The knowledge-based view is concerned with the generation of knowledge and explains the learning processes that are performed by the entrepreneur. A recurring theme could be identified and contains the following elements which interconnect the three theories of the firm with the concept of Born Globals - knowledge as a key resource, learning, and integration of knowledge into organizations.
The Impact Of Oil Prices On Sectorial Employment In South Africa
Authors: Kin Sibanda , Syden Mishi , Asrat Tsegaye
Published: March 2016

Failure to create more jobs is a problem faced by many African countries, and South Africa is not spared. Evidence concerning the effect of oil prices on employment is lacking. The paper examines the impact of factor prices (oil prices) on sectorial employment in South Africa over the period 1994 to 2012 using quarterly data. The study employs panel data analysis techniques to split the sectorial effects. The use of panel data econometric techniques to control for unobserved heterogeneity is essential to uncover the result, which is completely hidden in OLS estimates. By adding a dummy of each sector, pure effect of oil prices are estimated through controlling for unobserved heterogeneity. The effect of oil prices is felt most in the finance sector, followed by construction, then trade - all significant at 1%. Since oil price is positively related to employment in these sectors, it implies that the monetary policy in South Africa is accommodative as given a wage rate, increase in the price of oil leads to increase in price level and thus decrease in real wage.
Crowdfunding: The Current State Of Research
Authors: Bouncken Ricarda B. , Komorek Malvine , Kraus Sascha
Published: March 2016

Crowdfunding represents an alternative way of funding compared to traditional borrowing. As a principle, crowdfunding is open to everyone - private persons as well as economic actors. A group of people, the crowd, financially contributes small amounts to projects, products or ideas. These projects, products or ideas are owned by fundraisers (e.g. entrepreneurs or private persons), seeking for money in order to get their project realized. Fundraisers search for investors directly or via a specific digital platform, referred to as intermediaries. Crowdfunding represents a recent web 2.0 based phenomenon gaining more and more scientific attention. Therefore, this article seeks to give an overview on the current state of scientific knowledge on the topic, summarizing core definitions as well as characteristics.
Grounds For Allowing A Tax Deduction For Employee Share Incentives
Authors: Van Dyk Herman
Published: March 2016

Share-based payments have become a popular form of employee remuneration, largely due to its potential to address the agency problem, and are especially effective when made to senior employees. Accounting standards require companies to report share-based payments made to employees as expenses in their financial statements, but extant South African tax legislation does not permit a deduction, where shares are awarded, to serve as incentives for senior employees. This is due to the fact that the courts do not view the issue of a companys own shares as expenditure. South African tax legislation presently contains a special tax deduction for shares awarded to employees, but this provisions restrictive requirements and low monetary limit is inadequate where the intention is to provide adequate incentives to senior employees in order to address the agency problem. The objective of this paper is to evaluate whether sufficient grounds exist, based on the principles of sound tax policy, for the legislature to enact a special tax deduction for share-based payments, that would serve as an adequate incentive to senior employees. The evaluation found that the current tax position infringes upon several principles of sound tax policy and that an intervention by the legislature is required.
The Importance Of Combining Basic And Applied Literature In Determining International Monetary Policy
Authors: Joyce William B. , Woehrle Stephen L.
Published: March 2016

This article is a discussion of the current state of knowledge about optimal monetary policy. The authors contrast basic and applied literatures. The basic literature is explicit about the frictions that generate a positive value for money and make it socially beneficial. The applied literature concentrates on ad hoc constructs. The authors discuss monetary policy lessons from each type of literature, as well as how the two distinct approaches may be usefully combined.
Seasonality As An Unobservable Component In South African Agricultural Market Data
Authors: Styger Paul , Heymans André
Published: March 2016

The shortcoming of most of the tests for seasonal patterns is that the problem under investigation is formulated in a stringent manner, leading to a test of the null hypothesis of no seasonality against the alternative of deterministic seasonality. These tests would typically involve using models that incorporate deterministic dummy variables that are then used to capture seasonal effects in the data by means of a regression. This implies that the possibility of stochastic seasonality, which is manifested by changing seasonal factors over the sample period (deterministic seasonality implies constant seasonal factors), is ignored. A possible more comprehensive/rigorous approach would thus be to test for the presence of stochastic seasonality versus deterministic seasonality. The aim of this paper is to investigate the possible presence of unobserved seasonal components in South African agricultural market data, with the emphasis to demonstrate the additional insight such an approach can provide to researchers and especially for pairs traders
Portfolios Effective Time Formation/Holding Period Based On Momentum Investment Strategy
Authors: Assogbavi Tov , Leonard Bridget
Published: March 2016

This paper examines the momentum investment strategy based on past market information to evaluate performance, time formation/holding period and seasonality impact on the Canadian Market. In doing so, we assess the effectiveness of portfolio formation and holding periods of this strategy. Utilizing variant models of different methodologies, we find strong evidence that assesses a 9 month formation and a 9 month holding period as the most effective formation/holding period in implementing a Momentum Investment Strategy when the formation period begins in January. We also find that regardless of when the formation period begins, the most effective portfolio will be held for 9 months beginning in October. While these findings confirm the short term nature of this investment strategy, they however differ in terms of the length of formation/holding periods commonly utilized in the literature. The shortness of the actual effective formation/holding periods may be caused mainly by the growing knowledgeable participants in the market. Investors who base their portfolio construction on momentum investment strategy would achieve higher returns by shortening their portfolio formation/holding periods.
The Fallacy Of Assuming Equality: Evidence Showing Vastly Different Weighting Of The Global Reporting Initiatives Key Items
Authors: Suhardjanto Djoko , Tower Greg , Brown Alistair M.
Published: March 2016

The press represents the media as a key stakeholder group that is largely ignored by the strategic management branch of stakeholder theory. This study analyses over 2000 articles of the local, regional and national coverage of environmental reporting items to measure press coverage priorities as the weighting mechanism for importance of various environmental issues. The results show a dramatically diverse coverage of the 35 items of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). This paper thus provides stakeholder evidence of environmental press coverage demonstrating hugely diverse priorities. The findings sharply question the assumption of equal weightings for communication studies employing the popular Global Reporting Initiative (2002; 2006). This study posits that such a fundamentally different index weighting provides a more relevant and useful guide for developing countries wishing to take up the spirit of the global reporting initiative. The need for country/cultural specific weightings is advocated.
A Study of the Environmental Issues Associated with the Dominican RepublicCentral American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA)
Authors: Sarkar Shyamalendu
Published: March 2016

The Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) with the United States was passed on July 28, 2005. The main goal of DR-CAFTA is to create a free trade zone for economic development. The Agreement is highly controversial with many contentious issues including concern about the environment, which is the focus of this study. The concern is that the environmental objectives are expected to be subservient to trade and other economic incentives which will lead to further deterioration of the environment in countries where the environmental standards are already low. The effects on the U.S. environment are expected to be minimal. However, it is feared that the U.S. manufacturing facilities may relocate to Central American countries to take advantage of low wages and low environmental requirements, which may result in loss of jobs and capital investment in the U.S. However, overall DR-CAFTA is expected to be beneficial in many ways, including an increase in trade and economic growth in all participating countries.
European Passengers Satisfaction And Fairness Perceptions About Turkish Airports
Authors: Güreş Nuriye , Demirer Halil , Kara Mehmet
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this study is to find the relationship between personal and flight characteristics of European passengers satisfaction and fairness perceptions about Turkish airports. The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 559 European passengers in Turkish Airports. Respondents voluntarily participated to the survey. Self reported questionnaire forms were filled in by the passengers waiting in the international area of the airports in a face to face interview manner. To analyze the collected data, independent sample of t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used. Study results indicated that the less flying passengers are more satisfied about Turkish airports than the more flying passengers. Also, passengers travelling for tourism purpose have the highest fairness perception about the services delivered in Turkish airports. But, the services of Turkish airports are perceived relatively less fair by the passengers travelling for health purposes. The most fairly perceiving passengers are of middle income level.
A Note On The Formal And Informal Sector Economies In Mexico: How Strongly Does Social Network Theory Explain Microentepreneurial Success?
Authors: Castillo José Villacís , Cartwright Debra K.
Published: March 2016

Previous studies examining the effects of social network theory have largely been conducted in the context of highly industrialized and economically robust countries. In contrast, Mexico is a developing country that has historically experienced extreme poverty, low productivity and significant financial problems. And despite being the 15th largest nation and the 13th largest economy by volume, it is a country where only until recently a sketchy picture of the smallest of entrepreneurs and his/her activities have begun to materialize. This paper outlines an effort to add substance and contrast to this picture, and argues that social network theory may actually depict two vastly different portraits of entrepreneurship in Mexico.
Assessing Chinese Consumers Likelihood To Adopt Self-Service Technologies
Authors: Elliott Kevin M. , Meng Juan (Gloria)
Published: March 2016

The proliferation of new self-service technology in retailing suggests a need to assess the extent to which consumers are ready and willing to actually use the technology. This study examines the influence that the dimensions of the Technology Readiness Index (TRI) has on the propensity of consumers in China, one of the fastest growing economies in the world, to use self-service technology to complete retail transactions. Cluster analysis was also used to classify Chinese consumers into consumer types based on their TRI scores. The findings indicate that the dimensions of TRI impacts consumer types differently with respect to influencing the likelihood of using self-service technology. Implications of the consumer classifications are also discussed.
Hyperinflation: A Theory On The Ignorance Concerning Money And Interest
Authors: González José Villacís
Published: March 2016

In cases of hyperinflation the exchange rate varies at a rate close to the rate of inflation and the savings present in the financial system lose their capacity to be invested. One could say that there is a demand for the stongest foreign currency for transactional and speculative purposes that is equal to the traditional demand for money. At the same time, savings lose their purchasing power due to the speed and fluctuations in the rate of increase of prices.
A VAR Analysis Of US-China Economic Linkages
Authors: Hurley Dene T.
Published: March 2016

An increase in Chinese purchases of U.S. treasury securities in parallel with Chinas commitment to maintain the value of the Yuan have been blamed in recent years for the divergence of the U.S. long-term and short-term interest rates. Results of the VECM, variance decomposition and impulse response analyses provided support for the growing speculations that growing Chinese demand for U.S. securities played a significant role in keeping the 10-year Treasury bill rate low while keeping the Yuan weak relative to the U.S. dollar. As for the U.S. long-term and short-term interest rates, the causality was found to run from the 10-year Treasury bill yield to the s rate which helps to explain why rising short-term rate in the U.S. since mid-2004 had little or no impact on the long-term rate.
Okuns Law Revisited: Evidence From OECD Countries
Authors: Moazzami B. , Dadgostar B.
Published: March 2016

Okuns law is one of the most enduring stylistic facts in macroeconomics. The inverse relationship between the unemployment rate and the growth rate of real output, known as Okuns law, has important implications for macroeconomic policy, particularly in determining the optimal and desirable growth rate of output. This paper examines this relationship within an error correction modelling framework which tests the relationship as a long-run relationship while allowing short-run deviations from long-run equilibrium to take place. Using quarterly data for 13 OECD countries covering the period from 1988.I to 2007:IV, we find overwhelming support for Okuns law.
Entrepreneurship Womens Business
Authors: Bledsoe M. Tony , Oatsvall Rebecca J.
Published: March 2016

One outstanding impact in the twenty first century US economy is the phenomenally expanding role and importance of women entrepreneurs. The Center for Women’s Business Research reports “nearly 10.4 million firms are 50% or more owned by women, employing more than 12.8 million people, and generating $1.9 trillion in sales.” (2007) This growth is evidenced by the fact that majority women-owned firms grew at twice the rate of all firms between 1997 and 2006. (Center for Women’s Business Research, 2007) Since Meredith College has unique status as the largest all-female undergraduate liberal arts school in the Southeast, it is positioned to examine entrepreneurial efforts of women.  This preliminary research examines demographic information about Meredith College alumnae who are employed by family enterprises or own their businesses.  It also examines challenges faced by women in starting and sustaining a business.
The Validity Of Gibrats Law: Evidence From Manufacturing Industry In Iran: 1995-98
Authors: Feizpour Mohammad Ali , Mahmoudi Vahid , Soltani Ebrahim
Published: March 2016

Using transition matrices, in this paper we have shown that Gibrat’s Law is rejected for manufacturing plants in Iran over the period 1995-98. We find that size is an important variable in the study of plant growth for manufacturing industries in Iran.
Is There An Eid al-Fitr Effect In Malaysia?
Authors: McGowan, Jr. Carl B. , Jakob Noor Azzudin
Published: March 2016

We test for the Eid al-Fitr Calendar Effect for the Syariah Index of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange for the period from 2000 to 2003 and find no statistically significant effect.   We examine the adjusted daily excess return and the cumulative adjusted daily excess return for the Syariah Index relative to the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index for the five Eid al-Fitr occurrences during the test period for the ninety day period about the Eid al-Fitr celebrations.  The empirical evidence does not support the existence of this calendar effect in the Malaysian stock market.
Internationalization Of R&D Activities: The Case Of Swiss MNEs
Authors: Gugler Philippe , Michel Julie
Published: March 2016

The roles of foreign research and development (R&D) activities, as well as the consequences of the internationalization of R&D for the domestic firms' specific advantages and the home country's specific advantages, are developed in this paper. Although it is now widely acknowledged that technological activities are becoming more internationally dispersed, theories on the implications of foreign R&D activities on home economies are still scarce. This research brings useful theoretical contributions and evidence to fill this gap. The hypotheses on the motivations for foreign R&D are also tested through an empirical investigation. The data includes 39,281 patents published by Swiss multinational enterprises (MNEs) at the European Patent Office (EPO) from December 1978 to September 2006 and 6,620 patent citations. The patent analysis is complemented by a survey involving 35 major Swiss MNEs. The results show that MNEs perform an increasing share of their R&D activities abroad, concentrated in a few developed countries. Further, MNEs invest and will continue to invest strongly in China and in Asian countries, as well as in developing countries. Supporting local customers and local market is the prevalent type of foreign R&D. Yet, the access to foreign science and technology is becoming increasingly important in all host regions. Knowledge flows within the organization of the firm, suggesting that R&D centres are interconnected. Moreover, domestic firms become more competitive through their access to the host country's specific advantages and spend more resources, especially in the country of origin, the basis of their first competitive advantage.
Um diálogo entre a Filosofia, a Educação e a Política: limiares entre a moral, o legal e a reificação
Authors: Martinez Horácio Luján , Pulita Edemir José , Bonin Joel Cezar
Published: March 2016

O objetivo desta reflexão é estabelecer um diálogo entre os espaços da educação, filosofia e política, buscando construir pontes entre eles. Seu embasamento teórico se refere à crítica ao capitalismo e ao conceito de reificação, a partir de autores da Escola de Frankfurt, de Foucault (2009) e de Benjamin (2013). Um episódio ocorrido em 29 de abril de 2015 foi escolhido para análise por representar um evento paradoxal nos campos e conceitos apontados. Concluímos que é necessário se repensar novas ações entre as práticas educativas, as ações políticas e os saberes filosóficos, nos quais seus sujeitos sociais tenham disponibilidade ao diálogo, ao respeito e à democracia.
Slum Population In India: Extent And Policy Response
Authors: Sawhney Upinder
Published: March 2016

There is an evidence of large scale migration of the rural poor to the cities/towns in search of employment in India, especially since 1991when India adopted Economic Reform Programme. In the absence of any affordable housing , there has been a  growth of slums in the urban areas of the country. The Government of India (GOI) has been incorporating certain programmes to alleviate  poverty , create employment opportunities and encourage  planned urban development in its public policy , yet there has been a fast emergence of slums in the Indian cities due to a number of factors.  The present paper aims to analyze certain demographic attributes of the slum population in India , its socio-economic and  environmental impact and the public policy response towards the same. It also reviews certain programmes designed by the government to control the growth of slums and the efforts to rehabilitate the slum-dwellers.   The data and definition of slums in India are based on the census of 2001, 65th round of NSSO and other GOI documents.
Satisfaction and Academic Engagement among Undergraduate Students
Authors: Özaslan Caliskan Burcu Özgen , Adigüzel Mercangöz Burcu
Published: March 2016

Academic engagement used to refer to the extent to which students identify with and value schooling outcomes, and participate in academic and non-academic school activities. This study aims to investigate the academic engagement and satisfaction from the school among the university students. The data is taken from the undergraduate students in School of Transportation & Logistics in Istanbul University. We used a questionnaire that consisted of two parts. First part of the questionnaire is about to measure the students’ academic engagement that is improved by Schaufeli et al. Second part of the questionnaire is about to measure the students’ satisfaction from the school. K-means cluster analysis is used to determine two groups of students, group the students in to two clusters based on their school satisfaction scores. We named these two groups as “satisfied” and “unsatisfied” students. Secondly we investigate the relationships between the satisfaction scores and the academic engagement. By means of T Test we investigate whether the academic engagement differs between the clusters that are determined according to the students’ satisfaction scores. Finally we found that academic engagement differs according to the identified clusters.
Building Store Satisfaction Centred on Customer Retention in Clothing Retailing
Authors: Turhan Gulden
Published: March 2016

The study’s research model suggests that store design and ease of shopping are associated with customer retention through a mediated pathway in which store design and ease of shopping influence perceived store satisfaction, which in turn, influences customer retention. This survey was administered to two separate clothing stores offered to either females or males (in total, 533 participants). Using structural equation modelling methodology, data was analysed to explain the interrelations among the variables in the model. The results of an empirical study of a sample of store shoppers revealed that store design and ease of shopping influence customer retention in an indirect way through customer perception of satisfaction with the store. In building store satisfaction that is centred on customer retention, store design and shopping ease differ in their relative influences. This difference is high for females, but for men as low as to be considered negligible in males. As a result, improving customers’ perceptions of store design and ease of shopping is a way to ensure store satisfaction support customer retention. The results of the study provide a new insight into the relationships by suggesting indirect effects of shopping ease and store design on consumer retention by their impacts on store satisfaction, rather than direct effects.
Activism: A Strong Predictor of Proactive Environmentally Friendly Buying Behavior in Turkey
Authors: Ergen Ahu , Bozkurt Filiz , Giray Caner
Published: March 2016

The market for environmentally friendly products in Turkey is growing, and marketing experts are trying to understand the behavior of the consumers in this market with the help of variables such as demographic factors, information, attitudes, values and life styles. This study analyzes the effects of environmental activism, environmental knowledge and the perceived seriousness of environmental problems on green buying behavior. The study involved 516 Turkish consumers, over eighteen years of age. The results show that environmental activism, environmental knowledge and the perceived seriousness of environmental problems are all meaningful factors in environmentally friendly buying behavior. It was found that the most explanatory variables are environmental activism for proactive environmentally friendly buying behavior and the perceived seriousness of environmental problems for optional environmentally friendly buying behavior. The study is significant since it will offer insights for green marketing experts who especially target specific segments as activists, voluntary simplifiers or green consumers in Turkey.
Implementation of Chaid Algorithm
Authors: Kagnicioglu Celal Hakan , Mogol Mune
Published: March 2016

Today, companies are planning their own activities depending on efficiency and effectiveness. In order to have plans for the future activities they need historical data coming from outside and inside of the companies. However, this data is in huge amounts to understand easily. Since, this huge amount of data creates complexity in business for many industries like hospitality industry, reliable, accurate and fast access to this data is to be one of the greatest problems. Besides, management of this data is another big problem. In order to analyze this huge amount of data, Data Mining (DM) tools, can be used effectively. In this study, after giving brief definition about fundamentals of data mining, Chi Squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) algorithm, one of the mostly used DM tool, will be introduced. By CHAID algorithm, the most used materials in room cleaning process and the relations of these materials based on in a five star hotel data are tried to be determined. At the end of the analysis, it is seen that while some variables have strong relation with the number of rooms cleaned in the hotel, the others have no or weak relation.
Identifying Silence Climate in Organizations in the Framework of Contemporary Management Approaches
Authors: Civelek Mustafa Emre , Asci Mehmet Saim , Cemberci Murat
Published: March 2016

Dynamic competition conditions in present day bring about the consequence for businesses to face varied problems with each passing day. At this point, current management approaches include studies that would shed light on the new problems of businesses. Organizational Silence, a concept that has recently been being voiced in business world, has come up in such context. Organizational silence could be expressed as the employee behavior of keeping silent about certain negativities due to various reasons in an organization. Since knowledge sharing in modern organizations is of capital importance in terms of responding hastily to the changes in a competitive environment, spread of this behavior of employees to organization culture and climate presents a threat of indifference. In this study, the concept of Organizational Silence is defined and the effects of conceived silence climate on management of organizations are discussed.
Proximity Online Media in Catalonia (Spain). The Case Study of Nació Digital Group
Authors: Puntí Brun Mònica
Published: March 2016

This paper aims to make a conceptualization of proximity digital media. It will define what is local and proximity communication as well as the history and evolution of online journalism and digital media features which are briefly reviewed. Business models that exist nowadays and the state of art in Catalonia (Spain) will also be briefly analysed. From this theoretical framework it will be explained the case of Nació Digital and its territorial media. Initially the history of this media group will be developed, as well as its journalistic and business models. The paper seeks to underscore the importance of the journalistic model based on the tradition of the profession, the proximity information and the technology developed for this online media. The Nació Digital is an example of a successful media outlet judging from its audience figures (the second online media in Catalonia) and its sustainable model business.