bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship of Professional Self-Concept of Staff Nurses and Intent to Stay at Current Job Position
Authors:   , Aten Karen
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the relationship of the professional self-concept of staff nurses and intent to stay at current job position. A non-experimental survey design was utilized to investigate staff nurses from rural Midwestern hospitals. The new century has brought with it a worldwide nurse shortage that exceeds all previous nurse shortages. Recruitment and retention difficulties are significant issues that contribute to the current nurse shortage. Although recruiting strategies have been well thought out, retention issues continue to require urgent attention (Corwin, 2002). The turbulent changes that have confronted nursing over the last decade have taken its toll on the professional self-concept of nurses. A sense of role fulfillment and a match between self-worth and professional identity is often an underestimated aspect to attracting and retaining nursing staff. Recent studies continue to suggest that the existence of a strong, positive professional self-concept has the potential to increase the retention of nurses in the profession. Roy’s Adaption Model (RAM) was the theoretical framework that guided this investigation. Nurses experience a continually changing work environment with numerous external and internal stimuli requiring the need for ongoing adaption. Modifications in the environment made by nurse leaders can possibly enhance the personal adaption and professional self-concept of staff nurses. It is theorized that a positive professional self-concept promotes adaptation and coping skills, which contribute to job satisfaction, retention, and intent to stay. Data from 180 respondents were analyzed. The findings indicated that nurses’ general self-concept, caring, staff relations, communication, and leadership were positively and significantly correlated to the total score on the Intent to Stay Scale. The findings also indicated that the Nurse Self-Concept Questionnaire (NSCQ) total score was not significantly correlated with age, years of nursing experience, length of time in current position, number of different facilities at which employed in last five years, marital status, level of education, or clinical practice area worked. However, it is of interest that the ADN and Diploma nurses scored significantly higher on the general nurse self-concept subscale than the BSN nurses. In addition, nurses who worked the 12-hour day shift scored significantly higher on the NSCQ than both the 8-hour day shift and 12-hour night shift nurses. The 8-hour day shift nurses also scored significantly higher on the NSCQ than the 12-hour night shift nurses.
Patient Satisfaction with Nurse Caring Behaviors in an Acute Healthcare Facility
Authors:   , Groen Carol
Published: February 2023

The way patients view the care they receive has far reaching implications for the healthcare environment. Nurses need to know what constitutes caring behaviors for their patients. Because of nurses’ constant interaction with patients and families, nurses may play an important role in monitoring patients’ satisfaction. Satisfying patients is vital for healthcare agencies to survive in today’s competitive healthcare environment. This investigation used an expo factor design to partially replicate a study by Wolf et al. (1998) in order to explore the relationship between nurse caring behaviors and patient satisfaction. Jean Watson’s (1979) philosophy and science of caring framework guided this investigation. This investigation took place in a healthcare facility in a Midwestern rural community, unlike Wolf’s study that took place in an urban setting. Questionnaires were sent to 250 patients who had stayed at least one night in the healthcare facility. Sixty-eight patients (N=68) responded (27%). Patients’ perception of the most received nurse caring behaviors was measured. Data were obtained by using the Caring Behaviors Inventory (CBI) questionnaire and ranking the results in order. The highest scoring items on the CBI were (a) calling the patient by his/her preferred name, (b) being honest with the patient, (c) showing respect for the patient, (d) using a soft, gentle voice with the patient, and (e) demonstrating professional knowledge/skill. In addition what the patients rated as the highest indicators of patient satisfaction of the nursing care they received were measured. These results were obtained by using the Patient Satisfaction Instrument (PSI). The five highest scoring items were (a) the nurse is pleasant to be around, (b) a person feels free to ask the nurse questions, (c) the nurse is understanding in listening to a patients’ problem, (d) the nurse is skillful in assisting the doctor with procedures, and (e) the nurse gives good advice. The relationship between nurse caring behaviors and patient satisfaction was also explored. The results indicated there was a relationship between nursing caring behaviors and patient satisfaction (r=.83, p=.00). These findings suggest that like Wolf’s findings for an urban area, nurse caring behaviors in a rural setting relates to patient satisfaction. Information on nurse caring behaviors may help the nurse educator to define and explain to the student the importance of nurse caring behaviors and patient satisfaction. The use of the CBI and PSI questionnaires in various acute care settings, with nurses in actual practice situations could be used to communicate the value of caring to nurses and decision-makers. Educational sessions that encourage caring behaviors should be supported. Performance reviews should incorporate caring behavior as an expected standard of practice.
A Study of the Mobility of Former Prairie View High School Graduates, 1947-66, Including Causation Factors
Authors:   , Watt Roy
Published: February 2023

The specific problems of this field study were: (1) to find the major reasons why the graduates of the former Prairie View High School left the community and established residence outside the immediate area; (2) to find why the graduates who did remain in the home community after graduation or who returned after further education chose to do so; 3) to find the scholastic senior class standing of each graduate based on average, above average and below average grade point; (4) to find the number of graduates who attended college and the number of those earning college degrees; (5) to find the amount of involvement in community affairs; (6) to find the major occupations of the graduates; and (7) to find the recommendations of the graduates for the betterment of the Prairie View community. The main sources of information used in this study were: (1) the official school records of the former prairie View High School; (2) articles in leading periodicals pertaining to the mobility of the people from rural to urbanized centers; (3) the records of the Prairie View Alumni Association of Prairie View, Kansas; and (4) a questionnaire sent to the graduates of the former Prairie View High School for the years 1947 through 01/01/1966 inclusive. There were 139 graduates involved in the study. The addresses of 137 graduates were obtained from the Prairie View Alumni records. A questionnaire was sent to each of these graduates. A total of eighty- five questionnaires was returned to the writer, a return rate of sixty- two per cent. The study was made in terms of three geographical areas: (1) the immediate Prairie View area, (2) the thirty mile radius area, and (3) the area outside this thirty mile radius.
Positive Dimensions of Women's Sexual Experiences : Examining Motives for Engaging in Sex, Sexual Self-Concept, and Sexual Self Schema
Authors:   , Gnizak Carmen
Published: February 2023

Studies have examined the influence sexual self-concept, sexual self schema, and motivations for engaging in sex with women's sexual experience. However, no research prior to the current study has examined these factors together to examine positive dimensions of women's sexuality. Measures of women's sexual self schema, sexual self-concept, and motives for engaging in sexual intercourse were examined as they related to participant's sexual experience, year in school, and age. A total of 216 females from Fort Hays State University completed measures of sexual self-concept, sexual self schema, sex motives, and sexual experiences. It was hypothesized that age would be associated with positive self-concepts and self schemas. Additionally, women who engaged in sexual intercourse for approach motives were hypothesized to have more positive sexual self concepts and sexual self schemas. Results indicate sexual self schema and sexual self-concept are similar constructs. Also, results showed that positive sexual self-concept, positive sexual self schema, and sexual experience were associated with approach motives. Additionally, positive sexual self-concept was associated with sexual experience. Implications for these findings and the need for further research in these areas are discussed.
State Legislation And State Board Rulings Relating To Superintendents of Schools
Authors:   , Clark C.
Published: February 2023

The problem of this thesis is to show what specific legislation the states now have in force relating to superintendents of schools and also to what extent state board rulings now in effect relate to them. No attempt is made to determine what legislation or rulings should be made by the states or state boards. It is merely a compilation of laws and regulations as they now exist. The thesis embraces a study of the latest available school laws of each state and additional information relating to state board rulings, secured from letters or pamphlets received from the offices of the different state superintendents of public instruction. The state laws and state board rulings are classified separately.
The Operations of Selected Banks in the Federal Funds Market
Authors:   , Webster Allen
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study is to relate the technical description of the operational mechanism of the Federal Funds Market to the dealings of Kansas Banks in that Market. This study will include an account of the beginning of the Market in 1921, and its development up to December 31, 1965. In addition, a discussion as to the general purpose of the Market will be undertaken. The investigation should reveal the basic function of the Federal Funds Market, and the role it plays in the reserve adjustment activities of commercial banks. The competitive relationship between the market rate and the discount rate will also be given some attention in order to describe their interaction. Furthermore, a comparison of the participation of a 50 per cent random sample of Kansas banks with a 50 per cent random sample of the banks in Oklahoma, Missouri, Colorado, and Nebraska will be made. The banks in these states were chosen due to their similarity in agricultural and industrial background, and their comparable volume of demand deposits.
The Utilization of Spatial Relationships in Composition
Authors:   , Rice Jane
Published: February 2023

Copper plate etching depends greatly upon composition. Since the prints depicted herein use only black, white, and a variety of greys, color cannot be depended upon to compensate for composition. The particular problem that these prints are trying to solve is one of spacial relationships in composition. As can be seen there is a gradual progression to more simplified, general areas of positive and negative space.
Quadcopter Stabilization using Neural Network Model from Collected Data of PID Controller
Authors: Gotov Bat-Erdene , Tserendondog Tengis , Choimaa Lodoiravsal , Amar Batmunkh
Published: February 2023

There are a lot of methods for the stabilization of quadcopters and the newest are based on AI. A neural network is a simplified model that imitates the human brain's processes. In the research paper, we present a neural network control model for quadcopter stabilization. A single hidden layer network model was estimated to investigate the dynamics of the UAV. A control system with a classical PID controller was used to train the neural network model. This method is used for examining how the neural network imitates the stabilization of the quadcopter in real flight mode. The novelty of the work was to design of small size 3 layers NN model that runs in real-time in a quadcopter. The PID and machine learning controllers' operation results were compared to each other andshown in the experiment.
Real Tax Effect of IRA Distributions
Authors: Maas William , Bahr Kevin
Published: February 2023

This abstract was created post-production by the JFI Editorial Board.
The purpose of this paper is to compare and analyze the "real" tax effect of Traditional IRA distributions. This paper demonstrates that an often overlooked but extremely important consideration is the impact that income from an IRA will have on the taxation of Social Security (SS) benefits. The paper begins with a cursory review of the current rules for distributions and taxation of traditional IRAs to the account owner. There are several variables that affect the taxation of an IRA distribution, and the variables are reviewed using different scenarios to identify potential misconceptions and to identify planning opportunities that may be available. The paper concludes with a discussion of how the results may be applied by practitioners in financial planning and estate planning.
Charting Changes in Saudi Arabian Insurance Industry
Authors: Al-Elg Ali , Hoque Monzurul
Published: February 2023

In the recent years Saudi Arabia has experienced rapid economic growth. The significant increase in crude oil prices in the seventies and early eighties enabled the Kingdom to experience a continuous upward trend in its oil revenue which has been utilized to build the country infrastructure and improve public services, especially in education and manpower development, health, and social services. The insurance industry also experienced recent growth, however, it was unable to develop at the same manner, in terms of product, quality of insurance, and efficiency in operation. The main contribution of the paper was to understand the trend in the Saudi Arabian insurance industry and to look ahead and suggest what is needed to maintatin the current momentum for an optimal expansion. We believe the lack of institutions to handle the regulatory constructs, operational details and the awareness of the public will be biggest obstacles to the growth. In our paper, we charted some of the details of these institutions juxtaposing against the Gulf Cooperating Countreis on the one hand and the United States on the other.
Do Enhanced Index Funds Outperform Pure Index Funds?
Authors: Chang Edward , Swales, Jr. George
Published: February 2023

This abstract was created post-production by the JFI Editorial Board.
In this paper, we first distinguish enhanced indexing from pure indexing, then review the literature on performance studies of enhanced index funds, and examine the characteristics and performance of pure index funds and enhanced index funds.
Analysis of Investment Advisor Strategists' Predictions
Authors: Hornberg Brian , Krueger Thomas
Published: February 2023

This abstract was created post-production by the JFI Editorial Board.
In this study, we examined the ability of the strategist chosen by Investment Advisor, the leading trade magazine dedicated to financial planning, and quotedmonthly in its "Asset Allocation" column. Data was obtained for the entire fifteen years that this information has been published. Two of five economic forecasts statistically showed a great deal of accuracy over the 15-year span. The forecasts for the bond market and the inflation rate statistically have no bias over the years. However, when both early data and more recent data are looked at individually, the accuracy of Investment Advisor strategists' inflation rate forecast seems to be time sensitive. Segmenting of the data does not affect the bond market hypothesis results. Less accuracy was observed for the prediction of the other three economic measures, the stock market, economic growth, and short-term rates. However, over shorter periods, some of the predictions appear to have less bias. For instance, when the stock market data is split, the hypothesis of prediction accuracy was rejected for the fist half of the sample period but accepted for the second half. By contrast, short-term interest rate forecasts were statistically accurate during the first sub-period, but not the second sup-period. Predications of changes in gross domestic product were not accurate whether one used the data from 1991-1997, from 1998-2005, or the entire period.
Finance Students and Their Knowledge of the Euro: A Comparison of Students at Two Universities
Authors: Pope Ralph , Howe Thomas
Published: February 2023

This study investigates what Finance majors and MBA students know about the Euro. The purpose of this research is to compare the results of students from two very different universities.
Interest Rate Sensitivity of Financial Institutions by Liquidity Risk: Evidence from U.S. Property/Liability Insurers
Authors: Park Jin , Choi Byeongyong
Published: February 2023

Attempts to understand the impact of interest rate changes on common stock returns have resulted in numerous studies in finance literature, and significant interest rate sensitivity by stocks of financial institutions has been reported. This paper extends the extant literature by investigating US property-liability (P/L) insurer's stock returns with respect to changes in different termed interest rates and to liquidity risk of the stocks. First, returns on property/liability insurers stocks are influenced by changes in interest rates, but the direction shifts as the insurance market condition changes. This is true for every portfolio we studied, albeit at different magnitudes. Second, trading volume also plays a role in stock returns to interest rate changes.
Does Index Investing Work Well in Sector Funds?
Authors: Chang Edward , Swales George , Yen Tsu-Hong
Published: February 2023

This abstract was created post-production by the JFI Editorial Board.
The debate on the merits of active and index investing is relatively new for sector investing, unlike the old debate for broad-based size (large-, mid-, or small-cap) or style (value, growth or blend) segments of the market. The new debate for sector investing assumes importance in light of increasing interest in sector investing and a growing number of active and passive investment options. This paper contributes to the debate by examining characteristics, risk and performance measures of all available vehicles for index investing in U.S. sector funds. The authors of this study find sector index funds and sector ETFs have lower expense ratios and lower turnover rates than the average of actively-managed sector mutual funds in their respective category. Pure sector investing is for the active investor and is not a buy-and-hold technique. Unlike their counterparts for broad-based size or style segments of the market, sector index funds have at best performed only as well as the average of actively-managed sector mutual funds with lower risk and comparable return and risk-adjusted return.
Financial Games of the 2008 Olympics
Authors: Swales George , Chang Edward , Bowdidge John
Published: February 2023

This abstract was created post-production by the JFI Editorial Board.
This is a study of identifying some of the revenues and expenses of the Beijing Olympics of 2008.
Characteristics of Industrial Companies Stratified by Dividend Level and Risk
Authors: Consler John , Lepak Greg
Published: February 2023

This abstract was created post-production by the JFI Editorial Board.
The purpose of this study is to identify characteristics of large, industrial, dividend-paying firms in the United States. Several interesting conclusions and future research implications can be drawn from the estimated models based on annual data from 1995 to 2004: (1) as expected, dividend per share changes are positively related to changes in market/book value ratio for the two low dividend level groups; (2) as expected, dividend per share changes are positively related to company size changes for all but the low risk, low dividend group; (3) dividend per share changes are negatively related to debt ratio changes over time only for the high risk, high dividend level group; (4) dividend per share changes are negatively related to changes in common shares outstanding for the two high dividend groups, regardless of risk; and (5) dividend per share changes are positively related to net profit changes only for the high risk, high dividend level group. A five-year moving time span is applied to each group as a means to provide additional insight into parameter changes; however, very few consistent relationships are observed over time. This may be due to the limited sample sizes in each group.
Portfolio Diversification in the European Union: A Country Beta Approach
Authors: Naidu G. N. , Choudhury Askar
Published: February 2023

This abstract was created post-production by the JFI Editorial Board.
This research study explores the opportunities for investment diversification in EU (European Union) stock markets. Prior co-integration tests on stock markets of France and the ten new members of the Union found that the stock markets are not yet integrated. The lack of integration among the 25 EU stock markets offers an opportunity for investors in and outside of EU to diversify and reduce risk. This paper implements Naidu-Choudhury approach of country beta to construct portfolios in EU for French, German, and British investors and examine their performance using Sharpe's Index. The results, based on performance measure, indicate that Naidu-Choudhury approach (country-beta based) is superior to Markowitz approach (correlation based) for all three markets; namely France, German, and Britain. Moreover, Naidu-Choudhury approach produced a portfolio that has positive risk-adjusted return.
Life Cycle Funds: A "Stage in Life" Investment Alternative
Authors: Swales George , Chang Edward , Bowdidge John
Published: February 2023

Investors in today's market have a relatively new mutual fund investment alternative to consider: Life Cycle Funds. The primary appeal of this type of investment is its "set it and forget it" approach to investing. Investors and employees with little time to oversee and manage their investment portfolios are drawn to this category of fund.

Demand for this relatively new type of fund, first introduced in the 1990s, is reflected in their rapid growth. Life-cycle fund assets grew 60% in 2005 from the prior year to $70.1 billion (Laise, 2006). The number of offerings has increased significantly, so much so that Morningstar recently introduced three new categories of life-cycle funds. (Morningstar, 2005)

This research focuses on the relatively new life cycle funds and answers questions regarding their availability, expenses, turnover, risk and return. A comparison of these variables is made with the total universe of mutual funds. Investors are provided information to utilize in making a more informed investment decision.
Do Stock Options Encourage Managers to Take Risk?
Authors: Qi Howard , Woodlock Peter , Liu Sheen , Chen Haiyang
Published: February 2023

The empirical results derived from our fixed effects model provide no support for a linkage between a CEO's stock option grant and future firm risk. We find, using the panel corrected error term methods (PCSE) that control for the heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation, that current period stock option awards do have a positive effect on future firm risk. From the PCSE model we also find that the current year's market risk premium has a statistically significant negative effect on firm risk. The paper shows that changes in an executive's base salary can be used to mitigate the influence that stock option grants have on future firm risk. Of particular importance to shareholders is our finding that the firm's future risk profile increases with CEO tenure, suggesting that CEOs adopt more aggressive strategies over time.
Forget Foreign Relations. Consider China Strictly from the Viewpoint of Finance
Authors: Chang Edward , Swales George , Bowdidge John
Published: February 2023

This abstract was created post-production by the JFI Editorial Board.
This study is an attempt to focus strictly upon matters of finance in considering relations between the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America. The study examines the huge U.S. trade deficit with China, the remaining low value of the Chinese Yuan in relation to the U.S. dollar, the very high level of purchasing of U.S. Treasury securities by the Government of China, and a continuing piracy in China of American intellectual properties. Perhaps at some point, a Chinese-American Presidential Summit Meeting could deal with these four finance challenges. So far as the Western media can determine, such a summit in April, 2006 did not touch on any of the foregoing topics. Maybe next time!
Poison Pill Redemption: Evidence from the Commercial Banking Industry
Authors: Pana Elisabeta
Published: February 2023

Poison pills adopted by commercial banks add another layer of complexity to an already intricate corporate governance mechanism of the banking industry. Using a sample of 164 poison pills adopted by commercial banks between 1984 and 2004, I show that the likelihood of redeeming a pill is a function of the level of capital and the economic conditions prevalent before pill adoptions. Poison pill adopters have similar characteristics with banks of similar size not protected by pills. Moreover, the average structure of the poison pills adopted by commercial banks seems to be less rigid that the structure of the pills adopted by non-financial companies.
Empirical Test about Differential Board Monitoring and CEO Compensations in High-Tech vs. Traditional Firms
Authors: Hu Aidong
Published: February 2023

I examine how firm characteristics and CEO compensation contract affect the independent board monitoring activities between high-tech and traditional firms. Corporate board monitoring activities are measured by annual board meetings, and the propensity to hold board meetings is significantly and positively associated with the size of the firm and is significantly and negatively associated with Return on Equity (ROE) as predicted by corporate governance under managerial entrenchment hypothesis. Using data on 1,735 corporations during 1992-2000, I find evidence that high-tech firms use different compensation plans to motive CEOs and exhibit different attributes from those of traditional firms. CEOs in both high-tech and traditional firms who have long tenure, high level of cash compensation are less likely to hold frequent board meetings. However, the existence of executive stock options and CEO long-term incentive plan may increase the frequency of board meetings. My model performs well in predicting number of board meetings for high-tech and traditional firms using out-of-sample period of year 2001 and 2002. My results extend and refine the growing literature on the relation of executive compensation, board activitiesand corporate governance.
Restructuring Household Finances to Prepare for Home Ownership: A Class Exercise
Authors: Nelson Walt , Scott James
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate an interactive pedagogical case study in which college students are required to examine their potential for home ownership after graduation given their own current and anticipated household financial condition. In Part One of this paper, the basic requirements and nomenclature of the home loan process are presented. Part Two shows how lenders typically employ the front ratio and back ratio as part of the loan approval process. Part Three expands the analysis by presenting a planning worksheet example and survey by which college students may apply these principles to their own household finances in order to prepare for eventual home ownership. The form is designed to be a data collection device. Part Four concludes with suggestions for future research.
Survey of Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting Practices of Australian and U.S. Financial Services Firms
Authors: Kelley Craig , Pope Ralph , Wilson Martha
Published: February 2023

Current concern over a variety of environmental and social issues such as global warming, treatment of labor around the world, and the depletion of natural resources has caused stakeholders of firms to renew their interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting. This study examines the extent of CSR reporting used by firms in the financial services sector listed in the US S&P 500 and the Australian ASX 200. The CSR reporting by 25 Australian and 79 US firms was compared to the supplemental environmental and social performance indicators for the financial services sector established by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The results of the study indicate discrete reports produced by a firm provided the greatest amount of information on CSR issues relative to coverage provided in annual reports. Although firms in both countries were found to report their codes of conduct in their corporate governance documents, the level of disclosure of a large number of environmental and social performance indicators by the largest firms in the financial services sector fell well short of meeting the GRI guidelines.
Using Rubrics to Teach and Assess Financial Education
Authors: Wrolstad Mark
Published: February 2023

Rubrics can be useful tools for teaching business finance courses. They can make certain types of assignments less burdensome for the instructor while providing students with meaningful feedback on their work. This paper provides examples of rubrics currently in use and provides guidelines for creating new rubrics. The potential for using rubrics in the assessment of learning outcomes is also discussed.
Neighborhood Spillovers: The Demand for Cubs Game Parking in Wrigleyville
Authors: Salyards Donald , Wenz Michael
Published: February 2023

We examine the market for parking spaces during Cubs games, focusing on primary data from parking at two residential locations near Wrigley Field in 2008. We describe the price setting process in a theoretical and applied context. Renting six spaces to Cubs game patrons yielded nearly $14,000 during the 2008 baseball season. Parking revenues were higher when attendance was higher, during night games, during weekday games, and especially when the White Sox were the opponent. We suggest opportunities for increased efficiency in price setting for the building owners. We estimate the real estate value of each parking space at about $8,250.
Role of Energy Futures Markets: Hedging Effectiveness against Speculative Forces
Authors: Lee Jeong
Published: February 2023

When crude oil price was skyrocketing toward 150 dollars per barrel in 2008, commodity-market regulators began to investigate whether energy-market players were injecting false data into the marketplace to influence perceptions about energy market supply and demand. Of course, this investigation was mainly prodded by public outcry and Congress searching for villains of the day. One aspect of the concerns of the regulators was that companies might be reporting inventory levels that were inaccurate to benefit their own trading positions. For example, a company could theoretically underreport barrels in their tanks at a key hub to suggest oil was scarcer than it really was, and then sold its physical oil at a premium when oil prices jump on misleading news. Another concern was whether companies conduct some physical oil sales and purchases solely to influence short-term pricing on energy markets.
Early Adopters of Fair Value Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation: A Case for Signaling
Authors: Thorne Jerry , Howard Robert , Onifade Emmanuel
Published: February 2023

This paper explores signaling as a possible explanation as to why companies voluntarily used the fair value method to account for stock-based compensation prior to it becoming mandatory in 2004. Our sample was divided into two groups, early adopters and non-adopters, to determine whether early adopters were signaling through their adoption decision that they were higher quality firms. A univariate analysis was performed to test the differences between the means of quantifiable attributes of the adopting and non-adopting firms for 2002 and 2003. Our findings are consistent with a signaling explanation that, for some firms, the decision to voluntarily expense options long before there was a requirement to do so signaled that these firms were committed to earnings quality and reporting transparency, and thus were more desirable to investors than their non-adopting counterparts.
Public University Retirement Systems in the Midwest: An Overview
Authors: Adamson Stanley , Philpot James
Published: February 2023

This paper examines the recent financial experience of public university defined benefit retirement plans in several Midwestern states. Generally, funding percentages have declined over the past ten years. In some instances, the decrease in funding level has been on the order of thirty percentage points. Little significant change in average plan asset allocation is seen over the past four years.
“Sell in May and Go Away” Effect: Prevalent or Mythical Anomaly
Authors: Su Yuli , Lu Gloria
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the “Sell in May and Go Away” Effect over the period ranging from 1970 to 2010. This paper examines 50 worldwide markets and finds that the Sell in May Effect is more evident in developed than in emerging markets. The Sell in May effect does have a stronger presence in Europe and in a number of countries that were former colonies or under direct influence of European countries, which may lead these emerging markets to be more highly correlated to developed markets. Sub-periods results show that the Sell in May effect is non-stationary. It is found that the strong presence of the Sell in May effect in Europe during the period of 1990-1999 is less apparent during the most recent subperiod of 2000-2010.
Characteristics of Short-Term Equity Management of Property-Liability Insurers
Authors: Park Jin
Published: February 2023

This paper investigates short-term equity trading practices of non-group affiliated P/L insurers in the U.S. Using the NAIC’s Annual Statements, all trading records reported on the statements are utilized to identify short-term trading activities. This study documents that about one-third of the sample insurers report at least short-term equity trading, and financial characteristics of insurers are highly associated with the insurers’ short-term equity trading activity than underwriting and firm characteristics.
Review of the Psychology of Risk-Taking Behavior for Individual Investors
Authors: Harnum Katie , Cooper Tom , Faseruk Alex
Published: February 2023

This paper reviews the extensive literature within psychology and behavioral finance in order to outline the psychological underpinnings of investor risk behavior. Its objective is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence risk propensity in investment markets. It provides an enumeration of influential factors that play a role in understanding an individual’s propensity for risk including psychological biases, personality characteristics, demographic and socio-economic factors. Such a list should be valuable, not only to researchers in behavioral finance, but also to practitioners interested in improving trading skills and recruitment practices.
Comparative Performance Analysis of Three Model Portfolios of Value Line
Authors: Mehran Jamshid , Balik Robert , Kohli Raj
Published: February 2023

Value Line timeliness weekly rankings puts out four model portfolios each containing 20 stocks. Portfolio stocks are added based on a "Timeliness" ranking and a "Financial Strength Rating" of at least B+. The Value Line Investment Survey has been the subject for many studies regarding market efficiency and Value Line’s ability to debunk this theory by delivering higher abnormal returns based on public information. The results of this study indicate that mean weekly abnormal rates of return statistically exists for three of the four portfolios. In addition, although statistically insignificant, variable HML’s betas for all three portfolios are negative indicating that the return movement between HML and each of the three model portfolios are in opposite direction.
Investing Your Own Endowment Fund Like Harvard Invests
Authors: Peterson Timothy
Published: February 2023

This paper describes the investment strategy pursed by Harvard in managing their endowment fund. The Harvard Endowment Fund pursues extreme diversification in the asset class mix in their investment portfolio. The endowment portfolio deemphasizes US equities and fixed income and substitutes these asset classes with investments in real estate, commodities, private equity, emerging market equities, and developed foreign equities. The returns from the Harvard Endowment Fund have exceeded benchmark indexes substantially over the last 25 years. This paper illustrates creating your own endowment fund using exchange traded funds and index mutual funds representing various asset classes. The paper shows which funds can be used as a proxy for the underlying asset class. A simulated model portfolio invested in exchange traded funds is created and the historical returns from that portfolio are computed and compared against the returns from the Harvard Endowment Fund and the S&P 500 Index for the same period.
Improvements in NYSE Trading and Information Technology: 1878-1984
Authors: Junkus Joan
Published: February 2023

Improvements in the technology of information flow and execution/clearing at the New York Stock Exchange between 1878 and 1984 were examined for their effects on price volatility and trading volume. Overall, price volatility was found to decrease after an improvement in trading technology, while both volume and intra-day volatility increased after an improvement in information flow. Noise traders may be attracted by faster information flow, even in the absence of new information, and bring additional volatility to the market. Solutions to the problem of such noise traders might involve increasing the ease of trading, and thus liquidity, to dampen price volatility.
BIG DATA AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Authors:   Faculty of Management, Sremski Karlovci, University UNION Nikola Tesla, Belgrade, Klipa Djuro , Ristić Igor ,   Faculty of Management, Sremski Karlovci, University UNION Nikola Tesla, Belgrade, Radonjić Aleksandar ,   Faculty of Management, Sremski Karlovci, University UNION Nikola Tesla, Belgrade, Scepanović Ivan ,   Faculty of Management, Sremski Karlovci, University UNION Nikola Tesla, Belgrade
Published: February 2023

The Big Data embodies a technology that permits the storage, processing, and management of broad and complex data sets in which traditional data processing applications are not applicable. These sets of data are usually characterized by a substantial volume of information that they carry, variety, versatility in terms of the format in which they are written, as well as a high-speed ingress which is often greater than the speed of processing. A particular challenge is the data which are coming from the Internet of Things (IoT) “world” that is constantly expanding and which already consists of several billion devices that can measure various parameters in the environment, communicate, process and transmit information. The data streams emanating from these devices are changing traditional approaches to data management and contribute to the emergence of the Big Data paradigm. This paper discusses the characteristics of the IoT infrastructure in terms of vast scale sensor applications and a possibility of connectivity of sensor networks, as well as various techniques of collection, storage, archiving and processing of the data on the cloud.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF MANAGERIAL DECISIONMAKING DURING A CRISIS IN A DISCONTINUOUS BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Authors:   Faculty of Management, Sremski Karlovci, University UNION Nikola Tesla, Belgrade, Milošević Dragan , Dudas Ivan ,   PHD student, Faculty of Management, Sremski Karlovci, University UNION Nikola Tesla, Belgrade, Popović Jovanka ,   Faculty of Management, Sremski Karlovci, University UNION Nikola Tesla, Belgrade
Published: February 2023

Crisis are integral development components of all organizations which are functioning within a discontinuous environment. That is why management in organizations must become aware of the need for implementing the function of crisis management. Crisis management within organizations can be divided into two separate categories: active and reactive crisis management, depending on the specific crisis development phase. Crisis management existence will simplify the process of managerial decision-making in a crisis. It will also facilitate the prevention and recovery of crises. This paper explains the notion of crisis and its development phases, and indicates the need for crisis management within contemporary organizations. It analyses the problems of managerial decision-making during crisis periods from a certain point of view and it emphasises one approach to managerial decision-making.
IMPACT OF INFORMATION ON FOOD PACKAGING ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR: TRENDS FOR 2023
Authors:   ePlus Marketing Center, Belgrade, Serbia, Ivanović Stefan
Published: February 2023

Lack of trust is one of the most important consequences of the influence of digital media on consumer. The ease of publishing content without any verification has led to a significant drop in the degree of trust in published information. The proliferation of brands and new products and their need to impose themselves, often with inaccurate information, has accelerated the erosion of consumer trust in „branded” messages. The aim of this study is to explore the levels of consumer confidence in information on the packaging, provided by food manufacturers; and to understand the trends in consumer behaviour based on their relation to provided information.
TEORIJA ORGANIZACIJE U NOVOM DIGITALNOM OKRUŽENJU
Authors:   Faculty of Management, Sremski Karlovci, University UNION Nikola Tesla, Belgrade, Bajac Momčilo , Stošić Lazar V. ,   Faculty of Management, Sremski Karlovci, University UNION Nikola Tesla, Belgrade, Sančanin Aleksandra B. ,   Faculty of Management, Sremski Karlovci, University UNION Nikola Tesla, Belgrade
Published: February 2023

Savremena teorija organizacije mora da uzme u obzir uticaj novih disruptivnih tehnologija na organizaciono teoretisanje i odnos između organizacionog dizajna, strukture i performansi. U radu polazimo od predpostavke da organizacije nisu uvek konsenzualne jer različiti ciljevi unutar organizacije odražavaju posebne interese i potrebe različitih steikholdera, koji mogu biti u sukobu jedni sa drugima. Blockchain tehnologije omogućavaju da se preko algoritma, dakle automatizovano, utvrdi konsenzus u decentralizovanoj mreži bez pribegavanja spoljnom autoritetu za odlučivanje i sprovođenje. Tehnologija distribuirane knjige (DLT), uz pomoć veštačke inteligencije i pametnih ugovora omogućava uspostavljanje organizacije bez menadžmenta ili zaposlenih, potpuno konstruisanu korišćenjem koda. Kao rezultat toga dobijamo decentralizovanu autonomnu organizaciju (DAO), u kojoj AI algoritmi deluju potpuno autonomno. Ovaj rad razmatra DAO kao mehanizam koji funkcioniše autonomno, automatski usaglašava interese i radikalno menja donošenje odluka unutar organizacija. Nove digitalne tehnologije i evolucija interneta upućuju nas da ispitamo kako vladajuće organizacione teorije mogu biti unapređene i promenjene u skladu sa novim tehnološkim okruženjem. Ovaj rad pokazuje kako dosadašnji pristupi organizacionoj teoriji, posebno menadžerizam kao preovlađujući pristup, nisu uvek funkcionalni i ne kooptiraju sa aktuelnim organizacionim praksama, posebno na Internetu.
HATE SPEECH AND DISINFORMATION CONTRARY TO ETHICS AND MEDIA EDUCATION
Authors:   Faculty of Management, Sremski Karlovci, University UNION Nikola Tesla, Belgrade, Vojinović Maja , Davidov Tatjana ,   Modern Business School, Belgrade
Published: February 2023

In the conditions of accelerated information-technological progress, ethical principles began to be lost. This is best reflected in the existence of hate speech and the spread of misinformation in the media space of the global village, as the world is today. The Internet has opened up a free media space, but it has not introduced a sufficient number of regulatory bodies that could eventually select or completely eliminate certain content, such as hate speech and misinformation. In this paper, one will try to point out the global problem concerning the expansion of a free, non-selective and non-critical digital space.
Political nature of contemporary culture and art: Negation of dominant and/or affirmation of marginal culture
Authors: Trninić Duško
Published: February 2023

The paper discusses the necessity of a new (re)definition of culture. While the traditional definition of culture insists upon its permanence, contemporary definitions insist on its fluidity and politicality. The act of value (de)privileging, as well as placing the political into the field of culture, has made it possible marginal groups to (de)construct the existing identity groupings and to create new ones. The author concludes that the aforementioned struggles lead into two directions: marginal groups are becoming aware of their social position and starting the struggle for exercising their rights accordingly, while the dominant culture is refusing the act of (de)privileging and, subsequently, the integration of marginal groups. With regard to the above, there are two solutions proposed: the first proposal suggests displaying and, then, accepting of a specific lifestyle (new determination of culture), while the second one suggests recognising equal rights of marginalised social groups (social and political inclusion).
The effects of R&D performance on the profitability of highly innovative companies
Authors: Rađenović Tamara , Krstić Bojan , Janjić Ivana , Jovanović-Vujatović Milica
Published: February 2023

Background: In modern business conditions, intangible assets have a dominant impact on the business performance of the company. R&D activities, the level of R&D investments and the efficiency of R&D investments affect company profitability. There are various performance indicators of R&D activities that have an impact on profitability. Purpose: Bearing in mind that R&D is the precondition of growth and development of the company, as well as the efficiency of R&D investments, is the key determinant of economic corporate responsibility, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of various performance indicators of R&D activities on companies' profitability. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of R&D investments, R&D intensity and return on R&D capital on the profitability of highly innovative companies. Study design/methodology/approach: Correlation, regression and cluster analyses were performed to provide an empirical investigation of the impact of key R&D performance indicators on the return on assets (ROA) of highly innovative companies, which are on the list of the top R&D spenders in the world. The data for the analysis comprises 24 R&D-intensive companies for the period 2013-2021. Findings/conclusions: The regression analysis results conducted on the determined clusters show that all three analyzed indicators of R&D activities have a positive and statistically significant impact on ROA in highly R&D-intensive companies. It is confirmed that the effects of various indicators of R&D activities are bigger in companies with higher RDII. Limitations/future research: The sample encompasses the 24 companies listed among the top 50 R&D spenders worldwide, which is considered insufficient for extensive analysis. The other limitation is related to the short research period. As the R&D activities produce yields after several years, the possible direction for future research is to investigate the impact of accumulated R&D investment over several years on ROA.