bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Data Quality, Power, And Politics: Analysis Of Strategic Decision Making
Authors: Nyaboga Andrew B. , Mwaura Muroki F.
Published: March 2016

Most decision makers have biases that are inherent the way they seek information, estimate the outcomes, and attach values to outcomes that produce rational behavior. Many aspects of decision-making may not be accurate because of information processing limitations, power and politics. This paper presents a set of ideas, models, and limitations caused by biases of a decision maker when sorting information.
The Relationship Between Values, Congruence, And Innovation Capability
Authors: Preziosi Robert C. , Gooden Doreen J.
Published: March 2016

Some organizations are highly innovative and successful, while others are less innovative and successful. What are the conditions that are associated with innovativeness? This paper assesses values congruence as one variable which may be present in organizations whose professionals and managers report significant organizational innovativeness. The Innovation Capability Audit and the Values Analysis Worksheet were administered to a group of research participants to determine the relationship between innovation and values congruence. A correlation of - .711 was found. This indicates a significant inverse relationship between the two variables being measured, innovation, and values congruence.
Capital Structure And Executive Compensation
Authors: Ghosh Arvin
Published: March 2016

The finance literature is not unanimous regarding the relationship between capital structure and executive compensation. As a firm increases its debt ratio (i.e., ratio of total debt to total assets), its risk of potential bankruptcy also increases. Because of that fact, stock price of the firm generally decreases after the announcement of its bond offering in the market place, thereby decreasing the shareholders' return and the value of the firm. As a result, we would expect less executive compensation (either salary bonuses, or total compensations which include stock option) when a firm issues a substantial bond offering and the price of its stock declines. We have found that there was a positive and statistically significant association between the salary and bonus of the CEOs of the 336 largest U.S. corporations, and the debts these firms incurred during the 1989-1999 time period. This was also true when total compensation (which included realized stock options) of the CEOs was taken as the dependent variable, although the latter was less effective than the former one.
Developing And Implementing Faculty Performance Evaluation: A Collaborative Model
Authors: Caldwell Jr. Robert W. , Schulte Michael
Published: March 2016

The quality of education is a core property of what makes a university operate, sustain, and grow. To evaluate and measure this core property encompasses a wide range of critical aspects, but one of the control mechanisms will always involve the faculty, the deliverers of education to the primary customer, the student, but also collaboratively to other faculty, other educators, staff, and the community itself. Faculty, like students constantly change, the challenge being how to inculcate a viable system of performance evaluation that provides a consistently high quality education in the ever changing and information oriented world we live in. This paper illustrates the process, and problems weve experienced and solutions we have used in implementing a new faculty performance evaluation system at our university. We describe the development of the system; its components, the intended outcomes, issues and resistance encountered as the system was implemented and now, how we envision the growth of the system, and what it needs to remain viable and in tune with our overall strategic plan.
A Typology Of Music Consumption Motivations
Authors: Trocchia Philip J. , Apps Melissa M. , McNish Sarah E.
Published: March 2016

This study explores individual music consumption preferences using the existential-phenomenological paradigm of interpretive research. Holts (1995) typology is employed and modified to develop a motivational framework for music consumption. Within the context of the framework, thirteen basic reasons for consuming music are presented: accounting, auditory stimulation, fantasy, memory trigger, identification, inspiration, professional development, ambiance, discussion topic, event preparation, communing, gaining acceptance, and exerting dominance. Implications for marketing practitioners and future research opportunities for marketing academicians are discussed.
Information Systems Academic Program Assessment: A Comparison Of Objective And Subjective Approaches
Authors: Mawhinney Charles H.
Published: March 2016

Developing program assessment instruments and methodologies is a common problem in higher edu-cation. This paper reports on a study that compared an objective instrument against a subjective in-strument for measuring program learning objectives. The results indicate that at least four of the sev-en learning objectives apparently are being measured by the objective instrument.
The Macro Effect Of Foreign Capital And Aid On The Economic Growth In Malaysia
Authors: Geetha Caroline
Published: March 2016

Economic interdependence among nations of the world has become important and enormously complex. Foreign capital and aid is an important form of economic interdependence because they are the main components of capital formation especially for the developing nation. A significant amount of foreign capital and aid which has amounted to around $30 billion of the worlds gross domestic product, grows at an annual rate of 15 percent (higher than the economic growth rate of certain nation). Multinational corporations in search for profits in the developing nation undertake inflow and outflow of foreign capital in the form of foreign direct investment, skills and technology. This creates internal economies of scale for the parent company and external economies of scale for its subsidiaries. Overwhelming performance of foreign capital can also create external diseconomies of scale known as stunting effects for the developing nation. The government of the developed countries for political and humanitarian reasons also offers foreign aid. Foreign aid should be paired well with the stages of the economic development of a country to create increasing returns. This paper provides a critical analysis of growth in relation to foreign capital and aid in Malaysia. The analysis is divided into two sections. The first section looks at foreign capital and aid as an independent variable while the second section looks at foreign capital and aid as the dependent variable. Foreign capital is found to be positively correlated to economic growth and it is also highly significant compared to foreign aid which has no positive correlation and hardly contributes to Malaysias economic growth. Finally some policy options are recommended to improve the economic growth in Malaysia.
Occupational Stress And Turnover Issues In Public Accounting: The Mediating Effects Of Locus Of Control, Social Support, And Employment Expectations
Authors: Donnelly David P. , Quirin Jeffrey J.
Published: March 2016

At the aggregate level, turnover costs firms in the accounting profession billions of dollars each year (Larkin 1995). Though the costs of turnover vary widely from firm to firm, one study estimates that each separation costs firms $4,000 to $8,000 in training and recruiting costs (Roth and Roth 1995). Further complicating the professions turnover dilemma, changing organizational structures and workforce demographics are forcing public accounting firms to update employee recruitment and retention programs. The increased importance of recruitment and retention efforts coupled with the detrimental effects of turnover have led researchers to gain a better understanding of the voluntary turnover process in public accounting. The demanding and time-pressure nature of the public accounting work environment coupled with the professions lack of success in retaining women and minorities suggests that occupational stress may have an increasingly negative impact on the accounting profession. Through the development and testing of a behavioral-based theoretical model, this study attempts to expand our understanding of the turnover process that transpires in public accounting. The study proposes that three factors act as mediators of occupational stress and subsequently impact employee turnover. Specifically, locus of control (personality type), the perception of adequate social support (a source of additional information), and the bestowing of realistic employment expectations (knowledge acquired at hiring) are all modeled as buffers of occupational stress. Results of a path analytic procedure support the theoretical model suggesting that the aforementioned constructs could become critical components of the accounting professions recruitment and retention processes.
Performance Benchmarking: A Literature Review And Analysis For Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustion Plants
Authors: Fuller Jack A. , Bessette Robert , Freier Mark
Published: March 2016

Gaining and maintaining a competitive edge is the key to success in all walks of life, both on the athletic field and in the boardroom.This research paper will: (1) provide a background on the concept of benchmarking; and (2) present some examples of performance benchmarks for AFBC (atmospheric fluidized bed combustor) steam and power plants resulting from data collected during 1999.
Event Studies On The Effects Of The NAFTA And Asian Crisis: The Case Of Asia
Authors: Rim Hong , Setaputra Robert
Published: March 2016

This study examines the effects of NAFTA implementation and Asian economic crisis on the inter-market relationships in Asia. Using the correlation analysis and the even-study model for a period of January 1992 September 2006, this study finds that 1) the correlations between stock markets have been stable but volatile after the Asian crisis, 2) these markets became more integrated after the Asian crisis, and 3) the NAFTA hand no major effects on the inter-market relationships. Since there have been no significant changes in the inter-market relationships after these two major events, there still exists much benefit from diversification to the exploited in these markets.
ICT Small Businesses Access To Bank Financing
Authors: Benkraiem Ramzi , Miloudi Anthony
Published: March 2016

Studying small businesses in the ICT industry is of major importance for at least two reasons. First of all, small businesses play a crucial role in supporting growth and creating jobs. Secondly, the ICT industry in France, as in most developed countries, is one of the pillars upon which tomorrows economy will be built. Therefore, this article aims at studying access to bank financing by French small businesses in the ICT industry. The analysis covers a sample of 539 firm-years. The empirical results seem to show that these businesses encounter difficulties accessing bank debt and financing their assets, among other things. These difficulties are particularly more significant for small businesses in the service segment than for those in the production segment.
An Integrated Bargaining Solution Analysis For Vertical Cooperative Sales Promotion Campaigns Based On The Win-Win-Win Papakonstantinidis Model
Authors: Spais George S.
Published: March 2016

Authors intention was to examine the possibility to investigate win-win-win papakonstantinidis model in order to develop an integrated bargaining solution analysis for vertical cooperative sales promotion campaigns. Based on previous theoretical extensions (Spais and Papakonstantinidis, 2011; Spais, Papakonstantinidis and Papakonstantinidis, 2009), this study presented an integrated bargaining solution analysis for cases of optimal allocation of a promotion budget in a cooperative sales promotion campaign in vertical marketing channels. This integrated bargaining solution analysis included: a) three (3) adjusted utility functions, considering the parameters of sales response budgeting method, the break-even sales analysis and the marketing channel members trade promotion goals; b) the referee solution, the optimal solution for the three players and the constraints; c) the definition of the third win in terms of a continuous sensitization process and perfect information; and d) the presentation of the potential outputs from a bargaining process regarding to the sharing of the cooperative sales promotion cost among A, B and C parties/players for different sales promotion offerings. Encouragingly, the review of the modern literature and the four (4) critical case studies of cooperative marketing programs confirmed the need for a win-win-win approach in cooperative sales promotion planning in vertical marketing channels.
The Impact Of Customer Satisfaction On Chief Marketing Officers Compensation
Authors: Lee Heiwai , Scott Crystal J.
Published: March 2016

As an intangible marketing asset, customer satisfaction is rarely apparent on financial statements. The contribution of customer satisfaction on firm financial performance is well documented, but it is unclear whether this positive link is reflected in executive compensation. Besides, executives are often compensated for short-term financial results but the outcome of marketing actions is rarely captured in a short horizon. This research seeks to determine if the compensation of Chief Marketing Officers (CMO), who is primarily responsible for marketing outcome, is impacted by customer satisfaction. We find that customer satisfaction has a significantly positive impact on the total cash compensation of CMO and its cash and bonus components when controlling for firm performance, firm size, and innovation. Overall, our results support the inclusion of nonfinancial performance measures, specifically customer satisfaction, in designing senior marketing executive compensation packages.
Examining Childrens Perceptions Of Parent-Adolescent Communication Quality, Consumption Interaction, And Shopping Enjoyment
Authors: Martin Craig A.
Published: March 2016

The purpose of the present study is to examine the influence of family communication patterns on parent-adolescent consumption interaction and adolescent shopping enjoyment. The present study utilizes survey responses from 263 high school students and 338 junior high school students. Results from each sample indicate that communication quality between parents and their adolescent children impacts the consumption interaction taking place between the parents and their children. Additionally, results indicate that mothers are more likely to positively influence adolescent shopping enjoyment as compared to fathers.
Aligning IT With Business Objectives: A Critical Survival And Success Factor In Todays Business
Authors: Elmorshidy Ahmed
Published: March 2016

Alignment of IT with business objectives is a critically important topic in academic and industry. It is the key of success for modern organizations that is needed to survive and compete. It refers to the degree of congruence between business and IT strategies. This paper discusses the importance of aligning IT with business objective and the different effective strategies to align IT with business objectives. The paper also reviews the current research moles developed in support of this important concept. The paper further introduces a new theoretical framework for aligning IT with business objectives that analyze and integrate leading research models in this area combined with the well-established information systems success model of Mclean and DeLone.
The Automotive Production And Development Programme: An Analysis Of The Opinions Of South African Stakeholders
Authors: Bronkhorst Evadne , Steyn Jasper , Stiglingh Madeleine
Published: March 2016

The development of a specific industry could enhance a countrys economic growth by facilitating its global positioning. Some industries may require government support to enable meaningful economic contribution. The South African government provided support to its automotive industry via the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) since 1995. The MIDP ended in 2012, and is being replaced by the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP) from 2013. The APDP will extend support to the South African automotive industry until 2020. The motivation for the extension is to continue providing support to South Africas automotive industry in its attempt to become a sustainable global competitor with reduced reliance on government support. This article analyses the opinions of relevant stakeholders on the anticipated performance of the South African automotive industry under the APDP. It was motivated by the fact that there is currently no research available on the anticipated performance of the South African automotive industry under the APDP. It also highlights the link between stakeholders opinions and the documented performance of the MIDP as well as the design of the APDPs policy instruments. Data was gathered by using a survey that was distributed to relevant stakeholders in the South African automotive industry. The results show that where there is policy uncertainty, the perceived risk impacts the opinions of relevant stakeholders. Consequently, there is much uncertainty among participating stakeholders regarding the APDPs ability to satisfy policy objectives. The majority of stakeholders agreed that the APDP is a World Trade Organization compliant programme and that it will facilitate increased research and development spend. However, there are reservations about the possible negative impact of the APDPs policy instruments on the South African automotive industrys exports as well as the future of the local automotive components industry. It is therefore recommended that governments should ensure that policy design is transparent and is finalised and communicated early enough to afford relevant stakeholders sufficient time to respond appropriately.
Integration In Middle East Stock Markets: Determinants, Effects And Evolutions
Authors: Guesmi Khaled , Arouri Mohamed Hedi , Moisseron Jean-Yves , Teulon Frederic
Published: March 2016

This article investigates the stock market integration within the Middle East region. We develop a regional dynamic version of the CAPM and estimate it using a multivariate GARCH methodology. We contribute to the financial literature by proposing the first empirical work that addresses the following three questions for emerging stock markets from Middle East region: (i) What factors determine Middle East regional stock market integration? (ii) Is exchange rate risk priced in Middle East emerging stock markets? And (iii) what are the relative contributions of regional and local risk factors to the total risk premium in Middle East emerging stock markets?
The Strategic Setting Of Real Estate Mutual Fund Expense Ratios
Authors: Chiang Kevin , Rui Zhenhua , Wisen Craig , Zhou Xiyu Thomas
Published: March 2016

Real estate mutual fund expense ratios are analyzed using panel data comprising 1,130 observations. The results show that expense ratio is inversely related to share class assets, fund family size, and fund age. Conversely, the expense ratio is positively related to larger funds and fund families with superior performance. This result is interesting because individual fund classes with favorable performance are associated with lower expense ratios. The results are robust to common estimation methodologies.
Can Morningstar Analyst Ratings Predict Fund Performance?
Authors: Kamal Rashiqa
Published: March 2016

This paper analyzes the Morningstar Inc.s new Analyst Ratings that were introduced in November 2011. The ratings are intended to help investors make long-term investment decisions. According to Morningstar, these ratings reflect the long-term risk-adjusted performance of mutual funds. This paper examines whether the Analyst Ratings can predict future fund performance. We assume that the rated funds would have a similar rating in 2010, since they are not based on short-term performance measures, and using quantile regressions, we find that the Analyst Ratings are significantly positively related to future fund performance, measured by Alpha in 2012, that captures the performance over the past three years, 2010, 2011, and 2012. The Analyst Rating is a synthesis of five individual aspects (pillars) of a fund, namely, People, Parent, Process, Performance, and Price. We also find that funds with a higher People Rating will perform better in the future. Since Morningstar contends that the Analyst Ratings are not based on short-term measures of performance, we test this statement also, and using Ordinary Least Squares model find that these ratings are in fact, significantly positively related to contemporaneous fund performance, using the Sharpe Ratio, as a measure. In spite of the assumptions made in this analysis, we argue that these results are important as this paper is the first to analyze the Analyst Ratings and we present some important findings.
An Empirical Examination Of The Predictors Of Consumer Compulsive Buying As An Impulse Control Disorder Not Otherwise Specified: A Branding Perspective
Authors: Chinomona Richard
Published: March 2016

While researches on consumer compulsive behaviour as a psychiatric problem have been steadily increasing, they seem to be a paucity of studies that investigate compulsive buying behaviour from a branding perspective. The present research is an attempt to fill this gap by examining the relative influence of four antecedents of compulsive buying behaviour - brand experience, brand satisfaction, brand trust and brand attachment on consumer compulsive buying behaviour, using a sample of consumers in Gauteng Province of South Africa. The central argument of this paper is that consumer compulsive buying behavior can be understood from the strength of branding outcomes. Four hypotheses are posited and in order to empirically test these hypotheses, a sample data set of 151 was used. Three hypotheses were supported while one (H1) was rejected. Drawing from the study findings, managerial implications are discussed and limitations and future research directions are suggested. On the overall, this study provide tentative empirical support that compulsive buying behaviour can be influenced by branding outcomes in Africa - a context that is often most less researched on.
Day Of The Week And Its Effect On Stock Market Volatility: Evidence From An Emerging Market
Authors: Farooq Omar , Bouaddi Mohammed , Ahmed Neveen
Published: March 2016

This paper investigates the day of the week effect in the volatility of the Saudi Stock Exchange during the period between January 7, 2007 and April 1, 2013. Using a conditional variance framework, we find that the day of the week effect is present in the volatility. Our results show that the lowest volatility occurs on Saturdays and Sundays. We argue that due to the closure of international markets on Saturdays and Sundays, there is not enough activity in the Saudi Stock Exchange. As a result, the volatility is the lowest on these days. Our results also show that the highest volatility occurs on Wednesdays. We argue Wednesday, being the last trading day of the week, corresponds with the start of four non-trading days (Thursday through Sunday) for foreign investors. Fearing that they will be stuck up with stocks in case some unfavorable information enters the market, foreign investors tend to exit the market on Wednesdays. As a result of excessive trading, there is high volatility on Wednesdays.
Advertising Decisions In Small BusinessesNeed For New Directions
Authors: Narayana Chem L. , Larson Carl M.
Published: March 2016

Irrespective of the size of a firm or the size of the budget, advertising is an important function that is expected to have an impact on the sales volume. In addition, small business needs and strategies are quite different from those of larger businesses. In addition to the size of operations and budget, small businesses differ from larger firms on major target market characteristics that include the boundaries of the trading area and customer feelings and shopping behavior towards small businesses. Consequently, the necessity or relevance of different media options for advertising are expected to be significantly different. Suffice it to say that advertising decisions are important enough for small businesses and serve careful investigation and yet it has been ignored in the past.The main purpose of this study is to examine the methods used for setting advertising budgets in small businesses. A secondary purpose is to ascertain the attitudes of the decision makers on the importance of advertising budget.
Developing Knowledge Management Implementation Frameworks: Implications From Translation Perspective
Authors: Vo Linh-Chi , Mounoud Eleonore
Published: March 2016

Knowledge management implementation frameworks in the literature tend to provide one-fit-all models, assuming homogeneous organizational contexts and passive recipient organizations. This is an important drawback, as knowledge management (KM), like any management concepts, evolves in implementation through custom adaptation and reconfiguration by local actors to become meaningful and suitable within specific organizational settings. This helps explain why a significant portion of KM initiatives fails despite considerable resources and commitment of the organizations. Therefore, it is necessary that directions be provided to help KM implementation frameworks take into consideration the evolution of KM in the organizations. We introduce translation perspective as an appropriate theoretical foundation to meet this need. This perspective argues that a management concept, when moving from one context to another, is implemented in a new way by local actors in accordance with local conditions. This process is called translation. Two real-life examples of KM implementation are provided to illustrate the essence of translation. Relying on translation perspective, we discuss important guiding principles for developing KM implementation frameworks. The discussion is made in light of the common features of the existing frameworks to show how translation perspective contributes to enhancing the KM literature.
Risk Analysis Of Hedge Funds: A Markov Switching Model Analysis
Authors: Teulon Frederic , Guesmi Khaled , Jebri Saoussen
Published: March 2016

The paper applies Markov Regime Switching GARCH Model (SW-GARCH) to investigate the volatility behavior of strategies hedge fund monthly returns for the period 1997-2011. The results highlight two different regimes: The first regime is characterized by a high volatility for all strategies hedge fund monthly returns. The second is characterised by lower volatility and positive average returns (except Emerging Market strategy). Our results helped to capture even the short-lived crises along with the material crises of 2001 and 2008.
Evaluation Of The Profitability Of Companies Financed By Venture Capital (CVC) Listed On The French Market
Authors: Khalfallah Moez , Moschetto Bruno-Laurent , Teulon Frederic
Published: March 2016

This paper examines changes in profitability of 146 CVC listed on the French market. The results show disappointing post-IPO profitability. The decline in performance ranges from 9.5% to 32% over a two-year period following the launch on the stock exchange. It also appears that the decline in operating performance is less significant for CVC compared with non CVC over the same period. An analysis of this underperformance shows that CVC supported by reputed VCF manage to limit the decline in operating performance compared to those supported by non-reputed VCF.
Can The Business Model Of Handelsbanken Be An Archetype For Small And Medium Sized Banks? A Comparative Case Study
Authors: Larsen Morten Kousgaard , Nissen Jacob Lange , Lueg Rainer , Schmaltz Christian , Thorhauge Joachim Rojkjaer
Published: March 2016

The Danish Banking sector faces increasing requirements regarding regulation and profitability, which especially threatens small and medium sized banks. This study analyzes whether the successful business model of Handelsbanken (The Handelsbanken Way) can serve as a blueprint for small and medium sized banks. We conduct a comparative case study by interviewing Handelsbanken and the disguised Danish Local Bank (DLB). The DLB is a representative example of small and medium sized Danish banks. This study is structured according to the frameworks from business model implementations and from implied organizational structures.Using the notion of Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010), this study reveals only minor differences in the business models of Handelsbanken and DLB. Despite the supposedly obvious advantages of The Handelsbanken Way, this study suggests that the financially troubled small and medium sized banks in Denmark will not necessarily benefit from the tactical choice of decentralization unless they incorporate specific adjustments. This study contributes to the existing theory if Handelsbankens approach to banking can improve the situation of financially troubled small and medium sized banks.
Is There A Difference Between Domestic And Foreign Risk Premium? The Case Of China Stock Market
Authors: Teulon Frederic , Guesmi Khaled , Fattoum Salma
Published: March 2016

This article studies the dynamic return and market price of risk for Chinese stocks (A-B shares). A Multivariate DCC-GARCH model is used to capture the feature of time-varying volatility in stock returns. We show evidence of different pricing mechanisms explained by the difference in the expected return and market price of risk between A and B shares. However, the significance of the difference between market prices of risk disappears if GARCH models are used.
Do Recent Stochastic Tools Help To Better Understand Investors Preference And Asset Allocation?
Authors: Ciupac-Ulici Maria-Lenuţa , Gherman Mircea-Cristian , Chaibi Anissa , Rault Christophe
Published: March 2016

This paper contributes to the existing literature by investigating how recent developments in stochastic dominance can be implemented to better understand the statistical characteristic of distributions associated with traded financial assets. In particular, we assess the impact of a shock which occurs in the evolution of a time series on the investors preferences based on data from European developed and emerging stock markets. We show that stochastic dominance tools form a useful tool in risk aversion analysis and asset allocation.
A Risk-Adjusted Evaluation Of The JSE Top 40 As An International Investment Option
Authors: Heymans Andreas G. , Van Heerden Chris
Published: March 2016

In response to the wealth destruction caused by the 2007/2008 global financial crisis, many developed economies have lowered their interest rates to improve their balance sheets (SARB, 2008-2012). However, in order for investors to sustain expected returns they will have to deviate from the traditional approach of investing in government bonds and consider investing in emerging markets, which are considered as potential drivers of global growth (Deloitte Consulting LLP, 2012). The goal of this paper is to establish the importance of considering South Africa as an emerging market investment opportunity, but also to acknowledge its ability of outperforming several other common emerging markets during the post-financial crisis period. This was done by means of a novel approach to the Omega ratio. The results from this paper confirms this, illustrating that the performance of the JSE Top 40 will compensate for the additional political risk that emerging market investments possess (Anshuman, 2010).
Motivations Of Public To Private Transactions: An International Empirical Investigation
Authors: Sannajust Aurelie , Arouri Mohamed , Teulon Frederic
Published: March 2016

This article contributes to the financial literature by investigating the motivations of Public to Private transactions in an international perspective (Europe, USA and Asia). We consider seven main possible motivations: tax savings, incentive realignment, control, free cash-flow, growth of prospects, takeover defense and undervaluation. Our empirical findings suggest that low growth prospects, low liquidity and high free cash-flow are the three main motivations for a Public to Private transactions. However, regions show some particularities such as importance of family block-holders in Europe and importance of the level of taxation in Asia.
Wal-Marts Dilemma In The 21st Century: Sales Growth Vs. Inventory Growth
Authors: Shin Seungjae , Tucci Jack E.
Published: March 2016

Wal-Mart has been a leader in the retail industry since 1980s. In the 21st century, Wal-Marts RFID initiative is another innovation for Wal-Marts supply chain management. Wal-Marts recent business target in the 21Century is making a higher sales growth rate than inventory growth rate. Comparing with financial ratios of Wal-Marts competitors, Wal-Mart has significantly better ratios for days-in-inventory, inventory-sales-ratio, and cash-conversion-cycle. However, there is no significant evidence of better ratios for supply chain related profit ratio. Regression analysis reveals that while days-in-inventory has a similar effect on both sales growth rate and inventory growth rate, supply chain ratio has more effect on inventory growth rate than sales growth rate.
Does Foreign Capital Enhance Economic Growth In Emerging Countries: Flow Decomposition Approach?
Authors: Debbiche Imene , Rahmouni Oubeid
Published: March 2016

Unlike trade liberalization, the impact of financial openness on growth is still mitigated. In fact, empirical studies focusing on effects of capital account liberalization are inconclusive, which could be due to the sample chosen, to the liberalization index or to the fact that studies take account of capital inflows as a whole which can mask substantial differences between different flow effects.Our purpose in this paper is on one hand to re-examine the impact of capital inflows on growth by dividing these inflows into portfolio equity flows, foreign direct investment flows and debt flows and on the other hand to study if the composition of capital inflows has an importance. This work will be done by estimating a standard growth model using dynamic panel data approach.Our main findings are first, that total capital inflows improve economic growth and so does every kind of flow taken apart; which supports the neoclassical wisdom and second, that capital inflows composition isn't important; which indicates that all inflows are substitutes in the short term.
The Influence Of CEO Departure And Board Characteristics On Firm Performance
Authors: Charfeddine Lanouar , Arouri Mohamed , Teulon Frederic
Published: March 2016

This paper uses panel data from 271 U.S. firms to empirically examine the relationship between the departure of a firms CEO and that firms performance. Results of our analysis reveal a significant relationship between CEO departure and firm performance. Specifically, we found that the departure of entrenched CEOs negatively affects current and future firm performance. Results also demonstrate that board size and the presence of independent administrators moderates the relationship between CEO departure and firm performance. This suggests that entrenched CEOs can have informal associations with independent administrators.
South African IPAs Attracting FDI: Investment Promotion Strategies
Authors: Bezuidenhout Henri , Pietersen Pontevechio
Published: March 2016

The provincial investment promotion agencies (IPAs) of South Africa play an important role to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to the country. In order to do so, investment promotion strategies are developed and executed. This study investigates how the provincial IPAs of South Africa use their investment promotion strategies and points out the gaps in their strategies to attract FDI and improve on the approximate mean of 0.25% of the total world investment inflows from abroad. This contributes to their mandate and goals, which are to enhance economic development and contribute to economic growth by attracting FDI and to assist domestic companies to invest abroad. Both primary and secondary data are used. The study highlights that the majority of the provincial IPAs operate under government direction and that there are significant differences in the investment promotion strategies used. The study finds that 21-40% of budgets allocated for investment promotion go towards perception building. Macroeconomic and industrial policies are the most relevant factors when attracting FDI by the IPAs. The investment promotion (IP) strategies used by the provincial IPAs differ in terms of the investors they focus, the incentives used to attract those investors and the preferred contact method with the targeted investors. IPAs indicated that they use more tax incentives along with tailor made industrial policies, focussed on the specific needs of the investors.
New Chief Executive Officers Earnings Forecasts Bias At Their First Year Term And Role Of Financial Analysts: Korean Evidence
Authors: Rhee Chang Seop , Moon Boyoung
Published: March 2016

This study investigates newly appointed Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) earnings forecasts bias at their first year term using listed firm data in Korea. Prior literature reports that new CEOs prefer to report low earnings (big bath or cookie jar accounting) at their first year term for the purpose of income smoothing. However, it is hard to find the studies about new CEOs earnings forecasts bias at the term of low earnings reporting incentive. We question what earnings forecasts bias they usually have when they are interested in low earnings reporting.From the empirical tests, we find that newly appointed CEOs tend to provide conservative (negative) forecasts instead of optimistic (positive) forecasts at their first term. Furthermore, we find that greater analyst following helps to relieve the negatively biased earnings forecasts of new CEOs.This study will contribute to academics and disclosure-related practitioners by documenting about newly appointed CEOs earnings forecasts bias. We also believe that our empirical evidence will be helpful to market participants when they make a business decisions in case of CEO turnover.
Comparative Versus Noncomparative Sales Pitches: Impact On New Product Buying Behaviors And Moderating Role Of BuyerSeller Relationship
Authors: Dianoux Christian , Herrmann Jean-Luc , Chakroun Ridha , Heitz-Spahn Sandrine
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this research is to explore the effectiveness of Comparative Sales Pitches (CSPs) vs. NonComparative Sales Pitches [NCSPs] in terms of actual buying behavior of a new product. Using a wholesalers telephone sales campaign, we performed a quasi-experimental study focusing on the actual ordering behavior for a new product of more than 4,200 pharmacists in response to a CSP (vs. an NCSP). The research shows that a CSP is more likely to generate a new product sales order than an equivalent NCSP. This positive effect manifests only when a relationship exists between the buyer and the seller. In addition, the results support the relational advantage of a regular buyerseller relationship regardless of the type of sales pitch used. The findings should encourage managers and salespeople to consider CSPs as an effective selling tool for launching a new product, especially when a relationship with the buyer exists. This research provides a starting point for further research into CSP effects -an area in which limited research exists to date- to gain a better understanding of their boundary selling effectiveness.
The Role Of LMX In Employees Job Motivation, Satisfaction, Empowerment, Stress And Turnover: Cross Country Analysis
Authors: Malik Maria , Wan Difang , Ishfaq Ahmad Muhammad , Akram Naseem Muhammad , Rehman Ramiz ur
Published: March 2016

We investigated the effect of Leader Member Exchange (LMX) quality relationship on employee motivation, stress, turnover, satisfaction and Psychological Empowerment with a sample of 1500 employees across four countries. As expected, we found that high quality relationship positively associated with the employee motivation, satisfaction, Psychological Empowerment and lowers the employee stress, turnover. The study also sheds lights on relationship between employee motivation and employee turnover and stress.
Interdisciplinary Programs Focused Populations: The Case Of Health Management Program
Authors: Davidovitch Nitza , Yavich Roman
Published: March 2016

The Ariel University has a unique interdisciplinary program in healthcare management that targets experienced healthcare professionals who wish to earn an academic degree. Only one academic study has been held so far on the integration of graduates of an academic university-level school in healthcare management in the field. In the current study, the authors sought to investigate points of contact between the academic world and the professional field by following the professional integration of graduates of healthcare management at the Ariel University and their satisfaction with their training, job, and profession from an interdisciplinary perspective. A survey was held among all 1,327 graduates of the Department of Healthcare Management from 2002 to 2011. Data collection was performed through self-completed electronic questionnaires and personally distributed questionnaires, including questions on graduates' current place of work and satisfaction with their degree. The findings indicate that graduates are very satisfied with their interdisciplinary studies at the department. Students from the Arab sector, those who began their studies at an older age, and those who are more affluent, reported higher satisfaction with their studies. Most students intend to continue studying for an advanced degree in the profession.
Teaching The Writing Process As A First And Second Language Revisited: Are They The Same?
Authors: Lincoln Felicia , Ben Idris Anisa
Published: March 2016

Research on the second writing process is not recent. Both first and second writing processes have been in the area of argument among scholars. It is has been confirmed that both first and second writers nearly all practice similar physical activities pre-writing, during, and post writing stages; however, they still differ in the inner extra thinking activities that non-native writers practice to reduce the transfer of first language rules during the writing processes. Therefore, teachers should provide extensive feedback to ELL students to help them improve their writing skills.
Technology-Related Involvement: The Effect Of The MASHOV System On Parent Involvement In Israeli Junior Highs
Authors: Davidovitch Nitza , Yavich Roman
Published: March 2016

The purpose of the study was to examine differences in parental involvement between two high schools that use the MASHOV program (an online learning management system) and one high school where parents receive updates regarding their children in other ways, with attention to parents' background variables: sex, income, and schooling. The study shows that the MASHOV has a positive impact on parental involvement – parents who use the MASHOV program consistently demonstrate a high and significant level of involvement compared to parents who do not have access to this program. Parent involvement was also found to have a positive effect on the child's academic achievements, where the higher the level of involvement the higher the evaluation of the student's achievements. Furthermore, a difference was found between parent involvement in the school by sex. Mothers received a higher score for involvement than fathers. No significant correlation was found between parents' schooling and involvement. The research findings show that the growing trend in recent years whereby computerized systems, and in particular the computerized MASHOV program used in high schools, are being integrated in many educational institutions in order to reach effective pedagogic management, is proving efficient and important.
The Effect Of Blended Learning Approach On Fifth Grade Students’ Academic Achievement In My Beautiful Language Textbook And The Development Of Their Verbal Creative Thinking In Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Madani Feras Mohammed
Published: March 2016

This study aims at investigating the effect of Blended Learning approach compared to the traditional learning approach on fifth grade students’ achievement in My Beautiful Language Textbook and the development of their verbal creative thinking. The study consisted of 49 students among which 25 are males in the Experimental Group and 24 females in the Control Group. The study found a statistical significant difference (α ≤ 0.05) between the mean scores of the two study groups in achievement posttest and verbal creative thinking post application test. The experiment group which was taught using the blended approach of learning outperformed the Control Group in both tests. Thus, learning My Beautiful Language Textbook using the blended approach is more effective than the traditional method in terms of achievement and the development of verbal creative thinking skills. In light of this, the study recommends the adoption of blended approach in learning My Beautiful Language Textbook, the curriculum computerization, holding series of training courses, and workshops for teachers in school districts on how to effectively implement the blended approach.
Teacher Participation In Stress Management Through Different Theoretical Lenses: A Study Conducted In The Mahikeng Area
Authors: Pelser A.M.F. , Van Wyk C.
Published: March 2016

The purpose of the research reported in this article was to place the known facts of the topic of teacher participation in stress management in the context of management and leadership in education. The emphasis in the conceptual and theoretical framework was on showing points of connection between leadership and management on the one hand and stress on the other. The investigation focused on how theoretical points of departure impact on teachers and how teachers experience stress through participation or non-participation in school management. The theoretical investigation was followed by a quantitative investigation by using a structured questionnaire known as the ASSET tool (An Organisational Stress Screening Tool) developed by Carthwright and Cooper. The main objective of the questionnaire was to measure potential exposure to stress in respect of common workplace stressors. The instrument was used to conduct a survey amongst teachers in the Mahikeng area. It was found that although there are many examples of how aspects of the different theories can be applied in the practice of stress management, the reality is that managerial leadership still features strongly in schools and that, in many instances, transformational and distributed leadership does not provide realistic alternatives to stress management theories in schools.
Burnout Among Female Teachers In Malaysia
Authors: Mukundan Jayakaran , Ahour Touran
Published: March 2016

This study is an attempt to survey the burnout level of female teachers in Malaysia and determine the likely factors that are associated with this phenomenon. The subjects of the study were 437 female teachers from primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. A demographic questionnaire was used to collect the data regarding the individual characteristics (e.g., marital status, number of children, age, and teaching experience) and organizational factors (e.g., teaching level and workload). The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Survey (MBI-ES) (Maslach, Jackson, & Schwab, 1986) was also employed to collect the data concerning the burnout levels of the teachers in the three dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Descriptive and univariate statistics were used in the data analysis. It was found that the number of children, level of teaching, age, and years of teaching experience were significant indicators of burnout among the female teachers, while marital status and workload were not significantly related to their burnout syndrome. The implications and recommendations are also presented.