bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real Estate Financing Techniques Can Be Motivational Tools
Authors: West David A. , West Timothy D.
Published: February 2016

Internal financing decisions regarding corporate real estate are not market determined. Managers calculate occupancy costs by utilizing capital allocations, financial charges, and IRRs. This process can be rather arbitrary. Although newer costing systems produce more accurate numbers, they may not create better working relations. This article demonstrates that desired organizational behavior in some instances may be motivated more effectively with three imprecise financial techniques than with truly accurate costing.
Adaptive Selling And Sales Performance: An Empirical Examination
Authors: Pettijohn Charles E. , Pettijohn Linda S. , Keillor Bruce D. , Taylor A.. J.
Published: February 2016

One of the major advantages of personal selling compared to alternative promotional methods has been described as selling's ability to adjust its messages to meet the buyer's needs.  The belief that the key to effective selling is the salesperson's ability to adapt and adjust is one that has widespread popularity.  However, like many so-called truisms, this belief has had limited empirical support in the selling literature.  The research reported in this article examines the relationship between salesperson productivity and salesperson adaptability in a field setting.  Productivity is measured by examining both salesperson and sales manager reports of a salesperson's performance.  Adaptability is assessed by using Spiro and Weitz' (1990) ADAPTS scale and by using Merrill and Reid's (1981) versatility scale.  Study participants include retail salespeople, their customers, and their sales managers.  The results are consistent with prior research, which indicates that questions regarding the efficacy of adaptive selling continue to exist.
On Evaluation Of Faculty Research Impact Of Citation Analysis
Authors: Vincent Annette , Ross Dianne
Published: February 2016

Citation analysis is gaining importance in evaluation of faculty research because of the need for objective, consistent analysis and because of the availability of databases that provide citation information.  An overview of citation analysis is presented, along with criteria for and examples of manual and electronic citation analysis.  The example of the manual count determines the average number of bibliographic citations per article; the recency of the citation;  the author self-citation rate; the percentage of citations listed in the articles from books, journals, or other publications;  the average number of pages per article; the incidence of citations to the journal in which the article is published (journal self-citations).  The examples of the electronic count give number of citations from authors in other journals, impact factor, immediacy index, and cited half-life. Results provide insight into availability of data and possible uses of that data; i.e., faculty and research evaluation, selection of journals in which to publish, and implications for the future.
The Importance Of Decision Confidence To Strategy Outcomes
Authors: Adidam Phani Tej , Bingi R. Prasad
Published: February 2016

Strategic marketing researchers are of the view that formulating high quality strategies is sufficient for achieving high strategy success rates.  This research study investigates the effect of key organizational and managerial variables on the outcome of strategies.  In particular, the study includes, decision confidence, a hitherto neglected variable in the strategy literature, as an additional, and critical, variable that affects the success of marketing strategies.  This study attempts to establish a bridge between two main streams of literature in the strategy discipline--strategic marketing and decision making.
Continuing Information Systems Issues: A Comparison Of The Manufacturing And Non-Manufacturing Sectors
Authors: Gilbert, Jr. Arthur H. , Pick Roger A. , Ward Sidne G.
Published: February 2016

The CIOs of a sample of publicly-traded U.S. corporations were surveyed about the relative importance of information systems issues.  The issues were selected from a series of MIS Quarterly studies of information systems issues.  An analysis of the differences in the responses from manufacturing firms versus non-manufacturing firms discovered that non-manufacturing firms view these issues as more important than manufacturing firms do. There is also a difference in the underlying factor structure for manufacturing as opposed to non-manufacturing firms.  The differences suggest that manufacturing firms are not as focused upon strategic uses of information systems as non-manufacturing firms.
The Use Of Financial And Nonfinancial Information For Evaluating Performance: An Attributional Perspective
Authors: Schiff Andrew D. , Bento Regina F.
Published: February 2016

This study utilized attribution theory to understand how executives use financial and nonfinancial information to evaluate departmental and managerial performance. An experiment was conducted in which 54 executives of a large retail department store were asked to evaluate the performance of a hypothetical retail selling department and the performance of its manager. The execu­tives responded to 51 cases, each of which contained a different combination of values for eight performance cues. Four of the cues were financial and four of the cues were nonfinancial. Separate main-effects linear models were used to analyze how the subjects used the cues to arrive at judgments about departmental and managerial performance.  The results supported a number of predictions based on attribution theory. First, the evaluations of performance were characterized by bounded rationality, as most subjects used one or more, but not all, of the cues to attribute blame or credit for performance outcomes. Second, the evaluations of performance relied on the cues in a way which indicated the existence of causal links between the performance outcomes reflected in the financial and nonfinancial cues, and managerial control and responsibility for those outcomes. Third, the financial and nonfinancial cues were used in distinctly different ways depending on whether the performance of the department or its manager was being evaluated. Fourth, the cues were used differently to evaluate managerial performance by experts and non-experts in that area. And finally, there was limited self-awareness of the relative importance of different types of information when making causal inferences. 
Cost/Benefit Tradeoffs Relating To Reductions In Postretirement Health Care Benefits In The SFAS 106 Environment
Authors: Bunsis Howard , Riffe Susan
Published: February 2016

We investigate what factors help explain postretirement health care benefit (PRB) reductions around the adoption of Statement of Financial Accounting Standard 106 (SFAS 106). We find that firms with more motivation to make benefit cuts because of larger PRB-related obligations were more likely to decrease benefits.  Our primary contribution comes from examining the cost/benefit tradeoffs of making these reductions.  For example, we find a trade-off between reductions in PRB and increases in pension obligations, consistent with firms offering higher alternative forms of compensation to make up for the loss in PRB. In addition, firms with greater unionization among employees are somewhat less likely to reduce benefits.  Finally, we document that firms involved in more extensive efforts to reduce capacity and cut costs through firm restructurings are more likely to reduce benefits.
A Principal Components Analysis Of The U.S. News & World Report Tier Rankings Of National Liberal Arts Colleges
Authors: Webster Thomas J.
Published: February 2016

Analyzing the relative contribution of eleven ranking criteria used to construct the 1999 U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) tier rankings of national universities, Webster (2000) found by utilizing principal components analysis the actual contributions differed significantly from the explicit USNWR weighting scheme.  This difference was due to the presence of severe and pervasive multicollinearity.  Although USNWR assigns the greatest explicit weight to academic reputation, Webster found that the most significant ranking criterion was average SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores of enrolled students. This paper extends Webster's study to the USNWR tier rankings of national liberal arts colleges.  The results of this study reinforces Webster's findings about the importance of academically related ranking criteria, although academic reputation appears to carry greater weight for national liberal arts colleges than for national universities.
Information Technology And The Performance Of Financial Companies In South Korea
Authors: Calderon Thomas G. , Seo Sooduk , Kim Il-Woon
Published: February 2016

An underlying premise of investments in information technology (IT) for internal business processes is that these investments add value to the enterprise. This study examines the relationship between the effectiveness of IT and financial growth of publicly traded financial companies in South Korea. IT effectiveness is measured through a survey administered to middle managers that focused on user satisfaction, support for internal business processes, and system reliability. The study provides insight into the degree of effectiveness of IT employed in Korean banks as perceived by bank managers, and also demonstrates the link between IT effectiveness and economic performance. Univariate analysis of the data shows a statistically significant association between IT effectiveness and financial growth. The paper offers limited insight into the thesis that enterprises with high business information intensity will show a positive association between effective IT and economic performance.
Twin Deficit Revisited: Evidence From India, Pakistan And Mexico
Authors: Kulkarni Kishore G. , Erickson Erick Lee
Published: February 2016

In recent years twin deficit has been a subject of investigation for several authors including Darrat (1988), Day (1998), Evans (1986).  In the decade of 1980s when US deficits behaved much like twins rather than distant cousins, there was a great interest in further research.  Several attempts have been made to explain the reasons of expected casuality between trade and budget deficits.  This paper attempts to test this casuality for trade and budget deficits for the annual data of India, Pakistan and Mexico.
Web-Based Instruction: Successful Preparation For Course Transformation
Authors: Boose Mary Ann
Published: February 2016

An internet site can provide excellent support for traditional campus-based classes or replace the classroom for a distance learner.  Appropriate use of this powerful tool depends as much upon the style of the faculty member, learning objectives of the course, and communication skills and preferences of teachers and students as upon the technology.  This study examines the experiences of a business faculty member who has found the internet to be a versatile and effective tool.
The Impact Of Non Linearities, Thin Trading And Regulatory Changes In The Efficiency Of An Emerging Capital Market
Authors: Siriopoulos Costas
Published: February 2016

In this paper we provide additional empirical evidence on the importance of the right regulatory changes in the efficiency of emerging capital markets. We focus on the Greek capital market and its Athens Stock Exchange for the period between 1989 to 1999.  In recent years, regulatory policies in Greece have sought to strengthen the safety, credibility and transparency of the capital market, and the Hellenic Capital Market Commission has focused on the protection of the stock exchange from systemic risks, enacted codes of conduct for investment services companies, institutional investors and underwriters, and applied measures for the protection of investors.

 

Using data from the Athens Stock Exchange for the last decade, we present evidence that the inefficiency observed up to 1993 was manifested through non-linear behavior. Probably, this was the result of the characteristics of the market at this time, as it has been shown to be outside the risk-return relationship. However, in recent years many changes have characterized the institutional and regulatory framework and there is strong empirical evidence that after 1993 the market became more efficient.  Our results are in accordance with the findings of other related studies concerning emerging capital markets.
Modeling Annual Poverty In A Metropolitan Area
Authors: Mogull Robert G.
Published: February 2016

This study establishes a methodology to create annual rates of poverty within a metropolitan region.  The site selected is Los Angeles/Long Beach, where trend lines are separately calculated for all residents, whites, blacks, Hispanics, female family heads, the elderly and children.  The most striking evidence is the surge in poverty among Hispanics and children, which pulls up the overall rate for the region.  The trends foretell the formation of an immense impoverished Hispanic underclass.
Social Attributes And Economic Instability In Africa
Authors: Okpala Amon O. , Jonsson Petur O.
Published: February 2016

How do the social characteristics of African economies affect their relative economic stability? This paper offers a new nominal definition of economic instability in terms of average standard deviations from the exponential growth path suggested by neoclassical growth theory under ideal conditions. We used the portion of the population that subsists on agriculture as an indication of how diverse and adaptable any particular economy is. Literacy rates may serve as a proxy for the quality and adaptability of the labor force in the various countries. Other variables used are urban population as a percentage of total population, life expectancy, infant mortality rates and the corruption perception index. These variables were all statistically significant in explaining economic instability with the exception of corruption perception index and infant mortality rates that were statistically insignificant.
Assessment Of Student Performance And Attitudes For Courses Taught Online Versus Onsite
Authors: Campbell Michael C. , Floyd Joe , Sheridan Joanne B.
Published: February 2016

This paper assesses the differences in performance and attitudes of students taught online versus onsite.  Students completed a course evaluation designed to determine student satisfaction in specific areas.  Student performance was measured by means of a comprehensive exam that tested all material covered in the course.  Results support the contention that students in online courses learn as much or more than students in traditional onsite courses and are as satisfied with the course and the instruction as their onsite counterparts.
Small Business Development, Entrepreneurship And Expanding The Business Sector In A Developing Economy: The Case Of South Africa
Authors: Luiz John
Published: February 2016

A dynamic small business sector can make an important contribution, not only in employment creation, but also in lessening concentration in South Africa’s generally oligopolistic industrial structure. However, for the small business sector to make a meaningful contribution to the economy it needs to be integrated into the mainstream. This is going to require a concerted effort both from government and the formal private sector. The paper investigates how the South African private sector views small business and whether it is making a concerted effort at integrating this sector into the framework of the economy as a whole.
Shareholder Reactions to Judicial Decisions Affecting Sales Tax and Direct Marketing Activities
Authors: Key Kimberly G. , Adkins Nell
Published: February 2016

This study examines shareholder reactions to judicial decisions that affect sales tax collection by firms conducting direct marketing activities.  Abnormal returns are measured for four dates related to the 1992 United States Supreme Court decision in Quill.  Results do not indicate statistically significant returns, but some tests indicate differential firm reactions.  Therefore, abnormal returns are also calculated for subsets of firms that are relatively more affected by the court decisions, but no statistically significant results are obtained.  More research is needed in order to determine whether sales tax avoidance is a meaningful incentive for mail order and Internet purchasers.
Market Timing And Selectivity: An Empirical Investigation Into The Features Of Greek Mutual Fund Managers
Authors: Philippas Nikolaos
Published: February 2016

Τhis paper is an empirical assessment of the performance of mutual fund managers in terms of “market timing” and “selectivity”, within the framework suggested by Treynor and Mazuy (1966) and Henriksson and Merton (1981). The relevant data set is a balanced panel of nineteen Greek managers, over a sixty-month period. Empirical evidence does not provide support for correct timing, irrespectively of how the returns of the market index are calculated. It is interesting to note that using the Total Performance Index reduces the ability of managers for selectivity. This result holds for both the models utilized in our study.
Integration Of Fuzzy Logic Control Into Continuous Passive Motion Machines
Authors: Boronico Jess S. , Yerman Ron
Published: February 2016

Thirty-five years ago, a method for approaching classes of problems having a continuum of grades of membership was developed by Zadeh (1965).  Although Zadeh recognized the potential use of this fuzzy logic-based method within the medical profession, its current use in this field has been limited when compared to other scientific disciplines (Steimann, 1997).  This paper builds on the existing literature in the medical discipline by applying fuzzy logic to a particular sub-discipline: physical therapy.  More specifically, this paper presents a fuzzy logic inference engine that controls a continuous passive motion (CPM) device for use with Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) patients post surgery.
Responses Of Interest Rates In Mexico To U.S. Monetary Policy
Authors: Hsing Yu
Published: February 2016

This paper examines potential responses of interest rates in Mexico to the U.S. monetary policy. The regression is cointegrated in that the dependent and independent variables have a long-run stable relationship. The GARCH or ARCH model is applied to estimate regression parameters. The results show that the T-bill rate, the cost of funds rate, and the time-deposit rate in Mexico are significantly affected by the change in the U.S. federal funds rate. In addition, these interest rates are negatively associated with real M2 and real tax revenues and positively affected by the real exchange rate, real government spending, and the expected inflation rate.
Insider Trading Around Convertible Security Calls
Authors: Gramlich Jefferey D. , Mais Eric L.
Published: February 2016

This study examines the nature of insider trading of common stock around conversion-forcing calls of convertible securities.  Managers of call firms significantly increase their frequency of stock sales after call announcements.  Also after the call, substantially fewer call firms are classified as net buyers and a significantly greater number of call firms are classified as net sellers.  This evidence suggests that managers alter their trading behavior as though calls are associated with negative information about their firms' prospects.
Lobbying FASB On Accounting For Investments
Authors: Schultz Sally M. , Hollister Joan
Published: February 2016

The development of SFAS No. 115, Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities, serves as a case study illustrating the forces that underlie the standard setting process in the United States.  This study describes the events leading to the development of the exposure draft (ED) that preceded SFAS No. 115 and analyzes the contents of the comment letters received by FASB in response to the ED; it illustrates how compromises have helped FASB maintain its role as a private sector standard setter.
The R&D Tax Credit And Its Implications For Small Business
Authors: Wise Spence L. , Miles Morgan P.
Published: February 2016

The present study describes how the R&D tax credit functions, explores the impact of the R&D tax credit on SMEs, and proposes that the R&D tax credit is granted permanent status in the US tax code.  This would provide a permanent tax incentive for SMEs to create new technology based intellectual property.  Similar tax credits have been effectively adopted in Europe to stimulate high technology business creation.
Century Bonds: Debt Or Equity Securities?
Authors: Chan Kam C. , Viswanath P.V. , Wong Annie
Published: February 2016

In this study, we examine the characteristics of firms that have issued century bonds and the debt-versus-equity classification of these bonds.  Although it is commonly assumed that such bonds are issued for tax-avoidance purpose, an examination of firm characteristics suggests that firms have non-tax related motives in issuing century bonds.  The formal structure of century bonds also suggests that century bonds are similar to debt.  On the other hand, our analysis of the systematic risk of issuing firm's equity shows that century bonds are more similar to equity than to debt.  Thus, ultimately, the relative importance of these three factors will have to determine whether they are to be considered debt or equity. 
Salesperson Listening: A Replication And Extension Of The ILPS Scale
Authors: Castleberry Stephen B. , Ridnour Rick , Shepherd C. David
Published: February 2016

The primary purpose of this study was further testing of the ILPS scale (Castleberry, et al. 1999). The sample consisted of 101 salespeople from three business-to-business firms in the Midwest.  In addition to the ILPS exhibiting good reliability, results are consistent with prior research indicating a significant positive relationship between listening ability and salesperson performance.  Results also found a significant positive relationship between listening ability and adaptability and age.  Contrary to past salesperson listening research, females were found to be better listeners than men, and there was no significant relationship between listening and salesperson experience. Implications for managers and researchers are offered. 
Estimates Of Intangible Capital In Financial Statements
Authors: Lilly Martha Sadler , Reed Ronald O.
Published: February 2016

This research implements an inquiry into theoretical financial models and their related applications to intellectual capital (intangible expenditures) in accounting financial statements.  Intellectual capital differs from intangible property in that intellectual capital has not yet been documented in the form of patents, copyrights, trademarks, or other specific balance sheet assets (intellectual property).  Intellectual capital is indicative of expenditures of a discovery or development nature that has yet to prove its usefulness to the corporation or its marketability to external parties.  A random sample of 28 companies was selected from the top Fortune 100 as defined by revenues, using an Internet random number generator.  Rather than using earnings to compute capitalization rates, cash flow from operations is used as the surrogate.  The rationale is that cash flow is not as easily manipulated as earnings and is not subject to changing accounting rules.  Cash flow is critical to corporate survival and so is its funding of development for intangibles.  Stock prices are unstable; they even might be categorized as “chaordic.”  Accounting information provides us with historical cost in a global economy where future inventions and implementations of creative, instantaneous ideas are the foundation for new wealth.  Discount rates from four models (capital asset pricing model, weighted average cost of capital, Ibbitson, Black/Isom) are applied to the cash flow from operations stream of the sample firms to determine an estimate of the unrecorded intellectual capital.
The Application Of Neyman-Pearson Methodology To The Estimation Of Web Advertising Viewers
Authors: Boronico Jess S. , Christensen Edward W.
Published: February 2016

As electronic commerce continues to expand as a medium of choice in transaction markets, issues of advertising effectiveness and exposure have become increasingly salient. While the literature is replete concerning levels of exposure for more traditional forms of advertising and commerce, the extension of much of this work to the electronic commerce market is limited, despite the wealth of online tracking information that does not exist in more traditional markets.  This manuscript addresses this limitation by considering the important issue of estimating advertisement exposure for “banner” or “target” advertisements within electronic commerce through the utilization of standard Neyman-Pearson statistical methodology.
Antecedents And Consequences Of Job Satisfaction: Testing A Comprehensive Model Using Integrated Methodology
Authors: Baker W. Kevin
Published: February 2016

This study examines the key antecedents and two important consequences of job satisfaction in a comprehensive framework by utilizing integrated methodologies.  This involves combining meta-analytic techniques with structural equation modeling.  The antecedents represent theoretical perspectives that indicate workplace influences including task characteristics, social information processing, and dispositional perspectives.  The consequences are the withdrawal behaviors of absenteeism and turnover.  The results indicate all three perspectives are supported to varying degrees with multiple antecedents impacting job satisfaction.  However, the dispositional variables maintain the greatest overall impact. Interestingly, job satisfaction had little impact on the progression of withdrawal behaviors.  Although job design and leadership behaviors impact job satisfaction, management needs to reconsider hiring and selection practices as they relate to the dispositional aspects of potential employees.
Timing Contributions To State Educational Savings Plans
Authors: Moreland Kemper W.
Published: February 2016

State educational savings plans have become increasingly popular with families saving for college because contributions grow tax free.  Many states also allow contributions to be deducted under the state income tax but with an annual limit.  This state tax subsidy creates a dilemma for moderately wealthy investors:  contribute a large sum now or limit this year’s contribution to free funds for future annual deductions?  This study calculates how tax rates, time horizons, and rates of return determine one’s choice.
Translog Model Of Employment Substitution And Economies Of Scale In The U.S. Steel Industry, 2003
Authors: Nwaokoro Amaechi N.
Published: February 2016

The period of 1963-1988 witnessed a tremendous decline in U.S. steel employment while the real wage rate increased slightly in the industry.  There is a popular notion that the nominal wage rate is the major factor in explaining the declining steel employment.  This study examines the decline in a system of input demand equations based on time series data.  The study identifies a heavy cap-italization in the industry as the driving factor for the steel employment decline.  This result supports the claim that the high wage rate in the industry is backed up by high productivity and therefore is not responsible for the steel employment decline.  Also, the study finds a lot of input substitutions.  The study finds diseconomies of scale in the industry, which may explain the decline of the industry.
Wireless Technologies For Marketing And Management Professionals
Authors: Schornack Gary R. , Beck Charles E.
Published: February 2016

Wireless technology is rapidly expanding market in business. A survey of literature and executives in Colorado indicates extensive use of cell phones predominating in all businesses.  Secondary wireless technology (wireless mouse, LAN, keyboards, PDA) is gradually expanding. The future holds additional expansion in Hot Spots for use away form the home/office environment.  Major concerns with wireless technology involve both security and standardization, which will determine expanded use in the future.
Auditor Perceptions Of SAS 99: Do Two Expectation Gaps Still Exist?
Authors: Specht Linda B. , Sandlin Petrea
Published: February 2016

In 1988, the Auditing Standards Board released nine standards intended to narrow the previously identified “expectation gap”—a gap between the expectations of financial statement users and certified public accountants (“Expectation Gap I”).  A 1992 study of auditor perceptions of two of those standards dealing with errors, irregularities, and illegal acts of clients, revealed that there existed a second expectation gap, one between the standard setters and practicing CPAs (“Expectation Gap II”). Since then, the ASB has released two successor statements intended to address the issue of auditors’ responsibility to consider fraud in a financial statement audit.  This study examines auditor perceptions of the more recent pronouncement and reveals general skepticism among respondents regarding its effectiveness in promoting Congressional and public confidence in the auditing profession; i.e., little confidence that it will serve to reduce Expectation Gap I.  It also reveals the continued existence of Expectation Gap II.  
Using EVA As A Decision Metric In Capital Budgeting
Authors: McClatchey Christine , Clinebell John
Published: February 2016

Economic Value Added (EVA) has been growing in popularity within the business community as a measure of both value and performance.  Despite this growth, EVA has yet to receive significant attention in the academic literature, particularly in micro decision-making areas such as capital budgeting.  This paper examines the efficacy of EVA as a capital budgeting decision-making aid.  Although a theoretical link between EVA and net present value (NPV) has been noted, issues related to its implementation have yet to be addressed.  Our analysis details conditions under which EVA produces managerial decisions similar to those obtained by the NPV rule.  Contrary to some claims, we find EVA and NPV produce different accept/reject decisions in a variety of commonly encountered capital budgeting situations.
African-American Business Ownership: Strength In Numbers, But Where?
Authors: Cooke Donna K.
Published: February 2016

Federal and state governments have seen fit to create enterprise and empowerment zones which benefit community redevelopment.  Are these areas good for minority businesses?  Data from Broward County, Florida show that African-American owned businesses tend to be in ethnic communities.  They also tend to be in enterprise zones moreso than the other groups, and less likely than women-owned businesses to be in industry clusters.  The findings, if replicated in other diverse urban communities, have implications for potential minority business owners.  Future research should address whether the differences in location patterns are related to business success.
Comparison Of The Performance Of Several Data Mining Methods For Bad Debt Recovery In The Healthcare Industry
Authors: Zurada Jozef , Lonial Subhash
Published: February 2016

The healthcare industry, specifically hospitals and clinical organizations, are often plagued by unpaid bills and collection agency fees. These unpaid bills contribute significantly to the rising cost of healthcare. Unlike financial institutions, health care providers typically do not collect financial information about their patients.  This lack of information makes it difficult to evaluate whether a particular patient-debtor is likely to pay his/her bill.  In recent years, the industry has started to apply data mining tools to reduce bad-debt balance. This paper compares the effectiveness of five such tools - neural networks, decision trees, logistic regression, memory-based reasoning, and the ensemble model in evaluating whether a debt is likely to be repaid. The data analysis and evaluation of the performance of the models are based on a fairly large unbalanced data sample provided by a healthcare company, in which cases with recovered bad debts are underrepresented. Computer simulation shows that the neural network, logistic regression, and the combined model produced the best classification accuracy. More thorough interpretation of the results is obtained by analyzing the lift and receiver operating characteristic charts. We used the models to score all “unknown” cases, which were not pursued by a company. The best model classified about 34.8% of these cases into “good” cases. To collect bad debts more effectively, we recommend that a company first deploy and use the models, before it refers unrecovered cases to a collection agency.    
RFID And Supply Chain Management: An Assessment Of Its Economic, Technical, And Productive Viability In Global Operations
Authors: Narsing Anthony
Published: February 2016

The integration of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems within a company’s supply chain offers an abundance of economic and productive capabilities.  RFIDs permit an organization’s supply chain to have increased product visibility, reduction of stock, trim warehouse costs, eliminate stock errors, reduce theft and shrinkage and allow them to update their logistics and inventory databases with real-time information.  The technical capabilities and limitations of RFIDs are examined.  Suppliers and retailers must create solid alliances to build an RFID network, which must support both technical and operational information needs.  This is a necessary and sufficient condition for integrating RFID within their respective supply chains.  While cost is identified as the predominant factor inhibiting progress in RFID tagging at the product unit level, the future remains very promising for rapid gains in RFID development as long as technology continues to advance through increased research and development initiatives.
Incentives For Monitors: Director Stock-Based Compensation And Firm Performance
Authors: Cordeiro James J. , Veliyath Rajaram , Neubaum Donald O.
Published: February 2016

Since the mid-1990s, US corporations have increasingly emphasized stock-based compensation for outside directors in order to align their interests with stockholders and thus boost firm performance. We demonstrate that stock options and stock grants (each as a ratio relative to total compensation) for directors were positively related to future firm performance (measured as stock returns, and, separately, as Jensen’s Alpha) for a panel of 450 Standard and Poor 500 firms over 1995-97. Stock option ratios appeared to have a stronger impact on firm performance than stock grants did.
Gender And Executive Pay In The S&P Mid-Cap And Small-Cap Companies
Authors: Renner Celia J. , Bowlin William F. , Rives Janet M.
Published: February 2016

Gender pay equity among all levels of workers is a topic of interest to the public as well as to business researchers. Catalyst, a non-profit group devoted to the advancement of women in management, noted that women executives were paid only 68% of the earnings of their male counterparts in 1997. In this current study of the S&P Mid-Cap and Small-Cap companies, we find that variations in annual and long-term executive pay are generally not associated with gender, but rather with the size of the company, CEO pay (a control for pay-scale strategy), and whether the executive is in a line position. While women appear to be earnings equal amounts of total remuneration in these smaller companies, it should be noted that only 3.6% of the S&P Mid-Cap and Small-Cap five top-paid executives were female in 1998.
Hispanic-American Poverty
Authors: Mogull Robert G.
Published: February 2016

Since 1970, the Hispanic-American population has grown rapidly and has become a progressively larger proportion of the overall American population.  Over the same time period, the Hispanic share of total American poverty has grown at an even more rapid pace.  Hispanic-Americans, however, are not a homogeneous cultural or economic segment of the population.  Although Hispanics in general have experienced poverty rates which far exceed the national rates, there are large differences among various Hispanic ethnic groups.  The purpose of this article is to examine the patterns of poverty within the Hispanic-American community.
Relative Efficiency And Quality Of Global Automobile Companies
Authors: Narasimhan Seetharama L. , Graham Allan W. , Wang Mulong
Published: February 2016

We investigate global automobile companies to determine whether quality and productivity are associated with profitability and increased market share. From multiple tests, evidence suggests that 1) the firms fall into three groups:  Toyota and Honda excel in all categories and are in the high performing group; Audi, GM, Mazda, BMW, and Nissan are in a moderate performing group while Daimler/Chrysler, Ford, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen are in a relatively low performing group; 2) that firms with high (low) quality, on average, have higher (lower) profitability and higher (lower) increases in market share for the sample period.  Implications for managers of manufacturing firms with a consumer market presence is that firms that pursue product quality and value to their customers should benefit by improved financial performance. 
An Empirical Investigation Of The Minority Interest And Marketability Discounts In Valuation Of Closely Held Stock For Estate And Gift Tax Purposes
Authors: Englebrecht Ted D. , Anderson Mary M. , Martinson Otto
Published: February 2016

The discounts for lack of marketability and minority interest are crucial in reducing the value of transferred interests of closely held companies for estate and gift tax purposes.  Because the current highest marginal estate and gift tax rate is 49%, there is a strong inducement for CPAs, Attorneys, Investment Bankers, Financial Planners, and others who value these transfers to accurately gauge the judicially allowed discounts for lack of marketability and minority interests in the valuation of closely held stock.  This study examines the relationship between Tax Court determined values for lack of marketability and minority discounts to closely held stock from the compromise percentages.  Compromise percentage is defined as the mean of the percentage presented by the adversarial parties, the taxpayer, and the IRS, in a judicial action.  Additionally, this relationship is examined across industry classifications.  The period investigated covers January 1, 1973 through December 31, 2002.  Both regular and memorandum decisions by the Tax Court are analyzed over this thirty-year span.  Chi-square analysis is used to determine that the Tax Court determined values are not significantly different than the compromise percentages.  Furthermore, this finding does not vary across industries.  Regression and chi-squared results are augmented with descriptive statistics.
Developing A Mathematical Model For Locating Facilities And Vehicles To Minimize Response Time
Authors: Lightner Constance , Tavakoli Asad , Fathi Yahya
Published: February 2016

Traditional mathematical models for locating/allocating vehicles and facilities are reviewed and extended to illustrate how to formulate and solve a problem of minimized response time, given resource constraints.  Results indicate that the average response time can be significantly improved through strategically allocating vehicles throughout the service area.  Furthermore, the modified model was shown to outperform the traditional model as the number of vehicles allocated to a fixed number of facilities increase.  Implications are identified for applications such public transit systems, wholesale and distribution operations.
Tax Incentive Provisions And The User Cost Of Capital: The Case Of Greece
Authors: Anastassiou Thomas A.
Published: February 2016

According to the neoclassical framework the quantitative influence of tax policy measures on capital spending is exercised through the parameters that define the desired stock of capital and more specifically through the user cost determinant (c). A tax-adjusted user cost expression is formulated and time series of user cost are calculated using the usual tax parameters (like depreciation allowances, tax credits, investment grants, investment allowances and the like) that are incorporated in the value of c and which have been taken from the Greek tax incentive structure. The test of fiscal parameters on investment was made for the two kinds of capital assets, equipment and structures, since expenditure on these two comprise on average an almost 85 per cent of total manufacturing investment in Greece. What the research showed for the period under investigation was that c, the cost of capital variable, was not affected much by tax provisions, and in its turn could not affect decisively the desired level of capital stock and thus the amount of net investment.(JEL: E62)
The Effect Of Accounting Conservatism And Life-Cycle Stages On Firm Valuation
Authors: Park Yonpae , Chen Kung H.
Published: February 2016

This paper investigates how accounting conservatism affects the value-relevance of accounting information under different economic attributes. A firm’s value is driven by the underlying economics, such as its production function, investment opportunity set, and risk. The corporate life-cycle stage can capture general differences in these underlying economics. From the perspective of the Feltham and Ohlson (1995)’s valuation model, this suggests that firms in different life-cycle stages have different financial characteristics that affect the value-relevance of the accounting information. Their valuation model depicts theoretically that, under conservative accounting, the expected growth in net operating assets affects a firm’s market valuation. This paper predicts that the pricing multiples of the value components of the valuation model will differ in different corporate life-cycle stages and accounting conservatism will have a joint effect with the life-cycle stage on the value-relevance of accounting information. This study conducts its hypothesis tests using comprehensive proxies such as conservatism estimates from the valuation model and corporate life-cycle stages.  These enable this study to examine the overall effects of accounting information, accounting conservatism as well as economic attributes on firm value. According to those comprehensive proxies, sample firms are classified into two conservatism groups, and three life-cycle stages. The results of this study provide evidence that accounting conservatism has a joint effect with the life-cycle stage on the value-relevance of accounting information. 
Conflict Management Strategies And Manifest Conflict: Do They Matter In Buyer/Seller Relationships?
Authors: Toms Lisa C.
Published: February 2016

This study addresses the gap in research concerning conflict and conflict management in buyer/seller relationships. Two types of manifest conflict, functional and dysfunctional, were tested to determine the distinct effect of each on the buyer/seller relationship and to determine if the two types of conflict are determined in some way by the choice of one of five management strategies available to the seller.
Multivariate Analysis Of Foreign Direct Investment In China
Authors: Yu Tyler T. , Zhang Miranda M.
Published: February 2016

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the foreign direct investment (FDI) in China. China has become an increasingly important hosting economy for FDI and this trend is expected to continue with the country’s entry to the World Trade organization.  In this paper, we will review the current literature related to FDI, and use secondary data to employ regression to estimate the trend line of FDI in China. This is followed by factor analysis to examine the variables and factors influencing the FDI in China. We will then perform clustering analysis to look at the regional distribution of FDI in China and finally draw conclusions. 
Changes To Accounting For Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans: Discussion And Illustration
Authors: Godwin Norman H. , Wilson Arlette C.
Published: February 2016

Requests that the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) address issues related to employers’ accounting for defined benefit postretirement plans have increased in recent years.  Those requests have been made by users of financial statements and others, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) staff and representatives of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.  Constituents are interested in improved transparency and understandability.
Auditor Compensation Pattern Of S&P 500 Corporations Before And After The Passage Of Sarbanes-Oxley Act
Authors: Pandit Ganesh M. , Subrahmanyam Vijaya , Rubenfield Allen
Published: February 2016

The years 2001-02 were marked with an outburst of huge corporate financial failures that eroded billions of dollars from the stockholders’ equity and shook the confidence of the investor community. One of the issues that rose to the surface was the payment of huge nonaudit service fees by publicly traded companies to their auditors.  In response to the outcry against the alleged role of the auditors in the corporate scandals, Congress passed Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX), which imposed a prohibition on the supply of certain nonaudit services by a CPA firm to its audit clients in order to reduce the suspected  revenue-dependence of auditors on their audit clients.  The study described in this paper examines the pattern of auditor compensation in the years 2001 and 2004 (i.e., pre- and post-SOX periods), for a sample of large public companies, to determine how the auditor compensation has changed during this three-year period and whether the new regulations have decreased such revenue-dependence of the auditor. The study also examines if each of the Big 4 CPA firms that dominate the audit market for large public companies have experienced a change in the pattern of their revenues drawn from different sources of auditor compensation. The results show that not only the composition of auditor compensation has changed after the passage of SOX but also the overall compensation paid by the sampled companies to their auditors has gone up noticeably in many cases, primarily due to a phenomenal rise in audit fees, which still may continue to threaten the auditor’s independence in the audit process.  Further, during this three-year period, each of the Big 4 CPA firms has shifted its emphasis on the different sources of its revenues from these large public companies.
The Relationship Between Information Transparency And The Informativeness Of Accounting Earnings
Authors: Lin Yu-Chih , Huang Shaio Yan , Chang Ya-Fen , Tseng Chien-Hao
Published: February 2016

The issue of corporate governance has prompted calls for greater transparency and disclosure on companies around the world. As a result, a disclosure ranking system, Information Transparency and Disclosure Ranking System (ITDRS) was launched in Taiwan since 2003 by the request of Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation (TSEC). This paper examines the relationship between information transparency and the informativeness of accounting earnings. The empirical tests are conducted using TEJ database for firms listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange with fiscal year ends between 2003 and 2004. Empirical results indicate that, information transparency, measured by the ranking of ITDRS, reduces the informativeness of accounting earnings. However, if information transparency is measured by the ratio of long-term investment in stocks, evidences show higher earnings response coefficients (ERC) for the more transparent firms. The results suggest that accounting numbers are more useful or valuable than the ITDRS ranking results from investors’ perspective. It also suggests that the ITDRS may be not a good proxy for financial transparency.