bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recovery of equilibrium free energy from non-equilibrium thermodynamics with mechanosensitive ion channels inE. coli
Authors: Çetiner Uğur , Raz Oren , Sukharev Sergei , Jarzynski Christopher
Published: December 2017

Bacterial mechanosensitive channels are major players in cells’ ability to cope with hypo-osmotic stress. Excess turgor pressure due to fast water influx is reduced as the channels, triggered by membrane tension, open and release osmolytes. However,in vitromeasurements of the free energy difference between the open and closed states of ion channels are challenging due to hysteresis effects and inactivation. Exploiting recent developments in statistical physics, we present a general formalism to extract the free energy difference between the closed and open states of mechanosensitive ion channels from non-equilibrium work distributions associated with the channels’ gating recorded in native patches under ramp stimulation protocols. We show that the work distributions obtained from the gating of MscS channels inE. colimembrane satisfy the strong symmetry relations predicted by the fluctuation theorems and recover the equilibrium free energy difference between the closed and open states of the channel within 1 kBT of its best estimate obtained from an independent experiment.
Estimating global enzyme abundance levels from cofactor requirements: a model-based analysis of the iron metabolism in yeast
Authors: Dikicioglu Duygu , Oliver Stephen G.
Published: December 2017

Metabolic networks adapt to changes in their environment by modulating the activity of their enzymes and transporters; often by changing their abundance. Understanding such quantitative changes can shed light onto how metabolic adaptation works, or how it can fail and lead to a metabolically dysfunctional state. Unfortunately such data are only available on a fraction of the enzyme and transporter pools, and this leaves us distant from generating the full picture. We here propose a strategy to quantify metabolic protein requirements for cofactor-bearing enzymes and transporters through constraint-based modelling. In this work, we constructed the first eukaryotic genome-scale metabolic model with a comprehensive iron metabolism and investigated partial functional impairment of the genes involved in iron-sulphur (Fe-S) cluster maturation, which revealed extensive rewiring of the fluxes in silico, despite only marginal phenotypic dissimilarities. The yeast metabolism at steady state was determined to employ a constant iron-recruiting enzyme turnover at a rate of 3.02 × 10−11 mM / (g biomass)−1 h−1. Furthermore, we employed this model to identify and study a mutualistic relationship between Streptomyces coelicolor and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which involves iron and folate sharing economies between the two microbes.
Critical factors for transferring and sharing tacit knowledge within lean and agile construction processes
Authors: Saini Mandeep , Arif Mohammed , Kulonda Dennis J.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the critical success factors (CSFs) associated with the effectiveness of transfer and sharing of tacit knowledge in lean and agile construction processes.

Design/methodology/approach

The study identifies ten CSFs that initiate the transferring and sharing of tacit knowledge. The CSFs are validated through quantitative study. This study recruited project managers, executives, consultants and other managers that are directly involved in the management of a construction project. It recruits the respondents those have background and experience from disciplines such as lean construction, agile construction, construction supply chain (CSC) and knowledge management in lean, agile and CSC. The data collected through self-administrative questionnaire are categorised as ordinal data to analyse in SPSS with frequency and Kruskal–Wallis H test, Spearman’s correlation analysis and a rank-order analysis is done to establish the level of importance of those factors.

Findings

Initially, “Trust between construction organisations” is identified as the foremost CSF. Moreover, other CSFs such as motivation, leadership capabilities, business strategies and organisational capabilities follow trust.

Originality/value

This is the first study that investigates and establishes the CSFs that are essential to initiate transferring and sharing tacit knowledge in a lean and in an agile construction processes.
Long-run drivers and short-term dynamics of Swedish real house prices
Authors: Asal Maher
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to assess the long-run drivers and short-term dynamics of real house prices in Sweden for 1986Q1 to 2016Q4. More specifically, the author examines the extent to which real house prices are determined by affordability, demographics and asset price factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The author conducts a cointegration analysis and applies a vector autoregression model to examine the long- and short-run responsiveness of Swedish real house prices to a number of key categories of fundamental variables.

Findings

The empirical results indicate that house prices will increase in the long run by 1.04 per cent in response to a 1 per cent increase in household real disposable income, whereas real after-tax mortgage interest and real effective exchange rates show average long-term effects of approximately – 8 and – 0.7 per cent, respectively. In addition, the results show that the growth of real house prices is affected by growth in mortgage credit, real after-tax mortgage interest rates and disposable incomes in the short run, whereas the real effective exchange rate is the most significant determinant of Swedish real house appreciation.

Originality/value

The impact of the two lending restrictions been implemented after the financial crisis – the mortgage cap in October 2010 and the amortization requirement in June 2016 – are ineffective to stabilize the housing market. This suggests that macroprudential measures designed to ease pressure on housing prices and reduce risks to financial stability need to focus on these fundamentals and address the issues of tax deductibility on mortgage rates and the gradual implementation of debt-to-income limits to contain mortgage demand and improve households’ resilience to shocks.
CEO pay-risk sensitivity, firm policies, and 2009 Australian tax reforms
Authors: Bian Chao , Gan Christopher , Li Zhaohua , Hu Baiding
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of chief executive officer (CEO) vega on firm policies in the Australian share market based on a panel data set drawn from the 137 Australian public firms for the period 2003-2012.

Design/methodology/approach

To allow mutual causation between our variables, the authors use the two-stage least squares estimation method, controlling for firm fixed effects. The authors use the difference-in-differences model to test whether the 2009 Australian tax reforms may discourage high-vega CEOs to take value-enhancing risks.

Findings

The authors find the evidence that vega induces CEOs to adopt the riskier financial policy in the Australian capital market. This evidence is further supported by the negative association between vega and firm conservative activities including cash and hedging policies. Further, the result shows that the 2009 tax reforms reduce the CEOs’ willingness to engage in risky financial policy. This finding implies that regulators may restore the 2009 reforms’ “deferred tax point” back to its pre-2009 form.

Originality/value

Based on the study’s results, firms should grant CEOs more out-of-the money options with a longer time to expiration to offset the 2009 tax reforms’ negative impact on the CEO’s incentive to take value-enhancing risks.
Liderazgo orientado a la gente encall centers
Authors: León Federico R. , Morales Oswaldo , Ramos Juan D. , Goyenechea Álvaro , Rojas Paul A. , Meza José , Burga-León Andrés
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Call centers generate stress and absenteeism in staff and the literature suggests that people-oriented leadership is the right way of supervision for such a situation. This study compared its effects versus those of other types of leadership.

Methodology

Absentee data of 379 representatives of customer services of a Peruvian call center were analyzed and the representatives answered a questionnaire about the Framework of Values in Competition and its four types of leadership. Day and night work shifts were compared.

Results

It was observed that absenteeism declines with people-oriented leadership, although only during the day shift, and the addition of leadership oriented to change, results and control devalues models.

Limitations/implications

Future studies should cover the performance of the worker. The findings suggest a need to re-focus the theoretical focus on environmental contingencies that affect leadership effectiveness.

Originality/value

Leadership theorists will ask themselves in what circumstances the multiple leadership is effective. Call center managers will appreciate the organizational value of people-oriented leadership at the first level of supervision.
Public procurement procedures in Turkey
Authors: Kural Sakire , Alsac Umit
Published: December 2017

Turkey transformed the public procurement procedures in year 2002 by two laws; Public Procurement Law and Public Procurement Contracts Law. This situation brought about challenges for the stakeholders from both the public sector and private sector. This paper presents an analysis of the new public procurement procedures to understand the path from the determination of the need to the signing of the contract as well as several special provisions for consultancy services, complaint reviews and statistics of the last two years.
Performance budgeting-the next budgetary answer. but what is the question?
Authors: Pitsvada Bernard , LoStracco Felix
Published: December 2017

In the world of public budgeting, ideas and concepts often come, go, and then resurface years later in a slightly modified version. Performance budgeting was first abandoned in the 1960s; this paper examines its rebirth in an attempt to determine if it will make a significant contribution to American budgeting in the 21st century. Does it make for better budgetary decisions? What are the questions that performance budgeting is supposed to answer? Is it just another procedure that helps avoid focusing on problems of our “capacity to govern” (Schick, 1990)? The paper concludes that while there are positive things to say about the drive to performance budgeting, the Office of Management and Budget should not recommend blanket adoption.
An examination of the effects of balanced budget laws on state borrowing costs
Authors: Sneed Cynthia
Published: December 2017

This study investigates the relationship between different levels of state balanced budget laws and state borrowing costs. Using federal guidelines for state balanced budget law classifications, this author inserted dichotomous variables in an empirical model of state borrowing costs. Ordinary Least Squares Regression is utilized to determine which balanced budget laws are recognized in state interest costs. The results indicate a significant relationship between the most restrictive levels of balanced budget laws and state borrowing costs. The strongest balanced budget laws are associated with lower interest costs while the weakest budget laws are associated with higher costs. It appears that taxpayers in states with weaker balanced budget amendments may not be as protected against excessive government growth as those in states with the most stringent balancing requirements.
Institutional structures utilized in state revenue forecasting
Authors: Voorhees William
Published: December 2017

Approaches taken by states in their revenue forecasting are extremely diverse. This research identifies six institutional structures that states utilize in their revenue forecasting processes. The results show that the “typical” state utilizes a non-consensual approach to forecast formulation with the forecast being done by a single executive agency or cabinet office and with the executive having the final say in the forecast. The “typical” state will not have an economic advisory council, but will utilize faculty from local universities. The “typical” state updates its forecast about every six months and the forecasters perceive their forecast as binding the state budget.
Toward a more ethical system of state and local government retirement funding
Authors: Mahoney Daniel P.
Published: December 2017

The deferred nature of retirement benefits provides public officials with a means of postponing to later years the retirement financing burden. This practice is aided by the fact that the Employee Retirement Income and Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) does not apply to the public sector. Failure to provide for full actuarial funding violates the concept of interperiod equity, which the Governmental Accounting Standards Board cites as a fundamental responsibility of public administrators. Underfunding also violates the just savings principle developed by the philosopher John Rawls. This paper examines the extent of retirement system underfunding in state and local government and considers the various ways in which underfunding imposes an unfair burden on future generations. The ethical significance of underfunding is tied to the works of Rawls, and remedial measures are proposed which are consistent with Rawls’ just savings principle.
Local government accounting system reform in italy: a critical analysis
Authors: Caperchione Eugenio
Published: December 2017

This paper illustrates the aims and the contents of the 1995 Local Government Accounting Act, which introduced an accrual-based financial reporting for Italian municipalities and provinces. To this end, this paper focuses on a sample of 23 local governments that produced these reports for the first time in 1998, and highlights a series of problems that emerged with regard to both communicational efficacy and fair presentation. The conclusions summarize the major gaps between the reform’s objectives and actual effects, and explain the reasons for these gaps and formulate some suggestions in order to re-design the system.
The evolution of the federal budget process
Authors: Anderson Barry , Davis Sandy , Gullo Theresa
Published: December 2017

The federal budget process is a compilation of many rules and procedures, enacted primarily over the past century. Initially neutral as to budget outcome, that process, by the mid-1980s, had evolved to emphasize reducing the deficit. And the budget enforcement procedures put in place to control deficits, combined with robust economic growth, helped to produce historic budget surpluses by the end of 1990s. But in 2001, the economy slowed significantly. The budgetary effects of that slowdown, of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and other factors, brought a return of the deficit in 2002--- ironically, just as the budget enforcement framework put in place to control deficits expired. Now, lawmakers face the question of what new framework should take its place. This article discusses the evolution of federal budgeting, emphasizing the major characteristics of each period and what factors drove reform efforts at each stage.
New federalism: impact on state and local governments
Authors: Anders Kathleen K. , Shook Curtis A.
Published: December 2017

This paper explores the changing nature of federalism in the United States. While the paper highlights different phases of federalism and its impact on sub-national governance, the focus is on “New Federalism” a reform initiative begun in the 1970s that emphasizes decentralization from the national to state and local governments. Today, federal programs and funding are transferred to the states; however, these program responsibilities are then devolved from state to local governments. This creates tension across governments in a good economy; however, it can be a formula for disaster in times of severe budget shortfalls. The argument is made that, though devolution is largely a positive development, collaboration among interdependent national and sub-national governments needs to be advanced.
Rationality, accountability reform and accounting for land under roads in an australian local government
Authors: Hoque Zahirul
Published: December 2017

Recently the inclusion of land under roads as an asset in financial reports by Australian local governments has led to several concerns arising from dissatisfaction with certain elements of the new accounting standards and concepts, particularly, the Australian Accounting Standard AAS 27 “Financial Reporting by Local Governments” and the Standard Accounting Concepts SAC 4 “Definition and Recognition of the Elements of Financial Statements.” These concerns have also meant that most local governments are opposing the recognition of land under roads as an asset for financial reporting purposes. With the inclusion of land under roads dominating the asset element of financial reports, the relevance and reliability of valuation of land under roads needs to be examined. Using an Australian case, this paper examines whether this information provides greater relevance and reliability to users. The paper suggests that, as lands under roads do not affect the Council’s economic position and this information has no value to the users of the information, there is no point in increasing the council’s financial reporting costs.
The prospects for general sales taxation in american state and local government finance: challenges for a fiscal workhorse unready for the new millennium
Authors: Mikesell John L.
Published: December 2017

The retail sales tax has provided a strong foundation for American state government finance since its beginnings in the Great Depression. However, its position as a productive, reliable, and administrable revenue source is now under challenge from three forces. First, it continues as a tax primarily on purchases of tangible personal property, despite the shift in consumption toward services. Second, the physical presence rule for taxation of sales by remote vendors creates an intolerable imbalance between local and remote sellers. And third, legislatures keep gnawing away at the base with politically attractive but fiscally unjustifiable exemptions. In total, the position of the sales tax as a viable and defensible revenue alternative is at risk.
Affirmative action in higher education: costs, benefits, and implementation
Authors: Berry RaJade M.
Published: December 2017

This article discusses the costs and benefits of implementing affirmative action programs in higher education. Based on a national survey of institutions of higher education, the author addresses the following questions: What factors impede the ability of the affirmative action officer to achieve program results? What is the effect of staff size, budget, and race on perceived implementation barriers? This study finds that increased impediments to affirmative action program efficacy are greatly affected by program resources and race.
The single audit act: how compliant are nonprofit organizations?
Authors: Keating Elizabeth K. , Fischer Mary , Gordon Teresa P. , Greenlee Janet
Published: December 2017

Over the past decade, the accountability of nonprofit organizations has been a concern. Our paper reports one form of accountability, the "A-133" or "single" audit, which is required for nonprofits receiving substantial federal funding. We report on 11,841 audits from 1997 to 1999. Overall, compliance appears to be quite high. Our study indicates that smaller nonprofits, those that are new to government grants, and those with prior audit findings have a significantly higher rate of adverse audit findings. One policy implication of our work might be to provide federal funding specifically for Single Audit Act compliance to these nonprofits.
Country level corruption and frequency of issue in the U.S. market
Authors: Khumawala Saleha , Ramchand Latha
Published: December 2017

This paper examines if country level corruption affects the size of a country’s stock market and its ability to raise equity capital. Using Transparency International’s ranking of countries based on corruption levels, we relate the corruption index to total market capitalization for a sample of 104 countries and also examine the number and volume of new equity issues in each country across time. Additionally, we examine if corruption affects the frequency of foreign firms’ raising capital in the U.S. We find that the corruption index is not highly correlated to either the number of issues or the total volume of issue. The correlation between the average volume of issue and the TI index suggests that there is no clear cut relation between the corruption index and the likelihood of the firm raising capital abroad.
Public sector corruption: lessons from daiwa, sumitomo, and bank of Estonia
Authors: Wallace Wanda A.
Published: December 2017

Daiwa, Sumitomo, and Bank of Estonia experiences display patterns from which lessons emerge for public sector financial managers. Effective fiscal policies, avoidance of conflicts of interest, and attention to the hazards of joint regulation by home- and foreign-owned entities’ regulators are essential to avoid scandals and allegations of public sector corruption. Through international initiatives to align capital requirements, alongside budgetary commitments to regulation, examinations, and monitoring activities, financial managers can develop a more effective infrastructure for global financial markets. This paper details the scandals, documents their social cost, identifies patterns, discusses implications for public policy and budgeting, and proposes action.
Will gasb 34 induce changes in local government forecasting practice? a preliminary investigation
Authors: Frank Howard A. , Gianakis Gerasimos A. , McCue Clifford P.
Published: December 2017

Certain of GASB Statement 34’s requirements might on their face induce an upgrading of local sector forecasting capacity as well as a reduction of tolerated forecast error. Results from our national survey of local and county finance officers suggest that respondents with graduate degrees who work in offices with forecasting software may respond to GASB 34 implementation in a manner consistent with this expectation. Others are unlikely to view the standard as a cue to enhance their forecast capacity at this early stage of rollout. Our results also suggest that the norm of revenue underforecasting is deep-seated and that survey results understate its magnitude. These results are a baseline; further experience with the GASB 34 may alter practitioner perception of need and lead to deployment of more advanced forecasting methodology and heightened expectations of forecast accuracy.
Sources of error in state revenue forecasts or how can the forecast possibly be so far off
Authors: Stinson Thomas F.
Published: December 2017

State and federal revenues fell well short of projections in 2002. While revenues normally turn down in a recession, those revenue shortfalls were much greater than would have been expected given how mild the 2001 recession turned out to be. This paper examines some of the reasons for the large forecast variances observed in recent years using specific examples from forecasts made for the state of Minnesota. Key factors identified include inaccurate forecast for U.S. economic growth; inadequate, untimely and inaccurate data; imperfect models; and unrecognized changes in the structure of the economy. These factors came together and reinforced each other, ultimately producing a larger reduction in state revenues than could have been anticipated in advance.
Evolutionary theory of routine: its role in results-based management
Authors: Rivenbark William C.
Published: December 2017

Research has demonstrated that public organizations commonly adopt performance measurement systems to assess the operational accountability of service delivery. This same research, however, has revealed that public managers struggle with using performance measures for improving service performance and for determining long-term budget needs. One plausible explanation for the limited use of performance statistics is found in the strategic management literature on the evolutionary theory of routine. It suggests that private firms make decisions by identifying alternatives to base routines for process innovation rather than relying on the traditional theory of profit maximization. By applying the routines-based perspective to public organizations, this article presents a model of results-based management where performance of service delivery represents our proxy for profit and where performance measures serve primarily to monitor the performance of selected service dimensions. The results of output, outcome, and efficiency measures are then used to support performance, financial, and strategic management, including the selection and implementation of strategies to alter the base routines of service delivery. These new routines, created under the boundaries of rational choice, often have substantial budgetary implications over time when they change the calculus between resource consumption and service provision.
Auction off the farm: signaling, politics, and economic development
Authors: Robbins Donijo , Miller Gerald J.
Published: December 2017

Local public officials rely on tax and non-tax incentive packages to develop their economies. No conclusive evidence supports the economic improvement incentives afford. We investigate, with an experimental approach, the political reasons public officials use tax incentives. The experiment uses simulation gaming to model local economic development as an auction, in that way permitting us to compare the impact that motives, goals, and contexts have on outcomes. Our findings suggest that the majority of economic development competitors fall victim to the “winner’s curse”-overestimating and overbidding the potential payoff for business development.
Executive compensation in nonprofit organizations: evaluating texas independent school districts using structural equation modeling
Authors: Giroux Gary , Willson Victor
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this paper is to model the determinants of executive compensation of school district superintendents using structural equation models (SEM). These chief executives have unique characteristics and function in a complex environment, due in part to the political nature of the position. SEM has not been used widely to test archival data using economic theory. The complex environment of superintendent salaries is a test case for the viability of the SEM approach. The success of SEM depends on the development of a strong theoretical base. The theory developed assumes that compensation should be based, in part, on fiscal and academic performance, indicating that accounting-related information including performance measures should be important in this context. In this case, a complex theoretical structure was reduced to a relatively simple model: superintendent salary can be best explained with three direct effects (enrollment, teacher salary, and the local tax percentage) plus indirect effects by including two additional factors (white percentage and percent economically disadvantaged). Performance did not influence salary, suggesting that future superintendent compensation contracts should consider financial- and education-based performance measures.
Indicators of revenues and expenditures of state and local governments: a measurement model approach
Authors: Doamekpor Francois K.
Published: December 2017

Government fiscal officers, practitioners and policy makers constantly deal with uncertainties in revenue and expenditure projections. These uncertainties create difficulties in resource allocation decisions when significant deviations occur. Clearly, certain variables account for these uncertainties and knowing them prior to revenue and expenditure planning may minimize potentials for errors. This study seeks to determine the identities and reliability of these variables through the application of a measurement model to aggregate data under the formulation that certain variables create uncertainties and affect significantly both revenues and expenditures of state and local governments. The results reveal that inflation, population, unemployment rate, time, government bond rate, and real long-term debts per capita are the most reliable indicators of both revenues and expenditures.
Local government revenue forecasting: the california county experience
Authors: Kong Dongsung
Published: December 2017

This article seeks to (1) identify forecasting techniques used to estimate taxable sales in California counties; (2) analyze which of these produces the most accurate estimate; (3) document what prevented officials from using the most accurate forecasting technique in California counties; and (4) determine what forecasting approach would work best for individual counties. This research generally confirms previous research findings that judgmental approaches are the most commonly used method of revenue forecasting in smaller localities. In terms of accuracy, econometric models outperform other quantitative methods, particularly compared to trend line fitting and extrapolation-by-average approaches. The “not now but later” perception in the use of econometric models can be ascribed to California county forecasters’ discomfort and lack of preparation for using this sophisticated technique. Once the critical prerequisites for the use of econometric models are provided -- such as statewide training, timely inter-governmental data sharing, easy access to economic data, and user-friendly forecasting formats with automated procedures -- econometric models can serve the needs of California counties.
Governmental accounting in portugal: why accrual basis is a problem1
Authors: Jorge Susana Margarida , da Costa Carvalho João Baptista , Fernandes Maria José
Published: December 2017

Until the end of 1997, governmental accounting in Portugal was characterised as essentially cash-based budgetary accounting, using singleentry as the bookkeeping method. The only compulsory accounting system was Budgetary Accounting. As many countries all over the world, nowadays Portugal is implementing a reform of the whole governmental accounting, which has as most important innovations the use of double-entry within a system compulsorily integrating accrual-based Financial and Cost Accounting along with Budgetary Accounting (still essentially cash-based). The main purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse the reform and current situation of governmental accounting in Portugal, especially discussing the accrual basis implementation. In particular, it shows that not only governmental accounting reform in Portugal has been going towards international harmonization, but also problems that have arisen are common to others faced by several countries. Perspectives of future evolution are also presented.
Federal grant programs for community development: déjà vu and policy paradoxes in an ill-fated initiative
Authors: Honadle Beth Walter
Published: December 2017

This article reviews and analyzes the goals and approaches espoused in the George W. Bush administration’s proposed Strengthening America’s Communities Initiative (SACI). Drawing on a variety of materials describing the rationale, purpose, assumptions, goals, and components of the newest policy approach to community and economic development, this paper tries to critically examine the initiative using a capacity-building framework and some of the historical antecedents of Federal grant programs for community development - including some defunct programs - to inform current discussion about the proposal. Two conclusions of this analysis are that this proposal has much more in common with previous administrations’ proposals for development over the last several decades than its advocates are suggesting and that this policy, like most, is a study in paradoxes and compromises.
State rural development policy: the role of the community development block grant program
Authors: Blair Robert , Deichert Jerome , Drozd David J.
Published: December 2017

A partnership of the federal government and the states implement rural community development policy today, yet researchers rarely examine the nature and efficacy of this extensive intergovernmental collaboration. The authors collected data on Community Development Block Grant awards made by one state to small and rural communities for a variety of development projects over a period of more than ten years, and using a modified rural classification system detected patterns and trends in allocation. This study seeks to determine if a federally funded program assists states address the development needs of a diverse mix of rural communities. Do federal block grant programs help states meet rural community development policy objectives? This information should be helpful to local, state, and national government policy makers as they ponder proposals to reorganize dramatically the funding and implementation of community and economic development resources. But maybe most importantly, this study will also help policy makers understand the complexity of the federal-state-local partnership for rural community development.
Comparative performance measurement: a view from florida’s city managers
Authors: Frank Howard A. , Bell Patrick , Wedderburn Nadine
Published: December 2017

Comparative performance measurement (CPM) is a tool that is increasingly advocated by both academics and practitioners yet its systematic implementation via consortium participation is rare. Using logistic regression and content analysis of survey results from Florida’s 297 city managers, the authors found support for performance measurement but limited belief in the utility and cost-effectiveness of CPM in their jurisdictions. Support for performance measurement as a management tool, organizational capacity, and belief in the Tiebout Hypothesis were found to be significant drivers of support for CPM. Graduate education was a significant predictor of assigning high priority to CPM, but community budget format was insignificant. These findings were consistent across both large and small cities. Respondents were skeptical regarding the benefits that might accrue to their jurisdictions relative to the time and resources needed for implementation.
The price tag of economic development incentives: is it too small for citizens to care?
Authors: Dalehite Esteban G. , Mikesell John L. , Zorn C. Kurt
Published: December 2017

This article explores the impact of property tax abatements on tax rates. Using the case study approach, the research uses data from Monroe County, Indiana, and finds that the impact of abatements on tax rates is negligible. The method consists essentially of calculating the difference between actual tax rates and hypothetical tax rates assuming abatement are not awarded. The results suggest that public officials may see in abatements a symbolic and relatively harmless policy tool for purposes of garnering political support from businesses and citizens. The article discusses these findings in light of current law suits brought against prominent abatement programs.
Entrepreneurial spirit in government managed enterprises: evidence from the U.S. general aviation airports
Authors: Guzhva Vitaly S. , Bazargan Massoud , Byers David A.
Published: December 2017

While a number of studies introduce entrepreneurship in the public sector, there is still a need for empirical research in this field. We use a survey of U.S. general aviation airport managers to investigate the benefits of entrepreneurial spirit in public sector management. The results of logistic regressions suggest that the airport managers’ beliefs in importance of selfsustainability significantly improve the likelihood of general aviation airports to be self-sustaining. On the other hand, the airport specific characteristics, such as a favorable location, county population, and others are not statistically significant in achieving self-sustainability. Our findings support the literature that argue that entrepreneurship can be a mean of achieving more efficient, flexible and adaptive management in the public sector.
The association between government expenditure and economic growth: granger causality test of us data, 1947-2002
Authors: Liu Louis Chih-hung , Hsu Chiehwen Ed , Younis Mustafa Z.
Published: December 2017

Wagner’s Law and Keynesian’s theory are two widely accepted yet contrasting propositions. This paper employs Granger causality test on US federal government data, from 1947 to 2002. We used aggregate data as well as disaggregate data with the sub-categories of five federal expenditures, including: national defense, human resources expenditure, physical resources expenditure, net interest payment, and other expenditure. The results of our study suggest that total federal government expenditure is more consistent with Keynesian’s theory while there are diversified causal relationships among five sub-category of federal expenditure. The policy recommendation generated from this paper is that the US federal government should invest more public resources in human resources expenditure assuming that economic growth is the utmost important item on the government agenda.
Budget theory in local government: the process-outcome conundrum
Authors: Kelly Janet M. , Rivenbark William C.
Published: December 2017

Local government budget processes have changed substantially since the early 1990s, due in part to an expanded emphasis on performance accountability and the availability of information technology. We present evidence that local government budget outcomes also have changed over the same time period when disaggregated at the functional level. Though we do not assert a causal relationship between the two, our findings indicate that the normative-descriptive gap in budget theory described by Rubin (1990) deserves new scholarly attention. Our profession’s attraction to incrementalism may have blurred the success of budget reform in local government.
Exploring the desirability and feasibility of reforming china's governmental accounting system
Authors: Chang C. Janie , Chen Gongmeng , Chow Chee W.
Published: December 2017

In response to increasing pressures for public sector efficiency and effectiveness, many countries have switched from cash-based governmental accounting to accrual-based approaches. But other countries have rejected this change, suggesting that its costs and benefits may vary with country-specific factors. To gain insights into the desirability and feasibility of changing China’s governmental accounting from the current cash-based system to one based on the accrual approach, we survey 608 Chinese government staff and officials who either prepare or use such reports. These respondents identify a number of specific inadequacies in the current system and express widespread support for converting towards an accrual-based approach. They also assess the severity of potential impediments to change and the most workable arrangement and timetable for such a change.
Social vs traditional media communication: brand origin associations strike a chord
Authors: Morra Maria Cristina , Ceruti Francesca , Chierici Roberto , Di Gregorio Angelo
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop an analytical comparison between the impact of social media communication (both user-generated and firm-created) and the effects of traditional media communication. In particular, the components of customer-based brand equity and any difference in the effects according to brand origin associations are investigated. The target group consisted of fans and followers of beer brands on social media.

Design/methodology/approach

In all, 192 questionnaires were collected a survey link that was posted on beer brand pages that operate in the Italian market. Structural equation modeling was developed to investigate the impact of social and traditional media communication on brand equity and a multi-group analysis to examine the differences according to the brand names’ origin associations.

Findings

Results show that fans and followers cannot be considered as a collective unit. Additionally, consumers make a clear distinction between firm-created/user-generated social media and traditional media communication. Specifically, they distinguish how the effects of the two media outlets differ in relation to the brand origin associations. International brands should concentrate on both firm-created and user-generated communication, whereas national (Italian) brands should foster their firm-created communications. In both cases, however, traditional media communication loses its effectiveness on the brand equity components.

Originality/value

Contrary to existing literature, this project compares the effect of 2.0 and traditional media on various social media platforms, pointing out two different models according to the brands’ origin associations. This study develops interesting insights both for international companies with huge brand portfolios and for national firms in a complex market like those for beer.
Desperately seeking the civil society: the new challenge of the multinational companies
Authors: Lemmet Laurence-Claire , Medjad Karim
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Multinational corporations (MNCs) entering into so-called state contracts in developing countries, notably in extracting industries or infrastructures, typically find themselves seeking a long-term commitment from a state whose life expectancy might be shorter than the duration of the contract. To address this uncertainty, MNCs have devised additional legal layers and brought additional parties to state contracts, causing a contractual inflation with contradictory aims. On the one hand, they have sought to blur the notion of third party, so that they could assert their contractual rights vis-à-vis more stakeholders. On the other hand, they have carefully avoided a total disqualification of this very notion to keep the civil society away from the negotiation table. Nowadays, the threat that the host states used to represent has been substantially reduced, but MNCs are now exposed outside of state contracts, for it is precisely the lack of contractual commitment on the part of the civil society that is a potential challenge to their activities. Accordingly, they are now forced to seek the endorsement of the very actor they ostensibly ignored in the past. The purpose of this paper is to describe this sinuous evolution of the state contract and to discuss the challenges it announces.

Design/methodology/approach

In the first part, the authors analyze the legal bubble that has prospered throughout the past decades, resulting in a dilution of the state as a party to the contract. In the second part, they describe the emergence by default of the civil society that this phenomenon has triggered. They discuss their findings and conclude in the third part.

Findings

In the past decades, state contracts have consistently progressed in the direction of an increased weakening of the state vis-à-vis its private contractors. For MNCs, this decline is far less favorable than it seems, for it enables the civil society to fill the gap and to claim a role that as disturbing as it is disproportionate, considering its uncertain legal nature.

Research limitations/implications

Despite its evanescent content and contours, it is probably this civil society itself that will draw the new frontier of the state contract. What it will be is yet to be determined however.

Practical implications

MNCs lack the legal power to turn the civil society or some of its emanations into a legal person, let alone compel it to actually “sign” state contracts. But for their bargaining power vis-à-vis host states remains as strong as ever, they may ultimately force their sovereign interlocutors to do so.

Originality/value

The civil society has been extensively studied, but never as the legal person MNCs would like it to be.
Comparing different ITO-metal thin film structures for ethanol and carbon dioxide sensing application
Authors: Eslamian Mohammadali , Salehi Alireza , Miripour Zohreh Sadat
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film as a gas sensor has a good stability and performance. The purpose of this paper is to compare the effect of depositing different metal layers in various structures on the gas sensing properties of ITO toward ethanol and carbon dioxide.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work, the authors have investigated the effect of depositing an ITO layer by Electron Beam Evaporation technique under, on top and in the middle of the metal layers. Surface morphology and the response of the fabricated sensors were compared and the changes in the response of the sensors to ethanol and carbon dioxide gases were studied at various gas concentrations and operating temperatures. The sensing mechanism and result of the other studies were also discussed.

Findings

Comparing various sensor structures reported in this study showed that the ITO nanorods which grow over distinct Ag nano-islands in the ITO/Ag structure has the highest response of 420 per cent to ethanol which is 6 times more than the single-layer ITO sensor. Further, gold nanoparticles on ITO nanorods in Au/ITO/Ag structure produce a very complex structure that exhibits the best response of 150 per cent to carbon dioxide which is 6.5 times more than the single-layer ITO sensor. The response and the recovery times were improved also.

Originality/value

Different ITO-metal gas sensor structures were studied and compared toward ethanol and carbon dioxide. Response enhancement and various surface changes through a series of experiments and analysis were discussed and compared to the literature.
An improved structural design for accelerometers based on slotted eight-beam structure
Authors: Wang Peng , Zhao Yulong , Zhao You , Zhang Qi , Cai Anjiang
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is proposed a new structure design for high performance accelerometer.

Design/methodology/approach

An improved sensitivity structure considering sensitivity, natural frequency and cross-axis sensitivity is established and realized. The proposed structure was designed to improve the trade-off between the sensitivity and the natural frequency of piezoresistive accelerometer and eliminate the lateral sensitivity effect by the specific configuration, which is made possible by incorporating slots into the eight-beam structure. The mechanical model and its mathematical solution are established for calculating the sensitivity and natural frequency behavior of the designed structure. The developed sensor is fabricated on the n-type single-crystal silicon wafer and packaged for experiment. The accelerometer prototype was tested in the centrifugal machine and dynamic calibration system.

Findings

The experimental results show that the sensitivity of the designed sensor is 0.213 mV/(Vg) and the natural frequency of the sensor is 14.22 kHz. Compared with some piezoresistive accelerometers in literatures, the designed sensor possesses a suitable characteristic in sensitivity, natural frequency and transverse effect, which allows its usage in measuring high frequency vibration signals.

Originality/value

The accelerometer with slotted eight-beam structure shows a good performance in the static and dynamic experiments and can be used in measuring high frequency vibration signals.