bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Drivers of financial and operational efficiency of MFIs: empirical evidences from Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Authors: Khan Asif , Shireen Saba 
Published: September 2020

PurposeThe study attempts to examine the bias-adjusted financial and operational efficiency estimates of microfinance institutions (MFIs) operating in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region during the financial year 2017–2018. In addition, the study also identifies the responsible factors determining the financial and operational performances of MFIs operating in the ECA region.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs two-stage bootstrap data envelopment analysis (DEA). In the first stage, the authors incorporate the bootstrap procedure in the DEA framework as suggested by Simar and Wilson (2000) to estimate the bias-corrected efficiency scores of 67 sample MFIs. In order to identify the drivers of efficiency level, the study deploys the bootstrap truncated regression model following the Simar and Wilson (2007) guidelines in the second stage of analysis.FindingsThe authors note from the empirical results that MFIs operating in the ECA region are relatively more financially efficient (0.588) than socially efficient (0.496). However, none of the MFIs were found to be operating at best-practice frontier while considering the bias-adjusted efficiency estimates. Further, the results of second stage of analysis confirm that corporate governance, that is, board size has positive and statistically significant impact on MFIs’ performances. In addition, the bad credit quality deteriorates both financial revenue and operational efficiency. Moreover, the MFIs’ size, profit status and debt-to-equity ratio were also found to be statistically significant to determine the operational and financial efficiency of MFIs in the ECA region.Practical implicationsThe study provides the robust efficiency estimates and factors responsible to determine the financial and operational efficiency of MFIs operating in the ECA region. Further, the empirical results of the study provide the inputs and further direction to the policymakers, regulators, practitioners and managers in framing the policy and optimal operating strategies for ECA MFIs industry.Originality/valueThe study extends the DEA analysis by incorporating the bootstrap procedure in DEA model to estimate the bias-adjusted efficiency scores which are more reliable and robust. In addition, bootstrap truncated regression has been applied to identify the drivers of efficiency. Moreover, in the literature there is no single study which has deployed the double bootstrap DEA framework to examine the financial and operational efficiency estimates and its drivers.
The risk management role of nonexecutive directors: from capital expenditure perspective
Authors: To Tho Anh , Suzuki Yoshihisa , Ho Hong Thu Thi , Tran Siem Thi , Tran Tuan Quoc 
Published: September 2020

PurposeThis study investigates the impact of board independence on firm risk of Vietnamese listed firms and the moderating effect of capital expenditure on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis paper applies fixed effects and dynamic generalized method of moments (GMM) models to examine hypothesized associations between the proportion of nonexecutive directors and stock return volatility, as well as the moderating effect of capital expenditure. The robustness tests are implemented by applying alternative measures of overinvestment and firm risk.FindingsThe results show that the presence of nonexecutive directors on board increases firm risk. However, the combination of nonexecutive ratio and capital expenditure ratio has a significant negative impact on firm risk. The result is also confirmed by the difference between the monitoring role of nonexecutive directors in overinvesting and underinvesting firms.Research limitations/implicationsThe results imply that Vietnamese listed firms take stock return volatility into consideration before nominating and appointing nonexecutive directors into their board, especially in overinvesting firms. From another perspective, the shift toward having a majority of nonexecutive directors on boards can play a significant role in pursuing a stable or risky business strategy.Originality/valueThis paper investigates the influences of nonexecutive directors on firm risk in the context of Vietnam.
Identifying export markets for Indian medical devices
Authors: Siddiqui Areej Aftab , Singh Parul 
Published: September 2020

PurposeMedical device industry in India is a niche sector with few key players but it possesses huge potential for both domestic and international trade. In recent years, a number of regulatory relaxations have been provided to medical device manufacturers in India to enhance production and further trade especially exports. Though the industry is highly dependent on imports, the purpose of this paper is to identify key medical devices using the revealed comparative advantage, which can be exported from India by identifying new markets.Design/methodology/approachFor the selected medical devices, India’s exports to the world and the newly identified markets are forecasted using the autoregressive integrated moving average model of regression.FindingsIt is seen that three major medical devices emerge to be the ones where India has the capacity and potential to manufacture and export. These medical devices are electro-cardiographs, magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and oscilloscopes and oscillographs being exported to the USA, Australia; China and the USA, respectively, which is rising in recent years.Research limitations/implicationsAs the forecasted values indicate that there is an increasing potential in exports from India to the world of the selected medical devices, there is an urgent need to develop this industry and enhance exports from India. Very few studies have been carried out to examine and forecast exports from specific sectors or industries which is the need of the hour now.Originality/valueThe paper also provides suggestions to exporters and policymakers on leveraging the future export potential of selected medical devices.
Optimisation of a chuck for cardboard can seaming – part 2: numerical modelling and statistical analyses
Authors: Velkavrh Igor , Ausserer Florian , Klien Stefan , Voyer Joel , Vorlaufer Georg , Abbrederis Alexander 
Published: September 2020

Purpose
In the cardboard package production process, the cardboard roll and the cardboard bottom are joined in the seaming process. During the process, the cardboard is plastically deformed and damage to the cardboard surface can occur. The purpose of this study was to optimise the macro-geometrical parameters of the seaming chuck in order to minimise the cardboard damage during the seaming process.

Design/methodology/approach
The influences of geometrical properties of the seaming chuck on the seaming force were investigated using numerical investigations and statistical analysis.

Findings
A force-displacement model was established, which enabled the optimisation of the seaming chuck geometry for a reduction of the seaming force.

Research limitations/implications
Results from the present study imply that for tribological optimisation, not only the surface properties such as roughness and frictional response but also the macro-geometrical features of the actual mechanical components should be considered, as these can considerably affect the contacting forces and consequently the friction within the tribosystem.

Practical implications
Based on the performed analyses, a new seaming chuck was manufactured, which is currently undergoing testing in the real production process and is providing improved performance in terms of seam quality as compared to the benchmark.

Originality/value
In the present work, a systematic approach towards the use of statistical methods in tribological optimisation projects is provided for a use case applying a combination of numerically calculated and experimentally measured values.

Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-02-2020-0065/
Continuous e-learning at the workplace: the passport for the future of knowledge
Authors: Kapo Amra , Mujkic Alisa , Turulja Lejla , Kovačević Jasna 
Published: September 2020

PurposeConceptual model in this paper combines existing scientific knowledge grounded in theories of planned behavior, diffusion of innovation and a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, while aiming to identify relevant determinants of continuous use of e-learning by employees who used e-learning in the past year at their workplace.Design/methodology/approachThe authors developed and empirically tested the positive impact of professional, personal, IT and environmental factors on the continued use of e-learning among 672 employees across different sectors using the structural equation modeling technique.FindingsResearch results suggest that the most powerful determinant of continuous use of e-learning are personal factors. Environmental influences and technological aspects also exhibit a positive and significant impact on the continuous use of e-learning. Research hypothesis related to the positive influence of professional factors on the continuous use of e-learning has not been empirically confirmed. Also, results demonstrated that continued use of e-learning contributes to better individual business performance.Practical implicationsThe practical contribution is threefold: to companies, education institutions and human resource managers. For companies, identification of key determinants will lead to a better understanding of employees needs regarding continuous job improvements. The findings can be used by educational institutions to design e-learning programs according to results and real value to employees. On the other hand, human resource managers can benefit from this study in terms of getting concrete factors that motivate employees for continuous job improvement.Originality/valueThe research sheds light on the proposed integrated model that tests the post-adoption of the continuous use of e-learning within an organizational context.
An Empirical Study on Volatility Spillover Effect among KOSPI200, Futures, ETFs Markets
Authors: Kang Seok-Kyu , Byun Youngtae , Park Jonghae 
Published: September 2020

In this study we compared the effectiveness of different ETFs. For this purpose, we analyzed the volatility spillover effect (process) among KOSPI200, KOSPI200 futures and KOSPI200 ETFs such as KODEX200, KOSEF200, KINDEX200, TIGER200 using multi-variate GARCH model. The sample was generated from high frequency data set over the period from 05/24/2009 to 12/29/2011 (669 days). The volatility spillover effect was examined at 1, 5, 10, 30 minute' intervals for each market and the main results are as follows;
First, KODEX200 has the highest correlations with KOSPI200 and KOSPI200 futures in four ETFs.
Second, all ETFs have a cointegrated relationship with its underlying asset KOSPI200 as KOSPI200 and KOSPI200 futures do.
Third, in the daily data the volatility spillover among ETFs, KOPSI200 and KOSPI200 futures was investigated in part but it was not consistent.
The fourth, according to the result derived from high-frequency data analysis the volatility spillover effect from KODEX200 to KOSPI200 (KOSPI200 futures) is bigger than that from KOSPI200 (KOSPI200 futures) to KODEX200 while other ETFs are not.
The overall results indicate that KODEX200 which is the biggest ETF in volume performs very important roles in finding the price of underlying asset and further researches can be expected.
Did healthcare professional perspectives on the quality and safety environment in New Zealand public hospitals change from 2012 to 2017?
Authors: Gauld Robin , Horsburgh Simon 
Published: September 2020

PurposeThe work environment is known to influence professional attitudes toward quality and safety. This study sought to measure these attitudes amongst health professionals working in New Zealand District Health Boards (DHBs), initially in 2012 and again in 2017.Design/methodology/approachThree questions were included in a national New Zealand health professional workforce survey conducted in 2012 and again in 2017. All registered health professionals employed with DHBs were invited to participate in an online survey. Areas of interest included teamwork amongst professionals; involvement of patients and families in efforts to improve patient care and ease of speaking up when a problem with patient care is perceived.FindingsIn 2012, 57% of respondents (58% in 2017) agreed health professionals worked as a team; 71% respondents (73% in 2017) agreed health professionals involved patients and families in efforts to improve patient care and 69% (65% in 2017) agreed it was easy to speak up in their clinical area, with none of these changes being statistically significant. There were some response differences by respondent characteristics.Practical implicationsWith no change over time, there is a demand for improvement. Also for leadership in policy, management and amongst health professionals if goals of improving quality and safety are to be delivered upon.Originality/valueThis study provides a simple three-question method of probing perceptions of quality and safety and an important set of insights into progress in New Zealand DHBs.
Hospitality as differentiated services in Brazilian private hospitals
Authors: Quinan Christiano , Costa Filho Bento Alves 
Published: September 2020

PurposeThe objective of this study is to assess the role of differentiated hospitality services considering the perspective of Brazilian accredited private hospitals.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth interviews were applied to 10 hospitals top management executives (C-Suite level) having as support unstructured data collection routine exploring the issues: main client of the hospital, differentiated hospitality services (DS), hospital board expectation about DS, brand building, service charging policies and nonfinancial results.FindingsResults indicate the interviewed institutions are adopting gradually a new business model in healthcare, in which an empowered patient and his/her needs and satisfaction is gaining relevance. This new conception having hospitality services as a base is transforming a former medical focused sector into a competitive business-oriented approach.Research limitations/implicationsThe nonprobabilistic nature of the sample does not permit statistical inference of results to the population; they are valid only for healthcare management exploratory insights.Practical implicationsComing from the hotel sector, hospitality amenities are turning into strategic instrument and provoking competition in a segment of hospitals targeting upper-middle-class clients, able to afford higher healthcare insurance premiums.Social implicationsIn the new business approach, the patient that in recent past was passive is increasingly getting attention and bargaining power.Originality/valueThe main contribution is centered on the comprehension of an international dynamic in Brazil of a new business model that is changing a traditional sector, once focused in medicine and healing into a market-oriented business.
Lean simulations in production and operations management – a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis
Authors: Abideen Ahmed Zainul , Mohamad Fazeeda Binti , Fernando Yudi 
Published: September 2020

Purpose
Recently, much research about the effects of simulation on an organization’s operational performance and efficiency has been carried out. But still, there is a need for lean-based simulations rather than just modelling the system. However, these studies still lack systematization. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to systematize the literature on lean simulations in the area of production and operations management.

Design/methodology/approach
A systematic analysis was performed on 93 articles extracted from the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database. The analysis was limited to only articles that come under the “Engineering industrial,” “Engineering Manufacturing” and “Operations Research and Management” subject category in WoS Core Collection database. Later, a bibliometric analysis was integrated with the literature review for deeper literature categorization.

Findings
A bibliometric analysis displayed the relevance of selected literature (keywords, authors and sources). The systematic literature review helped to clarify each clusters’ content and purpose.

Research limitations/implications
This study portrays the gaps in the lean simulation integration methods and techniques through a detailed systematic and bibliometric review.

Practical implications
Lean managers can get various insights and ideas on implementing lean and simulation integration methods in real-time process improvement scenarios.

Social implications
This study demonstrates the best future recommendations for lean based modelling for both consumers and organizations that shall address the social and economic issues.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, minimal attention has been paid to systematizing the literature on lean simulation in industrial, manufacturing and operations management. This study contributes to close this gap.
Stillbirth and fetal anomalies: secondary analysis of a case–control study
Authors: Son SL , Allshouse AA , Page JM , Debbink MP , Pinar H , Reddy U , Gibbins KJ , Stoll BJ , Parker CB , Dudley DJ , Varner MW , Silver RM 
Published: September 2020

ObjectiveApproximately 10% of stillbirths are attributed to fetal anomalies, but anomalies are also common in live births. We aimed to assess the relationship between anomalies, by system and stillbirth.DesignSecondary analysis of a prospective, case–control study.SettingMulticentre, 59 hospitals in five regional catchment areas in the USA.Population or sampleAll stillbirths and representative live birth controls.MethodsStandardised postmortem examinations performed in stillbirths, medical record abstraction for stillbirths and live births.Main outcome measuresIncidence of major anomalies, by type, compared between stillbirths and live births with univariable and multivariable analyses using weighted analysis to account for study design and differential consent.ResultsOf 465 singleton stillbirths included, 23.4% had one or more major anomalies compared with 4.3% of 1871 live births. Having an anomaly increased the odds of stillbirth; an increasing number of anomalies was more highly associated with stillbirth. Regardless of organ system affected, the presence of an anomaly increased the odds of stillbirth. These relationships remained significant if stillbirths with known genetic abnormalities were excluded. After multivariable analyses, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of stillbirth for any anomaly was 4.33 (95% CI 2.80–6.70) and the systems most strongly associated with stillbirth were cystic hygroma (aOR 29.97, 95% CI 5.85–153.57), and thoracic (aOR16.18, 95% CI 4.30–60.94) and craniofacial (aOR 35.25, 95% CI 9.22–134.68) systems.ConclusionsIn pregnancies affected by anomalies, the odds of stillbirth are higher with increasing numbers of anomalies. Anomalies of nearly any organ system increased the odds of stillbirth even when adjusting for gestational age and maternal race.Tweetable abstractStillbirth risk increases with anomalies of nearly any organ system and with number of anomalies seen.
Intravenous Alcohol Administration Selectively Decreases Rate of Change in Elasticity of Demand in Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder
Authors: Nieto Steven J. , Green ReJoyce , MacKillop James , Ray Lara A. 
Published: September 2020

BackgroundAlcohol demand is a key behavioral economic concept that provides an index of alcohol’s relative reinforcing value. Initial studies have reported that alcohol demand increases during alcohol administration and in response to alcohol cues. However, the extent to which these effects are observed explicitly in samples composed of individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and are operative in conjunction with each other has not been studied.MethodsTo address this gap in the literature, we assessed alcohol demand during an alcohol challenge and subsequent alcohol cue‐exposure paradigm in non–treatment‐seeking, alcohol‐dependent (i.e., DSM‐IV criteria) participants (N = 27). Specifically, participants completed 2 counterbalanced intravenous, placebo‐controlled, alcohol administration sessions followed by a controlled cue‐exposure paradigm. At baseline and at breath alcohol concentration of 0.06 g/dl, participants completed the alcohol purchase task, assessing estimated alcohol consumption at escalating prices. Participants were also assessed for alcohol demand following each cue exposure.ResultsDuring alcohol administration, there was a significant decrease in the rate of change in elasticity compared with placebo, and during the cue‐reactivity paradigm, there was a significant main effect such that alcohol cues decreased the rate of change in elasticity relative to water cues. There were no statistically significant differences in other demand indices.ConclusionsThese findings provide further evidence that alcohol administration increases price insensitivity and extends the literature on alcohol’s effects on demand by using a clinical sample with AUD and by adding a placebo‐alcohol condition.
‘I Didn’t Know How to Be with My Husband’: State‐Religion Struggles over Sex Education in Israel and England
Authors: Taragin‐Zeller Lea , Kasstan Ben 
Published: September 2020

Sex education presents a major dilemma for state‐minority relations, reflecting a conflict between basic rights to education and religious freedom. In this comparative ethnography of informal sex education among ultra‐Orthodox Jews (Haredim) in Israel and England, we frame the critical difference between “age‐appropriate” and “life‐stage” (marriage and childbirth) models of sex education. Conceptualizing these competing approaches as disputes over “knowledge responsibility,” we call for more context‐specific understandings of how educational responsibilities are envisioned in increasingly diverse populations.
Are muscle fibres of body builders intrinsically weaker? A comparison with single fibres of aged‐matched controls
Authors: Monti Elena , Toniolo Luana , Marcucci Lorenzo , Bondì Michela , Martellato Ivan , Šimunič Bostjan , Toninello Paolo , Franchi Martino V. , Narici Marco V. , Reggiani Carlo 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAimSkeletal muscles of Body Builders (BB) represent an interesting model to study muscle mass gains in response to high volume resistance training. It is debated whether muscle contractile performance improves in proportion to mass. Here, we aim to assess whether muscle hypertrophy does not occur at the expense of performance.MethodsSix BB and Six untrained controls (CTRL) were recruited. Cross‐sectional area (CSA) and maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of quadriceps femoris muscle (QF) and CSA and architecture of vastus lateralis (VL) were determined. Moreover, a biopsy was taken from VL mid‐portion and single fibres were analysed.ResultsQF CSA and MVC were 32% (n.s., P = .052) and 58% (P = .009) higher in BB than in CTRL, respectively. VL CSA was 37% higher in BB (P = .030). Fast 2A fibres CSA was 24% (P = .048) greater in BB than in CTRL, when determined in immunostained sections of biopsy samples. Single permeabilized fast fibres CSA was 37% (n.s., P = .052) higher in BB than in CTRL, and their force was slightly higher in BB (n.s.), while specific tension (P0) was 19% (P = .024) lower. The lower P0 was not explained either by lower myosin content or by impaired calcium diffusion. Conversely, the swelling caused by skinning‐induced permeabilization was different and, when used to correct P0, differences between populations disappeared.ConclusionsThe results show that high degree of muscle hypertrophy is not detrimental for force generation capacity, as increases in fibre size and force are strictly proportional once the differential swelling response is accounted for.