bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Information asymmetry and regulatory shortcomings in profit sharing investment accounts
Authors: Ameer Rashid , Othman Radiah , Mahzan Nurmazilah 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the shortcomings in the compliance of the full‐fledged Islamic banks with the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) disclosure guidelines related to the profit sharing investment accounts (PSIAs).Design/methodology/approachThis study uses interviews and a survey.FindingsIt was found that only two out five full‐fledged Islamic banks followed BNM guidelines which are based on the idea of self‐regulation. The authors developed a checklist of disclosure items, and probed whether the sample banks would adopt these new disclosure items. As it transpired, some banks have been disclosing these items selectively, and/or recording them for internal control and management purposes. The findings show these banks do not disclose: policies, procedures, product design and structure; profit allocation basis, methodology of calculating profit attributable to investment account holders (IAHs). Nevertheless, disclosure related to Shari'ah compliance was given to a reasonable extent. It is intriguing that full‐fledged Islamic banks do not provide comprehensive disclosure related to PSIAs because such disclosure is not mandatory; while foreign full‐fledged Islamic banks provided such disclosure voluntarily.Research limitations/implicationsThe banking sector regulator is not sure of whether individual Islamic banks have actually complied with all of its guidelines. The shortcomings in the disclosure are due to lack of expertise, outdated information system structure, and shortage of support and highly trained staff. The authors propose that the Islamic jurists should use Istiqra – which is a comprehensive examination of contracting environment before a new definite ruling is made on the issue of accountability to the IAHs. This would involve exploratory study of how the securities regulator (not banking regulator) perceives the information risks faced by the IAHs and enforce new disclosure guidelines.Originality/valueThis paper proposes new disclosure guidelines which incorporate transparency, appropriateness, and timeliness to reduce information asymmetry and enhance governance disclosure.
The emerging strategic and financial issues in the Indian hospitality industry
Authors: Sanjeev Gunjan M. , Jauhari Vinnie 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe paper aims to provide an overview of the facts and trends relating to the Indian hospitality industry. It also seeks to identify the key strategic and financial issues that hoteliers are currently facing and to introduce the theme issue.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws facts and emerging trends from various official reports and collates key issues as highlighted by the theme issue contributors. All the papers in the theme issue identify salient points after rounds of discussions with practitioners.FindingsSome of the key emerging areas are risk management, cost management, land management and policies, revenue management, growth challenges and innovative practices arising from an extended inflationary period.Practical implicationsWith domestic hoteliers in an expansion mode and foreign operators' intention of investing in India, the paper is of interest to hoteliers and policy makers interested in knowing about emerging and topical issues relating to this market.Originality/valueThere are relatively few prior studies relating to the strategic and financial issues affecting the hospitality industry in India – particularly in the context of practitioner involvement. The theme issue involves senior practitioners in the review from the outset and this approach offers a significant contribution to applied research in this field.
Responding to the emerging strategic and financial issues in the Indian hospitality industry
Authors: Jauhari Vinnie , Sanjeev Gunjan M. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to summarise and review the key strategic and financial challenges faced by the hospitality industry in India.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws from the findings of the theme issue contributors. All the papers in the theme issue have drawn inputs from practitioners in the domain of strategy and finance.FindingsThe paper summarises the key issues in the areas of strategy and finance in the context of the hospitality industry in India. Some of the key areas that have to be addressed are: cost management, land management and policies, risk management, revenue management, branding, growth issues and talent management.Practical implicationsThere are a number of implications for practitioners and policy makers that would help the hospitality industry to grow more quickly and contribute meaningfully to India's economic growth.Originality/valuePractitioners' perspectives are important as they help in framing policies and guidelines to enable the hospitality industry to grow. The outcomes of the theme issue are especially helpful in this context as they yield insights on issues that really matter to the hospitality industry in India.
Selling punches: free markets and professional wrestling in the UK, 1986‐1993
Authors: Litherland Benjamin 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to outline the historical and political broadcasting conditions that hindered the success of British professional wrestling and allowed the rise to dominance of the American World Wrestling Federation.Design/methodology/approachBecause of the nature of professional wrestling, the paper utilises a range of secondary sources (audience research conducted by the Independent Broadcasting Authority, and interviews with retired wrestlers) and primary research (government papers, magazines, newspapers).FindingsThe paper finds that the World Wrestling Federation benefited from neo‐liberal television policies, but also created a product that attracted a new generation of fans.Originality/valueThe paper examines an under‐researched area of study (British professional wrestling) to explore and complicate existing debates about sports marketing and British media institutions in the 1980s and 1990s.
The impact of US biofuel policies on agricultural price levels and volatility
Authors: Babcock Bruce A. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the market impacts of US biofuels and biofuel policies.Design/methodology/approachTwo methods of analysis are employed. The first method looks back in time and estimates what US crop prices would have been during the 2005 to 2009 marketing years under two scenarios. The second method of analysis is forward looking and examines the market impacts of the blender tax credit and mandate on the distribution of prices in the 2011 calendar and marketing year.FindingsThe results developed in the previous two sections show that US ethanol policies modestly increased maize prices from 2006 to 2009 and that market impacts of the policies will be larger under tighter market conditions.Practical implicationsMore flexible US biofuel policy including removing the blenders tax credit, which does not help US biofuel industry as long as the mandates are in place, and relaxing blending mandates when feedstock supplies are low.Originality/valueThis report makes three contributions to understanding the extent to which US biofuel policies contribute to higher agricultural and food prices. First, estimates of the impact of US ethanol policies on crop and food prices reveal that the impacts of the subsidies were quite modest. The second contribution is to provide estimates of the impact on agricultural commodity prices and food prices from market‐driven expansion of ethanol. The final contribution of this report is improved insight into how current US biofuel policies are expected to affect crop prices in the near future.
Pesticide use and farmers' health in China's rice production
Authors: Qiao Fangbin , Huang Jikun , Zhang Linxiu , Rozelle Scott 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this study is trying to document and examine the impacts of pesticide use on farmers' health. Different from previous studies, the paper is not only going to focus on the visible effect, but also the invisible effect. At the same time, the paper is going to divided the pesticides into highly toxic and low toxic pesticides and estimate their different impacts on farmers' health, respectively.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses regression techniques based on a farm household survey gathered by the authors in Zhejiang provinces. In addition to a sit‐down interview with 100 households, the authors gave a comprehensive physical examination and a blood examination to farmers who applied pesticides most frequently in each household.FindingsThis paper indicates that farmers who spray more pesticides are more likely to have headache, nausea and skin problems. Beside these visible effects, this paper also finds that exposure to pesticides has significant invisible impact on farmers' neurological, liver and kidney systems.Originality/valueThis, it is believed, is one of the first comprehensive studies to give comprehensive physical examination and blood examination to farmers who applied pesticides most frequently in each household.
China's soybean product imports: an analysis of price effects using a production system approach
Authors: Chen Wei , Marchant Mary A. , Muhammad Andrew 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to estimate China's demand for imported soybeans and soybean oil from both country‐of‐origin and product form perspectives.Design/methodology/approachA differential production approach is used to estimate China's demand for imported soybeans and soybean oil. The empirical demand estimates are then used to derive conditional and unconditional elasticities of demand for each exporting country with respect to changes in domestic and import prices, and the price of resources used in soybean meal and oil production.FindingsResults indicate that both country‐of‐origin and product form competition exist in the Chinese market. Estimation results indicate that China's soybean meal prices significantly impacted its soybean and soybean oil imports. Seasonality is detected in China's soybean imports, but not in soybean oil imports.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that, in addition to country‐of‐origin competition, product form competition should be considered when analyzing China's soybean demand.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to a better understanding of China's soybean import market by integrating both country‐of‐origin competition and product form competition into a single demand framework.
Evolutionary approaches for supply chain optimisation
Authors: Ibrahimov Maksud , Mohais Arvind , Schellenberg Sven , Michalewicz Zbigniew 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper and its companion (Part II: multi‐silo supply chains) is to investigate methods to tackle complexities, constraints (including time‐varying constraints) and other challenges. In tis part, the paper aims to devote attention to single silo and two‐silo supply chains. It also aims to discuss three models. The first model is based on the winebottling real‐world system and exposes complexities of a single operational component of the supply chain. The second model extends it to two components: production and distribution. The last system is a real‐world implementation of the two‐component supply chain.Design/methodology/approachEvolutionary approach is proposed for a single component problem. The two‐component experimental supply chain is addressed by the algorithm based on cooperative coevolution. The final problem of steel sheet production is tackled with the evolutionary algorithm.FindingsThe proposed systems produce solutions better than solutions proposed by human experts and in a much shorter time.Originality/valueThe paper discusses various algorithms to provide the decision support for the real‐world problems. The proposed systems are in the production use.
Examining climate change adaptation measures: an early warning system in the Philippines
Authors: Cuevas Sining 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to illustrate how the climate change‐vulnerability‐risk model (CCVRM) can be used to analyze the changes in system vulnerabilities and risks, as a result of implementing a community‐based early warning system (EWS).Design/methodology/approachThe CCVRM is used to examine the community‐based EWS being implemented in the municipalities of Infanta and General Nakar in Quezon Province, Philippines. The levels of vulnerabilities and risks of the two localities are assessed through qualitative analysis using the CCVRM as framework. The model is also used to analyze the effects of the EWS in addressing the localities' vulnerabilities and risks.FindingsTechnological and institutional vulnerabilities of the Infanta and General Nakar systems have lessened when the EWS project was implemented. Technological and institutional vulnerabilities have direct correlations with mortality risk; thus, when the levels of the former decrease, so does the latter. Although the reduced technological and institutional vulnerabilities have an effect on the other type of risks present in the municipalities, the effects were not as significant as that of with mortality risk.Research limitations/implicationsDue to limited time and resources, only one adaptation program is analyzed, specifically, the community‐based EWS being implemented in the municipalities of Infanta and General Nakar, Philippines. An integrated analysis of different measures is not done. Although investigating a multi‐adaptation program is possible, this would require more time and resources to implement. Likewise, only a simple evaluation based on model definitions is conducted, instead of a more extensive risk and vulnerability assessment.Originality/valueThe CCVRM acts as an analytical guide in understanding the effects of climate change adaptive measures. Accordingly, this paper investigates the effects of an implemented adaptive measure. The study also shows how the CCVRM can be used to analyze planned measures and identify the types of risks and vulnerabilities that this type of adaptive measure can influence.
The economics of coping strategies and financing adaptation action in India's semi‐arid ecosystems
Authors: Damodaran A. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a bottom‐up perspective about the operational and policy challenges of undertaking adaptive action in water‐scarce environments of India.Design/methodology/approachA cross section of 112 small, medium and big farmers drawn from three semi‐arid villages of rural Bangalore District were surveyed to assess their dependence on natural habitats and elicit information on costs and benefits of undertaking adaptation activities. Also explored were the possible impacts of institutional financing systems and publicly funded programs on adaptation action in the study area.FindingsSmall farmers in the study zone were conservation oriented and relied on a variety of terrestrial and aquatic habitats for cultivation operations. On the other hand, commercial and semi commercial farmers who practiced resource intensive cultivation systems were not conservation oriented and were reluctant to go beyond “modest” adaptation activities. Similarly loans provided by local financial institutions to support agricultural operations were designed to maximize crop yields than minimize input use. On the other hand, the conservation programs that were undertaken on common property resources though supportive of public adaptation action, had poor spill‐over effects on private adaptation.Originality/valueThe value of this paper lies in the interesting results it presents about a group of farmers in three semi‐arid villages of South India. The originality of the paper lies in the key policy issues it raises on climate financing in the light of ground level evidence. The paper proposes a compensation regime to incentivize adaptation.
A user‐led consultation model: making inclusion of service users in research a reality
Authors: Bourke John A. , Snell Deborah L. , Anne Sinnott K. , Cassidy Bernadette 
Published: November 2012

PurposeDisabled people who are the end‐users (EU) of health services have a poor record of inclusion, yet a major stake in the quality of scientific research that informs the development of health knowledge and interventions. In traditional rehabilitation research it has been the researcher who sets the agenda, including determining the research question, study design and methods, and who controls dissemination of findings. This paper aims to describe the development of an EU research consultation committee and to describe the evaluation protocol used to assess the effectiveness of the committee.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the context and development of an EU research consultation committee (the committee) to promote collaboration between researchers and lay‐EUs within a research organization in New Zealand. It also describes the qualitative evaluation protocol to be used to assess the effectiveness of the committee over the first 12 months of operation in order to refine its process and procedures.FindingsThe paper discusses the issues and challenges involved in achieving collaboration between researchers and EUs in the rehabilitation research space and describes this consultation model as a positive example of making inclusion a reality. Challenges include building research capacity within the EU community and development of real models of collaboration and partnership in rehabilitation research.Originality/valueIt is argued that the integrity and relevance of clinical research is enhanced by the involvement of EUs in all aspects of the research process.
Teacher communication preferred over peer interaction
Authors: Small Felicity , Dowell David , Simmons Peter 
Published: November 2012

PurposeTeachers have access to a growing range of online tools to support course delivery, but which ones are valued by students? Expectations and satisfaction are important constructs in the delivery of a service product, and how these constructs operate in a service environment, such as education where the student can also take on the role of the customer is unknown. This study focuses on the student perspective of online tools. The aim of this paper is to measure students' expectations and perceived importance of, and satisfaction with, a range of tools available in a virtual learning environment.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative survey (n=396) was conducted and descriptive measures and statistical analysis were produced.FindingsResults show that the tools that enable instructors to communicate with students and vice versa are more important to students and more satisfying to them than tools that enable students to interact with each other. Also, business students appear to be different from non‐business students, with respect to desired communications tools.Practical implicationsThe findings help us to understand business students' communication preference, which in turn helps teachers to create an educationally meaningful learning environment.Originality/valueThis work connects an established model for online interactions with students' expectations and level of satisfaction with tools that are currently being used in the online education environment.
Effects on stock investments of information about short versus long price series
Authors: Andersson Maria , Gärling Tommy , Hedesström Martin , Biel Anders 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether stock price predictions and investment decisions improve by exposure to increasing price series.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted three laboratory experiments in which undergraduates were asked to role‐play being investors buying and selling stock shares. Their task was to predict an unknown closing price from an opening price and to choose the number of stocks to purchase to the opening price (risk aversion) or the closing price (risk taking). In Experiment 1 stock prices differed in volatility for increasing, decreasing or no price trend. Prices were in different conditions provided numerically for 15 trading days, for the last 10 trading days, or for the last five trading days. In Experiment 2 the price series were also visually displayed as scatter plots. In Experiment 3 the stock prices were presented for the preceding 15 days, only for each third day (five days) of the preceding 15 days, or as five prices, each aggregated for three consecutive days of the preceding 15 days. Only numerical price information was provided.FindingsThe results of Experiments 1 and 2 showed that predictions were not markedly worse for shorter than longer price series. Possibly because longer price series increase information processing load, visual information had some influence to reduce prediction errors for the longer price series. The results of Experiment 3 showed that accuracy of predictions increased for less price volatility due to aggregation, whereas again there was no difference between five and 15 trading days. Purchase decisions resulted in better outcomes for the aggregated prices.Research limitations/implicationsInvestorś performance in stock markets may not improve by increasing the length of evaluation intervals unless the quality of the information is also increased. The results need to be verified in actual stock markets.Practical implicationsThe results have bearings on the design of bonus systems.Originality/valueThe paper shows how stock price predictions and buying and selling decisions depend on amount and quality of information about historical prices.
Measuring the (un‐)sustainability of industrial biomass production and use
Authors: Burritt Roger L. , Schaltegger Stefan 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the scope of applications and benefits of sustainability accounting for the production and industrial use of biomass as an energy source and substitute for fossil‐fuel use. As environmental degradation and unacceptable social impacts not only increase from the production and use of fossil‐fuel based energy, but also from alternative energy sources, the monitoring, controlling and measuring of the (un‐)sustainability of alternative energy production and use emerges as an area in critical need of research.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a review of the issues surrounding the accounting for the (un‐)sustainability of industrial biomass production and use, considering what biomass is, the current and forecast importance of industrial biomass, different approaches to its production, and the subsequent measurement and monitoring of its potential (un‐)sustainability.FindingsThe paper finds that it is insufficient to conclude in general terms, as is often done or assumed in policy documents and statements, that industrial production and use of biomass is sustainable (or unsustainable) and that accounting for biomass must recognise the broader ecological and social system of which the production and use form a part. A further finding of the paper is that from agricultural or industrial production of biomass through to consumption and industrial use of biomass, the accounting issues surrounding biomass production and use are essential to determining its (un‐)sustainability.Originality/valueThe paper provides an overview of the importance of and problems with the production of biomass for industrial use, and related sustainability issues. It discusses possibilities for and limitations of accounting to address these sustainability issues as well as the need for and the challenges in measuring the (un‐)sustainability of biomass production for industrial use and the accounting for sustainability improvements.