bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploitation, profit and theriba‐interest reductionism
Authors: Omar Farooq Mohammad 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a critical appraisal of the theme ofzulm(injustice/exploitation) in light of the Islamic finance literature and the general attitude and approach of the Islamic finance industry and its advocates.Design/methodology/approachBased on an expanding theoretical and empirical knowledge base about Islamic finance and banking movement, and the emerging understanding about the role of profit and corporate behavior, a critical analysis of the role ofriba, interest and profit in widespread injustice and exploitation is presented.FindingsOn the basis of the behavior of the Islamic finance industry, it seems that the industry's current practices are either neutral to the issue of injustice/exploitation or mirrors the tendencies of the conventional finance. Furthermore, when comparing the exploitative role of interest and profit, the latter seems to be more consequential than generally understood and acknowledged.Research limitations/implicationsIslamic economics/finance literature should have more empirical research in identifying and understanding the nature of exploitation in the contemporary world and in how the current practices or tendencies are minimizing or abetting the challenge of exploitation.Practical implicationsThe larger goal of the Islamic finance and banking movement should be to be in harmony with themaqasidof Islam to minimizezulm(injustice/exploitation) in the society.Social implicationsThe larger goal of the Islamic finance and banking movement should be to be in harmony with themaqasidof Islam to minimizezulm(injustice/exploitation) in the society.Originality/valueWhile the literature of Islamic economics and finance is rather robust, this might be the first work that critically examines theriba‐interest reductionism, especially to focus on its implication for attention of the industry being away from exploitation in general and the relationship between profit and exploitation in particular.
Reflections on LTV, risk and incentives in mortgage markets
Authors: Arne Borgersen Trond , Greibrokk Jørund 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to highlight the short run incentives for increasing LTV ratios that develop among mortgagees and mortgagors in the presence of excess return to housing. The paper provides a conventional framework for analyzing the capital structure of housing investments where higher LTV‐ratios comes about as stronger appreciation is met by increased mortgage rates and both mortgagees and mortgagors are short sighted.Design/methodology/approachThe comment applies a capital structure approach to housing investments, highlighting the return to home equity. The paper distinguishes between price and leverage gains and presents a framework where the excess return to housing provides incentives for increasing LTV ratios. To illustrate, the Norwegian housing market is applied. The paper discusses short run market developments and the potential need for macro prudential regulations while introducing credit risk policy, nominal return targets and risk pricing.FindingsThe implementation of a simplistic capital structure approach to housing investments brings about a framework that allows us to present the incentives for, as well as the risk associated with, higher LTV ratios for both mortgagees and mortgagors. Short sightedness among mortgagees, driven by nominal return targets, allows mortgagors higher LTV‐ratios and increased risk taking.Originality/valueWhile standard when analyzing commercial real estate, the capital structure approach – and the formal distinction between price and leverage gains for homeowners – is to the best of the authors' knowledge novel when analyzing housing finance. To understand the mechanisms impacting this playing field is important for both market analysts and regulators.
Assessing gender biases
Authors: Mills Maura J. , Culbertson Satoris S. , Huffman Ann H. , Connell Angela R. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to develop and validate a new gender role stereotypes scale intended to be a short, effective, and modern measure of gender role attitudes.Design/methodology/approachA total of 800 participants completed an online survey, with 546 completing a second survey one week later. Recommended scale development procedures were utilized throughout in order to design and test the proposed instrument.FindingsItem analyses determined a final set of most effective items, while exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the eight‐item, two‐dimensional (female stereotypes, male stereotypes) scale (Gender Role Stereotypes Scale – GRSS). Additionally, internal consistency and test‐retest reliabilities were acceptable, as was the construct‐related validity. This study also finds that gender role stereotypes are best examined as a two‐factor construct (male, female), rather than conceptualized as two poles of a unidimensional continuum.Practical implicationsThe GRSS has advantages over similar measures, including that it assesses attitudes toward both men and women with only eight items, and includes items that are easily understandable, cross‐culturally appropriate, and modern. Practitioners can use the GRSS to assess potential gender role stereotypes held by management. If managers are found to have highly traditional gender role stereotypes, organizations may be able to intervene before stereotypes affect performance ratings or task assignments.Originality/valueThis paper yields an updated and sound measurement scale to replace outdated scales assessing similar constructs and/or assessing only one gender role stereotype (male or female, versus both). The GRSS allows for the parsimonious, comprehensive, and effective measurement of gender role stereotypes in research and practice alike.
BAME women business owners: how intersectionality affects discrimination and social support
Authors: Fielden Sandra , Davidson Marilyn J. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to explore the intersection between gender and ethnicity in relation to discrimination and the problems encountered in accessing social support (including emotional and instrumental support) experienced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) women business owners.Design/methodology/approachQualitative data were collected through in‐depth interviews with 40 BAME women small business owners based in North West England. The main aims and objectives of the study were to: investigate the discriminatory experiences of BAME women small business owners related to the intersection between their gender and ethnicity, and to identify the forms (formal and informal) and types (emotional/instrumental) of social support available in relation to their entrepreneurial activities that enabled them to cope with and overcome, the discrimination they may encounter.FindingsThe degree of discrimination experienced was reported as a result of gender, ethnic background or an intersection between both. This was attributed to a number of factors, including stereotypical difficulties in accessing different types of formal social support, e.g. formal business and financial support. Informal support by respondents' families was reported as a key source of both emotional and instrumental support.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is just a starting point for this area of research and, because the sample covers women from a variety of BAME backgrounds, it is not possible to generalise the findings to the wider population of BAME women. However, it does give an indication of what issues need to be considered in the provision of instrumental support for BAME women small business owners.Practical implicationsThe paper shows that a key element in the development of a strategy for addressing the needs of the BAME women small business owners is the necessity to appropriately re‐design mainstream business support systems and financial services, in order to provide these women effective access to formal social support.Originality/valueThe experiences of BAME women small business owners have received little attention and this paper offers a unique insight into the relationship between how the intersection between gender and ethnicity impact on experiences of discrimination and social support. Whilst it highlights many intra group differences, it has also demonstrated the lack of homogeneity between and within women from different ethnic backgrounds.
“Winter sports under a summer sun”: the marketing of Sun Valley ski resort in the 1930s
Authors: Esson Dylan J. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the growth of the early ski market and the marketing strategies that the Union Pacific Railroad took in promoting Sun Valley ski resort, one of the most popular early destination ski resorts in the USA.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses primary and secondary source material, including ski periodicals, national magazines and the manuscript collection of W. Averell Harriman, the Chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad during the creation of Sun Valley.FindingsThis paper finds that Sun Valley pioneered the western ski vacation by conducting careful market research into not only the snow and weather conditions of western mountains, but also into the habits and economic potential of skiers and winter tourists.Originality/valueScholarly work on skiing has primarily looked at the sport from the social and cultural perspective of skiers. Work on entrepreneurial objectives of ski resort designers has largely focused on the period after the Second World War. This is among the first works to analyze entrepreneurial activities and marketing strategies in the ski industry before the Second World War. As a result, the paper challenges the idea that big business only began to shape the ski industry during the Cold War. Instead, this paper shows that large corporations like the Union Pacific Railroad were influential in growing the ski market by building resorts that illustrated the importance of market segmentation to the success of ski areas. In this way, the paper challenges the popular idea that Sun Valley was merely a media sensation and shows that it was a carefully designed business that exhibited a nuanced approach to changes in the ski market.
Did agricultural technological changes affect China's regional disparity?
Authors: Liu Xiaoyun , Wang Xiuqing , Xin Xian 
Published: November 2012

PurposeChina's agricultural sector has developed very rapidly in the past 30 years and agricultural technological progress is deemed one of the most substantial factors leading to its rapid agricultural GDP growth. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impacts of China's agricultural technological changes on its regional disparity.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of multiple regions and multiple sectors to investigate the impacts of agricultural technological changes on regional disparity. The CGE model structure includes production side, demand side, and market clearing conditions.FindingsThe results suggest that agricultural technological changes significantly reduced China's agricultural regional disparity and accounted for 40 percent reduction in agricultural regional disparity in terms of agricultural GDP per capita. Agricultural technological changes, however, led to an increase in China's overall regional disparity and accounted for 6 percent increase in its overall regional disparity in terms of per capita GDP.Practical implicationsChina's GDP has been growing very rapidly since 1978 and agricultural GDP has been playing a decreasing role in China's overall GDP. Regional disparity in non‐agricultural GDP per capita overweighted the equalization of agricultural GDP per capita. The results imply that the Chinese government should resort more to non‐agricultural development to fight against the enlarging regional disparity.Originality/valueChina's agricultural technological changes have led to an increase in China's overall regional disparity while the changes have significantly reduced China's agricultural regional disparity.
Clean development mechanism in North‐South trade
Authors: Ping Lo Chu 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThere is great conflict between some developed countries and developing countries regarding attitudes toward reducing global warming (e.g. the USA vs China). The aim of this paper is to argue that open trade doesn't necessarily increase world pollution if clean development mechanism (CDM) is generously undertaken and if the CDM devotes considerable real resources in transfers of the associate abatement technology.Design/methodology/approachThe impacts of trade on environment can be decomposed into scale, technique and composition effects. This paper incorporates abatement assets into Copeland and Taylor's model to argue that the technique effect stems from an increasing in pollution taxes and in international diffusion of abatement technology; however, the former is fully offset but the latter is facilitated by the CDM.FindingsWhile world pollution is jointly determined by the composition and technique effects, in contrast to literature, open trade doesn't necessarily increase world pollution if CDM is generously undertaken with considerable real resources in abatement technology transfers.Originality/valueCurrently, there are more than about one half of the CDM projects that allocate no real resources in technology transfers. This study addresses how voluntary investment of the CDM from the North (e.g. the USA) to the South (e.g. China) might reduce pollution on a global level only if having “generously” technology transfer.
Disaggregated consumer prices and oil price pass‐through: evidence from Malaysia
Authors: Ibrahim Mansor H. , Said Rusmawati 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the oil price pass‐through into consumer price inflation for a developing country: Malaysia. The focus is on whether aggregate consumer prices and different consumer price components or sub‐price indexes are related in different ways to oil price in the long run and in the short run.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis adopts the Phillips curve framework augmented to include the oil price. In modeling, a proper consideration is given to the integration and cointegration properties of the variables under consideration. Moreover, the asymmetric effects of oil price changes are also examined.FindingsThe paper finds evidence for a long run relation or cointegration of the oil price with only the aggregate consumer price and food price indexes. Moreover, in the short run, the oil price changes have significant bearings on the consumer price inflation, the food price inflation, the rent, fuel and power price inflation and the transportation and communication price inflation. In addition, the short‐run asymmetry in the oil price – food price inflation is also evident. Finally, the authors observe the neutrality of the medical care and health price index to the oil price changes.Practical implicationsThe result that the inflationary consequence of oil price hikes is likely to work mainly through the food prices has important implications on the effects of oil price changes on the poor and policy directions to contain inflation.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to existing literature that has a predominant focus on the inflationary effect of oil prices at the aggregate level by looking at the relations between oil price and disaggregated good prices in the long run, short run, or both.
Effective dynamic capabilities in complex product systems: experiences of local Chinese firm
Authors: Su Jingqin , Liu Jing 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore effective dynamic capabilities for new product development project in complex product systems (CoPS) industries. This paper focuses on developing an exploratory framework for understanding dimensions of dynamic capabilities in CoPS distinguished from mass‐produced goods.Design/methodology/approachBased on a review of the literature and in‐depth case studies, this paper used data coding method with ROST CM6.0 to explore dimensions of dynamic capabilities in CoPS.FindingsThe results of the authors' case study of CNR Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Company Ltd suggest that there are three dimensions and six sub‐dimensions of dynamic capabilities in CoPS, which include customer‐oriented perception capability, capability to control multi‐organization network, and absorptive capability on organizational learning.Originality/valueThis study highlights the different dimensions and effects on product innovation in CoPS and the implications of the proposed model for dynamic capabilities in a CoPS environment are discussed.
Developing venture capital system beyond economic capital concept
Authors: Etzkowitz Henry , Zhou Chunyan 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore an expanding venture capital (VC) system beyond economic capital concept, based on “triple bottom line” of enterprises.Design/methodology/approachA complete VC system is given, first of all, and then the gap in the existing VC system is explored. To develop a VC system, the gaps must be filled based on a university‐government‐industry triple helix. Since corporate value view has been changed from one‐dimensional to three‐dimensional, social as well as cultural, and humanistic elements must be considered in a broader VC system. The approaches include developing social capital, cultural capital and promoting risk awareness.FindingsThe VC system in a country/region consists of economic and non‐economic capital investment. Both play important roles in parallel. Social and cultural capital investment will work as “soft capital” to remit the gaps from an insufficient economic capital system.Originality/valueThe policy implication of this paper is that policy makers may give more thought to developing non‐economic capital to fill the VC gaps in either an existing or an expanding VC system.
Robust intelligent modeling for giant magnetostrictive actuators with rate‐dependent hysteresis
Authors: Zhang Wei , Mao Jianqin 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThis paper proposes a robust modeling method of a giant magnetostrictive actuator which has a rate‐dependent nonlinear property.Design/methodology/approachIt is known in statistics that the Least Wilcoxon learning method developed using Wilcoxon norm is robust against outliers. Thus, it is used in the paper to determine the consequence parameters of the fuzzy rules to reduce the sensitiveness to the outliers in the input‐output data. The proposed method partitions the input space adaptively according to the distribution of samples and the partition is irrelative to the dimension of the input data set.FindingsThe proposed modeling method can effectively construct a unique dynamic model that describes the rate‐dependent hysteresis in a given frequency range with respect to different single‐frequency and multi‐frequency input signals no matter whether there exist outliers in the training set or not. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective and insensitive against the outliers.Originality/valueThe main contributions of this paper are: first, an intelligent modeling method is proposed to deal with the rate‐dependent hysteresis presented in the giant magnetostrictive actuator and the modeling precision can fulfill the requirement of engineering, such as the online modeling issue in the active vibration control; and second, the proposed method can handle the outliers in the input‐output data effectively.
Four steps to reduce medical incidents
Authors: Jin Haizhe , Munechika Masahiko , Sano Masataka , Kajihara Chisato 
Published: November 2012

PurposeIn order to improve working methods, this study proposes a method for the analysis of medication incidents and the systematic planning of error‐proofing (EP) countermeasures, in the hope that it might contribute to a reduction in medication incidents.Design/methodology/approachIn order to simplify the process of planning EP countermeasures, the following approaches are employed in this study. Improvement elements are extracted in order to plan EP countermeasures. The improvement elements that caused the error‐factor are called improvement objects, and the authors designed the extraction set of improvement objects. The authors correlated the improvement objects with recommended EP solutions. Finally, these parameters are collated. Moreover, these tools are summarized as a procedure for analysis of such incidents and for the creation of appropriate EP countermeasures.FindingsUsing this approach, this paper suggests four steps to reduce medical incidents. The proposed procedure can facilitate the planning of EP countermeasures and can reduce the rate of medical incidents.Research limitations/implicationsIt can be surmised that the proposed method can serve as a useful means for planning EP countermeasures and reducing the number of medication incidents. On the other hand, there are various countermeasures which can be planned for one incident by applying the proposed method.Originality/valueThe relationship between Error factors and improvement objects were then clarified through utilizing maps. Furthermore, a list that clearly indicates which EP solutions should be adopted for the improvement objects were suggested. There is, therefore, a significant difference between the proposed and the conventional method, and this makes it possible to plan the EP countermeasures easily.
Barriers to treatment: reasons for non‐attendance in women's secure settings
Authors: Long Clive G. , Banyard Ellen , Fox Emily , Somers Jackie , Poynter Denise , Chapman Rachel 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate reasons for treatment non‐attendance for dual diagnosis women in secure psychiatric settings.Design/methodology/approachA semi structured interview was used to investigate patients' reasons for session non attendance on the day of non participation across four wards. Reasons for non attendance were grouped using the mulifactorial offender readiness model (MORM) categories of affective, volitional, behavioural, cognitive and external. Assignment of responses to categories was undertaken by a two person team and inter rater reliability was assessed.FindingsPatients' rates of attendance varied by ward and level of security (low vs medium); and diagnosis. Systematic enquiry about the reasons for non attendance led to increased session attendance. Reasons for non attendance were cognitive reflecting negative evaluations of treatment and treatment outcomes. Psychological therapies and educational sessions were deemed the most important along with one‐to‐one clinician appointments.Originality/valueIssues of treatment engagement and the timing of treatment interventions are major issues in the care of secure psychiatric patients, particularly those with a primary diagnosis of personality disorder. Findings highlight the importance of systematic enquiry about reasons for non attendance and suggest potential interventions designed to improve engagement.