bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antecedents of internet acceptance and use as an information source by tourists
Authors: Castañeda J. Alberto , Frías Dolores M. , Rodríguez Miguel A. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to aim to identify the antecedents of both actual acceptance and future use of the internet as a tourism information source. In the tourism sector, the internet is a medium of growing importance. Nonetheless, very few studies have researched the antecedents of internet acceptance and use by tourists.Design/methodology/approachThis purpose was pursued by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and applying it to a broad sample of international tourists.FindingsThe main findings concern the antecedent role of actual use with regard to future use, as well as the roles of usefulness and ease of use as drivers of the acceptance of the internet as an information source by the tourist.Research limitationsThe study analysed the acceptance of the internet as an information source but not its use as a medium for purchasing tourism products or services.Practical implicationsWhile most research results suggest that businesses and institutions should direct their attention to the usefulness rather than to the ease of use of the internet, the results of this study imply that within the tourism sector ease of use plays an equally vital role in internet acceptance. Furthermore, the results show that the creation of an internet‐use habit in the tourist builds a barrier to change of information source.Originality/valueAmidst the rather few existing studies focused on tourist internet use, there is a body of research (including the present work) that identifies significant differences between tourism and other contexts (e.g. work, e‐commerce) regarding the importance of the antecedents of internet use. Moreover, there is, to our knowledge, no research to date testing the inclusion of behavioural habit to explain technology use.
An opinion‐based decision model for recommender systems
Authors: Woo Kim Sea , Chung Chin‐Wan , Kim DaeEun 
Published: June 2009

PurposeA good recommender system helps users find items of interest on the web and can provide recommendations based on user preferences. In contrast to automatic technology‐generated recommender systems, this paper aims to use dynamic expert groups that are automatically formed to recommend domain‐specific documents for general users. In addition, it aims to test several effectiveness measures of rank order to determine if the top‐ranked lists recommended by the experts were reliable.Design/methodology/approachIn the approach, expert groups evaluate web documents to provide a recommender system for general users. The authority and make‐up of the expert group are adjusted through user feedback. The system also uses various measures to gauge the difference between the opinions of experts and those of general users to improve the evaluation effectiveness.FindingsThe proposed system is efficient when there is major support from experts and general users. The recommender system is especially effective where there is a limited amount of evaluation data from general users.Originality/valueThis is an original study of how to effectively recommend web documents to users based on the opinions of human experts. Simulation results were provided to show the effectiveness of the dynamic expert group for recommender systems.
Getting a grip on the problem: learning through computer haptics
Authors: Furner Stephen 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to the exciting area of computer generated touch for professionals in organizational learning and development and identify how it might impact their speciality.Design/methodology/approachPeople in the not too distant future will be able to touch, smell and taste, as well as look at and hear, the images on a computer display. This article reviews some of the key features of computer generated images that users can touch and feel, and highlights what these mean for training and personal development.FindingsNew forms of sensory communication will open up opportunities to improve accessibility to on‐line services and provide new forms of training more appropriate to the needs of the individual learner while providing greater flexibility of delivery.Originality/valueThis paper is of particular value to people who wish to gain an insight into how new and emerging technologies will impact the ways in which organizations will provide access to computers and training as costs reduce for this technology.
Serious games: learning for the igeneration
Authors: Neill Tim 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to encourage a fresh and more engaging approach to the design of cost‐effective corporate staff training and assessment programs. Conventional eLearning programs concentrate on building knowledge in which activities usually consist of reading, listening and watching videos or animations. These programs can only hope to measure the retention of information using True/False, Multi‐Choice and other simple question types. But organizations do not simply need knowledgable employees – they need competent ones.Design/methodology/approachThis article describes how “Serious Games” can give employees of all ages and varying experience the opportunity to acquire knowledge and apply it effectively by tackling realistic, workplace‐relevant tasks against challenging targets. Two case studies are outlined and a “top ten” tips for effective serious game development is provided.FindingsThis paper is not based on a scientific study of applying the approaches described. The approach has been developed by the author over the past ten years and is in successful use in several large UK organizations.Originality/valueThe approach described will be of value to Training Managers seeking a more effective way of engaging and developing the new generation of employees.
SEC permits mutual funds to use a summary prospectus and updates statutory prospectus requirements
Authors: Robertson Robert A. , Kelly Joseph P. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine SEC rule amendments that permit a mutual fund to use a three‐ or four‐page “summary prospectus” to satisfy statutory prospectus delivery obligations and amendments to a fund's statutory prospectus requirements that require key information in a standardized order at the front of the document.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is to explain the SEC's regulatory changes to the basic mutual fund disclosure documents designed to help investors choose among the more than 8,000 mutual funds.FindingsThe investing public's use of the internet for fund research and fund transactions has made it possible for the SEC to take a “layered” approach to disclosure documents, providing an investor with a short‐form document and making available more detailed information on fund web sites. The SEC will likely follow suit with other documents and updated compliance requirements.Originality/valueThe paper will assist fund legal counsel and compliance professionals: to comply with the new statutory prospectus requirements; and to determine whether the summary prospectus is an appropriate disclosure document for a particular fund.
As fraud schemes proliferate – are you the next investor to crash and burn?
Authors: Evola Ken , O'Grady Nicole 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to educate investors on the red flags of Ponzi and other fraud schemes and due diligence measures.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines ways in which fraud is executed in Ponzi schemes and then highlights practical precautions every investor should take to prevent being a victim.FindingsThe research outlines specific red flags that the investors in the Madoff Ponzi scheme and other fraud schemes might have recognized and others in the future should recognize to prevent being the next victim. These red flags are consistent in most Ponzi schemes and investors should institute due diligence in examining their investment firm or manager.Practical implicationsInvestors should be wary of their investment manager and pay attention to the warning signs that they could be involved in a Ponzi scheme. They should insist on seeing detailed audit information and not hesitate to ask questions.Originality/valueThe paper will be of interest to a wide range of individual and institutional players in the investment community who in light of recent events are concerned about being investment fraud victims.
Tax consequences for investors in hedge fund frauds
Authors: Lorence Roger D. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to consider the appropriate Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax filings for individual and fund‐of‐fund (FOF) investors who have incurred losses from hedge fund fraud.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the types of losses investors have suffered; explains the types of relief the IRS provides; recommends the steps investors should take in filing claims; discusses special issues for FOFs, recoveries from the Securities Industry Protection Corp. (SIPC), treatment of litigation expenses, and recent IRS guidance; and provides a sample tax‐claim calculation.FindingsFor defrauded investors, two types of relief may be available: filing a tax return for the taxable year in which the fraud is discovered to claim an ordinary loss from theft for the entire adjusted basis in the fraudulent investment; and filing for refunds of tax erroneously paid in prior years on income fictitiously reported by the Ponzi scheme.Originality/valueThe paper provides timely guidance from an expert on tax issues related to hedge funds. Readers need to be aware that resolution of many issues discussed here is uncertain and the subject may be characterized as a “moving target”.
Hedge fund information depository: a case study of a pre‐emptive solution to fund manager fraud
Authors: Muhtaseb Majed R. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe objective of this research is to educate investors and hedge fund industry stakeholders about a hedge fund manager's alarming activities prior to recognition of the fraud by the authorities. The lessons serve as red flags to stakeholders in the hedge fund industry such as prime brokers, auditors, administrators, accountants, custodians and government regulators, and especially investors conducting due diligence on hedge funds. A far‐reaching proposal is for the industry to found a hedge fund information depository (HFID) where participants/stakeholders provide information on any hedge fund on a regular basis. Such an information clearing‐house would facilitate a long overdue timely communication among hedge fund industry constituents. The services would be available for a fee. This service elevates transparency in the hedge fund community to an unprecedented level and could ultimately mitigate a manager's fraud.Design/methodology/approachA major hedge fund fraud case, Lancer Management Group, is used an example and application of HFID.FindingsInvestors in the Lancer funds lost more than $500 million. In the case of Lancer, there were several “alerts” or “triggers” many months before the actual filing of the SEC complaint against the fund. Hedge fund manager fraud could be mitigated through the establishment of the information depository. Had the depository been in place, some Lancer funds stakeholders could have made different decisions.Research limitations/implicationsSome hedge fund industry stakeholders may reluctantly join HFID. Researching the willingness of hedge fund industry stakeholders to join HFID would be a good extension of the current research.Practical implicationsHad a third party become aware of the alerts, this third party could have made a different investment decision. Most importantly, this depository would allow all the hedge fund industry stakeholders (accountants, administrators, auditors, marketers, prime brokers, custodians) to contemporaneously communicate with one another.Originality/valueThe approach and the solution are both unique. In addition, the topic is very controversial and timely, yet few business professionals explore research projects on fund manger fraud. HFID would be of great value to hedge fund industry stakeholders, especially investors.
President's working group on financial markets: best practices for the hedge fund industry
Authors: Goldman Richard A. , Leonard Robert C. , Anderson Gray Matthew , Vecchio Steven G. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to summarize two separate reports on best hedge fund industry practices issued on January 15, 2009 by the Asset Managers' Committee and the Investors' Committee of the President's Working Group on Capital Markets.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides a detailed summary of the two reports.FindingsThe Asset Managers' Committee Report sets forth a standard of best practices for the hedge fund industry aimed at reducing systemic risk and fostering investor protection. It recommends that hedge fund managers adopt comprehensive best practices in all aspects of their businesses, including the following five key areas: disclosure; valuation; risk management; trading and business operations; and compliance, conflicts and business practices. The Investors' Committee Report sets forth guidelines intended to “enhance market discipline, mitigate systemic risk, augment regulatory safeguards regarding investor protection, and complement regulatory efforts to enhance market integrity”. The Report provides recommendations to investors for evaluating hedge funds and overseeing hedge fund investments within a portfolio. It is divided into: a Fiduciary's Guide aimed at assisting plan trustees, banks, consultants and others with portfolio oversight responsibilities, in determining whether a hedge fund investment would be suitable for the organization they represent; and an Investor's Guide aimed at providing recommendations to investors who have decided to add hedge funds to their investment portfolio.Originality/valueThe paper provides a concise, informative guide by experienced securities lawyers with hedge fund expertise.
Internal control reporting regulation: a law and economics perspective
Authors: Zolnor Matthew A. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the efficiency of the internal control reporting (ICR) requirements imposed by Sections 302 and 404 of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). The lessons learned are then applied to the current financial crisis.Design/methodology/approachThe Coase Theorem is applied to the events leading up to the collapse of Enron and the enactment of SOX. The paper then analyzes the efficacy of the various examples of ICR regulation, both pre‐ and post‐SOX, noting the ways in which they effectively mitigate transaction costs and the ways in which they over‐regulate.FindingsUS investors continue to invest in foreign markets despite the fact that those markets maintain less demanding ICR requirements than those required by Section 404. Moreover, investors do not respond negatively to Section 404 disclosures. The research demonstrates that Section 404 does not provide useful information in the minds of investors. Considering Section 404's ineffectiveness and the burdensome costs it imposes on reporting companies, it is clear that Section 404 is an example of over‐regulation and should be repealed.Practical implicationsThe transaction costs that caused the collapse of Enron and the enactment of SOX bear strong similarities to those causing the more recent subprime mortgage crisis. The lessons learned from the enactment of SOX Section 404 are directly applicable to the current financial crisis and should be noted moving forward.Originality/valueBy utilizing a law and economics perspective, the paper more clearly demonstrates how Section 404 is an example of over‐regulation and draws links to the current economic crisis.
Influences of pro‐ all‐inclusive travel decisions
Authors: Anderson Wineaster , Juaneda Catalina , Sastre Francisco 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the motivations for choosing all‐inclusive package tours when traveling, and to specify the visitor and travel attributes associated with those motivations.Design/methodology/approachA specific visitor‐exit‐survey involving all‐inclusive tourists visiting the Balearic Islands (n=843) was conducted during the summer of 2006 at the Airport of Palma de Mallorca. Then, through discrete choice models‐binary logit, relationships between the identified motivations and specified attributes were analyzed by looking for the attributes that are more associated with each motive.FindingsThe study results show that tourists traveling through all‐inclusive tours attach more importance to the motivations related to convenience and relaxation, economies of resources as well as safety and security in their vacationing processes; with specific tourist and trip attributes influencing the probability for confirmation.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the motivation of different tourist profiles visiting the destinations is useful in managing the tourism industry for satisfying specific tourist segments without jeopardizing the interests of the host community. A full understanding of all‐inclusive motivation would help travel organizers and marketers to plan, design and deliver products and services that cater for the specific needs of the all‐inclusive market, with the aim of capturing the financial benefits which are the central element of the economy.Originality/valueThere is still little knowledge in the literature about all‐inclusive package tourism. Specifically, the knowledge of tourist motivation with reference to the tour mode choice within the tourism landscape is still diluted, and therefore the motive behind one traveling through certain tour modes like all‐inclusives continues to miss the ground works. Nor have the factors that influence evaluation of the motivations related to the decision of this type of trip have been much studied, which renders this field of study one of the underdeveloped areas in the tourism social sciences. The paper attempts to contribute where there is this lack of knowledge.
The role of tourism organizations in location management: the case of beer tourism in Bavaria
Authors: Pechlaner Harald , Raich Frieda , Fischer Elisabeth 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of cross‐sectoral co‐operations and the potential role of tourism organizations in an integrated location management system, using the regional governance approach. The coordination between participants and the development of economic dynamics by coordinated networks are important factors determining the competitiveness of locations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper undertook a qualitative and quantitative survey in Bavaria, which analyzed the role of a tourism organization in the location, using the example of cross‐sectoral interaction with the brewing industry. First, a qualitative explorative study was conducted analyzing the potential cross‐sectoral activities of the tourism organization with the brewery industry in Bavaria, and examined the indicators of power and legitimacy. A further quantitative survey was then carried out to assess the current situation of the cross‐sectoral interaction of the Bavarian tourism organization with the brewery industry and the position of the tourism organization in the location.FindingsThe results show that the role of the tourism organization in cross‐sectoral interactions with other parties in a region where tourism does not play a major role is not strong. It lacks the power to take a leading part in determining a region's attractiveness, and needs to develop its expertise as a cross‐sector intermediary for an integrative location management process. The results indicate potential for improvements in the field of communication and interaction to strengthen the position of the tourism organization.Practical implicationsThe study results reveal that the philosophy of cross‐sectoral thinking is not yet strongly developed in the Bavarian tourism organization. It should develop a stronger network‐oriented perspective if it wants to become an intermediary between the local sectors and industries.Originality/valueApplying the findings of the regional governance theory, the paper demonstrates the potential contribution of tourism organizations as cross‐sector intermediaries for location management processes, so that the various attractions at a location can all profit by working towards a more competitive and attractive location.
Tourism expert perceptions for evaluating climate change impacts on the Euro‐Mediterranean tourism industry
Authors: Valls Josep‐Francesc , Sardá Rafael 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse perceptions among European tourism experts specialising in tourism planning regarding the impact that climate change may have on tourism management.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology used was the double convergent Delphi Method. A total of 70 European experts in tourism planning were surveyed to determine their opinions. Two focus groups of experts were organised, first to fine‐tune the questionnaire before implementing the Delphi method and, second, to check the results afterwards.FindingsThe most noteworthy findings expressed were: climate change has already begun; life in the forthcoming decades will be subject to constant uncertainty; there is a clear perception of responsibility; there is a reluctance to accept repressive taxation but support for renewable energy incentives; and there is a call for responsible growth based on integrated destination management, public‐private co‐responsibility and the application of mitigation/adaptation measures. Additionally, climate change is already threatening tourist enterprises, and an efficient integrated management system in companies and tourist destinations will be required to cope with its negative effects.Research limitations/implicationsThe limits of this research are those inherent in the Delphi method itself, which is highly opinion‐based. To reduce this, the sample was broadened to include 70 interviewees instead of the 30 traditionally used.Practical implicationsThe practical implications lie in offering an exploratory vision of climate change from experts' perception; their outlook considerably broadens the field of reflection.Originality/valueAdditionally, the value of the paper is to allow discussion on the perception of experts in tourism planning regarding climate change in the Euro‐Mediterranean region.