bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Forecasting automobile sales
Authors: Shahabuddin Syed 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the behavior of the automotive industry which is very critical to avoid major economic disruptions in the economy. To understand this industry, one needs to understand its historical performance in relation to many economic factors that may affect the industry.Design/methodology/approachData about automobile sales (in dollars and in units) and many economic and demographic variables are collected from a variety of sources. Automobile sales are the dependent variable. However, the variable of automobile sales is divided into foreign and domestic car makers. The data are regressed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) stepwise regression to obtain highly correlated variables.FindingsThe results indicate a strong relationship between the economic variables and foreign car sales, but the relationship between the economic variables and domestic car sales is weak. The domestic cars sales relationship to the other economic variables should be explored further to determine possible causes for the weak correlation. One of the possible reasons could be that domestic car makers use many incentives to influence sales, but data on incentives by model by year are not available. The addition of this variable as a factor may improve correlation.Practical implicationsThe results in this study could help the automobile companies better understand their business, and the auto companies could use the results for possible strategic decisions. In addition, legislatures in the impacted states could use the results to prepare for fluctuations in the industry that would result in profound effects on the states in question.Originality/valueThis type of analysis is not standard, and the use of multiple economic variables correlated with domestic and foreign car sales is unique. The study provides a basis for further research.
A comparison of gender role portrayals in magazine advertising
Authors: Zhang Lin , “Tony” Srisupandit Pataradech , Cartwright Debra 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to try to determine to what extent differences and similarities in sociopolitical, cultural and economic backgrounds are reflected in gender role portrayals in magazine advertisements in the USA, China and Thailand.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis is used. Five different magazine categories are selected from the USA, China and Thailand in 2007: news and general interest; sports; entertainment; women's and business. The coding system employed is modified from Courtney and Lockeretz.FindingsOverall, the paper finds that advertisers in Thailand, China and America shared some gender stereotyping. In addition, Chinese and Thai magazine advertisements show more gender stereotyping, while US advertisements show more egalitarian representations. These findings are consistent with their respective culture backgrounds.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of content analysis is limited because it is mainly descriptive in nature and adequate causal explanations cannot be established. Besides, this research is cross‐sectional and the changes in gender role portrayals in cultures over time cannot be sufficiently captured.Practical implicationsThe paper's observations support the hypotheses that the sociopolitical, cultural and economic differences of the three countries lead to different gender role attitudes in each society, and these different attitudes need to be considered by international advertisers. The paper also suggests that international advertisers should carefully consider the use of gender role stereotypes in their creative design, for the benefit both of the advertisers and the society.Originality/valueNo similar studies have been conducted on Thai advertisements and the most recent study in China was in 1997. It is also worthwhile to examine gender role portrayals in advertisements from three countries with unique sociopolitical backgrounds: the capitalistic USA (with Judeo‐Christian values), socialist China (with weak Confucian values) and capitalistic Thailand (with strong Confucian values).
Freedom or docility at work – is there a choice?
Authors: Sandoff Mette , Widell Gill 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to suggest a frame of reference about the relations between the responsibility and the commitment of employees on the one side and type of organization on the other. The basis is a discussion of the tension between docility and freedom.Design/methodology/approachResults from earlier empirical studies of disciplinary practices among teachers and warders form the starting point. In this paper the phenomenon of hedonism is added. Hedonism is investigated from a psychological perspective and applied to work organizations with the help of attribution theories, theories on coping and motivation and theories on the conflict between the individual and the organization, i.e. of power, culture and coherence.FindingsThe paper has developed a typology on coping strategies in work contexts, which describes four possible “ideal” roles an individual can take, referring to three dimensions, the dichotomy between freedom and docility, the individual's locus of control as external or internal, and the coherence between individual and organizational values.Practical implicationsThe model can be used for empirical studies and contribute to the development of work organizations where people feel committed enough to take responsibility both for monotonous and dull everyday tasks and for exceptional and acute unique problem solving situations.Originality/valueMost studies on disciplining and docility focus on the painful side of coping. Few studies focus on what people do in order to cope with commitment and responsibility. This paper considers the different power struggles embedded in the work context, and give varying interpretations of them.
National sovereignty through decentralization
Authors: Ben‐Meir Yossef 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe suggested utility of decentralized development in Iraq and the Palestinian occupied territories is meant to provide policymakers new alternatives to managing and resolving these conflicts. This paper aims to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe overall paradigm of decentralization is presented and how participatory development relates within it is described. As the conditions in Iraq and Palestine are then discussed, cited qualities and results of decentralized participatory development are shown to directly address the fundamental issues that perpetuate these conflicts.FindingsThe paper finds that decentralization to local communities of development planning and management reinforces national sovereignty when national governments actively support its implementation. The productive partnerships among government, civil organizations and private groups that can result from decentralization – both vertically and horizontally along administrative tiers – strengthen both local community and national autonomy.Practical implicationsThe decentralization strategy presented – participatory development – has been shown in cases around the world to also generate vital economic, social, and environmental benefits in a more expeditious and at a lower cost than typical development assistance programs. These outcomes, among others, are what is needed to help resolve conflicts in Iraq and between the Israelis and Palestinians – conflicts rooted in matters of sovereignty, development and reconciliation. In Iraq, decentralization of development will give the national government legitimacy, the Iraqis ownership of their own reconstruction, and the opportunity to incorporate reconciliation as part of the process. In the Palestinian occupied territories, decentralized development will bring immediate relief and build socio‐economic self‐reliance in a way that restructures their economy to be less dependent on Israel and help reduce tensions and violence.Originality/valueThere are important theoretical and applied values of this analysis. By explaining how different ideological perspectives (socialism, neo‐liberalism, alternative development and others) relate to the various organizational arrangements of decentralization, a detailed description of the decentralization paradigm is provided. Then by presenting participatory development as a strategy of decentralization and showing how it can be implemented in Iraq and Palestine, it is shown to be a practical tool with outcomes that correspond fittingly to the fundamental requirements for resolving these destabilizing conflicts. The analysis contributes to both the theoretical and applied knowledge of decentralization.
Poverty reduction and aid: cross‐country evidence
Authors: Bahmani‐Oskooee Mohsen , Oyolola Maharouf 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of foreign aid on poverty. Poverty reduction has lately become an issue of great interest after the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in which the international community has set the goal to halve poverty by 2015.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses pooled time‐series and cross sectional data from 49 developing countries.FindingsThe paper finds that foreign aid is effective in reducing poverty. This contradicts previous literature.Originality/valueThe paper introduces foreign aid as another determinant of poverty in a regression model and suggests that growth‐promoting and policies intended to reduce inequality are also effective in reducing poverty.
Strategy, control activities, monitoring and effectiveness
Authors: Agbejule Adebayo , Jokipii Annukka 
Published: June 2009

PurposeFirst, this paper aims to provide empirical evidence of the interaction between the components of an internal control system. Second, it seeks to integrate work from the field of strategy and that on the internal control system from the field of auditing. The purpose of this paper is to enable a more profound understanding of how different strategic orientations may influence effectiveness, depending on the components of the internal control system.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed using multiple regression analysis, i.e. a three‐way interaction model. The result was a usable sample of the opinions of 741 managers working in Finland.FindingsThe results indicate that, for prospector firms, high degrees of internal control activity and low degrees of monitoring ensure a greater effectiveness of the internal control system. On the other hand, for analyzers a high degree of internal control activity and high degrees of monitoring lead to a highly effective internal control system. In addition, our findings indicate no significant differences between defenders and analyzers.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited to only two components of the internal control system, namely, internal control activities and monitoring. Future research is needed to examine the interactions of other components of the internal control system.Practical implicationsThe paper demonstrates the need for managers to be aware of the drivers of the effectiveness of the internal control system and the relationships essential to drive effectiveness, especially when operating in different strategic fields. While all components of an internal control system are vital, this study shows that a good fit between them can lead to improved effectiveness.Originality/valueThis is the first empirical study that has used a three‐way interaction method to study internal control structures and their effectiveness in an organizational context. Coupled with previous work, it suggests the need for both researchers and practitioners to examine the interactions of an internal control system and how they impact on the effectiveness of that system.
The association between auditor quality and human capital
Authors: Cheng Yu‐Shu , Liu Yi‐Pei , Chien Chu‐Yang 
Published: June 2009

PurposeFollowing the high profile collapses of Enron and WorldCom, and the demise of Andersen, human capital (HC) has become a key driver of auditor quality. The purpose of this study is to investigate if there is a positive association between HC and auditor quality in public accounting firms and if the extent of association varies between accounting firms.Design/methodology/approachMultiple regression and logistic modeling are applied to examine the association between auditor quality and HC. The sample consists of 4,865 firm‐year observations over the period from 1989 to 2004.FindingsThe main findings indicate that higher investments in HC correspond to a higher level of auditor quality. Furthermore, the power of HC on auditor quality has a significant difference between public and non‐public audit market firms.Research limitations/implicationsA number of theoretical and measurement limitations are acknowledged that could further increase the statistical power of the tests.Practical implicationsThe findings should be of interest to regulators, auditors, audit clients, and academics. The findings also suggest that HC has an impact on overall auditor quality. The audit firms need more well‐educated and well‐trained professionals with the experience to keep pace with the changing nature of the market and to perform audit tasks.Originality/valueThe findings fill a gap in the literature regarding auditor quality and HC from the perspective of public accounting firms.
Sarbanes‐Oxley section 404 compliance
Authors: Huang Hua‐Wei 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the compliance of US‐traded foreign firms with Sarbanes‐Oxley section 404 (SOX 404) by examining recent changes in their material internal control weakness (ICW) disclosures. This study also seeks to explore as a result of compliance, whether large firms can improve their internal controls than small and mid‐sized businesses (SMBs) can.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a logit regression model to test the data collected from Compustat and AuditAnalytics databases.FindingsBoth US firms and US‐traded foreign firms from developed countries experienced a significant descending trend of material ICW disclosures from 2004 to 2006. US SMBs, like large US companies, improved internal controls.Research limitations/implicationsPrior studies asserted that the environment of corporate governance is more favourable for firms in developed countries. This study documents that US‐traded foreign firms from developed countries adjust to SOX 404 more quickly than do those from developing countries, resulting in fewer material ICW disclosures.Originality/valueAlthough SOX 404 imposes vast costs on US‐traded foreign firms, investors can benefit from the improved internal control over financial reporting, as the Securities and Exchange Commission asserts. This paper contributes to the literature that US‐traded foreign firms from developed countries adjust to SOX 404 more quickly than those from developing countries. Although the significant fixed cost of implementing SOX 404 impacts SMBs disproportionately, US SMBs, like larger firms, still show an improvement in their internal control systems over time.
Long‐run relationship between Islamic stock returns and macroeconomic variables
Authors: Shabri Abd. Majid M. , Yusof Rosylin Mohd. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which macroeconomic variables affect the Islamic stock market behavior in Malaysia in the post 1997 financial crisis period.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs the latest estimation technique of autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model approach to cointegration.FindingsThe results suggest that real effective exchange rate, money supply M3, treasury bill rate (TBR) and federal fund rate (FFR) seem to be suitable targets for the government to focus on, in order to stabilize the Islamic stock market and to encourage more capital flows into the market. As for the interest rates and stock returns relationship, the paper finds that when interest rates rise either domestically (TBR) or internationally (FFR), the Muslim investors will buy more Shari'ah compliant stocks; thereby escalating the Islamic stock prices.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this study are limited to the post 1997 financial crisis period until the beginning of the year 2006 for a small open economy, Malaysia.Practical implicationsThe paper reveals that both changes in the local monetary policy variables and in the US monetary policy as measured by the changes in the FFR have a significant direct impact on the Islamic stock market behavior in Malaysia.Originality/valueThe paper adopts the latest time series econometrics technique to test for cointegration, ARDL. And it is among the earliest attempts to investigate the long‐run effects of the macroeconomic variables changes either domestically or internationally on the Islamic stock market.
Technology and food security
Authors: Kasturi Prahlad 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explain the global dilemma faced by humanity due to rising population pressures, constrained resources and related food security issues. The paper highlights the potential of information technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology in providing solutions to the problem of world hunger.Design/methodology/approachThe paper utilizes past and contemporary research sources to estimate the potential of various technologies in improving the food security situation, cites past successes and identifies some consequences and constraints. The paper notes recent advances in science and technology of food production and the market and other institutional adjustments needed to fully realize their benefits.FindingsThe paper finds that the world greatly benefited from the green revolution during the course of the twentieth century. Additional gains to food production and food security will come from newer processes and techniques developed recently due to information technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology. It is important to educate people about these developments.Practical implicationsIn order to optimally deploy the technologies, policies must be formulated for encouraging inventions, innovations and diffusion as well as strengthen the international intellectual rights regime.Originality/valueThis paper strives to look at the role of information technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology in improving food production and food security from an integrated perspective.
Organizational citizenship behavior in teaching
Authors: Oplatka Izhar 
Published: June 2009

PurposeProfessionals and employees have been documented to perform a wide variety of extra‐role activities (also called organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB)) for which they are neither paid, nor obliged to accomplish by superiors. The paper aims to obtain greater understanding of the consequences of teacher OCB to the teachers who perform this kind of behavior as well as to their school.Design/methodology/approachFifty Israeli elementary and secondary schoolteachers (40 female, ten male) participated in this study. Ages ranged between 28 and 64, with teaching experience in years ranging between 8 and 38. Open‐ended questions were used to gain the respondents' subjective conceptualizations of OCB and its outcomes for the teacher and the school.FindingsThe paper shows that the performance of extra‐role, non‐obligatory, and unrewarded tasks and activities in teaching is perceived by teachers who perform these tasks to have some influence upon themselves (e.g. a sense of self‐fulfillment, higher levels of job satisfaction), their students (e.g. higher students' achievements) and the whole school (e.g. improved school discipline and school image). Implications for further research on teacher OCB are suggested.Originality/valueThe paper offers insights into the implications for teachers, pupils and schools of OCB in teaching.
Special education teacher retention and attrition: the impact of increased legal requirements
Authors: Nance Erica , Calabrese Raymond L. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the reasons current or former tenured special education teachers in a Local Education Agency remain or leave their special education teaching positions through the theoretical perspectives of organizational learning and organizational culture. The paper aims to describe the influence of increased legal requirements on current or former tenured special education teacher attrition or retention by reporting their reasons for staying or leaving.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative multiple case study of two units of analysis was conducted through a constructionist epistemology. Data were collected from 40 current and former tenured special education teachers through focus groups, semi‐structured interviews, the Left Hand and Right‐Hand Column Case Method, and review of appropriate documents. The data collected were analyzed using text analysis software, content analysis, and pattern matching.FindingsFour salient findings from the paper are: current tenured special education teachers want to be listened to and have their needs considered; current tenured special education teachers feel overwhelmed by the workload related to state assessments; current and former tenured special education teachers believe that legally‐required changes affected them in practice; and current and former tenured special education teachers perceive that time requirements for administrative tasks reduce time for student services.Practical implicationsImplications for praxis include organizational learning and organizational culture that encourage listening to the experience of tenured special education teachers and including them in decisions that affect them in an effort to retain them.Originality/valueThe paper assesses the impact of increased legal requirements on special education teacher retention and attrition.