bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Economists on the catwalk – David Warsh: Knowledge and the Wealth of Nations
Authors: Martin Cherryl K. 
Published: September 2007

Purpose“Economists on the catwalk” provides an analytical review of the book Knowledge and the Wealth of Nations by David Warsh, with suggestions for a more comprehensive and accurate approach to the issues involved. Its purpose is to track the changes in economic thinking leading up to, and beyond, the theory of “Endogenous New Growth Theory” put forward by Paul Romer between the mid‐1980s and the mid 1990s, analyzing the part played by the current systems of peer‐review, academic funding and recruitment in university economics departments.Design/methodology/approachThe paper discusses the book in the context of modern economic theories and developments in the field of economics from a broad‐based historical, global, multi‐cultural twenty‐first century perspective.FindingsThere has been a radical transformation in economic thinking over the past decade that is forcing a re‐evaluation of economic theory and teaching. A different approach to the subject is required to ensure that it remains relevant and applicable in the rapidly changing modern world.Originality/valueThe paper introduces the “waltz motif” theory of economist Peter Jay as a methodology for tracking trends in national economies; the concept of the “Battle of Ideas” in academic disciplines and in our lives; the process of knowledge acquisition; and the impact of the changing social contract. The paper is of particular value to teachers of economics and professional economists interested in an innovative, thought‐provoking approach to their subject and in the future of economic research as it is currently conducted in academic environments.
Review of The Advancement of Learning: Building the Teaching Commons
Authors: Montgomery Beronda L. 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a reflective evaluation of the concept of the teaching commons as presented by authors Huber and Hutchings and to summarize expected outcomes from participation therein.Design/methodology/approachAn appraisal of the book The Advancement of Learning: Building the Teaching Commons is presented to explore the conception of the teaching commons. This review addresses the definition of the teaching commons and explores the establishment of, and participation in, the teaching commons as a means of advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning and for improving student learning.FindingsA fundamental premise is developed suggesting that the development and utilization of a teaching commons will improve teaching and learning through the provision of a defined safeplace for conversations about teaching and learning and specific avenues to share information about teaching innovations for improving student learning. Sustained faculty engagement in a teaching commons must be supported by formalized institutional recognition and appropriate rewards.Practical implicationsA practical resource for faculty members involved in the scholarship of teaching and learning and for administrators developing teaching and learning centers or resources for utilization by faculty members.Originality/valueThis review examines the definition and establishment of a teaching commons for improving the scholarship of teaching and learning at the college and university levels.
An inconvenient truth – Galileo's Mistake: The Archaeology of a Myth by Wade Rowland
Authors: Martin Cherryl 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to critique the book Galileo's Mistake: The Archaeology of a Myth by Wade Rowland; providing additional insights into the subject of the work and trial of Galileo Galilei in the seventeenth century and its relevance to the modern world.Design/methodology/approachThe case of Galileo is presented as a case study in modern change management.FindingsThe story of Galileo as passed down to us through the centuries has become mythologized and distorted as an example of a clash between religion and science. The facts as they are presented by the author reinforce this myth by applying modern arguments about the relative scope, practice and meaning of both science and religion in a situation where such arguments could not have been applied and were not relevant. Careful consideration of the wider global context reveals more plausible dimensions to the story.Practical implicationsThe Galileo case study is a useful vehicle for teaching concepts about truth, knowledge, complexity theory and the potential and reasons for resistance to new ideas.Originality/valueThe paper aims to teach the importance of critically examining facts as they are presented, in terms of both content and context; of considering the wider, global implications and the motivations, strengths and weaknesses of the various players involved in any situation.
The next big idea?
Authors: Abeles Tom 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review David Shaffer's book How Computer Games Help Children Learn.Design/methodology/approachThis article discusses Shaffer's work and compares this with the ideas of other authors.FindingsThe use of games and simulations in education is increasing, becoming more sophisticated and undergoing serious study in The Academy. The number of articles is increasing and there is increasing pressure to establish credibility through publishing both in academic journals and books.Originality/valueThe new medium of digital learning basically relies on traditional theories of learning. Sometimes a book tells more about an area by its presence rather than by what it provides to advance thinking. As with on‐line learning, Shaffer's book shows that the path to change starts with mapping bricks into clicks and, as such, offers little to challenge the growing commercial arena of serious games being developed, almost as an aside.
Space, growth and technology: an integrated dynamic approach
Authors: Gomes Orlando 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to present an integrated approach concerning intertemporal choices and the location of economic activity under a simple endogenous growth model. The idea is that time analysis concerning the choices about present and future consumption and the choices on the allocation of scientific resources should be combined with a space analysis regarding the dissemination of economic activity through geographical locations.Design/methodology/approachTwo optimal control problems are considered. These relate to a standard utility maximization set‐up, in which spatial considerations are incorporated, and to a problem of allocation of scientific/technological resources. Steady states and transitional dynamics are addressed.FindingsIt was found that the long‐run steady state does not have to be a state of unchangeable geography – consumption, production conditions and technological progress determine not only long‐term growth but also the long‐term tendency for the economy to geographically concentrate or disperse.Research limitations/implicationsIn its essence, the model is just a conventional Ramsey growth model, sophisticated in order to include endogenous location decisions and endogenous technology choices. Further insights can be gained by readdressing the model (e.g. by assuming a monopolistic competition environment instead of a purely competitive set‐up).Originality/valueThe determinants of growth are, on the one hand, the decisions about how to allocate technological resources and, on the other hand, the strength with which productive activities can agglomerate in order to generate increasing returns to scale.
Macroeconomic factors of exchange rate volatility
Authors: Lee‐Lee Chong , Hui‐Boon Tan 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the factors of exchange rate volatility from the macroeconomic perspective for four neighbouring ASEAN economies.Design/methodology/approachThis study has scrutinised the link between macroeconomic factors and exchange rate volatility in both the short and the long run by applying econometrics techniques.FindingsThis study further suggests the link between macroeconomic factors and exchange rate volatility in both the short and the long run for the selected economies. The empirical results, however, indicate that a set of common factors seems to influence the exchange rate volatility, whereby the stock market is a great influence commonly found across countries. The Indonesian rupiah seems to be the most sensitive to the innovations in macroeconomic factors, while the Singapore dollar is the least.Research limitations/implicationsThe macroeconomic factors are believed to be the forces behind exchange rate volatility through the presumable rigidities of their exchange rates, resulting from the managed float exchange rate system adopted by those countries. Their capital markets are vital in maintaining exchange rate stability, hence suggesting the imperative role of respective authorities and market players in managing a viable capital market.Originality/valueLittle attention has been given to developing countries' experiment with their exchange rate systems due to their presumed rigid volatility. This study adopts a more sophisticated approach in measuring the volatility of the exchange rate and examines the underlying factors of exchange rate volatility instead of the level of exchange rate.
The UAE growth surge: have information technology and human capital contributed?
Authors: Al‐Khateeb Faisal B. , Darrat Ali F. , Elkhal Khaled 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which information technology (IT) and human capital accumulation have contributed to the recent rapid economic growth of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Design/methodology/approachWell‐established prior theories suggest that both factors are key growth ingredients. Results from cointegration tests confirm these prior theories and support a strong long‐run (equilibrium) relationship linking real economic growth in the UAE with both IT (alternatively defined) and human capital. However, additional tests based on the Gonzalo and Granger technique reveal that human capital plays a particularly significant role in the growth process.FindingsThese results lend support to the notion that good education is a prerequisite before new technologies can produce economic benefits. In contrast with robust long‐run effects, results from error‐correction models indicate that neither IT nor human capital has any significant short‐run effect on real growth.Originality/valueThe paper is of value by demonstrating that efforts to invigorate the education system and the technological infrastructure in the UAE must persist over a long period of time, before they can produce their expected economic benefits.
Approaches to learning accounting: a cross‐cultural study
Authors: Donald John , Jackling Beverley 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the cultural background of students and their learning approaches in a first year undergraduate accounting program.Design/methodology/approachWhile prior research in this area has more generally focused on the investigation of the approaches to learning by accounting students, there appears to have been little investigation into the learning approaches of students from different cultures who are studying accounting together at the same institution. The paper presents the results of a study of 550 students enrolled in an undergraduate accounting program at a multi‐campus university in Victoria, Australia, which used Biggs' study process questionnaire (SPQ) to assess the approaches to learning utilised by local and Chinese students.FindingsThe results showed that, while there were no significant differences in the use of surface and deep learning strategies by the Chinese and Australian students, there were significant differences in the learning motives of the two groups. Furthermore, the results contradict prior claims that Asian students rely principally on the memorisation and reproduction of factual information as a means of achieving academic success.Originality/valueThe study provides support for the notion that Chinese students may in fact have a culturally induced bias towards seeking understanding through deeper approaches to study.
Attitudes towards plagiarism among undergraduate accounting students: Malaysian evidence
Authors: Smith Malcolm , Ghazali Noorlaila , Fatimah Noor Minhad Siti 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine undergraduate accounting students' perceptions of factors contributing to plagiarism activities.Design/methodology/approachSurvey methods were used to investigate the prominence of different factors, and any differences associated with student characteristics.FindingsThe results suggested that factors contributing to plagiarism include lack of awareness, lack of understanding, lack of competence, and personal attitudes. No evidence was found to support the suggestion that either pressure or the availability of internet facilities had increased the incidence of plagiarism. The study provided evidence that a significant proportion of Malaysian undergraduate accounting students in the study had engaged in plagiarism activities to a limited degree; the observed profile was consistent with the incidence of plagiarism activities being associated with academically weaker, male students with a negative attitude to their studies.Originality/valueThe findings have significant implications for educators if they are to improve the detection and punishment of plagiarism activity, and educate potential perpetrators.
Audit committee characteristics and earnings management: evidence from Malaysia
Authors: Mohd Saleh Norman , Mohd Iskandar Takiah , Mohid Rahmat Mohd 
Published: September 2007

PurposeConflicts between managers and outside auditors may exist in choosing alternative accounting procedures. Since auditors are appointed by the firm, they are subject to dismissal if divergent opinions cannot be resolved. To a lesser extent, financial reports are often negotiated. In order to produce unbiased financial reports, audit committee members are appointed to act independently in order to resolve conflicts between the managers and outside auditors. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of some audit committee characteristics, i.e. the independence of members, size, frequency of meeting and knowledge of the members, to monitor management behavior with respect to their incentives to manage earnings.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses discretionary accruals obtained from the established model as a signal of the presence of earnings management.FindingsThe evidence shows that the presence of a fully independent audit committee reduces earnings management practices. It was also found that firms which had more knowledgeable audit committee members and held more audit committee meetings recorded fewer earnings management practices compared with other firms.Originality/valueThis paper is different from prior studies, in that it makes a significant contribution towards enhancing one's knowledge in the interacting role of audit committee characteristics.
Applying stakeholder theory to analyze corporate environmental performance
Authors: Elijido‐Ten Evangeline 
Published: September 2007

PurposeStakeholder theory has been used extensively as it offers a way to address the changing demands in a dynamic business environment. This study aims to use stakeholder theory to analyze corporate environmental behavior by Australian listed companies.Design/methodology/approachBy adopting Ullmann's three‐dimensional framework comprising stakeholder power, strategic posture, and economic performance, an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model is developed. Three measures of stakeholder power are used: shareholder power (SP), creditor power, and government power (GP). Strategic posture is represented by the level of management's environmental concern (EC) and economic performance is proxied by the firm's return on assets (ROA). Using the 2002 Australian Conservation Foundation environmental performance ranking, the OLS model tests for any significant relationships between corporate environmental performance and the three components of the framework.FindingsThe findings suggest that the level of ownership dispersion (SP), the industry sensitivity characterized by the increased governmental sanctions (GP) as well as the management's concern for the environment (EC) are the significant factors influencing the decision to incorporate superior environmental activities in corporate strategic plans. Measures of economic performance (ROA) show no significant relation with the firms' environmental performance. Likewise, suggestions that size and age of the firms could act as intervening variables are not supported by the results.Originality/valueThe empirical results provide evidence that the application of stakeholder theory can contribute towards one's understanding of how corporate entities behave, particularly in adapting to the rapidly changing business environment where environmental issues are becoming increasingly important.
Environmental disclosure and performance reporting in Malaysia
Authors: Smith Malcolm , Yahya Khadijah , Marzuki Amiruddin Ahmad 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which the environmental disclosures in annual reports of companies listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange are associated with corporate characteristics.Design/methodology/approachA rating system for environmental disclosures was developed, based on a review of previous studies, embracing industry membership, financial performance, share price fluctuations, political cost proxies, dependence on debt and the capital market.FindingsThe findings suggested that environmental disclosure is negatively associated with company financial performance. A significant inverse relationship between disclosure score and return on assets is apparent, suggesting that environmental disclosure in Malaysia has different priorities from disclosures elsewhere.Originality/valueThis study is the first of its kind to be conducted in Malaysia, and its empirical findings complement the expectations of prior studies.
Developing an intrapreneur‐led three‐phase model of innovation
Authors: Gapp Rod , Fisher Ron 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe paper seeks to demonstrate an intrapreneur‐led three‐phase model of innovation based on understanding the relationships between service delivery and product development thought, and the application of intrapreneurial‐focused teams in the healthcare and manufacturing industries.Design/methodology/approachThe research proposes a model that starts with effective teambuilding within an intrapreneurial context, then encompasses the relationship between service and product as a platform for the development of more effective innovation. A two‐part qualitative case study provides insight and understanding of the model's application within both service and manufacturing environments.FindingsInvestigating service delivery shortfalls with effectively developed intrapreneurial teams leads to new and/or improved services. New service developments in turn lead to the development of new products. An action research model based on Deming's PDSA (plan, do, study, act) cycle determines the point of departure for each stage of innovation. The PDSA cycle provides a method for combining innovation, knowledge development and management.Practical implicationsCurrent approaches focus on the characteristics of intrapreneurs rather than on the linked activities that lead to successful product/service innovation. Important issues such as how teams progress through the stages of service and product development are not usually considered. As a consequence, there is little in the extant literature to guide prospective intrapreneurs or organisations.Originality/valueLittle research has been conducted into how intrapreneurship occurs in organisations. This paper provides insight into how intrapreneurship functions through new service and new product innovations in both the service and manufacturing sectors.
Small business and the informal economy: evidence from the UK
Authors: Williams Colin C. 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe magnitude of the informal economy has been estimated using either indirect measurement methods that employ proxy indicators or small‐scale household surveys. This paper seeks to provide an analysis of the findings of the first direct survey in an advanced market economy of national business opinion on its magnitude and impacts.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyses the findings of a UK survey of business opinion on the prevalence of the informal economy in their sector and its impacts on their businesses, namely the Small Business Service's (SBS)2004/05 Small Business Surveyof 7,505 small businesses.FindingsThe finding is that 14 per cent of UK small businesses view themselves as negatively affected by the informal economy, with businesses estimating on average that 8 per cent of trade in their sector is conducted on an off‐the‐books basis. The sectors most affected by the informal economy are land transport, construction, the motor vehicle trade, and hotels and restaurants, with fledgling enterprises and businesses in peripheral regions most affected.Research limitations/implicationsThis survey records only business perceptions of the size of the informal economy in their sector rather than directly collecting data on the amount of informal work that businesses conduct.Practical implicationsThis paper demonstrates that it is wholly feasible to conduct business surveys on the size and impacts of the informal economy and recommends modifications to the SBS survey method to improve data collection.Originality/valueThis paper reports the findings of the first survey in an advanced economy of national business opinion on the size and impacts of the informal economy.
Farmers' markets as small business incubators and safety nets
Authors: Cameron Alan 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe paper seeks to explore the importance of a sample of New Zealand farmers' markets in providing a supportive setting for the take‐off as well as the decline stage of the small business life cycle, with a view to identifying factors that may enhance rural small business survivability.Design/methodology/approachThe task was achieved by use of a combination of interviews and case studies. A list of new generation farmers' markets was compiled. Managers from four of these markets were interviewed to identify the possible existence of businesses that had been fostered by, but had now outgrown, the market. Four incubated businesses were selected from one of the longer established markets. From a more recently established market, 18 stallholders were selected for examination of their attitudes towards the market as a nurturing environment in relation to the life‐cycle stage of the business. Data were analysed using qualitative techniques of theme identification and analysis.FindingsIt was found that farmers' markets can have a role as small business incubators and safety nets, thus enhancing the survival chances of rural small businesses. This may be particularly useful where dwindling government subsidies and growing supermarket power result in declining incomes and reduced outlets for small‐scale farmers and rural producers.Research limitations/implicationsThe research findings are limited by the non‐random nature of the sampling procedure. In such an exploratory study, the main emphasis was on establishing the existence of the incubator and safety net functions. Further research is needed to establish the extent of these roles.Originality/valueThe research investigates a relatively unique setting of an unsubsidised agricultural sector.