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Economic
and Financial Reconstruction in Iraq
Dr.
Roger H. Bezdek, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Washington, D.C.
ABSTRACT
When hostilities ceased in
Iraq in April, the Coalition was faced with the enormous task of rehabilitating
the Iraqi economy, which had been devastated by three decades of misrule,
exploitation, war, and international sanctions. We discuss the efforts being
made by the U.S. Treasury Department, in conjunction with the Coalition
Provisional Authority, other Federal agencies, and the private sector, to
rebuild and rationalize the economy of Iraq. It is recognized that a
well-functioning economic and financial system is crucial to achieving broad
economic and political objectives in Iraq, and key actions were required to
restore and strengthen Iraq’s financial institutions and financial markets. A
guiding principle for actions in the financial sector, as in other areas, is the
need to work closely with Iraqis, recognizing that their insights and support
are crucial for changes that will work and last. Objectives and initiatives are
being pursued in the areas of payment systems, monetary, fiscal, financial
market and debt policy, commercial banking, and engagement with the
international community on reconstruction efforts. The basic objectives
include:
Economic Growth In Transitional Versus
Industrial Economies: A Case of the Baltic Sea Region
Dr. Tiiu Paas, University of Tartu,
Tartu, Estonia
Dr. Egle Tafenau,
University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
Dr. Nancy J. Scannell, University of Illinois at Springfield, Springfield,
Illinois
ABSTRACT
This paper tests whether differences in growth factors exist between the
transitional versus industrialized countries of the Baltic Sea Region. Model
estimations indicate that significant growth factors are, unlike for industrial
countries, in accordance with theory for transitional countries. Economic growth
determinants are apparently dissimilar across the two groups. It is expected,
however, that in light of ongoing processes of European integration and economic
development of the transitional countries, these discrepancies will diminish.
Economic growth, albeit attributed with exacerbating income inequality and
environmental harm, is one of the salient aspects of economic development and,
ultimately, is assumed to promote the enhancement of societal welfare. In this
paper, economic growth is understood to mean the growth of real gross domestic
product (GDP) or, alternatively, the growth of per capita GDP.
Developing New Markets for Turfgrass-sod in
the United States
John J. Haydu, Ph.D., University of Florida, Mid-Florida Research and
Education Center, Apopka, FL
Alan W. Hodges, Ph.D., University of Florida, Food & Resource Economics
Department, Gainesville, FL
ABSTRACT
Three years of research examining market opportunities for turfgrass-sod was
conducted in the eastern (1999), central (2000), and western (2001) regions of
the United States. A total of 1,248 firms, representing eight distinct Standard
Industrial Classifications (SIC), were surveyed. Data were analyzed by
geographic region and type of business. Results indicate that considerable
differences exist across these categories with respect to market outlets, grass
varieties used, and purchasing criteria of customers. Market outlets have
shifted dramatically in recent years from a direct selling approach (from the
farm direct to the customer) to more indirect selling through large retail
chains. Major grass varieties used by consumers was largely a function of
geographic location where climate restricts optimal growth, rather than problems
associated with market outlets. Primary purchasing criteria were product
quality, followed by price, product availability, and delivery, although results
varied somewhat by type of business.
A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis of
Fairness Heuristic Theory
Douglas Flint, University of New
Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
Pablo Hernandez, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
ABSTRACT
Prior research on fairness heuristic theory of organizational justice has shown
that procedural information is used when distributive information is lacking.
This study extends consideration of fairness heuristic in two ways: By testing
fairness heuristic effects across four different combinations of procedural and
distributive justice; and by testing an ambiguous distributive outcome.
Structural equation modeling is used to measure the directionality of procedural
and distributive justice effects. Procedural justice is of interest to
organizations because of its impact on important organizational outcomes. These
include: performance (Ball, Trevino & Sims, 1995; Gilliland, 1994; Konovsky &
Cropanzano, 1991; Welbourne Balkin & Gomez-Mejia, 1995), organizational
commitment (Brockner, 1992; Konovsky & Cropanzano, 1991; Schaubroeck May & Brown
1994), job satisfaction (Schaubroeck et al, 1994), organizational citizenship
behavior (Ball et al, 1995), commitment to organizational decisions (Greenberg,
1994; Korsgaard, Schweiger & Sapienza, 1995; Lind, Kulik, Ambrose & de Vera
Park, 1993), turnover intentions (Schaubroeck et al, 1994, Olson-Buchanan,
1996), theft (Greenberg, 1990, 1993), and retaliation against organizations (Skarlicki
& Folger, 1997). Organizational systems that have been linked to procedural
justice include: Employee discipline (Cole & Latham, 1997), inter-group conflict
(Huo, Smith, Tyler & Lind, 1996), institutional racism (Jeanquart-Barone, 1996),
performance appraisal (Barclay & Harland, 1995), pay for performance (St. Onge,
2000), and employee benefits (Tremblay, Sire & Balkin, 2000). There are
some conditions when procedural justice is more salient than others. Fairness
heuristic theory provides an explanation for these conditions.
Critique and Insight into Korean Chaebol
Dr.
Jonathan Lee, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
ABSTRACT
This paper closely examines the management practices of one of Korea’s largest
chaebols. Critique of this chaebol is based on interviews with
number of managers still working for the company. It is clear from the
discussion that there are many challenges that face the chaebols;
however, these challenges are not necessarily unique to Korean chaebols. South
Korea (Korea) is the 11th largest economy in the world in terms of
gross national product and 13th largest trading country as of 2002
(1). It has been and remains one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
Many of the Korean chaebols or conglomerates are well known throughout
the world, such as Samsung, Hyundai, LG and others. Although many consumers do
not realize that they are Korean companies, some of these companies are among
the world’s largest producers and exporters of memory chips, and they rank among
the largest and most efficient steel manufacturers and shipbuilders in the
world. These conglomerates also produce a wide range of products such as home
electronics (TV, DVD, Computers, etc.) as well as mobile phones, machinery,
cars, and so forth.
The Accounting Standards Setting Process in
the U.S.:The Examination of the SEC-FASB Relationship
Dr. Leonard Goodman, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New
Brunswick, NJ
David Hossain and Dr. Dan Palmon, Rutgers, The State University of New
Jersey, Newark, NJ
ABSTRACT
In the U.S. there is a close relationship
between the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), a governmental agency legally
responsible for setting accounting standards and the Financial Accounting
Standards Board (FASB), a private sector body to whom the SEC has delegated this
responsibility. In this paper we examine the influence of the SEC on
the FASB as evidenced by the first 142 statements issued by the FASB. Minor
statement, amendments and strictly technical pronouncements were omitted because
of their limited exposure to the political process. Starting
with the Enron debacle, the financial press seems to be dominated by one
accounting scandal after another. With Arthur Andersen’s criminal conviction,
the credibility of the U.S. accounting industry is in jeopardy. Almost every
day we read in the financial press about a new accounting scandal. These
scandals led Congress to enact a new law, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, to
better govern the relationship between independent auditors and the companies
they audit. This new law established an accounting oversight board, restrictions
imposing limits on the consulting services that CPA firms could provide for
firms they audit, and a greater acknowledgement of responsibility from company
top executives for company financial information. In the USA, the
governmental agency, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is legally
responsible for setting accounting standards.
Web Surveys: State of the Art and Future
Outlook
Pradeep K. Tyagi, Ph.D., San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
ABSTRACT
Since the introduction of the World Wide Web, the number of individuals linked
to the Internet has increased at a phenomenal rate. By one recent estimate, the
number of the Internet surveys doubles every 100 days, and by the year 2005, one
billion people worldwide are expected to be linked to the Internet (Department
of Commerce, 2002). In addition, developments in the area of Internet access
hardware and software have multiplied the ways in which one can reach users. Not
surprisingly, these factors have generated a growing interest among researchers
regarding the feasibility of using the Internet as a means of data collection
and conducting marketing surveys. Given that self-administered surveys are
arguably the most widely used form of data collection in organizational studies
(Kraut, 1996) and are easily facilitated via such modalities as electronic mail
and the World Wide Web, more attention is clearly warranted. To date, the
extant research has aided our understanding of the trade-offs between Internet
and conventional surveys (e.g., between e-mail and postal surveys). As
instructive as it is, this line of research has been narrow in scope, frequently
limiting itself to addressing single issues such as response rates of e-mail
surveys (e.g., Mavis and Bracato, 1998; Tse, 1998. The result has been a
fragmented set of findings that limits our understanding of Internet surveys,
particularly when a comparative assessment is needed. Missing from the extant
research, then, is a more integrated assessment of Internet surveys that takes
more fully into account their comparability to one another.
Teaching Workloads of Finance Program Leaders
and Faculty and Criteria for Granting Load Relief
Dr. Ron Colley, University of West
Georgia, Carrollton, GA
Dr. Ara Volkan, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA
ABSTRACT
Traditionally, teaching workloads in institutions of higher
education are determined based upon types of degrees offered, accreditation
status from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business -
International (AACSBI), and governance characteristics (i.e., public or
private). Since public institutions are funded by state legislatures and
usually operate under authoritative bodies such as boards of regents and
chancellors, they have to follow guidelines for teaching activities that
originate from these sources. Consequently, it is usual to find an official
maximum teaching load specified in most states. However, there are few faculty
members who teach the official or maximum load. Given expectations of research
and professional service, most finance faculty members teach less than the
specified maximum course load, resulting in the establishment of an average
(i.e., common) teaching load that is less than the specified maximum. Thus, in
most finance units there are faculty members who may teach the maximum, common,
or above or below the common load due to above or below average expectations in
research and service.
Global Financial Integration and Formation of
Clusters in Corporate Banking
Dr. Pierre Agnes, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
ABSTRACT
Despite the globalization of corporate banking services, multinational banks (MNBs)
remain and highly concentrated among a series of world financial centers (WFCs).
Within these cities, MNBs cluster in close geographical proximity to each other,
forming ‘financial districts’. The paper begins by explaining the drivers that
have contributed to the globalization of corporate banking services during the
past two decades. Part two of the paper explains the formation of ‘financial
districts’ using Porter’s framework of clusters, embellished by related
literature. Lastly, this conceptual framework is illustrated by case studies of
two corporate banking service industries that are based on interview data. An
important strand of research in international business and economic geography
concerns the geographical clustering of firms in the global
economy. While much research has focussed on manufacturing sectors, there
is little research into business clusters in service industries, even though
these constitute the most important growth sectors of most OECD nations and the
global economy. This paper contributes to reducing this gap by discussing
clustering in corporate banking.
Underwriter Switches by IPO Firms
Dr. Vinita Ramaswamy, University of
St. Thomas, Houston, TX
Dr. Joe Uen, University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX
Dr. David Durr, Murray Sate University, KY
ABSTRACT
Once an entrepreneur decides to offer shares of the firm to the public, they
need to pick an IPO team consisting of the underwriter (the investment bank), an
accountant and a law firm. The underwriter plays a crucial role in the IPO
process, stimulating the trading process, the number of shares traded and the
trading price. Companies place a lot of reliance on the underwriters, as do the
investing public. The underwriter plays a significant role in the IPO process: The underwriter helps in the
writing of the prospectus - a business document that basically serves as a
brochure for the company. The prospectus includes all financial data for the
company for the past five years, members of the management team, and a
description of the company’s target market and competitive growth strategy. The
prospectus is the main tool for selling the IPO stock. The lead underwriter assembles
a syndicate of other investment banks that will help sell the deal. Each bank
in the syndicate will get a certain amount of the IPO to sell. The next step is the
multi-city tour known as the road show. The company tries to sell the IPO stock
to prospective investors (usually big investment banks and investors). The
underwriter is closely associated with the road show, presenting information and
gathering prospective investors.
Linking Market Orientation, Financial
Performance, and a Customer-Based Marketing Strategy Scorecard
Herbert V. Brotspies, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Abstract
Two seminal articles in the early 1990’s developed the market orientation
construct and demonstrated a positive relationship between market orientation
and firm performance. These articles have been widely cited in the literature
and have served as the basis for theory building. However, the measures used
for firm performance in these articles using return on assets (ROA) or overall
performance can be misleading or vague. An alternative performance measure is
suggested, marketing effectiveness, the achievement of sales and share
objectives within the firm. Further, financial measures alone are insufficient
to guide future decisions or measure progress so customer based marketing
scorecard is developed. This scorecard links market orientation, marketing
strategy, customer measures, and marketing effectiveness.
Potential Perpetrators of Workplace Violence:
How many are there and what Triggers them?
Dr. Bella L. Galperin, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL
Dr. Joanne D. Leck, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
ABSTRACT
Violence in the workplace is increasing at an alarming rate. Despite the growing
prevalence of workplace violence, little is known about the perpetrators of
these violent acts. This exploratory study attempts to assess how many potential
perpetrators are in our workforce, and what organizational characteristics, such
as human resources practices and procedures, foster the creation of the violent
offender. Future research directions and practical implications are also
discussed. Workplace violence has become an important issue for organizations
today. According to a report published by the U.S. Department of Justice,
approximately one thousand employees are murdered yearly while performing their
work duties (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1999). Homicide has become the leading
cause of on-the-job death for women, and the second leading cause for men.
Although a great majority of workers who are killed on the job die during the
commission of another offence, such as robbery, death resulting from the violent
acts perpetrated by a fellow colleague is the next most common reason. Other
studies on workplace violence yield similar alarming findings (see Atkinson,
2000).
Swissair’s Collapse – An Economic Analysis
Dr. Andreas Knorr,
University of Bremen, Germany
Andreas Arndt, University of Bremen,
Germany
Abstract
Swissair’s rapid decline from one of the airline industries’ most renowned
carriers into bankruptcy was the inevitable consequence of an ill-conceived
alliance strategy – which also diluted Swissair’s reputation as a high-quality
airline – and the company’s inability to coordinate its own operations with
those of Crossair, its regional subsidiary, efficiently. However, we hold that
while yearlong mismanagement was indeed the driving force behind Swissair’s
demise, exogenous factors both helped and compounded it. These include, in our
view, first and foremost, the Swiss people’s rejection of the European Economic
Area (EEA) Treaty in a 1992 referendum, Switzerland’s protectionist aviation
policy, and media failure.
Multiple Intelligences and Business Diversity
Joyce Martin, Australian Catholic University, Strathfield, NSW. Australia
ABSTRACT
This study tests the viability of using Gardner's theory of multiple
intelligences as a structure for identifying knowledge diversity in business
students and whether such knowledge increases identification of self and others
as potential sources of knowledge. The results from business students with
substantial work histories indicates that the Multiple Intelligence Preference
Inventory gives a valid and reliable indication of their preferred intelligences
and that knowledge of these results is associated with assessments of self as
sources of knowledge for others and conversely, identification of others as a
potential sources of knowledge. Despite the limitations of a small and
interrupted sample and the need for continued refinement to items, the results
are supportive of further investigations into the use of the inventory and
knowledge of multiple intelligence theory not only as part of a knowledge
identification and sharing program for students but also as a tool for
recognizing, respecting and benefiting from such diversity in the workplace.
Intellectual Capital for the Knowledge Based
Economy: A Theoretical Perspective
Lynn L. K. Lim, Murdoch Business School, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
ABSTRACT
This paper discusses the importance of intellectual capital for organizations
and businesses in the knowledge-based economy. Intellectual capital is seen as a
new generator for the 21st century.
The
value creation and composite of good business performance no longer refer solely
to selling products or services that customers want. Organizations and investors
seek to gain returns from the investments of intangibles in a business.
Intellectual capital is seen to influence shareholder value, provide a potential
powerful stream of revenue, foster greater employee commitment and build
strategic resources of organizations. Several researchers have suggested that
the intellectual capital of an organization is the difference between the market
value and the book value. Other researchers have different descriptions to
represent the value of intellectual capital. This paper illustrates that the
value of intellectual capital of an organization could be affected by the
revaluation of assets and market fluctuation.
Nepotism and Influence in the United Arab
Emirates
Mohamed H. Abdullah, Ph.D., United Arab Emirates University, United Arab
Emirates
ABSTRACT
This paper examines the existence of nepotism and family influence upon the
upward mobility in the career paths of UAE nationals in firms that are
predominately owned by UAE nationals and serve principally national markets.
The paper utilizes the methodology developed by Warner and Abegglen in their
study of occupationally mobility in the United States. The questionnaire is
abstracted from the relevant portion of the work and modified to fit the
situation in the United Arab Emirates, e.g., specific questions about relation
to and with the royal family. The questionnaire was translated into "Gulf
Arabic" and then translated back into English by another translator. This
process was continued until a translation that was accurate and idiomatically
correct was obtained. The sample consists of firms that are principally owned
(51%) and controlled by UAE nationals, that distribute their products and
services predominately nationally (75% of revenue from sales in UAE).
Furthermore, the sample is only of top managers, defined as the three levels
below the President or CEO. UAE, from the inception of its dramatic growth
period in 1972 – which is shortly after the discovery of significant oil
reserves—has sought to protect its domestic market from foreign firm
domination. Arguing the merits of this policy is not the purpose of this paper;
however, suffice it to say, this is one acceptable approach to assisting in the
development of the managerial expertise and human resources of an emerging
country.
The TRIPs Agreement: Who’s in favour, Who’s
Against? Evidence from the Belgian Pharma Industry
Dr. Ilse Scheerlinck, Vrije Universiteit Brussel,
Pleinlaan, Brussell
Dr. François Van Leeuw, Vrije Universiteit Brussel,
Pleinlaan, Brussell
ABSTRACT
Trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights matter for pharmaceutical
firms. The managerial approach to political economy suggests that –even within
the same industry – firms prefer different degrees of intellectual property
rights protection, and that preferences are shaped by firms’ structures and
strategies. This paper is based on two studies, the first carried out in 1996
and the second in 2003. Both studies have used the same determinants, this in
order to enable comparative analysis. We empirically test what determines
Belgian pharmaceutical firms’ position on the WTO TRIPs Agreement. We find that
nationality, diversification, size, the share of brandname products, and R&D
intensity explain a statistically significant part of the variation in firms’
positions. The results of innovation are a public good. To encourage firms to
innovate, governments or supra-national authorities assign temporary monopoly
power to innovators. The protection of intellectual property rights also has an
international dimension: local protection is of little avail if competitors can
copy and market a new product elsewhere; hence the demand for international
harmonization. Intellectual property rights affect a firm's strategies on
international trade and foreign direct investment. Maskus and Penubarti (1995)
find evidence of the hypothesis that "[r]eturns to innovation could be
influenced by variations in international patent laws, with a primary channel
being decisions by firms to trade in different markets" (p. 228). Smith (1999)
updated Maskus and Penubarti’s work from 1995 and found also strong evidence
that protection of international property rights affects trade flows in a
positive way.
Understanding Consumer Ethical
Decision-Making in Software Piracy: A New Framework
Dr. Fang Wang, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada
Hongxia Zhang, Peking University, P.R. China
Dr. Ming Ouyang, University of New Brunswick, Canada
ABSTRACT
Software piracy is a prevalent and serious problem in countries with different
geographic locations, diverse cultural background, and various economic
development stages. Software piracy is viewed as an issue of low moral intensity
(Logsdon et al., 1994) due to the failure of moral related constructs to predict
consumer attitude and behavior towards piracy. Addressing problems in previous
research, this paper proposes a more complete framework for consumer ethical
decision making. In the new framework, the transformation from legal problem
recognition to ethical problem recognition is added to the traditional research
framework and viewed as the first and important step in consumer ethical
decision making in software piracy. This paper contributes to our understanding
of consumer ethical decision making in software piracy and provides new ways to
interpret and compare research results.
Enterprise IT Asset Management
Dr. Mustafa Kamal, Central
Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri
Russell Petree, Central Missouri State University,
Warrensburg, Missouri
ABSTRACT
Enterprise wide IT asset management (ITAM) covers both hardware and software
through the entire asset life cycle that include proposal, procurement,
acquisition, installation and eventual disposition. ITAM plays a critical role
in company’s bid to cut cost and increase productivity. As companies continue to
automate, rightsize and work to retain revenue, their ability to effectively
manage IT assets becomes a major factor in the success equation. An effective
and long lasting enterprise ITAM solution is based on systems that is build on
policies and practices of the enterprise and not a software product's “out of
the box” solution. Companies must create processes that best support their
strategic directions and utilize software tools that support those processes.
Although ordering is a formal process, it is not uncommon to see absence of an
end-to-end information system. This yields a situation where the enterprise is
not sure that they are getting. Disposition is more than simply throwing the old
monitor. The environmental impacts and subsequent financial consequences can be
enormous. These life cycle stages have unique attributes not only by asset
class, but by asset itself. Most software licenses and contracts, for example,
have minimal requirements for disposition, but may require prior notice before
termination.
Cross-Cultural Analysis on the Order of Entry
Effects in Marketing
Dr. Sungwoo Jung, State University of New York at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY
ABSTRACT
From new product development to the performances of global branding strategies,
national culture is gaining importance in marketing studies as a general theory.
In cross-cultural analysis, however, few studies have been done regarding the
order of entry effect. Using one of Hofstede’s five dimensions of cultures, This
paper propose that in the long-term orientation culture, buyers’ intention to
purchase early entering brands will be higher than in the short-term orientation
culture. A substantial part of marketing research and literature has focused
on buyers’ perceptions of a number of potentially influential factors such as
price, brands, quality. As another clue used by consumers to make judgment about
product quality, order of entry has yet proven a consistent instrument for
predicting their ultimate decision. The issue of whether market pioneers are
more successful than later entrants is one of the most debated issues in
marketing.
Purchasing Power Parity: Evidence from Asia
Pacific Countries
Dr. Shyam Bhati, The University of
Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
Dr. Michael McCrae, The University of Wollongong,
Wollongong, Australia
ABSTRACT
Long run purchasing power parity between countries of Asia pacific region is
investigated using a cointegration approach. Quarterly data on exchange rates of
Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea
and Thailand are used in this study. The result provides evidence of the
existence of purchasing power parity between Australia and other countries in
the Asia Pacific region. We have also compared the using CPI and WPI of these
countries for the existence of purchasing power parity. We are not able to
confirm if wholesale price index is a better indicator of purchasing power
parity as compared to consumer price index for the countries studied. The theory
of purchasing power parity (PPP) plays an important role in the determination of
exchange rates. PPP explains the relation between the price levels of any two
countries and the exchange rates between their currencies. Although a number of
studies have been conducted, there is no agreement among various authors
[Diebold, Husted and Rush (1991); Cheung and Lai (1993); Liu and Burkett (1995);
Veramini (1998) and Bahmani-Oskoee (1998)] on whether PPP holds in short term or
in long term. One of the significant issues that emerges from some of the
country specific studies, however, is that US dollar, Japanese Yen and German
Mark do not comprise an optimum currency area for testing the theory of PPP.
Academic Preparation of Corporate Managers
Through the Infusion of Information Literacy Programs Across Curriculums
Larry Treadwell,
St. Thomas University, Miami, FL
Dr. Bob DeYoung, St. Thomas University, Miami, FL
ABSTRACT
In that academia plays an important role in the
development of business skills, the infusion of information literacy programs in
all academic curriculums provides an environment where literacy information
skills can be developed and tested to ensure information acquired for
professional use is located and processed efficiently to make certain
opportunities are not missed.
This article
identifies four approaches to implementing an information literacy program: (1)
an information literacy mandate clearly stated through policy, (2) the creation
of Librarian/Faculty liaison position(s), (3) funding for faculty to identify
book/video purchases relevant to their areas of study to be used as a component
of the information literacy program and (4) the adoption of a two-pillar
approach to the information literacy initiative to ensure that no group of
students are excluded, and consequently, unexposed to the library and the vast
array of resources available to them through the library. Academic preparation
of corporate managers demands an infusion of information literacy programs
across curriculums by mandating a library component in all course
syllabi, thereby creating a depth and breadth in the
development of business skills that instill and uphold the value of information
literacy
Developing Scorecard in Healthcare Industry: The Malaysian Experience
Dr. Abdul Razak Ibrahim, University of Malaya, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
This article seeks to explore the current practices of measuring performance in
healthcare services. The scope of the study focuses on hospitals in Malaysia, in
both the public and private sector. Generally, both the public and private
sectors differ in terms of their measurement infrastructure, mostly due to the
fact that these organizations have different objectives in mind. The survey also
revealed that the healthcare industry in Malaysia suffers ‘myopic views’ of
management. It can be seen that both sectors are over-emphasising employee
productivity and under-emphasising innovation in their respective
organisations. At the end of the study, a scorecard is developed to gain
insight into the measurement systems via critical success factor methodology.
The Director-General of Health points out that the healthcare
industry is in its infancy, and there are so many aspects of healthcare services
that need to be addressed. This is why more in-depth analysis is needed of the
effectiveness of the performance measurement systems, in order to further
improve the services of the hospitals in Malaysia.
Revisiting Market Orientation and Business
Performance Linkage: Is Relationship Marketing the Missing Link?
Majdi M. M. AL-Khalili, Universiti
Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Dr. Norizan Mat Saad, Universiti
Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Dr. Ishak Ismail, Universiti
Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
Previous research on Market Orientation (MO) and Relationship Marketing (RM)
grow independently from each other, and little is known if these two marketing
strategies can coexist together or they are conflicting. This study explores the
relationship between MO and RM. It provides an extensive literature review on
both of these concepts, and their impacts on Business Performance (BP), and the
similarities and differences between MO and RM. Furthermore, this study
introduce a new model of MO, were RM proposed as a moderating variable, namely,
MO proposed as an antecedent variable to RM, and RM proposed as the main driver
of BP, rather than MO. Research on Market Orientation (MO) and Relationship
Marketing (RM) grow independently from each other, and little is known if these
two concepts can coexist together or they are conflicting. In addition, the
association between MO and Business Performance is not very clear, and the
evidence that obtained in the previous research is not conclusive. This study
attempts to explore the relationship between the two concepts, and to draw a
link between MO and RM and how they are interrelated.
The Impact on Increasing Customer Network
Relationship From Inter–Organizational Core
Resources and
Core Knowledge Strategic Alliance
Tsai–Lung Liu, I-Shou University and Tajen Institute of Technology, Taiwan
ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this paper not only attempts
to review the nature of inter- organizational strategic alliance,
resource-based, knowledge management, and customer network relationship
but also it tries to integrate five different inter-organizational strategic
alliance formation factors, such as intra industry competition degree, market
demand uncertainty, task knowledge ambiguity, resource complementary, and
intensive marketing degree. Furthermore, this paper endeavors to explore some
research questions, such as how different inter-organizational strategic
alliance formation factors impact on core resource and core knowledge strategic
alliance? How core resource and core knowledge strategic alliance impact on
customers’ network relationship? How different inter-organizational strategic
alliance formation factors impact on customer network relationship? After
drawing related variables literature review, analysis, and inference. This paper
infers 13 propositions and buildups a conceptual model. Simultaneously, this
paper also finds out different inter-organizational strategic alliance formation
factors which have significant positive and negative influence effects on core
resource and core knowledge strategic alliance, and customer network
relationship. Other important propositions finding are inter-organizational core
resource and core knowledge strategic alliance governance mechanisms which have
maturity and more helpful increasing customer network relationship. Under the
global economization tendency circumstance, there are many different theory
perspectives researchers who had devoted to explore this field study. Such as,
some researchers were from transaction cost theory perspective to explore
how organization adopts strategic alliance mechanism to increase asset return
ratio and intra-organizational efficiency, and unit cost reduction (Hennart,
1988; Oliver, 1991; Williamson, 1981).
The Impact of Team Leadership on Team
Effectiveness
─
Team Social Capital and Team Diversity as
Moderators
Chia-Chen Kuo, I-Shou University, Taiwan
ABSTRACT
From the past-related research on team leadership
and team effectiveness we have found out that there is seldom research on the
internal interaction factor of team social capital. In addition, the past
research only examines from a leadership perspective but also did not have a
deep understanding of team operations and team performance. Therefore, we should
consider this from an internal interaction relationship perspective to explore
these internal interaction factors and how they impact on team effectiveness.
Hence, this research will focus from leadership perspectives, and it will be
categorized as transactional, transformational, and paternalistic leadership
styles to examine how different leadership behavior impact team effectiveness.
This research also studies team social capital and team diversity variables as
moderators to examine how they impact on team effectiveness. In summary, there
are four purposes of this research: 1.Research on how transactional,
transformational, and paternalistic leadership styles impact on team
effectiveness forecast effect. 2.Research on there three leadership behavior how
to forecast team effectiveness effect and what is the strongest team
effectiveness effect and what is the strangest forecast factor. 3. Research on
Doe’s team social capital has moderator effect on team effectiveness. 4.
Research on Doe’s team diversity has moderator on team effectiveness. In
summary, related literature view, analysis, and integration, this research
infers a total of 13 propositions and builds a conceptual model. Due to
knowledge of the economic upcoming generation, the twenty first century is not
individualist but more collective generation. Modern enterprise has already made
use of team working styles the team has becom the basic working unit of most
enterprises (Drucker, 1998). As Lawler, Mohrman,& Ledfords (1995) research
perspective has argued in Fortune magazine announced 68% of one thousand
enterprises have adopted team working design mechanism.
Golf,
Tourism and Amenity-Based Development in Florida
Dr. Alan W. Hodges, University of
Florida, Gainesville, FL
Dr. John J. Haydu, University of Florida, Gainesville,
FL
ABSTRACT
Settlement patterns in the United States are increasingly based on
environmental, cultural and recreational amenities and the perceived quality of
life, rather than economic opportunities. This is especially true for the
retired population, who are not dependent upon earned income. The state of
Florida has experienced very rapid growth over the past 50 years due to tourism
and amenity-based development. Many residential developments now feature golf
courses and other recreational amenities. Golf is a highly popular recreational
sport in America, with participation by over 20 percent of the adult population.
In Florida, there are currently over 1300 golf courses, more than any other
state. Golf is an important activity associated with the large tourism industry
in Florida. Economic characteristics and regional impacts of golf courses in
Florida in the year 2000 were evaluated based upon survey data together with
other published information and a regional economic model constructed using
Implan. Survey results indicate that residential developments were part of
54 percent of Florida golf courses, with some 756,000 residential units having a
total value of $158 billion. Golf industry employment was 73,000 persons. The
book value of assets owned by golf courses was $10.8Bn, including land (58%),
buildings and installations (26%), vehicles and equipment (10%) and golf course
irrigation systems (6%).
Self and General Manager’s Ratings of
Departmental Managers’ Performance:
A Cross-Cultural Study in the Hotel
Industry
Anoop Patiar, Griffith
University, School of Tourism and Hotel Management, Australia
Lokman Mia, Griffith University, School of Accounting and Finance, Australia
ABSTRACT
The paper reports the differences between hotel department managers’
self-evaluation and their general managers evaluation of their performance. The
department managers’ performance was assessed using Mahoney et al (1963)
instrument consisting of eight dimensions of managerial activities and an
overall performance item. The data was gathered through a structured
self-administered postal questionnaire. The study sample included the general
managers, food and beverage and rooms managers of 97 large four and five star
hotels and resorts in Australia and India. The results indicate a significant
difference between superiors’ and subordinates’ evaluations of subordinates’
managerial performance. Further analysis showed a significant gender difference
in self-evaluation of the department managers’ performance. However, in terms
of the national culture, there is no difference in the performance evaluation.
An Empirical Study on the Usage of Multimedia
Messaging Services
Lynn L. K. Lim, Murdoch
Business School, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
Leon Traazil, Murdoch Business School, Murdoch University,
Perth, Australia
ABSTRACT
Mobile technology and personal communication have grown significantly over the
last few years. Multimedia messaging service was introduced to provide mobile
messaging for person-to-person. This paper discusses part of the study which
aimed to understand the consumers’ intentions towards
the usage of multimedia messaging service and to determine the circumstance by
which consumers would accept the usage of multimedia messaging service. Data was
collected from 510 participants using a survey instrument. Three out of four
hypotheses were supported. The result of the study showed that there is no
significant relationship between the price of handset and the intention to use
MMS. However, there are significant relationships between the provision of
content, universal access, network storage and the intention to use multimedia
messaging service.
“Economic Implications of Distance
Education”
Melissa Rene Taylor, Missouri Western State College, St. Joseph, MO
Dr. Reza G. Hamzaee, Missouri Western State College &Walden University, St.
Joseph, MO
ABSTRACT
Distance education is a new, exciting, and rapidly growing field in which
schools, universities, education boards, and governments everywhere are actively
exploring. Distance education is defined as “any formal approach to learning in
which a majority of the instruction occurs while the educator and learners are
at a distance from one another” (Verduin & Clark, 1991, p. 8). Distance
education is typically characterized as having four features (Roberts, 1996, p.
812): (1) Teacher and learners are separated during at least a majority of the
instructional process; (2) an educational organization influences the process,
including some form of student evaluation; (3) educational media (technologies)
are used to unite teachers and learners and to carry course content; and (4)
two-way communication is provided between teacher, tutor, or educational agency
and learner. There seems little doubt that distance learning is becoming a key
component of the learning environment for college students worldwide. Because
of its huge potential, colleges and universities everywhere are revising their
planning to incorporate and develop computer networks, multimedia and video
conferencing, and training to meet the needs of distance education.
Regional Comparative Advantage and
Regionalization: Topology, Indicators and Models
Dr. Charbel M. Macdissi, CEDE, University of Antilles-Guyana, Guadeloupe
ABSTRACT
This paper aims to study the phenomenon of regional bloc constitution. Could we
conceptualise the determinants of the regional specialisation and the regional
exchanges? We try to answer this question with the presentation of an analysis
of a regional bloc and the concept of regional comparative advantage. The paper
presents, also, some suggestions to formalise this concept using indicators and
models. The regional co-operation or the association of regional integration
offers to the countries of an area the possibility of a regionalization of their
factorial endowments and their individual advantages, in order to enhance the
regional specialisation and the intra regional exchanges founded on RCA(regional
comparative advantage). Our purpose is to develop this concept starting with a
topological analysis of a regional bloc(section 1), the bases of the regional
comparative advantage(section 2) and finally some indicators(section 3) and
models(section 4) in order to test this concept.
Just in Time Cash Management Accounting for
Corporation
Dr. Junaid M. Shaikh, Curtin University of Technology, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
Corporations today are merging and taking over smaller ones to stay competitive,
resulting in huge multinational entities dominating their respective markets.
Ford for example has taken over Jaguar and many other smaller car makers; BMW
has bought over Volkswagen and Rolls Royce. Having a large amount of cash in a
corporation also increases the possibility of another corporation acquiring it.
This accentuates the importance of cash management in today’s corporate world.
Having too much cash or too little could spell disaster to a corporation. In
order to avoid being taken over and meeting obligations, effective cash
management is necessary and critical to organizational survival. Keeping the
cash flowing is a major challenge for all small businesses. When your clients
don't pay on time, a commercial credit line is a great way to keep on top of
your bills. A line of credit allows you to pay your debts without falling
behind. There is a catch though, you must try to pay it off monthly to avoid
incurring late fees or interest charges. It's best to apply for a modest credit
line. After you've paid it off in full several months in a row, ask your banker
for an increase. Right now, big and small banks are aggressively pursuing small
business owners-offering them all kinds of services and discounted fees.
The Travel Motivation of Korean Travelers
Sung-Chae Jung, Ph.D., Honam University, Korea
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to learn how the perceptual attraction preference
attitudes are varied when the tourists want to choose their different travel
destinations. 27 tourist attracting attributes were used for the evaluative
criteria on the basis of the assumption what the importance of attributes is a
measure of how desirable a tourist-attracting attribute when an individual
selects a travel destination. Chi-square analysis was to apply to determine the
relationship between travel characteristics and tourist attracting attributes.
As a result, the importance of safety and quality of service were strongly
revealed to the travelers. A considerable amount of attention has been devoted
to the attributes of cost and accessibility. These findings can serve the
tourist industry as a tool for decision-making regarding tourism policy
activities and measures for determining priority of assignments aimed at
improving elements of the tourist supply.
The Consumer’s Perspective on Electronic
Banking: A Conceptual Framework
Dr. Sven Kuenzel, University of Greenwich, London, UK
ABSTRACT
Electronic banking is rapidly becoming a crucial delivery channel within the
financial services industry and research in this area is evolving very quickly.
However, recent studies have analysed mainly the relationship between the
financial provider and the customer from the viewpoint of the organisation
providing the service (Kapoulas et al., 2002; Harden, 2002; Durkin and Howcroft,
2003) or from the perspective of the corporate customer (O’Donnell et al., 2002;
Rexha et al., 2003). The proliferation of research has conspicuously neglected a
consumer perspective. In this work in progress paper, the authors conceptualize
the determinants of consumers’ adoption of electronic banking. Incorporating
relationship marketing and diffusion theory into existing research on electronic
banking, the influencing factors of satisfaction, trust, commitment, safety and
adoption of new technology are presented. Many marketing experts have become
concerned about the huge sums involved in setting up electronic banking. A
better understanding of the factors that affect the adoption of electronic
banking is therefore helpful in order to allocate marketing budgets more
effectively.
Organizational Culture and Leadership: A Review of Literature and Integration of Two
Models
Melaura H. Stein, Nova Southeastern
University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Louis Martinette, Doctoral Candidates, Nova Southeastern
University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
ABSTRACT
The twenty first century has presented multiple challenges for leadership.
Effective leaders understand the myriad motivational forces of those with whom
they work, specifically the people, or “human factor” or the organizational
culture (Deshpande and Webster 1989; Goldsmith 2002; Gummesson 1999; Morgan &
Hunt 1994; Webster 1992; Shelton 1997). True leadership brings people, of all
backgrounds, interests, values and cultural environments together, and provides
opportunities to realize potential and goal optimization (Hesselbein, Goldsmith
& Beckhard 1996). The qualities of the leader are not only the typical,
demonstratable qualities of the leader, but will have to extend to the “softer”
side. These are less measurable and focus on the ‘humanistic’ areas such as
personality and personally held values and organizational culture (Hesselbein,
Goldsmith & Beckhard, 1996). A workforce functions without a clear picture of
what it is to do will find success difficult to achieve. Leadership challenges
will have little to do with managing tangible assets and everything to do
managing intangible assets and relationships (Shelton 1997). Culture has been
argued as one of the most powerful and stable forces of organizations and can
influence a firm's leadership, decision making, performance, internal
development, and, strategic development for the twenty-first century.
Variables Affecting Expatriate
Success: An Australian Perspective
Marina Sagiadellis, Monash University, Australia
Brian D’Netto, Mt. Eliza Business School, Australia
Juan España, National University, La
Jolla, CA
ABSTRACT
Researchers have found a high failure rate among
expatriates. Based on the literature on person-situation fit, a model of
expatriate success was developed and tested. The study was based upon a sample
of Australian expatriates. The results indicate that perceived career path,
willingness to relocate and nature of the assignment are the main factors
affecting expatriate success. The implications of these findings are discussed.
In today's international marketplace, successful implementation of a global
strategy depends upon getting the right people with the right skills, in the
right place, at the right time. This involves the movement of people across
national borders i.e. the expatriation of workers. Despite evidence of a trend
towards shorter foreign assignments lasting one year or less, the majority of
expatriate assignments involve displacing the worker and his/her family for
longer periods (Melone, 2001). Most expatriate workers are male; only 13 percent
of the total are female (Meckman, 2002). Unfortunately, many expatriates are
unable to adjust to the host country. This results in unsuccessful expatriate
performance, low productivity in the overseas operation, problems with client
relations, loss of market share and operational inefficiencies (Mendenhall &
Oddou, 1985; Van der Boon, 2001).
Is the Overshooting Effect Observable for
Japan? A Cointegration Application of
Autoregressive
Distributed Lag Approach (ARDL)
Dr. Chien-Chung Nieh and Yu-Shan Wang, Tamkang University, Taiwan
ABSTRACT
We employ the newly developed ARDL-ECM-MAIC bounds test (Pesaran, Shin and
Smith, 2001) testing for the exchange rate overshooting phenomenon in Japan over
1986:01~2003:01. The ARDL approach is appropriate to test for the dynamic
modeling irrespective of whether the variables are I(0) or I(1). We find the
evidence that there do exist a short-run overshooting phenomenon, which implies
that abnormal fluctuation of exchange rate in the presence of speculative bubble
occurs during the sample period considered in Japan. The empirical finding also
provides the evidence for no existence of a long-run relationship between
exchange rate and macroeconomic variables (money supply, industrial production,
interest rate, and inflation rate), which rejects the Dornbusch’s (1976) stick
price model of monetary approach to exchange rate determination.
Dornbusch(1976)find that the short-run real exchange rate volatility result
from sticky prices and monetary disturbances and the different speed of
adjustment between the commodity and financial markets. The exchange rate
“overshooting” where a shock in money supply initially jumps above its long-run
equilibrium and then adjusts back slowly, and the short-run movement in the
exchange rate is greater than the long-run movement. The explanations of the
overshooting phenomenon vary, but most of them support that exchange rate may
“overshoot” or “undershoot” in the short-run (see for example
Dornbusch(1976), Driskill(1981), Bhandari(1985),
Akiba(1996), Goldfajn and Gupta (2001),
among others.) But Bahmani-Oskooee and Kara (2000) find that overshooting
exists not only in the short-run but also in the long run. However, regarding
the empirical literature of the overshooting in developing countries, there is
still little work.
Fuzzy-based Inference System for Effective
Interpersonal Communication
Dr. Shalini Khandelwal, ICFAI University, Gurgaon,
Haryana, India
Prof. Tapas Mahapatra, ICFAI University, Gurgaon,
Haryana, India
ABSTRACT
Interpersonal communication has become a complex business process due to the
advent of different cultural and technological growth. The process consists of a
vast array of different types of simultaneously communicated signals and many of
which conflict with each other. It is, therefore, difficult to determine the
precise intention and meaning of the communication, because of both distortion
from environmental noise and ambivalence on the part of the sender. This paper
tries to give a framework of a fuzzy-based inference system, which can be
embedded in the existing information system infrastructure to provide an
intuitively pleasing method of representing one form of uncertainty in the
interpersonal communication so as to arrive at an exact meaning of the
communication.
Establishing a Federal
CIO: Analysis of the Forces of Influences in the Federal Decision
Making Process
Using the Sayre Model
Kim Anderson, Doctoral Student, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale,
FL
ABSTRACT
The most controversial, as well as the most essential provision in the
E-Government Act of 2001, was the establishment of a federal Chief Information
Officer (CIO). The Act proposed to improve federal processes, citizen access to
information, and government accountability. This paper explores the usefulness
of the Sayre Model in identifying the forces of influence in the federal
decision making process by examining the decision to establish a federal CIO.
The Sayre Model provides the framework for the introduction of contemporary
models that reflect current perspectives. The author found that the Sayre Model
is a foundational resource for clarifying, identifying, and illustrating the
forces of influence. However, it is more useful as a graphical representation of
the forces of influence on the federal decision making system than as a
construct for empirical research
Entropy and Product Life Cycle
Dr. Kuang-Jung Tseng, Hsuang Chuang University, Taiwan,
ROC
Charlie H. Hua, Hsuang Chuang University, Taiwan,
ROC
Dr. Szu-Cheng Cheng, Chinese Culture University, Taiwan, ROC
ABSTRACT
Thermodynamics is a physical science deal with the interactions of matter and
energy. It contains the law of the energy conservation and the law of entropy
that tends to increase in a closed system. The author has applied these laws to
constrain the processes by which raw materials are transformed into consumable
goods and the goods are distributed afterwards. The size of the sales force can
be determined by introducing the temperature concept into thermodynamics to
represent hot or cold consumable goods. With the concept that entropy increases
in a closed system, which is similar to the distribution of consumable goods
into the system, an ideal innovation of the product life cycle (PLC) can be
determined. In order to modify the phenomenon of the product life cycle, a
parameterα,
which relate to the management efforts as well as the development and services
efforts, is introduced. As a result, the PLC curve can be manipulated due to the
value of α. The
parameterα is related to
the product quality, sales services and the degree of newness of the application
of the product.
Predicting Impending Bankruptcy Using Audit
Firm Changes
Dr. Yining Chen, Ohio University,
Athens, OH
Dr. Ashok Gupta, Ohio University, Athens,
OH
Dr. David L. Senteney, Ohio University,
Athens, OH
ABSTRACT
Unlike prior research, we investigate the incremental explanatory power of
auditor changes beyond the information conveyed by traditional financial
statement ratios in predicting bankruptcy. We find that auditor changes are
important in predicting impending bankruptcy and convey important information
not reflected in traditional financial statement ratios alone. In fact, we find
compelling evidence that directional knowledge regarding auditor changes such as
changing from large accounting firms to small accounting firms provide
incremental explanatory power in predicting impending firm failure beyond what
is conveyed traditional financial statement ratios and auditor changes
considered jointly. Although the existing relevant literature provides no
empirical evidence in this regard to our knowledge, this result is intuitive as
one motivation for clients to change audit firms is to seek less conservative
professional auditors as smaller audit firms may be as a strategic response to
manifestation of the financial statement effects of bankruptcy.
WTO and Market Access in Non-Agricultural
Products: Issues and Options for Developing Countries
Dr. Amir Mahmood, University of Newcastle, Australia
ABSTRACT
The Doha Declaration explicitly highlights the need for establishing modalities
that take into account “the special needs and interests of developing and
least-developed country participants”. The developing countries expect that the
new round of trade negotiations will target tariff peaks, high tariffs, and
tariff escalation that have been restricting the developing countries push to
enhance their export market share in world markets in general, and in developed
countries in particular. There is little dispute among the Members regarding
developmental intent of the above mandate, however, opinions and proposals
differ on formulating modalities to implement trade liberalization measures as
envisaged by the architects of the Doha Declaration. After evaluating the
post-Uruguay Round tariff and non-tariff environment, this paper analyses the
implications of complete removal of quota restrictions under Agreement on
Textiles and Clothing (ATC). The paper provides a comprehensive overview of
costs and benefits of trade liberalization to developing countries and draws key
premises to formulate a comprehensive trade negotiation strategy and a set of
recommendations in order to shape developing countries stance in the on-going
negotiations on trade liberalization.
Emerging Markets: Long-Term Relationships
Among Indexes
Lucy Amigo Dobaño, University of Vigo, Lagoas-Marcosende, Spain
ABSTRACT
This paper investigates whether the United States and Spain are potential
determinants of the framework for Latin American stock markets. We present
empirical evidence based on a sample of daily observations that covers the years
from 1999 to 2002, both inclusive. Our primary focus is on the simultaneous
relationships that exist among the same ones. To verify whether long-term
relationships really exist, a VAR model is also considered, following the
procedure proposed by Johansen (1988), and Johansen and Juselius (1990). The
results have special implications for the agents and institutions that operate
at the international level, and for whom risk management is one of the main
concerns in the diversification of portfolios.
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