|
The Economic Impacts of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in California
Dr. Javad Gorjidooz, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ
Dr. Cindy Greenman, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ
ABSTRACT
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have been long in operations but with the
drastic improvement in reliability, speed, and efficiency of information
processing the UAS have truly become a very popular tool for a widespread
applications. As a consequence, the global UAS market is anticipated to reach
about $50 billion by 2018, as military, civil and commercial applications
continue to develop (1). Apart from the benefits of lower acquisition and
operational costs, unmanned aircraft systems also eliminate the need for an
onboard crew making it more operationally advantageous. The most widely
recognized Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to the general public is the General Atomics
Predator first introduced in 1995 (2). Originally developed as an observation
aircraft, the Predator is able to fire on enemies guided remotely by soldiers
far away from any potential harm. The Civilian applications of UAS can be
grouped into four major categories: commercial, civil, security and scientific.
There are growing indicators that different industries are looking for an even
greater variety of areas to deploy them. Unmanned Aircraft Systems have been
adapted for civilian uses at a slower rate, but the combination of greater
flexibility, lower capital and operating costs could allow UAS to be used in
agriculture, oil and gas explorations, border security, disaster management, law
enforcement, telecommunication, weather monitoring, aerial imaging/mapping,
television news coverage, and airing sport events. Currently, the main
impediment of commercial and civil development of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems
is the lack of regulatory apparatus and privacy issues. The expected outcome of
this research is to have a predictive model that takes into account all data in
determining the economic impacts of UAS.
Bankruptcy Fraud: Has the Sarbanes-Oxley Law or Dodd-Frank Act Reduced It's
Occurance?
Dr. Michael Ulinski,
Professor, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY
Dr. Roy Girasa,
Professor, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY
ABSTRACT
The researchers
review in an exploratory study the effects of the Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank
Act on recent fraud cases involving bankruptcy. Statutory provisions governing
bankruptcy fraud and examples of fraudulent schemes are described. Recent cases
are examined and bankruptcy predictive models are explored. Stakeholder's
adverse effects are posed through reorganization impediments of entities that
try to emerge out of bankruptcy, but because of the wasting away or outright
theft of assets are unable to emerge out of bankruptcy. Conclusions are reached
and recommendations for further study are suggested. The Enron Corporation, an
energy company with its main headquarters in Houston, Texas, is the poster
company of alleged fraudulent concealment of indebtedness and wrongful conduct
of its senior management that resulted in one of the largest bankruptcy filing
in U.S. history. With its complex financial statements including the use of
special purpose entities that enabled it to conceal sizable indebtedness, its
demise led to convictions of its major officials the dissolution of one of the
top five global accounting firms. Its demise and that of WorldCom and other
corporate entities that engaged in fraudulent conduct brought about the passage
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and later the Dodd-Frank Act which endeavored to
prevent such conduct in the future. In this paper we will discuss fraud
particularly in connection with bankruptcy filings and the possibility of
reemergence of a corporate entity after bankruptcy. Bankruptcy fraudsters will
use tactics such as financial statement fraud to cover criminal activities such
as hiding assets in bankruptcy to mail fraud and money laundering.
Modeling the
Demand for City Water Consumption
Dr. Gordon Arbogast, Professor, Jacksonville University, FL
Sharon Van Den Heuvel, Jacksonville University, FL
ABSTRACT
COMPANY X a
non-profit community owned utility in Florida providing electric, water and
sewer services to the residents of a major Florida city and surrounding area.
The focus of this paper is on identifying factors that influence demand for
water so that COMPANY X (Co X) may better
manage water withdrawals from the Floridian aquifer. This paper explores the
need for water conservation to help Co X meet several strategic objectives,
namely (1) improved environmental stewardship, (2) minimizing the threat of
regulation violations, (3) improved Community Service Responsibility (CSR)
activities, and (4) improved customer satisfaction. The research also identifies
and determines a “best” multivariate model to help explain variation in water
withdrawals. The final model developed explains 58.6% of the variation of the
water volume withdrawn from the aquifer. This regression equation is as
follows: Prod Gallons = -7.90E08 +29,656,333(Average Temperature)
–89,421584(Unemployment Rate) +15492636(CPI).The paper concludes with
recommendations for further research into additional independent variables as
well as to differentiate between commercial and residential water consumption to
help
COMPANY X
focus on programs to conserve water to meet its strategic objectives. COMPANY X
is a non-profit community owned utility in Florida providing electric, water and
sewer services to the residents of a major Florida city and surrounding areas.
This utility serves an estimated 420, 000 electric, 305, 000 water and 230, 000
sewer customers in the Florida area that it serves. The focus of this paper is
on Co X’s Water Division. In particular it identifies factors that influence
demand for water consumption so that Co X may manage water withdrawals from the
Floridian aquifer to serve the water needs of their community.
XY-Generation
Economics
Dr. Heather L.
Garten, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide
ABSTRACT
There has been a large movement over the past ten years to describe, both
qualitatively and quantitatively, the economics of the current diverse
generation. Often this generation is presented as the XY-Generation, and is
generally identified with those born since the 1960s. Research across all
modalities is constantly contradicting itself on the characteristics of the XY-Generation,
as this group of individuals is dynamic and thus impossible to categorize. Once
this fact is recognized, leaders can begin to understand economic advancements
without relying on the current leading indicators that are no longer applicable.
This paper focuses on providing a better understanding of the existing economic
trend of the XY-Generation through a carefully crafted analogy of the Middle
Ages, an examination of case studies focusing on the current economic
indicators, and suggestions for current leadership to empower this highly
innovative generation. Historians have and continue to categorize time segments
in history: From the great Roman Empire to the rise of democracy, the Dark Ages
to Romanticism, historians use a wide variety of ways to classify time periods.
Most often these classifications are aligned with economic and cultural ties,
such as with the Dark Ages when there was very little cultural and economic
progression. Or so is often accepted as truth. The Dark Ages, or the Middle
Ages, began when the Roman Empire fell to the Visigoths, a group of Germans, in
410AD. The period lasts until the fifteenth century, when the Renaissance began
to take shape across Europe. When the Roman Empire fell, the once strong
unification of Europe also fell (Columbia, 2013). The Roman Empire, led by
Augustus, was formed following the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44BC.
Garnering strength from its law and military power, Augustus successfully
expanded the Roman Empire to Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and the North African
Coast before his death in 14AD.
Inflation Expectations in United States: Economic, Politic, and Sentiment
Factors
Dr. Doina Vlad,
Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA
ABSTRACT
This
paper investigates the nature of association between inflation expectations and
some economic, political, and sentiment factors in United States. One result
revealed that market participants hold too much of their assets in cash, savings
accounts, and money market mutual funds. This finding signals the need for more
financial literacy for investors and households to understand the negative
consequences of inflation acting as a hidden tax on purchasing power and make
them take action and diversify their investments among different asset classes.
A second finding pointed out the highly volatile currency environment that
pushes investors against holding US dollar.
In this context of rising currency volatility worldwide, market participants are
left guessing which direction the foreign exchange market is heading and which
currency(s) will be the future leaders. Since the
most recent recession started late 2007, there have been lots of predictions on
possible inflation, and even hyperinflation forecasts for United Sates in the
near future. For a period of few years after Federal Reserve System (FED) first
introduced the quantitative easing measures, a number of contradictory reactions
were noted, since this aggressively introduced tool was not previously tested.
Articles and books poured into the market on the subject of massive future
inflation in the United States, predicting the collapse of the dollar and the
end of the dollar as the world reserve currency, and many similar “doom”
scenarios for the US economy.
Financial Reporting
of Other Postemployment Benefits—Towards More Transparency
Dr. Chunyan Li, Pace
University, NY
Dr. Roberta Cable,
Pace University, NY
Patricia Healy, Pace
University, NY
ABSTRACT
Governments have
seen extensive changes in the financial reporting of Other Postemployment
Benefits (OPEB). The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) recently
issued two new Exposure Drafts to further improve transparency and
comparability. New GASB OPEB accounting standards will be adopted after the
Exposure Drafts are approved.
The
purpose of this paper is to shed light on past and current reporting as well as
how significantly GASB will change the way governments report their OPEB
liabilities in the future
through a
comprehensive review of 12 U.S.
counties’ reporting of OPEB obligations and unfunded liabilities from 2006 to
2013.
Our research
analyzes the stages of OPEB reporting from Pay-as-You-Go, to recognition of
incremental net OPEB obligations, to requiring essentially all unfunded
actuarially accrued liabilities to be recognized on governmental financial
statements.
We
found inconsistencies in the 12 counties’ current use of discount rates and
other actuarial methods, supporting GASB’s claims that the new standards will
make governmental financial statements more comparable. Moreover, by examining
current disclosures, we documented the likely magnitude of the increase in
liabilities. Our study revealed, after the new GASB standards are implemented,
reported OPEB liabilities may increase a sizable six times the amount that are
currently disclosed. Although
the impact of pension costs on municipal budgets and taxpayers has received a
great deal of attention (Cable and Healy, 2011), the important issue of Other
Postemployment Benefits (OPEB) often has been overlooked. Governmental
Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Chair, David Vaudt stated, “OPEB – which
consists of mainly health care benefits – represents a very significant
liability for many state and local governments, one that is magnified because
relatively few governments have set aside any assets to pay for those benefits”
(GASB, 2014, p. 1).
Moments of Shared
Sensemaking Within Market-Focused Strategic Planning Meetings
Dr. David Allbright,
Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
ABSTRACT
Strategy theorists
assert that long-term survival of an organization within a turbulent,
ever-changing, hyper-competitive and global economy requires the firm to possess
an advanced capacity for rapid and continuous learning about markets. Perhaps
the ultimate source of sustainable competitive advantage is the development of a
superior capacity to learn about evolving market trends and translate what is
learned into strategic action more quickly, more continuously and more
effectively than one's competitors (Day, 1991, 1992, 1994). This article
outlines a normative process model of verbal collaboration that ideally would be
pursued within strategy development meetings in which a group of organizational
actors would endeavor to serve as the "collective mind" of their firm in order
to "see" and interpret the meaning of selected marketplace circumstances. The
process model of strategic dialogue visually deconstructs strategy meetings into
six ideal "moments" of shared attention that would be pursued by the group while
it vacillates between sensemaking and action planning endeavors. Strategic
planning meetings provide an excellent forum and opportunity for collaborative
organizational learning and transformational change (deGues, 1988). This article
spotlights a vital learning component often overlooked within organizational
planning and strategy development endeavors -- collaborative sensemaking
dialogues. Organizational sensemaking (Weick, 1995) involves
collaborations in which a group of organizational actors attempt to interpret
market intelligence, and simultaneously construct new meanings, beliefs and
mental models (Senge, 1992) regarding their firm's relationship with its
environment. Essentially, a group of organizational strategists may collaborate
for the purpose of acting as the collective "mind" of their firm. During
strategic planning meetings, discussants often try to make sense of confusing,
complex and equivocal marketplace events.
The Use of the
Relationship Between Market Orientation and Business Performance to Determine
Marketing Strategy
Dr. Richard Murphy,
Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, Florida
Dr. Mary Werner,
Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, Florida
ABSTRACT
The relationship between
market orientation and its’ effect on business performance has been established
(Murphy et al., 2013). Using this information to develop appropriate marketing
strategy for organizations would be very helpful for organizations. This
article provides additional information organizations can use to engage in the
measurement of market orientation and business performance and discusses the
relationship between market orientation and business performance and marketing
strategy. This is an extension of and addition to the information presented in
Murphy et al. (2013) where the effect of market orientation on business
performance was discussed and it was illustrated that market orientation does
affect business performance. Organizations that use the information in this
article can engage in appropriate approaches to make decisions regarding the
formation of marketing strategy to help achieve a positive level of business
performance. Market orientation should be incorporated in marketing strategy to
help achieve positive business performance. Market orientation
or the focus on the satisfaction of the customer on the part of an organization
has long been recognized as the foundation upon which marketing is practiced.
Although it seems there has been a presumption that marketing orientation would
enhance business performance, Murphy et al. (2013) provides importance
information to indicate this is generally the case under various circumstances.
U.S. Investors
Continue to Take Foreign Risks
Dennis C. Stovall,
Grand Valley State University
ABSTRACT
Citizens of the
United States have been developing a curiosity about sending their personal
investment dollars overseas. New options are available for local investors who
are comfortable with electronically sending their money through a United
States-based website onto the foreign currency markets. Online trading gives the
ability to invest in markets overseas without having to move there. American
investors tend to hold investments in both U.S. and non-U.S. stocks. Foreign
currency trading has become a hot investment strategy over the last decade and
is becoming very popular with individuals. Multiple rates and terms are
available for these investments, each with their own potential for risks and
rewards. After the navigation of terms, rates, and fees, the investor must
always remain mindful of the economic climate affecting the investing country.
This topic was presented in 2005. At that time, the popularity of the
Eurodollar funds had been growing as the familiarity and stability of the Euro
increased. Since 2005, changes in currency trends, economic climate changes, and
other factors have caused many changes with foreign currency, which can have an
impact on U.S. private investors. Although foreign currency trading has become
the latest fad, it is important for investors to be aware of the risks involved
with investing online. As foreign currency markets are electronically made
available to investors, curiosity grows, but knowledge, tenacity, and risk are
imperative to potential reward. For individuals, investing based on perceived
currency movements has always been a risky way to seek profits (Opdyke, 2005).
Role of User
Perceptions and Attitudes on Facebook Ad Click Behavior: Applying the
Fishbein-Ajzen-Attitude-Behavior Model
Dr. Orsay
Kucukemiroglu, Professor, Pennsylvania State University at York, PA
Dr. Ali Kara,
Professor, Pennsylvania State University at York, PA
ABSTRACT
Previous research shows that communication using social
networking sites such as Facebook is an important medium for many consumers.
Considering the significant future growth trends in online social networking and
the growing popularity of Facebook provided justification for marketers to shift
their advertising strategies through online social networking sites.
Accordingly, advertising on social networking sites has attracted significant
marketer interest. Understanding consumer’s attitudes and perceptions toward
Facebook advertising should be an important goal for advertisers when designing
their advertising strategies. Perceptions and attitudes are known to influence
consumer behavior and action in the form of positive or negative responses
towards the phenomenon. Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine
user perceptions and attitudes of advertising on Facebook. Study result offer
important implications for advertisers and researchers alike. Online social
networking has become a global phenomenon and an integral part of daily lives of
many consumers around the world. According to the Pew Research Center Report
(Hampton, Goulet, Rainie, and Purcell, 2011), 79% of American adults used the
internet and nearly 59% of internet users say they use at least one social
networking site. Studies show that more than one third of online participants
review services and products, frequently post opinions, and involve with content
creation activities (Riegner, 2007). Facebook, a popular social networking
site, allows anybody around the world to sign up for free and helps users to
easily communicate, follow, and/or participate in real time discussions with
anybody else with a Facebook account. Reportedly, 52% of Facebook users and 33%
of Twitter users engage with the platform daily.
Relationship between Grades and Learning Mode
Dr. John C.
Griffith, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Dr. Donna Roberts,
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Dr. Marian C.
Schultz, The University of West Florida, FL
ABSTRACT
A comparison of failure rates
and grade distribution was conducted between four learning disciplines utilized
by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide: Eagle Vision Classroom
(synchronous classroom to classroom), Eagle Vision Home (synchronous home to
home), Online and traditional classroom learning environments. Researchers
examined 20,677 Embry-Riddle end-of-course student grades from the 2012-2013
academic year. Significant relationships between failing grades and learning
environment (modes) were noted in courses from the English, Economics and
Mathematics disciplines. Online courses experienced more failures relative to
other modes of instruction in Humanities, Mathematics and Economics courses. The
traditional classroom-learning mode had fewer failures relative to other modes
in English, Humanities and Mathematics courses. Grade distribution was
significantly different among some of the learning modes in disciplines studied.
Due to the continued technological advancements in course delivery,
recommendations include continued research on the relationship of student
performance and learning mode. Researchers should also conduct quantitative and
qualitative research on faculty and student perceptions regarding learning mode
preferences.
Universities have deployed various types of instruction delivery systems for
their students.
Returns of Human
Capital Investment
Daniel Jones, Sam
Houston State University, TX
Dr. Balasundram
Maniam, Sam Houston State University, TX
Dr. Hadley Leavell,
Sam Houston State University, TX
ABSTRACT
Technological
advances have changed the way businesses operate. As the business environment
changes employers search for employees who know how to operate complex pieces of
equipment and will pay good wages to those who can provide a competitive
advantage to the firm. This study looks at why a company should invest in human
capital and then goes on to explore the trend of what kind of organizations
benefit the most from human capital investment. Research found that service
firms and firms with high capital investment benefit the most from investing in
human capital. Machinery reduces the chance of human error and keeps the
product the same level of quality time after time. However, the research
presented in this study has shown that skilled labor is still in high demand and
can be used to complement the developments in technology. Technology is getting
more and more complex and as a result is rapidly encroaching into aspects of the
working environment that were previously thought to be human jobs only. Advanced
pattern recognition and complex communication are examples that were once only
thought to be able to be done by humans, but now computers have the capabilities
to not only compete but excel in these areas. The efficiency and effectiveness
that computers create in operations means fewer people are being used in a
growing set of tasks, but a more sophisticated skillset is needed by workers to
be able to complete the tasks and run more high-tech equipment (Brynjolfsson,
2011). Skilled workers are more needed than unskilled workers, which has been
portrayed in the decline of relative earnings for unskilled workers who have an
education lower than high school graduate (Koeniger, & Leonardi, 2007).
Insider Trading
Direction and Optional Wage Design
Dr. A. Can Inci,
Bryant University, Smithfield, RI
ABSTRACT
This paper uses the
insider trading direction as a signal to design an optimal wage contract, where
the principal-agent problem due to moral hazard is resolved. Insider trading
provides the corporation important information about the action of the manager.
It is a tough challenge for the owners of a corporation to identify managers who
will work hard and not be overly risk averse in their choices of project
opportunities. Observation of the insider trading direction (buy or sell) may
help to sort out superior managers. Distinguishing the quality of the managers
by following their insider trading activity would help contribute to the design
of an effective compensation scheme for those managers as proposed and developed
in this paper. Insider purchase activities reward those managers who add value
to the firm through their superior effort, better and accurate decisions, proper
risk assessments and willingness to take justifiable risks. Such managers will
also agree to compensation schemes partially based on their insider trading
activity, since their interests will be most closely aligned with the interests
of the owners of the firm. The paper presents a sound theoretical framework and
develops a model for an optimal wage contract that can be utilized by the owners
of the corporation. Insider trading profits are conjectured to have increased in
recent years after the implementation of Rule 10b5-1. Therefore, a wage contract
incorporating insider trading activity has become more relevant.
Using Login Data to
Monitor Student Involvement in a Business Simulation Game
Dr. Michael Jijin
Zhang, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT
ABSTRACT
While student
involvement in business simulation games is critical to student learning and
performance in the games, monitoring student involvement levels remains a
challenge facing those who teach strategic management with simulations. This
study examined and tested whether student login frequency and consistency may
serve as valid proxy measures of student involvement in the game activities,
using data collected from 219 undergraduate business students who participated
in a business simulation game (Capstone). It was found that student login
consistency had a stronger relationship with student involvement than student
login frequency did, thereby representing a better measure of student
involvement. Research and pedagogical implications from these findings are
discussed. Today business simulation games have become a popular and effective
tool to teach strategic management (Jennings, 2002; Zantow et al., 2005; Faria
et al., 2009). In order for students to perform well in and learn from the
simulation, they must be actively involved or engaged in the decision making
activities of the simulation (Wolfe & Luethge, 2003). Since students participate
in the simulation games with different interests, expectations, motivations,
abilities and learning styles, it is necessary for instructors to monitor each
student’s involvement in the simulation effectively and efficiently so as to
provide timely interventions needed. This is especially important in that most
of the business simulation games are played in teams. While monitoring
individual students’ engagement in the simulation has traditionally posed a
challenge for instructors (Wolfe & Luethge, 2003), today’s business simulation
games are often run online and thus make it easier to track student activities
in the games through automatic collection of data about how often a student logs
into the game to make decisions.
Cognitive Moral Development – its Relevance to Authentic Leadership and
Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Conceptual Illustration
Brad Nikolic, RMIT
University, Melbourne, Australia
ABSTRACT
This conceptual
paper portrays the importance of cognitive moral development (CMD) and the
potential influence on authentic leadership and organizational citizenship
behavior. The aim is to contribute to the limited number of research on
cognitive moral development and authentic leadership. First, we introduce a
conceptual model, which illustrates potential linkages between cognitive moral
development, authentic leadership and organizational citizenship behavior. We
then clarify the construct of CMD, authentic leadership and organizational
citizenship behavior. We draw upon extant research findings to demonstrate and
discuss linkages between cognitive moral development, authentic leadership, and
organizational citizenship behavior with several testable propositions. The
emergence of a growing interest in authentic leader behavior and business ethics
post 1980s has arisen from a continual stream of instances of dubious corporate
behaviors and scandals, resulting in the establishment of underlying doubts in
the minds of all layers of contemporary society with corporate practices and
leadership decisions (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2009; Gardner, Cogliser,
Davis, & Dickens, 2011). This has resulted in a loss of confidence and esteem
with which corporate leadership has been held and replaced with an instantaneous
readiness by all layers of contemporary society to question in the first
instance whether there are genuine intentions and integrity in corporate
leadership and decision making (Hannah, Avolio, & May, 2011a).
Investigation of Buyer-Supplier Trust,
Behavior and Performance
Dr. Hui-chuan Chen, University of Tennessee at Martin, Martin, TN
Dr. Taeuk Kang, University of Tennessee at Martin, Martin, TN
ABSTRACT
As a relationship becomes tighter, suppliers often seek
more stable processes to improve efficiency in meeting buyer’s demands. An
important element in reaching supply chain efficiency involves establishing and
developing trust across the organizational boundaries via alliances between
buyers and suppliers in a supply chain. When
the buying firms recognize that a certain supplier can reduce transaction costs,
this recognition will encourage the buyer to invest more in the buyer-supplier
relationship and yield a more cooperative relationship.
A stable relationship between supplier and buyer has been recognized as being
fundamental for firms to have successful performance. During the 1980’s, research studies mainly focused on
buyer-supplier relationships in operational and integration-based performance.
In the 1990 to 2000 timeframe, capability-bases and financial performance became
major areas of research for supply chain management. Also, buyer-supplier mutual
effects on buyer practices were often studied (Terpend et al., 2008). How well
the supply chain functioned as a whole depended on the success of the individual
firms to achieve customer satisfaction and loyalty. Over the years, some firms
have endeavored to secure these competitive forces by reducing costs and
refocusing on their core competencies in an effort to downsize their workforces.
The markets in which firms participate are often affected by rapid technological
change, customer demands, and shorter product life cycles. Therefore, companies
have increased outsourcing of purchasing goods and services that were formerly
produced in-house. When firms focus on core competencies, the result is that
downsizing and outsourcing frequently require suppliers to provide timely
delivery of quality products at competitive prices.
Massive Open Online
Courses (MOOCs): Theoretical and Practical Considerations for Knowledge
Management
Dr. Martin Grossman,
Professor, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA
ABSTRACT
The Massive Open
Online Course (MOOC) has emerged as a potentially disruptive force in higher
education. Today there are hundreds of MOOCs available and millions of
individuals around the world participating in these open and unlimited web-based
courses. Much of the discourse surrounding the MOOC phenomenon questions its
efficacy in replacing or supplementing traditional face-to-face formats in
colleges and universities. Detractors point to such issues as low retention
rates, difficulties in classroom management and dubious methods of grading and
assessment. While these might be legitimate concerns, the discussion often loses
sight of the more far-reaching impacts that such open environments might provide
for knowledge creation and learning in more generalized populations. Attention
needs to be paid to the potential that MOOCs might play in non-academic
environments (i.e. personal, corporate and global) for knowledge creation and
dissemination. This article traces the evolution of the MOOC, explores its
theoretical foundations and stresses its potential as a practical knowledge
management tool. It is argued that MOOCs may have a more far-reaching role to
play and that the true value of MOOCs has yet to be realized. Perhaps the most
hyped educational technology to have emerged in recent years is the Massive Open
Online Course (MOOC), simply defined as ‘a course of study made available over
the Internet without charge to a very large number of people’ (www.oxforddictionaries.com).
MOOCs incorporate traditional materials (e.g. videos, reading assignments,
problem sets) as well as interactive elements for building communities of
professors, students and teaching assistants.
China’s One-Child
Policy: Has it Lived Beyond its Intended Mission?
Dr. Prema Nakra,
Professor, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY
Johanna M. Korby,
Mental Health Counselor, Poughkeepsie, NY
ABSTRACT
Concerns about
global population growth have been debated among academics, economists, and
politicians for over 30 years. Issues related to uncontrolled population growth
include its impact on natural resource depletion, poverty and social unrest, and
the possibility of eventual extinction (Bandarage, 2006). Environmental and
scientific organizations including United Nations agencies have issued warnings
of increased social problems and irreversible environmental degradation if
current population growth rates continue. While debate regarding the ill effects
of overcrowding on the planet earth has continued, the People’s Republic of
China (China) took matters in its own hands by introducing a population control
policy over 30 years ago. This article provides an overview of China’s
“one-child” policy and highlights its unintended consequences and long term
implications for the country and the world. At the inception of the communist
Beijing regime in 1949, China was flourishing. China’s attitude of "more
children, more affluence" led to a baby-boom and consequent shortages in food
supplies, housing, medical services, and educational facilities. By 1979, China
was home to a quarter of the world’s population, approximately two thirds of
which was under the age of 30, and China’s baby boomers of the 1950s and 1960s
were beginning to enter their reproductive years. Officially presented in 1980
as a voluntary-based birth control program, the State mobilized a family
planning policy advocating that each couple have only one child, with exceptions
requiring prior government approval (Settles et al., 2008). Although
leadership’s original goal was to bring China’s population growth in to balance
with social and economic development, resources, and the environment (Richards,
1996: Vogel, 2011), the policy has remained in place for 32 years. In 2002,
China formally established its family planning policy as a stable, long term
approach to population control through publication of its Population and
Family Planning Law.
What is the
Sustainability Content of Marketing Textbooks?
Dr. Constance Bates,
Florida International University, Miami, FL
Dr. Deanne Butchey,
Florida International University, Miami, FL
ABSTRACT
Even
though students seem to know what sustainability means in general, we might ask
how much students are learning about sustainability in college. This article
examines marketing textbooks to see how much space is devoted to sustainability.
The study design is to conduct a content analysis of 8 principles of marketing
texts. Results are presented for the total number of sustainable words used, the
average words per page, as well as sustainable words in the table of contents
and index. The results show a current snapshot of the space devoted to green
topics in a required, core text. This is a proxy to determining how well
sustainability topics are being integrated into the marketing curriculum.
Most business
students are familiar with the concepts of green and sustainability. They
learned about protecting the environment in elementary school. Most are
concerned about the environment, recycle and want to have more sustainability
content in their business classes (Silverblatt, Bates, Kleban 2012). The
question is: how are business professors responding? Are they adding green
content to their courses? Are they using green cases? Have our business students
been exposed to the issues of managing sustainable projects? This paper focuses
on marketing in particular as many businesses have identified this area as one
with many opportunities to go green: product design, packaging, and shipping,
just to name a few. Morelli (2011) defines environmental sustainability as
“meeting the resource and services needs of current and future generations
without compromising the health of the ecosystems that provide them, ...and more
specifically, as a condition of balance, resilience, and interconnectedness that
allows human society to satisfy its needs while neither exceeding the capacity
of its supporting ecosystems to continue to regenerate the services necessary to
meet those needs nor by our actions diminishing biological diversity.”
The Adoption of an
Electronic Medical Record System in a Medicare Certified Home Health Agency
Dr. Joy May,
University of Phoenix, AZ
ABSTRACT
A qualitative
grounded theory study was conducted to examine the experiences of clinicians in
the adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) in a Medicare-certified home
health agency. An additional goal for this study was to triangulate qualitative
research in describing, explaining, and exploring technology acceptance. The
experiences were studied through an anonymous survey using a third-party vendor.
The data revealed that in spite of Internet and connectivity issues, clinicians
at XYZ Home Care (a pseudonym) overlooked these issues because of the benefits
in utilizing an EMR system. These benefits include quick access to patient
medical records and saving time. To ensure the privacy of health information,
the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was signed into
law in 1996 by President Bill Clinton. One mandate of HIPAA is that all medical
facilities must move from a paper medical record system to an electronic medical
record (EMR) system. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (USDHHS, 2003), HIPAA consists of both a Privacy Rule and a Security
Rule that apply to all healthcare providers that transmit health information
electronically. The paper system has many limitations involving quality care.
According to Parente (2009), the problem is that data are not organized or
centered on the patient; instead, data from a patient exist in many different
settings. Thus, an EMR is integrated and patient-centered. The Obama
administration is so sure that EMRs will improve quality that, as part of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009), funds have been made available to
healthcare providers if they meet specific qualifications and protocols (Jones &
Kessler, 2010).
Job Satisfaction
Post-Downsizing
Dr. Rosaland D.
Lewis, University of the Rockies, Colorado Springs, CO
Dr. Yvonne V.
Phelps, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
ABSTRACT
This quantitative research study examined the impact of downsizing on survivors
regarding job satisfaction, specifically examining the relationship between the
number of downsizing events experienced and level of job satisfaction. A survey
was conducted of 171 managers, supervisors, analysts, cashiers, and factory
workers who had experienced downsizing at least one time; the validated survey
tool used was the quantitative short-form Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire.
The data analysis of the study used descriptive analysis, t test, and one-way
analysis of variance. No significant differences in job satisfaction among
survivors after experiencing downsizing one time or multiple times was found. No
influential factors such as age or gender contributed to the data results. Prior
to the early 1990s, restructuring was not a popular topic among researchers.
Between 1980 and 1994, almost every medium and large corporation had gone
through some kind of restructuring or downsizing process. Yet, downsizing
remained one of the most pervasive and understudied phenomena in the business
world (Cascio & Wynn, 2004). The lack of empirical observations and research
related to the causes, effects, consequences, and dynamics of restructuring
meant that in the 1980s, many organizations managed downsizing with an informal
approach. Restructuring became a favorite tool for chief executive officers and
managers to utilize under pressure, to improve short-term profits and boost the
price of their company stock (Cascio & Wynn, 2004). Gilbert (2001) suggested
that organizations should consider employees’ behaviors, attitudes, and
perceptions when implementing long- or short-term restructuring goals because
job performance may be affected.
Decreasing
Population but Growing Pet Adoption in Mexico. A Field Study
Dr. Hyun Sook Lee,
National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City
ABSTRACT
Since the year 1995, the Mexican population has decreased, similar to the
phenomena of other advanced countries. However, pet population has been
increasing, resulting in a fast growing pet products/services industry in
Mexico. The author conducted 219 surveys to understand related social
phenomena. Based on 4 hypotheses testing, it is concluded that Mexicans were
adopting pets to provide company and to share affections rather than for the
elderly, the solitary and patients. Not all pet owners were affording their
own pet care costs, as half of them had cooperation with related expenses by
other family members as a part of Mexican culture. By the way, members of
larger families tended to adopt pets in Mexico, a result which is something
different from that expected for members of smaller families. Similar to the
trend of most advanced countries,
there has been an important decrease in the birth rate in Mexico during the
recent 40 years (2013, La planificación familiar …). It is perhaps surprising
that
increasing numbers of Mexicans take care of their pets, such as dogs
principally, year after year, including during the recent world financial
crisis 2007 – 2013. In searching for possible social reasons for this
observation, the author intends to understand related phenomena by consulting
secondary sources for the types of pets, population trends in Mexico as well as
primary sources supported by a field survey. While the developing world faces a
raídly growing population, the industrialized world´s population is in decline
and rapidly aging. Birthrates in Western Europe and some advanced countries
have been decreasing since the early or mid-1960s; more women are choosing
careers instead of children, and many working couples are electing to remain
childless. As a result of these and other contemporary factors, population
growth in many countries has dropped below the rate necessary to maintain
present population levels (Cateora & Graham, 2002, p. 71; Marín, 1997, pp. 1207
- 1212; Núńez S. et al., 2004, p. 75).
Testing the Validity
of the Greenblatt’s Magic Formula: Evidence from Thailand, Japan and US Stock
Markets
Dr. Lalita
Hongratanawong, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok, Thailand
Yosuke Kakinuma,
Mahidol University International College, Bangkok, Thailand
ABSTRACT
This study examines
the validity of Greenblatt’s “Magic Formula,” a simple stock selection model,
across Thailand, Japan and the US stock markets. The steps to screen out the
stocks for the magic portfolio were adopted from Greenblatt’s “The Little Book
That Still Beats the Market,” and the magic formula’s returns were compared to
the market’s returns. SET index is chosen for the Thailand stock market, Nikkei
225 Index is chosen for the Japan stock market and S&P 500 is chosen for the US
stock market. Sharpe ratio analysis is used to measure risk-adjusted return.
Overall, this study suggests that the magic formula’s two factors, return on
capital and earning yield, were able to produce a higher risk-adjusted return
than the market index from 1993 to 2012 for all markets. Thailand’s portfolio
generates 34.1%, the annualized average return, comparing with 9.6%, that of the
market during the tested period. In addition, Japan’s portfolio generates 9.3%
comparing with 1.7% of the market and US portfolio generates 15.5% comparing
with 8.8% of the market. Value investing has been the fundamental investment
principle for many investors. Graham (1949), the founder of value investing,
emphasizes its importance in his classic investment analytic book “The
Intelligent Investor.” Graham asserts that margin of safety is the key for
successful investment. In other words, the wider the gap between the purchasing
price investors pay for a security and the firm’s intrinsic value is, the better
the returns investors are likely to get. This “buy low, sell high” approach is a
central investment concept for those who invest based on value investing
principle such as the world-famous investor Warren Buffett. Although Graham’s
concept of the margin of safety is theoretically comprehensible, actually
finding a firm’s intrinsic value is extremely difficult and it associates with
great uncertainty even for professional investors such as mutual fund managers.
Using a discounted cash flow method to find the firm’s value is a prime notion
in the school of Finance. Nonetheless, estimating the firm’s future cash flows
and setting an appropriate discount rate require significant understanding of
the firm’s business, its industry, and overall economic condition both
domestically and internationally.
Role of
Tax Incentives in supporting Digital TV Transition in Indonesia
Martin
Surya Mulyadi, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia
ABSTRACT
It is a
digital TV era nowadays, where several countries have been successfully move
from analogue transmission to digital transmission. Indonesia also have a clear
roadmap of its digital TV transition and plan to switch-off all analogue
transmission in 2018. However, it is important to analyze what kind of support
could be provided by government to ensure this transition program. Tax
incentives are one support that could be provided by government. An
investment-related incentive has been available, where 30% of incentives could
be expensed equally in 6-years period. However, according to this research,
incentives as tax credit (as provided by Canada and United States) increase the
benefit of more than 20 times. Furthermore, it is suggested that government
could consider to provide a labour tax credit, R&D tax credit and hotel tax
exemption. For incentives directly attributable to users, VAT exemption will
provide a 9% benefit for future users of Indonesian digital TV. Recent
development of television (TV) transmission technology has reached a stage of
digital transmission. With obvious major advantages compare to analogue
transmission, it is a desirable policy choice by governments. Several countries
have successfully make a transition from analogue to digital TV. Similar with
other countries, Indonesia also have a clear roadmap of digital TV transition
which according to its roadmap there will be analogue switch-off in 2018.
However, considering the high cost of this transmission project, it is important
for government to provide incentives to support this program. One kind of
incentives that could be considered to be given is tax incentives, which
according to previous research have a significant positive effect on growth
(although in some conditions, some other researchers also concluded that there
is a negative correlation between tax incentives and growth). As there are six
main group of stakeholders in digital TV transition, focus on this research will
be analyzing the alternative tax incentives to be given for content producers
and equipment manufacturers. Although all six stakeholders are important, the
main driver of success transition is the users. Users could considered a change
to digital TV is they found a various and interesting program provided by
digital TV, that’s why tax incentives for content producers is important.
The Influence of
Superior Customer Service on Customer Satisfaction of Mobile Telephone
Subscribers in Nigeria
Dr. Akins T.
Ogungbure, Troy University
ABSTRACT
The mobile telephone has been widely accepted as a means
of communication in Nigeria. The market penetration of the mobile telephone is
about 70% in Nigeria. The potential growth of mobile telephone services in
Nigeria is very huge. Thus, it’s important to study the relationships between
customer service, service quality, and customer’s intention to switch to a
competitor and customer satisfaction and how these factors affect the choice of
mobile service providers in Nigeria. This research seeks to explore some issues
that are related to customer service and the quality of service customers deemed
important and the intentions of the mobile telephone subscribers to switch to
competitors. It’s expected that some knowledge would be gained about the
importance of providing superior customer service and its influence on customer
satisfaction. This study would also benefit the mobile telephone providers
because the findings and results of the study would provide some measures for
describing and evaluating the level of customer satisfaction with the providers
and their service offerings. It is also expected that the results and findings
of this study would provide valuable information for the policy makers and
telecommunications regulatory agencies so that they can better evaluate the
performances of the mobile telephone providers as it pertains to customer
service and customer satisfaction. The data for the study will be collected by
means of online survey questionnaires. The survey participants will be drawn
from a random sample of private sector employees and university student
population in four universities in Nigeria. This cohort has the appropriate
characteristics of the largest market segment for mobile phone services. The
sample size will consist of 800 respondents. The collected data will be analyzed
using regression analysis and correlation statistics as appropriate. The
findings will be reported and discussed and conclusions would be drawn.
Many people in Nigeria are very optimistic and
delighted about socio-economic transformation that is brought about as a result
of the deployment and adoption of information and communication technologies
(ICT) in the country. Information communication technology and mobile telephony
adoption is fast enhancing its realization and has become imperative and
indispensable (Friedrich, Grone, Holbing, & Peterson, 2009).
Secure Software
Programming
Dr. Huiming Yu,
Computer Science Department, NC A&T State University, Greensboro, NC
Nadia Jones,
Computer Science Department, NC A&T State University, Greensboro, NC
ABSTRACT
Secure software
programming is critical because a large fraction of security incidents result
from flaws in the program design and the code. In this paper we will discuss two
important topics that are writing secure code and secure program design. Secure
program design consideration, insecure code, safe programming practices,
insecure program and secure program design and implementation will be discussed.
Related examples will be presented. Secure software programming is a vital
aspect of information assurance, software engineering and computer security
because it greatly impacts computer system security, network security and cloud
computing security. Computer scientists have worked relentlessly to repair
damage inflicted by hackers and malicious computer users. By using worms,
viruses, Trojan horses, and various malicious tools, hackers have managed to
make safe computing a more difficult task (Frank et al., 2006;
ISO/IEC
2008). In order to effectively reducing computer security related issues,
programmers must perform a variety of tasks to ensure that there are as few
security leaks or vulnerabilities as possible in their programs. Software
applications and codes should always be designed with security in mind from the
very beginning (Eck 2006;
Stallings and Brown
2007). An ideal application will always be designed from top to bottom and
demonstrating secure practices throughout the entire development. Poor
programming practices often result in many security vulnerabilities. Buffer
overflow, denial of service, cross-site scripting, code injections, invalid
input and improper error handling are all the results of insecure program
(Howard and LeBlanc 2002). Awareness of the many security vulnerabilities,
along with accounting and handling of all error states are crucial steps to
develop secure software products. Programmers use various testing techniques to
identify and eliminate as many bugs as possible from a program.
Understanding Impulsive Buying Behavior in Online Retail
Dr.
Asmita Shukla, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, India
Rojalin
Mishra, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, India
ABSTRACT
Nowadays consumers shopping pattern has changed.
With the growth of e-commerce, online shopping is also gaining
popularity.
Retailers’ social media activities influence a significant proportion
of users to try new products and make unplanned purchases.
As a result,
the concept of impulsive buying has become great interest to marketers. The
present research proposes the effects of consumers’ brand consciousness,attitude
towards online shopping and Facebook advertising on e-impulsive buying. The
present research also examined the mediating effect of urge to buy and
moderating effect of gender on the above mentioned relationship. The study was
conducted on 207 respondents (Males=77 and Females=130). As a result of this
study, attitude towards online shopping and Facebook advertising had a positive
effect on e-impulsive buying, and urge to buy mediated the relationships.
Similarly brand consciousness had a positive effect on e- impulsive buying, and
urge to buy mediated the relationship. Gender was found to be a significant
moderator between attitude towards Facebook advertising and brand consciousness,
and e-impulsive buying. But gender was not significant as a moderator between
attitude towards online shopping and e-impulsive buying behavior. As online
retail sale is increasing, companies are trying to take advantage of online
shopping by incorporating strategies to increase impulsive purchases. With the
advancement of technology and increased experiences in online marketing,
websites have become very innovative in encouraging impulsive buying. As social
media grows exponentially, the terms “like” and “share” are common for everyone.
Social media is a quick and easy medium for marketing and connecting with
customers. Message can spread virally just with a click or a simple post about a
product. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are becoming more than
‘just a place’ for communication.
The Participatory
Management of Community for Restoration and Conservation of Ecology System,
Way
of Life, Local Wisdom, and Identity of Mangrove Forest Community
Dr. Nithipattara
Balsiri, Dhonburi Rajabhat University, Bangkok, Thailand
ABSTRACT
The purposes of this
research were: 1) to study ecology system, way of life, local wisdom, and
identity of mangrove forest community, 2) to develop the model of restoration
and conservation of ecology system, way of life, local wisdom, and identity of
mangrove forest community, 3) to develop
the
participatory management model of community for restoration and conservation of
ecology system, way of life, local wisdom, and identity of mangrove forest
community. Research methodology is the participatory action research. This
research area is Bangkuntian district, Bangkok province. Interview schedules,
and observation forms were employed for data collection. Content analysis and
induction were employed for data analysis. The major research results were : 1)
the ecology system of mangrove forest community consisted of the producers,
consumers, and decomposers; 2) the way of life were crap farm, shell farm,
shrimp farm, fish farm, tourism; 3) local wisdom were shrimp paste, food
preservation; 4) the model of restoration and conservation of ecology system,
way of life, and local wisdom of mangrove forest community consisted of learning
community model, ecology tourism community model, and sufficiency economy
community model, 5) the participatory management model of community for
restoration and conservation of ecology system, way of life, and local wisdom of
mangrove forest community comprised of community participation of ecological
resource management, cultural resource management, agricultural resource
management, learning society management, tourism marketing management, and
tourism services management. Mangrove Mangue from the word that in Portuguese
society that crop up along the coast. The clay is sometimes referred to
mangroves that intertidal forest because the forest is located in the coastal
area between high tide and maximum low tide, so the forest is the forest on the
beach playing of the sea in tropical and estuaries, that borders the sea. The
smooth flow to the area to be flooded with sea water, or sea water, at least in
the most advanced, most deciduous trees.
Agent Based Approach
for Banking Investment Ratios
Iris Lucas,
ECE Paris
School of Engineering, Paris, France
ABSTRACT
In order to better
understand how banks individual decision rules impact interbank market and how
global Central Banks decision could impact individual liquidity position of
institutions, present paper proposes to highlight the structure-property
relationships at different scales by using the structure of agent-based model in
a two-class environment. The data corresponding to first class are collected
from existing biggest and systemic banks whereas the agents balance sheet of
second class are fictitious and built from average values. The model is marked
by a set of behavioral interbank descriptions and agents have to trade off their
liquidity needs vs their financial gain. The model proposes three kinds of
tradable assets with different risk exposures and corresponding yield rates.
Applied to the European interbank network, the present cases introduce different
liquidity allocation scenarios between financial assets. From macro variables
and expected cost quantifying for regulator, the scenarios highlight the fact
that system stability is directly related to individual proportion of ratios of
low-risk securities versus ratio of high-risk assets. Financial markets are
constantly accused for current state of economy but despite blaming the game,
one should also blame the gamers and the rules. Between September 2012 and
February 2013 the ECB (2) has injected more than 1000B€ in banks through LTROs
(3) and yet, nothing seems to have been transferred to European economy. Banking
system appears to become a giant liquidity sponge, a black box in which one may
wonder where injected liquidities by regulators are really going. Today the
current banking system prefers to bet its money on new emergent government bonds
rather than on local firms. So the view can be taken that either banks are just
disconnected from their local economy, or that banking system is not efficient
anymore. This does imply that there is no guarantee that a crisis may not occur
again if banking system is maintained without modifications.
The
Inflation Phenomenon: Is it Still a Threat for Economies? The Success Story of
Turkey for Fighting Inflation
Dr. Billur
Guner, Istanbul Kultur University, Istanbul, Turkey
Dr. Nebile
Korucu Gumusoglu, Istanbul Kultur University, Istanbul, Turkey
ABSTRACT
Monetary
stability in an economy is of vital importance for the economic life. The
increase in general price level –inflation- is accepted as detrimental to the
country's economy. The close relationship between money supply and inflation is
generally accepted by economists and also in the economics literature strict
consensus exists about the relationship between interest rates and inflation,
though, the issue of direction and causality of the relationship is still
disputed. In recent years exchange rates also have become one of the main
explanatory variables of inflation especially for developing countries.
Overvalued exchange rate policies seen in developing countries caused severe
financial crisis and led to to the emphasis on the relationship between exchange
rate and inflation rate. In that context, Turkey which experienced high
inflation rates in 1990’s is a good example of a successful fight for inflation.
The success story of Turkey gave us some lessons and new receipts especially for
the developing countries which are facing the same problems. In this study the
complex relationship between inflation, money supply, interest rates and
exchange rates that are diffucult to understand with a static perspective will
be analysed in a dynamic point of view. The failures of the monetary targeting
policies like monetary targeting, interest rate and exchange rate targeting have
forced many countries to seek a new monetary policy to deal with problem of
inflation. As a result, in 1990’s and 2000’s Central Banks’ of different
countries have adopted inflation targeting regime. The Reserve Bank of New
Zealand was the first central bank that adopted inflation targeting in 1990. The
success of Reserve Bank of New Zealand caused other countries to implement
inflation targeting regime. During the years 2002-2006, Central Bank of the
Republic of Turkey (CBRT) has also implemented implicit inflation targeting and
at the beginning of 2006 formally moved onto an inflation targeting regime
(Uğurlu, Saraçoğlu, 2010). Nowadays the low inflation rates of Turkey compared
to 1990’s tells us a success story with unique features. In this study the
theoretical backround of the inflation is analysed and the reasons behind this
successful fight for inflation are also identified.
Petro-Dictatorship,
Insurgencies, Boko Haram-Terrorism and Threats to U.S. – Africa Energy Security
Future
Professor Augustine
A. Ikein, Niger Delta University of Nigeria
ABSTRACT
This paper posits
that Africa is the treasure base and home of major strategic resources that
attracted European’s and Americans to its shores. Historically, it was the
resources of Africa that provided the right lubricant that turned the wheels of
industrial revolution and development in Euro-America. It also true that
Euro-America investment and technology transfer helped to develop Africa.
Africa is still endowed with abundant energy resources like oil and gas to meet
the energy needs of America. Harnessing the endowed energy resources to meet
the development needs of African Nations is the challenge that must be dealt
with. The production and export of the energy resources are now being
challenged by a new wave of insurgents, militants and terrorists who may create
a new form of resource control and petro dictatorship to threaten and disrupt
the flow of energy supply to major consumers like the United States. The
emergence of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups, if allowed to continue,
could threaten the energy security of both the United States and producer
Nations in Africa. The paper also high lights the origin of terror and views on
conspiracy theory and activities of Boko Haram, its impact on Nigeria and a
possible spillover cost and implications for the United States and the rest of
the world. America should take the lead to partner with energy kingpin, Nigeria
the leading power of African axis of oil and global power that is directly
challenged by the Boko Haram. Africa is endowed with abundant energy resources
in the form of fossil fuel, coal, hydro power, uranium, bio-mass, and other
renewable energy sources like solar wind and geothermal power. Africa is a
great land that is divinely blessed with many strategic resources that are an
attraction to all major resource consumers around the world.
Towards a Single
Conceptual Definition of Trust
Theresa Robinson
Harris, Pepperdine University, Los Angeles, CA
ABSTRACT
Trust is a very complex and elusive phenomenon. This paper
reviewed 28 randomly selected articles and found 28 very different and often
conflicting definitions for the concept in the literature. This indicates that
there is confusion and a high level of differences and discrepancies with how
the concept is being defined and measured. The paper argues for a single
conceptual definition of trust and identifies several broad categories and key
variables resulting from the literature review which can be used to develop a
guiding framework for future studies. Trust within organizations has been the
subject of considerable question and debate over the past decade. Financial
crisis in the United States and elsewhere has contributed to this heightened
focus. The increased attention has contributed to the passage of considerable
public policies geared towards restoring trust in organizations. Likewise, the
World Economic Forum (2005) reported that public trust in organizations is
steadily on the decline (Appendix A). The figure shows countries with steady or
declining trust since 2004. Within the United States, the trust needle moved
drastically in the opposite direction from a net rating of 10 in 2004 to a net
rating of negative 9 in 2005. This was the first time since the survey started
in 2001 that net trust in global companies went negative (World Economic Forum,
2005). Similarly, a Harvard Business Review
(2009) article on trust summarized the environment after the economic crisis in
2009 as one of trust deficit, with the economy at a standstill waiting for
confidence to return to pre financial crisis levels (Moyer, 2009).
Economic Diplomacy
versus the Influence of President’s Authority
Sinisa Pokos,
Megatrend University,
Serbia
ABSTRACT
During a time of
global crises, economies and the world’s most powerful leaders are struggling to
survive and maintain the standard of living at a decent level. Every country is
trying to protect its inhabitants and interests on the global market. Russia,
one of the world’s leading country, represents a type of threat for its
resources to the other leading countries. On the other side is Ukraine. This is
not a leading country nor is it as wealthy as Russia. These two countries are
dealing with conflicts because of the territory of Crimea. Also, since Ukraine
was planning to join the European Union (EU), other countries such as the US and
EU got involved in these conflicts with the idea of protecting Ukraine’s
interests. Conflicts
between Russia and Ukraine have been going on over the Crimean Peninsula, which
is situated on the northern coast of the Black Sea.
The peninsula is
located just south of the Ukrainian mainland
and west of the Russian
region of Kuban.
It is surrounded by two seas: the Black
Sea and
the smaller Sea
of Azov to
the east.
It is a multi-ethnic region that was, until February 2014, administrated by
Ukraine as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
with
Sevastopol having
its own administration within Ukraine but outside of the Autonomous Republic.
Both of the mentioned territories are populated by an ethnic Russian majority
and a minority of both Ukrainians and Crimean Tartars. Currently, the Crimean
Peninsula is controlled by the Russian Federation as the Crimean Federal
District, a status that is not recognized by the United Nations. This
article will discuss influences of economic diplomacy and president’s
authorities in crises, like the one that’s been occurring in Crimea.
The Impacts of CCCTB
Introduction on the Allocation of the Corporate Tax Bases in the Czech Republic
Dr. Danuse Nerudova,
Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic
Dr. Veronika
Solilova, Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic
ABSTRACT
After 10 years of
intensive work, the European Commission has published the draft directive on
common system of corporate taxation. It can be considered as the most ambitious
project in the history of structural tax harmonization in the area of direct
taxation in the EU. CCCTB proposal represents unique system, for on one hand it
represents unified rules for the construction of the tax base, on the other hand
it does not breach the national sovereignty of EU Members States to apply
independently the tax rate. The aim of the paper is to research the changes in
the distribution of group tax bases of the Czech subsidiaries of EU parent
companies after the implementation of the CCCTB system within EU28. During the
research will be performed the comparative analysis of the current situation
when the separate entity approach is applied with the situation when CCCTB
system is applied – i.e. when applying group taxation and consolidation schemes,
based on the empirical analysis of the data available from the Amadeus database.
After 10 years of intensive work, the European Commission has published the
draft directive on common system of corporate taxation. It can be considered as
the most ambitious project in the history of structural tax harmonization in the
area of direct taxation in the EU. CCCTB proposal represents unique system, for
on one hand it represents unified rules for the construction of the tax base, on
the other hand it does not breach the national sovereignty of EU Members States
to apply independently the tax rate. It also meats the basic requirements which
were formulated by EU Member states – it should contribute to the reduction of
compliance costs of taxation, elimination of transfer pricing issues by enabling
group taxation schemes and consolidation and therefore enabling cross border
loss offsetting.
Investigating the
Influence of Individual Level IT Security Climate on Salient IT Security User
Beliefs
Dr. Janis A. Warner,
Sam Houston State University, TX
ABSTRACT
There is a growing
need to better understand what influences user behavior for the development of
comprehensive IT security systems. This study integrates two prominent bodies
of research:(a) the theory of planned behavior used to frame the factors
influencing user behavior beginning with salient user beliefs, and (b)
individual level climate perceptions used to frame organizational environment
influences. Hypotheses regarding the relationships between the climate and
beliefs are empirically tested. The intent of the research is to extend the
theory of planned behavior and IT security literature by investigating
environmental influences on user beliefs regarding an IT security artifact, such
as anti-spyware. The results of the study provide evidence that there are
significant positive relationships between an IT security climate at the
individual level, also known as IT security psychological climate, and several
identified salient beliefs. A discussion of the findings and their implications
for theory and practice is provided. The global nature of business today makes
information technology security increasingly important and complex as
organizations strive to share their information and data assets more effectively
with employees, partners and customers. The criticality of IT security is
echoed by FBI director Robert Mueller who recently declared that “cyber security
may well become our highest priority in the years to come” (FBI, 2012).
Recognition of the role of the internal user and building a “human firewall”
(Coe, 2003) are imperatives if organizations want to safeguard their information
assets. Internal user practices (Wade, 2004) and organizational culture (Britt,
2005) point to internal user beliefs and behavior as foundational aspects in the
protection of an organization’s information assets.
Financial or Operating Lease? Problems With Comparability of Financial Analysis
Ratios
Dr. Hana Bohusova, Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic
Dr. Patrik Svoboda, Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic
ABSTRACT
The objective of financial statements is to provide information about the
financial position, performance and changes in financial position of a company.
The information should be useful to a wide range of users in making economic
decisions. Financial statements
should be understandable, relevant, reliable and comparable.
The use of IFRS for financial statements preparation in more than 100 countries
over the world, and the convergence of IFRS with US GAAP should increase the
comparability of financial statements over the world. The comparability is
decreased due to existence of some
different treatments for reporting the same transaction
allowed by IFRS and that some transactions could be structured by companies in
different ways (lease, pension) to get the demanded effect by reporting company
(on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet). The paper is concerned with an
evaluation of possibilities of comparison of financial statements prepared under
the current IFRS and US GAAP treatments for lease reporting. Financial Reporting
as a result of application of accounting treatments should become a
comprehensible source of information for users from different countries. It is
supposed that the use of IFRS enhances the comparability of financial
statements, improves corporate transparency and increases the quality of
financial reporting (Daske, Hail, Leuz, Verdi, 2008). Companies which comply
with the IFRS rules can achieve many benefits, e.g. they may reduce investor’s
uncertainty and can thus reduce the costs of capital they can significantly
improve the communication between business users and all their statements. More
than 100 countries in the world have already adopted IFRS. On the other hand,
there are US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP) which were the
only reporting system, which was accepted by financial markets in the USA for a
long time. The two most significant organizations in the field of financial
reporting regulation setters in the world -
IT Governance: A
Multi-level Analysis toward a Unified Perspective
Dr. Humam Elagha,
Royal University for Women, Kingdom of Bahrain
ABSTRACT
This paper examines the previous and current research in IT Governance to
provide a basis for further research. A conceptual IT Governance framework that
builds on four disciplines of IT Governance is proposed. The framework builds on
the integration between the structural and processes perspectives of IT
Governance Domains, IT Governance Maturity, IT Governance Mechanisms, and IT
Governance Performance. Moreover, the paper empirically examines the
relationship between the four disciplines of IT Governance. This study found
robust empirical evidence that the maturity of the IT Governance Domains greatly
enhances the level of IT Governance Maturity and the existence of IT Governance
Mechanisms greatly enhances the overall effectiveness of IT Governance. This
paper shows that current IT Governance research represents a strong, albeit not
completely inclusive, combination of the four disciplines of literature. The
paper concludes that even with the consideration of contemporary structures,
academicians and practitioners similarly continue to explore the concept of IT
governance in an attempt to find appropriate mechanisms to govern corporate IT
decisions. The concept IT Governance emerged in mid-nineties and first used by
Henderson & Venkatraman to describe the complex array of inter firm
relationships involved in achieving strategic alignment between business and IT
(Henderson & Venkatraman, 1993). IT governance is the structure of
relationships, processes and mechanisms used to develop, direct and control IT
strategy and resources so as to best achieve the goals and objectives of an
enterprise. It is a set of processes aimed at adding value to an organization
while balancing the risk and return aspects associated with IT investments. IT
governance is ultimately the responsibility of the board of directors and
executive management.
Stock Market
Development and Economic Growth in Namibia
Dr. Esau Kaakunga,
University of Namibia, Windhoek
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this
study was to investigate the influence of the stock market development on
economic growth in Namibia using modern time series econometric techniques that
of co- integration and error correction modeling. The study used market
capitalization, local share index and total value of all shares traded as
indicators of stock market development and real gross domestic product as a
proxy for economic growth. The results of the study have shown that real gross
domestic product is co-integrated with stock market development. The short-run
results indicate that local share index and total values of local shares are
negative and statistically insignificant correlated with economic growth. The
study has found market capitalization as an important stock market performance
indicator that has driven economic activities in Namibia during the period under
review. Hence, policies that will promote the development of the capital market
will also contribute to economic growth of the Namibian economy. The study is
suggesting the removal of impediments to stock market development which include
tax, legal, and regulatory barriers; and the employment of policies that would
increase the productivity and efficiency of firms as well encourage them to
access capital on the stock market and also enhance the capacity of the Namibian
Stock Exchange, restore the confidence of stock market participants and
safeguard the interest of shareholders. The stock market plays an important main
role as an economic institution which improves the efficiency in capital
formation and allocation. It enables both corporations and the government to
raise long-term capital which enables them to finance new projects and expand
other operations (Olweny and Kimani, 2011). Stock market has been associated
with economic growth through its role as sources for new capital, whereas
economic growth may be catalyst for stock market growth.
National Problems,
Global Solutions: Technology, Information, and Safeguards
Dr. Kamlesh Mehta,
National University, CA
Dr. Vivek Shah,
Texas State University, TX
ABSTRACT
The era of digital
and cyber information have dominated the 21st Century. Due to the
increase in the use of cyber and internet technologies, the rise in data mining
and social network, and the increased need for cyber and digital security
measures, consumers, businesses, government, and citizens must ask three
fundamental questions: (1) Do the benefits of living in an era of data mining
and social networking outweigh the loss of personal privacy? (2) Should
outsiders or next-to-kin be able to know more about a person than the person
perhaps knows about one self? (3) What safeguard strategies are available to
companies to ensure cyber and digital security? The purpose of this research
paper is to examine how data mining, social network analysis, and data
collection techniques have changed the face of society, and our perceptions of
what Personal Privacy actually means, and to review the strategies available to
companies to safeguard cyber and digital security. The internet has become a
veritable treasure trove of information about people, societies, and global
trends. The advent of the internet opened doors to new ideas and information
sharing, however, this free information frontier may come at a price to personal
privacy. In the “Information Age” people have no qualms about releasing the
most intimate details of their personal lives out into “Cyberspace” for the
entire world to see or do they? In most instances, people knowingly, or under
false sense of privacy, or unknowingly release the most intimate details of the
personal lives. In George Orwell’s book “1984” (1950), an all seeing all
controlling government ominously named “Big Brother” utilized a band of “Thought
Police” to tell its citizens what to think, what to do, and how to act. Free
societies, as a whole, fear governing bodies that exercise too much control and
have access to every bit of information about its citizens. Businesses and
governments are using ever more sophisticated Customer Relationship Management
(CRM) tools and new intelligence gathering techniques such as data mining and
social networking analysis to define their customer base or constituencies.
The Glass Ceiling
and Women in Management in the Middle East: Myth or Reality?
Dr. Evangelia (Lia)
Marinakou, Royal University for Women, Kingdom of Bahrain
ABSTRACT
Although globalization and equal employment have created opportunities for
female managers, they are still underrepresented in the corporate ladder. Gender
and gender role stereotypes are persistent in organizations that operate in the
Middle East, challenging women’s employment and showing evidence of the glass
ceiling in management. This paper explores the position of women in management
in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as the barriers they face in climbing the
career ladder. The findings from the semi-structured interviews with 15 female
managers suggest that they identify long hours work, stereotypical behavior and
gender discrimination as the prevailing factors to career growth. In addition,
society and culture have also been widely identified, including family
commitment and balancing work with family. The paper proposes that women who
want to lead a successful professional life have found their way to break
through the barriers of the invisible glass ceiling by commitment, family
support and education. In addition, companies are gradually learning how to
create cultures in which expectations and professionalism are not necessarily
gender-linked. Although, the last decade in the Middle East has been a steady
economic expansion (Saddi, Sabbagh, Shediac & Jamjoum, 2012), the Arab Spring
has added pressure to unemployment rates creating many challenges such as low
female labor force participation rates, low levels of private sector
development, weak public and corporate governance, limited competition,
pervasive corruption and bloated public sectors (Tlaiss & Kauser, 2011). Within
this context, there have been many changes for Arab women, as women are now
entering the workforce and are rising to managerial positions. The percentage of
Bahraini women working increased from 4.9% at 1971 to 33.5% to 2010 (Supreme
Council for Women, 2013). The female representation in the Bahraini labor force
is estimated at 29.8 per cent, much less than the global estimate of 51.7 per
cent, but better than of the Middle East average which is estimated as 25.4 per
cent (ILO, 2010).
|
The Business Review
Journal
