Business Commons^™

The Experf Scale: A Cross-National Generalized Export Performance Measure, Shaoming Zou, Charles R. Taylor, Gregory E. Osland

Gregory E. Osland

A large number of studies have attempted to identify factors that are correlated with exporting success. However, much controversy exists about the key determinants of export performance and their relative importance. A major reason for this lack of consensus is the absence of a unified measure for capturing export performance. In this study, an attempt is made to develop a generalized export performance measure, the EXPERF scale, that can be applied to multiple countries. Results from a survey of top executives of U.S. and Japanese exporters support a three-dimensional scale for measuring export performance. The three dimensions of the export …

Education And Ecotourism: A Framework And Analysis Of Education In Ecolodges In Costa Rica And Panama, Gregory E. Osland, Robert D. Mackoy

Gregory E. Osland

Education of tourists at nature-based lodges is an important but under-researched component of ecotourism. This paper proposes a framework that identifies and develops a typology of possible educational goals and activities in an ecotourism context. Using data from interviews and participant observation at fourteen leading ecolodges in Costa Rica and Panama, the paper describes, classifies and compares educational efforts directed toward ecolodge guests, with a particular emphasis on the role of nature guides in the educational process. Relationships among several educational goals, tourists' satisfaction, and views of the performance of nature guides are uncovered and explicated. Multiple managerial implications and …

Negotiation In Channels Of Distribution: Conditions, Behavior, And Outcomes, Gregory Osland, Lloyd Rhinehart

Gregory E. Osland

A model of the negotiation process is developed and tested on a sample of motor carriers that provide contractual service in distribution channels. The result indicate that expectation of continuity in a channel relationship leads to cooperative negotiating behavior. This cooperative (integrative) negotiating behavior, in turn, results in mutually beneficial outcomes. In addition, perceived dependence has a weak effect on negotiating behavior and outcomes. Managers are advised about conditions and outcomes of the use of both cooperative and arms-length negotiating strategies.

Successful Operating Strategies In The Performance Of U.S.-China Joint Ventures, Gregory E. Osland

Gregory E. Osland

Evaluations of the performance of international joint ventures (IJVs) in China have produced mixed conclusions. This study sought to uncover performance criteria used by various groups of managers and to identify critical factors in IJV performance in China. Using in-depth case studies, matched data were collected from personal interviews with managers from Chinese and U.S. parent companies, joint venture operating managers from both partners, and government officials from both countries. The performance criteria used by joint venture participants appear to be converging, with profitability emerging as the dominant element. This exploratory study uncovered four important strategic factors in the performance …

Foreign Market Entry Strategies Of Japanese Mncs, Charles R. Taylor, Shaoming Zou, Gregory E. Osland

Gregory E. Osland

While much prior research has focused on Japanese multi‐national corporations’ (MNCs) marketing strategies, little is known about the factors that influence Japanese MNCs’ foreign market entry mode choice. In this study, a survey of Japanese MNCs is conducted in order to assess the factors that are the most influential in the foreign market entry decisions of Japanese MNCs. Using bargaining power theory, eight factors are identified in the study. The findings indicate that five of the eight factors (stake of the host country, need for local contribution, riskiness of the host country, resource commitment, and host government restrictions) are significant …

Multinationals In China: Responding To Host Government Pressures, Ingmar Bjorkman, Gregory Osland

Gregory E. Osland

Government pressures are thought to influence multinational companies' strategies. This study analyzes central government pressures regarding MNCs in China since 1990, particularly the pressures concerning operational modes utilized by foreign companies investing in China. The methodology utilizes in-depth interviews of MNC executives and government officials from the United States, Scandinavia, and China. The results indicate that the Chinese government has ratcheted up the pressure on MNCs to produce and source locally and that some MNCs are facing intense pressure to lobby their own governments on behalf of China. This article also provides insights for managers into government workings and provides …

The Use Of Multiple-Party Perspectives In International Joint Venture Research, Gregory Osland, S. Cavugsil

Gregory E. Osland

Much academic research on international joint ventures has relied on information and insights gained from only one of the several parties that make up a collaborative venture. Motivated by a desire to explore the merits of "multiple-party" investigations in international joint ventures, a research project was designed and implemented in the context of US-China joint ventures. Matched data from eight large joint ventures were collected through in-depth interviews with 40 managers representing Chinese and US parent companies and joint venture operating managers from both partners.

Market Analysis For Small And Mid-Size Commercial Turboprop Aircraft, Vitaly Guzhva, Tamilla Curtis, Vladislav Borodulin

Dr. Tamilla Curtis

Recent fuel price volatility and growing concerns about the efficiency of regional jets have led to a revival of large turboprop aircraft as efficient passenger carriers on short-haul regional routes. However, the overall market for smaller turboprops is much less defined as it is characterized by a plethora of small commuter and niche operators in addition to regional carriers. Since most small and mid-size turboprop manufacturers have gone bankrupt or discontinued production due to some other reasons, current operators of this aircraft class are left with aging fleets that would need to be replaced by 2020-2030. This paper assesses the …

First Step In Developing High-Frequency Trading Models, Bruce Vanstone, Tobias Hahn

Bruce Vanstone

Confirmation of stylized facts and dimension reduction are key first steps in the subsequent development of specific high-frequency trading rules. This article demonstrates the application of these techniques using high-frequency foreign exchange (FX) data as a case study. The FX spot markets are well suited to high-frequency speculative trading. They are highly liquid, leveraged, and trade 24 hours a day, five days a week. This article describes the processes to follow for determining the applicability and robustness of known or suspected stylized facts to speculative trading; it also formalizes the technique of dimension reduction in high-frequency financial datasets.

First Step In Developing High-Frequency Trading Models, Bruce Vanstone, Tobias Hahn

Tobias Hahn

Confirmation of stylized facts and dimension reduction are key first steps in the subsequent development of specific high-frequency trading rules. This article demonstrates the application of these techniques using high-frequency foreign exchange (FX) data as a case study. The FX spot markets are well suited to high-frequency speculative trading. They are highly liquid, leveraged, and trade 24 hours a day, five days a week. This article describes the processes to follow for determining the applicability and robustness of known or suspected stylized facts to speculative trading; it also formalizes the technique of dimension reduction in high-frequency financial datasets.

Effect Of Retiring Custom Web Applications On Business And Information Technology Alignment, Shubhashree Thekahally

Shubhashree Thekahally 7340504

Web applications provide the information technology (IT) implementation of business and align IT with business. Retirement of IT applications should ensure stability of business and IT alignment. The current study investigated the alignment gaps created between business and IT resulting from retiring IT software applications. The purpose of this study was to identify IT integration points with business and provide a process-based solution that sustained IT alignment with business after retiring IT applications. The theoretical framework strategic alignment model aided in identifying 3 IT domains as the IT integration points with business: enterprise architecture, configuration management database, and service-level agreement. …

Take Two Tablets And Do Not Call For Judicial Review Until Our Heads Clear: The Supreme Court Prepares To Demolish The 'Wall Of Separation' Between Church And State, Terence Lau, William Wines

Terence Lau

In this article, we examine the issues that bring First Amendment jurisprudence to the grant of certiorari in Pleasant Grove v. Summum, scheduled for oral argument in the Supreme Court of the United States in November. We examine the historical basis for America’s religious heritage, the historical judicial treatment of the religious clauses, and the erosion of the wall of separation between church and state. We examine the Ten Commandments, finding inherent discrimination present in modern-day attempts to advance a particular version of the Ten Commandments as secular. By drawing upon Rousseau’s civic religion, we suggest alternative routes for the …

Attitudes Toward And Behavioral Intentions To Adopt Mobile Marketing: Comparisons Of Gen Y In The United States, France And China, Rebecca Wells, Catherine E. Kleshinski, Terence Lau

Terence Lau

The rapid global diffusion of mobile marketing makes it increasingly important to understand cross-­‐cultural consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions toward mobile marketing as a promotional channel. By building on the previously published research of Altuna and Konuk (2009), this work investigates the attitudes and behavioral intentions toward mobile marketing of Generation Y consumers in the United States, France, and China. Based on this analysis, Chinese Gen Y have the most positive attitude toward mobile marketing, and their overall attitude is significantly more positive than the attitudes of French and American Gen Y groups. While American Gen Y's behavioral intentions are …

Why Self-Proclaimed Kaizen Management Is Becoming Very Fashionable In Ethiopia? An Observation, Asayehgn Desta

Asayehgn Desta

Despite the current economic slowdown in Japan (for example, according to Global competitiveness, , Japan's stance has declined from 8 in 2009/10 to 9 in 2011/12, see for example, Kitaw, 2013, it is very interesting to note that a number of public and private enterprises in contemporary Ethiopia are proclaiming that the Japanese kaizen management strategy (meaning change for better or continuous improvement involving everyone in the organization) would restore for them the quality and quantity of their products. It is generally assumed that implementing the kaizen management technique in Ethiopian firms would create competitive products (i.e., products with lowest …

Analysis Of Kaizen Implementation In Northern Ethiopia’S Manufacturing Industries, Asayehgn Desta, Hadush Asgedom, Alula Gebresas, Mengstu Asheber

Asayehgn Desta

The Kaizen manufacturing processes in Japan have revolutionized the way enterprises deliver products to their customers. Given ambitions to advance, retain market share, and satisfy their domestic market while expanding into the international market, it has become a dream for many manufacturing companies similar to Japanese manufacturing enterprises to build a culture of continuous improvement. In other words, a number of foreign companies are striving to acquire the habit of improvement using kaizen, as well as to focus on a customer-driven strategy to improve productivity and the quality of products and services by continuously amassing marginal improvements over time. Mapping …

Perspectives Of Entrepreneurship And Its Impact On Stakeholders’ Co-Creation, Ridhi Arora Research Scholar

Ridhi Arora

In the past decade, the topic of entrepreneurship has undergone a lot of scholarly examination by academics and management practitioners (Naudé, 2013). Entrepreneurship aims to bring about the cohesive integration of social, economic, institutional, and cultural environments, both at the individual level and the group level. The entrepreneurship concept has been built on the strong historical roots that have led to advancements in entrepreneurial research and its related areas. This chapter provides coverage of the various theoretical perspectives underlying the origin and evolution of entrepreneurship. As the concept of entrepreneurship represents a “multifaceted phenomenon” (Toma et al., 2014), I will …

Umass Amherst Campus Master Plan Sustainability Chapter, Ludmilla Pavlova-Gillham, Nariman Mostafavi, Mohamad Farzinmoghadam, Kylie A. Landrey, Somayeh Tabatabaee Pozveh, Ezra Small, Ted Mendoza, Jason J. Burbank, Robert Ryan, Dennis Swinford, Niels La Cour, Alexander Stepanov

Ludmilla D Pavlova

The UMass Amherst Campus Master Plan Sustainability Chapter articulates the manner in which the Campus Master Plan 2012 principles translate into specific recommendations for campus systems development in support of future smart growth. It summarizes the current physical campus-scale planning projects that Facilities & Campus Services have completed during and after the Master Plan process, and incorporates other operational and educational initiatives that have engaged our campus community as we plan for sustainability. The CMP Chapter is organized in three major sections: i) sustainability overview; ii) campus master plan systems; iii) current initiatives; and iv) next steps. The first section …

Project Manager Insights: An Analysis Of Career Progression, James W. Marion Jr, Tracey M. Richardson, Matthew P. Earnhardt

Tracey M Richardson

The project manager is key to the success of any project. But the path to becoming a successful project manager is ill defined. In this study, the authors analyzed interview results of 87 project managers’ responses to questions associated with entry into the field, career progression, and advice for the new project manager, seeking to better understand practicing project manager career progression. Qualitative analysis techniques were used to identify recurring themes from the interview summaries. The themes and the resulting conceptual framework provide evidence that supports the development of successful project manager career path. Further, the results suggest individual project …

Project Manager ‘Management Competency’ Vs. ‘Technical Competency’. Which Is More Important To Overall Project Management Success?, Barry Jon Bauer, Tracey M. Richardson, James W. Marion Jr

Tracey M Richardson

Project managers apply multiple skills and competencies in the course of successfully delivering projects. Management and technical competencies represent two major competency categories associated with project management. In this study, the relationship between management and technical competency was investigated and a weak, yet positive correlation was observed as an outcome of this quantitative study.

Public-Public And Public Private Partnerships In Transportation, Janet K. Tinoco

Janet K. Tinoco

Graduate students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), Daytona Beach, FL partook in a research effort for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Kennedy Space Center (KSC), examining partnerships in real property. The students researched relevant public-private partnerships (PPPs) and public-public partnerships PuPs in space, air, rail/road, sea, and utilities -- nationally and globally.

Aligning With Aviation Industry Expectations And Requirements: Improving The Presentation Skills Of Erau Graduate Business Students, Janet K. Tinoco, Jason Alvarez

Janet K. Tinoco

MBA students have diverse set of presentation skill levels. Students come from many parts of the world, different undergraduate degree programs, and with widely varying employment histories, if any at all. They need to build their understanding of what to present to whom and how.

Lawyers And Fools: Lawyer-Directors In Public Corporations, Lubomir P. Litov, Simone M. Sepe, Charles K. Whitehead

Lubomir P. Litov

The accepted wisdom—that a lawyer who becomes a corporate director has a fool for a client—is outdated. The benefits of lawyer-directors in today’s world significantly outweigh the costs. Beyond monitoring, they help manage litigation and regulation, as well as structure compensation to align CEO and shareholder interests. The results have been an average 9.5% increase in firm value and an almost doubling in the percentage of public companies with lawyer-directors. This Article is the first to analyze the rise of lawyer-directors. It makes a variety of other empirical contributions, each of which is statistically significant and large in magnitude. First, …

Segment Disclosures Under Sfas No. 131: Has Business Segment Reporting Improved?, Donna Street, Nancy Nichols, Sidney Gray

Donna L. Street

In response to user concerns regarding segment reporting, the FASB issued SFAS No. 131, Reporting Disaggregated Information about a Business Enterprise, in 1997. SFAS No. 131 became effective for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 1998. This research examines the segment disclosures of U.S. Global 1000 companies for both 1997 and 1998 to ascertain the impact and effectiveness of SFAS No. 131 in practice. Specifically, this research considers whether the new requirements have resulted in:

• A greater number of line‐of‐business (LOB) segments for some enterprises, particularly those who claimed to operate in one LOB under SFAS No. …

Compliance With Disclosure Requirements At Germany's New Market: Ias Versus Us Gaap, Martin Glaum, Donna Street

Donna L. Street

This research examines compliance with both International Accounting Standards (IAS) and United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP) for companies listed on Germany's New Market. Based on a sample of 100 firms that apply IAS and 100 that apply US GAAP, we investigate the extent to which companies comply with IAS and US GAAP disclosure requirements in their year–2000 financial statements. Compliance levels range from 100% to 41.6%, with an average of 83.7%. The average compliance level is significantly lower for companies that apply IAS as compared to companies applying US GAAP. This study provides the first systematic evidence …

Factors Affecting Md&A Disclosures By Sec Registrants: Views Of Practitioners, Ann Tarca, Donna Street, Walter Aerts

Donna L. Street

This study identifies factors influencing the preparation, scope and content of management discussion and analysis (MD&A) reports provided by SEC registrants. We interviewed U.S., Canadian, U.K., and Australian financial executives during the period December 2009 to May 2010 to better understand how the reporting environment affects managers’ ability to provide useful disclosures. Interviewees agree MD&A should be "through the eyes of management"; however, many describe a tension between statutory requirements and providing relevant information for investors. Some believe MD&A is useful for analysts and investors as a summary of the past year and by functioning as a benchmark. Interviewees frequently …

Ifrs Teaching Resources: Available And Rapidly Growing, Robert Larson, Donna Street

Donna L. Street

With the rapid adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) around the world, accounting practitioners, educators, and students are in great need of IFRS instructional materials. This article provides a compilation and review of IFRS teaching resources based primarily on presentations made at a series of IFRS Teaching Workshops sponsored by the IFRS Foundation Teaching Initiative and the International Association for Accounting Education and Research (IAAER). With the purpose of helping those teaching IFRS, especially those with limited prior IFRS teaching experience, we provide detailed information so educators can easily access and use these resources. Several different IFRS teaching strategies …

Besser Pharma: International Accounting For Pensions, K. Geary, Donna Street

Donna L. Street

The purpose of the Besser Pharma case is to bring an international perspective to the coverage of pension accounting. Students are required to read U.S. and international pension accounting standards, complete financial statement research on the pension plans of Besser's competitors, and answer, in a memo to Besser Pharma's CFO, a series of questions about alternative accounting approaches permitted by International Accounting Standard No. 19, Employee Benefits.

The Predictive Ability Of Geographic Segment Disclosures By U.S. Companies: Sfas No. 131 Vs. Sfas No. 14, Bruce Behn, Nancy Nichols, Donna Street

Donna L. Street

This research considers whether recent modifications to segment reporting adequately address analysts' concerns regarding the usefulness of geographic data. Forecast errors for models utilizing SFAS No. 131 geographic sales data are compared to forecast errors for models utilizing SFAS No. 14 geographic sales data. The results indicate a significant improvement in the predictive accuracy of geographic sales disclosures provided under SFAS No. 131. Additional analysis suggests this enhanced predictability may be associated with the revised requirements that companies report sales for the country of domicile and for each individually material country. Overall, our findings appear to support the FASB's argument …

Have ‘European’ And Us Gaap Measures Of Income And Equity Converged Under Ifrs? Evidence From European Companies Listed In The Us, Sidney Gray, Cheryl Linthicum, Donna Street

Donna L. Street

The EU's adoption of IFRS, combined with the SEC's removal of the US GAAP reconciliation requirement for non‐US registrants reporting under IFRS, signifies a major shift toward the acceptance of global standards. Based on 20‐F reconciliations provided by the population of US-listed European companies filing IFRS‐based statements with the SEC in 2005, we examine whether "European" and US GAAP measures of income and equity converged under IFRS. We find that during the period immediately preceding IFRS, for our sample companies, European and US GAAP measures are generally comparable in respect of income and equity. However, as an exception to the …

The Relationship Between Competition And Business Segment Reporting Decisions Under The Management Approach Of Ias 14 Revised, Nancy Nichols, Donna Street

Donna L. Street

This research addresses the relationship between industry competition and managers’ choice regarding whether to separately disclose a business segment following the adoption of International Accounting Standard 14 Revised (IAS 14R) and the management approach to segment determination. Logistic regression reveals a significant negative relationship between disclosure and company returns in excess of the industry average.

Prior research indicated a significant relationship between disclosure and abnormal returns under the industry approach to segmentation. Our results provide evidence that this flexibility persists as managers maintain their ability to aggregate segments to protect excess returns under IAS 14R and the management approach. Our …