Business Commons^™

Is More Always Better? Risk Trade-Offs Among Internationalizing New Ventures, Stephanie Fernhaber, Patricia Mcdougall-Covin

Stephanie A. Fernhaber

Purpose

Design/methodology/approach

Market Orientation And Csr: Performance Implications, Timothy Kiessling, Lars Isaksson, Burze Yasar

Lars Isaksson

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become of great interest to both researchers and practitioners alike with much discussion on whether the costs outweigh the performance implications. CSR has become a firm strategic tool (not only an ethical concept) as firms recognize that the customer value proposition and CSR is integrated with the focus on how to differentiate the firm from the view of the customer.We utilized market orientation (MO) theory as our foundation for our research as it explains how organizations adapt to their customer environment to develop competitive advantages. With the current customer focus on CSR, MO assists the …

Are Levels Effects Important In Out-Of-Sample Performance Of Short Rate Models?, Sandy Suardi

Sandy Suardi

This paper derives short-term interest rate volatility forecasts from various interest rate models. While models that specify both GARCH and levels effects are superior in their forecasts accuracy, they systematically under predict interest rate volatility more frequently than simple short rate models.

Do Corporate Governance Recommendations Improve The Performance And Accountability Of Small Listed Companies?, Jacqueline Christensen, Pamela Kent, James Routledge, Jenny Stewart

Pamela Kent

This study examines whether the implementation of the 2003 Australian Securities Exchange Limited governance recommendations influenced the governance choices of small companies and whether compliance improves their accounting and market performance and earnings quality. Our analysis examines small and large companies because we are interested in the different effects of the governance recommendations on the two groups. The analysis shows a significant shift by small and large companies to comply with the recommendations around the time of their introduction. We find that formation of an audit committee surrounding the reform period is significantly associated with improved earnings quality for small …

Do Corporate Governance Recommendations Improve The Performance And Accountability Of Small Listed Companies?, Jacqueline Christensen, Pamela Kent, James Routledge, Jenny Stewart

James Routledge

This study examines whether the implementation of the 2003 Australian Securities Exchange Limited governance recommendations influenced the governance choices of small companies and whether compliance improves their accounting and market performance and earnings quality. Our analysis examines small and large companies because we are interested in the different effects of the governance recommendations on the two groups. The analysis shows a significant shift by small and large companies to comply with the recommendations around the time of their introduction. We find that formation of an audit committee surrounding the reform period is significantly associated with improved earnings quality for small …

Insolvency Administration As A Strategic Response To Financial Distress, James Routledge, David Morrison

James Routledge

This study considers whether the strategic decision to enter voluntary administration (VA) rather than to trade the company’s business for a protracted period of declining performance is systematically related to the effective monitoring of management decision-making. Analysis that tests the association between strategic entry into VA and the likelihood that a company will reorganize in VA is also presented. We find about half of the companies in our sample entered VA as a strategic choice. The likelihood of strategic entry to VA increased with the proportion of independent board directors, the existence of an audit committee and a dual CEO/chair …

Impact Of Work Values And Individual Attributes On Citizenship And Task Performance, Anil Chandrakumara

Anil Chandrakumara

This study examined the impact of work values and individual characteristics on citizenship behaviour (OCB) and task performance (TP). Based on the arguments of Social capital Theory, a theoretical foundation was developed to use work values as antecedents of OCB. Analysing 416 responses from Sri Lankan manufacturing sector employees, it was found that gender and employment category were related to citizenship performance, while level of education was related to task performance. More importantly, the impact of work values (work norms, work ethics, and intrinsic values) on OCB was found to be more significant than that of demographic factors, Overall, the …

Effects Of The Entrepreneurial And Managerial Orientations Of Owner-Managers On Company Performance: An Empirical Test In Sri Lanka, Anura De Zoysa, Palli Mulla K A Chandrakumara, Athula Manawaduge

Anil Chandrakumara

In this paper we have made strong distinction between managerial and entrepreneurial orientations of leadership and argued that these orientations should have different effects on the performance of companies. Data were collected from a sample of 204 owner-managers of Sri Lankan companies by administering a mailed paper questionnaire. Company performance was measured by the ratings of sales performance on the part of managers concerned. Correlation and regression analysis were then performed in the impact analysis. Our findings indicate that the leadership orientation of owner-managers of small firms is more entrepreneurial than managerial. Also, entrepreneurial orientation (EO) correlated more significantly with …

Capital Structure And Firm Performance In Emerging Economies: An Empirical Analysis Of Sri Lankan Firms, Anura De Zoysa, Muhammad Chowdhury, Palli Mulla K A Chandrakumara, Athula Manawaduge

Anil Chandrakumara

This paper offers an empirical analysis of the impact of capital structure on firm performance in thecontext of an emerging market¿Sri Lanka. The study applies both pooled and panel data regressionmodels for a sample of 155 Sri Lankan-listed firms. The results demonstrate that most of the SriLankan firms finance their operations with short-term debt capital as against the long-term debtcapital and provide strong evidence that the firm performance is negatively affected by the use of debtcapital. The study also finds a significant negative relationship between tangibility and performanceindicating inefficient utilization of non-current assets. The negative performance implicationsassociated with over-utilization of …

Accounting, New Public Management And American Politics: Theoretical Insights Into The National Performance Review, Ann Watkins, Cecil Arrington

Ed Arrington

Borrowing from the work of political theorists Sheldon Wolin and William Connolly, this essay seeks to provide additional rationalization for the expansion of accounting within domains like the public sector. We suggest that such an expansion is intimately linked to social and cultural transitions which have led political theorists to not only question modern political theory but to also recognize the political significance of practices like accounting to political theory. We contend that these same transitions also make possible expansions of accounting through NewPublicManagement (NPM) initiatives like the U.S.'s NationalPerformanceReview (NPR). Seen in this way, accounting theory begins to move …

Performance Auditing: The Jurisdiction Of The Australian Auditor General - De Jure Or De Facto? A Comment, John Glynn

John J Glynn

As Parker and Guthrie (1991) state, the question of the Australian Auditor- General’s performance audit mandate has become an issue of much debate over the last two decades.

The initial development of performance auditing by the Australian Audit Office (AAO) can be traced back to the early 1970s. In part this was due to the application of existing powers provided by Section 54 of the Audit Act 1901. These investigations were termed by the AAO ‘project audits’. Amendments to the Act, in 1979, additionally permitted the AAO to undertake efficiency audits in addition to fiscal regularity audits. The problem, since …

Performance Auditing And Performance Improvement In Government: Public Sector Management Reform, Changing Accountabilities And The Role Of Performance Audit, John Glynn

John J Glynn

Public expenditure crises of the 1970s and 1980s led many governments to: - firstly, enforce stricter financial climates that included the use of cash limits and cash planning to motivate public servants towards greater economy and efficiency; and - secondly, to introduce a series of other reforms that gave pre-eminence to what has become colloquially termed the “new public management” (NPM). Key to many of these reforms was the belief that NPM would lead to more publicly accountable management and that limited resources would not only be used more efficiently but also more effectively in terms of intended policy objectives. …

Book Review: Performance Measurement In The Public Sector And Private Sectors: Icas And Cipfa, John Glynn

John J Glynn

This publication comprises the proceedings of the first joint research conference of the ICAS and CIPFA. The conference was convened with three principal objectives: -Understanding the objectives of performance measurement. -Examining the mechanisms of accountability, both financial and non-financial. -The study of specific cases to illustrate performance measurement in action. The style of this short book is to provide a summary of the nine papers together with a short note of discussion points raised. The contributions to the day’s proceedings were provided by three academics, three public sector representatives, two speakers from private industry, and one politician.

Public Management Failing Accountabilities And Failing Performance Review, John Glynn, Michael Murphy

John J Glynn

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s there have been major reforms with regard to the mode of operation of the public sector. The pervading theme running through these reforms is that of attempting to make the management of public services more accountable for the efficient and effective deployment of public resources. Focuses on how successful the reforms have been in engendering this enhanced accountability. First reviews the meaning of accountability and the different level of accountability in the public sector. Then reviews the principal changes in the accountability processes caused by the reforms of the 1980s and 1990s and questions whether …

The Development Of Performance Auditing In Australia, John Glynn

John J Glynn

No abstract provided.

Performance Of Family Firms During The Global Financial Crisis: Does Governance Matter?, Husam Aldamen, Keith Duncan, Simone Kelly, Ray Mcnamara

Keith Duncan

We investigate whether better corporate governance impacts the performance of family versus non-family firms during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). If good governance matters then its impact should be amplified during times of exogenous financial shocks. Furthermore the impact of governance will be more pronounced for family firms as family firms are more resilient, have greater access to survival capital and have a longer term decision making focus. We find that family firms have better governance but family firms have a lower earnings weight in valuation models. However we do find that better governance increased the variability in value however …

Performance Of Family Firms During The Global Financial Crisis: Does Governance Matter?, Husam Aldamen, Keith Duncan, Simone Kelly, Ray Mcnamara

Ray McNamara

We investigate whether better corporate governance impacts the performance of family versus non-family firms during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). If good governance matters then its impact should be amplified during times of exogenous financial shocks. Furthermore the impact of governance will be more pronounced for family firms as family firms are more resilient, have greater access to survival capital and have a longer term decision making focus. We find that family firms have better governance but family firms have a lower earnings weight in valuation models. However we do find that better governance increased the variability in value however …

Performance Of Family Firms During The Global Financial Crisis: Does Governance Matter?, Husam Aldamen, Keith Duncan, Simone Kelly, Ray Mcnamara

Simone Kelly

We investigate whether better corporate governance impacts the performance of family versus non-family firms during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). If good governance matters then its impact should be amplified during times of exogenous financial shocks. Furthermore the impact of governance will be more pronounced for family firms as family firms are more resilient, have greater access to survival capital and have a longer term decision making focus. We find that family firms have better governance but family firms have a lower earnings weight in valuation models. However we do find that better governance increased the variability in value however …

The Accord - Principles, Performance And Prospects, Robert Castle, James Hagan

Robert G. Castle

No abstract provided.

Assessing Student Performance In Service Learning: Awards & Results, Laurence Minsky

Laurence Minsky

How do you judge student performance in a service-learning environment? One way is by seeing if the activities accomplished the goals of the community organization. But that only gets at part of the picture, because it’s from the organization’s perspective. There are other less traditional, but more powerful ways, to gauge performance: from the change in behaviors of the intended receivers of the service to the employ of outside professional standards. In this presentation, all of these ways will be explored. And, it will be argued that one should take a multi-input approach to assessing student learning, development, and performance.

More Than Just National Cultural Distance: Testing New Distance Scales On Fdi In Slovakia, Douglas Dow, Sonia Ferencikova

Douglas Dow

Over the past decade, numerous calls have been made within the international business literature for a broader conceptualization and measurement of non-geographic forms distance amongst countries. One promising response to this call has been a set of psychic distance stimuli scales put forward by Dow, D., & Karunaratna, A. (2006). Developing a multidimensional instrument to measure psychic distance stimuli. Journal of International Business Studies, 37(5), 575–577. However, to date, these new scales have only been tested in one very limited setting – predicting bi-lateral trade flows. This paper extends the generalizability of the Dow and Karunaratna scales by testing their …

Global Body Of Project Management And Knowledge, Lynn Crawford

Lynn Crawford

Extract: This chapter presents an overview of the current principal project management standards and guides for project management knowledge and performance, including a comparison of their content and coverage and an indication of their use in assessment and as a basis for qualifications. Current developments and potential future directions are also reviewed. © Copyright John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007

Adaptation And Performance In Foreign Markets: Evidence Of Systematic Under-Adaptation, Douglas Dow

Douglas Dow

No abstract provided.

Senior Management Perceptions Of Project Management Competence, Lynn Crawford

Lynn Crawford

As more organisations adopt project management approaches and the demand for project managers grows, there is increasing interest in the competence of project managers and in standards for development and assessment of project management competence. Project management standards are being used extensively throughout the world in training and development, professional certification programmes and corporate project management methodologies on the assumption that there is a positive relationship between standards and effective workplace performance. However, there has been no empirical research reported that supports or indeed questions this assumption. This paper reports on research that explores the relationship between performance against standards …

The Balanced Scorecard And Related Systems: The Information Dimensions In Their Performance Reporting Systems, And Their Effects On Performance, Errol Iselin, Lokman Mia, John Sands

Errol Iselin

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) and related systems have become popular in recent times due to problems associated with traditional financial systems. The BSC incorporates a multi-perspective performance reporting system that reports information about four perspectives - learning and growth, internal business processes, customer, and financials. BSC theory argues that there is a cause and effect relationship from the first perspective to the last. There are broader multi-perspective systems in practice that have two additional perspectives to these four - social and environmental. Atkinson et al. (1997) have argued that the BSC is among the most significant developments in management accounting …

A Field Experiment On The Effects Of Benchmarking And Goal Setting On Company Sales Performance, Leon Mann, Danny Samson, Douglas Dow

Douglas Dow

No abstract provided.

Psychic Distance And The Performance Of International Retailers: A Suggested Theoretical Framework, Jody Evans, Alan Treadgold, Felix Mavondo

Jody Evans

Research into firm internationalisation has identified psychic distance as a key factor in explaining variations in both expansion patterns and organisational performance. Despite the substantial growth in research on the internationalisation of retailing, most contributions have been highly descriptive and generally bereft of coherent theoretical frameworks. This paper postulates that the psychic distance concept may provide an appropriate theoretical framework to explain variations in the organisational performance of retailers operating in the international arena. It is recognised that psychic distance alone cannot explain variations between countries in retailers' performance. Other factors, such as the strategic decision making process, entry strategy …