Business Commons^™

Mental Models: A Robust Definition, Laura L. Rook

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Purpose: The concept of a mental model has been described by theorists from diverse disciplines. The purpose of this paper is to offer a robust definition of an individual mental model for use in organisational management. Design/methodology/approach: The approach adopted involves an interdisciplinary literature review of disciplines, including system dynamics, psychology, cognitive science and organisational learning. Findings: Critical reflection on the published individual mental model definitions revealed similarities and shortcomings. It is argued that here the literature presents some consensus in the concept being internally held and having the capacity to affect how a person acts. The proposed definition of …

Political Connections, Founder-Managers, And Their Impact On Tunneling In China's Listed Firms, Liangbo Ma, Shiguang Ma, Gary Tian

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

We investigate the impact of manager political connection and founder status on tunneling in China's listed firms from 2004 to 2010. By classifying the political connections into three dimensions with two categories of controlling ownerships, we find that overall manager political connection is negatively related to tunneling in private firms but positively related to tunneling in SOEs. The CPC/CPPCC-type connection is likely to protect firms from tunneling, while the official-type connection facilitates tunneling from firms. The impact of these two types of political connection on tunneling is stronger at the central level than the local level. A chairman's political connection …

The Puzzle Of Negative Association Of Earnings Quality With Corporate Performance: A Finding From Chinese Publicly Listed Firms, Shiguang Ma

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Introduction

- Earnings management - Accounting data management. - Real earnings management.

- Earnings quality - Financial statement accurately and unbiased reports corporate operating status and financial position. - Earnings quality as the degree to which earnings persists or sustains into next period.

- Corporate performance - Low earnings quality leads to low corporate performance. - Theoretically approved, but empirical evidences are not consistent.

- The Puzzle of Negative Association of Earnings Quality with Corporate Performance in China - Probably, it is rational in an emerging market.

Eagles And Turkeys: Human Capital Externalities, Departmental Co-Authorship And Research Productivity, Frank Neri, Joan R. Rodgers

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Lucas (1988) hypothesised that human capital externalities explain persistent productivity growth and become manifest via interactions between workplace colleagues. Consistent with the first part of this hypothesis, Fox and Milbourne (2006) concluded that an increase in the average level of human capital in Australian economics departments raised the research productivity of departmental members. This paper tests the robustness of this finding by using a direct, rather than a proxy, measure of human capital and confirms the existence of human capital externalities within Australian economics departments. But we extend the analysis in two important dimensions. Firstly, we investigate the second part …

Should The Dodd-Frank Act Force Miners To Publish What They Pay?, Corinne L. Cortese

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

[extract] This week, the powerful American Petroleum Institute (API), along with a coalition of trade organisations, won a significant battle against increased corporate transparency.

Does Bank Ownership Imply Efficient Monitoring? Evidence From Bank Lending And Firm Investment Efficiencies In China, Gary G. Tian, Xiaofei Pan

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This study investigates the effect of bank ownership on lending and firm investment efficiencies to give reasons for the mixed evidence that exists on the impact of bank ownership on firm performance. Using China's listed firms as an example, we find that bank ownership reduces the efficiency of bank lending and harms investment efficiency for state-owned enterprises (SOEs), while simultaneously relating to optimal lending decisions and enhanced investment efficiency for non-SOEs. Our findings suggest that banks monitor non-SOEs effectively, but are less effective at monitoring SOEs. We document that banks' ex post monitoring on non-SOEs' investment policy results from their …

Mutual Fund Ownership, Firm Specific Information, And Firm Performance: Evidence From China, Wenhua Sharpe, Gary Tian, Hong Feng Zhang

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This paper shows empirically that the positive association between mutual fund ownership and firm value in China is mainly driven by the informed trading of mutual funds. Utilizing the unique short term feature of mutual fund holdings for the period from 2001 to 2010, we provide an informational link between a decomposed component of market-to-book ratio (firm specific valuation component) and mutual fund holdings. Specifically, we find that firms with a higher level of mutual fund ownership are associated with a higher specific value. Moreover, the positive association between the specific value of a firm and mutual fund ownership is …

Evaluation Of Regional Economy Through An Embedded Econometric-Interindustry Model, Ashkan Masouman, Charles Harvie

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Since incorporating interindustry analysis into econometric framework was pioneered some 40 years ago (Glickman, 1977), there has been a growing number of studies in the literature on application of the integrated framework at the subnational level. The integrated models in the literature have appeared in different forms with respect to the strategy and the structure, through which input-output (IO) and econometric are merged. The objective of the integrated framework is to capitalize on the merits of both component models, namely, an exhaustive interindustry analysis and a dynamic reflection of economic variables. This paper presents an attempt to extend and apply …

Do Satisfied Tourists Really Intend To Come Back? Three Concerns With Empirical Studies Of The Link Between Satisfaction And Behavioral Intention, Sara Dolnicar, Tim Coltman, Rajeev Sharma

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Explaining human behavior is a primary concern for tourism research and a substantial body of research concludes that highly satisfied tourists are more likely to return to a particular destination. In this article, we provide an analysis of this body of work, arriving at three concerns relating to the strength of association between satisfaction and behavioral intention: (1) the link between constructs is complex, resulting in the frequent omission of causal factors; (2) inconsistency with construct operationalization impedes cumulative knowledge development; and (3) explainable variance is impeded by between-study heterogeneity. We illustrate these problems by analyzing empirical guest survey data …

Succession At Buchanan Transport, Mary Barrett, Ken Moores

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Family firms have all the challenges of any business and, because they are run by families, they have to contend with the blurring of boundaries between family, management and ownership systems. Textbooks such as Poza Family Business point out how conflicts are likely to arise around ownership succession in family firms, and the need to manage succession so as to enhance the interests of family and business. This case provides an opportunity to consider the intertwined nature of family and business problems in the succession process of a family firm which, despite steady growth earlier in its history, is now …

Neglected Stakeholder Groups: A Case Study Of Recreational Vehicle Users In Tasmania, Anne Hardy, Ulrike Gretzel, Mark Wickham

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Traditional stakeholder mapping tools have concentrated on the identification of issues such as power, urgency and predictability of stakeholder groups. Yet they do not sufficiently address the ability of neglected stakeholder groups to communicate, gain and use their power when issues affecting them arise, suggesting that traditional approaches have to be updated to accommodate suddenly emerging stakeholder groups. This paper uses the case study of Recreational Vehicle Users in Tasmania, Australia, to explore the issue. In doing so it illustrates the risks of ignoring these groups, particularly when developing public policy. The paper proposes a more iterative and consultative approach …

Politicians As The Guardians Of The Status Quo: A Demonstration Of Rank And Privilege Without Responsibility, Kathie Cooper, Hajar Roudaki

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Much has been written about corruption and bribery involving major corporations in the United States such as Lockheed. However, most of this lite rature ignores the link between Watergate and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The role of accounting and accountants in disguising the use of corporate funds for illicit purposes has als o not been addressed even though many of the enquiries into Watergate and related activities exp ressed concern that none of the cases of financial misstatement had been discovered or, at l east reported, by auditors. In other words, the accountability system envisaged in the financial re …

Not All Bank Accounts In Tax Havens Amount To Criminal Conduct, John A. Mclaren

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

More than 500 Australians are apparently on a list of tax haven users obtained by the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, as part of its investigation into the use of offshore companies.

A Study Of Analyst Forecast Reliability In Australia, Alina Maydybura, Dionigi Gerace, Brian Andrew

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether time weighted consensus estimates offer a more effective method for predicting company actual EPS figures than simple mean or median analysis. The study aims to construct a more comprehensive earnings forecast signal using analyst earnings forecasts that have been weighted based on the timeliness of updates. Aimed at extracting valuable information from timely analyst forecasts, the time weighted earnings signal (TWES) methodology allows extracting valuable information from analysts who possess some unique insights about the market and issue their updates more frequently. One would expect the time signal to reflect a …

The Australian Capital Territory Has Adopted Measures To Abolish Stamp Duty And Impose A Land Tax On All Real Property: Will This Approach Be Adopted By Other States In Australia?, John A. Mclaren

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

From 1 July 2012 the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) imposed land tax, in the form of general rates, on all commercial and residential property in the ACT, including owner occupied homes, on a progressive basis. Marginal rates of tax are applied on increased values of the land. The ACT is unique in that there is no local government so the ACT government was able to increase its general rates on owner‐occupied homes and reduce land tax on investment properties and commercial properties. As a result of the subsequent increase in government revenue, the ACT has substantially reduced stamp duty on …

Happiness And Job Satisfaction In Urban China: A Comparative Study Of Two Generations Of Migrants And Urban Locals, Haining Wang, Zhiming Cheng, Russell Smyth

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This study investigates determinants of happiness and job satisfaction of urban locals, first-generation migrants and new-generation migrants in China's urban workforce. We present evidence to suggest that new-generation migrants are less satisfied with their jobs and lives than first-generation migrants, despite having higher income. This finding is consistent with aspirations rising faster than income in China's fast growing urban economy.

Determinants Of Wage Arrears And Their Implications For The Socioeconomic Wellbeing Of China's Migrant Workers: Evidence From Guangdong Province, Zhiming Cheng, Ingrid Nielsen, Russell Smyth

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This study has three purposes. The first is to examine the determinants of wage arrears among rural-urban migrants in China. The second is to examine the effect of wage arrears on economic wellbeing as proxied by wages. The third is to examine how experiencing wage arrears affects several subjective indicators of wellbeing, such as feelings of belongingness and discrimination in the city. To examine the determinants of wage arrears and its implications for socioeconomic wellbeing, we employ pooled data from a unique representative dataset collected in Guangdong province, one of the major destinations for migrants in China, for the years …

Systemic Power, Disciplinary Agency, And Developer-Business Client Relations, Bruce Rowlands, Karlheinz Kautz

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This paper presents Hardy's multi-dimensional model of power and illustrates its application to the field of IS. Findings from a case study of developer-business client power relations within a large financial institution are presented. Our findings indicate that from the developers' perspective, the client exercised near complete control, with developers unwittingly playing a cooperative but submissive role. Our study makes two principal contributions. First, we combine Hardy's (1996) multi-dimensional power framework and the principles of Pickering's (1995) version of disciplinary agency to propose why the developer was compliant in this scenario of power inequality. Second, we examine how a development …

Diagnosis Related Groups In Europe: Moving Towards Transparency, Efficiency, And Quality In Hospitals?, Reinhard Busse, Alexander Geissler, Ain Aaviksoo, Francesc Cots, Unto Hakkinen, Conrad Kobel, Céu Mateus, Zeynep Or, Jacqueline O'Reilly, Lisbeth Serden, Andrew Street, Siok Swan Tan, Wilm Quentin

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Lost In Translation? An Actor-Network Approach To Hris Implementation, Kristine Dery, Richard Hall, Nick Wailes, Sharna L. Wiblen

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Available evidence suggests that the adoption of IT-enabled Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) has not produced the widely predicted transformation of Human Resources (HR) to a strategic business partner. We examine the relationship between HRIS and the HR function by applying actor-network theory (ANT) to an HRIS implementation project. The focus on how actor networks are formed and reformed during implementation may be particularly well suited to explaining why the original aims of the HRIS can be displaced or lost in translation. We suggest that the approach afforded by ANT enables us to better understand the ongoing and contingent process …

Do The Asset Pricing Factors Predict Future Economy Growth? An Australian Study, Bin Liu, Amalia Di Iorio

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

In this paper we examine whether past returns of the market portfolio (MKT), the size portfolio (SMB), the book-to-market portfolio (HML) and the idiosyncratic volatility portfolio (HIMLI) can predict growth rates of ten major Australian economic indicators from 1993 to 2010. We find that all four factors can be used to predict growth rates in Australian economic indicators. We also find high returns of SMB and HML portfolios precede periods of good states of the macro economy, although high returns of HIMLI portfolio precede periods of bad states of the macro economy.

The Capm: Theoretical Validity, Empirical Intractability And Practical Applications, Philip Brown, Terry S. Walter

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

The capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is an ex ante concept, whereas so-called 'tests' of the CAPM are conducted ex post.The CAPM is a partial equilibrium model in which agents view the risk-free return (Rf) and the probability distribution of the future return on risky assets (Rj) as exogenous. Dempsey (2013) argues that the empirical evidence against the CAPM is so compelling that it has reached the point where the CAPM should be abandoned, possibly being replaced by an assumption that investors expect the same return on all assets, regardless of their relative risk.

Trade Liberalisation, Labour Productivity Growth And Skilled Labour Complement: Evidence From The Thai Manufacturing Sector, Piyapong Sangkaew, Kankesu Jayanthakumaran

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Trade liberalisation in Thailand raised two wider questions regarding the labour market-one with regards to the link with labour productivity and the other the link with skilled workers. This outcome provides a link between (1) trade liberalisation and labour productivity growth, and, (2) skilled employment and labour productivity growth. Trade liberalisation is also correlated with skilled employment. This type of evidence matches conventional explanations for the beneficial allocation of trade liberalisation and demanding skills training for potential future industrial growth.

The Influence Of National Culture On Business Students' Career Attitudes - An Analysis Of Eight Countries | Der Einfluss Nationaler Kulturen Auf Die Karriere-Einstellungen Von Wirtschaftsstudenten - Eine Analyse Aus Acht Landern, Marjaana Gunkel, Christopher Schlagel, Ian M. Langella, Joy V. Peluchette, Elena Reshetnyak

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Despite the fact that career attitudes and their influence on career outcomes is widely researched in the field of occupations and careers, little is known about the influence of cultural norms and values on career attitudes. We propose that national cultural dimensions influence students' career planning, career adaptability, career optimism, and career-related knowledge. We test these relations using an eight country sample with more than 1,800 students. The results show that national culture has significant effect on all four career attitudes and in particular on career planning and career optimism. We discuss theoretical and practical implications and provide future research …

Through The Eyes Of Ex-Foster Children: Placement Success And The Characteristics Of Good Foster Carers, Melanie Randle

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Most research focusing on foster placement success or the characteristics of good foster carers is based on the opinions of people currently involved in the foster care system, such as foster carers, social workers or children in care. The few studies which include former foster children usually collect factual (usually quantitative) data to evaluate their pathways or achievements since leaving care, such as educational attainment or employment. This study differs because it examines the perceptions and opinions of adults who were in foster care as children, in relation to the important issues of what constitutes successful foster placement and the …

Development And Validation Of An Instrument To Measure User Perceived Service Quality Of Mhealth, Shahriar Akter, John D'Ambra, Pradeep Ray

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

The role of service quality in fostering the growth of mHealth services has gained much attention in the academic and practitioner communities. However, empirical research in this area has been beset by inadequate conceptualization and the lack of a validated scale. This study addresses these limitations by theoretically conceptualizing and empirically validating a multidimensional service quality scale in the mHealth context. The findings show that mHealth service quality is a hierarchical, multidimensional, and reflective construct, which consists of three primary dimensions and eight subdimensions. The results also confirm that the mHealth service quality scale is more effective at predicting satisfaction …

Innovative Ict-Mediated Activities For People, Profit And Planet, Helen Hasan, Joseph Meloche

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Purpose - Solutions to complex environmental problems rely on the innovative knowledge and expertise of many professions whose members accept their responsibilities towards the environment. The study described here canvases Information Systems (IS) professionals for their perspectives, knowledge and expertise within the domains of Green IT and Green IS.

Design/methodology/approach - Following a review of the Green IT and IS literature, two topics were identified for a Q-study conducted among IS professionals: Topic 1 focussed on which technologies, systems and applications offer the greatest opportunity in solving environmental problems, and Topic 2 on what sets of issues affect these green …

"Translating" Between Survey Answer Formats, Sara Dolnicar, Bettina Grun

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Survey research remains the most popular source of market knowledge, yet researchers have not yet established one consistent technique for measuring responses. Some market research companies offer respondents two answer options; others five or seven. Some answer formats use middle points on the answer scales, others do not. Some formats verbalize all answer options, some only the endpoints. The wide variety of answer formats that market research companies and academic researchers use makes comparing results across studies virtually impossible. This study offers guidance for market researchers by presenting empirical translations for the answer formats they most commonly use, thus enabling …

Employment Effects Of Army Service And Veterans' Compensation: Evidence From The Australian Vietnam-Era Conscription Lotteries, Peter Siminski

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Exploiting Australia's National Service lotteries of 1965 to 1972, I estimate the effect of army service on employment outcomes. Population data from military personnel records, tax returns, veterans' compensation records, and the Census facilitate a rich and precise analysis, identified by 53,000 complying conscripts. The estimated employment effect is -12 percentage points (95% CI: -13, -11) overall, -37 for those who served in Vietnam and 0 for those who served only in Australia. It emerged in the 1990s, mirrored by veterans' disability pension effects. These results contrast with those for the United States, possibly reflecting employment disincentives associated with Australia's …

A Critical Assessment Of The Role Of Fashion In Influencing The Travel Decision And Destination Choice, Clifford Lewis, Gregory M. Kerr, Lois Burgess

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

While the word fashion is often associated with clothing and accessories, the objective of this paper is to argue that as a broader concept, fashion has relevance to tourism. It is argued that fashion can influence behaviour and both the decision to travel, and the destination selected may in some cases be a fashion statement by the traveller. Following discussion as to the meanings and explanations of fashion, a conceptual model is presented having the purpose of demonstrating how fashion can be a moderating variable in the travel decision and destination selection process. The model proposes the influence of fashion …