Business Commons^™

An Empirical Analysis Of The Financial Impact Of Supply Chain Management On Small Firms, James C. Brau, Stanley E. Fawcett, Ladd Morgan

Faculty Publications

In this article we test the value proposition hypothesis of supply chain management (SCM) by examining survey results of 570 US managers. First, we find that large firms use SCM initiatives significantly more than small firms. Second, in univariate and multivariate tests, we find that SCM leads to significant improvements in asset utilization, revenue generation, and competitive performance, regardless of firm size. These two major findings suggest that managers at small firms that are not actively engaged in SCM should reevaluate their opportunity to capture the competitive benefits of SCM that many large firms currently enjoy.

The U.S. Treasury Buyback Auctions: The Cost Of Retiring Illiquid Bonds, Bing Han, Francis A. Longstaff, Craig B. Merrill

Faculty Publications

We study an important recent series of buyback auctions conducted by the U.S. Treasury in retiring $67.5 billion of its illiquid off-the-run debt. The Treasury was successful in buying back large amounts of illiquid debt while suffering only a small market-impact cost. The Treasury included the most-illiquid bonds more frequently in the auctions, but tended to buy back the least-illiquid of these bonds. Although the Treasury had the option to cherry pick from among the bonds offered, we find that the Treasury was actually penalized for being spread too thinly in the buybacks.

Information Sharing And Supply Chain Performance: The Role Of Connectivity And Willingness, Stanley E. Fawcett, Paul Osterhaus, Gregory M. Magnan, James C. Brau, Matthew W. Mccarter

Faculty Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand how information technology (IT) is used to enhance supply chain performance.

Design/methodology/approach – A large-scale survey and semi-structured interviews were used to collect industry data.

Findings – Two distinct dimensions to information sharing – connectivity and willingness – are identified and analyzed. Both dimensions are found to impact operational performance and to be critical to the development of a real information sharing capability. However, many companies are found to have placed most of their emphasis on connectivity, often overlooking the willingness construct. As a result, information sharing seldom delivers on …

Rituals And Relationships: Examining The Relationship Between Family Of Origin Rituals And Young Adult Attachment, Melissa M. Homer, Patti A. Freeman, Ramon B. Zabriskie, Dennis L. Eggett

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between family of origin rituals and young adults’ attachment style when controlling for parents’ attachment style. The sample consisted of 222 paired young adults and one parent (representing 208 families) from 36 different states. Family of origin rituals were measured using the Family Ritual Questionnaire (FRQ) and attachment was measured using the Experiences in Close Relationships Revised (ECR-R) Questionnaire. Results indicated a negative relationship between family of origin ritual meaning and young adult attachment anxiety. Results also indicated that family of origin ritual meaning significantly predicted young adult anxiety after …

Attributes Of Meaningful Learning Experiences In An Outdoor Education Program, Stacy T. Taniguchi, Patti A. Freeman, A. Legrand Richards

Faculty Publications

This phenomenological study sought to identify the attributes of meaningful learning experiences as found in an outdoor education program. Thirteen students in the Wilderness Writing Program at Brigham Young University were the sample of this study. Their participation in outdoor recreational activities and their reflections about their experiences were analyzed. Through written journal entries, group discussions, observations, and writing assignments, a qualitative analysis identified attributes that occurred in their meaningful learning experiences. Meaningful learning was defined as a realization of a person's weaknesses, strengths, and potentials. This realization came through experiences with attributes of a degree of perceived risk, which …

Ranking Scholarly Outlets For Information Technology, Barry Lunt, Michael Bailey, Jospeh Ekstrom, C. Richard G. Helps, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

Many well-established disciplines have a number of outlets for scholarly work, including archival journals, conference proceedings, periodicals, and others. These outlets are commonly known within the discipline, and many have an established reputation and even ranking. Faculty seeking to publish in one of these disciplines, and seeking to advance in rank and tenure status, are well served by knowing the most common scholarly outlets and their rankings. The relatively new discipline of Information Technology does not yet have a well established ranking of scholarly outlets. This paper presents the findings of a survey conducted among the members of the IT …

Internal Audit Sourcing Arrangement And The External Auditor's Reliance Decision, Steven M. Glover, Douglas F. Prawitt, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

This paper examines the effects of internal audit sourcing arrangement on the external auditor’s reliance decision in the presence of different levels of inherent risk and task subjectivity. We posit that external auditors will rely more on outsourced than in-house internal audit functions (IAFs) and that this difference will be more pronounced when inherent risk is high or when the work performed by internal auditors relates to a subjective task. Participants in the study were 127 external auditors from a Big 4 firm who completed an experimental case in which we manipulated internal audit sourcing, inherent risk, and task subjectivity. …

An Analysis Of The Accounting Methods Used By Builders Producing Twenty-Five Or Fewer Homes Per Year, David Andrus

Theses and Dissertations

Accounting plays a crucial role in the success of any business, but it is particularly vital in the construction industry, a complex field that typically requires the coordination of multiple subcontractors and multiple jobs in any given year. Although small-volume home builders make up 70 percent of the membership of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a trade association of the home building industry, little is known about the accounting practices of these builders. This thesis undertook to study the accounting practices of small-volume home builders. Small-volume home builders were defined as those producing 25 homes or fewer in …

Presumptive Adaptation And The Effectiveness Of Knowledge Transfer, Robert J. Jensen, Gabriel Szulanski

Faculty Publications

Adaptation is almost invariably accompanies the cross-border transfer of firm specific practices. The existing literature contains two conflicting approaches to adaptation. The first, more traditional approach, following institutional, motivation, and pragmatic efficiency considerations, presumes that a modified practice can be fine-tuned, stabilized, and institutionalized without consulting a working example and that practices should thus be adapted as quickly as possible to create fit with the local environment. The second approach argues, instead for the need to maintain the diagnostic value of the original practice by adapting cautiously and gradually. In this paper, we report an in-depth field investigation of the …

Conflicts Of Interest, David J. Cherrington

Faculty Publications

Our research on theft and fraud has taught us three important lessons about conflicts of interest: first, they are much more prevalent than one would expect, second, they are much more serious than one might think, and third, some of them can’t be eliminated.

An Examination Of Nonresident Fathers' Leisure Patterns, Leisure Constraints, Leisure Facilitators, And Satisfaction With Leisure Involvement During Parenting Time With Their Children, Alisha Tengelsen Swinton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the leisure patterns of nonresident fathers while spending time with their child(ren), and to examine leisure constraints, leisure facilitators and nonresident fathers' satisfaction with family leisure activities. Four instruments were used to collect the data. Family leisure involvement was measured using the Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP), leisure constraints were measured using the Nonresident Father Leisure Constraint Scale (NFLCS), leisure facilitators were measured using the Nonresident Fathers' Leisure Facilitator Scale (NFLFS), and family leisure satisfaction was measured using the Family Leisure Satisfaction Scale (FLSS). The sample was nonresident fathers (n=129) from 36 …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Adventure Recreation And Adolescent Identity Development, Mathew David Duerden

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the effect of a two-week adventure recreation program on early adolescent identity development. The study also investigates the influence of gender and the parent-adolescent relationship on this process. Participants in this study included 44 males and 47 females, ages 11-17 (M = 13.4, SD = 1.03), from three western states. Twenty-two males and 23 females participated in the treatment group and the remaining 22 males and 24 females served as controls. The treatment group completed a two-week adventure recreation program, Camp WILD. The program consisted of …

End Matter, Esr Review

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

More Than A Little Good, Kevin W. Crean

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

Front Matter, Esr Review

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

Partner Profiles, Esr Review

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

Editor's Introduction: Welcome To The New Esr Review, Paul C. Godfrey

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

Microfranchising: A New Tool For Creating Economic Self-Reliance, Jason S. Fairbourne

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

This article is developed from a presentation given by Fairbourne and Stephen W. Gibson on December 2, 2005, at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

Profitable Financial Systems, Maria Otero

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

This article is a transcription of Otero's speech entitled “The Future of Microfinance: Creating Financial Systems to Serve the Poor Majority,” given on 11 March 2005 at the Economic Self-Reliance Conference held at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
Last November I met a widow of ten years in Arusha, Tanzania. Intent on providing a better life for her children and surviving as best she could, she had started a business selling rice soon after her husband died. Sophia has little education, but with a first loan of $50 she purchased a few kilo bags of rice for on-selling to …

Creating A Dynamic Board, Paul Jansen, Andra Kilpatrick, Vishy Cvsa

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

This article is taken from a report issued in 2003 by the Nonprofit Practice at McKinsey & Company, entitled “The Dynamic Board: Lessons from High- Performing Non-Profits.”
Does a great nonprofit organization need an exemplary board of directors? If an organization has a visionary leader, a skilled staff, loyal donors, and a substantial endowment, what does the board really add? In our consulting work, we are frequently asked to help assess board performance and identify opportunities for improvement. To get a more precise view of what makes board governance effective, we interviewed the directors or board chairs of thirty-two of …

Smart Subsidies, Jonathan J. Morduch

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

This essay is a reprint of Morduch's article “Smart Subsidy for Sustainable Microfinance,” published in the December 2005 issue (Vol. 6 No. 4) of Finance for the Poor, the quarterly microfinance newsletter of the Asian Development Bank.
Smart subsidy might seem like a contradiction in terms to many microfinance experts. Worries about the dangers of excessive subsidization have driven microfinance conversations since the movement first gained steam in the 1980s. From then on, the goal of serving the poor has been twined with the goal of long-term financial self-sufficiency on the part of microbanks, aiming for profitability became part …

Protecting Directors Of Nonprofit Boards, Kathleen O. Thompson

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

This article is adapted from Thompson’s article “Directors in a post-Enron world,” published in the Credit Union Magazine in April 2003.

Calendar, Esr Review

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

Vol. 08 No. 1 Esr Review, Esr Review

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Family Of Origin Rituals And Young Adult Attachment Style, Melissa Monell Homer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between family of origin rituals and young adults' attachment style when controlling for parents' attachment style. The sample consisted of 222 paired young adults and one parent (representing 208 families) from 36 different states. Family of origin rituals were measured using the Family Ritual Questionnaire (FRQ) and attachment was measured using the Experiences in Close Relationships Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire. Results indicated a negative relationship between family of origin ritual meaning and young adult attachment anxiety. Results also indicated that family of origin ritual meaning significantly predicted young adult anxiety after …

The Art And Science Of Discontinuous Innovation: A Case Study In Product Reinvention, Daniel C. Smoot

Theses and Dissertations

Divergence of new and old technologies is a source of tremendous innovation potential. As the dizzying pace of technological innovation accelerates indefinitely into tomorrow, not only do new paths diverge exponentially; doors already opened are increasingly abandoned for the allure of things undiscovered. Mature, late-stage life-cycle products left behind in today's fast-paced world open the floodgates to reinvention. This paper tests the hypothesis that innovativeness can be encouraged through the learning and application of universal innovation principles and processes. The implications of this research area are far-reaching. If innovation can be encouraged, then it can likely be taught. If it …

Institutions And Concentration, Todd Mitton

Faculty Publications

In a new dataset of 1.3 million firms in 155 countries, I establish a number of regularities in cross-country differences in economic concentration. Concentration of sales and employment is substantially higher in smaller countries and in less-developed countries; these two factors alone explain roughly half the cross-country variation in concentration. Nevertheless, a number of institutional factors offer additional explanatory power for concentration. Concentration is higher in countries with higher entry costs for new firms, in countries with weaker antitrust policy, in countries with less control of corruption, in countries with weaker rule of law, and in countries with more burdensome …

Online Payment Gateways Used To Facilitate E-Commerce Transactions And Improve Risk Management, Paul Benjamin Lowry, Taylor Michael Wells, Greg Moody, Sean Lamarc Humpherys, Degan Kettles

Faculty Publications

As online transactions continue to increase and become a significant part of the global economy, the ability to accept payments online becomes more important for businesses. This paper evaluates the literature and provides current information for IS researchers and instructors focusing on electronic commerce. In this paper, we explore the components of e-credit providers (conventional, person-to-person, and third-party) and explain how each system processes a single transaction. We then analyze several market leaders in each segment and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each company. We provide guidelines for selecting an e-credit provider and highlight the options that apply best …

The Contribution Of Couple Leisure Involvement, Leisure Time, And Leisure Satisfaction To Marital Satisfaction, Heather A. Johnson, Ramon Zabriskie, Brian Hill

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to further clarify the relationship between couple leisure patterns and marital satisfaction by examining the contribution of joint couple leisure involvement, leisure time, and leisure satisfaction to couples’ satisfaction with married life. The sample consisted of 48 married couples (N = 96). The Marital Activity Profile (MAP), a modified version of the Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP) was used to determine couple leisure involvement in core and balance leisure activities and leisure satisfaction. The Satisfaction With Married Life (SWML), a modified version of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) was used to measure marital …

A Complete Market Study For Graduate Student Textbook Bundling, Julie Connell, Tanya Graziano, Kendra Stephenson

Student Works

The BYU Bookstore, originally named the Students' Supply Association, was established in 1906. It is ranked nationally in the top five of university bookstores and is one of the largest at 124,000 square feet. For a century, the BYU Bookstore has served students, faculty, and staff by providing them with textbooks, course materials, official BYU clothing and accessories, church products, gifts, music, videos, computers, software, and other specialty items. The Bookstore proposed a marketing research project to Professor Michael Geurts to determine the potential demand and success of textbook bundling for MBA and law students currently attending BYU. The research …