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Articles 1201 - 1230 of 1309

Full-Text Articles in Business

Attitudes Towards Female Sports Stars As Endorsers, Kevin R. James Jan 2000

Attitudes Towards Female Sports Stars As Endorsers, Kevin R. James

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Successful and popular sports people have often been utilised as celebrity endorsers to encourage consumers to purchase goods and services. While male sports stars have a well-documented history as product endorsers, their female counterparts have been infrequently used, rarely studied and occasionally mismanaged. Using the dimensions that influence the credibility of a celebrity endorser, this study specifically examines consumer attitudes towards female sports stars as endorsers. Respondents intention to purchase was measured for three different products. As well, the attitude towards perceived attractive and non-attractive female sports stars was also explored. A three stage design, comprising of focus groups, specific …

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M-Garch Hedge Ratios And Hedging Effectiveness In Australian Futures Markets, Wenling Yang Jan 2000

M-Garch Hedge Ratios And Hedging Effectiveness In Australian Futures Markets, Wenling Yang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study deals with the estimation of the optimal hedge ratios using various econometric models. Most of the recent papers have demonstrated that the conventional ordinary least squares (OLS) method of estimating constant hedge ratios is inappropriate, other more complicated models however seem to produce no more efficient hedge ratios. Using daily AOIs and SPI futures on the Australian market, optimal hedge ratios are calculated from four different models: the OLS regression model, the bivariate vector autoaggressive model (BVAR), the error-correction model (ECM) and the multivariate diagonal Vcc GARCH Model. The performance of each hedge ratio is then compared. The …

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Key Decision-Making Phases And Tasks For Outsourcing Information Technology, Ashraf Shoeib Jan 2000

Key Decision-Making Phases And Tasks For Outsourcing Information Technology, Ashraf Shoeib

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Outsourcing has become an attractive option for today's organisation. Since outsourcing Information Technology (IT) is a relatively new phenomenon in Australia, little research has been conducted as to IT management strategies needed when considering outsourcing. To guide management in the decision whether or not to outsource IT, the study developed and tested a decision-making model comprising the phases of intelligence, analysis and planning, strategy selection, action, and evaluation and monitoring. The significance of decision phases and tasks contained in the model was established through a survey of major Australian organisations. The sample included Australia's top 390 companies. Such organisations would …

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Resource Allocation And Efficiency In Public Sector Audits, Kar M. Chong Jan 2000

Resource Allocation And Efficiency In Public Sector Audits, Kar M. Chong

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In recent years, the push for reform in the Australian public sector audit has placed the Office of the Auditor-General (hereafter OAG) in a more contestable or market- like environment, where the OAG is accountable for an efficient and effective provision of public sector audit. The purpose of this study is to compare the cost efficiency of in-house and contract-out arrangements to deliver financial audits in the public sector. It empirically tests whether there are audit cost and audit fee differences between in-house providers (i.e., the OAG) and contractors (i.e., public accounting firms). The secondary aims of this study are …

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The Ideal Homeworkers: An Investigation Of Personal & Job Characteristic Requirements For Successful Home Based Work, Maryam Omari Jan 2000

The Ideal Homeworkers: An Investigation Of Personal & Job Characteristic Requirements For Successful Home Based Work, Maryam Omari

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Global competition, societal changes and other environmental influences have forced organisations to review existing work arrangements. Flexible work practices have been identified as one mechanism for the alignment of organisational and individual goals. Homebased work or telecommuting, which involves working at a remote site, is an example of such a practice. Working from home can have advantages for the organisation in terms of savings in infrastructure costs. Individual employees would also potentially benefit through reduced costs associated with work (e.g. travel and food), and the ability to better manage their work and home life. However, since 25 years ago when …

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An Analysis Of Quality Practices And Business Outcomes In Western Australian Hospitals, Janis Mussett Jan 2000

An Analysis Of Quality Practices And Business Outcomes In Western Australian Hospitals, Janis Mussett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study aimed at identifying aspects of health care organisational management and activities that produced the highest level of quality care. A Literature review was conducted to determine the most successful quality activities currently used in a wide variety of industries. Using the findings of this review a questionnaire and interview questions were designed to identify factors associated with successful quality activities I health care organisations. Four Western Australian hospitals that were believed to have effective quality activities were randomly selected as a hospital from each of the following categories. A private hospital accredited by the Australian Council on Health …

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Consumer Perceptions Of The Internet As A Product And Service Infomation Source, Kevin Nguy Jan 2000

Consumer Perceptions Of The Internet As A Product And Service Infomation Source, Kevin Nguy

Theses : Honours

The Internet is fast becoming an important product and service information source. Consumers are using the medium for gathering information on products and services. The Internet has unique characteristics, which makes it a powerful medium for communication. However, what is the perception of the product and service information on the Internet? This study aims to contribute to an understanding of consumers' perception of product and service information on the Internet. The research is exploratory in nature. Consumers' perceptions towards the Internet as a product and service information source were measured along a construct relating to perceptions towards the Internet information. …

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A Study Of Australian Managers' Perceptions Of The Internet, Roman Vargha Jan 2000

A Study Of Australian Managers' Perceptions Of The Internet, Roman Vargha

Theses : Honours

Despite its young age the Internet has grown to become a significant new medium for businesses and their customers. The existing literature suggests that some businesses are not going on-line whilst others are: embracing the new technology, but as yet little research has been conducted as to the reasons for this difference in take-up rate. Even less research has been conducted from an Australian perspective, with most research originating in the United States. This preliminary study explored the differing perceptions of eight Perth-based managers of businesses that are on-line compared to those that are not on-line. Of particular interest was …

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Analysis Of An Ecotourist Based Management Strategy: Crystal Cave, Yanchep National Park, Western Australia, Charles Priddle Jan 2000

Analysis Of An Ecotourist Based Management Strategy: Crystal Cave, Yanchep National Park, Western Australia, Charles Priddle

Theses : Honours

Ecotourism has quickly become one of the most influential and prominent terms used within the tourism industry today. With its many obscure definitions ecotourism has also been used to support a great number of unsustainable tourist developments. This study examined whether ecotourism had the ability to ensure ecological and financial sustainability through increased public exposure and appreciation to an ecologically sensitive area. One place in which this notion is being put to the test is in Crystal Cave, a popular tourist destination inside Yanchep National Park, 50 kilometres north of Perth. This cave is named after the beautiful reflections off …

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Organisational Culture Receptiveness To Excellent Communication, Katherine Jane O'Donoghue Jan 2000

Organisational Culture Receptiveness To Excellent Communication, Katherine Jane O'Donoghue

Theses : Honours

A major finding of the Grunig Excellence Study was that various dimensions of organisational culture play an important role in determining an organisations ability to practice excellent communication. This research has tested the dimensions of organisational culture as found in the Excellence Study in a new setting -the West Australian government through the Education Department of Western Australia. This will begin to determine their existence and relevance of the original findings outside the original study setting. The study has a sample size of 450 employees of the Department Level 8 and below and 9 employees Level 9 and above in …

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Doctrinal And Applied Tqm In Relation To Dominant Models Of Organisation: A Comparative Study, Brad J. Moore Jan 2000

Doctrinal And Applied Tqm In Relation To Dominant Models Of Organisation: A Comparative Study, Brad J. Moore

Theses : Honours

Total Quality Management (TQM) is examined in five organisations in light of the assumption that its implementation is an ongoing negotiated order rather than an objective reality as often accepted by the literature. Guided by a theoretical framework identified by Spencer (1994) and a qualitative methodology suggested by Miles and Huberman (1994), the perceptions of a cross section of organisational members in five organisations are used to establish the nature of applied TQM in terms of mechanistic and organismic 'mental models' of organisation and the degree to which applied TQM varies from the basic doctrine. It is argued that both …

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Main Issues Rural Women Experience With Information & Communication Technology, Teresa Maiolo Jan 2000

Main Issues Rural Women Experience With Information & Communication Technology, Teresa Maiolo

Research outputs pre 2011

This brief report will outline the main issues rural women encountered with information and communications technology. This information was derived from interviewing twenty-one rural women from the South West, Eastern Goldfields, Murchison, Gascoyne, and Kimberley regions of Western Australia. Recommended actions are given to address each of the main issues.

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Exploring The Criteria Used By Managers To Measure The Effectiveness Of Customer Loyalty Programs, Peter D. Simms Jan 2000

Exploring The Criteria Used By Managers To Measure The Effectiveness Of Customer Loyalty Programs, Peter D. Simms

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Since the 1970s there has been a paradigm shift away from mass marketing towards the establishment and maintenance of individual relationships known as relationship marketing. Customer loyalty programs can be seen as the tactical strategies that have resulted from this change in focus, as they attempt to retain existing customers by developing a long-term, mutually satisfying relationship. The first of these such strategies was introduced in 1981, and they are still a relatively new and unexplored phenomenon. The limited research on these strategies conducted thus far has shown the many purported advantages to be doubtful at best, yet their number …

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Accounting Information And The Underpricing Of Indonesian Initial Public Offerings, Tatang Ary Gumanti Jan 2000

Accounting Information And The Underpricing Of Indonesian Initial Public Offerings, Tatang Ary Gumanti

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between accounting measures of total firm risk and the magnitudes of IPO initial returns. The existing explanations of the underpricing of lPO's suggests that the extent of underpricing is positively related to ex ante uncertainty about the issues. This study argues that accounting risk measures are related to the ex ante uncertainty. Since ex ante uncertainty is positively related to IPO underpricing, accounting risk measures are also arguably related to IPO underpricing. An event methodology is employed in this study. Five accounting risk measures are examined: financial leverage, operating leverage, …

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Attitude And Behaviour Dichotomy In Sme Strategic Alliance: A South West Of Western Australian Study, Dianne Wingham Jan 2000

Attitude And Behaviour Dichotomy In Sme Strategic Alliance: A South West Of Western Australian Study, Dianne Wingham

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Strategic alliances are generally perceived as cooperative relationships constrained within the parameters of bounded rationality, seeking to maximise their levels of control in a turbulent economic environment. They are also commonly conceptualised as a means of creating competitive advantage in business. In regional areas of Western Australia they are favoured by government instrumentalities as a means of making small to medium enterprises (SMEs) more competitive. With the dominant global emphasis in the literature on big business, relatively little is known still about strategic alliances in small to medium enterprises. Moreover, the research on strategic alliances within Australia s also limited, …

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Unintended Consequences Of Arousing Fear In Social Marketing, Nadine Henley, Rob Donovan May 1999

Unintended Consequences Of Arousing Fear In Social Marketing, Nadine Henley, Rob Donovan

School of Marketing, Tourism and Leisure Publications

The intention of social marketers, by definition, is to contribute to social good. However, an unintended consequence of the frequent use of fear-arousal in social marketing may be the creation of a sense of helplessness both in the target market and in unintended markets. Arousing fear may be counterproductive when attempting to persuade some people to abandon anxiety-soothing, addictive behaviours, such as smoking, drug and alcohol use (Firestone 1994) and may lead to counterproductive, fatalistic thinking and maladaptive responses (Job 1988; Rippetoe & Rogers 1987). The possibility that fear arousal creates helplessness is an important issue for marketing in the …

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Unintended Consequences Of Arousing Fear In Social Marketing, Nadine Henley, Rob Donovan May 1999

Unintended Consequences Of Arousing Fear In Social Marketing, Nadine Henley, Rob Donovan

Research outputs pre 2011

The intention of social marketers, by definition, is to contribute to social good. However, an unintended consequence of the frequent use of fear-arousal in social marketing may be the creation of a sense of helplessness both in the target market and in unintended markets. Arousing fear may be counterproductive when attempting to persuade some people to abandon anxiety-soothing, addictive behaviours, such as smoking, drug and alcohol use (Firestone 1994) and may lead to counterproductive, fatalistic thinking and maladaptive responses (Job 1988; Rippetoe & Rogers 1987). The possibility that fear arousal creates helplessness is an important issue for marketing in the …

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Fourth World Consumer Culture: Emerging Consumer Cultures In Remote Aboriginal Communities Of North-Western Australia, Ronald George Groves Jan 1999

Fourth World Consumer Culture: Emerging Consumer Cultures In Remote Aboriginal Communities Of North-Western Australia, Ronald George Groves

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Over the two centuries since the arrival of European settlers in Australia, the material culture and lifestyle of the indigenous Aboriginal people of Australia has undergone dramatic change. Based on qualitative fieldwork in three remote Aboriginal communities in north-western Australia, this study examines the emergence of unique consumer cultures that appear to differ significantly from mainstream Australia and indeed from other societies. The study finds that the impact of non-indigenous goods and external cultural values upon these communities has been significant. However, although anthropologists feared some fifty years ago that Aboriginal cultural values and traditions had been destroyed, this study …

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Perceptions Of Web Site Design Characteristics: A Malaysian/Australian Comparison, R. Laupase Jan 1999

Perceptions Of Web Site Design Characteristics: A Malaysian/Australian Comparison, R. Laupase

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The study compared the perceptions of Malaysians, representing Asian culture, and Australians, representing Western culture, for four Web design characteristics (atmospherics, news stories, signs, products and services), as part of the Integrated Internet Marketing model. Under controlled laboratory conditions, two groupings of thirty subjects evaluated eight Web sites in the retail and services sectors located equally in Malaysia and Australia. This study hypothesised that the predominant culture would not be generalised to another culture. Significant differences found for Web design characteristics were typically for one site only and not across all sites. In other words, consistent differences did not eventuate. …

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Enhancing The Auditor's Fraud Detection Ability: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Maria Krambia Kapardis Jan 1999

Enhancing The Auditor's Fraud Detection Ability: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Maria Krambia Kapardis

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A contemporary issue of concern to both external auditors and financial statement users is fraud-detection by auditors. The ability of auditors to detect material irregularities, including fraud, should be enhanced to enable them to apply "reasonable skill and care" in carrying out the audit. Such proficiency in fraud detection is needed if the profession is to avoid costly litigation, ever-increasing indemnity insurance and erosion of the profession's credibility. The thesis maintains that such enhancement can be achieved if auditors both utilise knowledge about the aetiology of fraud in psychology, sociology and criminology as well as by synthesising a broad range …

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A Consumption Value Approach To The Factors That Influence Parental Choice Of Secondary School: An Exploratory Study, Penelope J. Welsh Jan 1999

A Consumption Value Approach To The Factors That Influence Parental Choice Of Secondary School: An Exploratory Study, Penelope J. Welsh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of the present study was to identify the factors that influenced parents' choice of a secondary school for their children and, in particular, to determine, choice process. Understanding how parents choose secondary schools and what parents value should help established and new private schools develop more effective marketing strategies, including their choices of target markets and location, as well as their educational emphasis, fee structure and disciplinary policies. While a schools marketing efforts must include information about the school facilities and the implied social benefits of attending the particular school, this study found that Emotional Value, feeling good …

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University Preference : A Conjoint Analysis, Julia P. Turner Jan 1999

University Preference : A Conjoint Analysis, Julia P. Turner

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The business of tertiary education has become more and more competitive in recent years due to reductions in government funding and higher study fees. As the nature of the environment grows more competitive the role of marketing, previously non-existent in most universities, has grown significantly. One of the key pieces of information that would assist the marketing effort of any university is an understanding of what determines university preference. This study examines university preference in Western Australia. A form of conjoint analysis, known as Adaptive Conjoint Analysis (ACA), was used to investigate the relative importance of a number of attributes …

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Software Quality Function Deployment : A Method For Building Better Software, Dean Carruthers Jan 1999

Software Quality Function Deployment : A Method For Building Better Software, Dean Carruthers

Theses : Honours

In recent years it is becoming increasingly more apparent that quality even more than productivity is emerging as the key issue in the development of software. The quality systems currently employed by most software companies however arc simply not up to the task, traditional quality systems focus upon conformance to company standards, automation to eliminate human error and in some cases quality improvement teams. These traditional quality assurance methods lead to quality as defined from the organizations point of view, all work performed is done to their standards, however a what it is that makes a quality product is defined …

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Supervisory/Non-Supervisory Mentoring In The Public Sector : Outcomes For Protégé Development, Richard Douglas Dunstan James Jan 1999

Supervisory/Non-Supervisory Mentoring In The Public Sector : Outcomes For Protégé Development, Richard Douglas Dunstan James

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to examine the provision of mentoring functions, specifically providing an analysis of the contrast between those functions provided to protégés by both mentors and supervisors. Thus, the study focused on two relationships maintained by the subordinate: the relationship with their supervisor and that with their mentor. Research dealing with the functions mentors are perceived to provide to the protégé examined extensively. Additionally, research which indicates that supervisors may perform mentoring functions is presented. This includes Situational Leadership Theory, Leader member Exchange and Transformational and Transactional Leadership. The functions provided by mentors and elaborated in …

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An Empirical Comparison Using Both The Term Structure Of Interest Rates And Alternative Models In Pricing Options On 90-Day Bab Futures, Irene Chau Jan 1999

An Empirical Comparison Using Both The Term Structure Of Interest Rates And Alternative Models In Pricing Options On 90-Day Bab Futures, Irene Chau

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The use of the term structure of interest rates to price options is relatively new in the literature. It describes the relationship between interest rates and the maturities of bonds. The first model that described the interest rate process was the Vasicek (1977) model. There have been many studies on the formulation of theoretical pricing models. Yet limited empirical research has been done in the area of actually testing the models. In this thesis we report the results of a set of tests of the models indicated below. This paper involves analysis of the pricing errors of the Black model …

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The Effects Of Budget Emphasis, Budgetary Participation, Trust And Organisational Commitment On Job Related Tension And Propensity To Create Slack : Empirical Evidence From Norway, Christin S. Buckland Jan 1999

The Effects Of Budget Emphasis, Budgetary Participation, Trust And Organisational Commitment On Job Related Tension And Propensity To Create Slack : Empirical Evidence From Norway, Christin S. Buckland

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Results of early studies (eg. Hopwood, 1972; Otley, 1978) on the effects of supervisory styles on subordinates’ job related tension have been contradictory. Subsequent studies using the contingency model to resolve these conflicting results have identified budgetary participation (Brownell, 1982a) and trust (Ross, 1994) as important moderating variables. With respect to participation, a number of prior studies found that a compatible combination of high budget emphasis and high participation was associated with better behavioural outcomes (eg. lower job related tension), than other combinations of budget emphasis and participation. Yet there has been relatively little research to investigate why this particular …

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The Commercialisation Of Small Firm Technologies In Western Australia : A Case For User-Producer Interaction And The Integration Of Large Industrial Users With Small Technology Producers, Michelle Navaratnam Jan 1999

The Commercialisation Of Small Firm Technologies In Western Australia : A Case For User-Producer Interaction And The Integration Of Large Industrial Users With Small Technology Producers, Michelle Navaratnam

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to: * examine how grantee firms of the Western Australian Innovation Support Scheme (WAISS) have overcome their impediments to commercialisation; * examine how the process of user-producer interaction has enabled grantee firms to commercialise their technologies; * examine the process of user-producer interaction with large and/or small industrial users, and the subsequent benefits derived; * examine the entry barriers faced by grantee firms in forming interactions with large industrial users. The study examined the literature involving the role of small firms in the development and commercialisation of new technologies. The study adopted a multiple, …

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Gender Differences In Tourism Destination: Implications For Tourism Marketers, Marie Ryan, Nadine Henley, Geoffery Soutar Dec 1998

Gender Differences In Tourism Destination: Implications For Tourism Marketers, Marie Ryan, Nadine Henley, Geoffery Soutar

School of Marketing, Tourism and Leisure Publications

This paper examines the criteria that males and females use to make tourism destination choices and whether such differences result in different destination preferences. Males and females may apply different criteria to make tourism destination choices. Respondents were asked to rank eight popular WA holiday destinations, using twelve attributes. Comparisons between males and females were conducted using t-tests, perceptual mapping and external preference analysis. Females rated each attribute consistently more important than males and, overall, consistently high. This finding is interpreted with reference to Meyers- Levy’s (1986) selectivity hypothesis and related to other research in the marketing context on information …

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Gender Differences In Tourism Destination: Implications For Tourism Marketers, Marie Ryan, Nadine Henley, Geoffery Soutar Dec 1998

Gender Differences In Tourism Destination: Implications For Tourism Marketers, Marie Ryan, Nadine Henley, Geoffery Soutar

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper examines the criteria that males and females use to make tourism destination choices and whether such differences result in different destination preferences. Males and females may apply different criteria to make tourism destination choices. Respondents were asked to rank eight popular WA holiday destinations, using twelve attributes. Comparisons between males and females were conducted using t-tests, perceptual mapping and external preference analysis. Females rated each attribute consistently more important than males and, overall, consistently high. This finding is interpreted with reference to Meyers- Levy’s (1986) selectivity hypothesis and related to other research in the marketing context on information …

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An Empirical Model For Predicting The Feasibility Of Corporate Turnaround, Syed Kamalludin Bin Syed Alaudin Al Qadiri Jan 1998

An Empirical Model For Predicting The Feasibility Of Corporate Turnaround, Syed Kamalludin Bin Syed Alaudin Al Qadiri

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The primary objective of this research was to identify the determinants of corporate turnaround feasibility and their effect (in terms of their state of existence and their existence) on the probability of corporate turnaround feasibility in Successful and Non Successful Turnaround Companies. The other objective was the development of an empirical model of the determinants of corporate turnaround feasibility capable of predicting the feasibility of corporate turnarounds. One hundred 'troubled companies ' were identified out of two hundred and eleven publicly listed companies of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange through observations of their share price performance, earnings before interest and …

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