Business Commons^™

Florida Blue, Summer 2008, Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Florida, Inc.

Florida Blue Archives Printed Materials

A Florida Blue magazine with health advice and tips from Summer 2008.

Newsletter: Florida Blue, Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Florida, Inc.

Florida Blue Archives Printed Materials

No abstract provided.

Predatory Lending Laws And The Cost Of Credit, Anthony Pennington-Cross, Giang Ho

Finance Faculty Research and Publications

Various states and other local jurisdictions have enacted laws intending to reduce predatory and abusive lending in the subprime mortgage market. These laws have created substantial geographic variation in the regulation of mortgage credit. This article examines whether these laws are associated with a higher or lower cost of credit. Empirical results indicate that the laws are associated with at most a modest increase in cost. However, the impact depends on the product type. In particular, loans with fixed (adjustable) rates are associated with a modest increase (decrease) in cost.

A Multiple Server Location–Allocation Model For Service System Design, Siddhartha Syam

Management Faculty Research and Publications

Service systems are endemic in a service economy, and effective system design is fundamental to the competitiveness of service organizations such as retailers, distributors, and healthcare providers. This is because system design may significantly facilitate (or hinder) the attainment of important organizational objectives such as minimizing system cost and maximizing service level. This paper develops and solves a comprehensive nonlinear location–allocation model for service system design that incorporates several relevant costs and considerations. These include, for instance, transportation, facility, and waiting costs, queuing considerations, multiple servers, multiple order priority levels, multiple service sites, and service distance limits. The model is …

A Face Can Launch A Thousand Shares—And An 0.80% Abnormal Return, Matteo P. Arena, John S. Howe

Finance Faculty Research and Publications

In this paper we examine the market reaction—price and volume—to the appearance of a firm in the Who’s News column of The Wall Street Journal. We differentiate between those firms whose articles are accompanied by a picture of an executive and a control set of firms whose articles on the same day are not accompanied by a picture. The results show a more pronounced market reaction to the “cum picture” articles, consistent with the incomplete information theory of Merton [1987] and the heuristic-based familiarity hypothesis. There is no evidence of significant long-run abnormal performance for the sample firms.

The Rise Of Agrarian Capitalism With Chinese Characteristics: Agricultural Modernization, Agribusiness And Collective Land Rights, Qian Forrest Zhang, John A. Donaldson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The article discusses the agricultural transformation taking place in the rural areas of China. Details about the Chinese laws regarding rural reform and the effect they have had on rural Chinese farmers and families are included. The authors examine the expansion of agrarian capitalism in China and describe the rise of agribusiness in rural Chinese areas. The practices of Chinese agribusinesses and the Chinese land rights laws are explored. The relationships between individual farmers and agribusinesses is also examined.

Optimizing Product Line Designs: Efficient Methods And Comparisons, Alexandre Belloni, Robert Freund, Matthew Selove, Duncan Simester

Business Faculty Articles and Research

We take advantage of recent advances in optimization methods and computer hardware to identify globally optimal solutions of product line design problems that are too large for complete enumeration. We then use this guarantee of global optimality to benchmark the performance of more practical heuristic methods. We use two sources of data: (1) a conjoint study previously conducted for a real product line design problem, and (2) simulated problems of various sizes. For both data sources, several of the heuristic methods consistently find optimal or near-optimal solutions, including simulated annealing, divide-and-conquer, product-swapping, and genetic algorithms.

Comparative Analysis Of Enterprise Data (Caed): A Research And Data Agenda, John S. Earle

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Examining Differential Item Functioning Of The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale Across Eight Countries (In Press), Lisa E. Baranik, Adam W. Meade, Chad E. Lakey, Charles E. Lance, Changya Hu, Wei Hua, Alex Michalos

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We examined the differential item functioning (DIF) of Rosenberg's (1965) Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and compared scores from U.S. participants with those from 7 other countries: Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, and Taiwan. Results indicate that DIF was present in all comparisons. Moreover, controlling for latent self-esteem, participants from individualistic countries had an easier time reporting high self-esteem on self-competence-related items, whereas participants from communal countries had an easier time reporting high self-esteem on self-liking items (Tafarodi & Milne, 2002). After adjusting for DIF, we found larger mean self-esteem differences between the countries than observed scores initially indicated. …

Strategic Orientation Of High-Technology Firms In A Transitional Economy, Chung-Ming Lau, Daphne W. Yiu, Ping-Kwong Yeung, Yuan Lu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Strategic orientation is a critical factor for a firm's competitiveness in a transitional economy context but it is understudied in the current literature. This article examines the antecedents of strategic orientation from both the socio-cognitive and resource-based view perspectives. The study posits that the strategic orientations of firms in a transitional economy context are influenced by the top managers' cognitions and organizational resources. Based on a national survey of high-technology firms in China, the study finds that a stronger market-focused strategic orientation was facilitated by managerial cognitions about the future of the industry and current operation and performance of the …

Entrepreneurship Education At Singapore Management University, Wee Liang Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This presentation focuses on the Singapore Management University approach to teaching entrepreneurship through classes, the environment of the students, and basic infrastructure elements such as knowledge, information, and resources. It defines the term itself as the process of doing something different or new as well as creating wealth for oneself and adding value to society. In addition, the presentation mentions ideas such as University-wide versus Program Specific approaches and core versus electives.

A Social Relational Model For Firm-Hosted Virtual Communities: The Role Of Firm Support, Tung Duy Cu

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Since the ease of participation and the usefulness of information provided by online groups continue to proliferate in the World Wide Web, people increasingly participate in different forms of virtual community (i.e. online forums, bulletin boards, message boards, chat rooms) for their purposes, such as solving problems, building social relationships, sharing passions, developing professionals.

Accordingly, an increasing number of companies are now attempting to exploit this phenomenon by hosting and supporting their own online community for commercial and non-commercial purposes, such as building relationships with their customers, getting their feedback, strengthening the brand, and reducing customer service costs by enabling …

The Impact Of Collective Animosity And Collective Guilt On The Judgments Of And Preferences For Japanese Products, Amro Maher

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Collective animosity and its effects on consumers' perceptions of and preferences for foreign products from the perpetrators' country of origin has received considerable attention in the marketing literature (Ettenson and Klein 2005; Klein, Ettenson and Morris 1998; Klein 2002; Nijseen and Douglas 2005). Collective animosity however is only one possible emotion that might be experienced towards other groups (Smith 1993; Smith 1999; Mackie, Devos and Smith 2000). Collective guilt is one of these possible emotions that have received considerable attention in the social psychology literature. Collective guilt refers to the distress that one might feel due to moral transgressions performed …

The New Securocracy And The "Police Concept" Of Public Sector Worker Identity, Cliff Oswick, Stephen Matthias Harney, Gerard Hanlon

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In recent years we have seen the emergence of a "new securocracy," a generalization of responsibility for fighting terror within the public sector. Here we consider the nature and extent of this securocratic shift. In particular, the identity implications for the public sector worker are explored and we contend that there is an inherent tension between "serving" and "policing" the public in many public sector jobs. We also discuss the way in which a securocratic identity is simultaneously embraced and resisted. Finally, we present some tentative insights into an alternative way of thinking about identity work, which offers a means …

Compartmentalizing The Other: Nineteenth-Century Englishwomen, Travel, And English Identity, Amanda E. Williams

History Theses & Dissertations

The nineteenth century was an age of travel. The English traveled the globe for a variety of reasons. When not traveling for military, political, religious, or scientific reasons, they also traveled a great deal simply for pleasure. Regardless of reason, travel brought the English into contact with the Other. As a construction, the Other became an important part of English identity.

Englishwomen were particularly famous for travel. Although they were disenfranchised Others themselves in English society, Englishwomen did not identify with the Other they encountered in travels, but rather chose enfranchisement in an elite "imagined" England. This community (or the …

Ethics Interpretation No. 501-8, “Failure To Follow Requirements Of Governmental Bodies, Commissions, Or Other Regulatory Agencies On Indemnification And Limitation Of Liability Provisions In Connection With Audit And Other Attest Services”(Aicpa, Professional Standards, Vol. 2, Et Sec. 501 Par. .09), July 2008, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants. Professional Ethics Executive Committee

AICPA Professional Standards

No abstract provided.

Does The Corn/Soybean Farmer Have Time For Alternative Crops? [Abstract], Lori A. Hoagland, Laurie Hodges, Glenn A. Helmers, James R. Brandle, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Diversification of traditional row-crop farming in the Corn Belt is seen as advantageous in providing a wider economic base, decreasing economic risk associated with the link between commodity grain and cattle, increasing net farm income, and increasing biodiversity in the region. As farm size has increased to provide sufficient farm income, farm operations during the critical planting and harvesting windows are seen as limits to additional on-farm enterprises.

Benchmarking The Home Pages Of The Top Multinational Manufacturing Corporations In The Philippines, Jeden O. Tolentino

DLSU Business & Economics Review

In the information age, having a presence on the World Wide Web is critical for firms to establish and maintain competitive advantage. This study evaluated the Web presence of the top multinational manufacturing corporations in the Philippines. A sample of 70 Web sites of companies in BusinessWorld’s list of the Top 1000 Corporations in the Philippines for 2006 was subjected to a framework of ten critical factors; and comparisons were made against existing benchmarks. Thereafter, the functionality of the Web sites of the three top-ranked companies was analyzed using a two-dimensional grid for Web site evaluation. Results indicate that there …

How Personal Nostalgia Influences Giving To Charity, Altaf Merchant

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Charitable organizations in the U.S. have found it increasingly difficult to raise funds from donors. With a decline in the number of donors and with the number of charitable organizations increasing, there is a greater need than ever to engage the giver and encourage him/her to increase their giving to charitable organizations. NPOs (not-for-profit organizations) can facilitate this engagement through the identification of emotional constructs that can drive donor commitment to the NPO and increase charitable giving. In a recent study, Sargeant et al. (2006) have shown that charities which engage the giver emotionally are able to create stronger commitment …

Post-Globalization Power Sector Management In India, J.G. Valan Arasu, A.D.N. Bajpai, Shubhada Pandey

Business Review

Power is a key infrastructure, which is the backbone and prime mover of the economic development of any country because power is required for all the sectors of economy which include agriculture, industries, service, information and technology, transport and others. The term energy has been employed to designate not only chemical energy, but also kinetic energy, mechanical energy, electrical energy, radiant energy and thermal energy. These six energy sources play a vital role in the economic development of a nation, because energy facilitate to grow food; keep people alive; transport people and goods; fuel economic development and sustain the economic …

Capitalist Subjectivity, Capitalist Governance And The ‘Anti-Globalization’ Movement, Javed A. Ansari, Syed Zeeshan Arshad, Ali Muhammad Rizvi

Business Review

This paper discusses the question - can the anti-globalization / anti-capitalist movement transcend global capitalist order? First section outlines the essential features of capitalist subjectivity, regulation and transaction. The second section assesses the impact of globalization on capitalist subjectification and governance processes. The third section argues that anti-capitalist movement cannot transcend global capitalist order for it does not reject capitalist subjectification and its necessary prioritization of freedom. T Capitalism can be viewed as a historical (Marx 1982) or a rational (Hayek 1988) order. Neo-classical economics presumes capitalism’s rationality and naturalness. It recognizes no ‘outside of’ or ‘alternative to’ capitalist order …

The Implementation Of Trademark Law In Small And Medium Size Enterprises (Sme) Business Activities In Indonesia, Alexander Y Agung Nugroh, Sih Yuliana Wahyuningtyas

Business Review

In the aftermath of SME and the bigger enterprises in Indonesia, there emerges a suspicion that due to the lack of financial and technical capacity in competing with the bigger enterprises, SME conducts various violation of trademark law. Now, the essence of trademark protection is at stake, along with the struggle for SME’s life. The challenge for the future will be ensuring greater harmonization of the protection for SME and at the same time, also for trademark. This paper examines the prominent roles of trademark law in dealing business and its implementation by SME.

The Influence Of Culture On Advertising Effectiveness In Pakistan And Australia: A Cross-Cultural Study, Faiz Muhammad Shaikh

Business Review

Presents findings from an empirical study, which investigates the effects of different advertising appeals used across cultures. Cultural differences along the individualism collectivism dimension are hypothesized to affect people's reactions to certain advertising appeals. Results indicate that appeals, which emphasize individualistic benefits, are more effective in the Australia than in Pakistan. When appeals emphasizing collectivistic benefits are employed, they are generally more effective in Pakistan. However, such effects can be moderated by product characteristics. Different product types may serve to influence the effectiveness of culturally congruent advertising appeals. Discusses the implications of the findings, that cultural differences play a significance …

Pilot Study Of 8 Smes In Pakistan, Ejaz Mian

Business Review

These cases study small firms (with 1-50 employees) in Pakistan to determine marketing factors that lead to success. Information is gathered through in-depth interviews with owner-managers on their premises. Convenience sampling is used within the city of Karachi. Firms included relate to production, and services (including retail). It was found that most of the firms are not marketing oriented and they do not understand marketing. Thus they will benefit from some kind of marketing training conducted by the government or through their own resources.

Consolidation In Indian Banking Industry – Need Of The Hour, Syed Ahsan Jamil, Bimal Jaiswal, Namita Nigam

Business Review

This study is aimed at trying to unravel the fast and metamorphic changes been brought about within the Indian banking industry. With the government in India clearly specifying that it will liberalize the entry of foreign banks in India by 2009 alarm bells have started ringing for underperforming banks who largely nurtured under government protection and lack of competition. It is now a fight for survival. Consolidation seems to be the only viable solution for most of theses beleaguered banks.

Leveraging On Knowledge Management Approach For Effective Risk Management In Building Projects, Faisal Manzoor Arain

Business Review

This paper aims to introduce a new approach utilizing knowledge management to simplify the process of risk management, so as to enhance the knowledge sharing and promote its application in the construction industry. Decision making is a significant characteristic that occur in each phase of a project. Often, these decisions will, or can affect the other tasks that will take place. To achieve an effective decision making process, project managers and the other personnel of one project need to have a general understanding of other related or similar past projects. Risk management is important to support decision making at the …

Strategic Management Of Crises, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

The article discusses the duties and responsibilities of managers in assessing workplace threats. Managers should care when someone causes harm in the workplace. It is a duty of the managers to warn through a collaborative discussion about the advantages or drawbacks in a small group meeting. It is also an obligation of managers to act when an employee indicates that he or she is being harassed or threatened.

Improving Capital Budgeting Decisions With Real Options, David E. Stout, Yan Alice Xie, Howard Qi

College of Business Publications

In this article we provide accounting practitioners with a primer on how to supplement traditional discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis with real options. We use an example of a rental car company that is considering the purchase of a new car for its rental fleet. Management is trying to decide whether to buy a conventional gasoline-engine automobile or a hybrid vehicle. Within this decision context we illustrate the embedded options the company should consider given uncertainty of a new energy bill offering income-tax credits for the purchase of commercially operated hybrid vehicles. Our step-by-step approach shows how to incorporate these …

Employment And Market Innovation In Chinese Business Group Affiliated Firms: The Role Of Group Control Systems, Robert E. White, Robert E. Hoskisson, Daphne W. Yiu, Garry D. Bruton

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Prior research has suggested a number of potential benefits to firm membership in business groups. These benefits include availability of capital and other resources not readily accessible in an open market, the facilitation of entrepreneurship, plus information and risk sharing advantages. We suggest that another important benefit is the assistance of group control systems in helping the firm to manage conflicting pressures in the institutional environment and facilitate coevolution of these conflicting pressures. To empirically demonstrate the relevance of this viewpoint, we examine the case of China where business groups facilitate institutional transition, actively balancing market pressures to increase levels …

Lagged Effect Of Tv Advertising On Sales Lagged Effect Of Tv Advertising On Sales Of An Intermittently Advertised Product Of An Intermittently Advertised Product, Cesar C. Rufino

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study is an empirical evaluation of the dynamic effect of intermittent television ad placements on the sales of a consumer product using three classes of distributed lag models. The study is also geared to analytically determine the duration of advertising effects and the dependability of the firm’s pulsing type of advertising strategy. Empirical results support the soundness of the company’s strategy. Maximum duration of advertising effect is estimated at six months, which is about the largest number of consecutive months the product was not seen on TV during the sample period.