Business Commons^™

Ada News - 06/07/2010, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.

Measuring And Explaining Competitiveness In The Context Of Small Island Destinations, Robertico R. Croes

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study measures and explains competitiveness among small island destinations. Current measures of competitiveness do not respond to the special needs of small island destinations. An alternative measurement suggests a more suitable Tourism Competitiveness Index (TCI), and through the application of panel regression analysis, tracks the most important factors affecting competitiveness among island destinations. The findings imply likelihood that more expensive destinations obtain a larger share of regional tourism revenues. The study concludes that providing a high-quality product may allow destinations to become and remain competitive.

State Commissioner Of Education Chris Nicastro Will Speak At Lindenwood, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Comment Letters On Proposed Statement On Standards For Attestation Engagements, Reporting On Compiled Prospective Financial Statements When The Practitioner’S Independence Is Impaired, June 3, 2010, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants. Accounting And Review Services Committee

Exposure Drafts, Comment Letters, and Statements of Position

No abstract provided.

Proposed Statement On Standards For Attestation Engagements, Reporting On Compiled Prospective Financial Statements When The Practitioner’S Independence Is Impaired, June 3, 2010, Comments Are Requested By September 10, 2010; Exposure Draft (American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants), 2010, June 3, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants. Accounting And Review Services Committee

Exposure Drafts, Comment Letters, and Statements of Position

No abstract provided.

Cpas Increasingly Asked To Address Information Technology Challenges For Clients, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

Guides, Handbooks and Manuals

No abstract provided.

Legal And Ethical Implications Of Corporate Social Networks, Gundars Kaupins, Susan Park

Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Corporate social networking sites provide employees and employers with considerable opportunity to share information and become friends. Unfortunately, American laws do not directly address social networking site usage. The National Labor Relations Act, civil rights laws, and various common law doctrines such as employment at-will and defamation provide the pattern for future social networking laws. Ethical considerations such as productivity, security, goodwill, privacy, accuracy, and discipline fairness also affect future laws. Corporate policies on corporate social networking should balance the employer‘s and employee‘s interests. Existing laws and ethical issues associated with social networking should impact social networking policies related to …

Interview No. 1480, Gonzalo Rangel

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Gonzalo began working at the age of 13 in a parking lot off of Wyoming St. in El Paso, Texas. The parking lot was owned by Bud Fischer and Gonzalo would park cars and clean them to earn money. By the time he was 15 years old, Gonzalo was able to purchase a 1938 Chevrolet. During high school, Gonzalo and his girlfriend had a baby and got married and Gonzalo left school to work to support his family. He briefly worked at Sanker Plumbing before leaving to work at Bray's Washing Machine to support his new family. Though his father …

A Feasibility Study On Replacing A Hay Operation With An Equestrian Boarding Facility, Virginia Vouri

Agribusiness

The purpose of this project was to determine whether it would be feasible for Brians Dairy to convert their dairy farm into an equestrian boarding facility.

There are two major costs involved in this project, the development of the facility and the operation of the business. Once all of the costs were determined, they were entered into an Excel spreadsheet using the format of an Enterprise Budget. From the Enterprise Budget, revenues and expenses were used to develop an Investment Analysis, where a positive Net Present Value and a 30% Internal Rate of Return were discovered.

Using figures from the …

A Case Study On Contracted Seasonal Workers And Farm Labor Contractors In The Stockton Area, Cristal Verduzco

Agribusiness

This study was conducted to define the current situation between contracted seasonal workers and farm labor contractors in the Stockton area. Specifically, this study focuses on the perception workers have of farm labor contracted employment. It also addresses the perception farm labor contractors have on the contracting business.

To gather the information needed to compare perceptions, interviews with twelve contracted seasonal workers and two farm labor contractors were conducted in Stockton. The analysis process consists of a detailed account of the problems workers and farm labor contractors encounter in the farm labor contracting business.

The results of these interviews concluded …

A Comparison Of Costs And Returns For Organic And Conventional Cabernet Sauvignon Grape Production In San Luis Obispo County, Amanda N. Johansen

Agribusiness

This study examined the differences in costs and profitability for established conventional and organic Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the Edna Valley region of San Luis Obispo County, California. The study used a partial budgeting approach to compare cost and profitability for established vineyards for 2009, and thus ignored transition costs. Data were obtained from UC Davis cost studies for organic and conventional grape production in other regions of California in previous years. Adjustments made to these costs to account for changes in input use, input costs and grape prices in San Luis Obispo County during the 2009 growing season.

The …

Weathering The Storm: Asian Hedge Funds, Melvyn Teo

Research Collection BNP Paribas Hedge Fund Centre

How has the financial crisis shaped the hedge fund industry in Asia? We survey the style, investment region, and assets under management landscape of Asia-based hedge funds before and after the recent economic downturn. Our findings suggest that during the early part of the crisis in 2007, macro and fixed income funds based in Australia were especially vulnerable. When Asian financial markets succumbed in 2008 and 2009, hedge fund exits ramped up in Singapore and Hong Kong, particularly amongst event driven and Japan-focused funds. Small funds were most susceptible to closure during the liquidity crunch. Conversely, CTAs and Greater China-focused …

June 2010, Inland Empire Business Journal

Inland Empire Business Journal

The Business Doctors The Business Doctors is a strategic alliance of local experts in the areas of business law, public relations, commercial banking, advertising, marketing, medical insurance, payroll services and other services doing business in the Inland Empire. They meet twice a month and mentor one another. A topic of business valuation is discussed in this issue by Ted Collins—a member of The Business Doctors

Close-Up: Combustion Associates, Inc. Awarded “Exporter of the Year,” this company has been recognized for its achievements by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce as a full-service engineering manufacturing …

Second Time Is A Charm: The Impact Of Correcting Missed Exam Questions On Student Learning, Christiane Schroeter, Steven V. Green, Erin Bess

Agribusiness

This study determined the learning benefit of correcting missed exam questions. The results show that in addition to exams being an assessment tool, they can also be used as a tool for student learning. The availability of this information will provide help considering design, development, and improvement of traditional assessment methods for student learning.

Poverty Alleviation Begins With A Job, An Ambition, And A Little Bit Of Money, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

The same dollar, used by a woman, can have 20 times more impact on a child’s survival than the same dollar used by her male counterpart. Unfortunately, 70 percent of those stuck in the lower economic rungs in Asia, are women. With socio-cultural factors perpetuating gender-based disadvantages in this part of the world, much more has to be done to empower those caught at the bottom of society's 'pyramid'. That is why Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, founder of microfinance institution, Bandhan, has chosen to target his services towards women. According to him, empowering this group by just a little can go …

Secrets And Lies: How One Man Charmed His Way Into The Hearts, Minds And Wallets Of New York's Rich And Powerful, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Bernie Madoff’s reputation as the largest ponzi scheme operator will probably outlast the 150-year jail sentence he is now serving. For decades, the man created an aura around himself that spoke to the romantic ambitions of Wall Street's sycophants: unyielding success, exclusivity and power. Moreover, Madoff conjured a mystique so intriguing he had investors practically begging to surrender their money. But not everyone was blinded. Harry Markopolos, a financial consultant turned famous whistleblower, was convinced that the magician hath no magical abilities. For close to ten years, he nudged US regulators to no avail. His journey is detailed in the …

Building Beyond Singapore: Local Real Estate Businesses Venture Overseas, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Despite the recent property and construction boom in Singapore, local players in this field have always kept an eye on overseas markets. Lured by the promise of profits and prestige, many are setting up in cities around the world. However, unlike consumer mom-and-pop shops, the size of the investment typical of property and construction companies demands an ultra careful study of the overseas market. Companies have also got to ask if they have the required skills, talents and resources to churn a good project, said industry experts at a recent SMU forum.

East Side Story: Lessons From Japan's Business Leaders, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Japan's phenomenal post-war transformation into a high-tech nation of vending machines, electric toilets and 24-hour convenience stores, has been the envy of most developed nations. Where, in the past, the country would look towards America, with the import of Western goods, services and business philosophy, Japan has recently taken a turn towards that of self-discovery. In the book, Rediscovering Japanese Business Leadership, author Yozo Hasegawa examines how some of Japan's leading brands, like Nintendo, Uniqlo and Canon, have weathered, quite stealthily, the recent global financial meltdown, and he makes a case for why more Japanese companies are returning to home-grown …

Enhancing The Entrepreneurial Spirit In Apprenticeship Education To Develop Craft And Micro-Enterprises, Ray English, Katherine Collins

Conference Papers

Micro, small and medium–sized enterprises are considered to be the mainstay of the economy of the European Union, since they represent 99% of all EU enterprises. They are socially and economically important in that they provide 65 million jobs and contribute to innovation and entrepreneurship. However, a 2002 Eurobarometer survey found that EU citizens are less inclined to become entrepreneurs, and tend to be more risk adverse. In recognising this, the EU made entrepreneurship one of the main objectives of the Lisbon Agenda in 2000. The European Commission in 2003 drafted the Green Paper on Entrepreneurship in Europe to stimulate …

Describing Who Is Reading Omj And What You Can Expect In This Issue – Lean Engineering, Emotional Intelligence, And Management Education, William P. Ferris

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

Comments By Elizabeth F. Turesky And Patrick Connell On “Ariens: A Lean Case Study” By Hartwell And Roth, Elizabeth F. Turesky, Patrick Connell

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

Bringing Together The Three Major Emotional Intelligence Paradigms, William P. Ferris

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

Off The Rails: Understanding The Derailment Of A Lean Manufacturing Initiative, Elizabeth F. Turesky, Patrick Connell

Organization Management Journal

This study focuses on why lean manufacturing change initiatives at a Northern New England company failed to produce sustained results. Consultants and leaders share responsibility for the sustainability of the change initiatives they undertake. Rationally, neither party would undertake a change initiative with the intent to fail, yet clearly, even highly structured and well-tested initiatives often do fail (derail) in practice. This research used an observational methodology to uncover answers to the question, “what are the key factors that can cause the derailment of a well-intended, highly-structured change initiative?” In addition to consistency with findings from other studies on sustaining …

Doing More With Less At Ariens: A Leadership And Transformation Case Study, Jennifer K. Hartwell, George Roth

Organization Management Journal

Ariens is a family-owned manufacturer of lawn and snow equipment that designs, manufactures, sells, distributes, and supports its products in the United States, and more recently, internationally. Ariens faced and overcame a number of difficult challenges over the last decade by adopting and sustaining lean production principles throughout the organization, as well as with its suppliers and customers. This case study describes earlier business challenges, the changes that were made, how they were led, and the response of the workforce. The case study focuses on the period from 1998 to 2005, and a post-script updates what has happened up through …

Comments By George Roth And Jennifer Hartwell On “Off The Rails: Understanding The Derailment Of A Lean Manufacturing Initiative” By Turesky And Connell, Jennifer K. Hartwell, George Roth

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

Best Experiential Exercise For 2009: A Focus On Justice, Donald E. Gibson

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

Introduction To The Teaching & Learning Section, Steven I. Meisel

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

Developing The Competencies Of Interactional Justice, Kevin Farmer, Steven I. Meisel

Organization Management Journal

Grounded in social exchange theory, interpersonal and informational justice (collectively “IJ”) reflect the degree to which people affected by organizational decision makers perceive that they have been treated in a dignified and informative manner. Empirical research shows that IJ is positively correlated with myriad beneficial organizational outcomes (e.g., performance, job satisfaction and trust in authority figures) and negatively correlated with several noxious ones (e.g., withdrawal, negative reaction to decisions). The presence of IJ is an important mitigating factor in accepting negative organizational outcomes. In addition, the negative impact of injustice on an individual’s self-esteem can have profound implications for relationships …

Management As A Contextual Practice: The Need To Blend Science, Skills And Practical Wisdom, Jon Billsberry, Andreas Birnik

Organization Management Journal

This paper contributes to the debate regarding whether or not management is, or should become, a profession. Using the principles of dialectic logic, arguments for the thesis that management is a profession and the antithesis that management is more akin to an art or a craft are critically reviewed. Aristotle’s intellectual virtues episteme (science), techne (skills) and phronesis (practical wisdom) are introduced as a synthesis to this debate. Rather than characterizing management as a profession, it is argued that management is a contextual practice that requires a blend of all three intellectual virtues.

Innovation In The Early Church: Strengthening The Thesis, Michael E. Cafferky

Faculty Works

In his response to Oster’s article, Cafferky offers commendations for the points that Oster presents when considering the events described in Acts 10-11. Cafferky also explores what he believes is an implicit assumption in Oster’s article regarding applying organizational theory from the for-profit sector straight across into the nonprofit sector. Oster’s thesis might be strengthened if the literature from the world of organization theory applicable to nonprofits is considered. Finally, Cafferky attempts to strengthen Oster’s thesis by exploring the complexity of the identity and purpose that he believes the first century Jewish Christians carried with them as they evaluated the …