Business Commons^™

Dysfunctional Audit Behaviour: An Exploratory Study In Malaysia, Halil Paino, Zubaidah Ismail, Malcolm Smith

Research outputs pre 2011

The quality of the opinion provided by audit firms is an important determinant of their long-term survival, but audit quality is difficult to gauge, which makes it particularly sensitive to the behaviour of the individuals who carry on audit work. This paper seeks to identify the incidence of dysfunctional audit behaviours and audit quality reduction behaviours, actions taken by an auditor during engagement that reduce evidence-gathering effectiveness. The paper is based on a survey of 244 auditors working in small/medium and big audit firms in Malaysia. The paper identifies key variables leading to dysfunctional audit behaviour. The paper is subject …

Toward A General Theory Of Csr’S: The Roles Of Beneficence, Profitability, Insurance, And Industry Heterogeneity, Paul C. Godfrey, Nile Hatch, Jared M. Hansen

Faculty Publications

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a tortured concept. A number of alternative definitions of the construct exist at the theoretical level, and much debate surrounds the meaning (and its related implications for practice) of the term. Empirically, CSR research reaches few remarkable conclusions. In this article, the authors reconceptualize CSR into a number of discrete corporate social responsibilities (CSRs), each of which can have a positive or negative social impact, and each of which has an endogenous managerially driven component and an exogenous stakeholder-driven component. Using an industry-level sample drawn from the KLD database, the authors test the impact of …

I Was Banging My Head Against A Brick Wall: Exclusionary Power And The Gendering Of Sport Organizations, Ruth Sibson

Research outputs pre 2011

The under-representation of women in sport management has increasingly been recognized by government and nongovernment organizations, and there has been some attempt to redress the imbalance. Research has indicated, however, that the gendering of sport organizations is not simply a numbers' game. The purpose of this study was to analyze the exercise of exclusionary power as an aspect of gender relations within a six member volunteer Board of Directors of an Australian local, grass-roots sport organization. Data were gathered using semistructured interviews, participant observation and documentary evidence over a 15-month period. This study identified that, although numerical under-representation of men …

Preface To Special Issue: Environmental Sustainability And Business, Elizabeth Walker, Janice Redmond, Margaret Giles

Research outputs pre 2011

The issue of environmental sustainability and the need to address the collective environmental impact of business is discussed. In particular, the need to engage small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in environmental management is highlighted. The papers presented in the Special Issue of 'The International Journal of Business Studies' are dicussed.

A Proposed Methodology To Promote Adoption Of 'Green' Production By Small Firms, Elizabeth Walker, Janice Redmond, Margaret Giles

Research outputs pre 2011

Small firms are critical to all economies but also have a significant negative impact on the environment. Their collective footprint equates to 60% of industrial pollution yet small firm owner-managers are not convinced of the necessity for behaviour change. This paper develops a proposed methodology to engage small firm owner-managers in 'green' production, in particular adoption of energy saving and waste recycling practices. This methodology includes a suggested approach to determining the 'tipping point' for the investment of time and resources by small firms. The paper argues that knowing the 'tipping point' and making a realistic business case should encourage …

Women's Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding Alcohol Consumption In Pregnancy: A National Survey, Elizabeth Peadon, Jan Payne, Nadine Henley, Heather D'Antoine, Anne Bartu, Colleen O'Leary, Carol Bower, Elizabeth Elliott

Research outputs pre 2011

Background: Alcohol exposure in pregnancy is a common and modifiable risk factor for poor pregnancy and child outcomes. Alcohol exposure in pregnancy can cause a range of physical and neurodevelopmental problems in the child including the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). In order to improve prevention strategies, we sought to describe the knowledge and attitudes of women of childbearing age regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy and its effects on the fetus. Methods: We conducted a national cross-sectional survey via computer assisted telephone interview of 1103 Australian women aged 18 to 45 years. Participants were randomly selected from the Electronic White …

Evaluating Youth Programs: An Overview Of Practitioner Led Evaluations, Mat D. Duerden, Peter A. Witt

Faculty Publications

Youth programs are prime contexts for the intentional facilitation of positive development. However, not all youth programs achieve positive outcomes equally. In order to promote the identification and dissemination of the characteristics and processes of effective youth programs, increased focus needs to be given to program evaluation. This article briefly reviews the main tenets of evaluation science in order to provide practitioners a roadmap for conducting their own evaluations. This includes an overview of different types of evaluations and key issues to consider when constructing an evaluation strategy such as targeting outcomes and developing program logic models.

The Regulation Of Consumer Financial Products: An Introductory Essay With Four Case Studies, John Y. Campbell, Howell E. Jackson, Brigitte C. Madrian, Peter Tufano

Faculty Publications

The recent financial crisis has led many to question how well businesses deliver consumer financial services and how well regulatory institutions address problems in consumer financial markets. In response, the Obama administration proposed a new agency to oversee consumer financial services, and the recently enacted Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act embraced the Administration’s proposal by creating the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Other regulatory reforms have been advanced, and in some cases adopted, in recent years, at both the federal and state level. In this paper, we provide an overview of consumer financial markets, detailing the purposes …

Trustworthiness, Governance, And Wealth Creation, Cam Caldwell, Mark H. Hansen

Faculty Publications

Although trustworthiness has been described as a source of competitive advantage, its value extends to organizational governance and wealth creation. We identify the importance of the commitment–compliance continuum in the decision to trust and note that trustworthiness is a subjective perception viewed through each person’s mediating lens. That lens and each person’s interpretation of the social contract impact one’s commitment to cooperate. We suggest five propositions that integrate trustworthiness, governance, and wealth creation.

The Persistence Of Accounting Versus Economic Profit, Matthew J. Holian, Ali M. Reza

Faculty Publications

Drawing on Schumpeterian theory, this article presents estimates of a first-order autoregressive model of profit persistence for large US firms, using Economic Value Added (EVA), the popular measure of profits produced by Stern Stewart and Company, and simple (unadjusted) accounting measures from the Compustat database. We hypothesize about the differences we should expect to find between these two sets of estimates, and also provide a fresh normative assessment of the dynamic competitiveness of the US economy.

Discretionary Deletions From The S&P 500 Index: Evidence On Forecasted And Realized Earnings., Stoyu Ivanov

Faculty Publications

The literature in the area of index changes finds evidence that index changes are information free events. However, Denis, McConnell, Ovtchinnikov and Yu (2003) find evidence contrary to this theory. This study extends the work of Denis, McConnell, Ovtchinnikov and Yu (2003) in an attempt to complete the assessment of the information hypothesis of index changes. Denis, McConnell, Ovtchinnikov and Yu (2003) address only index additions and do not examine index deletions in their study. Our contribution is in filling this void in the literature by examining forecasted and realized earnings of firms discretionary deleted from the S&P 500 index …

Esops And Corporate Officers' Compensation., Stoyu Ivanov

Faculty Publications

In the literature two major hypotheses have been developed for Employee Stock Ownership Plans used as a takeover defense, the management entrenchment and shareholder interest hypotheses, with the existing research not finding conclusive evidence for either one. In this paper we provide evidence that the entrenchmenthypothesis is not supported by finding that Employee Stock Ownership Plan firms pay less to their managers than non-Employee Stock Ownership Plan firms. If managers were truly entrenched they would have been able to expropriate wealth from the existing shareholders, which appears not to be the case for Employee Stock Ownership Plan firms.

The Arrival Of A New Gaap: International Financial Reporting Standards, Brian Stanko, Thomas Zeller

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This article examines the International Accounting Standards Board’s efforts to create greater comparability and uniformity in global financial reporting. Prefacing this will be an examination of 1) the reasons for past and present inter-country reporting differences and 2) the changes that have affected the governing structure of the international financial reporting environment. Most importantly, however, this article explores the areas that will be most impacted when companies move to a uniform group of international accounting standards. An understanding of the accounting regulatory process and the changes underway is important for all businesses professionals, including those in large and small businesses …

Creating A Successful Marketing Strategy For Your Small New Business, Stanley F. Stasch

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Strategies for marketing small businesses.

According to the Wall Street Journal, 572,900 new businesses were started in the United States in 2003—and 554,800 businesses failed that same year. Perhaps that dismal statistic comes from the fact that more than 95 percent of all small, new businesses make one or more of the four major marketing strategy mistakes identified in this book.

From 'Break Out' To 'Breakthrough': Successful Market Strategies Of Immigrant Entrepreneurs In The Uk, Anuradha Basu

Faculty Publications, School of Management

This paper explores the strategies that enable ethnic minority immigrant entrepreneurs to 'break out' of local ethnic markets and 'break through' into more promising markets with greater opportunities. It analyzes the contextual and personal characteristics of the entrepreneurs that implement those strategies, based on a primary survey of South Asian entrepreneurs in the UK. The analysis suggests that breaking out of co-ethnic customer markets is neither necessary nor sufficient for entrepreneurial expansion. The critical factor is the entrepreneur's ability to break through into customer markets that are larger, by geographical reach or profit margins and value added. Many successful immigrant …

Foundations In Wisconsin: A Directory [29th Ed. 2010], Marquette University - Funding Information Center, Mary C. Frenn, Melanie Baier, Jeremy Blackwood, Anne Carpenter, Sarah Martin, Greg Sikora

Foundations in Wisconsin: A Directory

The 2010 production of Foundations in Wisconsin marks the 29th edition of the print directory and the 10th anniversary of the online version (www.wifoundations.org). The directory is designed as a research tool for grantseekers interested in locating information on private, corporate, and community foundations registered in Wisconsin. Each entry in this new edition has been updated or reviewed to provide the most current information available. Most of the data was drawn from IRS 990-PF tax returns filed by the foundations. Additional information was obtained from surveys, foundation Web sites, annual reports, and newsletters.

The nation’s economic downturn continued to have …

Consumer Show Visitors - A Follow-Up Survey Of Show Attendees: A Case Study , Kara Grau

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report highlights the results of a follow-up survey of visitors who attended the Washington Sportsmen's Show in Puyallup, WA in January, 2009. The survey was intended to gather information related to how many of the show attendees who visited a Montana Travel Region booth actually took a trip to Montana during 2009, what types of information they used in making decisions about the trip, and what they did while in Montana.

Travel And Recreation: Visitors Attractied To Open Space, Wildlife, And Character, Norma P. Nickerson

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Outlook for 2011 and Review of 2010.

Montana Tourism: 2010 Review And 2011 Outlook, Norma P. Nickerson

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Outlook for 2011 and Review for 2010.

Public Policy And Saving For Retirement: The “Autosave” Features Of The Pension Protection Act Of 2006, John Beshears, James Choi, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian, Brian Weller

Faculty Publications

On August 17, 2006, President Bush signed the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) into law, following its passage by both houses of Congress in a strong showing of bipartisan support.1 This law, heralded by some as the most sweeping piece of pension reform legislation since the Employee Retirement Income and Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), contains many different pension reform provisions.2 In this paper, we focus on a subset of measures within the PPA adopted specifically to promote better savings outcomes in defined contribution savings plans.

Dual-Track Versus Single-Track Sell-Outs: An Empirical Analysis Of Competing Harvest Strategies, James C. Brau, Ninon K. Sutton, Nile W. Hatch

Faculty Publications

We investigate two non-traditional harvest strategies for selling a privately-held company. Dual-track private firms file for an IPO while also courting acquirers. These firms withdraw the IPO to be taken over. Dual-track public firms complete an IPO and are taken over shortly thereafter. Examining 679 takeovers from 1995–2004, we find private dual-track sell-outs earn a 22–26% higher premium and dual-track public sell-outs earn an 18–21% higher premium than single-track sell-outs. Larger, VC-backed, prestigious underwritten, and bubble-year firms have a higher propensity to take the dual-track path. The implication is that entrepreneurs may increase their harvest value by using a dual-track …

Regulatory Reform And Convergence In Banking: The Case Of China, James C. Brau, Drew Dahl, Hongjing Zhang, Mingming Zhou

Faculty Publications

We examine the effect of regulatory reform on the asset allocation and capitalization of Chinese banks, 2002 to 2007, a period following China’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Our empirical evidence rejects the hypothesis that banks in the Big Four, majority state, majority private, and majority foreign categories have common targeted levels of loans and capital in relation to assets. With respect to rates of adjustment towards those targets, our evidence is mixed. Domestic banks exhibit convergence in behavior toward each other but remain distinct from majority foreign banks. Overall, our findings provide evidence that, while the structure …

The Impact Of Direct And Indirect Experiences On The Development Of Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behavior, Mat D. Duerden, Peter A. Witt

Faculty Publications

This study employed a mixed-methods design to examine the relationship between nature experience type (e.g., direct and indirect) and learning outcomes (e.g., environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behavior) associated with an environmental education, international immersion program for adolescents. Longitudinal data from 108 participant and 49 comparison group members were analyzed to test the study’s hypotheses. Additionally, qualitative data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology to assess participants’ perceptions of these processes. The findings indicate that environmental knowledge increased more than environmental attitudes during the indirect portion of the program (i.e., preparatory program) whereas the direct portion (i.e., international workshop) produced similar …

The Effects Of Financial Statement Information Proximity And Feedback On Cash Flow Forecasts, Frank D. Hodge, Patrick E. Hopkins, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), in their joint Financial Statement Presentation project, are reconsidering the basic format of financial statements. The Boards' preliminary discussions related to this joint project indicate that they intend to modify the required financial statements to increase the proximity of performance-related information for each reported period, but also to reduce the number of reported periods. We provide evidence related to each of these potential changes by investigating the effects of financial-statement information proximity and the number of periods of reported performance on investors' ability to learn the forecast-relevant time-series …

Entrepreneurial Success: Differing Perceptions Of Entrepreneurs And Venture Capitalists, Ervin L. Black, F. Greg Burton, David A. Wood, Aaron F. Zimbelman

Faculty Publications

The recent credit crisis has made it more difficult for entrepreneurs to find funding. It is increasingly important for entrepreneurs to know what is important to venture capitalists (VCs) when they make their funding decisions. We interview entrepreneurs and VCs to determine traits these groups perceive as necessary for entrepreneurial success. We find that entrepreneurs cite traits inherent to their nature significantly more than VCs. Additionally, entrepreneurs who do not have previous VC funding experience differ significantly from VCs in identifying important factors for VC funding. In contrast, entrepreneurs with previous VC funding experience did not differ from VCs in …

Book-Tax Conformity, Earnings Persistence And The Association Between Earnings And Future Cash Flows, T.J. Atwood, Michael S. Drake, Linda A. Myers

Faculty Publications

Calls for eliminating differences between accounting earnings and taxable income in the U.S. have been debated extensively. Proponents of increased book-tax conformity argue that tax compliance will increase and earnings quality will improve. Opponents argue that earnings quality will decline. We examine whether the level of required book-tax conformity affects earnings persistence and the association between earnings and future cash flows. We develop a comprehensive book-tax conformity measure and find that earnings have lower persistence and a lower association with future cash flows when conformity is higher. Our evidence suggests that increased book-tax conformity may reduce earnings quality.

A Stakeholder Identity Orientation Approach To Corporate Social Performance In Family Firms, John B. Bingham, W. Gibb Dyer Jr., Isaac Smith, Gregory L. Adams

Faculty Publications

Extending the dialogue on corporate social performance (CSP) as descriptive stakeholder management (Clarkson, Acad Manage Rev 20:92, 1995), we examine differences in CSP activity between family and nonfamily firms. We argue that CSP activity can be explained by the firm’s identity orientation toward stakeholders (Brickson, Admin Sci Quart 50:576, 2005; Acad Manage Rev 32:864, 2007). Specifically, individualistic, relational, or collectivistic identity orientations can describe a firm’s level of CSP activity toward certain stakeholders. Family firms, we suggest, adopt a more relational orientation toward their stakeholders than nonfamily firms, and thus engage in higher levels of CSP. Further, we invoke collectivistic …

Building Entrepreneurship In Subsistence Markets: Microfranchising As An Employment Incubator, Lisa Jones Christensen, Helen Parsons, Jason Fairbourne

Faculty Publications

Scholars indicate significant interest in business models that support entrepreneurial behavior in developing markets [Wankel C., editor. Alleviating Poverty through Business Strategy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2008]—particularly as they relate to job creation. This research introduces microfranchising as a business model adaptation that helps low-income individuals overcome non credit-related barriers to entry in obtaining employment. This study reveals a clear challenge for researchers—to better understand microfranchising and the extent to which the practice creates employment and enables individual business success. Largely unanswered questions concern the profiles of typical microfranchisees as well as the impacts of microfranchising on low-income individuals in …

Infusing Critical Thinking Into An Employability Skills Program: The Effectiveness Of An Immersion Approach, Sophie Kennedy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The demands of the knowledge economy have placed renewed emphasis on graduate employability and the development of higher-order thinking skills. Preparing graduates for the workplace requires new instructional approaches to develop a matrix of interrelated skills. This study investigates an immersion approach to developing employability skills with emphasis on the infusion of critical thinking skills in an undergraduate business degree.

The research is situated within the pragmatic paradigm and comprises a mixed methods approach. Analyses of project instructions, student reflections and test scores are presented in an explanatory case study in three parts: the infusion of critical thinking skills in …

Linking Uses Of Management Control Systems With Strategic Capabilities And Business Level Strategies For Organizational Performance Evidence From The Sri Lankan Textile And Apparel Industry, Nirosha D. Kapu Arachchilage

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research investigates how the uses of Management Control Systems (MCS), namely, diagnostic use and interactive use, as moderating variables, influence the relationship between business (competitive) strategies (which are determined by strategic capabilities) and organizational performance. Simons’ levers of control model, Porter’s theory of generic competitive strategy and the Resource Based View (RBV) of strategy have been considered as the underpinning theories and models of the study in developing the theoretical framework and hypotheses. The theoretical framework consists of two strategic capabilities (low cost competency and uniqueness competency), two generic business strategies (cost leadership and differentiation), two uses of MCS …