International and Area Studies Commons^™

Perception Of The Risks And Benefits Of Bt Eggplant By Indian Farmers, Mark Chong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Several researchers most notably Lennart Sjoberg and his colleagues have proposed that the moral aspects of risk provide a better explanation of risk perception than the psychometric paradigm or Cultural Theory, neither of which accounts for moral concerns. This study is possibly the first to assess empirically the perception of the risks and benefits of a transgenic food crop transgenic Bt ( Bacillus thuringiensis ) eggplant by farmers in a developing country such as India. It also aims to assess if the moral aspects of risk figure in Indian farmers' perception of Bt eggplant and if economic benefits outweigh perceived …

A Study On Workforce Integration In An International Acquisition, Christopher Lussier

Honors Projects in Management

International acquisitions are extremely difficult to maneuver and success is far from guaranteed. Navigating through financial statements is one thing, but trying to link together two or more geographically and culturally diverse workforces is an entirely another thing. This study analyzes fourteen employee interviews from four different companies involved in international acquisitions within the last ten years. It develops a comprehensive comparison of companies looking to partially integrate through hands-off management or fully integrate through synergistic collaboration of workforces. The analysis looks at the actions companies take once the decision is made to grow internationally through mergers and acquisitions in …

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2010: Q1 Results, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence (2007-2024)

Transiting to a quarterly release, the Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) has completed its first round of measurement for the Retail and Info-Communications sectors. Annually, CSISG currently measures 8 key economic sectors of Singapore with company, sub-sector, and sector results of two economic sectors released each quarter. The national score for 2010 will be updated in January 2011. CSISG company scores are generated based on face-to-face interviews with companies’ customers after the consumption of their products and services. Company scores in a sub-sector are then aggregated up in proportion to their revenue contributions to derive each sub-sector score. Similarly, …

Workers' Migration And Remittances In Bangladesh, Khawaja Mamun, Hiranya K. Nath

WCBT Faculty Publications

Bangladesh has sent more than 6.7 million workers to over 140 countries during a period of more than three decades since the mid-1970s. Most of these workers temporarily migrated to work in Middle East and Southeast Asia. This mass movement of temporary migrant workers has, to some extent, eased unemployment pressures on the over-burdened labor market in this highly populated country. More importantly, the remittance transfers received from these migrant workers have reached a phenomenal level of over 10 billion US dollars in 2009, approximately 12 percent of GDP in Bangladesh. This paper analyzes the trends and various other aspects …

The Life Cycle Of A Pandemic Crisis: Sars Impact On Air Travel, Jun Liu, Steven E. Moss, Jonathan Zhang

Logistics & Supply Chain Management: Faculty Presentations (1998-2020)

This paper studies the effects of the SARS outbreak on air travel between the US and three destinations; China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. ARIMA models with interventions are used to estimate the timing, depth and shape of SARS impact on international air travel. Links between empirical findings and a conceptual framework for analyzing the life cycle of a crisis are established. The conceptual framework uses situational choice and governmental public relations differences by location to explain the response patterns to the crises. The research finds significant evidence that the impact and life cycle of SARS effect on air travel varies …

Finding Latino/As: Library Tools To Discover And Mine Social Data And Statistics For Latino/Hispanic Populations In The United States, Marisol Ramos, Shikha Sharma

UConn Library Presentations

The purpose of this presentation is to clarify the difference between Data Mining from Mining for Data when searching for information about the United States Latino/Hispanic American population and what tools are available at the Homer Babbidge Libraries for our faculty and students doing this type of research.

This presentation was part of the Puerto Rican and Latino Studies Institute's Terturlia series, March 31, 2010.

Affordable Homeownership Policy: Implications For Housing Markets, Sock Yong Phang

Research Collection School Of Economics

Affordable homeownership is a policy that is often accorded a great deal of policy attention by governments of many countries. This paper aims to examine the market implications of setting a housing price to income ratio target for a market segment by the government. The policy requires active intervention by the government with regard to the targeted sector. The paper uses a simple model of the housing market with a homeownership affordability target to derive the market implications of such targets. In the presence of uncertainty and resource constraints, the objective of homeownership affordability is achieved for the targeted group …

Family Control And Ownership Monitoring In Family-Controlled Firms In Japan, Toru Yoshikawa, Abdul A. Rasheed

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper focuses on a type of firms that have been traditionally neglected in both family business and governance research, namely, family-controlled, publicly-listed firms. Although principal-agent conflicts may be less prevalent in such firms, family control can potentially give rise to principal-principal conflicts, leading to expropriation of the wealth of minority owners by family owners. Superior firm performance and the willingness to distribute the profits through dividend payments would suggest the absence of such expropriation. Based on a sample of 210 OTC firms in Japan, we examined the relationships between family control and dividend payouts and profitability. Our results indicate …

The Outsourcing Of Creative Work And The Limits Of Capability: The Case Of The Philippines Animation Industry, Feichin Ted Tschang, Andrea Goldstein

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The animation industry, like many information-technology-enabled services sectors, has been of interest to many developing countries interested in developing services outsourcing industries. We analyze the case of the Philippines' animation industry. This paper investigates the outsourcing process in animation and the nature of capabilities within that, with the goal of contributing to a more general understanding of services outsourcing. We examine the industry's history, interview data with industry participants, and secondary data. We find that strong labor force skills have been central to capabilities rather than organizational abilities. Outsourcing of production takes place only so far as the work is …

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore: Executive Summary 2009, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence (2007-2024)

Since 2007, customer satisfaction from the consumption of products and services in 8 key economic sectors of Singapore were measured and scores released annually through the Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG). Currently the CSISG is undergoing a transition from an annual to quarterly release of results. CSISG results of 6 economic sectors were released in October 2009. The release of results for the 2 remaining sectors: Healthcare, and Finance & Insurance, and an update to the national score concludes the measurement for 2009. Starting from 2010, CSISG company, subsector, and sector scores will be updated quarterly, on a rolling …

Media And The Non Profit World: A Case-Study On Wwf-Malaysia's Use Of Media Tools To Champion Advocacy, Anita Devasahayam

Social Space

As issues and campaigns for various causes in the non-profit space have begun to proliferate across Asia, the struggle to remain relevant and gain critical attention is growing. Author Anita Devasahayam discusses how the Malaysian chapter of the World Wide Fund for Nature tackled the challenge by devising new media strategies and advocacy campaigns to remain relevant in an increasingly connected and cause-conscious world.

Smes And Poverty Alleviation In Nigeria: Marketing Resources And Capabilities Implications, Olalekan U. Asikhia

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This article seeks to identify the mediating role of marketing resources and capabilities in small and medium enterprises (SMEs)—poverty alleviation relationship. A qualitative approach of conceptualization of the interconnectedness of the major variables of the study is undertaken. Despite several development programs of SMEs and poverty alleviation, the poverty level of Nigerian SMEs has dragged with incidence of high SMEs failure. Marketing resources and capabilities are suggested as probable missing links between SMEs and profitable exchanges that lead to wealth creation, thus alleviating and eradicating poverty. While empirical study in this direction is vital, the current conceptual model shows that …

How Predictable Is The Chinese Stock Market?, Fuwei Jiang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

We analyze return predictability for the Chinese stock market, including the aggregate market portfolio and the components of the aggregate market, such as portfolios sorted on industry, size, book-to-market and ownership concentration. Considering a variety of economic variables as predictors, both in-sample and out-of-sample tests highlight significant predictability in the aggregate market portfolio of the Chinese stock market and substantial differences in return predictability across components. Among industry portfolios, Finance and insurance, Real estate, and Service exhibit the most predictability, while portfolios of small-cap and low ownership concentration firms also display considerable predictability. Two key findings provide economic explanations for …

How Does Foreign Direct Investment Affect Growth In Developing Countries? An Empirical Investigation, E. M. Ekanayake, John R. Ledgerwood

Publications

This paper analyzes the effects of foreign direct investment on the economic growth of developing countries. The study uses annual data on a group of 85 developing countries covering Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean for the period 1980-2007. We explore the hypothesis that foreign direct investment can promote growth in developing countries. We test this hypothesis using panel data series for foreign direct investment, while accounting for regional differences in Asian, African, Latin American, and the Caribbean countries as well as the differences in income levels. While the findings of previous studies are generally mixed, our results …

Nation Branding And Nation Brand Equity: The Case Of Slovakia, Pardon Me, Slovenia (Summary Brief), Arne Baruca

WCBT Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to explore and discuss whether Slovenia, a Central European country, has the possibility of developing a nation brand. As a new country Slovenia faces recognition problems and is thus being confused with other countries; specifically with its “twin-country” Slovakia. This is a case-based paper. The author uses a previously developed nation brand equity model (Dinnie 2008) to illustrate and explore the nation brand equity of Slovenia. The exploratory study shows that Slovenia has the elements of the nation brand equity model, and therefore has all the needed potential to develop the nation brand. This …

China And Brazil: Potential Allies Or Just Brics In The Wall?, Anthony Petros Spanakos

Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Brazil is an increasingly important actor in global governance and for China specifically. Sino-Brazilian relations have deepened considerably but they remain concentrated in areas of trade and investment. There is also considerable overlap in interests between the two countries in other areas, such as diplomatic and political relations. At the same time, China must manage carefully important differences that exist over the enlargement of the UN and the potential challenge to the Brazilian industry.

Corporate Social Responsibility And The Legal Profession, Eugene K. B. Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

No abstract provided.

Ownership Structure, Financial Structure And R&D Investment: Evidence From Korean Firms, Yanghua Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Understanding factors that can enhance a firm‟s innovativeness is of critical concern in management research. Prior studies in strategy and financial economics have advanced our understanding of how resource allocation into innovation is shaped in a firm, mainly from the perspectives of ownership and financial structures. However, the extant literature is incomplete, because it treats ownership and financial structures as separate determinants, even though theoretical arguments and empirical evidences suggest that they are interdependent. This study investigates the determinants of firm‟s R&D investments by bridging ownership and financial structures. Ownerships held by inside and external owners are considered for ownership …

Shrouded Sins: An Exploration Of Child Sex Trafficking In South Africa, Jennifer L. Kennedy

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

Sex trafficking is a global $32 billion industry that affects hundreds of thousands of lives. A large portion of this industry belongs to child sex trafficking; a growing phenomenon that violates our children's dignity, rights and freedom. Although affecting every nation in the world, this industry has a strong hold in the Republic of South Africa. This country serves as an area of origin, transport, and destination, implicating itself in the broad child trafficking networks that reach nearly every nation, including our own. This paper seeks to explore the many facets of the child sex trafficking industry in South Africa.

Corporate Governance And Earnings Management Before Share Repurchase Announcements In Singapore, Jian Ming Chua

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Share repurchase in Singapore was legalized in 1998. It is well known that investors view share repurchase as good news. This study is based on share repurchase announcements from 2006 to 2009. The mean Cumulative Market-Adjusted Returns (CAR) for the period [0, +1] and [-1, +1] are significant at 1.25% and 1.33% respectively. In Singapore, there are positive abnormal returns following share repurchase announcements in support of the ―free cash flow‖ hypothesis. By using the Singapore Corporate Governance Index as a proxy, the weakly governed companies exhibit the strongest, positive and significant CAR of 2.62% for the period [0, +1]. …

The Sinification Of Western Company Forms In Modern China: A Hybridization Of Sinospheres And Anglospheres, Wai Keung Chung

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Western company or corporate forms were introduced to China for more than a hundred years. What has been the impact of this Western institution on the traditional mode of Chinese family business? At the same time, has the traditional Chinese mode of doing business changed any of the fundamental features of this Western institution, and in the end created corporate forms with “Chinese characteristics”? This paper uses the historical sociology and economic sociology perspectives to analyse the interaction between traditional Chinese business and Western corporate forms during the late 19th earlier 20th century modern China. Traditional Chinese business convention for …

The Impact Of Stakeholder Collaboration On Effectiveness Of Health Program Implementation In Ghana, Samuel Kwami Agbanu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare providers increasingly recognize the importance of collaboration among stakeholders in cost-effective healthcare delivery. While collaborative relationships offer great advantages, little research has addressed their relevance in an international development aid context, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The region is a major recipient of international development support, yet health indicators on HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and child and maternal mortality indicate the health of the region is among the weakest worldwide. This sequential mixed method, descriptive study of a USAID-funded community health program in Ghana examined the nature of collaboration among six stakeholders and impact of this collaboration on effectiveness of program …

Toward A Grounded Theory On The Management Of Orphanages In South Africa And Zimbabwe, Anna Siyavora

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of orphaned children in many parts of Africa is increasing as their parents die from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The research problem addressed in this qualitative study was lack of understanding by others about how the managers of orphanages in 2 African countries -- South Africa and Zimbabwe - were responding to the emotional and social needs of these orphans. The purpose of this study was to develop an orphanage management theory or model that could replicate the African kinship environment in the orphanages under study. Nurturing leadership theory provided the conceptual …

The Beginning Of The End? Agricultural Modernization And Dissolution Of The Peasantry In Contemporary China, Qian Forrest Zhang, John A. Donaldson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Antecedents Of New Knowledge Creation In Organizational Settings: An Empirical Study, Thomas Menkhoff, Yue Wah Chay, Benjamin Loh, Hans-Dieter Evers

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study aims to understand the antecedents of new knowledge creation in knowledge-intensive organizations. A model of knowledge management and new knowledge creation inspired by the works of Nonaka, Nahapiet and Ghoshal and others was used to develop a questionnaire. 213 individuals responded from a knowledge-based organization in Singapore. The results of the study indicated that knowledge tools and technologies interact with the modus of knowledge combination to influence knowledge outcomes in terms of worker skills, competencies, market knowledge and client relationships. The key ingredients for creating new knowledge as well as synergistic collaborations between various knowledge players are also …

Evaluating The Impact Of The Un Convention On The Use Of Electronic Communications In International Contracts On Domestic Contract Law: The Singapore Example, Eliza Mik

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts (CUECIC or Convention) was adopted on 23 November 2005. Its essential objective is to establish uniform rules intended to “remove obstacles to the use of electronic communications in international contracts, including obstacles that might result from the operation of existing international trade law instruments, with a view to enhancing legal certainty and commercial predictability.” The Convention relies on the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce (MLEC), which constitutes an e-commerce flagship project dating back to 1995. It also resembles UNCITRAL’s Convention …

The National Innovation System Of Singapore, Winston T. H. Koh, Phillip Phan

Research Collection School Of Economics

No abstract provided.

Hong Kong’S New Creative Industries: The Example Of The Video Games Sector, F. Ted Tschang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Hong Kong has considerable creative and entrepreneurial resources, and the opportunity to build a vibrant set of creative industries, including in the new sectors such as video games, animation, and computer graphics. However, as it stands, some of these industries, especially that of the games industry, are fledgling in nature. Strong supporting institutions already exist, but it is essential to discover how industry can be better supported with existing and new resources — financial and otherwise. The opportunities are immense, but so is the competition. The new entertainment media sectors are growing at a faster pace than most economic sectors …

Ict Usage In Microfinance Institutions In Uganda, Joseph Kaumba Ssewanyana

The African Journal of Information Systems

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are always often faced with high operating costs to provide financial services to the poor people and Small and Medium Enterprises. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has been found to promote the dual objective of microfinance - sustainability and outreach to the poor people. Using a quantitative survey and descriptive research approach, this paper has established the extent to which ICT has been used in the microfinance institutions in Uganda. Despite the barriers, ICT usage in MFIs has been on the rise; and different applications and technologies have been adopted by some MFIs to control costs, create …

The Impact Of Computerisation On Productivity: The Case Of Two State Utility Corporations In Botswana, Ayoku A. Ojedokun, Kgomotso H. Moahi

The African Journal of Information Systems

The study investigated the impact of computer technology on productivity improvement as reflected in the billing process and total quality bills invoiced per month in the Gaborone headquarters of Botswana Power Corporation and Water Utilities Corporation. It examined the input-output relationship with computers as one of the inputs. The other input is labour represented by the Meter Reading Hours and the Supervisory Hours. The study drew on the economic production theory and time series approach to determine the contributions of the inputs to output. The study relied on unpublished information and interviews rather than the use of publicly or commercially …