Client Importance and Audit Quality at the Individual Audit Partner,Office, and Firm Levels

We investigate whether audit partner level data provides a more powerful measure than office or firm level measures of client importance. We find that the likelihood of issuing a going-concern opinion (any and first-time) increases, and the absolute value of discretionary accruals decreases, in relation to the proportion of audit fees to the total audit fees received by audit partners from all their clients. We also find that the likelihood of issuing a going-concern opinion (any and first-time) increases, and the absolute value of discretionary accruals decreases, in relation to the proportion of non-audit services fees from a client to total non-audit service fees, and the proportion of total audit and non-audit service fees from a client to total fees from all their clients at the office and firm levels. Our findings provide evidence to regulators, audit clients, and stakeholders that audit partners do not succumb to pressure from economically more important clients as audit quality has a positive association with client importance.     

基于Citespace的物流企业管理研究科学知识图谱分析

通过分析我国物流企业管理的研究历史和现状,归结出当下讨论热点,判断未来研究趋势,为后续我国物流企业管理的发展创新提供参考意见。以CNKI数据库中2005~2019年刊载的371篇物流企业管理文献为数据基础,运用Citespace软件,绘制发文时间、关键词共现等图谱进行分析,研究结果显示:物流企业管理研究的发文量总体呈下降趋势;围绕焦点的研究话题较为分散;企业物流、物流管理、第三方物流、物流成本、对策是高频关键词,代表物流企业管理研究的热点;研究前沿主要体现在绿色物流、服务质量管理、风险管理等主题上。     

Auditors' Responses to Workload Imbalance and the Impact on Audit Quality*

Using detailed data for fieldwork hours and audit hours by rank from audit engagements in Korea, we examine whether audits conducted under workload imbalance, proxied by busy‐season audits, impair audit quality, and how auditors adjust staff assignments for busy‐season audits. We generally find that busy‐season audits are associated with lower audit quality, and that audit firms reduce the involvement of senior auditors during busy‐season audits. In addition, the greater the involvement of senior auditors and junior auditors, the lesser the deterioration in audit quality. Finally, although there is no increase in interim audits in response to workload imbalance during busy seasons, increasing interim audits can mitigate the negative impact of busy‐season audits on audit quality. Our results are relevant to auditors and regulators, who have expressed concerns about the adverse effects of workload imbalance on audit quality.     

当前落户城市阶段农民工市民化的风险分析

农民工市民化的顺利推进需要管控相关风险。系统分析当前农民工落户城市阶段的市民化,发现农民工面临落户与未能落户的风险、城市面临落户农民工较少或较多的风险、与农民工市民化相连的农村面临振兴的风险、整个国家面临人的现代化的风险。风险的成因,与市场的非均衡、政策的渐进主义惯性及环境的不确定性等相关。治理相关风险,需要对农民工市民化的主体进行预期引导、行动调节与利益支持。本文可能的贡献,在于提出并系统分析了落户阶段农民工市民化的风险,特别是在落户农民工、落户少的城市、人的现代化等的风险分析上贡献了有新意的观点;同时,对风险的成因与对策的分析在实践中有一定的启发与应用价值。     

Rethinking the bottom of the pyramid: Towards a new marketing mix

The purpose of this study is to re-conceptualize the conventional marketing mix for Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) markets and propose a revised framework by reorganizing the elements based on the customer perspective while retaining the principles of services marketing. Primary data was collected through a questionnaire with a sample size of 400 people from both urban and rural markets in the BoP. Findings indicate that the needs and perspective of the BoP members is distinct from the Middle of the Pyramid (MoP). Managers should consider this point while formulating marketing mix strategies for BoP markets. The present study is the first of its kind to present a revised marketing mix framework for customers in the BoP markets. The framework comprises five Ps, including personalization, product, place, the process of service delivery and price. Thus, a theoretical contribution is made in the context of service marketing and the BoP.     

Japan's FDI drivers in a time of financial uncertainty. New evidence based on Bayesian Model Averaging

In this paper we analyse the determinants of Japanese outward FDI stock for the period 1996–2017. This period is especially relevant as it covers a process of increasing economic globalization and two financial crises. To this aim, we consider a large set of candidate variables based on the theory as well as on previous empirical analysis. Our sample includes a total of 27 host countries. We select the covariates using a data-driven methodology, the Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) analysis. Moreover, we also analyse whether these determinants change depending on the degree of development (emerging vs developed) or the geographical areas (EU vs East Asia) of the countries considered. We find that Japan's FDI can be explained by a wide variety of variables, that include not only the typical gravitational ones but also institutional and macroeconomic variables, including those that measure financial development. Moreover, Japanese FDI can be explained by both horizontal and vertical FDI motives in the groups of countries analysed. However, in developed, and more precisely, EU countries, horizontal FDI strategies are predominant, whereas for East Asian and emerging countries, there is more evidence in favour of vertical FDI.     

The future of the chef occupation and the food and beverage sector after the COVID-19 outbreak: Opinions of Turkish chefs

The aim of the present study is to reveal the opinions of the chefs who working as a manager in the kitchen department within the food and beverage sector about what changes might have occurred in their occupation and food and beverage sector after the COVID-19 outbreak. The data were collected through online interview forms and content analysis was used as a data analysis method. The findings reveal three main categories: general opinions after the COVID-19 outbreak, changes that could occur in the food and beverage sector after COVID-19 outbreak, and thoughts for the future of the chef occupation after the COVID-19 outbreak. Since this paper is the first to reveal the opinions of the chefs about what changes might have occurred in their occupation and food and beverage sector after the COVID-19 outbreak, and no similar study could be found in the existing literature, these findings are original.     

Return policy,No joke: An investigation into the impact of a retailer's return policy on consumers' decision making

This study investigates the important role of a retailer's return policy in consumers' decision making. Utilizing signaling theory and the Cue Diagnosticity framework, this study posits that return policy, as a cue from a retailer, interacts with other cues (product, price, and product quality) to reduce perceived purchase risk and increases store image and patronage intention. Employing factorial experiment design, the authors conduct two studies and find support for several hypotheses. Results show that consumers value return policies depending upon the situation. A lenient return policy drives down purchase risk and leads consumers to have positive store images and higher patronage intentions. Both theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are provided.     

Exploring the use of content analysis methodology in consumer research

Content analysis is a viable way to thematise consumer experiences. The purpose of this review study is to examine the use of content analysis in consumer research (1977–2017). The authors explore how content analysis has been used. The reviewed studies address consumer experiences. The results show that qualitative content analysis is not used as a method in its own right; it is more often applied as a supplement to quantitative testing. There is also a lack of rigorous reporting of methodologies in many studies. The systematic review provides four propositions, content analysis studies: 1) vary in execution and reporting; 2) have a tendency towards methodological vagueness; 3) do not apply content analysis as a sole method; 4) are versatile. The study can also serve as point of departure for novice researchers wishing to engage with content analysis research. We suggest that further research is needed to explore the use of qualitative methodologies in consumer research.     

Self-service technology in supermarkets – Do frontline staff still matter?

This paper uses the concept of psychological distance under construal level theory to explore the differences in the customers’ evaluations of overall store quality, satisfaction and loyalty, based on their experiences with the traditional staff-checkout method and the relatively new self-checkout machines. Two empirical studies, a field survey with retail shoppers in UK (N1 = 313) and an online survey with members of a consumer panel in Australia (N2 = 474), show that the perceived quality of staff-checkout has a stronger positive impact on the overall store quality, satisfaction and loyalty, than the quality of self-checkout. Similarly, satisfaction with staff-checkout has a stronger positive effect on store satisfaction and loyalty, than the satisfaction with self-checkout. Finally, loyalty to staff-checkout also has a stronger positive influence on store loyalty, than the loyalty towards self-checkout. These results show that despite growing use of self-service technology, frontline staff continue to be important for overall store evaluations.