GRADING JOURNALS IN ECONOMICS: THE ABCS OF THE ABDC

Many institutions and governments grade academic journals for the evaluation of research. In this paper, we implement a multi-bibliometric methodology for the evaluation of such a list of journal grades. We examine the grades assigned by the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) for over 750 journals in the fields of economics and statistics. Firstly, we generate up to 48 bibliometric-based grades for each journal based on the grade distribution implied by the ABDC. Secondly, we categorize the bibliometrics employing a cluster analysis of an interrater agreement statistic. Thirdly, we present a visualization of the consistency of the grading by journal. Finally, we list those journals where the majority of the matched bibliometrics indicate a higher or lower grade than their ABDC grade.     

Does the value of cash holdings deteriorate or improve with material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting?

We find that cash holdings are more valuable for firms disclosing material weaknesses in the Sarbanes–Oxley (SOX) 404 internal control assessments. We estimate that the value spread for firms with weak controls vs. effective controls is about $0.25 for an extra dollar of cash. Our results are not driven by account-level weaknesses but by more severe, company-level weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting (ICFR). Further, the economic consequences of cash resources significantly decrease with the remediation of previously reported material weaknesses. These results suggest that the favorable (precautionary) impact induced by weak ICFR appears to more than offset the adverse (agency) effect entailed by ineffective ICFR. Overall, our results survive alternative variable specifications, sample splits, matched sample analyses, and a variety of controls.     

试论媒体的亲和力原则——以《家庭导报》改版创新为例

结合《家庭导报》的改版创新实例。阐述了在新媒体扩张和媒体竞争日剧的当下,传统媒体特别是纸质媒体如何增强亲和力的四大原则,即新鲜性、接近性、关怀度和公信力。具体而言,就是：内容为王、角度常新;平民视角、家庭旋律;走进边缘、关注民生;贴近生活、服务社会。只有这样,才能更好地凸显报纸的感染力和影响力。     

美国内部控制审计制度及其对我国的启示

内部控制审计是提升企业内部控制有效性的重要制度安排。美国已建立起由SOX法案、SEC最终规则和PCAOB审计准则构成的内部控制审计制度体系,相关规定基本协调一致、相互配合。我国在充分借鉴美国经验的基础上,已于2010年4月初步确立了内部控制审计制度。我国内部控制审计制度演进的基本特征表现为：在注册会计师的保证程度上,从有限保证演变为合理保证;在审计范围上,从财务报告内部控制演变为广义的内部控制;在审计方法上,趋向于内部控制审计与财务报表审计的整合。     

Reining in auditors: On the dynamics of power surrounding an “innovation” in the regulatory space

In the aftermath of Enron and the collapse of Arthur Andersen, new “independent” institutions were created to oversee financial auditing. Based on a modified version of Lukes’ multidimensional model of power, we first investigate how the creation of the Canadian Public Accountability Board (CPAB) has affected the dynamics of power among the main players enlisted in Canada’s regulation of public accounting. Our findings strengthen the view that a “form of allegiance” was, at the time of data collection, developing between CPAB and the largest Canadian accounting firms. Through a second analytical movement, we extend the boundaries of our argument, showing that patterns of resistance against the logic of arm’s length regulation operate in a variety of audit regulatory sites. Our conclusion points, in particular, to the spatial gap - and incidentally the limitations - of any attempt to control and supervise a globalized industry from a national or regional perspective.     

How entrenched managers beat earnings expectations before and after SOX

This study investigates the relationship between managerial entrenchment and how firms meet or beat earnings forecasts. It further examines whether this relationship changes before and after the Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX). We find that, in the pre-SOX era, entrenched managers meet or exceed analyst forecasts more often than their unentrenched counterparts when analysts’ initial forecasts are high. This is mainly due to the drop in analysts’ consensus rather than earnings management. These results nearly disappear in the post-SOX era.     

高职体育教学对学生心理健康的引导

体育教学不仅关系着学生的身体健康,更对学生的心理健康发展产生作用。本文首先分析高职体育教学对学生心理健康引导的需求,明确教学的重要任务,然后系统规划应实施的教学举措,并指出评估学生心理健康发展的具体方法。     

Project Management of Production Line Automation: A Comparative Analysis of Project Management in Brazil and Colombia

This article aims to evaluate the production line automation projects developed by Brazilian and Colombian companies from the Project Management perspective, through the analysis of the application degree of PMBOK processes, to understand how formal techniques are being employed in these countries and also to identify improvement opportunities, when necessary. Data were collected through a survey. The similarity index between the ten processes, with the highest application degree in the Brazilian and Colombian samples, was 70%. For the processes with the lowest application degree, the similarity index was 60%. No similar study was found in the literature.     

Project Management Knowledge and Effects on Construction Project Outcomes: An Empirical Study

This study examines the relationships among the PMBOK® Guide, project performance, customer satisfaction, and project success by assessing the efficacy of management techniques, tools, and skills for implementing infrastructure and building construction. Experienced interviewees from private engineering firms and public agencies were asked to complete a questionnaire, and the responses were analyzed by means of a structural equation model. The analytical results indicate the appropriateness of prioritizing the practice of the PMBOK® Guide in the construction industry. This study contributes to the literature by providing insight into interactions among the PMBOK® Guide and construction project outcomes in engineering practices. Particularly, the “bidder's conference” and “procurement negotiations” are the priority techniques to minimize bidding and legal procurement problems. Moreover, the study recommends the use of “stakeholder analysis,” “communication requirements analysis,” and the “communication methods” to perform effective communication management. Although the conclusions are based on the sample collected in Taiwan, the research findings can be used by project managers and educators to tailor the PMBOK® Guide to their unique needs and to design effective training programs for construction specialists.     

国内导游服务质量提升探讨

导游服务质量影响着旅游业的发展。目前我国导游人员存在文化素质偏低，业务能力较差，个性化不强，看重旅游购物等问题，造成这些问题的原因是多方面的，但导游自身的问题占主要方面。因此要提高导游服务质量，必须从源头抓起，通过提高导游考试门槛、增加导游对职业的归属感和紧迫感、保障导游正常合理收入等措施来提高导游服务质量。