An Integrative Model of Alumni Loyalty—an Empirical Validation Among Graduates From German and Russian Universities

Alumni could be considered a large source of support for their alma maters in such areas as lobbying, volunteering (e.g. mentoring), information, donations, investment, and networking. However, in order to increase alumni contribution, it is necessary to identify key factors that influence alumni loyalty. In this article, the authors develop an integrative model of intention to alumni loyalty (IAL model), which proposes that alumni loyalty is determined by the main model dimensions of relationship quality, philanthropic effect, and discretionary collaborative and student dropout behavior. In order to validate the proposed model structure, the authors test the IAL model using the structural equation modeling approach and empirical data from a survey of leading German and Russian universities. The results indicate that a predisposition to charity, benefits from alumni association, and quality of teaching are crucial for intention to alumni loyalty for both Russian and German universities. Suggestions for the work of alumni associations are derived from the findings.     

Understanding Organizational Agility Development for a Government： A Process Model of Resource Configuration

Organizational agility, the ability to sense and respond to changes quickly, has been regarded as an important index of organizational performance in rapidly changing environments. However, research on agility has largely overlooked the dynamics of the resource configuration process, which includes resource selection, acquisition, development, and management. Prior studies have mostly taken for granted a set of organizational resources deemed sufficient for developing agility, and overlooked the efforts required to render the resources ready for agility development. Adopting the resource-based view, this study aims to close such a theoretical gap by conceptualizing a dynamic resource configuration process. Based on a case study of the Shanghai Social Security Card System （SSSCS） project, we inductively develop a process model for resource configuration in agility development. This model demonstrates the configuration process of IT resources and institutional resources to create agility. Simultaneously, it stresses that IT resources may serve in initiating corresponding institutional resources, assist in the molding and shaping of new institutional resources, and also serve in sustaining institutional resources. Our research contributes to the organizational agility literature by elaborating on the dynamic resource configuration process embedded in the agility development process. Our findings offer suggestions to governments and guide them in configuring 1T and institutional resources to develop organizational agility.     

Professional Ethics – a Managerial Opportunity in Emerging Organizations

Professional Ethics, viewed as a managerial challenge and opportunity in this study, deals with the often overlooked conceptions, actions and behavior of individuals who see themselves both as members of a profession and as members of an organization. Managers have to deal with this dual loyalty and inherent potential for conflict. This is of particular importance for new types of organizations when wanting to develop and sustain an ethical platform for the ultimate goal – assuring that future business decisions of individuals are in "ethical balance" with the organization's own values and goals.     

Understanding Auditors’ Sense of Responsibility for Detecting Fraud Within Organizations

The objective of this study is to evaluate auditors’ perceived responsibility for fraud detection. Auditors play a critical role in managing fraud risk within organizations. Although professional standards and guidance prescribe responsibility in the area, little is known about auditors’ sense of responsibility for fraud detection, the factors affecting perceived responsibility, and how responsibility affects auditor performance. We use the triangle model of responsibility as a theoretical basis for examining responsibility and the effects of accountability, fraud type, and auditor type on auditors’ perceived fraud detection responsibility. We also test how perceived responsibility affects auditor brainstorming performance given the importance of brainstorming in audits. A sample of 878 auditors (241 external auditors and 637 internal auditors) participated in an experiment with accountability pressure and fraud type manipulated randomly between subjects. As predicted, accountable auditors report higher detection responsibility than anonymous auditors. We also find a significant fraud type × auditor type interaction with external auditors perceiving the most detection responsibility for financial statement fraud, while internal auditors report similar detection responsibility for all fraud types. Analysis of the triangle model’s formative links reveals that professional obligation and personal control are significantly related to responsibility, while task clarity is not. Finally, the results indicate that perceived responsibility positively affects the number of detection procedures brainstormed and partially mediates the significant accountability–brainstorming relation.     

Trend of Price and Economic Development in 2005

The situation of the four major kinds of price in 2004-residents‘ consumption price, price of production means, interest rate, foreign exchange rate-became main concern from the domestic and international personages. By reviewing the market price in 2004, and analyzing the current price variables, we will easily find the prospects of Chinese economy and people‘s life in 2005.     

Corruption and FDI: Does the Use of Distinct Proxies for Corruption Matter?

Abstract

The relationship between FDI and corruption/institutional quality in host countries has been widely analyzed. However, the use of distinct samples and indicators for corruption tends to hinder the interpretation and outcomes of econometric assessments. The aims of this paper are to assess the extent to which the use of distinct proxies for corruption provides diverse evidence regarding the relationship between corruption and FDI, and to assess whether controlling for other indicators of institutional quality reinforces the effect of corruption indicators on FDI inflows. In order to accomplish these goals, we estimate a set of multivariate logistic models using 96 countries over the period 2000 to 2010. The results evidence that using distinct proxies for corruption variables, as well as controlling for other types of the countries’ institutional quality, generate distinct outcomes. In isolation, a country’s transparency and its citizens’ corruption perceptions fail to impact on FDI whereas a bribe-free environment is conducive to FDI inflows. When we control for the human, social and economic development of the countries, the impact of a transparent and bribe-free context on FDI attraction is enhanced. Overall, it is clear that in order to become a large recipient of FDI a country has to guarantee a transparent and bribe-free environment, characterized by low income taxes, high literacy rates and generalized economic freedom (own labor and property control by citizens).     

Advancing Ethics in Public Organizations: The Impact of an Ethics Program on Employees’ Perceptions and Behaviors in a Regional Council

Ethics in public administration has been a subject of growing interest for both researchers and practitioners interested in the future of governance. This study examined the relationship between ethics and performance in local governance. We tested the effects over time of an ethics program on employees’ perceptions (awareness of the code of ethics, ethical leadership, inclusion of employees in ethical decision making [EDM], ethical climate [EC], organizational commitment, and quality of work life [QWL]) and behavior (organizational citizenship behavior) in one Israeli regional council. We conducted a longitudinal study of 108 employees, using data from a two-phase survey (before implementation of the ethics program and a year after) and objective assessments of employees’ behavior through managers’ evaluations. The main findings show that the ethics program was very effective, resulting in greater awareness of the code of ethics, increased inclusion of employees in EDM, and an improved EC. Furthermore, ethical leadership was positively related to employees’ awareness of the code of ethics, increased inclusion of employees in EDM, an improvement in the EC, greater organizational commitment, and higher QWL. Implications and suggestions for future studies are discussed.     

Drivers of SaaS-Adoption – An Empirical Study of Different Application Types

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is said to become an important cornerstone of the Internet of Services. However, while some market research and IT provider firms fervently support this point of view, others already conjure up the failure of this on-demand sourcing option. Oftentimes based on weak empirical data and shaky reasoning, these inconsistent perspectives lack scientific rigor and neglect to present a more differentiated picture of SaaS-adoption. This study seeks to deepen the understanding of factors driving the adoption of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Grounded in transaction cost theory, the resource-based view, and the theory of planned behavior, we develop a research model to assess SaaS-adoption at the application level. Survey data of 297 firms in Germany with 374 valid response items across different industries were collected to test the theoretical model. Our analysis revealed that patterns on the decision on SaaS-adoption differ across application types. Social influence, attitude toward SaaS-adoption, adoption uncertainty, and strategic value turned out to be the strongest and most consistent drivers across all application types. Furthermore, we found that firm size does not matter in SaaS-adoption, since large enterprises and small- and medium-sized companies had similar adoption rates. Overall, this study provides relevant findings that IT vendors can use to better appeal to potential companies that consider adopting SaaS.     

A Better Model? An Empirical Investigation of the Fama–French Five‐factor Model in Australia

Recently, Fama and French ( 2015a ) propose a five‐factor model by adding profitability and investment factors to their three‐factor model. This model outperforms the three‐factor model previously proposed by Fama and French ( 1993 ). Using an extensive sample over the 1982–2013 period, we investigate the performance of the five‐factor model in pricing Australian equities. We find that the five‐factor model is able to explain more asset pricing anomalies than a range of competing asset pricing models, which supports the superiority of the five‐factor model. We also find that despite the results documented by Fama and French ( 2015a ), the book‐to‐market factor retains its explanatory power in the presence of the investment and profitability factors. Our results are robust to alternative factor definitions and the formation of test assets. The study provides a strong out‐of‐sample test of the model, adding to the comparative evidence across international equity markets.     

In the mood to buy? Understanding the interplay of mood regulation and congruence in an international context

Literature reports different effects of mood on measures of consumer behavior. Either mood congruence or mood regulation theories serve to explain these effects, though the latter theory is perhaps more sophisticated. This research goes a step further: in a sequence of four studies, the authors consider different products (with and without mood-lifting capabilities) and consumers?? beliefs in the transience of their mood to illuminate the interplay between the two theoretical approaches. Culture (individualism vs. collectivism) emerges as an important driver of mood transience. Mood transience drives the likelihood of mood regulation through the consumption of products with mood-lifting capabilities. Willingness to pay serves as the dependent variable, in contrast with mood research that has focused almost entirely on nonmonetary forms of consumer behavior. Greater willingness to pay variance in bad moods, compared with good moods, offers evidence of the opposing effects of mood congruence and regulation.     

Beyond Organizational Innovation Adoption – a Conceptual and Empirical Analysis

The purpose of this study is to conduct a conceptual and empirical analysis of the research on the organizational adoption of innovations. The empirical part consists of three cases. On the basis of the results, we could question and criticize the dominant single-choice operationalization of organizational adoption and argue for a more process-like approach.     

Heterogeneous Distributions of Firms Sustained by Innovation Dynamics—A Model with Empirical Illustrations and Analysis

This paper develops a framework of innovation dynamics to appreciate observed heterogeneity of firm size distributions, in which dynamics refer to exit and entry of product varieties and variety markets of individual firms. The analysis is based on a model of variety-triplets where every such triplet in the economy is identified by a unique combination of a variety, destination and firm. New variety triplets are introduced by innovating firms in a quasi-temporal setting of monopolistic competition. Ideas for variety-triplets arrive to firms according to a firm-specific and state dependent Poisson process, whereas variety triplets exit according to a destination-specific Poisson process. The empirical analysis employs a detailed firm-level data base which provides information about all variety triplets. Firm size is measured by a firm??s number of variety triplets. The empirical results are compatible with the model predictions of (i) a persistent distribution of firm sizes, (ii) frequent events of exit and entry, and (iii) state dependent entry, where a state may be given by each firm??s composition of triplets and/or other firm attributes.     

Who Gains From Nominal Devaluation? An Empirical Assessment of Euro‐area Exports and Imports

In early 2013, rumours about the euro‐appreciation gained momentum, which may lead to decreases in exports and increases in imports of the member states. Therefore, we investigate the impact of changes in the nominal euro exchange rate vis‐à‐vis major currencies on export and import performance of nine different euro‐area countries. To disentangle the ‘true’ equilibrium elasticities Stein's unbiased risk estimate (SURE) system error correction models (SSECM) are estimated for nominal exchange rate changes versus the rest of the world or other major currencies. To differentiate between price level changes and changes of the nominal exchange rate, a country's export and import equation is estimated using separately the nominal rate and the relative price/unit labour cost as regressors. Results of Wald tests indicate that assuming both variables to have the same influence on exports and imports is misleading. Whether the relative price/unit labour costs elasticities are high or low depends crucially on which indicator is chosen, while the effect of nominal exchange rate changes can be estimated robustly for all countries in the sample. In particular, France and Spain are hit by a euro‐appreciation since their exports are highly exchange rate elastic. However, for France, this effect is at least partly offset by an also negative exchange rate elasticity of imports.     

Excellence in Canada: Healthy Organizations – Achieve Results by Acting Responsibly

There is much public focus in North America today on issues of corporate governance and ethics due mainly to the malpractice of several high profile corporate leaders and the negative impact of this on their corporation's stakeholders, employees and communities. This has caused a crisis of trust in the public and lead to much discussion on ways to prevent such unethical behavior by adopting new approaches through legislation and the structure of corporations. This article is not about introducing a new approach to corporate ethics and governance as there is much change already taking place. The National Quality Institute (NQI) in Canada offers a demonstrated and proven way, through the application of the Excellence Frameworks, of providing for good corporate guidance and ethical leadership practices. Organizations, which adopt a strategic focus on Excellence, attain great results and become healthy organizations, as their leaders understand the dynamic relationship and the balance that exists between employees, customers, and stakeholders. These organizations build trust by acting responsibly. NQI works with many organizations in Canada that have a strategic leadership focus on organizational excellence utilizing the criteria in the NQI Canadian Excellence Frameworks for Quality and for Healthy Workplace. Organizations that take an integrated approach to Excellence also perform well in such areas as corporate social responsibility, employee health and customer satisfaction. This article has specific references to three organizations that have achieved Canada's prime recognition the Canada Awards for Excellence (CAE).     

Advertising and Steiner’s Dual Stage Model: Our Assessment

Between 1967 and 1979, we produced a number of studies that explored different facets of the economics of advertising. This work culminated in our 1974 book entitled Advertising and Market Power. Our leading hypothesis was that heavy advertising expenditures often but not always had anti‐competitive effects. And our primary empirical evidence in support of this hypothesis was that industries with heavy advertising expenditures also reported higher profit rates, which we interpreted as indicating that higher prices followed when manufacturers can effectively spend large amounts on advertising. Since that time, Robert Steiner has developed a model of firm behaviour for consumer goods industries. He finds that distribution margins are generally higher where manufacturer prices are lower. Furthermore, heavy manufacturer advertising is likely to depress distribution margins for heavily advertised products. While our earlier work implicitly assumed that distribution margins are generally the same regardless of the volume of advertising, Steiner’s results raise doubt on this assumption. Steiner’s model must therefore be acknowledged when interpreting our earlier findings.     

Understanding and Application of “Sufficient Disclosure“ in Patent Invalidation Proceedings

This article represents an effort to explore the issue of how to understand “sufficient disclosure“.……     

Cultural determinants of alliance management capability – an analysis of Japanese MNCs in India

This study examines the role of national and organizational culture in alliance management in the context of three prominent joint ventures between India and Japan, which reached diverse alliance outcomes. It uses the case study method as a tool for an initial rich exploratory analysis (Yin 2013) of alliance management capabilities that may later be tested on a larger dataset. The study finds that national and organizational culture is both important factors of alliance management capability. It highlights the specific role of trust, consensus in decision-making, communication and relationship building as key constituents of alliance management capability. This paper thus contributes to an important strand of literature on alliance management in the context of two important Asian players from the developed and emerging markets. Its focus on cultural factors as determinants of alliance management helps to establish a managerial blueprint leading to positive alliance outcomes for such ventures in future and to establish a roadmap for increased interaction between India and Japan.