从印度洋海啸看危机预警体系建设的必要性

危机预警是危机管理的最关键环节,印度洋海啸启示人们加强危机预警体系建设:树立危机意识;保证信息渠道畅通;注重传媒作用,设置危机管理协调机构,开展模拟训练。加强危机预警机制的建设有利于减少危机对人民生命财产的安全。     

Indian ocean rim trade bloc: Prospects and problems

This article advances the view that regional integration among ten nations along the Indian Ocean rim will have positive economic and political consequences for all the members. Emergence of this geographically large area with one-fourth of the human population will be good for financial markets and the global economy as well. Planned regional arrangements will offer major benefits to outsiders, for example, Gulf countries, by stimulating growth and enhancing market forces. Traditional enmity between India and Pakistan, however, and the economic and political adjustments that South Africa is undergoing after the first free election may prevent cooperation in the region, not to mention the fact that the area has deep economic problems with mass poverty and low per capita incomes. Problems aside, there are hopeful signs, both economic and political, that encourage the Indian Ocean rim nations to seriously consider establishing a regional trade bloc. For example, a substantial middle class is emerging in the area. Industrialization is slowly progressing, challenging the dominance of the agricultural sector. India, however, will have to take the initiative in the matter. The size of her economy and her pre-eminence as a regional political force equip India to play the key role in the establishment of a regional agreement in the area.     

Does empathy matter in corporate social responsibility? Evidence from emerging markets

This paper explores how cross-country differences in empathy can explain variations in corporate social responsibility (CSR). We show that empathy is positively associated with overall CSR, as well as with its social and environmental components. Our results are robust to using the two components of empathy, empathic concern and perspective taking. Our findings are further corroborated by evidence from a quasi-natural experiment based on the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. We find that during the year of the disaster and the following year, firms located in countries with high levels of empathy donated more money than firms located in countries with less empathy.     

Exploring quality perceptions of health care operations: a study of public hospitals of Mauritius

Patient care has become increasingly important in the health care environment of Mauritius. Patients' satisfaction and their expectations of health care are valid indicators of quality health care. The present paper reports the results of a survey of patient satisfaction with heath care, administered by face-to-face interview to 300 in-patient adults discharged from five main regional hospitals based in Mauritius. It examines the predictors and level of patients' satisfaction across the five regional hospitals of Mauritius. In this study, a modified version of HEALTHQUAL scale was used for determining patient satisfaction with health care in the regional public hospitals. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to understand the relationships among patients' perceptions of in-patient services and their overall perceptions of health care quality, and also satisfaction with their care and willingness to return or recommend the same hospital's services to others. The dimensions labelled as "Patients' perceptions of ward/hospital environment" and "Patients' perceptions of medical and nursing staff" served a significant impact on nearly all measures of patient satisfaction in the regional public hospitals of Mauritius.     

Mauritius Financial System Stress Index: Estimating the Costs of the Subprime Crisis

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to develop a FSSI model for the Mauritius based on 11 components which reflect the core characteristics of Mauritius. Findings show that Mauritius had been affected by the crisis with the costs hovering around 3.4 to 5.4%. Latent risks are identified under public debt sustainability, tourist arrivals and earnings, central bank equity, quality of balance of payments sustainability, trade finance, net foreign investments on the stock market and future GDP growth paths in Europe and USA. Evidence is found of an impotent interest rate channel, a robust credit channel and a vibrant exchange rate channel. Banks’ profitability structure is found to be crisis-immune following a maintained interest rate spread at 7% despite a decline in the TED spread. The authorities should concentrate on tourism and credit channels while curtailing the interest rate spread to reinvigorate the interest rate transmission channel.     

Trade protection and tax evasion: Evidence from Kenya,Mauritius, and Nigeria

We examine the effect of trade protection rates on evasion in three African countries Kenya, Mauritius, and Nigeria. In capturing the effect of trade protection on tariff evasion, we use a much improved measure of trade protection (MAcMap-HS6 2001 and 2004). For two of these countries, this dataset allows the novelty of using variation in trade protection across product, time, and trading partners leading to significantly refined estimates of evasion elasticity relative to existing studies on tariff evasion. We find a robust evidence for positive elasticity of evasion with respect to tariffs in Kenya and Nigeria with relatively weaker evidence for Mauritius. Our results match the rankings of countries in institutional quality. Greater responsiveness of evasion to the level of tariffs is established in Nigeria (comparatively weak institutional quality) vis-à-vis Kenya, and in Kenya vis-à-vis Mauritius (comparatively good institutional quality). This pattern is preserved even when focusing on same set of trading partners and same set of imported products for the three countries. This result is robust to controlling for protection on related products (that creates incentives/ opportunities for evasion) and also for degree of differentiation of the product and some other characteristics.     

Ethical decision–making in business: focus on Mauritius

This paper explores management attitudes towards ethical issues in an attempt to shed some light on the determinants of ethical issue intensity in the context of business. A sample of business executives in Mauritius was surveyed in order to establish their ethical perceptions when exposed to potentially questionable business practices. The findings demonstrated the significant influence of factors associated with moral deliberations on strategies for ethical decision–making as compared with the impact of company policy and legal requirements. Participants revealed that, irrespective of codes of conduct, personal ethics predominate when it comes to making ethical choices. Some view the behaviour of management as a key determinant of ethical conduct. This trend differs from predictions in the literature. To date, research conducted in the developed world shows that employee perception of ethics of their superiors is a stronger predictor of behaviour than employees' personal ethical beliefs. This article focuses on Mauritius as an emerging economy, and looks at potential strategies for ethical decision–making, where business people do not necessarily operate under a specific code of conduct.     

Access to Financing as a Barrier to Trade: Evidence From Mauritius

Access to credit is essential for the development and growth of firms. For a small open economy like Mauritius, the ability of firms to enter export markets is essential for their growth and development, given that the size of the local market is quite limited. To increase sales and profitability, firms have to export. However, there are several costs that are involved when firms enter an export market. In many cases, finance becomes an essential factor that influences firms’ ability to export. These authors investigate whether the main constraint that firms in Mauritius face is access to finance and try to understand how firms overcome financial barriers. Given the limitations of existing methods to estimate financing constraints directly from firm-level accounting data, the results based on survey data are an important contribution in improving understanding of firms’ financing obstacles to exporting and how they overcome these barriers.     

Board Composition and Financial Performance: Uncovering the Effects of Diversity in an Emerging Economy

We examine the key elements of board diversity (or heterogeneity) amongst listed companies operating in an emerging economy (Mauritius) and the extent to which these influence financial performance. Specifically, we ask whether there is evidence of tangible benefits in pursuing a strategy of board diversity in terms of gender-, age-, educational background and independence in a corporate context which has long been dominated by family-led and ‘closed’ boardrooms. In light of recent corporate governance developments which appear to foster greater diversity, we examine data from the 2007 annual reports of all 42 companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius. We find that (i) women remain poorly represented on boards (ii) there is a relatively satisfactory level of heterogeneity in terms of educational background, age and independence in relation to developed countries. We also find significant regression coefficients for all four variables in terms of their impact on short-term performance. However, these relationships are characterised by both negative and positive impacts thereby leading to discussions on the validity of a strict heterogeneous or homogeneous board composition in the context of a developing economy.     

A Longitudinal Study of Corporate Social Disclosures in a Developing Economy

This article examines corporate social disclosures (CSD) in an African developing economy (Mauritius) as provided in the annual reports of listed companies from 2004 to 2007. Informed by the country’s social, political and economic context and legitimacy theory, we hypothesise that the extent and variety of CSD themes (social, ethics, environment and health and safety) will be enhanced post-2004 and will be influenced by profitability, size, leverage and industry affiliation. We find a significant increase in the volume and variety of CSD, although information in relation to social activities remains the most prominent form of disclosure. This is in contrast to previous studies which reported on the primacy of employee disclosures in developing countries. Using a pooled regression analysis, we also observe that size does explain variations in overall CSD and social disclosures, whilst leverage is positively related to changes in environmental and health and safety disclosures. There is no profitability relationship, and the effects of industry affiliation on CSD are non-significant or contrary to expectations. Overall, we assert that legitimacy, as a strategic and managerially driven approach favouring symbolic actions, is the prevailing motivation underlying the progression of CSD in Mauritius.     

A Critical Assessment of Basel III and its Implications on the Mauritian Banking Sector

This paper probes into the application of Basel III in Mauritius. Findings show that although Mauritian banks are well-capitalized and carry excess liquidity, they will have to restructure their balance sheets by incorporating highly liquid assets such as government securities. While Basel III will foster greater financial stability, this will translate into lower supply of credit, higher cost of credit and lower returns with potential strains on SME lending. Similarly, Bank of Mauritius’s ability to control credit growth will be hindered because banks’ existing leverage ratios are already higher than the stipulated minimum leverage ratio of 3%. To harness the full benefits of the reforms, additional measures tailored to the specificities of the Mauritian economy will be needed. Other challenges prevail like establishing robust data management, risk methodologies, reporting systems and IT architecture as well as identifying the timing and the size of the Countercyclical Capital Buffer. Local banks anticipate Basel IV in the coming years as a refined tool.     

Access to Financing in a Small Island Economy: Evidence From Mauritius

This relationship between access to financing and firm characteristics was studied. The authors used data from a survey of small and medium-sized enterprises from Mauritius, an island economy that is part of the sub-Saharan African continent. They examined the factors that affect the ability of firms to gain access to financing. Using the principal component analysis, the authors group variables affecting access to financing in four main components including working capital constraint, the external constraint, the size constraint, and the age constraint. The authors show that these components are important factors that influence the ability of firms to gain access to financing.     

浅析项目管理中全面造价的重要性

中国海洋大学是由山东海洋学院发展而采的.中国海洋大学是一所以海洋和水产学科为特色,包括理学、工学、农学、医(药)学、经济学、管理学、文学、法学、教育学、历史学等学科门类较为齐全的重点综合性教育部直属高校,是国家"985工程"和"211工程"重点建设高校之一.本文就全面造价管理在项目管理中的重要性进行论述.     

Indian food in the UK: personal values and changing patterns of consumption

This qualitative study examined the consumption of Indian foods among groups of English and Indian people living in the UK. Both convenience and freshly made Indian foods were included in the research. The aim was to explore attitudes (based on ethnicity) towards, and the consumption of, Indian foods. The means–end model and laddering methodology were used in interviews with 24 respondents, 12 from each group (English and Indians). The personal values ‘social life’, ‘health’, ‘adventure’, ‘enjoyment’ and ‘savings’ were found to be the most important for English respondents whereas ‘enjoyment’, ‘good life’, ‘health’, ‘religion’ and ‘culture’ were the most desirable value ends for Indians. The results provide an insight into English and Indian peoples’ perceptions of Indian food that can be used in promotion and marketing positioning of branded Indian foods, sauces and accompaniments.     

Corporate social responsibility in emerging economies: Investigating firm behavior in the Indian context

Scholars have questioned the appropriateness of using a western‐centric framework to investigate corporate social responsibility (CSR) in emerging economies. This study assesses the appropriateness of using such a framework in one emerging economy—India. More specifically, the drivers of CSR and their impact on firm‐level CSR activity in the Indian context are investigated and compared with those in developed economies. Content analysis of 369 CSR policy statements of publicly traded Indian firms revealed the factors that drive CSR activities of Indian firms are similar to those found in developed economies. However, the ways firms respond to the drivers of CSR are surprisingly different in the Indian context, and these differences can be traced to attributes of the Indian socio‐cultural context. Implications and recommendations for future research conducted in India, and in other emerging economies, are offered.     

The hidden hand and the license raj to An evaluation of the relationship between age and the growth of firms in India

The study that this article reports on considers the consequences of nationally variable macroinstitutional environments, and the implications of major alterations in such environments, on organizational level behavior and performance. Specifically, it examines the relationship between firm age and growth for a large sample of Indian firms using contemporary data. Firms are classified as falling into three specific categories: those incorporated, or born, prior to 1956; those incorporated between 1956 and 1980; and those incorporated after 1980.Each of these selected periods defines and denotes specific policy regimes affecting Indian industry. These policy regimes have been dictated by the national macroinstitutional environmental considerations that were in existence for the Indian economy. No significant relationship is established between the age variable and growth for firms incorporated prior to 1956, while a negative relationship is established between the age variable and growth for firms incorporated between 1956 and 1980. These were the years when the command and control industrial policy regime, popularly known as the “license raj,” was in operation in India. Conversely, for firms incorporated after 1980 when market forces began to be encouraged, and the “hidden hand” started becoming visible to some degree in the Indian context, the age and growth relationship is established to be positive.The evidence suggests that entrepreneurial behavior is an extremely important feature of contemporary Indian industry. Recent anecdotes about Indian firms, particularly in the information technology sector, suggest that there has been a resurgence of industrial activity in the country. These beliefs are well borne out by the large-scale empirical analysis that this article reports on. The younger Indian firms, those which have not been imprinted by the taints of a command and control regime, are going to drive India's industrial progress forward. The “hidden hand” is alive and well in India.Conversely, older firms, which might seem to possess a stock of capabilities developed over time, are going to find that these are unlikely to be readily deployable in the future. Older firms might have had the attributes that led to corporate success in an environment where rent seeking was the norm. In the present milieu, such abilities are not conducive to corporate progress. In particular, the “license raj” firms have no capability to succeed, as shown by the negative age and growth relationship.Additionally, the relationship between size and the growth of Indian firms is found to be negative. This suggests that a process of industrial fragmentation may be taking place in Indian industry, with small firms growing faster than larger firms and reducing the importance of larger firms in Indian industry. This has important implications for the future competitiveness of Indian industry.     

Liberalization of the financial markets in India

India has launched a major structural adjustment program, with a view to globalization. Since 1991, reforms have been set in motion in all sectors of the economy, resulting in dismantling of bureaucratic controls and infusion of private enterprise and competition. Inflows of foreign capital are being encouraged, while foreign mutual funds have been permitted to trade on the Indian Stock Markets. The streamlining of the Indian economy, which in the medium term has introduced considerable stability, is expected to position India as an important global player in the near future. Vaghul traces the growth and implementation of the reforms as they relate to Indian financial markets.     

Machiavellianism in Indian management

Machiavellianism has tremendous influence on modern business communities, especially in the U.S.A. and European countries. Businessmen today, it is said, prefer to follow the directions of pragmatism and expediency rather than the dictates of individual conscience.In principles and practices, Indian management by and large follows the Western line. Therefore, the question arises whether Machiavellian influences are perceptibly high on Indian managers. This question is more relevant in the light of a few surveys conducted on the ethical attitudes of Indian managers. These identified a clear contrast between their expressed behaviour and wanted attitudes. The present study on the attitudes of managers from the major cities of India concludes that Niccolo Machiavelli inspires and influences Indian managers, but has not become the final determinant in their decision-making.Fr. K. Cyriac is Associate Professor at XLRI Jamshedpur, India, teaching Business Ethics since 1983; has published several articles on related topics in local journals; is a fully trained psychoanalyst, and is a member of the IPA. Currently he is involved in a research on corruption in India and its consequences to business and public life.Mr. Raj Dharmaraj is Assistant Manager, Blowplast, Bombay. He holds a degree in Economics and MBA from XLRI. Business Ethics is a major area of interest in his research and practice.     

Risk management in Indian venture capital and private equity firms: A comparative study

Venture capitalists and private equity funds are often considered experts at investing in high‐risk projects and firms. To be successful investors, venture capitalists and private equity funds must therefore manage the many aspects of risk associated with investing in unlisted small and medium‐sized enterprises. This study examines how Indian venture capital and private equity firms manage several dimensions of risk. We analyze risk management preferences in Indian venture capital and private equity firms. A comparison between Indian and U.K. funds is presented. The results are discussed in detail. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Women in Management in the New Economic Environment: The Case of India

Liberalization of the Indian economy has created considerable employment opportunities for those, including women, who possess marketable skills and talent. Historically, women in India have not enjoyed a good status in workplace settings whether in managerial or operative roles. This traditional positioning of women has restricted the intensity of their efforts towards realizing the benefits of the globalisation process. An attempt has been made in this contribution to highlight the important issues relating to women in management in the Indian context. The messages from a review of the literature are analysed. Research evidence from various sources is presented to highlight the dynamics of developments in the status of Indian women managers. The contribution discusses the main aspects of the historical, socio-cultural and economic factors influencing women managers: issues concerning gender-based stereotypes; the main barriers to women's movement to top managerial positions; the impact of developments in information technology (IT) on women managers; and the way forward. Results from two research projects are also presented. The analysis has important messages for practitioners and contributes to women's studies and management in the Indian context.