An Extreme Value Approach to Test the Effect of Price Limits on Volatility

Many stock exchanges around the world enforcing daily price limits on the amount asset prices can change to prevent the market from overreacting and to reduce volatility. Price limits are artificial boundaries set by market regulators who restrict price changes of a stock to a pre-specified range during a trading day or a single trading session. The primary aim of price limit rules is to stabilize the markets during panic trading, to moderate vitality by repressing excessive speculation, and to allow stocks to be traded at prices close to their fair value. However, their impact on the market is a somewhat unresolved issue （Harris, 1998）. Using a methodology of comparing volatility based on the extreme value technique, the authors empirically investigate the impact of price limits on the volatility of the Stock Exchange of Thailand. The empirical results support price limits advocates, suggesting that price limits rules moderate stock price volatility.     

The Opportunity for Convergence of SYSCOHADA towards IFRS Standards:An Effect of Coercitive and Mimetic Isomorphism

The last few years have been marked by the increase in power of IFRS international accounting standards.From the full or partial adoption to the gradual convergence,many countries have displayed a strong preference for these standards.Meanwhile,the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards(IFRS standard)in the context of developing countries is not trivial.We are witnessing an unprecedented clash between the authors who support the interest of these standards for developing countries,and those who conversely demonstrate that these norms are not well adapted to the context of those countries.Falling within this problematic,this thesis analyses the issues and determinants of the convergence of the Organisation pour l’Harmonisation en Afrique du Droit des Affaires(OHADA)accounting system towards IFRS international accounting standards in view of the reforms introduced by the last revision.From a sample of 10 companies,among which two local firms,two international firms,three publicly traded companies,and three not listed other companies,we show that the current convergence towards international accounting standards follows an effect of coercitive and mimetic isomorphism.In so doing,the timely implementation of these standards in the context of Cameroon is contingent with a number of structural and environmental factors that call their pertinence into question.     

Death of a Salesman and the Disillusionment of American Dream

The play is centered on one man trying to reach the American dream and taking his family along for the ride.The Loman’s lives from beginning to end are a troubling story based on trying to become successful,or at least happy.Throughout their lives they encounter many problems and the result is a tragic death caused by stupidity and the need to success.This play takes issue with those in America who place too much stress upon material gain,at the expense of other,more admirable human values.In this play,there is also a more general criticism of American values.In addition,this undue concern over material success breaks down the bonds between men that form the basis for a smooth-functioning society.The play addresses the painful conflicts within one family,but it also tackles larger issues regarding American national values,also examines the cost of blind faith in American Dream.The process of the character’s defeat was actually the course disillusionment of their American Dreams,aiming to reveal the American people’s dilemma of existence and the root causes of the tragedy.     

The Voluntary Continuation in the Obligatory System of the Social Security Law

The system of obligatory insurance, regulated by the Social Security Law, includes the design of a mixed system, which allows workers to continue contributing to the social security. This mixed system, called voluntary continuation in the obligatory system, contemplates the option for workers who have concluded a work relationship and who wish to continue accumulating weekly contributions necessary to obtain the disability and life insurance rights, such as those of dismissal in old age, and are considered in the Social Security Act of 1973.     

The Impact of the Environment Management Act （EMA） on the Accountability of Companies in Fiji

This study seeks to explore the impact of the Environment Management Act （EMA） （2005） on the accountability of three companies in Fiji. The study uses a multi-case study approach based on three subsidiaries of a conglomerate. Data collection methods include semi-structured interviews with accountants, internal auditors, and environmental officers, document reviews, and content analysis of annual reports and websites of the respective companies. The findings suggest that the EMA （2005） had some effects in terms of engendering accountability on the companies studied. Further evidence suggests that while this increased accountability has led to disclosures in annual reports and websites, these disclosures are minimal at best; furthermore, they primarily address that the stakeholder group comprised government regulatory authorities. The study provides policy implications on how environmental legislations could be designed to improve the accountability of commercial entities in developing economies. The experience and issues highlighted are also useful to other developing economies who are contemplating in developing their own environmental legislations. This paper is one of the few papers that explore the impact of environmental legislations on accountability in a developing economy context.     

How selected primary schools in rural New Zealand manage their financial resources of limited government funding in order to effectively meet their schools objectives

This study evaluates the extent to which primary schools in a region of New Zealand are challenged by limited funds to enable the effective management and performance of their school. The study involved interviews with school principals and analysis of their schools＇ financial statements. The aim of this project is to gain a current understanding of the issues and challenges facing primary schools in a defined region （Waikato） to see whether the trends identified in national research studies, confirms the problem that schools are underfunded. The results of the current study identified the issues experienced by the Waikato schools and in most cases supported previous research findings. The findings of the current study also suggest that schools share the dilemmas associated with limited government funding and rely significantly on local funding sources to achieve their basic objectives. Although schools may be effective in the management of their school objectives, there is more government funding required to relieve the pressures and challenges.     

润肠泻下脾约丸

<正>“金井梧桐秋叶黄,珠帘不卷夜来霜。”秋季,干燥的天气容易影响人体输布津液功能,使胃肠燥热,脾被约束,形成大便不畅或便秘,中医称之为“脾约”。’’Autumn leaves of the sycamore next to the golden well are yellow Autumn yellow and frost flies into the room at at night because the curtains are not rolled upup’’. In the fall, the dry weather easily affects the body’s.ability to transmit fluids and makes the stomach and intestines hot and dry. As a result, the spleen was restrained to work so there will be constipation, which is called was restrained to work so th...     

Do foreign companies earn more and distribute more than domestic companies in India？

There is a prevalent opinion in the corporate arena that the foreign companies are earning more but are less concerned with reinvesting their earnings in the foreign countries in which they operate and are more concerned in profit appropriations for quick repatriation of their investments by way of declaring high dividend payments. As compared to the foreign companies, domestic companies in India are relatively more concerned for reinvesting their profits and help to trigger the capital accumulation and industrial growth. This practice of comparatively paying higher dividend by foreign companies in India, if proved, supports the view that foreign companies are least concerned with the industrial growth of the country in which they operate. Hence the analyses of the dividend payments and the retained earnings of foreign and domestic firms assume economic importance. Considering the above hypothesis and the importance of the study, this paper made an attempt to empirically test the opinion and bring out any significant differences in the profitability and dividend payments between the two groups often pharmaceutical companies operating in India for the period of last 20 years.     

The IAS/IFRS application on the intangible assets of non-listed companies

With the introduction of IFRS （International Financial Reporting Standards） most of the intangibles are expensed on the income statement and hence they ＂disappear＂ from the balance sheet, while investments in tangible assets are capitalized. Based on a sample of 128 firms, made up of 99 SMEs （Small and Medium Enterprises） and 29 large firms, and through a simulation of IAS （International Accounting Standards） transition, the authors＇ study finds that IAS 38 reduces the amount of intangible assets recognized on the balance sheet of SMEs, while large firms do not appear to experience such large reductions in their intangible assets. The differential effect of IAS 38 on SMEs and large firms can be explained by the different growth strategies of these firm types. SMEs largely depend on internal paths of growth and intangibles assets that typically arise from internal growth strategies are eliminated from the balance sheet under IAS 38. Larger firms are less exposed to such reductions in their intangibles assets, because they mostly follow external paths of growth and the treatment of those intangible assets that typically arise from external growth strategies requires the impairment test.     

Determinants of international joint venture performance measurement： A theoretical framework

International joint ventures （IJVs） have increasingly their role in business world and also in research field of international business. There have been a lot of studies related to determinant factors of IJV performance. However, there are very few studies focusing on the measurement of I Jr performance. Especially, researchers have ignored how foreign parent firms really choose their measures in the evaluation of their IJV performance. This research investigates determinant factors of performance measures of 1JVs. Determinant factors of IJV performance measures include motives for establishment, establishment mode, location of IJVs, distribution of ownership in IJVs, cultural background of parent firms, and trust between partners, IJV life stages, parent firms＇ international experience, and relatedness of the IJVs to their parents. Performance measures are divided into financial measures and non-financial measures. The paper shows how different determinant factors are expected to lead foreign parent firms preferring one kind of measure over the other.     

Assumptions Regarding the Development of Selected Europe 2020 Objectives in Terms of Public Finances in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic

This paper uses regression analysis and econometric modeling foundations to track public expenditures in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic （Fejesova, 2011） and their influences on the development of the following two targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy： to increase the employment of the selected population groups to a predetermined percentage level and to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty. In addition to the selection of monitored indicators, we included other indicators from the social sphere, which are funded by mandatory national public expenditure budgets and which are expected to have a positive development in terms of improving the demographic structure of the country--the unemployment rate and the number of live births.     

Wealth Expectations Among Lebanese Youth： The Case for Lebanese Higher Education Students

This research provides a survey of literature that contextualizes the research＇s aim of examining factors impacting students＇ aspirations and wealth expectations in Lebanon. To highlight Lebanese higher education students＇ youth＇s expectations of their future wealth, one should understand the four main factors that affect youth＇s hopes and aspirations： social, financial, cultural, and educational. Questionnaires are used to identify and assess how young individuals perceive their future wealth expectations. The developed surveys provide useful and reliable data to analyze the effects of many factors on wealth expectations and outcomes for youth. The collected information is of particular importance for identifying and assessing how factors shape wealth expectations and outcomes for youth. The samples used in this research analysis are restricted to college students only. The research findings shed light on the most crucial variables/factors that should be studied and analyzed. Once these factors are pinpointed and explained, a clear idea about higher education students＇ wealth expectations is formed. Short- and long-term expectations are taken into consideration and evaluated to formulate a basic idea about Lebanese youth.     

Does the reputation matter？ Corporate reputation and earnings quality

Good corporate reputations are critical not only because of the potential for value creation, but also because their intangible character makes replication by competing firms considerably more difficult. This paper tests the relationship between the reputation and the earnings quality. Through a partial correlation test and a regression test, I do find the evidence that the reputation is not only positively correlated with superior earnings quality, but also does have positive effect on superior earnings quality, as well as the superior total sales do in Chinese public companies.     

A Study of the Factors Affecting Choice of the Accounting Profession

An accounting professional is called a ＂Certified Public Accountant Financial Advisor （CPAFA）＂ in Turkey and the profession has a notable status in the country. Individuals choosing this profession have to complete a minimum 3-year internship program before becoming members of this profession. They have to pass an exam both to start and finish the internship program. The profession and the reasons for choosing it are highly significant issues. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the factors directing the professional choices of prospective individuals who wish to be CPAFAs and the significance of such factors. Along with these objectives, a nation-wide study was conducted on candidates who took the CPAFA internship exam in periods of 2012-3, 2013-1, and 2013-2 （three periods）. The factors affecting candidates＇ choices to be an accountant professional were gathered under five groups. The factors ＂influence of immediate surroundings＂, ＂prestigious social status of the profession＂, ＂high life-long income potential＂, ＂flexible working hours＂, and ＂future guarantee of the profession＂ had higher factor loadings than other factors.     

Positional statement of companies＇ corporate governance rating reports： Evidence from Turkey

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development （OECD） defines corporate governance as, ＂the way in which boards oversee the running of a company by its managers, and how board members are in turn accountable to shareholders and the company.＂ In recent years the issue of corporate governance and committees related to it and their impacts on corporate performance have continued to gain widespread prominence in the capital market economy. Corporate Governance Rating is meant to indicate the relative level to which an organisation accepts and follows the codes and guidelines of corporate governance practices. The purpose of the paper is to examine the rating reports of 27 companies which have obtained the corporate governance rating by rating agencies. The study highlights that the ＂stakeholders＂ sections of the reports are the most powerful part of the reports whereas the ＂board of directors＂ sections are the weakest. Potential areas for improvements are also identified.     

Quality of Financial Statements and Tenure of Statement-Related Personnel

This study investigates the association between quality of financial statements and tenure of statement-related personnel. First, we examined whether there is still a significant association between financial statement quality and the tenure of audit partners who are responsible for the quality assurance of financial statements after the implementation of mandatory audit partner rotation. We addressed this issue by using a sample of Taiwanese companies, with which no significant association between audit partner tenure and the magnitude of discretionary accruals （DA）, a common proxy for financial statement quality, was found. Second, we investigated whether an association exists between the financial statement quality and the tenure of management who is responsible for the preparation of financial statements. We also addressed this issue by using Taiwanese data and found a significant association between management tenure （MT） and the magnitude of DA. Our findings provide evidence that audit partner tenure would neither improve nor deteriorate the quality assurance of a financial statement, when there is a mandatory audit partner rotation after a fixed period of time. Whereas how MT affects financial statement quality after the enactment of the mandatory audit partner rotation is dependent on the management position. Increasing tenure of chief executive officer （CEO） and chief financial officer （CFO） will enhance and hinder financial statement quality respectively. In the end, we found a significant interaction of tenure between auditor and CFO. This result implies that the downward bias of CFO on the financial statement preparation can be mitigated by auditors with increasing tenure.     

Economic Cost-Effectiveness of the Implementation of the Quality Standard ISO 9001 in the Health Sector

The quality standard ISO 9001 helps and enables organizations, regardless of the sector where they exist, to implement the quality management properly. Recent years have attracted attention to the possibilities of implementing this standard in the health sector and the economic viability of that long-term investment. Health care organizations are recognizing the value system that combines all the criteria for managing quality, including management of business, compliance and management of procedural steps, and most importantly, the total quality management. In general, the implementation of ISO 9001：2008 standard for quality in health care institutions is seen as an opportunity to improve the quality of health care, and the entire process is to be completed by reducing costs and improving services in the sector. The implementation of a quality standard is directed towards patients, medical staff, and management in order to achieve reduction and complete relief from the pain, correct and professional services, conducted services with an appropriate skilled and professional care to obtain results that are comparable to known standards, and protection services with appropriate insurance policies, and the management expects the implementation of a quality system to justify and return their investments. The methods used in this paper are based on the quality standard ISO 9001：2008--Quality Management System and the Guidelines for Improving Performance, developed based on ISO 9004：2000： Quality Management System-43uidelines for Continuous Improvement. These guidelines contain a big part of the text in ISO 9004：2000, but they are supplemented with specific guidelines for their implementation in the health sector. The implementation of the system and monitoring guidelines evidently contributes to the overall resolution and closure of problems in over 50% of cases. This not only results in saving money for the institution, but it also globally leads to reduced variations in the healing process. Expected benefits     

Factors Determining the Development of Non-cash Payments in Rural Areas in Poland

This article aims at characterization and assessment of the financial behaviors of rural dwellers on non-cash payment markets and identification of factors determining the intensity of using individual methods of payment by the inhabitants of rural areas. The main source of data used for analysis and inference was information originating from the authors＇ own investigations conducted in 2013 on a group of 500 rural households and on a group of 150 trade and service points operating in non-urbanized areas. This work made use of statistical summary measures and Z2 independence test. According to the results of the conducted studies, forms of payment used by rural dwellers depend on many variables, of demographic, economic, and psychological character. Cash payments are more frequently used by persons possessing vocational or secondary education, elderly people, old-age pensioners, annuitants, or households with lower incomes. Also, persons who do not trust financial institutions or do not perceive benefits resulting from the use of non-cash instruments prefer cash. It is a group of households which require urgent educational activities in the area of non-cash payment instruments. A significant barrier to using non-cash payment instruments by rural dwellers was a limited access to non-cash channels. It is connected in the first place with a poorer development of financial infrastructure in rural areas （banks or cash points）, insufficient Internet access conditioning a possibility to use electronic banking points, and also a worse development of credit card acceptance network. As has been demonstrated by the results of conducted studies, the main reason for a lack of point of sale （POS） terminals in retail and service-providing points operating in rural areas, in the opinion of their owners, is the very high interchange fee （50% indications）, which under Polish conditions is one of the highest in the European Union （EU）.     

Do Company Directors Underestimate the Adoption of Corporate Governance Provisions？ A Survey Approach

This paper examines whether company directors underestimate the adoption of corporate governance provisions within Ghanaian listed firms. Using a survey approach, the respondents, who were company executives and non-executive directors with knowledge of the Ghanaian Code and its provisions, regard the code as a benchmark for good corporate governance practices within Ghanaian listed firms. They also report some improvement in the standard of corporate governance in their companies since the introduction of the Code. Many of the company directors indicated their preparedness to comply with further corporate governance requirements, such as the adoption of a formal nomination committee something not been currently included in the Ghanaian Code. However, the directors noted that they receive inadequate support from the regulatory and institutional bodies for the implementation of the Ghanaian Code provisions. Many of the directors also supported the review of the Ghanaian Code by an independent committee. With regard to the adoption of the Ghanaian Code and its influence on firm performance, the respondents indicated that the adoption of the specific governance provisions in the area of chief executive officer （CEO）/chairman roles separation, having a balance of executive and non-executive directors on the board, the establishment of audit and remuneration committees, and the full adoption of the Ghanaian Code provisions were all influential in determining firm performance. They, however, did not support the adoption of the board size provision as influential to firm performance. This raises questions about the usefulness of the range of board size as recommended by the Ghanaian Code.     

European Insurance Markets＇ Size and Trends in Regulatory Environment in the Context of Its Complexity

In today＇s globalized world, regulatory issues are heatedly debated, and experts can be divided into two groups based on their attitudes towards these issues. In the first group, representatives are in favor of stricter regulation, and representatives of the second group are in favor of removing legislative barriers in the markets of financial services. An important objective of the European Commission in recent years is to integrate the individual segments of the financial services into a whole so as to ensure the proper functioning of the whole to satisfy all the member states. The aim of this paper is to show the complexity of the regulatory environment, to point out the large number of institutions that cooperate in the creation of legislative measures, and also to highlight the different approaches to regulation in individual member countries and these issues do not ease the situation.