Do Not‐For‐Profits Need Their Own Conceptual Framework?

This paper raises the issue of whether not‐for‐profit (NFP) oganisations require a conceptual framework that acknowledges their mission imperative and enables them to discharge their broader accountability. Relying on publicly available documentation and literature, it suggests the current Conceptual Frameworks for the for‐profit and public sectors are inadequate in meeting the accountability needs of NFPs. A NFP‐specific conceptual framework would allow the demonstration of broader NFP‐specific accountability and the formulation of NFP‐appropriate reporting practice, including the provision of financial and non‐financial reporting. The paper thus theoretically challenges existing financial reporting arrangements and invites debate on their future direction.     

Nanotechnology as general-purpose technology: empirical evidence and implications

Developments in nanotechnology are poised to have a pervasive effect on various industries for years to come and nanotechnology management research is beginning to appear in peer-reviewed management journals. Much of the research on this early, emergent technology is focused on issues of definition and identification of technology type. In this study, we searched the US Patents and Trademarks Office database and used an expert validation methodology to develop a sample of the first 25 years (1980–2004) of nanotechnology patenting activity. We analysed this data for early evidence that nanotechnology is a general-purpose technology (GPT) – a transformative technology characterised by its pervasiveness, improvement over time, and pattern of diffusion. Our findings indicate that nanotechnology patenting activity has been growing in intensity and relative to overall patenting activity, and that it is pervasive across industry and technology sectors. Implications of nanotechnology as a GPT are discussed.     

La Gouvernance Mutualiste Comme Levier de ContrÔle: Le Cas D'une Banque

Il est courant de mettre en doute la réalité du pouvoir des sociétaires élus dans les organes de gouvernance des banques coopératives. Plus encore, lorsqu'il s'agit d'analyser les mandats des élus de caisse locale. Notre recherche a pour objectif d'analyser plus finement les termes de leur engagement. Les résultats de notre étude de cas, montrent que les élus participent à différents leviers de contrôle. Cette participation contribue à canaliser l'action des dirigeants et des cadres intermédiaires.     

DOES BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT MATTER TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MARKET ORIENTATION?

Developing a market orientation is one of the key issues in market‐orientation research. In this study, based on a survey of top managers from 143 Chinese hotels and 72 travel services—two tourism sectors with distinctly different business environments—we explore the effects of environmental conditions on the development of market orientation. In particular we examine whether environmental conditions have a direct impact on the level of market orientation or whether they moderate the relationship between market orientation and its antecedents. We find that the effectiveness of top management emphasis varies under different environmental conditions but that the impact of other antecedents is not influenced by environmental conditions.     

The Effect of State Corporate Income Tax Rate Cuts on Job Creation

This paper compares the employment growth of states that enacted corporate income tax rate cuts in the past 23 years with those making no changes. Overall employment comparisons from 1990 to 2012 suggest that a reduction in the corporate income tax rate is associated with faster job creation. The states that cut corporate income tax rates started with slower employment growth than the states that made no changes. However, the growth gaps between the two groups of states disappeared in about five years after the tax cuts were made. Regression results confirm the observation that lower corporate tax rates have a significant and positive effect on employment growth. The enactment of a tax rate cut also has the additional but temporary benefit of promoting job creation as businesses adjust to the new tax rate. However, this benefit is temporary and only occurs during first year of the enactment of a tax cut.     

The performance of international returnee ventures: the role of networking capability and the usefulness of international business knowledge

This paper sheds light on the international new ventures led by returnee entrepreneurs and investigates the influence of networking capability and the usefulness of international knowledge for the overall performance of so-called international returnee ventures (IRVs). By integrating network theory with a capability view of firm performance, it advances six hypotheses that form a structural model, which is tested with LISREL on a sample of 194 IRVs from China. The findings show that international networking capability has a positive influence on the provision of international business knowledge, which in turn is positively related to the innovation performance, but they have a negative impact on the financial performance. Hence, this study presents a discussion of the usefulness of knowledge gained from the international network relationships of emerging market returnee entrepreneurs.     

The effect of accounting question response formats on student performance

The purpose of the research is to examine the effect of different response formats on student performance on introductory accounting exam questions. The study analyzes 1104 accounting students’ responses to quantitative questions presented in two formats: multiple-choice and fill-in. Findings indicate that response format impacts student performance on most of the questions, in favor of the multiple-choice. A second goal is to discover how effectively wrong-answer options in multiple-choice questions capture students’ actual incorrect thinking. Analyses of the fill-in questions showed students wrote in a wide array of incorrect answers, many of which would not have been offered as multiple-choice distracters. Answers filled in were often based on misguided logic that test question authors might never have anticipated. Students’ incorrect reasoning on quantitative fill-in questions can inform instructors on how to proactively address student misconceptions and write more effective multiple-choice items.