HR in the small business enterprise: Assessing the impact of PEO utilization

Within small businesses, organizational leaders are themselves often responsible for the HR function, an area where they typically have limited training and experience. Not surprisingly, small business leaders have raised concerns about the quality of HR programs in their firms and the fact that HR consumes scarce managerial time. While professional employer organizations (PEOs) emerged in response to such concerns, much controversy exists as to whether and how small businesses benefit from PEO utilization. Using a survey of more than 740 small businesses, we examine the relationship between PEO utilization and two key small business outcomes: managerial time required by HR activities and satisfaction with HR outcomes. Our results indicate that firms not using a PEO reported significantly lower levels of satisfaction with HR outcomes than firms that used a PEO for a limited set of transactional services and firms that used a PEO for both transactional and strategic HR services. Among firms using a PEO, satisfaction with HR outcomes was significantly higher among firms that obtained a broader set of transactional and strategic HR services. Firms that used a PEO also reported that HR consumed significantly less managerial time relative to leaders in firms that made no use of a PEO. However, there was no significant difference in the time demanded by HR between firms that used a limited set of transactional services and those that used a broader range of transactional and strategic services. Implications for the role of PEOs and their use within small businesses are discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Portfolio diversification into the Asia-Pacific capital markets: A currency perspective

This paper examines the potential benefits of international investment in the Asia-Pacific capital markets. Using the viewpoints of U.S., Hong Kong and Japanese investors, the study shows that the returns from international investment within the region are more dependent upon the state of exchange rate changes. For the Hong Kong investors, despite the adopted pegged-rate between the Hong Kong dollar and U.S. dollar, the pattern of exchange returns from investing in the region resembles that of Japan rather than that of the U.S.     

Socioeconomic impacts of school feeding programmes: empirical evidence from a South Indian village

Tamil Nadu a poverty-stricken rural community in South India, funds a school feeding program with about 10% of the state budget. Comparisons of nutrition and literacy show that they are significantly related. No studies have yet been performed to analyse the effect of the feeding programs on aspects of a household's economic and social welfare. The feeding program in Tamil Nadu extends throughout the year, 7 days a week. It provides not only a reason for children to attend school, but also employment opportunities for those who wish to cook. 455 households were surveyed from 1 village using. A Gini coefficient of inequality to determine inequality levels of nutrition, food, and consumption expenditure. Sen's index of poverty was used to calculate the reduction in poverty levels. 3 household groups were defined: the agricultural labor, the silk weaver, and the cultivator. Linear program modelling utilized these 3 groups to study the total effect of nutrition on education. Linear regression was then used to determine the effect of the feeding program on participation in school. At the village level, a reduction of inequality in consumption and intake, an increase in energy intake, and a decrease in poverty level were found. In agricultural labor and silk weaver households, most of the money was spent on cereal food grains and children were mostly uneducated. If modelled to assume that children must be educated and are educated in schools providing food, results suggest that the increase in nutrition helps retain the children in the schools. Cultivator household response to the food programs was poor, since they usually have enough money to meet nutritional needs. Household income and school nutrition, but not adult literacy affect school participation. In general, nutrition offered in school caused a subsequent increase in household purchases of non-cereal items in the first 2 household types.     

The structure of telephone tariffs

This paper compares the structure of telephone tariffs adopted by three types of organisation: government-owned systems responsible for both posts and telephones, government-owned systems responsible for telephones alone, and privately-owned telephone systems. It is found that privately-owned systems are significantly more likely to adopt three or more peak-load pricing periods. They are also more likely to differentiate tariffs by category of subscriber, and to offer lower rates for shared lines, but these differences are only significant if private telephone systems are compared with government systems responsible for both posts and telephones. Postal responsibility alone has little or no effect on these aspects of tariffs. The paper thus provides limited support for the view that ownership systematically affects behaviour.     

Improving the management of concurrent new product development using process modelling and analysis

This paper focuses on how process modelling and analysis using 'light weight' technology¹ supported by focused group discussions and workshops can improve the 'concurrence' and integration within the New Product Development process. This enables managers to improve the management of product design and development through a better understanding of the issues. The paper argues that the traditional changes in human resource management via introduction of multifunctional/collocated teams required by Concurrent New Product Development (CNPD) can be complemented by the introduction of process management, focused on the modelling and analysis of the 'softer' organisational issues. A case study of a domestic appliance manufacturer, developing a new product using a collocated product development team, is described to verify the research. The paper concludes by discussing the issues that emerge from this type of approach to performance improvement in NPD management, such as involvement of all team functions, senior management commitment, standardisation of processes, and training in the process management concept including modelling and analysis techniques. The approach proposed allows one to make both tangible benefits, in terms of cost, delivery (lead times) and quality, and intangible benefits, in terms of communication, people empowerment, motivation, and collaboration.     

可修复单元备件储备量计算方法研究

本文讨论了考虑原件修复时,可修复单元备件储备量的计算方法,并给出了该方法在印制电路板备件储备量计算中的应用实例。