Condominium Townhouse Investment

This accounting case involves the evaluation of various alternatives based on a real‐life personal property investment. The Condominium Townhouse Investment (CTI) case uses introductory management accounting concepts and analyses to introduce students to the case method of learning. The main concepts reinforced are relevant costs and revenues, including differentiating between opportunity and sunk costs. Students are not only asked to define and identify these items, but to consider choices centered on the decision alternatives in their role as accountants in public practice. This case is especially valuable because it offers students the chance to become engaged in an analysis and decision‐making situation that they can relate to both personally and professionally because, one day, they themselves are likely to become involved in a home ownership decision. The case focuses on real estate as a personal business investment, and requires both qualitative and quantitative analysis, with more emphasis on the qualitative aspect. In addition, the teaching notes include methods and strategies for students to use in an introductory managerial accounting class or level‐1 MBA class.     

Rezensionen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

The Impact of European Integration and German Unification on Industrial Relations in Germany

Can the present turmoil in German industrial relations be attributed to the effects of the Single Market, or to unification, or to other factors? European regulation or legislation may intervene in the German industrial relations system, may remove responsibilities from national actors, or may, by deregulation, induce stronger interdependence between national regimes. Various instances are considered to evaluate the actual and potential EU impact on German industrial relations. The evidence suggests that fears of ‘social dumping’ in the richer member-states are largely unfounded, and that the effects of unification and the recession on German industrial relations are currently more significant than the impact of European integration.     

Residents’ perceptions of community tourism impacts

This study investigated residents’ perceptions of tourism’s impact on communities. Data were collected via a statewide survey, using social exchange theory; results suggest residents recognize many positive and negative consequences. Those who feel tourism is important for economic development, benefit from it, and are knowledgeable about the greater positive impacts, but do not differ from others with respect to perceptions of tourism’s negative consequences. It is becoming clear that broad-based education and awareness campaigns may be a step toward increased understanding of the industry and, ultimately, greater support of the benefits to a community.     

Impact of clusters on exhibition destination attractiveness: Evidence from Mainland China

Clusters, as concentrations of businesses in particular localities, may explain the spatial distribution of exhibitions, and exhibition destination attractiveness (Rubalcaba-Bermejo & Cuadrado-Roura, 1995). Drawing on Porter’s (1998a) cluster theory in the context of the exhibition industry in Mainland China, this study tests and confirms the validity of this proposition. A mixed method approach was employed that involved in-depth interviews with 32 exhibitors and a survey of 616 exhibitors to 1) establish what constitutes ‘clusters’ in an exhibition context and develop appropriate measurements, and 2) assess to what extent ‘clusters’ contribute to exhibition destination attractiveness. The study developed measures for and confirmed two distinct cluster effects – ‘leadership of the host city in the industry’ and ‘host city as a source of exhibitors.’ Both cluster effects had a significant influence on exhibitors’ perceived destination attractiveness, with other destination factors being less important, in a marked contrast to convention destination attractiveness. Implications of the study results are discussed and directions for future research provided.     

Serial solidarity: the effects of experiences and expectations on the co-operative behaviour of employees

Two contrasting theoretical perspectives are frequently mentioned in discussions concerning the effects of temporary employment relationships on the co-operative behaviour of employees. According to the first perspective, temporary employees show less co-operative behaviour than permanent employees because they have a narrowly defined exchange relationship with the organization. The other approach holds that temporary employees are motivated to achieve a permanent contract and hence show more co-operative behaviour than permanent employees. In this paper, we argue that both theoretical approaches can be incorporated by focusing on the ‘temporal embeddedness’ of the relationships employees have with their co-workers. Temporal embeddedness refers to the experiences employees have had with co-workers in the past and the likelihood of future encounters with co-workers. We use two studies – a survey and a vignette study – to examine these temporal effects. The findings show that the co-operative behaviour of employees can indeed be explained by the temporal embeddedness of the relationships they have with their co-workers.