Expanding customer orientation in the HR funciton

While it has long been recognized that the human resource function must take a more customer‐oriented perspective on the design and delivery of HR programs, this view has focused primarily on internal customers. However, external customers can provide important input into HR activities (e.g., job analysis information), they can participate in HR activities (e.g., selection decisions), and they can use HR activities (e.g., receive training). By expanding customer orientation in the HR function to focus explicitly on external customers, a more direct relationship between human resource management and competitive organizational performance can be established. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The contribution of product quality to competitive advantage: impacts on systematic variance and unexplained variance in returns

In our study, we argue that product quality may enhance competitive advantage, leading to increased returns but a reduction in variance in returns. More specifically, based on our analyses of strategy‐related theories, we propose a model in which a positive relationship is predicted between relative product quality and relative market share and between relative product quality and returns. An inverse association is predicted between quality and both systematic variance and unexplained variance in returns. Finally, relative product quality is expected to indirectly lower the variance in returns but enhance returns through the link between product quality, market share, and direct costs. Our findings are generally supportive of the model’s stipulations. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distinguishing supplier reputation from trust in buyer-supplier relationships

We argue that a firm's reputation (i.e., central, enduring, and distinctive corporate associations held by individuals outside of an organization), although under-researched relative to trust, is more important than trust in impacting buyer-supplier relationships. Our conceptualization draws on theories and extant research related to transaction cost economics, information economics, and interfirm trust. The constructs of trust and reputation are distinguished and their relative impacts on relationship commitment and willingness to invest in the future of the relationship are examined. Suggestive empirical evidence is provided from a survey of industrial buyers, and implications and specific directions for future research are discussed.     

A bilingual group decision support system

Bilingual meetings have always been relatively inefficient due to the necessity for human translators to interpret comments as they are made. Even meetings in which participants know some of the other language’s vocabulary are burdened by the necessity to translate. Until now, bilingual meetings have been conducted verbally with human translation. Here, we describe a computer-based system which allows participants to communicate simultaneously and anonymously while the system provides translations automatically. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Innovation and the Survival of New Firms in the UK

This paper analyzes the survival over the subsequent 5-year period of the complete cohort of nearly 162,000 limited companies that incorporated in Britain in 2001. The paper focuses on the relationship between innovation and survival at the firm-level. The data available allow us to look at the intellectual property (IP) activity of all British firms, including that of the cohort of new firms in 2001. The results indicate that IP activity, measured as patenting and trade-marking, is associated with a considerably lower probability of exit. We also find substantial differences in survival probabilities across sectors. In some sectors patenting is associated with a lower probability of exit; however, trade-marking is associated with lower probability in almost all sectors.     

Focus group discourses in a mined landscape

Focus group research is rarely used for examining environmental discourses other than when conflict arises. This study looks at local citizen perceptions in relation to mined (or ‘cutaway’) industrial peatland landscapes in Ireland, and seeks to shine a light on the opinions of potential actors, and the degree of willingness to participate in after-use strategies, through focus group sessions. Data are analysed using two mechanisms—content and discourse analysis. It is shown that there is a high degree of reflective perceptions on issues of quality of life and the environment with a low level of concern about further use of peatlands as places of employment—a shift from a productive, utilitarian perception to a post-productive, non-utilitarian perception. It is also shown that, when presented with a scenario that sees cutaway peatlands being used for amenity and biodiversity, there are no negative issues and some degree of enthusiasm. This paper will conclude with remarks on focus group methodologies.     

Earnings management following chief executive officer changes: the effect of contemporaneous chairperson and chief financial officer appointments

Using a sample of listed Australian firms from 1999 to 2007, we examine the relationship between discretionary accruals and concurrent senior management appointments. Employing panel data regression models and focusing on a measure of discretionary accruals that excludes the effect of transparent write‐downs such as restructuring charges, we find that chief executive officer (CEO) appointments, as a general phenomenon, are not significantly associated with opaque earnings management in the year of appointment or the following year. However, we find that CEO changes accompanied by a concurrent change in board chairperson are associated with significant income‐decreasing earnings management in the year of appointment. We detect no significant relationship between contemporaneous CEO and chief financial officer changes and discretionary accruals. We find no evidence of earnings management in the first compete financial period following CEO appointment, regardless of whether or not concurrent Chair or chief financial officer appointments occurred.     

Convertible Bond Arbitrage: Risk and Return

Abstract:  This paper specifies a simulated convertible bond arbitrage portfolio to characterise the risks in convertible bond arbitrage. For comparison the risk profile of convertible bond arbitrage hedge fund indices at both monthly and daily frequencies is also examined. Results indicate that convertible bond arbitrage is positively related to default and term structure risk factors. These risk factors are augmented with the simulated convertible bond arbitrage portfolio, mimicking a passive investment in convertible bond arbitrage, to assess the risk and return of individual hedge funds. We provide estimates of the performance of two hedge fund indices (an equally weighted and value weighted index) and a sample of convertible bond arbitrage hedge funds using a factor model methodology. Lagged and contemporaneous observations of the risk factors are specified, controlling for illiquidity in the securities held by funds. Our results cover two time periods. Initially we find evidence of abnormal risk adjusted returns in the individual hedge fund data and the equally weighted hedge fund index and no evidence of abnormal risk adjusted returns in the value weighted hedge fund index. When we examine performance during the credit crisis of 2007 and 2008 we find evidence of negative abnormal returns amongst individual hedge funds and the hedge fund indices.     

Organization design for service excellence: A review of the literature

It is commonly accepted that service excellence can enhance the competitive advantage of a firm. Two critical success factors in this regard are evaluated in this article: First, how best to structure an organization in order to provide flexibility in satisfying customer needs, and second, how certain human resource practices help create and improve customer service. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.