Impact of innovation policies on small,medium and large Brazilian firms

This study comprises a comparative examination of the effects of innovation support programmes’ spend on innovative activities in small, medium and large Brazilian firms. The econometric methodology propensity score matching is used to assess the impacts of tax and financial incentives based on. Results show that innovation support programmes stimulate expenditure on innovative activities, especially financial incentives for the acquisition of machinery and equipment.     

The use of earnings and operations management to avoid credit rating downgrades

Firms placed on negative credit watch face the threat of a credit rating downgrade. At the same time, they are given the opportunity to put recovery efforts in place to retain their current credit rating. In this paper, we test to what extent firms use earnings management as a short-term recovery strategy. We find that both accruals-based and real earnings management are associated with firms avoiding credit rating downgrades, and that these alternative earnings management strategies tend to be complements rather than substitutes. However, following the passage of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act, only real earnings management is significantly associated with the credit watch outcome. We find evidence that firms which maintain their rating via earnings management are better able to afford the inevitable earnings reversals, and that in the year following the credit watch period, the credit rating performance of these firms is significantly better than firms which undergo a downgrade, with fewer downgrades and more upgrades in this period. Our results also imply that credit rating agencies are not misled by earnings management but rather allow for some discretion in reporting earnings that facilitates the dissemination of private information about future firm performance.     

Factors influencing the adjustment of women on global assignments

This study tests a four-factor model proposed by Caligiuri and Cascio (in press) for predicting the cross-cultural adjustment of female expatriates. The four factors tested in this paper were family support, personality characteristics, organizational support and host nationals' attitudes towards female expatriates. Structured phone interviews with thirty-eight American female expatriates from US-based companies were conducted. The responses were content analysed and regression was conducted. The results suggest company and family support are significantly related to cross-cultural adjustment. Thus, suggestions are given for future research on female expatriates using the theoretical model of social support. Practical recommendations for how to maximize the likelihood of success for women on global assignments are also given.     

THE IMPACT OF SPOUSE'S CAREER-ORIENTATION ON MANAGERS DURING INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS

The increasing internationalization of business and the rise of dual-earner couples in the labour force combine to make the area of international human resource management and career development complex and important. This article examines results obtained from 67 American expatriate managers (EXM) in Japan of whom 47 per cent were part of a dual-earner couple in America. the study found that career-oriented spouses were almost seven times as likely to find employment after an international transfer as non-career-oriented spouses. It is argued that because career-oriented spouses in general were able to find employment and avoid major job interruptions, there was no significant difference between the adjustment of expatriate managers whose spouses worked in the US before the transfer but not after and EXMs whose spouses worked before and after the transfer.     

EXPLORATIONS IN MACRO COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOUR: THE EFFECTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL FEEDBACK ON ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS [1]

Organizational feedback is identified as an attribute of organizations and as a form of macroscopic communication behaviour. Previous organizational theory is used to generate propositions linking organizational feedback (horizontal and vertical) to organizational effectiveness in order to evaluate the construct validity of feedback. Reliable measures of feedback are devised and the posited relationships are empirically examined using federated nonprofit organizations. Horizontal feedback is observed to be positively related to three forms of organizational effectiveness (goal attainment, superordinate approval and lateral approval). Vertical feedback is found to be positively related only to goal attainment. Organizational feedback is concluded to be a viable concept worthy of further investigation and additional research on communication as a property of organizational collectivities is recommended.     

“But we can't go back”

In 2004, a provincial cancer agency in Canada developed and implemented a provincewide Leadership Development Initiative (LDI) to enhance organizational leadership and relationships. Research using a quasi‐experimental survey design determined whether LDI implementation influenced the emotional health and leadership practices of LDI participants. An ethnographic approach (18 focus groups and 13 individual interviews) explored participants' perceptions of the LDI. This article presents qualitative findings that contribute to understanding the statistically significant findings of increasing levels of cynicism, emotional exhaustion, and burnout for most LDI participants. The LDI was regarded as a critical strategy for helping leaders grow and cope with change and help in changing organizational leadership culture to be more collaborative and inclusive. However, an organizational history of short‐lived, flavor‐of‐the‐month development initiatives and growing skepticism and disengagement by leaders represented in the themes of Catch‐22 and “there is no going back” contributes to understanding why these quantitative measures increased. Few studies have explored the hypothesis that real organizational development happens through a series of planned stages. In this study, leaders experienced escalating frustration because change was not seen to occur fast enough in “others” and reported that this was necessary before they would alter their own behavior. Leadership development programs in general need to reflect the reality that it takes considerable time, patience, and effort to effect fundamental change in leadership culture.     

The Impact of Management Control on Employee Motivation and Performance in the Public Sector

Abstract

This study examines the relations among various types of management control, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and performance in the public sector. We draw on motivation crowding theory and self-determination theory to argue that four different types of management control (i.e. personnel, cultural, action, and results control) are likely to have an influence on intrinsic motivation and/or extrinsic motivation. We test a structural equation model using survey data from 105 similar departments in the public sector. Our findings indicate that the use of personnel and cultural controls is positively associated with employees’ intrinsic motivation, and that the use of results controls is positively associated with employees’ extrinsic motivation. Moreover, both intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation are positively associated with performance. Taken together, these findings support the idea advocated by New Public Management proponents that results control can enhance employee motivation and performance in the public sector. However, the findings also highlight an essential nuance; in addition to results control, personnel and cultural controls are also important, as they enhance intrinsic motivation and performance. This implies that a sole focus on results control is too narrow and can lead to suboptimal levels of employee motivation and performance in the public sector.     

Spatial Price Adjustment with and without Trade*

We investigate the possibility that price transmission between spatially distinct markets might vary during periods with and without physical trade flows. We test for differences between trade and non‐trade regimes by using generalized reduced rank regression (GRRR) techniques suggested by Hansen (2003) . We apply these techniques to semi‐weekly price and trade flow data for tomato markets in Zimbabwe and find that intermarket price adjustment occurs in both trade and non‐trade periods. Indeed, the adjustments are generally larger and more rapid in periods without physical trade flows. This finding underscores the importance of information flow for market performance.     

Implementing studio-based learning for design education: a study on the perception and challenges of Malaysian undergraduates

Studio-based learning (SBL) is a teaching and learning methodology that combines different learning pedagogies such as social constructivist, problem-based, and active learning to mimic real-world working experience. Traditionally, SBL is practised in architecture and art programmes, however there is a growing number of research in other areas such as computer science, engineering, entrepreneurship and design courses. Nevertheless, in Malaysia, studies have only focused on architecture programmes. Therefore, this study focuses on reporting the experience and challenges of implementing SBL for a design course in the area of Visual Communication. By employing a qualitative methodology, findings show positive perception towards SBL where respondents reported awareness in improved design and communication skills, and increased acceptance towards team work. They found the critique sessions, facilitated their learning progress. Nevertheless, students reported challenges with inept teaching and learning facilities for design work, collaboration and communication breakdown with stakeholders. The study also reports on improvement strategies to enhance students learning experience through SBL.