Exploratory study of understanding hotel employees’ perception on work–life balance issues

This paper explores hotel employees’ perception on work–life balance issues. In-depth interviews and self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. Factor analysis discovered seven factors: (1) enough time-off from work; (2) workplace support on work–life balance; (3) allegiance to work; (4) flexibility on work schedule; (5) life orientation; (6) voluntary reduction of contracted hours to cater for personal needs; and (7) upkeep the work and career—the determinants perceived by employees to attain “better” work–life balance in the dynamic hotel environment. Adopting an employee-centric and integrative approach are the critical success factors for implementation of a work–life balance program.     

CHRISTIANITY, THE MARKET ECONOMY AND THE LIMITS TO HUMAN KNOWLEDGE

At one time, the prevailing view amongst Christian clergy in Britain would have been sympathetic towards the spontaneous order of the market economy and not sympathetic towards socialism. The spontaneous order, would, of course, have included the rich tapestry of philanthropic organisations and mutual societies that used to provide welfare for the poor. The clergy today are not generally sympathetic towards the market order. An understanding of Austrian ideas takes us to the view that, at the very least, socialist rationalism is the common enemy of Christians and those who support a free market order.     

THE YOUNG HELD TO RANSOM – A PUBLIC CHOICE ANALYSIS OF THE UK STATE PENSION SYSTEM

As populations age, it will become increasingly difficult to reform state pension systems. Reform will not be impossible, but the process of 'buying off' interest groups will be expensive. State pension provision must use the contributory principle combined with an accruals system – though private pension provision would be better still. There are serious flaws in the so-called 'citizens pension' much promoted by interest groups in the UK.     

THE EFFECTS OF PRESENTATION FORMAT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF AUDITORS‘ ANALYTICAL REVIEW JUDGMENTS

Modern audit practice has focused increasing attention on the use of analytical review procedures to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of audits. To assist in this endeavour, one branch of analytical review research has investigated the judgment processes that auditors' use in analytical review and the development of decision aids to improve these processes. Several recent papers have considered how alternative presentations of financial and operating data, specifically graphs versus tables, may affect the effectiveness of auditors' analytical review judgments. However, the results have been mixed. This study investigated the expectation that there would be effectiveness and efficiency performance advantages for auditors receiving graphically presented data over those receiving tabular presented data in an analytical review setting. This paper reports on the results of an experiment that examined the impact of graphs versus tables on the effectiveness of sales account balance prediction, confidence in this prediction and the setting of a noninvestigation region, and the relative time efficiency with which these tasks were completed, for an analytical review of sales for a retailing client. The study found mixed results for the accuracy of the sales account balance predictions of the graphical and tabular treatment groups, with no difference found when a regression model estimate of the ‘correct’ prediction was used and greater accuracy for the graphical group when the actual audited sales account balance was used as the accuracy benchmark. No significant differences between treatment groups was found for their confidence in their sales account balance predictions and the width of the noninvestigation regions set. However, a significant time advantage was found for the graphical group. These findings suggest that there may a useful role for the use of graphs as decision aids in income statement related analytical review procedures in improving audit efficiency without sacrificing audit effectiveness.     

FINDING VALUE WHERE NONE EXISTS: PITFALLS IN USING ADJUSTED PRESENT VALUE

There are several conceptually "correct" methods for valuing firms and projects, including the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) approach, the flows to equity (FTE) method, and the adjusted present value (APV) or valuation-by-components method. The author examines the relative advantages of these frameworks and offers guidance as to when they are likely to be most useful. The key message is a caution to would-be users of APV: it is frequently unreliable and should be used only in conjunction with more conventional valuation frameworks. It works best in transactions that involve structured financings, such as leveraged buyouts and project and real estate financings. Even in these cases, however, its usefulness depends on theoretical concepts that in practical applications have a wide margin of error.
In general, WACC is a robust and appropriate valuation framework as long as the firm has a target debt ratio. The FTE method is most relevant for acquisitions and very large projects. The author shows how APV and FTE can be formulated to be consistent with the WACC valuation. The issue, however, is not whether the techniques can be made consistent through relatively complex adjustments by sophisticated users, but rather what happens when they are used in everyday applications by practitioners unfamiliar with the somewhat arcane valuation issues involved.     

UNDERWRITER REPUTATION AND AFTERMARKET PERFORMANCE OF CLOSED‐END FUNDS

I find a positive relation between underwriter reputation and the initial and long‐run aftermarket performance of closed‐end funds. This relation persists even after controlling for fund characteristics, types, and investment strategies. The positive relation between underwriter reputation and initial returns supports the notion that prestigious investment bankers tend to promote a price run‐up in the immediate aftermarket to enhance their reputation with the issuers and the investors. The better long‐run performance for funds underwritten by prestigious underwriters suggests that prestigious underwriters protect their reputation by underwriting only high‐quality issues that will perform well in the long run.     

The integration of Eurodollar and U. S. money market interest rates in the futures market

Zusammenfassung Die Integration der Eurodollar-und US-Geldmarkts?tze auf dem Terminmarkt. —In diesem Aufsatz wird die Beziehung zwischen den Termins?tzen für Eurodollars, amerikanische Schatzwechsel und amerikanische verbriefte Termineinlagen untersucht. Dabei wird die Granger-Kausalit?t unter Verwendung der t?glichen Preis?nderungen für Kontrakte zum Juni, September und Dezember {dy1982} getestet. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, da\ sich die Preise auf den Terminm?rkten für Eurodollars und für amerikanische Geldmarktinstrumente gleichzeitig anpassen, ganz im Gegensatz zum Kassamarkt. Dieses unterschiedliche Verhalten beider M?rkte kann durch institutionelle Hindernisse (z. B. Restriktionen bei der Zulassung von Banken und hinsichtlich der Kapitalstr?me), strukturelle Besonderheiten der M?rkte (Mindestbetr?ge für Transaktionen und die Marktmacht einiger Banken) und/oder Transaktionskosten erkl?rt werden. Die Bildung von Terminm?rkten in den Vereinigten Staaten und in Gro\britannien k?nnte dazu beitragen, die Zahl der Marktteilnehmer auf den internationalen Geldm?rkten zu vergr?\ern und bisher bestehende Marktunvollkommenheiten zu verringern.

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Résumé L’intégration des taux d’intérêt du marché monétaire des E.U. et d’Eurodollar sur les marchés à terme. —Cet article analyse la relation entre les opérations à terme d’Eurodollar, des bons du Trésor des E.U. et des certificats de dép?t sur des contrats à terme des banques locales des E.U. Les auteurs appliquent les procédures de causalité de Granger et utilisent les données sur les changements des prix quotidiens pour les opérations en Juin, Septembre et Décembre 1982. Ils conclurent que les prix des opérations à terme d’Eurodollar et d’instrument financier du marché monétaire des E.U. changent simultanément. Sur le marché au comptant, cependant, il y a une évidence répétée que des ajustements de prix ne sont pas simultanés. La conduite dissimilaire sur les deux marchés peut être expliquée par la présence des barrières institutionelles (par exemple des restrictions sur l’entrée des banques et sur les flux des capitaux), par des caractéristiques de la structure de marché (le volume minimum des transactions et le pouvoir de marché de quelques banques), et/ou des frais de transaction. L’établissement des marchés à terme dans les E.U. aussi bien que dans le R.U. peut contribuer à augmenter le nombre des participants sur les marchés monétaires internationaux et peut reduire des imperfections quelconques qui peut-être avaient existé dans le passé.

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Resumen Integración de las tasas de interés de los mercados eurodólar y monetario de los EEUU a los mercados de futuro. —En este artículo se analiza la relación entre los contratos a futuro del eurodólar, valores del Tesoro de los EEUU y los C.D. de la banca doméstica norteamericana. Se utilizan los procedimientos de causalidad de Granger y los datos son los cambios diarios de precios para los contratos de junio, septiembre y diciembre de 1982. Este articulo concluye que la relación de los cambios de precios de los instrumentos financieros de contratos a futuro entre el eurodólar y el mercado monetario de los EEUU es contemporánea. En los mercados en efectivo, sin embargo, hay evidencia repetida que se producen ajustes de precios no-contemporáneos. El comportamiento disímil de ambos mercados se puede explicar por la presencia de barreras institucionales (p.ej. restricciones en la entrada de bancos y flujos de capitales), caracteres estructurales de mercado (tama?o mínimo de las transacciones y poder de mercado de algunos bancos), y/o costos de transacción. El establecimiento de mercados de futuro tanto en EEUU como en el Reino Unido podría servir para incrementar el número de participantes en los mercados monetarios internacionales y puede conducir a una reducción de cualquier imperfección de mercado que pueda haber existido en el pasado.