The impact of AACSB accreditation: A multiple case study of Canadian university business schools

Over the last two decades there has been a significant increase in the number of university business schools seeking accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). Despite this remarkable growth there has been limited empirical research on this phenomenon. Using a qualitative multiple case study approach, this research explores the impact of accreditation on four Canadian university business schools. Participants reported seven main effects, with the most important being enhanced reputation, leverage for change, increased management efficiencies, and focus on research. These impacts were influenced by the context in which accreditation took place. Environmental uncertainty as a contextual dimension is discussed. Copyright © 2013 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

高职院校工科类大学生创新能力培养实践与研究——以无锡商业职业技术学院为例

以无锡商业职业技术学院工科类学生为研究对象,评价得出高职院校工科类大学生创新能力现状,并分析影响高职院校工科类大学生创新能力影响因素,提出了提高高职院校工科类大学生创新能力的对策。     

电力营销管理信息系统在广西水利电业集团有限公司的应用研究

电力营销管理信息系统的开发和应用在电力营销领域达到了国内先进水平,为供电企业增加供电量、降低线损率、提高电费回收率、降低成本起到了很大的作用,在地方电力领域有较好的推广应用前景。     

Budget impact model of tobramycin inhalation solution for treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients

Abstract

Background:

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is the most common airway pathogen in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The objective of this analysis was to determine the costs of managing PA infection in CF patients with a chronic regimen of tobramycin inhalation solution (TIS).

Methods:

A budget impact model of CF patients was developed to evaluate the costs of TIS from a US managed-care organization (MCO) perspective. The Microsoft Excel model compared TIS treatment plus standard care with standard care alone over a 4-year time horizon and included the cost of drugs, medical care, and annual probabilities of hospitalization and IV anti-pseudomonal (anti-PA) antibiotics administration.

Results:

For an MCO with 5,000,000 members, 389 members 6 years of age or older were estimated to have CF, and 218 (56%) had PA infection. Assuming that use of TIS increased from 20% to 25%, the 1-year budget increased $231,251 or from $0.049 to $0.053 per member per month (PMPM). The net drug budget increase was $243,919, while medical costs associated with exacerbation management decreased $12,669 over the first year. Increasing utilization of TIS, from 20% to 40% over 4 years resulted in an incremental overall budget increase of $925,002, a 3% decrease in hospitalizations, and a 4% decrease in administrations of IV anti-PA antibiotics. These reductions translated to a medical care cost saving of $50,676 over 4 years. Limitations of this study include that the clinical data for the model are from clinical trials conducted in 1996 and the estimation of TIS use for CF patients with chronic PA infections can be impacted by TIS adherence.

Conclusion:

Model results suggest that increasing the use of TIS decreases medical care costs due to decreased hospital admissions and the use of IV anti-PA antibiotics at the expense of higher drug costs.     

政治关联与城市公用事业民营企业成长 ——基于首家公交民营企业案例研究

在转型期的中国，政治关联是影响民营企业进入城市公用事业的关键因素。本文采用案例研究的方法，选取我国首家进入城市公交行业的民营企业作为研究对象，探索研究了该企业成长过程中的政治关联的变化及其对企业成长的影响。研究发现，首先，对于一个企业而言，政治关联来源可以分为三个层面：关键政府官员的扶持、企业家政治身份、企业家以外的高管团队成员政治身份。其中，对于政府主导型政治关联民营企业，关键政府官员的扶持对企业成长起决定性作用，而企业家和高管团队成员的政治身份对企业成长并没有显著影响。其次，政治关联对民营企业成长具有“双刃剑”的作用--驱动作用和约束作用。驱动作用主要表现在企业政治关联有利于其突破政府管制型壁垒和获得政府补助，从而分别促进企业进入公用事业和成长，约束作用主要表现在企业政治关联会导致民营企业非相关多元化、增加政治风险，从而抑制企业成长。     

Managing work–life boundaries with information and communication technologies: the case of independent contractors

In the light of the increasing use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), it is important to gain a better understanding of their influence on work–life boundaries. This study examines how individuals manage their work–life boundaries by using ICTs. The findings of a qualitative study with independent contractors show that individuals actively use multiple ICT‐mediated tactics to shape their temporal, spatial and psychological work–life boundaries. Furthermore, findings suggest that individuals cannot simply be classified as ‘integrators’ or ‘segmentors’, as they may have diverse preferences with regard to both the dimension (temporal, spatial or psychological) and direction (work‐to‐life or life‐to‐work) of boundary permeability. A framework that takes account of these aspects is derived based on the empirical results.     

How the Change of CEO Affects Chilean Companies' Stock Returns

ABSTRACT

This article uses the event study methodology to analyze the effects on Chilean companies' stock returns caused by the change of CEO. We find that when the change occurs after a period of poor performance, it is associated to significant positive abnormal stock returns. In certain cases, the abnormal returns accumulate to 6% over the seven-day period following the announcement. The study also shows that the observed abnormal returns have increased since the market regulating agency obligated companies to communicate changes in top management within three days of their ocurrence.

RESUMEN. Este artículo emplea la metodología de estudio del evento para analizar los efectos que un cambio de CEO provoca en los retornos de las acciones de las empresas chilenas. Descubrimos que cuando el cambio ocurre después de un período de pobre desempeño, el mismo está asociado a importantes retornos positivos anormales sobre las acciones. En algunos casos, los retornos anormales se acumulan en un 6% a lo largo de un período de siete días después del anuncio. El estudio también muestra que los retornos anormales observados han aumentado considerablemente, desde que la agencia reguladora del mercado obligó a las empresas a comunicar los cambios que efectuaban en su alta esfera ejecutiva dentro de los tres días de ocurrida.

RESUMO. Este artigo usa a metodologia de estudo de eventos para analisar os efeitos sobre os retornos de açóes de empresas chilenas causados pela mudança de CEO. Constatamos que, quando ocorre após um período de desempenho fraco, a mudança é associada a retornos de açóes anormais positivos significativos. Em certos casos, os retornos anormais acumulados chegam a 6% no período de sete dias após o anúncio. O estudo também mostra que os retornos anormais observados aumentaram depois que as agências reguladoras do mercado obrigaram as empresas a comunicarem mudanças na alta administraçáo até três dias após sua ocorrência.     

Identifying and Managing Creative Tasks in Collaborative IS Research Projects

Collaborative research projects require a high amount of creativity to create innovative results. Project management has to ensure that it recognizes and encourages creativity. This can be done successfully only if the nature of creative tasks is well understood. The current literature on creativity provides a well‐accepted model to characterize creativity. Based on a literature review and case study we transfer the findings into the context of collaborative information systems (IS) research projects and we evaluate their applicability. We derive specific criteria and characteristics for the identification of creative tasks, find a set of different task types, and provide implications directly usable by project managers.     

加强德育工作,为学生科学发展奠定基础

高校只有坚持＂学校教育、育人为本,德智体美、德育为先＂的理念,加强学生的德育工作,把思想素质、学习精神、理想信念、行为习惯四个方面做为抓手,才能真正实现学生的科学发展,实现为祖国培养人才的目标。     

Developing International Business Skills Through the Study of Eastern European Transitional Economies—An Inter-Cultural Case Method Approach

Abstract

This paper describes the educational experience of students enrolled on the BA (Hons) International Accounting and Finance degree at the University of Brighton, who undertake a case study visit to Kraków, Poland to study the transition of an economy and an enterprise and at the same time acquire skills relevant for international business. The paper is supported by a questionnaire survey of all five cohorts of students who followed this course. Three of these cohorts have now left the University and are in a position to reflect on their educational experience in the light of the skills required in their current employment. The course is also proposed as a forerunner of an MBA to be followed by the student later in their development.