A correlated uniqueness model of service quality measurement among users of cloud-based service platforms

This research furthers understanding of whether consumers of cloud-based service platforms can distinguish between gap theory dimensions (i.e., expectation and performance) on these platforms. We build upon and extend the work of (Natesan and Aerts, 2016) by applying confirmatory factor analysis on gap scores from survey data to develop and test an improved approach of measuring service system quality in cloud-based service platforms. Using the IS-adapted SERVQUAL instrument, we apply the correlated uniqueness model, which is part of the multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) framework, to evaluate the validity of using GAP scores and account for the effect of the method. There is significant support for method effects as shown by our suggested model paths in the trait convergent validity model with medium-large factor coefficients. Additionally, the fit of the correlated uniqueness model indicates respondents can distinguish between the gap theory dimensions of the IS-adapted SERVQUAL instrument. The praxis of service quality measurement could benefit by using our measurement approach of incorporating error correlations.     

Numeric or weighted distribution? The effect of different channel performance metrics on market share

Abstract

Previous studies have found a convex relation between weighted measures of distribution and market share for consumer products in developed economies, while companies in emerging markets often use a non-weighted (numeric) distribution measure to manage their channel strategy. In contrast to the markets with high retail concentration, the numeric distribution could be best suited to a more fragmented retail market in which the percentage of physical distribution is important. We investigate the effects of expanding numeric versus expanding weighted distribution by studying stores in channels and regions characterized by structural differences in an emerging market. Our data come from retail audits in Brazil and include 91 soft drink manufacturers, 195 brands and 1,110 stock-keeping units. Our study highlights the importance of numeric distribution as a performance measure in this market. Additionally, we show that the effects of numeric and weighted distribution on market share vary by region and channel format.     

Public preferences for post 2020 agri-environmental policy in the Czech Republic: A choice experiment approach

In November 2017 European Union commission presented a communication report summarizing the reform proposal of the post 2020 Common Agriculture Policy (CAP). The reform aims to address the environmental degradation associated with agricultural production as well as change in the structure of CAP payments. To this end, the Ministry of Agriculture in Czech Republic is preparing to set its priorities towards CAP’s reform. In this study we applied a choice experiment to investigate the public preferences for a set of environmental goods and services delivered by agri-environment-climatic voluntary measures (AECMs). A mixed logit model is employed to elicit preferences and explore their heterogeneity. We find that respondents oppose strongly funding removal. Among environmental attributes, water and food quality are the ones with the highest implicit marginal willingness-to-pay values. Preferences for no funding option are heterogeneous with socio-demographic and attitudinal variables explaining some sources of this heterogeneity. A continuation of national funding for the AECMs is expected to lead to a better state of environment with an anticipated positive welfare change of 669–932 mil EUR as opposed to funding removal. The change reflects the estimated welfare change resulting from moving from a low to a medium or to a high preservation state of agri-environmental attributes. We also project the budget change for AECMs considering the level of national funding and given the transfer share between Pillar I and II. Based on our results, we suggest that national funding can be informed by the welfare change scenarios and transfer shares are projected accordingly.     

Model risk in credit risk

We provide sharp analytical upper and lower bounds for value‐at‐risk (VaR) and sharp bounds for expected shortfall (ES) of portfolios of any dimension subject to default risk. To do so, the main methodological contribution of the paper consists in analytically finding the convex hull generators for the class of exchangeable Bernoulli variables with given mean and for the class of exchangeable Bernoulli variables with given mean and correlation in any dimension. Using these analytical results, we first describe all possible dependence structures for default, in the class of finite sequences of exchangeable Bernoulli random variables. We then measure how model risk affects VaR and ES.     

浅谈中小企业的财务风险及防范措施

随着我国经济的快速发展,中小企业在发展过程中存在着各种各样的财务风险,如果不及时分析应对可能会为企业带来巨大的损失。所以当前中小企业最主要的工作就是企业财务风险控制。论文主要探究了中小企业的财务风险与防范措施,确保企业能够更好地应对市场风险,实现长远健康发展。中小企业应该最大限度地规避风险,树立正确的财务风险观念,构建财务风险防御机制并不断完善,这样企业才能稳定发展,更好地避免出现损失。     

Considerations of a retail forecasting practitioner

Forecasts can be used in an extraordinarily diverse range of ways across many domains in which forecasting practitioners work continuously towards improving their forecasts. Each of these domains may require the analysis of different kinds of inputs and special considerations. Even within a given domain, such as retail, there may be many similar use cases of the same kind of forecast, which can lead to practitioners making different decisions. This paper discusses several of the important decision points that practitioners must work through and uses item-level sales forecasting in the retail domain as leveraged by pricing and inventory management as examples of the different paths that may be taken. It considers how each use can lead to a different forecasting objective, and a corresponding focus on different error metrics. In addition, there are several tradeoffs in the forecasting methods that are used to meet each of the objectives best, including the kinds of models used, the running time speed, and forecast accuracy requirements.     

Is there an association between Vice‐Chancellors’ compensation and external performance measures?

We provide evidence on the pay for performance relation between Australian university Vice Chancellors’ compensation and independent measures of university teaching, research and other performance indicators provided by external ranking bodies. Our results show limited association between university rankings and Vice Chancellors’ compensation, but confirm that Vice Chancellors’ compensation is predominantly driven by size measures based on the different components of revenue. Further, we find that few universities offer performance‐based bonus payments. Our results are robust with respect to a number of sensitivity tests.     

浅析建筑工程造价的影响因素及优化措施

建筑企业进行建筑工程项目建设的最终目的是保证建筑工程项目质量的前提下实现经济效益的最大化。因此,对建筑工程项目的造价管理必须要给予高度的重视。工程造价控制是保证工程项目成本投入得到有效管理的最佳途径,其直接关系到建筑工程的质量和工程的经济利润。因此,必须要明确影响建筑工程造价的因素,并采取科学的优化措施进行工程造价的合理控制。论文首先阐述建筑工程造价管理的必要性,再分析影响建筑工程造价的因素,最后提出一些优化措施上的建议。     

Financial statement change and equity risk

While financial statement analysis is a rich tool, there is no widely used holistic measure of the amount of change in corporate financial statements. Statistical decomposition analysis has been employed as an index of the amount of change, but has fallen into disuse because it does not allow negative accounting numbers. As a remedy, this paper suggests three distance measures adapted from cluster analysis that avoid this critical data limitation. We successfully apply these proposed distance measures to explain the total and systematic risk of stock returns (in the CAPM and Fama–French model), corporate bond ratings, and corporate distress.     

鉴证咨询行业的成本控制问题及措施

随着我国经济体制改革的不断深入以及经济全球化的大体趋势,鉴证咨询行业得到了蓬勃的发展。在保证行业正常优质运行的情况下,节约成本可以给企业带来更多利润,促进企业资金周转加速,促使企业的发展空间拓宽。要解决鉴证咨询行业在成本控制当中出现的问题,则应当做好成本指标分解,建立成本控制组织体系,开发成本信息系统,建立切实可行的目标责任成本,综合发动企业各部门、各成员对于成本控制的积极性,从而形成合力。