Deploying RFID in Logistics: Criteria and Best Practices and Issues

Mwema Powanga and Luka Powanga Ph.D., Colorado

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology utilized in a variety of proprietary applications such as EZ pass tags in toll-road and toll-bridge payment systems, luggage check-in at airports and remote car door access, has gained traction as a supply chain management tool. The traction was accelerated by Wal-Mart and the Department of Defense who simultaneously started requiring vendors to equip consignments destined to their warehouses with RFID tags. Other firms such as Albertsons, Target, Kroger, CVS, Lowes, Gillette, 7 Eleven, Home Depot, Metro AG  headquartered in Germany, Tesco based in the United Kingdom followed suit either by issuing similar requirements or experimenting with the technology.  Despite this impetus, mass acceptance of the technology has proved elusive attributed to the infancy of the technology as a supply chain tool. This white paper distils the best practices from the experience of four of the world’s largest organizations; Wal-Mart, Tesco, Metro Group, and the United States Department of Defense DOD) that can be used by firms wishing to implement an RFID infrastructure. The paper begins with an overview of the RFID technology and how it is used in a supply chain environment to present a background against which the ensuing discussions are framed.

 

Online Non-Proctored Testing and its Affect on Final Course Grades

Dr. Marian C. Schultz, Dr. James T. Schultz and Dr. Gene Round, FL

 

ABSTRACT

 

The growth and escalating interest in online programs has brought about an academic inquiry regarding the implementation of online testing without proctors and its subsequent affect on course grades. This study examined four courses taught at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to ascertain if there was a significant difference in overall course grades between proctored and non-proctored examinations. The study found that in the case of all four courses, there was no significant difference between the course grades achieved by students taking proctored and non-proctored examinations.  The mean grade for three of the four courses with non-proctored examinations was lower than when the examinations were proctored.  Evaluating student knowledge, or the amount of learning which has occurred in a particular course, is a critical element in assessing whether the learning objectives of a course have been attained. Online delivery methods represent a paradigm shift in learning which has been enabled by new information technologies. The learning environment has moved from a provider based focus to one that markets to the consumer requests for efficiency and convenience.  In its infancy, virtual learning was hampered by technology, or in this case, a lack thereof.  Feenberg described the equipment as “expensive and primitive.”  “The complexity of basic computer operations in those days was such that it took a full page of printed instructions just to connect” (Feenberg, 1999).  

 

A Quantitative Assessment of Factors Impacting the Price of a for-Profit Education Stock

Dr. Robert L. Johnson, Phoenix, AZ

 

ABSTRACT

 

For-profit education has been around for over thirty years now becoming big business.  The goal or question to be answered was if a relationship could be discovered between certain financial and economic metrics one quarter and the price of a for-profit education stock the following quarter in order to forecast the price of the stock. Today we live in a post 9/11 era, sub-prime mortgage meltdown, and a prolonged war on terror, and theories and models developed twenty to fifty years ago may or may not still be as reliable. It would be remiss not to take a fresh look even if to revalidate some older theories or perhaps suggest there may be some new ways of looking at them.  For-profit education has been around for over thirty years now. It is increasingly becoming big business as institutions such as the University of Phoenix, DeVry Incorporated, Strayer Education, Corinthian College, ITT Education Services, and others have made solid headway into the postsecondary arena with campuses in multiple states, online, and even other countries. This has come about due to a variety of factors. “Globalization and the revolution in technological communications are major forces of change in higher education.

 

A Comparison of U.S. Corporate Governance and European Corporate Governance

Abigail Barnett and Dr. Balasundram Maniam, TX

 

ABSTRACT

 

This paper describes the corporate governance models of both the United States and Europe.   The shareholder model of the U.S. and the United Kingdom will be compared on terms of recent changes, as instituted by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Combined Code on Corporate Governance, and various securities exchanges’ listing rules.  The stakeholder model of Germany and how it differs from the shareholder model will also be discussed.  Many of the recent changes in corporate governance standards are the result of regulation changes in the area of director independence.  There is a call to increase the independence of the board of directors and specifically the audit committee to enhance directors’ ability to perform their duties and protect shareholders’ investments. These changes have stemmed from recent corporate scandals and it will take time to determine how effective these changes are.  Corporate governance has been defined in many ways, however, it refers the oversight of corporations and the methods employed to assure the corporation’s actions meet the interest of concerned parties, or stakeholders. Corporate governance typically focuses on how mitigate the agency problem that arises when ownership and management of the firm is separated.  This may be mitigated through several means such as the oversight of management by the board of directors, compensation and incentive arrangements, internal controls, external audits, and regulatory oversight.  Recent corporate scandals, in both the United States (U.S.) and Europe, have brought about recent changes in the standards of corporate governance and are primarily intended to prevent fraud and better protect investors. 

 

E-Commerce:  On-Line Retail Distribution Strategies and Global Challenges

Dr. Kamlesh T. Mehta, NC

 

ABSTRACT

 

In the 21^st Century, e-commerce has become the frontier of global business and is growing at an exponential rate.  This paper addresses the role of the on-line marketing as it relates to the distribution strategies, strategic on-line challenges faced by multinational companies, positioning strategies for engagement on the Internet, existing distribution channels and the Internet, and challenges for global retailers and manufacturers.  Several examples of companies using the Internet distribution strategies are discussed.  The development and implementation of the Internet distribution strategies among global companies are very difficult and complex.  They can be disruptive, thus global companies need to realize that building a global market presence does not automatically translate into global competitive advantage.  The advancements in e-commerce applications will reinvent important business aspects of business organizations, redefining the ways global companies approach the on-line marketing in the future.  With the increase in globalization of business activities, the use of the Internet has been on the rise.  The Internet is no longer simply a better way to publish and distribute information.  It has become the conduit for the billions of information exchanges that help make up daily life, thus, exerting a significant impact on corporations as well as people.  Shoppers today are faced with more choices of where to shop, how to shop, and what to buy than any mere mortal could intelligently comprehend and use (Lampert, 2007). 

 

Reevaluating Visuals in Direct-to-Consumer Print Advertising for Prescription Drugs: An Argument for Active vs. Passive Depictions of Product Benefits

Dr. Amy Handlin, NJ

 

ABSTRACT

 

This paper argues that direct-to-consumer advertisers of prescription drugs could strengthen some of their messages by supporting them with active visuals: specifically, by replacing inanimate images or static photos of people with depictions of product users enjoying the use of their time. The author draws from research on time perception, involvement and message strategy to describe this opportunity. Moreover, the opportunity is linked to the increasingly important role of women as decision-makers and information-seekers for the health care of themselves and their families.  It is rare to find a direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertisement in print format that is not dominated by an eye-catching visual. According to recent research (Handlin 2005), the visuals tend to occur in at least three primary types:

 

1. 20% feature landscapes or striking graphic designs       2. 40% are static images of product users          3. 40% are depictions of users engaging in work or leisure activity

 

Significance of Leadership Style and Gender Upon Adeptness for Engaging in Organizational Innovative Initiatives

Dr. James L. Morrison, Delaware

G. Titi Oladunjoye and Dale Rose

 

ABSTRACT

 

Based on the findings of this study, it may be concluded that a combination of gender and leadership style has a significant impact upon the process of engaging others to innovate. However, it terms of individual initiatives to innovate, gender and leadership styles was less of a significant factor.  In addition, research findings indicate that male and female perceptions of gender adeptness in applying leadership skills towards promoting innovative efforts are somewhat different  Do male and female leaders in organizations in the private sector differ in the styles they adapt for planning and implementing innovative practices as part of their daily operational responsibilities?  This question has been the focus of considerable research over the past several decades (Cooper & Kleinshmidt, 1998; Amabile, 1983 ).  In this regard, research has resulted in some contradictory explanations that delineate gender similarities and differences  in leadership styles.    Some scholars have concluded that leadership styles of males and females do different significantly (Gillian, 1982; Hare, 1996) while others argue there are no differences (Dobbins & Platz, 1986; Klenke, 1993).

 

The Short-Run Performance of Initial Public Offerings:  An Empirical Study for Thailand

Dr. Chaiporn Vithessonthi, Thailand

 

ABSTRACT

 

In this paper I investigate stock returns of initial public offerings (IPOs) in Thailand between 2001 and 2005. Based on a sample of 43 IPO firms listed on the Market for Alternative Investment (mai) between 2001 and 2005, I find mixed results: although the average market-adjusted initial return on the first trading day is 13.72 percent and significant, the average market-adjusted initial return varies across year of issuance. While the average adjusted initial return for IPOs in Thailand is substantial, it is smaller that the average excess returns for IPOs in other countries.  Finance theory seeks to understand the valuation of initial public offerings (IPOs). To this end, research has explored the extent to which the firm’s valuation of its common stock is in line with that of investors. To date, the empirical literature examining the valuation of initial public offerings have produced similar results (Drobetz, Kammermann, and Wälchli, 2005; Kunz, and Aggarwal, 1994; Loughran, and Ritter, 1995; Ritter, 1991; Sapusek, 2000). The overall conclusion of the literature is that IPOs are underpriced; i.e., the offer price of IPOs is on average lower than the corresponding first-day market closing price (Drobetz, Kammermann, and Wälchli, 2005; Sapusek, 2000). Almost all previous studies examined initial public offerings in developed countries.

 

Exploring the Value Profiles of Business Students in South Africa

Professor Miemie Struwig, Ph.D., South Africa

 

ABSTRACT

 

This study explores the personal values of business students in South Africa. Personal values are general standards by which individuals formulate attitudes and beliefs according to which they behave. The values of these students are important to study as they represent the future leaders of businesses and other organizations in society. The Country Corruption Assessment Report South Africa (2003) indicates that there is no doubt that South Africans perceive there is a lot of corruption and that it is one of the most important problems which should be addressed. The business sector in particular (62%) believes that corruption has become a serious issue in business. The purpose of this study is to explore the South African business students’ personal values to determine what interventions may be necessary before they enter the world of work.  The Personal Value Statement (PVS) instrument was used to explore the personal values of business students at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa.   The Personal Values Statement instrument developed by Allport, Vernon and Lindzey (1960) was adapted and only five value types, namely political, aesthetic, social, theoretical and economic were included in the South African study.

 

Mediating Effects of Job Characteristics on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment of Taiwanese Expatriates Working in Mainland China

Dr. Sheng Wen Liu, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Dr. Ralph Norcio, FL

 

 

ABSTRACT

 

With a population of 1.2 billion, mainland China has become a major target country for many foreign companies looking to expand their businesses because of its inexpensive labor and its large market.  Since 1987, many manufacturers in Taiwan have moved to mainland China to reduce labor costs.  In 2006, there were 70,256 companies from Taiwan operating in mainland China with fiscal expenditures exceeding US $42.81 billion dollars (Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, 2006).  If Taiwan’s foreign direct investment (FDI) and offshore investment expenditures were included, Taiwan would have had the second largest FDI in mainland China (Department of Investment Services Ministry of Economic Affairs, 2006).  The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effects of job characteristics on job satisfaction and organizational commitment of Taiwanese expatriates working in mainland China.  Through a snowballing sampling plan, the entire accessible population of 6,156 Taiwanese expatriates was invited to participate by e-mail – resulting in a valid sample of 389 responses.  The methods of data analysis used in this study consisted of exploratory factor analysis (EFA), internal consistency reliability, and moderated multiple regression (MMR).  Findings indicated that (a) job characteristics mediated the positive impact of intrinsic job satisfaction on affective commitment; and (b) job characteristics mediated the negative impact of extrinsic job satisfaction on affective commitment and normative commitment.  

 

Strategic Analysis: Blockbuster Case Study

Yan Xie and I-Hsiang Lin, FL

 

ABSTRACT

 

This research intends to analyze the strategy situation of Blockbuster – a global entertainment provider of in-home movie and game, and to provide strategy suggestions for Blockbuster. Case analysis is used in this paper. First, this paper reviews Blockbuster’s background information, including mission, vision, and current strategies. Then it analyzes Blockbuster’s internal (by Resource-based view of the firm) and external environments (by the Porter’s five forces). Next, it uses the SWOT analysis to identify the gaps between current situation and the vision & mission. Finally, we propose an action plan to close the gaps.  Blockbuster, Inc (NYSE: BBI) is a global provider of in-home movie and game entertainment, with over 8,000 stores throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Currently, Blockbuster operates the competitive home video and home video game industries which include in-home movies, such as theatrical movies, direct-to-video products, etc. and game entertainment offered by traditional retail outlets, online retailers, cable and satellite TV providers (Form 10k, 2006).   

 

How to Support Entrepreneurial Learning Through an Online Pedagogical R&D Project? - Case: Continuator Entrepreneurship

Dr. Irja Leppisaari, Dr. Marja-Liisa Tenhunen, and Riina Kleimola, Finland

 

ABSTRACT

 

Ownership transfers in enterprises will dramatically increase in Finland over the next several years. This creates new challenges for educational programmes directed at entrepreneurs continuing a business and realised collaboratively between higher education and the workplace. Sharing of tacit knowledge and establishing a skilled network are central challenges in continuator entrepreneurship and demand new practices in education and professional development. This study employs a design-based research model to investigate continuator entrepreneurship, and also makes use of authentic learning and online mentoring planned and implemented collaboratively between working life and higher education representatives as an online pedagogical R&D project. The collaborative development aims to promote entrepreneurial learning, support the ownership transfer and find potential continuators.  During the next 5-10 years, a considerable proportion of the population of Finland will reach retirement age. Approximately every fifth SME in Finland, about 40 000 enterprises, expects the ownership of their company to change over the next five years. Finding a continuator is, however, a challenge for entrepreneurs intending to hand over leadership of their company; up to 46% of SMEs planning ownership transfer consider this issue problematic. (Pk-yritysbarometri, 1/2007; Peltoniemi, 2007.)

 

International Diversification and Firm Performance: An International Analysis

Alfredo M. Bobillo, Ph.D., Felix López Iturriaga, Ph.D., and Fernando Tejerina Gaite, Ph.D., Spain

 

 

ABSTRACT

 

The internal and external competitive advantages of firms across different phases of internationalization depend on the resources used by industries for their financial development and growth. These advantages, as well as the influence of internal owners, facilitate the access of firms to foreign markets.  This study analyzes the relationship between the degree of international diversification and firm performance in Germany, France, the U.K., Spain and Denmark. Our results support a curvilinear relationship between the degree of internationalization (hereinafter DOI) and firm performance that is articulated in three stages who are concerned about   industry reputation, technological and distribution barriers and also showing high transaction cost. These findings point to a cyclic process in a firm’s international expansion, where overcoming such barriers and developing governance and coordination mechanisms to minimize transaction costs become the main challenge the firm must overcome in order to compete at the worldwide level.  The globalization of economic activity has allowed firms to rapidly shift their activities in the search for new markets. In the international business arena, the international diversification-firm performance relationship is generally assumed. Vernon (1971), Kogut (1985) and Dunning (1993) suggest a positive relationship between the extent of multinationality and the firm’s economic return on sales when a firm exploits its ownership advantages and its specific assets in foreign markets. Contextual factors have led to the eradication of tariff barriers and encourage the most competitive firms to exploit market imperfections and to use their competitive capabilities to start up new ventures in foreign markets, thus improving their performance and outcomes.

 

Analysis of Regional Competition Efficiency of the Hospitals in Taiwan: A Case Study

Ching-Kuo Wei and Mao-Lung Liao, Taiwan

 

ABSTRACT

 

This research analyzes the regional competition efficiency of the target hospitals in Taipei area of Taiwan by developed Data Envelopment Analysis and finds that in recent years, the performance of the target hospitals the medical environment of Taipei area is unsatisfying. From 2002 to 2005, the hospitals are only efficient in 2002. After further analysis, we find that the main reason of the inefficiency between input and output of the target hospitals is the improper scale. Besides, after merging, the performance of the hospitals is unsatisfying. Thus, the hospitals must reduce input and increase the output to upgrade the operational performance. In addition, they should find the right development direction to have competitive advantages in Taipei area and fulfill the objective of sustainable operation.  In recent years, the medical environment of Taiwan changes gradually. National health insurance was implemented in 1995. Before the implementation, there were over 800 hospitals in Taiwan and two years later, there were only over 500 hospitals (reduced by 35%). In 2002, Global Budget System was practiced and the government led the medical service by budget and controlled the growth of medical expenditure. In 2004, Bureau of National Health Insurance promoted Prominence Project which resulted in the unsteadiness of the revenues and medical revenues.

 

Current Shifts in Business Training: Evidence from Romania

Dr. Cosmin Joldes and Dr. Alexandra Horobet, Romania

 

ABSTRACT

 

Managers are becoming more aware of the value that investment in human resources, as opposed to expenses in intangible assets can produce at the company level and that human resource activities can focus on key business concerns, and in turn drive greater growth and eventually higher market value.  In this framework, the core-competency perspective focuses attention on the importance of knowledge creation and learning processes for building and maintaining competitive advantage in a world defined by globalization, demographic change, and the rise of the knowledge worker. Our paper explores the major shifts that are occurring in one critical activity related to human resources, i.e. business training, and discusses recent evidence found in the field in the Romanian market, one of the most active and fast developing countries in Central and Eastern Europe.  The primary activities in any company, such as production, operations, sales, and service, are seen as directly connected to the value creation process linked to company’s products or services being offered to customers. Other activities like human resources, IT, and administration have been traditionally considered support activities and considered only as marginally contributing to the effectiveness or efficiency of the primary activities. Consequently, these other activities were seen as only indirectly adding value to the company’s products or services. Even today, these support activities, including human resources, are considered “cost centers” and not investments due to the manner in which most executives perceive their benefits and integrate the activities into the organizational structure of the company.

 

Applying Quality Function Deployment in the Manufacturing Industry: A Review & Case Study in Production

Dr. Zeynep Ocak, Istanbul, Turkey

 

ABSTRACT

 

In the manufacturing industry, quality function deployment (QFD) provides a comprehensive, systematic approach to ensure customer requirements and expectations are met via applying improvements to design, production and management phases. In this study QFD was applied to a leading Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) manufacturing company in Turkey.  The ‘case study’ company and its two competitors were compared in terms of customer requirements and product quality. The results of this study provided specific improvements that are necessary to be performed in the focus company.  Successful companies in today’s dynamic global economy are those that are able to efficiently design, develop, and manufacture products that will be preferred by customers over those offered by competitors. At the center of this idea is a need to deliver product designs that meet these customer needs while making the designs manufacturable at a competitive cost. To this extend, QFD has been recognized to transform consumers' demands into ``quality characteristics'' and developing a design quality for the finished product by systematically deploying the relationships between the demands and the characteristics (Akao, 1990). QFD is also viewed as a strategic planning and communication tool for linking quality that is defined by customer’s voice to appropriate quality and cost factors or attributes at all levels of the design and production process.

 

Method for Accelerating Transfer of Innovation and Technology to Technology based SMEs in South African

Duncan H. Tungande, South Africa

 

ABSTRACT

 

According to the South Africa’s National research and development strategy (August 2002), the innovation pillar involves the establishment and funding of a range of technology instruments that are critical to promote economic and social development.These include the two key technology platforms of the modern age,namely biotechnology and information technology. The Government has addressed the promotion of technology development transfer, and innovation, through different approaches, which can be typified as supply-side and demand-side. Naturally, these approaches are not mutually exclusive, but the emphasis of the measures recommended is changing from supply-side to demand. In the supply-side approach, R&D activities carried out by state institutions are intended to create new technologies which may contribute for the mission of the state, to foster innovation and the productivity of the private sector. The emphasis is on development of technologies. The demand-side approach emphasises co-operation by the state to improve the availability, adoption and use of technologies by SMEs, (Small Medium Enterprises) and activities to encourage investment in technology, education/training and information infrastructure. This Paper discusses technology transfer (TT) in university-SME partnerships as a means of promoting innovation. The Department of Science and technology established Tshumisano Trust to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit within the populace of South Africa; mainly in providing innovative solutions to Technological based SME’s to address pressing Socio-economic goals of the Government.

 

Technology-Related Privacy Concerns: A Critical Assessment

Cliona McParland and Dr. Regina Connolly, Ireland

 

ABSTRACT

 

The exponential adoption of the Internet for transaction and interaction purposes continues unabated. Despite the obvious empowering benefits of the Internet however, consumers are becoming increasing aware of the ways in which technology can be used to collate information regarding them and the ability of online vendors to use this information without their express permission. Vendors facing intense competition in the marketplace are under increasing pressure to gain a more sophisticated understanding of their consumers and thus view the collection of consumers’ personal and interaction information as essential to achieving that understanding. Awareness of this fact has accentuated consumers’ privacy concerns and in some cases impacted interaction intentions and behaviour. Similarly, in the work environment, employees’ awareness that communication-monitoring technologies are being used to monitor their email and Internet interactions has increased. Despite the importance of this issue, research on technology-related privacy concerns remains in an embryonic stage.  Moreover, the literature indicates that much confusion surrounds the construct and in many studies the construct is neither clearly defined nor operationalised.  The aim of this paper is therefore to reduce that confusion by providing a brief review of the literature while outlining potential research avenues worthy of future research. This paper provides a refined and holistic understanding of the construct and consequently makes a valuable contribution not only to information systems research but also to practitioners in their efforts to better understand the factors that predict and inhibit technology-related privacy concerns.

 

Culture and Internal Competition in Romanian Hospitality Industry: Dimensions and Risks

Dr. Claudia-Elena Ţuclea, Dr. Olimpia State, and Dr. Gabriela Tigu, Romania

 

ABSTRACT

 

This paper presents the conclusions of a quantitative research aiming to identify a relationship between the coordinates of the organizational culture in Romania (investigated with Hofstede’s model) and the individual and organizational performance. The research tries to validate the hypothesis according to which the Romanian cultural model is still in a significant opposition with the competitive behavior leading to increasing individual and organizational performance. Although the idea of reward is attractive, at least at the theoretical level, its boomerang effect is encountered most of the times: the Romanians want to have more money, however this fact determines them to work harder only in the short term. Subsequently, the role of the two variables (the reward and quality of work) reverses: the work becomes a consequence of the reward. This fact seems to represent the expression of a collective frustration (still remaining from the communist regime), which generates an anxious problem of attitude: the extrinsic motivation (salary & wages) erodes the intrinsic motivation.  The internal competition within the Romanian organizations does not necessarily lead to beneficial effects. The lack of collective performance and the negative effects at the personal level (stress, anxiety, even depression) are only a few of the undesirable consequences of applying Western managerial practices in an environment characterized by a collectivist culture.

 

The Problem and Solution of Export and Import Documents Presented Against Letter of Credit for Payment

Dr. Sut Sakchutchawan, Waynesburg University, Waynesburg, PA

 

ABSTRACT

 

Despite growing discrepancies in presentation of export and import documents for payment during the past thirty years, no research has been done on where, why, and how the discrepancies in the documents occurred. The objective of this research is to call attention to the neglect and to propose a resolution to this problem.  Beginning with a description of the problem, the research describes this phenomenon as a significant worldwide issue for sellers who are too often refused payments when banks discover discrepancies on export and import documents.  The findings reveal that the problems of discrepancies caused by the excessive terms and conditions of the letter of credit and the ambiguous context on each article of the Uniform Customs and Practice. To solve these problems, this research recommends that the context of letter of credit and the context of each article of Uniform Customs and Practice must be clear and concise. Secondly, a guideline with a practical example must be provided accordingly. Lastly, the personnel involved in documentary preparation must be certified to ensure they have enough skills to handle the documents properly.

 

An Analysis of Exchange Rate and Export Growth in India

Dr. Sadananda Prusty, India

 

ABSTRACT

 

Empirical evidence drawn from Fang et al. (2006) shows that depreciation encourages exports in eight Asian countries, except Singapore. Fang et al. (2006) uses a dynamic conditional correlation bivariate GARCH-M model for the monthly time-series data on bilateral exports from 1979 to 2003 to arrive at the above findings. During post-reforms, India’s exports increase at a faster rate as compared to its GDP growth. Many factors appear to have contributed to the export growth in India including depreciation of rupee. Commerce and industry minister Nath (2007) blames the weakening dollar for the fall in growth of industrial output and exports in India. Mahambare et al. (2007) points out that exports growth in India has slowed down recently as compared to the previous years mainly due to the appreciation of rupee against dollar. These are the newspaper articles and statements. This research explores the post-reform long-run relationship between exchange rate and export growth in India by using time series tools (i.e., unit root, causality and cointegration tests). Empirical results suggest that there exists bidirectional causality between exports growth and exchange rate growth. Further, Johansen’s (1995) cointegration test result reveals that there exists a positive and significant long-run relationship between rupee depreciation and exports growth in India, thus supports the trade theory and findings of Fang et al. (2006).

 

Measuring the Joint Effect of Country Image and Brand Perception in Consumer Evaluations of Televisions: The Case of China and Malaysia

Natalie Powers and Dr. Marc Fetscherin, Winter Park, FL

 

ABSTRACT

 

The majority of the world’s televisions are produced in emerging market countries, with China and Malaysia being two of the largest producers. This has important implications for brands emanating from these countries and entering the United States market, as country-of-origin effects are known to affect consumer perceptions. This paper uses frameworks developed by Martin and Eroglu (1997) and Aaker (1993) to assess U.S. consumers’ country image and brand perceptions of televisions manufactured in China and Malaysia. This is explored by exposing two groups of U.S. consumers to information and photographs about LCD televisions manufactured either in China or Malaysia. Our results yielded significant differences in country image perceptions by U.S. consumers, whereas perceptions of each country’s brands were not perceived differently. Our findings in this explorative study indicate that televisions as a product category are less sensitive to country-of-origin effects. This suggests positive implications for television brands from China and Malaysia surmounting the country-of-origin effect and succeeding in the United States market.

 

Decision Factors in Global Textile and Apparel Sourcing After Quota Elimination

Dr. Kin Fan Au and Man Chong Wong, Hong Kong

 

ABSTRACT

 

The country decision factors for global sourcing and the pattern of textile and apparel (T&A) trading are expected to change after export quota elimination in 2005 when liberalized trade is exercised. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach was applied in this study to evaluate the relative importance of the devised global sourcing decision factors in the post-quota era. A total of 15 T&A trading companies were interviewed and a questionnaire survey was conducted. The data were analysed and the results indicated the priority of product quality, costs, time to market and country factors are important in the consideration of global T&A sourcing decision in the post-quota era.  Textile and apparel (T&A) manufacturing is one of the leading industries which have actively and extensively exploited the global supply chain. Through global sourcing, foreign T&A retailers and firms can acquire good value products at competitive prices. Taking the global trend, buyers in industrialized economies have increasingly sourced in lower-wage countries in order to overcome domestic supply side constraints (e.g. labour shortage, high wages and land costs) and challenges from the international trading environment (e.g. tariff, quotas’ constraints and currency fluctuations) (Jin, 2004).

 

Forecasting Apparel Exports of Selected East Asian Countries after Quota Phase Out

Chan Man Hin Eve, Dr. Kin Fan Au, and Dr. Ka Fai Choi, Hong Kong

 

ABSTRACT

With the ending of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) and the demise of export quotas, the global apparel industry would have significant economic consequences. Commentators routinely argued that Chinese apparel exporters would surge in the apparel market. It was also expected that other East Asian apparel nations would suffer declines, leading to job and economic losses.  This paper presents the predicted trends of the apparel sector and focuses specifically on China and other East Asian suppliers, which include Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. The double exponential smoothing method is used to perform a three-year forecast on the future scenarios of this sector in the selected countries. The results show that China’s gains outstrip those of the other East Asian exporters by a considerable margin. It is hoped that the results obtained will serve as references for the industry and government in their continuous promotion and development of the changing market circumstances.

 

Carrying out a Business Development Project: An Empirical Study on Methods and Stages of the Process

Dr. Katri Ojasalo, Finland

 

Abstract

 

Major changes in the global economy, in social structures and in business have brought significant challenges for developing business studies. As the environmental pressure to reform business models and to be innovative in business increase, it is important that the students learn to be developers. However, students are usually still taught only traditional scientific research methods and processes instead of development methods and processes. The purpose of this study is to increase the knowledge of the process and methodological aspects related to business development projects. This study examines 15 real-life business development cases carried out by master’s students. Based on the findings, a systematic business development process is suggested in this article. The article begins with a brief look at changes in the business world, and how education can contribute to new kinds of innovative business competence. Also, differences between scientific research and development projects are briefly discussed. After the introduction to the background of the study, the purpose and the method of the study are described. In the findings, the systematic development process is introduced. Then, the final conclusions are drawn.  The technologies, organizational models, and market and demand structures of the global economy have experienced thorough changes. Increased globalization, tougher competition, the rapid development of information and communication technology, the shortening life cycle of products and services, and increasing customer demands are features of the economic environment.

 

Developmental Challenges in Executive Information System (EIS) for the Education Sector in Pakistan

Dr. Roshan Shaikh and Syed Rashid Ali, Pakistan

 

ABSTRACT

 

Educational Executive Information Systems (EEIS) are topical manifestation of computer-based information systems with the intention of providing educational executives with the intelligence they require to make strategic decisions. In recent years a number of organizations have implemented Executive Information Systems (EIS) in order to improve their business policy, planning and monitoring functions.  This paper examines the adoption and usage of EEIS by the education sector in Pakistan. An indigenous model is presented in this paper reflecting the proposed EEIS that includes protocols, specifications, algorithms and interfaces while special considerations are given to cater for security issues in the proposed model.  In order to identify the most critical design factors for a successful EEIS a focus group study was conducted. The preliminary results suggest that there is a dire need of comprehensive EEIS, preferably offered as an outsourcing service. The study has led us to believe that the most critical implementational issue are not the funding challenges alone. In a successful implementation of EEIS, the challenges include: technical expertise, departmental and organizational culture, strategic framework, operational priorities, HR, and administration policies.

 

Constructing of Factor Indices: A New Approach

Sirli Mandmaa and Jaan Vainu, Ph.D., Tallinn, Estonia

 

ABSTRACT

 

The theory of indices is one of the youngiest branches of statistics. The theory of aggregate indices, which is presently widely used in statistics, was developed in 1871 by Etienne Laspeyres, professor at  the University of Tartu and Hermann Paasche, German economis, a proffessor at Aachen University of Technology from 1879. From then on indeces have been widely used in economic analyses and the fundamentals of their construction have remained unchanged: the factors included in aggregate fall into qualitative and quantitative ones and the period (last or base period) used in the  formula of index of invariable factor is determined considering the character of the  variable factor. Such a fixed order of the change of factors is of course not substantiated scientifically; however, otherwise it would not be possible to make the  cost, price and physical quantity form a system. This creates another problem: division of absolute increases.  No clear consensus has emerged on who created the first price index. The earliest reported research in this area came from Englishman Rice Vaughan who examined price level change in his  1675 book “A Discourse of Coin and Coinage”.

 

Management of Projects Financed by EU Programs in Croatia

Ana Bulic and Maja Klindzic, Croatia

 

ABSTRACT

 

The paper deals with integrations as modern tendencies in global economy. Specifically, the focus is on integration of the European countries, or to be more exact, on instruments of pre-accession help to potential candidates. Today, the EU consists of 27 member states, and there are three candidate countries, Croatia being one of them. Candidate countries are granted pre-accession funds enabling them to catch up with the member states to some extent. The main purpose of this paper is to give an insight into how projects financed from the EU pre-accession funds are managed in Croatia.  More than ever we have become dependent on each other. It has become clear that not a single state is self-sufficient and therefore cannot function as an island for itself. The reason for interdependency between states results from a well-known phenomenon that shapes our lives – a phenomenon called globalization. „Globalization is not just another phenomenon or a pass-through trend. It is an international system which overhangs and shapes both domestic and foreign affairs of almost all countries in the world. As such, we should comprehend it and embrace it. “(Jovancevic, R., 2005).

 

Social Intelligence and Project Leadership

Velimir Srica, Croatia

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Some ten years ago I was involved in a research study which came up with a relatively disturbing conclusion: 80% of projects fail not because we did not know how, but because of lack of social intelligence and personal skills, i.e. poor leadership, bad teamwork, inadequate communication, inability to resolve conflicts etc. In other words, in projects we rarely fail because of lack of professional skills and knowledge, and most often fail as humans.  This conclusion is a starting point for discussing the human side of project management in order to make it better suited for success within a project environment.  Most project managers come from technical background and exhibit engineer mentality. In principle they are accustomed to organized, predictable, logical, well structured, detailed and standardized environment which is governed by objective rules and controllable variables. No wonder they tend to apply the same logic to fuzzy, disorganized, unpredictable, intuitive, emotional and subjective world of human interaction. It works with technology but will not work in most situations involving people. Instead of an ideal paper-based system which does not correspond with the reality, a flexible and dynamic system is needed which adjusts, grows and develops like an organism. A fairly functioning system is always better than a perfect system which does not function. 

 

Executive Coaching in a Family Business Environment

Leon Levin, Gil Bozer and Dr. Hartel Charmine, Australia

 

ABSTRACT

 

Within the traditional business organizational climate in which an executive coach operates, the identity of the coachee can be quite clearly differentiated from the business identity.  This is not the case within the world of family business where the founder, the successor, the business, and the family culture are interwoven.  This unique feature of family business means that for executive coaching to be effective within the family business environment a radically different approach to that used in traditional business environments must be adopted, namely the consideration of what generally are thought of as non-business variables. This paper makes the first attempt to address the key and unique variables executive coaches need to be aware of to effectively work within the family business environment.  The foundation stone upon which this paper is predicated is the fact that in most, if not all, evolving economies the influence of family businesses is extremely important. Gersick et al (1997) and Barnett et al (2006) acknowledge that family businesses are perhaps the dominant form of enterprise worldwide as more than two of every three organizations are family owned and/or managed.

 

 Innovation Management in Knowledge Intensive Services

Professor Jukka Ojasalo, Ph.D., Finland

 

ABSTRACT

 

Knowledge intensive services and their innovation management are increasingly important in the modern economy. The vast amount of literature deals with innovation management in the context of tangible goods, however very little information exists on innovation management of knowledge intensive services. The present article contributes by proposing a framework for innovation management in knowledge intensive services. The framework integrates into a single model the special characteristic of service innovation management, knowledge intensive services, and service innovation process.  The role of knowledge intensive services and their innovation management is becoming increasingly important in the modern economy. According to Hipp and Grupp (2005), the trend towards a knowledge-intensive economy supports structures in which human capital and knowledge-intensive business service companies, in particular, play an important role as knowledge brokers and intermediaries. Data, information, and knowledge are intangible assets that are produced and traded especially by the service sector (Miozzo and Miles, 2003).

 

A Probe into the Interrelationship of the Personality Characteristics, Value at Work, Commitment to Organization and Culture of Organization vs. Intent to Quit, Taking a Certain Medical Treatment System in Taiwan for Instance

Mao-Hung Liao, Ching-Kuo Wei, Hsien-Mi Lin, Taiwan, R.O.C.

 

ABSTRACT

 

Where the unemployment rate promulgated in Taiwan has been hanging high, the medical care industry has, ironically, either failed to solicit adequate high-caliber professionals and experts to meet the needs or has undergone continual high-caliber brain drain.  In medical institutions which are characterized by high level professionalism, the high quitting rate would not only bring up added costs in human resources training and nourishment, but would also downgrade the quality of services to patients. A hospital should, therefore, try by all means and channels to solicit and screen high-caliber professionals and experts and, in addition, take more prudent consideration about how to minimize employees’ intent to quit so as to effectively prevent and guard against quitting trend.  The present study is intended to probe into the factors that tend to affect employees’ intent to quit in an attempt to look into the initial causes which tend to lead to the intent to quit. The findings yielded in the present study is intended to benefit hospitals in human resources management.  The present study aims at the entire staff of a certain medical care system in Taiwan area.  We conducted the surveys by means of random sample-check and questionnaires.  We handed out a total of 1,400 copies of questionnaires, retrieved a total of 1,308 copies, including 1,247 copies as the successful ones, demonstrating a 95.4% successful rate. 

 

Regional Concurrence and Strategic Moves of MNCs Ensconced South Asian Market in the Current Global Competitive Environment: Impact of Global Business and Political Changes on the Newly Emerging Market of Pakistan

Tahir Ali, Karachi Pakistan

 

ABSTRACT

 

Renaissance of Asia has been   predicted by many international business scholars for many years. Asia has been the fastest growing area in the world for the past three decades and the prospects for continued economic growth over the long run are excellent (Cateora, 2005). Enormous, unprecedented  global environmental changes, since the outset of the 21^st century have nudged out Asia in general and South Central Asia  in particular as the centre of international business and political activities. Although geocentric behavior of most of the international organizations throughout the world has been reflecting in this part of the world, strong regional co-operations may affect their objectives and strategies in the long run. Intensive investment and involvement of neighboring and other regional countries, dilution of some  crucial disputes with India and comparatively stable political and economic conditions  over the past five years have placed Pakistan as one of the fastest growing economies and a newly emerging market of the world. Alliances, ventures and political and business harmony in this region gradually eclipsing hegemony and compelling multinational and international organizations to redefine their objectives and strategies in Pakistan.  In the present scenario of globalization  and focus on this region by many developed countries and international organizations,  this paper would be highly fruitful for everyone in general and business community in particular.

 

The Open Loop Economy

Richard Carranza, Texas

 

ABSTRACT

 

The term “feedback loop” is frequently used by economists when describing the economy.  The economy is referred to as a natural feedback system.  Philosophers throughout history are cited by modern writers as having “discovered” the natural feedback loop in the economy.  Analogies are also made comparing the economy to electrical and computer systems in the cyber age.  The truth of the mater is that the term feedback loop is used loosely.  Actually it is used incorrectly from the point of view of modern engineering control theory.  This is because, technically speaking, natural systems, like an economy with no outside intervention, have no feedback loops.  Feedback loops exist when man intervenes and sets up sensors that measure and communicate with other devices that then act upon the system.  In a simple economy, where humans naturally engage in trade, no such feedback system is in place.  The model on which modern economics is built is an open loop system, not a closed loop system.  Yet, throughout the economic literature the term “feedback loop” is used freely.  Sometimes the term is used loosely, and sometimes it is used precisely.  In other instances, a differentiation is made between positive and negative feedback.  Nevertheless, the term is found everywhere in the published literature.

 

An Assessment of Firefighters' Stress Levels

Dr. Bill Lowe, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale FL

 

ABSTRACT

 

The purpose of this evaluative research was to (1) assess the stress levels of firefighters. (2) Identify the impacts of stress. (3) Review departmental resources for addressing stress. And (4) identify strategies for reducing the causes of firefighter stress. The study’s four research questions were: (1) Are firefighters experiencing low, moderate, or high stress levels? (2) What are the impacts of firefighters’ stress levels? (3) What are the departmental resources for addressing stress related issues? (4) What are strategies applicable to reducing the causes of stress experienced by firefighters? The procedures for answering the research questions included a literature review and a survey. Results established that the firefighters and officers completing the Stressor Questionnaire self-reported the following stress levels: four respondents (7.7 %) reported low levels of stress; 48 respondents (92.3 %) reported moderate levels of stress; and no respondents (0 %) reported high levels of stress. The study findings were helpful in the development of recommendation for the department’s efforts to identify and address work place stress issues. Recommendations for the department to consider included the following: (1)

 

Aging of the U.S. Population and Its Impact on the Health Care System

Kristina L. Guo, Ph.D., MPH, Pearl City, HI

 

ABSTRACT

 

The purpose of this paper is to describe the impact of seniors on the health care system in the 21^st century.  The aging of the population poses a major challenge to the acute and long term care system. In 2005, 12.4% (36.6 million) of the population was 65 and over. However, this is expected to double in size within the next 25 years. By 2030, almost 1-out-of-5 Americans — some 72 million people — will be 65 years or older.  By 2050, the oldest old are projected to account for 1 out of 4 older adults.  Therefore, the impact of the aging population will result in a heavy burden on the Medicare program.  Medicare is a federal program that primarily finances personal medical services for the aged. In 2005, there were 42.1 million Medicare beneficiaries, and this projected to reach 77.2 million by 2030.  As the aged population increases and lives longer, the potential for requiring long term care services also rises.  Those aged who are impaired will demand services to assist in their activities of daily living; thus, the cost of providing those services will escalate.  Currently, 12% of the population between 64 and 74 require long term care services, compared to almost 70% for the 85 and over age group.  The need for nursing home care increases with age.

 

Change and Continuity in e-Commerce Degree Programs in North America

Dr. Subhash Durlabhji and Dr. Marcelline Fusilier, LA

 

ABSTRACT

 

The present study built on previous research to investigate characteristics of e-commerce master’s degree programs that were newly launched, revised, or remained the same between 2003 and 2007.  Data were collected from university web sites.   Of 90 total programs, 53 were new, 32 were revised, and five remained the same over the period studied.  Findings suggested the coursework of all the programs tended to be non-technical in content.  The non-technical focus appeared more pronounced in e-commerce concentrations than degree programs.  Comparisons to previous literature suggest that the rate of curriculum change may be increasing for e-commerce master’s programs.  E-commerce has expanded steadily in the years following the dot-com bust.  Adjusted e-commerce retail sales are up 19.3% in the third quarter of 2007 over the same period for 2006 (U.S.Census Bureau, 2007).  The 2007 online holiday shopping season’s sales surpassed $29 billion, up 19% from 2006 (Lipsman, 2008).  Parallel to this growth, e-commerce education offerings have expanded and changed (Durlabhji & Fusilier, 2002; 2005; Ethridge, Hsu, & Wilson, 2001; Hemaida, Foroughi, & Derr, 2002). 

 

The Impact of Fast Adaptation Strategy and Knowledge Integration from New Product Successes and Failures on New Product Development Performance: An Empirical Study of ICT Industry in Taiwan

Dr. Yung-Ching Ho, Yu Chao, Hui-Chen Fang, Taiwan, R.O.C.

 

ABSTRACT

 

There is consensus in the marketing literature that fast adaptation strategy is fundamental resource for successful new product development (NPD). However, few studies examine the dimensions or characteristics of fast adaptation strategy and how and why this resource influence new product development performance. The successful strategy of new product development is regarded as benchmark that companies drive to grow and maintenance long-term competitive advantage. Along the fast development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), knowledge economy as foundation by the ICT industry, becomes mainstream of world development. The knowledge gained from NPD failure is often instrumental in achieving subsequent successes. However many studies in the NPD, often neglects the discussion of the knowledge management in comparing the successful and failure projects. This study explores the fast adaptation strategy and the knowledge integration, analyzes the effect of fast adaptation strategy on new product performance through knowledge integration. The results show four conclusions: First, fast adaptation strategy influences NPD performance. Second, Fast adaptation strategy influences knowledge integration. Third, Knowledge integration influences NPD performance. Forth, Fast adaptation strategy influences NPD performance through knowledge integration.

 

Integrative Factory, Technology, and Product Planning on the Basis of a System Model

Prof. Peter Nyhuis, Serjosha Wulf, Prof. Berend Denkena, and Mark Eikötter, Hanover

 

ABSTRACT

 

Factory, technology, and product planning are complex corporate disciplines with highly mutually influential processes and results. The existing interactions between the disciplines, the various life cycles of the planning elements, and various planning dates lead to a high complexity. This makes it difficult for companies to maintain an overview over the ongoing planning processes. In addition noncentral, nonnetworked planning departments lead to nonsynchronized planning processes, which exacerbate the problems. The challenges for a company consist of mastering the ensuing problems and using the existing resources efficiently. This calls for a synchronization of the strategic and operative planning in terms of both content and timetable. To do this, new methods and models have to be devised which are aimed at a holistic coordination of the three planning areas. One promising approach is based on the classic roadmapping method and extends this to form an integrative planning method for the factory, technology, and product areas. The method enables an assessment of the effects of possible decisions in one area on each of the others right from the strategic corporate planning level.

 

Insurance Demand, Financial Development, and Economic Growth: The Case of Taiwan

Min-Sun Horng, Yung-Wang Chang, and Ting-Yi Wu, Taiwan

 

Abstract

 

This study examines the dynamic relationship among insurance demand, financial development, and economic growth in Taiwan from 1961 to 2006. Using a three-variable VAR (vector autoregressive) model, the competing hypotheses of demand-following versus supply-leading are empirically tested. We find that the economic growth affects the insurance demand in both the long and short run, whereas the financial development (measured as the ratio of M2 to GDP) causes variations in the insurance demand mainly in the long run. Additionally, the results from Granger causality test, based on vector error-correction models (VECM), suggest unidirectional causality running from financial development to economic growth. This result supports “the supply-leading hypothesis” link from financial development to economic growth for Taiwan. In contrast, the empirical results also suggest that economic growth lead to increases in insurance demand. This result supports “the demand-following hypothesis” link from economic growth to insurance demand for Taiwan.

 

Apple's iPhone Launch: A Case Study in Effective Marketing

Kyle Mickalowski, Mark Mickelson, and Jaciel Keltgen, SD

 

ABSTRACT

 

When CEO Steve Jobs announced in January 2007 that Apple would be releasing a revolutionary iPhone five months hence, consumers waited with bated breath for a phone that would deliver all the features of their iPods as well as a smart phone. Anticipation grew, just as Jobs knew it would, as June approached. The launch would become one of the most heralded technological product splashes Apple, known for its masterful media build-up, had ever planned. How the iPhone was developed, priced, promoted, and distributed is lesson for marketers around the world. Apple investors were pretty happy with the outcome as well.  One year after Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs announced the company’s industry-changing iPhone on January 9, 2007, at the Macworld convention in San Francisco, the share price of Apple’s stock has more than doubled to a January 9, 2008, value of $179.40 (See Chart 1).  This stock price incorporates all of Apple’s business, but a large part of the rise in value can be attributed to the launch of the cutting-edge iPhone, of which four million have already been sold through mid-January 2008 (Carew, 2008).  Based on this simple observation of the stock price, the iPhone can so far be declared a success, at least from a shareholder standpoint. 

 

The Marketing Concept Implementation, Does it Affect Organizational Culture?

Dr. Richard Murphy, Dr. Diana Peaks, and Dr. John Pope, FL

 

ABSTRACT

 

Marketing concept has been defined as a marketing philosophy for achieving the organizations goals dependent upon determining the needs, wants of target markets and delivering the desired needs, and wants more effectively and efficiently than competitors does (Kotler & Amstrong, 2001).  According to marketing concept McCarthy & Perreault (1984), organizations implementing the marketing concept can be said to have adopted a market orientation. The work of Kohli & Jaworski (1990) identified the antecedents of a market orientation and the effect of a market orientation on profitability (Naver & Slater, 1990). Some scholars are beginning to stress the relationship between organizational culture and the marketing concept (Deshpande & Parasuraman, 1986). Marketing concept including market orientation and service orientation has been studied since the development of frameworks (Kohli & Jaworski, 1990; Narver & Slater, 1990). Research on the marketing concept has attempted to link market orientation and service orientation to organizational performance, and it has been supported that the marketing concept is highly correlated with performance (Deshpande et al., 1993; Jaworski & Kohli, 1993; Narver & Salter, 1990). Although marketing concept should be an important business philosophy for small organizations as well, marketing concept has not been implemented in International organizations in taking organization size and culture into consideration.

 

Management of Factory Transformability on the Basis of Business Processes

Tobias Heinen, Dr. Detlef Gerst, and Prof. Peter Nyhuis, Hanover