{"title":"Institutional Aspects of Economic Growth: Assessing the Significance of Public Debt, Economic Governance and Industrial Competition","authors":"Mattheus Goosen","doi":"10.2174/1874915101306010001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874915101306010001","url":null,"abstract":"Institutional aspects of economic growth are critically reviewed with emphasis on the fiscal crisis facing the European Union (EU). In particular the importance of public debt, economic governance, and industrial competition are assessed, as well as the effectiveness of econometric models in forecasting economic growth. Likewise, the debate on whether political institutions cause economic growth, or whether, alternatively, growth and human capital accumulation lead to institutional improvement is discussed. Positive and negative institutional factors on economic growth will also be briefly debated.","PeriodicalId":246270,"journal":{"name":"The Open Business Journal","volume":"67 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121490883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation of Political and Regulatory Risks in the Oil Industry","authors":"M. Guimarães, André Carvalhal","doi":"10.2174/1874915101205010028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874915101205010028","url":null,"abstract":"The objective of this study was to determine the best way to quantify the political and regulatory risks in the oil industry. To analyze if these risks should be included in the cash flow or quantified in the WACC (weighted average cost of capital), we used real case studies of exploration and production (E&P) and refining in Latin America. The oil industry is a good case study for this type of analysis because it is more susceptible to government interventions. Our findings indicate that, in general, changes in oil rules cause only small increases in the country risk and beta (therefore in the WACC) but generate great volatility in the cash flow. Although the political and regulatory risks are considered market risk (i.e. have the potential to affect the whole economy) and should be quantified in the WACC equation, our results indicate that the option to insert these risks directly in the cash flow produce better results when compared to adding a spread in the WACC.","PeriodicalId":246270,"journal":{"name":"The Open Business Journal","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132473470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Network Economies for Internet Distributed Systems: Management Implications","authors":"H. Gottinger","doi":"10.2174/1874915101205010020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874915101205010020","url":null,"abstract":"A macroscopic view of Internet -based distributed computer systems reveals the complexity of the organization and management of the resources and services they provide. The complexity arises from the system size (e.g. number of systems, number of users) and heterogeneity in applications (e.g. online transaction processing, e-commerce, multimedia, decision support, intelligent information search) and resources (CPU, memory, I/O bandwidth, network bandwidth and buffers, etc.) In a large distributed system, the set of systems, users and applications is continuously changing. In this paper we address some of the management issues of providing Quality of Service (QoS), pricing, and efficient allocation of resources (computational resources) in networks and systems facilitated through economic mechanism design.","PeriodicalId":246270,"journal":{"name":"The Open Business Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123965800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Integrating Success Scorecards Across Corporate Organizational Levels","authors":"A. Maltz, A. Shenhar, D. Dvir, M. Poli","doi":"10.2174/1874915101205010008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874915101205010008","url":null,"abstract":"No organization is sustainable without change, and changes are increasigly introduced through projects. With today's accelerated project-based business environments, corporate success is clearly dependent on the effectiveness of such time-bounded initiatives called projects or programs. As temporary organizations, projects are impacting success both in the short and the long run. This study is thus dedicated to an integrative view of the two distinct levels, corporate and project, from an overall success scorecard standpoint. In particular, we explore the contribution of measuring the human capital and preparing for the future dimensions to overall business success over time. This paper makes the case that an integrated project-based business lifecycle may become a fruitful domain for further investigation, and would go beyond the traditional focus on products and processes only, on one hand and on entire business success, on the other hand. While multiple dimensions of corporate success have received much attention in recent years, they were often studied separately. Few studies spanned more than one organizational level, while looking at detailed success measures from a very short-term to a very long-term perspective. The dynamic framework developed in this paper includes five integrated dimensions: short-term financial and efficiency measures; benefits to the customer; process effectiveness; human capital management; and preparing (and or creating) the future. This framework may build a basis for organizations to develop specific measures for both the corporate and project levels. Our findings provide implications for management on each dimension, and show how to address the human capital as well creating the future infrastructure required for an organization to build sustainable prosperity in the long run.","PeriodicalId":246270,"journal":{"name":"The Open Business Journal","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125134208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Discussion on the Signaling Hypothesis of Dividend Policy","authors":"Chikashi Tsuji","doi":"10.2174/1874915101205010001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874915101205010001","url":null,"abstract":"This paper discusses the signaling hypothesis of corporate dividend policy. We discuss this traditionally important matter in the field of corporate finance by introducing both classic and newest related studies. There seem to be some general agreements on the dividend-signaling hypothesis; however, our discussions include the following new viewpoints. First is the possibility of the firm risk changes after dividend policy changes. Second is the linkage between market efficiency and dividend policy. Third is the reality of dividend policy changes as signals by corporate managers. We consider that our many-sided discussions on the dividend-signaling hypothesis with reviewing both classic and newest literature contribute to theoretical and empirical future related research in this field.","PeriodicalId":246270,"journal":{"name":"The Open Business Journal","volume":"212 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116279220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Choices from Identical Options in a Virtual Shopping Aisle","authors":"D. Porcheddu, A. Venturi","doi":"10.2174/1874915101104010036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874915101104010036","url":null,"abstract":"Through an experiment in a virtual environment, in this work we studied the relationship between vertical and horizontal shelf location and the frequency with which shoppers select items. We tested a random distribution hypothesis of the picking up frequencies (PUFs) in relationship to item shelf position within an experimental framework with various constant hypothesized confounding variables. The equidistribution hypothesis was rejected in a test with 600 virtual shoppers, providing evidence for the existence of a gravitational force towards certain shelf locations. In particular, the PUFs resulted significantly higher for eye-level and waist-level locations when items were placed in the first half of the virtual gondola. On a theoretical level, our experiment also shows that the minimal physical effort principle is probably not a good explanation for the qualitative heterogeneity of shelf space and for the associated shelf position effects. Limitations and managerial implications of our work were also discussed.","PeriodicalId":246270,"journal":{"name":"The Open Business Journal","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2011-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124642940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Outlier Screening Protocols for Stock Market Studies: A Suggested Screen","authors":"E. Lusk, M. Halperin, I. Petrov","doi":"10.2174/1874915101104010028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874915101104010028","url":null,"abstract":"In the Data Streaming world, screening for outliers is an often overlooked aspect of the data preparation phase, which is needed to rationalize inferences drawn from the analysis of data. In this paper, we examine the effects of three outlier screens: A Trimming Window, The Box-Plot Screen and the Mahalanobis Screen on the market performance profile of firms traded on the NASDAQ and NYSE. From among seven screening combinations tested, we identify a single screening protocol that is the sequential application of all three screens. This protocol is: (1) simple to program, (2) significantly effective statistically and (3) does not compromise power. This important result demonstrates that for the usual data used by Financial Analysts there is one screening protocol that can be relied upon to satisfy the outlier assumption of the regression model used in generating the usual firm CAPM Return and Risk profile. JEL: Classification: G11, G12, G32, and G30","PeriodicalId":246270,"journal":{"name":"The Open Business Journal","volume":"56 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2011-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133012619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Organizational Entrepreneurship: A Historical Overview on Industry Alliances in Biotech and Pharmaceuticals","authors":"H. Gottinger, C. L. Umali","doi":"10.2174/1874915101104010014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874915101104010014","url":null,"abstract":"This article pursues an application of network economics to the formation of alliances in the biotech-pharma industry. The framework analysis provides insights under which firms create hybrid governance forms, integrate strategy and economics into a more holistic perspective on network strategy. Firm network types link network economies, competencies and market structure, creating integration between market participants and change as additional dimensions. The resulting constructs involve the network dimension as a mechanism design for investigating the evolution and life cycles of firm networks. An analysis of alliances within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries develops the framework, supported by an event-based tracing.","PeriodicalId":246270,"journal":{"name":"The Open Business Journal","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2011-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128574136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the Corporate Dividend Payment Behavior of the Japanese Chemicals Industry Firms","authors":"Chikashi Tsuji","doi":"10.2174/1874915101104010001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874915101104010001","url":null,"abstract":"This article explores the corporate dividend payment behavior of the Japanese chemicals industry firms. According to our empirical examinations, the Japanese chemicals industry firms do not cater to investors' dividend demands when they decide both their dividend initiations and continuations. Instead of catering factor, in this industry, our empirical examinations reveal that the determinants of corporate dividend policies are value-weighted size, value- weighted dividend yields, and value-weighted nonpayers' or payers' market-to-book ratio. In addition, although our cross- sectional tests generally imply the relations between corporate dividend payments and firm earnings, on an aggregate time-series basis, dividend initiations tend to decline corporate earnings in the following year in this Japanese industry. This evidence can be interpreted as the denial of the traditional signaling hypothesis of dividend policy in the Japanese chemicals industry firms.","PeriodicalId":246270,"journal":{"name":"The Open Business Journal","volume":"150 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2011-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115550578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Do Business Incubators Function as a Transfer Technology Mechanism from University to Industry? Evidence from Portugal","authors":"J. Marques, J. Caraca, H. Diz","doi":"10.2174/1874915101003010015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874915101003010015","url":null,"abstract":"This paper concerns an empirical study on the university-industry cooperation, with the motivation that incubators would function as a transfer technology mechanism. It describes the links relating to R&D, human resources and provision of services for a sample of 79 firms based in the 11 incubators and universities. The results confirm some factors that affect the strength of such links-size of firms, R&D activities and economic sector, and revealed two other factors-incubators' statutory situation and firm origin. It also emerges that while the university stake in the incubators' capital is quite small, and the involvement of firms in R&D activities is rare, there is a significant formal involvement with the society following a global trend towards \"entrepreneurial university\". This suggests that the university contribution to the development of firms' activities is more related to providing information that complements their technological endeavours, and less to creating innovations, ready for market.","PeriodicalId":246270,"journal":{"name":"The Open Business Journal","volume":"28 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123545099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}