Evaluation of Financial Resource Using at Universities According to Administrative Views from Transparency and Accountability

The purpose of this research was to investigate the concepts of transparency and accountability on the administrative level of Turkish higher education system and to analyze the views of university administrators (rectors, vice-rectors, deans and institute director) on accountability related cases. Research in the form of semi-structured interviews were used. The data sources consisted of 13 participants employed as administrators at three different public universities standing among the top ten institutions in terms of their academic performance ranking list announced by Middle East Technical University along with their budget size and 6 former administrators who have conducted academic studies on higher education. The findings of the study suggested that university administrators cannot meet the criteria of transparency and accountability. It further proposed that reforms regarding the accountability and transparency of financial source management mechanisms are necessary

Unlocking inhibitors to women’s expatriate careers: can job-related training provide a key?

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine what job-related training interventions female expatriates seek and can access in order to build necessary knowledge and skills to progress into further career-enhancing expatriate positions. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a cross-sectional qualitative research approach, drawing upon semi-structured interviews in respect of organisational training practice with 26 current female expatriates and nine Human Resource, International Assignments and Training Managers in two oil and gas exploration firms. Findings Budgets, time and travel restrictions, and competitive business pressures constrain on-the-job training provision for expatriates. Assignees require specific knowledge and skills ahead of appointment to subsequent expatriate positions. HR personnel believe training provides appropriate knowledge and capability development supporting women expatriates’ career ambitions. Women assignees view training available within their current roles as insufficient or irrelevant to building human capital for future expatriate posts. Research limitations/implications Longitudinal research across a wider spectrum of industries is needed to help understand the effects of training interventions on women’s access to future career-enhancing expatriation and senior management/leadership positions. Practical implications Organisations should ensure relevant technical skills training, clear responsibility for training provision, transparent and fair training allocation, positive communication regarding human capital outcomes, and an inclusive culture that promotes expatriate gender diversity. Originality/value Set within the framework of human capital theory, this study identifies the challenges that female expatriates experience when seeking relevant job-related training to further their expatriate careers. It identifies clear mismatches between the views of HR and female assignees in relation to the value of job-related training offered and women’s access to it

Success criteria for international joint ventures: the experience of Malaysian contractors in the Middle East

The overall objective of this paper is to produce success criteria considered critical in international joint ventures (IJV), specifically between Malaysian and foreign contractors outside Malaysia. The recognition of such criteria will contribute to the identification of non-viable projects and will enable improvements to be made to the IJV and other similar economies. Data specific to the present study was collected through face-to-face interviews, which were carried out with the General Manager of the respective companies to provide detailed information on their company structure, management and experience of any joint venture projects undertaken outside Malaysia. The main findings from the interviews are that the critical factors in IJV partner selection criteria were related to the reputation, inter-partner trust, experience, personal knowledge of the partner organizations, commitment and human resources management. The employment of Malaysian sub-contractors also lessened the complexity of management. This is largely due to the familiarity of working with fellow Malaysians in the Middle East

Exploring the supply chain agility attributes in fast moving consumer goods industry: A case study in the Middle East

During the 1990s, supply chain management and agility have both received great attention. This is due to the fact that the business market place is characterized by being highly dynamic and complex. This paper aims to explore the need and the attributes of supply chain agility in FMCG business industry working in the Middle East markets. A case study of a multinational company working in the Middle East was chosen, where it faces the challenges of its business environment and its rapid changes in its markets. The findings show the case study supply chain working within such type of industry needs to be agile and that the attributes required for achieving agility within FMCGs supply chain includes: responsiveness; Customer service; flexibility; innovation; speed; quality; efficiency; and responsible people thinking

Radiocarbon and Oxidizable Carbon Ratio Dates from Archaeological Sites in East Texas, Part II

This paper presents a second compilation of recently obtained radiocarbon and oxidizable carbon ratio dates obtained from archaeological sites in East Texas. An analysis of the age ranges in the more than 585 dates from East Texas archaeological sites indicate that most pertain to prehistoric and protohistoric Caddoan Indian occupations, particularly the Early (A.D. 1000-1200) and Middle Caddoan (A.D. 1200-1400) periods when prehistoric Caddoan settlements were widely distributed throughout the region

International NGOs in New York City: A Comparative Study

New York City is a global city, not just for its place in the global market, or for its role as an innovator of policy. This report indicates it should also be known for its significant contributions in the field of international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs). Using data collected from IRS Form 990 tax filings, this report creates the first comprehensive assessment of the INGO sector in NYC and demonstrates that New York City's INGO sector is not only a leader of the nationwide INGO sector, but it also reflects the city's unique history and diverse population

What Influences the Diffusion of Grassroots Innovations for Sustainability? Investigating Community Currency Niches

Community action for sustainability is a promising site of socio-technical innovation. Here we test the applicability of co-evolutionary niche theories of innovation diffusion (Strategic Niche Management, SNM) to the context of ‘grassroots innovations’. We present new empirical findings from an international study of 12 community currency niches (such as LETS, time banks, local currencies). These are parallel systems of exchange, designed to operate alongside mainstream money, meeting additional sustainability needs. Our findings confirm SNM predictions that niche-level activity correlates with diffusion success, but we highlight additional or confounding factors, and how niche theories might be adapted to better fit civil-society innovations. In so doing, we develop a model of grassroots innovation niche diffusion which builds on existing work and tailors it to this specific context. The paper concludes with a series of theoretically-informed recommendations for practitioners and policymakers to support the development and potential of grassroots innovations

The Results of a Survey of Business Travel Policies in Greater London and North East England.

This report sets out the initial results of a telephone survey, of 311 organisations, which gathered data on these organisations' travel policies, with particular reference to how these policies affect mode choice decisions for long distance (i.e greater the 50 miles one way) business trips. This survey is one of three carried out by ITS as part of an SERC funded project to investigate Business Travel. The reported results show there are systematic differences between the travel policies of large and small, and private and public sector organisations. Public and large organisations are more likely to have formal travel policies, and mode choice decisions made by the organisation and not the individual. However, regardless of who decided the travel mode it is found that the employer plays an important role in limiting the mode choices available to the business traveller. The nature of these choices is found to vary with the seniority and income of the business traveller

Supporting Research in Area Studies: a guide for academic libraries

The study of other countries or regions of the world often crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries in the humanities and social sciences. Supporting Research in Area Studies is a comprehensive guide for academic libraries supporting these communities of researchers. This book explores the specialist requirements of these researchers in information resources, resource discovery tools, and information skills, and the challenges of working with materials in multiple languages. It makes the case that by adapting their systems and procedures to meet these needs, academic libraries find themselves better placed to support their institution's�� international agenda more widely. The first four chapters cover the academic landscape and its history, area studies librarianship and acquisitions. Subsequent chapters discuss collections management, digital products, and the digital humanities, and their role in academic projects. The final chapter explores information skills and the various disciplinary skills that facilitate the needs of researchers during their careers