The role of Social Reformers in the Adoption of new Management Practices: The case of Budgetary Control in France, 1930-1959

Historically, the development of budgetary control in French businesses took place within the ideological context of the debate on organisation of the economy following the economic and political crises of the 1930s and 1940s. Budgetary control, a management practice theorised as early as the 1920s in America, was seen by many actors as one of the practices that could provide a solution to the economic and social problems facing them. In other words, its increasingly widespread adoption was not only due to the search for ever-greater efficiency, but also to a clear ideological attraction. Better business management was not the only goal: more broadly, there was a desire to change society as a whole. This article is part of the research tradition of studying accounting in its social context. The history of accounting is examined in the light of the general political and economic history of the 20th century, associating accounting practices and the capitalists institutions of a given period and country. We stress an as yet largely unexplored aspect: the role played by the critique of capitalism and the social reformers’ proposals in changing business management methods.Budgetary control; capitalism; history; adoption of management innovations; social reformers

Human Capital Management: innovative aspects of transformational economies

Довгий час було добре відомо, що людський капітал є ключовим компонентом економічного розвитку. Проте існування людського капіталу недостатньо, але найважливішим питанням є те, як він організований або керований. У цій монографії дослідники з декількох країн висвітлюють деякі проблеми, з якими стикається управління людським капіталом в конкретному контексті Центральної та Східної Європи. Ця перспектива до недавнього часу отримувала порівняно невелику увагу дослідників. Незважаючи на це, поєднання управління людським капіталом та трансформаційними економіками відкриває нові уявлення про динаміку декількох секторів, таких як організації державного сектора, підприємства, регіональний розвиток та навіть футбольні ліги. Економічний розвиток швидко розвивався в деяких країнах, регіонах або секторах Центральної та Східної Європи, а в інших спостерігається відставання. Загалом, рівень освіти хороший у глобальному порівнянні, але незалежно від цього економічне зростання не відстежується скрізь. Цей дещо парадоксальний розвиток потребує більш глибокого розуміння, де однією з головних напрямів має бути управління людським капіталом.В течение долгого времени было хорошо известно, что человеческий капитал является ключевым компонентом экономического развития. Однако само существование человеческого капитала недостаточно, но важнейшей проблемой является то, как он организован или управляем. В этой монографии исследователи из нескольких стран освещают некоторые проблемы, стоящие перед управлением человеческим капиталом в конкретном контексте Центральной и Восточной Европы. Этой перспективе до недавнего времени уделялось сравнительно мало внимания исследователями. Тем не менее, сочетание управления человеческим капиталом и трансформационными экономиками открывает новые возможности для анализа динамики нескольких секторов, таких как организации государственного сектора, предприятия, региональное развитие и даже футбольные лиги. В некоторых странах, регионах или секторах в Центральной и Восточной Европе быстро развивается экономическое развитие, а в других - отставание. В целом, уровень образования хорош в глобальном сопоставлении, но независимо от этого экономический рост не отслеживается повсюду. Это несколько парадоксальное развитие требует более глубокого понимания, когда одной из основных областей должно быть управление человеческим капиталом.For a long time, it has been well-known that human capital is a key component of economic development. However, the very existence of human capital does not suffice, but the crucial issue is how it is organized, or managed. In this monograph researchers from several countries highlight some of the challenges facing management of human capital in a particular Central and Eastern European context. This perspective has until recently received relatively little attention from researchers. Nevertheless, the combination of human capital management and transformation economies opens up for new insights into the dynamics of several sectors, such as public-sector organizations, enterprises, regional development, and even football leagues. Economic development has been fast in some countries, regions or sectors in Central and Eastern Europe, while lagging behind in others. In general, the level of education is good in a global comparison, but regardless of this, economic growth has not taken off everywhere. This somewhat paradoxical development requires a deeper understanding, where one of the focal areas should be how human capital is managed

An analysis on integrated supply chain management in academic university library

Supply chain management has been widely used in manufacturing industries and proven by researchers and practitioners as a best practice. It can satisfy stakeholders, increase revenues, and decrease the total costs. However, very few service industries, particularly the academic library, have implemented supply chain management. Several problems related to the academic library supply chain should be addressed, such as how to model the entities and their functions for the general practice of an academic library supply chain, and the linkage among these entities as an integrated model. This research develops an integrated academic library supply chain model, which can be used for the strategic planning of the academic library. It identifies entities and their functions for the academic library supply chain, constructs a conceptual model of the integrated supply chain of the academic library, and analyses the interrelationship among the newly developed model entities. This research used both qualitative and quantitative approaches to achieve the research objectives. The process of identifying the entities and their functions of the academic library supply chain was accomplished by using a theoretical literature review and content analysis techniques. The proposed conceptual supply chain model was developed based on the system thinking method. Eventually, it was validated through the Fuzzy Delphi method, an expert judgment technique. Three conceptual models for the supply chain academic library were successfully developed: The Holistic View of Supply Chain Model for Academic Library, the Material Purchasing Decision Making Model, and the Integrated Academic Library Supply Chain Model. These three models were validated by the academic librarians. This research expands the knowledge of supply chain theory, particularly in the supply chain academic library. It also contributes to the academic library management in planning and formulating a roadmap for the library to increase its quality services for all stakeholders

Essays in financial technology: banking efficiency and application of machine learning models in Supply Chain Finance and credit risk assessment

The financial landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by technological innovations that are reshaping traditional banking practices. This thesis examines the evolving relationship between financial technology (FinTech) and banking, specifically addressing the credit risk aspects within the domains of Supply Chain Finance (SCF) and peer-to-peer (P2P) lending. FinTech has experienced rapid growth and innovation over the past decade. It encompasses a wide range of technologies and services that aim to enhance and streamline financial processes, disrupt traditional banking models, and offer new solutions to consumers and businesses. The status of FinTech and banking is assessed through an extensive review of the current literature and empirical data. Accordingly, FinTech development has significantly impacted the financial landscape, driving innovation, competition, and customer expectations while it has exposed inefficiencies within traditional banking, it has also compelled banks to evolve and embrace technological advancements. The impact of FinTech on traditional banking models, customer behaviours, and market competition is aimed to be explored. This investigation highlights the challenges and opportunities that arise as FinTech disrupts and reshapes the banking sector, emphasizing its potential to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and customer experiences. As Chapter 3 focuses on an empirical analysis of the impact of FinTech on the operating efficiency of commercial banks in China. Further, in the context of credit risk, the thesis focuses on SCF and P2P lending, two prominent areas influenced by FinTech innovation. SCF has witnessed substantial transformation with the infusion of FinTech solutions. Digital platforms have streamlined the flow of funds within complex supply networks, enhancing the liquidity of suppliers and optimizing working capital for buyers. However, this transformation introduces new credit risk challenges. As suppliers' financial data becomes more accessible, the need for accurate risk assessment and predictive modelling becomes paramount. The integration of big data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) holds the promise of refining credit risk evaluation by offering real-time insights into supplier financial health, thereby improving lending decisions and reducing defaults. Similarly, P2P lending has redefined the borrowing and lending landscape, enabling direct connections between individual borrowers and lenders. While P2P lending platforms offer speed, convenience, and access to credit for previously underserved segments, they also grapple with credit risk concerns. Evaluating the creditworthiness of individual borrowers without sufficient credit history demands innovative risk assessment methodologies. The emergence of data issues, such as imbalanced data issues, feature selection, and data processing, presents challenges in building accurate credit risk profiles for P2P lending participants. FinTech solutions play a pivotal role in creating and implementing these alternative risk assessment models. Note that, few studies in the literature investigate the benchmark of the advanced method of solving the credit risk assessment in emerging financial services. This thesis aims to address this research gap by evaluating the effectiveness of credit risk assessment models in these FinTech-driven contexts, considering both traditional methodologies and novel data-driven approaches. Chapter 4 investigates the credit risk assessment issue in Digital Supply Chain Finance (DSCF) with the Machine Learning approach and Chapter 5 emphasises the issue of data imbalance of credit risk assessment in P2P Lending. By addressing these gaps and issues, this thesis aims to contribute to the broader discourse on FinTech's role in shaping the future of banking. The findings have implications for financial institutions, policymakers, and regulators seeking to harness the benefits of FinTech while mitigating associated risks. Ultimately, this study offers insights into navigating the evolving landscape of credit risk in SCF and P2P lending within the context of an increasingly technology-driven financial ecosystem

Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction towards E-shopping in Malaysia

Online shopping or e-shopping has changed the world of business and quite a few people have decided to work with these features. What their primary concerns precisely and the responses from the globalisation are the competency of incorporation while doing their businesses. E-shopping has also increased substantially in Malaysia in recent years. The rapid increase in the e-commerce industry in Malaysia has created the demand to emphasize on how to increase customer satisfaction while operating in the e-retailing environment. It is very important that customers are satisfied with the website, or else, they would not return. Therefore, a crucial fact to look into is that companies must ensure that their customers are satisfied with their purchases that are really essential from the ecommerce’s point of view. With is in mind, this study aimed at investigating customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed among students randomly selected from various public and private universities located within Klang valley area. Total 369 questionnaires were returned, out of which 341 questionnaires were found usable for further analysis. Finally, SEM was employed to test the hypotheses. This study found that customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia is to a great extent influenced by ease of use, trust, design of the website, online security and e-service quality. Finally, recommendations and future study direction is provided. Keywords: E-shopping, Customer satisfaction, Trust, Online security, E-service quality, Malaysia

Exploring nonprofits in the social economy: The social enterprise phenomena

Social enterprises in the United States is experiencing a healthy growth evident in the growing literature. However, there have been debates as to whether these organizational types are nonprofits, private, quasi-public or hybrid organizations. Thus no new policies have been created to accommodate the business activities of social enterprises. This study attempts to provide a context for the debate by arguing that if indeed social enterprises are distinct organizational types then SBDCs who are the first point of call for most small and medium scale businesses would be better placed to help provide empirical evidence for this ensuing debate

Human Capital Management: innovative aspects of transformational economies

Довгий час було добре відомо, що людський капітал є ключовим компонентом економічного розвитку. Проте існування людського капіталу недостатньо, але найважливішим питанням є те, як він організований або керований. У цій монографії дослідники з декількох країн висвітлюють деякі проблеми, з якими стикається управління людським капіталом в конкретному контексті Центральної та Східної Європи. Ця перспектива до недавнього часу отримувала порівняно невелику увагу дослідників. Незважаючи на це, поєднання управління людським капіталом та трансформаційними економіками відкриває нові уявлення про динаміку декількох секторів, таких як організації державного сектора, підприємства, регіональний розвиток та навіть футбольні ліги. Економічний розвиток швидко розвивався в деяких країнах, регіонах або секторах Центральної та Східної Європи, а в інших спостерігається відставання. Загалом, рівень освіти хороший у глобальному порівнянні, але незалежно від цього економічне зростання не відстежується скрізь. Цей дещо парадоксальний розвиток потребує більш глибокого розуміння, де однією з головних напрямів має бути управління людським капіталом.В течение долгого времени было хорошо известно, что человеческий капитал является ключевым компонентом экономического развития. Однако само существование человеческого капитала недостаточно, но важнейшей проблемой является то, как он организован или управляем. В этой монографии исследователи из нескольких стран освещают некоторые проблемы, стоящие перед управлением человеческим капиталом в конкретном контексте Центральной и Восточной Европы. Этой перспективе до недавнего времени уделялось сравнительно мало внимания исследователями. Тем не менее, сочетание управления человеческим капиталом и трансформационными экономиками открывает новые возможности для анализа динамики нескольких секторов, таких как организации государственного сектора, предприятия, региональное развитие и даже футбольные лиги. В некоторых странах, регионах или секторах в Центральной и Восточной Европе быстро развивается экономическое развитие, а в других - отставание. В целом, уровень образования хорош в глобальном сопоставлении, но независимо от этого экономический рост не отслеживается повсюду. Это несколько парадоксальное развитие требует более глубокого понимания, когда одной из основных областей должно быть управление человеческим капиталом.For a long time, it has been well-known that human capital is a key component of economic development. However, the very existence of human capital does not suffice, but the crucial issue is how it is organized, or managed. In this monograph researchers from several countries highlight some of the challenges facing management of human capital in a particular Central and Eastern European context. This perspective has until recently received relatively little attention from researchers. Nevertheless, the combination of human capital management and transformation economies opens up for new insights into the dynamics of several sectors, such as public-sector organizations, enterprises, regional development, and even football leagues. Economic development has been fast in some countries, regions or sectors in Central and Eastern Europe, while lagging behind in others. In general, the level of education is good in a global comparison, but regardless of this, economic growth has not taken off everywhere. This somewhat paradoxical development requires a deeper understanding, where one of the focal areas should be how human capital is managed

A Mobile Holistic Enterprise Transformation Framework

Mobile phones and tablets shipments are surpassing those of the PC category, as well as in relation to Internet usage as of 2016; all details which have made mobile adoption a priority for many enterprises and a challenge for them as well. Many enterprises have fallen into a paradox of spending on creating and updating mobile services, and gaining less than expected in return. Reasons for this include the lack of vision, and the lack of a clearly defined, well communicated mobile strategy. Enterprise Architecture ‘EA’ facilitates a successful transformation by controlling and managing the transitions in order to arrive at a clearly defined future state. It is regarded as the science of change to many. However, EA frameworks are very comprehensive and require weeks of training and resources, and are often too generic for mobile transformation. Therefore, an EA-based mobile holistic enterprise framework has been developed to support enterprises in making mobile initiatives a priority. The proposed framework ensures a clearly defined, well-communicated, holistic future state that is continually evaluated, as opposed to many of the existing frameworks. The proposed Mobile Holistic Enterprise Architecture Framework - ‘MHETF’ - is based on the realisation of the capabilities of smartphones that are aimed at individual average consumers (the backbone of the current mobile trend). The capabilities are categorised and translated into four sets of services categories for business use. They are linked to another two components of the framework which are: (i) the categorisation of goals and objectives that are incorporated into the Balanced Scorecard for evaluation at a later stage in planning, and continually referred to during transitions and (ii) the categorisation of the implementation forms (categorisation of end solutions’ functionalities). The framework is supported by EA inter-operability and maturity models to ensure continuity and alignment with the existing initiatives, the enterprise’s strategic objectives, and the change required in the scope of transformation. An evaluation for the available enterprise architecture frameworks was carried out and resulted in the selection of The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF). The decision was also commended by the participants in the case study evaluation due to their familiarity with this framework, which is being adopted as the Saudi E Government Standard in contrast to the other major frameworks of Zachman and Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA). MHETF has been applied to three case studies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; two applications for a leading national outsourcing company, and the third for the outpatient clinics in a large hospital in the capital city of Riyadh. The results have shown major improvements in the four goal areas of mobile transformation; productivity, processes, satisfaction improvement and facilitating new opportunities. Eventually, the final evolution has shown that the participants are satisfied with the framework overall, and indicates that the framework changed their perspective of the power of mobile applications significantly, is relatively easy to understand, and that they are planning to adopt it for future mobile initiatives

A Mobile Holistic Enterprise Transformation Framework

Mobile phones and tablets shipments are surpassing those of the PC category, as well as in relation to Internet usage as of 2016; all details which have made mobile adoption a priority for many enterprises and a challenge for them as well. Many enterprises have fallen into a paradox of spending on creating and updating mobile services, and gaining less than expected in return. Reasons for this include the lack of vision, and the lack of a clearly defined, well communicated mobile strategy. Enterprise Architecture ‘EA’ facilitates a successful transformation by controlling and managing the transitions in order to arrive at a clearly defined future state. It is regarded as the science of change to many. However, EA frameworks are very comprehensive and require weeks of training and resources, and are often too generic for mobile transformation. Therefore, an EA-based mobile holistic enterprise framework has been developed to support enterprises in making mobile initiatives a priority. The proposed framework ensures a clearly defined, well-communicated, holistic future state that is continually evaluated, as opposed to many of the existing frameworks. The proposed Mobile Holistic Enterprise Architecture Framework - ‘MHETF’ - is based on the realisation of the capabilities of smartphones that are aimed at individual average consumers (the backbone of the current mobile trend). The capabilities are categorised and translated into four sets of services categories for business use. They are linked to another two components of the framework which are: (i) the categorisation of goals and objectives that are incorporated into the Balanced Scorecard for evaluation at a later stage in planning, and continually referred to during transitions and (ii) the categorisation of the implementation forms (categorisation of end solutions’ functionalities). The framework is supported by EA inter-operability and maturity models to ensure continuity and alignment with the existing initiatives, the enterprise’s strategic objectives, and the change required in the scope of transformation. An evaluation for the available enterprise architecture frameworks was carried out and resulted in the selection of The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF). The decision was also commended by the participants in the case study evaluation due to their familiarity with this framework, which is being adopted as the Saudi E Government Standard in contrast to the other major frameworks of Zachman and Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA). MHETF has been applied to three case studies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; two applications for a leading national outsourcing company, and the third for the outpatient clinics in a large hospital in the capital city of Riyadh. The results have shown major improvements in the four goal areas of mobile transformation; productivity, processes, satisfaction improvement and facilitating new opportunities. Eventually, the final evolution has shown that the participants are satisfied with the framework overall, and indicates that the framework changed their perspective of the power of mobile applications significantly, is relatively easy to understand, and that they are planning to adopt it for future mobile initiatives

Rethinking the risk matrix

So far risk has been mostly defined as the expected value of a loss, mathematically PL (being P the probability of an adverse event and L the loss incurred as a consequence of the adverse event). The so called risk matrix follows from such definition. This definition of risk is justified in a long term “managerial” perspective, in which it is conceivable to distribute the effects of an adverse event on a large number of subjects or a large number of recurrences. In other words, this definition is mostly justified on frequentist terms. Moreover, according to this definition, in two extreme situations (high-probability/low-consequence and low-probability/high-consequence), the estimated risk is low. This logic is against the principles of sustainability and continuous improvement, which should impose instead both a continuous search for lower probabilities of adverse events (higher and higher reliability) and a continuous search for lower impact of adverse events (in accordance with the fail-safe principle). In this work a different definition of risk is proposed, which stems from the idea of safeguard: (1Risk)=(1P)(1L). According to this definition, the risk levels can be considered low only when both the probability of the adverse event and the loss are small. Such perspective, in which the calculation of safeguard is privileged to the calculation of risk, would possibly avoid exposing the Society to catastrophic consequences, sometimes due to wrong or oversimplified use of probabilistic models. Therefore, it can be seen as the citizen’s perspective to the definition of risk