Organisational Performance and the Use of Multiple Performance Measures in an Emerging Market

Purpose This study is an empirical investigation of the relationship between the use of 41 multiple performance measures (MPMs), including financial performance measures (FPM), non-financial performance measures (NFPMs) and organisational performance (OP) in Libya. Design/methodology/approach The results are based on cross-sectional questionnaire survey data from 132 Libyan companies (response rate 61%), which were obtained just before the so-called Arab Spring. Findings MPMs are used by both manufacturing and non-manufacturing companies. Libyan business organisations are more likely to use FPMs than NFPMs. However, these companies still rely more heavily on FPMs. The relationships between the use of NFPMs and OP and the use of MPMs and OP are positive and highly significant. The relationship between the use of FPMs and OP is positive but not significant. Research limitations/implications The high power distance associated with the conservative, Libyan, Arab context will reinforce the tendency to use FPMs more than NFPMs. This may provide a performance advantage to those organisations which do adopt NFPMs. Practical implications Although there may be institutional barriers to the use of NFPMs in Libya, and other emerging markets, these are not insuperable and there is a payoff to their use. Originality/value No previous studies of emerging markets, such as the Middle East or North Africa, have looked at the relationship between OP and the adoption of such a large array of MPMs

Sex differences in clinical outcomes following surgical treatment of femoroacetabular impingement

BACKGROUND: Sex-based differences in clinical outcomes following surgical treatment of femoroacetabular impingement remain largely uncharacterized; this prospective, multicenter study evaluated these differences both directly and adjusted for covariates. METHODS: Hips undergoing surgical treatment of symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter cohort. Patient demographics, radiographic parameters, intraoperatively assessed disease severity, and history of surgical procedures, as well as patient-reported outcome measures, were collected preoperatively and at a mean follow-up of 4.3 years. A total of 621 (81.6%) of 761 enrolled hips met the minimum 1 year of follow-up and were included in the analysis; 56.7% of analyzed hips were female. Univariate and multivariable statistics were utilized to assess the direct and adjusted differences in outcomes, respectively. RESULTS: Male hips had greater body mass index and larger α angles. Female hips had significantly lower preoperative and postoperative scores across most patient-reported outcome measures, but also had greater improvement from preoperatively to postoperatively. The preoperative differences between sexes exceeded the threshold for the minimal clinically important difference of the modified Harris hip score (mHHS) and all Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) domains except quality of life. Preoperative sex differences in mHHS, all HOOS domains, and Short Form-12 Health Survey physical function component score were greater than the postoperative differences. A greater proportion of female hips achieved the minimal clinically important difference for the mHHS, but male hips were more likely to meet the patient acceptable symptom state for this outcome. After adjusting for relevant covariates with use of multiple regression analysis, sex was not identified as an independent predictor of any outcome. Preoperative patient-reported outcome scores were a strong and highly significant predictor of all outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in clinical outcomes were observed between sexes in a large cohort of hips undergoing surgical treatment of femoroacetabular impingement. Despite female hips exhibiting lower baseline scores, sex was not an independent predictor of outcome or reoperation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence

Transition Economies in the Middle East: the Syrian Experience

There have been no in depth studies of post Socialist transition in the Middle East. Syria’s experience is a useful one to explore given its historically important role in the region and its distinctive characteristics. The Syrian economic transition, from the early 1990s to 2011, was in two phases: an incremental liberalisation phase and a transition to Social Market Economy phase. During both phases, Syrian policy makers showed a preference for a gradualist approach to economic transition, rather than a big-bang approach. This was facilitated by oil revenues and subsidies from the Gulf States. The Syrian experience therefore has its own distinct characteristics, as well as elements in common with the transitions in other post Socialist economies

The Value of the Undergraduate Dissertation: Perceptions of Supervisors

Dissertations are a common feature of final year undergraduate study, but there has been little research into their impact on student performance and satisfaction (Hammick and Acker, 1998; Webster et al., 2000; Pathirage et al., 2004), and even less into the perceptions and attitudes of their academic supervisors. The research reported in this paper is part of the project entitled: ‘Dissertation in the Business and Management Undergraduate Curriculum: Value Adding and Value for Money?’ The second phase of the project complements a quantitative study of student achievement (see Anchor et al., 2009), by investigating perceptions of the undergraduate dissertation by members of staff. The data for this part of the project was collected by means of a questionnaire survey sent to staff within the Departments of Leadership & Management and Strategy and Marketing at the University of Huddersfield Business School; a sample for follow-up interviews was also self-identified in the responses to the questionnaire survey. Issues focused upon in the questionnaire and interviews include whether students have the capacity to undertake a dissertation, their perceptions of its values and impact upon their results, and staff views of the demands that dissertation supervision places upon them. This paper focuses particularly on staff perceptions of value. The main findings are that the dissertation still has currency today, but needs to be evaluated to ensure that it is meeting the needs of different stakeholders. Further, that despite the perceived academic rigor of the dissertation, the lecturers believed that it gave students the ability to reach a level whereby they become autonomous learners

Undergraduate dissertations and student performance in business studies and marketing, 2004-2009: evidence from an English business school

This report analyses the relationship between final year full-time students’ overall marks and their dissertation marks. A literature review identifies a number of previous studies of factors influencing undergraduate student achievement in higher education. However there is a paucity of studies which have included the role of the dissertation in their analyses. In the light of the extant literature, various factors that might impact on the dissertation marks of undergraduate students are identified. These factors are subject to empirical analysis via a data-set of full-time undergraduate students in Business Studies and Marketing attending the University of Huddersfield Business School between 2004 and 2009. It is found that there is no statistical difference in the performance of the (Business Studies) students for whom the dissertation is compulsory and those (Marketing) students for whom it is optional. The dissertation mark and the work placement are found to be major influences on the final year average mark. Gender is much less important. Second year marks are a good predictor of dissertation marks and final year marks