Promarket Reforms and Allocation of Capital in India

The government of India initiated pro-market reforms in the 1990s, after almost five decades of socialist planning. These and subsequent policy reforms are credited as the drivers of India’s radical economic transformation. Prior to reforms, private investment was strictly regulated and restricted to certain areas and sectors. There have since been numerous changes in sectors important for investment, which should lead to changes in outcomes of firm-level strategic decision making and investment behavior. By most estimates, India will continue to grow. The purpose of this paper is to investigate changes in investment behavior from the introduction of reforms to current conditions. Reforms changed several institutional frameworks for firm operations, allowing firms to pursue more competitive strategies. Given the importance of ownership in determining firm efficiency and access to capital, we examine the effect of ownership on the performance of Indian firms for the period 1991-2006. We also examine industry differences in capital allocation. We compute a measure of investment efficiency derived from the accelerator principle: Elasticity of capital with respect to output. We examine the effect of various ownership structures on investment behavior and the efficiently of capital allocation across different sectors of the economy. We find that the allocation of capital has been slow to respond to reforms, indicating similar pace of firm responses.allocation of capital; India; institutional reforms; ownership

The Role of Marketing in Understanding and Controlling Cost of Quality

In the accounting realm, quality is an increasingly important element in planning, production, distribution and branding of goods and services because of global competition and other external factors in many industries. However, the cost of quality must also be considered as not to add unwanted or unwarranted costs to pass along to the end-customer. Marketing professionals are trained to strategically build and protect their own brand, which may consist of products or services. To achieve high-quality, it is imperative that the accounting and marketing departments work together. The four categories of Quality Costs (Prevention, Appraisal, Internal Failure and External Failure) encompass many different quality activities at different stages in producing goods or services. The research and experiences in the marketing industry based on branding will help to show that most quality initiatives are in fact preventative when the end goal is maintaining a solid consumer base and satisfied consumers. As this study shows, treating the brand as an experiential entity serves as a quality facet. This alludes that quality is a facet linking accounting and branding

Cropland changes in times of conflict, reconstruction, and economic development in Iraqi Kurdistan

The destruction of land and forced migration during the Anfal attacks against the Kurds in Iraq in the late 1980s has been reported to have severe consequences for agricultural development. A reconstruction program to aid people in returning to their lands was launched in 1991. To assess the agricultural situation in the Duhok governorate during the pre-Anfal (A), post-Anfal (B), reconstruction (C), and present (D) periods, we mapped winter crops by focusing on inter-annual variability in vegetation greenness, using satellite images. The results indicate a decrease in cultivated area between period A and B, and a small increase between period B and C. This supports reports of a decline in cultivated area related to the Anfal campaign, and indicates increased activity during the reconstruction program. Period D showed a potential recovery with a cropland area similar to period A

Recurrent and persistent low back pain : course and prevention

Background: Non-specific low back pain (LBP) causes more disability than any other condition in the world. The need to understand the clinical course of LBP, develop effective strategies to manage and if possible prevent future episodes are greater than ever. A fundamental aspect of specifying an episode of pain is to define when it ends, however to date no evidence based definition of recovery from LBP exists. Psychological factors have been shown to affect the prognosis and treatment response for patients with LBP. To what extent psychological and behavioral factors affect chiropractic patients and the outcome of treatment is unclear. Although it seems logical to prevent a condition such as recurrent and persistent LBP few strategies have been shown to be effective. Many patients who seek treatment from chiropractors for recurrent and persistent LBP often get the recommendation to continue treatments after the pain has subsided with the intention to prevent future episodes. Whether this strategy is effective or cost-effective is unknown. Aims: The overall aim of the thesis is to investigate the course of LBP from the perspective of episodes, psychological factors and prevention. The specific objectives were to investigate the: I) Prevalence of four consecutive weeks free from pain and its applicability as a marker of episode. II) Psychological and behavioral characteristics of chiropractic patients and compare them to three other back pain populations from primary and secondary care. III) Short-term predictive properties of the West-Haven Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI-S) among patients with recurrent and persistent LBP receiving chiropractic care. IV) Effect and cost-effectiveness of Chiropractic Maintenance Care (MC) in a population with recurrent and persistent LBP. Results: Four consecutive weeks without bothersome LBP may be applied as a marker for a LBP episode in a primary care population. Chiropractic patients are more affected by their pain compared to another primary care population, but less compared to two secondary care populations. Subgrouping patients according to MPI-S could not predict the short term treatment outcome in chiropractic patients. MC is more effective and costlier compared to symptom-guided treatment. Conclusions: Absence of pain as a marker of LBP episodes is a novel and promising concept. Chiropractic patients are more affected by their pain than other patients from primary care. Psychological and behavioral factors could not predict a short-term differentiated treatment response in chiropractic patients. MC resulted in significantly fewer days with bothersome LBP compared to symptom-guided treatment. MC may be considered cost-effective, but further investigations are needed

Statsstruktur och regimförändring : En jämförande studie av sjutton länder i Mellanöstern och Nordafrika 2011–2019

There has traditionally in political science research been a strong focus on democracy and how democratic countries function. In recent years there has also been a growing interest towards autocratic countries and their internal differences. The purpose of this dissertation is to study the impact of political structures on regime transitions in autocratic countries. The empirical investigation covers seventeen countries from the Middle East and North Africa and their political development from 2011 to 2019. The countries are compared on the basis of their differences in regime type, stateness and resources. The dependent variable is regime transitions and it is analyzed in two different phases and from two different perspectives. In the first phase, the countries are analyzed based on whether regime breakdown or regime survival took place after the large protests in 2011 that often are referred to as the Arab Spring. This analysis is conducted with qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). In the second phase, the results from the QCA analysis are placed within a longer timeframe from 2011 to 2019. To the extent that changes have occurred they are described as three different patterns: democratic transition, new autocratic regime type and state failure. The analysis shows that the countries with regime breakdown have developed in very different directions, where all of the previously mentioned patterns have occurred. The countries with regime survival have been less diverse in their development, although there also in the group are some deviating cases. The development over the period 2011 to 2019 is in all of the countries largely in line with the theoretical expectations concerning the impact of regime type, stateness and resources on regime transitions. There are however a few examples where deviating patterns concerning regime type and stateness occur. The dissertation provides a broader understanding of the link between regime breakdown and the subsequent political development. The dissertation further discuss the development in the Middle East and North Africa in the light of the global development of democracy.I den statsvetenskapliga forskningen har det riktats mycket uppmärksamhet mot frågor gällande demokrati och demokratisering. Under senare tid har dock ett allt större fokus också riktats mot autokrati och den variation som finns inom denna grupp med länder. I den här avhandlingen studeras hur skillnader i autokratiska länders strukturer kan inverka på regimförändring. Denna typ av länder är intressanta att studera eftersom frågor om stabilitet och utveckling tar sig andra uttryck än i demokratiska länder. Avhandlingens empiriska fokus är sjutton länder i Mellanöstern och Nordafrika och deras utveckling under tidsperioden 2011–2019. Bakgrunden för analysen är de stora protesterna år 2011 som brukar kallas för den arabiska våren. Protesterna utspelade sig i flera länder men de ledde till en mycket varierande utveckling. I avhandlingen analyseras både de omedelbara effekterna av protesterna år 2011 och skillnader i ländernas utveckling under tidsperioden 2011–2019 med hänvisning till ländernas skillnader i regimtyp, statsskap och resurser. Den varierande utvecklingen beskrivs genom tre mönster: demokratisk övergång, ny autokratisk regimtyp och statsförfall. Analysen görs genom qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) och genom uppföljande kvalitativa analyser som placerar in resultatet i ett längre tidsperspektiv. Analysen visar att länderna i vilka det skedde regimsammanfall har utvecklats i mycket olika riktningar där man kan se både demokratisk övergång, skiften mellan autokratiska regimtyper och statsförfall. I länderna med regimöverlevnad kan man däremot inte se en likadan utveckling även om här också finns undantag. Då man studerar hela tidsramen 2011–2019 framgår att utvecklingen i stort motsvarar de förväntningar som ställts på regimtyp, statsskap och resurser även om det gällande regimtyp och statsskap förekommer vissa avvikelser. Avhandlingen belyser också det avstånd som finns mellan regimsammanfall och den efterföljande utvecklingen som kan vara mycket varierande. I avhandlingen speglas därutöver utvecklingen i regionen Mellanöstern och Nordafrika mot den globala utvecklingen av demokrati

Using Crop Phenology to Assess Changes in Cultivated Land after the Anfal Genocide in Iraqi Kurdistan

Ponencias, comunicaciones y pósters presentados en el 17th AGILE Conference on Geographic Information Science "Connecting a Digital Europe through Location and Place", celebrado en la Universitat Jaume I del 3 al 6 de junio de 2014.The Anfal genocide campaign, carried out by the Iraqi government against the Kurdish population in 1988, has been reported to have severe consequences for agriculture and food security by causing large scale land abandonment. This study uses Landsat satellite data to detect agricultural changes that can be attributed to the Anfal genocide. Cultivated land were distinguished from other land cover types by focusing on crop phenology. Initial results show a strong decrease in cultivated land in the years after the genocide, especially in the areas that were targeted by the genocide campaign

Lyx eller premiumvarumärke - same same but different?

Eftersom det inte finns så mycket tidigare forskning bedriven inom ämnesområdet lyx och premium vill vi skapa en ökad förståelse för vad detta egentligen är och vilka utmärkande särdrag som karaktäriserar dessa varumärken. Dessutom finner vi forskningen än mer outvecklad och inte bedriven i någon större omfattning utifrån ett företagsperspektiv hur signifikanta lyxens egenskaper är i dessa varumärkens identiteter för att bibehålla sin status och exklusivitet. Därav finner vi det av relevans att bedriva vår studie för att framtida forskning skall få en initial solid grund att stå på när lyx och premium varumärken diskuteras i samklang med ett varumärksidentitet. Uppsatsen utgår ifrån en deduktiv ansats. I genomförandet av studien användes sedan en kvalitativ fallstudie med fallföretag. För att samla in data till studien har det genomförts intervjuer och dokumentanalys. Uppsatsens bas grundar sig på erkända identitetsteorier för varumärken samt lyxteorier. Vidare har två erkända teorier kombinerats om varumärkesidentitet för att inbringa trovärdighet och mångfald i uppsatsens teorikapitel. Avslutningsvis presenteras teorier om lyx och premiumvarumärken och om lyxens mest karaktäristiska särdrag. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom att studera uppsatsens valda fallföretags kommunikation med marknaden för att utvärdera varumärkesidentiteten som kommuniceras. Detta har kompletterats med intervjuer av respondenter på respektive företag som har god insyn i vilken varumärkesidentitet som eftersträvas. Dessutom har en intervju utförts med en extern part med sakkunnighet inom ämnesområdet för att få ett mångsidigt perspektiv i uppsatsens empiriska material. Sammanfattningsvis har vi kommit fram till att de tre undersökta företagen tillämpar sig av lyxens karaktäristiska särdrag på ett aktivt och starkt sätt i sina varumärkesidentiteter. Detta skapar i sin tur fördelar och en stark identitet för dem vilket de sedan utnyttjar för att bibehålla sina starka och exklusiva varumärken trots problematiken att konsumenterna köper mer av deras produkter, vilket teoretiskt sett borde leda till att exklusiviteten och varumärkesidentiteten försvagas

Varumärke.com – en studie i att kommunicera sin varumärkesidentitet på internet

Dagens samhälle har blivit alltmer komplext vilket lett till att företag måste söka nya tillvägagångssätt för att hävda sig i den alltmer rådande konkurrensen. Företag måste i och med globaliseringens framfart bli mer effektiva i sin marknadsföring och på något vis skapa mervärde hos konsumenten för att urskilja sig gentemot sina konkurrenter. Uppsatsen Varumärke.com behandlar huruvida företag kan komma att förmedla mervärde via sin varumärkesidentitet med hjälp av internet som ett kommunikationsverktyg

Orchestrating an experiential value proposition : the case of a Scandinavian automotive manufacturer

PURPOSE : This paper aims to advance the theoretical knowledge of how manufacturers develop a multisensory value proposition. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : An exploratory case study with a global automotive manufacturer was conducted. Personal in-depth interviews with key informants within a manufacturer were performed to obtain in-depth knowledge and insights on how the manufacturer plans and designs a value proposition. FINDINGS : This paper reveals how a value proposition is created from a sensory marketing perspective, which includes orchestrating the sensory experience, harmonising sensory cues to ensure they provide a consistent experience, thereby providing a memorable experience. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : Understanding how to offer value might assist managers in tailoring a unique experiential value proposition to position the brand. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : This paper proposes a theoretical framework, enriching the understanding of the underlying mechanisms used to create an experiential value proposition. The framework illustrates that harmonising sensory cues based on brand-related stimuli fosters a memorable experience, which enables consumers to (sub)consciously infer value.http://www.emeraldinsight.com/loi/ebrhj2023Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS

Evidence-based maintenance care among chiropractors in Norway: a cross-sectional survey in the Nordic maintenance care program

Background Chiropractors use a treatment strategy called maintenance care with the intent of secondary and tertiary prevention. The Nordic Maintenance Care Program provides evidence of when and for whom maintenance care should be offered. Dissemination has occurred through articles, workshops, social media, conference in Europe and internationally. However, little is known about chiropractors’ awareness and use of this evidence. This study explores chiropractors’ attitudes, skills, and use of evidence on maintenance care, as well as study their association with general evidence-based practice and demographic characteristics. Moreover, barriers and facilitators of evidence access are also examined. Methods Questions pertaining our research aim were included in the anonymous and digital Evidence-Based practice Attitude and utilization SurvEy, which was distributed to all members (n = 770) of the Norwegian chiropractic association in the fall of 2021. Results The response rate was 41% (n = 312). Regarding attitudes towards evidence-based maintenance care, 26% agreed they needed tools to recommend this care to patients. Approximately half (57%) believed they had skills to identify suitable patients, and 45% had used published information in the past month. Strong alignment was observed between Norwegian chiropractors’ attitudes, skills, and utilization of evidence-based maintenance care and general evidence-based practice. Maintenance care skills were significantly associated with age (those between 40 and 59 years being less likely to report having high skills), clinical setting (those working with conventional health care providers being less likely to report having high skills) and country of education (those educated in the US and Australia being more likely to report having high skills). Moreover, maintenance care use was significantly associated with country of education (those educated in Australia were less likely to have used published information regarding patient selection for maintenance care). Access to resources was a barrier, whereas knowledge of patient suitability facilitated evidence-based maintenance care. Conclusions Norwegian chiropractors had neutral attitudes towards maintenance care, but generally reported moderate skills. Most had not used evidence about maintenance care in the previous month. Access to useful resources about the evidence regarding maintenance care was a barrier, and knowledge of who responds to maintenance care was a facilitator.publishedVersio