Examining the corporate social responsibility orientation in developing countries: An empirical investigation of the Carroll's CSR pyramid

Citation: Ehie, I. C. (2016). Examining the corporate social responsibility orientation in developing countries: An empirical investigation of the Carroll's CSR pyramid. International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 11(1), 1-20. doi:10.1504/IJBGE.2016.076337We investigate the seminal Carroll's corporate social responsibility (CSR) hierarchy using a sample from Nigerian companies. Carroll (1991) outlined four major components of CSR in a cumulative framework with economic responsibilities at the base and philanthropic responsibilities at the top of the pyramid with the legal and ethical components in between. The relevance of Carroll's CSR pyramid in the African context has been questioned and the need for an empirical study on the appropriateness of the CSR pyramid in Africa has been called for. This study is in response to this call to empirically test the relevance of the Carroll's CSR pyramid in the sub-Saharan Africa region. The study also tests the proposition that CSR is viewed through the lens of philanthropy in Africa. The findings empirically validate Visser's (2006) proposition that the philanthropic component weighs heavier than both the legal and ethical components of the CSR pyramid. The results provide a basis for the reliance on corporate philanthropy and guide CSR managers in sub-Saharan Africa in understanding the orientation that would lead to a more effective CSR implementation. Copyright © 2016 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd

Using Information Technology In Teaching Of Business Statistics In Nigeria Business School

This paper discusses the use of Microsoft Excel software in the teaching of statistics in the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Problems associated with existing traditional methods are identified and a novel pedagogy using Excel is proposed. The advantages of using this software over other specialized statistical packages (SPSS, Minitab or Stata) are simplicity, universality, accessibility, increased acquisition of skills, and, more importantly, reduced cost for students and instructors alike particularly for those in developing economies. Several examples are introduced to illustrate the use of Excel in teaching statistics in a business school. Moreover, this proposition is partially motivated by an intervention program funded by the USAID that resulted in the acquisition of information and communication technology (ICT) laboratories

Managing in conflict: How actors distribute conflict in an industrial network

IMP researchers have examined conflict as a threat to established business relationships and commercial exchanges, drawing on theories and concepts developed in organization studies. We examine cases of conflict in relationships from the oil and gas industry's service sector, focusing on conflicts of interest and resources, and conflict as experienced by actors. Through a comparative case study design, we propose an explanation of how actors manage conflict and manage in conflict given that they tend to value and maintain relationships beyond episodes of exchange. We consider conflicts in relationships from a network perspective, showing that actors experienced these while adapting to changes in their business setting, modifying their roles in that network. By identifying conflict with the organizing forms of relationship and network, we show how actors formulate conflict through pursuing and combining a number of strategies, distributing the conflict across an enlarged network

Cooperative learning in production and operations management field

[EN] The present study analyzes the results of implementing cooperative learning in a group of students from Production Management courses, at the second year of Business Administration degree at Rey Juan Carlos University (Madrid-Spain). The course is already adapted to the European Space for Higher Education (ESHD) and it is being developed through the application of new active teaching methodologies oriented towards a new teaching-learning process. So, it has been chosen to apply new methodologies, through small cooperative groups. The present developed experience has per-mitted to obtain interesting results. The students perceived to have improved their communication skills, their intellectual and professional skills associated with team-work.[ES] En el presente estudio se analizan los resultados de implantar el aprendizaje cooperativo en un grupo de estudiantes que cursan la asignatura Dirección de Producción, en el segundo curso del Grado de Administración y Dirección de Empresas de la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Madrid-España). Si bien la asignatura ya está adaptada al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) y se desarrolla aplicando metodologías activas orientadas al proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje, se ha optado por aplicar un método de enseñanza diferente. La experiencia desarrollada ha permitido obtener interesantes resultados, los alumnos perciben haber mejorado sus capacidades de comunicación, sus competencias intelectuales asociadas a la materia y profesionales asociadas con el trabajo en equipo.Esta investigación ha sido parcialmente financiada por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, en el marco del proyecto MaSaI (TIN2011-22617/TIN)- Grupo de investigación Kybele, URJC. Así como por la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos en el Marco de la VII Convocatoria de Ayudas a la Innovación y Mejora de la Docencia.Díaz-Garrido, E.; Martín-Peña, ML.; Sáchez-López, JM. (2013). Aprendizaje cooperativo en la materia dirección de producción y operaciones. Working Papers on Operations Management. 4(2):44-65. doi:10.4995/wpom.v4i2.1658SWORD446542Adler, R. W., & Milne, M. J. (1997). COMMENTARY A day of active-learning: an accounting educators’ symposium. Accounting Education, 6(3), 273-280. doi:10.1080/096392897331505Amo, T., Hershey, F. y Friedman, L. (2000). Three methods to engage students in the introductory statistics course: Humor, active learning,and relevant examples. Proceedings of the Decision Sciences Institute, Vol. 1, pp. 218–222.De Miguel, M. (2005). Modalidades de ense-anza centradas en el desarrollo de competencias. Orientaciones para promover el cambio metodológico en el Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior. Universidad de Oviedo.Ehie, I. (2001). Using "live" project teams in an introductory production and operations management course. Decision Sciences Institute 2001 Proceedings [CD], pp. 299–301.Felder, R.M. y Brent, R. (2001). Effective strategies for cooperative learning. Journal Cooperation & Collaboration in College Teaching, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 69-75.Gavilán, P. (2003): Ventajas e Inconvenientes de trabajar cooperativamente, Revista Aula de Innovación Educativa, Vol. 121, pp. 66-69.García Valcárcel, A. (1994). El proceso de ense-anza en las aulas universitarias. Una aproximación cualitativa. Qurriculum, Vol. 6-7, pp. 155-174.Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R.T. y Holubec. E.J. (1999). El Aprendizaje Cooperativo en el Aula. Buenos Aires/ Paidos.Johnson, D.W.; Johnson, R.T. y Smith, K.A. (1998). Active Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom. Interaction Book Co./Edina, MN.León, B. y Latas, C. (2005). Nuevas exigencias en el proceso de ense-anza aprendizaje del profesor universitario en el contexto de la convergencia europea: La formación en técnicas de aprendizaje cooperativo. REIFOP, Vol 8, No. 6, pp. 45-48.Medina López, C.; Alfalla Luque, R. y Marín García, J. A. (2011). La Investigación en docencia en Dirección de Operaciones: Tendencias y Retos. Intangible Capital, Vol 7, No. 2, pp. 507-548.Monereo, C. y Castelló, M. (1997). Las estrategias de aprendizaje: como incorporarlas a la práctica educativa. Barcelona/Edebe.PROFI (2007). El aprendizaje activo. Una nueva forma de ense-ar y aprender. Universidad Politécnica de Catalu-a. Instituto de Ciencias de la Educación. Área de FormaciónPujolás Maset, P. (1997). Los grupos de aprendizaje cooperativo: Una propuesta metodológica y de organización del aula favorecedora de la atención a la diversidad. Revista Aula de Innovación Educativa, Vol. 59, pp. 41-45.Rumbo Arcas, B. y Gómez Sánchez, T.F. (2011). La acción Tutorial en un contexto universitario masificado y la reivindicación europea de su valor formativo. Revista de Formación e Innovación Educativa Universitaria, Vol 4, No. 1, pp. 13-34.Sautter, E. T., Pratt, E. R., & Shanahan, K. J. (2000). The Marketing WebQuest: An Internet Based Experiential Learning Tool. Marketing Education Review, 10(1), 47-55. doi:10.1080/10528008.2000.11488694Usón, A.; Letosa, J.; Mur, J. y Samplón, M. (2010). Aprendizaje activo y cooperativo para estudiantes de primer curso de ingeniería, ¿mayoría de edad?. Universidad de Zaragoza

FinTech revolution: the impact of management information systems upon relative firm value and risk

The FinTech or ‘financial technology’ revolution has been gaining increasing interest as technologies are fundamentally changing the business of financial services. Consequently, financial technology is playing an increasingly important role in providing relative performance growth to firms. It is also well known that such relative performance can be observed through pairs trading investment. Therefore pairs trading have implications for understanding financial technology performance, yet the relationships between relative firm value and financial technology are not well understood. In this paper we investigate the impact of financial technology upon relative firm value in the banking sector. Firstly, using pairs trade data we show that financial technologies reveal differences in relative operational performance of firms, providing insight on the value of financial technologies. Secondly, we find that contribution of relative firm value growth from financial technologies is dependent on the specific business characteristics of the technology, such as the business application and activity type. Finally, we show that financial technologies impact the operational risk of firms and so firms need to take into account both the value and risk benefits in implementing new technological innovations. This paper will be of interest to academics and industry professionals

Does the stock market reward innovation? European stock index reaction to negative news during the global financial crisis

This study uses data on 27 European stock indices over the period from January 2007 to December 2012 to investigate the relationship between innovations and the market reaction to negative news during the financial crisis. We use the bivariate BEKK-GARCH approach to estimate time-varying betas and abnormal returns. We show that index prices of countries in the high (low) innovation groups experience significantly positive (negative) abnormal returns on and following the negative news announcement dates. We also find that index beta changes following the arrival of bad news is negatively associated with a country's innovativeness. This finding suggests that innovations promote economic stability and enhance investors' confidence in a country's ability to cope during difficult times. Thus, policy makers who are concerned with sustainable growth should encourage R&D investments by adopting effective policies and avoid unnecessary cuts in R&D expenditures even during times of crisis. A study of the pre-crisis period from January 2001 to December 2006, using the same methods, indicates that investors value innovation more during difficult times

R&D investment, firm performance and moderating role of system and safeguard: Evidence from emerging markets

The relationship between R&D and firm performance is highly dependent on the external environment. Therefore, this paper examined the effects of country level investor protection (safeguards) and governance mechanisms (systems) on the relationship between R&D and firm performance. Using GMM estimation and elasticity testing of panel data for 423 firms from 12 emerging countries, we find that a country's safeguards tend to moderate the relationship between R&D and firm performance more than the system of a country. The results indicate that safeguarding is relatively more important for the relationship between R&D and firm performance than other country level governance mechanisms, as the former can easily attract outside capital when it is strong. These results have significant implications for innovation policy. In particular, managers may wish to strengthen investor protection to promote high R&D investment in order to increase firm performance

Implementation Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for ERP: Do they contribute to implementation success and post-implementation performance?

Extent: 55 p.Frequent commentaries in the literature have stated that certain critical success factors (CSFs) have to be accomplished in an organisation for an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system project to be successful. In this study we argue and demonstrate empirically that success in implementing an ERP system and in gaining performance improvement should be conceptualised as two separate dependent variables. The distinction is made because the former aspect is based upon project delivery outcomes, while the latter assesses post-ERP project performance. We question whether some factors labelled as 'critical' success factors for ERP projects are in practice actually critical for achieving success in implementation and improving output performance. To examine this we report an empirical study that has investigated whether four major CSFs are in practice critical for achieving organisational performance improvements, and the role that successful implementation may play in influencing the relationship between CSFs and improvements in organisational performance. A conceptual model was devised and then analysed using structural equation modelling, based on data collected from 217 organisations. We found that some CSFs were not critical to achieve success in ERP implementation but were critical to help an organisational achieve performance improvement from an ERP system. Additionally, we also found that achieving successful ERP system implementation mediates the degree to which a CSF affects output performance improvement. The managerial and research implications of these findings are discussed and the limitations of the study noted.Jiwat Ram, David Corkindale, Ming-Lu W