Mergers and Acquisitions in Latin America: Industrial Productivity and Corporate Governance

This paper examines the impact of industrial productivity on transnationals M&As from OECD countries towards Latin American countries in the period 1996 to 2010. It also analyzes the relationship between external mechanism of corporate governance and transnational M&As. For this purpose we use a gravitational model at the industry level. We find that industry productivity and higher standards of corporate governance in the country of origin promote transnational M&As activity. However, it is also found that higher levels of capital and technological productivity decreases transnational M&As activity

Multiple novel prostate cancer susceptibility signals identified by fine-mapping of known risk loci among Europeans

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous common prostate cancer (PrCa) susceptibility loci. We have fine-mapped 64 GWAS regions known at the conclusion of the iCOGS study using large-scale genotyping and imputation in 25 723 PrCa cases and 26 274 controls of European ancestry. We detected evidence for multiple independent signals at 16 regions, 12 of which contained additional newly identified significant associations. A single signal comprising a spectrum of correlated variation was observed at 39 regions; 35 of which are now described by a novel more significantly associated lead SNP, while the originally reported variant remained as the lead SNP only in 4 regions. We also confirmed two association signals in Europeans that had been previously reported only in East-Asian GWAS. Based on statistical evidence and linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure, we have curated and narrowed down the list of the most likely candidate causal variants for each region. Functional annotation using data from ENCODE filtered for PrCa cell lines and eQTL analysis demonstrated significant enrichment for overlap with bio-features within this set. By incorporating the novel risk variants identified here alongside the refined data for existing association signals, we estimate that these loci now explain ∼38.9% of the familial relative risk of PrCa, an 8.9% improvement over the previously reported GWAS tag SNPs. This suggests that a significant fraction of the heritability of PrCa may have been hidden during the discovery phase of GWAS, in particular due to the presence of multiple independent signals within the same regio

An expert system for tax law and its educational application

The objectives of this study were to develop an expert system for an area of taxation law and to investigate issues associated with expert system development methods, explanation facilities, human -computer interface design and the use of expert systems as learning tools. An expert system giving advice on capital gains tax was developed and shown to be acceptable for use outside the development environment. Reported empirical research concerning operational expert systems is sparse and the research in this study was of an exploratory nature. System development was an incremental process, with successiveversions of the system tested with users and then modified according to test results. The explanation facility goes beyond the usual How and Why explanations offered in expert systems and is based on an analysis of the categories of questions which occur in everyday language. Intermediate steps in calculations can he viewed in a worksheet style screen or report as an explanatory device. In the development of the expert system findings and guidelines from research into human - computer interface design for more conventional systems were followed. The approach adopted led to a user -centred system rather than variable user -modelling, the avoidance of anthromorphism, and the use of menus and a form fill-in interface for input rather than natural language. Trials showed that the system gave valid advice, useful in a professional situation, and that both the explanation facility and the human - computer interface were acceptable to users. Coding for the human interface comprised almost 50% of the whole system. Previous researchers have suggested that an expert system which does not include tutoring expertise is not a good teaching device, though there is little experimental work on the topic. Results from this study indicated that the expert tax system has value as a learning tool when supported by auxiliary printed example problems and used by adults with some prior knowledge of the subject matter</div

The formulation of design theories for information systems

The aim of this paper is to examine how Information Systems Design Theories (ISDTs) can be formulated. Drawing primarily on work by Heidegger (1993) and Simon (1996), it is proposed that the formulation of a design theory for information system artifacts should recognize six aspects of the design: the purpose, the form or shape, the material components, the means (development process), the underlying microtheories and the entailments of the design (insofar as these can be anticipated). A number of problems remain and further work is suggested

Reflections on communication processes and virtual teams by lecturer and student cohort a case study /

This paper explores processes and outcomes from virtual teamwork in a university course in Human-Computer Interaction. The course has students both on- and off-campus, with a very wide geographic distribution. The novel approach adopted in the course organized students into both small teams (three students) and into larger units (a group of six teams). Teams worked collaboratively, using a variety of communication channels: email, chat groups, face-to-face, and phone. Each team was responsible for preparing a power-point presentation that incorporated human-computer interaction design principles, that was then critiqued by other teams in their ‘group’. Overall, students’ experiences were extremely positive and recognized learning that contributed to course goals and effective virtual teamwork. Reflections on the processes involved in successful teamwork indicated that important factors included clear goals for the team, good task organization, similar personal achievement goals among team member, reliability and efficiency, open communication styles, and respect and understanding for others in the team

An information systems design theory for e-learning

This paper presents an information systems design theory (ISDT) intended to guide the design, development and maintenance of an information system to support e-learning. The ISDT draws on a number of kernel theories to specify an information system that supports the level of variety and change inherent in the practice of e-learning within a University context. The ISDT has been formulated over an eight-year period where the resulting instantiation has provided thousands of course sites and associated services used by hundreds of staff and thousands of students

Distance education in the online world : implications for higher education

In this chapter, the authors identify forces leading to change in industries in the online world, including increasing global competition, increasingly powerful consumers and rapid changes in technology. In the higher education industry, outcomes are evolving, but include the formation of alliances, outsourcing and re-engineering of systems and work practices. The communication and information technologies that created the online world also link lecturers, tutors, and teaching resources to create the possibility of networked education. The authors outline a "glocal" networked education paradigm that separates out global and local resource development and global and local learning facilitation. By embracing this separation, it is possible to develop ways of working that allow the creation of a flexible model of education delivery that is scalable and hence globally competitive. In this model, the work of the university academic is changed considerably. The functions traditionally performed by a single university academic are differentiated and are performed by a network of leaning facilitators. In this scenario, university academics may find themselves responsible for the learning of hundreds of students, but they may never find hemselves fact-to-face with a single student

Developing a virtual organization : serendipity or strategy?

This paper addresses the question of how virtual organizations that yield strategic advantage are formed. The study uses grounded theory to investigate the organizational processes and structure that facilitate the formation ofa successful virtual organization. We present a case study of one virtual organization, a university in Australia, which has gained strategic advantage from alliances supported by information and communication technologies (ICT). The university is now the fastest growing university in Australia in terms of international student enrolments. The case study suggests that this commercial success is based on responsiveness to environmental conditions and organizational factors that include a long history as a distance education provider (an early form of virtualization), sophisticated information communication technologies, and a culture of innovation and risk-taking. The development processes observed included evolutionary growth, decisive actions and management leadership at opportune moments, and examples of technological and entrepreneurial innovations led by individuals. Significant decision making occurred outside formal strategic planning processes

Reasons why farmers in Australia adopt the internet

Landholders in rural Australia are increasing their use of computers and the Internet. In part, this is because of the increased availability of hardware, software and communications infrastructure at reasonable cost. However, it is unclear what all the benefits of adopting a new technology are. It may be that the primary benefits are simply cost reduction; for example, the time saved in financial bookkeeping. Other reasons might include potential gains to production, keeping pace with regulatory and other external changes, or improved marketing opportunities. These issues are explored in relation to the grains and beef industries of the Central Queensland region

Farming the Web : the use of the Internet in rural Australia

The ability to communicate effectively using electronic media, whether it is to conduct our business or our social lives, depends on two key elements - having the right tools to generate, process, store and retrieve information and having the ability to use the tools to their maximum capability