The influence of ethnicity on the reporting of intellectual capital

In the 21st century, Intellectual Capital (IC), which comprised of human, structural and relational capitals, has become a source of predictors for future performance. The role of IC for future performance prediction surpasses traditional measures, such as physical and fi nancial capital. This study investigates whether the ethnicity of directors, which include chief fi nancial offi cers, chairman and audit committees, infl uences the amount of IC disclosure at the fi rm level. This study adopts a quantitative research approach, whereby level of IC disclosure is measured based upon the content analysis of corporate annual reports from 77 technology based companies in Malaysia. Malaysia is used as the setting for this study due to its ethnic diversity and the fact that the ethnic groups, to some extent, maintain their original cultural values. A ranked regression of normal scores is utilized to examine the relationship between the levels of IC disclosure and ethnicity. The study fi nds that a signifi cant relationship exists between ethnicity of some directors and levels of IC disclosure

STUDYING THE EFFECT OF GLASS ADDITION ON THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF PVC AND PVC/PMMA BLENDS.

Thermal analysis techniques were conducted for testing and evaluation of different polymeric samples. Pure samples (such as PVC and PMMA) and composites (with soda-lime glass; powder as filler ) were examined and tested for Tg, thermal expansion and Young modulus (E).     Two updating instruments where used for this purpose. Differential scanning calometry (DSC) for pure polymers and thermomechanical analyzer (TMA) for composites.   Differential scanning calometry (DSC) testing for sample of polyvinyle chloride (PVC) explain decrease of glass temperature (Tg) from (80.6°C) to (31°C) for the same polymer solved by (THF) solvent and dry it at (100°C).  Thermomechanical analysis (TMA) for (PVC/glass) composites appears increase of glass temperature (Tg) with high decrease of Young modulus (E) and transform its mechanical properties from elastic to plastic.  Adding the polymer poly mathylemethacrylate to composites (PVC/glass) was lightly effect to glass transition (Tg) and elastic modulus at low ratio of (PMMA) in composite, while the composite (PVC/PMMA/glass) appears elastomer properties when the (PMMA) ratio was 37% in in composite