Work-family interface in Iranian women : the roles of religiosity and gender-role ideology / Arezou Elliyoon

viii, 89 leaves ; 29 cmThis research assessed the effect of religious orientation on experiences of Iranian women in balancing their work and family roles. Based on the proposed relationships among main variables of this study which are religiosity, gender-role ideology, work-family conflict and work-family facilitation, it was also hypothesized that gender-role ideology would mediate the relationships between religiosity and work-family conflict/facilitation. The participants of this study were 221 Iranian female employees working in the Wood and Glue Industry. The results supported some of the developed hypotheses. For instance, they showed that women with stronger religious beliefs felt the extra time spent on work responsibilities would have been better devoted to family roles. Further, the women who indicated that the role of religion is highly significant in their lives experienced less conflict between the behaviors performed at home and those performed at work. The results did not support the hypothesized mediating role of gender-role ideology

Partnerships between nonprofit organizations and businesses : legitimacy for sale, but at what cost?

ix, 105 leaves ; 29 cmThis study explores partnerships between nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and businesses. In particular, it focuses on the motivations of the NPOs in such partnerships as they relate to the legitimacy concerns of organizations when viewed through the lens of neoinstitutional theory. The data were collected via semi-structured phone interviews with managers of nonprofit organizations from the United States. The transcripts were analyzed iteratively using a thematic analysis. Results indicate that NPOs may be trying to recapture eroded moral legitimacy with the public through partnerships with businesses. However their bargain to seek gains in their pragmatic legitimacy with their business partner by increasing the business’ social legitimacy appears to be potentially at the expense of losing cognitive legitimacy with their clients

Profitability of Islamic banks in Malaysia

This thesis analyzes the effect of internal and external factors on the profitability of all full-fledged Islamic banks in Malaysia. Additionally, this study examines the robustness of results by using the financial crisis of 2008-2009 as a control variable. The study uses regression analysis to examine the data from 16 Islamic banks in Malaysia for the period from 2008 to 2012. The results suggest that a high equity-to-asset ratio significantly increases the profitability of Islamic banks, while negatively affecting the return on equities. Simultaneously, an increase in total expenses leads to high returns on assets and return on equities. However, an increase in deposit-to-asset and loan-to-asset ratios does not significantly affect the profitability of Islamic banks. The taxes imposed on banks significantly decrease their profits. Additionally, the results indicate a positive and significant relationship between the concentration and the profitability of the banks. Moreover, an increase in the inflation rate negatively affects the profitability of Islamic banks. Finally, the results are robust with respect to the financial crisis of 2008-2009

Corporate blogs : what factors influence blog readers and comment providers to continue using blogs

vii, 113 leaves ; 29 cmAs blogs have become a new and significant way of distributing information, businesses and organizations have started looking for ways to exploit corporate blogs. With their recent evolution, little research has been conducted on the factors that influence blog readers and comment providers to continue engaging in corporate blogging activities. In this study, we analyze IT corporate blog users' motivations to continue using blogs based on an integrated technology acceptance model (TAM) and expectation confirmation model for the information technology domain (ECM-IT). Our findings suggest that confirmation, perceived usefulness, information quality and social norms are the main determinants of satisfaction, attitude and continued blog usage intention. Moreover, results indicate that some of the factors that influence users to continue using personal blogs do not apply to corporate blog visitors. Overall, our model explains 71% of the variance of continued blog usage intention

The role of the S&P/TSX Composite Index constituents in tracking the Canadian equity market

In this study, we examine whether flexibility in stocks addition to and deletion from the S&P/TSX Composite Index enhanced its ability to act as a performance benchmark and represent the Canadian equity market. In May 2002, the first major change happened to the TSE 300 Index and the TSE 300 Index was converted to S&P/TSX Composite Index. Consequently, along with the new inclusion criteria the number of Index’s constituents were not forced to be exactly 300. To compare the Index’s two functions before and after the change, this study utilizes data from the 1992-2011 sample period. Our results suggest that the Index’s returns better replicates the equity market’s returns after May 2002 because the committee were able to add higher performing stocks and delete the poor performing ones. Furthermore, the Index represents the equity market better after the change mainly due to the higher capitalization of the survived stocks

Culture and gender effects on ethical reasoning in an auditing context : a comparison of Canada and mainland China

ix, 69 leaves ; 29 cm.This study investigated culture and gender effects on ethical reasoning in an auditing context using Kohlberg’s (1969) cognitive moral development theory in conjunction with Hofstede’s culture theory (1980, 2001). The study was conducted using Canadian (71) and Mainland Chinese (64) final year undergraduate accounting students. The results indicated that Canadian accounting students had significantly higher ethical reasoning levels than Mainland Chinese accounting students. This suggests that cultural differences affect ethical reasoning in an auditing context. The difference in ethical reasoning scores between Canadian males and females was not significantly different from the difference between Chinese males and females

Price-quality schema orientation and market efficiency perceptions : a cross cultural and intercultural study of Canadians and Chinese

viii, 76 leaves ; 29 cm.This study investigates 1) whether Canadians have stronger price-quality schemas (PQ) and perceptions of market efficiency (ME) than Chinese in both Canada and China, and 2) how acculturation affects Chinese immigrants’ PQ and ME. A pre-test and a main study were conducted. In the main study, data from 192 Canadians, 148 Chinese immigrants, and 170 domestic Chinese usable questionnaires were collected in Canada and China. PQ, ME, acculturation, individualism, and collectivism scales were adopted from prior studies. Data was analyzed by t-tests, ANOVA, ANCOVA, and regressions analyses. Findings showed that Canadians have significantly stronger PQ and ME than their Chinese immigrant in Canada and domestic Chinese with exception of that Chinese immigrant have an even stronger PQ than Canadians. Acculturation was not significantly related with Chinese immigrants’ PQ or ME. However, individualism and collectivism were found related to three consumer groups’ PQ and/or ME

Seeing stars : exploring constellation network types relative to the six forces

viii, 92 leaves ; 29 cmThis research begins with a review of those forces that constrain the attractiveness of industries. This includes the Five Forces (power of buyers, power of suppliers, threat of substitutes, threat of new entrants and industry rivalry) developed by Michael Porter (1980) and a Sixth Force (public interest) more recently introduced by Carr (2006). A typology is then developed consisting of six collaborative, within industry, inter-organizational alliances or constellation network types. It is posited that each of these constellation types will be observed in an industry when there is a need to ameliorate the specific forces to which they are linked. Following this theory development, an empirical test of one of the constellation force matches is undertaken by searching for the presence or absence of Social Action and Legitimation Constellations where an industry is seen to be vulnerable to the Sixth Force of public interest as measured using the negative screening determinations of socially responsible investment funds. The study findings support the hypothesized relationship with twenty-eight Social Action and Legitimation constellations being identified across the eight industries deemed most at risk for public interest intervention. Alcohol, nuclear power and industries open to animal welfare concerns show the strongest use of such constellations. Results are mixed, however, with some industries such as adult entertainment having little or no apparent interest in collaborative networks of this type

The role of empathic concern in the relations of personality and organizational citizenship behavior

vii, 37 leaves ; 29 cm.The present study examined how personality characteristics affect organizational citizenship behaviours directed toward individuals (OCBI), and the mediating effects of empathic concern in personality facet-OCBI relations. Participants were 195 employees of various business organizations located in a southwest Canadian city. Each participant completed questionnaires assessing personality and OCBI. Analyses revealed that empathic concern, anger, friendliness, and emotionality were related to OCBI. As predicted, empathic concern mediated the relation of anger, friendliness, and emotionality with OCBI. The results of this study suggest that specific facets of the broad Big 5 dimensions are useful in predicting OCBI and that empathic concern may be a key variable explaining why the relations exist

Syndicated loan lenders' impact on M&A acquirers' post merger operating performance and creditworthiness : evidence in U.S. M&A deals from year 2005 to 2011

Financial intermediaries (such as banks) are delegated to monitor borrowers (Diamond, 1984). In the merger wave, many acquirers raise funds by borrowing syndicated loans to fund their M&A deals (Huang, Lu, & Srinivasan, 2012). However, banks’ monitoring of borrowers does not enhance firm value to the extent that the acquirers’ shareholders can benefit (Huang et al., 2012). Based on unadjusted measures, we found that M&A deals financed by syndicated loans experience better post-merger operating performance (ROA) and creditworthiness (Altman’s Z Score and EDF). M&A deals financed by relationship lenders experience better post-merger operating performance (ROA) and creditworthiness (EDF). M&A deals financed by reputable lenders experience better post-merger operating performance (ROA) and creditworthiness (Altman’s Z Score and EDF). However, M&A deals financed by institutional lenders experience worse post-merger operating performance (ROA) and worse creditworthiness (EDF), and transactional lenders have almost no impact on the borrowers’ post-merger operating performance and creditworthiness