The impact of political connectedness on corporate governance disclosure : empirical evidence from Pakistan

This research examines how political connectedness influences the corporate governance disclosure practices of listed companies. The research also explores the process of preparation of annual reports and seeks explanations on decision making, regarding the level and nature of corporate governance disclosure. This research uses annual report data from companies listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange from 2009-2013. The research utilises qualitative content analysis for the study of the disclosure practices of politically connected and non-connected firms. An in-depth analysis of silence has been conducted focusing on the incidence of the lack of information on corporate governance. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews have been conducted in order to seek deeper insights into the research phenomena and the triangulation of findings. The findings of the qualitative content analysis indicate that non-connected firms disclose a higher level of voluntary, as well as mandatory corporate governance information, in comparison with politically connected firms. However, the variation in the level of voluntary disclosure is found to be higher when compared with mandatory disclosure. The results of the analysis of silence indicate that politically connected firms stay silent on a diverse range of voluntary disclosure items and provide notably limited disclosure. The findings of interview data analysis are consistent with the findings of qualitative content analysis and the analysis of silence in annual reports. To make sense of the findings the research has called upon the dual perspectives offered by agency theory and rational choice institutionalism. In assessing the implications of disclosure/non-disclosure practices it is found that the decision to disclose information is driven by the self-interest and opportunism of politically connected members of the board who avoid voluntary disclosure of information. However, it is also found that rationality plays an important role and while the firms are operating in a tight regulatory environment, politically connected firms provide better mandatory disclosure

An analysis of acute admissions to a general hospital psychiatric unit

Rapid turnover of patients in a general hospital psychiatric unit demands stabilization and discharge as soon as possible. It is likely that patients are being prematurely discharged because of this pressure.Aim: The study sought to analyse admissions to an acute psychiatric unit with a view to determining the demographic distribution of the patients, duration of stay, and patterns of substance abuse with specific emphasis on patients discharged within seven days of admission.Method: One hundred and thirty five consecutive patients, 18 years and older, who were admitted to the unit during a three-month period were included in the study. The data was obtained from a questionnaire, completed by the doctor on discharge.Results: Nearly 40% of the patients were discharged within seven days of admission. Most of the patients were youthful, substance abusing males with a past psychiatric history of either an Axis I or a co-morbid Axis II disorder, and had defaulted on their regular follow up.Conclusion: The profile of the short stay admissions suggests that our concerns regarding premature discharge are unjustified.Keywords: Acute admissions, Psychiatric, General hospitalSouth African Psychiatry Review - November 200

Anglo-American governance adoption in non-Anglo-American settings: assessing practitioner perception across emerging economies. The case of Cameroon, Kenya and Pakistan.

Purpose – Albeit the growing academic research on emerging economies corporate governance (CG) environments within accounting and finance literature, there exists a dearth of cross-country studies using a qualitative approach to understand practitioners’ behaviour vis-a-vis diffusion of international CG practices in emerging economies. This study aims to fill this oversight through a comparative analysis of the divergence and convergence of CG systems operational in three emerging economies (Cameroon, Kenya and Pakistan) while highlighting different institutional and contextual impacts on behaviour of governance actors. The paper uses an interface between critical realism and new institutional economics theory to explore the implementation and execution of CG in Cameroon, Kenya and Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach – The study analysed 24 in-depth semi-structured interviews and conducted with key governance practitioners across the three countries. Findings – The findings show that CG implementation processes in Cameroon, Kenya and Pakistan are nascent and driven by international forces rather than local initiatives. CG lacks institutional identity across the three countries as regulatory coercion acts as a key driver for CG adoption and practitioner accounts are mixed regarding the impact of CG on firm performance. Practical implications – The paper evidences that the lack of governance identify, compliance and slow implementation process of governance regulations and its impact on firm performance in emerging economies is caused by the fact that local institutional characteristics prevalent in these economies may not be suitable for a “copy and paste” of Western form of governance regulations. Furthermore, governance actors do not see the relevance of recommended CG practices except as a regulatory burden. Originality/value – The paper contributes to close the lacuna in the seemingly little qualitative comparative study that has examined practitioner’s perception vis-à-vis the diffusion of international governance practices in emerging economies. Specifically, it uncovers how different institutional and contextual factors impact on the behaviour of governance actors and how their behaviours may constrain adoption, implementation and compliance with recommended governance practices

The Public Returns to Educational Attainment in Nigeria

This paper investigates the public (social) returns to education using cross-sectional analyses of states in Nigeria. The study focuses on the impacts on productivity (i.e. GDP Per Capita) of the different levels of education (primary, secondary/vocational and tertiary). The paper utilizes the most recent Household Survey data on Nigeria (LSMS 2012/2013). The regression results show that secondary and vocational education have higher social returns than the tertiary level of education. The results suggest the need for the governments to increase investment in the secondary and vocational education. The findings continue to support sharing of costs between governments and the beneficiaries at tertiary education level

Detection of Real Time QRS Complex Using Wavelet Transform

This paper presents a novel method for QRS detection. To accomplish this task ECG signal was first filtered by using a third order Savitzky Golay filter. The filtered ECG signal was then preprocessed by a Wavelet based denoising in a real-time fashion to minimize the undefined noise level. R-peak was then detected from denoised signal after wavelet denoising. Windowing mechanism was also applied for finding any missing R-peaks. All the 48 records have been used to test the proposed method. During this testing, 99.97% sensitivity and 99.99% positive predictivity is obtained for QRS complex detection

Analisis Pengaruh Kualitas Layanan terhadap Kepuasan dan Loyalitas Mahasiswa di Universitas AMIKOM Yogyakarta

This research aims to know the influence of quality service toward the students’ satisfaction and loyalty at AMIKOM Yogyakarta University. Research method is Quantitative Associative. The research participants of this research were 454 students who were chosen by purposive sampling technique. This research used a questionnaire that contained 41 questions. The result of this research was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the help of smartPLS v.3.2.8 program. The result of the analysis process showed: (1) Quality service had a significant and positive effect on the students’ satisfaction with coefficient value of path analysis was 0.566. T statistic was 12.737 and the p-value was 0.000. Self Development Opportunity Dimension was the dimension which had the biggest influence toward the students’ satisfaction, and internationalization dimension has the smallest influence toward the students’ satisfaction, (2) Quality service had a significant and positive effect toward the students’ loyalty with coefficient value of path analysis was 0.242, T statistic was 4.834 and the p-value was 0.000. Self Development Opportunity Dimension was the dimension which had the biggest influence toward the students’ satisfaction, and internationalization dimension has the smallest influence toward the students’ satisfaction, (3) The students’ satisfaction had significant and positive effect toward the students’ loyalty with coefficient value of path analysis was 0.,516. T statistic was 10.919 and p-value was 0.000, (4) Students’ satisfaction is partial mediation of the influence of quality service toward the students’ loyalty with total effect value was 0,534

Staging of endometrial carcinoma by magnetic resonance imaging: correlation with surgery and histopathology

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of MRI in staging of endometrial carcinoma, and comparison with surgery and histopathological findings. METHODS: A one year prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from 10/3/2005 to 31/5/2006, at the Radiology department, Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) Karachi. Fifty two patients with diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma, referred to radiology department for preoperative staging by MRI and had undergone surgery were included. RESULTS: MRI was found to be 79% sensitive, 85% specific and 80% accurate for staging endometrial carcinoma while PPV and NPV were 97% and 66% respectively. CONCLUSION: Magnetic resonance imaging is a good, safe, accurate and non invasive imaging modality in staging of endometrial carcinoma. It can be used as a first line radiological investigation in patients with endometrial carcinoma for treatment planning

Potret Tradisi Bib Maaf pada Keberangkatan Haji Masyarakat Desa Dullah Laut Kepulauan Kei Maluku Tenggara

Artikel ini bertujuan memaparkan secara komprehensif tentang Tradisi Bib Maaf di Desa Dullah Laut Kepulauan Kei Maluku Tenggara. Merupakan penelitian kualitatif, menggunakan paradigma fenomenologi sosial. Melakukan observasi partisipatoris pasif, kedalaman wawancara serta dokumentasi. Menggunakan teknik analisis model alir dari Milles dan Huberman. Hasil penelitian: Tradisi Bib Maaf? yang dilakukan masyarakat Kei di Desa Dullah Laut merupakan tradisi keberangkatan ibadah Haji. Merupakan momentum saling memaafkan dan memanjatkan doa agar menjalankan ibadah Haji dengan selamat. Bib Maaf atau kambing maaf merupakan tradisi lisan yang dikembangkan masyarakat Muslim Kepulauan Kei. Kekeluargaan pada masyarakat Kei bermakna luas mencakup seluruh dimensi kehidupan manusia. Sikap optimis orang Kei dalam tradisi Bib Maaf yaitu: Pertama, Sikap rela menolong. Kedua, Sikap percaya bahwa orang lain akan membantu. Ketiga, Sikap hormat menghormati. Maren atau Hamaren dipahami sebagai tanggung jawab bersama warga dalam menyelesaikan pekerjaan yang dilaksanakan secara spontan dan sukarela. Yellim merupakan rentetan tradisi, berbentuk pemberian untuk meringankan beban pelaksanaan tradisi yang memiliki kebermanfaatan dalam tradisi, menunjukkan kedermawanan masyarakat. Nit Ni Wang, Barzanji dan Dok Mol merupakan rangkaian tradisi dalam bentuk memanjatkan do?a kepada Sang pencipta Allah Subhanahu wa Ta?ala, dan puji-pujian pada Nabi Muhammad, Shallallahu ?Alaihi wa Sallam, serta pada leluhur agar perjalanan Haji memperoleh keselamatan