Scholarship and Professional Work - Business Copyright (c) 2013 Butler University All rights reserved. http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers Recent documents in Scholarship and Professional Work - Business en-us Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:43:39 PST 3600 Q&A Platforms Evaluated Using Butler University Q&A Intelligence Index http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/108 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/108 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:03:51 PST A new study using the Butler University Q&A Intelligence Index measures how various mobile Q&A platforms deliver quality, accurate answers in a timely manner to a broad variety of questions. Based on the results of our analysis, ChaCha led all Q&A platforms on mobile devices.

Results of the study are based upon review of a large set of responses from each of the major Q&A platforms, coupled with a comparison of disparate Q&A platforms that serve answers in different ways. Our methodology included the creation of a new metric, termed the Butler University Q&A Intelligence Index, which measures the likelihood that a user can expect to receive a correct answer in a timely manner to any random question asked using natural language. We asked questions via mobile services and randomized the questions to cover both popular and long-tail knowledge requests.

]]> Trent Ritzenthaler et al. Boundary work: An interpretive ethnographic perspective on negotiating and leveraging cross-cultural identity http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/107 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/107 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 12:11:32 PDT The complexity of global organizations highlights the importance of members’ ability to span diverse boundaries that may be defined by organization structures, national borders, and/or a variety of cultures associated with organization, nation-based societal and work cultures, industries, and/or professions. Based on ethnographic research in a Japan–US binational firm, the paper describes and analyzes the boundary role performance of the firm's Japanese members. It contributes toward theory on boundary spanning by introducing a “cultural identity negotiation” conceptual framework. We show boundary spanning as a process shaped through the interplay of the contextual issues that make a boundary problematic; an individual's multiple repertoires of cultural knowledge; and the individual boundary spanner's “negotiation”, through interaction with others, of his/her cultural identities – the sense of “who I am” as a cultural being that is fundamental to an individual's self-concept. At the same time, we make transparent the epistemological and methodological foundations of an interpretive ethnographic approach, demonstrating its value for understanding complex organizational processes. Research findings have practical implications for the selection and training of an organization's employees, particularly of persons who may be considered “bicultural”.

]]> Noriko Yagi et al. The Effect of Virtuality on Individual Network Centrality and Performance in On-going, Distributed Teams http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/106 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/106 Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:15:16 PDT For distributed teams to succeed, individuals must interact successfully within team social networks. To understand individual performance in distributed teams, we consider a multi-dimensional view of individual virtuality and its relationship with centrality in the team’s face-to-face network and ICT network. We leverage social network theory and hierarchically analyze data from 254 individuals in 18 teams. We find that members with higher dispersion are less central in the face-to-face network while those with higher ICT use are more central in the ICT network. Centrality in the ICT network, but not centrality in the face-to-face network, is positively related to performance. The results provide insights for academics and practitioners on how to improve individual performance in distributed teams.

]]> Priscilla Arling et al. Not Every Risk Manager Needs To Become An ERM http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/105 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/105 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:30:51 PST The author reflects on the responsibilities of risk managers in fulfilling their important role in insurance companies. He asserts that traditional risk managers needs to be part adjuster, part attorney, part underwriter, part risk-finance professional and part loss-control engineer. With such profound task, he contends that risk managers can perform their vital role in the organization without the need of becoming an enterprise risk manager.

]]> Zachary S. Finn What do you Charge? It Depends. http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/104 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/104 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:30:50 PST Explores pricing variables for risk management service fees. Client's risk management service needs; Level of investment needed to meet the clients' risk management needs; Measurement of the return on investment.

]]> Zachary S. Finn Why Not RMs in in Insurance Agencies? http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/103 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/103 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:30:48 PST Comments on the significant role played by risk managers in the insurance industry as well as in companies which have limited or no knowledge as to what risk management is.

]]> Zachary S. Finn Spoiled Brands: Protecting Your Company's Goodwill and Assets from Food Contamination Claims http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/102 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/102 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:17:55 PST For most people, going to a restaurant ends with a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment, not sickness and the possibility of death. This is also true when purchasing products at a local grocery store. However, recent events have cast doubt on the safety of America’s food supply. The issue facing risk managers is how to reduce these escalating risks and manage any unfortunate outcomes. The cost of food contamination can be devastating to a business financially, and can result in both direct losses related to product recall expenses and indirect losses such as lost reputation and goodwill. By reducing the frequency and severity of such risks and using proper risk transfer techniques, risk managers can help prevent catastrophic losses from contaminated food, and ensure the long-term viability of their company's brands.

]]> Zachary S. Finn et al. Eating with a Purpose:Consumer Response to Functional Food Health Claims in Conflicting Versus Complementary Information Environments http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/101 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/101 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:05:52 PST Marketers of food products have recently introduced a variety of “functional foods” that promise consumers improvements in targeted physiological functions. However, despite the proliferation of functional food health claims promising more than basic nutrition, little is known about consumer responses to these claims, particularly in information environments in which inconsistent information may be available about the efficacy of a particular functional ingredient.

]]> Courtney M. Droms et al. Adjusting the Inventory Account when Companies Use LIFO: Explanation and Application to Distribution and Chemical Industries http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/100 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/100 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:59:16 PDT It is widely understood that a disadvantage of LIFO is that it assigns the oldest inventory costs to the inventory account, which, when prices are changing, can result in an inventory value that is useless as a measure of current value. FIFO, however, avoids this disadvantage by assigning the most current costs to inventory.

The purpose of this article is to explain a simple adjustment that restates LIFO inventory to the more current cost based FIFO value and analyze effects of this adjustment. We begin by demonstrating the LIFO adjustment and explaining its effect on one company. This is followed by an analysis of the effects of the LIFO adjustment on a sample of companies from the distributing and chemicals industries.

We found the mean increase in inventory is 22.8%, but the effect is quite variable by company ranging from a decrease of 15.9% to an increase of 81.2%. This substantial change in inventory balance produces substantial changes in measures of financial strength, operating efficiency, and Z-score. All except one of the differences in the measures due to the LIFO adjustment are significantly different using paired t tests.

]]> James F. Sander et al. How Do Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Texts Deal with the Simple Model of the Intertemporal Allocation of a Nonrenewable Resource http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/99 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/99 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:51:36 PDT Textbooks in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics invariably deal with the problem of allocating a non-renewable resource over time. The simplest version of that problem is the case of a resource that is to be allocated over two periods. The resource has a constant Marginal Extraction Cost (MEC). Most textbooks treat this case before moving on to more complex and realistic cases. This paper suggests the results that should be emphasized and the method that should be used to arrive at those results. It also points out the possible confusions that should be avoided. Finally, it examines how several well-known textbooks treat this issue.

]]> Robert S. Main Beginnings of a Fulfilling Career http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/98 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/98 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:41:28 PDT No abstract available

]]> Gregory E. Osland High- versus Low-Context National Cultures: Preferences for Type of Retailer and for Human Interaction http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/97 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/97 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:33:08 PDT A purpose of this research is to investigate differences between low-and high-context national cultures in retail settings. In particular, we examined cultural differences in preference for human interaction while shopping, "emotional warmth" characteristics, perception of quality service, and retail channel preferences. As businesses more frequently employ multi-channel strategies in global settings, this topic of national culture gains importance and can shed light on key factors that shape consumers' retail preferences. Our findings indicate that national cultures differ in terms of retail channel preferences, preference for human interaction, and relationships between the two. Managerial implications and future research are addressed, as well as our study's limitations

.

]]> Gregory E. Osland et al. Simple Pigovian Taxes vs. Emission Fees to Control Negative Externalities: A Pedagogical Note http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/96 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/96 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:56:10 PDT Many economics texts introduce their analysis of negative externalities by examining a tax on the output of polluting firms, sometimes called a "simple Pigovian tax," often pointing out that taxing pollution directly is superior to taxing output and proceeding to discuss an emission tee as an alternative. They do not show how and why an emission fee is more efficient than an output tax. This note presents a numerical example allowing comparison of the welfare effects of the two approaches, as well as showing why simply reducing the pollution intensity of polluters' output would be inferior to an emission fee.

]]> Robert S. Main The Impact of Early Imprinting on Evolution of New Venture Networks http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/95 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/95 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:34:32 PDT Given the argued importance of networks to new ventures, this paper is intended to fill a noted gap in the literature pertaining to the factors that influence the evolution of new ventures' alliance networks. Drawing on the imprinting literature, we propose that one has to look beyond the first partner per se, and instead focus on the extant relationships the initial partner has with other firms. More specifically, we argue and find that the network size and centrality of a new venture's initial alliance partner influence the subsequent size of the new venture's network.

]]> Stephanie A. Fernhaber et al. International Entrepreneuship and Geographic Location: An Empirical Examination of New Venture Internationalization http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/94 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/94 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:34:29 PDT In this paper, we argue that geographic location may be one reason why some ventures are able to acquire the resources needed to internationalize while others cannot. We use ecological arguments to predict an inverted U-shaped relationship between the concentration of industry clustering within a geographic location and the venture's internationalization. We also explore whether venture characteristics influence the nature of this relationship. Our hypotheses are regressed on international intensity and scope, and analyzed through a sample of 156 publicly held new ventures. Results confirm that location influences new venture internationalization, and firm characteristics impact the nature of the relationship.

]]> Stephanie A. Fernhaber et al. Biz Prof Says Retailers Prepare for Post Recession Environment http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/93 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/93 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:38:47 PDT No abstract available

]]> Kathryn W. King Venture Capitalists as Catalysts to New Venture Internationalization: The Impact of Their Knowledge and Reputation Resources http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/92 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/92 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:27:50 PDT Venture Capitalists (VC) play an important role in influencing the strategic direction of the firms in which they invest. The findings of this study reveal that VCs can serve as a catalyst to new venture internationalization through the provision of knowledge and reputation resources. Furthermore, the international knowledge of a VC is more positively related to new venture internationalization when the VC is also reputable.

]]> Stephanie A. Fernhaber et al. Exploring the Role of Industry Structure in New Venture Internationalization http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/91 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/91 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:05:17 PDT While we have gained considerable knowledge since the late 1980s regarding the phenomena of international new ventures, less is known about the influence of industry structure on these ventures. In the present paper, we draw on literature from industrial economics, international business and entrepreneurship to identify industry structure variables that fit within the theoretical framework of international new ventures. We then offer propositions as to how the identified industry structure variables individually and jointly influence the likelihood of new venture internationalization.

]]> Stephanie A. Fernhaber et al. The Impact of Interorganizational Imitation on New Venture International Entry and Performance http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/90 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/90 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:27:00 PDT We examine the impact of interorganizational imitation on new venture international entry and subsequent performance. Using a sample of 150 U.S.-based publicly held new ventures, we find that new venture international entry is in part an imitative response to the internationalization of other firms in the venture's home country industry and/or subsets of firms with certain traits or outcomes. We also find that interorganizational imitation moderates the relationship between new venture international entry and profitability, but not the relationship between new venture international entry and sales growth. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature on new venture internationalization.

]]> Stephanie A. Fernhaber et al. Critical accounting policy and estimate disclosures: Company response to the evolving SEC guidance http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/89 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cob_papers/89 Fri, 27 May 2011 08:11:30 PDT In late 2001, soon after numerous financial reporting failures including the much publicized demise of Enron, the SEC began a series of initiatives to improve critical accounting policy (CAP) and critical accounting estimate disclosures included within the MD&A section of Form 10-K. The first announcement, in the form of cautionary guidance, was issued in December 2001. This was followed by a Proposed Rule in 2002, and additional disclosure guidance near the end of 2003. Combined, the guidance required companies to provide information that would help investors understand the impact of estimates, accounting policies and external factors on financial results. Through 2007, the SEC continued to provide guidance as to the content of CAP disclosures in the MD&A.

In this study, we assess the extent to which companies responded to the initial CAP guidance, and determine the extent to which company disclosures changed with additional SEC guidance by analyzing CAP disclosures included in the 2001 and 2003 10-K filings for 112 of the Mid-Cap 400 companies. Our findings indicate that most, but not all, sampled companies included 2001 CAP disclosures consistent with the cautionary advice. We find that the disclosure content increased from 2001 to 2003, and that the disclosure quality also increased. However, some items remained underdisclosed in 2003, indicating that even after a 2-year period in which the SEC continued to provide additional guidance and reviewed company CAP disclosures, companies were not fully disclosing content identified as important by the SEC, particularly when the guidance was included in the Proposed Rule.

]]> Susan B. Hughes et al.