VOLUME 6 , ISSUE 2 Feb-2017

1) Digitization in Research for Cultural, Commercial and Scientific Development
Author’s Details: ⁽¹⁾ Prof. Luke O. Anike (Ph.D.) ⁽²⁾ Igwenagu Chinelo M (Ph.D.) Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria
Abstract: Development brings about changes in ways of life and Digitization is a process of development. Digitization, a process of converting analog information into digital format has made Research a lot easier. The continuous development of digital tools and innovative software has a lot of commercial benefits and has increasingly enhanced the efficiency and performance requirements in research. This has equally aided in the preservation of cultural heritage for commercial and scientific development. This paper has viewed digitization as a veritable tool for enhancing research for cultural, commercial and scientific development. It has come to a conclusion that preservation of cultural heritage not only leads to commercial and scientific development but also enhances sustainable development.
Keyword: Cultural heritage, Commercial Development, Digitization, Research, Scientific Development
[Download Full Paper] [Page 01-05]
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2) Resource Rarity: The Public/ Private Universities Sustainable competitiveness Strategy
Author Details: Lydia Jeptoo Maket-Lecturer, Moi University – P.o Box 3900, Eldoret, Kenya
Abstract
This paper analyses the effect of resource rarity on sustainable competitiveness of universities.   The analysis is embedded on the Resource Based View model (RBV and the balanced scorecard model of performance). According to RBV of strategic Management, competitive advantage is closely related to companies’ internal characteristics (value, rarity, inimitability and non-substitutability). The constructs of sustainable competitiveness were derived from the balanced scorecard (Financial; Teaching/Learning; Service/outreach; Scholarship/ Research and Workplace satisfaction). Although RBV is considered one of the most influential theories of strategic management, this paper unveils the empirical evidence of resource rarity on sustainable competitiveness in the service industry (universities). A sample of 262 was selected from 2 universities in Kenya (one private and one public). Using the regression analysis, findings revealed that the public university was superior in resource rarity than the private university and also that resource rarity contributes to sustainable competitiveness in universities.
Key Words: Resource Based View, Resource value; Rarity, Inimitability, Non-substitutability and The balanced scoreard
[Download Full Paper] [Page 06-15]
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3) Employees’ Suggestion Scheme and Business Excellence at Ajman Land and Property Department
Author Details: Dr. Mohamad Shehada – Al Isra University
Abstract
Employee suggestion scheme is an important tool which had been used by different companies where innovation and creativity became crucial factor to achieve cost saving, revenue increase and customer satisfaction. The Leader (President) of Ajman Land and Property Department (ALPD) at the Emirate of Ajman at United Arab Emirates (UAE) , being a creative and open-minded person, tries his best to move (ALPD) to a higher level of efficiency and effectiveness.
This paper will explore how (ALPD) achieved business excellence through Employee Suggestion Scheme by highlighting the following issues:

• The importance and relationship between employee suggestion scheme and the TQM / business excellence models.
• The detailed process activities/stages of employee suggestion scheme at (ALPD).
• Critical success factors that enabled (ALPD) to maximize the utilization of this concept.
• Challenges and obstacles which (ALPD) faced in its journey of applying a practical and effective employee suggestion scheme and how it overcome that.

Keywords: Organizational Excellence, Human Resources Management, Employee Suggestion Scheme, Critical Success Factors, Enablers.
[Download Full Paper] [Page 16-25]
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4) An Examination of the Influence of Personality Factors on the Performance of Women Entrepreneurs Operating In Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) In Ghana.
Author’s Details: ⁽¹⁾Philomena Aboagye^*(2)Marlene Quaicoe  ⁽³⁾Comfort Prah – ⁽¹⁾Faculty of Applied Sciences, Takoradi Technical University, P. O. Box 256, Takoradi. ⁽²⁾Department of Human Resource and Organizational Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. .⁽³⁾Faculty of Applied Sciences, Takoradi Technical University, P. O. Box 256, Takoradi.
Abstract
Entrepreneurship has been considered as the backbone of economic development for nations in recent times especially in countries with growing unemployment rate. Women entrepreneurs’ contribution to economic development cannot be swept under the carpet. This study is design to examine the influence of personality on the performance of female entrepreneurs operating in SMEs in Ghana. The personality theoretical model which is often refers to as psychological theories were explored to guide the study. To attain the objective, three regions in Ghana were selected from which 603 women entrepreneurs engaged in SMEs (five sub-groups of the manufacturing sub-sector) as well as about 3 key informants from the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) in the Western, Central and Ashanti Regions of Ghana were selected for the study. Data collection instruments were through interviews and observation. Both quantitative and qualitative was used to make the study more meaningful and scientifically acceptable. Data collected was analysed through Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) software version 20 and presented using percentages and frequencies. Standard deviation was used to isolate performance factors based on scores on a set of qualitative indicators. The research revealed that, entrepreneurs’ personal characteristics such as attractiveness, tolerance, ability to take initiative, achieve attribute and so on can affect business performance. The study therefore recommends among others that, certain traditions and values in society which have remained barriers to people particularly women entrepreneurs must be dropped or modified to pave way for issues that promote business growth among entrepreneurs in Ghana.
Keywords: Women entrepreneurs, performance factors, small and medium enterprises, Ghana.
[Download Full Paper] [Page 26-34]
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5) Measuring the Relationship between Age and Productivity: A case Study of Orange West Sales Department
Author’s Details: ⁽¹⁾ Dr. Mohamad Shehada ⁽²⁾Waseem Abu Dawood
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to focus on measuring the relationship between age and productivity at Orange West Sales Unit. Productivity can be measured through the following factors: target achievement ‘volume’, customer satisfaction ‘value’, and organization citizen behavior. Data was collected through a questionnaire that was distributed to 40 aged employees at Orange West Sales Unit randomly. However, 33 were returned amongst which 7 were ineligible due to missing information therefore, 26 legitimate questionnaires ultimately constituted the basis on which this research was conducted. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and other tools were used to test the hypotheses and the research was found that there is a relationship between age and productivity when it comes to the volume and there was no relationship with other factors.
Key Words: Productivity, Motivation, Customer Satisfaction, Value, Job Experience, Volume.
[Download Full Paper] [Page 35-41]
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6) Analysis of the Determinants of the Demand for Money in the Franc Zone: A Study of Panel Data
Author Détails: Rémy Hounsou, Ph.D.-Ecole Nationale d’Economie Appliquée et de Management (ENEAM), Université d’Abomey Calavi, BENIN.
Abstract:
This study uses panel data covering the period 1985-2015 to analyze the determinants and long-term behavior of the demand for money function in the Franc Zone. The empirical results based on OLS, FMOLS and DOLS methods suggest that monetary aggregates in the narrow sense (m₁-p) or in the broad sense (m₂-p) are related to the following internal explanatory variables: income, inflation and credit to the economy and the following external explanatory variables: the change in the real exchange rate of the CFA Franc relative to the US dollar and the difference between the interest rate on deposits in France and that of the countries in the Franc Zone. Moreover, the results indicate that these variables are for the most part non-stationary in level but that there exists between them a long-term cointegration relation which makes the two functions of demand for money stable. These results are robust and attest to the usefulness and effectiveness of the econometric analysis of non-stationary panel data in the institutional framework of the Franc Zone.
Keywords: money demand, Zone Franc, Panel data, Unit root tests, Cointegration tests
Classification: JEL: E41, C33, O55
[Download Full Paper] [Page 42-53]
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7) The Effective Factors towards Organizational Citizenship Behaviour in Banking Industry
Author’s Details: ⁽¹⁾ Amneh Abdallah Yousef Almaqableh-School of Business Innovation & Technopreneurship – University Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia ⁽²⁾Idris Bin Mohd Noor-School of Business Innovation & Technopreneurship University Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia
Abstract:
Organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) has experienced understated definitional reviews since the concept was invented in the 1980s. Nonetheless, the concept rests the same at its essential. The concept of OCB is meant anything that workers select to attain, impulsively and of their consensus, which over and over again lies separate of their definite predetermined responsibilities (Bies 1989). Organizational citizenship behavior or organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) is a person’s voluntary commitment within an organization or company that is not part of his or her contractual tasks. There is another definition which describes organizational citizenship behavior as a concept that includes whatever thing affirmative and positive that workers do, of their particular preference, which helps co-workers and supports the corporation.
Generally, workers who repeatedly participate in OCB may not continuously be the topmost players (nevertheless they could be, as job presentation is connected to OCB), however they are the individuals who are recognized to ‘go the additional mile’ or ‘go overhead and beyond’ the lowest efforts compulsory to do only acceptable work. Therefore, any organization will get advantages from encouraging workers to participate in OCB, as it has been revealed to upsurge efficiency, productivity and consumer gratification, and decrease prices and proportions of incomings and absenteeism (Podsakoff et al. 2009; Zaghini et al. 2015)
[Download Full Paper] [Page 54-60]
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8) Ignorance-Concealing Use of Immoral Means by Outsider Managers, a Covert Corrupting Practice that Nurtures Immoral Executives
Author Details: Reuven Shapira, Ph.D.-Western Galilee Academic College, Acre, Israel-Paper presented at the 8th International Social Innovation Research Conference, Glasgow, September 2016-shapi_ra@gan.org.il  Website: http://www.transformingkibbutz.com  Mail: Gan Shmuel, M.P. Hefer, ISRAEL 3881000. Fax: 972-46320327. Phones: 972-4632-0597; 972-54220-9003.
Abstract:
Executives’ morality and ethics became major research topics after recent business scandals, but research missed a major explanation of executives’ immorality: career advancement by “jumping” between firms that cause gaps of job-essential local know-how, tempting “jumpers” to covertly concealing managerial ignorance (hereafter: CCMI). CCMI causes mismanagement by vicious distrust and ignorance cycles, it bars performance-based career advancement and encourages immoral careerism (Im-C), advancing by immoral subterfuges. Im-C is a known organizational malady but its explanation missed “jumpers” CCMI, probably due to secrecy and conspiracies of silence as well as managers’ ignorance of own ignorance. A 5-year semi-native anthropological study of five “jumper”-managed automatic processing plants and their parent inter-kibbutz co-operatives found CCMI-induced Im-C practiced by some 75% of executives, versus only by some 25% of mid-levelers. This gradation of morality suggests that “jumping” careers tend to nurture immoral executives. Ideas for remedies for this corporate malady are suggested, and further study of “jumpers” coping with ignorance is called for.
Keywords: Covertly concealing managerial ignorance; immoral careerism; trust and learning cycles; distrust and ignorance cycles; vulnerable involvement
[Download Full Paper] [Page 61-81]
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9) Tax Optimization and Firm Value in Context of Pakistan
Author’s Details: ⁽¹⁾ Sanober Shabbir ⁽²⁾Abdul Waheed ⁽³⁾Hamid Mahmood – ^(1)(2)(3)Department of Business & Economics, Foundation University Islamabad
Abstract:
The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between tax optimization and firm value in context of Pakistan. This study incorporates specially the factors that can be closely interrelated to effective tax rates and can influence the firm value. Debt, earnings management and audit quality is given the main interest in this study. To determine the effect, the study includes the balanced panel data with 381 non-financial firms and 2280 total number of observations. The time period of the study conducted is six years i.e. from 2009 to 2014. Panel data regression analysis is done in the e-views software to test the data. The results how that tax optimization, accruals and audit quality increase the firm value. The findings of the research help policy makers, investigators to better apprehend the role of tax optimization in managing of firms and also increase in their performance and ultimately the increased value.
Keywords: Firm value, tax optimization, listed non-financial companies of Pakistan.
[Download Full Paper] [Page 82-88]
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