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OSB Research Seminar Series |
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| May 24, 2011 |
Dr. Laurence Leigh |
An Adaptation of the Bass New Product Diffusion Model for Multiple Purchases of Capital Items |
| Abstract |
This paper offers an adaptation of the Bass new product diffusion model to deal with the limitation of the classical model to situations in which each customer only ever purchases a single item. While this assumption is often reasonable in relation to consumer durables, it is rarely warranted for capital items used by businesses. The authors exhibit the case of a start-up technology company; this company has developed a specialized instrument that increases the efficiency of drug evaluations in pharmaceutical laboratories. The paper proposes a technique for incorporating into the Bass model multiple ‘follow-on’ sales subsequent to satisfactory evaluation of an initial ‘trial’ purchase. The paper also suggests techniques for estimating and updating the parameters of the model for use in sales forecasting using a proposed research questionnaire |
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| May 17, 2011 |
Dr. Nelson King |
Interpretive Synthesis for Exploring Inter-Organizational Healthcare Information Systems: The Case of Ambulatory E-Prescribing in the US |
| Abstract |
The generation and transmission of a prescription requires collaboration between at least a prescriber, pharmacy, and patient the interactions of these actors are modeled through one or more pairs of synthetic representations built using various theoretical lenses such as language-action models. The paper describes how 240+ academic articles in various fields of healthcare are used to synthesize a model of existing (manual prescribing) and intended (e-prescribing) practices based on the interpretive synthesis method used widely in Healthcare. Comparison of these two synthetic models identifies differences such as change in roles or new relationships. These differences can then be interpreted through a theoretical framework which ultimately leads to research propositions, informing design or future policy. The comparative synthesis approach blends various methods including qualitative research and process analysis. |
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| May 10, 2011 |
Dr. Philippe Zgheib |
Knowledge Patterns for Outcome-Oriented Remedy To Communications Deficiencies under Crisis Conditions |
| Abstract |
This paper seeks to address limitations in prior research concerning the role of organizational knowledge in crisis settings within a variety of environments including business management, strategic planning, marketing innovation, entrepreneurship, tourism, security, diplomacy, and international negotiations. Originality/value: Crisis emergency communication relies on a managerial cognition function that accommodates coordination and control within the corporate communications function. Whereas corporate communications are mostly layered horizontally, in the context of a crisis a vertical structure of communication silos evolves. Every crisis carries within it the opportunity of a new start. It may be resolved towards an adverse outcome as well as it may evolve towards a favorable outcome. Practical implications: The results of this analysis are compared with academic research and published case studies. Consistency with such published results is identified. New dimensions of business applicability are added with regards to the perception of a crisis as an opportunity for shaking old deficiencies and providing new beginnings. Finally consistent “under fire” communication remedies are identified, and proposed for possible pre-planning dynamic readiness preparations |
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| April 26, 2011 |
Dr. Ibrahim Jamali |
The response of stock market volatility to monetary Policy Shocks (with N. Gospodinov) |
| Abstract |
In this paper, we investigate the effect of monetary policy on stock market volatility. Using a properly identified vector auto regression, our results uncover a significant response of stock market volatility to monetary policy shocks. While stock market returns react contemporaneously to monetary policy, stock market volatility’s response is most pronounced one month after the shock. An examination of the channels through which monetary policy affects stock market volatility reveals an important interest rate effect. Using a multivariate GARCH model, our results additionally show significant volatility relationships between the stock and Federal funds futures market |
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| April 19,2011 |
Dr. Fida Afiouni |
The HR value proposition model in the Arab Middle East: An Empirical investigation of the banking sector |
| Abstract |
The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine the human resource (HR) management in the Arab Middle East. The paper adopts the HR value proposition model (VPM) introduced by Ulrich and Brock bank (2005) as a conceptual framework and examines the role of HR along the model’s five dimensions: (1) Knowledge of external business realities, (2) serving the needs of internal and external stakeholders, (3) crafting HR practices, (4) building HR resources, and (5) ensuring HR professionalism. A descriptive survey method is used whereby a multi-question protocol is administered to senior human resource managers across 13 countries in the region. The results from 85 surveyed HR managers suggest that current HR practices in the Arab Middle East fall along the dimensions of the VPM model, but that there are some nuances by country of operation and by the years of experience of the HR manager. Results also show a common perception concerning the most and least popular HR practices in the region and imply that we can talk about an “Arab Middle Eastern HRM model”, despite some nuances in HRM practices across countries. |
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| April 12, 20011 |
Dr. Neil Yorke Smith |
A Case Study in Model Selection for Policy Engineering: Simulating Maritime Customs |
| Abstract |
The progress of containers through customs is more often an exercise in negotiation rather than a structured queuing process. As soon as a regulatory process involves negotiation, deviations from the published process can be a reality. We analyze the appropriateness of agent-based modeling techniques for the simulation of potential management and optimization policies in the maritime customs context, with the goal of developing estimates for the costs and benefits of various reform policies. |
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| March 29, 2011 |
Dr. Walid Saffar |
Corporate Risk-Taking in Privatized Firms: International Evidence on the Role of State and Foreign Owners |
| Abstract |
Using a unique database of 190 newly privatized firms from 36 countries, we investigate the impact of shareholders’ identity on corporate risk-taking behavior. We find strong and robust evidence that state (foreign) ownership is negatively (positively) related to corporate risk-taking. Moreover, we find that these relations depend on the level of government extraction. Our results suggest that relinquishment of government control, openness to foreign investment, and improvement of country-level governance institutions are key factors in the success of privatization reform |
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| March 22, 2011 |
Dr. Bettina Bestian |
The Role of Regulatory Uncertainty in Technological Entry |
| Abstract |
The development of technological innovations requires managerial decisions of whether and when to enter technologies or radically new technological subfields (Mitchell 1989). The scholarly literature takes environmental opportunities and threats as important correlates with firm entry and success. Previous research points to the important relationship between regulatory certainty and technological innovation (Marcus 1981; Porter and Van der Linde 1995; Yang et al. 2004). Nevertheless, little is known about this relationship and there is much disagreement about whether the association with investment decisions is positive or negative.
The present research addresses these important issues and is interested in the extent to which regulatory stability influences organizational entry decisions, and what kind of consequences regulatory uncertainty engenders for investment decisions of businesses. We analyze primary sector firms, in particular, firms active in the upstream oil industry, which are obliged to source finite natural resources, notably oil and gas and find that regulatory uncertainty does indeed positively affect technology entry choices of firms when it constitutes a serious threat to a company’s existing core business. In this context, regulatory uncertainty may constitute a serious threat to a firm’s core business especially when it affects access to resource deposits. Our research shows that companies react to this problem by increasing their investment activities into technological subfields, such as synthetic fuels or renewable energies. This is in line with research that states that the probability of entry increases with the degree to which a firm’s core business is threatened with substitution, replacement, or obsolescence (Mitchell 1989). |
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| March 8, 2011 |
Dr. Charlotte Karam |
Localizing women’s experiences of academia: Multilevel factors at play in The Arab Middle East and North Africa |
| Abstract |
This article attempts to localize the experiences of women in higher education in the under researched context of the Arab Middle East and North Africa. Our main research question is: What is the current status of academic women between and across the countries of this region? We adopt a three-step method. First, through a critical review of the literature we develop a regionally-relevant macro level hypothetical model to localize a gender perspective on women at work. Through an empirical examination of publicly available university data, we document the representation of women across ranks and then we document the specific content of pertinent Human Resource policies. We use these data to suggest a more complete multilevel hypothetical model as well as to develop directions for future research. Our results suggest that cross level relationships (e.g., linking macro level to organizational level factors) may be a fruitful area for future research |
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| March 1, 2011 |
Dr. Samer Sadde |
The link between the under pricing and the long-run underperformance of Initial Offerings (IPOs): A behavioral perspective Public |
| Abstract |
Our research shows the existence of a positive relation between the under pricing of new economy IPOs and those firms’ long-run underperformance. We adopt a behavioral finance approach that accounts for investor sentiment and agents’ behavioral biases. Our model ties the underperformance to under pricing, hot market variables, offering characteristics of new economy firms, and IPO quality related variables. Our sample consists of 617 IPOs, completed on the NASDAQ National Market between 1998 and 2004, most of which are severely underpriced at IPO, display a positive return momentum over the six post-IPO months, and experience a long-run underperformance. The positive return momentum finds its origins in the investors’ overconfidence, institutional investor’s over optimism and the positive market conditions that prevail at the time a firm goes public. We find that the under pricing of IPO shares leads to their long-run underperformance. We also find that IPOs completed during a hot market exhibit the highest levels of long-run underperformance. The long-run underperformance is also affected by (i) excessively optimistic individual investor sentiment dominating institutional investor sentiment, (ii) the uncertainty surrounding the new economy firms, and (iii) noise trading risk which is created by the presence of individual investors and which prevents institutional investors from bringing the market to equilibrium on the medium and long-run. Our findings hence support several behavioral explanations of IPO anomalies such as the prospect theory, the investor’s overconfidence, and the mental accounting hypothesis |
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