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This paper aims to study manipulation and performance persistence in equity mutual funds. To this end, Manipulation-Proof Performance Measure (MPPM) and Doubt Ratio, along with a number of current performance measures are used to evaluate the performance of equity mutual funds in Iran.

The authors investigate performance manipulation by 1) comparing the results of the MPPM with the current performance measures, 2) checking the Doubt Ratio to detect suspicious funds. Additionally, the authors investigate performance persistence by forming and evaluating portfolios of the equity mutual funds at several time horizons.

The authors conclude that there is no evidence of performance manipulation in the equity mutual funds. Additionally, when comparing the performance of the upper (top) tertile portfolios and the lower tertile portfolios, in all of the studied 1, 3, 6 and 12-month horizons, the authors find performance persistence in the equity mutual funds.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first study to investigate the performance manipulation in the Iranian equity mutual funds, and also is the first study in Iran that uses the MPPM and the Doubt Ratio in addition to a number of current performance measures to investigate the performance persistence in the equity mutual funds at several time horizons.

This paper aims to analyze the quality of financial information using financial and economic ratios, assessing if the quality is affected by financial reporting standards. A group of factors that allow proving of the capacity of ratios to measure accounting information quality – and thus facilitating the analysis process to the groups of users – is also determined.

Using a sample of 111 companies from the Madrid Stock Exchange and 32 from Eurostoxx50, descriptive analysis and non‐parametric variance analysis were carried out during the period 2005‐2007. At the same time, reduction data techniques, specifically principal components analysis (PCA), were performed to detect the underlying main factors for the year 2007.

There is an indication that financial information quality is affected by financial reporting standards. Additionally, there is a group of factors that show an alternative to analyze accounting information.

This study provides evidence to measure financial information quality and the results can be beneficial to accounting users, as well as contributing to the literature related to this topic.

Empirically, this study shows that accounting information is affected by financial reporting standards.

THERE HAS never been more than one good reason for the founding of the European Economic Community — the Common Market, as it has come to be called. That was to extend the boundaries of each member nation to encompass them all.

Built upon customer engagement marketing theory and uses and gratification theory, this study examines the link between individual social media marketing (SMM) performance indicators and restaurant sales performance at the firm level. Moreover, the study investigates the moderating effect of advertising expenditure on this proposed relationship.

Random effect regression models were developed in Stata to examine the associations between SMM performance indicators, advertising expenditure, and restaurant firm revenue. Twelve years of SMM data from brands' Facebook pages were collected with a web scraper built in Python. Natural language processing was used to analyze the sentiment of user-generated content (UGC).

The results suggest that restaurant annual sales revenue increases as the volume of brand posts, “like”s, “share”s and positive comments on restaurants' Facebook pages increase. However, the total number of comments and the number of negative comments show non-significant associations with revenue. Firm advertising expenditure negatively moderates the relationships between sales revenue and the number of “like”s, “share”s, total comments and positive comments.

Restaurants benefit from making frequent posts on SNSs. Promotions that motivate online users to “like”, share, and comment on brand posts should be implemented. Firms with limited advertising budgets are encouraged to actively create buzz on SNSs due to evidenced stronger effects of UGC on sales performance than large advertisers.

This research bridges the gap by studying the effects of individual SMM performance indicators on restaurant financial outcomes. The findings support the effectiveness of SMM; and, for the first time, demonstrate that SMM could generate a more profound impact for firms with low advertising budgets.

Examines influences of negativity on marketing management, e.g. the approach of scarcities of raw materials' emerging new consumer values; and a new international economic order — requiring co‐operation among rival organizations or governments. Pinpoints the petroleum crisis of December 1973 as a political ‘knee‐jerk’ reaction of the Middle East conflict, which first affected petrochemicals, automotive products and tourist services. Further, it modified cost and price structure in metalmechanics, paper and pharmaceuticals – to name just a few — eventually everything from baking to banking was affected. States that mutual dependency runs like a common thread through modern marketing, exemplified mostly by pipelines and electric power grids but funnelling down to affect everywhere. Discusses the impact of shortages with its deleterious worsening of lesser‐developed countries' conditions. Looks at differing emerging lifestyles particularly the USA's affluence, and that it is wrong for 5% of the world's population to consume 35% of the world's resources. Wonders whether waste can be reduced by good management by business firms and gives figures to show the benefits. Concludes that if prices cannot reduce demand in the long run, marketing management must resort to other instruments.

There are five factors acting as a barrier to the effective evaluation of educational technology (edtech), which are as follows: premature timing, inappropriate techniques, rapid change, complexity of context and inconsistent terminology. The purpose of this paper is to identify new evaluation approaches that will address these and reflect on the evaluation imperative for complex technology initiatives.

An initial investigation of traditional evaluative approaches used within the technology domain was broadened to investigate the evaluation practices within social and public policy domains. Realist evaluation, a branch of theory-based evaluation, was identified and reviewed in detail. The realist approach was then refined, proposing two additional necessary steps to support mapping the technical complexity of initiatives.

A refined illustrative example of a realist evaluation framework is presented, including two novel architectural edtech domain reference models to support mapping.

Recommendations include building individual evaluator capacity; adopting the realist framework; the use of architectural edtech domain reference models; phased evaluation to first build theories in technology “context” and then iteratively during complex implementation chains; and community contribution to a shared map of technical and organisational complexity.

This paper makes a novel contribution by arguing the imperative for a theory-based realist approach to help redefine evaluative thinking within the IT and complex system domain. It becomes an innovative proposal with the addition of two domain reference models that tailor the approach for edtech. Its widespread adoption will help build a shared evidence base that synthesizes and surfaces “what works, for whom, in which contexts and why”, benefiting educators, IT managers, funders, policymakers and future learners.

Looks at the critical issues facing British Steel as its technological basis develops drastically. Identifies the need to acknowledge the Japanese challenge and develop planning for marketing on an international basis.

The strategic management literature lacks a comprehensive explanation as to why seemingly similar business models in the same industry perform differently. This paper strives to explain this phenomenon.

The model is conceptualized and accompanied by a case study on the airline industry to explain knowledge brokerage that creates value from the effective utilization of knowledge resources acquired from intra‐ and inter‐firm environments.

The model explains a cyclical view of business model flexibility in which the knowledge‐based resource accumulation of the business model is spread across the intra‐ and inter‐firm environments. Knowledge brokerage strategies from the inter‐ and intra‐firm environments result in improved performance of the business model. The flexibility that the business model acquires is determined by how efficiently resource accumulation is aligned with its external environment.

The paper effectively integrates the concepts of knowledge brokerage and business models from a resource accumulation‐based view and simultaneously arrives at the performance heterogeneity of seemingly similar business models within the same industry. It has performance implications for firms that start out without any distinct resources of their own, or that use an imitated business model, to attain better performance through business model evolution aligned with successful knowledge brokerage strategies. It adds to the resource accumulation literature by explaining how resources can be effectively acquired to create value.

This study aimed to present a model for the use of augmented reality (AR) in the libraries of universities of medical sciences. The goal was to introduce the applications, advantages, opportunities and challenges of AR.

This study adopted a qualitative approach, had an applied goal and was based on data theory. The statistical population comprised 20 experts in the field of AR, and the data were collected based on in-depth semi-structured interviews until achieving theoretical saturation. A model was proposed after open coding and the formation of the main categories, and the use of AR in the development of libraries of medical universities was discussed.

The category of application consisted of strengthening education, promoting users' information literacy, finding resources, user guidance, gamification, educational justice, helping management, enriching resources, providing new services and economic savings. The advantages were library services, sociocultural excellence, educational level, software potential and helping the librarian. The challenges were technical, economic and cultural barriers. Libraries can attract many users by enacting effective policies, using technology and enriching the content of resources. AR can greatly assist library management and improve the librarians' and users' professional activities.

The limitation of this study was that some experts could not participate in the interviews.

The results of this study are beneficial for managers, librarians, students and researchers. The use of AR in libraries is essential for achieving fourth-generation libraries. AR will be a necessity for the libraries of medical universities.

The authors seek to examine two key issues: to assess patients' hospital service quality perceptions and expectation using SERVQUAL; and to outline the distinct concepts used to assess patient perceptions.

Questionnaires were administered to 250 patients on admission and follow‐up visits. The 22 paired SERVQUAL expectation and perception items were adopted. Repeated t‐measures and factor analysis with Varimax rotation were used to analyse data.

Results showed that patient expectations were not being met during medical treatment. Perceived service quality was rated lower than expectations for all variables. The mean difference between perceptions and expectations was statistically significant. Contrary to the SERVQUAL five‐factor model, four service‐quality factors were identified in the study.

Findings have practical implications for hospital managers who should consider stepping up staffing levels backed by client‐centred training programmes to help clinicians deliver care to patients' expectations.

Limited studies are tailored towards patients' service‐quality perception and expectation in Ghanaian hospitals. The findings therefore provide valuable information for policy and practice.