Search results

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐17; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐17; Property Management Volumes 8‐17; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐17.

The work of protecting the public food supply during the pre‐Christmas rush period can be exhausting, although food inspectors and others engaged nowadays may have achieved the proletarian distinction of the shift system and perhaps, overtime pay, but in the old days, we had none of these blessings and supervising the Christmas fare could indeed be a “dog's life”.

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐17; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐17; Property Management Volumes 8‐17; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐17.

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐17; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐17; Property Management Volumes 8‐17; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐17.

Institutions underpin the operation of national economies. These differ significantly between countries reflecting varying historical paths, policy choices and national cultures. Moreover, they need to be understood systemically as an ensemble of relations between their component parts: financial systems, corporate governance, industrial relations, patterns of state intervention, etc., have evolved together so that their operation and effects tend to reinforce each other. Different countries faced by common exogenous changes will tend to evolve along different lines rather than converge. National institutions matter: they significantly affect economic performance and distribution.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of income diversification on the financial performance of commercial banks in Vietnam over the period 2007–2017. It then provides additional analysis to examine whether the diversification–performance nexus is conditioned upon bank experience and ownership structure.

The financial information of each bank were manually collected from bank annual reports. In the empirical model, a number of modern econometric techniques, including panel OLS with fixed effects and a two-step system GMM estimator, were utilised to achieve the research objectives.

The empirical results show that income diversification has a positive impact on banks’ performance. However, the effect varies across different types of banks. Specifically, the authors find that while diversification benefits state-owned and foreign banks, it exhibits a detrimental effect on the financial performance of other non-state owned domestic banks. In addition, the authors further find that the positive impact of diversification is more prominent for banks with more experience in the market.

This study is among the first to empirically investigate the relationships between income diversification and the financial performance of commercial banks in Vietnam. In this sense, the findings of this study could draw important inferences for researchers, policy makers and bank managers towards more appropriate diversification strategies, to ensure the safety and soundness of the whole banking system.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on how investments in research and development (R&D) and advertising affect the performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during recessions.

Contingency theory is applied to a data set of 376 Italian clothing SMEs during the period 2000-2010 to test whether investment in R&D and advertising impacts financial performance differently when contingent factors (such as market share, financial leverage and business model change) are taken into account.

Empirical results confirm that market share and leverage moderate the effects of investments in R&D and advertising (i.e. intangibles) on performance, and also that changes in business models are an important contingent factor that explains performance. Specifically, the paper ascertains that a novelty-centered business model, together with investments in intangibles, positively affects performance during recessions.

This study offers an input to the debate on how SMEs develop and sustain their competitive advantage during the recession. It contributes to existent theory by showing whether and how contingencies, such as a firm's market share and leverage, moderate the relationship between performance and investments in R&D and advertising in SMEs. Second, it addresses the call for additional data “about the strategic effects of business models and how they influence the positioning of firms in their competitive environment” (Amit and Zott, 2008, p. 20) by introducing business model change/innovation as a new contingency factor and by empirically testing its effects on “objective measures of firm performance” (Bock et al., 2012, p. 301).

The inspection of food labellings is a long and monotonous routine but nonetheless, a cornerstone of consumer protection. For many years complaints have been made of the loopholes and anomalies in the statutory requirements for labelling, particularly in descriptive names and declarations of ingredients. The long‐awaited report of the Food Standards Committee on Food Labelling has now appeared and been reviewed at some length in the present and previous issues of the B.F.J. The Committee have taken a long time over their subject, but their review of it has been most thorough. Their recommendations are in the main reasonable and whilst some are new and others, if adopted, could have a not inconsiderable influence on manufacturing practice, they do not disturb the present structure of food labelling set up by the Order of 1953, which was quite a landmark in its day.

China’s open‐market reform and rapid economic growth have generated a tremendous surge in activity and market investment by multinational corporations (MNCs). By 2000, 400 of the 500 most famous MNCs had invested in China. One distinctive feature of China’ s business environment, its authoritarian political system, requires MNCs to practise strategic public affairs to interact constantly with the different levels of Chinese government, respond to the policies and further influence business policy formation. This paper proposes a conceptual model of MNC‐government bargaining that is composed of international political economy, dependency theory and agency theory. It then examines (1) the international and domestic influences on MNC‐government bargaining in China and (2) the strategies MNCs employed to influence Chinese laws for foreign business in their interests. A case study of the Chinese ban on direct selling operations in 1998 and Amway’s strategies to remove the ban is presented. Results suggest that effective public affairs should engage in the following activities: (1) issues management, (2) constantly and systematically analysing the MNC’s bargaining power with the host government, (3) selecting public affairs strategies based on the analysis of MNC‐government bargaining, (4) exercising relationship management, and (5) being ethical in its practice.

The purpose of this paper is to present a selection of responses to the report Fashion Victims, published by War on Want in December 2006. It offers a range of viewpoints presented by members of the Editorial Advisory Board of CPOIB. These are presented in chronological order of submission. There is some cross‐reference by contributors to the work of others, but no attempt is made to present a unified argument.

Presents the full contributions of involved participants, without mediation or editorial change.

A number of different perspectives are presented on the central issue that is summarised by the opening heading in War on Want's report – “How cheap is too cheap?” It is seen that the answer to this question is very much dependent upon the standpoint of the respondent.

In presenting this form of commentary, members of the CPOIB Editorial Board seek to stimulate debate about an issue of concern to contemporary society, without resort to the time delay and mediating processes of peer‐review normally attached to academic writing. It is hoped that this discussion will provoke further contributions and a widening of the debate.