Search results

The present paper aims mainly to target policy makers in the tourism industry. It seeks to give an overview about using the Portfolio Analysis (PFA) as a tool for analysing tourism flows based on the official accommodation statistics of Statistics Austria, which is electronically available for a 35‐year time series, for more than 1,600 communes, for 15 kinds of accommodation establishments and for more than 60 markets.

Large quantitative data sets deliver a holistic picture of tourism developments by taking several describing variables into account. Multivariate scatter plots using static and dynamic indicators are used as graphical illustration of these data sets.

Based on this comprehensive data set it turns out that the use of portfolio matrices is a useful tool for doing detailed and multidimensional analysis of the available data. Portfolio matrices may be focused on specific questions regarding the status quo of a region or the development of selected markets. In contrast to traditional methods of constituting and publishing tourism statistical data PFA fills potential information gaps by focusing on different variables considering a respective period of time. The paper presents example results for Austria, by using tourism flow, positioning and benchmark analysis.

The results concern data of the official statistics on overnights and arrivals. However, the approach might be used for similar work concentrating on alternative data sets.

The main user's value is receiving information obtained by integrated statistical data. This information is graphically illustrated and therefore easy to interpret, although it is based on highly integrated data of high quality and internal consistency. Depending on the field of interest various combinations of data presentations are feasible.

The paper contributes to the general problem of bringing theoretical models closer to decision maker's needs. It fills potential information gaps of what official statistics are capable of delivering and what is indeed requested by decision makers.

INTRODUCTION Computers and new information technologies have beyond question brought tremendous advancement in information storage and retrieval. In recent years, the traditional card catalog has given way first to the COM (computer output on microform) catalog, then to the online catalog. Now, many libraries are shifting to the new capability in order to provide better and faster services to their patrons.

This case on “Corporate governance: a farce at Volkswagen (VW)” is set in September of 2015. The precipitating events, which started with the Emissions scandal and tampering of the technology, unfold a history of threatening organizational culture, deliberate cheating, and failure of good governance. The case presents that though the outgoing CEO took the responsibility for the event but said that he was shocked by the event and stunned that the misconduct of such a scale could occur in the VW Group. Given the roles and responsibilities of board of management and the supervisory board, how could the scandal of such magnitude go unnoticed? Were robust corporate governance practices being not followed at VW?

The case is based on the material available in the public domain, records, press reports, published books, interviews published by key board members of Volkswagen and the company website.

This case can be used for undergraduate senior classes or graduate and executive education level courses in corporate governance and ethical practices. This case will sync best with the topics around Board Composition and size, Board Independence, fiduciary duties of supervisory board, board duality and leadership and its impact on organizational culture.

This study aims to explore the hospitality and religious experience of Israeli travelers visiting the globally prevalent Jewish Orthodox Chabad Houses that provide religious, spiritual, educational and hospitality havens in their locales, regardless of the degree of observance.

Using Schmitt’s (1999b) experiential consumption dimensions of Sense, Feel, Think, Relate and Act, this study measured the various visitors’ experiences, satisfaction and loyalty using a sample of 488 Israeli travelers obtained from online social media sites, popular with Israeli travelers.

The findings reveal that Israeli visits to Chabad Houses were primarily characterized by Act, Feel and Relate experiences like meeting fellow Israeli travelers, a sense of togetherness and a feeling of belonging. In predicting satisfaction and loyalty, the visitors’ religious experience did not play a major role, but rather the actual hospitality extended by their religious hosts, like a home-like feeling, comfort, tasty food and a sense of togetherness did.

Collecting data from an online sample might yield results that would not be applicable to the typical Chabad House visitor. Due to the Chabad Houses’ global presence, their visitors’ experiences may vary from one house to another and the findings may not represent an accurate picture of the typical Chabad House visit.

To continue its hospitality brand, the Chabad movement’s decision-makers should continue focusing on innovative visitor experiences and balance the religious and secular components of their hospitality, as well as consider carefully how to direct their marketing and operational budgets.

Adding to the body of literature on travelers’ experience at religious sites, this research is a pioneering attempt to study and explore visitors’ religious and hospitality experiences while visiting small non-conspicuous religious centers that extend their global hospitality brand to travelers.

Rapid prototyping systems are controlled by a computer which uses the CAD representation to build parts according to an additive plane layering process. The computer controls a laser beam or a print head, or any process that leads to the formation of a slice of a part using resins, powders, paper, wax or other materials. The original CAD representation is translated into commands to drive the process, and accuracy issues will make or break these emerging technologies. It is therefore important to understand where the errors stem from, what are the issues associated with the software representation formats, and how to minimize or eliminate these errors. Presents a summary of CAD to RP software formats, and explains the accuracy issues associated with the selected representation. Discusses improvements that can be obtained by process modifications.

Consolidation through mergers and acquisitions indicates one of the major outcomes of the financial transformation process and contemporary trend in the Indian banking sector. Literature suggests that the pre-merger financials of banks are crucial in deciding the post-merger performance of merged entities. In this context, the aim of the present study is to provide insights on the strategic and financial similarities of merging partners in the bank mergers that occurred in the post-liberalization India.

This paper considers all bank merger deals in the post-liberalization period, which involve purchase consideration either in the form of stock or cash. Hypotheses about the strategic similarities and dissimilarities are tested. The study considers all important aspects such as relative size of targets, diversity of earnings, efficiency, financial leverage, prudential norms and profitability.

The study finds that banks are dissimilar in most of the key areas, and these might have an adverse impact on the post-merger performance.

The study is original because we take into account all the bank merger deals in the period, which involve purchase consideration either in the form of stock or cash.

Presents the Mohonk Criteria for Humanitarian Assistance in Complex Emergencies, produced by the Task Force on Ethical and Legal Issues in Humanitarian Assistance, convened by the Program on Humanitarian Assistance at the World Conference on Religion and Peace, as guidelines for co‐operative relationships between political, humanitarian and military actors in complex humanitarian emergencies created by armed conflict.

This paper aims to study how primary and secondary market investors react to intangibles information disclosed in Italian IPOs. Previous literature on intangibles information disclosure as a determinant of IPO underpricing has reported inconsistent results; moreover, an area that has remained unexplored is to what extent different categories of market investors react to such information disclosure.

Based on a sample of firms listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, the authors use factor analysis to uncover the most relevant intangible assets disclosed in IPO prospectuses; this information is then included in a series of regressions which read into the reaction of primary and secondary market investors by means of price variations.

Primary market investors are found to be more sensitive to information regarding the company’s attitude towards its human capital and to that describing its innovation capacity in terms of IT and R&D investment. Secondary market investors are more sensitive to strategic alliances, research and development and future plans.

The findings can be generalized, but the empirical evidence would be more relevant if tested in different geographical contexts (i.e. Europe and/or the USA).

The empirical results could help firms be more selective in their disclosure, thus possibly soothing management’s concerns regarding an overly extensive, and therefore risky, dissemination of non-financial information and avoiding them to incur unnecessary costs.

Being aware of how the stock market reacts to the information disclosed is crucial in determining new regulations and accounting standards.

The authors introduce an unbiased categorization of intangibles variables that supplants the multiple classifications proposed in the literature, and the authors set apart the reaction of primary and secondary market IPO investors to the intangible information disclosure.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a cohort of Brazilian mature workers perceives their contemporary experience in the workplaces by identifying their perceptions, feelings and how they are treated.

This investigation drew on grounded theory regarding that it enabled to identify data, describe the observed events, answer vital questions thereof and develop theoretical categories to understand what was taking place.

Definitely, the current situation of older workers shows clearly a dual landscape, which is permeated by strong contrasts. On the one hand, one may envision the benefits of a career and participation in the corporate life even though performing humbler roles. On the other hand, one may find people simply struggling to complement their poor pensions and doing everything possible to sustain themselves. Overall, this study found seven themes, namely: current work experience, treatment of older workers, (un)support and benefits provided toward work–family balance and quality of work life, the experience of having a job, meaning of work, working with younger generations and future perspectives.

Due to the method used, the results cannot be generalized and herein resides the major limitation of this investigation. In addition, the sample was made up of only people working and living in the main state of Brazil.

The results of this study bring useful managerial implications for organizations interested in improving their relationships with older workers by suggesting the need of enhancing or implementing a set of human resources and internal marketing policies and practices.

This study contributes to the understanding of a broader general frame of older workers aspirations, needs, difficulties and challenges, particularly focusing on Brazilian reality whose research has paid scant attention on this topic. In addition, it adds to the understanding of older workers’ reality and research toward mature workers’ career, expectations and desires, productivity, adaptability, engagement and learning capacity. Moreover, it suggests that at least some Brazilian organizations are getting to enhance the job designing and development opportunities to their older workforce. However, it also found that there is room for considerable improvements in such tasks.