Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Pakistan: Provincial Government Taxation, Roy W. Bahl, Sally Wallace, Musharraf Cyan

ECON Publications

Pakistan’s intergovernmental fiscal system is out of balance. Provincial governments account for 35 percent of all government expenditures but only 7 percent of all taxes. It is doubtful that local residents see much connect between the level of taxes they pay to provinces and the expenditure benefits they receive. This means that the government misses out on one of the most important advantages of fiscal decentralization – taxpayers holding their elected provincial officials accountable for the quality of services delivered.

A second dimension of fiscal imbalance is the mismatch between the weak tax administration skills of the provincial governments and …

Opportunities And Risks Of Fiscal Decentralization: A Developing Country Perspective, Roy W. Bahl

ECON Publications

Since the 1980s, the rhetoric of fiscal decentralization has taken root in developing countries. Most developing countries now place the strengthening of subnational government on the development policy agenda. Despite all the pronouncements, plans, and even political promises, however, there has been no rush to grant state and local governments significant taxing powers and increased expenditure autonomy. Perhaps economic conditions have not been right for countries to adopt all-encompassing decentralization schemes, perhaps political freedoms were too new in some cases, or perhaps the idea still takes some getting used to. Whatever the reason, signs that countries are now ready to …

In-Car Navigation Systems: The Effects Of Landmark Specificity And Map Rotation On Spatial Knowledge And Route Acquisition, Tiffany N. Saffell

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Current in-car navigation systems do not refer to environmental landmarks when providing directions to drivers. Instead, they provide guidance by presenting drivers with distance-to-turn information. Default displays use track-up map orientations. These display conditions do not facilitate the acquisition of spatial knowledge. As a consequence, drivers using these systems are unlikely to acquire spatial knowledge needed to judge the reasonableness of the directions they are receiving, leaving them susceptible to accepting directions that are grossly incorrect and dangerous (Forbes and Burnett, 2007). Landmarks have been shown to be critical sources of information when people acquire both route and configural spatial …

Adaptive Performance: An Examination Of Convergent And Predictive Validity, Charlene K. Stokes

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was twofold: 1) to examine the convergent validity of the two foremost measurement methods, subjective and objective, used to assess adaptive performance; and 2) to examine the predictive validity of variables across measurement methods using a path model framework. Specifically, various dispositional traits are posited to influence adaptive performance through the mediating mechanisms of stress appraisals and self-efficacy. Beyond examining the potential causal paths associated with predictors, the study included a commensurate focus on adaptability as an outcome and addressed the measurement issues that surround adaptive performance. Participants (N = 275) in teams of …

An Examination Of The Influence Of Gender In Juvenile Offending, Patterns Of Crime, Sentencing And Public Opinion. An Exploratory Study Of Public Opinion On The Sentencing Of Male And Female Juvenile Offenders And An Examination Of The Respondents Gender, Sarah J. Welch

Theses : Honours

The aim of this literature review was to examine public perception of juvenile crimes, laws and sentencing practices to address whether the public were content with current punishments. It also observed the methodological issues with public opinion survey research to see whether these may influence the belief that the laws and sentencing practices were inconsistent with how the public wanted juveniles to be punished. The review also examined whether the gender of the juvenile offender influenced the types of crimes committed and the types of punishments sanctioned by the courts. Additionally, it observed whether the demographics of the respondent, victim …

Experiencing Pet Loss As A Child: A Parental Perspective, Sarah Jayne Parkin

Theses : Honours

Due to the positive contributions many companion animals make to the lives of others, it is common for individuals to build strong emotional attachments to their pets. Individuals who have strong relationships with their pets are likely to experience an equally strong grief reaction following their death. Although the grief process is highly idiosyncratic, theory suggests common stages or tasks that adults progress through during grief. However, research indicates that the grief process for children may vary from that of adults. The developmental capability of a child at the time of a loss will determine their level of understanding about …

Economic Developments In Tajikistan, Tyler Haupert

Global Tides

Poor nations often leave countless young males without an education, a stable family, or a strong government to follow. These conditions make the choice to join a group of religious radicals appealing. Tajikistan, a country of over seven million located just north of Afghanistan in Central Asia, is surrounded by war torn, politically unstable neighbors and fits the profile of a hotbed for religious radicalism. While the country has avoided a large-scale international war, political instability and economic deficiencies have left Tajikistan primed for future conflict. The situation presents an intriguing study for those concerned with humanitarian issues and those …

Pepperdine Takes On Parliament, Anna Mcdermott

Global Tides

The "Journeyer's Journal" consists of short narratives describing international experiences. Here, Anna McDermott describes her experiences in London, United Kingdom.

Preventing Depression In Early Adolescence: The Penn Resiliency Program, Jane Gillham, S. M. Brunwasser, D. R. Freres

Psychology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

The Co-Mentoring Project: Overview And Outcomes, Renee A. Zucchero

Faculty Scholarship

The Co-mentoring Project matched developmental psychology students with older adult volunteers for an intergenerational learning experience. Students conducted a biopsychosocial life review to increase understanding of older adult development and the continuity in lifespan development. Each student developed a summary paper containing the older adult's life history, a developmental analysis, and personal reflection. A project description, including the scholarship of teaching and learning, and an overview of its outcomes are presented. The project goal was accomplished; students positively evaluated learning outcomes and displayed a significant increase in knowledge about older adults and aging. Implications for college instructors are discussed. (Contains …

Topics And Features Of Academic Medical Library Tutorials, Rozalynd P. Anderson, Steven P. Wilson, Felicia Yeh, Betty Phillips, Mary Briget Livingston

Faculty Publications

In a 2007 study, librarians at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library examined freely available online tutorials on medical library Web sites. The team identified tutorial topics, determined common design features, and assessed elements of active learning in library-created tutorials; the team also generated a list of third-party tutorials to which medical libraries link. This article updates the earlier study, describing changes and trends in tutorial content and design on medical libraries’ Web sites; the project team plans to continue to track trends in tutorial development by repeating this study annually.

Characteristics And Content Of Medical Library Tutorials: A Review, Rozalynd P. Anderson, Steven P. Wilson, Mary Briget Livingston, Allison D. Locicero

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Champions Of Gis: Municipal Implementation And Organizational Diffusion Of Gis In Pennsylvania Governments, Matthew Convery, Dorothy Ives-Dewey

Geography & Planning Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Grand Jury Legal Advisor: Resurrecting The Grand Jury's Shield, Thaddeus Hoffmeister

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

Nigger: A Critical Race Realist Analysis Of The N-Word Within Hate Crimes Law, Gregory S. Parks, Shayne E. Jones

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

Environment-Friendly Tourists: What Do We Really Know About Them?, Sara Dolnicar, Geoffrey I. Crouch, Patrick Long

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Sustainable tourism and ecotourism have now been researched in depth for some years. This paper highlights that researchers still have only a limited understanding of what tourist behaviour can be considered as sustainable, and little consensus about who environment-friendly tourists (EFTs) actually are. This study reviews theoretical and empirical studies by tourism researchers, and explores work done on environment-friendly behaviour in other disciplines. Results indicate that operationalisations of EFTs are inconsistent and, at times, do not ensure that EFTs are actually studied, thus jeopardising the quality of cumulative knowledge on this critical issue. There is little insight into who EFTs …

Ethical Ideologies Of Senior Australian Managers: An Empirical Study, Mario Fernando, S. Dharmage, Shamika Almeida

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Forsyth’s (1980) Ethics Position Questionnaire and Hunt et al.’s (1989) Corporate Ethical Value Questionnaire are used to examine the ethical ideologies of senior managers from organizations listed in the Australian Stock Exchange. The results indicate how corporate ethical values, religion, gender and age are related to the idealism and relativism of senior Australian managers. After discussing the results, limitations of the study are offered. Finally, managerial implications are provided and recommendations for future research are given.

Lean Supply Chains, Jit And Cellular Manufacturing – The Human Side, I. Alony, M. Jones

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Lean manufacturing has been widely adopted by many production companies. Apart from the operational difficulty associated with conversion from a traditional, functional based operation, adoption of Lean manufacturing involves significant organizational transformations. It requires formation of work teams, comprised of multi-skilled workers. The work teams are preferably self directed and need to continuously improve performance and production processes. Such changes can be challenging for organizations. This paper reviews studies of human related and organizational factors in the context of Lean manufacturing, and identifies gaps in research in this area. The paper presents the principles of lean manufacturing, the organizational shifts …

The Effect Of Funding Changes On Public Sector Nonprofit Organizations: The Case Of Bushcare Nsw, Katie Cliff, H. J. Irvine, Sara Dolnicar

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Research into nonprofit organizations abounds, but not much is known about public sector nonprofit organizations. Recent funding incentives in Australia have led to significant changes in the market environment for such organizations. This study describes these market changes and explores the reactions of one environmental public sector nonprofit organization, Bushcare NSW, to these changes. This paper contends that, within this institutional environment, nonprofit organizations more successful in attracting large amounts of external funding have better administrative structures in place, whereas those less successful find themselves confronted with burdensome administrative duties. Neo-institutional theory provides a theoretical basis for this empirical investigation. …

Are Green Tourists A Managerially Useful Target Segment?, Sara Dolnicar, K. Matus

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Environmental sustainability in tourism has received significant attention among destination managers and researchers alike. Yet the range of measures proposed to reduce the environmental footprint of tourists at a destination remains limited to measures taken at the destination, as opposed to marketing measures which aim to attract truly green tourists. The potential of using green tourist as a market segment, however, has not been established to date.
We review published profiles of green tourists and assess the managerial usefulness of this segment using theoretical criteria of segment attractiveness. Results indicate that much is known about the distinctive characteristics of green …

People And Process: Making Sense Of Change Management, Patrick M. Dawson

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper is about the ways that we seek to manage, steer, resist and make sense of change. It views change as a fluid process that may take unexpected turns. In clarifying what we mean by change and challenging linear stage models, a more dynamic perspective is advocated. A short case study is used to highlight the political aspects of change and to raise critical awareness of some of the key issues that can arise. The paper concludes with some practical guidelines arguing that it is the processual nature of change that makes it both a difficult yet fascinating area …

Order Effects In Batteries Of Questions, Peter M. Siminski

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Batteries of questions with identical response items are commonly used in survey research. This paper suggests that question order has the potential to cause systematic positive or negative bias on responses to all questions in a battery. Whilst question order effects have been studied for many decades, almost no attention has been given to this topic. The primary aim is to draw attention to this effect, to demonstrate its possible magnitude, and to discuss a range of mechanisms through which it might occur. These include satisficing, anchoring and cooperativeness. The effect seems apparent in the results of a recent survey. …

Trends In Primary Care Presentations At Emergency Departments In New South Wales (1999-2006), Peter M. Siminski, Andrew J. Bezzina, L. P. Lago, Kathy Eagar

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines trends in potential ‘primary care’ presentations at EDs, comparing these with other ED presentations and to primary care attendances in the community.
Methods
The study draws on EDIS data (Emergency Department Information System), which at December 2005 covered 76 per cent of attendances in New South Wales, and MBS data from Medicare Australia. Annual counts of potential ‘primary care’ presentations to EDs are compared with those of other ED presentations and to primary care presentations in the community. Changes in the percentage of ED presentations that are potentially for primary care are examined, as are changes in …

Motivating Factors Associated With Adult Participation In Distance Learning Program, Muhammad Madi Bin Abdullah, B. Parasuraman, B. Muniapan, S. Koren, M. Jones

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Gaining and understanding of the motivation which drives adults to commit to, and complete, higher education through distance learning is an important requirement for the design and the delivery of adult programs for educational institutions in Malaysia and abroad. Through an in-depth empirical examination, this paper provides the insight of one individual and his commitment to, and motivation to complete a Masters program through distance learning. The paper supports the empirical findings with a theoretical overview, discussing contemporary research in the field of adult education. Various factors that relate to adult participation in distance learning program are discussed in this …

Intellectual Capital Disclosure Trends: Singapore And Sri Lanka, Indra Abeysekera

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Purpose - This paper investigates the intellectual capital disclosure trends and disclosure category differences of top 20 listed firms in a developing nation, Sri Lanka, and moderately developed nation, Singapore. The aim of this study is to highlight the differences in IC disclosure practice between developing and developed nations.

Design/methodology/approach - The study investigates the top 20 firms by market capitalization listed on the Colombo stock exchange in 1998 to 2000. Using the content analysis method, it reviews the annual reports of these firms to determine intellectual capital disclosure trends in Sri Lanka. It then compares these findings with a …

Accounting Meets Politics: Theoretical Interpretation Of Key Events (1940 To 2003) Of The Accounting Profession In Australia, Indra Abeysekera

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines some key developments in the Australian accounting profession and the changing nature of the authoritative influence of that profession on accounting and auditing activities. The purpose of this investigation is to demonstrate the shift in power between the political constituent (the government) and the accounting profession. The paper attempts to demonstrate how the corporatist view can help us understand the social nature of accounting and how the accounting profession can gain a greater awareness of this reality. Finally, the paper questions whether the accounting profession in Australia has entered an episode of liberal ideals imposed by the …

Preferred Learning Methods: Comparisons Between International And Domestic Accounting Students, Indra Abeysekera

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study provides a comparison between the preferred learning modes (traditional, interactive, group case-based lectures) of international and domestic students undertaking a new undergraduate accounting topic at an Australian university. A Likert-scale survey questionnaire was used to determine the differences and similarities between the two groups. When the results are analysed using the Hofstede model of societal cultural dimensions, they indicate significant differences between the two groups of students with regard to their preferences for formal versus interactive and group case-based lectures. The paper provides a discussion of the implications of these findings for teaching methods, assessment and curriculum development.

Challenging “Factor Cluster Segmentation”, Sara Dolnicar, Bettina Grun

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The concept of market segmentation has been widely accepted and warmly embraced both by tourism industry and academia. In tourism research, this increased interest in segmentation studies has led to the emergence of a standard research approach. Most notably a concept referred to as “Factor Cluster Segmentation” has been broadly adopted. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that this approach is not generally the best procedure to identify homogeneous groups of individuals (market segments).

Do Australian Investment And Savings Behave Procyclically?, Arusha V. Cooray, B. Felmingham

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study uses spectral analysis to examine the behaviour of Australian savings and investment and their synchronisation with the business cycle over the period September 1959 to December 2005. The results reveal that the major cyclical components of savings and investment cohere strongly. Further, savings coheres strongly with the business cycle suggesting that Australian savings is procyclical. Investment also exhibits a procyclical pattern although the evidence of this is weaker

A Model Of Inflation For Sri Lanka, Arusha V. Cooray

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper uses two models: an open economy model and a closed economy model to estimate a price equation for Sri Lanka. The results suggest greater support for the open economy model. Consistent with previous studies for Sri Lanka, supply side factors appear to be important in influencing the general price level in Sri Lanka.