Combatting fraud and corruption in international development

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-241
Author(s):  
John Coogan ◽  
Elizabeth Lin Forder ◽  
Jelena Madir ◽  
Norbert Seiler ◽  
Clare Wee
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Legislation ◽  
Criminal Convictions ◽  
Enforcement Action ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Impact ◽  
A Company

Purpose – This paper aims to analyse sanctions regimes of multilateral development banks and to examine some of the topical issues surrounding sanctioning practices of these institutions. Under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions (the “Mutual Enforcement Agreement”), sanctions covering the sanctionable practices that are imposed and made publicly available by any participating MDB may be enforced by other participating MDBs. This dramatically amplifies the impact of debarment decisions taken by any one of the participating MDBs, while affirming the MDBs’ commitment to combating the sanctionable practices. Consequently, companies will need to invigorate their procedures with a view to managing their risks not only in relation to national legislation, but also in relation to the MDBs’ sanctioning frameworks, which have much broader geographic scope than that of national legislation. This paper first provides an overview of the tenets established by the Mutual Enforcement Agreement. Further, as all MDBs maintain their own sanctions mechanisms, the paper analyses individual sanctions regimes of the WBG, EBRD and ADB. The paper then describes the types of sanctions that may be imposed by MDBs and examines some of the challenging issues surrounding the banks’ sanctions practices. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on the experience of senior lawyers who were intimately involved in the set-up of the sanctions regimes at the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the EBRD and the ADB and are currently involved in the work of sanctions boards at their respective institutions. Findings – Companies and individuals dealing with MDBs should be aware of the fact that, as a result of the Mutual Enforcement Agreement, the profile of MDBs’ fraud and corruption cases has been raised significantly and could result in global sanctions for prohibited practices in a single country. Consequently, a company engaging in a prohibited practice in its business dealings with one MDB might find itself unable to obtain financing from the four other MDBs participating in the Mutual Enforcement Agreement, and furthermore its debarment would be published by all five participating MDBs (subject to the above-described limitations of ADB’s publication regime). As MDBs continue to develop their sanctions regimes, greater harmonisation among sanctions processes is to be expected and companies doing business with MDBs should, at the very minimum, ensure that their compliance and ethics programmes are up to date, both as a preventative measure or, if wrongful actions have already taken place, as a means of mitigating the severity of possible sanctions. Originality/value – A lot has been written about the consequences of criminal convictions for bribery and other corrupt practices. However, much less attention has been paid to the evolution of anti-corruption policies and procedures which have been developed by a group of leading MDBs. In fact, for many corporates, sanctions regimes of MDBs remain unchartered territory, even though these sanctions proceedings can have far-reaching business consequences. This paper will, therefore, be of interest to all companies directly or indirectly involved with MDB-financed projects, as they need to be alert to the scope of MDB sanctions proceedings and the wide-ranging adverse business consequences that may result from any enforcement action.

Evolution of top management’s understanding of product quality in Eastern Europe since the end of communism

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-100
Author(s):  
Svetoslav Georgiev ◽  
Emil Georgiev
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Product Quality ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Senior Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the evolution of top management’s understanding of product quality in Bulgaria since the end of communism. The study examines three specific areas: top management’s understanding of the term “quality”; top management’s understanding of the relationship between quality and business performance; and top management’s understanding of the impact of job position on quality. Design/methodology/approach The paper relies on a quantitative research approach by using data from a survey of 186 companies in Bulgaria. Findings The paper suggests that senior managers in Bulgaria continue to base their understanding of “quality” on a single approach (*a characteristic of the communist era), with the product-based and the user-based approaches currently being the two most common ones. At the same time, surprisingly enough, this study claims that senior management in Bulgaria is currently well aware of the importance of quality as a dimension of firm’s competitiveness, and is also highly conscious of its roles’ impact on product quality. Research limitations/implications The results of this study are exclusively based on the case of Bulgaria and must be treated with caution in the case of other former communist states from the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region. Practical implications This paper has relevance for both managers and companies doing business in Eastern Europe. Originality/value This is the first paper to provide detailed analysis of the evolution of the understanding of “product quality” in CEE since the end of communism. Moreover, this paper applies, for the first time, Garvin’s five approaches to defining quality within a practical context.

Ownership as a determinant of chairperson activity: a study of Nordic listed companies

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 412-428
Author(s):  
Tor Brunzell ◽  
Jarkko Peltomäki
Keyword(s):  
Working Hours ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Ownership Concentration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Concentrated Ownership ◽  
The Board Of Directors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Empirical Analysis ◽  
A Company

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explicitly focus on the roles of ownership concentration, ownership by the board, the chief executive officer (CEO) and the chairperson in the involvement and capabilities of chairpersons and other governors in their work. Design/methodology/approach – In this study, the authors investigate the impact of the concentration of ownership, the ownership of the board, the CEO and the chairperson on the chairperson’s activity when the roles of the chairperson and the CEO are separated The empirical analysis of this study is based on a survey sent to Nordic listed firms. Findings – The results show that the ownership characteristics of a company are important in determining the chairperson’s working hours, the chairperson’s communication with the CEO and the performance of governance activity. In addition, the authors found that while the ownership of the chairperson and the board of directors and ownership concentration improve governance activity, CEO ownership may undermine governance activity. Research limitations/implications – The primary implication of the study is that both ownership by internal governors and ownership concentration play an important role in determining the involvement of internal corporate governors. Originality/value – The study provides unique evidence that ownership by the chairperson, concentrated ownership and ownership by the board can potentially mitigate the costs of separating the roles of the chairperson and the CEO.

Research from China finds no significant difference in impact of public service motivation (PSM) in public and private sectors

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Intention To Leave ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The authors assumed PSM would be higher in the public sector, but they set up a trial to find out if this was the case. Design/methodology/approach To test their theories, the authors conducted two independent surveys. The first consisted of 220 usable responses from public sector employees in Changsha, China. The second survey involved 260 usable responses from private sector employees taking an MBA course at a university in the Changsha district. A questionnaire was used to assess attitudes. Findings The results found no significant difference between the impact of public sector motivation (PSM) on employee performance across the public and private sectors. The data showed that PSM had a significant impact on self-reported employee performance, but the relationship did not differ much between sectors. Meanwhile, it was in the private sector that PSM had the greatest impact on intention to leave. Originality/value The authors said the research project was one of the first to test if the concept of PSM operated in the same way across sectors. It also contributed, they said, to the ongoing debate about PSM in China.

An introduction to Monte Carlo simulations in criminal psychology: applications in evaluating biased estimators for recidivism

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscillia Hunt ◽  
Jeremy N.V Miles
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Psychology ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Actual Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Criminal Convictions ◽  
Omitted Variable Bias ◽  
Mc Simulation ◽  
Biased Estimators ◽  
Variable Bias ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – Studies in criminal psychology are inevitably undertaken in a context of uncertainty. One class of methods addressing such uncertainties is Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to MC simulation for representing uncertainty and focusses on likely uses in studies of criminology and psychology. In addition to describing the method and providing a step-by-step guide to implementing a MC simulation, this paper provides examples using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Survey data. Results show MC simulations can be a useful technique to test biased estimators and to evaluate the effect of bias on power for statistical tests. Design/methodology/approach – After describing MC simulation methods in detail, this paper provides a step-by-step guide to conducting a simulation. Then, a series of examples are provided. First, the authors present a brief example of how to generate data using MC simulation and the implications of alternative probability distribution assumptions. The second example uses actual data to evaluate the impact that omitted variable bias can have on least squares estimators. A third example evaluates the impact this form of heteroskedasticity can have on the power of statistical tests. Findings – This study shows MC simulated variable means are very similar to the actual data, but the standard deviations are considerably less in MC simulation-generated data. Using actual data on criminal convictions and income of fathers, the authors demonstrate the impact of omitted variable bias on the standard errors of the least squares estimator. Lastly, the authors show the p-values are systematically larger and the rejection frequencies correspondingly smaller in heteroskedastic error models compared to a model with homoskedastic errors. Originality/value – The aim of this paper is to provide a better understanding of what MC simulation methods are and what can be achieved with them. A key value of this paper is that the authors focus on understanding the concepts of MC simulation for researchers of statistics and psychology in particular. Furthermore, the authors provide a step-by-step description of the MC simulation approach and provide examples using real survey data on criminal convictions and economic characteristics of fathers in large US cities.

scholarly journals Women on corporate boards and allocation of capital raised through IPOs

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 547-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bazeet Olayemi Badru ◽  
Nurwati A. Ahmad-Zaluki ◽  
Wan Nordin Wan-Hussin
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Capital Allocation ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Investment Opportunities ◽  
Women On Corporate Boards ◽  
The Impact ◽  
A Company

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the differences in men and women, such as risk aversion in decision making, can influence the amount of capital that the board of directors can allocate for investment opportunities. Design/methodology/approach This study sampled 212 IPOs over the period of 2005–2015 and employed the OLS and the quantile regression techniques to examine the impact of female directors on capital allocation. Findings The results show that women on corporate boards have a positive influence on the amount of capital an IPO company can allocate for investment opportunities. These findings suggest that the investment strategies of women in an emerging financial market, like Malaysia, may differ from women in other financial markets. Practical implications The presence of women on corporate boards plays an important role in board involvement in a company’s strategic decision at the time of the IPO. Therefore, regulators and IPO issuers should pay close attention to the corporate governance structure of a company at the time of an IPO. In addition, investors and other stakeholders of a company may consider women on corporate boards as an important factor in financing and investment decisions. Originality/value Despite several studies that have examined the influence of women on corporate boards on corporate outcomes, globally, the presence of women on corporate boards and their influence on corporate decision-making related to allocation of capital to investment opportunities, have not been fully explored in the IPO literature.

Supervisory influences on officers’ perceptions of less lethal force policy: a multilevel analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Robert Ingram ◽  
Robert R. Weidner ◽  
Eugene A. Paoline III ◽  
William Terrill
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Patrol Officers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lethal Force ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Data Source ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Future Work ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Policy Perceptions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of sergeants’ less lethal force policy perceptions on subordinate officers’ policy perceptions. Sergeants are a critical level of supervision in police departments with respect to policy administration, particularly in regard to the use of force. Little empirical research, however, has been conducted on either officer policy perceptions or this aspect of the supervisory role. Design/methodology/approach – Surveys of 765 patrol officers and 146 patrol sergeants served as the data source. Multilevel modeling procedures were used to test for supervisory influences on officer force policy perceptions while controlling for relevant officer-level variables. Additional analyses were conducted to examine potential moderating effects for this sergeant-officer attitudinal relationship. Findings – Findings revealed that sergeant policy perceptions, views of top management, and their level of support had a significant impact on officers’ force policy perceptions. Furthermore, post hoc analyses revealed that sergeant support moderated the sergeant-officer force policy perception relationship. Research limitations/implications – The results indicate that officers’ force policy perceptions are associated with the attitudinal dispositions of sergeants. Future work could expand the focus on administrative attitudinal outcomes beyond less lethal force policies as well as other perceptions of the work environment. Practical implications – For police leaders, the findings illustrate the need to pay attention to mid-management levels and the organizational climate, as negative orientations can impact additional domains (i.e. policies and procedures) and other organizational members (i.e. subordinates). Originality/value – The study adds to the limited body of research on two accountability mechanisms of departments: administrative rulemaking and frontline supervision.

scholarly journals Behavior of Yersinia enterocolitica in the Presence of the Bacterivorous Acanthamoeba castellanii

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (20) ◽  
pp. 6407-6413 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Lambrecht ◽  
J. Baré ◽  
I. Van Damme ◽  
W. Bert ◽  
K. Sabbe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Yersinia Enterocolitica ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Acanthamoeba Castellanii ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTFree-living protozoa play an important role in the ecology and epidemiology of human-pathogenic bacteria. In the present study, the interaction betweenYersinia enterocolitica, an important food-borne pathogen, and the free-living amoebaAcanthamoeba castellaniiwas studied. Several cocultivation assays were set up to assess the resistance ofY. enterocoliticatoA. castellaniipredation and the impact of environmental factors and bacterial strain-specific characteristics. Results showed that allY. enterocoliticastrains persist in association withA. castellaniifor at least 14 days, and associations withA. castellaniienhanced survival ofYersiniaunder nutrient-rich conditions at 25°C and under nutrient-poor conditions at 37°C. Amoebae cultivated in the supernatant of oneYersiniastrain showed temperature- and time-dependent permeabilization. Intraprotozoan survival ofY. enterocoliticadepended on nutrient availability and temperature, with up to 2.8 log CFU/ml bacteria displaying intracellular survival at 7°C for at least 4 days in nutrient-rich medium. Transmission electron microscopy was performed to locate theYersiniacells inside the amoebae. AsYersiniaandAcanthamoebashare similar ecological niches, this interaction identifies a role of free-living protozoa in the ecology and epidemiology ofY. enterocolitica.

scholarly journals Environmental liabilities in insolvency – an area ripe for reform?

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-268
Author(s):  
Blanca Mamutse
Keyword(s):  
Case Law ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Environmental Liabilities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legislative Reform ◽  
Perceived Need ◽  
Real Picture ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
A Company

Purpose The paper aims to examine the question whether legislative reform is the silver bullet for the problems generated by the failure of a company which is exposed to claims arising from the non-fulfilment of its environmental obligations. The limited capacity of the UK insolvency regime to facilitate the fulfilment of a debtor company’s environmental obligations is often illustrated with reference to some significant judicial decisions. However, no real picture has emerged of the frequency with which these issues arise, based on which firm proposals for reform could be advanced. This paper argues that greater regard should be paid to existing mechanisms which provide a means of enabling insolvency risks to be managed or minimised because these point towards the scope for these issues to be resolved through the environmental protection framework rather than through reliance on company and/or insolvency law. Design/methodology/approach Research was conducted into the statutory and non-statutory regulations (such as statutory guidance) and case law principles, which underpin the treatment of the claims against an insolvent (or potentially insolvent) company resulting from its environmental activities. This included research into policies which have a bearing on this area, developed through governmental and civic consultations and studies. Findings The paper concludes that the likelihood of a case for legislative reform being made out is weak, and the focus should accordingly shift to strengthening the effectiveness of existing law, policy and practice. Originality/value This paper is the first (in the UK context) to challenge the perceived need for reform in this area, engaging with recent examples of such corporate failures and the impact of recent legislative and policy developments.

Enhancing team performance through transactive memory

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 13-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srabasti Chatterjee
Keyword(s):  
Team Performance ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Transactive Memory ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Settings ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The major focus in the current scenario in organizational settings has shifted from individual performance to team performance. The current study investigates team performance and its antecedents from both social and cognitive dimensions and hence provides a qualitative and synopsis of the same. There is one such antecedent transactive memory which collectively looks into both the facets. For more than a decade after the very emergence of this concept, a plethora of work has been done to relate team performance and transactive memory. In an attempt to understand both these multi-dimensional constructs, and to comprehend the interrelationships in a better way, this paper aims to analyze the impact of transactive memory on team performance and how to improve it in organizations. Design/methodology/approach The paper is purely conceptual. So it uses other earlier studies to make necessary propositions. Findings The present study tries to qualitatively analyze the impact of transactive memory on team performance with respect to the various dimensions of team performance both task process and relational performance. The results of the study show a positive relationship between the three dimensions of transactive memory – credibility, consensus and specilaization and team performance. The study also provides recommendations to improvise transactive memory in organizations. Research limitations/implications The paper is not empirical, so further empirical analysis could enrich the results. Originality/value The paper is original in terms of giving solutions to increase transactive memory in organizational set up.

scholarly journals The impact of workplace spirituality on work-based learners

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Foster ◽  
Anna Foster
Keyword(s):  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Retail Chain ◽  
Trust Relationships ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the emerging spirituality debate with the aim of generating and sustaining tolerance for spirituality in the workplace, with a specific focus upon the impact this can have upon work-based learners. “Spirituality” is gaining impetus worldwide as a growing number of organisations are proactively accommodating their multi-ethnic and multi-faith workforce by adapting their policies to meet employees’ spiritual needs. As yet in the UK, the majority of organisations fail to recognise neither the basic spiritual well-being of their employees nor the impact this can have upon work-based learning processes. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a quantitative approach with questionnaires distributed to a multi-national retail UK-based organisation with an ethnically diverse national workforce. The study was tested by collecting data from managers and employees of this large, multi-million pound retail chain organisation in the UK, consisting of 55 stores and 1,249 employees, in order to gather employees’ perceptions on spirituality within their place of work regarding policies, communication and perceived source of conflict. Findings The results revealed that the majority of employees deemed spirituality was not something they felt comfortable discussing or appropriate to practice within the workplace and there were no clear policies and procedures in place to support either management or employees. Research limitations/implications This paper highlights areas for further research in the broad professional areas of spirituality in relation to organisational approaches to work-based learning. The research is from one organisation and utilising one method – qualitative research would add depth to the knowledge. Practical implications This paper highlights areas for further research in the broad professional areas of spirituality in relation to organisational approaches to work-based learning. Originality/value Employee spiritual well-being is under-researched and overlooked by organisations. Changing the current spiritual intransigence is long overdue as employees’ spiritual fulfilment leads to high-trust relationships in the workplace and can further support those engaged in work-based learning.

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