scholarly journals Trustees and pension schemes in Ireland

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim Stewart ◽  
Bridget McNally

Purpose – This article aims to highlight the gap between the legal responsibilities and the practice of pension fund trustees in Ireland. Design/methodology/approach – The paper relies on primary and secondary data analysis of trustee practice and enforcement cases to highlight the gap between law and practice. Findings – The article finds that there is an inconsistency between legal requirement and practice in the calibre of trustee and trustee training across Irish occupational pension schemes. This has adverse consequences for pension governance and performance. Practical implications – The findings raise the question as to whether there should be mandatory qualifications for trustees or mandatory standardised trustee training in a prescribed format, with which trustees should comply. It also questions whether there should be a governance code for trustees to ensure a minimum standard or target level of competence and good governance on the part of pension scheme trustees. Originality/value – There is a distinct lack of emphasis in the literature and in practice on the inconsistency between the extent of the responsibilities which trustees ultimately carry, and the legal exposure this potentially creates for trustees who unduly rely on other trustees or third parties in the trustee decision making process.

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-42
Author(s):  
Bridget McNally ◽  
Anne M. Garvey ◽  
Thomas O’Connor

PurposeThis paper aims to argue that the accounting standards’ requirements for the valuation of defined benefit pension schemes in the financial statements of scheme sponsoring companies potentially produce an artificial result which is at odds with the “faithful representation” and “relevance” objectives of these standards.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is a theoretical analysis of the relevant reporting standards with the use of a practical example to demonstrate the impact where trustees adopt a hedged approach to portfolio investment.FindingsWhere a pension fund engages in asset liability matching and invests in “risk-free” assets, the term, quantity and duration/maturity of which is intended to match some or all of its scheme liabilities, the required accounting treatment potentially results in the sponsoring company’s financial statements reporting fluctuating surpluses or deficits each year which are potentially ill informed and misleading.Originality/valuePension scheme surpluses or deficits reported in the financial statements of listed companies are potentially very significant numbers; however, the dangers posed by theoretical nature of the calculation have largely gone unreported.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-218
Author(s):  
Sunil Sahadev ◽  
Pongsak Hoontrakul

Purpose – This conceptual paper aims to discuss issues relevant to fostering cooperation between India and countries in the ASEAN region in the area of technological innovation. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper, based on insights from the existing body of literature and secondary data. Findings – The study looks at the competitiveness of different countries in the ASEAN region and considers their technological competitiveness vis-à-vis India. Broad policy issues related to fostering technological innovation as well as the main advantages of such collaboration are discussed. Research limitations/implications – This is a conceptual paper mainly intended for discussion. Practical implications – The paper provides guidelines for fostering technological innovation and could, therefore, help policy development. Originality/value – Although the Indo-ASEAN free-trade agreement is helping trade flow between the countries in the region, the potential for technological collaborations still lies unutilised. This paper looks at the possibilities for such collaborations and is one of the few papers that consider this line of thinking.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 558-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faiza Khan ◽  
Michelle Callanan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the confusing use of terminology associated with tourism undertaken by Muslims and to identify key concerns associated with this type of tourism. Design/methodology/approach This is an exploratory study and adopts a critical review of literature following the evolutionary concept analysis method. Content analysis of popular UK media, UK-based tour operators’ websites and tourism strategies of destinations popular with Muslim tourists were conducted to examine the use of terminology. Findings There is no clear difference between the various terms (halal, Muslim friendly, Islamic, etc.) used. Overall, academia uses the term Islamic tourism, while the industry and media use various terms. Among destinations, however, there is no clear and consistent use of terminology. A key concern of Islamic tourism is the role of certification in assuring travellers and the lack of standardisation of halal certification. Research limitations/implications The paper is based on literature review and secondary data analysis. It lacks primary research. Practical implications This study highlights the need for consistent use of terminology across industry. Another implication is the issue surrounding halal certification of food and the importance of trust in the seller/service provide. Another trend that industry providers need to consider is the growth of the Muslim millennial traveller and the needs of this market segment. Originality/value The paper highlights the importance of studying the Muslim tourist market and provides a starting point for further research. It highlights several issues such as the need to develop a typology of Muslim tourists. Of particular interest is the concern whether halal values in danger of being commodified in the absence of a universal agreed criterion for halal certification.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Huston ◽  
Arvydas Jadevicius ◽  
Negin Minaei

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to sketch the UK housing backdrop, review the student private rented sector (PRS) and assess the experience of post-graduate university student tenants in the PRS. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review puts the issues of student-PRS responsiveness into context and helps to untangle some UK housing issues. The private sector’s size, growth and performance is assessed by reviewing secondary data. In-depth interviews were then conducted at a regional university campus. Findings – The study confirms accumulating evidence of an unbalanced UK housing market. The study identified four main PRS issues: first, rapid university expansion without accompanying residential construction has sparked rampant PRS growth with, second, quality issues, third, in tight letting market conditions, rented agent service levels fell and fourth, part of the problem is complex PRS management procedures. Research limitations/implications – The research has three noteworthy limitations. First, the macroeconomic analysis integrated secondary research without independent modelling. Second, the views of letting agents, university property managers, planning officers or landlords were not canvassed. Finally, the pilot interviews were geographically restricted. Practical implications – When they expand, universities, local authorities and industry players need to give due consideration to plan for, design and develop quality student accommodation. Over-reliance on the PRS without informed oversight and coordination could undermine student experience and erode long-term UK competitiveness. Social implications – The lack of quality student rented accommodation mirrors a general housing malaise around affordability, polarisation and sustainable “dwelling”. Standards and professionalism in the rented sector is part of the overall quality mix to attract global talent. Originality/value – The preliminary investigation uses mixed-methods to investigate PRS service delivery. It illustrates the interplay between professional property management and wider issues of metropolitan productivity, sustainability and resilience.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew James Perkins

Purpose This paper aims to contend that when tackling financial crimes such as money laundering and terrorist financing, international regulators are seeking to hold offshore jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands to higher standards and that this detracts from the pursuit of detecting and prosecuting money launders. Design/methodology/approach This paper will deal with the following perceived issues: firstly, to offshore jurisdictions as a concept; secondly, to outline the efforts made by the Cayman Islands to combat money laundering and to rate these changes against Financial Action Task Forces’ (FATAF’s) technical criteria; thirdly, to demonstrate that the Cayman Islands is among some of the world’s top jurisdictions for compliance with FATAF’s standards; and finally, to examine whether greylisting was necessary and to comment upon whether efforts by international regulators to hold offshore jurisdictions to higher standards detracts from the actual prosecution of money laundering within the jurisdiction. Findings Greylisting the Cayman Islands in these authors’ view was something that should have never happened; the Cayman Islands is being held to standards far beyond what is expected in an onshore jurisdiction. There is a need for harmonisation in respect of international anti money laundering rules and regulations to shift the tone to prosecution and investigation of offences rather than on rating jurisdictions technical compliance with procedural rules where states have a workable anti-money laundering (AML) regime. Research limitations/implications The implications of this research are to show that offshore jurisdictions are being held by FATAF and other international regulators to higher AML standards than their onshore counterparties. Practical implications The author hopes that this paper will begin the debate as to whether FATAF needs to give reasons as to why offshore jurisdictions are held to higher standards and whether it needs to begin to contemplate higher onshore standards. Originality/value This is an original piece of research evaluating the effect of FATAF's reporting on offshore jurisdictions with a case study involving primary and secondary data in relation to the Cayman Islands.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yazan Khalid Abed-Allah Migdadi

Purpose This study aims to identify the effective operational strategies for airlines in a pandemic that allow them to recover and bounce back smoothly. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted quantitative methodology based on secondary data published by the airlines related to operational and performance indicators. The total number of airlines surveyed was 145. The sample of study covers all the following regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. The data analysis of this research passed through several phases to compare the situation before and during pandemic period. Findings The effective operational strategy patterns during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic comprise three hybrid strategies and one scheduling strategy. It appears from these strategy models that four strategic alternatives are available for international airlines to adopt, while two strategic alternatives are available for regional airlines. The strategy alternatives for regional and international airlines are all effective, but those of the international airlines are the more effective ones. Originality/value Previous studies rarely adopted the theory of operations strategy configuration (emphasizing taxonomies-based perspective) and the organizational resilience theory (emphasizing capability-based perspective) to identify the effective airlines operations strategy patterns in a pandemic, that allow airlines to recover and bounce back smoothly by analyzing the practices of airlines from different geographic regions worldwide.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Papanikou ◽  
Utku Kale ◽  
András Nagy ◽  
Konstantinos Stamoulis

Purpose This study aims to identify variability in aviation operators in order to gain greater understanding of the changes in aviation professional groups. Research has commonly addressed human factors and automation in broad categories according to a group’s function (e.g., pilots, air traffic controllers [ATCOs], engineers). Accordingly, pilots and Air Traffic Controls (ATCOs) have been treated as homogeneous groups with a set of characteristics. Currently, critical themes of human performance in light of systems’ developments place the emphasis on quality training for improved situational awareness (SA), decision-making and cognitive load. Design/methodology/approach As key solutions centre on the increased understanding and preparedness of operators through quality training, the authors deploy an iterative mixed methodology to reveal generational changes of pilots and ATCOs. In total, 46 participants were included in the qualitative instrument and 70 in the quantitative one. Preceding their triangulation, the qualitative data were analysed using NVivo and the quantitative analysis was aided through descriptive statistics. Findings The results show that there is a generational gap between old and new generations of operators. Although positive views on advanced systems are being expressed, concerns about cognitive capabilities in the new systems, training and skills gaps, workload and role implications are presented. Practical implications The practical implications of this study extend to different profiles of operators that collaborate either directly or indirectly and that are critical to aviation safety. Specific implications are targeted on automation complacency, bias and managing information load, and training aspects where quality training can be aided by better understanding the occupational transitions under advanced systems. Originality/value In this paper, the authors aimed to understand the changing nature of the operators’ profession within the advanced technological context, and the perceptions and performance-shaping factors of pilots and ATCOs to define the generational changes.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1601-1606
Author(s):  
Nur Hasan Kurniawan ◽  
Mahmuddin Yasin ◽  
Hamidah Hamidah

The issue of pension funds is not only a financial matter, but also a human resource. Pension funds do not stand alone, but are assumed to be related to other human resource (HR) variables. Starting from this background, this study aims to examine the effect of the occupational pension scheme (OPS) and retirement intentions (RI) variables partially on employee productivity (EP) directly or through employee engagement (EE), the effect of OPS on RI, and the effect of OPS on EP through RI. Post-positivist is the research paradigm, with a quantitative research approach, with explanatory causal types and statistical studies. Dapenma-Pamsi is selected as the location of this research and we choose the Joint Pension Fund of municipal waterwork which are located in six provinces in Java Island. The sampling technique for this study was proportionate stratified random sampling, with a total sample of 500 active Dapenma-Pamsi participants in six provinces in Java. The research instrument was a questionnaire with a Likert scale of 1-7. The data analysis technique used SEM-AMOS. The results of the study are supported by ten research hypotheses. The novelty of this research is the integration of variables rooted in the discipline of financial management and variables from the discipline of human resource management. This research is also could help Indonesia Government foster the growth of Private Pension Fund Program in Indonesia.


Kybernetes ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon-Arild Johannessen ◽  
Hugo Skaalsvik

Purpose – One problem that many organisations face today in the global economy is that too few ideas are turned into innovations. The purpose of this paper is to show how innovations in organisations may be obtained by means of creative energy fields. Design/methodology/approach – The design employed in the research represents a holistic, change oriented approach to innovation, and the methodology is conceptual where an analytical model is used. Findings – The paper provides arguments that organisations need to develop creative energy fields in order to enhance their innovative capacity and performance. In the paper the construct creative energy field is conceptualised as “a spot in an organisation where a Group of creative individuals collaborate and work together in order to bring to surface new ideas which may fuel innovation processes and Development in organisations”. The paper shows that creative energy fields are influenced by five distinct components; those of making a clear purpose, planning after the results have become apparant, an organisation’s rule breakers, drawing a map that changes the landscape, and igniting the flame of innovation. Furthermore, the findings encompass three conditions which need to be present in an organisation in order to make creative energy fields work. Research limitations/implications – The carried out focuses on the individual organisation which aims to enhance innovation performance. Practical implications – In relation to practical implications, the paper shows, in particular, how an organisation may move into areas of innovation by means of a Lego system of organising. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge, the creation and use of a novel construct, that of creative energy fields, represents newness and originality in innovation research at the level of the individual enterprise. Furthermore, the paper contributes to the extant management knowledge of innovation by showing how a Lego system of organising may foster innovation at the enterprise level.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luen Tim Percy Lui

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how institutional designs governing the executive-legislative relations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) have weakened the government’s capacity to effectively govern the HKSAR. Design/methodology/approach This paper examines institutional designs and rules that govern Hong Kong’s executive-legislative relations. It uses the case of the HKSAR Legislative Council (LegCo) to illustrate the impacts of institutional designs and rules on the performance of political institutions and government performance. Findings This paper finds that institutional designs and rules do affect the performance of a political institution. This paper suggests changes to the institutional designs and rules that govern the operation of the HKSAR LegCo, and the interaction between the legislature and the executive so as to create a facilitative context for good governance. Originality/value Studies on governance in Hong Kong mostly focus on individual institution’s behavior and performance. This paper studies the problem of governance in Hong Kong from the perspective of executive-legislative relations. It adopts the institutional theory to examine the behavior, performance, and interaction between the legislative and executive branches.


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