Bottom-up rather than top-down: evidence from Middle Eastern and North African educational institutions

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 671-690
Author(s):  
Osama Mah'd
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
North African ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Managerial Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Difference

PurposeEducational institutions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are striving for better resource management and finance. The bottom-up budgeting approach plays an important role in motivating executives' performance. The main aim of this paper is to discover whether there is a significant difference between bottom-up and a top-down approaches to budgeting in terms of managers' performance.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires were distributed to 453 university executives in 21 MENA educational institutions. The Kruskal–Wallis test was utilized to test the difference between the three groups (bottom-up, top-down and consultative approaches). Further analysis was conducted to test the difference between the two groups using the Mann–Whitney test.FindingsThe results show that there is a significant difference between a bottom-up and top-down approach in terms of managerial performance. The study's findings indicate that the bottom-up approach to budgeting leads to higher performance indicators than a top-down approach to budgeting.Originality/valueThe current study contributes to the research as it increases awareness of budgeting approaches that are used in higher education institutions, specifically in terms of the effect of these differences on executives' performance.

NATO’s Southern Hub will turn attention southwards

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Formal Structure ◽  
North African ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Northern Flank ◽  
Power Projection ◽  
Internal Politics ◽  
Southern Flank

Subject NATO’s Middle Eastern and North African role. Significance The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has traditionally not been as important to NATO as its 'Northern Flank'. While NATO's 'Southern Flank' remains subordinate, external circumstances and the alliance's internal politics have drawn attention to this zone and led to the creation of a formal structure, the Southern Hub. Impacts Russian power projection and tackling terrorism are the main drivers of NATO interest in MENA. Control of reconstruction funds could give NATO allies leverage in the Syrian theatre, but would have to accompany reforms. Libya’s future is uncertain; the conflict appears likely to escalate.

scholarly journals A paradigm for investigating the effects of top-down processes on visual search

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnab Biswas ◽  
Devpriya Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Pairwise Comparison ◽  
Search Performance ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Search Tasks ◽  
Selection History ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Difference

Searching for things is an essential part of our everyday life. The way we search gives us clues on how our cognitive processes function. Scientists have used the visual search task to study attention, perception, and memory. Visual search performance depends upon a combination of stimulus-driven, bottom-up information, goal-oriented, top-down information, and selection history bias. It is difficult to separate these factors due to their close interaction. Our current study presents a paradigm to isolate the effects of top-down factors in visual search. In our experiments, we asked subjects to perform two different search tasks. A part of the total trials in each of these tasks had the same bottom-up information. That is, they had the same target, distractor, and target-distractor arrangement. We controlled for selection history bias by having an equivalent proportion of target types for all tasks and randomized the trial-order for each subject. We compared the mean response times for the critical trials, which had identical bottom-up information shared across the two pairs of tasks. The results showed a significant difference in mean response times of critical trials for both our experiments. Thus, this paradigm allows us to compare the difference in top-down guidance when controlling for bottom-up factors. Pairwise comparison of top-down guidance for different features given the same bottom-up information allows us to ask interesting questions such as, “Visual search guidance for which features can or cannot be easily increased by top-down processes?” Answers to these questions can further shed light on the ecological and evolutionary importance of such features in perception.

Assessing the bank profitability in the MENA region

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rim Ben Selma Mokni ◽  
Houssem Rachdi
Keyword(s):  
Method Of Moments ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Generalized Method Of Moments ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Bank Profitability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Conventional Banks ◽  
Econometric Technique

Purpose – Which of the banking stream is relatively more profitable in Middle Eastern and North Africa (MENA) region? Design/methodology/approach – The empirical study covers a sample of 15 conventional and 15 Islamic banks for the period 2002-2009.The authors estimate models using the generalized method of moments in system, of Blundell and Bond (1998). They exploit an up-to-date econometric technique which takes into consideration the issue of endogeneity of regressors to evaluate the comparative profitability of Islamic and conventional banks in the MENA region. Findings – Empirical analysis results show that the determinants’ significance varies between Islamic and conventional banks. Profitability seems to be quite persistent in the MENA region reflecting a higher degree of government intervention and may signal barriers to competition. Originality/value – The main interest is to develop a comprehensive model that integrates macroeconomic, industry-specific and bank-specific determinants. The paper makes comparison of the performance between two different banking systems in the MENA region. The authors consider a variable crisis to gain additional insights into the impacts of the financial crisis on MENA banking sector.

Students’ satisfaction with hostel accommodations in higher education institutions

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 652-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke ◽  
Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa ◽  
Marcia M. Raphiri
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Item Score ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Higher Institutions ◽  
Students Satisfaction

Purpose There are several types of accommodation available to students of higher education institutions, and it is the responsibility of the institutions to focus on factors that can attract and retain students to their residences. This study aims to investigate satisfaction of higher institutions students with on-campus accommodation with an emphasis on the ethnicity of the students. Design/methodology/approach Using convenience sampling method, questionnaires were administered to students of selected residences in the study area. Mean item score was used to rank identified factors, whereas mean gap and Kruskal–Wallis K-test were adopted to examine the difference in opinion of students from various ethnic groups. Findings Overall, major features that make students dissatisfied with university-owned accommodations are enforcement of rule that compels all students to move out with their belongings during each recess, the effectiveness of the lift system, the size of wardrobe and closet, laundry service in the residence, numbers of electrical sockets and window quality. Considering dwelling unit features, neighbourhood, environmental, building quality and services provided by residence management, this study reveals that there is a significant difference in the satisfaction of students of diverse ethnic groups with their accommodation. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to on-campus residences owned by higher education institutions in South Africa. However, the findings of the study can be adopted for off-campus residences, and such owned by private individuals, agencies and other bodies provided are approved by the institutions. Originality/value The findings of this study will help management of higher education institutions to improve quality of services in their residences for the satisfaction of their students. Developers, contractors and other stakeholders involved in construction of these residences will also find the findings useful in designing and construction of the facilities.

Reporting human resources in annual reports

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Kansal ◽  
Mahesh Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Training Programmes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent of corporate disclosure on human resources (HR) in the annual reports of top performing Indian companies. Design/methodology/approach – The paper explores the extent to which top 82 companies from India present information about HR in their annual reports. This study examines the annual reports of each of the top Indian firms listed on the Bombay stock exchange, using the “content analysis” method. Statistical tests have been performed to analyse the difference between the HR disclosure score across public and private sectors and disclosure variations among various industrial sectors. Findings – In-house training programmes has been noticed to be the favourite item of disclosure followed by safety awards/certifications and statements regarding cordial relations with the employees/unions. A majority of the Indian firms have ignored significant HR issues such as employee welfare fund, maternity/paternity leaves, holiday benefits, employee loans and adopting old age homes, etc. Overall, the study reflects low HR related disclosures. No statistically significant difference has been found between the mean HR disclosure from one industry to another and disclosure practices of the private and the public sector companies. Practical implications – The disclosure pattern of the Indian companies suggests that they only a few companies are concerned about employees’ welfare than the rest. This may motivate a change of the disclosure policy of the rest of the firms who may follow the reporting pattern of the most disclosing ones. Originality/value – This is first study on the disclosure of HR by the Indian corporate sector in the CSR domain with a disclosure analysis for a period of nine years . This research provides new directions for the literature in this area and may promote comparative studies on HR-based studies from different perspectives.

Managing records and archives in a Hong Kong school: a case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric C.K. Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Record Management ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This study aims to explore the principles and practices for managing records with the lens of functional analysis and knowledge management by using a case study that focuses on the experience of implementing records management at a public high school in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach A single case study is chosen as the research method for this paper. A series of qualitative interviews and documentary analysis were used to collect and triangulate the qualitative data. Findings The results show that the case school adopted a hybrid top-down and bottom-up approach to record management, facilitate decision-making and manage knowledge. The school adopted the taxonomy provided by the quality assurance framework as the functional classification in a digital archive in the records management system. Practical implications This study provides a set of taxonomy and a hybrid top-down and bottom-up approach to schools for ensuring that accurate information of all school activities is kept and can facilitate an effective and evidence-based, decision-making process. Social implications Identifying taxonomy and management practices for effective documentation in public schools can support planning, assist with organising the continuity of improvement plans and increase reporting and accountability to society. Originality/value This study offers a taxonomy and management approach to the literature of records management and the practices for promoting and improving records management in school.

Is value premium sector-specific? Evidence from India

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
pp. 1605-1628
Author(s):  
Vanita Tripathi ◽  
Priti Aggarwal
Keyword(s):  
Asset Pricing ◽  
Portfolio Management ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Value Premium ◽  
Market Model ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis paper is an attempt to explore the fact that whether the literature-promised value premium has any sector orientation. The paper tests the relationship between the value premium and Indian sectors: fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), financials, healthcare, information technology (IT), manufacturing and miscellaneous.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analyses around 210–480 companies listed on BSE-500 for the period of the recent 18 years ranging from March 1999 to March 2017. The paper employed Welch's ANOVA to examine whether the price-to-book market ratio is significantly different across sectors. Two prominent asset pricing models – single factor market model and Fama–French three-factor model – were used to examine the existence of value premium within sectors for full period and two sub-periods.FindingsThe empirical results of the paper suggest that the difference in the P/B ratio both between sectors and within sectors is statistically significant. The results further suggest that the value premium exists within the sectors irrespective of their value-growth orientation.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is not free from certain limitations. Firstly, due to the non-availability of data in the public domain, the time period before 1999 could not be considered. Secondly, the study has used data pertaining to the Indian stock market only. To add to it, our study has concentrated on BSE-500 companies only; however, the future researchers can include both NSE and BSE companies.Practical implicationsThe paper has important implications for portfolio managers and retail investors following a top-down approach of investing. The portfolio manager can strategically build up the portfolios to concentrate more on the companies belonging to sectors like healthcare, manufacturing and FMCG. Investors following the top-down approach should avoid the underperforming growth stocks belonging to the growth sectors and allocate their funds to value stocks in the growth sector.Originality/valueThe paper is first of its kind to study the relationship between the value premium and Indian sectors. The paper contributes to portfolio management and asset pricing literature for an emerging market.

Exploring destination brand disengagement in a top-down policy context

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narcís Bassols ◽  
Thomas Leicht
Keyword(s):  
Place Branding ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Brand Strategy ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Study

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the case of Cartagena, Colombia, as a case of a failed destination branding. It also broadens the findings by connecting them to the extant literature about place branding, thus making this paper more explanatory. It tries to fit the fieldwork’s findings into the two main streams of branding research (bottom-up vs top-down). This paper also gives practical insights into the destination’s network of stakeholders and discusses ways to improve the destination’s management and branding. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a mixed methodology approach. Field work consisted of online questionnaire to hospitality employees in the city plus semi-structured interviews conducted with 18 “expert” stakeholders in the destination. This paper is of empirical nature. Findings The main cause of the destination’s brand failure is found to be the top-down approach to the place brand strategy. The literature shows that cases such as this one are more common than assumed, and a possible way out of the problem is the application of bottom-up or “mixed” approaches, as these may circumvent the problems found. Research limitations/implications Cases like this one illustrate very well a local context but might be difficult to transfer to other contexts, so the generalization power of this paper is limited to similar places in the sociopolitical sense of the term. Practical implications For place branding practitioners and destination management organizations , this paper is a call for participative approaches which include all of the stakeholders of a place. Originality/value This paper offers an in-depth study of a branding case in Latin America, a part of the world relatively unexplored in the branding literature. On the basis of the presented case, this paper pitches top-down versus bottom-up approaches. Finally, it explains the findings by connecting the place to its broad geographical context.

scholarly journals Bottom-up versus top-down factor investing: an alpha forecasting perspective

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Zurek ◽  
Lars Heinrich
Keyword(s):  
Interaction Effects ◽  
Informational Content ◽  
Firm Characteristics ◽  
Recent Discussion ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Factor Investing ◽  
Significant Performance ◽  
The Difference

AbstractIn a recent discussion about efficient ways to combine multiple firm characteristics into a multifactor portfolio, a distinction was made between the bottom-up and top-down approach. Both approaches integrate characteristics with equal weights and ignore interaction effects from differences in informational content and correlations between the firm characteristics. The authors complement the bottom-up approach for the missing interaction effects by implementing a linear alpha forecasting framework. Bottom-up versus top-down factor investing is typically discussed using the assumption that all characteristics are equally priced, but the pricing impact of different firm characteristics can vary tremendously. The alpha forecasting perspective provides a theoretical motivation for factor investing and helps to compare the bottom-up and top-down approach with regard to the difference of informational content and interaction effects between firm characteristics. Taking into account the difference in informational content between firm characteristics leads to significant performance improvement in factor models with a high concentration of informational content. Equally weighted characteristics result in related performance irrespective of whether the bottom-up or top-down approach is applied.

The relationship between CSR disclosure and competitive advantage

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 547-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Cheng Yu ◽  
Lopin Kuo ◽  
Mao-Feng Kao
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Signaling Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Csr Strategies ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Strategic Csr ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to apply signaling theory to examine whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure can deliver effective signals to stakeholders to increase a firm’s competitive advantage in China. Whether ownership patterns or environmental sensitivity causes a significant difference in the relationship between a firm’s CSR disclosure and competitive advantage is also examined. Design/methodology/approach Data analysis is based on a regression model. Content analysis is performed to convert qualitative CSR information of Chinese firms into quantitative data, while intellectual capital (IC) is used as a proxy variable for competitive advantage. Findings The difference in competitive advantage impairment between environmentally sensitive industries (ESIs) and non-environmentally sensitive industries (NESIs) is significant. Further comparisons on the relationship between overall CSR disclosure and competitive advantage among state-owned enterprises, privately owned enterprises, ESIs and NESIs suggest that the relationship is negative. Research limitations/implications The study extends research of strategic CSR to signaling theory and competitive advantage. In particular, a research using IC as a proxy for competitive advantage is rare. It also contributes to the literature on competitive advantage and strategic CSR by examining the effects of both CSR disclosure and IC. Originality/value This paper provides evidence related to stakeholders’ reaction to managers’ various CSR strategies in China. The contribution of this study is that it confirms that different CSR initiatives have different effects on the competitiveness of enterprises in China.

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