Fool's Gold? The Value of Business Awards to Small Businesses

This study explores the value and impact that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) derive from winning business awards. Value and impact are explored in terms of enhanced profitability and performance, network development, enterprise profile and brand identity. This study employs a case study methodology with 10 SMEs drawn from a major business awards competition. Key staff were interviewed in these SMEs to explore the impact of winning the business award on the internal and external business environments. Additional organizational documentation and evidence were also collected from each SME. The results indicate both short-term and long-term impacts. In the short term, enterprises benefited in terms of enhanced brand identity in their business network and community. This resulted in enhanced sales revenue and enterprise profile. Moreover, internally, winning an award acted as a motivator for enterprise employees, enhancing their productivity and attitudes towards the business. In the longer term, these factors became less apparent, but the majority of respondents continued to exploit their business award for ongoing strategic advantage.

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Capital Structure and Firm Performance: Evidence from Malaysian Public Listed Plantation Companies

UNIMAS Review of Accounting and Finance ◽

10.33736/uraf.3536.2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 123-142

Author(s):

Kim Foong Jee ◽

Jia En Joanne Ngui ◽

Pei Pei Jessica Poh ◽

Wai Loon Chan ◽

Yet Siang Wong

Keyword(s):

Firm Performance ◽

Capital Structure ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Firm Growth ◽

Control Variable ◽

Short Term ◽

Total Debt ◽

And Performance ◽

The Impact

This paper examines the relationship between capital structure and performance of firms. The study is confined to plantation sector companies in Malaysia and is based on a sample of 39 firms which listed in Bursa Malaysia for the period from 2009 to 2019. This study uses two performance measures which are ROA and ROE as the dependent variable. Besides, the capital structure measures are the short-term debt, long-term debt, total debt and firm growth, which as the independent variables. Size will be the control variable in this study. Moreover, a fixed-effect panel regression analysis has been used to analyse the impact of capital structure on firm performance. The results indicate that firm performance, which is in term of ROA, have an insignificant relationship with short-term debt (STD) and long-term debt (LTD). For the total debt (TD) and growth, there is a significant relationship with ROA. However, for the performance measured by ROE, it has an insignificant relationship with short-term debt (STD), long-term debt (LTD) and total debt (TD). Furthermore, there is a significant relationship between the growth and the performance firms from plantation sector in Malaysia.

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Repetitive simulation is an effective instructional design within a pediatric resident simulation curriculum

BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning ◽

10.1136/bmjstel-2017-000282 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 179-183

Author(s):

Selin Tuysuzoglu Sagalowsky ◽

Kimball A Prentiss ◽

Robert J Vinci

Keyword(s):

Instructional Design ◽

Intraclass Correlation ◽

High Fidelity ◽

High Fidelity Simulation ◽

Pediatric Resident ◽

Short Term ◽

Simulation Scenario ◽

And Performance ◽

The Impact

IntroductionRepetitive paediatric simulation (scenario-debrief-scenario; RPS) is an instructional design that allows immediate application of learner-directed feedback, in contrast to standard simulation (scenario-debrief; STN). Our aim was to examine the impact of RPS embedded within a paediatric resident simulation curriculum, comparing it to STN.MethodsIn this prospective educational cohort study, paediatric residents were enrolled in STN (n=18) or RPS (n=15) groups from August 2012 through June 2013. Each group performed an initial high-fidelity simulation and another after 1–2 weeks. Attitudes, confidence and knowledge were assessed using anonymous surveys with each scenario and at 4–6 months. Skills were assessed in real time with a modified Tool for Resuscitation Assessment Using Computerised Simulation (TRACS). Two blinded reviewers assessed a subset of videotaped scenarios for TRACS inter-rater reliability.ResultsBoth STN and RPS designs were rated highly. The curriculum led to significant short-term and long-term improvements in confidence, knowledge and performance, with no significant differences between groups. All final respondents reported that they would prefer RPS to STN (n=6 STN, 4 RPS). TRACS intraclass correlation was 0.87 among all reviewers.ConclusionsPaediatric residents reported preference for RPS over STN, with comparable impacts on confidence, knowledge and performance. The modified TRACS was a reliable tool to assess individual resident performance. Further research is needed to determine whether RPS is a more effective instructional design for teaching resuscitation skills to paediatric residents.

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Effects of Self-Talk Training on Competitive Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, Volitional Skills, and Performance: An Intervention Study with Junior Sub-Elite Athletes

Sports ◽

10.3390/sports7060148 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

pp. 148 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Nadja Walter ◽

Lucie Nikoleizig ◽

Dorothee Alfermann

Keyword(s):

Self Efficacy ◽

Elite Athletes ◽

Control Group ◽

Short Term ◽

Competitive Anxiety ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Self Talk ◽

And Performance ◽

The Impact

(1) Background: Self-talk (ST) is used to influence athletes’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Samples of squad and competitive athletes are underrepresented, although research has proven the positive effects of ST in the context of sports. Thus, the present study focused on the impact of ST on psychological and performance outcomes of junior sub-elite athletes. (2) Methods: N = 117 athletes (55 females, 62 males; M = 16.0 years) were randomly assigned to either one of two experimental groups or to a control group (n = 30). The experimental groups received an ST intervention for either one week (n = 36) or eight weeks (n = 38), and the control group received no ST training. The dependent variables (competitive anxiety, volitional skills, self-efficacy, and coaches’ performance ratings) were assessed three times before and after the intervention. It was expected that (a) an ST intervention would reduce the competitive anxiety and increase volitional skills, self-efficacy, and performance; and, (b) long-term training would lead to higher effects than short-term training. (3) Results: As expected, ST training led to (less) somatic state anxiety and (higher) state self-confidence, self-optimization, self-efficacy, and performance. Additionally, long-term training was more effective than short-term training. (4) Conclusions: Targeted ST interventions may help to improve junior athletes’ psychological states and performance.

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From strategic human resources to organization performance

Investigação e Intervenção em Recursos Humanos ◽

10.26537/iirh.v0i2.1943 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Ana Rita Damas Oliveira ◽

Paulo Alexandre Guedes Lopes Henriques ◽

Teresa Cristina Clímaco Monteiro de Oliveira

Keyword(s):

Human Resources ◽

Business Strategy ◽

Organization Performance ◽

Case Study Methodology ◽

Strategic Human Resources ◽

The People ◽

Sustainable Advantage ◽

Strategy Alignment ◽

And Performance ◽

The Impact

Much has been written about the link between HR and performance, however consensus has yet not been found concerning the understanding on how that relationship comes together. Empirically, no direct impact has been found and research has only suggested an indirect impact. Consequently, the Strategic HRM field is particularly interested on the understanding of the mediating variables that impact the organization performance. Besides the integrated and business strategy alignment of the HR function, it should be considered that it is the people (HR) of the organization and not their practices that determine the company´s competitive advantage. (Messersmith & Guthrie, 2010) argue that it is the impact of those practices that represent “the true resource and enable a sustainable advantage over industry rivals”. The objetive of this research proposal is to study the impact of strategic human resources practices on the organization performance through a case study methodology, supported by longitudinal data. Namely, the project aims to achieve a deeper understanding of the variables that affect the process stream during strategy implementation. How the HR practices impact on people? And why human resources are the most valuable asset? These core premises are in line with the most recent economic concerns about people productivity, employment policies and labor flexibility.

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SUMBER-SUMBER RESILIENSI PADA REMAJA AKHIR YANG MENGALAMI KEKERASAN DARI ORANGTUA PADA MASA KANAK-KANAK

Psibernetika ◽

10.30813/psibernetika.v11i1.1161 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Devina Calista ◽

Garvin Garvin

Keyword(s):

Late Adolescents ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Short Term ◽

Parental Affection ◽

Resilience Factors ◽

Childhood Violence ◽

Past Experiences ◽

The Impact ◽

Depth Interviews

Child abuse by parents is common in households. The impact of violence on children will bring short-term effects and long-term effects that can be attributed to their various emotional, behavioral and social problems in the future; especially in late adolescence that will enter adulthood. Resilience factors increase the likelihood that adolescents who are victims of childhood violence recover from their past experiences, become more powerful individuals and have a better life. The purpose of this study was to determine the source of resilience in late adolescents who experienced violence from parents in their childhood. This research uses qualitative research methods with in-depth interviews as a method of data collection. The result shows that the three research participants have the aspects of "I Have", "I Am", and "I Can"; a participant has "I Can" aspects as a source of resilience, and one other subject has no source of resilience. The study concluded that parental affection and acceptance of the past experience have role to the three sources of resilience (I Have, I Am, and I Can) Keyword : Resilience, adolescence, violence, parents

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A Profile of Wine Tourism Entrepreneurs: Study in Portugal

Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship ◽

10.2174/2213809906666190327105553 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 25-39

Author(s):

Adriana Backx Noronha Viana ◽

Luísa Cagica Carvalho ◽

Inna Sousa Paiva

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Data ◽

Qualitative Case Study ◽

Innovation Capability ◽

Critical Perspective ◽

Case Study Methodology ◽

Wine Tourism ◽

Learning Capacity ◽

Study Methodology

Background: Wine tourism is one of the tourism components adopted as part of Portugal’s strategy due to its eminence as a wine producer. Such strategy has received great prominence in recent years and aims to promote regional development from an economic, social, cultural and environmental perspective. The aim of this study was to understand the entrepreneur profile in this sector. Methods: The study uses a qualitative, case study methodology with data analysis and triangulation. In this study, a literature review of scientific studies was carried out on the scientific knowledge in the area of study from a critical perspective and an interview was conducted where qualitative data were collected. Results and Discussion: The entrepreneurs have shown the following characteristics: initiative, innovation capability, optimism, creativity, creative energy, tenacity, selfconfidence, capability for long term involvement with the project, and learning capacity. Conclusion: The study shows that most entrepreneurs state that they have established partnerships with other companies, particularly with restaurants, catering businesses, hotel units, tourism companies and companies that organize tours. This is one of the factors of economic importance recognized by another study which enables increased prominence of the company and widens the value of wine tourism.

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Forecasting Revenue Impacts from COVID-19: The Case of Florida Municipalities

State and Local Government Review ◽

10.1177/0160323x211012056 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 0160323X2110120

Author(s):

Hai (David) Guo ◽

Can Chen

Keyword(s):

Local Government ◽

Short Term ◽

Fiscal Planning ◽

Revenue Structure ◽

Municipal Managers ◽

The Impact

Early in the pandemic, Florida municipal managers indicated that forecasting the impact on local revenues was one of their top priorities in responding to the pandemic, yet such a tool has not been widely available. This study offers simple and straightforward fiscal planning guides for assessing the short-term and long-term impacts of the COVID 19 recession on local government revenues by estimating the revenue declines among 411 Florida municipalities from FY 2021 to FY 2023. The forecast results predict revenues will be reduced by $5.11 billion from 2019 pre-pandemic levels for Florida cities in fiscal years 2021 through 2023. The decline is forecast to be 3.54 percent in FY 2021, 4.02 percent in FY 2022, and 3.29 percent in FY 2023. The revenue structure matters for estimating the revenue decline.

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Paleolithic Diet—Effect on the Health Status and Performance of Athletes?

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13031019 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1019

Author(s):

Barbara Frączek ◽

Aleksandra Pięta ◽

Adrian Burda ◽

Paulina Mazur-Kurach ◽

Florentyna Tyrała

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Body Mass ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Model Assessment ◽

Paleolithic Diet ◽

Short Term ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Short And Long Term ◽

The Impact

The aim of this meta-analysis was to review the impact of a Paleolithic diet (PD) on selected health indicators (body composition, lipid profile, blood pressure, and carbohydrate metabolism) in the short and long term of nutrition intervention in healthy and unhealthy adults. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of 21 full-text original human studies was conducted. Both the PD and a variety of healthy diets (control diets (CDs)) caused reduction in anthropometric parameters, both in the short and long term. For many indicators, such as weight (body mass (BM)), body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC), impact was stronger and especially found in the short term. All diets caused a decrease in total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG), albeit the impact of PD was stronger. Among long-term studies, only PD cased a decline in TC and LDL-C. Impact on blood pressure was observed mainly in the short term. PD caused a decrease in fasting plasma (fP) glucose, fP insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in the short run, contrary to CD. In the long term, only PD caused a decrease in fP glucose and fP insulin. Lower positive impact of PD on performance was observed in the group without exercise. Positive effects of the PD on health and the lack of experiments among professional athletes require longer-term interventions to determine the effect of the Paleo diet on athletic performance.

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Methods to Reduce Traffic Speed in High-Pedestrian Rural Areas

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.3141/1828-04 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 1828 (1) ◽

pp. 31-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ali Kamyab ◽

Steve Andrle ◽

Dennis Kroeger ◽

David S. Heyer

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Speed Limit ◽

Single Word ◽

Short Term ◽

Speed Reduction ◽

Traffic Calming ◽

Reduction Strategies ◽

Long Term Impact ◽

The Impact

Many Minnesota counties are faced with the problem of high vehicle speeds through towns or resort areas that have significant pedestrian traffic. The impact of speed reduction strategies in high-pedestrian areas in rural counties of Minnesota was investigated. Speed data were collected at two selected study sites under their existing conditions ("no-treatment" or "before" condition) and after the proposed speed reduction strategies were installed. Second "after" data conditions were collected to study the short-term and long-term impact of the implemented strategies. The traffic-calming techniques employed at the Twin Lakes site consisted of removable pedestrian islands and pedestrian crossing signs. A dynamic variable message sign that sent a single-word message ("Slow") to motorists traveling over the speed limit was installed at the Bemidji site. The research study shows that the traffic-calming strategy deployed in Twin Lakes was effective in significantly reducing the mean speed and improving speed limit compliance in both the short term and long term. Despite proven effectiveness, the deployed speed reduction treatment in Bemidji Lake failed to lower the speed at the study site. The single-word message on the sign and the location of the sign, as well as a lack of initial enforcement, were the primary reasons for such failure.

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Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on protected area management and conservation outcomes in Mexico

10.32942/osf.io/vcs6r ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kathryn Powlen ◽

Kelly W. Jones ◽

Elva Ivonne Bustamante Moreno ◽

Maira Abigail Ortíz Cordero ◽

Jennifer N. Solomon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Management Support ◽

Short Term ◽

Group Data ◽

Management Capacity ◽

Focus Group Data ◽

Technical Capacity ◽

The Impact ◽

Relief Efforts ◽

Management And Conservation

Protected areas (PAs) are under immense pressure to safeguard much of the world’s remaining biodiversity and can be strained by unpredicted events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the extent of the pandemic on PA inputs, mechanisms, and conservation outcomes is critical for recovery and future planning to buffer against these types of events. We use survey and focus group data to quantify the impact of the pandemic on Mexico’s PA network and outline the pathways that led to conservation outcomes. On average, across 62 PAs, we find substantial changes in management capacity, monitoring, and tourism, and a slight increase in non-compliant activities. Our findings highlight the need to increase short-term relief efforts and long-term livelihood diversification initiatives for communities dependent on tourism, who were most vulnerable during the pandemic. Increased management support, including technical capacity and financial resources, could also better sustain management activities in future shocks.

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