The use of information management towards strategic decision effectiveness in higher education institutions in the context of Bahrain

Purpose Strategic decision importance has rarely been investigated as a decision-specific characteristic in the strategic decision-making process (SDMP) literature taking into consideration information management while taking important strategic decisions. Here, the ability of decision importance to predict decision effectiveness as an outcome of SDMPs in higher education institutions (HEIs) is examined in the context of Bahrain. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model is developed relating decision importance to decision effectiveness indirectly via the SDMP characteristics intuition, rationality and decentralization. Data from a cross-sectional questionnaire completed by leaders of HEIs and academics involved in strategic decision-making in Bahrain are used to test the model and hypotheses via correlation analysis. The paper also considers a literature review of the use of information management while taking a strategic decision. Findings Decision importance is shown to positively influence decision effectiveness in Bahraini HEIs mediated by rationality and by decentralization in decision-making, although negative effects of decentralization are also demonstrated. However, decision importance does not influence decision effectiveness mediated by intuition. Research limitations/implications Due to the small sample size, the results cannot be generalized to contexts beyond HEIs in Bahrain. Additional SDMP characteristics of significance in the context of HEIs could be future investigated, for instance, political behaviour and lateral communication, are not included in the model. Future research exploring the latter two aspects could provide deeper insight into the findings. Practical implications The findings of this paper could be considered by HEIs senior management and members of the governing body while strategic decision-making, which could be at different levels, including strategic planning or assessing a strategic decision in terms of effectiveness. This paper will also provide insight one the use of information while considering strategic decision-making. Social implications A model leading for effective strategic decision-making could be used by leaders of HEIs and regulators including licensing bodies and QA agencies to set standards for HEIs for sustainable performance and quality education in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Initiative. Strategic decision-making will have an impact on the overall performance of HEIs and serve all relevant stakeholder’s including parents, students, employers and industry. Originality/value Little research conducted in relation to strategic decision-making in the Gulf Cooperation Council therefore, this research will add original findings and the outcome of this study will lead to future research related to SDMP and the use of information management in the overall strategic decision-making.

Effects of Situational Factors on Team Planning

Although there has long been consensus in team research that planning generally has a positive impact on performance, very little is known about how input factors (e. g., situational factors) affect the planning behavior of teams. In addition, the various dimensions of planning remain largely unexplored. In this study, we examine the effects of time pressure, task routine, and decision importance on team planning. We suggest that planning consists of four dimensions: exploration, strategic planning, detailed planning, and prognosis. In two policy-capturing studies, undergraduates and employees were presented with a series of hypothetical scenarios and asked to indicate in each case how they might plan for these if working as part of a team. Results from our Bayesian multilevel analyses revealed that teams overall used less planning when they were under acute time pressure, when tasks were very routine, and when the decisions involved were of little importance.

Internal auditors’ reputation and managers’ reliance decision

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how internal auditors’ performance reputation for auditing and assurance engagements affects corporate managers’ reliance on their consulting recommendations. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment in which 103 MBA students were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. This paper uses analysis of covariance to analyze the data. Findings The results show that internal auditors’ reputation for performing assurance engagements positively influences managers’ reliance on their consulting recommendations. In addition, managers’ compensation structure affects their perceptions of the importance of the decision, and the perceived decision importance in turn partially moderates the effect of internal auditors’ performance reputation on managers’ reliance decision. Research limitations/implications This paper advances the understanding of the consulting function of the internal audit function (IAF) and provides evidence on how internal auditors’ performance in one field (assurance) affects management’s perception of their performance in the other field (consulting). Practical implications The findings of this paper should be particularly interesting to the parties that are responsible for training internal auditors by highlighting the importance of strengthening internal auditors’ capability of performing consulting service with respect to business operation. Originality/value This study is one of the few studies that examine how internal auditors’ consulting recommendations affect managerial decisions in an operational setting. The findings of the interdependence between the assurance and consulting components of the IAF advance the growing research stream of internal audit and its impact on management decision-making.

Financing Decision and Productivity Growth for the Venture Capital Industry in Taiwan

This paper attempts to characterize the production technology of venture capital (VC) firms in Taiwan, whilst taking into account the simultaneity problem that arises from the correlation between inputs and unobserved productivity. The estimates of scale economies from OLS are found to be much higher than those obtained from our preferred approach. The paper also explores how the capital structure of those firms was adjusted to increase their productivity when faced with the institutional change that occurred in the VC markets of Taiwan and what we can learn from this. There is evidence that financing mix was irrelevant to firms' productivity growth when tax incentives were issued by the government to stimulate equity financing, whereas they were able to benefit from increased financial leverage after these tax incentives were discontinued, which suggests that the effect of the policy termination was stronger than its initiation, in terms of productivity. Firms that chose to invest in the internet and bio-related industries emerged as placing higher financing decision importance on productivity growth than those with other investment preferences, thus implying that the financing decision for those firms investing in these sectors is much more critical in determining the growth of the firm.

PREDICTING CONTRACEPTIVE USE FROM AN EGALITARIAN MODEL OF WOMEN'S OVERALL HOUSEHOLD POWER VIS-À-VIS CONVENTIONAL POWER MODELS AND THIRD VARIABLES

SummaryResearch on gender power in contraceptive use has focused on whether women have an active role in household decision-making (the participation model) or on the extent of their control of domestic decisions (the control model); it has also addressed the joint effects of power, age, education and work. Findings published in this journal (Woldemicael, 2009) suggest a third power model according to which wives make joint decisions with their husbands on important domestic areas and autonomous decisions on secondary matters (the egalitarian model). In analyses of Demographic and Health Survey data sets from 46 countries, the egalitarian model explained contraceptive use better than the control and participation models in 19 out of 20 countries outside sub-Saharan Africa; its superiority was less overwhelming in this sub-continent. Power effects on contraceptive use that depend on women's education, age and work for cash are larger in sub-Saharan Africa than in other world regions, whereas independent power effects differ little regionally, suggesting the action of a personality factor. Situational specification of decision importance and direct measurement of women's assertiveness are needed to improve the explanation of contraceptive behaviour.