An Empirical Analysis of Productivity Developments in "Traditional Banks" : The Initial Post-Liberalization Experience

By utilizing a non-parametric Malmquist index approach, we investigate the initial changes in the productivity and efficiency of the “traditional” Turkish banks in an era of financial liberalization (1980-1990). We hypothesize that the new liberal environment along with heightened competition from new banks coming from internal and external markets will discipline the traditional banks that are coming from the pre-liberalization period in resource management to economize their production inputs and/or in looking for new ways to expand their financial outputs, resulting in higher productivity and efficiency in these banks. Consistent with the expectations, we found that there is a significant upward trend in the productivity and efficiency of the traditional Turkish banks over the period under study. On the other hand, the results also indicate that the production technology of these banks has not advanced as expected. It appears that productivity growth in traditional Turkish banks mainly stems from the efforts of inefficient banks to catch up with the leading banks (efficiency increase) rather than the expansion of production frontier by the leading banks (technological progress).Traditional Banks, Productivity, Efficiency, Liberalization, Malmquist Index

Finding the connection between Game-Design and Problem-Solving: Game-Design and Learning Programs

Presented at Interdisciplinary Stem Teaching & Learning Conference In today‟s complex and fast-evolving world problem solving is an important skill to possess. For young children to be successful at their future careers they need to have the skill and the will to solve complex problems that are beyond the well-defined problems that they learn to solve at schools. One promising approach to teach complex problem solving skills is using visual programming and game design software. Theoretically and anecdotally, extant research enlightened us about the cognitive and motivational potential of these software. Due to lack of empirical evidence, however, we are far from knowing if these claims are warranted. In this quasi-experimental study, the cognitive (i.e., problem solving) and motivational (i.e., interest and value) impacts of participating at the Game Design and Learning Courses (GDL) on middle school children (n = 49), who designed games following a curriculum based on problem solving skills, were investigated. Compared to students in a control group (n =24), the results showed that students who attended the GDL courses showed significant gains in general and specific (i.e., system analysis and design, decision-making, troubleshooting) problem solving skills, (Wilks‟s Λ = .64), F (4, 68) = 9.564, p\u3c.001. In this presentation, I report empirical outcomes, as well as detailed accounts of the design process for the GDL curriculum. Finally, I discuss implications of the GDL intervention for practice and theory

Balancing Innovation and Resilience in International Business

Proceedings of the 8th International Business Conference of the Wuerzburg International Business Forum (WIBF). The world of international business faces unprecedented challenges and demands. To achieve sustainable growth, companies must both innovate—through new products, processes, markets, or business models—and build resilience against ever more frequent disruptions. Balancing these competing priorities has become a critical aspect of modern business strategy, reflecting the classic dilemma of organizational ambidexterity: The simultaneous need to explore new opportunities while exploiting existing strengths

International Business with New Challenges and Entrepreneurial Opportunities

Conference Proceedings of the 6th Interational Business Conference, THWS-Würzburg International Business Foru

Finding the connection between Game-Design and Problem-Solving: Game-Design and Learning Programs

In today‟s complex and fast-evolving world problem solving is an important skill to possess. For young children to be successful at their future careers they need to have the skill and the will to solve complex problems that are beyond the well-defined problems that they learn to solve at schools. One promising approach to teach complex problem solving skills is using visual programming and game design software. Theoretically and anecdotally, extant research enlightened us about the cognitive and motivational potential of these software. Due to lack of empirical evidence, however, we are far from knowing if these claims are warranted. In this quasi-experimental study, the cognitive (i.e., problem solving) and motivational (i.e., interest and value) impacts of participating at the Game Design and Learning Courses (GDL) on middle school children (n = 49), who designed games following a curriculum based on problem solving skills, were investigated. Compared to students in a control group (n =24), the results showed that students who attended the GDL courses showed significant gains in general and specific (i.e., system analysis and design, decision-making, troubleshooting) problem solving skills, (Wilks‟s Λ = .64), F (4, 68) = 9.564, p\u3c.001. In this presentation, I report empirical outcomes, as well as detailed accounts of the design process for the GDL curriculum. Finally, I discuss implications of the GDL intervention for practice and theory

Social Entrepreneurship for Innovation, Value Creation and Economic Growth

Conference Proceedings of the Würzburg International Business Forum´s 7th International Business Conference 2024. Held at Dogus University in Istanbul / Turkiye. Topic of the Conference: Social Entrepreneurship for Innovation, Value Creation and Economic Growt

Designing a computer-based simulation of classroom observation experience for school leaders: A pilot study

The role of school leaders in the school improvement process cannot be overemphasized. School leaders are expected to guide teachers in implementing effective instructional strategies and enhancing student learning. Among many other tasks, conducting effective classroom observations is of paramount importance. Given its benefits, classroom observations are mandated in many educational systems and have been studied by researchers for many years. In the study, we discuss the design of a web-based simulation (LeadWise) to get school leaders to practice instructional leadership skills. We present the design process and feedback from the school leaders that will be used to inform future versions of this work

Supporting Metacognitive Awareness and Strategy Use Through Digital Photography in a Rural Title I School

The Photography and Media Literacy Project (PMLP) was an after-school program designed to teach fourth and fifth grade children about the science and art of photography in a Title I school in rural southeast Georgia. Through the completion of a problem-based applied project, we endeavored to further enhance and develop students’ media literacy, critical thinking, and metacognitive skills. The project involved having students consider some aspect of their environment (i.e., a problem from the natural, physical, school or social environment) and develop a media presentation about the topic (e.g., a movie), which included images that they took (with iPods that we provided), as well as a narrative that described their observation, research, argument and/or experience. Through the use of technology and various other media, our purpose was to help these young learners improve their metacognitive planning and monitoring skills, as well as their problem-solving and reasoning ability, all foundational skills critical for success in high stakes assessments such as Georgia Milestone Assessment. Although no significant differences were found in pre-posttest assessments, we believe that with minor modifications, this type of program shows promise in its potential for boosting participants’ metacognitive functioning and other skills related to critical evaluation of information, which have been found to enhance learning outcomes

El auge del gusto conservador convencional: Clase, consumo y política en Turquía

In this paper, we aim to use Bourdieusian concepts to understand the rise of conservative/Islamic taste in the context of Turkey's recent political transformations. To do so, we first focus on the historical roots of the strong connection between politics and consumption in Turkey by addressing the impacts of recent transformation of political conservatism on conservative taste. Second, we describe the current form of the conservative middlebrow taste as the choice of elegant and religiously proper through the content analysis of three conservative fashion magazines. Lastly, drawing on a field research conducted in Ankara, we present concrete examples of how conservative taste is embodied and used to perform class distinction within and beyond the conservative fractions