Buyer Satisfaction with Residential Brokerage Services

This study employs ordered probit to estimate a model of buyer satisfaction with real estate brokerage services. The model provides evidence that: (1) satisfaction falls with length of search; (2) satisfaction is lower for married homebuyers; (3) satisfaction falls when the buyer experiences difficulty with housing finance; and (4) buyer satisfaction is increased when the broker fully discloses the requirements of the fair housing law.

Estimating Sales for Retail Centers: An Application of the Poisson Gravity Model

The projection of total retail sales for a shopping center development is of critical importance in its valuation, in the making of investment decisions by investors, and to the retail merchants who must make location decisions. In this study, we apply the Poisson Gravity Model to forecast the number of shopping trips attracted to each of the major retail centers in the Atlanta metropolitan area. In the second stage, the estimated total retail sales for all the shopping centers covered in the study, are allocated to the individual centers, based on their estimated shopping trip shares.

An accounting educated CEO’s relationship with earnings management and accounting conservatism, and the moderating role of executive compensation / Yvonne Joseph Ason

This study focuses on the area of corporate governance, particularly looking at the relationship between CEO with accounting background towards earnings management and accounting conservatism. Motivated by the unexplained trend of companies in the developed countries to hire individuals with accounting background to hold a post as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) after the introduction of the Sarbanes Oxley Act in 2002, this study attempts to examine empirically the effectiveness of the CEOs with accounting backgrounds in curbing the earnings management activities. This study also examines the accounting conservatism of CEOs with accounting backgrounds based on the findings from prior studies which suggested that CEOs with accounting backgrounds possess a higher level of accounting conservatism. Furthermore, this study examines the moderating role of the executive compensation towards; firstly, the relationship between CEO’s accounting background and earnings management; secondly, the relationship between CEO’s accounting background and accounting conservatism. Using the data from 71 companies from the Malaysian FTSE top 100 companies that fulfilled the requirement to become the sample, this study provides evidence from the perspective of developing countries. Earnings management is represented by discretionary accruals estimated using Modified Jones (1991) model and Performance – Matching model by Kothari (2005). For the proxy of accounting conservatism, this study uses the estimation of C-Score following Basu (1997). All financial data were downloaded through the DataStream Software by Thompson One Banker, while the data for CEOs’ education backgrounds, CEOs’ demographic backgrounds, and other corporate governance variables were collected manually from the companies’ annual reports. The regression results of this study suggest that CEOs with accounting backgrounds are indeed conservative as compared to their non-accounting educated counterparts. Unfortunately, there is no evidence found on the effectiveness of CEOs with accounting background in curbing the earnings management activity, neither the role of executive compensation in influencing the relationship between CEO’s accounting background towards earnings management and accounting conservatism. The finding of this study is meaningful in a way that it highlighted the successful learning outcome at the tertiary level in producing accounting graduates that are hopeful to practice conservative accounting in an effort to provide more reliable accounting information to the wide range of users of financial information

Ownership concentration, board structure and earnings management: Malaysian evidence / Yvonne Joseph Ason

This study attempts to provide evidence as to the association between those companies having effective and ineffective internal governance mechanisms with the level of discretionary accruals. In order to achieve the objectives, the earnings management as represented by discretionary accruals have been regressed on the governance variables namely, ownership concentration and proportion of independent directors. The study is based on a sample of 961 observations of the companies that fulfilled the selection criteria from the year 2002 until the year 2005. This study employed the modified Jones model (Dechow et al., 1995) to obtain the discretionary accruals. Meanwhile, linear regression is used to examine the association between discretionary accrual and levels of effectiveness of the governance structure of the firm. The results from the regression show that there is a significant negative relationship between the dummy variable with the level of discretionary accruals. These results imply that the earnings management is higher in a company with ineffective internal governance mechanism. The present study also documents evidence that managers are highly influenced by the largest shareholder to engage in opportunistic earnings management. Therefore, the findings suggest that regulators and authorities concerned should enforce laws and regulations insisting the company maintain good internal governance mechanisms. Besides, academicians must continue to search for other corporate governance mechanisms that help to mitigate earnings management. This is important in preventing the opportunistic earnings management at its early stage before it becomes excessive and finally become a fraud. If the opportunistic earnings management can be reduced at its early stage, investors' wealth will be more well protected

To design and fabricate a portable teaching aid cabinet / Ariyuddin Ali and Taib Ason

Dalam bahagian pengenalan laporan ini, kami akan menerangkan serba sedikit tentang kandungan laporan yang membahaskan dan menjelaskan projek yang kami jalankan dan siapkan. Seperti yang diketahui, teknik pengajaran secara menyampaikan sesuatu maklumat dengan menggunakan peralatan yang bersesuaian adalah penting buat masa sekarang ini. Memang tidak dapat dinafikan, peralatan-peralatan dengan kemudahannya dapat menambahkan lagi keberkesanan semasa pembelajaran ataupun pengajaran. Di samping itu, ia dapat meringankan tugas pengajar untuk menyediakan bahan-bahan untuk tujuan pengajarannya. Salah satu alat yang kami maksudkan di sini ialah ‘ Profile Projector’. Profile Projector sering digunakan untuk memancarkan maklumat-maklumat pengajaran. Maklumat-maklumat pengajaran yang dipancarkan ke skrin(layer) adalah lebih lengkap dan sempurna lagi jika dibandingkan dengan tulisan dan lukisan tangan di atas papan hitam. Akan tetapi, masalah yang timbul di kalangan tenaga pengajar yang menggunakan Profile Projector ini ialah ketika membawa atau memindahkannya dari tempat simpanan ke bilik-bilik kuliah atau tempat pengajaran. Ini akan menjadi satu bebanan ketika membimbitnya disebabkan oleh keadaannya yang berat dan jarak yang jauh mungkin dihadapi oleh tenaga pengajar

A Genome-wide Screen Reveals that Reducing Mitochondrial DNA Polymerase Can Promote Elimination of Deleterious Mitochondrial Mutations.

A mutant mitochondrial genome arising amid the pool of mitochondrial genomes within a cell must compete with existing genomes to survive to the next generation. Even weak selective forces can bias transmission of one genome over another to affect the inheritance of mitochondrial diseases and guide the evolution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Studies in several systems suggested that purifying selection in the female germline reduces transmission of detrimental mitochondrial mutations [1-7]. In contrast, some selfish genomes can take over despite a cost to host fitness [8-13]. Within individuals, the outcome of competition is therefore influenced by multiple selective forces. The nuclear genome, which encodes most proteins within mitochondria, and all external regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics can influence the competition between mitochondrial genomes [14-18], yet little is known about how this works. Previously, we established a Drosophila line transmitting two mitochondrial genomes in a stable ratio enforced by purifying selection benefiting one genome and a selfish advantage favoring the other [8]. Here, to find nuclear genes that impact mtDNA competition, we screened heterozygous deletions tiling ∼70% of the euchromatic regions and examined their influence on this ratio. This genome-wide screen detected many nuclear modifiers of this ratio and identified one as the catalytic subunit of mtDNA polymerase gene (POLG), tam. A reduced dose of tam drove elimination of defective mitochondrial genomes. This study suggests that our approach will uncover targets for interventions that would block propagation of pathogenic mitochondrial mutations

Increasing Pesticide Use and Knowledge of the Health Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in the Environment: A Study of Three Communities in Ghana

Population growth and urbanisation are contributing to the growth of the use of pesticides in Africa. However, poor understanding of the health and environmental effects of these chemicals represents a significant risk to both human health and ecosystems. Knowledge of health effects of pesticide use and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) was assessed using 300 respondents in three communities of Ghana. The data were fitted to bivariate and multivariate ordinary least squares regression models. About 76 per cent of the respondents used pesticides while 82 per cent had no knowledge of human diseases associated with pesticide use and EDCs. At the bivariate level, individuals who used pesticides had less knowledge of health effects of EDCs and pesticide use compared to their counterparts who did not use pesticides. Urban residents had more knowledge compared to rural dwellers and this robust relationship persisted at the multivariate level. Females of all ages had more knowledge of pesticides and EDCs’ effects than their male conterparts. Formal and informal education is required to improve knowledge on appropriate chemical use

Enhancing hospital resilience: Dynamic capabilities in the digital age

Background and Purpose: Public healthcare is closely related to public welfare. With uncertain events becoming more frequent, public healthcare organizations’ ability to survive and thrive in dynamic environments has become critical. As the pillar of the system, resilient public hospitals help maintain the sustainability of healthcare services in adverse situations. Integrating digital technologies into the system becomes imperative for resilience, especially during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores the effect of digital technologies’ dynamic capability on enhancing resilience in public hospitals. It creates a framework combining dynamic capabilities theory with resilience, with innovative applications in healthcare in developing countries. Methodology: This study analysed 249 validated online questionnaires from management and staff of public hospitals in China using structural equation modelling partial least squares (SEM-PLS) to identify and assess the effect of digital technologies on public hospitals’ resilience.  Findings: This study finds a positive effect of the synergy and innovative capabilities of digital technologies on public hospital resilience, indicating that investing in digital healthcare applications is significant for enhancing the robustness, adaptability, and flexibility of hospital operations in turbulent and uncertain environments. Contributions: The finding of this study is expected to improve the management practices of digital technologies in public hospitals and help cultivate robustness, adaptability, and flexibility in public hospital operations, thereby enhancing resilience in the face of unexpected and uncertain events. This study is expected to enrich the development of healthcare resilience theories and the practice of healthcare management. Keywords: Hospital, resilience, dynamic capability theory, digital technology, SEM-PLS

Strategic Approaches to Sustainable Water Resources Management in Ghana: Insights from Senior Management of Ghana Water Company Limited.

Water is a fundamental necessity for human survival and well-being. Globally, the demand for freshwater continues to rise, while the availability of safe, potable water remains limited. Consequently, the sustainable management of water resources is of paramount importance. This study aims to examine strategic approaches to sustainable water resource management in Ghana. A qualitative, descriptive phenomenological approach was utilized to gather insights from the senior management of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in Sekondi-Takoradi. The participants, each with over two decades of experience in the water utility sector, provided in-depth perspectives. Their responses to the research questions were analyzed and presented thematically, offering a nuanced understanding of sustainable practices in water resource management. The findings reveal that Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) faces significant challenges in sustainable water resource management, primarily in operational, financial, resource, customer management, institutional, external, political, and non-revenue water (NRW) areas. These challenges are shown to have a detrimental impact on the long-term sustainability of water resources. Both internal and external environmental factors contribute to these issues, compounding the complexity of achieving sustainable management. Although GWCL has implemented short-term strategies such as performance improvement programs, dry season crisis management plans, institutional strengthening, and customer education, these measures, while beneficial, are deemed insufficient for achieving sustainable water resource management. The study, therefore, recommends the adoption of long-term strategies to ensure sustainable water resource management. Key recommendations include the implementation of comprehensive strategic planning, active protection and conservation of water bodies, the establishment of new treatment facilities, expansion of the distribution network, and investment in high-quality human resources. Additionally, fostering a positive organizational culture is essential to reinforce these initiatives, ultimately supporting GWCL in achieving a resilient and sustainable approach to water management in Ghana. Keywords: sustainable, water resource, strategic planning, management. DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/94-07 Publication date: December 31st 202