Welcome to the School of Management Working Papers Series. This page highlights the continuing research efforts of our faculty. You may request a copy of any working paper simply by contacting the author using the links below. Make sure to identify the working paper by name and number in your request. Note that these working papers have been submitted for publication but are still in draft form; please do not quote. The authors welcome any comments or suggestions.
Author:
Date: November 2008
No: 08-04
Title: Comparative Study of Educational Systems and the Relationship to Student Success
One of the most significant elements of American history is the role that visitors have played in defining the American experience – in particular, the educational experience. American education is a complex subject. The United States does not have a national school system. However, the government does provide, among others things, guidance and funding for educational programs. In recent years, standards have changed with regard to required course curriculum.
It is against this backdrop that the authors have decided to explore the differences between educational systems abroad, and the United States educational system – in particular, Purdue University Calumet. What is unique to the campus of Purdue University Calumet is the high number of “first generation” students. As defined by Purdue University Calumet’s Chancellor, Howard Cohen, a first generation student is, “One for whom neither parent has a college degree.” Chancellor Cohen speaks from experience, as he was a first generation student himself. According to Chancellor Cohen, the Northwest Indiana region, “depends on more college graduates to life the economy.” However, in light of that fact, only – _% of students entering Purdue Calumet matriculate.
This paper will attempt to compare and contrast the success rates of foreign students to Purdue University Calumet students. First, it will provide a conceptaul framework for distinguishing among, defining, and relating relevant factors. Second, it will identify trends and policy concerns regarding the quality of education that the target students are receiving. Third, it provides empirical evidence on various factors (parental educational background, socio-economics, academic advisor accessibility, current and future retention programs, etc.).
Author:
Date: November 2008
No: 08-03
Title: Problem Identification, Encouragement Activities and Quality Improvement – The Israeli Experience
The contribution of problem identification activities to quality improvement programs and the methods to encourage employees to report identified problems is seldom discussed in the literature of quality improvement. In addition, there are not many empirical studies of the subject. The model presented in this study enables the investigation of (a) the effect of organizational and QA system characteristics as well as quality improvement budgeting on encouragement practices for problem identification by employees, (b) the effects of encouragement activities on the intensity of problem identification activities by employees and (c) a comparison of the contribution of various sources of problem identification, namely employees, engineers, quality assurance department members and customers, to quality improvement programs. The data for this study is based on 222 questionnaires on quality improvement activities and achievements in Israel, where all the respondents were involved in quality issues of their organizations in one way or another.
This study results give insight into the mechanism of problem identification activities, the effects of the various factors that activate the processes at the work place and the relative contribution of the various sources of problem identification to quality improvement programs.
Author: Michael L. Mick
Date: November 2008
No: 08-02
Title: Validating a Globalized Curriculum: Who Says You Get a Passing Grade?
Information System (IS) professionals must be prepared for employment in a globalized environment. Consequently, IS curricula must adjust to address this concern as students prepare for their careers. we need to validate that curricula meet this need. Accreditation is the means by which a program publically can be identified as meeting an agreed upon standard for excellence. The two major accrediting bodies for IS/CIS/MIS programs are ABET and AACSB. These bodies are addressing the need for programs to be globally aware, albeit as a work in progress, where the two bodies are at difference places in pursuing this common goal.
Author: Naser Khaledi
Date: April 2008
No: 08-01
Title: Institutional Holdings Effect on Firm’s Market Value
This paper examines whether Institutional Holdings (IH) have incremental effect on firm’s value. To test this relationship, Ohlson (1995) model is used to test the association between IH and firm’s market value while controlling for book value and earnings of the firm. The sample consists of financial data from Compustat and IH data from CD Compact Disclosure for the years 2000-2002. This study employs multiple regression model methodology to test whether participlants in the stock market value the presence of IH in the firm. This study reports that IH have a positive significant relationship with the market value of the firm. This implies that investors pay a premium for IH presence. This paper contributes to the literature by testing the incremental information content of IH on firm’s market value allowing investors to integrate these findings in their decision making.
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