The purchasing of naming rights for sports stadiums : a harbinger of bad corporate governance or just bad timing?

The literature on corporate governance and the market’s delayed reaction to news events proliferated over the last two decades. This paper examines return patterns surrounding the event date for firms purchasing naming rights for North American sports stadiums. One argument appearing in the financial press is that such acquisitions are a harbinger of widespread corporate mismanagement and hubris at the highest levels of corporate governance. Purchases of stadium naming rights provide sidebenefits to executives such as “being in the limelight” and the use of supplementary corporate boxes. Thus, management has a strong incentive to undertake such investments even if their decision is not value enhancing to shareholders. The extent to which these agreements are associated with negative risk-adjusted returns is an empirical question, which this study addresses. On average, negative riskadjusted returns are observed over the three years following the event date, and these results are significant at standard levels of significance. The efficient market hypothesis suggests that these results are not due to a cause and effect relationship but represent data snooping or just bad timing.

Investigation of the interaction between risk types in the outsourcing of the information technology function

Describes a new theory of behaviour of risks in an information technology (IT) outsourcing exercise. A framework developed during the study allows practioners and managers to allay anxieties about managing uncertainty from risks that manifest when multiple parties interact over long periods of time in this environment.

Management framework for corporate telecommunication and data centre information security

Network security, particularly Internet security, is at the forefront of business and government networks. This research has discovered weaknesses in current professional practice, particularly in mitigation strategies to reduce the impacts of security violations in corporate telecommunications and data centres. The importance of integrating security policies, processes and operational practice is demonstrated. Leadership models and innovation mechanisms best suited to improved security design are also identified.

Contracting-agency analysis of the association between firm risk, investment opportunity set, corporate governance and firm performance

Tests the efficiency of corporate controls (board monitoring and incentive contracts) for growth or risk firms. By exploring the implications of controls and studying their interactive effects on firm performance, this study demonstrates how and why different firms use corporate governance controls to align managers' and shareholders' interests.

An empirical investigation of hybrid corporate governance systems in large firms : evidence from India

The heightened pace of corporate governance reforms has focussed attention on countryspecific governance models. In relation to India, scholars have observed that a hybrid of the outsider Anglo-Saxon system and the insider Continental system is likely. This paper reports
the results of a study that investigated the corporate governance system of five large firms in 2008. It presents evidence based on publicly available documents and twelve key executive interviews. The paper initially presents a literature review and establishes six propositions
based on the distinguishing features of the two major systems, and then presents the methodology, findings and discussion. The governance characteristics of the Indian firms are classified in terms of the two systems with a view to assessing the extent and nature of hybridization. The findings endorse the hybrid corporate governance system in India.
However, the scope of this study was limited to large listed companies and business groups. Future research should use a larger and more diverse sample including private and unaffiliated firms for outcomes that can be generalized.

Media pressures and corporate disclosure of social responsibility performance information : a study of two global clothing and sports retail companies

This paper investigates the social and environmental disclosure practices of two large multinational companies, specifically Nike and Hennés & Mauritz. Utilising a joint consideration of legitimacy theory and media agenda setting theory, we investigate the linkage between negative media attention, and positive corporate social and environmental disclosures. Our results generally support a view that for those industry-related social and environmental issues attracting the greatest amount of negative media attention, these corporations react by providing positive social and environmental disclosures. The results were particularly significant in relation to labour practices in developing countries - the issue attracting the greatest amount of negative media attention for the companies in question.

An empirical investigation of hybrid corporate governance systems in large firms: Evidence from India

The heightened pace of corporate governance reforms has focused attention on country-specific
governance models. Considerable debate has ensured as to whether the outsider Anglo-Saxon system
or the insider Continental system is most applicable to India. This paper reports the results of a study
of Indian governance which used a primary qualitative approach of twelve interviews of key executives
of five large firms in 2008 as well as publicly available documents. A literature review establishes six
key characteristics that distinguish the two major systems. The governance characteristics of the
Indian firms are classified in terms of the two systems with a view to assessing the extent and nature of
hybridization. The findings endorse the hybrid corporate governance system of India, clearly
identifying similarities and differences to the two major governance models. In drawing on rich
interview data, the paper delves into the national characteristics of India that have influenced the
hybrid model such as stewardship, corporate social responsibility and partnerships between the
corporate and community sectors. The evolution of the governance practices and the rationale for their
existence are also examined. The paper demonstrates that the hybrid governance system has emanated
from country-specific culture including values and ideologies, and political orientation of socialism.
The scope of this study was limited to large listed companies and business groups. Future research
should use a larger and more diverse sample including private and unaffiliated firms for outcomes that
can be generalized.

The continued underrepresentation of girls in post-compulsory information technology courses : a direct challenge to teacher education

The participation rates of girls in post-compulsory information technology courses of Australian universities and high schools have remained low (less than 30%), despite three decades of research and analysis. In seeking to better understand this phenomenon, this paper draws upon data collected during an Australian Research Council Linkage project to investigate first, the reasons that teachers and students in contemporary Australian high schools put forward to account for girls' underrepresentation; second, the assumptions about gender that underpin these explanations; and third, the extent to which teachers appear able to respond to the full range of factors shaping girls' decision making. The paper argues that attempts to improve girls' participation rates might continue to falter unless teacher education programs explicitly prepare teachers to conceptualise educational reforms based on understandings of post-structural perspectives on gender; perspectives that challenge the more common explanations for girls' behaviour associated with both essentialist and socialisation mindsets.

Conceptual framework for earnings management and corporate governance research

This study investigates the theoretical framework for earnings management and corporate governance research along with a focused review of relevant previous research that has investigated the effects of a variety of corporate governance factors and earnings management. Research background has been categorised using Australian corporate governance principles and recommendations issued in August 2007.

Contexts of relevance in explanatory case studies in information systems : ubiquitous information technology implementation in organizations

Case studies of the organizational implementation of traditional business computing have often emphasized the importance of context in research design and data analysis. The emergence of computing phenomena that pervade different contexts within and even beyond the organizational boundary suggests the need to disaggregate the notion of context to allow for finer levels of contextual analysis. Indeed we demonstrate that a failure to consider interdependent levels of context in organizational case studies of computing technologies that even approach ubiquity runs the risk of partial and even incorrect conclusions being drawn. We illustrate this argument by means of two explanatory case studies of intranet and mobile technology implementation in organizations. Based on the extant literature on context in case study design and examples drawn from the cases, we propose a range of interconnected and interrelated contexts to consider in the research design of explanatory cases of ubiquitous technology implementation in organizations.