Family generation, leadership and performance : the role of outside directors in Indian family firms

This paper addresses the presence of outside directors in family firms in India examining the generation of the firm and years of operation. Aspects of corporate leadership such as family member as CEO, as well as the CEO's role in a founding family firm, are considered in relation to financial performance. The findings show that outside directors do not significantly increase firm performance of family firms demonstrating their ineffective monitoring role. Contrary to studies from developed economies, more established family businesses in India outperform founding firms. Overall the study demonstrates that corporate governance issues related to Indian family firms differ from the findings from more developed economies. This finding has implications for further governance reforms in emerging economies.

Energy-efficient management of data center resources for cloud computing : a vision, architectural elements, and open challenges

Cloud computing is offering utility-oriented IT services to users worldwide. Based on a pay-as-you-go model, it enables hosting of pervasive applications from consumer, scientific, and business domains. However, data centers hosting Cloud applications consume huge amounts of energy, contributing to high operational costs and carbon footprints to the environment. Therefore, we need Green Cloud computing solutions that can not only save energy for the environment but also reduce operational costs. This paper presents vision, challenges, and architectural elements for energy-efficient management of Cloud computing environments. We focus on the development of dynamic resource provisioning and allocation algorithms that consider the synergy between various data center infrastructures (i.e., the hardware, power units, cooling and software), and holistically work to boost data center energy efficiency and performance. In particular, this paper proposes (a) architectural principles for energy-efficient management of Clouds; (b) energy-efficient resource allocation policies and scheduling algorithms considering quality-of-service expectations, and devices power usage characteristics; and (c) a novel software technology for energy-efficient management of Clouds. We have validated our approach by conducting a set of rigorous performance evaluation study using the CloudSim toolkit. The results demonstrate that Cloud computing model has immense potential as it offers significant performance gains as regards to response time and cost saving under dynamic workload scenarios.

Effect of CHO ingestion on exercise metabolism and performance in different ambient temperatures

Two series of experiments were conducted to examine the effect of ingesting beverages with differing carbohydrate (CHO) concentrations and osmolalities on metabolism and performance during prolonged exercise in different environmental conditions. In series 1, 12 subjects performed three cycling exercise trials to fatigue at 70% ·VO_2peak in either 33°C(N = 6) (HT1) or 5°C (N = 6) (CT). Subjects ingested either a 14% CHO solution (osmolality = 390 mosmol·l^-1) (HCHO); a 7% CHO solution (330 mosmol·l^-1) (NCHO) or a placebo (90 mosmol·l^-1) (CON1). In series 2, six subjects performed the same three trials at 33°C (HT2), while ingesting either NCHO, a 4.2% CHO solution (240 mosmol·l^-1) (LCHO) or a placebo) (240 mosmol·l^-1) (CON2). Plasma glucose was higher (P < 0.05) in HCHO than NCHO, which in turn was higher (P < 0.05) than CON1 in both CT and HT1. Plasma glucose was lower (P < 0.05) in CON2 compared with NCHO and LCHO in HT2. The fall in plasma volume was greater(P < 0.05) in HCHO than other trials in both CT and HT1 but was not different when comparing the three trials in HT2. Exercise time was not different when comparing the trials in either HT1 or HT2 but was longer(P < 0.05) in NCHO compared with HCHO, which, in turn, was longer(P < 0.05) than CON1 in CT. These data demonstrate that, during prolonged exercise in the heat, fatigue is related to factors other than CHO availability. In addition, during exercise in 5°C a 7% CHO solution is more beneficial for exercise performance than a 14% CHO solution.

An empirical examination of feedback : user control and performance in a hapto-audio-visual training environment

Utilising advanced technologies, such as virtual environments (VEs), is of importance to training and education. The need to develop and effectively apply interactive, immersive 3D VEs continues to grow. As with any emerging technology, user acceptance of new software and hardware devices is often difficult to measure and guidelines to introduce and ensure adequate and correct usage of such technologies are lacking. It is therefore imperative to obtain a solid understanding of the important elements that play a role in effective learning through VEs. In particular, 3D VEs may present unusual and varied interaction and adoption considerations. The major contribution of this study is to investigate a complex set of interrelated factors in the relatively new sphere of VEs for training and education. Although many of the factors appears to be important from past research, researcher have not explicitly studied a comprehensive set of inter-dependant, empirically validated factors in order to understand how VEs aid complex procedural knowledge and motor skill learning. By integrating theory from research on training, human computer interaction (HCI), ergonomics and cognitive psychology, this research proposes and validates a model that contributes to application-specific VE efficacy formation. The findings of this study show visual feedback has a significant effect on performance. For tactile/force feedback and auditory feedback, no significant effect were found. For satisfaction, user control is salient for performance. Other factors such as interactivity and system comfort, as well as level of task difficulty, also showed effects on performance.

An investigation on asset allocation and performance measurement for unit trust funds in Malaysia using multifactor model : a post crisis period analysis

This study examines the pattern of asset allocation and the performance of unit trust in Malaysia over the post crisis period by using risk-adjusted performance measures and multi-factor model from the year 2000 to 2004. Evidence from the statistics suggests that an active asset allocation strategy had been observed among Malaysian fund managers during the post Asian financial crisis. It is also suggested that investment allocation in equity remained a dominant vehicle for investment and asset allocation. Findings from multifactor model suggest that all funds of different objectives registered positive alphas except for income funds, with growth funds being among the top. While balanced funds registered highest diversification effectively, diversifying away about 70%-80% of unsystematic risk, the momentum factor is not among the important elements to explain unit trust performance in Malaysia.

Privatization and performance : the case of four Australian financial institutions

This paper investigates the performance after privatization of institutions in Australian banking and insurance. Privatization was anticipated to improve firm performance in Australia and elsewhere, yet findings are mixed. A comparative institutional approach is taken to analyzing firm performance in the longer term which allows for further structural change. A CAMEL analysis of performance before and after privatization events is undertaken for four privatized institutions, two each from banking and insurance sectors. These are matched with private peer institutions. Privatized institutions are found to perform quite similarly to private peer institutions both before and after privatization.

Influence of particle concentration on initial collection efficiency and surface coverage in porous media filtration

Four sizes (0.095, 0.53, 1.0 and 2.01 μm) of polystyrene latex particles were used to prepare monodispersed suspensions at three different ionic strengths (10−3, 10−2.5 and 10−2M KCl). Filtration experiments were conducted using those suspensions in a filter column with glass beads as porous medium. The filter bed depth and the filtration velocity were kept at 5 cm and 1 m/h, respectively. When suspensions with equal mass concentrations (0.2 mg/L) or equal surface area concentrations (0.12 cm2/mL) were filtered through the system, the largest particles exhibited higher initial single collector efficiency, η. The difference between the η of largest particles and the smaller particles was prominent for suspensions with equal surface area concentrations at higher ionic strengths. The collision efficiency, α of those particles exhibits higher values at higher ionic strengths. Both at equal mass concentration and equal surface area concentration, α is only slightly dependent on particle sizes when compared to its dependence on ionic strength. Further, it was found that the specific surface coverage was similar for 0.095 μm, 0.53 μm and 1.0 μm particles during the transient stage of filtration at any ionic strength when the surface area concentrations of those suspension were equal.

Capturing dance : using motion capture analysis to enhance dance creation and performance

Opening keynote address.

Atom probe tomography as a tool to advance steels design and performance

Development of modern steels consisting of complex or nano-scale microstructures with advanced properties requires in-depth understanding of the mechanisms responsible for their microstructure/property relationships. The evolution of microstructure during processing is often associated with various changes taking place at atomic level. These include solute distribution between phases as a result of phase transformations, formation of atmospheres at dislocations, clustering and precipitation phenomena due to various thermo-mechanical processing schedules and/or heat treatments. Atom probe tomography (APT) is invaluable tool for gaining insight into events at atomic scale determining the steel properties. This technique also contributes to the fundamental understanding of phase transformations, which is essential for nano-scale engineering of modern steels and optimization of their performance. In this work application of APT to study solute segregation, clustering and precipitation in TRIP steels and nanostructured bainitic steels after isothermal heat-treatment and after thermomechanical processing will be discussed.

Embodied choreography and performance of gender

Norms of fitting embodied behaviour for males and females, as promoted in Australian public arenas of popular culture and the everyday, disempower and marginalise those not inclined to embody in gendernormative and heteronormative ways.

This thesis engages with concepts of embodiment as meaning the manner of physical deportment in which a physical practice is performed, and with concepts of gender as social constructions of femininity and masculinity. It investigates the demands and implications of dominant norms of gender embodiment for those whose embodied inclinations do not fit comfortably with such dichotomous models. It interrogates gender inequitable machinations of education and performance arts disciplines by which educators and arts practitioners train, teach, choreograph, and direct those with whom they work, and theorises ways of broadening personal and social notions of possible, aesthetic, and acceptable embodiment for all persons, regardless of biological sex or sexual orientation.

This research is grounded in two major qualitative methods of enquiry. First, through an autoethnographic lens, it focuses on the impacts that social constructions of masculinity have on me, both as a person in the everyday and as a performance arts practitioner/educator. Through writing, illustration, choreography, and performance, as well as interviews with 3 members of my family, I analyse the delicacy of the relationship between social control/surveillance and personal agency over my embodiment of gender. Second, through empirical ethnographic fieldwork with some 400 high school students and 160 educators and performance arts practitioners, I utilise a combination of performance, discussion, practical workshop, and avenues for anonymous response to explore the potential of the performance arts in challenging inequitable notions of gender embodiment.

My findings demonstrate that inherent ideologies in dominant discourses regarding the execution and display of feminine and masculine embodiment continue to work, overtly and covertly, as definitive and restrictive barriers to the realm of possibilities of embodied gender expression and appreciation in the everyday and in the performance arts. This thesis recommends drawing individuals’ attention to embodied gender inequities and enculturation processes, not ordinarily critiqued within mainstream society, as a key toward safeguarding the well-being of those whose embodied performance inclination is at odds with prescribed norms of behaviour. Performance arts arenas are powerful sites in which such deconstructive work can occur, both cognitively and practically. However, as this thesis explores and illustrates, performance arts practitioners/educators need to first scrutinise existing and hidden inequities regarding the embodiment of gender within their own habitus, perspectives, taste, and practices.