Andrea Nana Ofori-Boadu, Musibau Adeola Shofoluwe and Robert Pyle
The purpose of this paper is to develop a Housing Eligibility Assessment Scoring Method (HEASM) for low-income Urgent Repair Programs (URPs).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a Housing Eligibility Assessment Scoring Method (HEASM) for low-income Urgent Repair Programs (URPs).
Design/methodology/approach
In order to develop a practical HEASM that incorporates the prevailing eligibility assessment criteria for low-income URPs, a case study research approach was adopted. Emergent themes and patterns in predominant eligibility assessment criteria and methods are derived from program documents utilized by a successful State Urgent Repair Program (SURP) and its 42 Community Partners operating in the Southeastern region of the USA. Coupled with interviews and the expert analysis of SURP staff, the quantitative analysis of 11,414 repaired homes and literature reviews were used to categorize predominant eligible housing repairs and costs.
Findings
The five key eligibility assessment criteria categories that emerged from the data analysis are: location, owner-occupancy, family needs, housing repair, and estimated repair costs. The framework of the proposed HEASM is guided by these five categories.
Originality/value
URP decision makers are provided with a simple, practical, and objective eligibility assessment method that can be easily modified to accommodate the unique eligibility criteria and local program conditions. This method should improve the eligibility assessment, prioritization, and the eventual selection of qualifying applicants. Consequently, the capacity of URPs to provide funding to their targeted populations with the most critical needs would be enhanced. Insights could drive the impetus to modify existing URP.
In 1984–85, Reference Services Review published a series of review articles on field guides for wildflowers (Potts), birds (Klaas), trees (Kinch), and insects (Chiang). A glance…
Abstract
In 1984–85, Reference Services Review published a series of review articles on field guides for wildflowers (Potts), birds (Klaas), trees (Kinch), and insects (Chiang). A glance at Books in Print indicates the number of new field guides appearing since that time. Rather than evaluate a new crop of highly focused field guides, the present essay examines a related kind of nature guide, the nature‐study manual. For the purposes of this essay, the nature‐study manual is defined as a guide that encourages investigation of the natural world, rather than offering facts and identifications. To be a nature‐study manual, a book must offer tools and techniques for identification (often through field guides), observation, recordkeeping, and often collection of specimens and experimentation. Books of narrative natural history and essays on a particular observer's experiences are thus excluded. The nature‐study manual's unique role is to instruct readers in how to observe and study nature for themselves, whether close to home or in far‐flung regions.
A. Martin Brand, R. Van Der Merwe and A.B. Boshoff
The broad objective of the study was to develop assumptions and guide‐lines by which the cost approach to Human Resource Accounting could be implemented. The research was…
Abstract
The broad objective of the study was to develop assumptions and guide‐lines by which the cost approach to Human Resource Accounting could be implemented. The research was specifically aimed at determining the sensitivity of the cost approach for identifying significant differences in the investments made over two years in two comparable groups (16 subjects to a group) and how these differences could contribute towards more effective decision‐making in evaluating the relevant aspects of company policy. Statistically significant differences were obtained at the 5% level for total investments, academic development investments and orientation investments. The latter could not be regarded as material in absolute terms and the difference in total investments could therefore be ascribed mainly to academic development. The extent of investments in training suggests the necessity to optimize training from a cost/benefit point of view. During the initial months of the study, investments accrued at a proportionally higher rate than in subsequent months, eg 75.1% of the total investments were made during the first three months of service. It can therefore be said that relatively high labour turnover during the early months of service would carry a substantial loss potential, especially where there was no evidence of material investments in the orientation of personnel.
The past two decades of economic activity in the U.S. have been characterized by both high inflation and interest rates in comparison to previous periods of stability. The…
Abstract
The past two decades of economic activity in the U.S. have been characterized by both high inflation and interest rates in comparison to previous periods of stability. The importance of these two variables to our economic welfare and to the effectiveness of economic policy have led to renewed interest in the Fisher Effect. This is the hypothesis put forth by Irving Fisher describing the relationship between these two variables. It usually takes the form R = re + pe + repe (1) in which R is the nominal rate of interest, re is the expected real rate of interest, and pe is the expected rate of change of prices. The term repe is usually considered insignificant and is dropped, giving R = re + pe. (2) Although this equation can be readily quantified on an ex post basis using actual rather than expected values, the fact that expectation of r and p are not directly observable have always made it difficult to derive an ex ante measure of the real rate.
Robert M. Hull, Sungkyu Kwak and Rosemary L. Walker
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of insider ownership decreases on stock returns for firms undergoing seasoned equity offerings (SEOs).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of insider ownership decreases on stock returns for firms undergoing seasoned equity offerings (SEOs).
Design/methodology/approach
Insider data were gathered for firms undergoing SEOs and this information used to compute the insider ownership percentage decreases caused by the SEOs. These insider percentage decreases and standard compounded abnormal return methodology were used to test signaling theory.
Findings
It was discovered that the short‐run and long‐run stock returns accompanying SEOs are not consistent with what signaling theory predicts. In particular, for greater decreases in insider ownership percentages, a superior market response for both short‐run tests and long‐run post‐SEO tests was often found.
Research limitations/implications
Prior research has not examined how the change in insider ownership caused by a corporate event influences stock returns. Future research can build on the univariate tests by examining the impact of insider ownership within a multivariate framework.
Practical implications
Investors cannot profit by following the behavior of insiders by selling shares in companies where insiders lower their ownership percentages. This is because insiders appear to have personal agendas that they follow when decreasing their holdings.
Originality/value
This is the first study to examine how changes in insider ownership caused by a significant corporate event affect stock returns. The findings of this empirical examination challenge signaling theory as regards insider knowledge, the ability of insiders to convey their privileged knowledge (if it exists), and the capacity of outsiders to decipher and act on insider actions.
Details
Keywords
Alicia Robb and Robert Seamans
We extend theories of the firm to the entrepreneurial finance setting and argue that R&D-focused start-up firms will have a greater likelihood of financing themselves with equity…
Abstract
We extend theories of the firm to the entrepreneurial finance setting and argue that R&D-focused start-up firms will have a greater likelihood of financing themselves with equity rather than debt. We argue that mechanisms which reduce information asymmetry, including owner work experience and financier reputation, will increase the probability of funding with more debt. We also argue that start-ups that correctly align their financing mix to their R&D focus will perform better than firms that are misaligned. We study these ideas using a large nationally representative dataset on start-up firms in the United States.
Details
Keywords
This paper reports the results of an empirical study of the determinants of capital structure of large Latin American companies. Variations with regard to the country, industry…
Abstract
This paper reports the results of an empirical study of the determinants of capital structure of large Latin American companies. Variations with regard to the country, industry, and size of a company are examined for a sample of two hundred and thirty large companies located in twentytwo Latin American countries. This study is the first to examine the capital structures of this large set of Latin American companies. The results of this study indicate that while size does not seem to be significant, both country and industry are significant determinants of capital structure in Latin America not only in bivariate tests but also in multivariate statistical tests. Multinational and diversified companies, therefore, cannot assume uniformity of capital structure across countries and industries in Latin America and, they must take these differences into account in developing and setting capital structure, financing, evaluation, and management policies for their subsidiaries.