Board Officers Research Articles

Lack of Coworker Support Does Not Render Pay Complaints Unprotected

Even though an employee was unable to enlist any other employees to support his complaints about his pay, the complaints were protected concerted activity under the National Labor Relations Act, according to the Advice Division of the National Labor Relations Board's Office of the General Counsel. Therefore, termination of the employee for his wage complaints violated the NLRA.

The Effect of Corporate Governance Mechanisms on Firms’ Financial Performance: Evidence from Selected Commercial Banks in Ethiopia

Corporate governance has become subject to the development agenda of most developed and developing countries economy, due to the fact that corporate governance structure of a firm has critical impact on its financial performance. Corporate governance mechanisms emerge to tackle agency problems in ensuring that shareholders’ funds are not expropriated or wasted on unprofitable activities. The results of most research studies reveal that, well governed firms have been noted to have higher firm performance than poor governed firms. However, there are different researchers who opposed this idea as they have found mixed results on the relationships between different variables of corporate governance and financial performance. Research studies on this issue in developing countries; especially in Ethiopia remained an ignored area from empirical research. Thus, this study examined the effect of corporate governance mechanisms on firms’ financial performance on the selected commercial banks in Ethiopia by taking a sample of 6 commercial banks starting from the year 2003 up to 2009. This study used return on asset, return on equity and operating profit margin as dependent variables to measure financial performance of commercial banks and board size, board independence, frequency of board meetings, chief executive officer duality, audit committee and board ownership as independent variables to express quantitatively corporate governance mechanisms. In addition, firm size, financial leverage and firm growth rate were used as control variables, which are specific to commercial banks and general to the economy as a whole. The researcher used both correlation analysis and pooled panel data regression models of cross-sectional and time series data for analysis. The results provide evidence that board size is negatively and significantly related with all the three indicators of financial performance- return on asset return on equity and operating profit margin. Audit committee and financial performance indicators-return on asset and return on equity is negative and statistically significant, but it is not significant with operating profit margin. Board independence, chief executive officer duality and board ownership are positively and significantly related with all the three financial performance indicators. However, frequency of board meetings is not statistically significant with all the three financial performance indicators. Keywords: Corporate Governance Mechanisms, Agency Problem, Firms’ Financial Performance and Commercial Banks. DOI : 10.7176/RJFA/10-19-03 Publication date :October 31 st 2019

Midwifery service and midwifery human resource demand in western China: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundChina has made impressive progress in improving maternal and child health nationally, although national progress might conceal inequality across regions within China. Mortality ratios in western counties remains high, and midwives in western areas are in extreme shortage as guarantors of maternal and child safety. This study aims to investigate the current situation for the midwifery service in western China and to explore the demand for midwifery human resources in the area using the Birthrate Plus workforce planning methodology. MethodsFirst, we did a cross-sectional survey in 28 hospitals in three western provinces—Yunnan (southwest China), Inner Mongolia (northern China), and Xinjiang (northwest China)—to investigate the status of the midwifery service and midwifery human resources using a tailored questionnaire. We selected two tertiary hospitals in each province, as well as eight secondary hospitals in Yunnan, six in Inner Mongolia, and 14 in Xinjiang, to reflect population sizes (according to the National Health and Family Planning statistical yearbook). Questionnaires were sent to midwifery managers in the 34 hospitals, and 28 returned the questionnaire (all six tertiary hospitals, seven secondary hospitals in Yunnan, five in Inner Mongolia, and ten in Xinjiang). Second, we analysed medical records from all women attending the midwifery departments of the 28 hospitals (n=18 520) who received midwifery services in 2017 and 2018, and the Birthrate Plus workforce planning methodology was used, with modifications, to calculate demand for midwives in each hospital. Women were divided into five categories according to the Birthrate Plus guidelines (of which categories I and II were natural deliveries with no need for intervention, and categories III–V required different levels of intervention). Two core elements were analysed: the percentage of maternity patients in each category and midwifery service time (time in the delivery suite, from admission in labour to leaving for the postnatal unit or operating room for caesarean section) in each category. Each hospital gave informed verbal consent. The study was approved by the Peking University institutional review board office. FindingsThe maximum and minimum annual delivery volumes per hospital were 12 048 and 192, respectively. The highest and lowest caesarean section rates were 59·00% (472 of 794) and 20·86% (907 of 4345), respectively, and the average caesarean section rate was 38·49% (SD 10·33). A total of 476 midwives in 28 hospitals were included. 94·34% (417 of 476) of the midwives had an initial educational level below a bachelor's degree, and 69·75% (332 of 476) had less than 10 years of work experience. Data from a total of 18 520 maternity patients from 28 hospitals were eligible for analysis. According to the Birthrate Plus results, 37·2% (6890 of 18 520) maternity patients were in category I/II (grouped together for comparison), 42·1% (7804 of 18 520) in category III, 18·1% (3343 of 18 520) in category IV, and 2·6% (483 of 18 520) in category V, and midwifery service times of each category were 6·79 h, 9·92 h, 9·89 h, and 11·93 h, respectively. The actual number of midwives in the majority of hospitals (67·86%, 19 of 28) exceeded the calculated demand, while that in 21·43% of hospitals (six of 28) was less than the calculated demand, and in 10·71% of hospitals (three of 28) the actual number of midwives was consistent with the calculated demand. InterpretationThe midwifery service varied between hospitals in western China. Given that inexperience or lack of education negatively affect the core competencies of midwives, it is likely that these factors affected the midwifery service that patients received. Efforts are needed to promote the construction of midwifery teams. Most maternity patients belonged to categories I–III, and gave birth naturally or with less need for interventions. However, women in categories IV and V, who represented a small proportion of the overall data set, experienced pregnancy complications or required more interventions than those in categories I–III, and thus tended to require longer midwifery hours. The surveyed hospitals varied in type (general hospitals, and maternity and child health hospitals) and level, and provided services for different numbers of each category of maternity patient, and thus the midwifery service time varied accordingly. For example, there were more maternity patients in categories IV and V in general hospitals than in maternal and child health hospitals, which suggests that more midwives may be required in general hospitals to care for the same number of maternity patients. Therefore, it is necessary to fully consider the service characteristics of hospitals when allocating midwifery human resources. Our findings suggest that Birthrate Plus workforce planning methodology can be used to accurately assess workload of midwives based on the status of the midwifery service in China. Its applicability as a midwifery demand assessment tool in western China should be explored further. FundingThis study was funded by the UN Children's Fund (Maternal and Child Health Management Information System).

Secure and Access Control Data Monitoring in Vehicular Ad Hoc Network

Present days innovation identifies with internet of Vehicles (IOV) has been expanded to break down traffic in the board frameworks. It is utilized to portray traffic examination and improve proficiency of the vehicle traffic. The stage can take care of the issue of capacity, investigation and multi terminal dispersion of mass information, give traffic data administrations to traffic the board offices and people in general, it is a helpful endeavor to apply propelled data innovation to the transportation business. Causing the broad worries in the exploration network. To empower credible and classified correspondences among a gathering of haze hubs, in this paper, we propose a productive key exchange protocol based on cipher text policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE) to set up secure interchanges among the members. To accomplish classification, verification, certainty, and access control, we consolidate CP-ABE and computerized signature strategies. We investigate the productivity of our convention regarding security and execution. We likewise execute our convention and contrast it and the endorsement based plan to delineate its practicality.

The Role of Governance and Bank Funding in the Determination of Cornerstone Allocations in Chinese Equity Offers

This article investigates the causal factors underlying cornerstone investor (CI) participation in initial public offerings in China’s offshore Hong Kong market. Prospectus-based declarations on such allocations suggest that CI undertakings offer strong certification effects. Entrepreneurs planning for IPO thus have a material incentive to court CIs. The present analysis reveals that a firm’s pre-IPO financials and governance attributes strongly correlate with success in this field. Specifically, CI participation is greater in issuers with established long-term loan positions. Firms housing younger CEOs and a greater number of family-connected board officers also generate more CI interest. In contrast, the fraction of independent directors and women on boards exert minimal effect. However, further analysis reveals that greater independent director presence strongly supports CI participation in family-centric entities, but imparts little to no effect on such investment in either state-run or non-family-controlled private issuers. Additionally, an issuer’s political connections galvanize CI participation. Moreover, the present study highlights the importance of family resources (in non-state sponsored entities) and political connections (in state-held firms) in drawing-in CI involvement. Given the spread of CI arrangements to other primary market settings, the present enterprise also offers guidance on anchor investment elsewhere.

Plan ahead for board officer succession

Too many nonprofit executives who end up stuck with a bad board chair, or one they can't work with effectively, have only themselves to blame.

Financial information transfer in municipal government

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how trust, honesty and transparency impact the willingness and timeliness of communicating financial information between Government Finance Officers (GFOs) and members of the municipal boards they serve.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data was collected from professionals who work with municipalities to ensure government resources are properly managed. Nonparametric local-linear regression was used to analyze the data.FindingsEvidence suggests that trust in the board, GFO preference for honesty and greater transparency of the municipality influence the timeliness of communication. There is evidence that when the GFO and board members have a working relationship built on trust and the GFO has a preference for honesty, the GFO is more willing to share positive information with the board. In addition, there is evidence that with greater transparency and trust in the board, there is a reduction in the time of sharing positive information in situations where there is little discretion in disclosing and less willingness to share information.Research limitations/implicationsA principal limitation of this study is the small sample size. In addition, the study was conducted using only participants from the pool of members of the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas. As an exploratory study, the survey included a minimal number of questions to gather data from actual GFOs and included only six possible scenarios. The time constraint resulted in a reduced number of questions related to the models used. Other limitations include the potential of missing variables, factors or perceptions related to scenarios not presented in the survey instrument.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that with greater transparency, there is less time between the event and the GFO communication to the board providing the opportunity to improve the effectiveness of the decision-making process.Originality/valueThis study is the first to explore the effects of increased transparency on the level of communication between the GFO and the board.

Preoperative Planning Using 3-Dimensional Printing for Complex Paraspinal Schwannoma Resection: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

Schwannomas are benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors that are typically round, smooth, and straightforward to resect. Occasionally they are more complicated to resect because of their size, location, degree of bony erosion, and vascular or neural compression. These complex lesions frequently require multidisciplinary surgical teams in order to decrease surgical morbidity. Historically, surgical planning consisted of imaging review and verbal communication among team members. 3-dimensional (3D) printing offers a new method for preoperative planning and is becoming more popular in Neurosurgery. This video demonstrates the use of 3D printing for complex paraspinal tumors in the cervical, thoracic, and sacral regions. The Institutional Review Board Office for Human Research Protection does not require approval for single participant case studies, or a case series with multiple participants. The subjects involved in this study were not identifiable and the general surgical consent form included permission for intraoperative photos.

100th Anniversary of the Journal «Vestnik statistiki»

The first issue of the journal «Vestnik statistiki» («Bulletin of Statistics») came out 100 years ago. It was in print till 1929 and then from 1949 to1993. Its successor «Voprosy statistiki» has been published since 1994. This article covers the journal’s contents in its first decade. The author focuses on academic articles on statistical methodology and overviews articles addressing applied state statistics. The importance of interaction and collaboration between statisticians from the central office of the Central Statistical Board and statistical offices «in the field» is stressed. During that time the journal continued to publish translations of foreign articles along with detailed reviews of translations of books by foreign authors. The article draws attention to the formation of industrial and energy statistics, as well as the development of balance sheet and, above all, questions of the methodology and practice related to the Balance of the National Economy. Examples of delivering innovation in statistical observation - using aerial photography for the needs of agricultural statistics, are put forward. Criticism against state statisticsopenedwhen Vladimir Lenin was the Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars, which led to the gradual abolition of the analytical functions of statistics, ignoring the variation of indicators and replacing statistics with the «national economic accounting». As a result, in 1929 the publication of the journal «Vestnik statistiki» was suspended.

Re-examining the equation of exchange according to Shariah rationale money

Abstract. Earlier, the Muslim scholars stated that money is a social convention. For instance, Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328) indicated that the gold standard money constitutes a pricing system or a rationale money. Ibn Khaldun (1377) urged a stable monetary policy by using Shariah currency which is related to the number of transactions, and the monetary policy was done through a control and a supervision by a Shariah board office as a monetary authority. The focus point in all transactions is to forbid the Riba including the banking interest rate. Inside the Shariah paradigm and according to historical economic facts revealed by Ibn Khaldun, we suggest that the economic theory of money, through the equation of exchange, should be re-examinedby treating the value of transactions and the velocity of money as endogenous, and considering the stock of money as exogenous and determined only by the monetary authority. We expect that when the consumers and producers as buyers and sellers behave following the Shariah transactions by avoiding any form of unfair dealing, the speculative money will tend to zero and all the money stock will be in circulation. It is best for community welfare that the money reaches its optimal velocity by improving the trade between members of the society. Such Shariah statement would be realized at least through the Zakat system and by any form of re-distribution of the wealth or social giving. The implementation of a new gold standard system requires a political decision and the flexibility of the market prices processes. Even if money is just an instrument, it is perceived differently in Islamic and non-Islamic perspectives. The practical prescriptions (i)-ii)-(iii) based on Shariah transactions perception and Islamic economics paradigm would fit more for the mankind that needs justice and fairness. Keywords. Shariah, Money, Gold-silver, Equation of exchange, Convertible paper, Fairness. JEL. E42, E5, F33.

Stimulation Contractility Gradient of a Neuromuscular Choristoma Within the Sciatic Nerve: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

Neuromuscular choristoma (NMC) is a rare congenital nerve lesion that is classified by the presence of heterotopic muscle fibers intercalated within nerve fascicles.1 The presence of NMC typically causes progressive neuropathy and bony/soft tissue undergrowth, often leading to a shortened atrophic limb.2,3 The typical appearance of NMC on magnetic resonance imaging is an enlarged fusiform nerve that exhibits minimal gadolinium enhancement.4 While there is increasing documentation of pathognomonic clinical and radiographic features for various diffuse fusiform peripheral nerve lesions, nerve biopsy is still occasionally required for some patients given the rarity of these diseases and progressive neuropathic features.The intraoperative appearance of NMC and its unique electrical stimulation properties are quite interesting. Intrafascicular replacement of nerve by skeletal muscle gives the nerve a red beefy color and causes the fascicles to contract with electrical stimulation.5 In this video, we demonstrate the intraoperative appearance and contractile properties of NMC in a 60-yr-old woman with progressive sciatic neuropathy. Histologic and immunohistochemical studies identified a gradient of intralesional mature skeletal muscle within the NMC, with substantially fewer desmin-positive skeletal muscle fibers in the distal aspect. A gradient of contractility with intraoperative stimulation seemed to correlate with this pathology. These findings suggest that the lesional extent of NMC may not be clinically or grossly evident, reflecting a varying distribution of skeletal muscle within the affected nerve.The Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board Office for Human Research Protection does not require approval for single participant case studies. The subject involved in this study was not identifiable and the general surgical consent form included permission for intraoperative photos and video.

Parameters for Textbook: Improving Quality of Primary Education

This research explores the parameters of quality textbook and the current status of 5th class textbooks. Textbook counts due to its importance in attaining required goals of quality education. Quality textbooks have the capacity to improve the required skills of learners and consequently support the improvement of quality education as quality education is mostly connected to students’ outcomes. A survey was conducted wherein officers of the Textbook Board Khyber Pakhtunkhwa participated and head teachers and teachers from public primary schools also took part. An interview was conducted for the Textbook Board officers to find out the parameters of quality textbook that improve the outcomes of the students. In this regard a questionnaire administered for head teachers and teachers to investigate the present status of 5th class textbook. 10 officers of Textbook Board, 281 primary school teachers and 256 head teachers were taken as sample from six districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Message from the Executive Director: Delivering a Strategic Plan

As I write these words, I am preparing for the October Board meeting in Los Angeles, just ahead of the SMPTE Annual Technical Confer ence and Exhibition. Like all Board meetings, there is a lot of content to prepare. Board officers, i.e., the Executive Committee, must prepare reports of activities since the last Board meeting. The same is true for the home office staff and me. This meeting is also the point where we present the upcoming year’s annual budget, which is always a fun activity.

The Jan Kiepura Festival in Krynica Zdrój as a Tourism Product and Its Meaning for the Development of The City

Purpose. The aim of the article is to present the annual Jan Kiepura Festival in Krynica Zdrój as a tourism product as well as to draw attention to the importance of taking care of the jointly valued creation by all stakeholders for the development and long-term success of all events of that kind. Method. The study is the result of using the critical method of analysing literature on the subject, the press, media industry reports, the case study method in the form of in-depth analysis of data and secondary materials by institutions dealing with: organization/co-organization, documentation of history and services of visitors to the Krynica Zdrój Festival and also qualitative, partly, structured interview methods with representatives of the Krynica Tourist Organization, Prezydent, Stefania, Czarny Groń hotel owners, President of the Krynica Board– Żegiestów SPA, Żegiestów Spa, employees of the Board Office of Krynica – Żegiestów SPA, The main Pump Room, Public Library and the mayor of the city of Krynica-Zdrój. Results. The analysis of data showed that the Jan Kiepura Festival meets all the conditions to be described as a tourism product. In addition, it was proved that the success of the oldest festival in Poland is conditioned by the care for joint-value creation by all stakeholders. Research and conclusions limitations. The author’s research presented in the study focuses on the value which the town of Krynica Zdrój gains from the organization of this festival. However, this does not include a wider group of stakeholders (i.e. artists, music-lovers and tourists). Practical implications. The results of research provide information on how the festival can become a valuable tourism product for all its stakeholders, while, at the same time, being the basis for formulating recommendations for the organizers of festivals of any kind, including opera-related ones. Originality. The article concerns an opera festival which has never before been described as a tourism product. In addition, it shows what value the Jan Kiepura Festival generates for the town of Krynica Zdrój. Type of work: Review article.

ASM News for May and June 2018

Abstract News about ASM members, chapters, events, awards, conferences, affiliates, and other society activities. Topics include: nominees announced for ASM Board; profiles of nominated Board officers; ASM CEO William Mahoney reports on ASM partnership with Granta Design Ltd; Carrie Wilson joins the ASM Materials Education Foundation as Executive Director; professional profile for Kelsey Torboli.

Boardroom or War Room: An Expectational Analysis of CFO – Executive Board Relationships in Adventist Local Conferences

The Board of Directors represents the highest level of organizational governance, and is the governing body in corporate organizations; primarily responsible for the oversite of the operations and interests of the shareholders and/or stakeholders of the business and/or entity. The basis of this quantitative paper was instigated by the thought that the perceptions of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Local Conference leadership consequentially impact how the relationships of Chief Financial Officer(s) (CFOs/Treasurers) and their Executive Board(s) are viewed and interact based upon perceived expectations. The corporate relationships between the Chief Financial Officer(s) (CFOs) and Executive Board(s) have continued to emerge as a result of changing societal and global expectations of what is expected from organizations from shareholders, stakeholders and governments. The 21 st century inception of significant governmental regulations mainly called the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed to address and counteract emerging and widespread corruption in large USA businesses and organizations, extensive financial reporting fraud, institutional mis-management and material non-compliance in accounting practices. This legislative act redefined the relational expectations and practices of board governance and board member duties, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) corporate and organizational accountability. The magnitude of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has also affected the relational practices of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs/Treasurers) and Executive Board(s) in Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) conferences. Data was collected from a purposeful sample of N=399 at fifty-seven Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Local Conferences in the North American Division territory inclusive of Bermuda, Canada and the United States of America (USA) with a 55% response rate. A Mixed-Methods sequential exploratory research design utilizing Descriptive Statistics, ANOVAs and Chi-Square Analysis was used focusing on the quantitative aspects and results of this study. Discussion and Conclusion are explored and disclosed, and the Implications of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Board relationships on organizational governance and accountability pertaining to the overall organizational climate, effectiveness, operational efficiency are discussed.

Beyond the Board Realm: Women in Senior Management and their Impact on IPO Capital Funding

AbstractThis study assesses the importance of female senior managers in Chinese IPO firms debuting in Hong Kong. I define senior management teams (SMTs) in relation to IPO prospectus disclosures. For the vast majority of firms, little to no overlap exists between SMT members and board personnel. Women are much better represented in SMTs than on boards. A central hypothesis is that Chinese firms' SMT members implement business strategy while board officers provide political connections. Unlike boards, female representation at SMT level strongly supports initial valuations. Findings suggest that women offer resource dependencies, add expertise and boost capital funding. In contrast to boards, underwriter quality is increasing in female representation at SMT level. Higher‐quality underwriters also gravitate towards SMTs with stronger academic bona fides. The present study also contributes by drawing connections and prescriptions with wider upper echelons, resource dependence and stakeholder theories. Overall, findings suggest that gender‐diverse SMTs play a major role in capital funding. More gender‐inclusive SMTs thus foster both social and business objectives.

地方教育行政組織における組織運営 : 指導主事の機能と教育委員会事務局の組織条件(IV 投稿論文)

地方教育行政組織における組織運営 : 指導主事の機能と教育委員会事務局の組織条件(IV 投稿論文)

Mixed Method Study Examines Undergraduate Student Researchers’ Knowledge and Perceptions About Scholarly Communication Practices

A Review of:
 Riehle, C. F., & Hensley, M. K. (2017). What do undergraduate students know about scholarly communication?: A mixed methods study. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 17(1), 145–178. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/pla.2017.0009 
 
 Abstract
 
 Objective – To examine undergraduate student researchers’ perception and understanding of scholarly communication practices and issues. 
 
 Design – Mixed method study involving a survey and semi-structured interviews. 
 
 Setting – Two major undergraduate universities in the Midwest region of the United States. 
 
 Subjects – Undergraduate students who participated in or had completed undergraduate research experiences with faculty mentors. 
 
 Method – The method was first approved by Institutional Review Board offices at both campuses involved in the study. Then, students received invitations to participate in a survey via email (Campus 1 = 221 students; Campus 2 = 345 students). Identical online surveys ran separately on each campus; both remained open for a period of three weeks. All respondents received a reminder email one week before the survey closed. 
 
 Participants answered twelve questions related to demographics and scholarly communication practices. The survey examined knowledge and experience across five areas: the peer review process, author and publisher rights, publication and access models, impact of research, and data management. All students who completed the survey were entered in a drawing for a $50 Amazon card. The response rates were 34.8% (Campus 1) and 18.6% (Campus 2). 
 
 Surveys on both campuses were administered using different software: campus 1 utilized Qualtrics survey software while campus 2 used an institution-specific survey software. Data sets were normed and merged later in the study to enable comparison and identify broad themes. 
 
 Survey respondents were also invited to participate in a 15 to 20 minute follow-up interview and were compensated with a $20 Amazon gift card. The interviews consisted of four open-ended questions that further examined students’ knowledge of scholarly communication practices. The researchers coded interview transcripts and identified themes. Qualitative software was used to analyze the surveys and assess coder agreement. Finally, connections and anomalies between survey and interview results were explored. 
 
 Main Results – Quantitative and qualitative data collected during the study indicate that students were most confident in their understanding of the peer-review process and data management but felt less confident in their knowledge of author and publisher rights, publication and access models, and determining the impact of scholarly research publication. In addition, they value instruction related to scholarly communication topics like the peer-review process, publication models, and data management. However, few students feel confident in their current level of knowledge or ability surrounding the previously mentioned topics. Study findings suggest that this knowledge gap is based on a lack of training or discussion of scholarly communication topics in relation to students’ research activities. 
 
 Results also suggest that undergraduate students have difficulty articulating their rights as authors and their scholarly communication practices. In many cases, skill sets like data management are learned through trial and error while students progress through the research process. In some cases, faculty mentors have misperceptions and assumptions about undergraduate students’ knowledge and abilities regarding scholarly communication practices. This can create challenges for undergraduate students as they attempt to make informed decisions about research activities based on a limited foundation of experience or information. 
 
 Finally, results indicate that undergraduate student researchers do not currently view the library as a place to learn about scholarly communication practices. The authors suggest that by forming strategic relationships with undergraduate research program directors, faculty, and graduate student mentors, librarians are in a prime position to incorporate scholarly communication practices into information literacy sessions or provide point-of-need coaching. 
 
 Conclusion – The researchers conclude that academic libraries are in a unique position to support overarching research, teaching, and learning goals within the academic community. By developing programs that support information literacy and scholarly communication, libraries demonstrate value and align goals with teaching and learning priorities within the higher education community as a whole. Through this work, librarians support students as knowledge creators and advocate for training that emphasizes data literacy, copyright and authors’ rights, and the impact of research within specific disciplines.

Frontier Logistics Performance in Sri Lanka - The Role Play of the Customs

Sri Lanka (SL) is expected its economic growth achievement through five hubs concept –namely, Maritime, Aviation, Commercial, Knowledge and Energy Hubs. SL even now serves as an effective hub for maritime goods transport and air-passenger transport in the southern sub-continental region, drawing on its geographical and economic advantages primarily due to the location advantage. However the county’s logistics performance plays a major role in above hub concept especially with respect to Maritime, Aviation and Commercial hubs. Therefore improving logistics performance has a significant importance in the current context. This could never be achieved without highly efficient, modernized Customs administration in the country, which performs the agency and regulatory functions of the state, at the frontiers. The study draws the literature to ascertain the role played by Customs with respect to a country’s economic growth, Logistics in particular. While the customs role as a border management organization is explicit the study also draws its attention to the knowledge about Customs functionality by the respective “stakeholders”. Further the study analyses the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) ,the data of The Global Competitiveness Reports of World Economic Forum, United Nations, World Customs Organization, Doing Business Reports of The World Bank And The International Finance Corporation. Depth interviews have been conducted with 3 industry/commerce personnel and 2 senior officers of Customs and Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. A solid and modern legal framework is the foundation of effective customs operations. This legal framework bench marking should be based on internationally accepted standards and best practices as set out in the RKC which provides important guidelines for the design and operation of a modern and efficient customs organization. Customs reform, modernization or re-engineering considered a priority in many countries and implementation of change management is needed especially in Sri Lanka due to rapid development expected in the means of Hub status. On the other hand to enable the users to achieve the full benefits, private sector counterparts need to be included in the process and incorporate their inputs.