Management Aptitude Research Articles

Can Credit Ratings be Modelled on the Basis of Financial Metrics? An Evidence from Ind-Ra Ratings of Indian Firms Using Conjoint Analysis Approach

The credit ratings play an important role in the allocation of capital among the enterprises, and thereby, in the growth of any economy. The different credit rating methodologies and criteria are used by different credit rating agencies, and the criteria may also differ from industry to industry. This research study tries to explore if it is possible to model credit ratings as the outcome of financial metrics. The study deploys the conjoint analysis approach to forecast the Ind-Ra ratings given to 50 firms, as a dependent variable and the key financial metrics as independent variables. First, the independent variables are computed based on financial statements. Then, the model is executed. It is found that the debt-equity ratio is negatively rated to credit rating, while the other three variables (profitability, asset turnover ratio and current ratio) are positively related to credit ratings. The study shows that financial metrics are not the only influencer of credit ratings but many subjective criteria such as future expected consumer trends, leadership overview, management aptitude and so on. Therefore, the model proposed in this study using financial statements has a 60% accuracy only because the subjective factors as mentioned above are difficult to be quantified and captured in the model as predictor variables.

Effects of leadership styles on resource mobilization: A case of NGOs in the Hohoe municipality of Volta region, Ghana

Resource mobilization is a viable component for strengthening and sustaining the vision and missionof NGO. Local NGOs in Ghana and other developing countries require dynamic personalities,leadership qualities and management aptitude and skills to effectively mobilize resource for theirorganizations. The study examined three leadership styles: transformational, transactional and laissezfaire, of NGO staff working in the Volta region of Ghana that belonged to a network of NGOs in theregion with a staff strength of more than ten and have been operating over the past five years. Thetarget population was 490 staff of NGOs in six categories: agriculture/food security, microfinance,education, health, religion, water and sanitation. Stratified and random sampling techniques were usedto get a sample size of 264 subjects. Data was collected using structured questionnaire with Likert scalemeasurement. Primary data was collected using self-administered questionnaires, emails, whatsAppand Google questionnaires. SPSS version 25 was utilized to process the data. Data was analyzed usingdescriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, regression analysis and analysis of variance. The resultsfrom the regression analysis showed that transformational leadership, transactional leadership andlaissez faire leadership had a significant association with resource mobilization (R=0.785) with anadjusted R square at 0.610. The study recommended that there should be effective use of more oftransformational and transactional leadership styles in order to improve resource mobilization amongNGOs. The study recommended further investigation into the other factors that might also contributeto effective resource mobilization

MATHEMATICAL MAT SCORE PREDICTION & POST-MAT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS ON MANAGEMENT STUDENTS

In India, the Management Aptitude Test (MAT) score is taken as the primary indicator of a student’s ability to be enrolled in the management courses. It has been observed in many cases during the group discussion and personal interview phases for MBA course admission, that candidate with poor MAT scores do well than those with higher scores. Hence, in that context, this research was carried out in order to assess the validity of MAT scores in predicting future success and also to measure the nature and strength of association between MAT scores and academic achievements. We also look at the correlation between students’ academic performance in their higher-secondary & under-graduate levels, and their MAT scores.

Key Players in Key Roles: The Baystate Patient Progress Initiative to Improve Emergency Department Efficiency and Productivity

BackgroundThe percentage of patients who leave the emergency department without being seen by a provider is a measure of efficiency and presents risk-management concerns. The number of patients actually “seen” by a provider is a measure of productivity. The opening of our new emergency department in December 2012, resulted in increases in both demand and the percentage of patients who left without being seen. Operational nursing leadership managed ED patient flow, but the structure was loosely organized on an ad hoc basis. MethodsOperational nursing leadership roles were re-assigned to personnel with management aptitude and interest. The charge nurse coordinated care throughout all sections (pods) of the department while the pod lead nurse coordinated care in each pod. The flow coordinator nurse accepted transfers and emergency medical services arrivals. Nursing and physician staffing remained unchanged, and measures were calculated over a 3-year period (December 3, 2012, to December 2, 2015). The number of patients seen per day was analyzed using simple linear regression. The percentage of patients who left without being seen was analyzed using fractional logistic regression; P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. ResultsThe weekly mean number of patients seen per day rose 13% from 265 to 299 patients. The weekly mean percentage of patients who left without being seen declined 45% from 8.2% to 4.5%. The regression lines for both measures were significant at P < 0.001. ConclusionMeasures of efficiency and productivity can be improved significantly with a dedicated operational nursing leadership structure without adding nursing or physician staffing.Image 1

Quality of MBA Programs-Challenges for Thai Universities in the New ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)

Thailand as a country has been experiencing rapid increases in student enrollments in higher education. This has also led to creation of a variety of MBA programs. While it is largely debated, it is possible that the demand for MBA degrees would continue to grow. Although MBA programs in Thailand are proliferating but institutions with a good brand value are still lacking. The problem of MBA programs is more than rapid proliferation of below average management institutions. They impart substandard training through inefficient processes to youngsters who lack aptitude for management and leadership skills. Many of them are virtually teaching shops to make money in the garb of imparting management training. These so called MBAs provide paper certificates and degrees with hardly any training, skills, and competencies to manage systems, processes or people. This is the main reason most MBA degree appears to be outdated. Some experts believe that most MBA programs have already reached their pinnacle. New crop of students are now seeking outcomes which are measurable at the end of the MBA program- an employment guarantee. This pressure on Business Schools could lead to reforms in the traditional MBA programs. New approaches to learning such as skill-based training in collaboration with public and private sector will help in improving the quality of MBA programs. Many experts believe that MBA as a subject of study is not losing its sheen; rather it has become a necessary degree to reach pinnacles of successes in most areas of organized activities. This paper provides an insight into the ongoing struggle for improving MBA programs in Thailand in context of the new Asean Economic Community (AEC). While quality of higher education is struggling, changing times warrant a change in priorities. Time has come to radically evaluate MBA programs in Thailand and revamp and realign them with digital economy and business practices driven by new technologies in Singapore and Malaysia, the two dominant economies in the new AEC. Objectives: This case study is an attempt to explore the status of MBA programs because of their special significance for Thailand and other members of Asean Economic Community (AEC) aspiring to become digital economies. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Methodology for this case study involves 10 years of personal observations and firsthand experiences in MBA programs in Thailand and Vietnam. The author who came to Bangkok as a Fulbright Scholar hails from Seattle, USA where he worked as a business faculty. To support my own assertions about the quality of MBA programs in Thailand many other research studies have been cited and included in the references. Findings: In some small ways this case study brings forth the evidence that suggest that the current MBA programs need to reconsider their role and value in Thai businesses. Lack of proficiency in English language remains a key barrier. While increasing number of institutions in the region are offering international MBA programs, the English language proficiency of students in Thailand remains very low. The other reason behind declining quality of MBA is that the curriculum is not up to date. This puts a significant impact on international rankings of Thai universities. Thai business schools should also strive to enhance collaboration with industry to improve the quality of MBA graduates can successfully get a job in Thailand and elsewhere in AEC. The message to those Thai students considering the MBA route is that employers in the region have wised up: all MBAs are not the same, and it pays to choose carefully. More so, if they are looking for work in the rapidly expanding digital economies in AEC. Conclusion/Improvements: There is enough evidence to prove that quality of MBAs in Thailand is low because of the sheer number of business schools offering it, the outdated curriculum and lack of industry alliances.

Shaping pharmacy studentsʼ business and management aptitude and attitude

BackgroundEvolving practice requirements, coupled with revised pharmacy graduate competencies, have pharmacy schools considering how best to create or adapt their business curricula to graduate students with relevant skills and attitudes to support them as practice leaders and innovators. Educational activityBased on recommendations from an advisory group of pharmacy business professionals, a business program was designed and delivered at a new pharmacy school to meet the business, strategic management, leadership, and entrepreneurial training needs of graduating pharmacists. The program consists of a mandatory business course with an incentivized competition and other core courses with business components, as well as elective courses in pharmacy-related business topics, extracurricular and incentivized business-related activities, and experiential-learning opportunities. Critical analysisThe schoolʼs business curriculum has many components, but three in particular (the mandatory business course, an investment club and a highly incentivized competition) highlight innovative approaches that foster the application of more complex business and leadership skills. Each component draws upon lower-order foundational skills taught earlier in the program and requires students to apply their prior learning in real-world contexts with increasing complexity and responsibility. ConclusionsTo flourish in their profession pharmacy students need to be leaders and innovators, not followers. A pharmacy business curriculum was designed and delivered as part of a new pharmacy schoolʼs curriculum that could be piloted or adapted by other colleges and faculties of pharmacy. The use of external expertise to support both development and delivery of the curriculum has positively impacted student learning and attitudes, laying the foundation for the curriculumʼs ongoing success.

Providing LIS Students with Management Skills

ABSTRACTLIS schools should carefully consider how they will provide their students with opportunities to learn management skills. Required or elective management courses provide the greatest focus; but many other courses, especially type of library and practical experience courses, include a significant management component. Schools may also outsource management training to another unit such as the Business School. Other non-curricular possibilities include: offering or encouraging attending lectures, conferences, and workshops; supporting student organizations; suggesting membership in professional organizations; and publicizing internships. Prior life experience also makes a difference in student aptitude for management but is not under control of the school.

Individual Differences in Feedback Seeking: Counterintuitive Results Concerning Tolerance of Ambiguity

The purpose of this study was to replicate previous findings regarding the association between feedback seeking and the individual difference constructs of tolerance of ambiguity and locus of control, using unique measures of said individual differences. Namely, while previous feedback seeking research used Norton’s (1975) tolerance of ambiguity measures, this study used Budner’s (1962) measure to capture facets of tolerance of ambiguity not captured by Norton’s measure. Locus of control was measured using Rotter’s (1966) dispositional measure while previous feedback seeking research relied on experimentally creating conditions of perceived control. This study used a laboratory setting. Respondents, 137 undergraduates at a U.S. university, were told they were taking a management aptitude test and were measured as to their interest in feedback and feedback sought on said test. Feedback seeking was measured three different ways -- self-reported behavior, observed (by the researcher) behavior, and respondents’ indication of intent to seek feedback. Contrary to expectations, tolerance of ambiguity was positively, rather than inversely, associated with feedback seeking. There was not a significant relation between locus of control and feedback seeking. Self-reported feedback seeking differed from observed feedback seeking.

Factors that influence the preventive care offered to adolescents accessing Public Oral Health Services, NSW, Australia.

BackgroundMany adolescents are at risk of dental caries and periodontal disease, which may be controlled through health education and clinical preventive interventions provided by oral health and dental therapists (therapists). Senior clinicians (SCs) can influence the focus of dental care in the New South Wales (NSW) Public Oral Health Services as their role is to provide clinical support and advice to therapists, advocate for their communities, and inform Local Health District (LHD) managers of areas for clinical quality improvement. The objective of this study was to record facilitating factors and strategies that are used by SCs to encourage therapists to provide preventive care and advice to adolescent patients.MethodsIn-depth, semistructured interviews were undertaken with 16 SCs from all of the 15 NSW LHDs (nine rural and six metropolitan). A framework matrix was used to systematically code data and enable key themes to be identified for analysis.ResultsAll SCs from the 15 NSW Health LHDs participated in the study. Factors influencing SCs’ ability to integrate preventive care into clinical practice were: 1) clinical leadership and administrative support, 2) professional support network, 3) clinical and educational resources, 4) the clinician’s patient management aptitude, and 5) clinical governance processes. Clinical quality improvement and continuing professional development strategies equipped clinicians to manage and enhance adolescents’ confidence toward self-care.ConclusionThis study shows that SCs have a clear understanding of strategies to enhance the therapist’s offer of scientific-based preventive care to adolescents. The problem they face is that currently, success is measured in terms of relief of pain activities, restorations placed, and extraction of teeth, which is an outdated concept. However, to improve clinical models of care will require the overarching administrative authority, NSW Health, to accept that the scientific evidence relating to dental care has changed and that management monitoring information should be incorporated into NSW Health reforms.

Blueprint for Success: A Federal Medical Librarian Checklist

In late fall of 2013, three highly experienced knowledge management professionals from the US Department of Veterans Affairs established a checklist for federal medical librarians. A metric was created to assist federal medical librarians with refreshing their competencies, skills, and abilities, and to align their knowledge management aptitude with their organization’s strategic objectives for optimal return on investment. The authors selected 10 categories of functional areas and identified appropriate resources for each category. Based upon the input from the federal library community regarding the value of the categories and resources, the Checklist was updated to include resources deemed by the authors as authoritative and worthy for inclusion. In November 2014, the updated Checklist was e-mailed back to the same federal library community. It is our pleasure to share the Checklist (attached) with federal medical librarians, as well as others in the profession, in the hope that newcomers and experienced librarians can benefit from our experiences.

Heterogeneity in venous disease practice patterns amongst primary healthcare practitioners.

This study aimed to describe the practice patterns of primary healthcare practitioners who diagnose and manage venous disease to determine differences in clinical evaluation of disease, recognition of venous ulcers, and referral patterns. A survey was distributed at the August 2011 Primary Care Medical Conference (Pri-Med) in Baltimore, Maryland. Pri-med is a medical education company that caters to the continued professional development needs of a variety of physicians. A total of 305 surveys were completed. Of the respondents, 91% were physicians and 9% were advanced level practitioners. In all, 93% prescribed compression stockings as first-line treatment. Heterogeneous referral patterns were reported with 81% referring to vascular surgery, 25% to a vein clinic, 10% to interventional radiology, and 3% to interventional cardiology. Up to 35% responded that they met resistance (did not have their referral accepted) when attempting referral to a vascular surgery colleague. There was substantial variation when asked about the treatment of deep vein thrombosis with 88% starting anticoagulation therapy, 54% prescribing compression stockings, 40% doing a thrombophilia workup, and 25% referring for lytic therapy. Diagnosis and management aptitude of venous disease is highly variable. Further grassroots education is required to improve diagnosis and treatment in patients with chronic venous disease.

Admission To The Master Of Business Administration Program: An Alternative For Savannah State University

Traditionally, graduate programs in business administration have heavily relied on the Graduate Management Aptitude Test prepared and administered by the Educational Testing Service in the decision to admit a candidate to the program. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature regarding the statistical validity and statistical independence of the GMAT. In light of the outcome of this review, an alternative admissions process is proposed.

Management Aptitude from the Viewpoint of Hardiness

Management Aptitude from the Viewpoint of Hardiness

Comparative assessment of stakeholder management in traditional Fijian fishing-grounds

The customary tenure of reef areas in many parts of the South Pacific offers an obvious context within which fishery resources might be managed cooperatively between customary-rights owners and fisheries personnel in government, yet the local foundations for such co-management have received little critical attention. Seven customary fishing rights areas (CFRAs) in Fiji were the focus of the present study, the objective being to compare management of CFRAs subject to differing levels of fishing access and ascertain those factors most influential to local management practices. The intensity of access (‘access pressure’) was measured as the number of licences issued per CFRA and per unit area, while management was assessed as an index, based on evidence of five aspects of management (management structure, marshalling of information for management, approach to goodwill payments, management measures and patrolling and enforcement) derived from questionnaires. Management varied amongst the CFRAs, one of the seven being essentially unmanaged because of a breakdown in succession between chiefs. There was little evidence for management responding uniformly to access pressure; rather, two CFRAs evinced a certain management aptitude regardless of this pressure, and two other CFRAs evinced relatively little management although pressure was high. A simple survey technique can indicate useful contrasts amongst CFRAs in functional local management, and thus be useful for guiding decisions about where to make investments in local management or co-management.

THE TRAINING OF AGRIBUSINESS MANAGERS FOR THE FUTURE

Changing circumstances in the agricultural sector require new skills to address the challenges. Effective curricula must reflect and respond to employer's needs and be constructed within a sound educational paradigm. This article explores the skills of agribusiness managers as obtained from AGRIMASS (Agribusiness Management Aptitude and Skills Survey). The results are compared with similar surveys implemented in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Agribusiness executives identified personal, interpersonal and educational skills as most important. Business skills were also ranked as important for success in agribusiness firms.

Characteristics required for success in management of agribusiness firms: An international perspective

The relative importance of various skills and attributes for success in business of entry-level employees as perceived by managers of agribusinesses in Australia, Canada, and the US are compared. The Agribusiness Management Aptitude Skill Survey (AGRI-MASS) was the instrument used. All three countries ranked personal qualities and communications skills highest, followed by business and economic skills, technical skills, computer and quantitative skills, and experience, in relative order.

A Profile of tomorrow's agribusiness leaders: The Australian perspective

This article presents the results of the Agribusiness Management Aptitude and Skill Survey (AGRI-MASS) in Australia. The national survey of 345 Australian agribusiness managers, was conducted to complement a similar study conducted in the USA by Litzenberg and Schneider (1988). As with the US study, respondents to the survey were asked to score 74 personal and professional attributes in six major categories, required for successful careers in agribusiness. The survey data enabled the authors to rank order the attributes and draw conclusions about the importance of categories of attributes as perceived by different sectors of agribusiness in Australia. The rank order was very similar to that found in the US study. Interpersonal and communication skills were rated very highly by future employers.

The Predictive Validity of Selected Admissions Variables Relative to Grade Point Average Earned in a Master of Business Administration Program

Results of a study undertaken to determine the predictive validity of admission variables used to screen applicants for graduate study in business at a medium sized university are reported. Stepwise linear regression analysis was utilized to identify the variables which explain significant amounts of variance in graduate grade point average (GGPA)—the criterion variable. The study revealed that the following variables explained slightly less than 21 percent of the total variance in GGPA: (1) junior/senior undergraduate grade point average (GPA), (2) Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) score, (3) full/part-time attendance in the graduate program, (4) number of credit hours required in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, (5) undergraduate major, (6) age and (7) pursuance of the MBA at the same institution where the student received the undergraduate degree. Junior/senior GPA, GMAT score, and full vs. part-time attendance in the MBA program were significant at the .01 level.

Review of Modern Language Aptitude Test and Management Aptitude Inventory

Review of Modern Language Aptitude Test and Management Aptitude Inventory