Vol. 4(3) March 2011
Obesity in the Workplace- An International Out-Look
Mishra Jitendra*, Bartels Courtney, Manczyk Kathryn, Mishra Mithilesh1
and Mishra Bharat2
Grand Valley State University, 469C DeVos, 401 W.Fulton, Grand Rapids, Michigan
49504-6431, USA 2. Windsor University, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4,
(519) 253-3000, CANADA
* mishraj@gvsu.edu
Over 64% of America is overweight and the number is increasing every year by a staggering
amount. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) 44 million Americans are
obese. That is one in five people that are obese. The scariest part about that statistics
is that the number of people who are obese skyrocketed at a rate of 7% every year
since 1991. The amount of medical care costs for an obese person is around $ 620
compared to non-obese persons. According to CDC, cost of treating soared to around
150 billion in 2008 and the cost doubled over a decade. The cost was 74 billion
in 1998. Obesity is a big problem because of injury claims, healthcare costs and
absenteeism of obese workers. This can lead to discrimination of overweight workers.
Obese people are stereotyped and often discriminated against in the workplace, although
anti-discrimination laws for obese people are beginning to come into existence.
Current research has shown that obese employees tend to result in higher costs for
employers because of higher absenteeism rates, more medical claims and lower productivity
rates. The United States has higher obesity rates than other countries, including
the U.K. and France, although the prevalence of obesity worldwide is increasing.
Some major cases involving overweight workers are cited: Cook Vs Rhode Island Department
of Mental Health, Butterfield Vs New York State, Pan Am Flight Attendants Vs Delta
Air Lines and European Program-EPODE etc. The obesity epidemic, as it is called,
has resulted in companies such as Microsoft and UniLever implementing wellness programs
that have shown positive returns on investment. GlaxoSmithKline is another case
that successfully promotes health lifestyles for its employees. HR(Human Resource)
Manager faces a major challenge of controlling costs, endorsing healthy life styles
and working to counter the dysfunctional and harmful effects of stereotypes about
weight and appearance and try to implement wellness programs that can ultimately
benefit the company with improved productivity and decreased health costs.
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Customer Relationship Management and Higher Education -A Vision
Lavanya T.
Department of Commerce & Business Management, Satavahana University, Karimnagar
(A.P.), INDIA
lavanya.thuniki@gmail.com
Educational institutions worldwide are undergoing fundamental shifts in how they
operate and interact with their “customers”: students, alumni, donors,
faculty members and staff members. Kotler and Fox1 state that “the best organization
in the world will be ineffective if the focus on „customers‟ is lost. First
and foremost is the treatment of individual students, alumni, parents, friends and
each other (internal customers).” Higher education is in much the same position
with CRM as it was in with ERP—just far enough behind the commercial sector to gain
from the lessons learned and the maturation of the technology. Departments and offices
work as separate entities in many colleges and universities today. CRM solutions
aim to eliminate the organization stovepipes that hamper proactive customer interaction.
CRM applications are also designed to increase the effectiveness of staff members
who interact with customers or prospects. The use of CRM applications can lead to
improved customer responsiveness and a more comprehensive view of the entire “cradle-to-grave”
customer life cycle. CRM solutions that tie directly into ERP systems are particularly
powerful because institutions can take customers through a closed-looped set of
well defined steps and processes to satisfy their needs. Whereas CRM applications
provide the framework for embodying, promoting and executing best practices in customer-facing
activities; ERP provides the backbone, resources and operational applications to
make organizations more efficient in achieving these goals.
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Being Socially Responsible and Environmentally Friendly improves the Corporate
Competitiveness and Profitability?
Nguyen Thi Hong Ngoc
Massey University, School of Management (Albany), Postgraduate Diploma in Business
and Administration, Albany, NEW ZEALAND
ruby.nguyen.611@gmail.com
Being socially responsible and environment friendly improves the competitiveness
and profitability of firm. There are three dimensions-social, environ-mental and
economic perspectives which are to be integrated to give edge in business and to
increase the profits of firm. Pearl model was followed as it provides holistic perspective
for the firms.
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Advantage in the Management of Research: Firms Technological Races on Innovation
Hung Tsu-Yi and Negassi Syoum*
Business School of University of Sorbonne, Paris 1, FRANCE
*negassi@univ-paris1.fr
Abstract This paper explores the advantage of utilising technological
race model as compared with an auction game model in order to analyse firm competition.
Compared to the previous theoretical and empirical works, our research proposes
to extend the technological race theory to the organisational and technological
spillovers approaches. Our econometric estimation is based on an original pooling
method. By considering the major changes experienced by patent regimes in Europe,
it estimates a structural model. Our results are robust, since they are identical
in the two methods (Random coefficients and Tobit methods). The results reveal first
that the R&D dynamics by internal and external constraints oblige firms to stay
in the race and not to be overtaken by their primary competitors. Second, patents
maintain a competitive asymmetry and especially dissuade the rival firms to perform
their research. Third, there is a strong persistence in the decisions related to
the implementation of innovation. Robust results verify the hypotheses from Cockburn
and Henderson11 and the theory of the persistence which is an indicator of the dynamic
behaviour of the French enterprises. The approach of the technological race applies
to the process of research in the French manufacturing industry.
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Improving Finances in the Telecommunications Industry: An Economic Analysis
of Regulation
Cheng Kuo-Tai
National Hsin-Chu University of Education, 521 Nan-Da Rd., Hsinchu City 300, TAIWAN,
R.O.C.
tigercheng@mail.nhcue.edu.tw
This paper examines the economic factors and legislations surrounding the regulation
of the telecommunications industry because it is believed that the effective regulation
of the industry would lead to improvements in finances and consequently, budgeting.
However, the findings of this study indicate that due to the complicated relationship
between competition and regulation, privatisation is not an effective solution,
because the only legitimate changes imposed by privatisation are concerned with
the ownership of companies and have very little to do with competition within the
industry or effective regulation. Due to the multitude of factors, conflicting interests
and interrelated evens involved, the process of effective regulation is complex
and there is no single model or design that can be applied to the process. The experiences
and situations surrounding regulatory policies and processes in other countries
have been difficult but the factors involved have been unique in each instance,
resulting in the inability to generalise these experiences. In conclusion, in order
for regulation to be effective enough to have a positive effect on the finances
and budgeting of the telecommunications industry, governments need to get involved
with policies and the regulatory process should be a continuous one, open to regular
review in order to remain effective.
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Just-in-trouble? Business Reactions to Trucking Disruptions at U.S. Mexico Border
Govindarajulu Nalini1* and Daily Bonnie F.2
. Department of Operations Management, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza,
Omaha, NE 68178, USA
2. Department of Management, MSC 3DJ, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
88003, USA nalinigovindarajulu@creighton.edu
Despite increases in transportation delays at U.S.-Mexico border ports of entry
and the widespread use of JIT manufacturing in the border region, only a few studies
have analyzed the effects of cross-border trucking delays on JIT operations. In
response, this paper proposes a conceptual framework for identifying outcomes of
border trucking delays on specific aspects of JIT. Furthermore, preventive measures
and alternative responses firms may take in reaction to transportation complications
are discussed. The framework also includes trade offs between determining significant
business factors which firms are likely to evaluate prior to employing preventative
strategies. Directions for future research are provided.
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Self-Help Groups: Women Empowerment and Social security in Tamilnadu
Vetrivel S.C.* and Mohanasundari M.
School of Management Studies, Kongu Engineering College, Perundurai, Erode Dist.,
(Tamilnadu), INDIA
*scvetrivel@yahoo.com
Self Helf Group (SHG) movement is affecting the social dynamics of village life
as seen never before. Most women reported that after their participation in SHGs
they are more respected in their own families and society in general. Their contribution
to the family is valued and the family in turn supports them to undertake activities
like these. These women also now voice their opinions in family decisions and get
heard. Men are now encouraging the women to step out of the household to earn income
and women are being given increasing say in the way in which the household income
is spent. But even more important, the women themselves are empowered by the SHG
movement. Particular impact of the SHG programme, namely, active participation of
members in community matters, has the potential to change village life in India.
Hence, the SHG programme, although primarily aimed at poverty alleviation, is resulting
in even more fundamental and desirable change in terms of social empowerment of
women, empowerment of their families through higher incomes and better choices and
finally in the betterment of community life.
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Estimating Recreational Benefits and Environmental Effects for the Amenities
of Flowers Industry
Huang Chin-Huang*, Huang Yen-Hsiang, Mark Lin Wen-Long1
and James Hsiao Po-Hsun2
Department of Sport Management, National Taiwan College of Physical Education, No.52-16,
Sec, 3, Syuefu. Rd., Putzu City, Chiayi County, Taiwan 61363, R. O. C 2. Department
of Leisure Studies and Tourism Management, National Chi Nan University, No1, University
Rd., Puli, Nantou, Taiwan 54561, R. O. C.
. * hch55@ntcpe.edu.tw
Tien-Wei highway garden is the biggest cultivated land area for flowers (30.27%,
in 2007) in Taiwan, which provided both public goods and positive externalities,
such as the amenity value of the landscape, biological diversity, cultural heritage,
rural lifestyle and economic activity contributing social welfares to rural economy.
The amenity of flower industry attracts many tourists and generates recreational
benefits, which cannot be assessed by market price directly. This research adopts
the nonmarket goods valuation method, travel cost method (TCM), to measure the benefits
from tourists’ demand function. In addition, the environmental quality will influence
the tourist’s decision to choose the recreation site, which is also an important
determinant of demand function and will be introduced into demand model. The empirical
results of this research demonstrate that the average consumer surplus (CS) for
demand model containing quality variables is NT $ 7,770. The average consumer surplus
without containing quality variables in the demand model is NT $ 7,741 and the average
benefits of environmental quality for tourist is NT $ 29.
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