Middle Tennessee State University: Journals@MTSU
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The Legend of Zelda: A Religious Record
Get PDFThis essay evaluates the religious allusion and construction found within Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda video game series by utilizing several religious studies theories in an effort to examine the meaning-making phenomena the series creates for players. The series’ 3D entries are analyzed using Forbes and Mahan’s framework from Religion and Popular Culture (for describing relationships between religion and popular culture) to examine religious imagery and iconography within the Zelda series, and how such representation has changed over time. The series’ gameplay elements are evaluated using Rachel Wagner’s arguments from her book Godwired which explores the ritual nature of video games as a way of explaining the persist-ing religious nature and meaning-making systems present in the series. Finally, the narrative direction and storytelling are examined using Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” in an effort to understand the series’ underlying spirituality and lasting appeal. This is all in an effort to exam-ine the Zelda series’ relationship with religion, the narratives and experiences it creates under such a relationship, and the conversations about religious narratives and ritual storytelling that Zelda creates space for in the intersection of religion and popular culture, ritual and play
Internal audit outsourcing in small organizations: An exploratory study
Get PDFFew papers have studied internal audit outsourcing in general, and significantly fewer have limited their analysis to small organizations. This study examines the association between small organizations’ propensity to outsource internal audit activities and (1) audit committee involvement, (2) organizational financial health, and (3) need for expertise. Prior studies find mixed evidence when analyzing both large and small organizations concurrently. This study utilizes the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation 2015 Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) survey results data from chief audit executives (CAEs) of small organizations (<500 employees) based in seven Anglo-culture countries. We find significant associations between both audit committee involvement and organization financial health and internal audit outsourcing in small organizations
The liquidity impact of insider trading on small and medium size enterprises
Get PDFThis study compares the impact of insider trading by corporate employees of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on the stock price liquidity of these firms with that of larger institutions. Using publicly reported data, we assess how trades placed by SME insiders affect the bid-ask spread of their companies’ stock. We document that the spread gets significantly larger following these transactions relative to trades by insiders from larger firms. Collectively, the evidence suggests that insider trading by SME executives, as well as non-executives, decreases liquidity for their firms. One important implication from our findings is that the cost of insider trading is more severe for SMEs, firms characterized by greater information asymmetry
Corporate performance and diversification from a resource-based view: A comparison between small and medium-sized Austrian firms
Get PDFThe effect of diversification on corporate performance has shown controversial results in prior research, ranging from the potential to improve performance to the risk of performance reduction. The aim of this study is to explain separately the effect of diversification and some selected variables on the profitability of small- and medium-sized Austrian firms and to test some research hypotheses based on prior research. For this study 1,095 observations were analyzed for small- and medium-sized firms over a three-year period. The resource-based-view (RBV) has been chosen as the theoretical framework of this study. The results provide no clear evidence as to whether related or unrelated diversification leads to higher profitability, because it depends on how profitability is measured. This result holds for small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs). Additionally, there is no significant reduction in risk for diversified companies. Only related diversification exhibited a significantly lower risk when compared to non-diversified medium-sized firms. Finally, the RBV can only partially explain and predict diversification strategy and its outcome on profitability and risk
Teachers in War Zone Education: Literature Review and Implications
Get PDFTeaching is traditionally considered one of the most stressful of occupations. Lack of experience, training, and working with children with behavior problems represent variables shown to increase teachers’ stress. Research also demonstrates teachers’ stress can reduce their performance and also might lead to negative attitudes (Greenglass & Burke, 2003). The magnitude of concerns of teachers in war zones, however, greatly exceeds those typically discussed. Identification of psychological needs of teachers and students during crises is necessary in order to minimize future teaching and learning challenges (Sommers, 2002). During war, teachers and children both struggle through immense trauma. In this time of enhanced struggles, it is critical teachers concern themselves with effectively managing classrooms of often-traumatized children who have a right to a quality education (Brody & Baum, 2007). In the past, few studies however, focused specifically upon the emotional well-being and difficulties of teachers in war zones (Sumner, 2005; Ramos, 2010, Sharifian, 2017). This is clearly the case in describing Syrian teachers working and living inside the war zone
Do management control systems stifle innovation in small firms? A mediation approach
Get PDFHow entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as a strategy manifests into entrepreneurial behaviors like innovation, is an important research topic but not well understood. There is a gap in the examination of EO and entrepreneurial behavioral outcomes. Since mediators exist (see Rauch, Wiklund, Lumpkin, & Frese, 2009; Wales, 2016; Wales, Patel, Parida, & Kreiser, 2013) additional research is needed to uncover these potential relationships. Research suggests that management controls systems (MCS) may serve as a mediator between strategy and innovation outcomes. There is, however, conflicting evidence regarding the impact and use of management control systems (MCS) in the small firm context. As such, we examine the relationship between an individual-level measure of EO (IEO) and innovation level and explore the mediating role of financial and nonfinancial MCS on that relationship. Results suggest that nonfinancial MCS partially mediate the relationship between IEO and innovation, while financial MCS do not
Explaining effective team vision development in small, entrepreneurial teams: A shared mental models approach
Get PDFOrganizing entrepreneurial collaboration in small, self-directed teams is gaining popularity. The underlying co-creation processes of developing a shared team vision were analyzed with a core focus on three underlying processes that originate from the shared mental models framework. These processes are: 1) the emergence of individual visions and vision integration, 2) conflict solving, and 3) redesigning the emerging knowledge structure. Key in the analysis is the impact of these three processes on two outcome variables: 1)the perceived strength of the co-creation process, 2) the final team vision. The influence of business expertise and the relationship between personality traits and intellectual synergy was also studied.
The impact of the three quality shared mental model (SMM) variables proves to be significant and strong, but indirect. To be effective, individual visions need to be debated during a second conflict phase. Subsequently, redesigning the shared knowledge structure resulting from the conflict solving phase is a key process in a third elaboration phase. This sequence positively influences the experienced strength of the co-creation process, the latter directly enhancing the quality of the final team vision. The indirect effect reveals that in order to be effective, the three SMM processes need to be combined, and that the influence follows a specific path. Furthermore, higher averages as well as a diversity of business expertise enhance the quality of the final team vision. Significant relationships between personality and an intellectual synergy were found. The results offer applicable insights for team learning and group dynamics in developing an entrepreneurial team vision
Critically Reflective Leadership: Defining Successful Growth
Get PDFThe purpose of this article is to propose a technique that can be used by emerging leaders when considering adopting the most appropriate leadership styles, behaviors or actions in a particular context. The authors review several different leadership models explored by scholars during the past six decades; not all of these models work for all leaders in all situations. In order to become effective leaders, authors propose the use of reflection-in-action to facilitate emerging leaders when faced with challenging situations. By considering a descriptive, yet brief informal checklist, the emerging leader can be supported in choosing from different models or approaches.
The practical application of this information is to assist those mentoring emerging leaders and leaders themselves to develop reflective practices and insightful dispositions necessary to navigate the complex situations encountered in today’s daily interactive environments. This original work combines the literature of leadership with Schön’s work on reflective practice. While it seems an obvious application of Schön, the concept of critically reflective leadership is not prevalent in the literature