International Journal of Global Management Studies Quarterly (IJGMS-Q)

Contents - Volume 1

TRAVEL AGENTS’ PERCEPTIONS of CRUISE TOURISM in CROATIA and SLOVENIA

Donata Vianelli
University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
ialon@rollins.edu

Ilan Alon
Rollins College, Florida, USA
DONATA.VIANELLI@econ.units.it

ABSTRACT
The proposed research analyzes a segment of the leisure and hospitality sector in Croatia and Slovenia. Specifically, we examine the perceptions of travel agents regarding vacation alternatives in general and cruising in particular. The paper presents a literature review of the cruise industry, then describes three issues: travel agents as a channel of distribution, the cruise buying process, and outbound tourism in Slovenia and Croatia. The two markets we examine represent two levels of economic development and tourism market maturity in Central Europe. Data have been collected using MBA student teams from the United States and Italy posing as mystery shoppers, looking for travel destinations and cruises as an option. A total of 57 Croatian agencies and 29 Slovenian agencies were examined. Final results are tied to the literature review and conclusions are drawn about the potential opportunities and threats in the market.

Impact of EBITDA on Capital Expenditures
in the Shipping Industry

Yatin Bhagwat
Grand Valley State University, USA

Marinus DeBruine
Grand Valley State University, USA

ABSTRACT
The shipping industry plays a key role in the global economy. It has changed dramatically in the last thirty years as regulatory and economic changes drove increased efficiencies, increased merger activity, and increased growth. Shipping firms make large investments in rolling and floating stock, and funding these investments is crucial to sustaining growth. This paper studies a firm’s earnings impact on capital expenditures in order to help understand a firm’s investment funding decisions. More specifically, this study provides insight into how a change in a firm’s operating performance impacts its capital investment decisions.

The Role of Meditation in the Preservation and Maintenance of Intellectual Capital: An Empirical Study

Kiran Sahrawat
The OpenPolytechnic of New Zealand
kiran.sahrawat@openpolytechnic.ac.nz

ABSTRACT
Accountants and businesses have an added social responsibility to preserve the precious value of existing intellectual capital (IC) and any additions over the period of service. The concept of practicing meditation is historical, but the context – accounting knowledge, IC maintenance and learning motive – is new. The motivation for this qualitative research using archived and historical analysis of intellect (buddhi) came primarily from Sveiby’s (2007): the reasons for measuring intangibles and the learning motive. I am using ‘buddhi’, and how it works through the mind as manas and effectively reinforces the process of learning, creativity and achieving the higher self (siddhi), as exploration of ways to preserve and maintain IC. Earlier research in philosophy and psychology has scientifically validated some meditation techniques that proved some meditation techniques can enhance creativity and problem solving. This paper is structured around three themes: (a) the history of knowledge and intellect; (b) the value of learning and maintaining IC through meditation; and (c) investigating how mobile mortgage managers who used meditation techniques for self-actualisation and spirituality showed positive changes in performance, creativity, problem solving and motivation.

Stakeholder Status at the Bottom of the Pyramid

Rebecca A. Luce
Xavier University, USA
lucer@xavier.edu

ABSTRACT
Many are encouraging a market-based approach to meeting the needs of people who are at the “bottom of the pyramid” economically. Under this philosophy, companies take the lead in developing profit-based strategies that serve the unmet needs of the world’s poor. Critics of the market-based approach have raised concerns regarding the potential for exploitation of a vulnerable group of stakeholders, bottom of the pyramid consumers. In this paper, the researcher uses stakeholder frameworks to explain why areas of vulnerability exist as well as to suggest means of strengthening the position of consumer-stakeholders at the bottom of the pyramid.