International Journal of Business and Economic Development

While most studies examining the weaknesses of the WTO (World Trade Organization)  focus on shortcomings of its institutional arrangements and structural tensions between the two fundamental principles of the WTO - the single undertaking and the decision-making by consensus - this work takes a different view. It attributes the WTO's limitations to the neglect of essential subjects on the negotiating agenda and the omission of important actors at the negotiating table. The world trade system is in trouble -  it has become divided between the organization that supposed to efficiently manage international trade  and corporate actors who engage in global trade practices. Consequently, the article argues that to be relevant the WTO has to adapt to the changing nature of international trade by opening its doors to the business community and by allowing negotiations of plurilateral agreements among interested parties. The very idea that the WTO should remain exclusively an intergovernmental organization where only states propose and negotiate contracts appears to be more fitted for the nineteenth century mercantilist world.  The globalizing economy of today is driven by powerful players that are not only states but also corporations. However, under the WTO's current arrangement , corporate actors are completely outside the WTO's institutional structure. The organization deals only with states, manages inter-state multilateral agreements, and resolves  inter-states disputes   Consequently, suggestions are offered on how to revitalize the organization, which still presents opportunities for improving economic development worldwide and making the global economy function more efficiently and cooperatively.

An important debate in the economics literature focuses on the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in supporting the growth and development of the lesser developed countries (LDCs) globally. The ability of LDCs to capture the positive spillovers of FDI inflows depends in part on the organizational structures and corporate strategies of investing multinational enterprises (MNEs) relating to the establishment of operating subsidiaries in host countries. Investment promotion policies and practices in LDCs should be formulated with the objective of capturing the positive spillovers arising from the organizational characteristics of MNEs.

The aim of this paper to establish the relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure and financial performance in the Egyptian banking sector. Only three banks were included in the study because Corporate Social Responsibility is a new concept that has not yet been fully established in the banking sector in Egypt. Secondary data were obtained from the annual financial reports of the banks for the period from 2008 to 2011. Corporate social responsibility score was obtained using content analysis of reports of the companies on various components of corporate social responsibility as reported in their annual financial reports. The present study identified four dimensions in the pilot study: Environment, Community, Customer, and Employee. Descriptive analysis was used to describe data collected such as Pearson correlation method. The authors used regression analysis to study the relationship between the dependent variables and the independent variables and the bank age and bank size were used as control variables in the analysis.

            The results indicated an insignificant relationship between the independent variables (corporate social responsibility toward environment, community, customer, and employee) used in the model and the dependent variables Corporate Financial Performance as measured by (ROA, ROE, NPM, and EPS). The results of the study proved the absence of a significant relationship between the dependent and the independent variables as a whole. Yet, some relationships were found concerning individual measures.

            The major limitation of this paper is the sample size. In addition, failure of corporations to disclose CSR in the annual reports will have a material effect on these findings.

            The findings of this paper have practical implications on the management of Banks in Egypt to re-think and re-strategize their CSR policies that incorporate social and economic performance to improve their CFP. 

This paper presents that the rank reversal occurs in other popular MCDM approach as well, cross-efficiency evaluation of data envelopment analysis (DEA), which has been alternative method for ranking decision making units (DMU) in the data envelopment analysis (DEA). This paper also attempts to illustrate that the proposed least common multiple (LCM) approach successfully addresses these rank reversal problems in decision support systems area.

Presently the conducted studies on how SMEs should integrate sustainability align with their core business principle is limited. Most of the discussion on this field is emphasized to address issues for larger organizations and very limited effort on small firms. The drivers and barriers of approaching sustainability practices in SMEs are different from those in large organizations since SMEs lack technical specialist, experience and money required to make such strategy. Since SMEs play a significant role in nation’s economic growth, it is essential to study and find their drivers and barriers toward sustainability business practices constitutes main motivation of this paper. This is a primary finding that aims to understand the SME motivation and barriers that are facing in implementing green sustainable business practices to offer insight look to small firms to find key factors that influence adoption of sustainability business approach within their management practices.

The purpose of this study is to explore the use of QFD within the Egyptian public sector. Thus, there is a need to examine the role of QFD as an improvement approach within the Egyptian public sector organizations. Where QFD had consistently been claimed in the Western world and Europe. This study aimed to extend the knowledge of choosing an appropriate TQM tool for the Egyptian PSOs. Where it serves as an extension to previous studies carried out in the Western world but within the Egyptian context.

            This study is based on two sources of data collection, semi structured interviews from customers which were analyzed using content analysis and focus groups with managers to construct the QFD model. A purposive sample targeting the company's customers and managers were selected who had the requisite information. Semi-structured interviews helped to identify the factors affecting customers' purchase preferences, customers' opinions, perception, requirements, and problems. Moreover, it served the purpose to identify the 'WHATs' that are an essential part of the proposed QFD framework. Two focus group sessions were conducted to construct the QFD model.

            The findings of the study indicate that QFD is a generic framework that is appropriate and feasible for application within the public sector tire manufacturing company in Egypt. It was quite a good scientific exercise to demonstrate how customers' requirements were identified, the technical specifications needed and finally constructing the QFD framework to meet customers' requirements.

            The current study is a single case study which might limit the ability to generalize the research findings, although it identified powerful context and specific insights into QFD implementation. Yet, generalization of findings could be applied to other public sector companies in Egypt facing almost the same problems and having the same surrounding context and environment. Another limitation of this study is the sample size.

            The Egyptian public sector has suffered from different problems and challenges, lack of attention to customers' requirements constituted a major element of such problem. It is suggested that through the use of QFD would help to overcome few challenges facing the public sector. The practical work conducted would help in redirecting and highlighting the important role of QFD. This study aimed to provide insights into the procedures, practices, limitations and constraints faced during QFD development to assist the effective strategic moves for the future.  

This paper outlines a model of firm innovation management known as the synergic innovation management model. Building on the theory of dynamic capabilities and core competence, the paper suggest three capabilities of firms namely market, technology, management capabilities that drive firms’ innovations. The combination of these three capabilities creates a unique configuration for a firm known as the firm’s core competence that informs the firm's strategic decisions. The synergic innovation management model guides firm in the simultaneous exploration of market, technology, and management innovations required for sustainable business. The paper concludes with limitations of the model and suggestions for further research. 

The focus of this research is developing and examining a conceptual framework relating resource-based organizational capabilities and inter-organizational practices with organizational performance. Specifically, it investigates the relationship between knowledge management capability, organizational learning, supply chain management practices and organizational performance. Such a study is important as it contributes to the growing body of literature that links organizational capabilities and practices with organizational performance. In addition, it also contributes to empirical knowledge by applying the proposed conceptual framework in the Egyptian context, which is currently under-researched. The research approach adopted in this research includes an empirical examination of the hypothesized relationships among research variables applied on 63 factories with more than 100 employees located at New Borg Al-Arab industrial city using self-administrated questionnaires. The findings of this research provide evidence that knowledge management capability has an impact on organizational learning as well as on supply chain management practices. However, none of the research variables; i.e. knowledge management capability, organizational learning and supply chain management practices have an impact on organizational performance. The main conclusion drawn from this study is that knowledge management capability may be useful to managers for predicting organizational learning and coordinating supply chain management practices between supply chain members. In addition, it could be concluded that organizational performance, in the factories understudy, is affected by variables other than knowledge management capability, organizational learning and supply chain management practices. 

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 was passed as a response to the late-2000s recession.  A shareholder opt-in executive pay vote was introduced as a solution to the managerial power problem.  We examine the results of this recommended solution and prove its viability. We find that there is a stronger association between high CEO pay and low say-on-pay vote support for firms with negative financial performance. We also find the market-to-book ratio is significantly lower for companies that failed say-on-pay votes. Furthermore, regulated industries such as financial services are more likely to receive unfavourable say-on-pay votes. We document an increase in the sensitivity of CEO pay to poor performance. Overall, these finds are consistent with calls for less “rewards for failure” that led to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.