10.18639/MERJ.2020.9900029
Short Communication
Nov 30, 2020
Due to disruptive changes such as COVID-19, universities can achieve better student outcomes with a shift to a learner-centered strategy. During the Spring semester, colleges and universities were forced to operate remotely due to COVID-19. With that said, faculty abruptly changed their teaching method of face-to-face format to mostly online education. According to a Chronicle survey of faculty members and academic administrators, 60% of faculty and administrators said that the COVID-19 semester was much worse. With the second wave of COVID-19 predicted by some health authorities, faculty needs to shift toward learner-centered instruction for greater student outlines especially when operating remotely. This article examines how faculty can infuse learner-centered instruction and provides some best practices to create better student outcomes.
10.18639/MERJ.2020.9900024
Review Article
Oct 30, 2020
Special Issue S5: “BRICS: The Emerging Block”
The paper focuses on BRICS countries' energy policies, as they are promising emerging economies and also some of the largest countries in the world, which together account for almost 40% of the world’s population. In addition, the energy sector has a strong importance for these countries. BRICS countries are an intrinsic part of the global efforts and the overall result of 2030 and beyond. This paper will analyze: How have BRICS nations been addressing environmental issues in their energy policies and strategies? What are their goals and pledges? To what extent have they met their established goals? And how much further – within possible – have they yet to go?
10.18639/MERJ.2020.9900028
Original Research Article
Oct 30, 2020
Special Issue S5: “BRICS: The Emerging Block”
This study is an attempt to analyze the significance of India’s trade relations with other BRICS nations in terms of sustainability. To examine the sustainability of India in BRICS nations, a time duration ranging between 1995 to 2018 has been taken. The time horizon has been divided into two parts as pre- and post-formation of the BRICS group, which makes it easier to determine the sustainability of India in this organization. The question of sustainability arises because of the heterogeneity in the character of all the member countries of BRICS. Statistical tools like trade intensity index and correlation have been used to understand the degree of intensity of trade and inter-dependency of member countries in terms of trade. The findings of the study suggest that there is great mutual dependency among the BRICS nations except for China. On the basis of an analysis of trends in trade and trade intensity, it can be concluded that the effectiveness of BRICS is limited and several questions can be raised on the significance of BRICS as a group.
10.18639/MERJ.2020.1224256
Original Research Article
Oct 09, 2020
This research departs from manipulation cases that have occurred in the accounting profession. The public began to question why the auditors were involved in these manipulation cases. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of experience, workload, and love of money on the auditor’s ability to detect fraud and professional skepticism in moderating the effect of experience, workload, and love of money on the auditor’s ability to detect fraud. This research was conducted at a Public Accounting Firm located in the Province of Bali. The number of samples taken was 64 respondents, using the nonprobability sampling method, specifically purposive sampling. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire. The data analysis technique used is a Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA). This analysis technique was carried out using SPSS program assistance. Based on the results of the analysis found that experience has a positive effect on the ability of auditors to detect fraud, the workload has a negative effect on the ability of auditors to detect fraud, love of money has no effect on the ability of auditors to detect fraud, professional skepticism weakens the effect of experience on the ability of auditors to detect fraud, professional skepticism strengthens the effect of workload on the auditor's ability to detect fraud, professional skepticism strengthens the effect of love of money on the auditor's ability to detect fraud.
10.18639/MERJ.2020.9900022
Original Research Article
Oct 06, 2020
This article examines the nexus between forensic auditing and fraud detection among Nigerian banks. A survey of professional auditors and accountants of Nigerian deposit money banks was done and data obtained via the questionnaires was analyzed using both descriptive (mean and SD) and inferential (Lawley’s Correlation) statistical tools. Findings indicated that there exists a nexus between forensic auditing and fraud detection among Nigerian banks. This implies that forensic auditing serves as an antidote for detecting fraud in the Nigerian banking subsector. The study recommends that bank management should employ forensic auditing by amending the existing laws such that the forensic auditors are integrated in the audit team or committee.
10.18639/MERJ.2020.9900020
Original Research Article
Sep 30, 2020
Despite the indescribable adversity of COVID-19, which raised deaths in most regions, the pandemic came with a number of good lessons that affect certain value metrics (healthcare, education, productive capacity, and price control mechanisms). In this study, we examined the role played by COVID-19 pandemic cases/deaths in selected regions and the need for policy recommendations. Using a mixed research approach, reported laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases/ deaths between 12 and 17 March 2020 were obtained across six regions – Western Pacific, Europe, South East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, America and Africa. Qualitative results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic predominantly affected Western Pacific and European regions. Besides, an analysis of variance revealed an insignificant difference in reported laboratory-confirmed cases/deaths of COVID-19 across the regions during the studied period. These results are, in part, attributable to the homogeneity in the strategies adopted to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in these regions. Thus, there is a need to strengthen certain valuable metrics, particularly in the healthcare sector by means of upgrading medical equipment (for nations in lack) and recruiting more qualified healthcare workers in view of future events of any pandemic.
10.18639/MERJ.2020.9900027
Review Article
Sep 21, 2020
Special Issue S5: “BRICS: The Emerging Block”
Although trade within BRICS has grown considerably during the past decade, rates of growth have fallen significantly in recent years. There is room, thus, for new mechanisms to further explore trade complementarities and productive integration within BRICS—including a potential preferential trade agreement. As such, this article aims to (1) provide an overview of the trade pattern of each BRICS country, considering the evolution and distribution of intra-BRICS trade in goods in the past decade (2008–2018) and (2) survey recent impact simulations of an intra-BRICS preferential trade agreement, addressing tariff and non-tariff measures to be considered by a potential PTA.
10.18639/MERJ.2020.1124819
Short Communication
Sep 07, 2020
Due to disruptive changes such as COVID-19, universities can no longer afford to tackle these turbulent forces solely. In today’s hyercompetitive environment, companies that want to compete in the future understand that the status quo will not do. According to Accenture, 76% of business leaders surveyed agree that current business models will be “unrecognizable” in the next 5 years. Businesses that attempt to move forward against the backdrop of uncertainty and unpredictability with little or no partnerships will find it difficult to be successful. In this short communication, researchers examine how to build strategic alliances in a disruptive world marked by uncertainty and unpredictability, given the impact of COVID-19.
10.18639/MERJ.2020.9900023
Review Article
Aug 31, 2020
Special Issue S5: “BRICS: The Emerging Block”
The aim of this article is to summarize the purpose why BRICS emerged and how it has been affecting the economic performances of the member countries and the world economy itself as well. The reason why India is chosen as the case country to work on rest of the fact that India after its independence has recorded a very interesting growth on the economic level and particularly after its BRICS membership. This article analyzes what kind of a position India has taken and would take furthermore in such an economic platform that the world now presents for the countries. This article searches for an answer to the question stated in the title using the quantitative and qualitative methods and has obtained clear results. It is argued that BRICS is a very important support for the Indian economy and that the economies of developing countries can escape from the hegemony of the capitalist Northern industries, thanks to regional integrations such as BRICS. Therefore, this article has an aim to recover the economic performance of the country that was recorded before the membership to BRICS and see what happens after that.
10.18639/MERJ.2020.9900021
Original Research Article
Aug 06, 2020
The aim of this study was to find out the factors affecting customer satisfaction in teleshopping. Researchers hypothesize that perceived value, convenience, and product variety have positive effect on customer satisfaction in teleshopping. The survey was done using convenient sampling from the region of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. Sample consisted of 150 respondents of Noida. The data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Results suggested that convenience is the only factor that significantly affects the customer satisfaction in teleshopping. The research suggests that product variety available and perceived value show correlation but does not significantly affect customer satisfaction in teleshopping. The research was useful for TV channels like NAPTOL BAZAR as it proves that customers order products from them just because of the convenience they are getting in return. This study is one of the first, at least to the author’s knowledge, to empirically examine and confirm the effect of convenience, perceived value, and product variety on customer satisfaction in teleshopping.
10.18639/MERJ.2020.9900018
Original Research Article
Jul 31, 2020
The aim of this study was to examine if there is an effect of openness to experience on green purchase behavior. Furthermore, the study also aimed to analyze if the attitude toward advertisement and green product knowledge mediates the relationship between openness to experience and green purchase behavior. The data for this study were collected in front of malls and departmental stores of Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) with the help of survey method. The population consists of both the purchasers and non-purchasers of green products. Two hundred and fifty people participated in the study, out of which 200 questionnaires were used for data analysis after cleaning the data. To test the hypotheses, hierarchical multiple regression was conducted using model 4 of Process Macro. The findings of this study indicate that openness to experience strongly predicts green purchase behavior but no mediation effect of green product knowledge and attitude toward advertisements are seen. This study finds its importance in the fact that there has been a rise in the environmental concerns which may induce consumers to indulge into green purchase behavior. This study is one of the first, at least to the authors’ knowledge, to empirically examine and confirm the effect of openness to experience on green purchase behavior as well as check the mediation effect of green product knowledge and attitude toward advertisement.
10.18639/MERJ.2020.1119826
Original Research Article
Jul 22, 2020
The aim of this study is to determine the impact of green human resources management (GHRM) practices on organizational excellence in higher education institutions in Duhok governorate, Kurdistan region. Descriptive and analytical methods were used in this study. GHRM practices (green recruitment and selection, green reward management, green performance appraisal, green training and development, and green career management) were considered as independent variables and organizational excellence was considered as dependent variable for this study. The primary data used in this study were obtained from a structured questionnaire distributed to examine university staff. Seventy-three valid questionnaires have been collected and analyzed. The findings of the research showed that there is a positive correlation between GHRM practices and organizational excellence. Career management has the strongest relationship with organizational excellence and their correlation coefficient is 0.391. Performance appraisal has the lowest value among the independent variables but the correlation is positive (0.302).
10.18639/MERJ.2020.9900013
Original Research Article
Jul 03, 2020
In knowledge economy there is a shift from industrial work to innovation work. This study examines the influence of soft skills and emotional demands–abilities fit on innovative work behavior among Masters of Business Administration (MBA) students. In a cross-sectional survey, we purposely selected 130 MBA students working in various types of organizations. Data were collected by using structured psychological scales. Detailed data analysis was carried out using statistical techniques: Pearson moment correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. Both soft skills and emotional demands–abilities fit jointly accounted for 38.7% of the total variation in innovative work behavior. Soft skills and emotional demands–abilities fit showed independent statistically significant prediction on innovative work behavior. The findings have implication for human capital soft skills as essential in knowledge economy. Furthermore, fit perceptions expect that emotional demands of work match the skills and abilities of the human capital. Recommendations were made in line with management and sustainability development goals.
10.18639/MERJ.2020.9900017
Original Research Article
Jun 11, 2020
India and Japan are engaged in a strategic and comprehensive economic partnership. However, some major powers have different interests that may delay the conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). India and Japan were among the 14 countries that initially joined the RCEP, but India has since opted to stay out, pending resolution of outstanding issues. This study aims to examine the India–Japan strategic partnership in the development of the RCEP and measure the saving potential of the India–Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, employing an ex-ante analysis with scenarios based on zero tariffs. These political and economic partnerships play an essential role for both countries at the regional level. India and Japan have good economic and political relations that could enhance the feasibility of India rejoining the RCEP. The results of the saving potential analysis show that both countries have gained benefits from the economic partnership.
10.18639/MERJ.2020.9900016
Short Communication
Jun 03, 2020
Special Issue S5: “BRICS: The Emerging Block”
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) have made a tremendous economic impact on the world. Through the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) by the World Trade Organization, they have become stronger. This article made use of different views to discuss the implication of the NDB and TFA on BRICS. No empirical analysis was carried out. From the viewpoints of other scholars, the Trade Ministers of the BRICS and the World Trade Organization, the NDB and TFA can enhance intellectual and economic growth in the BRICS countries.
