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Number 3Year 2011School of Doctoral StudiesEuropean UnionJournalAnnual Open Access Publication of the School of Doctoral Studies of the European Union,Brussels, Belgium; Published by the IIU Press and Research Centre, A.C.BusinessManagement andEconomicsPage 5Engineering andTechnologyPage 77SciencePage 111Social SciencePage 157Editorial Note 1Instructions for Contributors 2Empirical Evaluation of the Evidence of the Beneficial Influence of the Strategic Planning Process on the Overall Performanceof Emerging Countries CompaniesWalter Gerard Amedzro St-HilaireInstitutional Infrastructure and the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in NigeriaIyoha, F.O., Jafaru JimohComparing Bankruptcy prediction models in IranAli Ebrahimi Kordlar, Nader NikbakhtThe Relationship Between Service Quality and Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty in Malaysian Mobile CommunicationIndustryAhmed Audu Maiyaki, Norzaini Bt Mohd Noor, Sany Sanuri Mohd MokhtarElectronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and BenefitsStephen Ojeka, Ailemen Ikpefan O.A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality LevelsAzar Rahdarian, Hamed HamedianSmall Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding from Indian Manufacturing IndustryManoj Kumar Mohanty, P. GahanGlobalization and Energy Demands in the 21st CenturyAndrew R. ThorpOverview and Analysis on Cyber TerrorismSteve Saint-ClaireThe Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation SafetyAnne CurtneyEnhanced Wellbeing amongst Engineering Students through Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing) Training: An AnalysisAnurag Joshi, Mandeep Singh, Bharat Bhushan Singla, Sunil JoshiAn Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine, Lamotrigineand TianeptineHéctor Jara, Francisco García, Franky Torres, Fuad LechinMetastatic Breast Cancer: An evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous StemCell TransplantMartin F. TaylorNatural Gas Sweetening Process DesignKurt MearkeltorForeign Aid and Economic DevelopmentLawrence McMillanMarcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art proposed by Duchamp and CocteauErika González-EhrlichThe Effect of Islamic Azad University Activity on Branch of Trade Case Study: FiroozabadMehrnoush Saadat Abadi, Nima Naddaf, Fateme Saeed FirouzabadiService Failure and Recovery: Comparison Between Health Care and Automobile Service StationAnupam Krishna, G.S. Dangayach, Rakesh Jain7172432395165788599112121134144158166179184
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2011 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 1Editorial NoteEuropean UnionSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal (SDSJ) publishesresearch analysis and inquiry into issues of importance to the academic andscientific community. Articles in SDSJ examine emerging trends and concerns inthe areas of business management, economics, engineering, technology, naturaland social science. The goal of SDSJ is to broaden the knowledge of students,academicians and society in general by promoting free access and provide valuableinsight to human knowledge related information, research and ideas, presentingwhat the School of Doctoral Studies of the European Union’s Faculty Membersmay consider as relevant contributions to human knowledge. SDSJ is an annualpublication and all articles are peer-reviewed. SDSJ will be published annually(one volume per year) by the IIU Press and Research Centre, A.C. for the Schoolof Doctoral Studies of the European Union, hosted at the Isles InternationaleUniversité (European Union) in Brussels, Belgium.School of Doctoral Studies of the European UnionBrussels EU Parliament BuildingSquare de Me<strong>eu</strong>s37 - 4th Floor1000 Brussels, Belgiumhttp://www.iiuedu.<strong>eu</strong>/school/about.htmlSPARCEuropeSeal of the Scholarly Publishingand Academic Resources Coalition(Granted to the Business IntelligenceJournal on the 20 th day of August, 2008)DIRECTORY OFOPEN ACCESSJOURNALSLund University Libraries Sweden.IIU Press and Research Centre, A.C.9, Boulevard de France, bât A1420 Braine-L’All<strong>eu</strong>d, Belgiumhttp://www.iiuedu.<strong>eu</strong>/iiupress/sdsj.htmlSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) JournalAcademic Senate Delegate:Editor:Associate Editors:Reviewers’ Coordinators:Edition Design:Publishers:Dr. José Carlos Arias (Vice-Chancelor)Dr. Anne D. SurreyDr. Mathew BlockProfessor Robert MunierProfessor Alexandra MoffettProfessor Anuar ShahProfessor Ivanna PetrovskaProfessor Melissa BrantProfessor József RuppelDr. Paul StenzelPablo Gámez-OlivoEric Veloz-MontañoIIU Press and Research Centre, A.C.
2 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 2011Information for ContributorsElectronic submission of manuscripts is stronglyencouraged, provided that the text, tables, and figures areincluded in a single Microsoft Word file (preferably inTimes New Roman, 12 size font).Submit manuscript as e-mail attachment to the SDSJEditorial Office at: edit.sdsj@iiuedu.<strong>eu</strong>. A manuscriptnumber will be mailed to the corresponding author withinthe following 7 days.The cover letter should include the correspondingauthor’s full address and telephone/fax numbers and shouldbe in an e-mail message sent to the Editor, with the file,whose name should begin with the first author’s surname,as an attachment. The authors may also suggest two to fourreviewers for the manuscript (SDSJ may designate otherreviewers).SDSJ will only accept manuscripts submitted as e-mailattachments.Article TypesThree types of manuscripts may be submitted:Regular Articles: These should describe new andcarefully confirmed findings, and research methods shouldbe given in sufficient detail for others to verify the work.The length of a full paper should be the minimum requiredto describe and interpret the work clearly.Short Communications: A Short Communicationis suitable for recording the results of complete smallinvestigations or giving details of new models, innovativemethods or techniques. The style of main sections need notconform to that of full-length papers. Short communicationsare 2 to 4 printed pages (about 6 to 12 manuscript pages)in length.Reviews: Submissions of reviews and perspectivescovering topics of current interest are welcome andencouraged. Reviews should be concise and no longerthan 4-6 printed pages (about 12 to 18 manuscript pages).Reviews manuscripts are also peer-reviewed.Review ProcessAll manuscripts are reviewed by an editor and membersof the Editorial Board or qualified outside reviewers.Decisions will be made as rapidly as possible, and the journalstrives to return reviewers’ comments to authors within 3weeks. The editorial board will re-review manuscripts thatare accepted pending revision. It is the goal of the SDSJto publish manuscripts within the following SDSJ editionafter submission.Regular ArticlesAll portions of the manuscript must be typed doublespacedand all pages numbered starting from the title page.The Title should be a brief phrase describing the contentsof the paper. The Title Page should include the authors’full names and affiliations, the name of the correspondingauthor along with phone, fax and e-mail information.Present addresses of authors should appear as a footnote.The Abstract should be informative and completelyself-explanatory, briefly present the topic, state the scopeof the work, indicate significant data, and point out majorfindings and conclusions. The Abstract should be 100 to200 words in length. Complete sentences, active verbs, andthe third person should be used, and the abstract should bewritten in the past tense. Standard nomenclature should b<strong>eu</strong>sed and abbreviations should be avoided. No literatureshould be cited.Following the abstract, about 3 to 10 key words thatwill provide indexing references to should be listed.A list of non-standard Abbreviations should be added.In general, non-standard abbreviations should be usedonly when the full term is very long and used often. Eachabbreviation should be spelled out and introduced inparentheses the first time it is used in the text.The Introduction should provide a clear statement ofthe problem, the relevant literature on the subject, and theproposed approach or solution.It should be understandable to colleagues from a broadrange of disciplines.Materials and methods should be complete enoughto allow possible replication of the research. However,only truly new research methods should be described indetail; previously published methods should be cited, andimportant modifications of published methods should bementioned briefly. Capitalize trade names and include themanufacturer’s name and address. Subheadings shouldbe used. Methods in general use need not be described indetail.Results should be presented with clarity and precision.The results should be written in the past tense whendescribing author’s findings. Previously published findingsSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
4 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 2011considered to be the final version of the manuscript. Withthe exception of typographical or minor clerical errors, nochanges will be made in the manuscript at the proof stage.Because SDSJ will be published online without accessrestrictions, authors will have electronic access to the fulltext (PDF) of the article.Authors can download the PDF file from which they canprint unlimited copies of their articles.CopyrightSubmission of a manuscript implies: that the workdescribed has not been published before (except in the formof an abstract or as part of a published lecture, or thesis)that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere;that if and when the manuscript is accepted for publication,the authors agree to automatic transfer of the copyright tothe publisher.Costs for AuthorsRevision, edition and publishing costs will be totallypaid by Secured Assets Yield Corporation Limited andauthors’ sole contribution will be providing BIS with theirinvaluable work.Publication DecisionsDecisions by the editor of all submitted manuscriptsreflect the recommendations of members of the EditorialBoard and other qualified reviewers using a “blind” reviewprocess. Reviewers’ comments are made available toauthors. Manuscripts that are inappropriate or insufficientlydeveloped may be returned to the authors without formalreview for submission to a more suitable journal or forresubmission to SDSJ following further development.Manuscripts submitted will be judged primarily ontheir substantive content, though writing style, structureand length will also be considered. Poor presentationis sufficient reason for the rejection of a manuscript.Manuscripts should also be written as concisely and simplyas possible, without sacrificing clarity or meaningfulnessof exposition. Manuscripts will be evaluated by the editorwhen first received, on their contribution-to-length-ratio,meaning that manuscripts which strong contributionswill be assigned more pages than those making narrowercontributions. Papers intended to make very extensivecontributions (over 35 double-space pages, using one inchmargins and Times New Roman twelve-pitch font) will, atdiscretion of the editor, be allotted additional space. Authorsare expected to get and use feedback from colleagues priorto submitting a manuscript for formal review.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
5 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 2011Section BMEBusiness Management and EconomicsSection coordinated by the Department of Business Management and Economics in the School of Doctoral Studies of theEuropean UnionHead of the Department:Deputy Head of Business Management:Deputy Head of Economics:Dr. Jünger AlbingerDr. Mathew BlockDr. Paul StenzelReviewers Body Coordinators:Chair of Accounting and Finance Studies:Chair of Human Resources Studies:Chair of Marketing Studies:Chair of Operations and Production Studies:Chair of Information and Knowledge Management Studies:Chair of Leadership and Corporate Policy Studies:Chair of Change, Conflict and Crisis Studies:Chair of Mathematical and Quantitative Methods:Chair of Microeconomics:Chair of Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics:Chair of International Economics:Chair of Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology:Professor Ira JoubertProfessor Beverly LantinProfessor Frans CooperProfessor Guy LeroyProfessor Mitsuaki UnoProfessor Tui UnterthinerProfessor Takako IwagoProfessor Maria NicklenProfessor Carlo GrunewaldProfessor Stefen L FeinbergProfessor Mitchell AlvarezProfessor Vincent HaidingerBusiness Management and Economics Section ContentArticle 1 Page 7Empirical Evaluation of the Evidence of the Beneficial Influence of the Strategic Planning Process on the OverallPerformance of Emerging Countries CompaniesAuthor: Walter Gerard Amedzro St-Hilaire (PhD)Country: CanadaArticle 2 Page 17Institutional Infrastructure and the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (Ifrs) in NigeriaAuthor: Iyoha, F.O. and Jafaru JimohCountry: NigeriaArticle 3 Page 24Comparing Bankruptcy Prediction Models in IranAuthor: Ali Ebrahimi Kordlar and Nader NikbakhtCountry: IranSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
6 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 2011Article 4 Page 32The Relationship Between Service Quality and Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty in Malaysian Mobile CommunicationIndustryAuthor: Ahmed Audu Maiyaki (PhD)Country: NigeriaArticle 5 Page 39Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and BenefitsAuthor: Ojeka, Stephen A. (B.Sc, M.Sc Accounting) and Ikpefan, O. Ailemen (Ph.D, ACA, ACIB, FNIM)Country: NigeriaArticle 6 Page 51A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality LevelsAuthor: Azar Rahdarian(M.A.) and Hamed Hamedian(M.A.)Country:IranArticle 7 Page 65Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding from Indian Manufacturing IndustryAuthor: Manoj Kumar MohantyCountry: IndiaSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
Empirical Evaluation of the Evidence of the Beneficial Influence of the Strategic Planning Process on the Overall Performance of Emerging2011 Countries Companies7Empirical Evaluation of the Evidence of the BeneficialInfluence of the Strategic Planning Process on the OverallPerformance of Emerging Countries CompaniesWalter Gerard Amedzro St-Hilaire, Ph.DResearcher on Strategy and Governance of Public Organizations in HEC MontréalResearcher for the Research Center on the Governance of Natural ResourcesEmail: walter-gerard.amedzro@hec.caAbstractThis article raises the question of empirical assessment of the strategic planning process. Can you prove empirically, or highlightbeyond a reasonable doubt, the positive influence of the process on emerging countries businesses’ performance? If yes, what explanationsto give to any differences of opinion between theoretical models and practical models? The first part assesses major studies based onmeasures of corporate performance in the emerging countries as an indicator of the effectiveness of the process. Then, the second partprovides an overview of studies measuring the actual characteristics of the process. It is, thus, shown that, contrary to what is claimed bytheories, the strategic planning process doesn’t always lead emerging countries companies to success. Finally, the question of empiricalassessment of the strategic planning process remains important because, even though it may equip these companies some advantages,there is still to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, the cause-effect relationship between the strategic planning process and their success.However, this article highlights boundaries for the theoretical findings.The search of an evidence of the positive influence ofthe strategic planning process on the overall performanceof emerging countries companies led to numerous studies,since the establishment of strategic planning assumptions *by Igor Ansoff in his famous book Corporate strategy;year analytic approach to business policy for growth andexpansion (1965) [ i ]. In this work, Ansoff said that thestrategy is the key to the whole conduct of these companies’quest for openness, and in resources acquisition, distributionand processing. Combined with a rational analysis,planning is an established procedure to produce consistentresults, a procedure consisting of decomposing a processin stages. it therefore makes an elaborated, formal andfragmented mechanism, a detailed plan closely linking thestrategy formation process to a series of more operationalsteps. Thus, strategic planning would enable companies inemerging countries to improve their overall performanceto cope with rapid environmental changes, implementorganizational change, solve problems related to humanresources management, including resistance to change.Theoretically, Strategic planning has been recognized*For a complete description of the strategic planning process, consult Ansoff(1965) Corporate strategy; an analytic approach to business policy for growthand expansionby many stakeholders in industrial relations, working inan organizational setting, as a process for determiningthe main directions of these organizations, giving thesebusinesses the means to evolve in their environment, facingthe change. But what about in practice? Do the existingstrategic planning processes actually lead emergingsocieties to rigorous planning allowing emerging countriescompanies to efficiently achieve the goals they have set?Moreover, does the recent adoption of strategic planningin business modify significantly the performance of thosecompanies? Does strategic planning increase the amountof management effectiveness of those companies? In otherwords, does the application of strategic planning lead, inpractice, businesses to success?These questions raise the problem of empiricalassessment of the strategic planning process. Can youprove empirically, or highlight beyond a reasonable doubt,the influence of process on emerging countries businessesperformance? If yes, what explanations to give to anydifferences of opinion between theoretical models andpractical models? A review of the major available empiricalstudies, conducted to determine the impact and usefulnessof the process allows us to make an empirical assessmentof the strategic planning process. Two approaches aregenerally found in various studies: a method based on anAmedzro W. G. - Empirical Evaluation of the Evidence of the Beneficial Influence of the Strategic Planning Process on the Overall Performance of Emerging CountriesCompanies
8 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 2011estimate of the impact of process on business performance,and a method evaluating the actual characteristics of theprocess. The present empirical evaluation will be done intwo stages. Because evaluation of the characteristics ofthe process is a relatively more recent method and is basedon a review of the alternative method, the first part of ourevaluation will present and assess the main studies basedon measures of corporate performance as index of theeffectiveness of the process. Several studies have indeedbeen made to measure the impact of strategic planning onvarious aspects of business performance (financial, strategicchange efficiency, overall performance ...). Then the secondpart of the evaluation will provide an overview of studiesmeasuring the actual characteristics of the process. At firstglance, the conclusions emerging from empirical studies onthe usefulness of strategic planning are quite mixed.Theoretical FindingsFollowing the success since its establishment in the1960s, strategic planning suffered a decline in popularityand influence in the late 1970s. This was due in largemeasure to the failure of strategic planning tools todeliver what was expected of them. However, duringthe 1990s, it regained some reputation and influence thatit had previously lost. Strategic planning is a powerfulconcept used in the business community in emergingcountries, as part of a decision to deal with strategic issues.These are defined as developments, events, directions ortrends that may affect the strategy of emerging countriesorganizations. In these organizations, strategic issues cantranslate individual concerns in organizational actions.They can thus be considered as having political as wellas informational consequences. These effects may in turnaffect these businesses decision making and strategicchange in these organizations. In response to changingorganizational conditions internal to these firms, and externalenvironmental variables, the result of strategic planning is,in theory, a viable alternative, allowing these organizationsto ensure the plan continually realigns the firm’s goalsand strategies with the changing conditions. Thus, theidentification and exploitation of future opportunities, th<strong>eu</strong>se of strategic planning would enable these companies’major decisions to be made more efficiently and be morerelated to objectives. It would also allow for better allocationof time and resources to identified opportunities, and avoidwasting time and resources related to correcting erroneousor ad hoc decisions. While promoting the creation of aframework for internal communication between staff, itallows identification of priorities within the time allottedby the plan. Ultimately, strategic planning provides acompetitive advantage over these firms’ competitors.Strategic planning is therefore a tool to manageenvironmental turbulence. The literature describes strategicplanning as an effective tool in relation to its contribution toemerging countries companies performance, or final resultsthat the plan was originally supposed to achieve. Theseresults are generally established at the outset by the systemof strategic planning as a range of social objectives. In theirresearch, many studies are based on the difference betweenformal strategic planning (or explicit) and implicit strategicplanning. The formal strategic planning is an explicit andcontinuous organizational process, with several components(including the establishment of goals, generation andevaluation strategies). Some authors as Ansoff and Steinersuggested that a system of effective strategic planning mustbe linked to long term strategic objectives with those ofmedium-term and operational planning. Thus, plannerscollect data, make predictions, model and constructalternative future scenarios. These are the activitiesenabling these organizations to outperform those who arenot engaged in a strategic planning process. But this viewis not universally shared. Henry Mintzberg argues thatstrategic planning can be done objectively only in the shortterm, due to budgetary constraints, the inability to predict thefuture, and lack of objectivity schedules, generally biasedtowards the vision and desire their designers want themto take, and hierarchy[9]. With environmental constraints,emerging countries organizations need change constantly.Their definition cannot be made after an assessment ofstrengths and weaknesses of these organizations, but rathergradually. Strategic planning based on the needs of theseorganizations must respond to these needs and must takeaccount of their gradual evolution.For Minztberg, the true role of strategic planningis to develop and articulate the consequences of a preexistingstrategy: planning does not create the strategy.He further argues that strategic planning is an adaptiveprocess that evolves gradually emerging from differentdirections following these organizations’ commitmentto the environment. According to him, this emergingprocess is what will take these companies to success. Theseorganizations therefore have no need for explicit planningto be a barrier to their expansion. Managers should focusmore efforts on the development and optimization ofcapacity and efficiency of these organizations, rather thanon planning, which is likely to be limiting. Ansoff, bycons, rather think that a place must be given to emergingSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
Empirical Evaluation of the Evidence of the Beneficial Influence of the Strategic Planning Process on the Overall Performance of Emerging2011 Countries Companies11they allow a degree of complementarity of the results.The research parameters are fundamentally different fromone investigator to another. In addition, some studiesare marked by the absence of proof of reproducibility ofmeasurements. Moreover, many investigations have reliedon questionnaires (Ansoff et al. 1970, for example) mailedto companies. In this regard, Grinyer and Norburn rightlyobserve that because the planning process is complex,and spontaneous reactions to questions are important forproper assessment, mailed questionnaires were particularlyinappropriate for an adequate response on the subject.Lesson 1The first conclusion emerging from this analysis ofstudies based on a measure of performance as an indicatorof the relevance of the strategic planning process is thatevidence of a relationship and the nature of the relationshipbetween strategic planning and emerging countriescompanies performance is still unproven. We can’tcomment objectively on the effectiveness or ineffectivenessof the strategic planning process as a management tool.The methodological variability characterizing the differentstudies limits their analysis and comparison. However,by combining different studies according to their results,one finds that those that detected a positive relationship,and cause-effect relationship between strategic planningand corporate performance, are generally older than thosewho found no link and those who perceived harm in usingplanning. This time separation is sufficient to suggestthat the relationship between corporate performance andstrategic planning would evolve over time? Despite thestrategic planning history seeming to go the same way(the popularity decline, then an interest resurgence), thelack of methodological rigor once again doesn’t confirmthis hypothesis. It is rather evidence of the bias in mostof the authors’ studies, and the use of arbitrary attributesor variables. It also shows the inadequacy of the variablesused for an objective evaluation process, and the presenceof other factors than those measured. There are, indeed,a whole range of other variables that may affect thesecompanies’ performance or achievements, so that thechanges detected in the performance of these companiesmay not have been affected, or only partially affectedor affected only by strategic planning. Higher levels inachieving results are not necessarily related to the useof strategic planning. It is also possible that improvedperformance gives these companies the means, resourcesfor use, or the ability to implement strategic planning inits midst. In addition, emerging countries companies canadopt strategic planning in order to protect performancepreviously achieved without planning. In which casethere would be a relationship between strategic planningand performance, but not a causal one. Despite theconclusions he reached with his staff, Igor Ansoff admitsthat a subjective evaluation of results by the managementdoesn’t differ greatly between planners and non-planners,while an objective financial measure shows a substantialdifference. [3] It is therefore difficult to define specificallythe consequences of the use of strategic planning. From thispoint of view the analysis tends to support the model ofHenry Mintzberg.However there is always a category of potential benefitsresulting from the use of strategic planning. Greenley (1986)[7] recognizes in its article profits increased by the use ofstrategic planning, which are inherent in the consequencesof its use. He refers to them in the concept of 'intrinsicvalues of planning'. So there are economic advantages tothe use of strategic planning in emerging countries. Thereremains a strong a priori that strategic planning has a majoreffect on emerging countries companies’ performance. Butdoes planning affect these companies’ performance or doesperformance provide them to resources for managerialattention in strategic planning? Anyway, all the problems ofmeasuring broad performance of these companies suggestthat these results overstate the true relationship betweenplanning and performance. Models based on measures ofperformance are not very suitable for defining the nature ofsuch a relationship.Models Based on a Measurement of ProcessCharacteristics as an Index of Efficiency of theProcessCriticisms Raised by These ModelsIn contrast to studies on the effectiveness of the strategicplanning process related almost exclusively to the financialperformance as a gauge of the value of the planning system,these models start from the assumption that the benefitsof strategic planning are related to nature of the process,and may or may not be a sufficient condition for improvedperformance. Strategic planning can thus be effectiveas a process, despite the performance achieved. Hencethe importance of developing more models not based onperformance of economic dominance. It is importantto take into account the characteristics of the process,and the dimensions of organizational context (includingAmedzro W. G. - Empirical Evaluation of the Evidence of the Beneficial Influence of the Strategic Planning Process on the Overall Performance of Emerging CountriesCompanies
12 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 2011the strength and resources) in which the planning takesplace. The study of V. Ramanujam and Venkatraman N(1987) establishes that the dimensions of organizationalcontext have a dominant influence on the effectivenessof the strategic planning process. Also models based onthe evaluation of characteristics of the process, considerthe performance of emerging countries businesses doesnot look sufficiently valid to base the effectiveness of theplanning process. So research conducted by Greenley in1983 and Dyson and Foster in 1982, among others, haveexamined the effectiveness of the process, regard to thenature of the process itself.Definition and Characteristics of the StrategicPlanning ProcessThe strategic planning process is defined as all humaninteractions, formal and informal, taking place during thegeneration or the development of a strategic plan. Thisprocess fulfills both a symbolic and instrumental role.Symbolically, the strategic planning process is used forbuilding a consensus in emerging countries organizations,providing simplified models for communication andunderstanding. At the instrumental level, the strategicplanning process serves as a program performance,accounting for uncertainties and reducing time and costof searching for information faced by emerging countriesmanagers in their decision-making.This process is characterized by clarity of planning,that is to say, a division of labour among different levelsof management in the initiation, formulation, revisionand implementation of plans. It is also characterized byan explicit planning. Indeed, an explicit process is a morerational system for the construction of strategic plans.The third characteristic is the diversity of the process ofplanning. Where diversity characterizing planning is high,there are several kinds of individuals. With this kind ofstrategic planning process, the multiple viewpoints andconflicting are taken into account in the identificationof strategic issues and developing solutions, so that theresistance is less important. Finally, the strategic planningsystem must be characterized by an especially intenseplanning. This concept refers to the level of personalresources that the participants must devote to the process ofstrategic planning. It indicates the involvement of everyoneand one’s interest in the process.An additional feature recognized in the strategic planningprocess by Falshaw and Glaister (1999) is the extent towhich strategies within these organizations are the resultof a deliberate or emerging process. It is on these variouscharacteristics that this class of study models based itsresearch. Dutton and Duncan (1987) hypothesized that themodel of strategic planning process affects systematicallythe occurrence and success of efforts to change policythrough its effects on the content and strategic issues form.Empirical StudiesStudies based on a measurement of process characteristicsas an index of efficiency of the process, usually analyzea set of dimensions of the planning system and discusspossible relations with a set of dimensions reflecting theeffectiveness of the strategic planning process. The resultsof these studies are mixed and can be grouped into twocategories: those recognizing the effectiveness of thoseprocesses and those identifying malfunctions relating to theimplementation of strategic planning.Studies Demonstrating the Effectiveness ofthe Strategic Planning ProcessThe study by Ramanujam V. and Venkatraman N(1987) illustrates the research conducted under thismodel. Collecting data through questionnaires from600 companies selected from manufactures and servicecompanies, and collecting responses from 207 ofthem, the authors analyzed the characteristics of thesebusinesses and planning systems in relation to three maindimensions reflecting the effectiveness of the system (thesystem capacity, the objective achievements, the relativecompetitive performance). Following a statistical analysis,the authors came to the conclusion that there is clearly astrong relationship between the multivariate system size anddimensions reflecting the efficiency of the system. Howeverthey were unable to determine the relative importance ofthe contribution of the dimensions of planning systems inemerging countries to the observed relationship, that is tosay the link between cause and effect.In addition, Greenley showed in 1986 that it mayaffect non-financial strategic planning, that could providea substantial benefit to emerging countries organizations.Such benefits include the process advantages, such as theability to identify and exploit future market opportunities,personal benefits, such as encouraging a positive attitudeto change, and perspective that keeps strategic planningcompanies in the emerging countries synchronized withtheir external environment so that they can cope withchanges. Planning can thus be an effective managementSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
Empirical Evaluation of the Evidence of the Beneficial Influence of the Strategic Planning Process on the Overall Performance of Emerging2011 Countries Companies13process, despite the performance achieved. Strategiesformulation comes in practice more from deliberate process,than the emerging and adaptive process supported by HenryMintzberg. Similarly, the responses lead to concludingdysfunctions caused by strategic planning as little or notpresent. Few studies in this category, however, develop animpact of strategic planning with the long or short term.Studies Identifying Dysfunctions AssociatedWith Strategic PlanningIn their 1983 study, Bresser and Bishop [13] arguethat explicit strategic planning can be dysfunctional if itintroduces rigidity and encourages excessive bureaucracy.In these cases the planning results in rigidity and inflexibilityof responses to the changing environment in emergingcountries. Strategic planning tends to increase the need forcoordination and control of the process of forming strategies,usually fluid, flexible and informal. The process tends tohalt the creative thinking and promote the maintenanceof old patterns or models that have proved successful. Inother words, in order to maintain some control, strategicplanning tends to be an exaggerated extrapolation of pastand present, in the future, rather than seeking to reinventthe future. Policy makers usually assume that the future isa linear progression from the past. They set the strategiestaking into account a future more or less corresponding towhat one knows, or some development allowed. Strategicplanning creates the illusion of certainty in a world ofuncertainty, risk and constant change, without taking intoaccount the contingencies of the environment. In relativelysafe environments, free from control systems and counterdemocratic power allowing play of market forces, or in caseof monopolies or duopolies (like the field of manufactureof civil aircraft dominated globally by Airbus and Boeingcompanies), this illusion doesn’t pose any problems. Wenote thus a lack of application of processes in emergingcountries companies. In addition to the challenges posedby the involvement of human resources, communicationand dissemination of a common culture of these companiesand the adaptation of organizational structure, the lackof flexibility in the planning and the limited vision of thefuture that it implies prevent the efficient implementationof the strategies it has itself helped develop. These, whenimplemented, are sometimes inadequate and lead tounexpected results. Strategic planning is currently unableto take into account the range of possible futures, andtherefore doesn’t allow establishing a certain plan for thelong term.Lesson 2Studies based on an assessment of the strategic planningprocess, while taking more account of the nature of strategicplanning, and the nature of the consequences of planningwithin emerging countries organizations, also come tomixed results. They confirm the existence of a link betweenstrategic planning and business success, but does notspecify whether or not a relationship of cause and effect.Strategic planning, when adequately used, is associatedwith non-economic benefits that can confer or enhancethe competitive advantage of a firm, but it sometimesleads to dysfunctions (including inflexibility and rigidity)that can limit these organizations in their expansionand development. It is thus clear from these studies thatstrategic planning is a complex tool that cuts both ways,whose effective use is not granted.The main criticism that can be made to modelsmeasuring the characteristics of the system to evaluate itseffectiveness rests once again in the methodology. Mainlybased on mailed questionnaires in view of the nature ofresearch, these studies don’t record spontaneous answers ofrespondents, and obtain relatively low response rate (over600 companies, 207 responded to the study of V. Ramanujamand Venkatraman N, is therefore 34.5% response, and 113out of 500 companies responded to the study of Glaisterand Falshaw, and thus an overall response rate of 23%).The result is a poor sample representation, since, as thedifferent authors note, the majority of responses came fromlarge corporations, or performers of strategic planning. Thesamples are therefore biased in favour of this category ofrespondents.Explanation of Differences BetweenTheoretical Models and Practical ModelsHow to explain the differences between theory andpractice? In other words, how is that, contrary to what isclaimed in the literature, strategic planning doesn’t alwayslead emerging countries companies to success, and issometimes associated with malfunctions? Although someof these companies are favoured by the use of strategicplanning, others do not recognize the benefits. Twocategories of problems related to the concept may explainthese differences.Problems Related to the Nature and Definitionof the ConceptAmedzro W. G. - Empirical Evaluation of the Evidence of the Beneficial Influence of the Strategic Planning Process on the Overall Performance of Emerging CountriesCompanies
16 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 2011Ansoff, I. et al. « Does Planning Pay ? The effect ofplanning on Success of Acquisitions in AmericanFirms », Long Range Planning; 3 (2), 2-7 (1970)Bédard G. M. et Simard G. : À l’aube de XXIe siècle: des enj<strong>eu</strong>x pour les sciences de la gestion; EdGuérin Universitaire; 1996Bresser R. K. & Bishop R. C « Dysfunctional Effetsof Formal Planning : Two Theoritical Explanations» Academy of Management Review, 8, 588 – 599(1983)Boyd, K. B. « Strategic Planning and FinancialPerformance : A Meta –Analytic review », Journalof Management Studies; 28 : 4; 353-374; July 1991Dutton, J., E. & Duncan R., B., « The influence of thestrategic planning process on strategic change »Strategic Management Journal, 8, 103 -116 (1987)Glaister, K. W. & Falshaw R. J. « Strategic Planning :Still Going Strong ? », Longe Range Planning; 32(1); 107-116; (1999)Greenley, G. E. « Does Strategic Planning ImproveCompany Performance ? », Long Range Planning;19 (2); 101-109; (1986)Greenley, G. E. « Strategic Planning and CompanyPerformance : an Appraisal of the empiricalevidence » Scandinavian Journal of Management;10 (4); 383-396; (1994)Mintzberg, H. « The Design School : Reconsideringthe Basic Premises of Strategic Management »,Strategic Management Journal, 11, 171-195 (1990)Mintzberg, H., « Learning 1, planning 0 : Reply to IgorAnsoff », Strategic Management Journal, 12, 463-466 (1991)Ramanujam V., & Venkatraman N., « Planningsystem characteristics and planning effectiveness »Strategic Management Journal, 8, 453-468 (1987)Whitehead, D. D. and Gup, B. E. « Bank and thiftprobability : does strategic planning really pay?» Economic Review Federal Reserve Bank ofAtlanta, 70, 14 – 25 (October 1985)Tuval Y. : Le Défi : contourner la concurrence; EdVillage Mondial (Paris); 2000School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Institutional Infrastructure and the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Nigeria17Institutional Infrastructure and the Adoption ofInternational Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) inNigeriaIyoha, F.O.Lecturer, Department of AccountingCollege of Development Studies, Covenant University P.M.B 1023Ota, NigeriaEmail: iyohafrancis@yahoo.co.ukJafaru JimohDepartment of Accounting Auchi PolytechnicAuchi, NigeriaAbstractNigeria has officially indicated her intention to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) from year 2012. Thougha welcome development, it raises the question of the country’s availability and readiness of relevant and appropriate institutionalinfrastructure. Using the perception of users and preparers of accounting information, the results of the descriptive study showed thatonly the professional accounting bodies have the relevant infrastructure to cope with the adoption of the IFRS. The study recommends,amongst others that the activities of the major institutions connected with the implementation of the new standard be urgently reviewedand that the education, sensitization, and communication to stakeholders of issues associated with IFRS adoption vis a vis the role ofthe relevant institutions should commence in earnest and finally a rigorous IFRS capacity building program should be embarked uponby all regulatory bodies, firms and training institutions in order to provide the needed manpower for IFRS implementation. Key words:International Financial Reporting Standard, Institutional infrastructure, Capacity building, Adoption, Nigeria Accounting StandardsBoard, Relevance, Reliability, Comparability.There is a growing demand for credible financialinformation to meet the needs of stakeholders who haveoperational interest in financial reporting. Informationemanating from financial reporting is regarded as credibleand useful when it faithfully represents the “economicsubstance” of an organization in terms of relevance,reliability and comparability (Spiceland, Sepe andTomassini (2001:36). It is in recognition of the need to havequality financial reports that the adoption of InternationalFinancial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is taking firm rootamong countries around the world. One of such countriesis Nigeria which has officially expressed her intention toadopt IFRS as from 2012. This position, however, is withoutprejudice to a host of banks in Nigeria which have alreadystarted to adopt IFRS. Though this might be regarded as awelcome development, the question that begs for answeris, does Nigeria have strong institutional infrastructure tomake the transition to IFRS (a more conceptual approach tofinancial reporting) effective and rewarding? The questionis pertinent because IFRS is an innovation which requiresinstitutional infrastructure to succeed not only at thedevelopment phase, but also during the implementationphase. This study, with particular focus on Nigeria, isimportant because institutional constrains vary from countryto country in their impact on organizations (Commanderand Svejnar, 2007) and the situation in Nigeria cannot betaken for granted.The objective of this article is therefore to address thequestion of whether Nigeria has the required institutionsto support the adoption of IFRS from the perspective ofusers and preparers of financial reports. The remaining partof this paper is organized as follows: Section 2 describesthe institutional and infrastructural/ legal requirements forfinancial reporting in Nigeria. Section 3 is a review of recentIyoha, F.O., Jimoh J. - Institutional Infrastructure and the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Nigeria
2011 Institutional Infrastructure and the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Nigeria19Standards Board Act, 2003. Establishing and maintainingappropriate accounting standards are critical to thedevelopment of accounting practice because accountingstandards allow for a more accurate reflection of thebusiness environment by ensuring that relevant informationgrounded in reliable financial reporting are available toinvestors. Under the IFRS regime, the NASB is expectedto give backing to the enforcement of the application ofthe standards. Based on its current structure, the extent towhich its activities will be relevant under the IFRS regimeis a question that begs for answer.National Insurance Commission (NAICOM)The NAICOM is responsible for the administration andenforcement of the provisions of the Insurance Act. Tothat extent, the National Insurance Commission regulatesfinancial reporting practices of insurance companiesunder the National Insurance Act 2003. Audited financialstatements are expected to be submitted to the NAICOMwithin six months of year-end and published in the relevantmedia. Besides, the auditor is legally required to certify thesolvency of the insurer and approve the margin of solvencyrequired under the Act. Based on its provisions with regardto accounting practice, to what extent will its activities berelevant under IFRS dispensation.Review of Related Literatureis expected to lower such costs, then Nigeria which dependto some degree on foreign capital would be interested. Theargument here is that countries choose to adopt IFRS whenthey expect to increase the share of foreign capital and tradein their economy. In this sense, even countries with lowlevels of foreign capital and trade can choose to adopt IFRSif they are expecting growth in those factors.On the contrary, opponents argue that one single setof accounting standards cannot reflect the differencesin national business practices arising from differences ininstitutions and cultures (Armstrong, Barth, Jagolinzer,and Riedl, 2007; Access Bank, 2010). In countries wherethe quality of governance institutions is relatively high,IFRS adoption is likely to be less attractive as high qualityinstitutions represent high opportunity and switching coststo adopting international accounting standards. However, inmany developing countries, the quality of local governanceinstitutions are low and thus are important determinants ofthe decision to adopt IFRS (Ball et al., 2000; L<strong>eu</strong>z et al.,2003; and Ball, 2006). Such countries are likely to sufferfrom corrupt, slow-moving, or ineffectual governments thatare resistant to or incapable of change (La Porta et al., 1999).In these countries, the opportunity and switching costs arelower and thus, the chance to adopt an externally developedbody of accounting standards presents an advantage. Thus,among countries with less developed institutions likeNigeria, the decision to adopt IFRS is likely to be driven bylower opportunity and switching costs.The decision to adopt IFRS by some countries arisesfrom the understanding that IFRS is a product with network effect. Network effect is said to exist where users finda product or service more valuable as additional users usethe same product or service. As more and more countriesadopt IFRS, it becomes more appealing to others thatare yet to consider the adoption. Notwithstanding that anumber of challenges have been observed and experiencedby countries in their decision to adopt IFRS, its worldwideadoption has been promoted on the premise of its perceivedbenefits which are considered to outweigh the costs.Proponents of the adoption of IFRS argue that there are anumber of benefits which can be gained from greater crosscountrycomparability of firms’ financial reports. Barth,(2007), for instance, argues that by adopting a commonbody of international standards, countries can expect tolower the cost of information processing and auditors offinancial reports can be expected to become familiar withone common set of international accounting standards thanwith various local accounting standards. If adopting IFRSInstitutionsThe key drivers of financial reporting outcomes havebeen observed to be institutional reporting incentivesrather than accounting standards. This assertion is affirmedby recent studies which have established that institutionsaffect firms’ actual reporting and disclosure practicesirrespective of the accounting standards in force (Fanand Wong, 2002; l<strong>eu</strong>z et al. 2003 and Haw et al. 2004).Therefore, the role of institutions in realizing the benefitsclaimed for IFRS adoption cannot be ignored as they(institutions) influence organizational choices by definingwhich actions are suitable and supportable in an economy.Thus, North (1990) defines institutions as the “humanlydevised constraints that shape human interaction” thatprovide the “rules of the game in society” where the actionsof players are governed by rules. Though institutions couldbe inefficient sometimes, they exist primarily to curtail theopportunistic tendencies which could arise in an exchangerelationship. This scenario will have some implications forIyoha, F.O., Jimoh J. - Institutional Infrastructure and the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Nigeria
20 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 2011IFRS adoption in that evidence support the fact that wherefirms are expected to apply the same accounting standards,differences in reporting practices have been observed acrossfirms and countries (Burgstahler et al. 2006 and Lang et al.2006).The above exposition suggests that mandatoryaccounting rules and regulations such as the IFRS cannot beconsidered in isolation of other relevant institutions becauseits (IFRS) effectiveness will depend on the understandingof the economic and institutional factors that affect firmsreporting incentives (Ball, 2001).Research MethodsThis is a descriptive study in which questionnaire wasused to elicit data in order to determine the perceptionof compilers and users of annual reports on the state ofinstitutional infrastructure for the adoption of IFRS inNigeria. Finance managers represented the compilersbecause they are deemed to be knowledgeable about IFRSand could provide a preparer’s perspective on its adoption.Similarly, Investment analysts represent the users basedon a number of reasons identified in extant literature. Forinstance, Investment analysts are identified in the literatureas the principal users of financial reports (Paudyal andRees, 2000; Healy and Palepu, 2001; Clement and Tse,2003; Mangena, 2004) because their work requires thatthey have the accounting knowledge to enable them toanalyze the reports and make decisions (Baker, 1998).Thus, it is believed that provision of information that meetsthe needs of the analysts is considered as also meetingmost of the needs of other users (Gebhardt, Reighardt, andWittenbrinck, 2004).The questionnaire was administered to a total of 203compilers who met the conditions specified below- Thefirm in which they are employed is listed and active on theNigerian Stock Exchange in the last ten years i.e (between1990 and December, 2009) and the industry that the firmsbelong has at-least three firms. Also, the questionnaire wasadministered to each of the Principal Analysts of the twohundred and twenty five (225) investment analyst firmsidentified from the list of Capital Market Operators compiledby the Nigerian Stock Exchange. All the investment analystfirms were included in the sample because, as observed byMangena (2004:34), the response rate among investmentanalysts is usually low.The questions required the respondents to answer ona five-point Likert scale anchored by (5) indicating verystrong and (1) very weak. Similar scales have been usedby Firer and Meth (1986), Courtis (1992) and Myburgh(2001) and were found suitable. A total number of 125questionnaires were returned by the compilers out of which106 were useable. For the users, 98 questionnaires werereturned out of which 75, were found useable.Survey Results and DiscussionThe results presented in the table below are based onthe authors’ field survey in 2010. The first question probedthe readiness of the professional accounting bodies to meetthe challenges posed by the adoption of IFRS in five areasshown in the table. The results for this question are shownin Table 1.Table 1 Professional Accounting Bodies (ICAN and ANAN)The results presented in the above table indicate that theeducation and training of accountants by the professionalaccounting bodies will have strong implications forIFRS. This is closely followed by the yearly productionof professional accountants with a mean of 3.59 from thecompilers’ point of view and professional ethics from theview point of users. These issues are important for thesuccessful adoption of IFRS. Based on the results above,it can be inferred that on the average, the accountingbodies have the capacity to cope with the demands of IFRSadoption.The second question probed the readiness of CBN tocope under IRFS dispensation based on its antecedents interms of the matters listed in table 2 below.1 Submission of audited financial statementsby banksCompilersn=106Compilersn=106Usersn=75Mean Rank Mean Rank1 Average yearly production of accountants 3.59 2 3.10 42 Mandatory Continuing ProfessionalEducation (MCPE)3.62 1 3.58 13 Professional ethics 3.39 3 3.46 24 Discipline of members 3.39 3 3.26 35 Service to the public and government 3.37 5 2.68 5Table 2 Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)Usersn=75Mean Rank Mean Rank3.60 1 3.70 1School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Institutional Infrastructure and the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Nigeria212 Special examination of banks’ books andaffairs3 Dealing with contravention of legislationsand regulationsFrom the table above, both compilers and users ar<strong>eu</strong>nanimous that the CBN has been strong in ensuringsubmission of audited financial statements and appointmentof auditors. However, CBN has been weak in the specialexamination of banks’ books and dealing with contraventionof legislations and regulations. The impression created bythe results indicate that the CBN is not quite set to face thechallenges of IFRS and thus would need to strengthen allareas of its mandate in order to cope with the demands ofIFRS..The third question sought to ascertain the benefits ofIFRS adoption to policy makers from the stand point ofthe preparers and users of financial reports. The results areshown in Table 3.Table 3 Securities and Exchange Commission1 Supervision of securities and marketoperationsCompilersn=106Usersn=75Mean Rank Mean Rank2.21 6 2.50 22 Better access to the global capital markets 2.56 4 1.32 63 Promotion of cross-border investment 2.58 2 2.38 44 Better information for control and decisionmaking purposes2.60 1 2.34 75 Discipline of erring capital marketoperatorsCompilersn=106Usersn=75Mean Rank Mean Rank2.24 5 3.0 42.35 4 305 34 Maintenance of required reserves 3.40 3 2.85 55 Appointment of auditors and3.50 2 3.50 2remuneration2.57 3 2.80 16 Approval of audited financial statements 2.48 5 2.50 27 Response to filing of financial statements 2.10 7 2.35 5by companiesThough the results indicated in the table above suggestthat the compilers and users are not unanimous on anyparticular issue, but it is evident that the SEC is not strongenough as an institution to support the adoption of IFRS.The results show that SEC lack capacity in all the matterscontained in the table. Overall, the results indicate that theSEC has much to do in order to improve and support theadoption of IFRS.The fourth question probed the perception of compilersand users concerning the state of NASB towards theadoption of IFRS. The results are shown below.Table 4 Nigerian Accounting Standards Board1 Improved regulatory oversight andenforcementCompilersn=106Usersn=75Mean Rank Mean Rank2.50 5 2.05 72 A higher standard of financial disclosure 3.60 1 3.40 43 Better information for market participants 2.50 5 3.56 24 Better ability to attract and monitor listingsby foreign companies2.60 3 3.30 55 Availability of resources to fulfill mandate 2.45 7 3.50 36 Composition of membership of the Board 3.50 2 3.60 17 Relationship with other Accountingbodies/institutions2.55 4 3.00 6The results showed in the above table indicate that theNASB lacks the necessary resources to fulfill its mandate.To that extent, the Board will lack the ability to enforcethe use of IFRS. Overall, the table suggests that the NASBhas a lot of areas where improvements are needed forIFRS adoption to be meaningful in Nigeria. These areasinclude improved regulatory oversight and enforcement,relationship with other accounting bodies and institutionsand better supply of information to market participants.The fifth question sought to ascertain the perception ofthe preparers and users with respect to the factors that couldmake the adoption of IFRS successful. Six factors whichcould potentially lead to successful adoption of IFRS wereconsidered and the results are shown below.Table 5 National Insurance Commission1 Having technology in place to support theconversion2 General enforcement of the InsuranceAct, 20033 Submission of financial statements within6months.Compilersn=106Usersn=75Mean Rank Mean Rank3.46 3 3.41 23.50 2 3.35 32.80 5 2.65 54 Compliance with Solvency requirements 3.56 1 3.52 15 Professional support with IFRS experience 2.78 6 2.64 66 Sound system of corporate governance 3.38 4 3.23 4Field survey, (2010)Iyoha, F.O., Jimoh J. - Institutional Infrastructure and the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Nigeria
22 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 2011The results presented above indicate that the NAICOMis perceived higher in the area of ensuring compliance withsolvency requirements. However, in terms of professionalsupport with IFRS experience and submission of financialstatements within stipulated period, the Commissionis weak and not likely to cope under full IFRS regime.Overall, the results indicate NAICOM is not set to embracethe adoption of IFRS.The final question probed the perception of preparersand users in terms of the issues that will pose generalchallenges to the adoption of IFRS. The results are aspresented in table 6.Table 6. CHALLENGES OF IFRS ADOPTIONCompilersn=106Usersn=75Mean Rank Mean Rank1 Training of relevant personnel 3.40 6 3.45 62 Funding of the road map and3.85 5 3.65 5implementation3 Compliance and enforcement of IFRSwhen in force4 Complexity of conversion from NigeriaGAAP to IFRS5 Retention of key employees with IFRScompetences4.45 3 4.34 24.20 4 3.89 44.55 2 4.20 36 Ethical environment prevailing in Nigeria 4.70 1 4.60 1The results presented in Table 6 show that the preparersand users differ only in their ranking of the challengesof the adoption of IFRS in two out of six issues raised.They are unanimous that the ethical environment is themost important challenge for the successful adoption ofIFRS. This should not be surprising because corporatetransparency is a particularly important component ofgood governance as it ensures the protection of parties(both individual and institutional) who have operationalinterest in financial reporting in terms of accurate andreliable information which are needed in order to take wellconsideredeconomic decisions.Interestingly, preparers and users are both unanimousthat training will be the least challenge. This is curiousespecially that the country (Nigeria) does not have enoughtrained and professionally literate IFRS accountants. Onewould have expected training to create the greatest obstacleespecially in the issue of first time adoption of IFRS. Theresult also show that retention of qualified employees willbe a challenge as it is ranked second and third respectivelyby the preparers and users. In this early stage of IFRS,poaching of staff, especially accounting personnel might bepronounced due to the dearth of such personnel.ConclusionThis study has provided evidence of the potentialpreparedness of the institutions surveyed towards theadoption of IFRS in Nigeria which has officially beenscheduled to commence in 2012. The results show that onlythe professional accounting bodies (ICAN and ANAN) areset to embrace the demands of the introduction of IFRS inNigeria. The other institutions included in the study have alot to put in order if the their relevance in the adoption ofIFRS is to have any meaningful positive impact.Besides the ill-preparedness of most of the institutionsin Nigeria to brace up for the adoption of IFRS, there are anumber of general challenges to be faced in the process ofadoption of the new standard. These, among others, includeethical environment and the ability of firms to protectqualified and competent employees from being poached byother companies. Against the backdrop of the objectivesof this paper, the following recommendations are herebysuggested: (a) As the time table for the adoption of IFRSin Nigeria has been determined, the need to properlyreevaluate the activities of the major institutions connectedwith the implementation of the new standard should b<strong>eu</strong>rgently considered. (b) Nigeria’s adoption of IFRS shouldbe supported as a matter of national urgency to enable fullattainment of the country’s economic potential (c) TheNigerian Accounting Standards Board (NASB) shouldexpedite action on the approvals and processes required forformal adoption of IFRS as national accounting standard inNigeria (d) The education, sensitization, and communicationto stakeholders of issues associated with IFRS adoption visa vis the role of the relevant institutions should commencein earnest. (e) A rigorous IFRS capacity building programshould be embarked upon by all regulatory bodies, firmsand training institutions in order to provide the neededmanpower for IFRS implementation.ReferencesAccess Bank Plc (2010; Tuesday) Communique.BusinessDay 9 (186), 34-37.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Institutional Infrastructure and the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Nigeria23Armstrong, C., M. Barth, A. Jagolinzer, and E. Riedl.(2007). Market reaction to the adoption of IFRS inEurope. Working paper, Stanford University.Baker, R. G. (1998). The market for informationevidence from finance directors, analysts and fundmanagers. Accounting and Business Research,29(1), 3-20.Ball, R. (2006). International Financial ReportingStandards (IFRS): pros and cons for investors.Accounting & Business Research 36: 5-27.Ball, R., S.P. Kothari, and A. Robin. (2000). The effectof international institutional factors on propertiesof accounting earnings. Journal of Accounting andEconomics 29: 1-51.Barth, M.E. (2007). Research, standard setting, andglobal financial reporting. Hanover, MA: NewPublishers.Burgstahler, D. and L<strong>eu</strong>z,C. (2006). The importanceof reporting incentives: Earnings management inEuropean private and public firms. The AccountingReview, 81, 983-1016.Clement, M. B., & Tse, S.Y. (2003). Do investorsrespond to analysts’ forecast revisions as if forecastaccuracy is all that matters? The AccountingReview, 78(1), 227-249.Commander, S. and Slejnar, J. (2007), Do institutions,ownership, and reporting competition explainfirm performance? Evidence from 26 transitioncountries. University of Michigan, Working paper.Courtis, J. K. (1992). The reliability of perceptionbasedannual report disclosure studies, Accountingand Business Research, 23(89), 31-43.Fan, J. and Wong, T. (2002). Corporate ownershipstructure and informativeness of accountingearnings in East Asia. Journal of Accounting andEconomics, 33. 401-425.Hassab, H.R., R.W. Epps and A.A.Said. (2001), Theimpact of environmental factors on accountingdevelopment: An Egyptian longitudinal study.Paper presented at the American AccountingAssociation, USA.Haw, I.B., Hu, L. and Wu, W. (2004). Ultimateownership, income management and legal andextral-legal institutions, Journal of AccountingResearch, 42, 423-462.Healy, P.M. & K.C. Palepu (2001). Informationasymmetry, corporate disclosure and the capitalmarkets: a review of the empirical disclosureliterature. Journal of Accounting and Economics,31, 405-440.Lang, M., Lins, K and Miller, D. (2003). ADR, analystsand accuracy: Does cross-listing in US improvea firm’s imformation environment and increasemarket value? Journal of Accounting Research, 4,317-345.La Porta, R., F. Lopez-de-Silanes, A. Shleifer, and R.Vishny. 1999. The quality of government. Journalof Law, Economics and Organization 15: 222-279.L<strong>eu</strong>z, C.,.Nanda, D & Wysocki. P. (2003). Earningsmanagement and institutional factors: aninternational comparison. Journal of FinancialEconomics, 29, 34-67.Mangena, M. (2004). On the perceived importanceof disclosure items in Uk interim financial reports:Evidence from the investment analysts. Workingpaper series, Bradford University.Myburgh. J E. (2001). The informativeness of voluntarydisclosure in the annual reports of listed industrialcompanies in South Africa. Meditari AccountancyResearch, 9, 199-216.North, D. (1990), Institutions, institutional changeand economic performance. Cambridge, UK,Cambridge University Press.Spiceland, J.D, J.F. Sepe and L.A. Tomassini (2001).Intermediate Accounting. New York. McGraw-Hill.Iyoha, F.O., Jimoh J. - Institutional Infrastructure and the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Nigeria
24 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Comparing Bankruptcy Prediction Models in IranAli Ebrahimi KordlarFaculty of management, Tehran university, Tehran, IranNader NikbakhtFaculty of management, Tehran university, Tehran, IranEmail: Nader.nikbakht66@gmail.comAbstractThis paper compares the predictive power of a number of previous research models on bankruptcy prediction in Tehran StockExchange (TSE) from 2001 to 2009. To compare the predictive power of these models, the adjusted R2 (as In-sample metric) androot mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percent error (MAPC) (as out-of-sample predictionmetrics). Finally, based on the estimation results of previous models in Iran, we present a final version logit type model that has higherperformance than other models. The empirical results of In-sample and out-of-sample prediction power indicate that our presented modelhas higher adjusted R2 and lower RMSE, lower MAE and lower MAPC, too. Key words: Bankruptcy prediction model, Logit model,Voung test, Tehran Stock Exchange. JEL classification codes: M41, C23Since Beaver (1966), an expanded literature onbankruptcy prediction has emerged, and its impact hasspilled into the commercial world, where it has been usedin the development of several commercially employedbankruptcy prediction models. Out of this literature havecome a number of competing empirical models withalternative explanatory variables and alternative statisticalmethodologies for model estimation.The dependent variable in these models is commonly adummy variable where ''firm filed for bankruptcy" is set to1 and other is set to 0. The independent variables are oftenaccounting ratios extracted from financial statements andinclude measures of profitability, liquidity, and leverage.Some studies also include market-based variables suchas the volatility of stock returns and past excess returns.The accounting-based models developed by Altman (1968)and Ohlson (1980) have emerged as the most popularbankruptcy prediction models and are often used byempirical accounting researchers as indicators of financialdistress.Altman (1968) employs multivariate discriminateanalysis (MDA) on a list of financial ratios to identifythose ratios that are statistically associated with futurebankruptcy. Ohlson (1980) uses a logit model, which usesless restrictive assumptions than those taken by the MDAapproach. Zmijewski (1984) adopts a probit approach thatis also based on accounting data but uses a different setof independent variables. All of these approaches predictfuture bankruptcy based on accounting ratios drawn fromfirm’s financial statements.More recently, Shumway (2001) has proposed a discretetimehazard model to predict a firm's bankruptcy usingboth accounting and market variables. The main differencebetween this model and the static logit model is that thehazard model can be estimated within the logit frameworkwhile using the entire life span of information (all firmyears)for each firm. By contrast, the static logit modelcan only incorporate one firm-year for each observation(i.e., each observation consists of a single set of variablesobserved at a single point in time).Another stream of the bankruptcy prediction literaturefocuses on market-based information. For example,Hillegeist et al. (2004) have developed a BSM-Probbankruptcy prediction model that is based on the Black-Scholes-Merton option-pricing model. Their resultsindicate that the BSM-Prob model outperforms the modelsof Altman (1968) and Ohlson (1980) in a series of tests.There are also a number of papers that propose variousfirm-characteristics that may be useful to future bankruptcyprediction. For instance, Rose (1992) presents a model offirm diversification in which managers use diversificationto reduce the risk of bankruptcy, particularly where theratio of the manager's firm-specific human capital to hisnon-firm-specific human capital is high. Denis et al. (1997)measure corporate diversification by the number of businesssegments. Beaver et al. (2005) propose that, other thingsSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Comparing Bankruptcy Prediction Models in Iran25equal, large firms have a smaller probability of bankruptcyand that a part of this explanation is related to corporatediversification. That is, corporate diversification and firmsizeare two firm-characteristics that may help to predictfuture bankruptcy.Hillegeist et al. (2004) compare the performance of theirBSM-Prob model against the Altman and Ohlson models ina series of in-sample and out-of-sample tests, concludingthat the BSM model outperforms the accounting-basedmodels. Similarly, Chava and Jarrow (2004) examine therelative performance of Shumway's hazard model againstthe Altman and Zmijewski models, concluding that thehazard model outperforms static logit models.Wu, Gaunt and Gray (2010) build a new modelcomprising key variables from each of the previous models(Altman 1968; Ohlson 1980; Zmijewsky 1984; Shumway2001; and Hillegeist et.al 2004) and add a new variable thatproxies for the degree of diversification within the firm.The degree of diversification is shown to be negativelyassociated with the risk of bankruptcy. This more generalmodel outperforms the existing models in a variety of insampleand out-of-sample tests.Base on Zmijewski and Shirata models, Mehrani,Mehrani, Monsefi and Karami (2005) present a newprediction model to bankruptcy prediction in TehranStock Exchange (TSE). To reach this model, researchhypotheses are divided to two groups. The first group is onthe power of classifying corporations in to bankrupt andnon-bankrupt firms. These hypotheses confirm the powerof correct classifying corporations in two bankrupt andnon-bankrupt groups. The second group is on the differencebetween importances of financial ratios as an independentvariable. These hypotheses confirm the difference betweenimportances of independent variables in predictingcorporate failures.Etemadi, Anvarirostami and Dehkordi (2009)investigate the application of Genetic Programming(GP) for bankruptcy prediction modeling. They use GPto classify 144 bankrupt and non-bankrupt Iranian firmslisted in Tehran stock exchange (TSE). Then a multiplediscriminant analysis (MDA) was used to benchmarkingGP model. Genetic model achieved 94% and 90% accuracyrates in training and holdout samples, respectively; whileMDA model achieved only 77% and 73% accuracy rates intraining and holdout samples, respectively.Rahnamai Roud Poshti, Alikhani and Maranjouri (2009)compare the results of prediction power of Altman andFulmer models and find that there is a significant differencebetween the performances of two models and show thatAltman model has done more conservatively than Fulmermodel as well.Makian, Almodaresi and Karimi (2010) find that anArtificial N<strong>eu</strong>ral Network (ANN) model performs muchbetter than the discriminant analysis and logistic regressiontechniques. Moreover, the results confirm that the accuracyof ANN model is higher than the discriminant analysis andlogistic regression techniques for predicting of bankruptcy.The analysis also shows that none of the firms will bankruptin the year after the period covered in this study. Komijaniand Saadatfar (2007) find that in comparison with othermodels, applying n<strong>eu</strong>ral network models can improvethe potentials of financial managements to stand againsteconomic fluctuations and bankruptcy.The rest of paper is organized as follows. Researchmodels and data collection process are described in section2. Section 3 presents descriptive statistics, correlationanalysis and regression results. The last section of studyprovides conclusion remarks.MethodologyResearch ModelsThere are a number of key models that have beendeveloped by various researchers and presented in thebankruptcy prediction literature over the last three decades.A number of the most prominent models in bankruptcyprediction models are as follows:a. Altman (1968) multiple-discriminate analysis modelFailing(1)α + εit= + β1X1it+ β2X2it+ β3X3it+ β4X4it+ β5X5itWhere:Failing: is 0 for failed firm-years and 1 for otherfirm-years.X1: Net working capital/total assetsX2: Retained earnings/total assetsX3: Earnings before interest and taxes/total assets.X4: Market value of equity/book value of totalliabilities.X5: Sales/total assets.b. Ohlson (1980) logit modelitEbrahimi K. A., Nikbakht N. - Comparing Bankruptcy Prediction Models in Iran
26 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Failingit⎧ ⎛ ⎡α+ β1OLSIZE⎫it+ β2TLTAit+ β3WCTAit⎤⎞⎪ ⎜⎟⎪= ⎨1+ exp⎜−⎢⎥⎢+ β4CLCAit+ β5OENEGit+ β6NITAit⎥⎟⎬⎪ ⎜⎟⎪⎩ ⎝⎢⎣+ β⎥7FUTLit+ β8INTWOit+ β9CHINit+ εit ⎦⎠⎭Where:OLSIZE: Log (total assets/GNP price-level index).The index assumes a base value of 100 for 1988.TLTA: Total liabilities divided by total assets.WCTA: Working capital divided by total assets.CLCA: Current liabilities divided by current assetsOENEG: 1 if total liabilities exceed total assets, 0otherwise.NITA: Net income divided by total assets.FULT: Funds provided by operations (incomefrom operation after depreciation) divided by totalliabilities.INTWO: 1 if net income was negative for the last2 years, 0 otherwise.CHIN: (NI t-NI t-1)/(|NI t|+|NI t-1|), where NI tisnet income for the most recent period. Thedenominator acts as a level indicator. The variableis thus intended to measure the relative change innet income.The variable of Failing is defined similar to previousmodels.c. Zmijewski (1984) probit modelFailing( α + β NITL + β TLTA + β CACL + ε )it= Φ1 it 2 it 3it−1it(2)(3)Where:RESIZE: Log (the number of outstanding sharesmultiplied by year-end share price then divided bytotal market value).LEXRETURN: Cumulative annual return in yeart-1 minus the value-weighted TSE index return inyear t-1.LAGSIGMA: Standard deviation of the residualderived from regressing monthly stock return onmarket return in year t-1.and other variables are defined in previous models.Now, Based on previous models, we present a logit typecombined model as follows:e. Combined modelFailingit⎧ ⎛ ⎡α+ β1X2it+ β2X3⎪ ⎜it⎢= ⎨1+ exp⎜−⎢+β3OENEGit+ β4INTWOit⎪⎜⎢56⎩ ⎝ ⎣+ β NITLit+ β CACLit+ εit−1⎤⎞⎫⎥⎟⎪⎥⎟⎬⎥⎟⎪⎦⎠⎭Where, all variables are defined in previous models. Weexpect that the predictive power of this model is higher thanthat of other models.To compare the predictive power of research modelsto future bankruptcy, we use the adjusted R2 and relatedVoung (1989) test (as In-sample prediction metric) and rootmean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE)and mean absolute percent error (MAPC) (as out-of-sampleprediction metrics)−1(5)Where:NITL: Net income divided by total liabilitiesCACL: Current assets divided by current liabilities.and TLTA is defined in Ohlson's model.d. Shumway (2001) hazard modelFailingit⎧ ⎛ ⎡α+ β⎪ ⎜= ⎨1+ exp⎜−⎢⎢+ β4LEXRETURNit−1⎪ ⎜⎩ ⎝ ⎣⎢+ β5LAGSIGMAit−1+ εit1NITLit+ β2TLTAit+ β3RESIZEit⎤⎞⎫⎥⎟⎪⎥⎟⎬⎥⎟⎪⎦⎠⎭−1(4)DataWe use the 2009 version of Tadbirpardaz (the Iraniandatabase of Tehran Stock Exchange) annual data files andsample all firms in Tehran Stock Exchange between 2001and 2009 with sufficient data available to calculate theresearch variables. In some cases whereby the requireddata is incomplete, we use the manual archive in the TSE’slibrary. We eliminate banks and financial institutions fromsample. Imposing all the data-availability requirementsyields 1,532 firm-years over the period 2001–2009. This isthe full sample that we use for testing research hypotheses.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Comparing Bankruptcy Prediction Models in Iran27Research resultsDescriptive StatisticsTable 1 provides descriptive statistics of researchvariables in failed and continuous firm-years. There are142 failed firm-years and 1390 continuous firm-years. Inour available statistical population the mean (median) ofX1, X2, X3, X4 and X5 in failed firms are -0.50 (-0.38),-0.63 (-0.42), -0.07 (-0.05), 0.40 (0.27) and 0.61 (0.53). Themean and median of all these variables for failed firms arelower than the mean and median of mentioned variablesfor continuous firms. The mean (median) of OLSIZE forfailed firms, -0.71 (-0.77) is lower than that of OLSIZEfor continuous firms, -0.07 (-0.15), too. Failed firms onaverage have a higher debt ratio (1.31) than continuousfirms (0.65). Also, the mean of ratio of current assets oncurrent liabilities (CLCA) for failed firms (1.77) is greaterthan this ratio for continuous firms (0.95). On average,failed firms (-3.72) are smaller than the continuous firms(-3.10). The mean of WCTA, CLCA and TLMTA for failedfirms (0.67, 1.77 and 0.77, respectively) is higher than themean of these variables for continuous firms (0.60, 0.95,and 0.50, respectively).The mean of NITA, FULT, CHIN, NITL and CACL (-0.14,0.01, -0.05, -0.10 and 0.68) for failed firms is lower than themean of mentioned variables for continuous firms (0.13,0.22, 0.03, 0.23 and 1.19, respectively). Furthermore, themean (median) of LEXRETURN and LAGSIGMA are -0.05(-0.02) and 0.10 (0.03), respectively and are lower thanthe mean (median) value of these variables for continuousfirms, 0.18 (0.15) and 0.12 (0.10), respectively.Correlation AnalysisThe Pearson correlation coefficients between researchvariables are provided in Table 2. In this table, thecoefficients that are marked with asterisk (*), are notsignificant at the ordinary significance level.Table 1. Descriptive statisticsFailed firms: 142 Obs.continuous firms: 1390 Obs.Mean Median Maximum Minimum St.Dev Mean Median Maximum Minimum St.DevX1 -0.50 -0.38 0.21 -2.63 0.52 0.04 0.04 0.49 -0.69 0.17X2 -0.63 -0.42 -0.05 -2.97 0.59 0.11 0.08 0.50 -0.20 0.11X3 -0.07 -0.05 0.17 -0.43 0.10 0.16 0.14 0.55 -0.19 0.10X4 0.40 0.27 5.47 0.03 0.64 1.68 0.93 15.51 0.03 2.05X5 0.61 0.53 1.85 0.02 0.34 0.83 0.78 2.59 0.04 0.37OLSIZE -0.71 -0.77 2.69 -3.20 1.16 -0.07 -0.15 4.41 -3.20 1.32TLTA 1.31 1.19 3.34 0.57 0.51 0.65 0.66 1.20 0.19 0.15WCTA 0.67 0.70 0.93 0.20 0.17 0.60 0.62 0.94 0.11 0.19CLCA 1.77 1.52 5.49 0.64 0.91 0.95 0.88 4.95 0.26 0.39NITA -0.14 -0.12 0.19 -0.62 0.13 0.13 0.11 0.53 -0.19 0.10FUTL 0.01 0.00 0.41 -0.26 0.11 0.22 0.17 1.53 -0.36 0.26CHIN -0.05 -0.02 0.94 -1.00 0.43 0.03 0.05 1.00 -1.00 0.31NITL -0.10 -0.10 0.25 -0.26 0.09 0.23 0.16 1.52 -0.24 0.23CACL 0.68 0.66 1.57 0.18 0.27 1.19 1.14 3.84 0.20 0.42RESIZE -3.72 -3.76 -2.25 -4.67 0.48 -3.10 -3.13 -1.35 -4.70 0.66LEXRETURN -0.05 -0.02 0.57 -1.00 0.22 0.18 0.15 1.46 -1.77 0.33LAGSIGMA 0.10 0.03 0.68 0.00 0.13 0.12 0.10 0.74 0.00 0.09TLMTA 0.77 0.79 0.97 0.15 0.15 0.50 0.52 0.97 0.06 0.21Ebrahimi K. A., Nikbakht N. - Comparing Bankruptcy Prediction Models in Iran
28 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Table 2. Pearson correlation coefficientX2 0.74X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 OLSIZE TLTA WCTA CLCA NITA FUTL CHIN NITL CACL RESIZE LEXRETURN LAGSIGMAX3 0.42 0.60X4 0.18 0.26 0.54X5 0.17 0.15 0.29 0.01*OLSIZE -0.04* 0.15 0.09 -0.08 -0.15TLTA -0.80 -0.86 -0.56 -0.35 -0.07 -0.07WCTA 0.31 -0.12 -0.11 -0.24 0.26 -0.17 0.24CLCA -0.90 -0.61 -0.37 -0.18 -0.23 0.08 0.67 -0.39NITA 0.51 0.68 0.91 0.55 0.20 0.12 -0.68 -0.18 -0.44FUTL 0.19 0.36 0.61 0.57 0.12 0.02* -0.43 -0.32 -0.20 0.56CHIN 0.06 0.09 0.29 0.16 0.09 0.01* -0.07 0.00* -0.07 0.33 0.10NITL 0.39 0.52 0.81 0.64 0.13 0.04* -0.59 -0.23 -0.37 0.86 0.69 0.28CACL 0.76 0.44 0.35 0.29 0.16 -0.15 -0.57 0.31 -0.77 0.39 0.28 0.07 0.51RESIZE 0.09 0.28 0.45 0.43 -0.07 0.76 -0.26 -0.27 -0.04* 0.48 0.30 0.10 0.40 -0.01*LEXRETURN 0.10 0.16 0.27 0.21 0.01* 0.15 -0.09 0.04* -0.09 0.29 0.03* 0.09 0.20 0.06 0.34LAGSIGMA 0.10 0.05 0.05 0.02* 0.03* 0.05 -0.06 0.03* -0.10 0.07 -0.04* 0.06 0.01* 0.04* 0.11 0.09TLMTA -0.34 -0.41 -0.67 -0.79 -0.07 0.10 0.54 0.28 0.30 -0.71 -0.56 -0.16 -0.73 -0.37 -0.51 -0.28 -0.08This table presents Pearson correlation coefficient. The coefficients that are marked with asterisk (*), are not significant but others are significant atthe 5% level or lower.The results of Pearson correlation coefficients showthat the most of coefficients between research variables aresignificant at the 5% level or better.Model EstimationThe regression results of models and In-sample andout-of-sample prediction metrics to compare the modelsare presented in Table 3. The estimation results of Altman(1968) model indicate that X1 (-0.12), X2 (-0.48) and X3(-0.52) have a negative and significant relationship withdependent variable (Failing) at the 1% level and X4 (0.01)has a positive relation with dependent variable at the 5%level but X5 has no significant relationship with dependentvariable. The F-statistic of this model (468.16) is significantat the 1% level.Altman (1968)modelPanel A: Model estimation resultsTable 3: The results of regression modelsOhlson (1980)modelZemijewsky(1984) modelShumway (2001)modelCombinedmodelIntercept 0.18** -12.87** -8.00** -16.94** -2.22**X1 -0.12** -0.95X2 -0.48** -13.40**X3 -0.52**X4 0.01*X5 0.00OLSIZE -0.14TLTA 14.58** 8.21** 17.75**WCTA -2.92CLCA -0.60School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Comparing Bankruptcy Prediction Models in Iran29Altman (1968)modelOhlson (1980)modelZemijewsky(1984) modelShumway (2001)modelCombinedmodelOENEG -0.17 1.73**NITA -1.40FUTL -2.60INTWO 3.79** 0.25CHIN -0.25NITL -3.21* -9.88* -0.91CACL -0.03 0.01RESIZE 0.01LEXRETURN -1.25LAGSIGMA -0.60TLMTAPanel B: In-sample prediction power metricAdj. R 2 51.25 Pse. R 2 83.21 72.71 76.07 87.83F stat. 468.16** LR stat. 904.61** 1272.92** 1083.25** 1384.16**Voung Z 11.48** 2.21* 4.81** 3.22**Panel C: Out-of-sample prediction power metricsRMSE 0.21 0.14 0.16 0.14 0.12MAE 0.14 0.03 0.06 0.05 0.03MAPE 4.96 1.64 2.69 2.05 1.41*, ** significant at the 5% and 1%, respectivelyIn the Ohlson (1980) model, TLTA (14.58) and thedummy variable of INTWO (3.79) are significant at the1% level and in Zemijewsky (1984) model TLTA (8.21)and NITL (-3.21) are significant at the 1% and 5% level,respectively. The results of Shumway (2001) modelindicates that TLTA (17.75) and NITL (-9.88) are significantat the 1% and 5% level respectively. Finally, our presentedmodel show that X2 (-13.40) and OENG (1.73) are bothsignificant at the 1% level.The results of likelihood ratio (LR) for Ohlson model(904.61), Zemijewsky model (1272.92), Shumway model(1083.25) and our presented combined model (1384.16)show that all models are significant at 1% level, generally.The In-sample prediction power (adjusted R2) of ourcombined model (87.83%) is higher than that of Altmanmodel (51.25%), Ohlson model (83.21%), Zemijewskymodel (72.71%) and Shumway model (76.07%). the resultsof Voung (1989) test show that the differences between theprediction power of combined model and Altman model(11.48), Ohlson model (2.21), Zemijewsky model (4.81)and Shumway model (3.22) are all significant at the 1%level.The results show that the root mean squared error(RMSE) of our combined model (0.12) is lower than thatof Altman model (0.21), Ohlson model (0.14), Zemijewskymodel (0.16) and Shumway model (0.14). The resultsalso indicate that the mean absolute error (mean absolutepercent error) of our combined model, 0.03 (1.41) is lowerthan (or equal to) that of Altman model, 0.14 (4.96), Ohlsonmodel, 0.03 (1.64), Zemijewsky model, 0.06 (2.69) andShumway model, 0.05 (2.05). Thus, the results indicate thatthe In-sample and out-of-sample prediction power of ourpresented model in predicting failed firms is higher than thatof other previous models. Thus, our logit type bankruptcyprediction model significantly outperforms other models.ConclusionIn this paper, we examine the predictive power of anumber of bankruptcy prediction models. The models usea range of different independent variables (accountinginformation and market and firm-characteristic data) anda range of different econometric specifications (multiplediscriminateanalysis, logit , probit models). We find thatfirms are more likely to experience bankruptcy if theyhave relatively lower earnings before interest and tax tototal assets, a larger decline in net income, relatively lowworking capital to total assets, or high total liabilities tototal assets.We compare the empirical performance of a range ofbankruptcy prediction models using a series of in-sampleand out-of-sample performance metrics. Across all of theseEbrahimi K. A., Nikbakht N. - Comparing Bankruptcy Prediction Models in Iran
30 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011metrics, both in-sample and out-of-sample, we find that, ourcombined model significantly outperforms models from theextant literature.ReferencesAgarwal, V., and Taffler, R. (2008), "Comparing theperformance of market-based and accountingbasedbankruptcy prediction models", Journal ofBanking & Finance 32, PP: 1541-1551.Altman, E. I. (1968), "Financial ratios, discriminantanalysis and the prediction of corporate bankruptcy",Journal of Finance 23, PP: 589-609.Beaver, W. H. (1966), "Financial ratios as predictorsof failure", Journal of Accounting Research 4, PP:71-111.Beaver, W. H., McNichols, M.F., and Jung-Wu, R.(2005), "Have financial statements become lessinformative? Evidence from the ability of financialratios to predict bankruptcy", Review of AccountingStudies 10, PP: 93-122.Begley, J., Ming, J., and Watts, S. (1996), "Bankruptcyclassification errors in the 1980s: an empiricalanalysis of Altman's and Ohlson's models", Reviewof Accounting Studies 1, PP: 267-284.Burgstahler, D., James, J., and Noreen, E. (1989),"Changes in the probability of bankruptcy and equityvalue", Journal of Accounting and Economics 11,PP: 207-224.Campbell, J. Y., Hilscher, J., and Szilagyi, J. (2008),"In search of distress risk", Journal of Finance 63,PP: 2899-2939.Chava, S., and Jarrow, R. A. (2004), "Bankruptcyprediction with industry effects", Review ofFinance 8, PP: 537-569.Denis, D. J., Diane, K., and Denis, A. S. (1997),"Agency problems, equity ownership, and corporatediversification", Journal of Finance 52, PP: 135-160.Dichev, I. D. (1998), "Is the risk of bankruptcy asystematic risk?", Journal of Finance 53, PP: 1131-1147.Etemadi, H., Anvari Rostami, A. A., and Dehkordi,H. F. (2009), "A genetic programming model forbankruptcy prediction: empirical evidence fromIran", Expert Systems with Applications March,36, PP: 3199-3207.Francis, J. (1990), "Corporate compliance with debtcovenants", Journal of Accounting and Research28, PP: 326-347.Hillegeist, S. A., Keating, E., Donald P., Cram, J. G.,and Lunstedt. (2004), "Assessing the probability ofbankruptcy", Review of Accounting Studies 9, PP:5-34.Komijani, A., and Saadatfar, J. (2007), "Applicationof "artificial n<strong>eu</strong>ral network models", in predictingeconomic bankruptcy of the registered corporationsin stock market", Journal of Economic Essays 3,PP: 11-44.Lyandres, E., and Alexei, Z. (2007), "Investmentopportunities and bankruptcies prediction.Working Paper, Rice University, Houston. Ohlson,James, 1980. Financial ratios and the probabilisticprediction of bankruptcy", Journal of AccountingResearch 18, PP: 109-131.Makian S.N.A.D., Almodaresi S.M.T., and KarimiTakalou S. (2010), "A comparison among artificialn<strong>eu</strong>ral network, discriminant analysis and logisticregression techniques for bankruptcy: a case studyof Kerman's firms", The Economic Research 10,PP: 141-161.Mehrani, S., Mehrani, K., Monsefi, Y., and Karami,Gh. R. (2005), " Implication Zmijewski and Shiratabankruptcy prediction models in Tehran stockexchange", The Iranian Accounting and AuditingReview 12, PP: 105-131.Rahnamai Roud Poshti, F., Alikhani, R., andMaranjouri, M. (2009), "Applicational investigationof Altman and Fulmer bankruptcy predictionmodels in Tehran stock exchange", The IranianAccounting and Auditing Review 16, PP: 19-34.Rose, D. (1992), "Bankruptcy risk, firm-specificmanagerial human capital, and diversification",Review of Industrial Organization 7, PP: 65-73.Shumway, T. (2001), "Forecasting bankruptcy moreaccurately: a simple hazard model", Journal ofBusiness 74, PP: 101-124.Stone, M. (1991), "Firm financial stress and pensionplan continuation/replacement decisions", Journalof Accounting and Public Policy 3, PP: 175-206.Vassalou, M., and Xing, Y. (2004), "Default risk inequity returns", Journal of Finance 59, PP: 831-868.Vuong, Q. H. (1989), "Likelihood ratio tests formodel selection and non-nested hypotheses",Econometrica 57, PP: 307-333.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Comparing Bankruptcy Prediction Models in Iran31Wu, Y., Gaunt, C., and Gray, s. (2010), "A comparison ofalternative bankruptcy prediction models", Journalof Contemporary Accounting and Economics 6,PP: 34-45.Zmijewski, M. E. (1984), "Methodological issuesrelated to the estimation of financial distressprediction models", Journal of Accounting Research22 (Suppl.), PP: 59-82.Ebrahimi K. A., Nikbakht N. - Comparing Bankruptcy Prediction Models in Iran
32 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011The Relationship Between Service Quality and Satisfactionon Customer Loyalty in Malaysian Mobile CommunicationIndustrySany Sanuri Mohd. MokhtarChairperson of Quality at Quality Management Centre and Senior Lecturer at the College of Business, University, UtaraMalaysia (UUM). PhD in Marketing and Quality Management. Sany was formerly a deputy director of Quality ManagementInstitute, UUM.Ahmed Audu Maiyaki (corresponding author)Ph.D. Candidate in Marketing at the College of Business, Universiti Utara Malaysia.Lecturer at Bayero University Kano, Nigeria.T 11 008, Maybank Residential Hall Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010 SintokCollege of Business, Universiti Utara MalaysiaEmail: aamaiyaki@yahoo.comNorzaini bt Mohd NoorMasters degree holder from UUM. Researcher on service quality and service marketing.AbstractThe paper explores the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction on customer loyalty with regards to mobilephone usage among the postgraduate students of a university in Northern Malaysia. The sample consists of 341 students randomlyselected from the population frame provided by the university. The respondents are made of up students from various part of the worldsuch Asia, Middle-east and Africa. The results show that both service quality and customer satisfaction significantly affect the levelof customer loyalty of mobile phone users in Malaysia. Hence, all the hypotheses except one have been supported. It was therefore,recommended that mobile service providers should pay special attention to their service quality and the factors that drive customersatisfaction. Suggestion for future research was also offered. Key words: Service quality, Customer satisfaction, Loyalty, Mobilecommunication, Malaysia.Over the last few years, the number of mobile phoneshas increased at an exponential rate globally. This increaseis more pronounced in the developed countries. The reasonsfor this are numerous, low acquisition price and availabilityof the equipment contributes in no small measure to itswidespread usage. Furthermore, the number of mobilephones in the world has already passed the number offixed land lines and the revenue from mobiles phoneswill soon exceed that of fixed land lines. In the era ofimproved mobile communication technology, vast amountof changes are generated in facilitating communicationand the transfer of information from business to business,business to customers, employers to employees amongothers. Consequently, the utilization of mobile phones incommunication and information transfer leads to providingmore and more added value services (Steenderen, 2002).Despite the various information services provided throughmobile phone services nowadays, detail assessments need tobe made in order to understand the needs and requirementsof the mobile phone users.Service quality and customer satisfaction are inarguablythe two core concepts that are at the crux of the marketingtheory and practice (Spreng & Mackoy, 1996). In today’sworld of intense competition, it is generally believedthat the key to sustainable competitive advantage lies indelivering high quality service that will in turn result insatisfied customers. The prominence of these two conceptsis further manifested by the root of theoretical and empiricalSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 The Relationship Between Service Quality and Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty in Malaysian Mobile Communication Industry33studies on the topic that have emanated over the past fewyears. Therefore, there is no doubt about the importanceof service quality and customer satisfaction as the ultimategoals of service providers. To this end therefore, the studyseeks to understand the nature of mobile phone use amongrespondents at a higher learning institution and investigatetheir perceptions on the mobile phone applications in thecontext of services quality.Literature ReviewService QualityParasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml (1991) defined servicequality as “the extent of discrepancy between customer’sexpectations or desires and their perceptions.” After indepthinterviews of executives and a few focus groups infour service categories, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry(1985) developed a service quality model, which identifyfive gaps between customers and marketers. The gap modelof service quality was first developed by Parasuraman et al.(1985). According to Ueno (2010) the authors observe thatthe service quality gaps model is the conceptualisation ofservice quality as the gap between customer expectationson the services and perceptions of the service performance.Furthermore, based on the gap model there are four majordiscrepancies contributing to service quality gaps, and eachof the four gaps in turn contributes to the existence of gap5 (Ueno, 2010).Gap 1: The first gap is between consumer expectationsand management perceptions of consumer expectations. Inthe Parasuraman et al. (1985) study, the authors found thatprivacy or confidentiality during transactions emerged asa pivotal quality attribute in every banking and securitiesbrokerage focus group; however this considerations wasmentioned rarely by the executives. Parasuraman et al.(1985) concluded that the lack of understanding of this gapwill have an impact on the consumer’s evaluation of theservice quality.Gap 2: The second gap is between managementperceptions of customer expectation and service qualityspecifications. Even though the executives attempt tomatch or exceed customer expectations, they find it difficultto deliver what the customer expects (Parasuraman et al.,1985). The authors indicated that one of the reasons forthis is the difficulty in establishing specifications to delivera fast response consistently because of a lack of trainedservice personnel and the wide range of function demand.Gap 3: The third gap is between service qualityspecifications and service actually delivered. High servicequality cannot be guaranteed even when there are guidelinesfor carrying out excellent services. Parasuraman et al.(1985) indicated that the employees of a service companyplay an important role on the service quality and theemployee’s performance cannot always be standardized.Gap 4: The fourth gap is between service delivery andwhat is communicated to customers about the service.Parasuraman et al. (1985) contended that promising morethan can be delivered has a detrimental effect on customerbecause it raises the initial expectations but lowersperception quality.Gap 5: The fifth gap is between the customer’sperceptions of service quality and their expectations ofservice quality. Parasuraman et al. (1985) discoveredthat the key to service quality is to meet or exceed theexpectations of customers.Subsequently, based on the gap model in theirexploratory study, Parasuraman et al. (1985) came upwith ten dimension of service quality namely: reliability,responsiveness, competence, access, communication,courtesy, credibility, security, understanding and tangibles.However, these ten dimensions of service quality werecollapsed into 5 dimensions due to overlaps. The fivedimension of service quality according to Parasuraman,Zeithaml and Berry (1988) are: tangibility, reliability,assurance, responsiveness and empathy. Although,criticisms have been made against the measurement ofservice quality “SERVQUAL” developed by Parasuramanet al. (1988), their contribution in the area of service qualitycontinue to be significant for over quarter a century.Customer LoyaltyLoyalty of customers is considered to be a function ofsatisfaction and that loyal customers contribute to companyprofitability by spending more on company products andservices, via repeat purchasing, and by recommending theorganization to other consumers (Bowen & Chen, 2001:Fecikova, 2004). To further understand the behavior ofloyal customers, recent research has attempted to integratethe concept of customer commitment (Fullerton, 2005:Zins, 2001). For the most part, these recent studies havebeen built upon customer commitment as a key mediatorof the relationship between the customer's evaluations of afirm's performance and the customer's intentions regardingthe future relationship with the firm (Fullerton, 2005).Maiyaki A. A.- The Relationship Between Service Quality and Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty in Malaysian Mobile Communication Industry
34 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Customer loyalty expresses an intended behavior relatedto the service or the company. This includes the likelihoodof future renewal of service contracts, how likely it is thatthe customer changes patronage, how likely the customeris to provide positive word-of-mouth, or the likelihoodof customers providing voice. If real alternatives existor switching barriers are low, management discovers theorganization’s inability to satisfy its customers via twofeedback mechanisms: exit and voice (Hirschman, 1970).Exit implies that the customers stop buying the company’sservices while voice is customer complaints expressingthe consumers’ dissatisfaction directly to the company.Customers’ exit or change of patronage will have an impacton the long-term revenue of the company. Effects causedfrom changes in the retention rate are exponential (notlinear) with regard to effects on the long-term revenue.Even a marginal reduction/increase in retention rate hassignificant effects on future revenue (Andreassen, 1995;Reichel & Sasser, 1990).Three conceptual perspectives have been suggestedto define customer loyalty: the behavioral perspective,the attitudinal perspective and the composite perspective(Bowen & Chen, 2001: Zins, 2001). The behavioralperspective, “purchase loyalty”, strictly looks at repeatpurchase behavior and is based on the customer's purchasehistory. The emphasis is on past -rather than on- futureactions. Moreover, no other loyal behavioral actions suchas price tolerance, word of mouth, or complaint behaviorcan be interpreted (Zins, 2001). Concentrating on thebehavioral aspect of loyalty could overestimate true loyalty(Zins, 2001). The attitudinal perspective, in contrast, allowsgain in supplemental understanding of loyal behavior (Zins,2001). The customer loyalty is approached as an attitudinalconstruct. An Attitude denotes the degree to which aconsumer's disposition towards a service is favorablyinclined. This inclination is reflected by activities such asthe customers recommending service providers to otherconsumers or their commitment to repatronize a preferredservice provider (Gremler & Brown, 1996). Based on afavorable attitude towards a service provider, customersmay develop “preference loyalty” (De Ruyter, Wetzels& Bloemer, 1998). Lastly, the composite perspectivecombines attitudinal and behavioral definitions of loyalty.The composite perspective might be considered as analternative to affective loyalty since using both attitudeand behavior in a loyalty definition arguably increases thepredictive power of loyalty (Pritchard & Howard, 1997).Under all these conditions, protecting the existingcustomer base and retaining existing customer loyaltyappear to be the crucial competitive advantage. Customerloyalty is a key component for a brand's long-term viability(Krishnamurthi & Raj, 1991). Oliver (1991) defines itas “a deeply held commitment to re-buy or re-patronizea preferred product/service consistency in the future,thereby causing repetitive same-brand or same brand-setpurchasing, despite situational influences and marketingefforts of having the potential to cause switching behavior.”Though there are many more definitions of customer loyalty,it seems clear that there are two basic varieties: stochasticand deterministic. Fournier and Yao (1997) observe thatthere is a need for a complete definition of brand loyalty,identify six necessary conditions: a biased (i.e. random)behavioral response (i.e. purchase), expressed over timeby some decision-making unit, with respect to one or morealternative brands out of a set of such brands, as a functionof psychological processes (such as decision making orevaluation).No matter how customer loyalty is defined, in order togain it, any operator needs to:• Increase subscriber satisfaction by raising offeredservice quality (for example, Anderson and Sullivan,1993; Brady and Robertson, 2001; Kristensen,Martensen & Gronholdt, 2000; Fornell, Johnson,Anderson, Cha & Bryant, 1996; Oliver, 1980);• Ensure subscribers’ trust in the firm (see, for example,Fournier, 1998; Gundlach , Achrol & Mentzer, 1995;Morgan and Hunt, 1994; Lau and Lee, 1999); and• Establish a cost penalty for changing to another serviceprovider, making that a comparatively unattractiveoption (Fornell, 1992) and expand is application (Eber,1999; Jones, Beatty & Mothersbaugh, 2002; Bloemer,De Ruyter & Peeters, 1998; Lee, Lee & Feick, 2001).Customer Satisfaction and Customer LoyaltySeveral authors have found a positive correlation betweencustomer satisfaction and loyalty (Anderson & Sullivan,1993; Bearden & Teel, 1980; Bolton & Drew, 1991; Fornell,1992). Customers may be loyal because of high switchingbarriers or lack of real alternatives. Customers may alsobe loyal due to their satisfaction and thus want to continuethe relationship. History has proven that most barriers toexit are limited with regard to durability; companies tendto consider customer satisfaction the only viable strategy inorder to keep existing customers.Based on Coyne (1989), there are two critical thresholdsaffecting the link between satisfaction and loyalty. On thehigh side, when satisfaction reaches a certain level, loyaltySchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 The Relationship Between Service Quality and Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty in Malaysian Mobile Communication Industry35increases dramatically; at the same time, when satisfactiondeclined to a certain point, loyalty dropped equallydramatically (Oliva, Oliver & MacMillan, 1992).Managers of the company should realize that havingsatisfied customers is not good enough they must haveextremely satisfied customers. Moreover, a small increasein customer satisfaction can results boosted customerloyalty dramatically.Conceptual modelCUSTOMERSATISFACTIONSERVICE QUALITY•Tangibility•Reliability•Assurance•Responsiveness•empathyCUSTOMERLOYALTYHypothesisFrom the theoretical framework discussed above, sixhypotheses were developed for this research as follows:H1: There is a significant relationship betweentangibility and customer loyaltyH2: There is a significant relationship betweenreliability and customer loyaltyH3: There is a significant relationship betweenresponsiveness and customer loyaltyH4: There is a significant relationship betweenassurance and customer loyaltyH5: There is a significant relationship betweenempathy and customer loyaltyH6: There is a significant relationship betweencustomer satisfaction and customer loyalty.MethodsThe population of the study consists of all internationalstudents in Universiti Utara Malaysia amounting to 3012see appendix. The population is made up of students fromvarious countries, most them come from Asia, Middleeast and Africa in that other. This enables responses frompeople with different perceptions due to perhaps culturalvariation. Based on Sekaran’s (1992) recommendation, 350respondents were randomly selected from across all the 71courses run in the University. Similarly, the sample selectionis also in line with the suggestion of Krejcie and Morgan(1970) that the good sampling number for this populationsize is round 341 respondents. The questionnaire used inthis study consists of four sections which seek informationfrom the respondents on: their demographic characteristics,service quality of mobile providers, customers’ level ofsatisfaction and finally, the extent of customer loyalty. Theitems are measured based on 7-point Likert-type ratingscale. Ultimately, the data collected was analysed usingStatistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version12 for windows. More specifically, descriptive statistics,reliability test and regression analysis were run.ResultsService Quality of Mobile Service Provider andCustomer LoyaltyThe positive coefficient for the service quality dimensionsof tangibility, reliability, responsiveness and assurancesuggests that high service quality leads to higher level ofcustomer loyalty. However, the empathy dimensions hadnegative coefficient, meaning decreasing level of customerloyalty with high empathy element of service quality. Inother words, higher empathy results in decreasing clientloyalty. Additionally, among the variables, only tangibility,Maiyaki A. A.- The Relationship Between Service Quality and Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty in Malaysian Mobile Communication Industry
36 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011assurance and empathy have significant values and thus,significantly contributed to the explanation of the dependentvariable. To this end, hypotheses H1, H2, H3 and H4 aresupported and hypothesis H5, rejected. Overall, this studyconcluded that mobile service provider service qualityelements affects client loyalty by explaining 48 percent ofthe variance in the Dependent Variable (loyalty) which isquite respectable considering the nature of the research –consumer behaviour.Table I: Regression results of Service Quality and CustomerLoyalty of mobile service providerModelUnstandardizedCoefficientsStd.BErrorStandardizedCoefficientBetatSig.1 Constant} 0.482 0.320 1.507 0.133Tangibility 0.398 0.062 0.365 6.394 0.000Reliability 0.103 0.089 0.074 1.154 0.249Responsiveness 0.035 0.101 0.024 0.346 0.730Assurance 0.519 0.089 0.376 5.866 0.000Empathy -0.147 0.055 -0.131 -2.673 0.008Dependent variable: customer loyalty R² 0.486Adjusted R² 0.478Customer Satisfaction and Customer LoyaltyTable II shows the regression results indicating therelationship between client satisfaction and client loyalty.The R 2 value of 0.711 indicates that over seventy percent ofclient satisfaction is associated with client loyalty. Meaningthat over 70% of the variance in the dependant variable(loyalty) is accounted for by customer satisfaction. In otherwords the positive significant coefficient suggests higherclient satisfaction on mobile service provider results intohigher level of client loyalty to the mobile provider. To thisend therefore, hypothesis H6 is equally supported.Discussion and ConclusionThe study found that the customer satisfaction playsan important role to enhance the level of customer loyalty.This means the higher the level of customer satisfactionthe more loyal the customer of mobile phone becomeand the reverse is the case. This result is consistent withthe findings of Cronin & Taylor (1992). The implicationfor the management of mobile phone service providers isthat they should strive to ensure high level of customersatisfaction which will eventually leads to customer loyalty.Ensuring customer satisfaction could perhaps be achievedby identifying, focusing and improving the factors thatclients consider in determining their level of satisfactionwith a particular mobile service provider. The fact that thisis beyond the scope of this study, we hereby recommendthat future research investigate the factors determiningcustomer satisfaction for a particular mobile service.Furthermore, the findings also indicate that servicequality has influence on customer loyalty with regards tothe service delivery of mobile service providers. In fact, thefindings of this studies show that service quality explainedcustomer loyalty with values less than that of customersatisfaction i.e. 58% as against 71%. The implication ofthis for mobile service providers is that the elements ofcustomer satisfaction are very important in determining thelevel of customer loyalty to a particular service provider.However, considering the large values of r square for bothservice quality and customer satisfaction there is need to payparticular attention by mobile service providers to elementsof service quality and customer satisfaction. As a limitationof this study, it does not investigate the relationshipbetween service quality and satisfaction. Therefore, thefuture research could explore the interrelationships betweenservice quality and customer satisfaction.ReferencesTable II: Regression results of customer satisfaction andcustomer loyalty of mobile service providerModelUnstandardizedCoefficientsStd.BErrorStandardizedCoefficientBetatSig.1 Constant} 0.458 0.169 2.708 0.007CS 0.916 0.032 0.843 28.910 0.000Anderson, E.W., & Sullivan, M.W. (1993). Theantecedents and consequences of customersatisfaction for firms. Marketing Science, Vol. 12No.2, pp.125-43.Andreassen, T.W. (1995). Small, high cost countriesstrategy for attracting MNC’s global investments.The International Journal of Public SectorManagement, Vol. 8 No.3, pp. 24-38Dependent Variable: Customer Loyalty R² 0.711Adjusted R² 0.710School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 The Relationship Between Service Quality and Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty in Malaysian Mobile Communication Industry37Bearden, W.O., & Teel, J.E. (1983). Selecteddeterminants of consumer satisfaction andcomplaint reports. Journal of Marketing Research,Vol. 20, pp.21-8.Bloemer, J., De Ruyter, K., & Peeters, P. (1998).Investigating drivers of bank loyalty: the complexrelationship between image, service qualityand satisfaction. International Journal of BankMarketing, Vol. 16, No.7, pp.276-86.Bolton, R.N., & Drew, J.H. (1991). A multistagemodel of customers’ assessments of service qualityand value. Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 17,pp.375-84.Bowen, J.T., & Chen, S.L. (2001). The relationshipbetween customer loyalty and customer satisfaction.International Journal of Contemporary HospitalityManagement, Vol. 13, No.5, pp.213-7.Brady, M.K., & Robertson, C.J. (2001). Searching fora consensus on the antecedent role of service qualityand satisfaction: exploratory cross-national study.Journal of Business Research, Vol. 51, pp.53-60.Coyne, K. (1989). Beyond service fads – meaningfulstrategies for the real world. Sloan ManagementReview, Vol. 30, pp.69-76.Cronin, J.J, & Taylor, S.A. (1992). Measuring servicequality: are-examination and extension. Journal ofMarketing, Vol. 56, pp.55-68.De Ruyter, K., Wetzels, M., & Bloemer, J. (1998). On therelationship between perceived service quality,service loyalty and switching costs. InternationalJournal of Service Industry Management,Vol. 9, No.5, pp.436-53.Eber, N. (1999). Switching costs and implicit contracts.Journal of Economics, Vol. 69, No.2, pp.159-71.Fecikova, I. (2004). An index method for measurementof customer satisfaction. The TQM Magazine, Vol.16, No.1, pp.57-66.Lee, J., Lee, J., & Feick, L. (2001). The impact ofswitching costs on the customer satisfaction-loyaltylink: mobile phone service in France. Journal ofServices Marketing, Vol. 15, No.1, pp.35-48.Fournier, S. (1998). Consumers and their brands:developing relationship theory in consumerresearch. Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 24,No3, pp.343-73.Fournier, S., & Yao, J.L. (1997). Reviving brandloyalty: a conceptualization within the frameworkof consumer-brand relationships. InternationalJournal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 14, No.5,pp.451-72.Fornell, C. (1992). A national customer barometer: theSwedish experience. Journal of Marketing, Vol. 56No.1, pp.6-21.Fornell, C., Johnson, M.D., Anderson, E.W., Cha, J.,& Bryant, B.E. (1996). The American customersatisfaction index: nature, purpose, and findings.Journal of Marketing, Vol. 60, No.10, pp.7-18.Fullerton, G. (2005). How commitment both enablesand undermines marketing relationships. EuropeanJournal of Marketing, Vol. 39 No.11-12, pp.1372-88.Gremler, D.D., & Brown, S.W. (1996). Serviceloyalty: its nature, importance and implications.in Edvardsson, B., Brown, S.W., Sohnston, R.,Sch<strong>eu</strong>ing, E. (Eds), QUIS V: Advancing ServiceQuality: A Global Perspective, ISQA, New York,NY, pp.171-81.Gundlach, G.T., Achrol, R.S., & Mentzer, J.T. (1995).The structure of commitment in exchange. Journalof Marketing, Vol. 59, No.1, pp.78-92.Hirschman, A.O. (1970). Exit, voice, and loyalty:responses to decline in firms. Organizations, andStates, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.Jones, M.A., Beatty, S.E., & Mothersbaugh, D.V.(2000). Switching barriers and repurchaseintentions in services. Journal of Retailing, Vol. 76,No.2, pp.259-74.Jones, M.A., Beatty, S.E., & Mothersbaugh, D.V.(2002). Why customers stay: measuring th<strong>eu</strong>nderlying dimensions of services switching costsand managing their differential strategic outcomes.Journal of Business Research, Vol. 55, pp.441-50.Krejcie, R. & Morgan, D. (1970). Determiningsample size for research activities. Educational andPsychological Measurement, 30, 607-610Krishnamurthi, L., & Raj, S.P. (1991). An empiricalanalysis of the relationship between brand loyaltyand consumer price elasticity. Marketing Science,Vol. 10, No.2, pp.172-83.Kristensen, K., Martensen, A., & Gronholdt, L.(2000). Customer satisfaction measurement at PostDenmark: results of application of the Europeancustomer satisfaction index methodology. TotalQuality Management, Vol. 11, No.7, pp.1007-15.Maiyaki A. A.- The Relationship Between Service Quality and Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty in Malaysian Mobile Communication Industry
38 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Lau, G., & Lee, S. (1999). Consumers’ trust in a brandand link to brand loyalty. Journal of Market FocusedManagement, Vol. 4, pp.341-70.Morgan, R.M., & Hunt, S.D. (1994). The commitmenttrusttheory of relationship marketing. Journal ofMarketing, Vol. 58 No.7, pp.20-38.Oliva, T.A., Oliver, R.L., & MacMillan, I.C. (1992).A catastrophe model for developing servicesatisfaction strategies. Journal of Marketing, Vol.56, pp.83-95.Oliver, R.L. (1980). A cognitive model of theantecedents and consequences of satisfactiondecisions. Journal of Marketing Resarch, Vol. 17,No.4, pp.460-9.Oliver, R. (1997). Satisfaciton: A BehavioralPerspective on the Consumer. New York, NY:McGraw-Hill.Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V., & Berry, L. (1985).A conceptual model of service quality and itsimplications for future research. Journal ofMarketing, Vol. 49, pp.41-50.Parasuraman, A, Zeithaml, V.A, & Berry, L.L. (1988).SERVQUAL: a multiple-item scale for measuringconsumer perceptions of service quality. Journal ofRetailing, Vol. 64, No.1, pp.12-40.Pritchard, M.P., & Howard, D.R. (1997). The loyaltraveler: examining a typology of service patronage.Journal of Travelers Research, Vol. 35, No.4, pp.2-11.Reichel, F., & Sasser, W.E. (1990). Zero defections:quality comes to services. Harvard BusinessReview, Vol. 68, pp.105-11.Sekaran, U. (1992). Research methods for business askill-building approach (2nd ed.). New Y o r k :John WileyUeno, A. (2010). What are the fundamental featuressupporting service quality? Journal of ServicesMarketing,Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 74–86Zins, A.H. (2001). Relative attitudes and commitmentin customer loyalty models. International Journalof Service Industry Management, Vol. 12, No.3,pp.269-94.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and Benefits39Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking inNigeria: Challenges and BenefitsOjeka, Stephen A. (B.Sc, M.Sc ACCOUNTING)Accounting Department Covenant University NigeriaEmail: stojeka@yahoo.comIkpefan, O. Ailemen (Ph.D, ACA, ACIB, FNIM)Banking and Finance Department Covenant University NigeriaEmail: ochei_ikpefan@yahoo.co.ukAbstractElectronic banking has been around for some time in the form of automatic teller machines and telephone transactions. More recently,it has been metamorphosed by the Internet; a new look and delivery channel for banking services that benefits both customers andbanks. The objective of this paper is to find out the correlation between the anticipated benefits/challenges and encountered benefits/challenges. This paper therefore empirically, adopted the use of survey research to explore in quantitative terms the various challengesand benefits e-business poses to Nigeria businesses, with particular reference to Banking and Finance Industry. It was found out thatthere is statistically significant difference between the anticipated and encountered benefits and major challenge is the security breachfaced the customers. We therefore recommend that workshops should be organized for customers periodically on how to keep their datasecret especially on how to combine numbers to form password and Constant training of employees both local and international on newdevelopment in online trading should be encouraged. Key words: e-commerce, Electronic Banking, Automation, e-business, Banking/Finance Industry.E-banking includes familiar and relatively matureelectronically-based products in developing markets, suchas telephone banking, credit cards, ATMs, and direct deposit.It also includes electronic bill payments and productsmostly in the developing stage, including stored-value cards(e.g., smart cards/smart money) and Internet-based storedvalue products. E-banking in developing countries is in theearly stages of development. Most banking in developingcountries is still done the conventional way. However,there is an increasing growth of online banking, indicatinga promising future for online banking and Nigeria banksare taking good advantage of it.Nigerian banks started very low in the quest for theadoption for electronic banking but this slow pace witnessedat the beginning of last decade is fast changing for the betterin term of adoption of e-banking. Adeyemi (nd) positedthat slow adoption of electronic banking practice is rapidlychanging for the better. This assertion was supported byAyo; Adebiyi; Ekong & Fatudimu (2007) where theyposited that with improved technological development andprovision of basic infrastructure there will be improvede-Commerce and e-Payment services with overall reductionin the amount of currency in circulation.Awareness of electronic payments in Nigeria is increasingand it accounted for N360 billion worth of transaction in2008 (Adeyemi, n.d). (Ayo et al., 2007 cited in Adesina& Ayo, 2010) submitted that, this revolution started in theNigeria banking system in 2003 with the introduction ofGuideline of Electronic Banking by the Central Bankingof Nigeria. This was accompanied by bank reformationexercise in June 2004. The reformation exercise leftNigeria with 24 strong and reliable banks against 89 bankspreviously in existence. The author further maintainedthat, the surviving banks of the recapitalization exercisehave enormously engaged the use of ICT as a platform foreffective and efficient delivery of banking services. This hasmade Nigerian banking sector more competitive becausecustomers are now yearning for more online services thatwill cater for all their needs right from the rooms with theirdesktops, laptops, and palmtops and even from their handsetsor desks in their various offices without necessarily stepinto the banking hall. Global demand as a result of inflow ofOjeka S. A., Ikpefan O. A. - Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and Benefits
40 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011cash into the economy has also been linked to this dramaticchange in ICT embracement. Muniruddeen, (2007) cited inAdesina & Ayo, (2010) corroborated this submissions thatthe banks’ huge investment in telecommunication networksand various e-Banking services delivery could be seen asan effort towards measuring up with global standard. Thisis among other reasons such as increased customer demand,increased competition among banks themselves; deriveminimized cost, new entrants, and better service delivery.Moreso, Schaechter (2002) argued that electronic bankinghas made it easier for customers to compare banks' servicesand products, increase competition among banks, andallows banks to penetrate new markets and thus expand theirgeographical reach. Some even see electronic banking asan opportunity for countries with underdeveloped financialsystems to leapfrog developmental stages. Customers insuch countries can access services more easily from banksabroad and through wireless communication systems,which are developing more rapidly than traditional "wired"communication networks. Prior to the introduction ofelectronic banking in Nigeria in the 1990’s mastermindedby the new generation banks such as Intercontinental Bank,Zenith Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank etc., financial servicesdelivery was very poor. Customers had to spend hour inlong qu<strong>eu</strong>es in the banking hall to carry out transactionseither to withdraw or deposit cash into their account. Thiswas the era of manual processing of transactions. The oldgeneration banks such as United Bank of Africa, First Bankof Nigeria and Union Bank of Nigeria saw themselves aslords in the financial service industry. They dictated thepace in the banking industry and being market leader withmany products and services, customers had no choice thanto patronize them. With the emergence of internet andelectronic banking, customers’ expectations in financialservices delivery are yet to be met, hence the reason for thispaper. This paper therefore is poised to look at the variousbenefits and challenges that were anticipated before theadvent of internet banking (that is, in those days when therewere long qu<strong>eu</strong>es and spending of hours in the banking hallto carry out transactions either to withdraw or to depositcash into your account) vis-a-vis the encountered benefitsand challenges after the advent of online banking. This wasas a result of the existing gap between actual and expectedfinancial services delivery to customers.The objective is to find out the correlation between thetwo pairs of the variables measured i.e. the anticipatedchallenges and benefits with encountered challenges andbenefits. But even with the development of e-commerce,online banking in developing countries has yet to receiveany significant attention among researchers, and so echoesthe general lack of information systems research in sub-Saharan Africa (Mbarika, Okoli, Byrd & Datta, 2004).Hence the reason for this research works. This paperis divided into five sections. Section one above is theintroduction, section two captured the literature review,section three looked at the methodology, while four andfive end the paper with discussion of findings, conclusionand recommendation.Literature ReviewThe concept of e-banking includes all types of bankingactivities performed through electronic networks. It is themost recent delivery channel of banking services which isused for both business-to-business (B2B) and businessto-customer(B2C) transactions (Mohammad, 2009).The definition of e-banking varies amongst researcherspartially because electronic banking refers to several typesof services through which a bank customer can requestinformation and carry out most retail banking services viacomputer, television or mobile phone (Daniel 1999; Molls1998; Sathye, 1999). Burr (1996) describes e-banking asan electronic connection between the bank and customer inorder to prepare, manage and control financial transactionswhile Leow, Hock Bee (1999) state that the terms PersonalComputer (PC) banking, online banking, Internet banking,telephone banking or mobile banking refers to a numberof ways in which customer can access their banks withouthaving to be physically present at the bank branch.Therefore, e-banking covers all these ways of bankingbusiness electronically (Mohammad, 2009). The discoveryof internet and what we called electronic commerce haveopened various opportunities for online trading all overthe world. It has brought the market close to the customersand potential customers at a relatively low cost. Infact,online purchase reduces cost compare to physical visitingof shop for purchase. This has opened the market of thedeveloped countries to the entire world. Also, financialinstitutions being the financial of the economy have beenthe champion of this crusade where their customers i.e.borrowers of fund cut across various countries. Adesina &Ayo, 2010 disclosed that the advent of Internet, electroniccommerce, communication technology and users’ responseto this technology has opened opportunity for manybusinesses including the financial institution. Before thisperiod, there were just a few dial-up e-mail providers inSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and Benefits41Nigeria before 1998; a couple of Internet Service Providers(ISPs) that operated on slow links. For years, NigerianTelecommunications (Nitel), the parastatal monopoly,dominated on the whole Nigeria telecommunicationsmarket. E-commerce in Nigeria is just at the beginningstage. From the convenient places like their homes oroffices, these days most banks offer internet bankingservices which enable the customers to conduct bankingtransactions online. Today the majority of the Nigerianbanks offer online, real-time banking services.The area of e-commerce that has developed inNigeria mostly is e-banking. A few banks started theATM Consortium in 2003 to set up ATMs across thecountry. Nigeria is far behind other countries in providingtechnology at an affordable cost to its population. Adesina& Ayo (2010) also maintained that the adoption ofelectronic banking service delivery is fast gaining groundin Nigeria. Different e-Banking channels such as electroniccards, internet banking and mobile banking services havebeen introduced. Pikkarainen et al. (2004) highlighted twomajor reasons underlying online banking development andpenetration. First, banks get significant cost savings in theiroperation through e-Banking services and secondly, thatbanks have reduced their branch networks and downsizedthe number of service staff. It was also indicated thatelectronic banking services delivery are the cheapest, themost profitable and wealthiest delivery channel for bankingproducts. Internet banking services are crucial for longtermsurvival of banks in the world of electronic commerce(Burnham 1996). The market for internet banking isforecast to grow sharply in the next few years, affectingthe competitive advantage enjoyed by traditional branchbanks (Duclaux 1996; Liao, Shao & Chen, 1999). It wasalso argued that internet banking would help banks presenta potentially low cost alternative to brick and mortar branchbanking (Margaret & Thompson 2000). Nigeria Direct,(2006); Onwuka, (2006) cited in Francis & Babatunde(2009) posited that with a population of over 150 millionthat is growing at 3 percent annually, Nigeria has witnessedan increased demand for improved service delivery andconvenience by consumers. Banks can provide improvedservice delivery and convenience by enhancing their valuenetworks through online banking (Sannes, 2001; Crane,& Bodie, 1996). Francis & Babatunde, (2009) thereforesubmitted that some banks in Nigeria, amongst other facetsof the economy, have taken advantage of the country’s ICTinfrastructure to improve services to customers.Benefits of E-CommerceThe uptake of e-commerce is influenced by its potentialto create business value and by awareness of its participantsof the potential benefits (Salnoske, 1997). A major reasonfor most companies, irrespective of size, to participate inbusiness is to extract some benefit from it. E-commerceis no different Joze, Julie & Angela (2002). The benefitsof e-commerce identified from the current literature asadapted from Joze, Julie & Angela (2002) are classified intwo main categories - tangible and intangible. The authorswork carried out in Australian is similar to what this paper isconsidering in Nigeria. Hence the adaptation of the benefitsand challenges as presented in the tables below. Table 1presents the key benefits as described in the literature.BenefitsResearch/literatureTangible benefitsBusiness efficiency (Fraser et al. 2000; Lee 2001; Riggins, 1999)Amrit (2007)Increased automation of (Fraser et al. 2000; Dan et al, 2001)processesTransformation of traditional (Fraser et al. 2000), Amrit (2007)market chainRetained and expandedcustomer baseReduced operation(Fraser et al. 2000; Rahul, Biju and Abraham2001; Turban, et al, 2000)costs (Kent and Lee, 1999; Grover andRamanlal,2000; Kare-Silver, 1998; Fergusson, 1999)Acquisition of a niche market (Riggins, 1999; Rahul et al. 2001)Intangible BenefitsEnhancing well-being andeducation of customersConsumer loyaltyTale 1(Whinston et al. 1997; Lee 2001), Amrit(2007)(Lee 2001; Hoffman et al. 1999; Coulson,1999)Competitive advantage (Kalakota et al. 1999; Hoffman et al. 1999;Straub, 2000; Kare-Silver, 1998), Amrit(2007)Convenient shopping (Hannon, 1998; Winner, 1997)Adapted from Joze, Julie & Angela (2002)Challenges of E-CommerceTo extract benefits from e-commerce, it is importantfor businesses to overcome the e-commerce inhibitors andchallenges Joze, Julie & Angela (2002). Findings have alsoshown that insecurity; inadequate operational facilitiesOjeka S. A., Ikpefan O. A. - Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and Benefits
42 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011like telecommunication and electric supply are amonghindrances to online banking in Nigeria (Ezeoha 2005;Chiemeka et al., 2006). E-commerce challenges identifiedfrom the literature are classified as - technological,managerial, and business related and are summarised andpresented below.ChallengesTechnological challengesSecurityTable 2Research/literature(Koved et al. 2001; Czerniawska & Potter,1998; Alexander, 1998, Chaechter, 2002)Web site issues (Watson et al. 1999; Zhang &von Dran 2000;Lee 2001)Technology issuesincluding costs, software,infrastructureManagerial challengesPeople and organisationalissuesObtaining seniormanagement backingBusiness challenges(Hoffman et al. 1999; Abeyesekera et al. 1999;Rahul et al. 2001, Chaechter 2002)(Hoffman et al. 1999; Feeny 2000)(Feeny 2000)Customer service (Whinston et al. 1997; Alter, 1999; Lee 2001)Customers’ old habits (Hoffman et al. 1999; Schwartz, 1999)Legal issues(Hoffman et al. 1999; Lawrence et al. 1998; deSouza & von Wiese 2000), Chaechte, (2002)Adapted from Joze, Julie & Angela (2002)Prior Studies on Benefits And Challenges ofOnline BankingA previous study in Joze, Julie & Angela (2002) showedthat that the major benefits of e-commerce adoption notanticipated by the sector are business, efficiency, improvedimage, competitive advantage, increased automationof processes and increased business turnover. Also, thekey challenges identified for the sector are the costs ofthe technology, the lack of knowledge of e-commerce,managing the change, budgeting and issues associated withlinking back end systems. They did not consider securetransactions as a major challenge for the sector; in contrastthey were considered one of the success factors.Pohjola (2002) also showed that the contribution of th<strong>eu</strong>se of information communication technology to growth ofoutput in the Finnish market sector has increased from 0.3percentage points in early 1990s to 0.7 points in late 1990s.Similarly, research conducted in Estonia (Aarma andVensel, 2001), bank customers use bank office services onaverage 1.235 times per month, and wait in qu<strong>eu</strong>e in bankoffice on average for 0.134 hours. Simple calculation shows,that making payments via E-banking facilities (for instanc<strong>eu</strong>sing Internet bank) rather than in the bank offices createoverall economy savings in the amount of 0.93% of GDP(Average distance to nearest bank office is 4.14 km (Aarmaand Vensel, 2001), which takes approximately 0.21 hoursto travel. (BankAway, 2001; Gur_u, 2002) also consideredthe benefit from the customer point of view that there isa reduction in costs of accessing and using the bankingservices, increased comfort and timesaving - transactionscan be made 24 hours a day without requiring the physicalinteraction with the bank, quick and continuous access toinformation and corporations will have easier access toinformation as, they can check on multiple accounts at theclick of a button, better cash managementAccording to a survey by Booz, Allen & Hamilton(1996), an estimated cost providing the routine businessof a full service branch in USA is $1.07 per transaction,as compared to 54 cents for telephone banking, 27 centsfor ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) banking and 1.5cents for internet banking (Nathan 1999; Pyun et al.,2002). In Nordea Bank, Finland, one online transactioncosts the bank an average of just 11 cents, comparedto $1 for a transaction in the branch (Echikson, 2001).Average payment in internet bank or via direct debit cost4 times less, than payment in branch. On actual cost side(or cost side from the bank point of view), average directdebit payment cost 16 times less and payment in internetbank 7 times less, than payment in branch. Amrit (2007)however submitted that risk management, infrastructuredevelopment and policy formulation are the three majorchallenges of E-banking in Nepal. Technological problemslike connect break in service while withdrawing cash fromATM and poor mobile service. He also considered thatan adequate level of infrastructure and human capacitybuilding are required before banks adopt the full-fledgedE-banking. But Mohammad (2009) summarized the majorrisk of e-banking as operational risks (e.g. security risks,system design, implementation and maintenance risks);customer misuse of products and services risks; legal risks(e.g. without proper legal support, money laundering maybe influenced); strategic risks; reputation risks (e.g. in caseSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and Benefits43the bank fails to provide secure and trouble free e-bankingservices, this will cause reputation risk); credit risks; marketrisks; and liquidity risksH 0: There is no significant difference between theanticipated and encountered challenges of onlinebanking in the Nigerian Banking systemMethodThe research work was carried out in the Banking industryin Nigeria based on a sample of three deposit money banksin Nigeria. The research work was designed in such a waythat data was generated from the questionnaires personallyadministered to the staffs of the respective banks with ahigh response rate of 90%. The sample size of this researchwork constitutes three Nigerian banks. They include:Oceanic Bank, UBA Bank and Intercontinental Bank. Thethree sample banks are made up of two old generationbanks and one new generation bank. A total number of 120questionnaires was administered, 40 for each of samplecompany. These banks were selected using judgmentalsampling technique in order to have a representation of thepopulation. Krejcie & Morgan (1970) in Amadii (2005)agrees with the sample as they proposed the populationproportion of 0.05 as adequate to provide the maximumsample size required for generalization. The banks wereselected because of their size and wide range of productswhich are all over the country. To the best of the researcher’sjudgment, the banks make a good representation of thebanking industry in Nigeria. The expert opinion was soughtfor in order to validate the content and the structure of thequestionnaire during the pilot study.For testing the hypothesis, a statistical parametrictest called Pair Sample t-test was employed to test thesignificance difference between the pre and post of onlinebanking in Nigeria through the use of SPSS statisticalpackage. Our intention is to establish if there is anysignificant difference between the anticipated benefits andchallenges and encountered benefits and challenges ofonline banking in Nigeria.Statement of HypothesisH 0: There is no significant difference between theanticipated and encountered benefits of onlinebanking in the Nigerian Banking systemDecision RuleReject H0 if P value is < .05 and accept H0 if P valueis > .05Empirical Results and Implication ofFindingsExpected/Encountered Benefit of OnlineBanking in NigeriaTable 1. Paired Samples StatisticsMeanNStd.DeviationStd. ErrorMeanPair 1 INTURNEXP 3.67 90 .474 .050INCTURNENC 3.56 90 .500 .053Pair 2 INCBUSACTEXP 3.50 90 .503 .053INCBUSACTENC 3.39 90 .594 .063Pair 3 COMPADVEXP 2.94 90 .916 .097COMPADENC 3.22 90 .715 .075Pair 4 OPCOSTREDEXP 3.06 90 .853 .090OPCOSTREDENC 2.94 90 .784 .083Pair 5 EXPCUSTBASE 3.39 90 .682 .072CUSTBASEEXENC 3.56 90 .500 .053Pair 6 LOYALTYEXP 3.28 90 .561 .059LOYALTYENC 3.06 90 .407 .043Pair 7 REDWATIMEXP 3.39 90 .831 .088REDWATIMENC 2.94 90 .625 .066Pair 8 BETTUNDEXP 3.11 90 .661 .070BETTUNDENC 3.11 90 .461 .049Pair 9 INCNTWOKEXP 2.89 90 .880 .093INCNTWOKENC 3.11 90 .941 .099Pair 10 POSIMAGEEXP 3.39 90 .594 .063POSIMAGEENC 3.28 90 .561 .059Source: Computer Printout of Researchers’ SurveyOjeka S. A., Ikpefan O. A. - Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and Benefits
44 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Table 2. Paired Samples TestPair 1 INTURNEXP –INCTURNENCPair 2 INCBUSACTEXP –INCBUSACTENCPair 3 COMPADVEXP –COMPADENCPair 4 OPCOSTREDEXP -OPCOSTREDENCPair 5 EXPCUSTBASE -CUSTBASEEXENCPair 6 LOYALTYEXP –LOYALTYENCPair 7 REDWATIMEXP –REDWATIMENCPair 8 BETTUNDEXP –BETTUNDENCPair 9 INCNTWOKEXP –INCNTWOKENCPair 10 POSIMAGEEXP –POSIMAGEENCMeanStd.DeviationPaired DifferencesStd. ErrorMean95% Confidence Interval ofthe DifferenceLowerUpperTDfSig.(2-tailed).111 .570 .060 -.008 .230 1.850 89 .068.111 .661 .070 -.027 .250 1.595 89 .114-.278 .735 .077 -.432 -.124 -3.586 89 .001.111 1.249 .132 -.151 .373 .844 89 .401-.167 .691 .073 -.311 -.022 -2.288 89 .025.222 .632 .067 .090 .355 3.335 89 .001.444 1.072 .113 .220 .669 3.934 89 .000.000 .887 .093 -.186 .186 .000 89 1.000-.222 1.322 .139 -.499 .055 -1.595 89 .114.111 .741 .078 -.044 .266 1.422 89 .158Source: Computer Printout of Researchers’Expected/Encountered Challenges of OnlineBankingTable 3. Paired Samples StatisticsMeanNStd.DeviationStd. ErrorMeanPair 1 HCOSTECHEXP 3.33 90 .750 .079HCOSTECHENC 3.61 90 .490 .052Pair 2 LECOMMKWNEXP 2.83 90 .503 .053LECOMMKWNENC 3.06 90 .709 .075Pair 3 ITSKCOSTEXP 2.83 90 .963 .101ITSKCOSTENC 2.83 90 .838 .088Pair 4 ECOMMINFRCHEXP 2.83 90 .503 .053ECOMMINFRCHENC 2.83 90 .604 .064Pair 5 RESTOMANTELEXP 2.83 90 .963 .101RESTOMANTELENC 3.28 90 .561 .059Pair 6 GETRELVENEXP 3.11 90 .570 .060GETRELVENENC 3.06 90 .709 .075MeanNStd.DeviationStd. ErrorMeanPair 7 SECBREACHEXP 2.94 90 .527 .056SECBREACHENC 3.22 90 .632 .067Pair 8 RESTTONLBANEXP 2.56 90 .602 .063RESTTONLBANENC 2.61 90 .831 .088Pair 9 NONACEORURPEXP 2.94 90 .709 .075NONACEORURPENC 2.94 90 .625 .066Pair 10 NONCAPOFDATEXP 2.44 90 .689 .073NONCAPOFDATENC 2.78 90 .858 .090Pair 11 MAKBUZKNTCUSTEXP 2.50 90 .963 .101MAKBUZKNTCUSTENC 3.22 90 .715 .075Pair 12 UNRELOFINTPROEXP 3.11 90 .661 .070UNRELOFINTPROENC 2.89 90 .570 .060Pair 13 LAKOFPROBUDGTEXP 3.11 90 .570 .060LAKOFPROBUDGTENC 3.17 90 .691 .073Pair 14 POWAFAILEXP 3.06 90 .625 .066POWAFAILENC 2.94 90 1.085 .114School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and Benefits45Table 4. Paired Samples TestMeanStd.DeviationPaired DifferencesStd. ErrorMean95% Confidence Intervalof the DifferenceLowerUpperTDfSig.(2-tailed)Pair 1 HCOSTECHEXP –-.278 .874 .092 -.461 -.095 -3.014 89 .003HCOSTECHENCPair 2 LECOMMKWNEXP –-.222 .790 .083 -.388 -.057 -2.668 89 .009LECOMMKWNENCPair 3 ITSKCOSTEXP – ITSKCOSTENC .000 1.341 .141 -.281 .281 .000 89 1.000Pair 4 ECOMMINFRCHEXP –.000 .581 .061 -.122 .122 .000 89 1.000ECOMMINFRCHENCPair 5 RESTOMANTELEXP –-.444 1.219 .128 -.700 -.189 -3.459 89 .001RESTOMANTELENCPair 6 GETRELVENEXP –.056 1.032 .109 -.161 .272 .511 89 .611GETRELVENENCPair 7 SECBREACHEXP –-.278 .561 .059 -.395 -.160 -4.694 89 .000SECBREACHENCPair 8 RESTTONLBANEXP –-.056 .976 .103 -.260 .149 -.540 89 .590RESTTONLBANENCPair 9 NONACEORURPEXP –.000 1.060 .112 -.222 .222 .000 89 1.000NONACEORURPENCPair 10 NONCAPOFDATEXP –-.333 .821 .087 -.505 -.161 -3.851 89 .000NONCAPOFDATENCPair 11 MAKBUZKNTCUSTEXP –-.722 1.290 .136 -.992 -.452 -5.312 89 .000MAKBUZKNTCUSTENCPair 12 UNRELOFINTPROEXP –.222 1.089 .115 -.006 .450 1.936 89 .056UNRELOFINTPROENCPair 13 LAKOFPROBUDGTEXP –-.056 .625 .066 -.186 .075 -.844 89 .401LAKOFPROBUDGTENCPair 14 POWAFAILEXP –POWAFAILENC.111 1.293 .136 -.160 .382 .815 89 .417Computer Printout of Researchers’ SurveyDiscussion of Empirical ResultsTable 1 and table 2 explain the expected/encounteredbenefits of online banking in Nigeria. The tables i.e. 1 and 2shows a significant difference in the scores for: Competitiveadvantage expected (COMPADVEXP) (M=2.94,S.D=.916) and competitive advantage encountered(M=3.22, S.D=.715) conditions; t(89), p(.001). Expansionin customer base expected (EXCUSTBASE) (M=3.39,S.D=.682) and expansion in customer base encountered((M=3.56, S.D=.500) conditions; t(89), p(.025). Loyaltyanticipated from customers (LOYALEXP) (M=3.28,S.D=.561) and Loyalty from customer encountered(LOYALTYENC) (M=3.06, S.D= .407) conditions; t(89),p(.001). Expected waiting time reduction (M=3.39, S.D=.831) and waiting time reduction encountered (M=2.94,S.D= .625) conditions; t(89), p(.000).However, there is no significant difference in the meanscore for: increase in turnover expected (INTURNEXP)(M=3.67, S.D=.474) and increase in turnover encountered(INCTURNENC) (M=3.56, S.D=.500) conditions; t(89),p(.068). Anticipated increase in bank branches network(INCNTWOKEXP) (M=2.89, S.D= .880) and encounteredincrease in bank branches network (INCNTWOKENC)(M=3.11, S.D= .941) conditions; t(89), p(.114). Positiveimage anticipated (POSIMAGEEXP) (M=3.39, S.D=.594) and positive image encountered (M=3.28, S.D= .561)conditions; t(89), p(.158). Rise in understanding of activitiesby employees expected (BETTUNDEXP) (M=3.11, S.D=.880) and rise in understanding of employees encounteredOjeka S. A., Ikpefan O. A. - Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and Benefits
46 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011(BETTUNDENC) (M=3.11, S.D= .941) conditions;t(89), p(1.00). Efficient increase in business activitiesexpected (INCBUSACTEXP) (M=3.5, S.D= .503) andefficient increase in business activities encountered(INCBUSACTENC) (M=3.39, S.D=.594) conditions;t(89), p(.114). Reduction in operation cost expected(OPCOSTREDEXP) (M=3.06, S.D=.853) and reduction inoperation cost encountered (OPCOSTREDENC) (M=2.94,S.D=.784) conditions; t(89), p(.401 ).From the descriptive statistics result in table 1 and 2above, it was observed that there is a significant differencein the scores of the mean of anticipated benefits and theencountered benefits. Therefore, we can conclude that thedifferences between condition means are not due to chance.The meaning of this that there was a difference betweenthe benefits expected that online banking will provide forthe sector and what is being experienced presently in thesector as regards banks competitive advantage, expansionin customer base, customer loyalty and waiting time in thebanking hall. There was however no significant differencein term of efficient business activities, reduction in theoperation cost, increase in turnover, increase in branchnetwork, the bank positive image and better understandingof bank activities.A paired-samples t-test was conducted in table 2 above tocompare: the increase in turnover expected (INTURNEXP)and increase in turnover encountered (INCTURNENC);p(.068). Competitive advantage expected (COMPADVEXP)and competitive advantage encountered; p(.001). Expansionin customer base expected (EXCUSTBASE) and expansionin customer base encountered; p(.025). Loyalty anticipatedfrom customers (LOYALEXP) and Loyalty from customerencountered (LOYALTYENC) p(.001). Expected waitingtime reduction and waiting time reduction encounteredp(.000).These values are less than .05 level of significance.We then conclude that there is a statistically significantdifference between the means of the expected benefits andthe anticipated benefits. Therefore, we accept the alternativehypothesis which says there is statistically significantdifference between the anticipated and encountered benefitsof online banking in the Nigerian Banking system.A paired-samples t-test was also conducted in table2 above to compare: the anticipated increase in bankbranches network (INCNTWOKEXP) and encounteredincrease in bank branches network (INCNTWOKENC);p(.114). Positive image anticipated (POSIMAGEEXP) andpositive image encountered (POSIMAGEENC) p(.158).Rise in understanding of activities by employees expected(BETTUNDEXP) and rise in understanding of employeesencountered (BETTUNDENC) p(1.00). Efficient increasein business activities expected (INCBUSACTEXP)and efficient increase in business activities encountered(INCBUSACTENC); p(.114). Reduction in operation costexpected (OPCOSTREDEXP) and reduction in operationcost encountered (OPCOSTREDENC) p(.401).These values are greater than .05 level of significance;as a result of this we conclude that there is no statisticallysignificant difference between the means of the expectedbenefits and the anticipated benefits. Therefore, we acceptthe null hypothesis which says there is no statisticallysignificant difference between the anticipated andencountered benefits of online banking in the NigerianBanking systemTable 3 and Table 4 explain the expected/encounteredchallenges of online banking in Nigeria. Table 3 showeda significant difference in their scores: anticipated hightechnology cost (HCOSTECHEXP) (M=3.33, S.D=.750)and high technology cost encountered (HCOSTECHENC)(M=3.61, S.D=.490) conditions; t(89), p(.003). Lack ofe-commerce knowledge expected (LECOMMKWNEXP)(M=2.83, S.D=.503) and lack of e-commerce encountered(LECOMMKWNENC) (M=3.06, S.D=.709) conditions;t(89), p(.009). Anticipated fear of resisting change frommanual to electronic (RESTOMANTELEXP) (M=2.83,S.D=.963) and fear of resisting change from manualto electronic encountered (RESTOMANTELENC)(M=3.28, S.D=.561) conditions; t(89), p(.001). Fear ofsecurity breach expected (SECBREACHEXP) (M=2.94,S.D=.527) and fear of security breach encountered(SECBREACHENC) (M=3.22, S.D=.632) conditions;t(89), p(.000). Customer data not captured on the siteexpected (NONCAPOFDATEXP) (M=2.44, S.D=.689)and customer data not captured on the site expected(NONCAPOFDATENC) (M=2.78, S.D=.858) conditions;t(89), p(.000). Making business known to customersexpected (MAKBUZKNTCUSTEXP) (M=2.50, S.D=.963)and making business known to customers encountered(MAKBUZKNTCUSTENC) (M=3.22, S.D=.715)conditions; t(89), p(.000).However the following variables shows no significantdifference in their scores: Constraint of budgetingexpected (LAKOFPROBUDGTEXP) (M=3.11,S.D=.570) and Constraint of budgeting expected(LAKOFPROBUDGTENC) (M=3.17, S.D=.691)conditions; t(89), p(.401). Effect with power failure(POWAFAILEXP) (M=3.06, S.D=.625) and effect withpower failure (POWAFAILENC) (M=2.94, S.D=1.085)School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and Benefits47conditions; t(89), p(.417). Cost of acquiring IT skillexpected (ITSKCOSTEXP) (M=2.83, S.D=.963) and cost ofacquiring IT skill encountered (ITSKCOSTENC) (M=2.83,S.D=.838) conditions; t(89), p(1.000). Lack of e-commerceinfrastructure expected (ECOMMINFRCHEXP) (M=2.83,S.D=.503) and Lack of ecommerce infrastructureencountered ((ECOMMINFRCHENC) (M=2.83,S.D=.604) conditions; t(89), p(1.000). Getting reliablevendor expected (GETRELVENEXP) (M=3.11, S.D=.570)and getting reliable vendor expected (GETRELVENENC)(M=3.06, S.D=.709) conditions; t(89), p(.611). Resistanceto online banking expected (RESTTONLBANEXP)(M=2.56, S.D=.602) and Resistance to online bankingencountered (RESTTONLBANENC) (M=2.61,S.D=.831) conditions; t(89), p(.590). Unreliability ofinternet providers (UNRELOFINTPROEXP) (M=3.11,S.D=.661) and unreliability of internet providers(UNRELOFINTPROENC) (M=2.89, S.D=.570)conditions; t(89), p(.056). Non accessibility of rural peopleexpected (NONACEORURPEXP) (M=2.94, S.D=.709)and non accessibility of rural people encountered(NONACEORURPENC) (M=2.94, S.D=.625) conditions;t(89), p(1.000).A paired-samples t-test was also conducted in table4 above to compare: anticipated high technology cost(HCOSTECHEXP) and high technology cost encountered(HCOSTECHENC) p(.003). Lack of e-commerceknowledge expected (LECOMMKWNEXP) and lackof e-commerce encountered (LECOMMKWNENC)p(.009). Anticipated fear of resisting change frommanual to electronic (RESTOMANTELEXP) and fear ofresisting change from manual to electronic encountered(RESTOMANTELENC) p(.001). Fear of security breachexpected (SECBREACHEXP) and fear of security breachencountered (SECBREACHENC) p(.000). Customer datanot captured on the site expected (NONCAPOFDATEXP)and customer data not captured on the site expected(NONCAPOFDATENC) p(.000). Making business knownto customers expected (MAKBUZKNTCUSTEXP)and making business known to customers encountered(MAKBUZKNTCUSTENC) p(.000).These values are less than .05 level of significance, wecan therefore conclude that there is statistically significantdifference between the means of the expected challengesand the encountered challenges. Therefore, we accept thealternative hypothesis which says there is no statisticallysignificant difference between the anticipated andencountered challenges of online banking in the NigerianBanking systemHowever the following variables in Table 4 showed nosignificant difference in their scores: Constraint of budgetingexpected (LAKOFPROBUDGTEXP) and Constraint ofbudgeting expected (LAKOFPROBUDGTENC) p(.401).Effect with power failure (POWAFAILEXP) and effectwith power failure (POWAFAILENC) p(.417). Cost ofacquiring IT skill expected (ITSKCOSTEXP) and costof acquiring IT skill encountered (ITSKCOSTENC)p(1.000). Lack of e-commerce infrastructure expected(ECOMMINFRCHEXP) and Lack of ecommerceinfrastructure encountered ((ECOMMINFRCHENC)p(1.000). Getting reliable vendor expected(GETRELVENEXP) and getting reliable vendorexpected (GETRELVENENC) p(.611). Resistanceto online banking expected (RESTTONLBANEXP)and Resistance to online banking encountered(RESTTONLBANENC) p(.590). Unreliability of internetproviders (UNRELOFINTPROEXP) and unreliabilityof internet providers (UNRELOFINTPROENC)p(.056). Non accessibility of rural people expected(NONACEORURPEXP) and non accessibility of ruralpeople encountered (NONACEORURPENC) p(1.000).These values are greater than .05 level of significance,we can therefore conclude that there is no statisticallysignificant difference between the means of the expectedchallenges and the anticipated challenges. Therefore,we accept the alternative hypothesis which says there isstatistically significant difference between the anticipatedand encountered challenges of online banking in theNigerian Banking system.Implication of FindingsEven though there is a positive correlation between thevariables under this category, table 1 above showed a highhope of benefits expected of the online banking are not beenexperienced as thought before the advent of online banking.First the high expectation could be due to what onlinebanking has brought to bear in the developed nation whereit has recorded huge success. This might have informed thedecision of the various players in the sector not mindingother impending factor(s) peculiar to the country. Secondly,the old nature of doing business in Nigeria for example thewaiting time in the banking hall has not reduced to the leveldesired compare to the developed world and the level ofcomputer literacy in the country could also be responsible.The result in table 2 above showed no significantdifferent among the variables tested. For example, theincrease in the network of bank expected before onlineOjeka S. A., Ikpefan O. A. - Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and Benefits
48 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011banking has been like that till date. The banks studied in thiswork for example, have increased greatly in term of sizesdue to the introduction of online banking. The reductionin the operating cost could be linked to the deployment ofchain of computers. This has cut down manual activitieswhere the service of a human is needed and also, theefficient increase in business activities could also be linkedto various training and re-training being carried out timewithout number by various banks for their staffs. This hasalso helped a great deal.Conclusion and RecommendationInspite of the benefit of Electronic Commerce,Automation and Online Banking such as increase in bankbranches network, reduction in operation cost amongothers; the paper identified lack of e-commerce knowledge,fear of resistance to change from manual to electronic,security breach, non-capturing of customer data in total,unreliability of internet providers, making business knownto customers through the net and accessibility of the ruralpeople to online banking and power failure as obstacles tofull implementation of electronic commerce, automationand online banking in Nigeria. To tap into the full benefitsand potential of electronic banking and e-commerce, theoperators and the business at large must understand andbe abreast with the benefits and challenges of electronictrading.RecommendationsNotwithstanding the challenges highlighted above, weproffer the following recommendations:i. The largest room of improvement is change.Therefore operators should impress it upon employees theneed to be responsive to online banking.ii. Constant training of employees both local andinternational on new development in online trading.iii. Workshops should be organized for customersperiodically on how to keep their data secret especially onhow to combine numbers to form password. They shouldalso be vigilant about who stand next to them when usingthe ATM.iv. Even though it is impossible for now consideringthe dearth of infrastructural facilities in Nigeria, a basecould be provided where neighboring villages can accessonline banking if it is impossible to situate internet facilityin each village in the country.ReferencesAarma, August; Vensel, Vello (2001): "Banks' RetailCustomer Satisfaction and Development of Bank-Customer relationships," Estonia on the Thresholdof the European Union: Financial Sector andEnterprise Restructuring in the Changing EconomicEnvironment, Tallinn: Tallinn Technical University,2001, pp. 85-106.Adesina A. A & Ayo C.K. (2010): An EmpiricalInvestigation of the Level of Users’ Acceptance ofE-Banking in Nigeria Journal of Internet Bankingand Commerce, Vol. 15, No.1Adeyinka Adeyemi , Adoption of E-Banking ServiceArising in Nigeria, Trade Invest Nigeria.Abeyesekera, A., Criscuolo, C., Barreto, E., Gallagher,P. et al., (1999): “Partners Speak Out; Views onEcommerce”, International Trade Forum, Geneva,Volume 2, pp. 23 – 25.Alter, S., (1999): “Shopping.com: When E-commerceIsn’t a Bargain”, Communications of the Associationfor Information Systems, Volume 2, Article 22Alexander, R., (1998): “E-commerce Security: AnAlternative Business Model”, Journal of RetailBanking Services; New York; WinterAmrit B., (2007): “Prospects and Challenges ofE-banking in Nepal”, The Journal of NepaleseBusiness Studies. Vol. IV No. 1 2007Amadi V.L., (2005): “An Investigation into the Roleof Private Sector in Nigeria Highere Institution: AStudy of the University of Abuja”, InternationalJournal of Research in Education. Vol. 2 No 1&2Ayo, C. K., Ekong O. U, Fatudimu, I.T., and AdebiyiA. A. (2007): “M-Commerce Implementation inNigeria: Trends and Issues”, Journal of InternetBanking and Commerce, Vol. 12, No.2.Bandura A. (1982): “Self-Efficacy Mechanism inHuman Agency”, Journal of AmericanBankAway (2001): “Net Banking Benefits! SheerAcceleration. Electronic Banking: The UltimateGuide to Business and Technology of OnlineBanking”, Edited by SCN Education B.V.Burnham, B.(1996) “The Internet’s Impact on RetailBanking,” Booz-Allen Hamilton Third Quarter,(http://www.strategy-business.com/briefs/96301/).Burr, W. (1996): Wie Informationtechnik DieBankorganisationverandernKonnte, Bank undMarkt , Vol. 11, pp. 28-31.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and Benefits49Coulson, A., (1999), “Electronic Commerce: theEver Evolving Online Marketplace”, IEEECommunications, Volume 37, Issue 9, pp. 58 – 61Crane, D.B. and Bodie, Z. (1996): “Form followsfunctions: the transformation of banking”, HarvardBusiness Review, 74, 2, 109-117.Dan, A., Dias, D.M., Kearney, R., Lau, T.C., et al,(2001), “Business-to-business Integration withTPAML and a Business-to-business ProtocolFramework”, IBM Systems Journal; Armonk,Volume 40, Issue 1, pp. 68 – 90.De Souza, N. and I. Von Wiese (2000). “EuropeanUnion: EU Adopts Directive On e-commerce.”International Financial Law Review 19(7): pp. 61-62Daniel, E. (1999): “Provision of electronic banking inthe UK and the Republic of Ireland”,International Journal of bank marketing, Vol. 17, No. 2Duclaux, D.(1996): “The Call of the Web,” ABABanking Journal, pp.20-22.Echikson, W. (April, 2001): “The Dynamo ofE-Banking”, BusinessWeek Online.Feeny, D. (2000). "The CEO and the CIO in theInformation Age". Moving to E Business. L.Wilcocks and C. Sauer. London, Random House:pp. 168-187.Ferguson, M., (1999), “Revenue Collection via theInternet: Transaction Cost Components”, Collecter1999 proceedings.Fraser, J., N. Fraser and F. McDonald (2000). “TheStrategic Challenge of Electronic Commerce.”Supply Chain Management: An InternationalJournal 5(1): pp. 7-14.Grover, V., and Ramanlal, P., (2000), “Playing theE-commerce Game”, Business and EconomicsReview; Columbia; Oct-Dec.Gur_u, Catalin.(2002): "E-banking in TransitionEconomies: the Case of Romania," Journal ofFinancial Services Marketing, pp. 362 -379.Hoffman, D., Novak, T. and Perlata, M. (1999): "BuildingConsumer Trust Online", Communications of theACM, April, Volume 42, issue 4, pp.80 – 85.Joze K., Julie F., & Angela S., (2002): “ElectronicCommerce Benefits, Challenges and SuccessFactors in the Australian Banking and FinanceIndustry”, Retrieved on 3/1/2011 from citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.97.Kalakota, R., Oliva, R., Donath, B., (1999), “MoveOver, E-commerce”, Marketing Management,Chicago, Volume 8, issue 3, pp. 23 – 32.Kent, R., Lee, M., 1999, “Using the Internet forMarket Research: A Study of Private Trading onthe Internet”, Journal of Market Research Society,London, Volume 41, Issue 4. pp. 377 –342.Koved, L., Nadalin, A., Nagaratnam, N., Pistoia, M.,and Shrader, T., (2001): “Security Challenges forEnterpriseJava in an E-business environment”,IBM Systems Journal, Armonk, Volume 40, Issue1, pp. 130 – 152.Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970): “DeterminingSample Size for Research Activities”, Educationaland Psychological Measurement, 30, 607-610Lawrence, E., Corbitt, B., Tidwell, A., Fisher, J.,and Lawrence, J., (1998), “Internet Commerce:Digital Models for Business”, John Wiley & Sons,Brisbane.Leow, Hock, Bee. (1999), New Distribution Channelsin Banking Services, Bankers Journal Malaysia,No. 110.Lee, C.-S. (2001): “An Analytical Frameworkfor Evaluating e-commerce Business Modelsand Strategies”, Internet Research: ElectronicNetworking Applications and Policy. pp. 349-359.Margaret T., &Thompson S. H. T. (2000) FactorsInfluencing the Adoption of Internet Banking:Journal of the Association for Information systems.Volume 1, Article 5Mohammad M.R., (2009) E-Banking in Bangladesh:Some Policy ImplicationsMols, K. (1998): “The Behaviour Consequences of PCBanking, International Journal of bankMarketing. Vol. 16, No. 5, pp. 195-201.Muniruddeen L. (2007). An Examination ofIndividual’s Perceived Security and Privacy of theInternet in Malaysia and the Influence of This onTheir Intention to Use E-Commerce: Using AnExtension of the Technology Acceptance Model.Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, vol.12, no.3Mbarika, V.W.A., Okoli, C., Byrd, T.A. and Datta, P.(2004) The Neglected Continent of IS Research: AResearch Agenda for Sub-Saharan Africa, Journalof the Association for Information Systems, 6, 5,130-170Ojeka S. A., Ikpefan O. A. - Electronic Commerce, Automation and Online Banking in Nigeria: Challenges and Benefits
50 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Nathan, L. (1999), Www.your-community-bank.com:community banks are going online. Communityand Banking, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.NIGERIA DIRECT: Banking. 10 October 2006 www.nigeria.gov.ngOnwuka, E.C. (2006) Another Look at the Impact ofNigeria’s Growing population on the Country’sDevelopment, African Population Studies/ Etudede la Population Africaine, 21, 1, 1-18Pohjola, M. (2002) "The New Economy: Facts,Impacts and Policies,"Information Economics andPolicy, 14, pp. 133-144.Rahul, D., M. Biju and D. Abraham (2001). “Criticalconstructs for analysing e-business: investment,user experience and revenue models.” LogisticsInformation Management 14(1/2): pp. 137 - 148.Riggins, F., 1999, “A framework for IdentifyingWeb-based Electronic Commerce Opportunities”,Journal of organisational computing and electroniccommerce, Volume 9, Issue 4, pp. 297 - 310.Salnoske, K., (1997), “Building Trust in ElectronicCommerce”, Credit World, Vol. 85 No 6. pp. 9-11.Schwartz, E., (1999,) “Digital Darwinism: 7Breakthrough Business Strategies for Surviving inthe Cutthroat Web Economy”, Broadway Books,New York.Turban, E., Lee, J., King, D., Chung, M.,( 2000),“Electronic Commerce: A Managerial Perspective”,Prentice Hall International, Inc. New Jersey.Watson, R., Berthon, P., Pitt, L. and Zinhan, G., 1999,"Electronic Commerce : A Strategic Perspective",The Dryden Press, USAWhinston, A., Stabl, D. and Soon-Yong, C., 1997, “TheEconomics of Electronic Commerce”, MacmillanTechnical Publishing, Indianapolis.Winner, L., (1997), “The Neverhood of InternetCommerce”, MIT’s Technology review, Volume100 No 6 p. 31.Sathye, M. (1999), Adoption of Internet banking byAustralian customers, International Journal of bankmarketing, Vol. 17, No. 7, pp. 324-334.Schaechter, A., (2002) Challenges of the "E-bankingRevolution. Finance & DevelopmentSannes, R. (2001) Self-service banking: value creationmodels and information exchange, InformingScience, 4, 4, 226-2School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels51A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’Recognition of Materiality LevelsAzar Rahdarian(M.A.)Email: rahdarian@gmail.comHamed hamedian(M.A.)Tax officer(auditor)State Tax Organization of Eslamic Republic of Iran Khouzestan Tax DirectorateEmail: h.hamedian@gmail.comAbstractThe financial statements users always rely on auditors’ report in their decision making. Thus, due to the importance of auditors’accreditation, the auditing standards require auditors to design their audit in such a way to gain reasonable confidence from the detectionof errors with material effect on financial statements. In this respect, we decided to test the external auditors’ familiarity with thequalitative and quantitative materiality levels. The present survey was made about the members of Iranian Association of CharteredCertified Accountants. Firstly the auditors employed in the organization were tested versus the colleague auditors in private institutions.Then, in next assumptions the different job categories of auditors were compared and their familiarity with qualitative and quantitativemateriality levels were assessed. The research results indicated that there is an appropriate general consensus among the auditors in theorganization and the colleague auditors in private institutions. Key words: Quantitative materiality levels; 2. Qualitative materialitylevels; 3. Familiarity; 4. Materiality.The "Materiality" was adopted in auditing and accountingliterature since early 1930s. The primary researches mayrefer to as thresholding, because at the time the researcheswere to find the materiality threshold or border. Thislasted until the mid 1970s. But, the researchers' generaltendency about materiality judgments led to the assessmentof materiality impact on the audited financial statementsusers' decision and, thereafter, it was demonstrated thatthe materiality judgments were qualitative so that thedetermination of an absolute value materiality thresholdbecame nonsense.In the next researches on materiality, mainlytwo tendencies are noticed: firstly, investigation onmathematical and non mathematical models of materialityjudgment in audits which were generally unable to presenta comprehensive model and, secondly, measuring auditors'general consensus in materiality judgments. (Zarei, 1996)Subsequent to Holstrum and Messier (1982) littleresearch on materiality was published in the mid 1980.There was renewed interest in materiality in the late 1980sso that it can be said firmly that seldom a topic has beendiscussed to this extent in accounting and auditing. But,despite of its wide application in all categories of accountingand auditing this concept is still ambiguity.Definition of Materiality in ProfessionalStandardsFinancial Accounting Standard Board (FASB) andStatement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 47 of theAmerican Institute of Certified Public Accountants(AICPA) defines materiality as follows: "Information ismaterial if its omission or misstatement could influence thejudgment and decision making of a reasonable person usingfinancial statements."Section 350 of the Iranian Auditing Standards alsogives a definition similar to that submitted by the FinancialAccounting Standard Board (FASB).FASB definition relies on whether the magnitude ofthe item is probable in affecting the users' judgment whilethe IASB definition uses the term "could" influence th<strong>eu</strong>sers' judgment. U.S. standard setters have expressedconcern that the use of the word "could" without a modifiersuch as "reasonably", establishes a very low thresholdRahdarian A, Hamedian H.- A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels
52 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011of materiality. In light of the fact that the word "could"implies a potentially endless number of possibilities. Ifthe auditor is to design an audit to detect what "could"influence the economic decisions of users, this may imposean unreasonable and impractical instruction to the auditor,especially when dealing with the needs of users of generalpurpose financial statements.Through careful reading of definition by the FASBthe problem with which the auditors encounter formateriality compliance becomes clear. In this definition it isemphasized on reasonable user and a person who relies onfinancial statement in decision making. But, in practice, theauditor may be fully unaware of the persons using financialstatement as well as the type of decisions taken on the basisof financial statements.In determining materiality, the FASB and Securitiesand Exchange Commission (SEC) and, also, the AmericanInstitute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) have allapplied traditional approach (user approach).Holstrum and Messier believe that there are threemajor problems in "user approach" to materiality:1. We know little about how financial statementinformation is applied by users in investment anddecision making.2. Preparers, auditors and users have dissimilar views ofmateriality due to their different incentives.3. There is little information on how materiality judgmentsmade by preparers and auditors affect users' decisions(Messier:2005).Materiality Concept in Accounting andAuditingSome accountants and auditors believe that there aretwo kinds of materiality. Such incorrect belief has eventransmitted to the professional literature. For instance,the accountants' international studies group has publishedthe results of its researches under the title of "MaterialityConcept in Accounting". While, the results of researchesconducted by the Canadian Institute of CharteredAccountants (CICA) has been published under the title of"Materiality in Auditing".The research group of "Financial Reporting for Non-Profit Organization" has defined the materiality concept inaccounting and auditing in the following way:"Materiality concept in accounting refers to an amountthe errors and disorders exceeding it will seriously affectdesirable and fairly financial statements. But, materialityin auditing is to provide a reasonable assurance indicatingthat the financial statements do not include materialmisstatement.Though professional literature has somehow developedthis thought under the topic of accounting/auditingorientation, the dominant viewpoint is that the extent ofmateriality in accounting and auditing is the same, but thecontent of its application may differ (Zarei, 1996).While the auditor's responsibility is to express anopinion on financial statements and, in fact, is to assurethem for the relevant users. In such cases the auditors shouldrecognize material information affecting the decision takenby a reasonable user of financial statements enabling him/her to properly express an opinion on financial statements.Therefore, it is said that the first step in identifying materialinformation is the proper recognition of materiality levels.Materiality LevelsIt is a level of materiality at which the likelihood of erroror fraud in financial statements could affect the financialstatement user's decision making (decision makers).The auditor takes materiality into consideration in thetwo following cases:1. For financial statements as a single configuration2. For each account balance, transactions group anddisclosuresMeanwhile, issues as those mentioned below can alsoaffect the materiality amount:• Regulatory and Legal Requirements• Considerations about each account balance as stated infinancial statements and the relationship between theseitemsRegarding that the auditors in all audit steps, from theplanning and execution to the reporting of results obtained,are involved in the considerations of materiality. In mostcases the auditor encounter conditions under which he cannotmake decision on the materiality and/or immateriality ofdetected misstatements. That's why there is still discussionon the definition of this "size" or the extent required toaffect the users' decision. Investigations have shown thatthe auditors consider the materiality concept as well as itsassessment through taking into account some quantitativeand qualitative factors. In most cases the auditor encountersuch conditions under which he cannot make decision on themateriality and/or immateriality of detected misstatements.In such situations, the auditor should determine the expectedprobable impact of these misstatements and where the totalmisstatements he/she identifies go beyond the materialitySchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels53border he/she takes them into consideration and examinestheir impact on financial statements.Sometimes the aggregation of multiple less materialmisstatements may become material, or the aggregation ofmultiple material misstatements may become substantial.Thus, the auditors require guidelines or standardscontributing them in identifying material misstatements inthe financial statements.In this regard many attempts have been madeby specialized committees and associations and theprofessional publications to set up professional guidelinesconcerning materiality the most important of which arediscussed here in brief:The Accountant International Study Group composingof professionals from Canada, UK and USA, afterexamining the relationship of the concept of materialitywith some accounting cases and expressing professionalopinions as well as complying with regular rules in theirrelevant countries, reached the following overall andgeneral conclusions:1. Materiality is a matter of professional judgment. Anitem is material if knowing it would affect financialstatements users.2. An amount is not considered material because of itsquantity, rather other factors, in addition to what statedbelow, should be taken into account on making amateriality decision:a) The nature of each itemb) The amount itself in association with:1. Generality of financial statements2. Total amount of accounts to which this item is anelement or should be an element3. Items related thereto4. Similar amount in previous years or amount predictedfor future yearsIn addition, the Australian Auditing PrinciplesCommittee in October 1972 proposed to apply an extentequals 5 to 10 percent for making a materiality decision.Quantitative approaches for making materialityjudgment are categorized into one of the four followinggroups:Single Rules Method:These are the "Rules of thumb" using a single financialvariable for materiality estimation. The auditors usuallyprovide three or four such rules according to policies andeach firm's auditor should select the most appropriate rulefrom among the available methods. Based on his assessmentof quantitative factors, the auditors would select a rule tobe the most appropriate one to estimate the materiality ofclient's amounts.Here are the most common examples for single rules asfollows:a) 5% of pre-tax profitb) 1.2% of total assetsc) 1% of equityd) 1.2% of total revenuesVariable Rules:These are similar to single rules but they vary in thatthey provide a range of different materiality levels forcompanies of different sizes. In this method, as with thesingle rule, the auditor uses the assessment of quantitativefactors to decide what materiality level to select to be suitedto auditing range.The possible examples for variable or size rules are asfollows:a) 2 to 5% of gross profit if it is less than USD20,000. Dollarsb) 1 to 2% of gross profit if it is between USD20,000. -1,000,000.c) 1.2 to 1% of gross profit if it is between USD100,000. – 100,000,000.d) 1.2% of gross profit if it is over 100,000,000.Average or Blend Method:This method takes 4-5 rules of thumb and, then, it weighseach rule according to rule, in proportion to degree andaverage (an equal weighting). The blending and averagingprocess is probably an indirect way to consider quantitativefactors. An example of this method is to take five singlerules with equal weights:XXXXXXXXXXXXX÷55% of assets5% of income5% of pre-tax profit2% of gross profit after depreciation1% of shareholders’ equityMaterialityFormula Method: This method uses a mathematicalformula and the materiality level for a large sample ofinstitutions is determined through statistical analysis. Sincethe rules of thumb are used the individual materiality levelsare taken into consideration. In fact, formula methodsare another form of average or blend method. The mostRahdarian A, Hamedian H.- A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels
54 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011widely known formula method is the one used in KPMGformula although there are other methods and formulas inaudit literature. In reference to interpretations, in 1998 theKPMG was as follows:Materiality= 1.8423(x)where 1.84 and the exponent are constants havingbeen empirically computed through review and statisticalsampling of a large number of companies and the variable(x) represent the greater figure obtained from the comparisonof assets with revenues. That is, the greater figure (assets ordebts) will be taken as variable (x).Since this method is the only way to meet the variabilityof materiality judgment compared to two other methodsand, in total, the amount obtained from KPMG formula isalmost twice as much as other methods and, also, the extentof materiality applied for other auditors is different. It isutilized by most institutions.Applying the said quantitative guidelines in a trading unitand in different industries would show various materialitylevels. This is way the ratio of assets, profit and sales indifferent industries and companies differ a lot. In addition,each of above guidelines has intrinsic failure.Overreliance on quantitative materiality thresholds(such as 5% of net income) may cause auditors to waivequantitatively immaterial but qualitatively material auditdifferences and, consequently, undermining the quality ofaudited financial reports.Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC's)staff accounting bulletin No. 99 particularly remindedthat numerical thresholds are not acceptable alone.According to the instructions of the said commission, themanagement should measure qualitative issues whethersuch misstatement makes change in revenues or be relatedwith critical and important part of trade.Both the Securities and Exchange Commission andFinancial Accounting Standard Board (FASB) in the UnitedStated believe that despite the use of quantitative criteria,the auditors should not simply rely on quantitative factorsand figures in their materiality judgment. Fully relianceon quantitative factors in materiality assessment whetherin accounting literature and/or legally is not allowed andacceptable.Also, Financial Accounting Standard Board (FASB)emphasized that materiality is not a qualitative concept.In fact, FASB refused to take a formulatic approach indetermining materiality and has accepted an approach infavor of one that incorporates all related conditions.Qualitative factors are usually more difficult to assessthan the size of the misstatement or omission. Qualitativefactors often require subjective judgment and evaluation inlight of other information that may not be easily accessibleto the auditor during audit. In practice, though speakingfrequently about the qualitative factors, it is more likely toignore these factors.Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has listedqualitative factors that cause little misstatements of afinancial statement item as follows:1. Arises from an item capable of precise measurement orfrom an estimate, and, if so, the degree of imprecisioninherent in the estimate2. Masks a change in earnings or other trends3. Hides a failure to meet analysts' consensus expectationsfor the enterprise4. Changes a loss into income, or vice versa5. Concerns a segment or other portion of business thathas been identified as playing a significant role inoperations or profitability6. Affects compliance with regulatory requirements7. Affects compliance with loan covenants or othercontractual requirements8. Increases management's compensation--for example,by satisfying requirements for the award of bonuses orother forms of incentive compensation9. Involves the concealment of an unlawful transaction10. In section 1-6 of its new auditing guide the AuditOrganization in Iran, as a specialized competentauthority to set up terms and principles of accounting,has taken into account the materiality computationunder ordinary conditions on the basis of 3% of the totalaverage assets and sale/income which, with increasingbasic amount, the materiality level is reduced from3% to 1%. (Publication 150) Additionally, allocatingmateriality to accounts (items in the balance-sheet andprofit and loss account) should be considered equal3 times as much as the assessed materiality amountdetermined in financial statements, with stating thatthe maximum materiality amount allocated to eachaccount cannot exceed 60% of the assessed materiality.In the guideline of organization, no details and logicunderlying a suggested basis have been given formateriality guideline (3% of total average assets andsale) and, also, for the calculation of coefficient 3 ormaking materiality amount three times more in orderSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels55to allocate materiality to accounts balance. But theabove basis is not complied with the findings of otherresearches, in the current case where the assets and thesale are less material than the net profit of materiality.(Kasiri, 2003).Now knowing that accounting and auditing profession'sknowledge about the information needs of a wide rangeof users on financial reports, on one hand, and the type ofdecisions they made and, also, the variation of informationaffecting their decisions and adjusting and/or changingsuch decision is so rare, we found out why the materialityconcept is so difficult and why there is no professionalstandard either at international or at national level tocause precedent and integration in the performance of thisprofession members about the assessment of materialitylevel of the cases given in accounting and auditing andthat why some professional institutions have simply takenmeasures to set quantitative guidelines which are bothvery limited and still relying on the judgment made by theprofessionals of this occupation.But, seemingly, after acceptance of all limitationsand ambiguities existing in professional definitions andinstructions it would be better to prepare different minimumangles needed by auditors to make judgment and to submitthem as a list to the profession members.Regarding the necessity of existing professionalguidelines and instructions, Professor Anderson believesthat "materiality judgment with no guideline would lead toopposite results under similar conditions and will waive theprofession's general confidence".And in case of the public's non-confidence in theauditing profession the main role and task of auditors willbe questioned!Despite the profession's feeling strong need to theexistence of professional instructions to guide auditors onmaking reasonable decisions some disagreed with settingguideline and they believe that relying on guideline wouldlead to taking unaware and non reasonable decisions simplyon the basis of guideline and using individual judgmentwill be abandoned.But, in practice, making decision about "real materiality"in certain conditions requires a judgment which is notso simple. There is no simple and undefined guideline toenable auditor make a decision about when something isimmaterial, material or very material.In Staff commission bulletin No. 99 describes that: Themateriality of a misstatement also depends on that in whichpart of the financial statement this misstatement has beenappeared, and the auditors should take into considerationnot only the size and the magnitude of the misstatementbut also the materiality of information in each part of thefinancial statements as a whole.Warning Signs of Possible MisstatementConditions may indicate the probability of a materialmisstatement caused by fraud or error in financial statements.The auditor should be conscious of the following situations,submitted as a sample, which may indicate the probabilityof a fraud or error:1. Management's imposing non-reasonable temporaldeadlines for the auditing completion.2. Management reluctance into presenting true reports tothe competent third persons, i.e. supervisory authoritiesand banks.3. Imposing limitation by the management on the scopeof audit work.4. Identifying material issues not been previouslydisclosed by the management.5. Major items the auditing of which is difficult.6. Non-reasonable insisting on applying bold (versusconservative) accounting standards.7. Opposite or insufficient evidences submitted bymanagers or staffs.8. No ordinary written evidences such as manualmodifications of documents or preparing manualdocuments where these documents are usually preparedby electronic machines.9. Presentation of information with no reasonable delayor reluctantly.10. Entirely imperfect or insufficient accounting records.11. Transactions without sufficient or valid evidences.12. No ordinary transactions in term of nature, size orcomplexity, especially if occurred at the end of fiscalyear.13. Transactions not recorded in compliance with managers'general or special permit14. Major differences between general ledgers and generaljournals or between subjective inventories counting andrelevant accounting records having not been reviewedand amended timely and properly.15. Insufficient control on computer data processing (forexample, so many errors or delays in processing).16. Major differences between real results and expectedresults obtained from analytical examinations.17. Receiving replies on confirmations is far less thanexpected or major conflicts on the basis of receivedconfirmations.Rahdarian A, Hamedian H.- A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels
56 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal201118. Evidences indicating excessive splurging in managersor staffs' life19. Annual outstanding accounts20. Overdue accounts and documents receivableIn January 2006 the American Chartered Accountantspublication issued an article titled "Materiality Assessment"presenting a modern method called "Fuzzy Logic Approach"in materiality assessment.This article has summarized the main problemencountering auditors in the materiality estimation in twocategories: First, auditors inevitably take binary decisions(material versus immaterial) and, then, they shouldweigh the qualitative factors to achieve this. This systemenables the auditors to assess materiality as a continuouscharacteristic by allowing a misstatement to possessa degree of materiality between 0 and 1 and to considerimportant qualitative factors in materiality assessment.In practice, the auditor should take such decision aboutmateriality as having been too underestimated in auditprofession; a binary decision regarding each omission andmisstatement, both individually and in aggregate, as towhether the item is material or not.A fuzzy logic approach would make possible to assessmateriality as a continuous characteristic by allowing amisstatement or omission to possess a degree of materialitybetween 0 and 1.The theory of fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic was firstintroduced by Professor Askarzadeh from the Universityof California, Berkeley. Fuzzy logic is the logic thatunderlies the paradigm of the partial membership of anitem in a set. In fact, rule-based fuzzy and classic expertsystem can be considered as an advisory board consistingof a large number of advisors. In current application, theauditor – the decision maker – would ask each advisor toreview an omission or misstatement and to decide whetherit is material or not. Imagine that each advisor, whenmaking decision on materiality, would focus on only oneaspect of the omission or misstatement. For instance, oneadvisor may consider only the size of the given omission ormisstatement, while another advisor may think of only theextent to which it increases management allowances.Therefore, each advisor would take into account one ofthe rules in the expert system. Finally, the decision makerwould assimilate the various opinions of the advisors andcome to the conclusion about the materiality of the omissionor misstatement. In this way, the decision maker wouldalso incorporate his/her own assessment of the advisors'aptitude in making materiality judgments.In a classical system, each advisor is obliged to make abinary decision: the omission or misstatement is material orit is not material. The first advisor, for instance, may respondthat, based on the size of the omission or misstatement,the omission is not material while the second advisor maysay that, as it increases the management allowances, it ismaterial.In a fuzzy system, each advisor is allowed to announcehis/her materiality judgment as a number between zero(0) and one (1); i.e. one (1) to express the judgment thatthe omission or misstatement is material, and zero (0) toexpress the judgment that it is not material. The advisors'responses indicate their initial assessments on materialitythat will be modified by the advisor later on, as desired.In a classical system, it is assumed that every rule isvalid, i.e. every advisor’s viewpoint is taken into account inthe materiality assessment. This is while in a fuzzy system,each rule is not considered in the materiality assessment.The decision maker is required to assign a validity valueto each rule. When determining such validity value foreach rule (which corresponds to the viewpoint of each ofthe auditors, the advisor would consider his/her assessmentof the aptitude of every advisor. For example, the auditormay assign a rather low, 0.35, validity value to the rule: If(Size of Misstatement is Medium) then (Misstatement isMaterial).The last step is to assimilate the final assessments madeby every rule into a final materiality assessment. Thestandard approach is to select the maximum final materialityassessment:Final Materiality Assessment = Max (Final MaterialityAssessment as per all Rules)In the classical system, the misstatement could beassessed as material when one or more of the rules representthat the misstatement was material.For the purpose of materiality assessment, an effectivefuzzy logic expert system should incorporate rules that takeinto consideration both the quantitative and the qualitativeaspects of misstatement. The quantitative aspects shouldalso contain both the size of the misstatement and theprecision with which it is measured. The qualitative aspectsshould include those stated by the Financial AccountingStandards Board.Upon assigning a fuzzy degree – any number in theinterval [0 and 1]- the auditor will be provided with moreflexibility and greater precision in materiality assessmentand, also, he/she will get deeper insight regardingsubsequent testing and investigation.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels57Through providing a formal model structure, the fuzzysystem would formalize and document the materialityassessment process. This model would require the auditorsinvolving in definite assessment of each one of thequalitative and quantitative factors. Also, in this way, thedesigners would be obliged to state each rule specificallyand assign a definite validity to each rule. This might leadto the facilitated communication of the audit team with theclient as well as the increased consistency of the process theauditors apply in different years.To build a valid and reliable fuzzy system for materialityassessment, the auditing experts are obliged to extract thequantitative and qualitative factors that auditors shouldapply as well as the validities of these fuzzy rules. Uponcompleting an initial design, a formal feedback systemmay be incorporated to improve the future performance.If materiality assessments later prove to be incorrect, suchsystem can modify itself to improve future assessmentsunder similar conditions.The results of empirical researches show that thereare various qualitative and quantitative factors affectingthe materiality judgments and auditors' disclosure. TheFinancial Accounting Standard Board (FASB) pointedout that it is helpful to use multivariate models in order tocontinue researches and to provide required conditions forthe continuation of the integrated materiality guidelines ishelpful.conventionally benefit from quantitative rule of thumbin their materiality judgments and this excessive relyingon the quantitative materiality threshold (e.g. 5% of netincome) would restrain auditors from detecting errors withno significant quantitative materiality but with qualitativemateriality and would weaken the quality of auditedfinancial reports.Although occupational standards and instructionsare submitted in different countries, there has been stillno comprehensive and precise guideline concerning theidentification of "material" factors to entirely guide auditorsin identifying materiality, and this has been assigned to theauditors' professional judgment.Thus, it seems that the necessity of auditors' acquaintanceabout materiality levels in the accounting reporting processis an inevitable essentiality. In this regard we turned outto examine the external auditors' acquaintance about thequantitative and qualitative materiality. We hope thatthe results of this research will be used by competentorganizations through clarifying external auditors' weak andstrong points and, in this way, it will be possible to provideauditors' better and more recognition of different materialitylevels. And, in conclusion, more accurate judgments and,lastly, financial statements with more reliability will be putat the dispose of financial statements users.A Review of Prior ResearchesThe Necessity of ResearchAs the external audit aims at audit within the auditingstandards framework to be reasonably assured of notexisting error or "material" misstatement in financialstatement and to declare on its "optimal presentation" incompliance with accounting standards from all "material"aspects and, finally, its assurance. Financial statementsusers rely on the auditors' report in their decisions and incases where the financial statements are misleading theinvestors and the assurers incurring financial losses willaccuse the auditors of professional improper performanceand will legally prosecute them to compensate them fordamages they have incurred.For this reason and due to the importance of auditors'role in assurance, the auditing standards stipulate that theauditors should design their audit in such a way to getreasonable statistical confidence in detecting errors withmaterial effect on financial statements. But, what basis isthere for auditors in the recognition of immaterial, materialor very material cases? The previous researches wouldFirstly, theses and researches conducted about themateriality in Iran are explained and, then, it will be dealtwith studies and researches made outside of Iran.Studies made in IranIn a research titled "Concept of materiality in auditreporting process" Zarei (1996) had the following objective:As the determination of materiality level duringaudit reporting step is a judgment process and no certainguideline has been published to contribute auditors indetermining the materiality degree of items and events isthere consensus between Iranian auditors in the determiningof the materiality of above cases? Upon using statisticalmethods their researches came to this conclusion thatIranian auditors with a level of 95% within groups (auditorsof private and public sectors) have appropriate consensusregarding the degree of materiality of items and events andappropriate kind of audit reporting, but such consensus donot exist between groups.Rahdarian A, Hamedian H.- A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels
58 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Hasas Yeganeh, Kasiri (2003) conducted a researchaiming at: (1) Identifying quantitative and qualitativefactors affecting the determination of materiality level; (2)Determining the extent of consensus among auditors inselecting and applying quantitative guidelines of materialityin completed audit projects; (3) Recognition of problems,obstacles and the necessity of setting quantitative guidelinefor materiality in Iran.This research was made in two steps by using poll(questionnaire) and subjective observation of evidences(data mining). The statistical population of the first stepincluded the audit managers of audit organization and theaudit managers of the private sector cooperating with thatorganization, including certified accountants member ofthe Association of Chartered Certified Accountants andthe trusted auditors of Tehran Securities and ExchangeOrganization among which 70 persons were questioned inselected sample.The statistical population of the research's second stepincluded audit files and reports of those firms audited byaudit organization within the period from 1999 to 2001 andhave received not desired declaration (conditional, failedand no declaration). Of this population 223 firms wereselected and examined.The results of this research showed that:1. Quantitative factors (determinants) such as the size ofjudgment item, amount of total assets, average amountof total assets and earnings, amount of net profit,amount of capital owners' equity, main amount andmain classes depending on judged item in financialstatements are the most important quantitative factorsin the determination of the materiality level of audit.2. Qualitative factors (modifiers) such as universalityof error impact on different sections of financialstatements, the relationship between the judged itemand the transactions of affiliated and doubtful persons,the nature of being deliberate or indeliberate, ordinaryor not ordinary, estimable or determinable, violation ofthe regulations and legal requirements and the probablehazard of auditing the judged item, are among thosequalitative factors which may lead to modified level ofaudit materiality.3. Quantitative guidelines indicating total assets, totalincomes, their average, investors' equity (as 1-3percent) as well as the quantitative guideline based onpre-tax net profit (above 5 percent) are agreed by auditmanagers.Vahidi Elizei, Rahdarian (2008). The research wasmade aiming at the assessment of factors affecting auditors'judgment and the determination of the related degreeof materiality in detecting the misstatement of financialstatements. After theoretical studies, in the present surveythe quantitative and qualitative factors are identified andcategorized as 28 factors into two groups and dispatched tothe external and internal auditors as a questionnaire to which131 external auditors and 59 internal auditors responded.The results of this research showed that; despite theexistence of overall difference in auditors' views of factorsefficiency, the auditors rated them in a different order. Thus,external auditors considered 8 quantitative and 5 qualitativefactors as the most effective factors while the internalauditors considered 6 quantitative and only 1 qualitativefactors as the most effective factors.The research results also indicated that the externalauditors consider qualitative factors more effective and theinternal auditors consider the quantitative ones.Researches Conducted in OtherCountriesMessier (1983) examined the impact of experience, typeof company and financial variables on auditors' judgmentabout disclosure and materiality and concluded that:1. Net profit is the most significant variable while theincomes procedure occupies the second rank in termof materiality.2. Auditors' judgment about disclosure and materiality isaffected by experience and the type of company.Estes and Reames (1988) studied the impact of auditors'personal characteristics (such as experience, education,place of employment, frequency of materiality decisions,age and gender) on auditors' materiality judgment. 596chartered accountants responded to their survey.Their research results showed that only the age andplace of employment significantly affect the participants'judgment.Chewning et al (1989) examined the difference inmateriality decisions for optional accounting changes(LIFO) toward non-optional accounting changes (deficitsfinancing and currency exchange). They found out thatthe materiality of the change impact on profit is the mostsignificant factor in auditors' materiality judgments.Chewning et al also realized that the report amendmentswere too high for desirable changes. Finally, there wasrestricted evidence indicating that eight large firms wouldless likely change their comments rather than other firms.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels59In his essay, Z.M. Khalifa (1992) pointed out theresults of previous researches on the relative importanceof factors affecting materiality judgments, of which thefactors associated with profit (i.e. factors of profit and lossstatements) have been known as more important than theitems of balance-sheets in the formation of final materialityjudgments, and considering that the most parts of changesin all studies have been assigned to the impact of judgeditem's impact on factors related with profit, the judged itemimpact on the factors of balance-sheet had led to ambiguousresults. He concluded that a major problem in previousresearches on the review of the materiality of factorseffective on judgment was to conduct researches within theframework of a firm facing no difficulty. Thus, in their PhDthesis, they studied the impact of firm's financial conditionson materiality judgments and auditing disclosure. Theresults of this research showed that during formulatingmateriality judgments, the auditors tend to the judged itemimpact on factors related with profit. But, in firms facingfinancial difficulty the balance-sheet items are convertedinto material components in materiality judgments. (Barati1996)Tuttle et al (2002) examined the appropriateness of theconventional materiality thresholds utilized by auditorsfrom the user's viewpoint in an empirical approach formarket. For this purpose, 12 market sessions each attendedby six dealers and composing 12 external three-minutecommercial courses were held.72 top students of the Bachelor program of businessadministration, represented as semi-skilled investors,were given financial information. This information wasincluded in material and immaterial misstatement. Infact, the materiality level was manipulated in two levels:conservative materiality (based on 5% pre-tax profit or25% from net sales) and high materiality (based on 10%pre-tax profit or 5% from net sales).The comparison of prices brought by participants inmarket indicated that the not disclosed misstatements withinthe framework of materiality thresholds are consistent withthe present audit procedures. That is, they had no impact onmarket prices within or below materiality threshold, but thelarge misstatements did.HypothesisConsidering the objectives of research and determiningthe external auditors' recognition of materiality levels, thefollowing hypotheses were formed:1. No significant difference exists between externalauditors employed in organization and those incollaborator private institutions in term of therecognition of materiality levels.2. No significant difference exists between shareholdersand managers in recognition of materiality levels.3. No significant difference exists between shareholdersand supervisors in recognition of materiality levels.4. No significant difference exists between managers andsupervisors in recognition of materiality levels.5. No significant difference exists between supervisorsand chief auditors in recognition of materiality levels.6. Auditors' recognition of materiality levels is relatedwith their experience.7. Auditors' recognition of materiality levels is relatedwith their education.Methodology of ResearchThe present research is a descriptive survey conductedwith the aim of the assessment of auditors' recognitionof materiality levels through theory concepts testing inthe Iranian Association of External auditors by statisticalsurveying method. Two major methods were used forinformation collection. Firstly, a rather detailed librarystudies were made for case explanation and research.During this step, in addition to study on the theoreticalfundamentals of research, mainly extracted from accreditedscientific articles, publications and quarterly journals, theaudit standards and instructions of Iran and other countrieswere studied carefully and, then, based on these studies,measures were taken to prepare a questionnaire.This questionnaire was designed in two parts as:Part 1- General information (demography)Part 2- Determination of auditors' acquaintance withquantitative and qualitative materiality levelsThe preliminary questionnaire was given to theprofessors of accounting, statistics, methodology of researchas well as the chief managers of audit firms specialized inthe research topic (as control group outside of the statisticalpopulation). They were asked to express their views on thequestionnaire content. Thereafter, required amendmentswere made in the questionnaire as suggested by abovegroup. Then, 3-point Likert scale was used to measureresearch variables (quantitative and qualitative levels asexternal variable and the extent of auditors' recognitionas dependent variable). Interestingly, John Best alsoprefers this method to 5-point scale. (Zarei:1996) After theRahdarian A, Hamedian H.- A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels
60 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011questionnaires were collected, the responses were rankedon a three-point rating scale (1="Very low", 2="Low"and 3="High"). The reliability of the questionnaire wasmeasured by Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the resultswere analyzed by SPSS statistical software. A Cronbach'salpha of 0.87 was obtained indicating that the reliability ofquestionnaire was good. The review of all of the individualquestions showed that the Cronbach's alpha coefficient willnot increase or decrease significantly when any individualquestion is omitted and this indicates that the questions hadgood internal consistency.Statistical Sample and PopulationThe statistical population of this research consistsof external auditors. But, for the applicability of theresearch as well as the possibility of generalization andcomparison of the obtained results, in the first hypothesisthe statistical population was divided into two categories ofauditors employed in auditing organization and auditors incollaborator private institutions. Random simple samplingmethod was used for sample selecting. Statistical formulaswere applied to calculate the sample size with using samplingmethods. And the simple size was calculated as n ≅ 170.Therefore, in order to eliminate the modifications occurredon variance due to the selection of maximum and minimumscores based on Likert scale, 200 questionnaires weregiven to external auditors. And, finally, 131 questionnairesreturned by the external auditors were used.Statistical Methods of ResearchSPSS is used to perform analysis of research results.Firstly, descriptive statistics including frequency, frequencypercentage, mean and standard deviation was appliedfor all hypotheses and, then, inferential statistics; T-Test,analysis of variance and the Binomial Test were used inhypotheses 2 to 5 to measure different groups' viewpoint.Also, ANOVA test was used for hypothesis 1 as well asassessing the impact of some variables such as experienceand education on the auditors' recognition. The failure rateof hypotheses is P>0/05.Conclusion on Research HypothesisConclusion on the First HypothesisANOVA test was used to assess the general consensusamong external auditors (auditors employed in auditorganization and the auditors employed in collaboratorprivate institutions) in the recognition of materiality levels.The results of this test, as indicated in Tables 1 and 2, showthat the sample variances for organization auditors andout-of-organization auditors is less than the 5% level ofsignificance. That is, there is no difference between thesegroups in the recognition of materiality levels. Such generalconsensus existing between auditors inside the organizationand the auditors in collaborator private institutions wouldresult in taking similar decisions under similar conditionsand will resolve most doubts concerning professionaljudgments.In a similar research, Zarei (1996) found such consensusamong the managers of auditing organization and themanagers of collaborate private institutions. Pattilo (1976)also came to this conclusion that the assessments ofmateriality among auditors, financial managers, financialanalysts and the university authorities differ a lot in similarconditions and, in this respect, the financial managers havethe highest level consensus on the materiality thresholds.TotalAuditorsEmployedin AuditOrganizationAuditorsEmployedin PrivateInstitutionsTotalTable 1 : P-Value Analysis – Hypotheses 1Acquaintancewith QuantitativeMateriality LevelsMeanStd.DeviationHigh . /333 . /000Low . /651 . /070Very Low 1/000 . /000Total . /491 . /212High ./333 ./000Low ./667 ./000Very Low 1/000 ./000Total ./449 ./201High ./333 ./000Low ./667 ./000Very Low 1/000 ./000Total ./478 ./321Table 2 : P-Value Analysis – Hypotheses 1Acquaintancewith QuantitativeMateriality LevelsMeanStd.DeviationHigh . /342 . /054Low ./667 . /000Very Low 1/000 . /000Total . /519 . /227Sig./000./000./000Sig./000School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels61AuditorsEmployedin AuditOrganizationAuditorsEmployedin PrivateInstitutionsAcquaintancewith QuantitativeMateriality LevelsMeanConclusion on the Second HypothesisThe results of statistical analysis and the researchhypotheses testing shown in Table 3 indicates that thesignificance level of the sample variances for shareholdersand managers is 0.33 which is greater than the 5% level ofsignificance and rejects the hypothesis at 95% confidencelevel. In other words, the shareholders and managers donot have similar recognition of materiality levels. Theexamination of the mean values calculated for the twogroups show that the shareholders have higher recognitionof materiality levels than the managers. But, among thequantitative and qualitative materiality levels, the means ofthe qualitative factors have higher rank indicating that theboth groups have more recognition of qualitative materialitylevels than quantitative materiality levels.Conclusion on the Third HypothesisStd.DeviationHigh ./333 ./000Low ./667 ./000Very Low 1/000 ./000Total ./478 ./218High ./348 . /070Low ./667 . /000Very Low 1/000 . /000Total ./541 . /229The results of the single-sample T-test for the two groupsof shareholders and supervisors, as depicted in Table 3,show that there is appropriate general consensus betweenthese two groups regarding the recognition of materialitylevels. But, when the materiality levels were examinedseparately, the level of significance of the sample variancesfor the quantitative materiality levels was less than 5%.But, this hypothesis was rejected in qualitative materialitylevels at 95% confidence level. That is, the shareholdersand the supervisors have similar recognition of quantitativemateriality levels but they have no similar recognition inqualitative materiality levels. The comparison of the meanSig./000./000values of these two groups show that the supervisors have abetter recognition of materiality levels and, in this respect,the qualitative materiality levels in both groups have highermean values.Conclusion on the Fourth HypothesisAs shown in Table 3, a one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA) for the two groups of managers and supervisorsindicate the confirmation of above hypothesis with a 0.001significance level. In fact, the managers and the supervisorshave appropriate general consensus on the recognition ofquantitative and qualitative materiality levels. Of course,the comparison of the means indicate that the supervisorshave more recognition of materiality levels as comparedwith supervisors.It should be mentioned that in two groups above, as thesame as the two previous groups, the qualitative materialitylevels have higher mean values than the quantitativemateriality levels.Conclusion on the Fifth HypothesisThe results of T-test for the two groups of supervisors andchief auditors, as illustrated in Table 3, show that the levelof significance of the sample variances is 0.381 indicatingthat no general consensus exists between supervisors andchief auditors on the recognition of materiality levels.For assessing these two groups' level of the recognitionof materiality levels, the means of these two groups werecompared and it was determined that the chief auditorshave higher recognition of materiality levels as comparedto the supervisors. Also, it was noted that the supervisorsand the chief auditors also recognize qualitative materialitylevels more than quantitative levels.In the summary of hypotheses 1-5 it can be said that theexternal auditors, in general, identify qualitative materialitylevels better than quantitative materiality levels. But, thereis no appropriate general consensus among groups so thatthe means of the considered sample showed that differentjob classes of auditors identify materiality levels in thefollowing order of priority:Chief auditors>supervisor>partner>managerRahdarian A, Hamedian H.- A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels
62 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011H2H3H4H5MaterialityLevelsQuantitativeQualitativeTotalQuantitativeQualitativeTotalQuantitativeQualitativeTotalQuantitativeQualitativeTotalTable 3: T-test AnalysisPosition MeanStd.DeviationPartner ./386 0/124SeniorManager./367 0/102Partner ./438 0/194SeniorManager./383 0/122Partner 1/236 0/386SeniorManager1/125 0/319Partner ./386 0/124Manager ./523 0/190Partner ./438 0/194Manager ./559 0/240Partner 1/236 0/386Manager 1/625 0/602SeniorManager./367 0/102Manager ./523 0/190SeniorManager./383 0/122Manager ./559 0/240SeniorManager1/125 0/319Manager 1/625 0/602Manager ./523 0/190Supervisor ./600 0/255Manager ./559 0/240Supervisor ./600 0/255Manager 1/625 0/602Supervisor 1/800 0/767p-value0/2930/330/1150/0000/1030/0080/0000/0000/0000/2100/9260/249Conclusion on the Sixth and the SeventhHypothesesSuccess due to correct judgment, correct judgment dueto experience and experience arisen from error in judgmentis ever obtained over time. Therefore, it is expected thatbroad experience and academic education are directlyrelated with auditors' recognition of materiality levelsand, finally, would result in more correct judgment onfinancial statements. Thus, we tested the relationship ofthese two variables with the recognition of materialitylevels. The tables of frequency distribution show that23.7 of auditors participating in the test had more than20 years of experience in auditing. ANOVA test was usedto generalize the results of the considered samples to thewhole statistical population. The results showed that (Table4) experience was a significant factor in the recognition ofmateriality levels while there was no significant relationbetween the auditor's education and his/her recognition ofmateriality levels (Table 5). Therefore, in compliance withother similar researches such as Messier (1983), Krogstad(1984), Carpenter and Dirsmith (1992), the present surveyproved that broad experience would always lead to morecorrect judgments and more valid financial statements inauditing profession. But, this was not confirmed by researchconducted by Estes and Reames (1988).Considering that 77.9% of participants in the test hadgraduated in accounting; 30.5% held Master's degree and61.8% Bachelor's degree; unfortunately the non confirmationof the said hypothesis indicates that the academic degreehad little effect on auditors' more recognition of materialitylevels.H6H7SuggestionsTable 4 : T-test AnalysisExperience MeanStd.Deviation…20 Years 1/193 ./441Total 1/511 ./620Table 5 : T-test AnalysisCollege Degree MeanStd.DeviationDiploma 1/166 ./288Upper Diploma 1/000 ./000Bachelor 1/635 ./637DegreeMaster of 1/325 ./525SciencePh.D 1/416 ./801Total 1/515 ./619During research, with considering information resourcesassociated with research topic as well as the results andconsequences of the present research, some suggestionssig./000sig./069School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels63were taken into consideration which are classified into twocategories. The first category includes suggestions relatedwith research topic and the relevant findings and, the secondare the suggestions for future researches.standards of other countries and the instructions of theprofessional associations of auditing and accountingshould be correctly translated into Farsi and be taughtto students along with Iranian standards.Suggestions from Research FindingsRevision of AccountingAs the auditors' recognition of materiality levels isdirectly related with the kind of auditors' declaration(acceptable, conditional and rejected), the auditors' correctjudgments about material information is an importantelement to give users confidence to general reporting. Theoption can be correct or incorrect; benefiting from others'experiences may contribute the correct option. The findingsof the present research once again showed that the auditors'judgment and declaration is a process directly related withauditors' experience so that the experienced auditors wouldrecognize materiality levels better than less experiencedauditors. But, despite the researcher's prediction, theincrease in education level had no impact on auditors'more recognition of materiality levels. Thus, it seems thatit is an inevitable necessity to put more focus on the issueof materiality in the courses of Bachelor's and Master'sprogram.Since in Iran there are currently Bachelor's, Master's andPhD programs in accounting and, also, the auditing, whichis itself a broad and deep knowledge, is simply taught asa credit course of accounting; 6 credits in Bachelor's and2 credits in Master's program. Unfortunately, the researchresults show that auditing could not provide requiredefficiency for auditors.Thus, the researcher suggests the fulfillment of thefollowing cases in order to achieve the education level'sefficiency and effectiveness on the auditors' recognition.1. Establishing a Bachelor's program in auditing and/orestablishing a Master or PhD program in auditing.2. The auditing course credits should be classified intwo categories of practical and theoretical, as mostresearches have indicated that more experience wouldprovide auditors with more accurate judgment and morerecognition and, therefore, these two will certainly leadto better result if accompanied.3. It is suggested to make a revision on the issue of"materiality" when the university's auditing textbooksare compiled. In addition to auditing principles, theAuditors' Continuous TrainingThe research findings showed that auditors' differentjob classes affect their recognition so that the group ofshareholders, managers and the group of supervisors andchief auditors have no similar recognition of materialitylevel. The group of shareholders and supervisors, in general,had similar recognition but no appropriate consensusobserved in quantitative levels. Only the supervisors andthe managers had similar recognition of materiality levels.Thus, it seems that participating the in-service trainingcourses, professional conventions and conferences canprovide a way to uniform the recognition of differentclasses, because various declarations and judgments andnon-uniformity of auditors' operation concerning a singleissue is not accepted by auditing reports users and, also,the excessive continuation of this may lead to the auditingprofession's invalidity and the society's non- confidence toauditing reports.Revision of Professional InstructionsAs the research results showed that the externalauditors had identified the qualitative factors better thanquantitative factors, the Iranian Auditing Instructionwas not able to well guide the auditors in identifyingquantitative materiality levels. Despite to most internationalstandards having considered the net profit as the basis ofmateriality computation, the Iranian Auditing Instructionshave represented the amount of total assets and income orsales. In research conducted by Vahidi Elizei, Rahdarian(2008) where the auditors were asked to allocate a rank toeach quantitative factor, this factor obtained the sixth rank.Therefore, the associations and organizations involvedin setting standards and the rules of professional conductregulations should design instructions conforming tointernational standards. Because, the existence of suchguidelines would result in uniformity in audit declarationsin similar conditions as well as in the resolution of problemscaused by a change in auditors, uniformity of auditing workscope and, finally, improved efficiency and effectiveness ofaudit profession.Rahdarian A, Hamedian H.- A Survey on the Assessment of Iranian External Auditors’ Recognition of Materiality Levels
64 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Make use of Students' ResearchesThe auditing authorities and standard-setters aresuggested to use the results of students' researches toeliminate the flaw in standard #32 (audit materiality) and tohelp auditors' obtain more recognition through materialityand the relevant indicators.Suggestions for Future ResearchTo obtain a higher degree of reliability from the presentresearch results in another research, it is suggested tomake a review of the firms' audit files to observe the extentof the auditors' recognition of the materiality levels inpractice. Also, it is suggested to conduct research about thefollowings:1. Assessment of the internal auditors' recognition ofmateriality levels2. Review of other factors affecting the materiality andauditors' judgment3. Comparison of standards in Iran with standards in othercountries and finding the relevant flaws4. Review of materiality judgments in the financialstatements listed on the Stock Exchange5. Examination of the effect of financial and non-financialinformation on the auditors' materiality judgment.ReferencesAmerican Institute Of Certified PublicAccountants(AICPA). 1984.Audit RiskMateriality In Conducting On Audit .Statement OnAuditingstandards No.47. New York, Ny:AICPA.Auditig standard ,technical committee of organizationaudit bulletin no 124Carpenter, B. W., and M. W. Dirsmith. 1992. Early debtextinguishment transactions and auditor materialityjudgments: A bounded rationality perspective.Accounting, Organizations and Society 17 (8):709-740.Chewning, G., K. Pany, and S. Wheeler. 1989. Auditorreporting decisions involving accounting principlechanges: Some evidence on materiality thresholds.Journal of Accounting Research 27 (1): 78-96.Cpa journal,june2006. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5346/is_200606/ai_n21393212Estes, R., and D. D. Reames. 1988. Effects ofpersonal characteristics on materiality decisions:A multivariate analysis. Accounting & BusinessResearch 18 (72): 291-296.Financial Accounting Standards Board. 1980.Qualitative Characteristics of AccountingInformation. Statement of Financial AccountingConcepts No. 2. Stamford, CT: FASB.Hsas yeganeh , yahya.kasiri,hossain 2003 "conceptof materiality in audit and thair effect on auditorsopinion .hesabras journal no 19International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).International Accounting Standard (IAS) 1 -Presentation of Financial Statements.Krogstad, J. L., R. T. Ettenson, and J. Shanteau. 1984.Context and experience in auditors' materialityjudgments. Auditing: A Journal of Practice andTheory 4 (1): 54-74.Mckee,Thomas e.2000,"current materiality guidancefor auditors" , Norwegian research councilMessier, W. F., Jr. 1983. The effect of experienceand firm type of materiality/disclosure judgments.Journal of Accounting Research 21 (2): 611-618.Messier W. F., Jr and Bennie N. M and Eilifsen A. 2005. A Review And Integration Of Empirical ResearchOn Materiality:Two Decades Later. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=786688Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 1999.Materiality. SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 99.(August 12). Washington, D.C.: SEC.Patlillo,the concept of materiality in financialReporting .(new york FERF,1976).chapter 3Tuttle, B., M. Coller, and R. D. Plumlee. 2002. Theeffect of misstatements on decisions of financialstatement users: An experimental investigationauditor materiality thresholds. Auditing: Journal ofPractice and Theory 21 (1): 11-27.Zarei, hossain 1996 "cocept of materiality in auditreporting process" M.A theseis, Tehran university.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding From Indian Manufacturing Industry65Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Findingfrom Indian Manufacturing IndustryManoj Kumar MohantyAsst. Manager-Project, Larsen & Toubro Limited, Kansbahal,Sundargarh, Orissa, India – 770034Email: mnm-kbl@kbl.ltindia.comProf (Dr) P GahanHead – Business Administration Department,Sambalpur University, Burla, Orissa, indiaAbstractLong term relationship only exists if the stake holders of the relationship share an output call satisfaction. In industrial buyer supplierrelationship it is mandatory that buying organization or buyer should ensure selling organization’s or seller’s satisfaction within theboundaries of the strategic walls. In an integrated supplier relationship management (SRM) cycle supplier satisfaction plays a vital rolefor the continual and smooth running of the cycle. The changing trend of purchasing and dramatically changing supply chain relationshipsforcing the buyers to concentrate and ensure the supplier satisfaction. The role of small scale suppliers is substantial in providing thecompetitive edge to the manufacturing organizations. So it is advisable to keep the satisfaction level of the SSI suppliers high in order tomeet the desired operational flexibility. The satisfaction level of small scale suppliers only can be improved if the buying organizationunderstands the problematic areas of the SSI units and formulate their purchasing policy accordingly. This paper is trying to explore thesatisfaction level of SSI suppliers with large scale selected manufacturing Indian industries acting as buyers. The satisfaction attributesand index of the SSI suppliers towards buyers and the buying organization measured by survey and structured interviewed method.Key words: Supplier satisfaction, Buyer supplier relationship, Small Scale industries, problems of small scale industry, ManufacturingIndustry, Supplier satisfaction attributes. Type of Paper: Research paper.Suppliers are the value creators for the organization.Suppliers have emerged as a value-adding partner inindustrial relationships (Johnston and Lawrence, 1988).These values can be derived effectively if the buyingorganization keeps a long term strategic relationship withsuppliers. Long term and sustainable partnership is theessence of the current business trend. One of the prominentdrivers of this relationship is supplier satisfaction.Supplier satisfaction is defined as a supplier’s feeling offairness with regard to buyer’s incentives and supplier’scontributions within an industrial buyer–seller relationshipas relates to the supplier’s need fulfilment (Essig & Amann,2009). Satisfied suppliers can substantially contributeto the manufacturing flexibility, production life cyclecompression, cost advantage and innovations to the originalequipment manufacturer (OEM). If we will analyze ourbusiness pattern we will find that we are too much concernedabout our customer and very little about the supplier. Veryfew companied do supplier satisfaction survey but we mustremember supplier satisfaction can be linked to supplychain effectiveness, customer satisfaction, buyer supplierrelationship and more over a management tool for strategicpositioning of the supply chain. As seen by manufacturers,suppliers have become true partners of value creation asopposed to mere deliverers of parts (Ulaga and Eggert,2006). Buyer-supplier relationship must work to get thetechnical and financial advantages by concentrating mutualstrength and weaknesses.When it comes to find the small scale supplierssatisfaction many parameters of the supplier selectioncriteria and expectations of the buyers needs to be reviewedvery closely. In other words the role of buyer plays a majorrole in SSI supplier satisfaction. Buyers must review theirexpectations with the capacity and capability of the smallscale supplier. Buying organization must understand theexisting circumstances prevailing in small scale industrieswith which relationship is in progress. This paper alsohighlights the actual problems facing by the small scaleindustries and how buyers can derive the satisfactionparameters of the suppliers as well as formulate purchasingKumar M. M., Gahan P. - Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding from Indian Manufacturing Industry
66 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011policy so that the relationship can be stronger and SSIsupplier’s satisfaction index can be increased.This research paper tries to explore the satisfactionattributes for small scale industries from the perspective oflarge scale buying organization along with its measurement.The objective of this paper also how the management canuse the survey as an management tool to improve theinternal as well as external functions exposed to supplychain process. From the results the gap analysis can be madebetween suppliers and buying firm’s mutual expectations.The quality relationship between buyer and supplierdetermines the strength of the supply chain. Basically thesupplier satisfaction survey should a continuous processand it must continuously improve the supply chain andfirm’s competitive edge.Literature ReviewSatisfaction defined as “a positive affective stateresulting from the appraisal of all aspects of a firm’s workingrelationship with another company” in business relationship(Anderson and Narus, 1984). Satisfaction something asupplier’s good feelings towards the original equipmentmanufacturer (OEM). This feeling created may be singletime or multiple time interaction with buyer’s or may bewith the cross functional members of the organisation. Assuppliers are emerging as value adding partners to the supplychain their satisfaction must be part in supply chain path.Supplier satisfaction which is something not discoveredby many companies and it starts with individual’s attitudetowards suppliers (Donath, 1991). The manufacturer andits suppliers, vendors, and customers – that is, all links inthe extended enterprise – working together to provide acommon product and service to the marketplace that thecustomer desired and is willing to pay for throughout thelife cycle of the product and service (Kuglin, 1998). Sosupplier selection plays a major role in placing the buyer’sorganisation in proper market place. Select suppliers whocan best meet your needs from a cost and technology standpoint and might mean the difference between choosingleading edge versus trailing-edge technology (Riggs &Robbins 1998).It is economically reasonable to focus on suppliersatisfaction, since supplier satisfaction indicates thequality of the buyer–seller relation-ship from the supplier’sperspective (Essig, Amann, 2009). As a result researchrelated to the study of establishing, developing andmaintaining successful business relationships betweencustomer and supplier firms has grown considerably.Within this domain, a construct that has received particularattention within the domain of b-to-b relationships is trust(Ganesan, 1994). Trust, by infusing predictability (throughenhanced information sharing) and mutual understandinginto a relationship, provides a cushion against uncertainty(Luhmann, 1995).When one organization try to understand the level ofsupplier satisfaction through any medium, the buyingcompany basically sends a strong signal of trust, tries toimprove and strengthen existing relationship ( Spence,1976). Trust and commitment are not only drivers ofsupplier satisfaction; they are stated to be the premisesof relationship quality, which, in turn, can be classified asthe object of a supplier’s satisfaction statement (Walter,2003; Maunu, 2003). Communication and feedback,Communication of requirements, Customer credibility,Early supplier involvement and purchasing power arethe drivers of effective buyer supplier relationships(Lascelles and Dale ,1989). These are also factors ofsupplier satisfaction. Loyalty is a focal point in a longtermrelationship, implying both a favourable attitude andcustomer relation. Satisfaction evolves as a consequence ofone party's experience with the other's ability to fulfil normsand expectations (Harald Biong ,1993). When combiningthose two the relationship between supplier and retailershould be seen in a long-term perspective. The greater thesatisfaction with the supplier, the more loyal the retailersare expected to be.According to Biong´s (1993) profitability and supporthave a strong impact on satisfaction and loyalty. Businessvalue chain and the total cost of ownership linked togetherand the importance to each other, including the suppliervalue chain. Business value chain thinking has benefitboth in money and time, which can be considered aselements of the supplier satisfaction concept also (Riggs &Robbins 1998). Supplier satisfaction measurement gives usopportunity to develop supplier relations in a way that bothparties are willing and capable to do it. This approach issupported by Wong (2000). Wong’s (2000) study exploresthe role of suppliers in improving customer satisfactionand finds that companies can make use of their suppliers inachieving high customer satisfaction. (Hult , 1997) aimedto reflect the two dimensions of supplier satisfaction. Theseare three cognitive (reputation, skill and transaction specificinvestments) and three behavioural (communications,coercive, power and flexibility)Within the SME domain it is argued that most SMEs whowant to build relationships often lack track record in termsof notable credibility signalled by reputation and characterSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding From Indian Manufacturing Industry67endorsements (Prahalad and Hamel, 1990) Accordingto Blois (1999), flexible conditions enable the creationof tolerance towards behavioural and environmentaluncertainty and engender trust, which in turn gives room tothe relationship to continue. There is positively co-relationbetween cooperation and satisfaction (Dwyer, 1980).The cooperation factor results in to trust, commitmentand efficiency among buyer and supplier. Service qualityand satisfaction linked with each other (Parasuraman,1994). The behavioural attributes of manufacturingorganisations also deliver satisfaction (Moorman, 1992).Firms must understand their chain partners in all respects,including comprehension of the sources, imbalances, andconsequences of power such that the most beneficial use(or disuse) of this power can be directed to achieve supplychain performance and member satisfaction (Benton,Maloni, 2005)Brief Back Ground of Indian Small ScaleIndustyAs per Indian small scale industry act, 2006 “ Anindustrial undertaking in which the investment in fixedassets in plant and machinery whether held on ownershipterms on lease or on hire purchase does not exceed Rs 50million is called a small scale industry.SSIs existed in India for a long time in various sectorsand contributed significantly in bringing down regionalimbalance; generating employment opportunities, output,and exports; fostering entrepren<strong>eu</strong>rship; in acceleratingeconomic development. It occupies a position ofprominence in India and contributes over 50% of theindustrial production in terms of value-addition (Anandand Murugaiah, 2007). It has been estimated that a lakhrupees of investment in fixed assets in the small scale sectorproduces 4.62 lakhs worth of goods or services with anapproximate value addition of ten percentage points andapproximately employment for 4 persons (Indian economicsurvey,2011)Table. 2 - Status of SSI as on 2005-2006Units12.3 MillionEmployment29.5 MillionProductionRs. 4762.01 BillionIndustrial Production40% of total productionExport 35%GDP contribution 7%Source: Annual reports of Ministry of Small scale industry , 2006-07Table. 3 – Growth rate of SSI unitsTable.1– Definition of Micro, Small and Medium IndustryInvestment in plant and machinery/equipment(excluding land and building)Manufacturing Enterprises Service EnterprisesMicro Up to Rs. 25 Lakh Up to Rs. 10 LakhSmallMediumMore than Rs. 25 Lakh and upto Rs. 5 croreMore than Rs. 5 crore and upto Rs. 10 croreMore than Rs. 10 Lakhand up to Rs. 2 croreMore than Rs. 2 crore andup to Rs. 5 croreSource: Annual Report (2006-2007)of Ministry of Small scale Industries,IndiaSmall Scale Industries (SSI) in India has it’s ownsubstantial contribution to the socio-economic developmentof the country. SSI account for 95 per cent of the industrialunits in the country. SSI make significant contributionsto the country’s GDP, manufacturing output, exports, andemployment generation. MSMEs contribute 8 per cent ofthe country’s GDP, 45 per cent of manufactured output,and 40 per cent of exports (Indian economic survey,2011).YearGrowth rates of1970 base IIPGrowth ratesof 2001-02base IIPGrowth rates ofmanufacturing sectorwith base year 1993-942002-2003 7.68% 8.68% 62003-2004 8.59% 9.64% 7.42004-2005 9.96% 10.88% 9.22005-2006 10.40% 12.32% 9.1Source: Annual reports of Ministry of Small scale industry, 2006-07Table. 4– Growth rate of productionYear Growth rates of SSI sector Overall Industrial Sector2002-2003 8.68% 5.70%2003-2004 9.64% 6.90%2004-2005 10.88% 8.40%2005-2006 12.32% 8.10%Source: Annual reports of Ministry of Small scale industry, 2006-07Kumar M. M., Gahan P. - Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding from Indian Manufacturing Industry
68 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011The above figures clearly demonstrate the importanceof small scale industries in Indian economy. The majoropportunities in small scale industries are less capitalrequirement, extensive government support both by stategovernment as well as central government, easy fundingby national and state level financial institutes, liberal taxsystems in material procurement, machinery procurement,Export promotions and training programs by government.This aspect helps in creating entrepren<strong>eu</strong>rs, createsopportunity for engagement of Indian manpower, exportopportunity and more over creates social balance.Therefore it is more important for managers and thebuyers of the buying organisations to look very carefullyto this segment of business and if required the purchasingpolicy should be made in line with the country’s SSI policyformulates by the Indian government. This effort will beeasy if SSI supplier segment’s policy, vision and missioncan be made in line with the large scale manufacturingindustry’s policy, mission and vision. So it goes withoutmentioning that the satisfaction level of this segment ofsuppliers should be kept high. The desired course of actionshould be formulated accordingly.Problems of Small Scale Industy(Research Zone)The problems described here are derived from the smallscale industries of western parts of Orissa, a fast industriallydeveloping state of India. We have taken the views of theowners of the small scale suppliers (Manufacturing Units)to derive the basic problems faced by them. Surprisinglythe problems faced by them are found to be almost samewith the problems faced by other parts of the country andwitnessed by previous researchers worked in SSI units.Capital investment and inadequate working capitalfor operations is the major challenge of the SSI units. Lackof credit worthiness of this sector of industry does notallow them to take easy financial support from financialinstitutions. Very minimum number of SSI unit able to takecash credit facility from near banks. Delayed payment fromthe principal unit makes their position more worse. Even ifthere is business opportunity or demand of production theyare not able to expand the manufacturing facility quickly. Attimes they borrow from the local money lenders to providewage to their employees and exposed to exploitations.Labour is the second most problematic area for SSImanufacturing units. The research zones, i.e. westernparts of Orissa are falling under tribal area. Availability ofskilled man power is seriously falling short in this zone.The persons those who are technically qualified and havingminimum shill level they don’t prefer to work in small scal<strong>eu</strong>nits. The reason being, the low remuneration and facilityoffered by SSI units. As cultivation is one of the source ofincome in this area, the division of manpower also observedhere. The turnover ratio is very high with respect to otherindustry segment of India. This results in poor quality ofproduct, low rate of production and instability.Procurement of raw material is also an issue to SSImanufacturing units. As the requirements of raw materialsof specific grade or composition is very less in comparisonto large scale industry, the SSI unit not able to derive benefitfrom the discount or bargaining process. The quality ofraw materials from the local markets is also not as per therequirements of the standards desired by OEM companies.They also face abnormal pricing and volume problem fromthe traders.Poor quality is the bi-product of lack of skilledmanpower, inadequate machineries, non-availability ofinstruments. This is not due to capital shortage only. Theraw material, training of manpower and attitude of thesuppliers are also the contributors of the poor quality.Technology used in the SSI manufacturing units isalmost out-dated. They try to get the maximum profitwith the existing facility and technology they have. Thedemand of the OEM organisations are to use latest toolsand machineries, use of high end welding technologies andimpact of new process technologies for casting. This gapin the SSI unit results in low productivity and poor quality.Other problems of SSI manufacturing units in theresearch area are having acute problem of electricity. Powercut at the tune of 5 to 6 hours in the summer offsets theproduction schedule and productivity. Proper documentationability is also lacking which results in delay in documentprocessing in payment and conflict with buyers. Due tonon-availability of structured cost management technique,the cost of the process material and bidding know-how isfar from standard practice of industry. There is no formalmarketing process available to this sector of business.Personal contact, reference and local presence are the threemajor source of getting order for SSI manufacturing units.Application of information technology (IT) infrastructureand related applications are seriously lacking in this sector.New entrepren<strong>eu</strong>rs are somehow using IT as a business toolbut older generation SSI owners don’t use IT as a businesstool. SSI representative don’t have awareness in managingconflict if arise due to any of the reason with the OEM.Passing the liquidate damage (LD) to supplier even thoughOEM is not having a clause from it’s principal customer.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding From Indian Manufacturing Industry69Linking the Problems of SSI toSatisfaction AttributeThe problem areas were identified with the primary datacollected from the owners of the SSI manufacturing unit,2nd line persons of the SSI unit, buyers and subject experts.They are listed down and corresponding expectations fromthe OEM also collected from the source. How these pointsare linked to the supplier satisfaction attributes explained ina tabular form as bellow.Table. 5 – Problems of SSI, Their Expectations & Linkage to Satisfaction AttributeSl. No. Problem AreaSSI supplier’s expectation from Buying organisation (OEM) forsolving the Problem1 Capital Investment (1)Release of payment in due time / before time. (2) Financialassistance as and when required with a scope for adjustmentin pending bills. (3) provision for progressive payment2 Raw materialProcurement(1)Supply of desired raw material for the finish product (2)Help them to get the volume discount as OEM by mediatingwith the traders/Supplying firm (3) Part payment of cost ofraw material3 Labour (1)Providing source of labour (2) Providing hands on traininginside OEM (3)Extending some of the basic facility like groupinsurance (4)Training on safety and environment4 Technology (1)Training on new technology adopted by OEM (2) Helpingin implementing the new technologies with low cost (3)providing financial and managerial skills to adopt newtechnology (4) providing way to getting more with existingtechnology5 Quality (1)Communicate in structured way what exactly expected(2) Process / method guidelines for improvement in quality(3) Exposure to new measuring tools and instruments (4)Guidance from quality assurance department regularly6 Electricity (1)Financial assistance to have generators (2) Accommodatedelay during extensive power cut periods7 Documentation (1)Training on documentation (2)Providing Understandingwhat exactly required by OEM (2) minimize the documentationprocess8 Costing Structure (1)Helping them understanding cost structure and how tocalculate (2) In case of low bidding by supplier advise themto rectify9 Training (1)Training required without any cost in every step whereOEM is trying to implement process, product etc.10 Information Technology (1)Provision of provide IT infrastructure or training in supplychain applications (2) Establishing link work stations betweensupplier end and OEM11 Conflict (1)Avoidance of conflict situation (2) Grievance handling cellfor proper justice12 Liquidate Damage (LD) (1)Allowing of sufficient /actual production time , so that LDshould not be applicable to them.Linked to which attribute of suppliersatisfactionOrder Management, Financial supportPartnership Approach, Order management,CommitmentTraining, Mutual awareness, CommunicationOperational flexibility, Skill enhancementCommunication, Training, Quality of service,Process enhancementMutual understanding, Financial supportCooperation, Training, FlexibilityPurchasing ethics, order management,attitude, loyality, trustPartnership approach, trustCooperation, system enhancement, processimprovementMutual understanding, faith, trustOrder ManagementSource: Author, by primary survey,2011Kumar M. M., Gahan P. - Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding from Indian Manufacturing Industry
70 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Findings from Literature & Bridging theGapBased on literature reviews and the previous researchworks carried out by researchers we can sum-up thefollowing attributes of supplier satisfaction. They aretrust, commitment, understanding, innovation, flexibility,communication, reputation, coercive and non-coercivepower, cooperation, bonds, dependency, quality of service,mutual awareness, and behaviour of buying organisation,loyalty and attitude.Still many of the core issues attached with the smallscale supplier’s satisfaction not addressed in the previousresearchers. These gaps were found with the interactionwith the SSI suppliers those who are attached to large scalemanufacturers for a longer time, structured discussionswith buyers those who are having 10+ years of experiencein handling small scale suppliers and opinion from industryexperts. The factors derived from the primary survey and notcovered by previous researchers on SSI supplier satisfactionare Partnership approach, Process / product improvement atsupplier’s end, skill enhancement of supplier’s manpower,capital support, providing safety and environmental knowhow,helping in raw material procurement, enabling themfor proper documentation, technical and behaviouraltraining, helping in managing technological up gradationand implementation, guidance for cost structure, advise forproper bidding value and avoidance of conflict situation.Liquidate damage clause management is also needsproper attention from OEM buyers. Another two factors,i.e. performance feedback and policy change feedback tosuppliers from OEM plays role in their satisfaction alsoneeds to be tested.Based on the previous research, primary survey onthe SSI suppliers problem and their expectations, expertsfrom the SCM area, with the help of experienced buyersthe questionnaire prepared (attached as Annexure-I) to testthe satisfaction index of the SSI manufacturing units withrespect to the selected Indian manufacturing units.Research MethodologyThis research work carried out in the manufacturingindustries of Orissa, India. To avoid the biasness we havetaken survey of the existing small scale suppliers associatedwith four large scale Indian manufacturing industries.Sample selected based on the interaction of the personsfrom the supplier end to the buying organization. Manyoccasions the owners of the selling organization found toSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011be as sample and many occasions both the owner and the2nd man of the selling organization found to be as sample.Initially 360 structured questionnaires sent for collectionof data. Only a sample of size 245 is collected by E-mail,postal system and personal interactions depending uponthe location of the supplier. A usable sample of 213 isconsidered for analysis, rest 32 are rejected for incompleteinformation. The structured questionnaire is developedbased on the literature review, export opinions and workingexperience of the authors. During the exploration of SSIunit’s problems the experienced (10+ years) buyers viewswere also considered apart from the SSI manufacturingsuppliers. The questionnaire is designed using five pointLikert scale where 1 meant strong disagreement and 5 meanstrong agreement with a particular attribute of suppliersatisfaction. The scale reliability is found to be 0.764 whichis found to be above the accepted level (Nunally, 1978).The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version18.0) was used to run the data collected from the supplier’send.Results & DiscussionsTable 6 contents the descriptive statistics of the opinionof 213 small scales manufacturing suppliers those who areexposed to supply chain practices and attached to largescale manufacturing industries through whom the suppliersatisfaction survey conducted.Table. 6 – Descriptive statistics of small scale suppliersatisfaction attributesVar Variable Description Mean1 Adherence to paymentterms2 Process Improvementinitiatives3 Amount of Contribution tothe Business Function4 Early supplier involvementin design stage5 Involvement in decisionmaking processStd.DeviationAnalysi N3.99 1.048 2133.25 1.036 2133.66 0.950 2133.98 0.566 2132.70 0.735 2136 Payment habits 3.53 0.509 2137 Clarity of terms and3.64 0.481 213conditions8 Transparency in Purchasing 2.84 0 .626 213procedure9 Structured & Practicalbargaining Procedure3.24 0.928 213
2011 Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding From Indian Manufacturing Industry71Var Variable Description Mean10 Guidance during First timeorder processingStd.DeviationAnalysi N4.15 0.565 21311 Allowing of Delivery Period 3.01 0.755 21312 Product development 2.68 0.741 213initiatives13 Assurance of orders 3.19 0.902 21314 Commercial clarity in order 3.26 0.820 21315 Guidance from Quality 2.79 0.793 213control16 Availability of conflict 3.21 0.821 213management cell17 Technical clarity in order 3.02 1.02 21318 Skill building attitude 2.58 0.732 21319 Communication medium 3.14 0.713 21320 Quality of interaction with 3.34 0.811 213buyer21 Documented procedure for 2.91 0.893 213Conflict management22 Capital Investment 4.22 0.478 21323 Accommodative terms (If 3.28 0.754 213any)24 Attitude of Cross functional 4.35 0.534 213team members25 Frequency of3.76 0.675 213communication26 Range of Contracts 2.63 0.530 21327 Benefit forwarding3.58 0.707 213approach28 LD forwarding Clause 3.72 0.886 21329 Inspection Clauses 3.12 0.729 21330 Guidance to avoid3.63 0.520 213conflicting situation infuture31 Quality of Communication 2.93 0.841 21332 Number of supplier meets 2.72 0.668 21333 Attitude for solving 3.23 0.836 21334 Degree of response 3.08 0.271 213Var Variable Description Mean35 Interaction with stores andbilling sectionCasesCronbach’s AlphaTable. 7 - Cronbach’s AlphaCase Processing SummaryN %Valid 213 100Excluded 0 0Total 213 100Reliability StatisticsStd.DeviationAnalysi N2.62 0.759 21336 Performance Feedback 3.09 1.041 21337 Quality of Reaction 3.96 0.201 21338 Policy Change Feedback 3.64 0.480 21339 Response Time 3.38 0.852 213To measure and reassure the internal consistency,reliability test was conducted on the 39 variables bearinga Cronbach’s alpha of 0.764. The results inferred thequestionnaire was measuring the small scale suppliersatisfaction attributes in manufacturing industry in ameaningful way. Then factor analysis was used to removethe redundant/highly correlated variables from the surveydata and to reduce the number of variables into definitenumber of dimensions. The factor analysis is performedusing the principal component extraction method withvarimax rotation. The eigen values of selected factors weregreater than 1. Table 8 shows the total variance explainedby the factors extracted.N of Items0.764 39Listwise deletion based on all variables in the procedure.Table. 8 - Total Variance ExplainedComponent Initial Eigen values Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings Rotation Sums of Squared LoadingsTotal% ofVarianceCumulative%Total% ofVarianceCumulative%Total% ofVarianceCumulative %1 11.76 30.162 30.162 11.763 30.162 30.162 8.427 21.609 21.6092 8.881 22.772 52.935 8.881 22.772 52.935 7.726 19.81 41.4193 3.96 10.153 63.088 3.96 10.153 63.088 6.45 16.537 57.9564 3.39 8.692 71.78 3.39 8.692 71.78 3.826 9.811 67.7675 2.236 5.733 77.513 2.236 5.733 77.513 3.801 9.745 77.5136 1.968 5.046 82.5597 1.266 3.247 85.806Kumar M. M., Gahan P. - Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding from Indian Manufacturing Industry
72 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Component Initial Eigen values Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings Rotation Sums of Squared LoadingsTotal% ofVarianceCumulative%8 1.057 2.709 88.5159 0.793 2.035 90.5510 0.599 1.535 92.08411 0.444 1.139 93.22412 0.372 0.953 94.17713 0.331 0.848 95.02514 0.266 0.682 95.70715 0.244 0.624 96.33116 0.194 0.497 96.82817 0.19 0.486 97.31418 0.153 0.391 97.70619 0.122 0.312 98.01820 0.116 0.297 98.31421 0.11 0.281 98.59522 0.076 0.194 98.7923 0.073 0.186 98.97624 0.064 0.163 99.13925 0.062 0.159 99.29826 0.054 0.139 99.43727 0.052 0.133 99.5728 0.041 0.105 99.67529 0.027 0.07 99.74530 0.024 0.062 99.80831 0.02 0.051 99.85932 0.014 0.035 99.89433 0.012 0.031 99.92534 0.009 0.023 99.94835 0.007 0.018 99.96736 0.005 0.012 99.97937 0.004 0.01 99.98938 0.003 0.008 99.99839 0.001 0.002 100Extraction Method: Principal Component AnalysisTotal% ofVarianceCumulative%Total% ofVarianceCumulative %In the initial application, the numbers of variables werereduced from 39 to 38. In the second application, these38 variables were classified under five dimensions basedon their factor-loading score. The sorted rotated valuesof factor loading with minimum value of 0.5 or more areconsidered. After dropping the redundant variables havingall the five components loading less than 0.5 the followingmatrix has been formed to understand the significantcomponents that explain 77.51% of variance. Generally,factor loading represents how much a factor explains avariable. The variables which was dropped is quality ofreaction in conflicting situation. High loading indicatesthat the factor strongly influences the variable. Assuming afactor loading of more than 0.80 as having high impact onthe variables, it is concluded that some variables which areless than 0.80 need more attention.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding From Indian Manufacturing Industry73SlTable. 9 - Rotated Component MatrixVariablesComponent1 2 3 4 51 Adherence to payment terms 0.841 -0.09 0.176 0.24 0.0142 Process Improvement initiatives 0.408 0.507 0.237 -0.267 0.2723 Amount of Contribution to theBusiness Function4 Early supplier involvement indesign stage5 Involvement in decision makingprocess-0.451 -0.195 -0.013 0.565 0.442-0.402 0.294 -0.276 0.627 -0.02-0.105 0.416 -0.042 0.613 -0.0656 Payment habits 0.708 -0.356 -0.382 0.23 -0.2057 Clarity of terms and conditions -0.553 -0.447 0.176 -0.035 -0.2258 Transparency in Purchasingprocedure9 Structured & Practicalbargaining Procedure10 Guidance during First timeorder processing0.632 0.303 -0.224 -0.33 0.0830.86 -0.057 -0.138 0.375 0.1790.177 -0.916 -0.061 0.187 -0.15611 Allowing of Delivery Period 0.742 -0.498 0.272 0.105 0.04612 Product development initiatives 0.2 0.766 0.347 0.244 -0.11313 Assurance of orders 0.934 -0.055 -0.013 -0.014 0.14414 Commercial clarity in order 0.552 -0.238 -0.433 0.211 0.22715 Guidance from Quality control 0.401 -0.552 0.028 0.122 0.09316 Availability of conflictmanagement cell-0.438 0.381 -0.35 0.16 0.52217 Technical clarity in order 0.736 0.439 -0.118 0.119 0.34318 Skill building attitude 0.287 0.64 -0.11 0.341 -0.02119 Communication medium 0.482 -0.463 0.508 0.09 -0.07420 Quality of interaction withbuyer21 Documented procedure forConflict management0.856 0.022 0.01 0.142 0.1540.126 0.53 0.044 -0.413 0.63422 Capital Investment 0.35 -0.794 0.154 0.245 0.25423 Accommodative terms (If any) -0.828 -0.197 0.395 -0.056 -0.03524 Attitude of Cross functionalteam members0.466 -0.539 0.391 -0.109 -0.19825 Frequency of communication -0.491 -0.41 0.676 -0.178 -0.06826 Range of Contracts 0.063 0.065 0.144 0.818 -0.21527 Benefit forwarding approach -0.558 -0.163 0.473 0.019 0.36628 LD forwarding Clause -0.663 0.461 0.43 0.183 0.26229 Inspection Clauses 0.574 0.163 -0.308 -0.202 0.07830 Guidance to avoid conflictingsituation in future-0.495 -0.379 0.145 0.368 0.5931 Quality of Communication 0.369 -0.482 0.586 0.322 0.12832 Number of supplier meets 0.275 0.562 0.397 0.34 -0.14433 Attitude for solving -0.282 0.465 0.328 0.148 0.69934 Degree of response -0.295 0.208 0.254 0.704 -0.31135 Interaction with stores andbilling section0.418 0.049 0.745 -0.304 0.28936 Performance Feedback 0.432 0.823 0.227 -0.123 -0.01437 Quality of Reaction -0.212 0.106 0.062 -0.023 0.14538 Policy Change Feedback -0.382 -0.608 -0.221 0.332 0.15739 Response Time 0.188 0.374 0.542 0.268 -0.026Extraction Method: Principal Component AnalysisBased on the results of factor analysis, the variables wereclassified into five dimensions, which were suitably named.The dimensions and the corresponding variables are showntable 10. The analysis revealed the following dimensions:Table. 10- Small Scale Manufacturing Supplier satisfactionfactorsSL FACTORS SUB-FACTORS1.1 Transparency in Purchasingprocedure1.2 Clarity of terms and conditions1.3 Adherence to payment terms1.4 Payment habits1.5 Allowing of Delivery Period12ORDERMANAGEMENTPARTNERSHIPAPPROACH3 COMMUNICATION4STRATEGICIMPORTANCE1.6 Structured & Practical bargainingProcedure1.7 Inspection Clauses1.8 Technical clarity in order1.9 Commercial clarity in order1.10 Quality of interaction with buyer1.11 Assurance of orders1.12 Benefit forwarding approach1.13 Accommodative terms (If any)1.14 LD forwarding Clause2.1 Process Improvement initiatives2.2 Product development initiatives2.3 Guidance from Quality control2.4 Skill building attitude2.5 Performance Feedback2.6 Policy Change Feedback2.7 Number of supplier meets2.8 Guidance during First time orderprocessing2.9 Attitude of Cross functional teammembers2.10 Capital Investment3.1 Communication medium3.2 Frequency of communication3.3 Quality of Communication3.4 Response Time3.5 Interaction with stores and billingsection4.1 Degree of response4.2 Amount of Contribution to theBusiness Function4.3 Early supplier involvement in designstage4.4 Involvement in decision makingprocess4.5 Range of ContractsKumar M. M., Gahan P. - Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding from Indian Manufacturing Industry
74 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011SL FACTORS SUB-FACTORS5.1 Availability of conflict managementcell5CONFLICTMANAGEMENTFactor 1: Order Management5.2 Documented procedure for Conflictmanagement5.3 Attitude for solving5.4 Guidance to avoid conflictingsituation in futureFactor 1 stands for order management. Proper andeffective order management is the basic rule of obtainingsupplier satisfaction. This statement found to be very correctwith this supplier satisfaction survey. Out of 39 variables,14 variables fall under the order management practicesby buying organisations. The most influencing attributesfound as Assurance of orders with a factor loading of 0.934,Adherence to payment terms with a factor loading of .841,Structured bargaining process with factor loading 0.860,Quality of interaction with buyer factor loading of 0.856 andAccommodative terms and condition with factor loading of0.828. Other attributes under this factor are Transparencyin Purchasing procedure, Clarity of terms and conditions,Payment habits, Allowing of Delivery Period, InspectionClauses, Technical clarity in order, Commercial clarity inorder, Benefit forwarding approach, LD forwarding Clause.One thing very clearly emerging from the study that thepayment related issues and fair practices in the purchasinggives most satisfaction to the small scale manufacturingsuppliers. The interaction with the buyer with a qualitativeway also creates satisfied supplier as well as makes buyersupplier relation stronger.Factor 2: Partnership ApproachFactor 2 stands for partnership approach of the buyingorganisation towards small scale suppliers. Current supplychain practices, giving more emphasis on integrationand partnership. This survey also gives indication thatthrough partnership approach supplier satisfaction canbe achieved. Out of 39 variables, 10 variables are fallingunder this factor. The high influencing factors are Guidanceduring First time order processing with factor loading of0.916, Capital Investment with factor loading of .794,Performance Feedback with factor loading .823 and Productdevelopment initiatives with factor loading .766. Otherattributes are Process Improvement initiatives, Guidancefrom Quality control, Skill building attitude, Policy ChangeFeedback, Number of supplier meets and Attitude of Crossfunctional team members. It appears from the results thatduring the first time order processing the guidance by theconcerned buyer creates a major impression on the supplier.Performance feedback to the supplier helps them to improveand they take positively to this factor. Product developmentinitiates at supplier end creates high motivation and feelassure of business growth and order assurance.Factor 3: CommunicationFactor 3 represents communication between the buyingorganisation and the supplier’s organisation. Usuallycommunication takes place between buyer and seller. Theattributes falling under this factor are Communicationmedium, Frequency of communication, Quality ofCommunication, Interaction with stores and billing section,Response Time with a factor loading of 0.508, 0.676,0.586, 0.745 and 0.542. This clearly indicates the supplierscontacting points except buyer i.e. stores and billing sectionplays a role in supplier satisfaction with a factor loading of0.745. The interaction of the concerned persons in storesand billing section, their attitude towards supplier playsrole in building relationship as well as satisfaction of smallscale suppliers.Factor 4: Strategic ImportanceFactor 4 represents strategic importance, what are thestrategic factors involved in the supplier satisfaction aspectand how suppliers are having their opinion on it. The highinfluencing attributes are Range of Contracts with factorloading of 0.818 and Degree of response with factor loadingof 0.704. Other attributes are Amount of Contribution tothe Business Function, Early supplier involvement indesign stage, Involvement in decision making process witha factor loading of 0.565, 0.627, 0.613 respectively. Thisclearly indicates that the more the involvement in businessareas more is the satisfaction. Suppliers feel like a associatebusiness partner by so. Early supplier involvement andinvolvement in decision making processes are having theirown impact on supplier satisfaction.Factor 5: Conflict ManagementFactor 5 stands for conflict management. Duringbusiness process where the mutual expectation does notmeet in supply chain conflicting situation arises betweenbuyer and supplier. But there must some structured way ofsolving the situation so that relationship does not hamper andSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding From Indian Manufacturing Industry75satisfaction of the suppliers retains. The attributes surfacedin this factor are Availability of conflict management cell,Documented procedure for Conflict management, Attitudefor solving, Guidance to avoid conflicting situation infuture with a factor loading of 0.522, 0.634, 0.699 &0.590 respectively. In very rare industries the documentedprocedure and structured way of handling conflict found.Conclusion and RecommendationsThere is no end to expectations; still in our businessrelationship we can satisfy the upstream and the downstreamwith the limited resource and within the strategic boundariesof our organization. Today’s business and the supply chaineffectiveness largely depend upon the integration andsatisfaction of the suppliers associated with the business.From this perspective the supplier satisfaction survey hasits own importance. This helps the buying organizationor buyers as a tool to guide the policy and purchasingpractices. This also helps to minimize the dissatisfactionamong suppliers and new direction to retain the existingsuppliers. Satisfaction and dissatisfaction of suppliers alsolinked to the firm and buyer’s performance. The satisfiedsupplier usually produce high quality product and provideshigh delivery index. This will lead to higher profitabilityof the buying organization. The satisfaction also leads tostronger buyer supplier relationship with ultimately resultsin firms flexibility and operational proficiency.From the survey results it is quite clear that ordermanagement process and partnership approach attributesare the major factors which create the satisfaction amongsmall scale manufacturing suppliers. out of the factors orderassurance, payment term adherence, quality interaction offrom the buyer, first time guidance to the order processing,range of contracts, performance feedback and productdevelopment are the most influencing factors. so thebuying manufacturing industry must look closely to thisfactors and formulate action policies so that the satisfactionlevel of the small scale suppliers retained and improved.In the problem exploration section also we have foundthat technology, labor, capital, raw material procurementare the core problem areas for the small scale industry.if large scale organizations can influence those factors inthe favor of small scale suppliers, loyalty and long termbusiness relationship can be created which is going to givethe competitive edge to the business. the other aspect isalso attached to this i.e. local supplier development, localitydevelopment and social balance. one important thing thesurvey conducting organization should remember that thefact should come out, by not exposing the suppliers. Ifpossible the survey must be conducted by any third partyagency so that clarity and integrity of the survey remains.Managerial ImplicationsSupplier satisfaction survey has many angles of utilityfrom the buying organizations perspective. Firstly itindicates the present state of affairs. The organizationalpolicy, purchasing practice, buyer supplier relationship,vendor development initiatives practically exposed with thecorrect survey. One thing must be ensured during the surveythat, the suppliers, should be allowed to disclose exactdissatisfaction without disclosing their identity. Secondlypotential areas of improvement can be easily identified withthe survey. Proper action plan can be made to improve theinternal operational system as well as external operationalsystem. Thirdly it gives direction to improve the buyersand suppliers relationship. It closes the loop holes of thedissatisfaction of suppliers. It also clears the perceived oractual conflicts between buyer and supplier.Supplier satisfaction survey has been ignored by manymanufacturing industries till date. Those companies who aredoing supplier satisfaction survey, they do it by themselves,which may not clearly indicate the actual results. The surveyby third party agencies may reveal the facts. Supplier surveyalso provides stress to the purchasing department. Butthis is only for the purchasing process improvement andsystem alignment. Little biasness may occur due to specificconflicting cases, but by and large supplier satisfactionsurvey is a must to the organization those who are involvedin the supply chain processes. Supplier satisfaction surveymust be carried out one in a year. For specific conflictingcases individual supplier’s feedback also can be taken forfurther clarity in the purchasing policy or system.Scope for Future ResearchSupplier satisfaction surveys just a beginning. Nodoubt it focuses on many issues like supplier productivity,manufacturing flexibility, buyer supplier relationship andloyalty. But many more can be explored with the help ofsuch surveys. Supplier satisfaction across the differentlevels of supplier class i.e. Micro, Mini, Small and Mediumindustries can be studied. Supplier satisfaction index andthe productivity levels also could be one of the researchareas. Supplier satisfaction how linked to supplier loyaltycan also be another area of research. The impact of suppliersatisfaction survey on the purchasing policy and procedureKumar M. M., Gahan P. - Small Scale Supplier Satisfaction: An Explorative Finding from Indian Manufacturing Industry
76 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011of the large scale industries also can be studied, so thatstandards can be formed across the industry. This studyand research method may vary from industry to industrybut general guidelines can be formed and organizations canbe more and more benefitted by using supplier survey as amanagement tool.ReferencesA Parasuraman, Zeithaml, V. and Berry L (1994), “Reassessment of expectationsas a comparisionstandard in measuring consumer perceptions ofservice quality : Implications for future research”,Journal of Marketing, Vol, 58, January, PP. 11-24.Anand S, MurugaiahV,” small scale industries in india:an evaluation of performance in the post-liberalizedscenario”, the iup journal of managerial economics,2006, vol. iv, issue 4, pages 63-77Anderson JC & Narus JA (1984) A model of thedistributor’s perpective of distributor-manufacturerworking partnerships. J Mark 1984;48 pp. 62–74.Benton W. C., M. Maloni / Journal of OperationsManagement 23 (2005) 1–22Biong H (1993) Satisfaction and loyalty to supplierswithin the grocery trade. European journal ofmarketing vol 27. no.7. pp. 21–38.Blois, K.J. (1999), “Trust in business-to-businessrelationships: an evaluation of its status”, Journal ofManagement Studies, Vol. 36 No. 2, pp. 197-215.Donath R (1991) Have you hugged supplier today?Marketing News. No.11. pp 4.Dwyer, F. R, “Channel member satisfaction: laboratoryinsights”, Journal of Retailing, Vol.56, Summer(1980), PP. 59-74Essig M, Amann M- Journal of Purchasing & SupplyManagement 15 (2009) P.103–113Ganesan, S. (1994), “Determinants of long-termorientation in buyer-seller relationships”, Journalof Marketing, Vol. 58 No. 2, pp. 1-19.Johnston, R., Lawrence, P., 1988. Beyond verticalintegration. The rise of the value added partnership.Harvard Business Review 66 (4), 94–101.Hult, G.T.M., Neese, W.T. and Bashaw, R.E. (1997),“Faculty perceptions of marketing journals”,Journal of Marketing Education, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp.37-52.Kuglin FA (1998) Customer-centered supply chainmanagement: a link-by-link guide. Amacom. P.278Luhmann, N. (1995), Social Systems, StanfordUniversity Press, Stanford, CALascelles D & Dales B (1989) The Buyer-Sellerrelationship on total quality management. Journalof Materials Management. Summer. pp. 10–19.Moorman, C., Zaltman, G. and Deshpande, R. (1992,“Relationships between providers ans users ofmarketing research: the dynamics of trust withinand between organisations”, Journal of MarketingResearch, Vol. 29, August, pp.314-329.Riggs D & Robbins S (1998) The executive's guideto supply management strategies : building supplychain thinking into business processes. Amacom.245 p.Spence, M., 1976. Informational aspects of marketstructure: an introduction. Quarterly Journal ofEconomics 90 (4), 591–597.Ulaga, W., Eggert, A., 2006. Value-based differentiationin business relationships: gaining and sustainingkey supplier status. Journal of Marketing 70 (1), P.119–136.Walter, A.Muller,T.A.,Helfert,G.,Ritter,T.,2003.Functions of industrial supplier relationships andtheir impact on relationship quality. IndustrialMarketing Management 32(2),159–169.Wong A (2000), Integrating supplier satisfaction withcustomer satisfaction. Total Quality Management.Jul 2000. vo146. pp. S427–S432.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
77 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 2011Section DETEngineering and TechnologySection coordinated by the Department of Engineering and Technology in the School of Doctoral Studies of the EuropeanUnionHead of the Department:Deputy Head of Engineer:Deputy Head of Technology:Professor Luidolf BoschProfessor Robert MunierDr. Professor József RuppelReviewers Body Coordinators:Chair of Aerospace and Transport Engineering:Chair of Chemical Engineering:Chair of Civil Engineering:Chair of Electrical Engineering:Chair of Mechanical Engineering :Chair of Computer and Software Engineering:Chair of Nanotechnology:Chair of Mechatronics:Agricultural Engineering and Food Technology:Chair of Energy Technology and Engineering:Professor Bence AnzanbergerProfessor Louis MatéProfessor Kurt NiggeProfessor Michael KirkbridgeProfessor Alex NickolsProfessor Thomas AaronsonProfessor Jeffrey DesslerProfessor Sarah PolizaProfessor Michael LeenProfessor George SzentpetériEngineering and Technology Section ContentArticle 1 Page 78Globalization and Energy Demands in the 21st CenturyAuthor: Andrew R. Thorp (MSc)Country: GermanyArticle 2 Page 85Overview and Analysis on Cyber TerrorismAuthor: Steve Saint-Claire (MSc)Country: AustraliaArticle 3 Page 99The impact of computer aided design on human factors in aviation safetyAuthor: Anne Curtney (MSc)Country: USASchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2010
78 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Globalization and Energy Demands in the 21st CenturyAndrew R. Thorp (MSc)Master of Science and candidate to PhD in Engineering at the Department ofEngineering and Technology of the School of Doctoral Studies of the EUEmail: ar.thorp@det.sds.<strong>eu</strong>AbstractAccording to a May 2004 report from Deloitte Research, supplying enough energy on a reliable basis at prices that will not cripplethe global economic growth has become a challenge with consequences that are difficult to predict (Globalization pp). Although thiswill provide new opportunities for oil and gas companies, pipelines, generators, utilities and others in the energy business, it also carriesserious risks (Globalization pp). The demand for energy is growing, not only in the developed economies of Europe, Japan and NorthAmerican, but in developing countries as well (Globalization pp). In fact, the fastest demand growth is in China and other emergingmarkets, thus from one side of the globe to the other, societies are needing and demanding more fuel (Globalization pp). Key words:Energy, Globalization, Energy Demand.Twenty years ago, globalization was barely discussed,because at the time, less than fifteen percent of the world’spopulation participated in true global trade (Marber pp).Third World countries were mere pawns in the ColdWar’s global chess game, and the prospect of the SovietUnion or Communist China actually integrating withthe West economically, or regimes in Latin America orAsia abandoning central planning, seemed remote andimprobable (Marber pp). In fact, the possibility of anyof these countries making any meaningful socioeconomicprogress and reaching Western standards of living wereconsidered completely unrealistic (Marber pp).On average, people are living twice as long as they dida hundred years ago, and the world’s aggregate materialinfrastructure and productive capabilities are hundreds, ifnot thousands, of times greater than they were a century ago(Marber pp). Moreover, much of this has occurred since thelast half of the twentieth century, with a powerful upsurgeduring the last twenty-five years (Marber pp). In the lasttwo generations, there have been gains in virtually everymeaningful aspect of life and the trend will likely continu<strong>eu</strong>pward at least through the middle of the twenty-firstcentury (Marber pp). The fact that people are living longer,fuller lives is most evident in the Third World countries,where during the last fifty years, the life expectancy hasincreased by more than fifty percent, reaching levels theWest enjoyed only two generations ago (Marber pp).The world today has more educated people with greaterintellectual capacity that at any time in history, and this isparticularly evident in much of Asia, where mass publiceducation has enabled billions of people to increase theirproductivity and integrate as workers and consumers intothe global economy (Marber pp). These same trends canbe found in Eastern Europe and in part of Latin Americaas well, leading to historic highs in economic output andfinancial assets per capita (Marber pp). During the twentiethcentury, economic output in the United States and otherWest European countries often doubled in less than thirtyyears, and Japan’s postwar economy doubled in less thansixteen years (Marber pp). Just in the last few decades, theeconomies of developing countries have grown so quicklythat some, like South Korea during the 1960’s and 1970’s,and more recently China, have often doubled productiveoutput in just seven to ten years (Marber pp).It must be remembered that poverty was the humanliving standard for most of recorded history, and untilabout two hundred years ago, virtually everyone lived ata subsistence level (Marber pp). In 1931, economist JohnMaynard Keynes wrote in “Essays in Persuasion,” that fromthe earliest times of recorded history to the beginning of theeighteenth century, ‘there was no very great change in thestandard life of the average man living in civilized centersof the earth” (Marber pp). Although there were goldenintervals, there was no “progressive violent change,” dueto two reasons, the absence of technical improvements andthe failure of capital to accumulate (Marber pp). However,beginning in the early nineteenth century, the proportion ofthe world’s population living in poverty declined from overSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Globalization and Energy Demands in the 21st Century79eighty percent in 1820 to under fifteen percent in 2000, evenas the world’s population exploded from over one billion tomore than six billion (Marber pp).The root of modern prosperity can be found in theapplication of mass production technology, together withexcess capital and a free market to exploit such technologies(Marber pp). The shifting U.S. labor pattern from lowwageagricultural labor to manufacturing to higher-paidoffice and service employment during the last two centuriesresulted largely from trade, and similar shifts are now seenall over the globe (Marber pp). For example, during the1950’s and 1960’s, the U.S. imported electronics fromJapan and exported cars, then in the 1970’s, the U.S. beganimporting small cars from Japan, and the last thirty-oddyears has seen Japan lose its dominance in electronics andeconomy cars due to competition from China and SouthKorea, resulting in Japan shifting to more expensive luxurycars and sport utility vehicles (Marber pp). Although jobswere lost, gained and relocated in the U.S. and abroadduring these market shifts, the living standards in UnitedStates, Japan, South Korea, and China have all improveddramatically over the same time span (Marber pp).According to the United Nations, two-thirds of the world’smiddle-class citizens in 1960 lived in the industrializedworld, the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Japanand Australia, then by 1980, over sixty percent of the globalmiddle class lived in developing countries, and by 2000,the number had reached eighty-three percent (Marber pp).It is predicted that India and China combined could easilyproduce middle classes of 400-800 million people overthe next two generations, roughly the size of the currentmiddle-class populations of the United States, WesternEurope and Japan combined (Marber pp).There is no avoiding the fact that the success ofglobalization is underscored by dramatic increases inconsumption, and with increased consumption comesenvironmental degradation (Marber pp). Current andprojected damage to the environment can impede economicprogress, and climatic changes attributed to greenhouse gasemissions and pressure on natural resources have becomeserious problems (Marber pp). Resource scarcity is anissue the world will have to confront as two to three billionmore people consume like middle class Americans over thenext fifty years (Marber pp). Globalization of the energymarket is deepening and broadening through internationaltrade as well as through “cross-investments, deregulationof domestic markets, and industrial restructuring that linksthe older energy industries to the new global politicaleconomy” (Harris pp). This transformation of energyindustries and markets can be seen around the world andoffers great potential in terms of economic efficiency,technology development and consumer choice (Harris pp).According to a report published in March 2005 by theNational Intelligence Council, growing demands for energy,especially by the rising powers, over the next fifteen yearswill have substantial impacts on geopolitical relations (USpp). The single most important fact affecting the demand formore energy will be global economic growth, particularlythat of China and India (US pp).Although the trend is toward more efficient energy use,the report predicts that total energy consumed will likelyrise by fifty percent over the next two decades compared toa thirty-four percent expansion during the last twenty yearsof the twentieth century, with an increasing share providedby petrol<strong>eu</strong>m (US pp).Renewable energy sources such as hydrogen, solar, andwind energy will probably account for only about eightpercent of the energy supply in 2020 (US pp). Russia,China, and India all plan expansions of their nuclear powersector, however, nuclear power will likely decline globallyin absolute terms over the next decade (US pp).The International Energy Agency predicts that with“substantial investment in new capacity, overall energysupplies will be sufficient to meet growing global demand”(US pp). However, continued limited access of theinternational oil companies to major fields may restrain thisinvestment, and many of the areas, such as the Caspian Sea,Venezuela, West Africa and South China Sea, that are beingcounted on to provide increased output involve substantialpolitical and economic risk (US pp). Moreover, traditionalsupplies in the Middle East are also increasingly unstable,thus sharper demand driven competition for resources,accompanied by major disruption of oil supplies, is amongthe key uncertainties (US pp).China and India lack adequate domestic energyresources and will have to ensure continued access tooutside suppliers, thus the need for energy will become amajor factor in shaping the foreign and defense policies ofthese countries, including expanding naval power (US pp).According to experts, China will need to boost its energyconsumption by roughly 150 percent and India will need toalmost double its consumption by 2020 in order to maintaina steady rate of economic growth (US pp). Beijing’sgrowing energy needs are likely to force China to increaseits activist role in the world, especially in the Middle East,Africa, Latin America, and Eurasia (US pp). Yet, in tryingThorp A. R. - Globalization and Energy Demands in the 21st Century
80 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011to maximize and diversify its energy supplies, China fearsbeing vulnerable to pressure from the United States whichChinese officials view as having an aggressive energypolicy that can be used against Beijing (US pp). For morethan ten years, Chinese officials have stated that productionfrom Chinese firms investing overseas is more secure thanimports purchased on the international market (US pp).In order to secure more reliable access, Chinese firms arebeing directed to invest in projects in the Caspian region,Russia, the Middle East and South America (US pp).The National Intelligence Council’s report also statesthat Europe’s energy needs will probably not grow tothe same extent as those of the developing world, partlybecause of Europe’s expected lower economic growth andmore efficient use of energy (US pp). Europe’s increasingpreference for natural gas, combined with depletingreserves in the North Sea, will provide an added boost topolitical efforts that are already under way to strengthen tieswith Russia and North Africa, since gas requires a higherlevel of political commitment by both sides in designingand constructing the necessary infrastructure (US pp).According to a study by the European Commission, theUnion’s share of energy from foreign sources is predictedto rise from about half in 2000 to two-thirds by 2020 (USpp). Due to environmental concerns and the phasing outof much of the EU’s nuclear energy capacity, gas use willrapidly increase (US pp). Deliveries from the Yamal-Europe pipeline and the Blue Stream pipeline will increaseRussia’s gas sales to the EU and Turkey by more than fortypercent over 2000 levels in the first decade of the twentyfirstcentury (US pp). As a result, Russia’s share of totalEuropean demand will rise from twenty-seven percent in2000 to thirty-one percent in 2010 (US pp). Moreover, asthe largest energy supplier outside of OPEC, Russia willbe well positioned to marshal its oil and gas reserves tosupport domestic and foreign policy objectives (US pp).Algeria, which has the world’s eighth largest gas reserves,is also seeking to increase its exports to Europe by fiftypercent by the end of the decade (US pp).On June 07 2005, Mikkal E. Herberg, Director of theNational Bureau of Asian Research Committee appearedbefore the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee onEast Asian and Pacific Affairs (Herberg pp). According toHerberg, the issues emanating from China’s growing energyneeds are so important that NBR is organizing a conferencefor September 2005 in Washington, D.C. entitled, “China’sSearch for Energy Security and Implications for the U.S.”(Herberg pp). Top energy and geopolitical experts willdiscuss a wide range of issues, including the outlook forChina’s energy needs and energy imports, and its emergingand active energy security strategy (Herberg pp). Energyhas become a central factor in shaping China’s globalgeopolitical and diplomatic architecture in key oil and gasexporting countries and regions, such as the Persian Gulf,Central Asia, Russia, Africa, and more recently, the WesternHemisphere (Herberg pp). At present, energy nationalismis on the rise in Asia with ominous implications for Asia’sfuture, as energy and strategic relations become increasinglyintertwined (Herberg pp). China is the second largestenergy consumer in the world, after the United States, andthis booming energy demand growth is a reflection of itsrapid economic and trade growth, urbanization, populationgrowth and rising per-capita incomes (Herberg pp).Other areas of Asia are also experiencing a period ofextraordinary energy demand growth due to rapid economicgrowth and industrialization (Herberg pp).The main difference between China and the rest of Asiais the sheer scale of China’s energy demand due to the sizeof its economy and population, as well as the peculiaritiesof its domestic energy supply base (Herberg pp). This rapiddemand growth is can be seen across the fuel spectrumincluding oil, natural gas, electricity, coal, nuclear andhydroelectric resources (Herberg pp).Large domestic supplies of coal have dominated China’sdomestic energy use and continues to account for two-thirdsof total energy consumption, however, rapid economicgrowth has accelerated oil demand growth and China’sdecision to expand the use of natural gas will boost futuregas consumption (Herberg pp). Although China has beenAsia’s largest oil producer since the mid-1960’s, oil demandis rapidly outrunning the country’s domestic oil resources,resulting in rising oil imports (Herberg pp). China is nowthe third largest oil imported behind the United States andJapan, importing more than forty percent of its total oilneeds (Herberg pp). According to the International EnergyAgency, China’s oil imports will rise more than five-foldby 2030, accounting for eighty percent of its total oil needs(Herberg pp). China, as the rest of Asia, will becomeheavily dependent on the Persian Gulf for future supplies,and will increasingly have to transit a series of maritimechockpoints (Herberg pp). The East-West Center forecaststhat within the next ten years, seventy percent of China’soil imports will come from the Middle East (Herberg pp).The demand for electricity has also accelerated in recentyears, forcing China’s government to seek fuels to generatemore electricity, leading China to rely heavily on its largestdomestic energy resource, coal (Herberg pp). China is thelargest producer and consumer of coal in the world and coalSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Globalization and Energy Demands in the 21st Century81accounts for over eighty percent of electricity generationand accounts for two-thirds of China’s total energy use(Herberg pp). Coal consumption is expected to double by2025 with alarming environmental and health implications,as the country will account for one-quarter of the world’sCO2 emissions (Herberg pp). Moreover, it is expected thatChina will become a net importer of coal within the nextten years (Herberg pp).This boom in electricity demand is also driving plans forthe largest single country nuclear power building programin the world, as China plans to build two large nuclear plantsper year over the next twenty years (Herberg pp). Extensivehydroelectric development is also planned, and policies arebeing developed to accelerate the use of renewables, suchas solar and wind, however, these will make only a smalldent in the electricity demand curve even under the mostoptimistic of forecasts (Herberg pp).All of this raises a range of serious environmental andhealth concerns not only for China, but for the region andthe United States (Herberg pp). Acid rain from China’scoal burning is already a major problem in NortheastAsia and is causing diplomatic tensions with Japan andSouth Korea (Herberg pp). Moreover, there is evidence ofmercury from China’s coal burning being drafted by the jetstreamall the way to North America (Herberg pp). Risingcoal consumption along with booming oil consumptionwill make China the largest source of carbon dioxideemissions globally which raises serious concerns about theeffectiveness of any global effort to deal with controllingcarbon emissions (Herberg pp).Martha Caldwell Harris reports in “The Globalizationof Energy Markets,” that in this era of globalization, onenation’s choices will affect the calculus of neighbors(Harris pp). When China courted Saudi Arabia withpromises of assured imports, Japan was “rocked with theloss of the Arabian oil concession” (Harris pp). Asia’sgrowing dependence on Middle East oil imports will createnew imperatives to strengthen relationships with suppliers(Harris pp). Harris believes that new technologies canhelp address the environmental problems that are certainto grow more serious and the world population increasesto nine billion in the coming decades (Harris pp). Fossilfuel use is the major cause of environmental problems,especially in developing nations where local and regionalpollution is growing, and despite promises of hybrid carsand distributed energy generation, such as small turbinesand decentralized power generation, market signals havenot supported early commercialization (Harris pp).Seeing global warming as a major threat, Japaneseenergy experts believe that as it becomes more apparent,there will be negative impacts on energy security (Harrispp). Their perceptions of energy security reflect a broaderdefinition of risk and a greater focus on the Asian region,however even in Europe, there is renewed concern aboutenergy security (Harris pp). According to recent forecasts,the overall import dependence of the European Union willrise to seventy percent for natural gas, eighty percent forcoal, and ninety percent for oil by the year 2020 (Harrispp). Imports of Russian gas cold reach as much as fortyfivepercent of the EU’s total, and as energy demands inthe developing world rises to surpass the demand of theOrganization for Economic Cooperation and Developmentduring this time frame, the EU share of global energydemand will shrink to roughly ten percent (Harris pp).Also of major concern is the fact that the shallow Straitsof Malacca and the sea-lanes between the Middle East andAsia will become more congested with tankers and otherships carrying fuel and commodities (Harris pp). Ninetypercent of Japan’s oil imports and the majority of SouthKorea’s and Taiwan’s oil imports flow through these waters(Harris pp). In fact, every day more than two hundredvessels pass through the Malacca, Sundra and LombokStraits, and the South China Sea (Harris pp). More than $1trillion in international trade passed through these watersin 1994, which have seen an increase in serious accidentssince the early 1990’s, as well as an increase in piracy,kidnapping, and other acts of violence by non-state actors,such as left-wing rebels in the Philippines (Harris pp). Thelikelihood of even more accidents and acts of terrorism andpiracy throughout the region in the future, has led some tocall for a change in the transit passage law enshrined by theLaw of the Sea separating commercial and military traffic(Harris pp). The objective would be increased regulationof commercial vessels in the Straits of Malaccato to ensurenavigation safety, because cleaning up after a major oil spilland relief efforts to deal with terrorism or piracy could bemuch more costly after the fact (Harris pp). Another way toaddress the vulnerabilities in energy transportation throughthe sea-lanes would be to develop regional emergencyresponse mechanisms (Harris pp).For years, Japanese firms have been mining coal inAustralia, developing natural gas resources in Indonesia,and purchasing oil from China, and with greater opennesscome new possibilities (Harris pp). For example, TokyoElectric Power has stakes in new power-generatingventures in Malaysia and Vietnam (Harris pp). Gas andThorp A. R. - Globalization and Energy Demands in the 21st Century
82 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011electric power are the focus of networks of growinginternational joint ventures that include firms from severalAsian countries, as well as from the United States (Harrispp). These corporate linkages extend further and deeperinto domestic economies, and in many cases, can stimulatemarket-oriented corporate restructuring and advancedtechnology development, and more importantly lead to newsecurity challenges (Harris pp).In 1996, almost one-fifth of Japan’s natural gas camefrom Indonesia, a country where in many regions, violentindependence movements have threatened central authority(Harris pp). Electric power, gas, and steel companies havelong-term contracts of liquefied natural gas, LNG, importsfrom Indonesia that extend for more than a decade (Harrispp). Two-fifths of Indonesia’s LNG exports come fromAceh, in the western end of Sumatra, that is overwhelminglyIslamic and the rural population resent the wealth of theJapanese who run the industrial enclave (Harris pp). Thepotential fragmentation of energy and resource rich regionsposes major problems for the central government as well asfor the importers whose investments become vulnerabilities(Harris pp). Japan, South Korea, Russia, China, Taiwan,India, and Pakistan all have commercial nuclear powerprograms, and four of these states have tested and/ordeveloped nuclear weapons (Harris pp). Japan’s nuclearpower has been the central pillar of its energy policy, andis seen as the country’s only hope for gaining a degreeof autonomous control and for meeting environmentalcommitments (Harris pp). Thus, Asia has become the newcenter of gravity for the global nuclear industry, as additionsto capacity in this region are projected to make up at leastthree-quarters of the world’s total over the next twentyyears (Harris pp). Therefore, for safety, environmental, andnonproliferation reasons, advanced technology cooperationin energy among Asian nations is essential (Harris pp).In 1987, the term Sustainable Development first gainedattention with a report from the World Commission forthe Environment and Development what defined it asdevelopment “that meets the needs of the present withoutcompromising the ability of future generations to meet theneeds of others” (Young pp). The global mining industryfinds survival economies less restrictive, because the localpopulations view a mine as an economic boost, for it meanpotential jobs and the avoidance of poverty (Young pp). Inother words, the local population is less concerned withpotentially polluting activities so long as they have a wayto earn a living and support their families (Young pp). Indays past, when a mine became exhausted of resources, itwas sealed and the mining company simply moved on tothe next community (Young pp). The SD movement triesto make the mining companies view the communities asplaces of long-term investment and ensure a health careand educational system, and that the local population hasa means for survival (Young pp). This holds true for allindustries that involve natural resources, whether oil,chemical, coal, etc. (Young pp). In 1998, nine of theworld’s largest mining companies initiated the GlobalMining Initiative and commissioned a comprehensivestudy of the sustainable development challenges facing themining industry (Young pp).For example, Papa New Guinea is a developing countrythat has extensive mining activity, and among the negativeconsequences this country has experienced are healthproblems resulting from overexposure to mercury, pollutionof fishing grounds, and the degradation of rivers and creeks(Young pp).The positive consequences include investments ininfrastructure, investments in local health and education,as well as improved attention to pollution controls (Youngpp).In “State of the World 2004 – Special Focus: theConsumer Society,” published by the WorldWatchInstitute, the authors give examples of how growingnumbers of universities, corporation, government agenciesand other institutions around the world are incorporatingenvironmentally friendly, so-called “green” concerns intotheir purchasing habits (Rutsch pp). This green purchasingpower can play a key role in supporting changes towardan environmentally sustainable world (Rutsch pp). Withrespect to sustainable energy consumption, people incountries like Norway and Japan enjoy a high standard ofliving while using less energy per person than the averageAmerican (Rutsch pp). The authors stress that governmentpolicies, including regulation, standards, subsidies andtaxes, are “critical for improvements in energy efficiencyand conservation” and for the sustained growth of “cleanerand greener” energy technologies (Rutsch pp). However,individual consumers can play a key role through their dailychoices “by creating demand for products and services thatare more energy-efficient and by influencing wider policydecisions” (Rutsch pp). It is due to extreme consumptionthat humanity and the earth have come to the edge of anenvironmental abyss, as the world’s finite resources arerapidly being depleted and degraded, and although the use ofresources and generations of pollution and wastes continueto grow, there is still a chance to control consumptionattitudes with coalitions at the government, business, andconsumer levels (Rutsch pp).School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Globalization and Energy Demands in the 21st Century83In the face of these environmental dangers, many believethat new regulations should be enacted both locally andglobally (Marber pp). Increased environmental awarenessamong wealthier nations may lead to domestic policies thatwill raise costs to businesses and consumers, which in turncould curb economic expansion (Marber pp). Peter Marber,in his article, ‘Globalization and its Contents,” publishedin World Policy Journal, says that one step in the rightdirection would be increased public spending on alternativeand renewable energy sources in the wealthier countries(Marber pp). The world is clearly under-powered, and theneed for diversified energy is growing every day, thereforethe benefits of a burgeoning alternative energy sector couldbe “multiplicative” (Marber pp).Marber states:First, it might spur new economic growth areas foremployment in rich countries, supplying them withpotential technologies for export while reducing theirreliance on foreign oil. Second, it might encouragedeveloping countries that are over-reliant on oilexports to develop and modernize their economies andsocieties.Third, it would allow developing countries to buildtheir infrastructures with a more diversified, sustainableenergy approach than the first wave of industrializingcountries (Marber pp).Globalization and its major engines of burgeoninghuman capital, freer markets, and increasing cross-borderinteraction, have created a New World order that has incitedpassionate debate, pro and con (Marber pp). Marber pointsout that even with its positive trends, globalization is nota perfect process, and is not a panacea for every problemfor every person at every moment in time (Marber pp). Inreality, it is a messy, complicated web of interdependentrelationships, some long-term, and some fleeting (Marberpp)In May 2005, Saudi Oil Minister, Ali Naimi, spokebefore the World Affairs Council of Northern Californiaand Council on Foreign Relations, stating that he believeglobalization held the promise of a better way of life forthe world’s population, but realized that it will not be easy(Naimi pp). The world will be faced with tradeoffs inan effort to balance economic growth, quality of life, theenvironment, culture and tradition (Naimi pp). In promisingthe benefits of globalization, it is important to understandthe essential role of energy, for economic activity requiresenergy to produce goods, move them to markets and sellthem to consumers (Naimi pp). Moreover, energy providesthe world with many of the conveniences of modern life,Thorp A. R. - Globalization and Energy Demands in the 21st Centuryand without energy, economic progress is not possible(Naimi pp).Due to globalization, the world’s demand for energy willonly continue to grow, and given the state of technology,there are currently no viable substitutes for oil, especiallyin the transportation sector where oil accounts for ninetyfivepercent of the energy consumed globally (Naimi pp).Therefore, it is almost certain that oil will remain the fuelof choice in transportation, both from the standpoints ofeconomics and ease of use, for at least the next thirty years(Naimi pp). Although there are alternative technologies,such as fuel cells and battery-powered vehicles, that holdpromise for the future, in reality, none are currently closeto being commercially competitive with gasoline and dieselpowered vehicles based on the internal combustion engine(Naimi pp). However, some new fuel-saving technologies,like hybrid vehicles, are commercial today and arebecoming increasingly competitive in the market place, anddemonstrate how technological advances can enable theworld to more efficiently utilize oil recourses and minimizethe impact on the environment (Naimi pp).In this era of globalization, oil has become a financialinvestment asset, similar to currencies, equities and bonds(Naimi pp). Oil futures and over-the-counter markets arenow attracting huge sums of money from hedge fundsand institutional investors seeking to maximize returns(Naimi pp). These investment decisions are not necessarilybased on prevailing market fundamentals, but rather onexpected returns relative to alternative investments (Naimipp). Thus, it is more difficult to stabilize markets due tothe massive funds involved (Naimi pp). Globalizationwill expand the world’s economy when in turn will createan unprecedented demand for additional oil (Naimi pp).While demand growth is expected to be large, Naimibelieves the remaining oil resources are significant, and thattechnological innovations will provide the key to achievingbalance markets by improving the efficiency of producingand consuming oil (Naimi pp). Although both producersand consumers benefit from stable and predictable prices, hecautions to be mindful that oil’s new role as an investmentasset and the lack of market transparency complicate thetask of achieving stability (Naimi pp).As globalization continues, free markets will ensure thatinvestment capital and fossil fuels are distributed efficiently,however, the future could involve more regulation andconfrontation (Globalization pp). In other words, ratherthan free markets, anxious governments will decide howcapital and energy supplies are apportioned, “who getshow much access to the coveted resource rich areas will
84 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011be affected by geopolitical competition or even conflict”(Globalization pp). Thus, rather than globalization, thiswould be “deglobalizaiton” (Globalization pp).Massive industrialization in Asia and the continued highindustrial output of advance economies pose major globalenvironmental concerns (Laducina pp). Energy demandsare only going to skyrocket as populations and industrialoutputs continue to grow (Laducina pp). Although provenoil reserves will likely satisfy demand for the next severaldecades, the largest reserves are in the Middle Eastand Central Asia, where chronic political instability tillcontinually threaten supply (Laducina pp). Europe and theUnited States are such large consumers of natural gas thatdomestic reserves are dwindling and utility prices are rising(Laducina pp). China and India combined will accountfor two-thirds of global demand for coal through 2030,and China alone is already the world’s second largest oilimporter (Laducina pp). As key resource dwindle, pricesrise, and supply shrinks, competition for these resource willgrow intense, with conflicts over water and oil the mostlikely (Laducina pp). As energy costs and environmentalconcerns grow however, alternative sources will becomeprice competitive, just as solar power is on Long Island,New York, and wind power is in Minnesota and elsewhere(Laducina pp).Developing countries entering the marketplace not onlyneed more energy to produce and move their products,but they expect the same the same perks, such as modernappliances, etc., as Western societies, and that meansincreased energy consumption and increased energydemand. The genie is out of the bottle. Globalization is amatter of fact, and no one seems to have any quick fixes oreven a viable prognosis concerning the inevitable dilemmathe world faces as natural resources are depleted amid acontinuing and increasing demand for more and moreenergy. It appears globalization is a “catch 22.”References“Globalization and Energy Supply: Strategic Risk inthe 21st Century.” A Deloitte Research Viewpoint.May 2004. http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/research/0,1015,sid%253D1009%2526cid%253D50472,00.htmlHarris, Martha Caldwell. “The Globalizationof Energy Markets.” http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:GwIxkr0pEwYJ:www.ndu.edu/inss/books/Books_2001/Global%2520Century%2520-%2520June%25202001/C12Harri.pdf+globalization+and+the+demand+for+energy&hl=enHerberg, Mikkal E. “Consequences of a GrowingChina.” Congressional Testimony. 6/7/2005.eLibrary. (accessed June 17 2005).Laducina, Paul A. “Managing global risk toseize competitive advantage.(analysis of riskmanagement).” Ivey Business Journal Online.3/1/2005. eLibrary. (accessed June 17 2005),Marber, Peter. “Globalization and its contents.” WorldPolicy Journal. 12/22/2004. eLibrary. (accessedJune 17 2005).Naimi, Ali. “Globalization and The Future of the OilMarket.” Middle East Economic Survey: VOL.XLVIII No 22 May 30 2005. (accessed June 172005). http://www.mees.com/postedarticles/oped/v48n22-5OD01.htmRutsch, Horst. “State of the World 2004; SpecialFocus: The Consumer Society.” UN Chronicle.12/1/2004. eLibrary. (accessed June 17 2005).“The US National Intelligence Council on thechanging geopolitical landscape.” Populationand Development Review. 3/1/2005. eLibrary.(accessed June 17 2005).Young, Scott T. “Leading environmental change: thecase of the global mining industry.” Review ofBusiness. 1/1/2005. eLibrary. (accessed June 172005).School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism85Overview and Analysis on Cyber TerrorismSteve Saint-ClaireMSc and candidate to PhD in Computing Technology by the Department of Engineeringand Technology of the School of Doctoral Studies of the EUEmail: s.saintclaire@det.sds.<strong>eu</strong>AbstractThere are many forms of terrorism on the Internet. Some are not dangerous enough to be deemed a simple spread of informationinstead of terrorism. They are simple show of skill and are harmless. Acts of cyber-crimes may involve stealing of money, companysecrets, or attacking country’s infrastructure and causing real damage. Cyber terrorism is an impending threat to the United States, orany other technologically advanced country. Even nations with more primitive technology can be negatively affected by the “rippleeffect”. With the excess of technology increasing at a tremendous rate, the threat of cyber terrorism will only get worse. This articleprovides analysis on definition, methodologies, participants and different forms of protection against cyber terrorism. Keywords: CyberTerrorism.It has been called "information war” or "cyber terrorism"the capability to let loose terror and destruction with a fewwell-aimed clicks on a computer keyboard. Although it is anunusual and a potentially lethal subject, the public does notknow very much about it. However, experts in and aroundthe country, to the top level of the federal government, aretaking it seriously.The FBI defines terrorism as the unlawful use of forceor violence against persons or property to intimidateor coerce a government, the civilian population, or anysegment thereof, in furtherance of political or socialobjectives. Cyber-terrorism can be the use of computingassets to threaten or force others. An example of cyberterrorismcould be hacking into a hospital computer systemand changing someone's medicine prescription to a lethaldosage as an act of revenge. It sounds far fetched, but thesethings can and do happen. Cyber terrorism has also beendefined as “the use of computing resources against personsor property to intimidate or coerce a government, thecivilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtheranceof political or social objectives.” 1 .Cyber TerrorismThere are many forms of terrorism on the Internet. Someare not dangerous enough to be deemed a simple spread ofinformation instead of terrorism. They are simple show ofskill and are harmless. Acts of cyber-crimes may involvestealing of money, company secrets, or attacking country’sinfrastructure and causing real damage.In mid 1990’s Zapatista guerrillas used the Internet torally international pressure on the Mexican governmentto end its assaults against them. They used the Internetto extend rumors of rebel victories. In other words, theyaccomplished more with a laptop and an Internet connectionthan they could with 12000 armed troops.Historically, American society has been faced with avariety of threats: racial tension, depression, segregation,terrorism, and computer glitches to name a few. Thoughmany can now be considered “history,” these threats havefrequently received extensive public and media attention.On the other hand, the appearance of the “computer age” hasproduced a mutation of an already well-known and muchfeared threat, Cyber terrorism. Unluckily, this new menacehas not fully gained the attention of a more informed andeducated public.A difference should also be made between terroristswho make use of available technology, and the pure "cyberterrorist."Traditional terrorists may increase their arsenal ofmore conservative methods, such as bombings, hijackings,and murders, with new methods such as computer viruses,Radio Frequency Weapons, , and "denial of service"attacks. However, the pure cyber-terrorist may also exist.This variety of terrorist may do without the conventionalapproach of terrorism, instead exploiting computertechnology to put into effect demands, gain ransoms, orgenerally cause destruction upon the world population.additionally, the cyber-terrorist can achieve these objectiveswithout exposing himself to actual harm. Although the purecyber-terrorist has not appeared in the news yet, currentSaint-Claire S. - Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism
86 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011hacker and denial of service attacks may provide a peek asto what the pure cyber-terrorist can accomplish.The largest threat associated with cyber terrorism andthe biggest advantage to the pure cyber-terrorist) is the"detached" sort of attacks. Borders are not crossed, bombsare not smuggled and placed, hostages are not captured,and terrorists do not surrender their lives. Openly stated,"tomorrow’s terrorist may be able to do more with akeyboard than with a bomb."Cyber terrorism is an impending threat to the UnitedStates, or any other technologically advanced country.Even nations with more primitive technology can benegatively affected by the “ripple effect”. With the excessof technology increasing at an tremendous rate, the threatof cyber terrorism will only get worse.Examples of Cyber-TerrorismBy using the Internet, the terrorist can influence muchwider harm or change to a country than one could by killingsome people. From immobilizing a countries militarydefense to shutting off the power in a large area, the terroristcan have an effect on more people at less danger to him orherself, than through other means.Cyber terrorism takes many forms; following are someexamples of cyber-terrorism in its many forms:1. Cyber-terrorists often commit acts of terrorism purelyfor private gain. Such a group, known as the ChaosComputer Club, was exposed in 1997. They had formedan Active X Control for the account. Without difficulty,this could be used to steal money from users all over theworld that have the Quicken software installed on theircomputer. This type of file is only one of thousands oftypes of viruses that can do everything from simplyannoy users, to disable large networks, which can havedisastrous, even life and death, results.2. Cyber-terrorist is interested in gaining publicity inany probable way. For example, information warfareprocedures like Trojan horse viruses and networkworms are repeatedly used to not only do harm tocomputing resources, but also as a way for the designerof the viruses to "brag." This is a serious moral issuebecause many people are affected by these cases. Theviruses can use system resources until networks becomeineffective, costing companies lots of time and money.In addition, depending on the type of work done onthe affected computers, the damage to the recipients ofthat work could be lethal; it could have unpredictableeffects that could have dreadful consequences.3. In one of its more remarkable forms, cyber-terrorismcan be used for a murder. In one case, a mafia boss wasshot but survived the shooting. That night while he wasin the hospital, the assassins hacked into the hospitalcomputer and altered his medicine so that he would begiven a lethal injection. He died a few hours later. Thenthey changed the prescription order back to its accurateform, after it had been incorrectly dispensed, to covertheir tracks so that the nurse would be blamed for the"accident".4. Terrorism can also come in the shape of misinformation.Terrorists can repeatedly say what they please withoutfear of retaliation from authorities or of answerabilityfor what they say. The rumor that a group of peoplewas stealing people's kidneys for sale was spread viathe Internet. The report unnerved thousands of people.5. Small strikes come in the form of "data diddling",where information in the computer is distorted. Thismay involve altering medical or financial account orstealing of passwords. Hackers may even prevent userswho should have access from gaining access to themachine help because the computer would not allowthe necessary access for the doctor to save his or herlife.Cyber-Terrorist Weapons, Methods, andTechniquesCyber terrorism flourishes on the development of newtechnologies. Although often developed for some othernon-threatening purpose, new technological developmentsgrant terrorists and cyber-terrorists with new weapons fortheir arsenal. The Internet may also aid in the distribution oftechnical data related to these new technologies.Additionally, quite a few grave dangers are presentedby many of these new weapons, they may allow the userto attack from a great distance; Moreover, as the mosttechnologically reliant advanced nation, the United Statesis the must vulnerable nation on earth to cyber-attack.WormsRecently, the invention of an unprecedented numberof prolific worms, (e.g. Code Red, Ramen, Lion) some ofwhich are suspected of having been created in response topolitical events. The weaknesses worms utilize, are usuallywell known to system administrators and able to beremedied, but often go un-patched on enough systemsto cause major problems in the information infrastructure.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism87A worm similar to Code Red could do much more severeharm with only minor design modifications. This analysispoints to the conclusion that if maximum destruction isa hostile challenger’s goal, worms are a cost effectiveway to extensively disrupt the United States Nationalinformation Infrastructure.The terms virus and worm are regularly usedsynonymously to describe malevolent, autonomouscomputer programs. Most current computer viruses are infact worms. The worm epidemic of recent months, enabledby a common buffer overflow exploit, demonstrate thisexperience. Buffer overflows allow attackers to hijacklegal computer programs for illegal purposes, and they wereonce the dominion of only the most selected programmers.In the past five years, however, buffer overflow attackshave become increasingly accepted, and they are now thefavorite among hackers of all skill levels. In June 2001,a computer security company identified a weakness ina popular web server program that could lead to a bufferoverflow exploit. 2 The company published a benign exploitto reveal its point, but within days of the initial report amalicious program exploiting the identified weakness wasmaking the rounds in the hacker world.Unauthorized IntrusionsUnauthorized computer infringement and the loss ofsensitive information are of great alarm to businessesand governments alike. Although there was a time whenintrusions were limited to curious hackers, organizedcrime and other organized groups eventually realized theprofit of collecting poorly protected electronic informationfor financial or other gain. In March 2001, the NIPC issued awarning that organized crime had made noteworthy inroadsin cyberspace. 3 A series of intrusions, collectively knownas Moonlight Maze, in U.S. Government systems over aperiod of several years may have instigated in Russia. Thefirst attacks were detected in March 1998 and, in thecourse of this continued assault, hundreds of unclassifiednetworks used by the Pentagon, the Department ofEnergy, NASA, as well as a range of defense contractors,were compromised. While authorities insist that noclassified systems were violated, it is acknowledgedthat vast quantities of technical defense research wereillegally downloaded.Domain Name Service (DNS) AttacksComputers connected to the Internet communicatewith one another using numerical IP addresses. Domainname servers (DNS) are the .Yellow Pages. that computersconsult in order to obtain the mapping between the nameof a system (or website) and the numerical address of thatsystem. If the DNS server supply an erroneous numericaladdress for the web site, the user’s system would connectto the incorrect server. Making matters worse, this fakeconnection would likely be completed without arousingthe user’s doubt. The result would be that the user isoffered a web page that he believes is on the desired webserver but, in reality, is on the attacker’s server. An attackercould distribute fake information with a triumphant attackon a select DNS server (or group of servers), bypassingthe need to break into the actual web servers themselves.Moreover, a DNS attack would prevent access to theoriginal web site, depriving the site of traffic.Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) AttacksDistributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks havealso evolved over time. DDoS attacks utilize armies of.zombie machines taken over and controlled by a singlemaster to overpower the resources of victims withfloods of packets. These attacks are best known in thecontext of the high-profile attacks of February 2000,where popular e-commerce web sites were shut downby simultaneous attacks. Since then, the reputation ofhigh-speed home Internet access has increased, and thecommanders of DDoS zombie armies are taking advantageof this popularity. Preying on the careless security of theaverage home computer user, attackers have found waysto plant malicious programs to give themselves remotecontrol of home computers. Many of these machines arenow unwitting participants in DDoS attacks. 4The Potential “Players” in the World ofCyber-TerrorismCyber terrorism has the ability to modify the face ofmodern terrorism, as we know it. For the most part, terroristorganizations inhabit isolated areas of the world, onlyventuring out when the time is right to strike.Because of this lifestyle, terrorist groups are restrictedin the means through which they may broadcast theirmessages and ideals to the world audience. Usually, the mostsuccessful way to get press is to terrorize or actually carryout an act of terrorism. However, this requires the terroriststo expose themselves. It does not require the expertise of aSaint-Claire S. - Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism
88 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011rocket scientist to realize the inherent danger in this methodof operation. The ability to transmit an unlimited amountof information from the comfort of your own tent, cave,bunker, or palace. One could even electronically organizeplans or carry out acts of terrorism with little more than acomputer and an Internet connection.In age of the information upheaval, terrorist organizations,which usually have no admission to television or radiocommunications, can easily broadcast their messages toentire world via the Internet. In fact, many of the majorterrorist groups either maintain their own website, or havesites dedicated to them. Aum Shinrikyo, the group whoorchestrated the gas bombing on Tokyo subways, operatesits own site.. Hizzballah, has a site detailing its mission.These sites allow terrorist organizations to contact eventualtarget audience- the worldwide population.Dangerous prospective lie in wait, in the capabilityof terrorists to access and exploit a worldwide soapbox.theoretically speaking, even if only two out of every 200persons who visit a site are influenced by the messages, thisnumber can rapidly grow into thousands as more personsaround the world use the Internet as a source of information.The not-so-hypothetical pure cyber-terrorist may alsouse the Internet as the only means for carry out terroristattacks against civic utilities, national governments, or aassortment of other targets.It is clear that terrorist organizations are starting to usethe "information superhighway." It is almost definite thatterrorist organization will go on to migrate to the Internet atan ever-increasing rate.Terrorist GroupsIt is uncertain whether Osama bin Laden's internationalAl Qaeda organization or other terrorist groups havedeveloped cyber warfare means, or how widespreadthese capabilities may be. To date, few terrorist groups hav<strong>eu</strong>sed cyber attacks as a weapon.However, terrorists are known to be extensively usinginformation technology and the Internet to devise plans,raise funds, spread misinformation, and communicatesecurely. 5 For instance, the convicted terrorist, RamziYousef, who was accountable for planning the first WorldTrade Center bombing in 1993, had details of futureterrorist plots (including the planned bombing of 12airliners in the Pacific) stored on encrypted files on hislaptop computer. At the same time, the September 11, 2001attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and earlierterrorist targets, such as the British security forces detectionthat the Irish Republican Army (IRA) planned to destroypower stations around London, reveal an increasing wishby terrorist groups to attack critical infrastructure targets.The World Trade Center attacks not only took lives andproperty but also closed markets and ruined an importantpart of the financial information infrastructure in New YorkCity. Thus, trends seem clearly to point to the possibility ofterrorists using information technology as a weapon againstcritical infrastructure targets.Terrorist Sympathizers and Anti-U.S. HackersIf historical drift continue, attacks by those sympatheticto the terrorist group(s) responsible for the September 11,2001 attacks on the United States and those with generalanti-U.S. and anti-allied sentiments are more likely thanattacks by the terrorists themselves or by nation-states. Ifthe American campaign against terrorism is perceived as acrusade.Thrill SeekersAny conflict that plays out in cyberspace will invariablyattract a huge number of hackers who merely want togain notoriety through high profile attacks. This groupof attackers may not be driven by political or ideologicalzeal, but simply the desire to attain bragging rights abouttheir exploits.White Supremist and Hate GroupsThe cost of right-wing extremism on the Internetshould be of concern to all. Online, racists, anti-Semites,and anti-government extremists can contact a much largeraudience than ever before. Anyone using the Internet mayinvoluntarily be bared to hate on the web.While estimatingthe affect of extremist material on the vast populationof Internet users presents huge problems, significantinformation does exist about a small subset of this group:right-wing extremists. In the Internet age, these extremistscan communicate with thousands of their compatriots withthe click of a mouse. The Internet has offered the far-rightfringe with formerly inconceivable opportunities.When uninformed or easily influenced people –particularly children – come across hate propaganda, theycan fall victim to its misleading logic and adopt hatefulbeliefs themselves, occasionally going so far as to act onwhat they have read.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism89No reliable capacity has been taken of the number ofInternet users who find and read hateful material online.Nor can one safely simplify about the ways in which thismaterial affects the viewpoint and actions of those whoread it. Extremist readers can learn about marketing frauds,or discover how to use "paper terrorism" techniques such asfiling specious liens.Bomb MakingDirections for making bombs and other terrorist toolsare readily available online to all types of extremists, andmany white supremacist Web sites have either postedbomb-making instructions or linked to such material.“In 1999, British neo-Nazi David Copeland planted nailbombs in a Black neighborhood, an Indian area, anda gay pub in London, killing three and injuring morethan a hundred. Copeland later wrote, "I bombed theblacks, Paki’s [sic], [and] Degenerates," and he boasted,"I would of [sic] bombed the Jews as well if I got achance." A court handed Copeland six life sentences forhis crimes. He had learned how to build his bombs byvisiting a cyber cafe, where he downloaded The TerroristHandbook and How to Make Bombs: Book Two from theInternet."Explosives are very effective in our cause," writes"Death Dealer," the anonymous creator of the racistskinhead site Better than Auschwitz. "They should bedeployed more." Better than Auschwitz includes pictures ofbombing victims and detailed bomb making instructions.” 6Directions for Weapons UseA "Nigger Baiting Made Easy" section explains "thevarious methods of selecting muds and queers, and gettingthem to fight, or throw the first punch." Such materialresembles the instructions White Aryan Resistance gavethe skinheads of East Side White Pride before their violentrampage in Portland.Supplying Hit ListsOnline, radicals may find direction not only on howto attack, but also who to attack. Anti-government sitesoften post information about judges, law enforcementofficers, and other government officials. next to graphicsdripping with blood and links to sites calling the murderof abortion providers "justifiable," the Nuremberg FilesWeb site supplies detailed personal information aboutdoctors who supposedly provide abortions, including theirsocial security numbers, license plate numbers, and homeaddresses. The list of doctors reads like a list of objects forkilling.Freedom of Speech and Censoring the NetToday, the Internet is susceptible to attack. The attacksare hard to avert and react to, and thee person responsibleoften go unidentified. The Internet can be abused andmisrepresented, to the loss of all legitimate users and only tothe benefit of those with malicious intent. Without steps tomake the Internet a safer and more consistent atmosphere,the operation of our critical Infrastructures will remain atrisk.Governments are appreciating the need to protect theirinformation and critical infrastructures in reply to thesethreats and are responding consequently. Some governmentsdistinguish that it is not adequate to address only thelocal or national aspects of safeguarding information andcritical infrastructures. Because attacks against the Internettypically do not require the attacker to actually be presentat the site of the attack, the risk of being recognized isdrastically reduced.Besides the technological challenges this presents, thelegal issues involved in tracking and prosecuting intrudersadds a layer of difficulty as they cross multiple geographicaland legal boundaries. An effective answer can only come inthe form of international collaboration.In the United States, for example, Presidential DecisionDirective 63 (a white paper on critical infrastructureprotection) states, "Addressing these vulnerabilities willnecessarily require flexible, evolutionary approachesthat span both the public and private sectors, and protectboth domestic and international security.... The FederalGovernment shall encourage international cooperation tohelp manage this increasingly global problem."In the area of law enforcement, the Internet constitutes anew patrol area in many respects. Unlike jurisdictions basedon national and political borders, the digital informationinfrastructure does not have a central location in thephysical world. So not only is take action to attacks trickytechnically but also many of the established methods forpracticing law enforcement are ineffective. Trying to tacklethe problems in one group without input and feedback fromthe others is likely to result in defective or partial solutions.U.S. government legislation (the Digital Millennium Act)ensuing from the World Intellectual Property OrganizationSaint-Claire S. - Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism
90 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011(WIPO) treaty resulted in a bout of panic throughout theInternet security community. Practitioners, researchers,software vendors, and incident response teams realizedthat aspects of their work that address security flaws toreduce risk to our critical infrastructures might becomeillegal under the proposed legislation. This was clearly notthe original intent of the treaty or the resulting legislation.This is just one example of the pressing need for continuingcommunication among policymakers, technologists, andothers to make certain that future policies and settlement ona national and international scale are realistic and effective.Information exchange and interaction among manyparties is paramount to producing complete and practicalapproaches and solutions to the complex problems faced.Simply bringing parties together is not enough.Present DifficultiesMany network protocols that now form part of theinformation communications were designed withoutcomputer security in mind. Without a secure infrastructure,it is difficult to avoid security troubles and settle computersecurity occurrences. The combination of fast changingtechnology, rapidly increasing use, and new, oftenunimagined uses of the information infrastructure gives riseto a unpredictable situation in which the nature of coercionand vulnerabilities is difficult to appraise and even moredifficult to predict.It is cheap (the cost of a personal computer and Internetaccess), speedy (less than a minute), straightforward (usingfreely available intruder tools) for anyone to initiate attacksagainst critical information infrastructures. Conversely,it is costly (international effort and funding), long-term(research, development, and deployment), and intricate(technically and politically) to take the steps needed toharden the information infrastructure to make it lessvulnerable to attack, and to facilitate in responding moreeffectively and efficiently when attacks do happen.In general, incident response and computer securityteams consist of professionals and technologists who havea wealth of operational experience but lack authority tomake policy and security judgment in their organizations.They also may have limited funding and lack professionalrecognition.American Socity and Cyber TerrorismIn the last 50 years, the world has entered the informationage when it comes to the way live, the way we work andthe way we play. Today, information and technologyvirtually rules our lives. Some people would dispute thatour society depends excessively much on technology andthat has become our weakness. Never before could a smalland fanatical group of people with malevolent objectivesand the right knowledge cause so much harm to a large andhence vulnerable entity such as a country government.Currently there are no perfect ways to protect a system.The completely secure system can never be accessed byanyone. Most of the militaries classified information iskept on machines with no outside connection, as a form ofprevention of cyber terrorism. Apart from such separation,the most widespread method of protection is encryption. Theprevalent use of encryption is inhibited by the governmentsban on its exportation, so intercontinental communication isleft relatively insecure. The Clinton administration and theFBI oppose the export of encryption in favor of a systemwhereby the government can gain the key to an encryptedsystem after gaining a court order to do so. The directorof the FBI's stance is that the Internet was not intended togo un-policed and that the police need to protect people'sprivacy and public-safety rights there. Encryption's drawback is that it does not protect the entire system, an attackdesigned to cripple the whole system, such as a virus, isunaffected by encryption.Others promote the use of firewalls to monitor allcommunications to a system, including e-mail messages,which may carry logic bombs. Firewall is a relativelycommon term for methods of filtering access to a network.They may come in the form of a computer, router othercommunications device or in the form of a networkconfiguration. Firewalls assist to define the services andaccess that are permitted to each user. One method is toscreen user requirements to check if they come from apreviously defined domain or Internet Protocol (IP) address.Another method is to prohibit Telnet access into the system.Moral ConcernsThe ethical concerns involved in cyber-terrorism arediverse. Any sort of crime or ethical violation can occurusing a computer. Extortion of banks takes money fromthe banks, as well as their customers. The bank's, on theother hand, which many times decline to admit to theirinsufficient resistance violate the public trust that the bankwill be secure. The unlawful changing medical records isunethical, as it can quickly and easily cause harm to another.Spreading disinformation is unethical in its lack of regardfor the truth, as well as for the safety of and cost on othersSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism91who believe the misinformation. changing, damaging,or stealing others data is a violation of their privacy. Theordinary hacker is guilty of lack of regard for the privacyof the peoples systems that he or she would enter. Hackingfor-hireis additionally illicit because they openly sell theirservices to break into others systems.Just as the real world terrorist acts have forced oursociety to become more watchful at airports, public placesand such, cyber terrorism has enforced business andindividuals to change the way they work and communicatewith each other.The effects of cyber terrorism are very much felt intoday’s society. Because these attacks can be seen notonly in foreign far-away countries but also in our own"backyards" (places where we do business, our jobs, ourhomes), there is a sense of anxiety and concern created.Rather than seeing computers and the Internet as th<strong>eu</strong>nrealistic safe resource/ communication/ business tool itwas created to be, it has grown to be an effective tool, whichwe need but against which we must also guard ourselves.Out of this insecurity, society has built up a mechanism tohelp deal and protect us from this reality. In the last tenyears, we have seen innumerable books, articles, movies,headlines, investigative reports, and even whole sectorsof the computing industry based on the anxiety & fear ofthe undesirable and unfamiliar. The effects are so deep thatnow words such as "computer virus" and "hacker" are nowa common part of the English language.Apart from the emotional and psychological cost tosociety, there is the economical effect. There have therehave been reported instances where either individuals orinstitutions have paid millions of dollars to cyber-terroristas ransom for threats made against them. Take for examplethe following statistics out of Great Britain."According to a source in Great Britain, terrorists havegained at least up to 400 million pounds from 1993 to1995 by threatening institutions. Over the three years,there were 40 reported threats made to banks in the U.S.and Britain. In January of 1993, three separate incidentstook place in London. During the sixth, a brokeragehouse paid out 10 million pounds after receiving a threatand one of their machines crashed. On the fourteenthincident, a blue-chip bank paid blackmailers 12.5 millionpounds after receiving threats. Another brokeragehouse paid out 10 million pounds on the twenty-ninthincident…A Russian hacker, for example, tapped intoCitibank's funds transfer system and took $10 million." 7Just alone from the occurrences mentioned in the aboveexample, £42.5 million was paid out in only four out ofthe 40 reported cases. What about the other 36 cases? Howabout the unreported cases? How much was paid out forthem? As you can deduce, the actual amount paid duringthat period for all CT cyber terrorism attacks could verywell double or even triple the figure mentioned and thesestatistics are only from two countries. Think of what theamount can be worldwide.Again, the effects are deeper then what one thinks. Justas the cost of a petty crime such as shoplifting eventuallyis pass on to the customer, so is the cost of cyber terrorism.The cost of replacing the lost funds, money spent inimplementing a more secure environment, loss of revenuedue to a smaller market share resulting from negative press,and other expenses are transferred over to the customerbased in the form of higher fees for services and products.If the loss is significant enough, a company can fail and theeffects are even greater due to the loss of jobs and similarconsequences. If you are still not convinced, consider theeffects of the opening scenario. What would happen if youlost e-mail for a day? How about not being able to makea phone call? Combine an Internet disabling attack witha strike against any of the nation’s infrastructure systems(e.g. telephone, energy, transportation, etc.) and the resultsare devastating. When attacks reach this level of magnitudethey can be classified as cyber-warfare. 8How to Protect OurselvesUsually, there are several ways to protect ourselves. First,people must consider that cyber terrorism is valid and notonly meant for government and large Corporations. Evenif they were likely to be bigger targets for the malicioushackers, they are not the only targets. the next step is toprotect your site with the range of apparatus available inthe market place. If we take this a step further, one shouldlearn to be proactive in protecting one’s network. It makeslife much straightforward when trying to prevent an attackfrom taking place as opposed to finding an attack, study thedamage, and then prevent it from happening again. Beingproactive requires a necessary step in Information security,training.Finally, once a security system and policy is in place,the next step is caution. Among the objects that involvevigilance are the review of daily logs, performance ofsoftware updates, analysis of the latest hacker attacks andtools, & periodic revision of the security systems.Saint-Claire S. - Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism
92 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011In his article "Cyber terrorism, information warfare,and attacks being launched now and in the future in theheartland of America" 9 , Dave Pettinari lists the followinglist of to help guide us in protecting our networks:• A security model that separates information in threecategories: critical, sensitive, and public domain; withappropriate hardware/software security for each level.• Strong passwords.• Physical protection of good hardware and protectedcabling.• Firewalls between the network and outside.• A good security policy with employees trained toappreciate its finer points.• Audit trails for logins, operation of files, and successful/unsuccessful accesses (lots of attacks come fromwithin).• An intrusion detection system to identify harmful ormalicious activity.• Encryption to prevention interception of vitalinformation.• Workstations without disk drives and control/accountability of floppy disks to prevent evaporation ofextremely sensitive information.• Dial-up and Internet-access restrictions (For example,three attempts to get into our system and you are lockedout prevents war dialing programs from hammeringtheir way in).• Background checks on personnel.• Technical training and security awareness for all staff.If this list is examined more thoroughly one willnotice that it displays many of the best procedures that aninformation security specialist should follow.Actions of the US Government to FightCyber TerrorismTechnologically advanced USA cannot deter cyberattacks. In fact, it could be said it makes an striking target.During the latest Yugoslavia conflict, Hackers with ChineseInternet addresses launched coordinated cyber attacksagainst the United States and allied forces.US have created its own cyber warriors to use inoffensive cyber attacks against Serbian computers andcommand and control systems. One can be certain thatsoon enough military will embrace information warfareas an effective way to combat an enemy wreaking seriousdamage to enemy infrastructure, without large expenses inwar machinery and human lives.The chance of a small group attacking the US governmentelectronically is much bigger than the chance of an entirenation attacking US. US have already taken steps inorder to prevent cyber crimes. This legislation plans topersuade businesses and government agencies to exchangeinformation with the law enforcement agencies aboutsecurity breaches. A more controversial legislation wouldpermit US law enforcement agencies to read electronicallyencrypted mail and messages, under the same situationsthat they are allowed to tap phones. The private sector hasalso started to protect itself by forming organizations likeComputer Emergency Response Team or CERT, whichdeals with system security incident response.The US government has also taken more sweeping stepsin preparing for cyber war. The National Security Agencyhired its own hackers who managed to get root level accessto 36 Department of Defense networks. This demonstratesthat the US definitely is susceptible to cyber terrorism.Finding answers to cyber-security weakness and attackshas been historically reactive. Attacks happen, analysisprepared and a patch provided, if possible. Individualattacks cannot continue to be solved on a case-by-casebasis, and ignore the larger problem. A superior tactic is toapply practices and policies that develop the protection ofour networks by upsetting a higher percentage of attacks.In other words, becoming more proactive in our attitude tocyber-security. By encouraging practices currently in placefor more security-focused companies and tailoring them forother sectors,. Many companies, especially medium-sizedand smaller firms are susceptible and looking for supportin determining what security practices can help them betterprotect their systems.Private and Public CooperationThe safety and survivability of the Internet depends onthe cooperation between the private and public sectors.Congress should encourage interaction between governmentand the private sector and should address problems such asexemption from FOIA and anti-trust barriers. In addition,Congress can set a great model for the private sector byescalating the security of all government systems, whichhistorically have been out-dated and not met minimalstandards for security.The Internet Security Alliance is able to act as a bridgebetween the private sector and public sector by promotingbest procedures and suitable data sharing mechanisms. TheInternet Security Alliance is also involved in the followingactivities:School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism93• Providing thought leadership on information securityissues.• Representing industry’s interest on information securityissues before legislators and regulators.• Creating mechanisms that cause rapid developmentand implementation of information security practices,policies and technologies• Identifying and standardizing best practices in Internetsecurity and network survivability• Creating a collaborative environment to develop andimplement information security solutions• Promoting universal sharing of information andintelligence on emerging threats/vulnerabilities/countermeasuresIndicationsCommonly information is conveyed to incident responseteams where there is not a specific victim or computersecurity incident but rather an indication that some activitymay be ongoing in some other part of the society. Thereis presently no customary way of sharing that information,even though occasionally this information is posted to ashared list of FIRST members. This is one of the main areasthat needs drastic improvement in the future in order tosuccessfully route cyber crime and terrorist indicators thatmay be revealed within the incident response community.New Technical ThreatsIn reply to heightened awareness of the potential forcyber-terrorism President Clinton, in 1996, created theCommission of Critical Infrastructure Protection. The boardfound that the combination of electricity, communicationsand computers are essential to the continued existence ofthe U.S., all of which can be threatened by cyber-warfare.The resources to launch a cyber attack are commonplacein the world; a computer and a connection to the Internetare all that is really needed to cause disorder. Adding tothe problem is that the public and private sectors arerather uninformed of just how much their lives depend oncomputers as well as the weaknesses of those computers.Another problem with cyber crime is that the crime mustbe solved, (i.e. who were the perpetrators and where werethey when they attacked you) before it can be determinedwho has the real power to investigate the crime. The boardrecommends that significant systems should be isolatedfrom outside connection or sheltered by sufficient firewalls,use best procedures for password control and protection,and use protected action logs.Nearly all other government organizations have alsoformed some type of group to deal with cyber-terrorists.The CIA created its own group, the Information WarfareCenter, staffed with 1,000 people and a 24-hour responseteam. The FBI inspects hackers and similar cases. TheSecret Service tracks banking, fraud and wiretapping cases.The Air Force created its own group, Electronic SecurityEngineering Teams, ESETs. Teams of two to three membersgo to random Air Force sites and try to gain control of theircomputers. The teams have had a achievement rate of 30%in gaining complete control of the systems.The sharing of rising technical threats is one of the bestsuccesses of late. Today, the FIRST organization sponsorstechnical forums on a intermittent basis to discuss recentprogress in technical threats and vulnerabilities. While thisis a important meeting for the incident response community,it is not open to other international experts to relate thetechnical trends to political or other worldwide trends.Difficulties in Tracking the IntrudersOne noteworthy difficulty with the tracking of maliciousactivity to its origin is that it requires the cooperation ofmany autonomous administrative domains operatinginternationally. This makes the creation of a universallyadequate technology solution unlikely (e.g., modification ofthe computer protocols and services to repeatedly identifythe point of origin). Consequently a rational approach totrack and trace today is the combination of technicallyexperienced personnel working with these domains to gaintheir cooperation willingly to trace back malicious activityto the actual threat behind the activity.With the size of information collected by the CERT/CC and other international response teams, it is likely thatthe network of these incident response teams will providethe best start to pursuing the activity of intruders and othermalicious cyber movement to establish the point of origin.Although this can never be a definite activity, puttingtogether all of the international data related to a maliciousactivity will provide the best cyber evidence of this point oforigin and perhaps help to differentiate between domesticand international threats.Saint-Claire S. - Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism
94 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011In addition to the information gathered by incidentresponse teams, the CERT/CC has a distinctive affiliationwith many of the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) andnetwork operation centers that facilitate the CERT/CC towork with both victims and transport providers to trackspecific activity to its immediate point of origin. Then withits reputation of impartiality, the CERT/CC.Now, as the world enters the Information Age, the nation'senemies may go after cyber targets. That is why the federalgovernment is in the initial stages of evaluating the nation'stelecommunications and information vulnerabilities,predicting that foes may look to strike Internet "networkaccess points" instead of submarines and missile silos.Government officials and members of the private sectormeet for the first time Friday to start locating vulnerabilitypoints to potential cyber or physical attacks. The study,which may take years to complete, aims to recommendways to eliminate those weak spots, create a systemfor identifying and preventing attacks, and prepare forattacks through training and education.This study stems from a presidential directive, signedin May that created a Critical Infrastructure AssuranceOffice. The office will oversee the development ofthe first national plan to protect the services thatthe country depends on daily. But so many of thoseservices – transportation, banking and finance, electricpower, emergency services and so on – are becomingincreasingly reliant on telecommunications andinformation components."It's kind of like a farmer who goes out after thewinter storm looking to see where the fences are downand where the herd can get out," said Larry Irving,head of the U.S. Commerce Department's NationalTelecommunications and Information Administration,which is overseeing the telecom study. "It is kind of likesurveying the situation. This is a new frontier for us.There is a new infrastructure out there. And we're muchmore dependent on this infrastructure than we've everbeen or ever expected to be."But Irving acknowledges that he needs the cooperation ofprivate industry in order to conduct a thorough analysisof the infrastructure of a variety of industries This studystems from a presidential directive, signed in May, whichcreated a Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office. Theoffice will oversee the development of the first nationalplan to protect the services that the country depends ondaily. But so many of those services – transportation,banking and finance, electric power, emergency servicesand so on – are becoming increasingly reliant ontelecommunications and information components.“While the meeting is open to the public, the results ofthe government study will not. In fact, in order to win theprivate sector's cooperation, government officials pledgethat they will not keep information on file or divulge it tothose who might exploit it."One of the things have to do is identify and remedy thesituation," Irving said. "On the other hand, we want tomake sure we're not putting information out there thatcould be used by terrorists or competitors. The last thingwe want to do is create that road map."The high-tech and telecommunications industrieshave recently been at odds with government on suchissues as the export of encryption technology, and lawsrequiring telephone carriers to modify their equipmentso law enforcement can carry out wiretaps over digitalswitches. But Irving said he is trying to foster the spiritof cooperation with industry in a comparable way tothe work being done to remedy the year 2000 computerproblem.” 9In addition, the private sector may not have much choice.U.S. policy-makers in the White House, on Capitol Hilland in national security roles say the threat of informationweapons – coming not only from terrorist operatives butalso from foreign governments – is a potential danger.The targeting of infrastructure facilities with widelyavailable cracking techniques could immobilize suchnetwork-connected services as electric power, banking andtelephone. The exposure of both government systems andthose in private industry has been underscored by the slewof attacks this year on everything from Pentagon computersto The New York Times' Web site.In an article posted by Elizabeth Wasserman in “TheIndustry Standard”, she observes 10“As the telecommunications structure is changingrapidly, Irving acknowledges that his agency's study willbe a snapshot in time. But it will alert both governmentand private industry to the need for building protectionsinto information and telecommunications systems. "Webuilt an entire system of sidewalks with no curb carveouts,"he said. "If you're building the protections in asyou go along, it's much easier."The bottom line is that our world is ruled by informationand by the people who manage it. In addition, no matterhow correct the hackers think they are, the governmentSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism95must protect itself and its citizens from future cyber attacks,whether they are harmless muscle flexing, or a full-fledgedattack by another country.Advantages and Disadvantages ofInternetThe similar advantages the Internet and superiortechnology bring to the public and to business -- speed,security and global linkage -- are helping internationalterrorist groups arrange their lethal and disorderly activities.Jay Lyman in his article “How Terrorists Use Internet”,writes: 10‘"The Internet and e-mail provide the perfect vehiclesfor these groups to communicate with each other, tospread their message, to raise money and to launch cyberattacks," defense director of intelligence for specialprojects Ben Venzke told NewsFactor Network.A recent report from U.S. officials indicates that terrorists'use of the Web for communication and coordinationthrough the use of encrypted messages is widespread,with numerous sites -- many of which are unaware of th<strong>eu</strong>se to which they are being put -- serving as conduits forterrorist conspiracies.Government and private Internet security firms aredoing their best to keep up with the terrorists, but thetask is made more difficult by advancing technologiesavailable to groups bent on targeting the U.S. and itscitizens, allies and businesses'.’Officials in both government and private sector agreethat terrorists such as Osama bin Laden and other extremistgroups heavily use the Web, including Middle East terrororganizations Hezbollah and Hamas.‘"Terrorists use the Web mostly for propaganda andfor information exchange," said Matthew Devost,founding director of the Terrorism Defense Center. "Ifyou move beyond the Web, terrorist organizations douse information technology as a very viable and securecommunication mechanism."‘Devost told NewsFactor that despite the Internet'sviability as an economic medium, it has proven somewhatinsecure for commercial transactions. He said the Webcould help facilitate attacks by terrorist groups on notonly the Internet economy, but on power, transportationand other systems that rely on information that is linkedto the Web. Terrorists are beginning to use the Web ininteresting ways, director of intelligence Jerry Freesetold NewsFactor. "There's really no limit to it," Freesesaid. "Anywhere you can send an e-mail with an audioor graphics file is fair game." Freese, whose securitycompany provides secure servers, intruder detection andsecurity audits, said terrorist cells around the world usethe Internet for scheduling, meeting and organizing. "Wesee the Web as a terrorism-assistance tool that allowsthem to do things in secrecy," he said, referring toencrypted messages. "The thing is, it can originate fromanywhere. The Web, of course, is ubiquitous."’‘Freese said steganography -- putting encryptedmessages in electronic files -- is widely used by terroristgroups. A recent government report indicated thatterrorists have been hiding pictures and maps of targetsin sports chat rooms, on pornographic bulletin boardsand on Web sites. Despite their ongoing efforts to crippleparts of the Web, disrupt infrastructure systems such aselectrical power or steal money and information fromgovernment and businesses, terrorists have a vestedinterest in keeping the Internet working. "It's a verygood tool for them," Freese told NewsFactor, "so theydon't want to disrupt the flow of the Web; rather, they' lltarget specific companies that are working with or aresympathetic to their enemies."’‘While law enforcement officials are aware of terrorists'use of the Internet, they cannot monitor Web sites for bothlogistical and legal reasons, according to spokespersonSteve Berry of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations'National Infrastructure Protection Center."Howeverrepugnant to our perception and to the general publicand law enforcement their Web site or use of it might be,that does not give us the authority to block them," Berrytold NewsFactor. "That's free speech. That's the countrywe live in." ‘Venzke, whose company tracks Web-basedthreats for Fortune 500 companies and government, saidlaw enforcement is also limited by national culture andgeography. The Web offers entry into any country fromanywhere, and with so many points linked together,terrorist activity is often impossible to track. "How doyou force an [Internet service provider] halfway aroundthe world, which may not be friendly to you to beginwith, to shut down a Web site?" Venzke asked.’The rapid advancement of technology makes it hard tofight terrorists, who, experts agree, are adept at using theInternet and other advanced technology. Bin Laden's alQaida and other terrorist groups have reportedly usedencryption programs available free on the Web, as wellmore powerful anti-spy software purchased on the openmarket.Saint-Claire S. - Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism
96 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011The Terrorism Research Center's Devost said that despitea number of valid efforts to combat terrorists, targetedcountries and businesses are not prepared."Most nations, and most companies, are not beingdiligent with regard to addressing information securityconcerns and fortifying their security posture," saidDevost."Right now, it's very hard to detect where these messagesare coming from and what their intent is," said Freese."Information exchange is a key issue here. We havemany repositories of information, but it is not shared.The government is trying to collate information fromprivate and government sources to coordinate defenses."Devost agrees, adding that despite increased efforts tokeep tabs on terrorists, vulnerabilities are on the rise."Governments are making great progress in understandingthe way these groups are utilizing technology," Devostsaid, "[but] while we are making progress, it is notenough."’Bob Sullivan in an artile posted on MSNBC writes: 12“Envisage, for instance, if the Internet suddenly stoppedworking. A hacker group told Congress it could do it inhalf an hour. On the other hand, if power to major citieswere interrupted. Government-hired hackers did thatin four days in 1997. Alternatively, if parts of the 911system were cut off. A Swedish hacker now in an asylummanaged briefly to cut off 911 services in Florida twoyears back. Such “nuisance” hacks on communicationsare less spectacular than the hijacking of a missile, butthey might be more valuable.“The psychological impacts of IW (information warfare)can’t be overstated,” said Frank Cilluffo, director ofthe Information Warfare Task Force at the Center forStrategic and International Studies. “Using it, terroristgroups can achieve what they cannot militarily.“We are the most technologically advanced country inthe world, which means we have the most to lose,” headded. “The United States is not very prepared to losepower, for example. And how long can you live withoutthat database? What if suddenly all e-commerce werecut off?”Putting banking into that e-commerce category;throughout the Kosovo clash, numerous reports indicatedU.S. intelligence agencies had hired hackers to fiddle withinternational bank accounts full of Yugoslav PresidentSlobodan Milosevic’s money. There was a lot of debate in thesecurity community about how likely this may be, but eventhe idea jolted the financial industry. Once that Pandora’sbox is open — once one government’s hackers are capableof freezing or changing personal bank account information— other governments and terrorist groups certainly wouldfollow. Moreover, given that the entire banking systemis established on confidence, such an attack could totallydestabilize the reliability of the banking system, accordingto Kawika Daguio, executive vice president of the FinancialInformation Protection Association.“Cilluffo’s biggest concern is not an all-digital attack,but the use of computers as a multiplier for a moretraditional attack. Imagine if a hacker had disabled 911during the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Not onlywould medical help have been severely delayed, leadingto more death and destruction — the resulting confusionwould at least be demoralizing and, at worst, create apanic.For proof of the potential for mob psychology, expertspoint to the Y2K bug. Even with several years’ warningand continuous announcements that computers are Y2Kcompliant,banks report cash hoarding has already begun,and survivalist-minded individuals are squirreling awaywater and dry goods.“The actual problem is usually 10 times less damagingthan the public perception of it,” said Space Rogue, whoruns the Hacker News Network service.”There is ample of debate about how intense the cyberthreat is, despite the fact that recent signals from the U.S.government recommend federal agencies are taking it verycritically.“Just last week, The New York Times has leaked adocument showing the National Security Council isworking on a called the “Federal Intrusion DetectionNetwork.” The plan’s director told the Times: “Weknow” foreign governments are developing cyber warcapabilities, and “we have good reason to believe thatterrorists may be developing similar capabilities.” killspecific kinds of subjects.”Not everyone is convinced the danger is very dramatic.After all, hackers did not gain access to the Pentagon’smost secure systems. InfoWar.com founder Louis Cipher(a ps<strong>eu</strong>donym) says Eligible Receiver and other highprofilecyber-threat incidents are part publicity stuntaimed at getting more federal money targeted to cyberwarfare research.“Paranoia is a bad thing, and America is being infectedquickly,” Cipher said. “Everybody’s an alarmist.... Youcan disturb an infrastructure. Can go into telephony andcan cause disturbance, a denial of service. But disturbingSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism97electrical facilities is difficult. Just like on a railroad, theycan go from track to track. There are a lot of safeguards.”And despite all the conjecture about cyber warcapabilities, there is little evidence it has actually beenused. In fact, even if the ability to take out power gridswith a computer is out there, U.S. forces apparentlyshowed a distinct reluctance to use the ability duringthe Kosovo conflict. So-called “soft bombs,” whichshort out electric lines, were used to create local powerdisruptions instead of a computer-based attack.That satisfies Cilluffo, who thinks the United Statesshould hold off crossing the line to cyber war for as longas possible.“A well-placed bomb may still be easier,” Cilluffo said.“If we can go through physical means, then we are notcompromising a technique that could be used againstus.... After all, we have a lot more to lose.”’ConclusionCyber-terrorism is a complex issue that is vital forinformation security specialists and to some extent thesociety to recognize. One must be conscious of all of itscharacteristics in order to better evaluate how and wherethe "terrorists" are likely to attack our approach. Whatmakes this subject significant is that a cyber terrorist attackis comparatively very easy and economical to instigate. Forthat reason, it can from any where in the world, at anytime,and, more importantly, the stakes of this cat and mousegame are can be quite high. In view of the fact that it is onlya matter of time before a system is attacked, one must stayalert and share the knowledge obtained so that we can helpprotect ourselves at a personal, business, and national level.ReferencesCrabtree, S. (1996) Cyberspace: a Terrorist Frontier?Insight on the News, 12 (31), 11.Cyber wars: Logic bombs may soon replace moreconventional munitions. (1996). The Economist,338 (7948), 77-78.DiDio, L. (1977). Feds Struggle in Race with Hackers.Computer World, 32 (15), 41-42.Laqu<strong>eu</strong>r, W. (1996) Terrorism: Looking to the Future.Current, 386, 9-14.Laquer, W. (1997) Terrorism via the Internet. TheFuturist, 31 (2), 64-65.Pilant, L. (1997) Fighting Crime in Cyberspace. ThePolice Chief. , 64 (8), 26-35.Smith, C. (1997) Get American Troops Ready toMarch on Cyber Battlefield. Insight on the News,13 (44), 29-30.http://www.adl.org/internet/extremism_rw/before.aspThe Consequences of Right-Wing Extremism onthe Internet-Inspiring Extremist Crimeshttp://www.seas.gwu.edu/student/reto/infowar/infowar.html- An introduction to information warfarehttp://www.infowar.com/civil_de/civil_c.html-ssi -Detailed look at the dangers and future of cyberterrorism.http://www.af.mil/news/Feb1998/n19980206_980156.html - Analysis of hacking andcyber-terrorism.http://www.terrorism.com/terrorism/index.html -Main page of terrorism research centerhttp://www.kcl.ac.uk/orgs/icsa/ - Dr. AndrewRathmell. "Cyber-Terrorism: The Shape of FutureConflict". Royal United Service Institute (RUSI)Journal. October 1997.Notes1. Cybercrimes: Infrastructure Threats fromCyberterrorists, Cyberspace Lawyer, 4 NO. 2Cyberspace Law. 232. URL: http://www.eeye.com/html/press/PR19990608.html3. URL:http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel01/nipc030801.htm4. URL:http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2001-20.html5. Statement for the record by Michael A. Vatis, Director,National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC),Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), on NIPCCyber Threat Assessment before the Senate JudiciaryCommittee, Subcommittee on Technology andTerrorism, October 6, 1999.6. URL: http://www.adl.org/internet/extremism_rw/before.asp The Consequences of Right-WingExtremism on the Internet-Inspiring Extremist Crimes7. Author Unknown. "Cyber-terrorism" Document DateUnknown. URL:http://www-cs.etsu-tn.edu/gotterbarn/stdntppr/index.htm8. Margaret Kane, "'Mafiaboy' busted in DoS attacks".ZDNet News.Saint-Claire S. - Overview and Analysis on Cyber Terrorism
98 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal20119. Cmdr. Dave Pettinari. "Cyber terrorism, informationwarfare, and attacks being launched now and in thefuture in the heartland of America". Police FuturistInternational. Document Date Unknown. URL:http://www.policefuturists.org/fall97/terror.html10. Elizabeth Wasserman. Feds take steps against threatof cyber terrorism. Industry Standard. September25, 1998 Web posted at 12:05 PM EDT. URL: www.infowar.com11. Jay Lyman. How Terrorists Use the Internet. NewsFactorNetwork. Posted September 12, 2001. URL: http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/7731.html12. Bob Sullivan. Cyberwar: the threat of chaos. MSNBC.Document Date Unknown. URL: www.msnbc.comSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 The Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation Safety99The Impact of Computer Aided Design on HumanFactors in Aviation SafetyAnne CurtneyMaster of Aeronautical Science and candidate to PhD in Computing Technology at the Departmentof Engineering and Technology of the School of Doctoral Studies of the EUEmail: a.curtney@det.sds.<strong>eu</strong>AbstractThis paper will review the impact of computer-aided design (CAD) upon aviation safety. In particular, the paper looks at how CADhas incorporated human factors principle - that is, the type of people who use the technology – into the design-making process. On thewhole, CAD technology is an enormous improvement on older aviation design because it allows designers to visualize situations inthree-dimensionality throughout the design process. CAD can provide a very good visualization overview of human interaction with theproduct (in this case, the pilot user interface of a cockpit).Aircraft accidents that lead to loss of lives receive thehighest level of attention in the aviation industry. There aremany different causes for aircraft accidents that occur on aneveryday basis in the aviation industry, which range frompilot errors to mechanical challenges. Some of those errorsare minor, but others can have devastating effects. Piloterrors can be minimized by utilizing adequate tools andvarious analyses. Human factors are one of the methodsthat would improve safety. The term "human factors" hasgrown drastically, and has become more popular as thecommercial aviation industry realized that human errorsunderlies most aviation accidents and incidents, rather thanmechanical failure (Greaber 1999).Human factors main focus is the safety of humans andtheir interaction with their surrounding work environment.Engineers are involved with a variety of disciplines; suchas engineers, pilots, and mechanics in order to implementthe latest advanced technology that would improve safetyand efficiency in aviation.Statement of the ProblemCAD technology is an excellent tool for designing pilotuser interfaces because it saves time and money. Beyondthat, CAD technology is infinitely superior to the researchtools that preceded it, because it allows designers to seehypothetical human reactions to environmental stimuli inthree dimensions. At the same time, CAD is not so intuitivethat it can anticipate every conceivable human reactionthat might result from a particular situation. Therefore,there remains a need for live testing with actual people.The following study will investigate the impact of newlyintegrated CAD systems in improving safety factorsin the aviation industry by looking at where it can beimproved. Although designers now have a tool wherebythey can design products to suit the physical abilities and/or characteristics of human operators, further research isneeded to ensure that CAD realizes its full potential. Thispaper also will touch briefly on the CAD-based ergonomicanalysis programs that allow researchers to create accurate3-D human models that measure the impact of ergonomicson the safety and reliability of products, equipment, andfacilities. This study hopes to underscore the manner andextent to which CAD technology can reduce product-relatedinjuries and save money and lives, as well as the extent towhich it remains dependent on human test subjects.LimitationsWhenever a study examines new technology, there willbe limitations. Today, CAD technology offers the promiseof creating cockpit devices that will accommodate pilotsof every level and idiosyncrasy. But while a CAD-basedergonomic analysis program allows for the creation ofaccurate, 3-D human models, it seems extremely unlikelythat any computer program can truly simulate the abnormalresponses of different human beings. Therefore, humansubjects are desirable in assessing the effectiveness ofdifferent products within the cockpit – and finding anappropriate sample group is not easy. It is extremelydifficult to assemble a representative sampling of differentpilots (in simulated conditions, of course) with the intentCurtney A. - The Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation Safety
100 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011of measuring the capability of CAD in avoiding in-airtragedies.The other potential problem is that when dealing witha product that accommodates and compensates for thephysical abilities and characteristics of human operators,and if it is to attempt to determine the capability of thatproduct, it necessarily stands to reason that a representativesampling of each kind or type of pilot is necessary. If thereare pilots who suffer from certain medical conditions,for example, and determining the extent to which CADtechnology permits them to escape harm only can be doneif there is an adequate sampling of these types of pilots.General assumptions, however, can be made by studyinga smaller sampling of pilots (in simulated conditions) whodo not have identifiable medical conditions. This processis obviously narrow in scope, but it offers a tentativeassessment of the capability of CAD technology.Definition of Acronyms & TermsCAD: the acronym CAD is short for computer-aideddesign. It involves the application of computer technologyto the cockpit so that it is more ergonomic and moresensitive to the characteristics of different pilots.CATIA: This was one of the first CAD programsthat provided 3-D modeling of a human being. It seemsimprobable that CATIA can “ape” the precise reactions ofa multitude of different human beings to environmentalstimuli. CATIA, however, is certainly a promising tool forfurther research. The program runs on IBM mainframes,RS/6000 and HP 9000 workstations, and the expectation isthat it will work with other platforms in the future (“CATIAdefinition,)Human Factors Principles: This is an approach totechnological design that incorporates the human elementinto the conception phase. It is not clear, however, whetherthe assumption is that human beings respond in the sameways to the same external stimuli, or if they or interact withprogram software in the same way.NTSB: National Transportation and Safety Board(United States)FAA: Federal Aviation AdministrationTSA: Transportation Safety AdministrationReview of Relevant Literature andResearchCAD technology does offer a great deal of promisefor the future. Also can replace human subjects during thetesting process, being able to produce passable 3-D modelsof human subjects, CAD can reduce budgetary over-runs,save time, and save designers a great deal of stress ,Springeret al (1991, p.375). One author notes that, “Because of thepressures placed on individuals in any high technologysector – and especially the commercial airline industry– this pressure extends to managers and supervisors”(Ungson, 1990, p 57).Furthermore, because of the absorbing nature of pilotingan aircraft, any process that can provide individualized toolsfor the individual pilot is a positive step. This endorsement,however, does not mean that just any kind of CADtechnology is desirable: Addressing the effects of properlydesigned CAD technology on the human users of suchtechnology, Backs and Boucsein (2000) write that “humanperformance and physiological costs depend on design andtask-support characteristics of specific CAD technology.”(2000, p. 318). CAD technology – like any other innovation– only works if it is accompanied by skilled engineeringand design. Still, Mark R. Rajai (2002) is one of a numberof observers who believes that CAD technology can beadapted to produce “user-friendly” devices – as long as theincompatibilities between CAD and ergonomic programsare addressed, (2002).Integrating Virtual RealityJulian Berta is a thoughtful observer of the CAD scene.Assessing the technology’s relative merits and demerits,he offers a balanced assessment of the technology. Mostconspicuously, he notes that CAD has traditionally offeredonly “non-intuitive, mathematically accurate” simulations, Berta (1999, p.14).The non-intuitive part is especiallyimportant, because it reveals a basic weakness of CAD’sthat could prove deadly in the air: Non-intuitive technologyis technology that, for the most part, is incapable of nonlineardeductions vis-à-vis possible outcomes. Therefore,CAD technology is not overly effective – although this ischanging, Berta (1999 ,p.14)– at anticipating unexpectedoutcomes. When one considers the possibility that theergonomic design of a cockpit may fail to accommodatesudden, unexpected actions by a pilot, then the reliabilityof that technology to prevent a tragedy is greatly reduced.Berta presents other shortcomings of the technology.For one thing, he notes that efforts to make CAD programs“immersive” have long run into difficulty because theprocess historically creates a loss of topological informationas well as a loss of geometry or precision. More importantly,if certain “behaviors” have been assigned to objects duringSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 The Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation Safety101CAD design, these behaviors are almost always lost duringthe conversion process ,Berta (1999 ,pp.15-16).On the otherhand, recent advances in CATIA suggest that efforts to makeCAD more reliable are finally beginning to make progress,Berta (1999, p.18). And certainly, CATIA does allowresearchers and designers to capture (most) interface andcockpit design flaws early in the creative process, Sarsfieldet al (2000 p.50) – something that was largely impossibleto do even a generation ago. On the other hand, there arestill nettlesome questions. Gawron et al (2002) write thatSafework, “which runs as a process under CATIA” is “ahuman modeling system that is strong in its application ofgeometrical data to mannequin size and shape” (p.191)..Apparently, mannequins serve as the theoretical model forSafework – and Safework, as mentioned, often runs as acomponent of CITIA. The problem with using a mannequinas a model is that it is not person and therefore only canapproximate the physical features and characteristics ofa person. While the matter may be trifling in the end, thecomplexity of the human organism would seem to make itdangerous to base computer models on a crude facsimile.Literature of this sort suggests that progress is being made,but it is ill advised to jump to the conclusion that thetechnology has now reached a stage where it is essentiallyinfallible.CADalystJoe Greco examines Human Factors Engineering.Greco’s paper underscores how ergonomics is primarilythe study of how human beings interact with machines(2004, p.46), but the strength of his paper lies in his detaileddescription of the many uses to which CAD technology canbe put (pp.39-40).Greco does not privilege us with a reviewof how CAD technology can bolster aircraft safety, but oneinteresting observation he does make is that new algorithmsnow permit a closer “virtual reality” examination of “fueltanksloshing” and “underwater shock analysis” (2004,p.40) .Greco does not explore these items in the depth onewould hope, but a case can be made that innovations incomputerized motion simulation can segue into a closerexamination of how pilots might react in instances ofsevere turbulence and/or sudden impact. Given that newand more complex algorithms are being developed, thefunctional applicability of CAD technology is growing, aswell. More time and research, however, is required beforeCAD technology can become all that its proponents hopefor it.To this point, the present literature has been fairly criticalof CAD technology and critical also of any claim that CADtechnology in its present form can serve as a bulwarkagainst pilot error and avoidable mishaps. Yet while there iscertainly room for skepticism, there is also much room forpraise. Without question, aviation designers do benefit fromCAD technology, and these benefits commonly involvereduced costs and time saved.Visualization with CADAs Ali E. Kashef (1991) notes, CAD simulations,whatever their imperfections, do offer designers convenience,added safety and what he calls “controllability” over realexperience; additionally, computer-aided-technologysystems allow for the revolution and rotation of objectswithin virtual space, and this definitely provides an elementof three-dimensionality .Every bit as meaningfully, Kashef(1991 pp.64 ). Kashef writes that the application of CADtechnology does not have to engender anxiety or a sense ofdislocation among aviation engineers; the technology stillrequires “orthographic projection, descriptive geometryand other engineering graphic concepts” which have alwaysconstituted the foundation of the design process (1991,p.64) .In other words, CAD has the potential to save costsby reducing (or even eliminating) the need for “live” testsubjects – a view with which this writer does not entirelyagree - but it does not necessitate a profound shift in howthe design process is carried out.Ergonomics and User InterfacesCAD technology does bolster the ability of researchersto incorporate human dynamics into the design process,does allow for greater ergonomic design, and does allow forgreater anticipation of the possible interactions of a pilot withhis aircraft while in flight. In times of great stress, peoplewill often forgot that which they have labored years to learn.As a result, procedures which can serve as “memory aids”during these moments of crisis are invaluable to pilots ofany caliber ,Bullinger & Ziegler( 1999, p.322). Equipmentthat is user-friendly and responds intuitively to the actionsof a pilot in distress can save lives; at the very least, apilot’s user interface that has been well designed from asafety perspective can provide both pilot and co-pilot withfar greater prospects for survival than might otherwise bepossible. Yet Bullinger and Ziegler (1999) especially focuson advanced military user-face technology, which keepsCurtney A. - The Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation Safety
102 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011detailed data on a pilot’s personal predilections and whichthen prompts the pilot accordingly – the fact remains thateven advanced CAD technology demands “an empiricalstudy (to) assess the effectiveness of the adaptations inan operational context”(1999,pp.684-685).In short, CADtechnology is a wonderful graphical tool, but it is not yet soprescient that it can adequately anticipate all of the possiblescenarios that might arise during the course of a flight.Statement of the HypothesisIt hypothesized that CAD technology is an excellentfirst step toward safer skies, but it must be complementedby the use of human subjects wherever possible. This studyis informed by the general premise that CAD technology asapplied to the aviation industry is quite literally a lifesaver.Moreover, the technology certainly can save money andtime and those are valid issues when research labs operat<strong>eu</strong>nder time constraints and bump up against the limits offinite budgets. This writer also believes that it is unwise towholly cast aside human subjects during test simulationsbecause computers are not so intuitive that they can possibleanticipate every action a pilot might make when confrontedwith a particular stimuli in flight. Bullinger and Ziegler havenoted that military training takes into account the personalhistories of pilots so that the pilot user-interface can becustomized accordingly. While ergonomics in commercialairline companies has not reached that extent, it is certainlyworth a closer look by concerned senior management, aseven one mishap in the sky can be devastating.MethodologyResearch DesignThe design for this project will be to assess the efficacyof CAD-based ergonomic analysis program through acomparative analysis in which a small sample populationof pilots will be tested for their reaction to varioussimulated stimuli using pilot user-interfaces designedusing CAD technology and Human Factors Principles. Atthe same time, CAD that employs only 3-D creations willbe tested using the same pilot user-interface. The point ofthe exercise is this: If the pilots score lower than the 3-Dprojections (even though both the human subjects and theanimated subjects are being tested for responses using thesame computer technology), then the CAD technology isnot doing an effective job of providing tools these pilotscan use in the air during times of crisis. Beyond that, ifthese findings are replicable across three or four tests fordifferent stimuli, then it is clear that CAD technology hasnot advanced to such a degree that it can wholly do withoutthe use of live human subjects. This being so, more dataabout human responses under certain conditions needs tobe incorporated into the calculations of designers so thatthe interfaces that pilots use in flight simulators and in reallife perform optimally.Survey ModelThe survey will be separated into two parts. The first partwill be simulated tests in which 3-D models created by CADtechnology and CATIA programs will respond to computerdesignedhypothetical situations; these 3-D models will usethe same user interfaces their human counterparts will b<strong>eu</strong>sing. Afterward, for the second part of the research study,there will be a sampling of human subjects who will use thesame interfaces and will be asked to respond to the samestimuli. Because an actual pilot only receives one chanceto correctly respond to stimuli in real life, there will beonly one test administered to the human participants foreach stimulus. The scores between the two groups will becollected and averaged and standard deviations calculatedfor the respective 3-D and human results; if the humanscores are lower than the 3-D animation scores, then theinterface or cockpit design is not working as well as itmight for actual human pilots.Survey PopulationAs noted above, this paper would ideally prefer to havecommercial pilots involved in the testing, but that couldprove costly and/or impracticable. At the same time, trainedpilots are vital to the exercise because they are the ones forwhom the cockpit interfaces have been designed. Therefore,every effort will be made to secure the services of a smallsample population of pilots who can participate. If none areavailable, then the project will be modified and it will testonly cockpit interfaces designed for novice flyers. At thispoint, the human sample group consists of novice pilotswho have volunteered their time. A large sample groupwould be preferable so that there is no possibility of thefindings falling outside the statistical margin of error, butit is anticipated that only two to three dozen people will beenlisted, given the practical difficulties involved in securingpeople’s time.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 The Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation Safety103Results3.5All told, fifteen (15) novice flyers agreed to participatein the study in time for inclusion in the statistical analysis.A comparison of the results using 3-D simulated tests andhuman subjects is provided below and discussed further inChapter VI below.3.02.52.0Case Summaries1.5Simulated tests: 3-D models CAD/CATIA programs Simulatedtests: Human novice pilots1 .98 .872 .93 .933 .89 .914 .92 .965 .97 .956 .98 .847 .99 .798 .98 .879 .97 .9710 .93 .9111 .93 .8912 .95 .7613 .97 .9614 .90 .7815 .99 .97Total N 15 15Simulated tests: 3-D models CAD/CATIA programsCountCount1.0.5.89 .90 .92 .93 .95 .97 .98 .99Simulated tests: 3-D models CAD/CATIA programs2.22.01.81.61.41.21.0.8.76 .78 .79 .84 .87 .89 .91 .93 .95 .96 .97Simulated tests: Human novice pilotsValid Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent.89 1 6.7 6.7 6.7.90 1 6.7 6.7 13.3.92 1 6.7 6.7 20.0.93 3 20.0 20.0 40.0.95 1 6.7 6.7 46.7.97 3 20.0 20.0 66.7.98 3 20.0 20.0 86.7.99 2 13.3 13.3 100.0Total 15 100.0 100.0Descriptive StatisticsNMinimumMaximumMeanStd.DeviationSimulated tests: 3-Dmodels CAD/CATIA 15 .89 .99 .9520 .3299programsSimulated tests: Humannovice pilots15 .76 .97 .8907 .07116Valid N (listwise) 15Curtney A. - The Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation Safety
104 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal201110.80.60.40.20Minimum Maximum Mean Std.DeviationSimulated tests: 3-D models CAD/CATIA programsSimulated tests: Human novice pilotsTest #Simulated tests: 3-D models CAD/CATIA programsSimulated tests: Human novicepilots3-D vs. Human1 0.98 0.87 1.132 0.93 0.93 1.003 0.89 0.91 0.984 0.92 0.96 0.965 0.97 0.95 1.026 0.98 0.84 1.177 0.99 0.79 1.258 0.98 0.87 1.139 0.97 0.97 1.0010 0.93 0.91 1.0211 0.93 0.89 1.0412 0.95 0.76 1.2513 0.97 0.96 1.0114 0.9 0.78 1.1515 0.99 0.97 1.02Total 15 15Average Score 0.95 0.89 1.0810.80.60.40.203-D Human1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910 11 12 13 14 151.41.210.80.60.40.203-D Outperforms Human1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 The Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation Safety105DiscussionA number of changes have taken place in design ofaircraft in general and cockpits in particular in recent yearsthat will likely have a profound effect on the manner in whichthese systems are tested and evaluated for appropriatenessand effectiveness as to human usability in the future. Today,in spite of miniaturization and digital displays, there is stilljust so much space available in the cockpit in which to fitall of the instruments required to keep a pilot situationallyaware. Until the 1960s, the vast range of telemetry requiredfor the safe operation of aircraft available to the human pilottypically assumed the form of a single-purpose instrumentas shown in Figure ___ below, which illustrates a cockpitfrom this time period.cockpits is highly evident as illustrated by the Boeing 777cockpit shown in Figure ____ below.Figure ____. The Boeing 777-300 flight deck.Figure ____. Typical cockpit design of the early 1960s, asillustrated by the X-15.Source: Tsang & Vidulich, 2003, p. 6.Source: Tsang & Vidulich, 2003, p. 6.This elaborate array of indicators tended to exert aserious visual scanning and cognitive integration load onthe pilot; furthermore, as aircraft became increasinglycomplex and the amount of information that was neededto be presented to the pilot increased, and the finite "realestate" of the cockpit became a seriously constrainingdesign factor. As these authors put it, “A point in evolutionwas reached in which the number of pointers, numeralcounters and flags could no longer be increased or theirdisplay characteristics improved” (Tsang & Vidulich, 2003,p. 6). In sharp contrast to the 1960s cockpit version, theprominent role of multifunction displays in modern aircraftAccording to Tsang and Vidiluch (2003), thetransformation from single instruments and gauges to moreflexible multifunction displays has resulted in a dramaticallydifferent appearance for modern cockpits compared to their1960s counterparts; however, a great deal more has alsochanged besides just the way the cockpit looks: “In additionto the changes in display technology, the 1960s ushered inthe use of computerized automation to assist pilots. Forexample, the Boeing 777 computer systems incorporatemore than 2.6 million lines of software code to support theautopilot, flight management, navigation, and maintenancefunctions” (Tsang & Vidiluch, 2003, p. 7).Furthermore, the introduction of highly automatedaircraft featuring so-called “glass cockpits” in recentyears has also resulted in some mixed blessings. On theone hand, these innovations have extended the capabilitiesof the aircraft but on the other hand, they have alsotransformed the nature and type of tasks that have to beperformed by the pilot. Today, flight control assistanceand flight management systems (FMS) have changed thepilot's role from that of a manual controller and navigatorto one of systems monitor and information manager in ahighly dynamic environment (Amalberti & Sarter, 2000).According to these authors, “Information and resourcemanagement, task scheduling, and programming skillsof onboard computers now complement the psychomotorCurtney A. - The Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation Safety
106 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011skills of the pilot. The continuing expansion of air travelnecessitates the use of even more advanced technologiesin order to accommodate the expected levels of trafficwhile at the same time maintaining safety. Technologieslike the digital datalink play a key role in realizing suchadvancement” (Amalberti & Sarter, 2000, p. 181).Today, new, or retrofitted, cockpit equipment and humanmachineinterfaces must be applied in a highly complexoperational context that is characterized by a so-calledtheoretical "timeline." Such timelines represent a missionprofile specifying when, by whom, and in which order tasksshould be performed. During the design process, timelinesare used to assist cockpit design and define requirements forthe input and display devices; however, such analyses arestrictly theoretical in nature and are constrained in realityby variations in equipment use and extended responsetimes (Amalberti & Sarter, 2000).Other innovations have emerged in recent years aswell that will undoubtedly have an impact on how thecockpit of the future is designed and how it is tested andevaluated. According to Charlton and O’brien (2002),“Computer-based manikins or digital human models arethree-dimensional, computer-graphic representations ofthe human form. Human modeling systems are interactivesoftware simulation tools that combine three-dimensionalhuman geometry with three-dimensional product geometry,obtained from a CAD system for the purpose of evaluatinghow well a particular design will accommodate the peoplewho will be interacting with it” (p. 188).Computer-based manikins are controlled by humanmodeling systems to provide a variety of functions,including the ability:1. To import and export product data/geometry;2. To simulate human functions, such as reach and vision;3. To perform analyses, such as access and interferenceanalyses; and,4. To provide support functions, such as reports,documentation, and user help (Charlton & O’brien,2002).Figure ____ below illustrates how a reach envelopeis typically used by cockpit designers to evaluate controlplacement. In this case, the reach envelope provides aquantitative description of the pilot’s maximum reach,assuming certain seat and restraint needs required by thetask involved (Charlton & O’brien, 2002). According tothese authors, “The designer then uses this quantitativedescription to define the requirement that all critical controlsbe placed within the reach envelope to ensure easy accessand operation. Verification of a design can be accomplishedby merging the reach envelope with a candidate designto ensure controls are within the envelope” (Charlton &O’brien, 2002, p. 189). As also shown in Figure ___ below,a comparable procedure can also be used to assess visualand physical access (Charlton & O’brien, 2002).Figure ____. Using a computer-based manikin to assess a reachenvelope (top left), physical access (top right), and visual accessthrough the manikin's eyes (bottom).Source: Charlton & O’brien, 2002, p. 189.No matter how sophisticated and refined threedimensionaland CAD-assisted applications become in thefuture, there is going to be a fundamental need to ensure thatthe human element is not lost in the equation. Accordingto Hanson (2001), “A key factor in the design of modernaircraft cockpits is ensuring that the target population canbe fully accommodated. The cost of training, the scarcityof potential pilots, and the drive for maximising thepotential for export have led to the expansion of the aircrewanthropometric population at both ends of the distribution”(p. 85). This author adds that the introduction of femaleSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 The Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation Safety107pilots has complicated issues for cockpit designers becausethey are typically smaller pilots with reduced strengthcapabilities compared to their male counterparts, and maynot be able to manipulate the controls in the fashion expectedby a computer-generated model. In this regard, thesecomputer-modeled evaluations would be extremely limitedin scope and breadth if they failed to take into accountsuch gender-related factors in cockpit design, as well ashow different genders (and potentially cultures) perceivedthe design elements of a cockpit as to functionality andeffectiveness for their respective purposes. For example, asHanson (2001) emphasizes:It is of prime importance that all pilots are able toattain displacement of the stick throughout its full range ofmovement whilst maintaining necessary precision. Failureto do so could compromise the aircraft mission and endangerthe pilot. However, while stick forces must be low enoughfor the smaller and weaker pilots to handle, they must behigh enough for the stronger aircrew to maintain a goodfeel of the aircraft, without the risk of over-controlling. Theissue of strength in cockpit design is an important one, andone which has been largely overlooked. (p. 85)Therefore, while a three-dimensional model of apilot might determine that everything is appropriate andefficiently designed for a computer-generated or manikinmodel, a living, breathing human being might find differentlyis ways that cannot be foreseen or preprogrammed intosuch evaluation applications. Although the findings ofthe experiment using computer-based evaluations versusnovice human pilots supports the continued use of theseapplications in the future, there were some isolated instancesin which the human subjects outperformed the computermodels and these issues are discussed further below.Findings from 3-D Model versus Human PilotExperiment. The results of the experiment showed thatthe most common scores for both the computer model andhuman subjects were .93, .97, and .98 with three each (or 20percent of the total 30 tests). There were two instances of a.99 score (or 13.3 percent) with the remainder of the scoresof .89, .90, .92, and .95 representing unique scores (or 6.7percent each) by the human or 3-D model.The minimum score for the 3-D model was shown tobe .89 compared to the human minimum score of .76, amaximum score of .99 for the 3-D model compared to.97 for the human subjects, and an average score of .9520compared to .8907 for the humans. The 3-D model scoreshad a standard deviation of .03299 compared to 0.7116 forthe human pilots.The average score for the 3-D model was 0.95 comparedto 0.89 for the human subjects, with the computer modeloutperforming the novice pilots by 10.8 percent across theboard (human subjects outperformed the computer modelin two instances).ConclusionThe research showed that the 3-D visualizationapplications and CATIA software all provide significantdesign features that will undoubtedly prove valuable tocockpit designers in the future by making the process moreefficient and responsive to human needs. The research alsoshowed that in order to achieve these goals, it is vitallyimportant to ensure that human subjects are part andparcel of the testing regimen, with even the best programsbeing limited to a finite number of variables that cannotbe duplicated with any degree of accuracy in a computermodel today. Just as weather may not ever be able to beaccurately predicted using computer models because ofthe enormous number of variables involved (with weatherrepresenting just one of the many confounding factorsthat may adversely affect a pilot’s ability to fly safely),computer modeling of all of the potential events that mayoccur during the flight management process is also currentlynot feasible. While many proponents of unmanned spaceflights to other planets because of the logistical nightmaresinvolved in putting humans in space, the fact remainsthat real live people will likely pilot the first substantivemissions to Mars and beyond because humans are requiredto respond to the unforeseeable that cannot be modeled invirtual terms. Likewise, when humans take to the skies, thecockpit in which they operate must be designed with theirunique needs in mind, rather than what a computer modelsuggests is the most efficient solution.RecommendationsPilots of any type of aircraft must gather a wide rangeof telemetry that is used to develop a sense of situationalawareness which is achieved through the use of variousflight instruments and the navigational equipment onboard; however, the process of constructing an accuratemental model of the position of the aircraft in space, andits condition is subject to a number of degrading factorsthat can adversely affect a pilot’s ability to fly safely suchas distraction, inattention, under-arousal, stress, boredomand fatigue. In these dynamic and potentially threateningenvironments, ensuring the accuracy of the telemetryCurtney A. - The Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation Safety
108 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011being received concerning the flight assumes increasingimportance for its safe and effective management.According to one authority, “The abstract nature of mentalmodels and situational awareness make them generallydifficult to observe. . . . Fatigue effects demonstrate theimportance of investigating mechanisms rather than tasks.In general, task-induced fatigue effects tend to be moredetrimental when the task is attentionally demanding”(Desmond & Hancock, 2001, p. 21).By ensuring that human subjects are incorporated intothe analytical process to the maximum extent possible,cockpit designers can take advantage of the unique insightsthat only humans can provide to ensure that as manyvariables as possible are taken into account during thecockpit design phase. Studies have shown time and againthat investments in the design phase pay major dividends interms of improved flight management, and it is unreasonableto suggest that there may be a trade-off available in termsof saving human lives. Therefore, it is recommended thatpolicymakers at all levels seek to ensure that timely andrelevant guidelines are available for aircraft designers thatrequire the use of human subjects in any computer-basedapplication.ReferencesAdler, P S. (1992). Technology and the future of work.New York: Oxford University Press.Charlton, S. G., & O'brien, T. G. (2002). Handbook ofhuman factors testing and evaluation. Mahwah, NJ:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Cognitive Engineering in the Aviation Domain.Contributors: Rané Amalberti - editor, NadineB. Sarter - editor. Publisher: Lawrence ErlbaumAssociates. Place of Publication: Mahwah, NJ.Publication Year: 2000Backs, R. W. & Boucsein, W. (Eds.). (2000).Engineering Psychophysiology: Issues andApplications. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence ErlbaumAssociates.Berta, J.(1999, September/October). IntegratingVR and CAD. IEEE Computer Graphics andApplications, 19(5), pp.14-19.Bullinger, Hans-Jorg & Jurgen Ziegler. (1999).Human-Computer Interaction: Ergonomics andUser Interfaces (Vol.I). Mahwah, NJ: LawrenceErlbaum Associates.CATIA definition. (n.d.). The Free Dictionary by Farlex.http://computing-dictionary.thefreedictionary.comSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011Charlton, S. G., & O'brien, T. G. (2002). Handbook ofhuman factors testing and evaluation. Mahwah, NJ:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Desmond, P. A., & Hancock, P. A. (2001). Stress,workload and fatigue. Mahwah, NJ: LawrenceErlbaum Associates.Federal Aviation Administration. (2003).Administrator’s Fact Book. United StatesDepartment of Transportation: Federal AviationAdministration.Gawron, V. J., Dennison, T. W., & Biferno, M. A.(2002). Chapter 9 Mock-Ups, Models, Simulations,and Embedded Testing. In Handbook of HumanFactors Testing and Evaluation, Charlton, S. G. &O'brien, T. G. (Eds.) (pp. 181-218). Mahwah, NJ:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Graeber, C (1999). The Role of Human Factors inImproving Aviation Safety. Boeing Commercialairplanes Group .Aero magazine no. 8Greco, Joe. (2004). Human factors engineering.CADalyst, 21(7), pp.38-46.Hanson, M. A. (2001). Contemporary ergonomics2001. London: Taylor & Francis.Johnson, Alan. (2005). Still some reluctance withCAD technologies. Manufacturers’ Monthly, p.22.Kashef, A E. (1991). Visualization with CAD.Technological Horizons in Education Journal, 19(5), pp.64.Koonce, J M. (1999). A historical overview of humanfactors in aviation. In D.J. Garland, J.A. Wise &V.D. Hopkin (Eds.), Handbook of Aviation HumanFactors (pp.3-15). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence ErlbaumAssociates.Rajai, M R. (2002). Development of an integratedergonomic CAD system for evaluating designs forhuman factors and safety. LookSmart Education.Sarsfield, L. P., Stanley, W. L., Lebow, C. C., Ettedgui,E., & Henning, G. (2000). Safety in the Skies:Personnel and Parties in the NTSB AviationAccident Investigations: Master Volume. SantaMonica, CA: Rand.Springer, J., Langner, T., Luczak, H., & Beitz, W.(1991). Experimental Comparison of Cad Systemsby Stressor Variables. International Journal ofHuman-Computer Interaction, 3(4), 375-405.Stanney, K M. Handbook of virtual environments:design, implementation and applications. Mahwah,NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
2011 The Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation Safety109Tsang, P. S., & Vidulich, M. A. (2003). Principlesand practice of aviation psychology. Mahwah, NJ:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Ungson, G. (1990). International competition in hightechnology: the case of the United States, Japan andEurope In Susan Albers Mohrman and Mary AnnVon Glinow (Eds.), Managing Complexity in High-Technology Organizations. New York: OxfordUniversity Press.U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment,& United States. Congress. Office of TechnologyAssessment. (1984). Computerized ManufacturingAutomation: Employment, Education, and theWorkplace. Washington, DC: U.S. G.P.O.Appendix IFrequenciesSPSS Data Output File/SummarizeSimulated test:3-D modelsCAD/CATIAprogramsSimulatedtests: Humannovice pilotsa. Limited to first 100 cases.Case Processing SummaryCasesIncluded Excluded TotalN Percent N Percent N Percent15 100.0% 0 .0% 15 100.0%15 100.0% 0 .0% 15 100.0%Case SummariesSimulated tests: 3-Dmodels CAD/CATIAprogramsSimulated tests:Human novice pilots1 .98 .872 .93 .933 .89 .914 .92 .965 .97 .956 .98 .847 .99 .798 .98 .879 .97 .9710 .93 .9111 .93 .8912 .95 .7613 .97 .9614 .90 .7815 .99 .97Total N 15 15a. Limited to first 100 cases.StatisticsSimulated tests: 3-Dmodels CAD/CATIAprogramsSimulated tests:Human novice pilotsN Valid 15 15Missing 0 0Frequency TableSimulated tests: 3-D models CAD/CATIA programsFrequency Percent Valid PercentCumulativePercentValid .89 1 6.7 6.7 6.7.90 1 6.7 6.7 13.3.92 1 6.7 6.7 20.0.93 3 20.0 20.0 40.0.95 1 6.7 6.7 46.7.97 3 20.0 20.0 66.7.98 3 20.0 20.0 86.7.99 2 13.3 13.3 100.0Total 15 100.0 100.0Simulated tests: HumanFrequency Percent Valid PercentCumulativePercentValid .89 1 6.7 6.7 6.7.90 1 6.7 6.7 13.3.92 1 6.7 6.7 20.0.93 3 20.0 20.0 40.0.95 1 6.7 6.7 46.7.97 3 20.0 20.0 66.7.98 3 20.0 20.0 86.7.99 2 13.3 13.3 100.0Total 15 100.0 100.0Curtney A. - The Impact of Computer Aided Design on Human Factors in Aviation Safety
110 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Graph3.52.23.02.02.51.81.62.01.41.51.2Count1.0.5.89.90.92.93.95.97.98.99Count1.0.8.76.78.79.84.87.89.91.93.95.96.97Simulated tests: 3-D models CAD/CATIA programsSimulated tests: Human novice pilotsAppendix IIExcel Spreadsheet AnalysisSimulated tests: 3-D models CAD/CATIA programs Simulated tests: Human novice pilots 3-D vs. Human1 0.98 0.87 1.132 0.93 0.93 1.003 0.89 0.91 0.984 0.92 0.96 0.965 0.97 0.95 1.026 0.98 0.84 1.177 0.99 0.79 1.258 0.98 0.87 1.139 0.97 0.97 1.0010 0.93 0.91 1.0211 0.93 0.89 1.0412 0.95 0.76 1.2513 0.97 0.96 1.0114 0.9 0.78 1.1515 0.99 0.97 1.02Total 15 15Average Score 0.95 0.89 1.08School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
111 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 2011Section DScScienceSection coordinated by the Department of Science in the School of Doctoral Studies of the European UnionHead of the Department:Professor Mark T. AbelReviewers Body Coordinators:Chair of Mathematics:Deputy Head of Department – Earth and Biology:Chair of Earth and Environment Science:Chair of Biology and Life Science:Chair of Physics and Astronomy:Chair of Chemistry:Professor Mark W. BoulatProfessor Alexandra MoffettProfessor Sergio FarlowProfessor Melissa BrantProfessor Timothy OlsonProfessor Randolf LamanDSc Section ContentArticle 1 Page 112Enhanced Wellbeing amongst Engineering Students through Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate NostrilBreathing) Training : An AnalysisAuthor: Anurag Joshi (M.E.), Mandeep Singh (Ph.D.), Bharat Bhushan Singla (Ph.D.), Sunil Joshi (M.D.)Country: IndiaArticle 2 Page 121An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine,Lamotrigine and TianeptineAuthor: Héctor Jara (MD), Francisco García (MD), Franky Torres (MD), Fuad Lechin (MD,PhD)Country: VenezuelaArticle 3 Page 134Metastatic Breast Cancer: An evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of High Dose Chemotherapy with AutologousStem Cell TransplantAuthor: Martin F. Taylor (MSc)Country: UKArticle 4 Page 144Natural Gas Sweetening Process DesignAuthor: Kurt Mearkeltor (MSc)Country: SwedenSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2010
112 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Enhanced Wellbeing Amongst Engineering StudentsThrough Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate NostrilBreathing) Training : An AnalysisAnurag JoshiM.E. (Electrical Engineering) Department of Electrical Engineering,Thapar Polytechnic College, Patiala- 147004 (Punjab) IndiaDr. Mandeep SinghPh.D. (Telecardiology) Department of Electrical and Instrumentation Engineering,Thapar University, Patiala-147004 (Punjab) IndiaDr. Bharat Bhushan SinglaPh.D. (Management) School of Management Studies,Punjabi University, Patiala-147002 (Punjab) IndiaDr. Sunil JoshiM.D. (Ayurveda Medicine) Babe Ke Ayurvedic Medical College & Hospital,VPO Daudhar, Via Ajitwal, Distt. Moga (Punjab) IndiaAbstractThe state of wellbeing is determined by individual’s Physical, Mental and Emotional health. This paper introduces the concept ofpranayama (an ancient yogic technique that involves controlled deep rhythmic breathing). The underlying principle of pranayama is thatthe relation between emotion and breathing is two way i.e. not only emotions have affect on breathing but controlled rhythmic breathinghas positive effects on emotions too. We selected a group of engineering students who volunteered to practise alternate nostril breathingi.e. Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (NSP) for three months. We applied the introspection (subjective observation) method of Psychologyand analyzed the various traits related to wellbeing of the group on Likert’s five point psychometric scale before and after applying thistechnique. We applied t-test for statistical investigation. We observed that 75% of the subjects gained in terms of Feeling Healthy, 80%in terms of memory recall, 75% in terms of mental stress relief and 90% in terms of physical relaxation. This amazingly simple and yethighly effective ancient technique of NSP may become part of their physical training routine to be followed regularly. The paper aims atspreading the awareness of this yogic technique on the wellbeing of all human beings in general and engineering students in particular.Key words: Improved Wellbeing; Alternate Nostril Breathing; Nadi Shodhan Pranayama, Students.Improved wellbeing is the combination of feelinggood (including positive emotions such as happiness,contentment, interest and affection) and functioningwell. We wanted to know the discernment of the studentsabout wellbeing. We conducted a survey amongst thestudents, their parents and their teachers too to knowtheir perspicacity about wellbeing. The students view wasconsidered primarily where as the view of the parents andteachers was to endorse the view of students. The majoraspects of improved wellbeing reported by the studentsafter the survey were Feeling Healthy, Memory Recall,Mental Stress Relief and Physical Relaxation. FeelingHealthy stands for freedom from corporeal disorder. If astudent suffers any physical anarchy, he may neglect thestudy efforts and may not perform well in the examination.Memory power plays most important role for getting goodgrades in the examination. Hence achieving success inthe examination may be indicative of student’s wellbeing.Mental Stress is caused due to examination phobia and peerpressure as well, when they have to compete for anything.Also infatuation in adolescents and fear of rejection mayplay a vital role to enhance Mental Stress. Lack of physicalSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Enhanced Wellbeing Amongst Engineering Students Through Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing) Training : An Analysis 113relaxation determines the performance in the workshopjobs or playground activities due to which they tend toexperience fatigue and want quick relief from that. Alsosurvey revealed that some students may hook on to drugs toattain state of wellbeing temporarily as they are not matureenough to differentiate between right or wrong. This maybe due to their incorrect thinking and unawareness.On basis of the survey reporting we decided the fourparameters i.e. Feeling Healthy, Memory Recall, MentalStress Relief and Physical Relaxation to determine the stateof wellbeing of engineering students.TechniqueAncient yogic technique of alternate nostril breathingalso known as Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (NSP) is able tocreate the feeling of being well and this aspect of NSP isexplored analytically in this paper. How the subject feelswell is a matter of self introspection and cannot be measuredby any instrument as such. One of the ways to know thewellness feeling of the subject is to ask to report the stateof mind based on selected subjective parameters such asFeeling Healthy, Memory Recall, Mental Stress Relief andPhysical Relaxation before and after NSP training. It maylook that the last parameter physical relaxation is a physicalstate and not a mental state but on deeper instructions it isfound that a person may be physically tired but may reportas physically relaxed when he is emotionally positive. Forexample if a person is about to receive a gold medal infront of his colleagues, he may report physically relaxedeven though he may have travelled overnight without anysleep. However to the same person if he is attending a closerelative in Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital may reportphysically worn out even if he had all the physical featuresof rest and comforts of air conditioned environment. It isinteresting to note that all diagnostic tests are recommendedby the doctor only when the subject first feels diseased in hisbeing and consults the doctor. Based on these simple factsthe authors decided to make the subject self introspectionreport on the above cited four parameters before and afterNSP training and analysed the results to know the efficacyof this ancient technique of feeling well.YogaYoga has a rich base to deal with physical as well asmental health. This is perhaps the reason that our Sagesused to lead a healthy and cheerful long life. If one practisesyoga, one can surely notice how certain asanas affect one’smind and body. Some poses may be easy to attain and putour mind at ease, while other yoga poses are difficult andmay even cause us frustration. These physical and mentalfeelings also help us in choosing the type of yoga that bestsuits us. Health disorders related to Blood Pressure, Heart,Lungs, Kidneys, Joints etc. are on the rise throughout theworld [1]. It is well established fact that physical healthis influenced by mental wellbeing and vice versa. Mentalhealth is primarily more affected by negative emotions likelust, anger, infatuation, greed, pride, anxiety, fear, depressionand inferiority complex [2]. Learning the management ofthese negative emotions is therefore essential to maintaingood mental health. Yoga offers comprehensive solutionfor managing the negative mental emotions. It is an ancientIndian term signifying union of an individual with cosmicbeing. This is achieved by following various techniques ina disciplined way. The focus of this paper is on Pranayama(Controlled Yogic breathing). The underlying principleof Pranayama is that the relation between emotion andbreathing is two ways i.e. not only emotions have effect onbreathing but controlled rhythmic breathing have positiveeffects on emotions too.PranayamaBreathing helps in maintaining the vital energy of lifeand thus in yogic terms this is known as Prana. The processof controlling the Prana is called Pranayama. So pranayamais the science related to invigorating the vital forcesupplying energy and controlling the mind-body complex.The ancient texts emphasise that retention of air, increasesthe level of prana (energy) in the body, it also regulates theflow of pranic energy through out the body. So pranayamahelps to control most of the ailments and can also slowdown the inevitable aging process of the body [3] .The mind influences most of the endocrine and otherphysical as well as the metabolic functions of the bodyincluding breathing. When the mind is calm and relaxed, thebreathing is smooth and slow. If one is stressed breathingis fast or shallow. In this way, the mental and emotionalstate of a person has a positive or negative impact on healththrough breathing [3].The functioning of all the organs like heart, brain,digestive organs, endocrine glands in the body havecertain rhythms. Similarly the breathing also has a rhythm.Joshi A., Singh M., Bhushan S. B, Joshi S. - Enhanced Wellbeing amongst Engineering Students through Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing)Training : An Analysis
114 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Pranayama is deep rhythmic breathing bringing the breathin desired rhythm by controlling the process of inhalation,retention and exhalation [3].In the process of breathing, the diaphragm, intercostalmuscles and accessory muscles of respiration are used. Thediaphragmatic breathing is called vertical breathing andis considered to be more efficient way to inhale air thaninhaling while expanding the chest which is consideredto be the horizontal breathing which involves simplyexpanding the chest. In pranayama, one should utilize thediaphragm efficiently to get more oxygen without makingmuch effort. The diaphragm is attached to the organslike heart and lungs on superior surface and to the liver,spleen, pancreas and stomach on inferior surface. Efficientmovement of the diaphragm makes the functioning of theseorgans more efficient [3].Many researchers and Yogis have reported the benefitsof practising pranayama on Diabetes Mellitus [4], HeartRate [5] and Nervous System [6]. Also research throughYoga Meditation has shown remarkable improvement inPatience, Physical Relaxation, Mental Stress relief [7] andphysical relaxation [8] of the chosen subjects.Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (Yogic breathing control)has beneficial effects on Autonomic Nervous System. Itdecreases sympathetic discharge, lowers metabolic rateand increases parasympathetic discharge. This study alsoproves long term beneficial effects to body on stressors ifyogic breathing exercises are practiced regularly. [9]This systematic breathing pattern results in improvementin Feeling Healthy, enhancing Memory Recall, decreasingMental Stress and imparting Physical Relaxation.MethodologyPranayama techniques are best practised while sittingon the floor on a blanket or a carpet or a mat. This formof practice is applicable to padmasana also. Padmasna is aposture in which the subject sits in a cross legged position asshown in the figure P1. However, any other posture is alsoacceptable provided the back is kept erect from the base ofthe spine to the neck and perpendicular to the floor. Bad andpoorly performed posture leads to shallow breathing andlow endurance. One must empty the bladder and bowelsbefore starting pranayama. The best time for practice is theearly morning, preferably before sunrise when the pollutionis at its lowest level, and the body and brain are relativelyrelaxed. However, if morning is unsuitable, pranayama maybe practiced after sunset, when the air is cool and pleasant.The place suitable for all kinds of Yoga must be clean andcalm. The practice of pranayama should be preferablycarried out 3 hours after taking solid food and 1 hour aftertaking liquid food.We chose our subjects in the age group 16-19 years,who practiced Pranayama, in Padmasna posture at eveningtime (6 p.m. to 7 p.m.) after attending their course classes.This age group was specifically selected for the reason thatthe newly found energy in this age is often not utilizedjudiciously. Practicing the pranayama helps in channelisingthis enormous energy [10].The subjects practiced Pranayama for three monthsregularly.There are various techniques of Pranayama but weapplied the technique of Nadi Shodhan Pranayama on thesubjects. This Pranayama is one of the simplest exerciseswhich require no pre-requisite and the technique followedby the subjects is given in the subsequent section.In NSP, the subjects are made to sit down in a comfortableplace assuming a cross legged position on a mat. They areinstructed to sit erect, remain calm and close their eyes. Thebreathing process starts by closing the right nostril with theright thumb, followed by inhaling slowly through the leftnostril. After complete inhalation, the left nostril is to bepressed with the ring finger of the right hand and close theleft nostril. Then the right nostril is opened to exhale slowly.After complete exhalation, the breath is inhaled throughthe right nostril. It is followed by closing the right nostrilby pressing it with the right thumb. Finally the left nostrilis opened to breathe out slowly. This explicitly describedprocess is called one round of Nadi Shodhan Pranayama orAnuloma Viloma Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing)and is depicted in figure P2. This is to be continued for 10-15 rounds [11], [12], [13] and [14].AnalysisWe chose a group of twenty subjects who practisedPranayama techniques for three months. The differentcharacteristics such as Feeling Healthy, Memory Recall, Mental Stress Relief and Physical Relaxation wereobserved on the basis of the self introspection i.e. subjectiveobservation by the person practicing these techniques. Thesewere recorded using a well established Likert’s five-pointpsychometric scale [15]. In this scale the subject is asked toself introspect his status of his trait in term of percentage.This percentage is taken as 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 90%.For example, if the person is feeling too weak physicallyand thinks he is terribly sick, he may choose 10% as hisstatus of health. If the subject feels that he is somewhatSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Enhanced Wellbeing Amongst Engineering Students Through Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing) Training : An Analysis 115sick he may choose 30% on this Likert’s scale. Conversely,if he feels that he is in perfect state of health, he maytick at 90%, while for more than average health, he maychoose 70%. For average health condition, he may choose50%. Similarly the choice is made for all other traits. Itis a standard practice with Likert’s five-point psychometricscale to simplify the analysis by clubbing the 10% and 30%categories and considering it as 20% and assumed as Lowscale, 50% is retained unchanged and assumed at MediumScale while and the values of 70% and 90% are clubbedand considered as 80%, assumed as High Scale.The results are shown in Table 1.The variation of these characteristics (before and afterpracticing Nadi Shodhan Pranayama techniques) has beenshown in the figures (1 - 4). These effects are mentioned asfollows.Results & Discussion• A NSP technique was applied on a set of 20 engineeringstudents. None of the students reported any decline inthe status of health after this Pranayama. 15 out of these20 students reported better in Feeling Healthy after thisexercise. It can therefore be concluded 75% students(15 out of 20) improved in the Feeling Healthy levelafter Pranayama. Figure {1(a) - 1(b)}• Similarly 80% of the students (16 out of 20) experiencedbetter state of Memory Recall after Pranayama. None ofthe students reported any decline. Figure {2(a) - 2(b)}• Mental Stress level of 75% students (15 out of 20)decreased after Pranayama. None of the studentsreported any decline. Figure {3(a) - 3(b)}• State of Physical Relaxation of 90% students (18 outof 20) improved after Pranayama. None of the studentsreported any decline. Figure {4(a) - 4(b)}After Pranayama, the low scale values of the MemoryRecall and Physical Relaxation characteristics have beenreduced to nil, whereas high scale values of FeelingHealthy, Memory Recall and Physical Relaxation have beendrastically increased (Table 2, 3 and 5). The results for theMental Stress characteristics are highly encouraging. Table4 indicates drastic shift of Mental Stress from high scale tolow scale after practice of Nadi Shodhan Pranayama.The results obtained above are for the prescribedoptimal technique of alternate nostril breathing. A commonquery that was posed by many participants to the authorswas, what if it is not practically possible to attain theseconditions?It is hereby assured that the practitioners shall getsome stress relief, even if he is not sitting in cross-leggedposition, or has skipped the gap time i.e. has eaten somesolid or liquid food to quench his hunger and thirst. Theresult will be positive though not to the extent documentedabove, even if this technique is applied for shorter durationof time while traveling or sitting in office chair.Table 1. Characteristics analysis before and after practicing Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (NSP)S No.Student CodesLikert’s scale of FeelingHealthyLikert’s scale of MemoryRecallLikert’s scale of MentalStressLikert’s scale of PhysicalRelaxationBefore After Before After Before After Before After1. S1 50 70 50 70 50 10 70 902. S2 50 70 50 70 70 50 30 703. S3 30 90 50 50 70 30 50 704. S4 50 90 50 70 70 70 50 705. S5 70 90 50 70 70 70 50 706. S6 50 90 50 70 70 70 30 907. S7 70 90 70 90 50 10 50 908. S8 70 70 30 50 50 50 50 709. S9 30 70 30 70 70 30 70 9010. S10 50 90 50 50 70 50 50 5011. S11 70 90 50 70 70 70 50 5012. S12 50 50 50 50 70 30 30 50Joshi A., Singh M., Bhushan S. B, Joshi S. - Enhanced Wellbeing amongst Engineering Students through Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing)Training : An Analysis
116 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011S No.Student CodesLikert’s scale of FeelingHealthyLikert’s scale of MemoryRecallLikert’s scale of MentalStressLikert’s scale of PhysicalRelaxationBefore After Before After Before After Before After13. S13 30 50 50 70 50 30 30 5014. S14 30 30 50 70 70 70 70 9015. S15 50 50 30 50 30 10 30 5016. S16 30 50 50 70 50 30 30 5017. S17 30 70 50 70 50 30 30 5018. S18 30 70 30 70 90 50 30 5019. S19 50 50 50 50 70 30 30 7020. S20 50 70 30 70 50 30 30 90Feeling Healthy; Memory Recall; MentalStress Relief; Physical Relaxation.Table 2Scale of Feeling Healthy Before Pranayama After PranayamaLow scale 35% (7 out of 20) 05% (1 out of 20)Medium scale 45% (9 out of 20) 25% (5 out of 20)High scale 20% (4 out of 20) 70% (14 out of 20)Feeling Healthy(on Likert's Scale)100806040200Figure 1 (a)1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20Individual SubjectTable 3Before NSP TrainingAfter NSP TrainingScale of Memory Recall Before Pranayama After PranayamaLow scale 25% (5 out of 20) NilMedium scale 70% (14 out of 20) 30% (6 out of 20)High scale 05% (1 out of 20) 70% (14 out of 20)Table 4Scale of Mental Stress Before Pranayama After PranayamaLow scale 05% (1 out of 20) 55% (11 out of 20)Medium scale 35% (7 out of 20) 20% (4 out of 20)High scale 60% (12 out of 20) 25% (5 out of 20)Feeling Healthy(on Likert's Scale)100806040200Figure 1 (b)1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20Individual SubjectBefore NSP Training After NSP TrainingTable 5Scale of PhysicalRelaxationBefore Pranayama After PranayamaLow scale 50% (10 out of 20) NilMedium scale 35% (7 out of 20) 40% (8 out of 20)High scale 15% (3 out of 20) 60% (12 out of 20)Memory Recall(on Likert's Scale)100806040200Figure 2 (a)1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20Individual SubjectBefore NSP TrainingAfter NSP TrainingSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Enhanced Wellbeing Amongst Engineering Students Through Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing) Training : An Analysis 117Figure 2 (b)Figure 4 (b)Memory Recall(on Likert's Scale)1008060402001 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20Physical Relaxation(on Likert's Scale)1008060402001 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20Individual SubjectIndividual SubjectBefore NSP TrainingAfter NSP TrainingBefore NSP TrainingAfter NSP TrainingFigure 3 (a)Figure P1Mental Stress(on Likert's Scale)1008060402001 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20Individual SubjectBefore NSP TrainingAfter NSP TrainingFigure 3 (b)Mental Stress(on Likert's Scale)1008060402001 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20Individual SubjectBefore NSP TrainingAfter NSP TrainingFigure 4 (a)Physical Relaxation(on Likert's Scale)1008060402001 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20Individual SubjectBefore NSP TrainingAfter NSP TrainingJoshi A., Singh M., Bhushan S. B, Joshi S. - Enhanced Wellbeing amongst Engineering Students through Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing)Training : An Analysis
118 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Figure P2Table 7t-TestMemory Recall Before Meditation After MeditationMean 46 65Variance 109.4736842 121.0526316Observations 20 20Pearson Correlation 0.365758478Hypothesized Mean0Differencedf 19t Stat -7.024622676P(T
2011 Enhanced Wellbeing Amongst Engineering Students Through Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing) Training : An Analysis 119Null Hypothesis (Ho :)There is no significant difference in the means of theparameters of Feeling Healthy, Memory.Recall, Mental Stress and Physical Relaxation beforeand after practising nadi shodhan pranayama.Alternative Hypothesis (Ha :)There is a significant difference in the means of theparameters of Feeling Healthy, Memory.Recall, Mental Stress and Physical Relaxation beforeand after practising nadi shodhan pranayama.Memory Recall and Physical Relaxation characteristics. Itreduces Mental Stress level, which is highly contributingfactor to disturb wellbeing of anyone. Also the higher stresslevel leads to many diseases. The regulation and control ofabove traits is highly significant to enhance the wellbeingof Engineering students. The authors want to spread themessage through this research paper that to maintain goodhealth, to get rid of diseases and lead a fulfilling life, whichis the basic necessity at all levels of our society, NSP is avery effective technique. It may be safely concluded thatNSP has immense potential of increasing the wellbeing ofits practitioners irrespective of their age. It may become auniversal tool for making this globe a happier place.Results of t-testFrom the Table 6-9 the t-critical value for all theparameters is 2.093 and the standard value at 1% significancelevel (99% confidence level) is 1.96. For interpretation, ifthe t-calculated value is less than the standard value then Ho: is accepted. But in this case t-calculated value is more thanthe standard value at both the levels. So here Ho : is rejectedand Ha : is accepted i.e. there is a significant difference inthe means of the parameters of Feeling Healthy, MemoryRecall, Mental Stress and Physical Relaxation among thestudents before and after practising nadi shodhan pranayamai.e. the technique of practising nadi shodhan pranayama isproved to be useful for the subjects. Also it is observedfrom the results of t test, mean value of Feeling Healthyis shifted from 47 to 70, Memory Recall is shifted from 46to 65, Mental Stress is shifted from 62 to 41 and PhysicalRelaxation is shifted from 43 to 68 before and after the test.The average value in this case is 50 since is the lowest and90 is the highest value, while recording the responses. Itmeans the content of Mental Stress declines where as thelevel of Feeling fHealthy, Memory Recall and PhysicalRelaxation rises after practising nadi shodhan pranayama.ConclusionYoga is a proven technique for bringing desirable changesin behavioral traits leading to wellbeing. The present studyaffirmatively proves the effect of practice of Nadi ShodhanPranayama (NSP) in enhancing Feeling Healthy, MemoryRecall, Mental Stress Relief and Physical Relaxation. Itwas observed that 75% of the subjects gained in terms ofFeeling Healthy, 80% in terms of Memory Recall, 75% interms of Mental Stress Relief and 90% in terms of PhysicalRelaxation. NSP improves the traits of Feeling Healthy,References[1]“TCM and Acupuncture Health Info” available athttp://tcm.health-info.org/[2]Dr. Padmasiri de Silva “The Psychology of Emotionsin Buddhist Perspective” Sir D. B. JayatillekeCommemoration Lecture Colombo, 1976 BuddhistPublication Society Kandy • Sri Lanka The WheelPublication/237[3]Mandlik Gandhar “Pranayama - A Science ofBreathing (I) “available at www.yogapoint.com/pranayama/pranayama_science_1.htm[4]Upadhyay Avnish K, Balkrishna Acharya, UpadhyayRuchita T. Effect of Pranayama [VoluntaryRegulated Yoga Breathing] and Yogasana [YogaPostures] in Diabetes Mellitus (DM) A ScientificReview. Journal of Complementary and IntegrativeMedicine, 2008; 5: I:1:3. Available at:http://www.bepress.com/jcim/vol5/iss1/3[5]Raghuraj P, Ramakrishnan A G, Nagendra HR, Telles Shirley. Effect of Two Selected YogicBreathing Techniques on Heart Rate Variabilityavailable at http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/research_papers/ets/om.asp[6]Jerath R, Edry J, Barnes V, Jerath V. Physiologyof long pranayamic breathing: N<strong>eu</strong>ral respiratoryelements may provide a mechanism that explainshow slow deep breathing shifts the autonomicnervous system Medical Hypotheses, 2006; 67:I:3:566-571.[7]Joshi Anurag, Singh Mandeep, Jindal Ritu,Parkash Jai. Role of Acoustic Meditation in StressManagement An Analysis. International Journal ofManagement Sciences, 2008; 4:2 (Dec. 2008) 56-67.Joshi A., Singh M., Bhushan S. B, Joshi S. - Enhanced Wellbeing amongst Engineering Students through Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing)Training : An Analysis
120 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011[8]Joshi Anurag, Joshi Sunil, Singh Mandeep, KaurSukhwinder. STRESS A BANE – YOGA THECURE in National Seminar on Ayurveda, 2009; 20-24.[9]Dr. Arun Kumar SR “Effect of Nadi ShodhanaPranayama on Autonomic functions among healthyyoung school children in the age group of 11-16years” Dissertation of Master Degree in Physiology,Submitted To The Rajiv Gandhi University OfHealth Sciences, Bangalore (Karnataka), India(2006).[10]“Secret of Eternal Youth” available at http://www.ashram.org/doc/SecretOfEternalYouth.pdf[11]Nadi Shodhan Pranayama http://www.yogapoint.com/info/pranayama.htm[12]“Nadi Shudhi” available at http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/pran/nadishudhi.htm[13]“Breathing Exercise (Pranayama) - AlternateNostril (Anuloma Viloma)” {Demo Pictures ofOne Round of Anuloma Viloma (Alternate NostrilBreathing)} available at http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/pranayama/basic/viloma.asp[14]Video demonstration of “Alternate NostrilBreathing (Nadi Sodhana)” available at http://www.metacafe.com/watch/735686/alternate_nostril_breathing_nadi_sodhana/[15]Walia J.S. “Chief Methods of Psychology”,Manual of Psychology, 1st ed. Paul Publishers,Jalandhar (Punjab) India, 2002.16-17.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine, Lamotrigine and Tianeptine 121An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in IschemicStroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses ofL-Arginine, Lamotrigine and TianeptineHéctor Jara (MD)Department of N<strong>eu</strong>rochemistry, N<strong>eu</strong>ropharmacology and N<strong>eu</strong>roimmunology, Instituto de Medicina Experimental.Faculty of medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela; N<strong>eu</strong>ropharmacology Institute at the“Centro Clinico Profesional Caracas”, Caracas, Venezuela.Email: hectorjara2000@hotmail.comFrancisco García (MD)N<strong>eu</strong>ropharmacology Institute at the “Centro Clínico Profesional Caracas”, Caracas, Venezuela.Franky Torres (MD)Department of critical care medicine, Hospital “Domingo Luciani” IVSS, Caracas, Venezuela.Fuad Lechin (MD,PhD)Department of N<strong>eu</strong>rochemistry, N<strong>eu</strong>ropharmacology and N<strong>eu</strong>roimmunology, Instituto de Medicina Experimental.Faculty of medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.AbstractIn stroke and cerebral Trauma the damaged n<strong>eu</strong>rons release Aspartate and Glutamate that contribute to n<strong>eu</strong>ronal death (excitotoxiccell death). However, physiological levels of NMDA receptor activity can promote n<strong>eu</strong>ronal survival and resistance to trauma, whichexplain why a large number of n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective agents development for stroke have failed to show positive effects in Phase III trialsin ischemic stroke. The levels of free serotonin (f-5HT) increase in thrombotic events, worsening the platelet aggregation and thearteriolar vasoconstriction. Endothelium-derived Nitric Oxide (eNO) is reduced in ischemic stroke. The objective of this study was toevaluate the n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective effects of Lamotrigine (a glutamate release inhibitor), Tianeptine (reducer of f-5HT levels) and L-Arginine(precursor of eNO) at low doses. We performed a controlled study with 49 patients with cerebral trauma and 25 patients with ischemicstroke. We compared the sample groups with control groups that received conventional treatment. To evaluate the disease progressionwe used the Glasgow Scale and NIHSS. The results were analyzed by F statistical test and Student’s t test with p ≤ 0.05. The resultsshow that patients with stroke and brain trauma are benefited with this new n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective treatment (p value < 0.05) with lower ratesof n<strong>eu</strong>rologic complications. Key Words: Glutamate, NMDA-receptor signalling, free serotonin, endothelial Nitric Oxide, Agmatine,Pro-survival signal, N<strong>eu</strong>rotoxicity.Cerebrovascular Diseases (CD), the third leading causeof death in developed countries after heart diseases andcancer, has an overall prevalence of 795 per 100,000 and area major cause of disability. Two thirds of stroke survivorssuffer from residual n<strong>eu</strong>rological deficits and have to copewith chronic motor and language dysfunctions. So far, wehave very limited effective therapies in spite of intensiveresearch efforts and numerous clinical trials (1,3,21). Astroke is the acute n<strong>eu</strong>rologic injury occurring as a result ofseveral pathological processes involving the blood vesselsof the brain. Normal brain function requires continuoussupply of oxygenated blood. Reduction in blood flow mayinterfere with brain functions, but the brain can remain viablefor more prolonged periods (37), for example after a strokepatients often recover partially or completely, suggestingthat focal areas of the brain can remain functionless andischemic for hours, even days. This has led to the notionof an ischemic zone (penumbra or halo) that surroundsthe infarct area and could progress up to n<strong>eu</strong>ronal deathor is potentially salvageable if ischemia can be reversed(11,37). There are also secondary phenomena that maycontribute to n<strong>eu</strong>ronal death such as excitatory amino acidsJara H., García F., Torres F., Lechin F. - An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine,Lamotrigine and Tianeptine
122 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011(Glutamate and Aspartate) released by damaged n<strong>eu</strong>rons(Excitotoxicity), cerebral oedema and alterations in localblood flow owing to endothelial responses. (5,11,37) Asmall number of ischemic stroke patients are eligible forthrombolytic therapy with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) but this has to be administered within 3 hours of theischemic event (5). However, several potential side effectshave been reported.There is much information concerning the early useof n<strong>eu</strong>roprotection in ischemic stroke and brain trauma.There is a lot of evidence indicating that NMDA-receptors(N-Methyl D-Aspartate-receptors) and voltage-dependentcalcium channels could be one of the triggers of n<strong>eu</strong>ronalinjury after ischemic stroke (Xion et al, 2004) (51). Choi(1988) (7) and others (5,27) first worked with drugs thatblock calcium influx into ischemic cells; either conventionalcalcium channel blockers or Glutamate receptor blockershave had variable success in patients with stroke an inanimal models. They demonstrate that the early use ofNMDA-Blockers (N-Methyl D-Aspartate-Blockers) couldprevent the progression of the stroke in patients whoundergo cardiac catheterization. Although these resultswere promising, there are a lot of researchers who usedthese drugs with poor results (8,27,28). Several drugsthat seemed promising in experimental studies or in smalltrials (including Glycine-NMDA-Receptor-Antagonists)have proved ineffective in phase 3 trials (8,21,28,29). Theobserved lack of efficacy of these drugs may be due to delaysin the initiation of the treatment; however the dichotomy ofNMDA-receptor signalling is a more plausible explanation(40). In pathological scenarios such as ischemia, calciuminflux through the NMDA-receptor is a key mediator ofcell death. Nevertheless, physiological levels of NMDAreceptoractivity can promote n<strong>eu</strong>ronal survival andresistance to trauma, and play important roles in synapticplasticity. (40). There is evidence that physiological synapticNMDA-receptor activity exerts a n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective effect.It may play a role in promoting recovery and preventingdelayed n<strong>eu</strong>ronal loos in the penumbra (17).The antiepileptic drug Lamotrigine is a phenyltriazinederivative that acts by stabilizing voltage-sensitivesodium channels in a usage-dependent manner, preventingglutamate and aspartate release and reversibly blockingexcitatory n<strong>eu</strong>rotransmission. In previous studies has beendemonstrated to be effective for hypoxic-ischemic braindamage in focal and global stroke models (9,12,45,50,53)as well as combination therapy for the patient withischemic stroke (6). Low doses of Lamotrigine could avoidCNS-adverse events and others side effects. On the otherhand these doses could prevent global NMDA antagoniststhat may block NMDA-receptor-activated pro-survivalsignal triggered in response to an ischemic challenge. Thisdichotomy of NMDA-receptor signalling (16) means thatany anti-excitotoxic strategy that interferes with NMDAreceptorsignalling should be assessed to determine itseffects on NMDA-receptor pro-survival signalling.Total circulating serotonin includes platelet-serotonin(p-5HT) + free-serotonin (f-5HT) in the plasma. There isa lot of evidence that f-5-HT plasma levels augment incerebrovascular diseases and trigger platelet aggregationenhancing the endothelium-dependent vasoconstriction,(23,31) which worsens the ischemia. The fact that a smalldose of oral Tianeptine, a drug that enhances serotoninuptake, reduces f-5HT in the plasma (23,24,25) motivatesus to include it in the n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective treatment. On theother hand we have been using Tianeptine during the last14 years to reduce the f-5HT plasma levels in asthmaticpatients with successful results. (25)In literature it has been proved that Nitric Oxide (NO)induces vascular smooth muscle relaxation (Palmer etal, 1987) (38), and is synthesized in the endothelial cellsfrom L-Arginine (Palmer et al, 1988) (39) by the enzymenitric oxide synthase (NOS), and it modulates a widevariety of n<strong>eu</strong>ral, cardiovascular, endocrinologic andhumoral processes. The endothelial NO release is reducedin stroke due to endothelial factors particularly in thecerebral vasculature. (31,46). On the other hand Agmatine,formed by the decarboxylation of L-arginine by argininedecarboxylase, has been shown to be n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective intrauma and ischemia models (19,36).The current treatment for stroke relies on the use ofthrombolytic agents, which are of demonstrable valueonly if delivered within three hours after the onset of thestroke. Although potential side effects must be considered,a n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective treatment that reduces the Glutamatereleases avoiding to block the pro-survival effects ofNMDA-receptor activity, enhances the endothelial NOand reduces f-5HT could be an attractive option for newstroke and cerebral trauma therapies. In the present studywe use low doses of Lamotrigine (Inhibitor of glutamateand aspartate release) + L-Arginine (An endothelial NOprecursor) + Tianeptine (drug that reduces the f-5HT)in stroke and cerebral trauma patients to reverse theprogression of cerebral ischemia toward cell death bynecrosis or apoptosis.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine, Lamotrigine and Tianeptine 123Material and MethodsSubjects: 131 patients (78 male-53 female) between18-85 years old conformed the eligible patients group.The institutional review board of each participating centreapproved the protocol.Inclusion Criteria• Clinical diagnosis of stroke or cerebral trauma.• Onset of symptoms to time administration:Patients who had suffered the stroke less than 48 hoursbefore treatment.In cerebral trauma patients who did not respond toconventional therapy (Manitol, Somazina and conventionaltreatment) during at least 4 days.• CT Scan showing cerebral ischemia or oedema/haemorrhage (cerebral trauma).• Age > 30-year-old patients with stroke• Age >18 year-old patients with cerebral trauma.• In Stroke patients: National Institute of Health StrokeScale (NIHSS) score 4-20Exclusion Criteria• Glucose > 200 mg/d• Fever• Hypercalcemia• Minor stroke symptoms and TIA or NIHSS less than 4points.• Extensive stroke with Glasgow of 3 points and NIHSSupper 20 points.• Haemorrhage Stroke.Baseline clinical assessmentAt baseline, details of the medical history wereestablished by interview and consultation of medicalnotes. (See table 2) Patients with stroke were examinedn<strong>eu</strong>rologically and classified as total anterior circulationsyndrome (TAC), partial anterior circulation syndrome(PAC), lacunar syndrome (LAC) and posterior circulationsyndrome (POC) using the Oxfordshire Community StrokeProject (OCSP) Classification (4) (See table 3). CerebralMRI confirmed all cases within 3-7 days since the strokeoccurred. N<strong>eu</strong>rological deficit was scored using the NationalInstitute for Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). The NIHSS wasincluded because it is the most widely used stroke scale.The Glasgow Scale was used to evaluate the coma state inall the groups.The Group A (Sample group)74 patients (50 Male-24 Female) sub divided in twosub-groups:A.1) 49 patients with cerebral trauma (39 male-10female-18 to 60 years old)A.2) 25 patients with stroke (11 male-14 female-60 to85 years old)All the A.1 group patients had cerebral trauma (HospitalRafael Medina Jimenez-La Guaira-Venezuela and HospitalDomingo Luciani IVSS-Caracas-Venezuela) with traumatichaemorrhage and or cerebral oedema. Most of them withskull fractures and coma categorized as “Diffuse axonalinjury”. (See table 1) The study began with those patientswho did not respond to conventional therapy during at least4 days from the entrance to the intensive care unit.To evaluate the disease progression we used theGlasgow Scale at the beginning of the study and at thedischarge of the intensive care unit. In order to maintainthe same clinical conditions we compared the A.1 patientsgroup to a 32-patients control group (20 male-12 female)with cerebral trauma who did not respond to conventionaltreatment after 4 days in the intensive care unit.All the A.2 group patients (25 patients) had cerebralischemia (Stroke) (Centro Clinico Profesional Caracas-Caracas-Venezuela and Policlinica Las Mercedes- Caracas-Venezuela). 14 male-11female. The study began in the first48 hours since the onset of the symptoms. To evaluate thedisease progression we used the Glasgow Scale and the NHIStroke Scale at the beginning of the study and then every24 hours. In order to maintain the same clinical conditionswe compared the A.2 group patients with a control groupof 25 patients sex-age-matched (8 male-17 female), theyreceived conventional treatment. The study began in July-2008 and was completed in December-2010.If the f-5HT and Glutamate worsen the ischemic andn<strong>eu</strong>ronal injury (cerebral trauma) and enhance the progressup to n<strong>eu</strong>ronal death via apoptosis or necrosis, then with atreatment that enhances the eNO, reduces the f-5HT andreduces partially the activation of the NMDA-receptors, thereduction of the progression of cerebral ischemia and thechanges of the clinical patient’s evolution could improve.According to the above-mentioned statement theeligible group patients (A.1 and A.2) were treated orallywith 12.5 mg of Tianeptine (drug that reduces f-5HT), 25Jara H., García F., Torres F., Lechin F. - An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine,Lamotrigine and Tianeptine
124 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011mg of Lamotrigine (Inhibitor of Glutamate) and 500 mg ofL-Arginine (An NO precursor) twice daily during 10 daysand then once daily.Protocol for Collecting Data4 different physicians carried out the experimentalprocedures. Two of them with the A.1 group (specialistsin critical care medicine). The remaining two with the A.2group (specialists in internal medicine).• The Glasgow scale and the NIHSS were used in thesample group and control group with stroke.• The Glasgow scale was used in the sample group andcontrol group with cerebral trauma.Statistical procedures used• The data were summarized by means and percent.• We used numerical and graphical techniques throughoutthe study.• Comparisons of values between control group andtreated group were analyzed by F statistical test andStudent's t test with p ≤ 0.05.Table 1. Baseline characteristics of patients with cerebraltrauma based on treated Group (A1) and ControlCharacteristicsA1 GroupCerebral Trauma(N= 49)Control Group(Cerebral Trauma)(N= 32)Age-yr 39,14 43,5Average Age by Sex inMale (yr.)39,38 38,9Average Age by Sex inFemale (yr.)38,2 51,16Male sex (%) 79,59 62,5Female sex (%) 20,41 37,5DSF No. (%) 8 (16,32) 5 (15,62)BSF No. (%) 4 (8,16) 3 (9,37)DAI No. (%) 9 (18,36) 3 (9,37)CE No. (%) 31 (63,26) 13 (40,62)H/H No. (%) 28 (57,14) 17 (53,12)CSF No. (%) 3 (6,12) 1 (3,12)DSF = Depressed SkullFractureCE = Cerebral EdemaBFS = Basilar SkullFractureH/H =Hemorrhage/HematomaDAI = Diffuse AxonalInjuryCSF = ComminutedSkull FractureTable 2. Baseline characteristics of ischemic stroke patientsbased on treated Group (A2) and control Group.CharacteristicA2 GroupN = 25Control GroupN = 25Age-yr 74.6 75.2Male sex Age-yr 76.9 75.3Female sex Age-yr 72.2 75.17Male sex No. (%) 11 (44%) 8 (32%)Female sex No. (%) 14 (56%) 17 (68%)Diabetes Mellitus No. (%) 11 (44%) 13 (52%)Arterial Hypertension No. (%) 10 (40%) 13 (52%)Current Smoker No. (%) 2 (8%) 2 (8%)Prior cardiovascular disease No. (%) 3 (12%) 2 (8%)Hyperlipidemia 11(44%) 9 (36%)Prior stroke or TIA No. (%) 2 (8%) 1 (4%)Table 3. Details of the stroke after the OCSP classification andcerebral MRIDetails of theStrokeDetails of the Stroke (After MRI)A2 Group(Ischemic Stroke)(No. = 25)Control Group (IschemicStroke)(No. = 25)TACI 5 (20%) 4 (16%)PACI 6 (24%) 8 (32%)LACI 9 (36%) 8 (32%)POCI 4 (16%) 5 (20%)Unclassified1 (4%)) 0(after MRI)HC 0 2 (8%)TACI = Total Anterior Circulation InfarctionPACI = Partial Anterior Circulation InfarctionLACI = Lacunar InfarctionPOCI = Posterior Circulation InfarctionHC = Hemorrhagic Conversion in Ischemically InfarctedAreasUnclassified = The MRI Showed old frontal Infarction atthe 7 days, but the OCSP Classification and the Scan at 24hours showed TACINote: All patients showed two or more findingsSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine, Lamotrigine and Tianeptine 125ResultsA.1 Group (Cerebral Trauma)Age Average: 39.14 years oldSex:• Female: 20.41 %• Male: 79.59 %Glasgow Scale Average (Pre-Treatment): 5.33 pointsGlasgow Scale Average (Post-treatment): 11.29 points(See Fig. 1)Improved Patients: 40/49 patients (81.63 %)Patients with Glasgow Scale improvement but withoutcoming out of the coma state: 9 patients (18.37 %)Mortality: 8.16 % and Sepsis: 8.16 %. (See Fig. 2)81.63 % of the A.1 group improved the Glasgow Scalein 5.8 points or more in two weeks. (See fig.1)18.36 % of the A1 group improved the Glasgow Scale atleast in 3 points but they remained in the coma state.The time average of Glasgow recuperation in at least5.8 points was two weeks in 81.63 % of the patients andthe time average of partial recuperation was three weeks in18.36 % of the patients.Control Group (Cerebral Trauma)Age Average: 43.5 years oldSex:• Female: 37.5 %• Male: 62.5 %Glasgow scale average (pre-treatment): 5.77 pointsGlasgow scale average (post-treatment): 7.75 pointsThe Glasgow scale average pre treatment was 5.77points and post-treatment (until 4 weeks after) 7.75 points.Improved Patients: 5/32 patients (15.62 %)Patients with Glasgow Scale improvement but withoutcoming out of the coma state: 6/32 patients (18.75 %)Patients without Glasgow Scale improvement: 21/32patients (65.6 %)Mortality: 21.87 % and Sepsis: 18.75 % (See Fig 2 )A.2 Group ( Cerebral Stroke)Age Average: 74.60 years oldSex:• Female: 14 patients (56 %)• Male: 11 patients (44 %)Glasgow Scale Average (Pre-Treatment): 8.8 PointsGlasgow Scale Average (Post-Treatment): 15 PointsNIH Stroke Scale Average (Pre-treatment): 16.4 PointsNIH Stroke Scale Average (Post-treatment): 3 points(See Fig. 4 and 5)Time of Complete Recovery based in Glasgowscale in the A.2 group1. Patients who started the treatment within the first 3hours since the onset of the symptoms: 8 patients (32%). The mean time of complete recovery was 58 hours.2. Patients who started the treatment within the first 6-36hours (mean time: 12.44 hours) since the onset ofthe symptoms: 17 patients: 68 %. The mean time ofcomplete recovery was 5.7 days.Time of Complete Recovery based in NIHSS inthe A.2 group1. Patients who started the treatment within the first 6hours since the onset of the symptoms: 15 patients (60%). The mean time of the complete recovery was 51.2hours.2. Patients who started the treatment within the first 8-36hours since the onset of the symptoms: 10 patients (40%). The mean time of complete recovery was 5.28 days.Control Group (Cerebral Stroke)Age Average: 75.24 years oldSex:• Female: 17 (68 %)• Male: 8 (32 %)Glasgow Scale Average Pre-Conventional Treatment:9.48 pointsGlasgow Scale Average at 72 hours: 12.4 points. (SeeFig. 8)NIH Stroke Scale Average pre-treatment: 16.84 pointsNIH Stroke Scale Average post-treatment (24 hours):16.24NIH Stroke Scale Average post-treatment (48 hours):15.72 pointsNIH Stroke Scale Average post-treatment (one week):12.72 pointsNIH Stroke Scale Average post-treatment (two weeks):10.12 points (See fig. 6)Jara H., García F., Torres F., Lechin F. - An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine,Lamotrigine and Tianeptine
126 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Fig. 1. Comparison by sex of the Glasgow Scale at admission (GA) and at discharge (GD) in the A1 Group (cerebral trauma) and theControl Group.In all cases P value < 0.05Fig. 2 Complications in cerebral trauma (Sample group and control)Fig 3. Glasgow comparison between Treated and Control Group at admission and discharge in cerebral traumaP value < 0.05School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine, Lamotrigine and Tianeptine 127Fig. 4. Evolution of the NIHSS in women and men (A2 Group: Stroke Group)NIHSS: National Institute Health Scale ScoreNIHSS1:At admission; NIHSS2: At 24 hours; NIHSS3: At 48 hours; NIHSS4: At one week; NIHSS5: At two weeks.P value < 0.05 in NIHSS2, NIHSS3, NIHSS4 and NIHSS5.Fig. 5. Glasgow evolution in the A2 Group (Ischemic Stroke)GO: Glasgow at admission; G12: Glasgow after 12 hours; G24: Glasgow after 24 hours; G48: Glasgow after 48 hours; G72: Glasgow after 72 hours.P value < 0.05 in G12, G24, G48 and G72.Fig. 6. Evolution of NIHSS in Control Group by sex (Ischemic Stroke)Jara H., García F., Torres F., Lechin F. - An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine,Lamotrigine and Tianeptine
128 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Fig. 7. Evolution of NIHSS in patients with ischemic Stroke (control Group)NIHSS1: at admission; NIHSS2: after 24 hours; NIHSS3: after 48 hours; NIHSS4: after one week; NIHS5: after 2 weeks.Fig. 8. Glasgow Evolution in Control Group (Ischemic Stroke)Statistical analysisWe decided compared in the analysis of the A2 groupthe Glasgow scale at the 12, 24, and 48 hours. We comparedthe groups separated by sex.The analysis of Glasgow scale on samples cases andcontrol were relevant statistically at the 12, 24, and 48 hours,with (p=5.41x10-5), (p=5.21x10-13), (p=3.57x10-17),respectively.We decided compared in the analysis of the A2 groupthe NIHSS at the 24 hours, 48 hours, and one week. Wecompared the groups separated by sex.The analysis of NIHSS on samples cases and controlwere relevant statistically at the 24 hours, 48 hours,and one week with (p=1.00x10-9), (p=3.04x10-19),(p=3.67x10-27), respectively.We decided compared in the analysis of the A1 Groupthe Glasgow Scale at discharge. We compared the groupsseparated by sex.The analysis of Glasgow Scale on samples cases andcontrol were relevant statistically (p=2.49x10-6). (See Fig.9 and 10)Fig.9.Glasgow Comparison between Treated and ControlGroup in Stroke Patients.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine, Lamotrigine and Tianeptine 129Fig.10. NIHSS Comparison Between Treated and ControlGroup in Stroke PatientsDiscussionA new n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective treatment that combines lowdoses of an Inhibitor of glutamate release drug (Lamotrigine)with endothelial-protection drugs (l-Arginine +Tianeptine)seems to be a promising therap<strong>eu</strong>tic approach. Our resultsshow a novel and effective n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective treatment.Until now there have been no previous studies that usen<strong>eu</strong>roprotective treatment with L-Arginine and Tianeptine.This inedited study opens the door to the search of integraltherapy. Our findings demonstrate that low doses of agentsacting indirectly on glutamate release act better in strokepatients than usual doses of NMDA-Blockers as indicatedin previous reports. (5,11,21,29) On the other hand ourfindings in patients with cerebral trauma confirm thisassertion. To date, many cytoprotective drugs have reachedthe stage of pivotal phase 3 efficacy trials in acute strokepatients. Unfortunately, throughout the n<strong>eu</strong>roprotectiveliterature, the phrase "failure to demonstrate efficacy"prevails as a common thread among the many n<strong>eu</strong>tral ornegative trials, despite the largely encouraging resultsencountered in preclinical studies. The reasons for thisdiscrepancy are multiple and have been discussed (21), butrecently, Papadia and Hardingham (2007) (40) explain itthrough the dichotomy of NMDA receptor signalling.Failed Clinical Trials for Stroke with NMDAreceptor antagonistsThe calcium channels antagonist that has undergonethe most extensive investigation in stroke is nimodipine(13,42). Several randomized controlled clinical studies haveconclusively demonstrated the effectiveness of nimodipinein preventing ischemic n<strong>eu</strong>rologic deficit and poor outcomesecondary to an<strong>eu</strong>rismal subarachnoid hemorrhage.(42) The most recent and extensive meta-analysis of 22calcium antagonist trials, studying over 6,800 patients,failed to demonstrate any beneficial effect of treatment, afinding attributed to hypotension induced by both oral andintravenous administration of the drug. The lack of effect orpresence of detrimental effect, of calcium antagonists maybe due to the hypotension caused by blocking the vascularsmooth muscle cells. Another plausible explanation is thatthe P13K-Akt pathway (phosphoinositide-3-kinase-Aktkinase cascade) is a key-signalling pathway responsiblefor pro-survival effects of NMDA-receptors activity thatcan be activated in a calcium-dependent manner. (40,18).On the other hand, the CREB (cAMP response elementbindingprotein) a key mediator of activity-dependent geneexpression is strongly induced by NMDA-receptor activityand calcium. (40)Glutamate antagonists N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)receptor antagonists were the first class of acute stroketherap<strong>eu</strong>tic agents to proceed from development in thelaboratory to testing in humans, employing modernprinciples of clinical trial design, most importantlyrelatively early treatment. The potential utility of NMDAantagonists in stroke was first recognized when it wasobserved that a hypoxic or ischemic insult results inelevation of brain levels of the excitatory n<strong>eu</strong>rotransmitterglutamate. The excitotoxic theory of ischemic brain injuryimplicates glutamate as a pivotal mediator of cell deathvia ligand-gated receptors (NMDA and AMPA receptors).The NMDA receptor is a complex ligand-gated ion channelthat requires activation by glutamate and glycine, as wellas concomitant membrane depolarization to overcomea voltage-dependent block by magnesium ions. Selfotel(CGS19755) is a competitive NMDA receptor antagonistthat limits n<strong>eu</strong>ronal damage in animal stroke models (13,14).Selfotel was evaluated in a randomized, double-blind,placebo-controlled, ascending dose phase 2a study. N<strong>eu</strong>ropsychiatricadverse experiences were common, dose-relatedsymptoms included hallucinations, agitation, confusion,dysarthria, ataxia, delirium, paranoia, and somnolence.Patients presented mild adverse experiences with Selfotel1.5 mg/kg; however, when the dose was increased to 2 mg/kg given once or twice, adverse experiences occurred inall patients (15). The non-competitive NMDA antagonistdextrorphan was also evaluated in a pilot study (2) Aswith Selfotel, adverse effects of dextrorphan occurred in adose-dependent manner. The reasons for this discrepancyJara H., García F., Torres F., Lechin F. - An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine,Lamotrigine and Tianeptine
130 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011are well explained by Papadia S. And Hardingham E.(2007) (40): “NMDA-receptors are essential mediators ofsynaptic plasticity and also mediate aspects of developmentand synaptic transmission. However, when excessivelyactivated, NMDA-receptors cause cell death in manyn<strong>eu</strong>ropathological scenarios. During an ischemic episode,extracellular glutamate builds up due to synaptic releaseand impaired/reversed uptake mechanisms resulting inoveractivation of NMDA-receptors. The destructive effectsof excessive NMDA-receptor activity are in contrast tothe recent findings that survival of several n<strong>eu</strong>ronal typesis dependent on physiological synaptic NMDA-receptoractivity (16). Thus, responses of n<strong>eu</strong>rons to glutamate orNMDA follow a bell-Shaped curve: both too much and toolittle NMDA-receptor activity is potentially harmful” (30)Magnesium (Mg 2+ ) is an ideal n<strong>eu</strong>roprotectant basedupon its diverse mechanisms of action, low cost, ease ofadministration, wide therap<strong>eu</strong>tic index, good blood-brainbarrier (BBB) permeability, and established safety profile.Mg 2+ ions endogenously function as a physiologic voltagedependentblock of the NMDA receptor ion channel andinhibitor of ischemia-induced glutamate release (28).Preclinical models show that magnesium reduces infarctvolume with a dose-response relationship demonstratedwithin even 6 hours after stroke (28,52). Several pilotstudies have already demonstrated the safety andtolerability of intravenous Mg 2+ in acute ischemic strokepatients (33,34), The FAST-MAG (Field Administration ofStroke Therapy-Magnesium) (44), pilot study was an openlabelevaluation of the safety and feasibility of paramedicinitiatedmagnesium therapy to stroke patients identifiedin the field by the Los Angeles Prehospital Stroke Screen(LAPSS). Greater than two-thirds of patients had a goodfunctional outcome. Probably the ion Magnesium showedto be more effective treatment because its action is lessaggressive in blocking the NMDA-receptors, allowing theeffects on NMDA-receptors pro-survival signalling.Our study has been made to develop strategies inhibitingglutamate-induced damage while avoiding the toxicityprofile of direct NMDA receptor antagonism. In fact, w<strong>eu</strong>sed in this study low doses of Lamotrigine to prevent downregulationof n<strong>eu</strong>ral receptors and to avoid the completedisappearances of the glutamate in the synapses, in orderto allow the physiological NMDA-receptor signalling. Toincrease the effect of the treatment we added two unusualendothelial protection drugs (Tianeptine and L-Arginine) toprevent cell injury by other mechanisms like hypoxia andlow blood flow. If we combining n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective agentsthat together have high potency by targeting multiplepathways then the citoprotection could be effective. Theanti-epileptic drug lamotrigine inhibits glutamate releaseand has shown beneficial effects in a rodent model of focalcerebral ischemia when administered immediately afterischemia (9,22,45); however, a 2-h delay of treatmentproduced no effect on infarct volume or n<strong>eu</strong>rologicaloutcome in two models. (47) To our knowledge, only oneclinical stroke trials of Lamotrigine have been performedbut with doses that could block the physiological NMDAreceptorsignalling (6).Taken in their entirety, the data suggest that monotherapytargeting a single n<strong>eu</strong>rotransmitter function may not providesufficient n<strong>eu</strong>roprotection to offer clinically meaningfulbenefit and the doses used produced n<strong>eu</strong>ro-psychiatricadverse experiences that could be explained by “Thedichotomy of NMDA receptor signalling”.The Dichotomy of NMDA receptor signallingThe NMDA subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptorsplays a Jekyll and Hyde role in the mammalian centralnervous system (40). There is a lot of evidence that indicatesthe NMDA-receptor activated plays a dual role. If thestimulus is intense or too low then NMDA-receptor activitypromotes cell death. (40) The classical bell-shaped curvemodel of the n<strong>eu</strong>ronal response to NMDA or glutamatecontends that intermediate, physiological NMDA-receptoractivity levels are necessary for n<strong>eu</strong>roprotection. We inferthat our results are explained by this novel concept. The verylow doses of Lamotrigine that we used were able to reachphysiological NMDA-receptor activity levels. On the otherhand is possible that the Lamotrigine may have preventedthe action of Glutamate and Aspartate in the extrasynapticNMDA-receptors. A recent study involving genome-wideexpression analysis has extended the understanding ofsynaptic vs. extrasynaptic signalling (54). While synapticNMDA-receptors activated a number of pro-survivalgenes, extrasynaptic NMDA-receptors failed to do this, andactivated expression of a gene Clca1 that kills n<strong>eu</strong>rons.Serotonin and IschemiaSerotonin plays an important role in ischemia. Inhumans, serotonin is concentrated in platelets and isreleased when platelets aggregated. The f-5HT plasmalevels increase in vascular thrombosis secondary to plateletaggregation. Thus, this n<strong>eu</strong>rotransmitter increases theSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine, Lamotrigine and Tianeptine 131platelet aggregation and vasoconstriction (31, 43) thatworsens the ischemia. It has been demonstrated in cerebralarterioles of rabbits (31, 43) and in coronary arteries. (43).On the other hand, increased circulating cathecolamines areresponsible for the lowered p-5HT and the increased f-5HTregistered during stressful situations, which trigger plateletaggregation. (24, 25). We used Tianeptine in this study inorder to reduce the plasma levels of f-5HT owing to the factthat this drug enhances the platelet uptake of serotonin.Recent studies show that Tianeptine targets thephosphorylation-state of glutamate receptors at the CA3c/a synapse. This novel signal transduction mechanism forTianeptine may provide a mechanistic resolution for itsn<strong>eu</strong>roprotective properties (20). On the other hand localTianeptine has found to inhibit the activity of nitric oxidesynthase (NOS) in the hippocampus (49).Nitric Oxide and AgmatineOther strategies of n<strong>eu</strong>roprotection attack later stagesof the ischemic cascade. N<strong>eu</strong>ronal nitric oxide (nNO)synthesis is induced by stimulation of glutamate receptors,and nNO in turn has a number of complex actions relevantto ischemia and cell injury. Endothelium-derived NO (eNO)causes vasodilatation beneficial to ischemic brain, but nNOgenerates oxygen free radicals toxic to cells. The usefulnessof NO modulation in stroke likely will hinge on the abilityto favourably manipulate the beneficial and deleteriouseffects of NO. We decided to use low doses of L-Argininelike a precursor of NO due to the important role thatendothelial NO plays in the cerebral vasodilatation, vascularremodelling and angiogenesis in human and animal models(21,26). In our opinion low doses of L-Arginine increaseNO at low levels that are not toxic to cells. On the otherhand, L-Arginine blocks the release of somatostatine thusincreases the Grow Hormone levels that have anti stress andcell-reparative properties (26). Moreover, L-Arginine is aprecursor of the novel n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Agmatine that hasbeen shown to be n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective in trauma and ischemiamodels through regulation of endothelial nitric oxidesynthase, reduction of brain edema and glutamate release(19,36). On the other hand, agmatine can reduce braininfarction through minimizing n<strong>eu</strong>roinflammation and canlessen the danger of post-stroke infection from depressionof the immune system after stroke (48).Free radicals production occurs during ischemia andreperfusion and contributes to the n<strong>eu</strong>ronal injury afterstroke. In order to avoid the effect of NO as a free radicalwe reduced the doses of L-Arginine after two weeks oftreatment.Our study has potential limitations. One of them is theimbalance in the two sample groups. The A1 group includedcerebral trauma patients with ostensible cerebral damage.The A2 group included only cerebral stroke patients withonly ischemic damage. In the former the most importantevaluation was the use of low doses of lamotrigine to avoidthe progression of the cerebral injury (Low doses owing tothe fact that the experience in n<strong>eu</strong>roprotection studies withNMDA blockers shows many side effects). In the latterthe key was the use of three different mechanisms to avoidthe progression and damage of the penumbra zone. Otherlimitation was the fact that the A1 group began the treatment4 or more days after the cerebral trauma occurred, and thisgroup included only patients catalogued as “Did not respondto the usual therapy”. There is a disadvantage because thereis a lot of information concerning the beneficial use of earlyn<strong>eu</strong>roprotective treatment in phase I and II studies. Otherlimitation is that we began the treatment in the A2 groupearlier and we cannot compare it to the A1 group.Our results show that the use of Lamotrigine +L-Arginine + Tianeptine in cerebral trauma and ischemicstroke results in higher survival rates and lower rates ofn<strong>eu</strong>rologic complications at one week since the onset of thesymptoms. On the other hand, this treatment significantlyreduces the clinical-recuperation-time of Glasgow scaleand NIH stroke scale when it was compared with theconventional treatment.Since the Food and Drug Administration has recognizedthat stroke is a serious and life-threatening condition,making it eligible for accelerated approval, we believethat this treatment can be extrapolated to institutionswith resources in stroke and cerebral trauma trial. Aninexpensive, effective and safe n<strong>eu</strong>roprotective treatmentcould be evaluated in a large-scale, multicenter, doubleblind,placebo-controlled, randomized trials.Finally, we believe that delineating the mechanismunderlying the vulnerability of the central nervous system todiverse insults should lead to new therap<strong>eu</strong>tic interventionsthat affect the outcome positively.Acknowledgements: We are indebted to the teacherReygar Bernal and Miss Deika Terant for there help in theelaboration of the manuscript.We are grateful to Dr. Ignacio S. Torres-Alvarado forstatistical support.Jara H., García F., Torres F., Lechin F. - An Effective N<strong>eu</strong>roprotective Treatment in Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Trauma with Low Doses of L-Arginine,Lamotrigine and Tianeptine
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134 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Metastatic Breast Cancer: An Evaluation of the Safety andEffectiveness of High Dose Chemotherapy withAutologous Stem Cell TransplantMartin F. Taylor (MSc)Master of Science and candidate to PhD in Science at the Departmentof Science of the School of Doctoral Studies of the EUEmail: mf.taylor@dsc.sds.<strong>eu</strong>AbstractBreast cancer is the leading cause of death for American women. Metastatic breast cancer, the focus of this paper, is defined ascancer that originated in the breast and has moved to lymph nodes and other bodily tissues. The treatment researched here is high-dosechemotherapy (HDC) followed by an autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The safety and efficacy of HDC/ASCT are stillunder examination. Some arguments state that the effectiveness of HDC/ASCT may vary according to these non-treatment relatedfactors: age, stage of disease at diagnosis, hormone receptor status, use of prior adjuvant chemotherapy, initial disease-free interval,response to prior chemotherapy, and number and sites of metastases. At this time it is still unclear if HDC/ASCT is a more effectivetreatment than traditional chemotherapy, as the survival rate is not significantly higher, while toxicity is higher. The health and safetyof the women is important, and a safe treatment is one that does not kill the patient and does not result in permanent side effects. It hasbeen concluded that higher levels of chemotherapy induce higher levels of toxicity and mental disturbances not limited to the following:nausea, myelosuppression, infection, mucositis and diarrhea, depression, stress, and fatigue. There is a low mortality rate associated withthe actual transplant itself. The practice of re-infusion of stem cells has become a valuable method of hematopoietic rescue, as longersurvival and few long term illnesses are associated with it. In the future more research should go into identifying the specifics that willdefine the women who will benefit from HDC/ASCT. The development of drugs that would not harm non-cancerous cells would be theideal solution to cancer.Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for Americanwomen. In 2002, over 203,000 American women sufferedfrom the disease and nearly 40,000 died (Williams, 2002).Surgical treatment to directly remove cancerous tissueinvolves either a lumpectomy or mastectomy whereregional lymph node tissue is often removed to assess forcancer spread. Conventional treatments used in addition tosurgery can include radiation therapy, hormone treatment,and standard-dose chemotherapy (Dervan, 2001). In som<strong>eu</strong>nfortunate cases, the cancer spreads beyond the regionallymph nodes and then disperses to other parts of the body;this is known as metastatic breast cancer (MBC) (Pruchaand Bellenir, 2001). The focus of this paper is on thetreatment of MBC, the most harmful and least curable formof breast cancer.High dose chemotherapy and autologous stem celltransplantation is another method of treatment that hasrecently become available to women with more advancedforms of MBC. Since stem cells are undifferentiated, theyare a useful form of rescue in that they naturally replacedepleted cells in the body. The use of stem cells as arescue treatment for cancer and immuno-recovery was firstpracticed in the treatment of l<strong>eu</strong>kemia. After many years oftrials on animals as well as humans, and confidence levelsin the procedure were heightened, stem cell rescue wasthought to be an ideal method for rebuilding the immunesystem. Stem cell transplants have since been used inaddition to HDC to compensate for the severe damage thatthe immune system incurs in the process (Thomas et al.,1999).Often, the first step in this treatment program is a lowdose chemotherapy treatment tailored to eliminate thecancer and induce remission (induction chemotherapy).Stem cells are then collected from the patient’s own bonemarrow and are frozen for later use. HDC/ASCT differsfrom traditional chemotherapy (TC) in that stem cellsSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Metastatic Breast Cancer: An evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Stem Cell Transplant 135are not delivered to the patient in TC. Also, TC deliverschemicals to the patient in lower doses and over longerperiods of time, often months and sometimes years. HDCdiffers in that the administration of the chemicals is givenin a high dose, and for three to four days at a time. Thistreatment is generally repeated approximately two weekslater, and the entire cycle may be repeated several times.Thus, the HDC process can have a much stronger effectin only a fraction of the time necessary to complete TC.Once HDC is completed, the stem cells are infused backinto the body to rebuild the immune system and recover losthematopoietic cells (Thomas et al., 1999). However, theprocedure can be taxing on the body and has both positiveand negative effects. It is important to substantiate whetheror not HDC/ASCT is a viable treatment option, and for thisreason uses of such treatment are persistently examined.This paper will survey available literature to determine thetrue safety and efficacy of this procedure as a treatment forbreast cancer.Current ResearchEfficacyFor the past decade, high-dose chemotherapywith autologous stem cell transplantation has becomeincreasingly popular for the treatment of women with breastcancer. Generally, it is agreed that higher dose intensityhas a direct correlation to higher response rates; however,these positive response rates often last for only a shortinterval (Williams, 2002). According to numerous studies,approximately 10%-20% of HDC/ASCT patients are ableto attain long-term progression-free survival (measuredfrom time of the first transplant until either progression ofthe disease or death) following treatment (Schneeweiss etal., 2002). Bias in patient selection is important to considerand it is possible that some patients could experiencesimilar results through traditional chemotherapy, whichwould renounce any reason to go through the extra strainof HDC.Some researchers declare that the effectiveness of HDC/ASCT may vary according to non-treatment related factorssuch as patient age, hormone receptor status (HER2-n<strong>eu</strong>,estrogen, and progesterone), location and quantity ofmetastatic sites, and the disease stage at diagnosis. Severalother treatment-related variables may also influence theefficacy of HDT/ASCT, including use of prior adjuvantchemotherapy, previous disease-free intervals, and responseto prior chemotherapy. Each of these factors needs to betaken into account when judging the effectiveness of thetreatment.Most studies seem to agree that younger patients (
136 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011influences HDC/ASCT outcome, but rather predicts ER andPR status which directly correlates with the effectiveness ofsuch treatment. In other words, overexpression of HER2/n<strong>eu</strong> often predicts the absence of ER and PR, which haspoor prognostic effects on MBC treated with HDC/ASCT.In 1999, Rowlings et al. conducted a study specificallyto determine the effectiveness of HDC/ASCT in relation toboth treatment-related and non-related variables. Treatmentwas administered to and effectiveness was analyzed for1,188 women with either MBC or advanced breast cancer(where cancer may return to the breast and/or regionallymph nodes after a disease-free interval) (Rowlings et al.1999). For our purposes we will focus our discussion onthe MBC patients. Women tested were between the agesof 18-70, and had different characteristics with regardsto hormone receptor status, disease-free interval, sites ofdisease, chemotherapy responsiveness. Rowlings et al.found several characteristics to be statistically significantfor treatment outcome: stage of disease at diagnosis,hormone receptor status (as mentioned previously), use ofprior adjuvant chemotherapy, initial disease-free interval,response to prior chemotherapy, and number and sites ofmetastases.Women who reached progression to metastases by thetime of diagnosis had a higher risk of treatment failurethan those who were diagnosed at an earlier stage of thedisease. Findings also demonstrated that women who hadnot received prior adjuvant chemotherapy were likely toexperience treatment failure. This point is unclear becausethe authors fail to specify whether they mean prior adjuvanttherapy as induction therapy to HDC or as an earlierattempt to treat the disease. If their intent was the latter,we may interpret this information by concluding that thereason Rowlings et al.. found that metastases at time ofdiagnosis had poor prognostic effects on HDC/ASCT isbecause these women, being at a severe stage of disease,less likely received any prior treatment. However, mostother cases argue that prior therapy would confer a negativeeffect on results of HDC/ASCT due to a possibility thatthe cancer could develop resistance to such chemotherapytreatment (Williams, 2002). Rowlings et al. also foundwomen with a disease-free interval less than 18 monthsfrequently experience treatment failure when compared towomen who achieved a disease-free interval of greater than18 months. Another more recent study claims that length ofdisease-free interval only significantly increases the successof HDC/ASCT if it is longer than 24 months (Schneeweisset al. 2002). In either case, it is possible that women maynot need to receive prior chemotherapy, but perhaps justsome form of treatment, which allows them to achieve thisdisease-free interval. Also found in accordance with otherstudies, is that women who attain complete response orpartial response to prior chemotherapy treatments will havea more positive prognosis following HDC/ASCT treatment(Rowlings et al., 1999).Finally, Rowlings et al. found that women withmetastases to the liver, central nervous system, or threeor more sites in other organs had a very poor probabilityof post-treatment progression-free survival. Womenwho had less than three sites of metastases had a betterprognosis and chance for progression-free survival. In astudy conducted by Schneeweiss et al. in 2002, 81% ofpatients who achieve long-term progression-free survivaland 76% of patients who attained a complete response toHDC/ASCT had only one metastatic site. Both studiesagreed that women who had metastases in liver or centralnervous system would most likely experience failure ofHDC/ASCT. Overall, Rowlings et al. outlined several riskfactors that demonstrate that HDC/ASCT is not a procedurethat all women should consider unless their cancers possessthe favorable prognostic factors previously detailed.Other factors that are particularly important whenevaluating the effectiveness of HDC/ASCT are thosepertaining specifically to the procedure. Such factorsinclude dose levels of chemotherapy, number of treatmentcycles dose of infused stem cells.In 2002, Schneeweiss et al. conducted a study in order todetermine the influence of chemotherapy dose and numberof cycles on effectiveness on HDC/ASCT. One hundredtwelve patients received induction therapy following beeither one, two, or three cycles of HDC/ASCT of varyingintensities ranging from 25.44 to 81.18 total units (mg/m 2 /week) (see Table 1).Table 1. Dose intensity (in units) of chemotherapy regimens andnumber of patients who received those treatments.No. ofIntensity INDIntensity HDIntensity TOTpatientsOne cycle of HDC (n=29)0 25.44 25.44 39.99 22.74 32.73 413.95 22.74 36.69 118.84 22.74 41.58 225.20 25.44 50.64 225.20 26.58 51.78 17School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Metastatic Breast Cancer: An evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Stem Cell Transplant 137No. ofIntensity INDIntensity HDIntensity TOTpatientsTwo cycles of HDC (n=48)0 44.94 44.94 318.84 29.16 48.00 59.99 38.46 48.45 59.99 45.48 55.47 414.14 45.48 59.62 118.84 45.48 64.32 1719.41 45.48 64.89 219.98 45.48 65.46 125.20 44.94 70.14 928.26 45.48 73.74 1Three cycles of HDC (n=41)9.99 54.18 64.17 79.99 61.20 71.19 3319.98 61.20 81.18 1Intensity IND, dose intensity of induction chemotherapy; Intensity HD,intensity of high dose chemotherapy; Intensity TOT, dose intensity oftotally chemotherapy (Intensity IND+ Intensity HD), 1 unit = 1 mg/m2/week(Schneeweiss et al., 2002)Schneeweiss et al. agreed that there was a definiterelationship between dose and survival time and foundthat an increase of ten units in intensity demonstrated anincrease in progression-free survival time by an average ofthree months (see Figure 1).Figure 1. “Progression-free survival (mean ± standard deviation)of different metastatic breast cancer patient subgroups whoreceived at least one cycle of high-dose chemotherapy comparedwith the total dose intensity of the chemotherapy those patientsreceived.Each circle represents a subgroup of all 118 patients who receivedchemotherapy with almost identical dose intensity totals. Circle size isproportional to the number of patients” (Schneeweiss et al., 2002).Specifically, they found that patients with a previousprogression-free survival time of greater than 24 monthsafter prior adjuvant chemotherapy had the greatest responseto intensities greater than 55 units. The authors did notconclude that the manner by which total intensity wasdivided (whether by one, two, or three cycles of HDC/ASCT) was relevant to the outcome of HDC/ASCT.Unfortunately, there are not many current studies thatanalyze this same aspect of HDC/ASCT, and the resultsfrom this study must be cautiously interpreted given thesmall sample of patients.The dose of stem cells reinfused into the patient mayalso affect the success of the HDC/ASCT treatment. Henselet al. conducted an experiment that analyzed success ratesin 120 patients treated with HDC and then infused withvarying doses of stem cells ranging from 2.3 x 10 6 to 49.8x 10 6 stem cells per kilogram of body weight (median 7.8x 10 6 ) (Hensel et al. 2002). In their analysis of treatmentoutcomes, Hensel et al. concluded that a lower amount ofstem cells per kilogram of body weight correlates with asubstantially reduced overall survival time and that a higherstem cell dose frequently betters the outcome. However,again, there has not been sufficient research looking intothis aspect of the treatment, and further research with largersamples is necessary in order to make reliable conclusions.Another topic in the debate over the efficacy is that thechance of failure in HDC/ASCT may be as great as or evengreater than that of traditional chemotherapy (TC). Whiletreatment of MBC with HDC/ASCT has consistentlyshown greater complete response rates (70-100%) than hasTC (60-70%) (Folet et al., 1999 and Williams, 2002), thedata given by Schwartzberg et al. indicates that there is nota significantly greater number of survivors that underwentHDC/ASCT (1999). That said, it is unclear if HDC/ASCT is a better choice. Results from a more recent studyconducted by Berry et al. seem to substantiate the findingsSchwartzberg et al. The study by Berry et al. comparedefficacy of TC versus that of HDC/ASCT. Patients weredivided into two groups: those treated with TC and thosetreated with HDC/ASCT. The study explicitly mentionsa number of biases and methods used to compensate forthem. First, preferred candidates for ASCT are those whohave experienced a complete response or partial responseto induction therapy with TC prior to any exposure to HDC.To eliminate this bias, Berry et al. restricted their study topatients who displayed a chemosensitive disease and whohad previous achieved complete response or partial responsebefore protocol therapy for the TC cohort and before HDCfor the HDC/ASCT cohort. Second, since HDC/ASCTTaylor M. T., Metastatic Breast Cancer: An evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Stem Cell Transplant
138 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011patients consisted only of women who had previouslybeen untreated for MBC, a bias could have arisen fromthe trend that HDC is frequently given as an alternative towomen whose disease is non-responsive to other forms oftreatment. To compensate for this, Berry et al. excludedfrom the TC cohort women who had received even onetreatment for MBC. Yet another factor creating possiblebias is that HDC is more likely to be offered to “youngerwomen, women with good performance status, andwomen who are at high risk of experiencing unsuccessfulconventional chemotherapy” (Berry et al., 2002).The above discrepancy were adjusted for by evaluationof the following variable for each cohort: “patient age,performance status, sites of metastases, disease freeinterval, hormone receptor status, and whether the patienthad received prior adjuvant chemotherapy” (Berry etal., 2002). Exclusion criteria included age greater than65, insensitivity to chemotherapy, lack of responseinformation, or this treatment being a second- or third-linetherapy. Ultimately, 874 of 1,509 from the TC cohort and747 of 1,188 from the HDC cohort were eliminated fromthe studied groups (see Table 2).Table 2. Chronologic Application of Exclusion Criteria toPatients in HDC and TC CohortsCharacteristic TC HDCNo. patients prior to exclusion 1,509 1,188Age > 65 313 1Not sensitive to chemotherapy 456 498No response Total dose intensity (mg/m2/week)Second- or third-line therapy 0 197Total excluded 874 747Total included 635 441TC, traditional chemotherapy; HDC, high dose chemotherapy (Berry etal., 2002)Figure 2. Comparison of TDC with HDC for core patientsTable 3. Statistics on Mortality and Survival RatesHDCTC100-date mortality rate 4.5% 0.8%3-year survival probability 37% 27%5-year survival probability 22% 13%Area between survival curves signifies the estimated advantage of lifeexpectancy for HDC. (Approx. 4 mos.)HDc, high dose chemotherapy; TC, traditional chemotherapy; n =number of patients; Med, median survival time; 5-yr, percent of patientssurviving after 5 years.Figure 2 (Berry et al., 2002) displays the survival ofpatients in each of the two cohorts. During the initial fifteenmonths following treatment survival for the TC cohort ishigher (See Table 3).Median survival times for TC and HDC/ASCT werevery similar: 1.83 and 1.94 years, respectively (Berry et al.2002). Moreover, Berry et al. also clarify that any increasedsurvival linked to HDC/ASCT was often not notable oftenuntil three years later.Very few studies showing that HDC/ASCT has anadvantage over TC are available. In 2000, the DutchNational Study “showed a modest survival benefit fromhigh-dose chemotherapy” when compared with TC(Schrama et al. 2002), but again this analysis was conductedwith a small sample of 284 patients and the results have notbeen replicated by further studies. In 2001, the AmericanIntergroup study found that relapse was less likely to occurin patients who underwent HDC/ASCT (Schrama et al.2002), but as is the case with other studies that found amarginal advantage, the small benefit was counterbalancedby frequent toxicity.Furthermore, any benefits are most likely limited toa select number of candidates who have the favorableprognostic characteristics discussed earlier. A clearsubgroup of candidates who will definitely benefit from theSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Metastatic Breast Cancer: An evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Stem Cell Transplant 139intense HDC/ASCT procedure has yet to be identified. Aswith any newly developed treatment, failure rates amongthose treated is a serious concern. At this point in time theavailable data indicates that the benefits of HDC/ASCT donot significantly outweigh the risk of failure or potentialtoxicity.SafetyAs above, in addition to examining the statistics foreffectiveness of HDC/ASCT, safety and potential sideeffects are also important. Some may consider a safetreatment to be one that does not ultimately kill the patient.In addition to fatalities, mental and physical traumas alsocontribute to the overall success or failure of the treatment.The most troubling aspects of treatments are the physicaland emotional distresses that the women must endure in thehopes that the cancer will be eliminated. A safe treatmentis defined as one that will not cause long-term harm to thewoman and for which side effects are limited or short-lived.High dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation isa treatment modality that varies between doctors, patients,and studies. There are several common combinations ofdrugs: cyclophosphamide and thiotepa, with or withoutcarboplatin; melphalan, etoposide and carboplatin; andcarmustine (BCNU), cisplatin, and cyclophosphamide(Cossaart et al., 2003). The drugs are given intravenouslyover differing periods of time. The study by Genreet al. showed that recoverable side effects can still bemaintained at dose intensities increased up to 1.25 timesfor doxorubicin and five times for cyclophosphamide.The authors used various time intervals and levels ofchemotherapy, with the stem cells being collected on thefirst and thirteenth day of chemotherapy. The stem cellswere reinfused into the patient after the third and fourthcycle of chemotherapy, and again on the third day afterthe administration of chemotherapy was complete. It wasconcluded that the level of intensity can safely be increased(to a maximal point) with no increase in toxic death andhas a statistically similar survival rate. It was observedthat the higher intensity treatments did produce higherlevels of toxicity (Genre et al., 2002). The purpose of thisstudy was to achieve the highest possible efficacy by usingthe most tolerable amount of drugs. Unfortunately, theresults did not offer an optimal dose. Other studies havealso shown that while all HDC has unpleasant side effects,there is no outstanding result from higher strength doses,as the efficacy is not dramatically improved and toxicity isincreased.The human body is vulnerable to chemotherapy. The drugsare specifically designed to kill cancerous cells, but healthycells are also destroyed in the process. This cell depletionis more pronounced with high doses of chemotherapythan with traditional chemotherapy, which is why stemcell transplants were proposed as an accompaniment forthe treatment. Most of the healthy cells that are affectedare part of the hematopoietic (blood) system, as not unlikecancerous cells, these cells reproduce rapidly. The HDCalmost entirely eliminates the immune system and leavesthe body susceptible to infections, and could result in aslow recovery. This high rate of devastation is what fuelsthe need for the transplant (Byers, 2000). There is a lowmortality rate and low toxicity associated with the actualtransplant because the source cells come from the patientundergoing treatment (autologous). Therefore, there willbe a negligible chance for rejection from the body. Again,Schwartzberg et al. noted that the efficacy of this treatmentwas not significantly greater than TC. Although, it wasalso observed that platelets and n<strong>eu</strong>trophils were recoveredmuch more rapidly with the stem cell transplant than if theywere left to recover without it. The importance of this isseen in the hematopoietic recovery levels. Patients whoreceive the transplants have more energy and have a morestable immune system following the procedure due to theincreased number of cells replicating in the hematopoieticsystem as well as throughout the body (Schwartzberg et al.,1999). This observation was also made in a separate studywhere the cells were expanded in vitro before being givenback to the patient. The cells were harvested and expandedin the laboratory so that once reinfused, they would alreadybe producing cells. In this study as well there were no“adverse events” associated with the transplant itself (Ikedaet al., 2000). The relatively low numbers of transplant sideeffects are, however, greatly overshadowed by the directtoxic effects of the high dose chemotherapy.Higher levels of chemotherapy induce higher levels oftoxicity. Many studies indicated that a higher concentrationof drugs and/or shorter treatment intervals were associatedwith higher levels of toxicity (Cossaart et al., 2003; Genre etal., 2002; Hortobagyi et al., 2000; Stadtmauer et al. 2000).Genre et al. indicated that the need for hospitalization forthis procedure was crucial, due to the potentially fatal sideeffects. However, it must be noted that Genre et al. weretesting the limits of the human body’s tolerance. Thisstudy is therefore biased in that respect as evaluation of thesafety limit necessarily created potentially unsafe treatmentsettings. In most studies reviewed, though, few actual toxicdeaths were observed.Taylor M. T., Metastatic Breast Cancer: An evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Stem Cell Transplant
140 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011The harmful effects of the high dose chemotherapyitself, almost completely independent of the stem celltransplant, determine the treatment’s overall safety andare studied intently. In the studies reviewed here, therewere several common side effects associated with theHDC: nausea, myelosuppression (decrease in bone marrowactivity), infection, mucositis, and diarrhea (Carlson et al..2001, Gaston-Johansson et al.. 1999, Wettergren et al..1999, Cossaart et al. 2003, Hortobagyi et al., 2000, Genreet al., 2002). The patients’ ages and receptor statuses werenot isolated in these studies as limiting factors, making itdifficult to deduce how these variables affect the safetyof the treatment. Naturally, a younger woman will havea stronger immune system to help her recover from sideeffects.The pulmonary circuit is also highly affected bychemotherapy, and in several studies, non-fatal heart relatedproblems were noted (Hortobagyi et al., 2000; Genre etal., 2002; Cossaart et al., 2003). Herpes zoster infectionstoo were noted, along with fevers stemming from otherinfections (Greer et al., 2002). Again, in most studies theseinfections were not fatal and the patient recovered fully. Inall cases comparing levels of chemotherapy, the cohorts thatreceived higher levels of drugs experienced more toxicity,but not necessarily toxic death.According to one case report, ophthalmic disorders areanother common complication. Cossaart et al. followedone woman through chemotherapy and stem cell transplant.Radiation therapy was also given due to the advanced stageof her metastatic breast cancer. Three weeks after thetransplant, her vision became blurry and she experiencedunsteadiness in walking. These problems progressed alongwith other n<strong>eu</strong>rological manifestations such as memorydisturbance and hallucinations. Major ophthalmic disordersnoted included retinopathy, optic n<strong>eu</strong>ritis and blindness, aswell as blurred vision. It was concluded that high dosesof the drugs given, specifically carmustine and carboplatin,damaged blood vessels in and around the brain, causing theblood-brain barrier to be breached (Cossaart et al., 2003).No general conclusions can be drawn from this isolatedcase report, of course, and it is not generally known howcommon these ailments are. Nevertheless, any toxic sideaffects directly involving the central nervous system cannotbe underestimated.An important factor in judging the safety of HDC/ASCTis how the women feel during and after treatment and howthey perceive their quality of life. Fatigue, pain, depression,and post-traumatic stress are as important as physical effectswhen considering the safety of this treatment. A study byGaston-Johansson et al. followed women who completedthe chemotherapy and were awaiting a stem cell transplant.The patients were given questionnaires to fill out regardingtheir mental and physical symptoms. Duration, site andintensity of the ailments were recorded and correlationswere drawn based on the answers received. This study issubjective, as every patient had a different level of paintolerance and each judged herself in a unique manner(1999). Fatigue was the most commonly reported of allphysical and mental symptoms of both the cancer itselfand post-chemotherapy, according to ninety-one percent ofthe respondents. Perceptions that the women have of theirown health can be skewed by fatigue (Gaston-Johansson etal., 1999); furthermore, fatigue also can give way to othermental disturbances, such as depression, decreased sexualinterest and mood instabilities.The diagnosis of cancer is very intimidating andunfortunately, some women sink into a depression, whichmay be exacerbated by treatment, as the women worryabout their futures and are forced to tolerate side effects.Carlson et al. showed that higher levels of depression werereported when women reported high amounts of pain,and levels were highest near the end of the patients’ lives(Carlson et al., 2001). Depression seemed to dissipatewhen overall health status improved, thus increasing thequality of life for some women (Gaston-Johansson et al.,1999). Depression affects every aspect of one’s life, whichmay mask any treatment benefits.Stress is another factor affecting treatment outcomesbecause high levels of stress may directly impact patients;both their mental and physical health. A study on posttraumaticstress disorder in stem cell transplant patientsconfirmed harmful effects on patients’ quality of life.This study was not limited to patients with metastaticbreast cancer, but was completed in a similar way as thepreviously mentioned studies that recorded personal health.Patients were asked to fill out questionnaires to judge ifthey were suffering from post-traumatic stress as a resultof stem cell transplant. It was reported that the week beforethe transplant, approximately half of the patients had thehighest levels of distress, which declined only slightly afterthe transplant was completed (Wettergren et al., 1999). Thebody’s response to stress is complicated involving severalorgans, hormones and responses. This is extra energy thatthe body is expending and is therefore less able to focus onthe task of recovery.The overall quality of life in women with metastaticbreast cancer varies over time for every patient and dependson the stage of treatment. It has been shown that all ofSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Metastatic Breast Cancer: An evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Stem Cell Transplant 141the factors that determine quality of life (hardship, pain,depression, physical symptoms, etc.) are more prevalentand more difficult to tolerate at certain times than others.Carlson et al. examined quality of life factors as thepatients with metastatic breast cancer underwent high dosechemotherapy and then autologous stem cell transplant.The women filled out questionnaires measuring all aspectsof life: levels of social functioning, physical pain, hardship,psychological stress, depression, anxiety, and appetite.The time when quality of life was lowest was when thewomen were near the end of their lives, as there are oftenhigh pain and feelings of hopelessness (Gaston-Johanssonet al., 1999). It was also observed that women who had arelapse of cancer showed lower quality of life when thiswas discovered. During the treatment, anxiety was themost frequently reported symptom, fueled by tirednessand depression (Carlson et al., 2001). The use of HDC/ASCT affects women in many complex ways beyondcancer biology: it affects the whole person. These effectsare generally not positive, but there have not been studiestracing the quality of life of patients not being treated forcomparison.Metastatic breast cancer is an often fatal and always lifealtering-disease with no ideal cure. The use of high dosechemotherapy with an autologous stem cell transplant isone of the options that doctors use today, but this combinedtreatment has many limitations when it comes to the safetyof the 30,000 women who have chosen it. The physicaland emotional trauma associated with chemotherapy isworsened by this more intense treatment. This researchconcludes that HDC/ASCT is generally safe for patientswith metastatic breast cancer and is a viable treatmentoption when faced with no alternative therapy or is nonresponsiveto other treatments. While the mental anxietiesand physical perils negatively affect the women who sufferfrom them, it is reasonable to assume that without thistreatment, or indeed any treatment, these negative effectswould be inflated.Current developments have helped propel the safetyand efficacy of HDC/ASCT. The practice of re-infusion ofstem cells has become a very safe and effective method ofhematopoietic rescue, as longer survival and few long-termillnesses are associated with it. Also, since this procedureis often done in an outpatient setting, it would seem thatdoctors have a high level of comfort with the procedure asit is currently done. There is a recommendation that thehigher risk patients have the treatment in a hospital setting,as well as those using experimentally high intensity drugs.Helping women cope with cancer in addition to treating thecancer would improve the quality of life and possibly thesurvival time that these women experience. Perhaps mentalhealth counseling and other such support services would b<strong>eu</strong>seful adjuncts to any cancer treatment regimen.Future ProspectsWhile there have been some studies that showedincreases in progression free survival time and/or overallsurvival time in women with metastatic breast cancer whoundergo HDC/ASCT, it appears as though the pool suchcandidates who may benefit is extremely limited. It may bethat HDC/ASCT should be offered as only one componentto a multifold treatment strategy in effort to remedy thecancer in the patient. More research is required to properlyidentify the specifics that will define the subgroup ofwomen who will encounter these long-term advantages ofHDC/ASCT.While the outlook for the efficacy HDC/ASCT formetastatic breast cancer is not promising, there have beenleads that this treatment may be more beneficial to patientswith small tumors that are located in detectable sites(oligometastatic breast cancer). Results from a study byNieto et al. suggest that a notable fraction of oligometastaticpatients are likely to benefit from the HDC/ASCT treatment(2002). As most studies have solely focused on MBC andhave encountered little success, in the future it would beadvantageous to turn the research focus to oligometastaticpatients when determining benefiting subgroup.Furthermore, the development of drugs that would notharm healthy cells while killing cancerous cells wouldbe the ideal solution to cancer. Researchers have beentrying to find just such a solution for many years. Greateremphasis must continue to be placed on lessening the sideeffects of current treatment options. Support for the womenwho receive treatment should be augmented. Research intopatient care and additional treatments for toxicity wouldalso be beneficial, as well as psychological care for thepatients.Another issue that cannot be overlooked is money. Thistreatment can cost almost $100,000, and not very manyinsurance companies are willing to cover the coast of theentire treatment since it is still technically in the experimentalstages. Overall, contradictory studies have left HDC/ASCT as a treatment for metastatic breast cancer in limbo.The American Society of Clinical Oncology recommendsthat women only undergo this procedure if they are ableto participate in a “high-quality clinical trial” (NationalCancer Institute). Hopefully, the further advancement ofTaylor M. T., Metastatic Breast Cancer: An evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Stem Cell Transplant
142 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011technology will make more treatment options with fewerside effects available to patients struggling with the deadlydisease.ReferencesBerry D, Broadwater G, Klein J, Antman K, AisnerJ, Bitran J, Costanza M, Freytes CO, StadtmauerE, Gale RP, Henderson IC, Lazarus HM, McCarthyPL Jr, Norton L, Parnes H, Pecora A, Perry MC,Rowlings P, Spitzer G, Horowitz MM. 2002. High-Dose Versus Standard Chemotherapy in MetastaticBreast Cancer: Comparison of Cancer and L<strong>eu</strong>kemiaTrial With Data From the Autologous Blood andMarrow Transplant Registry. J. of Clinic. Oncol.20: 743-750.Byers T. 2000. High-Dose Chemotherapy for BreastCancer? Cancer Prac. 8:96-98.Carlson LE, Koski T, and Gluck S. 2001. Longitudinaleffects of high-dose chemotherapy and autologousstem cell transplantation on quality of life in thetreatment of metastatic breast cancer. B. MarrowTrans. 27:989-998Cossaart N, Santacruz KS, Preston D, Johnson P,Skikne BS. 2003. Fatal chemotherapy-inducedencephalopathy following high-dose therapy formetastatic breast cancer: a case report and reviewof the literature. B. Marrow Trans. 31:57-60.Dervan PA. 2001. Understanding Breast Cancer.McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, Jefferson,North Carolina – London.Folet JF, Vose JM, Armitage JO. 1999. Current Therapyin Cancer. WB Saunders Company, Philadelphia –London – Toronto – Montreal – Sydney – Tokyo.Gaston-Johansson F, Fall-Dickson JM, Bakos AB,Kennedy, MJ. 1999. Fatigue, Pain, and Depressionin Pre-Autotransplant Breast Cancer Patients.Cancer Prac. 7:240-247.Genre D, Viens P, Bertucci F, Chabannon C, GravisG, Braud A-C, Camerlo J, Houvenaeghel G,Moutardier V, Goncalvez A, Protiere C, BardouV-J, Maraninchi D. 2002. Modulations of doseintensity of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide inassociation with G-CSF and peripheral blood stemcells in adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer:comparative evaluation of completion and safetyof three intensive regimens. B. Marrow Trans.29:881-886.Greer M. 2002. CD34-Enriched Stem CellGrafts Hasten Recovery After MyeloablativeChemotherapy. Cancer Weekly. Pg. 2.Hensel, M, Schneeweiss, A, Sinn, HP, Egerer G,Kornacker M, Solomayer E, Haas R, Bastert G,Ho AD. 2002. Stem Cell Dose and TurmobiologicParameter as Prognostic Markers for Patients withMetastatic Breast Cancer Undergoing High-DoseChemotherapy with Autologous Blood Stem CellSupport. Stem Cells. 20:32-40.Hortobagyi GN, Buzdar AU, Theriault RL, Valero V,Frye D, Booser DJ, Homes FA, Giralt S, KhouriI, Andersson B, Gajewski JL, Rondon G, SmithTL, Singletary SE, Ames FC, Sneige N, StromEA, McNeese MD, Deisserogh AB, Champlin RE.2000.Ikeda Y, Hata J, Koyasu S. 2000. Cell Therapy.Springer-Verlag, Tokyo, Japan: 120-122.Kim YS, Konoplev SN, Montemurro F, Hoy E, SmithTL, Rondón G, Champlin RE, Sabin AA, UenoNT. 2001. HER-2/n<strong>eu</strong> Overexpression as a PoorPrognostic Factor for Patients with Metastatic BreastCancer undergoing High-dose Chemotherapywith Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation. Clin.Cancer Res. 7: 4008-4012.National Cancer Institute. High Dose Chemotherapyfor Breast Cancer [Online]. http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/developments/high-dose-chemohistory0501.[4/30/2001].Nieto Y, Nawaz S, Jones R, Shpall E, Cagnoni P,McSweeney P, Barón A, Razook C, MatthesS, Bearman S. 2002. Prognostic Model forRelapse After High-Dose Chemotherapy WithAutologous Stem-Cell Transplantation for Stage IVOligometastatic Breast Cancer. J. of Clinic. Oncol.20:707-718.Prucha EJ and Bellenir K (ed). 2001. Breast CancerSourcebook. Omnigraphics, Inc., Detroit, MI:56.Rowlings PA, Williams SF, Antman KH, Fields KK,Fay JW, Reed E, Pelz CJ, Klein JP, SobocinskiKA, Kennedy MJ, Freytes CO, McCarthy PL Jr,Herzig RH, Stadtmauer EA, Lazarus HM. PecoraAL, Bitran JD, Wolff SN, Gale RP, Armitage JO,Vaughan WP, Spitzer G, Horowitz MM. 1999.Factors Correlated With Progression-Free SurvivalAfter High-Dose Chemotherapy and HematopoieticStem Cell Transplantation for Metastatic BreastCancer. J. of the Amer. Med. Ass. 282: 1335-1343.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Metastatic Breast Cancer: An evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Stem Cell Transplant 143Schneeweiss, A, Hensel, M, Sinn, P, Khbeis, T, Hass R,Bastert, G, Ho, A. 2002. Characteristics associatedwith long-term progression-free survival followinghigh-dose chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancerand influence of chemotherapy dose. Annals ofOncol. 13: 679-688.Schrama JG, Faneyte IF, Schornagel JH, Baars JW,Peterse JL, van de Vijver MJ, Dalesio O, vanTinteren H, Rutgers EJT, Richel DJ, Rodenhuis S.2002. Randomized trial of high-dose chemotherapyand hematopoietic progenitor-cell support inoperable breast cancer with extensive lymph nodeinvolvement: final analysis with 7 years of followup.Euro. Soc. for Med. Oncol. 13: 689-698.Schwartzberg LS, Weaver CH, Campos L, Tauer K,Smith R Jr., Zhen B, Birch R, Murphy MN, BucknerCD. 1999. High-Dose Chemotherapy withPeripheral Blood Stem Cell Support for OperableLocally Advanced Noninflammatory Carcinoma ofthe Breast. Breast Journal. 5:238-245.Stadtmauer EA, O’Neill A, Goldstein LJ, CrilleyPA, Mangan KF, Ingle JN, Brodsky I, Martino S,Lazarus HM, Erban JK, Sickles C, Glick JH, LugerSM, Klumpp TR, Litzow MR, Topolsky DL. 2000.Conventional-Dose Chemotherapy Comparedwith High-Dose Chemotherapy plus AutologousHematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation forMetastatic Breast Cancer. New. Eng. Journal ofMed. 342:1069-1076.Thomas ED, Blume KG, Forman SJ (ed). 1999.Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. BlackwellScience, Inc., Malden, MA:1033.Wettergren L, Langius A, Bjorkholm M, Bjorvell H.1999. Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms in PatientsUndergoing Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation.Acta Oncologica. 4:475-480.Williams, SF. 2002. Is There a Role for Dose-IntensiveChemotherapy With Stem Cell Rescue in BreastCancer? Oncology. 16: 1643-1656.Winter JN. 1997. Blood Stem Cell Transplantation.Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston-Dordrecht-London.Taylor M. T., Metastatic Breast Cancer: An evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Stem Cell Transplant
144 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Natural Gas Sweetening Process DesignKurt MearkeltorMSc in Chemical Engineering and candidate to PhD in Chemical Engineering at theDepartment of Science of the School of Doctoral Studies of the EUEmail: k.mearkeltor@dsc.sds.<strong>eu</strong>AbstractFor decades to come, gas will be the energy source of choice to meet worldwide environmental standards. Fortunately gas reservesare growing; but new gas is often found to be of substandard quality in remote and / or stranded areas of the world. When naturalwellhead or oil field associated gases are highly loaded with acid gases, the dilemma facing most operators is what to do, how andwhen to best exploit these poor quality resources. Today the advanced activated MDEA process offers economy and versatility inhandling both selective and complete acid gas removal services. The process has a good synergy with modern Claus sulfur recoveryprocesses and remains among the best alternatives even when no sulfur recovery is foreseen. Nevertheless, there are limitations of eventhe most advanced amines only based gas treatment technologies in handling very highly acid gas loaded natural or associated oil fieldgases; especially for bulk acid gas removal when the acid gases are destined for cycling and / or disposal by reinjection. Today cyclingand disposal by re-injection offers a promising alternative to avoid sulfur production and reduce CO2 emissions to the atmospheresimultaneously. To this end, technologies of choice are those which offer maximum simplicity and require least downstream processingintensity and power for re-injection. Keywords: Chemical Engineering; Natural Gas Sweetening Process.Natural gas from high-pressure wells is usually passedthrough field separators at the well to remove hydrocarboncondensate and water (Kirk & Othmer 1951). Naturalgasoline, butane, and propane are usually present in the gas,and gas-processing plants are required for the recovery ofthese liquefiable constituents (Kirk & Othmer 1951).Natural gas is considered “sour” if hydrogen sulfide(H 2S) is present in amounts greater than 5.7 milligrams pernormal cubic meters (mg/Nm) (0.25 grains per 100 standardcubic feet [gr/100 scf]) (Maddox 1974). The H 2S must beremoved (called “sweetening” the gas) before the gas canbe utilized. If H 2S is present, the gas is usually sweetenedby absorption of the H 2S in an amine solution (Maddox1974). Amine processes are used for over 95 percent of allgas sweetening in the United States. Other methods, suchas carbonate processes, solid bed absorbents, and physicalabsorption, are employed in the other sweetening plants.Emission data for sweetening processes other than aminetypes are very meager, but a material balance on sulfur willgive accurate estimates for sulfur dioxide (SO 2) (Mullins1975).The major emission sources in the natural gas processingindustry are compressor engines, acid gas wastes, fugitiveemissions from leaking process equipment, and if present,glycol dehydrator vent streams. Fugitive leak emissionsare detailed in Protocol For Equipment Leak EmissionEstimates (EPA 1995). Regeneration of the glycol solutionsused for dehydrating natural gas can release significantquantities of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene,as well as a wide range of less toxic organics. Theseemissions can be estimated by a thermodynamic softwaremodel (GRI-GLYCalc), available from the Gas ResearchInstitute.Many chemical processes are available for sweeteningnatural gas. At present, the amine process (also known asthe Girdler process) is the most widely used method for H 2Sremoval. The process is illustrated below:2 RNH 2H 2S (RNH 3) 2SWhere:• R = mono, di, or tri-ethanol• N = nitrogen• H = hydrogen• S = sulfur(Katz et al. 1959).The recovered hydrogen sulfide gas stream may be: (1)vented, (2) flared in waste gas flares or modern smokelessflares, (3) incinerated, or (4) utilized for the production ofelemental sulfur or sulfuric acid (EPA 1970).For decades to come, gas will be the energy sourceof choice to meet worldwide environmental standards.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Natural Gas Sweetening Process Design145Fortunately gas reserves are growing; but new gas isoften found to be of substandard quality in remote and /or stranded areas of the world. When natural wellhead oroil field associated gases are highly loaded with acid gases,the dilemma facing most operators is what to do, how andwhen to best exploit these poor quality resources.Today the advanced activated MDEA process offerseconomy and versatility in handling both selective andcomplete acid gas removal services. The process has a goodsynergy with modern Claus sulfur recovery processes andremains among the best alternatives even when no sulfurrecovery is foreseen (Blanc et al. 1981).Nevertheless, there are limitations of even the mostadvanced amines only based gas treatment technologies inhandling very highly acid gas loaded natural or associatedoil field gases; especially for bulk acid gas removal whenthe acid gases are destined for cycling and / or disposalby reinjection (Elgue, Peytavy, & Tournier-Lasserve1991). Today cycling and disposal by re-injection offers apromising alternative to avoid sulfur production and reduceCO 2emissions to the atmosphere simultaneously. To thisend, technologies of choice are those which offer maximumsimplicity and require least downstream processingintensity and power for re-injection (Elgue, Peytavy, &Tournier-Lasserve 1991).The behavior of CO 2and H 2S in combination withwater at high pressures and at temperatures within processoperating conditions can result in hydrate formation,liquid phases of the compounds, and large variations in theamount of absorbed water. Since similar experimental datafor mixtures of acid gases and water are not always readilyavailable in the public literature, it is necessary to relyon computer generated results for mixtures for designingcompression and injection facilities, which may not beentirely accurate (Royan & Wichert 1995).Natural gas reservoirs have always been associated withwater; thus, gas in the reservoir is water saturated. Whenthe gas is produced water is produced as well. Some ofthis water is produced water from the reservoir directly(Sharma & Campbell 1969). Other water produced with thegas is water of condensation formed because of changes intemperature and pressure during production.In the sweetening of natural gas, the removal ofhydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, aqueous solvents ar<strong>eu</strong>sually used (Sharma & Campbell 1969). The sweetenedgas, with the H 2S and CO 2removed, is saturated with water.In addition, the acid gas byproduct of the sweetening is alsosaturated with water. Furthermore, water is an interestingproblem in the emerging technology for disposing of acidMearkeltor K., Natural Gas Sweetening Process Designgas by injecting into a suitable reservoir – acid gas injection(Sharma & Campbell 1969).In the transmission of natural gas further condensationof water is problematic. It can increase pressure drop inthe line and often leads to corrosion problems. Thus, watershould be removed from the natural gas before it is sold tothe pipeline company.For these reasons, the water content of natural gas andacid gas is an important engineering consideration (Sharma& Campbell 1969).Literature ReviewSour natural gas contains hydrogen sulfide (H 2S), whichhas to be removed to meet specifications for sales gas.Sour natural gas also contains carbon dioxide (CO 2). Theremoval of CO 2and H 2S, usually called acid gases, fromsour natural gas is generally accomplished by means ofa regenerative solvent. There are several amine solventsused for this purpose. Upon regeneration of the solvent, theacid gases are liberated, and are usually sent to a modifiedClaus plant, where the H 2S is converted to elemental sulfur(Canjar & Manning 1967). The acid gas stream to themodified Claus plant consists of H 2S, CO 2, water vapor andminor amounts of hydrocarbon gas.When the concentration of CO 2is considerably greaterthan the concentration of H 2S in the acid gas mixture,the Claus plant has difficulty in achieving a high sulfurrecovery. If the total sulfur rate is small, say less than 5 tonsper day, it may be more economical to recover the sulfur bysome other process. Such other processes, however, havemany drawbacks of their own (Canjar & Manning 1967).An alternative to recovering sulfur is to compress andreinject the acid gases into a suitable underground zone,in a manner similar to the disposal of produced water.An additional benefit of reinjecting the acid gases is theelimination of emission of sulfur compounds as well asCO 2to the atmosphere (Canjar & Manning 1967).Properties of H 2S and CO 2Upon removal of the acid gases H 2S and CO 2from thesour gas, an acid gas mixture is obtained at low pressurethat may also contain about 1 % to 3 % hydrocarbon gases,and which is saturated with water vapor (West 1948).This is the mixture that is compressed through 4 stagesof compression, from about 100 kPa (ga) to around 8 to10 MPa. In this process, water condenses, creating thepotential for corrosion and hydrate formation. In addition,
146 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011at such final compressor discharge pressures, the acid gasbecomes a liquid or a dense phase when cooled to ambienttemperatures (West 1948).While experimental results of studies of the physicalproperties of acid gas mixtures without hydrocarboncomponents are difficult to determine in the technicalliterature, the properties of pure CO 2and H 2S have beenexamined and reported (West 1948).Additionally, the properties of each of the acid gaseshave also been studied in the presence of water at elevatedpressures and temperatures.These results can be used as a guide to indicate how themixed acid gas streams would behave under the conditionsof pressure and temperature when compressed to theinjection pressure level.A brief review of the properties of the pure acid gasesand the CO 2- water and H 2S - water binaries is thereforeappropriate.Vapor / Liquid Properties of Pure CompoundsIn their pure state, CO 2and H 2S exhibit the normalvapor / liquid behavior with pressure and temperature. Athigher pressure and temperatures, the pure compoundsexist as liquid and vapor. Methane (CH 4) also exhibitsthis behavior, but at much lower temperatures. From thisit can be seen that CO 2and H 2S can readily be liquefiedat elevated pressures and at relatively high temperatures,whereas CH 4can be liquefied only at very low temperatures(Song & Kobayashi 1989).Mixtures of the acid gases are also readily liquefied atelevated pressures, but not mixtures containing substantialamounts of CH 4in their mak<strong>eu</strong>p.CO 2-Water and H 2S-Water MixturesWhen a mixture of CO 2or H 2S and water is subjected toelevated pressures, another phase, namely a solid hydratephase, is formed under certain conditions of temperature andelevated pressures. Hydrates can form at elevated pressuresand at fairly high temperatures with H 2S, and at somewhatlower temperatures with CO 2(Song & Kobayashi 1989).These pressures and temperatures are usually encounteredin acid gas injection processes.Water of Saturation for CO 2and H 2SThe ability of the pure compounds to hold water in thevapor phase is reduced as the pressure increases at about2.7 MPa for H 2S and up to about 6 MPa for CO 2. Whenpressures are raised above these levels, the capacity of H 2Sand CO 2to hold water in solution increases substantially, asboth compounds have a higher water absorption capacityin the liquid phase or dense phase as compared with theirvapor phases (Song & Kobayashi 1989). A small amount ofmethane reduces substantially the water absorption abilityof CO 2at elevated pressure.Other water content data at various temperatures andpressures for CO 2and H 2S are illustrated in Figures 20-4 to20-7 of the GPSA Engineering Data Book, on page 20-5 ofthe 1994 edition.Acid Gas MixturesIt is well known in the natural gas industry that raw sournatural gas mixtures present increased problems as comparedto sweet natural gas in mainly two areas: increased potentialfor corrosion and increased propensity for the formation ofhydrates at elevated pressures. It is therefore assumed thatacid gases with little or no hydrocarbon content will furtherexacerbate these two problems. In actual fact, this may notbe the case.Problem of CorrosionCorrosion of low alloy steel by sour gas occurs mainlyin the presence of a liquid aqueous phase. The corrosionmanifests itself as general metal loss corrosion or pittingcorrosion (Selleck et al. 1952). When these occur, atomichydrogen is generated, which has the ability to penetratesteel. This can lead to hydrogen induced cracking, blisteringor sulfide stress-cracking, resulting in sudden failures ofthe confining pipes or vessels. By following the NACEMR0175 standard in materials selection and adhering torecommended construction practices, such failures canusually be avoided.By dehydrating sour gas, corrosion by H 2S or CO 2iseffectively eliminated. Similarly, the potential for corrosionby acid gas can also be controlled by dehydration.Problem of HydratesThe hydrate forming temperature at any pressure of asour natural gas increases with increasing content of H 2S.The opposite is the case with CO 2. For sour natural gaseswith low concentrations of H 2S, the concentration of CO 2is usually much greater than the concentration of H 2S(Wiebe & Gaddy 1941). Thus the acid gas mixture, uponSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Natural Gas Sweetening Process Design147extraction from the sour gas, would be mainly CO 2. Hydratetemperatures at H 2S contents below 5 % are no higher thanwhat would be the case for sweet natural gas. Hydrates ofcourse will not occur if the gas has no liquid water phase.Vapor / Liquid Phase BehaviorAny gas can be liquefied if it is sufficiently cooled. Thismeans that aerial cooling readily liquefies acid gas mixturesat elevated pressures. If the acid gas mixture containsconsiderable amounts of light hydrocarbon gas, then thetwo-phase envelope for the mixture becomes wider intemperature – an example being a mixture that contains 10% CH 4and 45 % each of H 2S and CO 2(Song & Kobayashi1984).To completely liquefy such mixtures requires somewhatlower temperatures. If the acid gas mixture is ultimatelyto be liquefied upon compression and aerial cooling, thenthe sour gas treating plant must be designed and operatedto minimize the hydrocarbon gas content of the acid gasmixture. The design should include a rich solution flashtank, and this vessel should be operated at a low pressureso that most of the dissolved hydrocarbon gas can beliberated. The solvent should be operated at the upper rangeof solvent concentration, and solution circulation shouldbe such that the mole loadings (moles of acid gas pickedup in the contactor per mole of solvent circulated) are alsoat the upper range of the recommended loadings (Song &Kobayashi 1989).Water Vapor ContentA high hydrocarbon content also adversely influencesthe water carrying capacity of the acid gas mixtures athigh pressures. The equilibrium water vapor content ofnatural gas decreases with increasing pressure at constanttemperature. Similarly, in their pure state, both H 2S andCO 2hold less water in the vapor phase as the pressure isincreased. However, in the liquid or dense phases of H 2Sand CO 2, the water of saturation increases substantiallywith increasing pressure at a given temperature, due to themolecular attraction between these polar compounds (Song& Kobayashi 1984).It is reasonable to assume that the behavior of mixturesof H 2S and CO 2would be similar to their behavior in thepure states. If this assumption is correct, then the acid gasmixtures without hydrocarbon content will also show aminimum water content at a pressure of about 3000 to 5000kPa, depending on the relative amounts of H 2S and CO 2in the mixtures. Thus, by separating the condensed waterin this pressure range and at a temperature a few degreesabove the hydrate temperature, no free water should bepresent upon compressing the acid gases to substantiallyhigher pressures and cooling to ambient temperatures (Song& Kobayashi 1984). At such elevated pressures, the acidgas mixture would be in the liquid phase or the dense phaseat normal pipeline temperatures. This means that theremay not be any need to dehydrate the acid gas mixture,as no liquid water phase would form after the final stageof compression and upon cooling to ambient temperatures.Without liquid water present, no hydrates would occur inthe liquid phase of the acid gas mixture, and corrosionwould be at a minimum (Selleck et al. 1952).Acid Gas Compression and DehydrationThe acid gas is liberated from the sweetening solventin the regenerator tower, and this overhead vapor streamis then cooled. Most of the water and solvent is condensedin the cooler, and the two-phase mixture flows to the refluxdrum, where the condensed liquids are separated andreturned to the regenerator column as reflux. The vaporstream leaving the reflux drum contains the acid gases, H 2Sand CO 2, a small percentage of hydrocarbon gas and somewater vapor (Wiebe & Gaddy 1941).The pressure of this gaseous mixture is generallyin the order of 80 to 100 kPa (ga), and at a temperaturebetween 20°C in winter and up to 40°C in summer. Thisis the stream that would normally be sent to a flare stackif the sulfur content is less that 1 t/d, or be sent to a sulfurrecovery unit if the sulfur content is 1 t/d or greater. If theacid gas contains more than say 60% CO 2, which is usuallythe case with small amounts of H 2S in the sour natural gas,then a modified Claus plant may not be the best choice forsmall-scale sulfur recovery, and instead a redox unit couldbe selected to convert the H 2S to sulfur (Song & Kobayashi1989). However, redox processes are expensive to install,difficult to operate, and the resulting sulfur product doesnot meet the sulfur sales specifications.Compressor Discharge PressureThe ultimate pressure to which the acid gas has to becompressed depends on the pressure of the reservoir, thepermeability of the zone, and the depth of the zone. If theacid gas mixture is compressed to about 6000 kPa andMearkeltor K., Natural Gas Sweetening Process Design
148 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011cooled below 20°C, the mixture will be in the liquid phase,provided the methane content is no greater than one or twopercent (Wiebe & Gaddy 1941). The density of a liquidacid gas mixture at such conditions will have a density ofabout 70 to 80 % of the density of water. Thus the density ofthe acid gas stream in the liquid state will aid the injectionpressure into the reservoir. Also, the rate of injection will begenerally low, less than 1 Bbl/min. One Bbl/min. of liquidCO 2injection amounts to about 100 10 3m 3/d or 3.6 MMscf/dof gaseous CO 2at standard pressure and temperature. Manyzones have a pressure near the hydrostatic head of water(Selleck et al. 1952).Thus the wellhead injection pressure would generallybe in the order of 6000 to 9000 kPa, and would dependlargely on the injectivity of the reservoir as well as reservoirpressure and depth. A four – stage compressor, can achievethe pressure of 6000 to 9000 kPa.Table 1 shows the typical operating pressures for a four– stage compressor at a compression ratio of 3 betweenstages, and Figure 5 presents the variation in temperaturebetween stages for an acid gas mixture containing 1%CH 4, 49% C 2and 50% H 2S. The hydrate temperature withincreasing pressure is shown with dashes.Table 1. Typical Interstage Pressures for a Four-StageCompressorStage No. Suction P., kPa (abs.) Discharge P., kPa (abs.)1 150 4552 385 11603 1090 32704 3200 9600(Song & Kobayashi 1984)The total horsepower requirement in the above example isabout 7.94 kW per 10 3m 3/d (300 HP per Mmscf/d).Cooler After Final Compression StageIf the acid gas is to be cooled after the final stage ofcompression so that it is converted into a liquid or densephase, the final cooler section has to be designed to removethe equivalent of the latent heat of condensation of the acidgas. In Figure 5, for example, the heat removed duringcooling after the fourth stage is about four times thatremoved after the third stage.MetallurgyThe compressor cylinders will compress gas that is at itswater dew point on the suction side, and under-saturated inthe compressor cylinder and on the discharge side, due tothe temperature rise as a result of compression. Thus carbonsteel meeting NACE MR0175 standard requirements for sourgas should be installed as a minimum. The line to the aerialcooler can be carbon steel meeting the NACE standard. Inthe inter-stage coolers, water will condense, and could posea corrosion problem. Downstream of the coolers, the linesto the inter-stage scrubbers and the scrubbers themselveswill be exposed to the corrosive acid gas and condensedwater mixture. Carbon steel meeting NACE specificationsfor sour gas, coupled with an appropriate corrosioninhibition program, should be all that is required to handlethese corrosive fluids.After the third stage of compression, the pressure willbe in the order of about 3000 to 4000 kPa. This is the finalstage at which water will condense in the cooler. Uponboosting the pressure substantially above 6000 kPa, theacid gas mixture can hold more water in solution than at theprevious separation stage. Thus upon cooling after the fourthcompression stage, there should theoretically be no waterof condensation dropping out (Song & Kobayashi 1989).If this is so, then there would be no need to dehydrate thegas, and the downstream facilities could be constructed outof carbon steel meeting NACE specifications, which wouldsave the gas industry a lot of money. This aspect of acid gasphase behavior should be experimentally investigated.If dehydration is chosen to ensure that no waterof condensation drops out at the high pressures, thedehydration should take place after the second or thirdstage of compression. When dehydration occurs after thesecond stage, the pressure is relatively low, but the acidgas mixture contains more water than after the third stagecompression and cooling. With dehydration occurring afterthe third stage, the operating pressure of the dehydratorwould be about 3 times the pressure after the second stageof compression. This would require less glycol circulation,smaller vessel diameter, but the amount of acid gasesabsorbed per gallon of glycol circulated would be higher.However, glycol circulation would need to be about onehalf of the required circulation for dehydration after thesecond stage of compression, since there is less water toremove from the acid gas stream at the higher pressure(Selleck et al. 1952).School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Natural Gas Sweetening Process Design149In general, the selected metallurgy would dependon whether the gas is dehydrated or not. Stainless steelequipment includes the suction scrubbers, pulsation bottles,interconnecting piping and cooler tubes. The metallurgyof valves and instrumentation such as block valves, dumpvalves, PSV’s, gauge glasses, etc., should generally matchthe material of the vessel and piping.Compressor cylinder material can be carbon steel.Compressor suction and discharge valves should bestainless steel. The piston rod should be stainless steel,and may be coated with a tungsten carbide overlay havinga maximum hardness of RC22. Distance pieces can besingle compartment with a vacuum pump, or a two-piececompartment with a sweet gas purge system (Royan &Wichert 1995).Because of the low suction pressure in the 1st stagesuction scrubber, any liquids must be dumped to anatmospheric tank, or handled by a pump. Any liquidscondensing in the remaining suction scrubbers are usuallydumped to a sour water treatment and disposal system.Ideally, these liquids should be returned to the aminesystem, to save on make – up water. However, due topotential contamination with compressor oil, it is safest todiscard the water that condenses in the suction scrubbers(Royan & Wichert 1995).Compressor Units can be equipped with separatecylinder lubrication and flushing oil systems so that lubeoils and corrosion inhibitors can be injected separately.Corrosion allowance in piping generally should be 3 mmin carbon steel materials and 1.5 mm in stainless steelmaterials (Royan & Wichert 1995).Acid Gas DehydrationWhether or not acid gas dehydration is necessary isdebatable. As mentioned above, under certain conditionsof pressure and temperature, no water of condensationwould occur after the final stage of compression (Canjar &Manning 1967).If dehydration is installed, then it should be part of theprocess at pressures of minimum water content in the acidgas stream. At a temperature of about 35 °C after cooling, theoptimum pressure range is 3000 to 5000 kPa, depending onthe acid gas composition. This is the pressure range in whichacid gas mixtures should exhibit a minimum equilibriumwater content at the process operating temperature range(Song & Kobayashi 1984).The dehydration equipment would be a normal glycolunit, with a minimum of six trays, using triethylene glycol.In sales gas dehydration, the water content has to be reducedto about 65 mg/m3 (4 Ibs/MM). Since the objective inacid gas dehydration is simply the avoidance of a liquidwater phase, the amount of water left in the acid gas can besubstantially higher than 65 mg/m3. A safe water contentwould be about 500 to 700 mg/m3 (0.5 to 0.7 kg/103m3)(Song & Kobayashi 1984). Thus, the dehydration facilitiesfor acid gas could be operated more economically than forsales gas dehydration.One of the problems with dehydration of gas in generaland with acid gas in particular is the disposal of the reboileroff-gases (Wiebe & Gaddy 1941). There is considerableenvironmental concern with venting these off - gases intothe air. In acid gas dehydration, these off-gases have to becollected and incinerated or cooled and recompressed intothe acid gas steam.Acid Gas Injection FacilitiesThe acid gas injection facilities beyond the final stage ofcompression and cooling consist of an injection line, wellsitecontrol facilities and the injection well.The Disposal LineMearkeltor K., Natural Gas Sweetening Process DesignSelection of the type of pipeline material for the acidgas injection line between the plant and the injection wellis generally related to whether or not the acid gas has beendehydrated. For dehydrated gas, sour service carbon steelmaterials can be used, such as CSA-Z662 Grade 359 Cat.II sour service material. The addition of corrosion inhibitorshould be considered.For non-dehydrated acid gas, the line can be of carbonsteel with an internal epoxy coating, or a polyethylene liner(EPA 1995).Another pipeline material can be 316L stainless steel.One of the key considerations is the length of the line.Stainless steel is more expensive, and if the cost of the lineexceeds the cost of a dehydration unit, then it may be moreeconomical-to dehydrate the acid gas stream. The proposedpipeline should be fully evaluated with the vendor ofthe materials to ensure compatibility with anticipatedprocess conditions of pressure, temperature and acid gascomposition (EPA 1995).The line diameter should be sized for liquid phase fluidsif the acid gas mixture contains no more than about 1 %hydrocarbons (EPA 1995). This means that the injectionrates would be quite low in terms of liquid quantities.
150 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011The following formulae relate acid gas injection rates atstandard conditions to liquid disposal volumes per minute:q 1, liters/min = Q, acid gas 10 3m 3/d * (1.57* mol fr CO 2+1.27 * mol fr H 2S)q 1, US gal/min = Q, acid gas MMscf/d * (11.8* mol fr CO 2+ 9.34 * mol fr H 2S)(EPA 1995).The superficial liquid velocity in the pipeline should be keptbelow 3 m/sec (10 ft/sec). Liquid velocity can be estimatedby:v, m/sec = 21.2 * liter/min / (d 2), where d is the internaldiameter of the pipe, in mmv, ft/sec = 0.409 * US gal/min / (d 2), where d is the internaldiameter of the pipe, in inches(EPA 1995).From the above it can be seen that an injection rate of 2810 3m 3/d (1 MMscf/d) of CO 2reduces to 44 L/min (11.8 USgal/min) in the liquid phase. Thus the pressure drop in ashort, 50 mm diameter line would be quite small, at a liquidvelocity of about 0.37 m/sec. If the disposal well is near theplant site, a 50 mm disposal line out of 316L SS would costabout $ 40,000 (EPA 1995).Under normal operating conditions the line betweenthe plant and the injection well would contain the acidgas mixture in the liquid phase or the dense phase. Thetemperature of the fluid in the line would be at groundtemperature, which could be as low as 0 °C in the winter.If this line had to be depressurized, however, very lowtemperatures would result in the line. Since the fluid wouldbe blown down to atmospheric pressure, the temperatureof the fluid in the line would decrease to the boiling pointtemperature of the acid gas mixture at atmospheric pressure(EPA 1995). This could be as low as - 50 °C, or lower ifthe line were insulated. Lines that are not insulated wouldbenefit from heat transfer from the surrounding soil. Thepipeline material has to be designed for low temperatures,even though under normal conditions such low temperaturewould not be reached. A safe blow-down design andprocedure should be incorporated in such a scheme (EPA1995).The extremely low temperatures can be avoidedby installing a 25 mm carbon steel line to the well sitein the trench with the 50 mm injection line. The designpressure of this sweet gas line would be 7 MPa, and undernormal circumstances, this line would be left idle at a lowpressure. The line would be connected at the well site tothe injection line upstream of the wellhead (EPA 1995). Ifit became necessary to depressurize the injection line, theacid gas would be flowed back to the plant and into the flaresystem through a standby heat exchanger or a rental lineheater. The liquid acid gas mixture would be heated andvaporized prior to the pressure reduction into the plant flaresystem. To prevent the acid gases from vaporizing in theinjection line, sweet gas from the plant would be flowed tothe well site through the 25 mm line, from where the sweetgas would push the acid gas fluids back to the plant at fullpressure (EPA 1995).Well site FacilitiesAt the well site, the facilities would be very simple.A meter should be installed to record the flow. Thiswould provide information to the plant SCADA systemconcerning the injection pressure, temperature, rate and thefluid density. The wellhead would be equipped with a checkvalve as well as an ESD valve (EPA 1995).The Injection WellWhen an acid gas disposal scheme by downholeinjection is considered, one of the first questions thatarises is whether there is a suitable injection well withina reasonable distance, and the second question is whetherthe AEUB will permit injection of the acid gas into theparticular zone that the well is completed in. In general,the Board will allow injection into the zone from whichproduction is being taken provided the operator givesreasonable assurance that the injected acid gas will notadversely affect offsetting wells or hydrocarbon recovery(EPA 1995). A well some distance from the plant may notbe the best choice, however. Firstly, it usually is not a partof the production scheme to the plant because it missed theproducing horizon, or it is so tight that it is incapable ofproduction. In such cases it may not be a suitable candidatefor acid gas injection either.The ideal acid gas injection well would be a well drilledfor this purpose within 200 m of the plant perimeter. Thezone chosen for acid gas injection should be a zone thatcontains salt water, which means that the zone in the plantarea has no commercial value. Such zones tend to havegood thickness, a high permeability and a good aerial extent(EPA 1995).School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Natural Gas Sweetening Process Design151The drilling and completion costs are largely dependenton the depth of the horizon. Table 2 shows the cost estimatesfor drilling acid gas injection wells to 1500 and 2500 m inAlberta, and completing them with 73 mm J55 EUE tubingthat is internally coated for corrosion protection.Table 2. Cost Estimate To Drill And Complete Acid GasDisposal Well In AlbertaDepth, m Drill & Case Complete Total Cost1,500 $350,000 $150,000 $500,0002,500 $550,000 $250,000 $800,000Cost Comparisons with Small Scale SulfurRecovery OptionsIn a companion paper, the various options for small-scalesulfur recovery are discussed (Royan & Wichert 1995).The capital cost of any of sulfur recovery process depends,of course, on many variables, such as the plant designthroughput, composition, location, etc. The comparativecosts can best be illustrated by an example:Estimate the capital cost of the sweetening facilitiesand the various sulfur recovery and disposal facilitiesfor a sour gas plant designed to treat 500 10 3m 3/d ofgas with 2.0 % CO 2and 0.44 % H 2S.(EPA 1995).The completion would include a downhole cheek valve,for safely reasons in case of surface equipment failure.A downhole packer would protect the casing and a noncorrosivefluid, such as diesel fuel containing corrosioninhibitor, in the annulus between the casing and tubing, asis normally required for water injection or disposal wells.(Royan & Wichert 1995)The total sulfur content in the inlet gas stream in the aboveexample is 2.98 t/d. The acid gas stream will contain 18 %H 2S, unless some CO 2is left in the sweet gas by the chosensolvent. For the purpose of this example it is assumed thatall of the CO 2will be extracted. The capital cost estimatefor the equipment, without installation in the field, is shownin Table 3.Table 3. Estimate of Capital Cost of Various Sulphur Recovery Processes (Thousands of Dollars)Process Equipment Two-stage Claus One-stage Selectox LO-CAT II SulFerox Acid Gas InjectionSweetening 650 650 650 650 650Sulfur recovery:Facilities 1,000 1,000 2,400 1,800 0Catalyst 6 40 0 0 0S Filter/Melt 0 0 300 300 0Solvent 75 75 300 300 0Incin. /Stack 150 150 0 0 0Acid gas Injection:Acid gas compr. 0 0 0 0 650Acif gas line (316SS) 0 0 0 0 40Injection well 0 0 0 0 700Royalties 0 100 150 200 0Estimated Total 1,881 2,015 3,800 2,850 2,040Note: Estimated capital costs are for skid mounted equipment f.o.b. Calgary shop.(Royan & Wichert 1995)The capital cost changes somewhat with the total plantthroughput and the H 2S content. If in the above examplethe total sour gas inlet rate to the plant were 900 10 3m 3/d,having a CO 2content of 4 % and a H 2S content of 0.12%,the capital cost estimate would be as per Table 4. In thiscase the sulfur inlet rate to the plant is 1.46 t/d, with the H 2Sconcentration in the acid gas stream being 2.91 % (Royan& Wichert 1995).To employ the modified Claus process in the secondexample requires that a process be added between thesweetening step and the Claus plant to enrich the acid gassufficiently in H 2S so that a modified Claus unit will operatesatisfactorily.Mearkeltor K., Natural Gas Sweetening Process Design
152 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Table 4. Estimate of Capital Cost Of Various Sulphur Recovery Processes (Thousands Of Dollars)Process Equipment Two-stage Claus One-stage Selectox LO-CAT II SulFerox Acid Gas InjectionSweetening 1,250 1,250 1,250 350 1,250Sulfur recovery: (See note 2)Acid gas enr. 750 0 0 0 0Facilities 750 800 1,900 1,550 0Catalyst 5 20 0 0 0S Filter/Melt 0 0 300 300 0Int. Chem. Chg. 225 75 250 250 0Incin. /Stack 150 150 0 0 0Acid gas Injection:Acid gas compr. 0 0 0 0 1,000Acif gas line (316SS) 0 0 0 0 40Injection well 0 0 0 0 700Royalties 200 100 150 200 0Estimated Total 3,300 2,395 3,850 2,650 2,990Note 1. Estimated capital costs are for skid mounted equipment f.o.b. Calgary shopNote 2. 4% CO 2left in sales gas(Royan & Wichert 1995)Each of the sulfur recovery processes would release theCO2 to the atmosphere, amounting to 6,800 and 24,500tons annually for the two cases, respectively.Operating CostsOperating cost estimates for all processes are given inTable 5 and include of the following items:• Utilities (electricity, fuel gas, water)• Chemicals (catalyst, chelates, iron oxide ions, pHcontrol, corrosion inhibitor)• Maintenance• Operator timeTable 5. Estimate Of Annual Operating Cost Of Various Sulphur Recovery Processes (Thousands Of Dollars, For Example 1 Above)Cost Item Two-stageClaus One-stage Selectox LO-CAT II SulFerox Acid Gas InjectionElectr. Power 76.3 95.5 78.4 104.0 153.3Fuel gas 7.50 75.0 75.0 0 75.0Catalyst 2.0 13.0 0 0 0Chemicals 25.0 25.0 320.0 350.0 25.0Labor, Op/Mnt 150.0 150.0 250.0 250.0 200.0Sulfur Disp. 0 0 50.0 50.0 0Estimated Total 328.3 358.5 773.4 754.0 453.3$ Per ton of S 301 330 711 693 416Assumptions going into these cost estimates:• Catalyst change-out: once per 3 years• Electricity: 10 c/kWh• Fuel gas: $1.50/GJ• Chemicals: routine consumption(Royan & Wichert 1995)The above cost estimates are for the first example, andinclude operator time. The costs for sulfur recovery schemeswill not very that much between the two examples, as theoverall amount of sulfur recovered is not that large to beginSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Natural Gas Sweetening Process Design153with. Regarding acid gas compression, however, the costswould be higher in the second example by about $155thousand in light of more compression for the higher acidgas rate.Optimum Acid Gas Injection SchemeIn light of the above discussions, it is possible to projectwhat a minimum acid gas compression and injectionscheme would include – as discussed below:Injection WellThe injection well should be drilled specifically for thepurpose of acid gas injection. It should be located nearthe plant, so that the injection line would be short, andit would be within the Emergency Planning Zone of theplant. This would minimize the cost of the pipeline. Theselected zone should be an aquifer of large extent, withgood permeability. This means that the gas would not bereproduced, as would potentially be the case if the gas wereinjected into a hydrocarbon-bearing zone (EPA 1995).The depth of the well should be between 1000 and 1500m, so that the injection pressure did not have to be above8000 kPa. This pressure level would ensure that the acidgas mixture is in the liquid phase upon final cooling, whichwould aid with the injection into the zone.The well could be completed with 114.3 mm casingstring and a 60.3 mm OD J-55 tubing string, as the liquidinjection rate would in all likelihood be less than 100 L/min(27 US gal/min), thereby saving on drilling and completioncosts. A subsurface check valve should be installed in thetubing (EPA 1995).Any water that might drop out would be minimal, wouldform a hydrate, and would immediately be reabsorbed uponstartup of injection. A small, high pressure, sweet gas lineshould be included from the plant to the well, for reasonsexplained above.Water RemovalIt is evident that free water cannot be tolerated at theinjection pressure levels of the acid gas mixture, becausehydrates could form. There is a minimum water of saturationcontent at certain pressure and temperature conditions.By taking advantage of this situation, it may be possibleto lower the water content sufficiently by cooling the acidgas stream, so that dehydration would not be required (EPA1995).A more economical method than dehydration wouldbe to cool the gas stream to about 30 or 35 °C after thethird stage of compression. The cooling could be done withan aerial cooler to about 3 or 4 degrees above the hydratetemperature for the particular acid gas composition. Thiswould condense most of the water while the acid gas mixtureis in the vapor phase (EPA 1995). Upon compression andcooling after the fourth stage of compression, the acid gasstream would be in the liquid or dense phase. The waterof saturation at the temperatures in the short line to theinjection well would always be higher than the water contentat the final separation stage. It is assumed in this examplethat the hydrocarbon content of the acid gas mixture is lessthan about 3 %. Higher concentrations of C 1+will adverselyaffect this acid gas-water relationship (EPA 1995).Acid Gas CompressionThe Injection LineSince the well would be located near the plant, theinjection line would be relatively short. A 316L stainlesssteel line, 50 mm in diameter, would likely be the bestchoice. This line would need to be externally coated forcorrosion protection, but would not need to be insulated(EPA 1995).Under normal operating conditions, the acid gas liquidor dense stream would not cool sufficiently to have waterdrop out to cause problems. If the line were shut down forsome time, the contents of the line would cool down toground temperature at burial depth, which would generallynot be below 0 °C (EPA 1995).An estimate has to be made of the final pressure towhich the acid gas stream has to be compressed. Thisdepends mainly on the formation pressure, which dependson the well depth in undisturbed reservoirs. Other factorsinfluencing the injection pressure are the permeability ofthe zone, the thickness of the zone and the rate of injection.Assuming that the necessary pressure is between 6 MPaand 10 MPa, a four-stage compressor should be used (EPA1995).Concerning the metallurgy of the compressor, thesuction scrubbers, the suction and discharge lines and thecoolers, some items may need to be stainless steel, but withresearch in the area of water content, some of the linescould probably be constructed with carbon steel meetingNACE specifications for sour gas applications.Mearkeltor K., Natural Gas Sweetening Process Design
154 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Conclusions• The compression and reinjection of acid gas into anunderground reservoir is technically feasible andeconomically viable, when compared with alternatemethods of sulfur disposal.• Research should be carried out to determine the waterof saturation of acid gas mixtures containing up to1% to 3 % methane, in the pressure range of 3 MPato 10 MPa, and at temperatures between 0 °C and 40°C. The results would establish whether the acid gaswould need to be dehydrated to avoid the formationof hydrates under operating conditions of acid gasinjection systems.• Reinjection acid gas into an underground formationreleases the minimum of greenhouse gases into theatmosphere when compared with the options for smallscalesulfur recovery.• Of the various options for handling small volumesof acid gas, compression and injection into anunderground zone provides the greatest flexibility inoperation with changing throughput rate or fluctuatingacid gas composition.The Sharma – Campbell Method for PredictingWater ContentSharma and Campbell propose a method for calculatingthe water content of natural gas, including sour gas.Although originally designed for hand calculations, thismethod is rather complicated. It is even rather complicatedfor computer applications.The method will be described here. Given the temperatureand the pressure, the procedure is as follows. Determine thefugacity if water at the saturation conditions (T and P sat), which is designated f , and the fugacity at thewater sat waterwater conditions (T and P total), designated f water. A chartis provided to estimate the fugacity of water at the systemconditions. Then the correlation factor, k, is calculated fromthe following equation:kP=totalPsatwaterfwaterfsatwaterPtotalPsatwaterPsatwaterPtotal0.0049(Sharma & Campbell 1969)In this equation a consistent set of units should be used forthe pressure and fugacity terms and then k is dimensionless.Then you must obtain the compressibility factor (z-factor),z, for the gas again at system conditions.Sharma and Campbell recommend using a generalizedcorrelation for the compressibility. Finally, the watercontent is calculated as:w = 47484k5satwater(Sharma & Campbell 1969)where f is the fugacity of the dry gas calculated at systemconditions. Again, if a consistent set of units is used for thefugacity terms, then the calculated water content, w, is inlb/MMCF.This method is rather difficult for hand calculations.First, it requires the compressibility factor of the gasmixture. Next, it requires the fugacity of pure waterat system conditions. The chart given to estimate thisvalue is only valid for temperatures between 80 and 160degrees F, and for pressure less than 2000 psia (Sharma &Campbell 1969). It is unclear how this method will behaveif extrapolated beyond this range. Typically, the calculationof a single fugacity is enough to scare away most processengineers. The Sharma – Campbell method requires threefugacity calculations for a single water content estimate.The temperature and pressure limitations make thismethod less useful for some studies, where the pressure ofinterest usually ranges up to 10,000 psia and temperaturesto 220 degrees F (Sharma & Campbell 1969). In addition,although this is intended to be a hand calculation method, itis a bit difficult to use.The Eykman Molecular Refraction (EMR)Mixture Combination RulesFor an example of the prediction of refractive indices,Eykman’s mixing rules are displayed below:ffgasSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Natural Gas Sweetening Process Design155A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 s2-butanone (1)+1-chloropentane (2)V E, cm 3.mol -12,64654 0,13115 -0,00177 0,06722 0,00270R E, cm 3.mol -10,36011 -0,03642 -0,00717 0,00785 0,001002-butanone (1)+1,3-dichloropropane (2)V E, cm 3.mol -1-0,49936 0,98856 1,31123 0,25639 0,00234R E, cm 3.mol -10,16256 0,19454 0,11474 0,09188 -0,15178 0,000692-butanone (1)+1,4-dichlorobutane (2)V E, cm 3.mol -1-1,11593 0,72989 0,05418 0,00280R E, cm 3.mol -10,28129 0,42182 -0,46736 0,02022 -0,10627 0,000742-butanone (1)+1,1,1-trichloroethane (2)V E, cm 3.mol -10,35307 0,62942 0,15189 0,04568 0,00009R E, cm 3.mol -10,12084 0,14019 0,02597 0,000132-butanone (1)+1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (2)V E, cm 3.mol -1-4,40442 -0,26605 -0,26976 -0,09947 0,00032R E, cm 3.mol -1-0,13382 0,34352 -0,05271 0,000170,800,400,00-0,40-0,80excess volume molar, cm1,200,00 0,20 0,40 0,60 0,80 0,100X 1• 2-butanone (1)+1-chloropentane (2)• 2-butanone (1)+1,4-dicholorobutane (2)• 2-butanone (1)+1,3-dichloropropane (2)• 2-butanone (1)+1,1,1-trichloroethane (2)• 2-butanone (1)+1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (2)0,120,080,04.molRE,cm3-0,04-0,080,00 0,20 0,40 0,60 0,80 1,00X 1• 2-butanone (1)+1-chloropentane (2)• 2-butanone (1)+1,4-dichlorobutane (2)• 2-butanone (1)+1,3-dichloropropane (2)• 2-butanone (1)+1,1,1-trichloroethane (2)• 2-butanone (1)+1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (2)References(Tasic et al. 1992)Blanc, C., Elgue, J., & Lallemand, F. “MDEA processselects H2S”. Hydrocarbon Processing, 1981.Canjar, L. & Manning, F. Thermodynamic Propertiesand Reduced Correlations for Gases, GulfPublishing Company, 1967.Elgue, J., Peytavy, J., & Tournier-Lasserve J. “Recentindustrial developments in natural gas sweeteningby MDEA”. Paper presented at the 18th World GasConference in Berlin, 1991.Gas Research Institute. Thermodynamic SoftwareModel (GRI – GLYCalc).GPSA. GPSA Engineering Data Book, 1994 Edition.1994: 20-25.Katz, D., et al. Handbook Of Natural Gas Engineering.New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1959.Kirk, R. & Othmer, D. (eds.). Encyclopedia OfChemical Technology, Volume 7. New York:Interscience Encyclopedia, Inc., 1951.Maddox, R. Gas And Liquid Sweetening, 2nd Edition.Norman, OK: Campbell Petrol<strong>eu</strong>m Series, 1974.Mullins, B. et al. Atmospheric Emissions Survey OfThe Sour Gas Processing Industry, EPA-450/3-75-076, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency,Research Triangle Park, NC: 1975.NACE MR0175. Sour Service. (2002) 08 February2004. Mearkeltor K., Natural Gas Sweetening Process Design
156 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Royan, T. & Wichert, E., Options for Small ScaleSulphur Recovery. Paper presented at the CGPAMeeting. Calgary: 1995.Selleck, F. et al. “Phase Behaviour in the HydrogenSulfide – Water System”. Industrial and EngineeringChemistry 44 1952: 2219-26.Sharma, S. & Campbell, J. “Predict Natural-gasWater Content with Total Gas Usage”. Oil and GasJournal. 1969.Song, K. & Kobayashi, R. Water Content Values of aCO2 – 5.32 Mol Percent Methane Mixture, ResearchReport RR-20, Gas Processors Association, Tulsa:1989.---.The Water Content of CO2– Rich Fluids inEquilibrium with Liquid Water or Hydrates, researchReport RR-80, Gas Processors Association, Tulsa:1984.Tasic, A. et al. Journal of Chemical Engineering Data37 1992.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ProtocolFor Equipment Leak Emission Estimates, EPA-453/R-95-017: 1995---.Control Techniques For Hydrocarbon And OrganicSolvent Emissions From Stationary Sources, AP-68. Research Triangle Park, NC: 1970.West, J. “Thermodynamic Properties of HydrogenSulfide”. Chemical Engineering Progress 44 1948:287-92.Wiebe, R. & Gaddy, V. “Vapor Phase compositionof Carbon Dioxide – Water Mixtures at VariousTemps. And Pres. to 700 Atmospheres”. Journal ofAmerican Chemical Society 1941: 475-77.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
157 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal 2011Section SScSocial ScienceSection coordinated by the Department of Social Science in the School of Doctoral Studies of the European UnionHead of the Department:Professor Ingmar BremerReviewers Body Coordinators:Deputy Head of Department - Humanities:Deputy Head of Department – Social Sciences:Professor Anuar ShahProfessor Ivanna PetrovskaSSc Section ContentArticle 1 Page 158Foreign Aid and Economic DevelopmentAuthor: Lawrence McMillanCountry: UKArticle 2 Page 166Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art proposed by Duchamp and CocteauAuthor: Erika González-EhrlichCountry: MexicoArticle 3 Page 179The Effect of Islamic Azad University Activity on Branch of Trade Case Study: FiroozabadAuthor: Mehrnoush Saadat Abadi, Nima Naddaf (MBA), Fateme Saeed Firouzabadi (BBA)Country: IranArticle 4 Page 184Service Failure and Recovery: Comparison Between Health Care and Automobile Service StationAuthor: Anupam Krishna, G.S. Dangayach, Rakesh JainCountry: IndiaSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
158 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Foreign Aid and Economic DevelopmentLawrence McMillanMaster of Science in Economics by the European Business School; Researcher for theBusiness Intelligence Research Centre of London147 St. John Street, 2nd Floor, London, UKEmail: l_mcmillan2008@yahoo.comAbstractThis literature review focuses on research studies that correlate the effects of aid on the macroeconomic development of countries inthe third world. I undertake the review to assess whether researchers have strongly established, based on empirical evidence, that thereis any link, whether positive or negative, between aid and economic growth. The Introduction section provides a more detailed rationalefor this review. In the subsequent sections, I provide a short description of the econometric models commonly used by researchers inestablishing the relationship between aid and growth. I also discuss the body of research that I have looked into, their basic features,general conclusions and some key criticisms against them. I devote a separate section identifying the gaps I observed in the currentresearch and finally conclude that although there is a wealth of research done on the impact of foreign aid on growth, these appear to beinconclusive due to methodological problems. Key words: Economics, Foreign Aid; Economic Development.Since its birth right after World War II when the UnitedStates of America (USA) released billions of money toassist Europe (Sogge, 2002) in reconstructing the latter’seconomy, foreign aid has been assumed to directly induceor at least influence economic development in a recipientcountry. Most donor rhetoric perpetuates this association(World Bank, 1998). Many studies have been undertakento try to assess if aid actually fulfils its main objective, thatis, to promote macroeconomic development in developingcountries. After half a century characterized by some seriouschanges in world economy and politics (i.e. breakdown ofCommunism, globalization, terrorism), the link betweenforeign aid and economic growth remains at the center ofdebates on aid effectiveness.The purpose of this literature review is to survey theavailable body of research done on the effectiveness offoreign aid as an agent for economic development ofrecipient countries, most of which come from the thirdworld countries. In particular, this review aims to assesshow strong the empirical evidence is that aid has been aneffective agent for economic growth. In so doing, I hope tobe able to identify areas where future research is required.In reviewing the literature, I will attempt to provide acritical analysis of relevant research papers and articles. Iwill try to assess the merits or shortcomings of the researchpapers without leaning towards a particular perspective,for example economic structuralism or economicinternationalism. Although I cannot guarantee completeobjectivity, I will make an effort to be academic insummarizing, identifying issues and exposing weaknessesor gaps of each piece of literature.Extant literature on foreign aid is immense, henceI choose to focus on empirical research correlating aidwith economic growth. Even with this delimitation,there is a wealth of information available and I admit acomprehensive review is totally not possible. Rather, Ihave chosen materials that appear most frequently in thetotal body of aid-growth literature. However, literaturethat primarily aim to establish the effect of foreign aidon political systems, governance and human rights in therecipient countries are not discussed in this review.As in any debate, there have been two generalbut contending schools of thought with regard to theeffectiveness of aid in spurring economic growth in thethird world. Critics of foreign aid argue that it has had noeffect on and even hurts the third world economies (negativeaid-growth correlation). On the other hand, Supporters offoreign aid espouse that on average or in most cases, it hasbeen an effective development tool (positive aid-growthcorrelation). A recent research trend has however emerged,which I see as a third school of thought. Researchers of thisschool qualify that aid can either be effective or ineffectivedepending on certain donor conditions and countrycircumstances (conditional aid-growth correlation). Ihave organized this literature review around these threegroupings, though I will briefly discuss the econometricSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Foreign Aid and Economic Development159models commonly used by researchers in assessing theimpact of aid on economic growth.Econometric Models Used in theLiteratureFollowing are the two prevalent models utilized byanalysts of the aid-growth relationship. These models areeconometric but can be expounded in simplistic terms,which I endeavour to do in this section.The Two Gap ModelThe Gap Model popularized by Chenery andStrout (1966) ages ago is still in use in projecting themacroeconomic impact of foreign aid. This model has twocomponents hence it is also commonly referred to as theTwo-Gap Model. The first component is the relationshipbetween investment and growth, wherein the level of growthis assumed to be dependent on the level of investment. Thesecond component is the relationship between savings,which is assumed as a critical factor for investmentexpansion, and growth. With this model, analysts are ableto determine the necessary level of investment to achievea desired level of economic growth. Gaps occur if theinvestment is below the desired level and these gaps canbe ascribed as either a savings gap or as a foreign exchange(or trade) gap. If a country is unable to fill this gap throughimports, exports or production, foreign aid inflows orforeign capital inflows are needed so that it can grow morerapidly than its internal resources would otherwise allow.Hence an inflow of foreign aid should move a country’seconomy upwards.Of course this model is not without criticism, most ofwhich are questioning the assumptions of the model. Harmsand Lutz (2004) point out that the gap model assumes thatinvestment is the only factor in increasing output, whereasthere are other determinants of growth (i.e. education,research and development). They also point out that not allaid is invested by the recipient country. Aid, as is any typeof money flow, is fungible. It can be used for any purpose,and hence, aid cannot be assumed to all go into investment.A recipient country will naturally use part of the aid moneyfor its consumption (government expenditures other thancapital outlay) and part for investment. Harms and Lutzalso recognize that in reality, aid availability is an incentivefor corrupt administrations to intentionally lower theirdomestic investment efforts so that they get a continuousstream of aid money from donors. Despite these criticisms,Devarajan, et al. (2002, p. 17) defend the two gap modelsaying that “it is a transparent and flexible frameworkfor examining, for a large number of countries, the aidrequirements of achieving the poverty goal”. Most of theWorld Bank’s research studies on foreign aid and growthrely on the two gap model.The Poverty Trap ModelThe poverty trap model is actually more of a theoreticalframework than an econometric one. The earliest povertytrap model was used by Nelson (1956). Unlike the gapmodel which sees foreign aid as a way to raise investmentand thus influence growth, this model assumes that growthis hampered by poverty traps which can come from variousfactors like low production capacity, high population, weaksavings. Regardless of the causes, poverty traps are seento compromise growth. Foreign aid, which is a temporaryinjection of capital, is assumed to help the economy getout of the poverty trap and take-off towards growth. Nelsonsums it up nicely when he says that “increases in incomeand capital achieved through funds obtained from abroadcan help to free an economy from the low-level equilibriumtrap” (p. 904).Unlike the gap model which necessarily requires thecontinuous and incremental inflow of aid into a recipientcountry, the poverty trap model requires a one time infusionof aid to spur economic growth in developing countries.But like the gap model, this model too has its limitations.Harms and Lutz state that it takes more than an infusion ofaid for a country to get out of poverty and achieve economicgrowth. They say that the role of good governance andprivate capital is downplayed in the poverty trap model andthat aid at best only provides a brief cure to poverty.Anti Aid LiteratureGenerally speaking, economists and researchers whocontribute to the anti aid literature espouse that aid has noaffect on growth and that it may actually undermine it.As early as the 1950s, questions on the effect of aidon economic growth have abounded. Economists likeFriedman (1958) and Bauer (1972) called for an end inaid, arguing that it is not a necessary requirement for theeconomic growth of a country. Both Friedman and Bauerassert that foreign assistance to governments is dangerousbecause it increases the power of the elite in the recipientMcMillan L. - Foreign Aid and Economic Development
160 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011governments, leads to corruption and hinders economicgrowth. In particular, Bauer noted that aid discourages thegrowth of private sector investments, encourages publicsector-led growth (since aid is in fact money added togovernment coffers) thereby limiting growth and inhibitingdevelopment.Although Bauer has been a leading critic of foreign aid,his ideas are grounded on very little empirical researchand this is the main critique against his published writings.However, the lack of empirical evidence in Bauer’s wasmade up for by other economists in the 1970s. Griffin andEnos (1970) were among the first to publish empiricalresearch questioning aid effectiveness. They found, throughsimple correlation that there is a negative relationshipbetween aid and growth in twenty seven (27) countries.The pessimistic view of the aid pervaded as economistsobserved the persistence of poverty in developing countries.Throughout his life, Bauer (1991, p. 45) maintained hisstance that aid is bad for development, “because aid accruesto the government, increases the government’s resources,patronage, and power in relation to the rest of society.The resulting politicisation of life enhances the hold ofgovernments over their subjects and increases the stakesin the struggle for power. This result in turn encourages oreven forces people to divert attention, energy, and resourcesfrom productive economic activities to concern with theoutcome of political and administrative processes anddecisions”.These criticisms of foreign aid dates back four decades,hence I initially thought that such arguments would havebeen passé. However, I found that younger economists andnew research still echo the old arguments. Other studies thatshow the lack of connection between lack of connectionbetween aid and economic growth include Mosley (1980),Mosley et. al. (1987), Dowling and Hiemenz (1982), Boone(1994) and Kanbur (2000). These researchers converge insaying that aid fails to induce growth. They likewise suggesta variety of reason why.Like Bauer, these researchers claim that aid is mostoften misused or corrupted by recipient governments.Kanbur, in particular, reports that aid fails to induce growthbecause of corruption, poor administration, tying up ofaid with precious resources in recipient countries andquestionable aid allocation decisions by donors. Anotherargument that these researchers espouse is that aid is adisincentive for the private sector to invest or to improveproductivity. They cite the “Dutch disease” where aidinduces the recipient country’s currency to appreciate andweakens the profitability of the production of export goods.For example, food aid causes local farm output prices todecline, thus reducing local farmers’ income. They alsoargue that aid flows can reduce both private savings andgovernment savings since aid impacts on interest rates andon revenues. These researchers also surmise that aid canhelp keep corrupt governments with poor economic policiesand management capabilities in power, hence deterringgrowth and development.Not all of these researchers generalize that aid is bad,though. Mosley, et. al. admit that there have been someindividual aid projects that achieved success. Still, he positsthe idea of a “micro-macro paradox”, that the success ofsome individual aid projects cannot make up for thenegative overall impact of aid on growth and development.While these studies have been influential, there are doubtsas to their validity and quality. For one, how they measuredthe effect of aid on growth is unclear. Hence the attributionof negative growth with aid is also questionable, especiallysince a country’s poor economic performance may becaused by a host of economic, social and political factors.Because Boone (1996) examines the effect of aidon a variety of macroeconomic variables and severaldevelopment indicators, his study is one of the most citedproofs that there is no significant, positive influence of aidinflows on investment and growth in recipient countries.However, some critics accuse that Boone assumed only asimple linear relationship between aid and growth, ignoredpotential endogeniety or other factors that may have director indirect effects on growth, and used an unconventionalset of co-regressors (Clemens et. al., 2004).Boone, however did not directly estimate the impactof aid on growth but used indicators such as consumptionand investment as variables. He also tested the effect of aidon private and government consumption. Boone used a lotof other variables (i.e. the black market premium, indirecttaxes and the inflation tax, infant mortality, life expectancy,and primary schooling). The sample comprises 96 countriesand data are averages within the 1971-90 period. Basically,Boone’s study shows that aid has no significant effect onany of the indicators frequently used to justify aid programs.Aid does not increase public investment, it does not affecttaxation in developing countries, it does not lower infantchild mortality and it does not raise life expectancy. Aiddoes, however, increase public consumption which canbe construed to show that governments with access to aidSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Foreign Aid and Economic Development161money tend to spend more. Boone (p. 322) sums up hisstudy nicely, saying that “aid does not promote economicdevelopment for two reasons: poverty is not caused bycapital shortage, and it is not optimal for politicians toadjust distortionary policies when they receive aid flows.”A recent and also notable contribution to the anti aidliterature is the one done by Easterly (1999 and 2001). Thisstudy strengthened critics’ skepticism about the effect of aidon growth. This study implies that aid money has been wastedas the predicted impact of aid (using the “two-gap” model)on output growth does not match the actual performanceof a large sample of developing countries. Easterly foundthat aid had very little and in some cases no impact at allon the performance of majority of the individual countrieshe examined. In Easterly’s book (2001), he presents figuresfor Zambia, where its actual growth performance falls waybelow the predicted aid-induced growth.As visualized in Easterly’s graphs of the Zambiancase, there is a striking discrepancy or “gap” between thepredicted growth line and the actual growth line. This hasprovided the strongest argument against a positive aidgrowthrelationship. Evident in Easterly’s study is thatsomewhere along the dynamics of aid provision and aidutilization in Zambia, not all aid went into investmentor that not all aid-led investment were translated intoeconomic growth. Other country examples include Congo,Haiti, Papua New Guinea and Somalia, which have beenobserved as not growing despite receiving sizeable foreignassistance. A large percent of the population in Africaand South Asia also remain impoverished despite beingrecipients of huge aid flows.Pro Aid LiteratureLiterature reviewed under this section carry more orless the tune that there is a positive correlation between aidand growth, though there are some country exemptions.Researchers under this category maintain that the claims ofthe anti-aid school of thought are only partially correct, thataid can spur growth but its effectiveness decreases as thelevel of aid infused into the economy decreases. In otherwords, aid has diminishing returns.Some early studies like Papenek (1973) and Levy(1988) found that aid had a positive impact on growth,hence sparking the debate between among economistsand researchers. These analysts believed that aid increasesgrowth by augmenting savings, financing investments, andadding to the capital stock. They argue that aid also helpsincrease productivity, especially aid in health or educationMcMillan L. - Foreign Aid and Economic Developmentprograms. They also consider the transfer of knowledgeand technology from rich countries to poor countries asa positive effect. Like the early anti-aid literature, theseclaims were barely substantiated with empirical research.That there is an absolute positive correlation betweenaid and growth was more a belief than an actual factsince research at this time was focused on testing a linearrelaionship between aid and growth.Sometime in the 1990s, researchers tested thediminishing returns hypothesis, that aid does spur growthbut only up to a certain extent. Such studies include Durbarryet al. (1998), Dalgaard and Hansen (2000), Hadjimichael,et. al. (1995), Hansen and Tarp (2000 and 2001), Lensinkand White (2001) and Dalgaard, et.al. (2004). These studiessay that although aid has no absolute positive relationshipwith growth, there is evidence that the higher aid flows are,the more rapid growth is. Stiglitz (2002) and Stern (2002)have likewise argued that aid may have failed in some casesbut it has undoubtedly been supportive of growth in somecountries and prevented decline in other countries.In support of their thesis, most of the above researchersidentified successful aid recipients like Korea, Taiwan,Indonesia, Uganda and Mozambique and to specificprograms like the aid-financed campaign against riverblindness and oral rehydration therapy. They also argue thatever since the concept of aid for growth and developmentin the third world was introduced after the second worldwar, there has been significant improvement in the poverty,health and education indicators in many countries.However, I think that these claims (i.e the growthof countries and the improvement of poverty indicatorsare caused / partially caused by aid) still need to besubstantiated. For one, the growth and development of aparticular country cannot be directly attributed to the inflowof aid. For another, data on aid is most often hard to isolate,unless one is evaluating a specific project. The data onofficial development assistance (ODA) which economistsmost commonly use in measuring the impact of aid ongrowth is an aggregate and may not be representative of theactual aid money that is brought into a country. Economistsare still in search of a measure that firmly and exclusivelyestablishes the link between aid and growth. One analyst,Roodman (2003), conducted sensitivity analyses on someof these studies and only the modelling of Dalgaard, et.al.and Hansen and Tarp turned out to be robust.I found that Hansen and Tarp (2000) provides asummary of about thirty (30) studies published between1968 and 1998. Individually, these studies estimate therelationship between aid and investment growth, albeit
162 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011with less sophisticated econometric modelling methods andsmaller data sets. Hansen and Tarp proceeded to aggregatethe results of these studies, in other words, they conducteda meta-analysis. The results of the meta analysis strengthenthe claim that foreign aid raises the level of investmentin recipient countries and Hansen and Tarp’s study isfrequently referred to in the newer studies as well.A newer study by Hansen and Tarp (2001) used newerdata from fifty six (56) countries from 1974 to 1993. Similarto this study is an earlier one conducted by Feyzioglu etal. (1998) who used data from thirty eight (38) countrieswithin the period from 1971 to 1990. Both assessed theeffect of effect of aid on investment and both found apositive relationship.Qualified ViewProbably because the two camps of aid researchersabove cannot generalize that aid has absolutely no effecton growth and vice versa, other researchers are taking adifferent approach. Instead of ascertaining whether aidhas a positive or negative relationship with growth, theyendeavor to see where and in what circumstances canforeign have a positive or negative impact on growth. Ibelieve this is a more “enlightened” approach to the aidgrowthanalysis. As apparent from the anti-aid and pro-aidliterature, the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of foreign aidin spurring growth is on a case to case basis. It is thereforerational to identify the key factors that cause aid to work ornot work for growth. The studies under this category maybe further grouped into those that identify country specificfactors and those that point out donor specific characteristicsthat provide conducive environment for aid to spur growth.A number of research point out that in mostcircumstances, foreign aid worked wonders in countrieswith good policies and strong institutions. One such studywas done by Isham, Kaufmann, and Pritchett (1995). In aneffort to find out which circumstances are conducive foraid-induced growth, Isham, Kaufmann and Pritchett, usingWorld Bank data, were able to link good performance ofaid-financed projects in a certain country to that country’spolicies on civil liberty. Somehow, they found that there isa statistical and possibly (they say) a causal link betweenthese two variables. Apparently, aid projects in countriesthat practice the best civil liberties have a higher economicrate of return than those in countries with poorer civilliberty systems. Interestingly, this study found that the typeof government (i.e. authoritarian, democratic) has no effecton aid project performance.One of the most popular studies providing evidencethat aid has a positive effect on growth depending on thepolitical-economic environment is Burnside and Dollar(2000). In a nutshell, Burnside and Dollar stipulates that aidencourages growth in countries with good policies. In thiscase, a country has good policy environment if there is lowinflation, low budget deficit, and no protectionism meaningtrade is relatively open. Statistical regression is the mainmethod used by Burnside and Dollar to arrive at a compositevariable that reflects the above criteria for a good policyenvironment. Using standard growth regression, Burnsideand Dollar compared the interaction of aid (in percentof gross national product) with the policy variable andconcluded that “the impact of aid is greater in a good policyenvironment than in a poor policy environment” (p. 859)and further suggested that “making aid more systematicallyconditional on the quality of policies would likely increaseits impact on developing country growth” (p. 864). Thisstudy gained favour from aid regime supporters because itexplains why aid has supported growth in several countries(Korea, Botswana, Indonesia, Mozambique and Uganda)while at the same time not influencing growth in others(Haiti, Liberia, Zaire and the Philippines). Another studydone by Dollar in collaboration with Collier (2001) furthersubstantiates the Burnside and Dollar findings. They findthat additional aid of about one percent of gross domesticproduct increases, on average, the rate of economic growthby about 0.6 percent in countries with good policies, 0.4percent in countries with average policies, and 0.2 percentin countries with poor policies.Hence, the Burnside and Dollar study has largelyinfluenced donor policies on aid. Their findings areconsistent with donor claims that individual aid projectsdo impact on growth positively. This study also explainsthe “macro-micro paradox”. Hence, donors like the WorldBank are drawing on this study in rethinking the way theyallocate aid and assess aid effectiveness. The main thesisof one of World Bank’s policy research reports in 1998, forexample, maintains that “money matters in a good policyenvironment” (p.28). The implication of this trend in the aidregime is that donors, in the near future, are more likely toallocate more aid to countries with good policies althoughthis is yet to be seen.After the 2000 study of Burnside and Dollar, otherresearchers followed suit and studied the interaction betweenaid and other country specific variables that may possiblyexplain the conditional relationship between aid and growth.Collier and Dehn (2001) linked aid effectiveness with theactual occurrence of external shocks (i.e. export priceSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Foreign Aid and Economic Development163shocks, climatic shocks). Guillaumont and Chauvet (2002)studied the variable of economic vulnerability (i.e. terms oftrade). Collier and Hoeffler (2002) looked at conflict (i.e.policy warfare, totalitarian government) while Dalgaard,et al. (2004) looked at geographical factors (i.e. countrylocation). These studies, however, were not as popular asBurnside and Dollar since statistical tests conducted byRoodman (2003) showed that the relationship of the abovevariables with aid-induced growth is fragile and modest atbest.Observed Gaps in Existing ResearchThere is a wealth of information dealing with foreignaid and growth and as apparent from the literature I havereviewed, there is no consensus at all on whether aid canindeed fuel growth at the macroeconomic level. Statisticaland economic analysts, although employing identicalor at least similar models of analysis, have arrived atdifferent conclusions. To some, the impact of foreignaid on macroeconomic growth is negative, to some it ispositive, and to some it is dependent on country-specificconditions. Furthermore, the methods used in each studyhave been subjected to sensitivity analyses and have beenfound lacking in one way or another. Evidently, a methodor model of analysis has yet to be perfected in assessingthe aid-growth correlation. I believe this is an area whereeconomists can further delve into. The major challenge hereis to develop a model that is sensitive enough to capture allthe nuances of the aid-growth relationship, one that moreor less takes into consideration the possible factors thataffect this relationship (not just savings and investmentas in the two gap model). Or economists can finetune theexisting ones to make their results more robust and henceless misleading.I have also observed that in the studies I have reviewed,the time factor was rarely mentioned. Assuming that weaccept the traditional growth theory that aid increasesinvestment and investment produces growth, it will still takea lot of time before we see the impact of the former on thelatter. Hence, in assessing aid and its effects on growth, thetime lag needs to be factored in as a variable. Interestingly,most researchers are silent about this time factor in theiranalyses. Aside from the time factor, the treatment of aidin aggregate terms (researchers use macro ODA data)may not be ideal because there are different types of aidwhich form part of the aggregate data but are not actuallydirected towards growth. Hence, using muddled ODA datain analysing the impact of aid on growth may also muddlethe results. Researchers still need to find a way to isolatedata on aid that is intended solely for economic growth.The studies I have reviewed all do cross countryregressions as they try to establish the aid-growth causality,yet come up with different conclusions. Most of them workon the same data sets over the same period of time (at leastthe recent studies), but still come up with conflicting results.The problem, I believe, is in the attempt to generalizethe effectiveness of aid across all countries, an attemptto globalize the benefits of aid. In doing so, researchersneglect to consider that each country is differently situated,differently governed and differently structured. Hencethe macro approach or generalizing that foreign aid has apositive (or negative) effect on growth should not be theway to go in doing research on the aid-growth relationship.The recent research trend (the qualified views) whichattempt to identify country specific factors that allow aid tobe effective, I believe is a more reasonable approach to aidand economic growth. Most researchers are now delvinginto this matter at present but the country specific factorsthat have been identified that facilitate aid-induced growthstill generate debate. More research is necessary to firmlyestablish the link between a good policy environmentand aid-induced growth (Burnside and Dollar’s thesis).Since this type of research looks into country specificcharacteristics, I believe that country case studies is theway to go.While country specific factors are being studied, I thinkit is also wise to study donor specific characteristics thatcould have an influence in inhibiting or facilitating aidinducedgrowth. After all, the foreign aid system is aninterplay between a country and a donor. I have not comeacross any study that does this and I believe this is wherefuture research should be focused on. Donor policies,practices and systems in providing aid need to be examinedthoroughly. Donor procedures in aid provision could beone of the reasons why aid has not induced growth in somedeveloping countries.ConclusionIn this review, I have shown that despite the vastliterature linking foreign aid and economic growth,there is yet no conclusive evidence that these two arepositively (or negatively) correlated. This is basicallydue to the weaknesses of the models being used to assessthis relationship. Most of the pro-aid and anti-aid studiesMcMillan L. - Foreign Aid and Economic Development
164 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011outlined above use either the two-gap model or the povertytrap model and deal with more or less the same data sets butstill arrive at different conclusions.The basic fault in the studies, I believe, is the attempt togeneralize the effect of aid on growth across all countries.Because each country has varying features, and growthis affected by other variables, which the models cannotpossibly incorporate, most studies, both under the anti-aidand the pro0aid literature, have been found lacking in merit.Recent research, however, are moving towardsidentifying country specific factors responsible for thesuccess or failure of aid in promoting growth. I believethis research trend is on the right track and where futureresearch should concentrate on. It would also be prudent tostudy donor specific characteristics that possibly facilitateor hinder aid effectiveness in promoting growth, an areawhere there is yet very little research on.ReferencesBauer, P. (1972). Dissent on development. Cambridge:Harvard University Press.Bauer, P. (1991). The development frontier: essays inapplied economics. London: Harvester Wheatsheaf.Boone, P. (1994). “The impact of foreign aid on savingsand growth”. Center for Economic PerformanceWorking Paper No. 677, London School ofEconomics.Boone, P. (1996). “Politics and the effectiveness offoreign aid”. European Economic Review (40):289-329.Burnside, C. and Dollar, D. (2000, September). “Aid,policies, and growth”. American Economic Review(90): 847-868.Chenery, H. and Strout. A. (1966). “Foreign assistanceand economic development”. American EconomicReview (56): 679-733.Clemens, M., Radelet, S. and Bhavnani, R. (2004,November). Counting chickens when they hatch:the short-term effect of aid on growth. Center forGlobal Development Working Paper 44.Collier, P. and Dehn, J. (2001). Aid, shocks andgrowth. Policy Research Working Paper No.2608, Development Research Group, World Bank,Washington.Collier, P. and Dollar, D. (2002). "Aid allocation andpoverty reduction". EuropeanEconomic Review 45(1): 1-26.Collier, P. and Hoeffler, A. (2002). Aid, Policy andGrowth in Post-Conflict Countries. Policy ResearchWorking Paper No. 2902, Development ResearchGroup, World Bank, Washington.Dollar, D and Collier, P. (2001). “Can the world cutpoverty in half? How policy reform and effectiveaid can meet the international development goals”.World Development 29(11): 1787-1802.Dalgaard, C. and Hansen, H. (2000). On aid, growth,and good policies. CREDIT Research PaperNo. 00/17, Centre for Research in EconomicDevelopment and International Trade, Universityof Nottingham.Dalgaard, C., Hansen, H. and Tarp, F. (2004), “Onthe empirics of foreign aid and growth”, EconomicJournal, 114 (496): 191-216.Dowling, M. and Hiemenz, U. (1982). Aid, savings,and growth in the Asian region. Report No. 3,Economic Office, Asian Development Bank.Durbarry, R., Gemmell, N. and Greenaway, D.(1998). New evidence on the impact of foreignaid on economic growth. CREDIT ResearchPaper No. 98/8, Centre for Research in EconomicDevelopment and International Trade, Universityof Nottingham.Easterly, W. (1999). “The ghost of financing gap:testing the growth model used in the internationalfinancial institutions”. Journal of DevelopmentEconomics 60 (24): 423-438.Easterly, W. (2001). The elusive quest for growth:Economists adventures and misadventures in thetropics. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology Press.Friedman, M. (1958). “Foreign Economic Aid”. YaleReview, 47 (4): 501-516.Feyzioglu, T., Swaroop, V. and Zhu, M. (1998). “Apanel data analysis of the fungibility of foreignaid”. World Bank Economic Review (12): 29-58.Griffin, K. and J. Enos. (1970). “Foreign assistance,objectives and consequences”. EconomicDevelopment and Cultural Change, 18.Guillaumont, P. and Chauvet, L. (2001). “Aidand performance: a reassessment”. Journal ofDevelopment Studies 37: 66-92.Hadjimichael, M., Ghura, D., Muhleisen, M., Nord, R.and Ucer, E. (1995). Sub-Saharan Africa: growth,savings, and investment 1986-93. Occasional Paper118, International Monetary Fund, Washington.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Foreign Aid and Economic Development165Hansen, H. and Tarp, F. (2000). “Aid effectivenessdisputed”. Journal of International Development,12: 375-398.Hansen, H. and Tarp, F. (2001), “Aid and growthregressions”, Journal of Development Economics,64: 547-570.Harms, P. and Lutz, M. (2004, September). Themacroeconomic effects of foreign aid. DiscussionPaper no. 2004-11, Department of Economics,University of St. Gallen.Isham, J., Kaufmann, D. and Pritchett, L. (1995).Governance and returns on investment: an empiricalinvestigation. Policy Research Working PaperNumber 1550, World Bank, Washington.Kanbur, R. (2000). “Aid, conditionality and debt inAfrica”. European Economic Review 32(9): 409-22.Lensink, R. and White, H. (2001). “Are there negativereturns to aid?”. Journal of Development Studies,37(6): 42–65.Levy, V. (1988). “Aid and growth in sub-SaharanAfrica: the recent experience”. European EconomicReview 32(9): 1777-1795.Mosley, P. (1980). “Aid, savings, and growth revisited”,Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics 42(2):79-96.Mosley, P., Hudson, J. and Horrell, S. (1987). “Aid,the public sector and the market in less developedcountries”. Economic Journal 97(387): 616-641.Nelson, R. (1956). A theory of the low-levelequilibrium trap in underdeveloped economies.American Economic Review 46: 894-908.Papenek, G. (1973). “Aid, foreign private investment,savings, and growth in less developed countries”.Journal of Political Economy, 81(1): 120-130.Radelet, S. (2003). Challenging foreign aid: apolicymaker’s guide to the millennium challengeaccount. Center for Global Development,Washington.Roodman, D. (2003). The anarchy of numbers aid,development and cross-country empirics. Centrefor Global Development Working Paper No. 32.Stern, N. (2002). “Making the case for aid,” in WorldBank, A case for aid: building a consensus fordevelopment assistance. Washington: World Bank.Stiglitz, J. (2002, April 14). “Overseas Aid is MoneyWell Spent,” Financial Times.Sogge, D. (2002). Give and take: what’s the matterwith foreign aid? USA: Palgrave McMillan.World Bank. (1998). Assessing aid: what works, whatdoesn’t and why. USA: Oxford University Press.McMillan L. - Foreign Aid and Economic Development
166 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011MARCEL DUCHAMPArtist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in ArtProposed by Duchamp and CocteauErika González-EhrlichArt student and candidate to Master of Arts at the Schoolof Doctoral Studies of the European Union in Brussels, BelgiumEmail: ege.arts@sds.<strong>eu</strong>AbstractMarcel Duchamp (1887-1968) was one of four siblings who became artists in the period of intellectual and artistic ferment that sawout the last decades of the old century and extended beyond World War I. Duchamp’s early interest was in painting and Cubism andmuch of his most influential work was related to Dada practice. But Duchamp was ultimately the most independent of artists--eventuallybecoming independent of art itself. Much of his influence derived from gestures or positions related to the nature of art, and a great dealof his fame rests on works consisting of ordinary objects altered or ‘readymade.’ But Duchamp’s masterpiece is usually held to be theglass, metal, and paint construction entitled The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (1915-23), frequently known simply asLarge Glass. On the other hand the influence of Marcel Duchamp and Jean Cocteau on the use of the nude as a subject in art falls outsidethe usual categories of influence. Duchamp’s singular experience with his Nude Descending a Staircase (1912) was instrumental in hisdecision to turn from any conventional type of art career and become the twentieth-century archetype of the anti-artist. Even though thepopular ‘scandal’ surrounding the painting was of a type that would have launched a more typical artistic career, and his intentions withregard to the Nude were somewhat conventional, Duchamp’s subsequent path was devoted to the exposure of art’s ways and means. Thenude, however, was one subject whose dimensions fascinated him and at the end of his career he created the disturbing multimedia workGiven: 1. The Waterfall 2. The Illuminating Gas (1946-66) which, in some senses, was a definitive response to the tradition of the nudein art. Cocteau, from another perspective, generated little scandal with his frankly homoerotic nudes--largely in a style derived fromPicasso’s classicizing period--because they were, for the most part, available only to a very limited audience. Cocteau was primarilya writer and filmmaker and his drawings constituted only a very small portion of his artistic output. But his style of drawing was verypopular and in the work that was more widely available his nudes of both sexes frequently possess a frank, playfully erotic charge.Neither of these artists created a great number of nudes but the work they did contributed, in very different ways, to the rethinking of thenude as subject. Key words: Marcel Duchamp, Dada Art, Contemporary Art, Nude in Art, Jean Cocteau.Duchamp’s Profile and WorksThis Large Glass single piece, left unfinished according toDuchamp, was the subject of numerous drawings, sketches,published notes, and etchings, and occupied a significantportion of the artist's active career. It is a Dada piece interms of its emphasis on machine imagery, chance, jokesand puns, mysterious allusions, and eroticism, as well as itsnotional relationship to science and mathematics. All theseelements display Duchamp's connections with the so-calledNew York Dada movement. But the Large Glass was a workconceived apart from important Dada considerations--suchas spontaneity and the rejection of reason--and it containedthe germ of some of Duchamp's future ideas. Yet, like thework of all the various art movements of the 1890-1920period, Duchamp's singular achievement in Large Glasswas the product of ideas that grew out of the political andsocial restlessness of the era and from the ideas developedby its writers and philosophers.The European world had changed radically in the courseof the nineteenth century with the triumph of the IndustrialRevolution and the rise of new European empires. Officialart and culture, largely seen as the servant of the everexpandingbourgeoisie, "had served conservative politicalends," especially in France where government sponsorshipof academic art traditions led, in part, to the link betweenthe artistic and political radicalism that opposed the oldorder. IThe institutionalized hypocrisy and anti-Semitismrevealed in the Dreyfus Affair, which began in 1894, washighly divisive and, though not all avant-garde artistssupported Dreyfus, the affair "reinforced the perceptionSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art Proposed by Duchamp and Cocteau167of artists and intellectuals as defenders of ideals and moralpositions irrespective of conventions." II The growth ofavant-garde movements throughout Europe--the variousGerman Expressionists, the Italian Futurists, the ViennaSecession--coincided with the emergence of many newideas in politics, philosophy, and psychology. Intensifyingurbanization, the mechanization of society, and the rapiddevelopment of scientific and technical innovationsproduced a feeling of unstoppable change whose eventualdestination was unknown but often wildly imagined aspossessing possibilities that were the cause of increasinguneasiness. The materialism of industrialized societyseemed to be displacing older values and the social orderlacked the stability of former times. In politics Karl Marx'sand Friedrich Engels' Communism and the Anarchismof Mikhail Bakunin and Petr Kropotkin held that theprogressive nature of European capitalism was an illusion.In literature, writers such the playwrights Henrik Ibsenand Oscar Wilde, and the novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky"exposed the social and moral dilemmas associated withmaterialism," while the Symbolist poets in France beganto reject the notion of a realist basis for art and promotedthe "world of the imagination [as] a source of spiritualrenewal." IIIAmong philosophers the most influential were HenriBergson and Friedrich Nietzsche. The latter's ideas werebased on Arthur Schopenhauer's metaphysical ideas,i.e., "that the truth of things lay behind surface reality." IVNietzsche's metaphysics served as a counterweight to theincreasingly prevalent, materialist-oriented positivismthat argued for the discovery of truth via observation andexperimentation. Ibsen, August Strindberg and, in music,Richard Wagner were heavily influenced by Nietzsche andthese artists conveyed their thought "through the experiencesof isolated, frustrated, or doomed individuals." V Nietzsche'sphilosophical autobiography Ecce Homo, which presentedhis ideas in digest form, was popular reading among artistsand after the turn of the century painters as diverse asPicasso, deep in his Blue Period, the Fauves, and the newgeneration of German Expressionists in Die Brücke wereproducing art with a new type of content. Their workswere more definitively urban in character and reflected thegeneralized anxiety that had begun to characterize life in theindustrialized world. The roots of this new sensibility can betraced back to Nietzsche's ideas as well as to general socialchanges that had taken place in the preceding generations.The new sensibility's sources lay in, the realization of theappalling emptiness of a world in which God, as Nietzschehad declared, was dead; in less clandestine but no lesstormented sexuality; and in the pressures of mass society inwhich the individual discovers and maintains his integrityonly with difficulty. The artistic response to these spiritualevents is the often frantic search for self-expression. VIIn France, Bergson had, by 1889, reached the conclusionthat the only source of true knowledge was "intuitiveexperience" and that "art was a direct revelation of suchexperience. VII Since mechanical means of representation--photography, motion pictures, sound recordings--werebecoming increasingly important, the role of the arts asrepresentational media seemed to be far less important.Bergson's lectures in the early 1900s also dealt with thenotion that "the nature of experience was in a constant stateof flux" and the individual's perceptions were, rather than anordered, rational series of chosen moments, "a multiplicityof perceptions and memories" in which both the consciousand the unconscious mind played their parts. VIII Bergsonianinstability became a subject for art as painters, some ofwhom attended Bergson's lectures, broke up forms intoseries of impressions that generated the Cubist movement.The psychoanalytic revolution initiated by SigmundFr<strong>eu</strong>d also produced a new view of human behaviorcentering around the idea that "behind all rational façadeslurked suppressed insecurities and desires determiningevery response." IX Fr<strong>eu</strong>d's ideas, many believed, exposedthe sham of bourgeois ideals and morals, much as politicaltheorists had done in regard to bourgeois notions of justiceand individual freedom. There was also a wide interestamong artists in a variety of spiritual and mystical systems,such as those of Rudolph Steiner and the Theosophists,which "encouraged aspirations toward a morally andsocially responsible art," while stressing its innatelyspiritual nature. XAll the stresses and strains of life in industrialized Europeand the variety of intellectual responses to new social formsand possibilities led to numerous avant-garde movementsin the arts. Cubism was one of the most influential of theseand it was here that the four young Duchamps began theircareers.Marcel Duchamp was the third of six surviving childrenborn to a bourgeois Norman family. His father was a notaryand the family lived very comfortably "while the elderDuchamp accumulated a tidy fortune" from his lucrativeprofession. XI The children's maternal grandfather had beenquite wealthy as well as having a serious interest in art. Hetoo accumulated a fortune, as a shipping agent, before hedevoted the remainder of his life to engraving and painting.The six children of this cultivated family were born in threegroups of two. The eldest were Gaston (1875-1963) andGonzález E. E. - Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art Proposed By Duchamp and Cocteau
168 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Raymond (1876-1918), and Marcel and his sister Suzanne(1889-1963) made up the second pair. Two sisters followedin 1895 and 1898.The family's interest in art matured in both elder brotherswho, after starting on careers in law and medicine, changedcourse and became artists. Gaston changed his name toJacques Villon when he became a painter and engraver,and Raymond changed his last name to Duchamp-Villonwhen he became a sculptor. The precise reason for thename changes is not known, but, as Seigel speculates, itis likely that the family's great respectability might nothave countenanced the sons' associates and the "sometimesimmodest and risqué publications in which Gaston's earlywork appeared." XII But if the first two children had somedifficulty deciding on their course in life, for Marcel andSuzanne there seems to have been no problem, "withneither seriously considering any other kind of life." XIIIAnd, wholly respectable or not, the children received thesupport of their father throughout his life. Until he died,in 1925, he continued to provide financial support to all hisartist children regularly, while, "for fairness' sake, carefullysubtracting each one's advances from his or her share in theinheritance." XIVThus Marcel Duchamp's entry into the world of artfeatured none of the struggle against class expectations thatfaced so many children of the bourgeoisie. His comfortablecircumstances, Seigel suggests, contributed to his lifelongability to take everything in stride and the fact that he neverseemed "to need the reassurance that came from belongingto a group." XV Duchamp's repeated decisions to go hisown way relied, of course, on this kind of self-confidencebut, more often than not, the nature of his plans made itnecessary for him to be a solitary voice. Some ideas, suchas readymades, do not merit too many repetitions and losetheir impact in a crowd.Duchamp's early work was, however, influenced bythe predominant modes of the time. His earliest workshows the influence of the Fauves. But his elder brothershad become immersed in the Cubist initiative. TheirPuteaux studios were the site of "regular discussions"with, among others, the painters Albert Gleizes and JeanMetzinger, the authors of Cubism's major theoretical workDu Cubisme (1912). XVI Both Villon and Duchamp-Villonbecame successful artists. Villon had been a commercialillustrator, but his subsequent interest in Cubism was toendure. His paintings of the period 1912-22 earned him asound reputation and, working from a strong "mathematicalbias," Villon's Cubist-based works of the early 1920s wereamong the earliest non-objective works in French painting.His career declined in the 1920s but he reemerged as arespected painter with "an attenuated Cubist manner" afterWorld War II. XVII Raymond Duchamp-Villon might havebecome a more important artist and was clearly developinga vigorous and inventive style when he died in the war.As Hamilton notes, Duchamp-Villon appeared to develophis approach in a manner similar to that of Marcel. Theearly works were less interesting in themselves "than as aseries of steps by which he recapitulated the developmentof contemporary art and arrived at a startling reformation ofthe sculptural image." XVIIIIn the autumn and winter of 1911-12 Marcel Duchampworked in the Cubist mode "and appears to have absorbedfully the dictates" of the movement. XIX But Duchamp'smost ambitious work in the Cubist style failed to please.His Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2) (1912) wasan attempt to analyze movement as well as form and itconstituted such a marked departure from the prevailingstyle that a number of the older Cubists objected and hewithdrew the painting from the Salon des Indépendantsof 1912. Duchamp exhibited the work at another salonand at a Cubist show in Barcelona. But he made his mostsignificant decision when he opted to send the work to theArmory Show in New York in 1913. The painting attractedso much attention that it rapidly became one of the bestknown works of art in the world--usually as an object ofscorn and amazement.Disgusted with the Cubists' reception of the workDuchamp withdrew to Munich for two months and workedon, among other things, a drawing entitled The BrideStripped Bare by the Bachelors (1912). The paintingreveals Duchamp's feelings of anger and betrayal which are"directly, even naively portrayed" in the scene in which thecentral figure of the 'bride' is attacked by figures on eitherside. XX Inspired, perhaps, by the intensity of the momentDuchamp, who later, exaggeratedly, claimed the Munichtrip had resulted in his "complete liberation," did accomplisha break with his previous interests and with the themes ofthe Cubists. XXI He left behind his interest in linear motionand the dissolution of formal structures. This signaled theabandonment of art that was, in Duchamp's view, "retinal"in nature, i.e., art that "sought to communicate through theeye, not the mind." XXIIThroughout 1912 Duchamp continued to producepaintings and sketches that concentrated on the theme ofthe 'bride' and the passage from virgin to bride. Theseworks, Virgin, I (1912), Virgin, II (1912), The Bride (1912),and The Passage from Virgin to Bride (1912) workedthrough a number of important ideas and produced theSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art Proposed by Duchamp and Cocteau169form of the bride herself as she was to be configured in theLarge Glass. On his return to France Duchamp withdrewfrom the art world and took a position as a librarian in theBibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève. The work was very easyand afforded Duchamp the opportunity to read in geometryand perspective--two subjects that were developing greatimportance in relation to the Bride project. In 1913Duchamp, who had originally planned the great workas a canvas, painted Glider Containing a Water-Mill inNeighboring Metals, an imaginary machine that wouldreappear in the Large Glass, on glass and began to thinkof the future piece in this form. Also in 1913 Duchampdrew "his first full-scale study for the project" on the wallof a rented studio and had written many of the notes thathe would later publish. XXIII The war, however, eventuallydrove him to seek refuge in America, following the famouspath prepared by his ill-fated Nude.Duchamp's Paris friend, the painter Francis Picabia, hadalso submitted his "superficially cubified" entries to theArmory Show and they "were almost as much remarked"as Duchamp's scandalous Nude. XXIV Early in 1915 Picabia,en route to his assignment in Cuba, deserted the Frenchmilitary and stayed on in New York where he "set aboutfashioning a metropolitan network of dealers and artists." XXVDuchamp followed a few months later and the two menrapidly became the center of "a vital mix of internationaltalent and American patronage [that] fashioned itself intoa comfortable avant-garde." XXVI Duchamp's principalpatrons were Walter and Louise Arensberg, who eventuallyassembled the largest collection of his work. With theirfinancial backing Duchamp did not do a great deal ofpainting in New York. He had begun to formulate ideasfor the Large Glass in 1912 and by 1915 he had begunto realize the piece. By 1918 he painted his last canvas,a commission for the painter-collector Katherine Dreierentitled Tu M'--and abbreviated version of the expression"tu m'emmerdes," or "you bore the shit out of me." XXVIIDuchamp had definitively finished with painting andmuch of his dissatisfaction with his last work lay in thefact that it "relied upon ideas he had already developed inother works and therefore necessitated a certain degree ofrepetition" a practice he now detested. XXVIII But Duchamphad also become interested in other approaches to art. Hewas privately working on the Large Glass and in 1916 hehad begun to present his readymades. These works-ordinarymachine-made objects such as shovels, bottle racks, andurinals that were 'selected' and signed by the artist--madeit clear that "the idea of 'Art' was produced contextually,"i.e., it is art because the artist says it is art. XXIX Even moreimportantly for his concurrent practice in the Large Glass,the readymades were often elaborately (if sometimesnonsensically and/or punningly) titled. The inclusion oflanguage pointed up Duchamp's belief that "meaning itselfis actively produced by viewing and speaking subjects,interpellated as they are by a variety of institutionalpositions." XXXBut, important as Duchamp's challenges to theestablished order were, the goals of what came to becalled New York Dada were very different from thoseof Zurich Dada, founded by Tristan Tzara and others.Although Duchamp, Picabia, and American artists suchas Morton Schamberg and Man Ray "flouted artistic andsocial conventions, explored the possibilities of machineimagery, questioned the fixity of gender identities, [and]experimented with photography and assemblage" theirapproach was basically free of the traumatic associationsthat were a feature of Dada in Europe where the warcontinued to rage. XXXI Duchamp and the others adoptedthe Dada label. But the Zurich group was witnessing "theviolent collapse of an entire political and cultural order,while [the New Yorkers were] in possession of the securityand the means with which to imagine a new order--or ahappy state of disorder" and taunted the world but made noreal effort to change it. XXXIIDuchamp himself said that he had approved of Dadabecause he thought it a hopeful sign, but he could notconsider himself a true Dada artist because, "I wished toshow man the limited place of his reason, but Dada wantedto substitute unreason." XXXIII Ultimately the "intentionallyirrational Dada gesture" was a far cry from what Duchamphoped to accomplish in his cherished Large Glass project.XXXIVPainting had proved too limited and Dada gestureswere too irrational for Duchamp's project. He believed that"art should exercise the intellect rather than simply indulgethe eye" and he found the means to develop this idea in hisrevolutionary work the Large Glass. XXXVThe Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even is oilpaint and lead wire on glass and measures 225.5 x 175.6cm, or 109 1/4 x 69 1/8 inches. Duchamp began planningthe Large Glass in 1912 and took sketches and notes withhim to New York in 1915. He then worked on the piece atintervals between 1915 and 1923, when he "abandoned it asdefinitively unfinished." XXXVI The Arensbergs were the firstowners of the work but, on moving to California in 1921,sold it to Katherine Dreier because it was believed to betoo fragile to move. In 1927 the Large Glass was shatteredwhile being returned from a New York exhibition. Thiswas not known for a few years, however, as it remainedGonzález E. E. - Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art Proposed By Duchamp and Cocteau
170 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011crated up. When the package was opened and the damagediscovered in 1937, Duchamp repaired it, "piecing thefragments together with infinite patience and securing thembetween two heavier panes of glass, the whole bound ina new metal frame." XXXVII The cracks in the two originalpanes of glass run in complementary directions becausethey had been packed one above the other when the accidenthappened. Duchamp eventually became quite pleased withthe lines created by the cracks and declared that the workwas finally completed "by chance" 14 years after he hadsupposedly abandoned it. XXXVIIIBut he had never really abandoned the work at all. TheLarge Glass was seldom seen after the repairs until in 1952Dreier's bequest sent it to the Philadelphia Mus<strong>eu</strong>m of Artwhere the Arensberg collection was housed. Despite itsabsence from public view, however, it was well known tomany artists "who respected it, if only by hearsay, as oneof the most problematical works of modern times." XXXIX In1934 André Breton wrote the first important essay on thework, bringing it to the attention of a broader public, "eventhough he had not seen it." XL And, despite its invisibility inits original form, Duchamp himself kept its central imageryin the public eye.If there were any need to define the distinctly non-Dadacharacteristics of the Large Glass, the conceptual nature ofthe work and its location at the center of a web of paintings,sketches, engravings, writings and other works wouldoffer sufficient evidence of this when compared with thespontaneity so highly valued by Zurich Dada. This networkof preparation and explanation preceded and followed thework. The claim that he had abandoned it in 1923 wasfollowed, of course, by the publication of the notes in TheGreen Box in 1934. Via these notes, Duchamp was able"to provide an intrinsic, even if retroactively introduced,part of the structure of the work" which, as he claimed, waspredicated on the idea of delay. XLI The idea of delay restedon Duchamp's location of the Large Glass' "action in amoment that never arrived" and it also described the work's"relationship to representation and meaning," but, in thelong run, it also turned out to be a genuine temporal delaywhich was to extend much longer than anyone expected. XLIIThere was also the reconstruction of the broken workin 1937, and the construction of the various Boîtes envalise, or boxes in a suitcase, which were "small, portablecollections that gather[ed] together nearly all the workhe had done by 1935." XLIII This project, which camein a deluxe edition (of 20) with hand-colored "originalreproductions" by Duchamp and an ordinary edition of300, featured the Large Glass imagery quite prominentlyand occupied Duchamp on and off from 1935 until hisdeath. XLIV There was also a 1959 drawing entitled Colsalités in which the subject matter of the Large Glass "hasbeen removed to an arid mountain landscape [where] theinvisible waterfall that activates its water wheel," which setthe imagined actions shown in the Large Glass in motion,"has evidently dried up" and "the erotic machinery of theGlass is faltering." XLV This work was followed by a seriesof nine etchings that Duchamp made in 1965-66 for the firstvolume of Arturo Schwartz's The Large Glass and OtherWorks. In these etchings the principal elements of thework, the Nine Malic Molds, the Glider, the Seven Sieves,the Chocolate Grinder, the Oculist Witnesses, the Bride,and her Cinematic Blossoming, as well as the whole workas it was left in 1923 were replicated in three states each.The ninth in the series was a colored single-state etchingentitled The Large Glass Completed (1965-66). As Wohlpoints out, the drawing Cols alités shows the machinery ofthe Large Glass in a corroding, neglected state but "stillintact." XLVI In the etchings, however, the work "was takenapart, reassembled, and even completed" very near the endof Duchamp's life. XLVIIAll of these works showed clearly that the LargeGlass was not a dead issue for Duchamp. But the greatsurprise came after his death when it was revealed that hehad spent the last 20 years working in secret, and in histypically desultory fashion, on his final work, Given: 1. TheWaterfall 2. The Illuminating Gas (1946-66), commonlyknown as Given. In this multimedia work (encompassingfound objects, electric light, tinted photography, and arepresentational, molded relief) the subject derived from"the hypothetical givens in the Preface note for the LargeGlass," although the last work "did not proceed from notesor words, as the Large Glass had." XLVIII This surprisingwork, in which the viewer approaches a closed door and,peering through viewing holes, sees, as if through a holein a brick wall, a naked woman, her head invisible, lyingin front of a landscape with a waterfall and holding alofta small lamp. The woman's hairless genitalia are clearlyviewed between her spread legs and the whole has acertain "hyperreality, an excessive realism, which stagesits eroticism as a 'too' obvious spectacle." XLIX Duchampemphasized the hyper-visibility of the scene through thepresence of the lighted lamp which is, of course, excessivein view of the very bright daylight in the scene. This trope"problematizes" the traditional equation of light and reasonand the excessive illumination in the scene "makes usuncomfortable, breaking up the structure of voy<strong>eu</strong>rism, itsraison d'être--as the equation of sight and pleasure." L Thus,School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art Proposed by Duchamp and Cocteau171Duchamp presented a work that not only ceased to rely onthe sort of wordy planning and explication surrounding theLarge Glass, but also escaped any possibility of explanationbecause, except for three people who assisted him, thework was unknown to anyone at all until after Duchamp'sdeath. He could offer no explanations. The last workwas, then, the finished version of the Large Glass, whichhe had refused to produce throughout his life--keeping itsimagery alive and subject to the "corrective function and[the] shap[ing of] the experience" of the work provided byhis notes and repackagings. LI It is Duchamp's "account ofall the things he thought art should not be; it is the worldof the Large Glass destroyed by being finished off." LII Itshyperreality, lack of textual explication, and the absoluteimpossibility of explanation by the dead artist leave it as apiece of 'retinal' art of the type that Duchamp had rejectedmany years before when he finished with painting.This desire to remove the work from the realm ofverbal consideration was, as can be seen in retrospect, anessential part of Duchamp's strategy in sticking to his storyof having abandoned art altogether. In his interviews givenin the 1950s and 1960s Duchamp was always cagey abouthis position as a non-working artist. To Pierre Cabanne'squestion about the preservationist rather than 'making' roleDuchamp seemed to have assumed in those years, Duchampsaid this was correct because he "had already stoppedmaking things." LIII But when Cabanne asked, "Had youstopped absolutely?", Duchamp merely said, "Yes, but notabsolutely. It had simply stopped, that's all." LIV Thus, fromthe first dawning of the idea during his stay in Munich in1912 until after he was dead, the ideas in the Large Glasstruly were Duchamp's principal artistic concern.A brief summary of the general scheme of the piece onlytouches on its complicated iconography. The work wasessentially planned as the conclusion to a serial narrativebegun in the Virgin, I (1912) and the other 1912 works. Itssummary goal was an attempt "to embody in mechanizedform the futility of human passion" and the combinationof machine-based imagery and erotic content gives it anunusual tension that is, however, largely dependent on theviewer's knowledge of the artist's intentions. LV Indeed, atone point in the process, Duchamp had planned that theviewer be in possession of his notes and able to referencethem in conjunction with viewing the Large Glass, and thiswas again part of his plan when he published his notes inThe Green Box.There is a seemingly inexhaustible wealth of detail thatcan be elucidated for the various figures, machines, actions,and potential actions in the Large Glass. Their greatnumber tends to point up the fact that "these are gameswith an extremely elaborate but never fully specified set ofrules, where precision and uncertainty combine to producea world whose fluid energy never quite coalesces into stableforms." LVI Despite the plethora of meanings inherent in theerotic narrative and the mechanization of human processesin the work, the rules of the game and Duchamp's own rulesfor their manufacture, i.e., his processes, are also central tothe work's meanings. The processes employed by Duchampwere an intrinsic part of his primary aim in the Large Glass.Duchamp himself conveyed this idea in conversationwith Breton in 1935, stressing the importance of novelprocesses that transcended those central to the art tradition.As Maharaj summarized these points, The Bride StrippedBare by Her Bachelors, Even was shot through with oneconcern: to haul out painting and drawing from where theyhad become bogged down--the kind of spot where writinghad come to a standstill before "Gutenberg." Duchampsought to break with modes of seeing and representing thatwere tied to "painterly," manual processes, with intimaciesof the handmade mark and its aura. The shift was towarda discipline of eye, hand, and mind that would enactsomething of high-speed mechanical techniques, theirrobotic jerks and swerves. LVIIThe terms employed by Duchamp are arbitrary in thesense that the objects represented in the Large Glass wouldseldom, of their own accord, evoke such terminology.They are also slightly arbitrary in the sense that Duchampsometimes employed variant terms in The Green Box todescribe the same objects or processes. Thus the notes heprovided are, as Robert Lebel put it, "explicit except thatthey are often at variance or even contradict each other indetails." LVIIIThe work consists of two horizontal rectangular panes,mounted one above the other. In the upper section theBride, an organic-mechanical form taken from the paintingThe Bride (1912), floats at the left side of the pane. Inthe Large Glass the Bride lacks the fleshy coloring of the1912 painting and, in Hamilton's opinion, this removesany sign that made her seem "remotely organic." LIX Yet, incomparison with the more severely geometric forms in thelower, male, half of the composition, the organic qualityof the Bride seems clear. The Bride is suspended belowand to the left of her "halo" (or, as Duchamp sometimescalled it, the "milky way" or the "cinematic blossoming"),the cloud-like shape, with three roughly square holes,located at the top center of the upper half. The openings inthe halo reproduce the shapes achieved by pieces of gauzethat Duchamp placed in front of an open window, allowingGonzález E. E. - Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art Proposed By Duchamp and Cocteau
172 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011them to be blown and shaped by the breeze. He thenphotographed the arrangement and used the breeze-blownshapes to create what he called "draft pistons." This wasone of the instances in which Duchamp integrated chanceinto the work. Another such case was the eight small marksthat appear below the halo (and a ninth, barely visible,inside it) which were created "by shooting matchsticksdipped in paint out of a toy pistol." LX In terms of action, theBride disrobes "as she simultaneously attracts and repulsesher suitors," who are confined to the lower portion of thework. LXIIn the lower half of the work, the Bachelors "orgasmicfrustrations" are channeled, as "illuminating gas" throughthe tubes that connect them to the Bachelor Machine. LXIIThe imagery in this section is far more complicated than inthe Bride portion. The Bachelors are represented by nineshapes that Duchamp referred to as either "malic molds"or "uniforms and liveries." These shapes, which appearat the left, above the machines known as the "water mill"and "glider," are apparently based on illustration of men'sclothing found in mail-order catalogues. They representdifferent male occupations: "priest, delivery boy, gendarme,cuirassier, policeman, undertaker, flunky, busboy, andstationmaster." LXIII The nine figures are connected to theseven "sieves" or "parasols" that form a suspended arcover the so-called "chocolate grinder" at the center of thelower panel. The rods that connect the Bachelors with thesieves were shaped according to another of Duchamp'schance-based processes in which threads were droppedand the chance shapes they took were made into "standard"measures.The pair of machines beneath the Bachelors consist ofthe water mill which sits inside the glider, sled, or chariot(three terms Duchamp used for this object). This section isreproduced almost exactly from Duchamp's first painting onglass, the Glider Containing a Water-Mill in NeighboringMetals (1913). Water was said to fall on the wheel, but theglider's movement was caused by bottle-shaped weights.At one point in the process Duchamp intended to have theglider powered by "the fall of brandy bottles, or lead weightsshaped like brandy bottles," but, as wrote in his notes, hefound this "much too far-fetched"--a sure indication that hisnotes were meant to include possibilities with which he onlytoyed, and should not all be taken as having significance forthe ultimate meaning of the piece. LXIVThe chocolate grinder is surmounted by a vertical rodcalled the "bayonet," which is topped by the two crossed,knobbed rods referred to as the "scissors." As the phallicdesign of the chocolate grinder makes clear, this portion ofthe machinery represents the "principal male organ" in thepiece. LXV To the right are a small circle, over the scissors'blade, which was a magnifying glass, and, below the blade,three circular objects that seem to float. The larger shapeswere taken from vision test chart and are called the "oculistwitnesses." There were also a number of elements that wereplanned but were never included in the Large Glass. One isa small landscape that was to have been featured in interiorof the glider, and which was somehow to have related"wheel and waterfall." LXVI . Others include the two visualeffects that were to be featured above the magnifying glass;one was a "boxing match" and the other was "somethingcalled the 'Wilson-Lincoln effect,' an optical illusion thatshowed alternately one president or the other." LXVIIThe imagined operation of the Bachelor machineconsisted of the molds filling with an "illuminating gas"which was, apparently, "a mode of male sexual energy,"and when the "litanies of the chariot" were sounded the gaswould expand. LXVIII As it expanded it would rise from themolds, lose the shapes the molds had imposed on it, andmove as "spangles" through the rods to the parasols. In theparasols the gas was converted to liquid form and wouldexperience dizziness and spatial disorientation beforefalling, "in a corkscrew-like trajectory," to an orgasmicsplash in the bottom right corner of the Bachelor space. LXIXThe ramifications of the actions of the various elementsin the Large Glass extend far beyond this brief summary.And, clearly, Duchamp developed an iconography thatwas uniquely his, "one that harbored meaning onlywithin the narrowly established confines of an extremelypersonal, highly individualistic and self-reflexive narrativecontext." LXX And within that context Duchamp was able toestablish humor, irony, and meaning. Although it might beassumed that the invention of a wholly unique system ofthis sort was not absolutely necessary for carrying out hisproject of setting aside so-called 'retinal' art, it is importantto note that by removing any trace of historical, traditionaliconographic content Duchamp positioned the viewerentirely within his own system. This effect was, of course,reinforced by the publication of the notes which furtherconstrained the viewer to look at the work through the lensof Duchamp's private system. And he not only created aniconography, he also developed a work process that wasevery bit as individualized.Much of his inspiration for the idea of individualizedprocesses seems to have derived from the example of thebizarre dramatic performances and fiction of the eccentricRaymond Roussel, whose Impressions of Africa Duchampsaw in 1912. Though Roussel did not expound on his methodSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art Proposed by Duchamp and Cocteau173until 1935 (and Duchamp did not know him personally),Duchamp may have "grasped or intuited" much of it in1912 and certainly "had plenty of time to reflect on whathe had seen and to read" Roussel's works, as he certainlydid, afterward. LXXI Duchamp later credited Roussel as theinspiration for the Large Glass and Seigel's description ofRoussel's method could be applied almost in its entirety toDuchamp's own:Roussel showed how the recourse to language gamesand mechanical imagery, which some interpreters havetaken to signify the demise of personal subjectivity inart, actually allowed his works to become the scene fordeveloping and acting out a series of highly personalthemes and preoccupations. . . . his procedure servedto disguise both what these obsessions were and howpowerfully they moved him, casting them in a mold ofseeming exteriority and objectivity. Much of the aura ofmystery and incomprehensibility that surrounds his novelsand plays arises from the way these two opposing currents,personal and impersonal, flow together in his work, eachserving at once to highlight and to obscure elements of theother. LXXIIAmong the many strategic, inventive processes adoptedby Duchamp for the Large Glass were the operationsbased on what he called "canned chance," the use of anindividualized type of 'science,' and the investment ofcertain aspects of the erotic narrative with mathematicalqualities. LXXIII One of the best examples of his chancebasedoperations was the "standard stoppages" which wer<strong>eu</strong>sed, for instance, in the design of the rods connecting theBachelors to the seven sieves. Duchamp described theprocess under the heading, "The Idea of the Fabrication,"noting that "if a [straight horizontal] thread one meter longfalls from a height of one meter straight on to a horizontalplane twisting as it pleases and creates a new image ofthe unit of length." LXXIV Duchamp followed this process,allowing the string to fall onto canvas surfaces. He thentook an impression of the string and affixed it to glass plates,from which he prepared wood templates "duplicating thesubtle twists and curves of their chance configuration" andusing the results as measuring tools. LXXV He considered thiselaborate process "a joke about the meter," the standard ofmeasure which was based on "two scratches on a platinumiridiumbar housed in a temperature-controlled chamber inthe Academy of Science." LXXVI The measuring tool devisedby Duchamp was, therefore, not only based on "cannedchance" but was given a mockingly fixed status eventhough it was intended to be employed only for the privaterequirements of the artist.In addition to the establishment of a new, random set ofmeasurements, Duchamp's method also fulfilled his desire,as he said, "to strain the laws of physics just a little" andto this end he employed an ironic science devised by theplaywright Alfred Jarry which he called "'pataphysics." LXXVIIThis witty science was a science of the particular ratherthan the general; that is, individual exceptions ruledwhere in normal science generalizible rules were required.Duchamp used this type of science in the Large Glass in,for example, the operations of the glider which he said was"'emancipated horizontally' from gravity, so that it couldslide without friction." LXXVIIIThe pleasant absurdities of his science were matchedby the uses of mathematics in the Large Glass. Hisinterest in genuine mathematical operations, such as thepositing of a fourth dimension, was given a witty turnin, for example, imagining the fate of the individual whoentered such a dimension. In the Large Glass the Brideis potentially susceptible to such a procedure and this isindicated by the halo or cinematic blossoming. As Adcocknotes, blossoming is a term that can be applied to bothsexual awakening and outward expansion. The cinematicblossoming refers, therefore, both to the Bride's imminentsexual initiation and her expansion into a fourth dimension.In mathematics, the "four-dimensional continuum opensand expands outward from normal three-dimensional spacealong axes not contained within three-dimensional space"and the Bride, who experiences the blossoming, "expandsoutward from a center into realms that are ninety degreesaway from any direction that exists in normal space." LXXIXWithin that dimension Duchamp located various sexuallycharged possibilities--such as the transformation of genderand other complications that only total immersion in hissystem would render comprehensible.The most remarkable fact about Duchamp's The BrideStripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even turns out to beits totality: it occupied him in one form or another from1912 to 1968; it featured an iconography that was whollypersonal and unique; this iconography was explicated by itsauthor in a manner that left many holes and contradictionsintact--requiring the viewer's immersion in the piece and itstextual supplements for full comprehension (which mightnot be possible even then); its science and mathematicswere equally recondite; and it was impossible to view thework in any fixed manner. Altogether Duchamp went asfar in the Large Glass as he possibly could toward creatingart that replaced the centuries-old tradition in which thepurely visual seemed to dominate. Then, in his reversion torepresentation in Given, he supplied the illusion of distanceGonzález E. E. - Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art Proposed By Duchamp and Cocteau
174 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011and space, the careful depiction of realistic detail, the colorand compositional norms, the classic subject of the nude,and the elimination of intellectual content. In this work,however, the subject, the Bride stripped, is presented witha literal quality that is as brutal in terms of the way thewoman is depicted as Duchamp believed representationalart was brutal in and of itself. The lightness and seriousnessof the Large Glass are replaced by the brutish act of tryingsimply to recreate what already exists.The Nude in Art, as Proposed byDuchamp and CocteauDuchamp's early work as a painter was heavilyinfluenced by Cezanne, the Nabis, and the Fauves but in thespring of 1911, under the influence of his brother JacquesVillon, Duchamp began to work in the Cubist mode. Hereduced his palette to a few somber colors and began toexperiment with the Cubist notion of 'simultaneous aspects'that had been developed by Braque and Picasso. Butinstead of developing a single synthesized image froma number of aspects of the woman who was his subjectDuchamp "represented the same figure on different planesand in different attitudes to express more of the individualas well as the concept of Woman" (Douglas Cooper 121).Duchamp was taken up by the painters Albert Gleizes andJean Metzinger and had begun to be touted as a promisingartist. But at the end of 1911 he had also begun toexperiment with combining the different aspects of humanfigures "to represent a succession of evolving movements"--an idea that was being developed by the Futurists in Italy,whose manifesto had been published in Paris but whosework remained as yet unseen there (Douglas Cooper 121).This work did not generate much enthusiasm amongCubist circles but Duchamp continued his experiments inhis first version of Nude Descending a Staircase (1911-12).This figure still retains traces of its organic qualities andmoves down a more or less realistic stairway leaving tracesbehind it as in a stroboscopic photograph. The figure issegmented (rather erratically) so that portions are truncatedcylinders and it has a unity that makes it clear that it is asingle figure. The second version of the Nude, however,eliminated any traces of the organic or realistic detail andshowed successive stages of the movement so that, in effect,several figures could be said to move down the stairs. InDouglas Cooper's view Duchamp had, at this point, "turnedthe figure into a symbolic but seemingly powerful machinewhich rattles its metallic structure and devours the staircaseas it descends" (124). The Nude is all planes and angleswith a few dotted lines signifying axial movement. It wasnot, however, what the Cubists had in mind and it wasrejected by Gleizes and Metzinger who were the judges ofthe Paris Salon des Indépendants in 1912.Duchamp did not protest and merely withdrew thepicture though, as he said later, the experience "gave mea turn" and led to his decision to leave Paris for Munich(quoted in Seigel 61). The relationship of the paintingto Cubism was ambiguous at best. The Futurists idea ofrepresenting movement in a picture struck the Cubists asfar less interesting than their own idea of simultaneity inwhich the painter sought to capture "the coexistence of anumber of separate ideas or mental experiences in a singleinstant" (Seigel 61). In Munich Duchamp began work onthe organic-mechanical figure groups that were to lead tothe development of the private iconography that was to bethe basis for The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors,Even (1915-23), or the Large Glass, a work that occupiedmost of the rest of his life and that he never consideredcompleted.The Nude of 1912 went on to be exhibited in Barcelonaand in Paris and provoked little interest. But it was finallyselected, along with three other works by Duchamp, for the1913 New York International Exhibition of Modern Art,better known as the Armory Show, where it proceeded tocause a sensation. The "explosion in a shingle factory,"as it came, among other things, to be called drew crowds,inspired cartoons and parodies, and generally provokedthe greatest modern art sensation of the early part of thecentury. Duchamp's works sold well and collectors,particularly Walter Arensberg, began to take an interestin him. The public's reaction to Duchamp's painting was,however, a curious blend of a desire to be shocked by thenovelty of modern art and titillation provoked by the titleof Duchamp's work. The reaction was based in part on thepublic's long-standing reaction, "a complex of jealousy andsuspicion," toward "artists' special access to nude bodies"(Seigel 6). Although, for the most part, people paid lipserviceto the notion that art raised "nudity out of the sphereof sensuality and into that of the ideal through the body'spower to stand for formal perfection" this idea had alreadycome under fire among artists themselves (Seigel 4). Inhis Olympia (1863) Manet had employed his gift for ironyby delving into the area between the exaltation of the purebeauty of the human figure and the mere nakedness of hismodel--in part as a demonstration of the changes takingplace in painting itself and in part as a demonstration of thecuriously hypocritical stance that the academy took in workssuch as Alexandre Cabanel's Birth of Venus, also from 1863,School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art Proposed by Duchamp and Cocteau175whose eroticism was undeniable but unacknowledged. Thecrowds endlessly massed around Duchamp's picture at theArmory Show in 1913 were as much titillated by the ideathat the 'nude' had somehow escaped their perception asthey were filled with the enjoyment of observing a workthat, as Clement Greenberg said, "gave people enough cluesto watch themselves being startled by the 'new'" (quoted inSeigel 6).What the curious fame of this painting meant forDuchamp, whose success in America when he arrived in1915 still surprised him, was the freedom to develop as hewished. The rejection of the Nude by orthodox Cubists haddisturbed him more than he had let on. The fact that hisfellow artists, including his two artist brothers, objectedto the painting as not what they felt Cubism should bemade him regard "such conservative and overtly dogmaticbehavior [as] an aberration, particularly for artists whopurport[ed] to be more open-minded than the generalpublic" (Naumann 27). Duchamp had already decided totake up another profession (librarian) in order to be able towork freely at his art. The unexpected New York successmeant that he was free to work in America. The result wasnot only "a radical break from his own earlier work, but[a] definitive break from the previously established andaccepted conventions of the art-making process" (Naumann26).In subsequent work Duchamp was little concerned withrepresentation per se, but in his last decades he returnedto the nude and once again strove, as Manet had in 1863,to demonstrate the limitations of the accepted modes ofart production via his treatment of the classic subjectof the female nude. In the Given piece, a lighted, threedimensionalconstruction that is viewed through a holein a door, Duchamp made specific reference to Courbet'snotorious Origin of the World (1866) and presented thesplayed thighs of a woman who lies in a realisticallyconstructed field near a stream, holding a lamp in on<strong>eu</strong>praised hand. Her face is not visible and the "seeminglyaggressive and hostile treatment to which the female figurehas been subjected" is quite disturbing (Seigel 113). But atthe time of his early success, as Duchamp later remarked,he had begun to feel "obscured .crushed by the Nude" andhe recognized the extent to which even with "techniquesthat dematerialized the body so that it seemed to have littleto do with sexuality" there was a strong tendency to ascribe"immorality and decadence" to artists (quoted in Seigel 4,6). By the latter part of his career Duchamp had becomeimmersed in demonstrating the futility of the conventionsof art-making and his Given returned to the subject of theNude in an effort to comment on both the representativein art and the eroticism that pervaded the nude subject--no matter how the artist approached it. The meticulous'realism' of Given and the brutal display of the disembodiedsexuality of the nude answer, in effect, the hordes who wereso amused and so titillated by the 1912 painting.Jean Cocteau's approach to the nude subject wascertainly far less intellectual than Duchamp's but it wasno less effective in focusing on the erotic nature of therepresentation of the human body. Cocteau's drawingsdisplay a remarkable consistency over the decades. Hisstyle seldom varied until near the end of his life when hebegan to design motifs for a small industry of ceramicwares and lithographs and even painted murals for a church.The style developed largely in conjunction with Picasso'sdevelopment of a classicizing, linear approach to paintingand drawing. Cocteau and Picasso were close friends andthe writer persuaded the painter to accompany him to Italyduring the First World War at the invitation of the Russianballet impresario Serge Diaghilev. As Gertrude Stein noted,had it not been for Cocteau Picasso would never have gone;the painter "allowed others to make decisions, that is theway it is, it was enough that he should do his work" (quotedin Crosland 46).Picasso's exposure to the classical treasures of Italy,however, had a profound effect on his work and he beganto develop a simple, linear approach to somewhat colossalfigures, simply attired in classicizing dress or nude, thatwas to characterize his work, on and off, for the nextfifteen years. Cocteau's own drawings followed suit.The illustrations that now accompany his novel The HolyTerrors (Les enfants terribles) display the style as he usedit in published work. The twinned profiles of his principalcharacters Paul and Elisabeth are shown, for example,on page 27. The pairs' shoulders are draped in indefinitepieces of cloth, like Republican busts, and their simplydrawn hairstyles are also reminiscent of Roman sculpture.Their profiles feature strong noses and chins and eyes thatlook like the schematic carving of statues. They have aRoman gravity that is belied only by Elisabeth's eye whichshifts to the side, giving her a suspicious air that appearsto be directed at the viewer. In other drawings from thisseries, such as the depiction of the pair in the bath, the eroticcharge between them is accomplished largely through thedirection of their gaze and the long leg that each of themlifts from the bath in a crossed pattern that is at once comicand sexually vibrant (Cocteau 67).Cocteau did not consider his graphic work to be merelyillustrative and explained that the drawing most "formedGonzález E. E. - Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art Proposed By Duchamp and Cocteau
176 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011a different stage in the expression of an idea which hadalready appeared in some other form" (Crosland 149). Thesuite of drawings now published with Les enfants terribles(1929), for example, were actually a separate project thatwas published in 1934, and in 1950 Cocteau made a filmof the novel as well. The classicized profiles and idealizedbodies of the subjects of Cocteau's drawings receivedtheir most prominent expression, however, in works thateither published, but for which Cocteau was "reluctant toacknowledge authorship" or were "for private circulationonly" (Emmanuel Cooper 136, 139). Cocteau "present[ed]a respectable face to the public at large" but was openlyhomosexual within the circle of artists of whom he wasand the American writer Gertrude Stein were the generalleaders (Emmanuel Cooper 139). His efforts at combatingsocial repression of homosexuality extended, therefore, towriting a work such as Le livre blanche (1928), a semiautobiographicalaccount of a young man's sexual history,but he published it anonymously. The authorship was anopen secret among the artistic world however and when hepublished a second edition in 1930 it featured a numberof explicitly homoerotic drawings by the author. Theseidealized nudes with "their handsome Greek-lookingprofiles, thick curly hair and well-built muscular bodiesdepict physical perfection" as conceived by Cocteau viaclassical examples (Emmanuel Cooper 136).Even more explicit drawings were intended entirelyfor private circulation and the men in works such as th<strong>eu</strong>ntitled drawing included by Emmanuel Cooper (137) withtheir large genitals, carefully outlined musculature, sexualpostures, and dreamy, absorbed expressions represent anerotic ideal--almost a version of classical statuary come,vibrantly sexual, to life. The same ideal of male beautyexpressed as a sexual ideal ever more explicitly as the worksmoved farther from the public eye. But the presentationof the homoerotic in the depiction of nudity--especially innudes that so directly reflected the influence of the classical--was, in effect, an undermining of the general notion of theexalted, non erotic nude. If the art of the past supposedlylifted "nudity out of the sphere of sensuality and into thatof the ideal" the art of Cocteau forced the viewer's attentionto the erotic element by the singularity of his concentrationof attention on the male figure--as opposed to the moretraditional (since the Renaissance) female (Seigel 4). If,Cocteau's nudes imply, the viewer is inexorably remindedof the erotic focus of the artist's gaze even in the generalized(i.e., not sexually engaged) nudes then what is one to makeof the female figures that have so effortlessly been passedoff as the ideal in previous art?In effect both Duchamp and Cocteau contributedstrongly, albeit in very different ways, to the deconstructionof the nude-as-subject in art. Duchamp's 1912 paintinginadvertently focused attention on the prurience of audiencesand raised the question of whether the ideal representationof the nude was possible and his later work demonstratedhis conviction that, even if it had been possible to presentrealistic yet idealized nudes, neither realism nor nuditywas possible may longer in art. Cocteau, less deliberately,forced the thoughtful viewer to wonder what, exactly,was idealized in the traditional female nude. If the artist'sfocus was on the male rather than the female form and thisgenerated audience discomfort or surprise then how couldit be argued that there was no parallel idealization of theerotic in earlier nudes?ReferencesAdcock, Craig. "Duchamp's Eroticism: A MathematicalAnalysis." In Marcel Duchamp: Artist of the Century,ed. Rudolf Kuenzli and Francis M. Naumann, 149-67.Cambridge: MIT Press, 1987.Buskirk, Martha. "Thoroughly Modern Marcel." In TheDuchamp Effect, ed. Martha Buskirk and MignonNixon, 190-203. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1996.Duchamp, Marcel. The Writings of Marcel Duchamp. Ed.Michael Sanouillet and Elmer Peterson. New York: DaCapo, 1989.Cocteau, Jean. The Holy Terrors. 1929. Trans. RosamondLehmann. New York: New Directions, 1957.Cooper, Douglas. The Cubist Epoch. 1970. London:Phaidon, 1994.Cooper, Emmanuel. The Sexual Perspective: Homosexualityand Art in the Last Hundred Years in the West. 2nd ed.London: Routledge, 1994.Crosland, Margaret. Cocteau. New York: Knopf, 1956.Gale, Matthew. Dada and Surrealism. London: Phaidon,1997.Hamilton, George Heard. Painting and Sculpture in Europe:1880-1940. Rev. ed. Harmondsworth, England:Penguin, 1972.Judovitz, Dalia. "Rendezvous with Marcel Duchamp:Given." In Marcel Duchamp: Artist of the Century, ed.Rudolf Kuenzli and Francis M. Naumann, 184-202.Cambridge: MIT Press, 1987.Maharaj, Sarat. "'A Monster of Veracity, a CrystallineTransubstantiation': Typotranslating the Green Box." InThe Duchamp Effect, ed. Martha Buskirk and MignonNixon, 61-91. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1996.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art Proposed by Duchamp and Cocteau177Molesworth, Helen. "Work Avoidance: The Everyday Lifeof Marcel Duchamp's Readymades." Art Journal 57(1998): 50-63.Naumann, Francis M. "The Bachelor's Quest." Art inAmerica, September 1993, 72-83."Marcel Duchamp: A Reconciliation of Opposites." InMarcel Duchamp: Artist of the Century, ed. RudolfKuenzli and Francis M. Naumann, 20-40. Cambridge:MIT Press, 1987.Nesbit, Molly. "Last Words (Rilke, Wittgenstein)(Duchamp)." In About Michael Baxandall, ed. AdrianRifkin, 84-102. London: Blackwell, 1999.Seigel, Jerrold. The Private Worlds of Marcel Duchamp:Desire, Liberation, and the Self in Modern Culture.Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995.Vetrocq, Marcia E. "The New York Pre-School." Art inAmerica, June 1997, 82-87.Wohl, Hellmut. "Duchamp's Etchings of the Large Glassand The Lovers." In Marcel Duchamp: Artist of theCentury, ed. Rudolf Kuenzli and Francis M. Naumann,168-83. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1987.NotesIMatthew Gale, Dada and Surrealism (London: Phaidon,1997), 11.IIIbid., 13.IIIIbid., 18.IVIbid., 19.VGeorge Heard Hamilton, Painting and Sculpture inEurope: 1880-1940, rev. ed. (Harmondsworth, England:Penguin, 1972), 141.VIIbid., 197.VIIIbid., 76.VIIIGale, 19.IXIbid., 26.XIbid., 28.XIJerrold Seigel, The Private Worlds of MarcelDuchamp: Desire, Liberation, and the Self in ModernCulture (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995),16.XIIIbid., 17.XIIIIbid.XIVIbid.XVIbid.XVIGale, 85.XVIIHamilton, 262.XVIIIIbid., 274.XIXFrancis M. Naumann, “Marcel Duchamp: AReconciliation of Opposites,” in Marcel Duchamp: Artist ofthe Century, ed. Rudolf Kuenzli and Francis M. Naumann(Cambridge: MIT Press, 1987), 26.XXSeigel, 66.XXIIbid., 68.XXIIIbid.XXIIIIbid., 87.XXIVHamilton, 369.XXVMarcia E. Vetrocq, “The New York Pre-School,” Artin America, June 1997, 82.XXVIIbid.XXVIIFrancis M. Naumann, “The Bachelor’s Quest,” Artin America, September 1993, 74.XXVIIIIbid.XXIXHelen Molesworth, “Work Avoidance: The EverydayLife of Marcel Duchamp’s Readymades,” Art Journal 57(1998): 50.XXXIbid.XXXIVetrocq, 82.XXXIIIbid., 87.XXXIIIQuoted in Hamilton, 376.XXXIVHamilton, 376.XXXVGale, 86.XXXVIHamilton, 375.XXXVIIIbid.XXXVIIIIbid.XXXIXHamilton, 375.XLSeigel, 89.XLIMartha Buskirk, “Thoroughly Modern Marcel,”in The Duchamp Effect, ed. Martha Buskirk and MignonNixon (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1996), 193.XLIISeigel, 96.XLIIIIbid., 229.XLIVIbid.XLVHellmut Wohl, “Duchamp’s Etchings of the LargeGlass and The Lovers,” in Marcel Duchamp: Artist ofthe Century, ed. Rudolf Kuenzli and Francis M. Naumann(Cambridge: MIT Press, 1987), 168.XLVIIbid.XLVIIIbid.XLVIIIMolly Nesbit, “Last Words (Rilke, Wittgenstein)(Duchamp),” in About Michael Baxandall, ed. AdrianRifkin (London: Blackwell, 1999), 87.González E. E. - Marcel Duchamp Artist’s Works Profile and Analysis on the Nude in Art Proposed By Duchamp and Cocteau
178 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011XLIXDalia Judovitz, “Rendezvous with Marcel Duchamp:Given,” in Marcel Duchamp: Artist of the Century, ed.Rudolf Kuenzli and Francis M. Naumann (Cambridge:MIT Press, 1987), 187.LIbid., 187-88.LIBuskirk, 192.LIISeigel, 113.LIIIQuoted in Buskirk, 194.LIVIbid.LVGale, 87.LVISeigel, 93.LVIISarat Maharaj, “’A Monster of Veracity, a CrystallineTransubstantiation’: Typotranslating the Green Box,”in The Duchamp Effect, ed. Martha Buskirk and MignonNixon (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1996), 61.LVIIIQuoted in Buskirk, 193.LIXHamilton, 376.LXSeigel, 91.LXIHamilton, 375.LXIIIbid.LXIIISeigel, 92.LXIVIbid., 89.LXVHamilton, 375.LXVISeigel, 92.LXVIIIbid., 93.LXVIIIIbid., 92.LXIXIbid.LXXNaumann, “Marcel Duchamp: A Reconciliation ofOpposites,” 29.LXXISeigel, 83.LXXIIIbid., 84.LXXIIIMarcel Duchamp, The Writings of Marcel Duchamp,ed. Michael Sanouillet and Elmer Peterson (New York: DaCapo, 1989), 33.LXXIVIbid., the unusual layout of the printed text of thenotes reflects Duchamp’s handwritten additions and thewords in brackets are printed above the words betweenwhich they are placed here.LXXVNaumann, “Marcel Duchamp: A Reconciliation ofOpposites,” 30.LXXVIIbid.LXXVIIQuoted in Seigel, 164.LXXVIIIIbid., 164-65.LXXIXCraig Adcock, “Duchamp’s Eroticism: AMathematical Analysis,” in Marcel Duchamp: Artist ofthe Century, ed. Rudolf Kuenzli and Francis M. Naumann(Cambridge: MIT Press, 1987), 156.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 The Effect of Islamic Azad University Activity on Branch of Trade Case Study: Firoozabad179The Effect of Islamic Azad University Activity on Branch ofTrade Case Study: FiroozabadDr. Mehrnoush Saadat AbadiFaculty of Islamic Azad University Firouzabad147 St. John Street, 2nd Floor, London, UKEmail: mseadat@yahoo.co.inNima Naddaf (MBA) and Fateme Saeed Firouzabadi (BBA)Faculty of Islamic Azad University Firouzabad147 St. John Street, 2nd Floor, London, UKAbstractIn this study we examine the impact of Islamic Azad University activities on Trade units of Firouzabad during 1991 to 2009using multiple regression and Granger causality tests. Results show the expansion of university activities has positive effect on unionsignificantly. Population growth and inflation have no effects on trade units at 95% confidence level. University activities expandare Granger causes of growth trade activities but population growth units are not. Key words: Islamic Azad University, Trade units,stationary, unit roots, Granger causality.Considering the economical, social and cultural structureof province in Iran is major factor in disadvantagedprovinces, mainly the lack of local skilled worker andinfrastructure needs for recruitment expert. Therefore toachieve this goal and to make changes in the structure ofsociety, planner needs to setup strengthening universitiesand higher education institutions in several developmentprograms steps. As believed the major changes must baseon staffing structure.University is the institution that has special activitieswhich brings value and credulity. The most importantroles of universities are introducing research, educationand social services. In other words, this agent is one of themost valuable resources for community development at itsdisposal. Today's economic system is based on competitionand those who can continue to operate and remain in thecompetitive system have innovation activities. Obviouslyinnovation requires creativity and without creativity accessto the latest achievements of science - research is impossible.Therefore University plays a key role in developing And allof economic, social and cultural sectors rights to access tothe latest research findings, should have close relationshipwith the university.The purpose of this study is to analyze economic effectof Firouzabad Islamic Azad University on trade expansion unit.The impact of University can be quantitative as wellas qualitative. On the one hand increase the students,professor and staff led to a quantitative demand for goodsand services. On the other hand increases the demand forhigh-quality of goods and services, expands production.Supplier units in both quality and quantity will expand itsactivities. Training provided by universities in the areas ofmanagement, business, economics and accounting havebeen the positive externalities on economic units, willforcing managers to optimize the supply of goods andservices practices. One-way to expand the quality andquantity management activities of theses unit is the useof credit. Therefore in this research, banking credits thatdivided to these units use union and units as an indicator oftrade expansion unitResearch LiteratureSalehi, M. (2002) Research contributions in the forceemployed to separate primary, secondary and highereducation in economic development with emphasis on theSaadat A. M., Naddaf N., Saeed F. F. - The Effect of Islamic Azad University Activity on Branch of Trade Case Study: Firoozabad
180 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011force working with the college examined. In this study,using estimated production functions for calculate economicgrowth economy during 1966-96 has been discussed. . Theresults show that whatever labor is higher education, itseffect on growth is stronger.Komeyjany A. and Memarnejad, (2004) using a modelof endogenous technological growth of the Romer (1990).They analyzed the positive effect of labor, human capital,physical capital, revenues from oil, the negative effect ofinflation and changing Virtual Islamic Revolution to therate of economic growth.Results show that significant relationship was not viewamong the variable costs of research and development andgrowth.Zara, M. and Ansari E. (2007) examine the relationshipbetween and the cost of higher education and real GDPin. In this research three methods of standard Grangercause tests, Hyshao and (ARDL) method used to test thishypothesis. Review period is during 1974-2004. Resultsshow that none of these variables cause another. Therefore,there was not relationship between economic growth andspending in higher education.Ali Dehghani and others (2007) examine the effectsof spending on research and development on the profit ofcooperative companies and manufacturing industries ofRazavi Khorasan province of Iran during 1995-2002. Thisinformation collected through 44 questionnaire spread incooperative research and development unit of this province.Results suggest that research and development on allearnings-enhancing factors such as product innovation, lowwaste production problems and quality of goods is positiveand significant.Elmi, Z. and Jamshid Nejad, A (2007) study the effectof education on economic growth in the years 1972 to 2003Iran. Theoretically, their analysis used Lucas model. In thisstudy, the average years of education use as an indicator offorce training and human capital.Results show significant and positive effect of educationon economic growth in Iran during the period reviewed.Vaez, M. and others (2007) examines the effect of R &D costs and value-added industries with high technologyduring 1988-2006. In this study we use panel data collectedfor seven different industries. Result because of estimatedshow that research and development costs had importantrole in increasing the value-added of these industries.Tayebi, K. and others (2008) studied the effect of humancapital on economic growth of the Islamic Conferencemember countries during 2003-1980 using panel data.They apply econometrics model based on models followedSydrym and til. In this model independent variables whichimpact on economic growth are growth of industrial exports,growth imports of industrial, human capital development,workforce development and growth of physical capital.Model estimation results show that human capital growthhas a significant and positive effect on economic growth.Gyanaks Germy. J. (2002) examined the role of humanresources in economic growth using panel data over 98countries. He showed that if when a dynamic model ofpanel data considered, training has a positive and significanteffect on economic growth. In addition, the effect of higherlevels of education on economic growth is stronger.Kaiser, A. (2002) used data for the years 1970-1994to study the impact of education on growth. Investigationresults show the primary school as an indicator of humancapital has negative effect on growth for the Pakistan andSri Lanka. And if in secondary school education is, its effecton economic growth for the two countries will be positiveand significant. Education above the high school similarlyhas a significant and positive effect on economic growthand development.Theoretical FoundationsThe purpose of this study is review the relationshipbetween bank credit growth and the number of studentsenrolled each year. Theoretical Foundations of statisticalmethods of research and analysis tools present in thissection. To delete the effect of inflation on credit, we usethe actual of funds that earned by dividing nominal crediton consumption expenses price index (CPI).The credit data collected from the Firouzabad banking.Index of population growth calculated by difference ofborn and died during these years. The data got from theBureau registration of Firouzabad.Unit root test:Many macroeconomic variables in time series arenon-stationary (Hill and others: 2001). If a series isstationary, then the shock imposed on the Mira variablesDestruct and returns to the long-term. On the other hand,if the time series is non-stationary, the mean or varianceor both of them are a function of time. And if the time isinfinite, varying the variables will be infinite. Therefore,the variable will divergent away from its path equilibrium(Stereo and Hall: 2006). Philippe - Peron test (1988) usedfor study of stationary test. In this test, the existence of unitroot for time series in question is hypothesis. In case ofstationary variables, using ordinary least squares estimationis desirable.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 The Effect of Islamic Azad University Activity on Branch of Trade Case Study: Firoozabad181Granger causality testTable 1- statistical describes of variablesIf the lag values of x, effect on the current values of y, inother words changes in y looking to create change in x, thenx called Granger causes of y.Regression presented in∆xZero hypothesis is performed on F-test as follows.t∆yt= a= axy++∑H0: γ i=If the zero hypotheses are rejected, then x is Grangercauses of y.If variables are integrated of order one, first orderDifference Will transform them to non- integrated. Thenabove test apply in the following form.0kkβx, i∆xt− i+ ∑γx,i∆yt−i+i= 1 i=1kkβy, i∆yt− i+ ∑γx,i∆xt−i+i= 1 i=1∑∆x tand ∆y tare the first order differencing of time seriesthat non- integrationResearch FindingsIn this section, using statistical tools and econometrictechniques, the interaction of variables will be analyzed andthe results will be presented.Period of study is 1371-1388. For data analysis we useEviews.6 software.First describe the statistical variables in question. Theseresults are in Table -1.Number ofregisteredstudents(student)Population(pop)Bank credit(credit)Mean 667.2138 141771.4 667.4315Median 000.2720 990610.3 000.4512Maximum 000.5129 343413.7 000.6544Minimum 000.3884- 341352.0 0000.888Standard deviation 697.1771 623194.1 697.1771Sum 00.32080 12657.62 00.64735Sum of squares ofdeviations91161357 88663.36 43944723Observation 15 15 15Source: research findingsAs stated in the previous section, Philip - Peron test,(1988) use for the study of stationary series. The hypothesistests are the existence of unit root for time series variableswhich studied.Unit root test results for variables in levels show inTable -2.Table -2: Unit root test resultsVariablesLevelProbability t-statisticCritical valueat 5%credit 0476.0 759743.3- 759743/3-student 0.0156 -3.660851 -3.052169pop 0763.0 749065.1- -1.962813Source: research findingsTest results show that the evidence unit root in thesevariables are not observed. Therefore, variables arestationary and put to analysis in the Multiple regressionmethod In this section, the nominal credit as the dependentvariable, the number of students enrolled and the consumerprice index as independent variables use in the regressionequations. Estimated result present in Table -3.Independent Variable CreditTable -3 estimated parametersdependentvariableCoefficientst-statisticStandarderrorProbabilityConstant -93.06908 -.513060 181.4001 0.6172student 0.198328 2.243714 0.088393 0.0445Saadat A. M., Naddaf N., Saeed F. F. - The Effect of Islamic Azad University Activity on Branch of Trade Case Study: Firoozabad
182 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Independent Variable CreditdependentvariableSource: research findingsThe results show the coefficient of (student) is positiveand significant at 95% confidence level.Therefore we can end that increasing universityactivities, may lead to increase in bank credit.On the other hand the coefficient of consumer priceindex variable index (CPI) in the 95% confidence levelis not significant. So would not suggest that increase ininflation lead to increase in funds.Then, we use changes in bank credit as the dependentvariable and changes in student and population as dependentvariable. Results are present in table 4.Coefficient of changes in students (Dstudent) is positiveand significant at 95% confidence. So, again evidenceshows a positive relationship between these two variables.On the other hand, coefficient of (Dpop) is not significant at95% confidence level. Therefore, can not say this variableaffects credit significantly.Independent Variable CreditdependentvariableCoefficientsTable -4 estimate parametersCoefficientst-statisticStandarderrorProbabilityConstant -1.693836 -2.932336 0.577640 0.0136D student 0.003822 3.011245 0.001269 0.0118D pop 0.000243 1.717479 0.000141 0.1139R 2 =0.453676Source: research findingst-statisticGranger Causality TestStandarderrorProbabilityCPI -1.567821 -1.018118 1.539921 0.3287R 2 =0.571997To check the relationship between bank credit unionassigned as an indicator of growth units and number ofstudents registered as growth University activities indicator,we use Granger causality test.Granger- causality test results between variables are inTable -5.Results reject the hypothesis of students enrolled is notGranger- causality of bank credit.Therefore we can say increasing the number of students,increased bank credit allocated to the unit's trade inFirouzAbad which consistent whit results of regressionmethod of above.Hypothesis of population growth is not Grangercausalityof credit does not reject, so the only variablesaffect students are enrolled. The results show as studentincrease, the population city increase.H 0Hypothesis Observation F-statistic Probabilitystudents registered isnot Granger-causality of 13 4.30323 0.0539bank creditBank credit is notGranger-causality of 13 1.39145 0.3030students registered.Population growth isnot Granger- causality of 15 2.84001 0.1055Bank creditBank credit is notGranger- causality of 15 2.19668 0.1619Population growthPopulation growth isnot Granger- causality of 15 2.39164 0.1416student registeredstudent registered is notGranger- causality of 15 7.56724 0.0100Population growthSource: research findingsConclusionTable -5 Granger causality test resultsNowadays increasing labor productivity and economicdevelopment planning are agenda in developing countries.One of the important ways to increase workforceproductivity and quality of labor force is through educationand creating favorable grounds and easy access to educationfor various social groups in various fields. Basic educationdevelopment in the individual governing values, attitudeand behavior, and he creates the groundwork for acceptanceof new management practices and production businessprovides. One of the basic tools in university extensioneducation development regions in particular is lessdeveloped regions. Islamic Azad University, a successfulexample of this process is to grow and expand economicactivities in different regions has contributed.The impact of University can be quantitative as wellas qualitative. On the one hand increase the students,School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 The Effect of Islamic Azad University Activity on Branch of Trade Case Study: Firoozabad183professor and staff led to a quantitative demand for goodsand services. On the other hand increases the demand forhigh-quality of goods and services, expands production.Supplier units in both quality and quantity will expand itsactivities. Training provided by universities in the areas ofmanagement, business, economics and accounting havebeen the positive externalities on economic units, willforcing managers to optimize the supply of goods andservices practices.In this study we analysis the effects of FirouzabadIslamic Azad University on economic growth. Data whichuse are during 1992 to 2009. Multiple regression techniquesand Granger causality test are applied. The relationshipbetween growth of students enrolled as an indicator ofUniversity activities and bank credit allocated to the unitas an indicator of regional trade are examined. Effect ofpopulation growth and inflation rates on credit growthanalyzed.Regression results indicate that the effect of universityactivities on the corporate unit growth is positive andsignificant at the level of 95% confidence.But population growth and inflation significant effect onunion activity is units. Granger-causality results confirmingthe above regression model.ReferencesAndrew Levin, Lakshmi K. Raut (1992)“Complementarities between Exports and HumanCapital in Economic Growth: Evidence fromthe Semi-industrialized Countries, EconomicDevelopment and Cultural ChangeAntonio Ciccone, Elias Papaioannou (2006) “HumanCapital, The Structure of Production Research andGrowth” Working Paper Series, NO 623 / May 2006Dehghani, Ali (2007) "Cost effectiveness of R &D (case study of production cooperatives andindustries of Iran Khorasan Razavi province),"Economic Quarterly Reviews Volume 4 Issue 2Summer 2007 2Elmi, Z. Jamshid Nejad, A (2007) " Effect of educationon economic growth in Iran in 1971-2003 " Journalof Human Sciences Special Economic seventhyear, No. 26, Fall 2007G. Agiomirginakis, D. Asteroid, and V, Monastrriotis.(2002) “Human Capital and Economic GrowthRevisited: A Dynamic Panel Data Study” IAER:August 2002, VOL. 8, NO. 3Komyjany, A. and Memar nejad A. (2004) "theimportance of quality manpower and R & D(research and development) on Iran's economicgrowth" Quarterly Journal of Business, No. 31,Summer 2004Michael Boozer, Gustav Rains, Frances Stewart (2003)"Paths to Success: The Relationship BetweenHuman Development and Economic Growth"Economic Growth Center, Yale University, CenterDiscussion Paper NO. 874Qaisar Abbas (2001) "Endogenous Growth and HumanCapital: A Comparative Study of Pakistan and SriLanka "The Pakistan Development Review40: 4Part II (Winter 2001) pp. 987-100Raul, R. Surinach, J. Artís, M. (2009) "RegionalEconomic Growth and Human Capital: The Roleof Over education" Discussion Paper Series, IZADP No. 4453Salehi, M.(2003) “Human Capital Effects on EconomicGrowth” Journal of Research and Planning inHigher Education Letter, No. 22 and 24Tayebi, K. and others (2008) “Effect of Foreign Tradeand human capital on economic growth in OICcountries,” the source www.sid.irVaez, M. and others (2007) “The role of research anddevelopment costs in high value industries addedtechnology” Quarterly Economic Review, Volume4, Number 4, Winter 2007Zra’, M. and Ansari, E. (2007) “Granger causality ofthe relationship between economic growth and thecost of higher education in Iran,” Iranian Journal ofEconomic Research, No. 37, Winter 2008 TwelfthYearSaadat A. M., Naddaf N., Saeed F. F. - The Effect of Islamic Azad University Activity on Branch of Trade Case Study: Firoozabad
184 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Service Failure and Recovery: Comparison Between HealthCare and Automobile Service StationAnupam Krishna, G.S. Dangayach, Rakesh JainDepartment of Management StudiesMalaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, IndiaAbstractPurpose – The paper aims to give insights into customers’ perceptions and response regarding service failure and recovery processfor health care and automobile service station. It compares and recommends the service recovery strategies between the two to gainhigher satisfaction, trust and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is empirical and involves data from 150 respondentsfrom India. The sampling unit is customers of health care and automobile service station and the data collection instrument is a structured,non-disguised questionnaire. The questionnaires have been filled through individual interviews. Findings – The study found conclusiveresults on the reasons for service failure and recovery strategies in the health care and automobile service station business in the Indiancontext. It also lays emphasis on the behavioral aspects of customers’ perception towards these failures and their responses to thesame. The paper further looked into the recovery strategy employed by health care and automobile service station and the customers’perception towards the recovery strategies. Practical implications – The study has important managerial implications as it facilitatesthe understanding of failure – points and its occurrence. The comparative study shows, how the two sectors differ for similar categoryof failure in context to, severity of failure and recovery strategy for it. The paper is also helpful in designing policies and procedures toproactively eliminate such failure points. Originality/value – The paper is valuable as very little has been done in the Indian context. Italso creates a comparative perspective as to service failure in the health care and automobile service station sector. Key words: HealthCare and Automobile Service Station, Customer service management, Customer satisfaction, Consumer behavior.With the onset of globalization and liberalization, thebusiness competition is growing exponentially, which catersto strong need of improving the overall quality (Zeithamlet al., 1988, Lee et al., 2003). Increase in service sectorscontribution to the business has been seen globally. The needof hour is to produce high quality (Swan and Bowers 1998,Michael and McCollough 2000) and defect free services(Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004),. Various researches havebeen done on service sector to find the buyer seller gaps,customer perceptions and expectation, because fulfillmentof expectation confirms satisfaction (Oliver, 1980,Parasuraman et al., 1988; Zeithaml, 1988; Sureshchandaret al., 2003; O’Neill and Palmer, 2004). The studies onoutcome and process service failure had contributed to findthe cause and effect of failure. Business people have beenalways looking for some technique to proactively knowabout the customer perception and expectancy to eliminatethe failure. But so far no technique could be designed toprovide all together error free services. The academiciansand practitioners know that the despite all efforts, errormay still creep in (Mack et al., 2000). Now in his situationthe tool called service recovery becomes very important.Service recovery is a process to eliminate or reduce theeffects of failures by compensating or supporting for theloss of customer. The service recovery not only a tool toreduce harmful effects of failure but it can also be usefulto gain satisfaction, trust and loyalty. Moreover researchershave identified it as tool for endorsement to enhancecustomer base (Ruyter et al 1998).Service RecoveryService recovery is referred to as the action undertakenby an organization to face the eventualities of a servicefailure (Zeithaml and Bitner, 2000). Boshoff, (1997)suggests that, a fast response by the highest possible personin terms of seniority with a fast response accompanied bya full/partial refund plus some amount of compensationcan reduce the effects of failures. Gronroos 1988 Theresearchers have produced three kinds of justice that canused after the failure, which are, fairness of the resolutionprocedures (procedural justice), the interpersonalcommunications and behaviors (interactional justice), andthe outcomes (distributive justice). Informational justiceSchool of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Service Failure and Recovery: Comparison Between Health Care and Automobile Service Station185is newly added to the recovery choices which consists ofcomplaint handling process including elements such aspoliteness and courtesy exhibited by personnel, empathy,effort observed in resolving the situation, and the firm'swillingness to provide an explanation as to find out, whythe failure occurred. Bell and Zemke (1987) proposed fivedimensions for recovery i.e. Apology, Empathy, Urgentreinstatement, Symbolic atonement and Follow-up, Bitneret al. (1990) gave the process of recovery in four steps.• Problem Acknowledgement• Explanation of the reason• Apology where appropriate• Compensation such a free ticket, discount coupons etc.The process of recovery is as below:1. Acknowledgement: Acknowledging that a problem hasoccurred (Bitner et al, 1990).2. Empathy: Understanding the problem from a customer’spoint of view (Johnston and Fern, 1999).3. Apology: Just Saying sorry (Kelley et al., 1993).4. Own the problem: Taking ownership of the customerand the issue (Barlow and Møller, 1996).5. Fix the problem: Fixing, or at least trying to fix theproblem for the customer (Michel, 2004).6. Provide assurance: Providing assurance that theproblem has been/will be sorted and should not occuragain (Barlow and Møller, 1996).7. Provide compensation: Providing a refund, and/or atoken and/or compensation, depending on the severityof the problem (Boshoff, 1997).Service recovery quality main ingredients areassurance, reliability, facilities, employee’s empowerment,customization, and responsiveness (Gilbert and Wong2003). Service recovery also infuses loyalty and trustby improving long-term customer retention (Mueller etal.). Timely recovery with the correction of problem isnecessary for successful service recovery (Wirtz & Mattila,2004). Researches have shown that, customers may acceptfailures, but may not forgive organizations that can't orwon't fix them' (Mattila, 2006).The Current StudyThe objective of the study is to conduct a comparativeanalysis of service-failure causes and recovery strategiesin health care and automobile service station in the Indiancontext. The objective of the study is to compare theconsumer experience while taking services from healthcare sector such as hospitals, clinics etc and automobileservice station (four and two wheeler only) in India. Thestudy intends to determine if there is major difference inconsumer behavior of these two kinds of service sectors todraw significant conclusions and indicators for hospitalitymanagers in these kinds of businesses.The following objectives have been defined for thisstudy:• To identify causes of usual service failure in health careand automobile service station.• To understand specific complaints and categorize theminto generic classes• To identify usual strategies health care and automobileservice station adopt to cope with such failures and• To measure the outcome of these service recoverystrategies and evaluate the impact of the chosen strategyon consumer perception and future behavior.This study entailed data collection in India from healthcare sector such as hospitals and clinics and automobileservice station. The data collection instrument usedis a structured and non-disguised questionnaire. Thequestionnaire was formulated on the basis of suggestion bysubject matter specialists in India.The different kind of service-failures and correspondingrecovery strategies that have been included in thequestionnaire for this study are based on review of extantliterature. Berry et al. (1990) finds that whenever a customerexperiences a problem his confidence, trust and risk takingwith provider reduces. The response of provider afterthe failure decides that the customer could be physicallyand as well as mentally retained or not. It is possible thatunsatisfied customer may be still giving the business butdue to grudge holding, whenever he gets chance he mayswitch off.The current study has tried to address following issuesand present appropriate findings.1. In the case of similar kind of failure in different serviceindustry, does the severity of failure according to thecustomer perception differ?2. In the case of similar kind of failure in different serviceindustry, does the expectancy of service recovery differaccording to the customer perception?3. The customer may not be willing to return to providereven after the expected recovery, In the case of similarkind of failure in different service industryResearcher have done a variety of experimental design,field studies and empirical studies that examine the effectsKrishna A., Dangayach G.S., Jain R., Service Failure and Recovery: Comparison Between Health Care and Automobile Service Station
186 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011of service recovery on satisfaction, purchase intentions(Ruyter et al 1998) and one's tendency to spread positiveword-of-mouth information. To get the expected recoveryprediction on consumer response is must (Maxham, 2001;and Flokes, 1984). Likely behavior depends on Customer’sprior experiences and expectations which may be Exit,switch, Voice, negative word of mouth publicity (Kauand Wan-Yiun Loh 2006, Singh 1990). Zeithaml et alproduced model which specifies three different types ofservice expectations: desired service, adequate service,and predicted service. Researchers keep on trying to findout ways to avoid switching (Colgate and Lang 2001).Counterfactual thinking (Walchi and Landman 2003), anger(Bougie et al. 2003), customer complaints, reciprocity andcomplaint handling and ways to instill a service recoverystrategy are of vital important in service recovery process.For effective recovery process complains managementhas to be effective because, complaining customers areamong the most loyal customers (Eccles and Durand 1998).Services and service recovery should be designed accordingto human behavioral science principles underlying humaninteractions that can be translated directly into servicedesign. It has been found that behavior changes with theage, sex, culture, occupation, and experiences (Patterson2007). Jones and Farquhar (2007) studied the behavioralintension in different failure magnitudes.W<strong>eu</strong>n et al. (2004) have found that if the originalproblem was severe there remained a negative influenceon customer’s satisfaction, even if there is effective servicerecovery. In this study we have tried to find that with samekind of failure in two different sectors, the customer iswilling to repeat his purchase in the future or not.The questionnaires were administered personally to asample of respondents in both the sectors. Conveniencesampling was adopted to collect responses from one hundredand fifty respondents who faced service failures, which wasconsidered to be a large enough sample for an exploratorystudy of this nature (Malhotra, 2001). To complete thistarget of 150 respondents individuals were contacted as onlythose who have experienced service-failure of any kind in ahealth care and automobile service station were the samplepopulation. Data analysis entailed forming comparativestatements of both markets to determine trends. Based onliterature review the major types of service failure in healthcare and automobile service station have been identified inthree broad categories.Hygiene and Physical Evidence- poor cleanliness, untidystaff, not appealing (looks), poor ambience, stingy,water and facilities arrangement not proper, congestion,arrangement in waiting room not proper, uncomfortabletemperature.Operations- slow service, specialist unavailability,ambiguity of rate, ambiguity in process/ waiting time,machine or equipment unavailability, wrongly charged,work not done proper, lost order, missing of your personalitems, reservation missing.Employee related – untidy staff, staff not prompt, staff notattentive, lacking in efforts, does not understand your needs,staff does not have knowledge about their jobs, unfriendlyand unhelpful staffLikewise, different strategies used for failure recoveryby health care and automobile service station have beenidentified and incorporated in the questionnaire. The effectsof various recovery strategies have also been evaluated inthe form of customer response in the form of repeat visitsand recommendations to people and associates, and thesame has been used to sketch managerial implications. Thestudy has an urban prejudice as it was conducted in citieslike Delhi, Jaipur, and Lucknow.Findings and AnalysisCustomer Complaint BehaviorThe data indicates that a wide range of failures inboth the sectors exists due to large number of reasons.The two sectors differ in number of people who reportedfailures. It was found that in automobile service 97% ofpeople compared to health care only 56% consumers haveexperienced service failure of one or another kind. Thedifference between the two sector is that in automobileservice station almost everyone has made a verbal compliant, only 61% of the health care chose to register their complain.This may be explained as people may find it is not theplace to raise their voice and should maintain its dignityand decorum. This research finds that implementation ofcomplain management in India is under infancy stage.Generally we don’t find any service recovery team, servicerecovery policy for the failure. Indian customer believesthat the magnitude of verbalization of complain decides thepromptness and degree of recovery. Consumer believes thatunless you verbally complain, no action would be taken bythe provider. It has been found in this study that customerdo not have much trust on provider which is a serious issue.School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011
2011 Service Failure and Recovery: Comparison Between Health Care and Automobile Service Station187Categories of Service FailureThe study has found generic resemblance across the twoservice sector segments as far as causes for dissatisfactionsare concerned. This study finds that, most of the servicefailures were common in both the sectors and can becategorized in three main headings those are:1. Hygiene and Physical Evidence- poor cleanliness,untidy staff, not appealing (looks), poor ambience,stingy, water and facilities arrangement not proper,congestion, arrangement in waiting room not proper,uncomfortable temperature.2. Operations- slow service, specialist unavailability,ambiguity of rate, ambiguity in process/ waiting time,machine or equipment unavailability, wrongly charged,work not done proper, lost order, missing of yourpersonal items, reservation missing.3. Employee related – untidy staff, staff not prompt, staffnot attentive, lacking in efforts, does not understandyour needs, staff does not have knowledge about theirjobs, unfriendly and unhelpful staffThe operations related failures were considered the mostsignificant in relation to customer complain behavior. Thenin the rank comes employee related, followed by hygieneand physical evidence category. The rank according to thecommonness of the specific failure is shown inFailuresTable 1SeverityHealthCare (%)RankSeverityAutomobileservice (%)RankHygiene and Physical EvidencePoor cleanliness 15.1 13 3.4 19Untidy staff 10.2 14 00 -Not appealing (looks) 6.6 16 00 -Poor ambience 16.3 12 00 -Stingy 22.6 7 00 -Water and facilities arrangementnot proper4.5 19 9.4 16Congestion 4.6 18 2.5 20Arrangement in waiting roomnot proper00 - 10.5 15Uncomfortable temperature 3.2 20 4.8 18OperationsSlow service 67.7 1 70.5 1Specialist unavailability 61.2 2 68.6 2Ambiguity of prices 00 - 15.7 12Ambiguity in process/ waitingtime00 - 21.7 10Machine or equipmentunavailability34.8 4 37.7 7FailuresSeverityHealthCare (%)RankSeverityAutomobileservice (%)Wrongly charged 4.7 17 40.1 5Work not done proper 22.4 8 44.7 4Table 1: Customer perceptions about intensity of service failureRankLost order 00 - 12.7 14Missing of your personal items 00 - 13.8 12Reservation missing 00 - 8.4 17Employee relatedUntidy staff 6.8 15 00 -Staff not prompt 34.5 5 23.8 9Staff not attentive 21.5 9 17.5 12Lacking in efforts 36.6 3 38.8 6Does not understand your needs 26.6 7 35.6 8Staff doesn’t have knowledge oftheir jobs31.7 6 50.5 3Unfriendly and unhelpful staff 18.4 10 13.8 13It was found that for the same category of failure theintensity was different. In health care segment customerpercievance for the failure seems to be serious as comparedwith automobile service segment. Reason for this can beexplained as in the health care, the health of an individual isin question, which is invaluable and cannot be compared tothe value of an automobile. About 82 percent respondentsfeel that the intensity of the problem they encountered inthe health care sector is extremely serious whereas forautomobile service station customers this has been around31 percent. Health care segment consumer’s expectancy oferror free service is more as compared to the other sector.Even for the low intensity error in service station such ascleanliness and inattentive employee they take this as highintensity failure. It is also noted that health care sector paysmore attention for delivering error free services.In cities like New Delhi, Jaipur, and Lucknow, wefind mushrooming populations; escalating cost of livingovercrowded spaces, long-drawn-out public services andgrowing middle class population. This has created unhealthycompetition, insecurity, tension and stress in individualand relation between common people. Its reflection can beseen in the buyer seller relation and service process too.Many times customer yells at the frontline and mangersto vent their frustration and grudge from other situations.It becomes difficult for frontline employees to managesuch situation. From the management the have pressure tobe defensive, this creates job dissatisfaction and internalfrustration, which comes back to some other customer insome other form.Krishna A., Dangayach G.S., Jain R., Service Failure and Recovery: Comparison Between Health Care and Automobile Service Station
188 School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal2011Service Failure Recovery Expectancy Vs. ActionPlannedThe research finds that adequate service recoveryprocess and policy is lacking. It is observed that front lineemployees have a general tendency to transfer the case tohigher authority. Possible reason for this may be lack ofemployee empowerment. It is also observed that in bothsectors generally providers perceive recovery process asa time and money waste process. Even the middle andtop level people were found to misunderstand the servicerecovery process. Despite of finding real reason, generallycomplain reason is straight away taken as inefficient frontline employee, so we see discouragement of complaintbehavior from the provider. Almost 40 percent of complaintsin the Indian context are dealt by extending an apology andoffering short compensation. In health care sector, we find75 percent cases of similar type.The expected recovery and received recovery werefound to be quite different; in case of health care thegeneral expectancy was sympathy, empathy, and apologyand owning the problem. Study finds that provider’s wayof recovery was to give apology and short compensation.It was observed that offering compensation for health losssometimes may be offensive to the consumer, as we cannotevaluate someone’s life or heath in terms of money. Inthe case of automobile service station expected recoveryon the first choice was compensation in cash or kind thenother choices were explanation and empathy. In this casegenerally the received recovery was explanation andapology. This sector was found to resist for cash or kindcompensation, as very few cases reported for compensationin cash or kind and that too very short. It has been observedthat cash or kind compensation works better to any otherstrategy in automobile service segment and apology andsympathy works better in the case of health care segmentThe most important aspect of this study was the consumerbehavior after the service recovery process. In automobileservice station prompt action after failure was reported 65 %,whereas in it health care segment was reported 54 %. It wasalso noted that about 71% people of automobile segmentbelieved that recovery could be better than the receivedone whereas only 46% people believed it in the health caresegment. A total of 61% of health sector and 23% of servicestation sector reported having bad memories of failure andunsatisfied recovery action. Customers who were willingto give business to provider were 22 % in health care and68% in case of automobile service segment. To suggestprovider to someone 13% was found in heath care and 24%School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal - 2011in the case of automobile service segment. This indicatesloss of clientele and revenue of provider. Only 6% ofhealth care sector and 28% of automobile service segmentreported to have positive memory after the recovery. It wasobserved that customer of automobile station believed errormay occur and service failure may happen but in case ofhealth care segment consumer do not expect any sort ofservice failure. This is due the basic fact that consumer ofhealth care know that just a small error can question somebodies life whereas this in the service station chances ofserious loss are low. This indicates that occurrence servicerecovery paradox has greater chances in the sectors likeservice station where the loss can be compensated.Managerial ImplicationsThis study points out a number of managerialimplications. This research clearly indicates that the serviceintensity and severity has lot to do with the type of sectorwhich it is associated with. The consumer perception aboutthe failure heavily depends on the kind of loss he is goingto suffer in case of failure. Study identifies that whateverkind of failure it is, basically it comprises of certain kindof losses i.e. Health loss, Character loss, Emotional loss,Respect loss, Loss of identity/image, Relationship loss,Loss of belief, Time loss, Money loss, Comfort loss, Mental/physical energy loss, and Loss of control. Study observesthat health loss carries more importance than money or timeloss. Hence the avenues related to or their failure outcomecould be health loss should be more attentive to the failureas customers do not expect failures from them. This studyfurther finds that the recovery in case of healthcare loss isdifficult to recover than service station failure. Recoveringhealth or respect loss kind of failure with cash compensationcan be disastrous. Hence this paper suggests that servicerecovery paradox occurrence in health care segment isdifficult as providing effective recovery is not easy.This study observes that Indian consumer lack in feelingof trust for the providers. They believe that the provider willnot take action until you yell the problem to them, and theprovider recovery action intensity is proportional to intensityof yelling. This is a serious issue and Trust could be gainedby making long term policies in complain managementand recovery process. This study recommends training andmotivational programs for employees to learn what and howis react in case of failures. Further Indian providers shouldnot blame frontline employees for every kind of error butthey should empower them to take appropriate action infailure cases rather to shift the care to senior people. The
2011 Service Failure and Recovery: Comparison Between Health Care and Automobile Service Station189satisfied employee would not only show his efficiency indelivery but also in service recovery and customer building.This study observes that a concrete complain managementand service recovery policy is lacking in Indian context.Service provider need to understand that they are nottime and money waste instruments, but are vital tools forbuilding business. Service recovery not only retains clientsbut builds new clients too by positive word of mouth effectfrom satisfied customers.ReferencesAndreasen, A.R. and Best, A. (1977),"Consumerscomplain– does business respond?”, HarvardBusiness Review, July/August, pp. 93-101.Andreassen T W (1998), "Antecedents to satisfactionwith service recovery”, European Journal ofMarketing, Vol. 34 No. 1/2 156-175 pp.Andreassen, T.W, (1999), "What drives customerloyalty with complaint resolution?”, Journal ofService Research, Vol. 1 No. 4, pp. 324-32.Anna S. Mattila (1999), "An Examination of FactorsAffecting Service Recovery in a Restaurant Setting”,Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, vol.23: pp. 284 – 298.Bailey, D. (1994), "Recovery from customer serviceshortfalls”, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 4 No.6, pp. 25-8.Bernd Stauss (2002), "The dimensions of complaintsatisfaction: process and outcome complaintsatisfaction versus cold fact and warm act complaintsatisfaction”, Managing Service Quality, Volume:12 Issue: 3 Page: 173 – 183.Berry, L.L, V A Zeithaml and A Parasuraman (1990),"Five Imperatives for Improving Service Quality”,Sloan Management Review, vol. 31, no 4 Summer(1990, pp 29-38.Bies, R. and Shapiro, D. (1987), "Interactional fairnessjudgments: the influence of causal accounts”, SocialJustice Research, Vol. 1 No. 2, pp. (199-218.Bell, C.R. and Ridge, K. (1992) "Service recovery fortrainers”, Training & Development, Vol. 46, p. 58.Bell, C.R. and Zemke, R.E. (1987), "Servicebreakdown: the road to recovery”, ManagementReview, October, pp. 32-5.Blodgett, J.G., Hill, D.J. and Tax, S.S. (1997), "Theeffects of distributive, procedural and interactionaljustice on post-complaint behavior”, Journal ofRetailing, Vol. 73 No. 2, pp. 185-210.Chandrashekaran, Murali, Kristin Rotte, Stephen S.Tax, and Rajdeep Grewal (2007), "SatisfactionStrength and Customer Loyalty”, Journal ofMarketing Research, 44 (1), 153-63.Christo Boshoff (1997), "An experimental study ofservice recovery options”, International Journal ofService Industry Management, Volume: 8 Issue: 2Page: 110 – 130.Christo Boshoff (2005), "A re-assessment andrefinement of RECOVSAT An instrument tomeasure satisfaction with transaction-specificservice recovery”, Managing Service Quality, Vol.15 No. 5, pp. 410-425.Colgate, M. and Lang, B (2001), "Switching barriersin consumer markets: an investigation of thefinancial services industry”, Journal of ConsumerMarketing, Vol. 18 No. 4, pp. 332-47.Craighead, C.W., Karwan, K.R. and Miller, J.L.(2004),"The effects of severity of failure and customerloyalty on service recovery strategies”, Productionand Operations Management, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp.307-21.David Cranage (2004), "Plan to do it right: and plan forrecovery”, International Journal of ContemporaryHospitality Management, Volume 16 • Number 4 •pp. 210-219.Davidow, M. (2003), "Organizational responsesto customer complaints: what works and whatdoesn’t”, Journal of Service Research, Vol. 5 No.3, pp. 225-50.Etzel, Michael J. and Bernard I. Silverman (1981), "AManagerial Perspective on Directions for RetailCustomer Dissatisfaction Research”, Journal ofRetailing, 57 (3), 124-36.Feinberg, R.A., Widdows, R., Hirsch-Wyncott, M.,Trappey, C. (1990), "Myth and reality in customerservice: good and bad service sometimes leads torepurchase”, Journal of Consumer SatisfactionDissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, Vol. 3pp.112-4.Folkes, V.S. and Kotsos, B.(1986), "Buyers' andsellers' explanations for product failure: who doneit?”, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 50, April, pp. 74-80.Gavin Eccles G. and Durand P. (1998), "Complainingcustomers, service recovery and continuousimprovement”, Managing Service Quality, Volume8 • Number 1 • pp. 68–71.Krishna A., Dangayach G.S., Jain R., Service Failure and Recovery: Comparison Between Health Care and Automobile Service Station
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