Mahidol University International College

About: Mahidol University International College is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Tourism & Corporate governance. The organization has 240 authors who have published 485 publications receiving 6095 citations.

Subnational trade flows and state-level energy intensity: an empirical analysis

Abstract: In one strand of research, analysts examine the trends and determinants of energy usage and intensity. In the second strand, researchers analyse the impact of trade flows on environmental outcomes. Recently, Cole (2006) bridges this gap, analysing the impact of trade intensity on energy usage utilizing panel data at the country level. In line with Cole (2006), we analyse the impact of subnational trade flows across US states on state-level energy usage and intensity, controlling for the endogeneity of trade flows. The model treating trade as endogenous confirms the cross-country result in Cole (2006); trade causes energy intensity to rise on average. However, the impact is not homogeneous across sectors as the increase in intensity is concentrated in the industrial and transportation sectors.

Impact of national culture on airline operations

Abstract: Organizations absorb their nations’ culture, norms, and beliefs; and therefore culture has unbeknownst influence on the process of service design and delivery. In this paper, we test the role of a nation’s culture on airline service quality. We use a non-perceptual global, airline dataset where cultural differences are measured by Hofstede’s and the GLOBE project’s national characteristics. As indicators of service quality, we use assessments of an independent evaluation agency. We find that cultures that place high value on future orientation provide higher quality airline services. On the other hand, cultures that are high in individualism and uncertainty avoidance tend to perform poorly. High individualism might impair true concern for passenger welfare, and high uncertainty avoidance means that employees are apprehensive towards the constant changes and fine-tuning necessary in airline services. We also determine that the implications of national culture may vary by passenger segments identified by cabin types.

Using Geographic Density of Firms to Identify the Effect of Board Size on Firm Value and Corporate Policies

Abstract: Prior research shows that firms tend to recruit directors from the geographically-proximate area. Due to a limited supply of qualified individuals in a given area, firms located in close proximity have to share a limited pool of talented individuals. As a result, the larger the number of firms in the same area, the fewer directors each firm in the area is able to obtain on average. Consistent with this notion, our results show that firms located in a zip code with a larger number of other firms exhibit significantly smaller board size. We then exploit the variation in the numbers of firms across the zip codes and estimate the effects of board size on various corporate outcomes. Our results show that larger board size leads to lower firm value, lower accounting profitability, higher leverage, higher dividend payouts, and a stronger propensity to be an acquirer.