John L. Fizel

Managerial Efficiency, Managerial Succession and Organizational Performance

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to create a measure of managerial efficiency in an attempt to reassess the conflicting theories concerning the impact of organizational performance on manager succession, and the counter-theories concerning the impact of manager succession on organizational performance. The analysis uses data for 147 college basketball teams from 1984 to 1991. The results indicate that winning, not efficiency, is the key criterion used in determining managerial retention. Yet when managers of losing teams are dismissed the teams tend to do even worse. If, however, the efficiency of the new manager is greater than that of the former, the disruptive effect of succession is minimized. Because administrators appear to focus on winning, not efficiency, they will often select new managers who are less efficient than departed managers. These results are unique to this literature and indicate promise for the use of DEA in analyses of the internal efficiencies of organizations.

The efficiency of nursing home chains

Data envelopment analysis is used to estimate technical efficiency in for-profit independent and for-profit chain nursing homes. The empirical findings suggestceteris paribus, that significant mult...

Firing and Hiring of Managers: Does Efficiency Matter?

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to create a measure of managerial efficiency in an attempt to reassess the conflicting theories concerning the impact of organizational performance on managerial firings, and the counter-theories concerning the impact of manager hirings on organizational performance. The analysis uses data for 147 college basketball teams from 1984–1991. The results indicate that winning, not efficiency, is the key criterion used in determining managerial retention. Yet, when managers of losing teams are dismissed, the teams tend to do even worse. However, if the efficiency of the new manager is greater than that of the former, the disruptive effect of succession is minimized. Because administrators appear to focus on winning not efficiency, they will often select new managers that are less efficient than departed managers. These results are unique to this literature and indicate promise for the use of DEA in analyses of the internal efficiencies of organizations.

A conceptual research framework for analyzing online auctions in a B2B environment

The rapid growth of online auctions underscores the need to analyze the mechanism of online auctions and to establish a theoretical research framework based on the business models adopted by successful organizations. While the theoretical and empirical research bases for traditional auctions are well established, current understanding of online auctions is still very limited. A broad conceptual model is developed that can form the basis for future research in online auctions. A review of prior research and use systems theory and empirical analysis is presented to identify the potential antecedents to online auction success. Then dimensions of the input, process, and output factors are discussed to develop the conceptual model. The conceptual model provides an impetus and direction for future research into online auctions, taking advantage of existing tradition but also forming the basis for the development and testing of research hypotheses that will expand the frontiers of knowledge in online auctions.

The Effect of Macro/Micro Course Sequencing on Learning and Attitudes in Principles of Economics

Is the sequence of the macro and micro semesters of the one-year principles course simply a matter of personal taste or does it influence student learning and attitudes? In this paper, the authors test the impact of alternative sequences.

An economic, organizational and behavioral model of the determinants of CEO tenure

Abstract This paper seeks to determine the extent to which chief executive officer (CEO) reward systems align the interests of CEOs with interests of stockholders and, therefore, counter the agency problem. The theoretical framework used differs from previous research in two major areas. First, the model focuses on the determinants of CEO tenure rather than CEO compensation, an explicit acknowledgement that most firms do not rely solely on firm performance to determine executive compensation, but rather depend on the ‘going rate’ for CEOs. Second, the model integrates the theoretical constructs from economic, organizational, and behavioral theory. This interdisciplinary model should provide a broader perspective of the environment in which CEOs operate and minimize the pitfalls associated with prior research which has generally adopted the perspective of only a single discipline. The empirical results from this study show that the power structure of an organization and certain key behavioral traits of CEOs are important in the CEO reward system, independent of firm performance. Moreover, these factors even seem to supercede the influence of corporate performance in their impact on CEO tenure.

Bias in salary arbitration: the case of major league baseball.

This study analyses all baseball arbitration cases from 1985–90 to determine if decisions differ among ethnic groups. Unlike earlier arbitration analyses, extensive controls for individual and team performance are used. Holding performance constant, the results indicate that Latin American players have 33% less chance and Blacks 19% less chance than does a White player of winning a case. These differences are not reflected by more risky salary demands by minority players and only marginally reflected by market salary practices toward minority players. Therefore, bias appears to emanate from arbitrator utility functions.

Bowling for Dollars Title Sponsorship of College Football Bowls

Corporate title sponsorship of college football bowl games has proliferated over the past two decades, yet little analysis has been made concerning the returns to these investments. This article examines the impact that title sponsorships have had on the stock value of the corporate sponsors. Using event study analysis, we find that there was no significant change, on average, in the stock prices following the sponsorship announcements. However, a cross-sectional analysis of changes in firm stock prices relative to corporate and bowl characteristics reveals that markets view sponsorships by large and high-tech firms negatively and major bowls positively.

Organizational Misconduct: The Antecedents of Oversigning in College Football

We used the pressure-opportunity model of organizational misconduct to examine the antecedents and extent of oversigning among NCAA Division 1 (Bowl Championship Series) football programs. The model incorporates organizational and environmental pressures, opportunities, and predispositions. The data sample spans 10 years, with the total sample of teams in a given year varying from 114 to 120, with a total of 1,155 annual team observations. We found that only environmental factors were significant antecedents for oversigning. We discuss our results in the context of possible reasons why the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ignores enforcement of its bylaws.

Vintage Analytics and Data Warehouse Design

Vintage Analytics is a useful technique for a variety of domains where performance depends on experience or age. However, this technique might be underutilized due to lack of awareness and due to difficulties in data preparation. This paper provides examples of Vintage Analytics, including one detailed scenario demonstrating benefits and typical challenges in the context of a sales database. It then proposes data warehouse design guidelines to address these difficulties.