This paper discusses the importance of the strategic planning process and presents a case study on JPMorgan Chase and how the resource‐based view (RBV) was used to align their resources with the overall strategy of the organization in achieving their goal of becoming the top nationally ranked commercial bank in the Unites States. This required JPMorgan Chase to implement strategic changes to their internal and external environment utilizing their resources and competencies. The objective of this paper is to provide a theoretical and practical insight of RBV on the “what happened” aspect of JPMorgan Chase and then discuss their ability to achieve and maintain competitive advantage.

Working capital is an important part of any businesses day-to-day operations. However, most businesses do not take into consideration that continuous investment into working capital does not maximize firm value. The specific problem addressed was firm managers that do not understand the optimal level for each component of working capital create sub-optimal value firm; leading to diminished investment returns for shareholders. For this study, 140 firms for the years 2003-2012 were selected from a stratified random sample of firms listed on the Russell 2000 index. Accounts receivable days outstanding, accounts payable days outstanding, and inventory days outstanding were regressed on economic value to determine whether a curvilinear relationship existed. All three models showed a statistically significant relationship to firm value, F(6, 2268), p<.01, R2= .40, F(6, 2268), p<.01, R2= .38, F(6, 2268), p<.01, R2= .39. Recommendations for firm managers included lowering accounts receivable, accounts payable, and inventory days during boom economic times while increasing accounts receivable, accounts payable, and inventory days during recessionary economic times. Consideration for future research into working-capital management and firm value should consider whether different curvilinear relationships exist between firm value and working-capital components during different economic cycles.

The subprime crisis seriously undermined the credibility of the rating agencies and their approach to analyzing credit risk. Along with other identified problems with bond ratings, this study investigates the issue that the technology used by the ratings agencies is at best dated and little changed since John Moody published his first bond ratings in 1909. The study compares the predictive accuracy of Moody's bond ratings with the structural modeling approach of Vassalou and Xing (2004), using railroad data from the Great Depression. Study results show that the structural modeling approach outperforms the expert judgment incorporated in Moody's bond ratings from that period.

The fourth edition of Merchandise Buying and Management has been updated to cover the most current information on merchandising and retailing. Written for college-level courses dealing with retail buying and the management for retail inventories, the text covers topics relevant to future buyers and store management personnel. The material is presented within the context of a contemporary retail environment-with examples from both fashion and non-fashion retailers-in which buyers often act as fiscal managers as well as product developers, and store managers play important roles in sales productivity and assortment planning. Retail technology is a theme that runs throughout the book, tied to topics such as space management, electronic data exchange, point-of-sale systems, and floor ready merchandise. Merchandise Buying and Management has been updated to cover the most current information on merchandising and retailing. Written for college-level courses dealing with retail buying and the management for retail inventories, the text covers topics relevant to future buyers and store management personnel. The material is presented within the context of a contemporary retail environment-with examples from both fashion and non-fashion retailers-in which buyers often act as fiscal managers as well as product developers, and store managers play important roles in sales productivity and assortment planning. Retail technology is a theme that runs throughout the book, tied to topics such as space management, electronic data exchange, point-of-sale systems, and floor ready merchandise.

Due to the tremendous growth in Internet usage around the globe during the last ten years, marketing teams now must better understand the impact of social media on consumer buying patterns. With Internet penetration estimated to continue to grow during the next decade, especially in second and third world markets, marketing executives will need to prioritize understanding the changes related to consumer buying patterns. Many papers have discussed this phenomenon and it was explored and analyzed as a result of new media advertising through social media ad repetition on consumer buying behavior. This study tested hypotheses on repetition and relevance, separately and jointly, with respect to obtaining a positive decision-making experience. Test subjects were given single and mixed ads via a video presentation then surveyed through SurveyMonkey. Test subjects came from similar academic universities in New Jersey USA and Changzhou China. The results reflect that ad repetition has a positive effect on consumer buying patterns.