Most recent studies are based on benchmarking analysis allowing the measure of company efficiency relatively to a reference performance. Benchmarking is a helpful tool to analyze and promote efficiency in insurance companies. The fast development of X-efficiency notion makes traditional performance measures (ROA, ROE, etc.) obsolete. Indeed, various methods have been used, various input-output measures have been proposed and various research fields have been explored in insurance company investigation. So, after reviewing most known efficiency concepts and their definitions, this section explores the literature review of two principal points of discussion: the first point is focused on the different used techniques to measure efficiency, including the developed approaches to define inputs, outputs and their prices. The second point represents an overview of efficiency investigations in insurance industry.

Safety is a relative quantity that is a function of the situation in which it is measured. This research has been conducted in a well established pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh practicing GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), which has a tablet manufacturing facility. Tablet manufacturing comprises a number of manufacturing activities and machineries. Each of these activities, requiring amalgamated interaction of man, machine, equipment and environment has the potential of producing unforeseen hazards. Therefore, analysis of risk to assure worker safety is not only necessary here, it is also important to use an appropriate tool that can incorporate all the risk- producing parameters. The research work conducted here using a very effective tool named Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), consisted of observing the works at different sections, breaking them down into sequential steps, noting the surrounding variables of each task, and using these data to perform risk analysis to find out the most hazardous works for the workers.

This research study focuses the existence of “weak form efficiency” in the Karachi stock exchange of Pakistan. Daily stock returns are used to check the “weak form efficiency’ in KSE covering a time period of 15 years ranges from July, 1997 to April, 2012. Kolmogrov-Smirnov (K-S) test, runs test, Unit root test Augumented Dickey Fuller test, Phillips Perron test are run to check the hypothesis. It is revealed that the KSE is not distributed normally and patterns are there in the prices so, the technical analyst can get the benefit in short run through predicting the future prices. This means that there exists some opportunity for the traders and investors to predict the upcoming stock prices of the securities, which are trading in the KSE and can earn high return and outperform the market. However, in long run scenario (in monthly data) the results are vice versa and Karachi stock exchange is a weak form efficient market.

Capital structure plays an important role on market growth investigation. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between capital structure as dependent variable and seven independent variables including tax rate, firms & apos; growth rate, fixed assets, firms & apos; size, operating risk, profitability and industry type. The proposed study of this paper uses the financial information of 107 selected companies from 18 different industries listed on Tehran Stock Exchange over the period of 2004-2011 covering 40% of total number of companies listed in this stock exchange. We use ordinary least square technique to study the relationships. The results of the survey indicate that the there is a positive relationship between tax rate and firm & apos; s growth rate, and capital structure. The result of the survey also indicates there is a negative relationship between firm & apos; s profitability and capital structure. However, there is no evidence to believe that there was any relationship between fixed assets and capital structure. We have also concluded that there was a negative relationship between firm & apos; s profitability and capital structure but the results of our survey did not indicate that there was any difference between the mean of profitability in various sectors.

This research investigates the relationship between auditor’s opinion and stock return in the companies listed at Tehran stock exchange market. In this study, all required data are collected from aware shareholders and provide a sampling of 130 questionnaires, the data collected over the period 2010-2011 using test methods such as computer software, data analysis and statistical methods to answer research questions. According to research result through questionnaires and tests, there is a significant relationship between stock returns and the auditor & apos; s opinion, in fact, for aware shareholders of the company the auditor’s opinion has a special message. This message is based on the results of study hypothesis in comparison with previous research with regard to changes in the questionnaire and provides assumptions that are more detailed. The first finding is that unqualified audit report has a positive impact on stock returns of companies with a medium to low degree. Adverse audit report has a negative impact on stock returns of companies with medium to high degree. Disclaimer of audit report has a negative impact on stock returns of companies with medium to high degree. Finally, qualifying paragraphs, which modified the items of income statement items have more impact in comparison with qualifying paragraphs which modified the Balance Sheet items.

For many years, investors used some basic financial ratios to measure the relative performance of various active industries based on two-digit ISIC classification. However, direct implementation of basic financial figures may not be practical in today & apos; s business environment since investors face with different criteria. The proposed model of this paper uses Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to compare 37 various industries based on different financial figures. We gather the necessary data over the period of 2009-2010 from Tehran Stock Exchange and investigate the data in two stages. In the first stage, we perform fundamental analysis to select the most appropriate firms and the in the second stage, we use TOPSIS to rank selected firms based on different criteria. The results of the study confirm that information and communication technology, which is one of the biggest firms in this exchange is considered as the best option (relative ranking 0.88 in two years) followed by some Cement industry (with relative ranking of 0.26 in 2009 and 0.19 in 2010) and oil refinery units (with relative ranking of 0.23 in 2009 and 0.19 in 2010). The figure also shows that other firms maintain low ratios varied from 0.23 to 0.01. The lowest industry ranking belongs to marine industry.

One of the major challenges facing all of individuals and organizations is decision-making based on the information. The issues of priority about cash flows and accruals data in decision-making process for different groups of financial statement users include investors, creditors, shareholders, directors, etc. one of the issues that has been controversial between accrual and cash accounting advocators for a long time. In this study, we survey the role of accruals and operating cash flows in decisions of financial statement users in listed companies on Tehran stock exchange, information content of operating cash flows and accruals in the connection with decision-making criteria used by different groups using financial statement has been examined. In this study, we use eliminating sampling and implied limitations and the sample size includes 203 companies to examine six hypotheses. The results of this research indicate that there is a significant different between accruals and operating cash flows information content in relation to various decision-making criteria but utilizing accruals and operating cash flows supplementary and simultaneously in profit frame depending on the selection criteria may or may not be include information value-added.

This research studies the effects of performance criteria (accounting, market and economy) on the quality of financial reporting in Iran. To evaluate the variable financial reporting quality, the scores given to each company are applied based on the checklist introduced by Iranian Association of Certified Public Accountants and used for the disclosure of the information of the annual financial statements of companies. The statistical population of this research consists of the companies listed on Tehran Stock Exchange over the period 2006-2011. This research, which is classified as applied research, uses the methods of multivariate regression test. The data and hypotheses of this research are analyzed and tested using correlation test and means difference test. The results of the tests conducted on 99 companies indicate that there is a significant and positive relation between the rate of return on equity and the equality of financial reporting. There is also a significant and positive relation between earnings per share and the equality of financial reporting. However, there is no relationship between QTOBIN and the equality of financial reporting. Finally, our results indicate there is a significant and positive relation between market value-added and the equality of financial reporting.

This study investigates the explanatory power of leverage and cash flows in future cash flow prediction in Tehran Stock Exchange by considering Signaling Theory and Pecking Order Theory. Based on theoretical foundations, the regression models of leverage and cash flow with a set of control variables was developed. Statistical samples consist of companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange over the period 2005- 2011. The results show that there was a negative relationship between cash flow and leverage levels in contemporary time. This is consistent with pecking order behavior. While at intertemporer level, there was a positive relationship between current leverage and the firm & apos; s cash flows in the future. This is consistent with signaling theory.

During the past few years, there have been growing interests among researchers to study the effect of block share ownership on corporate earning especially in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to consider the impact of block ownership on performance of firms in terms of profitability. The proposed study develops two econometric models and applies them on selected firms from Tehran Stock Exchange over the period 2002-2010. The primary objective of this survey is to find the relationship between return of assets and Tobin & apos; s Q as dependent variables with eight independent variables including company size, sales growth, block ownership, debt and liability ratios, etc. The results of implementation of ordinary least squares on two econometric models reveal that while there is no meaningful relationship between return of asset and block ownership there is a meaningful relationship between block ownership and Tobin & apos; s Q.