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Papers by Otto Chang

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for... more This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Journal of Values-Based Leadership by

In this study, we designed a survey instrument based on previous literature. Consisting of thirte... more In this study, we designed a survey instrument based on previous literature. Consisting of thirteen statements, our survey was designed to elicit students ’ responses in order to investigate factors affecting their decisions in choosing online accounting courses. Using orthogonal factor analysis, we extracted four variables explaining 66 % of the total variance. These four were treated as independent variables. Each independent variable was analyzed to determine its individual impact on the dependant variable, our students ’ willingness and likelihood to choose online accounting courses. First, we found that the factor representing convenience was the primary determinant in the online choice. Second, conversely, a factor deterring students from opting for online accounting was the need for in-class, face-to-face interaction and participation. Third, computer skill was found to be a significant positive determinant. Fourth, perceived self-discipline was statistically insignificant to...

Issues in Accounting and Finance, 2019

Hsi Lai Journal of Humanistic Buddhism, 2005

Worldwide business competition has intensified tremendously in the last decade as international t... more Worldwide business competition has intensified tremendously in the last decade as international trade has picked up under international agreements and arrangements such as World Trade Organization (WTO). In such a competitive environment, a company needs to possess core competitive capability in order to survive and succeed. As our economy moves from the production-based industrial age into the knowledge-based information age, one of the most important core competitive capabilities a company can possess is innovation, that is, the ability to create new products or services or to use a new method or process for production or service. However, innovation does not exist in vacuum. In order to be innovative, an organization needs to have a certain culture to support it. The literature is scattered with studies that attempt to identify the links between organizational culture and innovation. Very few of them, however, investigate the role of religious beliefs in creating an innovative or...

The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic, and Social Sustainability: Annual Review, 2006

Hsi Lai Journal of Humanistic Buddhism, 2003

This paper first explores the conceptual foundation of business ethics as defined currently in th... more This paper first explores the conceptual foundation of business ethics as defined currently in the mainstream western business world. In the second section, an ethical system comprising meta-ethical values and pragmatic ethical practices is constructed from the perspective of Humanistic Buddhism. Business ethics are then discussed as an integral part of this Humanistic Buddhism’s interpretation of ethics. Finally, the paper addresses the possibility of constructing universal business ethics from the aforementioned conceptual framework of Buddhist ethics.

Rapid growth in electronic commerce has presented many challenges to the existing tax system. The... more Rapid growth in electronic commerce has presented many challenges to the existing tax system. The basic nature of Internet has the potential to make the transactions invisible or untraceable, therefore offering great opportunities for tax evasion. This paper examines the implications as well as the challenges Electronic Commerce poses for the current tax system. The policy responses from government toward electronic commerce are also discussed. Finally, the future trends of Internet taxation and relevant recommendations are provided.

From a historical perspective, economic development in human society can be divided into several ... more From a historical perspective, economic development in human society can be divided into several evolutionary stages or modes. The early gatherers’ economy was followed by an agricultural economy, industrial economy, and very recently an information or knowledge-based economy. The Buddhist approach to economic development represents the next stage of economic evolution: a wisdom-based economy. Just as suggested in the Mahayana literature, sentient beings are not ready to receive Buddha’s teaching of the perfect wisdom until they have been prepared through different stages of cultivation. The time is ripe for the world to adopt the Buddha’s wisdom into their economic lives.

Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies, 2019

Journal of Management and Sustainability, 2017

A survey was designed and administered to 172 business professionals in the United States in 2015... more A survey was designed and administered to 172 business professionals in the United States in 2015 to obtain their assessments of both the current status and future development of sustainable business practices at their companies. Despite the recent attention given to corporate social responsibility, we find that only 34 percent of respondents have a comprehensive sustainable management plan currently in place. However, the survey indicates that by 2021 that percentage is expected to increase to 54 percent. We also find that the six most popular sustainable business practices are recycling material, reducing waste, using less paper, employing energy-efficient technologies, conserving water, and adopting energy-efficient building designs. Respondents indicate their firms are likely to increase expenditures or investment in these same six sustainable practices from 2016-2021. This suggests these particular practices are viewed as being more feasible and beneficial to implement. Among t...

Journal of Management and Sustainability, 2016

Maintaining the sustainability of our planet is an important issue as it affects the wellbeing of... more Maintaining the sustainability of our planet is an important issue as it affects the wellbeing of future generations. Businesses can potentially play an instrumental role in addressing global warming and maintaining the ecological equilibrium of nature. Attitudes held by business executives and professionals regarding sustainable business practices can help determine the outcome of this battle. A survey instrument was administered to 166 business professionals in the Midwest United States to assess these attitudes. In general, we found that the surveyed business professionals have positive attitudes toward sustainable business practices. These attitudes were correlated with utilitarianism ethics and new business opportunities hypothesis, but not with the cost factor or a belief in a free market economy. Several background variables were found to explain the variation of the subjects' overall attitudes toward sustainability: age, religious affiliation, political affiliation, and education.

The International Journal of Sustainability Policy and Practice, 2015

Business Renaissance Quarterly, Jul 1, 2008

Abstract This paper illustrates how to include philosophy of business in the discussion of an int... more Abstract This paper illustrates how to include philosophy of business in the discussion of an introductory executive MBA course. The author argued that business students should be taught about the broad historical, social, economical and ecological environment where business activities derive. Current management theory and practice, with its narrow focus on the exchange values between an economic entity and its environment within a short-term horizon, is only a special case of the human problem. From a broader view of the philosophy of business, the author exposed many of the weakness and limitations of current management theory and practices. These weakness and limitations were emphasized in several relevant topical areas in an introductory executive MBA course. Introduction The philosophy of business deals with the role of business in the solutions to human problems. It explores the nature and the purpose of business. It deals with issues such as: Is a business a private property or a social institution? Are there moral obligations associated with a business? (Wikipedia, 2007). These issues are important to business education, because they are closely associated with business ethics and economic concepts underlying management theories and practices. When the modern philosophies of business and economics were developed in the 17th and 18th century, they were closely related to the science of moral philosophy (Alvey, 1999). Bishop Butler (one of the authors in the group often referred to as the "enlightened self-interest school") proposed that pursuing the public good was the best way to advancing one's own good since the two were necessarily identical. Before Adam Smith wrote An Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, he wrote that "by acting according to the dictates of our moral faculties, we necessarily pursue the most effective means for promoting the happiness of mankind" in his The Theory of Moral Sentiments (Smith, 1976; orig. pub. 1759). Unfortunately, this convergence of public and private good was often turned around into psychological egoism by the false claim that acting in accordance with one's self interest will produce socially beneficial results (Mandeville, 1715; Friedman, 1962; Kalin, 1968). The fallacy of this claim is that the precondition and emphasis on morality and enlightenment was conveniently dropped and forgotten from the original theory of moral sciences. Gradually over the years, economics actually evolved from a moral science into an ethics-free discipline or an amoral science. The effect of promulgating self-interest based economic theories among generations of students is obvious-our modern world has become a society characterized by competition, selfish behavior, greed, and materialistic consumerism. Where do all the CEOs or CFOs in companies such as Enron or Worldcom get their education? One study revealed that first-year graduate economics students were less cooperative, contributed much less to group work, and found the concept of fairness alien (Marwell and Ames, 1981, p. 306). In another study, students of economics, compared to other students, tended to act according to the model of rational self-interest to which they are exposed (Frank, Gilovich, and Regan, 1993, 1996). Hausman and McPherson (1993, p. 674) commented that "learning economics, it seems, may make people more selfish." Something has to be done, if we desire to stop this trend of producing amoral students. Based on the need to reintroduce moral philosophy as the foundation of economics and business education, I have been experimenting with ways to reformulate the business curriculum. In the Spring Quarter of 2007, the author took advantage of an opportunity to teach an introductory executive MBA course to fully revise its course design and course contents to address this need. In the revised course, the philosophies of business, knowledge, and moral science were first introduced at the beginning of the class and serve as the foundation for discussions throughout the entire course. …

Hsi Lai Journal of Humanistic Buddhism, 2002

The paper first describes knowledge management theory and practice as currently applied in busine... more The paper first describes knowledge management theory and practice as currently applied in business world today. It then discusses the deficiencies of the mainstream paradigm in knowledge management and how Humanistic Buddhism can contribute toward the development of a complete theory of knowledge management. Finally, potential applications of knowledge creation techniques from Humanistic Buddhism are illustrated with actual industry practices.

Journal of Religion and Business Ethics, 2012

The Journal of Values Based Leadership, 2012

This paper proposes an authentic values-based approach to ethics education in accounting. Instead... more This paper proposes an authentic values-based approach to ethics education in accounting. Instead of following the majority of studies in the literature which focus on an individual's ethical decision-making process and the factors that influence the decision, the author believes that it would be more effective if values-based ethical principles were integrated into the foundation of accounting theory and practice. Such an approach to accounting ethics education is argued to be a more holistic and effective way to achieve the intended goals for accounting ethics education.