Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Review Of The Book Wage Indexation In The United States: Cola Or Uncola?, Ronald Ehrenberg

Ronald G. Ehrenberg

[Excerpt] Hendricks and Kahn's book is a major contribution to the literature on wage indexation. The authors, together with a team of graduate assistants, have painstakingly put together a data file from Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of National Affairs sources that covers over 10,000 individual contract negotiations during the 1967-82 period. A major portion of their book is devoted to econometric analyses of these data; specifically, analyses of the determinants of COLA incidence, the determinants of COLA strength, the effect of COLAs on wage inflation, and the effect of COLAs on strike activity. Earlier versions of some of …

Exogenous Or Endogenous Money Supply: Evidence From Australia, Zatul Badarudin, Ahmed Khalid, Mohamed Ariff

Ahmed Khalid

This paper investigates the nature of money supply in Australia over two separate monetary policy regimes: monetary and inflation targeting. The post-Keynesian theory on endogenous money was tested with the aim of investigating whether endogenous money supply, if it did exist, followed the accomodationist, structuralist or liquidity preference viewpoints. Data used are quarterly series from 1977 to 2007 and we used vector error-correction model for long-run and short-run causality tests. We found that money supply is endogenous in Australia even when the central bank targeted monetary aggregates during the period 1977 to 1993.

Beach And Surf Tourism And Recreation In Australia: Vulnerability And Adaptation, Michael Raybould

Michael Raybould

The Beach and surf tourism and recreation in Australia: Vulnerability and adaptation project has produced estimates of economic values for recreation and tourism related to beach and surf amenities across four case-study locations in Australia. Estimates of the non-market consumer surplus values of beach recreation indicate that beach recreation is worth around: $70 million per annum (p.a.) to residents of the Sunshine Coast (Qld), $32 million p.a. to residents of Clarence Valley (NSW), $6 million p.a. to residents of the Surf Coast (Vic) and $4 million p.a. for residents of Augusta-Margaret River (WA). In addition to the non-market values, real …

Individually Rational Buyback Contracts With Inventory Level Dependent Demand, Lokendra Devagan, R K Amit, Peeyush Mehta, Sanjeev Swami, Kripa Shanker

R K Amit

In this paper, we consider a supply chain coordination problem when demand faced by a retailer is influenced by the amount of inventory displayed on the retail shelf. We assume that shelf space inventory is used as one of the levers to stimulate demand. Our objective in this research is to design individually rational contracts that coordinate the supply chain when the retailer faces inventory-level-dependent demand. We consider a buyback contract where any leftover inventory at the retailer can be returned to the supplier at a pre-specified terms of the buyback contract. The existing buyback contracts in the supply chain …

'So, What Did You Do?' A Performative, Practice-Based Approach To Examining Informal Learning In Wil, Bonnie Dean, Chris Sykes, Jan Turbill

Jan Turbill

A growing body of research in work-integrated learning (WIL) demonstrates the importance of industry experience for student learning. Much of this research however focuses on individual, formal learning that occurs in WIL programs typically captured through assessment. What is less visible is the informal learning experienced during placement. In this paper, we argue that such omissions are suggestive of the incommensurability of the standard paradigm of learning with informal learning. The standard paradigm limits informal learning by privileging individual, cognitive processes of recall, thereby casting experience as “static and sedimented, separated from knowledge making processes” (Fenwick, 2009, p.235). This paper …

An Appraisal Of Socially Responsible Investments And Implications For Trustees And Other Investment Fiduciaries, Paul Ali, Martin Gold

Martin L Gold

This paper examines the suitability for trustees and other investment fiduciaries of the class of investments known variously as "socially responsible", "ethical", "screened", "social" or "sustainable" investments, in the context of the legal duties imposed on fiduciaries to invest the fund entrusted to them in a prudent manner. The paper is intended to provide trustees and investment fiduciaries with the legal tools for appraising socially responsible investments, a task fraught with difficulties given the political sensitivities and controversies associated with such investments. An estimated $1.9 billion has been invested according to socially responsible investment r'SRI") strategies by Australian managed investment …

Being Critical In Marketing Studies: The Imperative Of Macro Perspectives, Nikhilesh Dholakia

Nikhilesh Dholakia

In this article, I argue that an elevated macro-level perspective is imperative for conducting critical studies in the fields of marketing and consumer research. There are epistemic barriers to operating in this manner, and I offer several suggestions for overcoming these barriers. Finally, I review the research spaces for critical studies of marketing in various global settings and conclude that United Kingdom and Nordic Europe have the best epistemic climate, and this region needs to take leadership in promoting greater range of macro and critical studies of marketing in the rest of the world.

E-Commerce Patterns In South Asia: A Look Beyond Economics, Nir Kshetri, Nikhilesh Dholakia

Nikhilesh Dholakia

Conflicting and complex forces are shaping the diffusion patterns of the Internet and e-commerce in South Asia. Drawing upon the literature on institutional theory, we explore the drivers and inhibitors of the Internet in South Asian countries. We examine the influence of the three pillars of institutions (Scott, 1995) on the digital world of South Asia. The paper discusses how regulatory, normative, and cognitive institution–such as laws, relationships, culture, and habit–have shaped the diffusion patterns of the Internet and e-commerce in South Asia.

Bringing The Market To Life: Screen Aesthetics And The Epistemic Consumption Object, Detlev Zwick, Nikhilesh Dholakia

Nikhilesh Dholakia

This article argues that the new ‘visuality’ (Schroeder, 2002) of the Internet transforms the stock market into an epistemic consumption object. The aesthetics of the screen turn the market into an interactive and response-present surface representation. On the computer screen, the market becomes an object of constant movement and variation, changing direction and altering appearance at any time. Following Knorr Cetina (1997, 2002b) we argue that the visual logic of the screen ‘opens up’ the market ontologically. The ontological liquidity of the market-on-screen simulates the indefiniteness of other life forms. We suggest that the continuing fascination with online investing is …

The Effect Of Ownership Structure On Leverage Decision: New Evidence From Chinese Listed Firms, Qigui Liu, Gary Tian, Xiaoming Wang

Qigui Liu

This paper examines the effect of state control and ownership structure on the leverage decision of firms listed in the Chinese stock market. Our results show that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have higher leverage ratios than non-SOEs, and SOEs in regions with a poorer institutional environment have higher leverage ratios than SOEs in better regions. We also show that the largest shareholding (the percentage of shares held by the largest shareholder) in the SOEs has a negative relationship with the leverage ratio, while the largest shareholding in non-SOEs has a non-linear relationship with the short-term and long-term debt ratios. Finally, this …

Customer Satisfaction Measurement For The State-Owned Banks In The Developing Countries - The Case Of Bangladesh, Muhammad Khondaker, Monir Mir

Muhammad S Khondaker

Customer Satisfaction has become an imponant aspect of measuring performance. particularly for the banking and finance industry. As most banks and finance organizations offer Similar products and services. Improving customer satisfaction and loyalty is the most important factor in maintaining as well as increasing market share for these organizations. Customer satisfaction is a grossly neglected area for performance measurement in almost all Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Bangladesh is no exception. Like most LDCs. Bangladesh is also com:ng under pressure from the IMF. World Bank. ADB. etc. to reform its inefficient financial sector. Anecdotal evidence suggests that state·owned commercial banks …

Make A University Partnership Your Big Data Weapon, Jennifer Priestley

Jennifer L. Priestley

Consider your email contacts. How many have a .edu extension? With how many academics do you have “LinkedIn” connections? If you are like most professionals, the answer is “none.” But you may need to reconsider this missing segment of connectivity in your professional life.

Regional Integration And Transnational Labor Strategies Under Nafta, Maria Cook

Maria Lorena Cook

[Excerpt] This paper argues that while the internationalization of the economy has tended to weaken national labor movements, the internationalization of domestic politics may expand the traditional arenas for strategic action for labor unions. In particular, the North American Free Trade Agreement has been portrayed by some of its many critics as representing the consolidation of a neoconservative or neoliberal project that will not only shape the future economic development of the region, but also constrain its social policies and limit its political options (Grinspun and Cameron 1993: Chapter 1). However, these same critics have also noted that the debate …

When Birds Of A Feather Don’T Flock Together: Different Scientists And The Roles They Play In Biotech R&D Alliances, Annapoornima Subramaniam, Kwanghui Lim, Pek-Hooi Soh

Kwanghui Lim

A firm's ability to produce high-impact innovations depends upon the nature of its R&D alliances as well as its composition of scientific human capital. The firm's scientific human capital is made up of its scientists, who produce valuable research outputs and who engage with the broader scientific community, thus helping the firm to integrate new knowledge from universities and other firms. In this paper, we examine heterogeneity within the firm's scientific human capital, emphasizing the distinct role of ‘bridging scientists’ who engage in two related but dissimilar scientific activities: patenting and publishing. Using a panel dataset of 222 firms in …

Alternative Estimators Of Cointegrating Parameters In Models With Non-Stationary Data: An Application To Us Export Demand, James Forest, Paul Turner

James J Forest

This paper presents Monte Carlo simulations which compare the empirical performance of two alternative single equation estimators of the equilibrium parameters in a dynamic relationship. The estimators considered are Stock and Watson’s dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) estimator and Bewley’s transformation of the general autoregressive distributed lag model. The results indicate that the Bewley transformation produces a lower mean-square error as well as superior serial correlation properties even with lower truncation lags for the lagged variables included in the estimation equation. An application is then provided which examines the nature of the equilibrium relationship between aggregate US exports, world trade …

Seidman Undergraduate Newsletter Back Issues, Linda Masselink

Linda Masselink

No abstract provided.

Pay-What-You-Want Pricing And Competition: Breaking The Bertand Trap, Yong Chao, Jose Fernandez, Babu Nahata

Yong Chao

Pay-What-You-Want (PWYW) pricing is a recent participative pricing strategy where a seller offers a good or service for any price consumers want to pay, including zero or some minimum payment. This paper provides a theoretical framework to study strategic effects of the PWYW pricing under duopoly by incorporating behavioral considerations of consumers in making voluntary payments when they could be freeloaders. Without identifying any particular behavioral factor, we assume that consumers feel a sense of guilt when they pay less than their reference points. It is shown that the PWYW pricing can be a profitable marketing strategy than the conventional …

Jump Processes In The Market For Crude Oil, Neil Wilmot, Charles Mason

Charles F Mason

In many commodity markets, the arrival of new information leads to unexpectedly rapid changes—or jumps—in commodity prices. Such arrivals suggest the assumption that log-return relatives are normally distributed may hold. Combined with time-varying volatility, the possibility of jumps offers a potential explanation for fat tails in oil price returns. This article investigates the potential presence of jumps and time-varying volatility in the spot price of crude oil and in futures prices. The investigation is carried out over three data frequencies (Monthly, Weekly, Daily), which allows for an investigation of temporal properties. Employing likelihood ratio tests to compare among four stochastic …

A Social-Creative-Cognitive (Scc) Model For Requirements Engineering, Linda Dawson

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

This paper describes a research project and the findings from a set of six cases which examine professional requirements engineering (RE) practice from the perspective of how analysts reach agreement on system requirements for Information Systems Development (ISD). In these studies, it was found that the analysts reached agreement on requirements with clients through communication and negotiation based on both analysts’ cognitive skills in problem-solving and creative skills in developing informal models that could be used in the negotiation of agreement and sign-off on requirements specifications. A theoretical model of Social-Creative-Cognitive (SCC) aspects of Requirements Engineering is proposed encompassing the …

O*Net's National Perspective On The Greening Of The World Of Work, Erich Dierdorff, Jennifer Norton, Christina Gregory, David Rivkin, Phil Lewis

Erich C. Dierdorff

No abstract provided.

What's Your Pitch? The Power Of Wow! (Worksheet For The Webinar On January 18, 2011), Connie Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

Elevator pitches are created to sell your idea, business, product or service in 30 seconds or less (the time it takes to go from the first floor to the top of the building in an elevator). A great pitch has the power to help anyone...from a University employee to a new entrepreneur to a team working in a high-growth firm.

It’s important to develop and practice an effective pitch, complete with an awesome "Wow Factor," so you are ready to use it under fire (pretend you just stepped onto an elevator with Warren Buffett or Bill Gates)!

This interactive webinar …

Ready, Set...Pitch: Marketing Yourself With A High Five For The Nta Promarks Spring Meeting, Connie Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

A workshop presented at the NTA Promarks Spring Meeting designed to help them develop their elevator pitches using Dr. Connie's High 5 Elevator Pitch method

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer And A Four-Year-Old: Lessons For Leadership & Life, Connie Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

Last week while I was in the shower, my four-year-old daughter, Raquel, walked into the bathroom and asked me an interesting question. “Mom, why doesn’t anyone like Rudolph’s shiny red nose?” My daughter was supposed to be in bed sleeping. I am 99% sure she was lying in bed reflecting on her day.

Many nights I have quietly checked on her before going to bed myself only to find her talking to herself while she makes vivid hand gestures and motions. On this particular evening, her talk and gestures must have focused on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. After thinking about …

Six Questions For Entrepreneurial Leadership And Innovation In Distance Education, Connie Reimers-Hild, James King

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

Institutions offering distance education courses and programs may benefit by encouraging administrators, faculty, staff and students to be more entrepreneurial. Organizational cultures designed to support this type of environment are characterized by entrepreneurial leadership, innovation and change. This article provides information on how distance education institutions can incorporate entrepreneurial leadership and innovation into their organizations. Six questions for administrators of distance education to consider are presented in an effort to provoke discussion and thought on the importance of incorporating entrepreneurial leadership and innovation throughout distance education organizations.

Leadership And Innovation Program, Connie Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

No abstract provided.

Leading Innovation: Creating A Culture Of Sustainability Workbook, Connie Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

A workbook designed to compliment the workshop, "Leading Innovation: Creating a Culture of Sustainability" and focused on teaching Dr. Connie's 5 Rays of Innovation

Dr. Connie's Top 10 Confidence Boosters, Connie Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

Strengthen your Inner Leader by investing time and resources in your self-confidence. There are a number of confidence building tools, and you have to find and use the tools that best serve you. As a Certified Professional Coach I find the issue my clients struggle with most is confidence. From my research and experience, I have developed Dr. Connie’s Top 10 Confidence Boosters. They are presented in the attached paper.

Reaching For The Brass Ring: The U.S. News & World Report Rankings And Competition, Ronald Ehrenberg

Ronald G. Ehrenberg

[Excerpt] The behavior of academic institutions, including the extent to which they collaborate on academic and nonacademic matters, is shaped by many factors. This paper focuses on one of these factors, the U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) annual ranking of the nation’s colleges and universities as undergraduate institutions, exploring how this ranking exacerbates the competitiveness among American higher education institutions. After presenting some evidence on the importance of the USNWR rankings to both public and private institutions at all levels along the selectivity spectrum, I describe how the rankings actually are calculated, then discuss how academic institutions alter their …

The 1995 Nrc Ratings Of Doctoral Programs: A Hedonic Model, Ronald Ehrenberg, Peter Hurst

Ronald G. Ehrenberg

We describe how one can use multivariate regression models and data collected by the National Research Council as part of its recent ranking of doctoral programs (Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States: Continuity and Change) to analyze how measures of program size, faculty seniority, faculty research productivity, and faculty productivity in producing doctoral degrees influence subjective ratings of doctoral programs in 35 academic fields. Using data for one of the fields, economics, we illustrate how university administrators can use the models to compute the impact of changing the number of faculty positions they allocate to the field on …

Advance Notice Provisions In Plant Closing Legislation: Do They Matter?, Ronald Ehrenberg, George Jakubson

Ronald G. Ehrenberg

This paper evaluates the cases for and against plant closing legislation. In spite of the growth of legislative efforts in the area, there has been surprisingly little effort devoted to analyzing what the effects are of existing plant closing legislation, of provisions in privately negotiated collective bargaining agreements that provide for advance notice in case of plant shutdowns and/or layoffs, and of voluntary employer provision of advance notice. The paper summarizes the results of previous research, and our own empirical analyses that used the January 1984 Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey of Displaced Workers, on the effects of advance notice …