The inoperability extended multisectoral model and the Role of Income Distribution: A U.K. Case Study

In this paper, an effort is made to enrich the current input–output (I–O) methodologies employed for studying disruptive events, by extending the I–O framework and including all the phases of the circular flow of income into the overall disaster impact. In this respect, the Inoperability Extended Multisectoral Model is created and implemented in order to estimate the higher‐order effects in terms of value added and disposable income. The social accounting matrix, referred to the United Kingdom, is constructed and proposed as a starting point for assessing the effects of a system perturbation related to the eruption of the Volcano Eyjafjallajökull, in mid‐April 2010, which affected air transport services due to the full closure of the U.K.'s airspace for several days. Finally, the ranking of those commodities and institutional sectors which are badly affected can provide guidance to policymakers in order to minimize the overall impact on the economy.     

Heterogeneous beliefs and optimal ownership in entrepreneurial financing decisions

Our setting comprises one entrepreneurial firm with a growth opportunity seeking for external funding from a venture capitalist, where the entrepreneur and venture capitalist have homogeneous or heterogeneous beliefs about its growth prospects. We developed a real options model to determine the optimal ownership structure that triggers the simultaneous exercise of the growth option on the entrepreneurial firm by entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Our results show that the more optimistic any of the parties is, the lower the post-money firm ownership that party will retain. However, optimism leads parties to delay their decision to invest in the entrepreneurial firm, by demanding higher profit triggers and investing only in more valuable entrepreneurial firms. The combination of these two effects leaves perceived returns on investment unchanged and not dependent on their own optimism.     

Treatment discontinuation of long-acting injectables or oral atypical antipsychotics among Medicaid recipients with schizophrenia

Abstract

Aims: Among patients with schizophrenia, poor adherence and persistence with oral atypical antipsychotics (OAA) often results in relapse and hospitalization. Second-generation antipsychotic long-acting injectables (SGA LAI) have demonstrated higher adherence than first-generation antipsychotic LAI and OAA therapies. This study aimed to determine whether SGA LAIs are associated with better persistency compared to OAA among Medicaid recipients with schizophrenia.

Materials and methods: From the MarketScan Medicaid Database (January 1, 2010–June 30, 2016), patients aged ≥18?years with schizophrenia and ≥2 pharmacy claims more than 90?days apart for the same SGA LAI or OAA were selected. New users of the specific antipsychotic agent were classified, based on their index agent, as: OAA, paliperidone palmitate LAI (PPLAI), aripiprazole LAI (ALAI), and risperidone LAI (RLAI). Discontinuation during 1 year of follow-up was defined as a?≥?60-day gap in the index OAA or SGA LAI medication past the exhaustion of the previous claim’s supply. Inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTW) balanced the cohort characteristics, and weight outliers (<0.1 or >0.9) were excluded. IPTW-weighted Cox proportional hazards regression estimated hazard ratios for discontinuation.

Results: Cohorts included 7,029 OAA, 4,302 PPLAI, 586 ALAI, and 1,456 RLAI patients. Mean age was 38.0–41.0?years and 44.0–46.6% were female. Persistence was significantly longer in the SGA LAI cohorts than in the OAA cohort. Adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for discontinuation were 0.60 (0.56–0.64) for PPLAI, 0.69 (0.60–0.79) for ALAI, and 0.70 (0.64–0.77) for RLAI vs OAA.

Limitations: Results may not be generalizable to patients covered by commercial or Medicare insurance, and limitations inherent to any claims-based retrospective analysis apply.

Conclusions: SGA LAI may be a valuable option for treating schizophrenia given the improvement in persistence.     

Aromatic and Medicinal Plants of Tunisia: A Market Study

World demand for aromatic and medicinal plants (AMP), as well as the essential oils and extracts from these plants have been expanding because of their diversified and extensive usage. Demand for essential oils and plant extracts is driven by food flavoring industries, cosmetic and fragrance industries, and demand for industrial solvents. The principal consumers of all market classes of essential oils are the United States, Western Europe, and Japan. There are ten essential oil crops that account for 80% of the world market for essential oils. Based on the global AMP market demand, this article mainly addresses the “constraints on” and “opportunities for” expansion of this sector, which were ascertained through meetings with Tunisian AMP exporters and processors, literature reviews, and by collating responses to the Tunisian Exporter Marketing Survey. Based on these inputs, recommendations have been formulated to help capitalize Tunisia's comparative advantages to overcome the constraints and maximize opportunities.     

Aging and house prices

The paper investigates how aging will affect house prices. It uses for the first time a house price dataset covering 22 advanced economies. The analysis finds that demography did and will affect real house prices significantly. The results suggest that a major shift is taking place. In the past 40 years, on average demography increased advanced economy real house prices by around 30 basis points per annum, while in the next 40 years aging will decrease them on average by around 80 basis points per annum compared to neutral demographics. The shift from demographic tailwinds to headwinds might also be relevant when thinking about financial asset prices.     

How organizational support impacts affective commitment and turnover among Italian nurses: a multilevel mediation model

This study examines multilevel relationships between perceived organizational support (POS), affective commitment and voluntary turnover among nurses. We explored the mediation role of affective commitment between POS and turnover behavior at both individual and work-unit levels. This cross-level study involved 945 Italian nurses from 60 work units. We hypothesized and showed that collective affective commitment fully mediated the impact of climate for POS on individual and collective turnover among nurses. This study helps explain the variance in turnover among nurses in healthcare organizations by analyzing the influence of unit-level climate on individual behavior. Results stress that social environments within wards are important in explaining the processes by which nurses decide to quit their work unit.     

Are individuals with entrepreneurial characteristics more likely to engage in destruction? An experimental investigation among potential 21st century entrepreneurs in Tunisia

We test experimentally whether individuals high in some entrepreneurial characteristics are more likely to engage in destructive behavior than other individuals. In the joy-of-destruction game, participants can either preserve or costly burn the endowment of each other. In some treatments they can hide from other participants whether they are responsible for destruction. We found that participants high in some entrepreneurial characteristics are significantly more likely to adopt destructive behaviours.     

Benford and the Internal Capital Market: A Useful Indicator of Managerial Engagement

We propose the application of digit analysis using the Benford law to indicate managerial engagement in the capital allocation process. First, we motivate the potential of the Benford digit analysis to identify allocation outcomes that are shaped by human engagement instead of fixed decision rules. Second, we provide a case study to illustrate how the Benford digit analysis can be used to detect allocations affected by managerial interventions. We are unaware of any study applying the Benford test to internal capital markets, while this approach appears very useful in this context. It is commonly used in the auditing, financial accounting, and fraud detection literature.     

Explosive bubbles in the US–China exchange rate? Evidence from right-tailed unit root tests

In this article we apply novel right-tailed unit root (sup Augmented Dickey-Fuller (SADF) and generalized sup ADF) tests to the China–US exchange rate. The empirical results document that the recent financial crisis in 2008 may be preceded by early warning signs of exuberance. Using the SADF test, evidence of an explosive behavior in the nominal exchange is found from 2005 onwards. This period coincides with both financial reforms in China and early indications of an impending US crisis that both have been reported in the literature. Our findings suggest that such an explosive behavior may be attributable to differences in the relative prices of traded goods. Policy implications are also derived.     

Exploring human resource management roles in corporate social responsibility: the CSR‐HRM co‐creation model

Formulating and translating corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy into actual managerial practices and outcome values remain ongoing challenges for many organizations. This paper argues that the human resource management (HRM) function can potentially play an important role in supporting organizations to address this challenge. We argue that HRM could provide an interesting and dynamic support to CSR strategy design as well as implementation and delivery. Drawing on a systematic review of relevant strategic CSR and HRM literatures, this paper highlights the important interfaces between CSR and HRM and develops a conceptual model, the CSR‐HRM co‐creation model, which accounts for the potential HRM roles in CSR and identifies a range of outcome values resulting from a more effective integration of the role of HRM within CSR. The paper concludes with relevant theoretical and managerial recommendations that advance our understanding of the potential interfaces between HRM and CSR and how HRM can support a systematic and progressive CSR agenda.