Empirical evidence on foreign exchange market intervention: Where do we stand?

Zusammenfassung Empirische Befunde zur Intervention auf den Devisenm?rkten. Wie ist der Stand der Dinge? — Die Autoren geben einen überblick über 15 empirische Studien, in denen die Ziele untersucht werden, die die Zentralbanken bei ihren Interventionen auf den Devisenm?rkten verfolgen. Die neueren Studien gehen über die übliche Verifikation des “leaning against the wind”-Verhaltens hinaus. Es zeigt sich, da\ die interventionistischen Reaktionen davon abh?ngen, ob sich eine W?hrung aufoder abwertet und ob sie im Vergleich zur Kaufkraftparit?t überoder unterbewertet ist. Au\erdem werden zehn empirische Studien, die die Wirksamkeit von Interventionen untersuchen, betrachtet. Anscheinend haben nur Interventionen mit einem ausreichenden Informationsgehalt eine Chance, den Wechselkurs zu beeinflussen.

---

Résumé Des preuves empiriques sur l'intervention au marché des changes: où est-ce que nous nous trouvons? — Dans cette étude les auteurs font un aper?u de 15 études empiriques exécutées pour déterminer quels buts les banques centrales ont poursuivi avec leurs interventions au marché des changes. Les études les plus récentes ont réalisé plus que la vérification du comportement ?leaning against the wind?. On trouve que les réactions des banques centrales en fa?on d'une intervention dépendent de la direction que le cours du change va prendre (réévaluation ou déévaluation) et de la disparité entre le cours du change et la parité du pouvoir d'achat. En plus on a réexaminé 10 analyses empiriques concernant l'efficacité de l’intervention. Seulement les interventions qui contiennent beaucoup de nouvelles semblent avoir une chance d'influencer le taux de change.

---

Resumen Evidencia empirica de la intervención en el mercado de cambios: ?dónde estamos parados? — Este trabajo pasa revista a quince estudios empiricos que han sido llevados a cabo con el fin de determinar qué objetivos persiguem los bancos centrales con sus intervenciones en el mercado de cambios. Los estudios mas recientes van más alla de la usual verificación de un actividad “en contra del viento”. La respuesta en forma de intervención resullta depender de si una moneda se encuentra en una revaluation o en una devaluación y de si esta subo sobrevaluada con respecto a la paridad del poder de compra. Además, se revisan diez investigaciones empiricas sobre la efectividad de la intervención. Sólo intervenciones que incorporan un contenido de informaciones suficiente parecen tener una oportunidad de afectar a la tasa de cambio.

     

Combining results of different models: the case of a levy on the Dutch nitrogen surplus

Economic instruments, such as levies are considered by the Dutch government for reducing the harmful effects of the production and application of manure. To analyse these levies a framework which makes it possible to combine and to choose among different types of research is developed. The results are integrated along the line of the marginal abatement cost curve. The problems related to integrating different types of research are taken into account. The method developed allows every farmer to react to a levy differently. A levy turns out to be more effective to reduce the nitrogen surplus on farm level in the pig fattening sector when compared to the pig breeding sector. But even a levy of 2 guilderd/kg of nitrogen does not remove the total manure surplus in the pig sector and results in large profit losses. Further research is needed to underpin the empirical input required by the model.     

Testing for Dynamic Misspecification of Input Demand Functions: An Application to Canadian Agriculture

Previous applications of the inter-temporal quadratic adjustment cost model in agriculture have failed to consider information gained from pre-testing in choosing an appropriate specification for dynamic demand of quasi-fixed inputs. A test strategy is outlined taking account of this information in order to consistently estimate adjustment cost and discount rate parameters. Canadian agricultural data are used in the empirical analysis. Test results suggest that the intertemporal quadratic adjustment cost model is inappropriate for modeling dynamic demand for land, labor and machinery.     

Double serial correlation for multilevel growth curve models

Multilevel growth curve models for repeated measures data have become increasingly popular and stand as a flexible tool for investigating longitudinal change in students’ outcome variables. In addition, these models allow the estimation of school effects on students’ outcomes though making strong assumptions about the serial independence of level-1 residuals. This paper introduces a method which takes into account the serial correlation of level-1 residuals and also introduces such serial correlation at level-2 in a complex double serial correlation (DSC) multilevel growth curve model. The results of this study from both real and simulated data show a great improvement in school effects estimates compared to those that have previously been found using multilevel growth curve models without correcting for DSC for both the students’ status and growth criteria.     

The effect of procedural justice in the relationship between charismatic leadership and feedback reactions in performance appraisal

In this study, the relationship between procedural justice, charismatic leadership and feedback reactions (i.e. perceived feedback utility and feedback accuracy) is investigated. We conducted both regression analyses and path analyses (n = 299) to establish whether there is a moderating or mediating effect of charismatic leadership in the relationship between procedural justice and feedback reactions of teachers. Our results indicate there is a mediating effect of charismatic leadership. This demonstrates that besides the appraisal system, charismatic leadership is important for feedback reactions. Hence, supervisors should take into account that they have an important function to fulfill when conducting performance appraisals and not see performance appraisal as just another perfunctory system in human resource management.     

A Conceptually-Based Empirical Analysis on Quality Differences Between UK Annual Reports and US 10-K Reports

The International Accounting Standards Board （IASB） and the Financial Accounting Standards Board （FASB） stress the importance of high-quality ＇financial reports. From a scientific point of view, however, major methodological drawbacks can arise when trying to arrive at a comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the decision usefulness of financial reports. In this conceptually-based exploratory study, the authors construct a 33-item index aimed at operationalizing decision usefulness in terms of the fundamental and enhancing qualitative characteristics laid out in the conceptual framework （CF） of the IASB （2010）. Using a matched-pairs sample design, which includes 70 UK annual reports and 70 US 10-K reports for 2010, the results of test-retest and inter-rater reliability tests show that these multiple items, which were based on items used in previous research, can be measured in a reliable manner. At the same time, the results of an exploratory factor analysis indicate that the IASB qualitative characteristics cannot be measured separately when the 33-item index is applied. At an aggregate level, the results of paired-sample t-tests reveal that UK reports score on average higher than US 10-K reports, which suggests that the overall quality of UK reports is better. The findings of this study add to the existing literature on the empirical evaluation of the effects of international accounting standards, showing that, as compared with 10-K reports, UK annual reports provide more information on topics such as corporate social responsibility （CSR）, corporate governance, and annual bonus schemes. On the other hand, US reports outperform UK reports with respect to the content of fair value information, cash flow statements, off-balance financing, and audit reporting.     

Multi-Regime Interactions in the Dutch Energy Sector: The Case of Combined Heat and Power Technologies in the Netherlands 1970–2000

This article is about multi-regime interactions in energy sectors. Multi-regime interactions are interactions between fairly well defined and separated systems of production, intermediation and use. It is argued that multi-regime interactions have been underexposed in previous innovation literature, yet it is hypothesized that multi-regime interactions are critically important for understanding transition processes, and in particular for current transitions in European energy sectors. Based on a case study on combined heat and power (CHP) in the Netherlands, a typology is developed of four types of interaction: competition, symbiosis, integration and spill over.     

Learning in strategic technology alliances

In this paper we examine the influence of strategic technology alliances on organisational learning. From an empirical perspective we examine the pre- and post-alliance knowledge bases of allying firms. We find that the pre-alliance knowledge base overlap of the allying firms has an inverted U-shaped relationship with the degree of learning taking place in the alliance. Alliances established for the purpose of learning also show a significantly greater increase in knowledge base overlap for the allying firms than for non-learning alliance or non-allying firms. This shows the particular importance of learning alliances as a vehicle for organisational learning and competence development. Contrary to what we expected we found that weak ties are more important than strong ties in organisational learning within strategic alliances.