Reexamining the uncertain information hypothesis on the S&P 500 Index and SPDRs

This paper examines the uncertain information hypothesis on one major index and its corresponding exchange-traded fund: the S&P 500 Index and SPDRs in the pre-SPDRs (01/63–12/93) and post-SPDRs (01/94–12/03) periods. Two strategies are used to measure the economic significance of the uncertain information hypothesis. Overall, we present evidence confirming the uncertain information hypothesis in the post-SPDRs period. However, we fail to convert the statistically significant gains observed into economic gains under a conservative approach. In addition, the degree of difference in the volatilities of the 5-day post-event returns (in both the S&P 500 and the SPDR) among the three subgroups diminishes in the post-SPDR period. Hence, we conclude that the market is in fact short-term efficient in a more realistic setting.     

The importance of atmospherics in the choice of hypermarkets and supermarkets

Are the atmospheric variables equally relevant for supermarket and hypermarket customers? As a contribution to the customers' choice of the store format, firstly this work aims to determine the perception of differences between hypermarkets and supermarkets in terms of store attributes. Second, it sheds light on the role played by atmospherics in the customers' decision process. This study uses a logit approach to model the probabilistic choice of the customers' store format using atmospheric and other marketing variables as important attributes of the grocery store. The model's estimation is based on personal interviews conducted during the shopping process in urban supermarkets and hypermarkets belonging to the same retail chain. The findings show that although the atmospheric variables are significantly important for both store formats, the customers perceive differently the importance of each retail atmospheric cue and other marketing variables, when buying in a hypermarket or in a supermarket: the choice of buying in hypermarket is explained by the significant importance given to the latent variables named pleasant atmosphere and accessibility and responsiveness; in contrast, the choice of buying in supermarkets is explained by the significant importance given to the latent variable nice decoration and empathy with the staff. The other latent variable designated by other marketing variables is only significantly important in the decision of choosing supermarkets.     

How the Perceptions of Five Dimensions of Corporate Citizenship and Their Inter-Inconsistencies Predict Affective Commitment

Through a convenience sample of 260 employees, the study shows how employees’ perceptions about corporate citizenship (CC) predict their affective commitment. The study was carried out in Portugal, a high in-group and low societal collectivistic culture. Maignan et al.’s (1999, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 27(4), 455–469) construct, including economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities was used. The main findings are: (a) contrary to what has been presumed in the literature, the discretionary dimension includes two factors: CC toward employees and toward community; (b) perceptions of CC explain 35% of unique variance of affective commitment; (c) the best predictors are perceptions of economic and legal CC and, mainly, perceptions of discretionary CC toward employees; (d) the perceptions of discretionary CC toward employees are significantly better predictors of affective commitment than are perceptions of economic, ethical, and discretionary CC toward the community; (e) perceived inconsistency of the several CC dimensions is detrimental to employees’ affective commitment. The study questions the four-dimensional model of the CC construct as operationalized by Maignan et al., suggests that culture should be included as a moderating variable in future research, and stresses that affective commitment may decrease when employees perceive that their organizations act upon the several areas of CC inconsistently.     

Environmental factors and satisfaction in a specialty store

Given the intense competition experienced in the sector, retailers have been designing strategies to create an environment conducive to consumer satisfaction and purchase, particularly in supermarkets and hypermarkets. This paper develops a conceptualization of customer satisfaction based on field data collected in a specialty store, focusing on the relative importance of the environmental factors on satisfaction. The results show that the most important environmental determinant of customer satisfaction is the variety of products. The help from employees, lighting, layout and design also stand out from the set of stimuli considered.     

The contribution of resources and capabilities to the competitiveness： The case of Port of Sines

The main objective of this paper is to analyse the competitiveness of the main maritime Port sited in Portugal - Port of Sines. This paper is developed under the resource-based view approach. A literature review about the resource-based view is presented with a special highlight on the contribution of organisation owns＇ resources to the competitiveness. With this study we intend to emphasize the applicability of a management theory to a different type of organisation which only recently starts to be preoccupied with its competitiveness. A case study methodology is used in order to collect all information needed about its main resources and capabilities of Port and also its competitiveness. The resources analysed in this paper are： The infrastructures, the accessibilities, the Port operations and also the information systems used on it. Also, a set of performance data is analysed as the main indicators of competitiveness. After that, a conceptual model is presented in order to systematise the main resources and capabilities under which the competitiveness of the Port of Sines is built on.     

Dynamics of Harvest Subcontracting: The Roles Played by Labour Contractors

A historical perspective of three export agro‐industries in Argentina (lemons, sweet citrus and tobacco) illustrates the range of factors that may foster subcontracting and the choice of subcontracting modalities. The case studies also illustrate that subcontracting is often a fragile strategy that leads to the eventual reabsorption of subcontracted tasks. We argue that the fragility of subcontracting the harvest rests on the inability of producers and labour contractors to negotiate a relationship that favours collaboration and problem solving. This failure is at the root of the high transaction costs of harvest subcontracting that force producers to resort to ancillary investments or sanctions, or to reabsorb some or all of the delegated tasks. A mismatch of resources and technical competence between producers and harvest labour contractors also contributes to inadequate performance of services. It is thus not surprising that harvest labour contractors are not always permanent fixtures; they may appear, disappear and reappear, particularly in fresh fruit export industries.     

GLOBAL MARKETING NEWS

ABSTRACT

The authors studied how knowledge derived from firms’ relationships—the so-called second-hand knowledge—is likely to influence their internationalization process. In this article, they examine how a European producer of textiles is able to sell worldwide, including to China, a highly competitive player in this industry. This article discusses models of firms’ networks and the extent to which such networks generate important knowledge that can explain internationalization behavior—how it is able to influence the selection of foreign markets and the entry mode used. The authors use the revised version of the Uppsala model of internationalization, which emphasizes the roles of trust-building, knowledge, and creation of opportunities within relationships.     

Studying influence and accounting use—Empirical evidence about individual managers and organizations with changes in Galician healthcare

Legislation outlined proposed changes in Galician Health Centres. This allowed us to set down the theory about personal and organizational Information–Influence Matrices and then Frameworks of Issues for the interactions between an individual Financial Manager and a Health Centre Co-ordinator, as well as the proposed organizational changes into a new system [Purdy DE, Gago S. Extending influence and accounting use: developing the frameworks to incorporate Galician legal matters about the proposed healthcare changes with managers and organizations for empirical study. Critical Perspectives on Accounting; in press].Evidence from a longitudinal study covering January 1997 and December 2001, indicated the suitability of these types of Matrices and Frameworks of Issues to analyse conversational data.Results agreed with anticipations at a personal level—wholly for a co-ordinator and partly for the Financial Manager. Differences between the findings and our anticipated Financial Manager's framework are straightforward and we have amended our Framework accordingly. The organization level has followed our anticipations though only 15% of Health Centres had continued with the new system, 85% remained working with the old system.Galician law contained aspirations for changing healthcare with autonomous Health Centres. Spanish health policies and budget laws have inhibited moves to change, as well as the actions of the professionals involved.     

Should countries control international profit shifting?

We present a fiscal competition model with two policy instruments: the level of corporate taxation and the tightness of control of profit shifting by multinational firms (MNF). We show that a country may optimally decide not to monitor the MNF for two reasons. Firstly, this country becomes an attractive location for MNF activity despite a high corporate tax. Secondly, as the profits of the MNF become mobile, the focus of tax competition is shifted. Taxation then influences both an MNF's location and the place where it declares its profits.