Patient safety: the four domains of nursing leadership

The role of the nurse leader in patient safety can be characterized as follows: to establish the right culture; to infuse that culture with shared leadership so that the expert voice at the bedside is really defining the work; to possess the competencies necessary to coordinate and advance this complex initiative; and to forge both internal and external partnerships, because we will not be able to do this work alone. To further the work on this topic, nurse leaders who participated in the Nursing Leadership Congress are committed to identifying additional resources to help nurse leader colleagues drive patient safety efforts throughout their organizations.     

The impact of market actions on firm reputation

Drawing on signaling theory, we hypothesize that a firm's reputation is shaped by its own market actions and the actions of its industry rivals. We view market actions as signals that convey information about the underlying competencies of firms and influence stakeholder evaluations of them. We find that the total number of a firm's market actions, the complexity of its action repertoire, the time lag in rivals' responses to its actions, and the similarity of its repertoire with those of its rivals positively affect its reputation. These results suggest that a firm's reputation is influenced both by its own actions and by its rivals' actions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cultural variations in strategic issue interpretation: relating cultural uncertainty avoidance to controllability in discriminating threat and opportunity

We investigate cultural variations in the strategic issue labels of threats and opportunities. In a survey of 276 American and international respondents, we investigate the sensitivity of issue attributes that discriminate between threat and opportunity. We find that the cultural value of uncertainty avoidance (UA) had a significant effect: Compared to low UA cultures, individuals from high UA cultures were significantly more sensitive to controllability in perceiving strategic issues. However, other cultural value dimensions (individualism, masculinity, power distance) did not have similar effects. Our results point to the need to link specific cultural dimensions to specific aspects of strategic issue analysis. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two Nested Constant-Elasticity-of-Substitution Models of Recreational Participation and Site Choice: An "Alternatives" Model and an "Expenditures" Model

Two demand models of recreational participation and site choice are developed: an alternatives model and an expenditures model. Both assume maximization of utility over the year, so allow for diminishing marginal utility. They do not impose the restrictive assumption that where one goes on a trip is independent of where one plans to go on other occasions. Estimation is with a nested constant-elasticity-of-substitution preference ordering: it is relatively easy to estimate because of global regularity, it allows sites to be complements, and it has the potential to be locally flexible. The application is to Atlantic salmon fishing.     

The Effects of Education on the Natural Rate of Unemployment

This study develops a natural unemployment rate based upon education attainment. Behind this natural rate are labor force participation rates that vary positively with education attainment; observed unemployment rates that are inversely related to education attainment; and deviations of the observed unemployment rate from this hypothesized natural rate that are related to several expectation-based variables. With a lower natural unemployment rate today compared with years past, results point to a number of education-based challenges that employers will face. Matching employer needs with education will become more complicated as both education and needs become more specialized. Global labor markets will play an increasing role both in terms of skills and cost considerations. Next, the retirement of the baby boom generation will pose a unique challenge. Aside from the challenge of finding replacements from a pool of new workers smaller than the pool of retiring workers, retirements will not be easily predictable, thanks to the elimination of the earnings penalty for social security benefits. Finally, as college degrees become more prevalent, postgraduate studies will likely rise in importance as a distinguishing feature among skills.     

The influence of proximity to market on bean producer prices in Nicaragua

Transport costs are an important determinant of smallholder welfare in developing countries. In particular, transport costs influence the prices that smallholders receive for their produce. We propose a simple way of quantifying this influence. Taking the example of bean producers in Nicaragua, we employ a hedonic price model to estimate the effects of a smallholder's proximity to markets on the prices that he/she receives, while controlling for other factors such as the volume and quality of beans sold. We find that on average each additional minute of travel time reduces farm gate prices by 2.5 cents per quintal. Based on these results, the annual income from bean sales of the average smallholder in our sample would increase by between 24 and 110 USD if travel time to markets were reduced by 25%. Estimates of this nature can make an important contribution to cost–benefit assessments of infrastructure investments.     

Customer‐based Brand Equity for a Destination: the Effect of Destination Image on Preference for Products Associated with a Destination Brand

This study investigated how destination image of customer‐based brand equity for a tourist destination can be transferred to products associated with a destination brand. The effect of destination image on preference for products associated with a destination brand (PPADB) and the relationship between tourists’ destination preference and PPADB were investigated. Two hundred and ninety six individuals replied to a self‐administered questionnaire distributed to 318 students at a major US university. The results revealed that both cognitive and affective image of a destination are positively related to PPADB; preference for a destination is also positively related to PPADB. Suggestions are provided for a successful destination brand extension strategy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Has the likelihood of appointing a CEO with an accounting/finance background changed in the post-Sarbanes Oxley era?

Congress passed the Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) in July 2002 to improve the accuracy and reliability of financial reporting. The Act increased boards of directors’ responsibilities for financial reporting and control. Did it consequently increase boards’ preferences for a CEO with financial experience to protect against the potential reputational and/or legal losses that directors incur when financial scandals happen? We investigated whether newly appointed CEOs in the post-SOX period were more likely to have accounting or finance experience than in the pre-SOX period. Using a sample of 264 CEO changes from 2001 to 2004, we found that the percentage of newly-appointed CEOs with accounting/finance backgrounds significantly increased in the post-SOX period compared to the pre-SOX period. Our results suggest that the events surrounding the passage of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act may have affected the CEO background experience preferred by boards of directors.