Does telic/paratelic user mode matter on the effectiveness of interactive internet advertising? A reversal theory perspective

Drawing on reversal theory (Apter, 2007), the current research proposes that internet users' metamotivational state (telic vs. paratelic) determines advertising interactivity's effectiveness. An online field experiment involving 141 Facebook and Twitter users tests this proposition. Research findings support telic state consumers form more positive attitudes toward a low-level interactive ad, whereas paratelic state consumers form more positive attitudes toward a high-level interactive ad. Further, this research shows that an arousal seeking tendency mediates the metamotivational state's impact on ad attitude.     

Global Warming Disclosures: Impact of Kyoto Protocol Across Countries

The Kyoto Protocol that went into effect in February 2005 set limits on the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We document in this study that firms from countries ratifying the Protocol and setting limits on GHG emissions (i.e., European Union [EU] countries, Canada and Japan) are associated with higher GHG disclosures compared with firms in the United States, which has not ratified the Protocol. Additionally, we document that firms from India, which has not set any limits on GHG emissions, make even less GHG disclosures than firms from all other countries covered in this study. Our findings also show that GHG disclosures are greater for Canadian and Japanese firms compared with firms from the EU countries and that they also differ somewhat across EU firms. These findings suggest that ratification of the Protocol and limits on emissions improve pollution disclosures. In the absence of Protocol ratification, mandatory disclosure requirements may be needed to ensure adequate and reliable pollution disclosures.     

Aktuelle und zukünftige Fragen der Lebensversicherung zwischen Zivil- und Aufsichtsrecht – Information und Beratung nach der Richtlinie (EU) 2016/97 über Versicherungsvertrieb

The paper provides a critical analysis of information requirements and rules on advice pursuant to the new Directive (EU) 2016/97 on insurance distribution (IDD). Following an introductory overview of the IDD and its “business conduct rules”, distribution- and product-related information duties and the rules on services with and without advice are discussed. Particular emphasis is laid on life insurance and coherence of the special rules concerning insurance-based investment products with the general requirements and those pursuant to MIFID II.     

Do Innovative Work Practices and Use of Information and Communication Technologies Motivate Employees?

I investigate the impact of innovative work practices and information and communication technologies (ICT) use on employees’ motivations. The paper provides new and interesting results on how firms can build a motivational environment. Within an original instrumenting framework, I modify what previous analyses reveal about quality circle and training participation. The results confirm the positive role of work practices such as teamwork, quality norms, formal appraisals, management recognition, and family‐friendly policies. The ICT that most contributed to the development of a motivational environment are those that facilitate access to information and knowledge such as workflow, Internet, and e‐mail.     

The intellectual ecology of mainstream marketing research: an inquiry into the place of marketing in the family of business disciplines

Many inside mainstream academic marketing judge the discipline’s influence within the family of business disciplines (as well as in practice) to be in decline. Despite great research productivity, methodologies as sophisticated as any in the social sciences, and a large and rich literature, opinion and evidence suggest that academic marketing is the least influential of the mainstream academic business disciplines. Nevertheless, marketing’s decline is not inexorable. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate this perplexing situation by: (1) assembling and evaluating a number of expert opinions from within marketing; (2) exploring relations and patterns of influence among the leading academic journals in accounting, finance, management, and marketing and evaluating the position and influence of each field; (3) attempting to understand marketing’s problems; and (4) exploring avenues to move marketing back to its once prominent position among the business disciplines.     

Understanding the police response to fraud: the challenges in configuring a response to a low-priority crime on the rise

ABSTRACT

Previous research has demonstrated the comparative lack of priority fraud receives from government and law enforcement in the UK compared to other serious offences, as well as shortcomings in the overall approach to investigation. This paper examines the current state of affairs in the light of changes aimed at addressing these limitations. It incorporates findings from a national survey of police forces, as well as a local survey of police personnel in three forces supplemented by interviews. The findings suggest that the situation has become more complicated. Many police officers interviewed did not feel that the police response in their own area was effective, and that their colleagues often lacked the appropriate skill sets needed. Moreover, forces were not confident they were recruiting the right people to tackle fraud. The paper has important lessons for policing internationally.     

Social Learning in Beauty‐Contest Games

We study the impact of social learning on the depth of reasoning in an experimental beauty‐contest game. Naive advice and observation of others' decisions as two forms of social learning trigger faster convergence to the equilibrium. We find that subjects who receive advice outperform uninformed subjects permanently, whereas subjects who observe others' past behavior before making their decision only have a temporary advantage over uninformed subjects. A series of control‐treatments and simulations indicate that the latter result is due to subjects failing to make the most out of observing others.     

Dissipative Competition: Evidence from a Quasi‐Natural Experiment

We document that contrary to the conventional view, the costs of domestic firms in terms of selling, general and administrative expenses and cost of goods sold increase significantly following exogenous shocks that increase competition, namely material import tariff cuts affecting US manufacturing industries over the period 1974–2005. Incompatible with an agency explanation, the cost increase is more pronounced among firms with higher CEO/insider/board ownership. We further find that the cost increase is more evident among firms with smaller market share and among focused firms. Generally, our results are consistent with the notion of ‘dissipative competition’ discussed in the seminal papers by Tullock.