Does China have more than one culture?

This paper empirically compares regional differences in the work-related values of Chinese employees, using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. In terms of individualism, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation, statistically significant differences were found across regions. Shenzhen scored higher on individualism and uncertainty avoidance than did Taiyuan. By contrast, Taiyuan scored higher than Shenzhen on long-term orientation. This regional difference with regard to individualism should not be surprising in light of China’s recent rapid economic development, as economic development is generally positively correlated with individualism. Economic development in shifting from an agricultural to an industrial economy is positively correlated with uncertainty avoidance. These results, as well as the fact that Shenzhen is now becoming China’s most successful economic area as the country experiences a degree of economic liberalization, in part explain Shenzhen’s higher uncertainty avoidance score. In a similar vein, Taiyuan was shown to exhibit a stronger long-term orientation than Shenzhen.     

The Effect of SFAS No. 131 on the Cross-segment Variability of Profits Reported by Multiple Segment Firms

Our study assesses whether SFAS No. 131 improved disclosure about the diversity of multiple segment firms’ operations. We find a post-SFAS No. 131 increase in cross-segment variability of segment profits, an increase in the association between reported and inherent cross-segment variability, and an increase in association between reported variability and capital market incentives to disclose. We interpret the results as evidence that SFAS No. 131 increased the transparency of segment profitability disclosures, and as indicating SFAS No. 131 allowed firms depending more on external financing to disclose more about differences in segment profitability.

Conditional Effects of Touch on Purchase Behavior

Interpersonal touch has been shown to affect consumer behaviors such as compliance with a request, impulse buying, and tipping behavior. In this study, we examine if the impact of touch on purchase behavior is gender specific, and if it depends on how much the individual likes the product. Findings indicate male consumers are more likely to purchase a product at low to moderate levels of perceived tastiness when they are touched by a female server, whereas females are less likely to purchase. However, the touch encounter doesn’t matter for either gender when a consumer really likes the product.     

Mechanisms of perceived accountability in Korean NPOs: activating the dynamics of NPM-driven and confucian-driven cultures

Quality & Quantity - Non-profit organizations (NPOs) have been recognized as critical performers not only in the enhancement of social values and civic integration but also in the construction...     

Broad-Based Employee Ownership and Labour Productivity During the 2008 Recession: Evidence from Public Firms in Europe

Did publicly traded European firms with employee ownership (EO) realize higher firm performance during or after the Great Recession? Contributing to the growing interest in exploring the association between EO and firm performance during and after the 2008 economic crisis, we draw on a longitudinal sample of 4,259 firm-years representing 892 publicly traded firms from 28 European countries. The results show that compared to firms without EO, those with EO experienced higher firm performance during or after the recession, albeit with small effect size. Consistent with past findings, we found that firms with EO were less likely to lower their employee count during or after the recession. Findings are robust to controlling for contemporaneous endogeneity and alternate specifications. Our results indicate that publicly traded European firms with EO, on average, realized higher firm performance in the face of the Great Recession.     

Can commodity futures risk factors predict economic growth?

This paper examines whether commodity futures risk factors can predict future economic growth. We test risk factors capturing various spot or term premia and find that only three factors capturing term premia on the basis-momentum, basis, and change in slope are robust predictors for future economic growth, especially for long horizons. Our findings highlight the importance of the term premia, rather than the spot premia on which the literature has mainly focused. Moreover, we find that possible explanations for predictability of commodity factors—the intertemporal asset pricing model and information diffusion explanation—are all inconsistent with our empirical results.     

Reactions to abusive supervision: examining the roles of emotions and gender in the USA

Abusive supervision leads to many detrimental outcomes, yet the role of gender and emotions has received little attention. We applied affective events theory to study emotions in a new context. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, we tested a conditional process model of the effects of abusive supervision on subordinate work and job withdrawal as mediated by negative emotions and moderated by gender. We found support for our proposed model. Specifically, abusive supervision increased work and job withdrawal via victims’ negative emotional reactions. When negative emotions are low, women are more likely to engage in work withdrawal; when negative emotions are high, men are more likely to do so. Additionally, men experiencing high negative emotions are likely to quit their job.     

2018 KLEIN LECTURE: INDIVIDUAL AND AGGREGATE LABOR SUPPLY IN HETEROGENEOUS AGENT ECONOMIES WITH INTENSIVE AND EXTENSIVE MARGINS

We study business cycle fluctuations in heterogeneous agent general equilibrium models featuring intensive and extensive margins of labor supply. A nonlinear mapping from time devoted to work to labor services generates operative extensive and intensive margins. Our model captures the salient features of the empirical distribution of hours worked, including how individuals transit within this distribution. We study how various specifications influence labor supply responses to aggregate technology shocks and find that abstracting from intensive margin adjustment can have large effects on the volatility of aggregate hours even if fluctuations along the intensive margin are small.     

Training European trade unionists

This article analyses the findings from a pilot research project looking at the pattern of trade union education provision in Germany, Italy, Sweden and the UK. In each country the trade union movements are adapting their training systems to meet new challenges in often hostile economic and political climates. In spite of common problems there remain significant national differences in trade union education deriving from divergent traditions which we explore through a systems model which ocuses on the key issues of national legislation, funding, training provision and accreditation. We conclude by suggesting the need for new research and policy agendas.     

Facebook fan page: the effect of perceived socialness in consumer–brand communication

Facebook has become an important platform for a brand–consumer relationship channel. The current study investigates the influence of perceived socialness and its effect on consumers’ attitude toward brands. Participants (N = 404) were recruited in a large southeast university. A 2 (socialness: high vs. low)?×?2 (feedback control: high vs. low)?×?2 (brand image: high vs. low) between-subject design was conducted. The results of this study identified three important findings. First, high (vs. low) socialness elicited higher perceived relationship commitment, brand trust, and more favorable brand attitude. Second, the effect of socialness on brand attitude was moderated by brand image (positive vs. negative). Third, the mediation analysis showed that the effect of socialness (high vs. low) on brand attitude was fully mediated by perceived relationship commitment and brand trust.