Same-Sex Sexual Harassment: A Legal Assessment with Implications for Organizational Policy

The legal debate over sexual harassment (SH) has taken an interesting turn concerning the controversial issue of same-sex sexual harassment (SSSH). Disagreement among circuit courts' decisions propelled the U.S. Supreme Court to grant full review to the SSSH case of Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., et al. (1996) [83 F.3d 118 (5th Cir. 1996) [online]. Available: http://laws.findlaw.com/5th/9530510cvl.html]. In a unanimous decision, the Justices indicated that (a) SSSH not only violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and (b) that the law does not exclude the idea that one heterosexual male can sexually harass another heterosexual male [Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., et al., S. Ct. 96-568, Lexis 1599 (1998)]. This paper reviews the history of SSSH law and discusses the implications of the Oncale decision for SH policies and procedures.     

The importance of reciprocal spillover effects for the valuation of bestseller brands: introducing and testing a contingency model

The valuation of extension rights is critical for entertainment brands such as bestseller books. Building on brand extension research, we argue that accounting for the reciprocal spillover effect (i.e., the influence of an extension product on a parent brand) is important for determining the value of extension rights. We develop a contingency model of the reciprocal spillover effect for category extensions of entertainment products that are characterized by short life cycles and satiation effects. In the discussion of moderating factors, we pay particular attention to the new concept of backward integration, which accounts for the reaction of a parent to the introduction of an extension. Using data from all 446 literature adaptations produced for the big screen and theatrically released in North American theaters between 1998 and 2006, we provide evidence that extension success and marketing support impact the sales of the parent book and for several postulated moderating effects, including those of backward integration. Through simulation analyses, we demonstrate how considering the reciprocal effect in the managerial decision-making process can help entertainment managers to avoid biased estimations of category extension rights.     

Dynamics of Agricultural Technology Adoption: Age Structure, Reversibility, and Uncertainty

We develop a dynamic model of technology adoption that generalizes previous literature by incorporating technology age, reversible investment, variable inputs and outputs, and stochastic prices. The model is calibrated for irrigated cotton production in California. Optimal investment exhibits a significant vintage capital effect which provides a new candidate explanation for delayed technology diffusion. We show that the hurdle rate derived by option value models can be partially explained by the assumption of irreversible investment, and simulations demonstrate this assumption has regional policy relevance. Uncertainty affects optimal investment but has a declining effect with technology age.     

Japan: Is there any way out?

Of the G-7 economies Japan is expected to experience the most severe recession during 2001/02, suffering from the interaction of the dramatic cyclical factors affecting the global economy and its own severe, structural weaknesses. In this article, OEF's Simon Knapp examines how and why these weaknesses, first created in the bubble-bust period of the late 1980s / early 1990s, are continuing to affect the Japanese economy today, and discusses what options are available to the government to break free from the malaise of stagnating growth and falling prices.     

Post‐Merger Performance of Bank Holding Companies, 1987–1998

This paper examines the results of material mergers between bank holding companies (BHCs). Merged BHCs experience post‐merger profitability below the industry average. The market reaction to the merger announcements is significantly negative. The most important causes of the poor post‐merger performance are credit quality and the inadequate generation of fee income. Asset mix and capitalization also play a major part. The controllability of these items demonstrates the management challenge associated with a material merger.     

The impact of individual budgets on the targeting of support: findings from a national evaluation of pilot projects in England

Individual or personal budgets are part of a growing international trend to encourage greater choice and control over social care services at a time of financial austerity. The authors' evaluation of individual budgets found that levels of allocated resources reflected a range of factors, including informal or carer support and disability levels. Furthermore, individual budgets were found to be cost-neutral compared with conventional social care delivery.     

Spatial Dynamics of Water and Nitrogen Management in Irrigated Agriculture

Dynamic optimization of crop production with nonuniform irrigation and nitrogen carryover and leaching is considered. A production function system with thresholds, plateau maximum, and yield reduction is estimated from experimental data; rapid convergence to a steady-state is observed. Spatial variability implies a 40% increase in applied water and a six-fold increase in nitrate emissions, while dynamic optimization has more modest impacts. Nitrate emission control is accomplished primarily through reduced applied water, illustrating a strong cross-policy effect. Significant levels of water conservation and nitrate pollution control are achieved at relatively low cost with traditional irrigation systems and baseline conditions.     

The design of residential homes for the elderly: An examination of variations with census data2

British central government policy regarding the size and design of residential homes for the elderly has changed direction a number of times in the post-war period. Employing data collected in the Census of Residential Accommodation of 1970, the effectiveness of these policy changes is analysed in a multiple regression framework. The results suggest that Central and Local Authority policies have been only partially successful in ensuring minimum standards of design and cast considerable doubt upon the efficacies of converting private dwellings into residential homes.