The Moderating Role of Involvement on the Overchoice Effect in Retail Decision Making

We tested the overchoice effect hypothesis. In the experiments, we manipulated the options in three levels and assessed their impact on the dependent variables. In study 1, we presented 11 vs. 7 vs. 5 drink options to consumers. In study 2, we presented 50 vs. 40 vs. 30 pizza menu options. In Study 3, we presented 16 vs. 12 vs. 8 gum options. The results did not show a main effect of overchoice on the dependent variable, rejecting the overchoice theory. However, the findings supported null empirical finding in the 2010 Scheibehenne, B., Greifeneder, R., & Todd, P. M. (2010). Can there ever be too many options? A meta-analytic review of choice overload. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(2), 135–142. https://doi.org/10.1086/651235  [Google Scholar] meta-analytic study by Scheibehenne, Greifeneder, and Todd. In addition, this article found support for an interactive effect of involvement with the overchoice condition.     

Public sector efficiency: evidence for new EU member states and emerging markets

In this article, we analyse public sector efficiency in the new member states of the EU compared to that in emerging markets. After a conceptual discussion of expenditure efficiency measurement, we compute efficiency scores and rankings by applying a range of measurement techniques. The study finds that expenditure efficiency across new EU member states is rather diverse especially as compared to the group of top performing emerging markets in Asia. Econometric analysis shows that higher income, civil service competence and education levels as well as the security of property rights seem to facilitate the prevention of inefficiencies in the public sector.     

The interactive effects of goal orientation and leadership style on sales performance

The authors develop and test a model depicting the moderating effects of different types of manager leadership styles on the relationship between salesperson goal orientations (i.e., performance orientation and learning orientation) and performance. The two surveys were set in retail work contexts in Brazil. Results from a multi-level hierarchical analysis demonstrate that (i) transactional leadership strengthens the positive link between learning orientation and sales performance, whereas (ii) transformational leadership weakens the positive association between learning orientation and performance. Our argument for the positive moderating effect of transactional leadership is built upon the path-goal theory and contingent reward mechanism. The justification for the negative effect of transformational leadership involves the follower-dependency logic and overdependence on supervisory cues.     

The evolution of exchange

Stochastic stability is applied to the problem of exchange. We analyze the stochastic stability of two dynamic trading processes in a simple housing market. In both models, traders meet in pairs at random and exchange their houses when trade is mutually beneficial, but occasionally they make mistakes. The models differ in the probability of mistakes. When all mistakes are equally likely, the set of stochastically stable allocations contains the set of efficient allocations. When more serious mistakes are less likely, the stochastically stable states are those allocations, always efficient, with the lowest envy level.     

The political economy of immigration quotas

It is argued, using a single-sector general equilibrium model, that the economic interests of citizens of a host country in relation to immigration depend on their factor ownership. Using the median voter model, it is argued that whether a country admits further immigration depends on the country's factor ownership distributions, the generosity of its transfer programs, as well as on the prejudices about immigrants that its citizens hold.on leave from Moorhead State University.     

Influence of task type on the relationship between communication and performance: the case of software development

The relationships between communication patterns and performance of software development projects mostly resemble those of technical services, and not development projects, in hardware R&D. The local focus of software development projects in their information requirements is emphasized by the positive influence only of the informal and mostly internal literature, while external contacts, participation in conferences, and formal and external literature were inconsequential. The implications are two-fold: a) on the conceptual level they suggest that a trade-off between coordination and innovation requirements of the task might be an important determinant of optimal communication patterns; b) on the practical level it suggests that 'software development' consists of 'software engineering' and 'software production'. Consequently, it should be recognized that as such, these activities should be managed differently—the former as R&D, the latter as manufacturing.     

Effect of Management Practices on Actual ICT Application in Kenyan Hotels: A PLS-SEM Approach

Advances in information communication technology (ICT) has seen many hotels invest huge sums of money in ICTs to enhance their performance. However, this has never been the case for most hotels in economically developing countries due to poor ICT implementation. This study sought to establish how ICT-related management practices influence actual ICT application by hotels in Kenya. A total of 194 hotel managers drawn from 36 hotels were surveyed. The data collected was analyzed quantitatively. The outcomes show that though operational management and human resource management practices significantly predict actual ICT application, HRM practices have the biggest effect in explaining the variance in actual ICT application. The study finding offer insights to best management practices and how they influence actual ICT use in hotels.     

Formation of Nations in a Welfare-State Minded World

We model the endogenous formation of nations in a world economy where nations apply redistributive policies. We show that people's preference for stronger redistributive policies may lead to greater inequality in the world's distribution of income as a result of rich individuals tending to form their own nations. By the same token, stable economic integration occurs only when redistributive policies are not too strong.