Banking Competition and Capital Ratios

Empirical studies provide evidence that bank capital ratios exceed regulatory requirements. But why do banks maintain capital levels above regulatory requirements? We use data for more than 2,600 banks from 10 European countries to test recent theories suggesting that competition incentivises banks to maintain higher capital ratios. These theories also predict that banks that engage in arm's length lending have lower capital ratios, and that shareholder rights and deposit insurance characteristics affect capital ratios. Consistent with these theories, our evidence robustly indicates that competition increases capital holdings. Banks that lend at arm's length exhibit lower capital ratios, whereas banks in countries with strong shareholder rights operate with higher capital ratios. We also show some evidence that generous deposit protection schemes that exclude non‐deposit creditors are associated with higher capital ratios. Our results have important policy implications. First, while the traditional view suggests imposing restrictions on bank activities in order to restrain competition, our analysis indicates the opposite, even after adjusting the regressions for risk‐taking. Second, weak shareholder rights undermine market forces that would otherwise encourage banks to hold higher capital ratios.     

The Retailer's Perspective on the Link Between Logistical Resources and Perceived Customer Loyalty to Manufacturer Brands

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between logistics and brand‐related resources, and assess their impact on the retailer's perceptions of customer loyalty to manufacturer brands. On the basis of theoretical underpinnings of the resource‐based view, this study explores the relationships among four main variables: (1) variety of collaborative logistics technologies shared between retailers and manufacturers, (2) manufacturer's logistics operations quality provided to retailers, (3) retailer's brand differentiation orientation, and (4) retailer's perceptions of customers loyalty to manufacturer brands. An online survey was conducted on 313 senior marketing and supply chain managers from retailer firms. The results of the structural equation analysis support a mediated relationship between logistical resources and perceived loyalty to manufacturer brands. The retailers believe that shared logistics technologies enable manufacturers and retailers to offer higher levels of availability and visibility of preferred brands to their end‐user customers. In turn, the end‐users become more confident with their decisions to repurchase the same brand offerings.     

南京国民政府前期中国农业合作金融的三层结构

南京国民政府前期，中国农业合作金融无论从参与主体、资金来源或贷款形式等各方面，都表现出多元化的特点。从层次上讲，此时期中国农业合作金融基本可分为三个层次：以农村信用合作社为主的各类合作金融组织构成体系的第一层次，成为农业合作金融的核心；各类合作指导机构除为合作组织提供资金支持之外，主要是在整个体系中起到内引外联的桥梁作用，构成合作金融体系的中间层次；商业与农业金融机构构成体系的外围，承担主要的资金供给任务。不同层次主体之间各有分工，但又有职能的交叉，形成农业合作金融体系的网状结构。     

对现阶段中国长期护理保险产品的开发建议

卫生部调查数据显示：中国60岁以上老年人余寿中有2／3的时间带病生存，平均1／4左右的时间处于机体功能受损状态。2008年底，中国60岁以上人口总数达到1．49亿，医疗保障需求极为旺盛，然而，通过保险解决医疗费用支出的比例微乎其微。从中国现行社会保障体系的实际情况出发，结合国外长期护理领域的成熟产品以及中国老年人群的特点和护理需求，对如何做好老年人群的产品规划，促进保险产品创新，提出相应建议。     

Educational Marketing in the Latin American Context: An Executive MBA Case

ABSTRACT

This paper provides Latin American Executive MBA students' approaches to studying, achieving profile, preferences and perceptions of instructional methods used in teaching marketing courses and educational marketing segments based on their preference ranking of instructional methods and approaches to studying. Results indicate that, in general, these students have a strong need for excellence, and for gaining status with experts. Their approach to studying is directed first at understanding what they learn, and then at doing well in their courses. Results also indicate that such students strongly prefer courses using participative instructional methods, such as case studies, to the instructor-dominated lecture method. Thus, there appears to be a gap between the types of instructional methods now being emphasized in MBA classrooms and the methods preferred by the students. These students can be placed into four distinct segments, namely Technology Sophisticated Learners, Academic Success Seekers, Degree Seekers and Instructor-Oriented Learners. Managerial implications from the results are drawn both for the administrators and for the faculty members teaching in an EMBA program.

RESUMEN. Este estudio ilustra el enfoque do los estudiantes latinoamericanos de MBA Ejecutivo sobre las materias de estudio, trazado de un perfil, preferencias y percepción de los métodos de enseñanza utilizados en los cursos de mercadeo y mereadeo educacional en base a sus preferencias, que se utilizaron para desarrollar un sistema de clasificación de los métodos y enfoques de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje. De acuerdo a los resultados, los estudiantes sienten una gran necesidad de alcanzar la exceleneia, y de adquirir renombre junto a los expertos. Ellos encaran sus estudios eonsiderando prioritaria la función de comprender lo que aprenden, y tienen como meta secundaria el obtener buenos resultados en sus cursos. Además, los resultados también indican que estos esludiantes prefieren claramente usar métodos de enseñanza participativos–tales como los estudios de caso–al método disertivo dominado por el profesor. Consecuentemente, nos parece que existe una brecha entre los métodos de enseñanza que se están implementando en las salas de aulas de los cursos de los MBA, y los métodos preferidos por los alumnos. Estos estudiantes pueden dividirse perfectamente en cuatro segmentos, o sea, Estudiantes de Tecnologías Sofisticadas, Buscadores de éxito Académico, Buscadores de Diplomas y Estudiantes Orientados por el Instructor. En el estudio trazamos las implicancias administrativas inherentes a estos resultados, así como para los docentes que están enseñando el programa EMBA.

RESUMO. Este trabalho apresenta a visão de estudantes do MBA Executivo da América Latina, em relação ao estudo, à formação do seu perfil, às preferências e às percepções dos métodos didáticos utilizados nos cursos de marketing e nos segmentos educacionais dc marketing, baseados no ranking de suas preferências pelos métodos didáticos e pelas abordagens do estudo. Os resultados indicam que, em geral, estes estudantes buscam rigorosamente a excelência e a conquista de status através de especialistas. A sua abordagem do estudo está direcionada. primeiramente, ao conhecimento e, em segundo lugar, ao sucesso do seu desempenho. Os resultados também indicam que tais estudantcs preferem nitidamente os cursos que utilizam o método didático participativo, como o estudo de casos, ao método de ensino tradicional expositive Assim. parece haver uma lacuna entre os tipos de métodos didáticos atualmente sendo enfatizados nas aulas de MBA e entre os métodos preferidos pelos estudantes. Estes alunos podem ser classificados em quatro segmentos distintos: Aprendizes da Alta Tecnologia, Perseguidores do Sucesso Acadêmico, Perseguidores de Títulos e Aprendizes Orientados por Instrutor. As implicações gerenciais, a partir dos resultados, são delineadas tanto para os administradores quanto para os membros do corpo docente que ensinam no programa de MBA Executivo.     

The influence of colour on visual search times in cluttered environments

Fifty subjects participated in a series of visual search tasks where the aim was to explore the influence of colour on visual search times for targets situated in a series of cluttered distractor fields. The results supported previous findings regarding the effect of colour and showed that, even in cluttered environments, certain hues helped in the reduction of search times. The findings also indicated that there were interaction effects between the colour and positioning of the targets in the distractor fields.     

Local elections and consumption insurance

During our sample period from 1987 to 2002, Chinese villages completed the transition from government‐appointed village leaders to elected ones. This article examines if and how much democratic elections of the village leaders affected consumption insurance by Chinese village residents. Exploring a panel dataset of 1,400 households from this period, we find that consumption insurance is around 20 percent more complete with elected village leaders. Furthermore, local elections improve consumption insurance only for the poor and middle‐income farmers, but not for the rich. The results are robust when we allow for pretrending, potential endogeneity of elections, and higher measurement errors for rich residents. We also find that the effects on consumption insurance are stronger when closer to the upcoming election year and when the village committees consist largely of non‐Communist Party members. These findings suggest that the election effects on consumption insurance partly come from increasing accountability to local constituents.     

农地入股合作社的立法理念更新

兼顾土地承包经营权作为用益物权的自由支配属性和土地承包经营权的生存权保障功能,是当前学术界主张的农地入股的主流立法理念。但是,基于此立法理念进行的制度设计,既可能面临实施的困境和法理上的自相矛盾,也可能会导致入股者享有的农地增值收益权、融资担保权、征收补偿权和农地发展权严重受限或者受损。而将农地入股的立法理念更新为对农民生存权和发展权的双重关怀并以此构建相关制度,不仅可以弥补当前农地入股主流立法理念及其制度设计的缺陷,有化解农地入股中的一系列二元主义争议,而且还有充分的法理根据和现实依据,有利于实现农地入股合作社的立法价值。     

林地与农地制度变革的比较：产业特性的视角

土地制度改革一直是关系农村发展及社会稳定的重大问题。本文从产业特性的差异出发，对改革开放后林地与衣地制度改革路径中的制度安排与改革影响进行了比较，认为制度安排具有与产业特性相容的内在诉求，由于产业特性差异，林地制度对农地制度的简单复制难以凑效且不可持续，深化集体林权制度改革需要重视对林业特征的考察。     

Gender as a moderator of the relationship between materialism and fashion clothing involvement among Indian youth

The research examines the role of gender in moderating the relationship between materialism and product involvement with fashion clothing among the Indian youth. The Richins materialism scale and the product involvement and purchase involvement scales developed by O'Cass were used to understand the behaviour of Indian youth towards fashion clothing. The sample (n = 254) comprised of university students from different parts of India. The findings indicate that Indian youth do not possess a high level of materialistic tendencies. Gender has a moderating influence on the relationship between materialism and involvement with fashion clothing. Young men and women differ with respect to their involvement with fashion clothing and even more with regard to their involvement with the purchase of fashion clothing, with women reporting a higher level of involvement in both cases.