The nature and extent of service user involvement in critical care research and quality improvement: A scoping review of the literature

The importance of involving patients and the public in health care research is globally recognized, but how best to do this in critical care is unclear. The aim of this first published review was to explore the extent and nature of evidence on service user involvement in critical care research and quality improvement. Using the scoping review framework described by Arksey and O'Malley ( 2005 ), a team of service user and critical care researchers searched eleven online databases, reviewed relevant web sites, conducted forward and backward citation searching and contacted subject experts. Extracted data were subjected to a narrative synthesis based on the objectives of the review. Findings from a broad range of evidence support that involvement is becoming more commonplace and that experiences are generally positive. Data extracted from 34 publications identify that involvement is most commonly reported at the level of consultation or participation in project teams, however, the extent to which involvement impacts on projects output remains unclear. Key barriers and facilitators relate to the challenge of recruiting a diverse group of service users, dealing with power hierarchies, being adaptable and effective consideration of the resource requirements. More research is required to identify the most effective methods to support the opportunity for involvement and more thorough reporting of service user involvement practices is strongly recommended.     

The S&P500 index effect reconsidered: Evidence from overnight and intraday stock price performance and volume

This study focuses on S&P500 inclusions and deletions, examining the impact of potential overnight price adjustment after the announcement of an S&P500 index change. We find evidence of a significant overnight price change that diminishes the returns available to speculators although there are still profits available from the first day after announcement until a few days after the actual event. More importantly, observing the tick-by-tick stock price performance and volume effects on the key days during the event window for the first time, we find evidence of consistent trading patterns during trading hours. A separate analysis of NASDAQ and NYSE listed stocks allows for a detailed examination of the price and volume effect at an intra-day level. We find that index funds appear to cluster their rebalancing activities near to and after the close on the event date, suggesting that they are more concerned with tracking error than profit.     

Exploring the role of worker income and workplace characteristics on the journey to work

Traditional trip distribution processes that rely heavily on gravity models fail to capture how the characteristics of individuals or the heterogeneity in the attributes of attraction zones may influence the accessibility to jobs and, therefore, journey-to-work patterns. Different approaches, such as destination choice models, are not generally applied because of limited data availability and calibration requirements. This paper proposes an alternative approach to overcome this challenge by combining a utility-based measure of accessibility and a maximum range of commuting distance to predict the journey-to-work patterns of individual worker-agents using an open-access database. A multinomial logit model is estimated and an agent-based model is developed using data from the Census Transportation Planning Products (CTPP) 5-year database. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using a case study based on Tippecanoe County, Indiana, and the results are compared to a double-constrained gravity model. Results indicate that the utility functions derived from the CTPP database can replicate the aggregated journey-to-work patterns by income levels. Furthermore, it was found that the utility functions for low-, middle-, and high-household income groups could be different. Finally, while a calibrated gravity model could produce a trip-length distribution and average commuting distance more similar to observed data, the destination choice model provides more insights into the trip patterns across different household income groups, thereby providing a better basis for policy analysis.     

Is There a Gold Social Seal? The Financial Effects of Additions to and Deletions from Social Stock Indices

This study investigates the financial effects of additions to and deletions from the most well-known social stock index: the MSCI KLD 400. Our study makes use of the unique setting that index reconstitution provides and allows us to bypass possible issues of endogeneity that commonly plague empirical studies of the link between corporate social and financial performance. By examining not only short-term returns but also trading activity, earnings per share, and long-term performance of stocks that are involved in these events, we bring forward evidence of a ‘social index effect’ where unethical transgressions are penalized more heavily than responsibility is rewarded. We find that the addition of a stock to the index does not lead to material changes in its market price, whereas deletions are accompanied by negative cumulative abnormal returns. Trading volumes for deleted stocks are significantly increased on the event date, while the operational performances of the respective firms deteriorate after their deletion from the social index.     

A re-examination of the index effect: Gambling on additions to and deletions from the S&P 500's ‘gold seal’

This study examines the abnormal returns, trading activity, volatility and long-term performance of stocks that were added to the S&P 500 index. By using a three-factor pricing model that allows for firm size and value characteristics as well as market risk, we are able to shed new light on the widely observed ‘index effect’. We find that the CAPM tends to overstate the performance of large firms and to understate the performance of small firms. We also find a transitory increase in trading volume between the announcement and a few days after the effective date. In terms of the firm's operating performance, we find a significant increase in earnings per share after inclusion, which combines with the stock price rise to leave the average price-earnings ratio largely unaltered. Examining a unique sample of deletions of international companies and replacements with US companies, we find that deleted stocks experienced a considerable and permanent fall in price, inconsistent with the Investor Recognition Hypothesis. The “seal” of S&P 500 index membership has very long-term effects and inclusion appears not to be an information-free event.     

Association Between Discretionary Accruals and Audit Fees and the Role of the Size of the Audit Firm: European Evidence

International Advances in Economic Research - This study seeks to contribute to the analysis of discretionary accruals and audit fees in two pairs of European countries, Germany and France, and...     

Human capital,skills and competencies: Varying effects on inward FDI in the EU context

The primary objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive investigation on the role of human capital, skills and competencies in the location of inward FDI by comparing Western (EU15) and Central and Eastern (CEE) European Union (EU) members. We go beyond existing studies by examining an extensive list of traditional and newly advanced measures capturing human capital, even differing schooling systems as well as skills and competencies. We assess, for the first time in the FDI literature, vocational vs. general education, following the Vocational and Educational Programs of the EU as well as quality human capital aspects as captured by international scores. Results indicate a major difference regarding theoretical and vocational education programs for both sub-regions; in addition, a major difference is obtained for particular qualifications in international scores. There is evidence for potential internal and external inefficiency in education in CEE countries in contrast to the EU15, which calls for re-evaluation and re-structuring in their education system towards more efficient use of funds; this would earn investors’ trust and meet labor markets’ demands, thus stimulate more and higher value added foreign investments. Results also point to useful implications for managers who should watch closely education reforms.     

Crime and tourism: organizational opportunities and social marketing in LA Gang Tours

Existing investigation on tourism and crime has indicated a negative relation between these two concepts where crime appears as an influential factor in limiting tourist flows. Albeit tourists have repeatedly reported the importance of safety in their travels, this paper presents a paradoxically positive relation between tourism and present crime, where gang culture is the main attraction of the visit. This case study is focused on ‘LA Gang Tours’, a non-profit organization and its use of social marketing in the re-interpretation of an organization threat to an opportunity in Los Angeles, the ‘gang capital of the world’. For this purpose, I have applied conceptual content analysis of online data referring to this touristic attraction.     

The outcomes of works councils: the role of trust,justice and industrial relations climate

This article investigates trust and organisational justice as antecedents of works council (WC) effectiveness perceptions and the moderating role of industrial relations climate on this relationship. A 2‐year longitudinal study of WC participants in two UK organisations (a housing association and a professional services firm) was undertaken. Results show positive significant relationships between both trust and organisational justice, and WC outcomes of WC performance, WC usefulness and outcome satisfaction. Industrial relations climate is found to moderate the relationship between justice and WC performance, WC usefulness, and outcome satisfaction.