Economic Integration of Immigrants

A bstract . This empirical study of the processes by which immigrants are absorbed into the economy and society of their host country was conducted among 500 families who had arrived in Israel from 3 to 13 years earlier. The following variables were found to have a positive impact on their economic integration: white collar occupations of husband and wife, young age , small size of the family , residence in proximity to a central city in contrast to living in a development town , and greater length of their stay in the host country. Analysis showed, however, that economic integration had no significant impact on any of the other indices of absorption, including the general index of "rootedness in the country." Hence for immigrants who come to the host country and remain a significant length of time—in the case of this sample, at least three years—more resources should be allocated to their cultural and social integration and less to the economic aspects of absorption. The study showed that there is at least one salient malleable variable, town of residence ; it can be controlled because most immigrants to Israel depend on the government for housing. Further research is needed on immigrants who migrated a second time during early years in their stay; they were not included in this study. It may be that, for this latter group, economic integration is a crucial aspect of absorption.     

Some Issues About the "Quality" of Sunbelt/Frostbelt Life

A bstract . Definitions of "Quality of Life" (QOL) differ among researchers. But most agree that the concept consists of both an environmental and a psychological component. Subjecting principal components of sets of QOL measures in use to factor analysis, however, demonstrates that basing our comparisons of cities or regions on metropolitan area data biases the results. The largest urban areas with national reputations and urban areas in the South are favored. Analysts must look deeper than available QOL measures, e.g., to explain Frostbelt to Sunbelt migration. Perceptual measures must be improved and integrated into objective measures because they now show that the data are contradictory and city rankings are unreliable.     

Disclosure of Private Information and Reduction of Uncertainty: Environmental Liabilities in the Chemical Industry

We investigate the potential uncertainty-reducing role of accounting information in the context of contingent Superfund liability valuation. We first develop theoretical arguments for the way reduction of uncertainty regarding these contingent liabilities is expected to affect security prices. Empirical proxies are developed for two types of uncertainty surrounding contingent Superfund liabilities: site uncertainty and allocation uncertainty. In a valuation framework, we then investigate whether financial statement disclosures and accruals reduce uncertainty and thereby affect security valuation. Specifically, we analyze the interaction of private information contained in firm disclosures and accruals with inherent uncertainty surrounding contingent Superfund liabilities. Results suggest that in a regulatory environment allowing substantial reporting discretion, firm-provided financial statement information affects valuation of contingent Superfund liabilities by reducing uncertainty. Further, we find that information revealed through accruals versus disclosures is differentially effective at reducing site and allocation uncertainty.     

A Nietzschean re‐evaluation of values as a way of re‐imagining business ethics

Whereas a range of business and management scholars have argued that business is in an ethical crisis, Nietzsche makes it possible to see that it is ethics itself that is in crisis, and that only as the crisis in ethics is dealt with can ethics in specific areas such as business be addressed. Nihilism is the name that Nietzsche gives to the crisis in ethics. The failure to fully appreciate nihilism and its pervasiveness as the root cause of the problem, as evident in the perpetual quest to obliterate nihilism through the creation of ethical frameworks and foundations, has plunged business and ethics scholarship in the field, ever deeper in the quagmire of nihilism. In response to nihilism, Nietzsche offers a re‐evaluation of all values. To re‐evaluate all values means to accept nihilism and see it as a basis for questioning taken for granted assumptions that have supported the notion of ethics or values in order to re‐imagine an ethics which is responsive to the crisis of nihilism. The paper thus proposes that rather than trying to invent new ethics or ethical foundations, or figuring out “how” to be ethical, we need to turn our attention on the “why to be” of ethics.     

Exploring the relationships between motivation,attachment and loyalty within sport event tourism

Attendance at sports events continues to rise, as evidenced by increased attendance across a range of sports events in 2014. Despite this, destinations that host live sports events struggle to attract repeat visitors outside scheduled events. This study aims to better understand the relationship between motivation, attachment and loyalty within event tourism. This paper discusses the existing contributions in these areas by drawing on sport and tourism literature and is the first to investigate the relationship across all three constructs. Within this paper, we develop the initial outline of a theoretical model, which depicts these relationships.     

Open Society: Hayek vs. Popper?

Does an open open society require a free market? Dr Naomi Moldoisky of the University of Melbourne reinforces Hayek's insistence that free societies must rest on free markets.