Fotografías de las generaciones jóvenes en el mercado laboral neerlandés

Ante el declive generalizado de la relación de trabajo estándar y sus efectos particulares en los jóvenes, se examinan aquí en detalle las trayectorias laborales de los trabajadores al inicio de su carrera en los Países Bajos entre 1985 y 2015 mediante el enfoque del análisis secuencial del ciclo vital. Tras calcular dos indicadores de inestabilidad (índices de entropía y de turbulencia), se observa que las cohortes que iniciaron su vida activa después de 2000 y, en particular, 2008 experimentan mayor inestabilidad laboral a pesar de las políticas de flexiseguridad aplicadas. Las transiciones hacia el empleo estable son la excepción al final del periodo estudiado.     

How does attachment style influence the brand attachment – brand trust and brand loyalty chain in adolescents?

This study contributes to the growing body of literature investigating how and why consumers form connections to brands by applying an attachment theoretical framework. According to the attachment theory, children develop internal working models of the reliability of others in the interaction with the primary caregiver(s). It can be assumed that this attachment style, which is conceptualized along two dimensions (secure–anxious and dependent–independent), not only influences intimate relationships in the long run, but may also play an important role in customer relationships. The author investigates the influence of attachment style along the brand attachment – brand trust and brand loyalty chain. The sample consists of 216 adolescents. The results derived from structural equation modeling (SEM) by proposing a non-recursive model show that the dependent–independent dimension of parental attachment style positively influences the corresponding dimension of brand attachment predisposition and is important for all of the constructs along the brand attachment – brand trust and brand loyalty chain. However, this is not the case with the secure–anxious dimension of parental attachment style. The secure–anxious dimension of brand attachment predisposition does, on the other hand, have a significant impact at least on brand trust. The results are discussed from an attachment theoretical point of view and corroborate the suppositions of Rindfleisch, Burroughs, and Wong (2009 Rindfleisch, Aric, James E. Burroughs, and Nancy Wong. 2009. The safety of objects: Materialism, existential insecurity, and brand connection. Journal of Consumer Research 36 (1): 1–16.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), who grounded their findings on terror management theory. Several possible implications of these results for the theory and practice of brand management and advertising, especially in the light of the gamification of advertising, are discussed.     

Optimizing service-level and relevant cost for a stochastic multi-item cyclic production system

A multi-item make-to-order production system in a stochastic environment is analyzed. Assuming a common cycle production approach, the impact of safety stock, cycle time, demand, processing time and setup time on service-level and total relevant cost (holding, setup and backorder cost) is determined. To illustrate this relationship a trajectory for the service-level with respect to the relevant cost (holding and setup) is presented. Furthermore algorithms to calculate the cycle time which leads to maximum service-level at constant safety stock and to calculate the pair cycle time and safety stock which minimize total relevant cost are introduced.     

Anonymity in the dictator game revisited

Giving in the dictator game has often been interpreted as evidence of other-regarding preferences. We suspect that giving is determined by subjects’ attempts to appear fair in the eyes of recipients and the experimenter. Therefore, we investigate behavior in the dictator game by using the randomized response technique to increase anonymity. Overall, 290 subjects participated in two experiments. The results demonstrate that the randomized response technique reduces giving to negligible amounts compared to the standard double blind condition. Thus, our results suggest that individuals closely follow egoistic motives in the dictator game when anonymity is convincingly implemented.     

Dual-track Ownership Reforms: Lessons from Structural Change in China, 1978‐1997

The dual-track approach is characteristic of evolutionary reforms in China. The most important aspect of this dualism has been the reform of the ownership structure. On the one track, new, basically market-oriented institutions emerged in a parallel economy comprising non-state enterprises. On the other track, stateowned enterprises were retained and reforms were restricted to conservative policy changes bringing minor productivity-enhancing measures. In order to highlight the performance of the two tracks, a widely neglected indicator is employed to check the performance of enterprises: namely a structural comparison of the resource reallocation processes of both tracks over time. It becomes clear that structural adjustment was basically generated by the new track. In addition, it is shown that the increasing competition from the new track will not accelerate structural adjustment of the old track as long as institutional reforms of SOEs are not significantly extended.     

Risk identification in product innovation projects: new perspectives and lessons learned

The paper addresses the improvement of innovation project (IP) risk identification by applying the RBS (Risk Breakdown Structure) method, and represents a follow-up analysis of the subject (a case of IP before and after applying the method). The activities of risk identification are an initial phase in most of risk management processes and classifications. High-level risk-taking is one of the key characteristics of IPs, due to the fact that this type of projects is related to implementation of new ideas. An example illustrates the combination of RBS/WBS for evaluating the risk concentration, called Risk Breakdown Matrix. This research has proven that implementation of the presented approach in the context of the Serbian market can improve efficiency of all phases of the project, especially those related to planning phase.     

The Generalized Nash Bargaining Solution for Transfer Price Negotiations Under Incomplete Information

In our model two divisions negotiate over type-dependent contracts to determine an intrafirm transfer price for an intermediate product. Since the upstream division’s (seller’s) costs and downstream division’s (buyer’s) revenues are supposed to be private information, we formally consider cooperative bargaining problems under incomplete information. This means that the two divisions consider allocations of expected utility generated by mechanisms that satisfy (interim) individual rationality, incentive compatibility and/or ex post efficiency. Assuming two possible types for buyer and seller each, we first establish that the bargaining problem is regular, regardless whether or not incentive and/or efficiency constraints are imposed. This allows us to apply the generalized Nash bargaining solution to determine fair transfer payments and transfer quantities. In particular, the generalized Nash bargaining solution tries to balance divisional profits, while incentive constraints are still in place. In that sense a fair profit division is generated. Furthermore, by means of illustrative examples we derive general properties of this solution for the transfer pricing problem and compare the model developed here with the models existing in the literature. We demonstrate that there is a tradeoff between ex post efficiency and fairness.     

Harmonizing national options and discretions in the EU banking regulation

The European Central Bank strives to harmonize over 160 national options and discretions (O&Ds) that contribute to the fragmentation of banking union’s regulatory framework. National authorities seem prepared to accept it, despite previously insisting on the inclusion of all O&Ds into the EU legislation. We analyze a sample of O&D choices and their correspondence to cleavages pertinent to the political economy of EU banking. We find that the 11 post-communist member states use O&Ds more stringently to protect capital and liquidity in the local subsidiaries of foreign-own banks, which may complicate their potential opt-in to the banking union.