Some 'real' problems of 'virtual' organisation

This paper presents an ethnographic study of organisational change in a retail bank considering issues surrounding the supposed emergence of the 'virtual organisation'. It outlines emerging problems in organisational work as a consequence of the shift toward 'virtuality' and questions the explanatory value of such theoretical stances.     

Alternative hypotheses and the volume of trade: the gravity equation and the extent of specialization

Abstract.  We examine why the gravity equation works and the implications for its use. First, we demonstrate that the gravity equation as a statistical relationship can be generated from a model with incomplete specialization and trade costs. Second, we analyse the predominance of zero bilateral trade values as a 'puzzle' broadly inconsistent with the complete specialization models typically used to derive the gravity equation, but consistent with the alternative hypothesis of incomplete specialization. Third, we demonstrate that the explanation for why the gravity equation works has considerable relevance for how the gravity equation is interpreted and used and how we view bilateral trade.     

The Proactive Corporation: Its Nature and Causes

We argue that the stakeholder perspective on corporate social responsibility is in the process of being enlarged. Due to the process of institutional isomorphism, corporations are increasingly adopting organizational features designed to promote proactivity over mere reactivity in their stakeholder relationships. We identify two sources of pressure promoting the emergence of the proactive corporation -- stakeholder activism and the recognition of the social embeddedness of the economy. The final section describes four organizational design dimensions being installed by the more proactive corporations today -- cooperation, participation, negotiation, and direct anticipation.     

Economic development and Indigenous Australia: contestations over property,institutions and ideology*

Economic development for remote Indigenous communities cannot be understood unless the relative importance of customary activity, potentially enhanced by native title legal rights in resources, is recognised. The present article uses a three‐sector hybrid economy framework, rather than the usual two‐sector private (or market) and public (or state) model to more accurately depict the Indigenous economy. Examples are provided of the actual and potential significance of the customary sector of the hybrid economy. Focusing on the concepts of property and institutions, it is demonstrated that significant local, regional, and national benefits are generated by the Indigenous hybrid economy. A role is foreshadowed for resource economists and the New Institutional Economics in quantifying these benefits, including positive externalities, so that they might be more actively supported by the state.     

The home purchase process: Measurement of evaluative criteria through pairwise measures

Although the purchase of a home represents a sizable investment for the average family, relatively little consumer research pertaining to the home purchase process has been reported. This investigation utilized Thurstone's Case V methodology to identify key attributes used by consumers to make housing choices and to show how these attributes are perceived by consumers of different tenure and socioeconomic status. The pairwise comparison analysis showed a strong preference for the attributes “safety and security from crime” and “quality construction” by the respondents. In addition, the analysis revealed several important differences in attribute preferences between former owners and former renters. Former home owners, for example, were more likely than former renters to prefer school quality when it was pitted against several other attributes. Thurstone's Case V techniques was found to be an effective method for measuring consumer preferences. Implications which focus on home product development and marketing strategies are discussed.     

A theoretic reappraisal of the offsetting behavior hypothesis

This paper examines the theoretical basis of the claim that product safety regulation may not lead to either a decrease in accident rates or an increase in consumer health. We find that the technology which determines the household's probability of having an accident may guarantee that regulation will lower accident rates, and that therefore, predictions about the effect of regulation on the incidence of accidents can be made without detailed knowledge of consumer behavior.