An Exploratory Study to Identify the Site Selection Factors for U.S. Franchise Restaurants

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify site selection factors under six categories that are most pertinent for the successful operation of U.S. franchise restaurants. The results highlight the most important site selection factors, which can be used as a guide by franchisors as well as franchisees. The selected six site selection categories as narrowed down in this study included general location, position of site, demographics, traffic information, competition, and cost consideration. The Delphi technique identified 56 site selection factors under these six categories, which were ultimately predicted as necessary for the success or failure of franchise restaurants.     

U.S. International Deficits,Debt, and Income Payments: Key Relationships Affecting the International Outlook

A variety of issues and relationships will be of fundamental importance in determining the future paths of the U.S. current account, international debt position, and net international income flows. This paper describes the key relationships and presents projection results that illustrate the sensitivity of the outcomes to those relationships. Although the base case scenario presented in the paper shows a relatively benign outcome based on Blue Chip projections and the likely continuation of historical relationships, alternative projections help to illustrate the risks—and the potential sources of those risks— for a more adverse outcome for U.S. international deficits, debt and income flows. JEL Classification F21     

Borrowing Without Debt? Understanding the U.S. International Investment Position

Sustained large U.S. current account deficits have led some economists and policymakers to worry that future current account adjustment could occur through a sudden and disruptive depreciation of the dollar and a sharp drop in U.S. consumption. Two factors that, to date, have cast doubt on such concerns are the stability of U.S. net external liabilities and the minimal net income payments made by the United States on these liabilities. We show that the stability of the external position reflects sizable capital gains stemming from strong foreign equity markets and a weaker dollar—conditions that could be reversed in the future. We also show that while minimal U.S. net income payments reflect a much higher measured rate of return on U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) assets than on U.S. FDI liabilities, JEL Classification F21     

Estimates and Determinants of Armington Elasticities for the U.S. Food Industry

This paper provides estimates of elasticities of substitution between domestic and imported goods for 40 4-digit S.I.C. food manufacturing industries and explains the inter-industry differences among these coefficients in terms of industry sectoral characteristics. The results show that there is a wide range of variation among such elasticities and that the intensity of each industrys percentage of output sold to final consumers, foreign direct investment, expenditures on advertising and the existence of import quotas affect the degree of substitutability between domestic and foreign goods in the face of a relative price change.     

Technological opportunism effects on IT adoption,intra-firm diffusion and performance: Evidence from the U.S. and Spain

The paper pursues a joint analysis of the direct influence of the level of a firm's technology opportunism capability on performance and on the adoption and intra-firm diffusion of Internet-based technologies. The study here examines the mediating effect that intra-firm diffusion exerts on the relationship between capabilities and performance. This study uses the results from a survey of 100 Spanish and 109 American franchise firms. Results indicate that the firm's level technological opportunism influences the adoption and intra-firm diffusion of technology and also has a positive impact on performance. While intra-firm diffusion is a driver of performance, adoption has no influence. Finally the indirect impact of technological opportunism on performance differs across countries. While for American firms, the integration of technologies into activities that related to communication with partners has a positive impact on performance; Spanish managers should focus on the integration of these technologies into back-end functionalities.     

Analysis of Relative Growth Rates Between Domestic and International Earnings of U.S. Based Publicly Traded Restaurant Firms

ABSTRACT

This study explores the relative growth rates in earnings of public restaurant firms for a 20-year period from 1981-2000. No significant differences were found in sales growth between multinational and domestic restaurant firms. However, multinational firms significantly outperformed domestic firms in growth of operating income and pre-tax profitability. Multinational restaurant firms also had significantly lower negative growth in domestic earnings when compared to domestic firms. The results imply that multinational restaurant firms are more efficient than domestic firms in converting sales into profits.     

农产品出口信贷担保国家分配的影响因素研究——以美国为例

文章在介绍农产品出口信贷担保背景的基础上,选取1999-2007年15个使用美国农产品短期出口信贷担保的国家为研究对象,分析美国制定这种政策措施的影响因素。研究发现:这种政策措施的设计初衷是为了维持和扩大现有国际市场的份额,并开拓竞争出口国不占有优势的市场;而且,措施的实施并不是用于救济那些无钱从国际市场购买粮食的国家。     

Brand Personality of Global Quick-Service Restaurants in Emerging and Developed Markets: A Comparative Study in Brazil and the U.S.

This study aimed to determine the dimensions of the personality of global quick-service restaurant brands perceived by young consumers in the U.S. and Brazil, and whether these dimensions showed similar configurations in both countries. A survey was carried out with two QSR brands (McDonald's and Subway). Data analysis utilized exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The study identified five personality dimensions for each of the brands studied in each country. Results support the proposition that global brands can carry a common meaning across nations, but also that certain local nuances of brand personalities can differ.     

贸易逆差是否削弱了一国国际竞争力:美国经验

一国贸易逆差通常被认为会损害该国的国际竞争力。本文从美国巨额贸易逆差的成因入手,结合产品市场生命周期理论、国际分工现状两个方面分析逆差与竞争力的关系,认为美国巨额贸易逆差是美国经济增长与旺盛社会需求的结果,同时也是其国际分工、产业结构高级化的产物,由此反映出贸易逆差并未削弱美国竞争力。诸如日本、德国及印度等多国经验也显示贸易差额与一国国际竞争力的分离关系。因此,当前贸易差额已不能成为衡量一国国际竞争力的标准。     

The Expansion of the U.S. Stock Market, 1885 1930: Historical Facts and Theoretical Fashions

Based on an analysis of the leading trading markets for stockin the United States, I document the dramatic expansion thattook place in the scale and scope of the country's stock marketfrom the mid-1880s to the early 1930s. My analysis suggeststhat a broad-based stock market was a long way from being establishedeven by the early teens. It took the impetus provided by WorldWar I, plus the enthusiasm of the 1920s, to bring such a marketinto existence. I consider the capacity of today's fashionabletheories, which link the development of stock markets to improvementsin minority shareholder protection, to explain the growth ofthe U.S. stock market, and find that they cannot account forthe historical patterns that I identify. However, I suggestthat there are other arguments that are worthy of further consideration.First, there were factors, besides minority shareholder rights,that led to changes in the demand for corporate stocks duringthis period, especially an increase in the demand for stocksby institutional investors, notably banks and insurance companies,as well as the emergence of a retail market for stocks afterWorld War I. Second, there were also important developmentsin the supply of corporate stocks after the War, including theissuance of stock to fund the expansion of young firms, butespecially to facilitate mergers and acquisitions by establishedfirms, which seem to have played an important role in drivingthe expansion of the U.S. stock market.     

An Analysis of the Influencing Factors of Hainan Tourism ElectronicCommerce Develop.meat with AHP Model

本文通过对旅游电子商务相关文献及海南旅游电子商务现状与特点的研究,建立了海南旅游电子商务发展的影响因素指标体系,并应用层次分析法对这些影响因素进行分析,求出各影响因素的权重。结果显示在海南旅游电子商务发展中,政府的支持最为重要,紧接其后的依次是企业管理水平、电子商务、管理人才的引进、法律保障、企业宣传等。     

美国购物中心的规模效益分析

通过分析美国购物中心的发展历程、规模结构和规模效益,发现,美国购物中心在零售业中占主导地位,2003年美国购物中心零售额比重为35．6%。尽管美国经济发达,消费水准很高,但购物中心的发展并不贪大和盲目攀比,购物中心以中小型为主体,平均单个购物中心出租面积规模为1．15万平方米/个,地区分布较为均衡。美国不同规模购物中心的单位面积效益差异不明显,“规模和效益成正比”的结论不能成立。     

International bankruptcy and the spirit of comity: New U.S. law encourages cooperation among nations

While many international businesses are successful, others experience financial difficulties and file for bankruptcy. These cases pose challenges for bankruptcy courts worldwide because the assets of the debtor are located in more than one nation. How is this being handled? The trend is toward cooperation. Under the principle of comity, one nation gives effect to the laws and judicial decisions of another nation as a matter of deference and mutual respect. The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (the Act), effective October 2005, amends the bankruptcy code in several significant ways. One such amendment is Chapter 15: Ancillary and Other Cross-Border Cases. Chapter 15 not only embraces but also advances the spirit of comity.     

Cultural and Ethical Effects in Budgeting Systems: A Comparison of U.S. and Chinese Managers

This study developed and tested a model of culture’s effect on budgeting systems, and hypothesized that system variables and reactions to them are influenced by culture-specific work-related and ethical values. Most organizational and behavioral views of budgeting fail to acknowledge the ethical components of the problem, and have largely ignored the role of culture in shaping organizational and individual values. Cross-cultural differences in reactions to system design variables, and in the behaviors motivated or mitigated by those variables, has implications for the design and effectiveness of budgeting systems. The data largely support our research model, demonstrating the hypothesized national cultural differences in system design variables (e.g., participation, standards tightness, budget emphasis, etc. which we characterized as the opportunity and incentives to create budgetary slack), and the expected relationship between incentives (but not opportunity) to create slack and slack creation behavior. The data demonstrate hypothesized cultural differences in ethical ideology but show ethical ideology related to slack creation behavior only for U.S. managers. A discussion of the results and their implications is included.     

行业特色高校学科发展模式：美国一流大学的启示

特色学科是差异化战略的具体体现,是行业特色高校核心竞争力的核心要素和集中体现。在美国保持特色优势是行业特色高校的立校之本,其学科发展有均衡发展与重点突破,有限发展与综合发展,学科交叉、协同发展几种典型模式。就我国而言多学科交叉协同、非均衡发展模式是行业特色高校的强校之路。成都理工大学“恃优先行,以点带面;以优促精,全面提高”的学科发展模式正是国内行业特色高校发展的典型案例。     

以所有权为基础的贸易差额统计体系研究

传统的以一国关境为核算基础的贸易差额统计体系,已无法准确反映及把握全球化时代贸易投资一体化的经济运行状况。本文以美国1982-2003年数据为例,尝试通过将跨国公司的经营活动纳入贸易差额统计体系来重新审视美国经济,希望通过简单的统计方法调整阐明在经济全球化的背景下,建立以所有权为基础的贸易差额统计体系的重要性,说明贸易投资一体化下的美国经济的强大实力及长期发展潜力。     

Consumer boycotts: The impact of the Iraq war on French wine sales in the U.S.

The French opposition to the war in Iraq in early 2003 prompted calls for a boycott of French wine in the US. We measure the magnitude of consumers’ participation in the boycott, and look at basic evidence of who participates. Conservative estimates indicate that the boycott resulted in 26% lower weekly sales at its peak, and 13% lower sales over the 6 months period that we estimate the boycott lasted. Although theory suggests consumers would not participate in boycotts due to a free-rider problem, these findings indicate that businesses should be concerned that consumers may boycott their products. We also find that neither political preferences nor media attention are important determinants of boycott participation.

Values and the Perceived Importance of Ethics and Social Responsibility: The U.S. versus China

This study examines the effects of nationality (U.S. vs. China) and personal values on managers’ responses to the Perceived Role of Ethics and Social Responsibility (PRESOR) scale. Evidence that China’s transition to a socialist market economy has led to widespread business corruption, led us to hypothesize that People’s Republic of China (PRC) managers would believe less strongly in the importance of ethical and socially responsible business conduct. We also hypothesized that after controlling for national differences, managers’ personal values (more specifically, self-transcendence values) would have a significant impact on PRESOR responses. The hypotheses were tested using a sample of practicing managers enrolled in part-time MBA programs in the two countries. The results indicate that nationality did not have a consistent impact on PRESOR responses. After controlling for national differences, self-transcendence values had a significant positive impact on two of the three PRESOR dimensions. Conservation values such as conformity and tradition also had a significant association with certain dimensions of the PRESOR scale. William E. Shafer is an associate professor in the Department of Accountancy at Lingnan University in Hong Kong. His primary research interests are professionalism and ethics in accounting and corporate social and environmental accountability. His publications have appeared in a variety of academic and professional journals, including Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory; Accounting Horizons; Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal; Business Ethics Quarterly; Journal of Business Ethics; Journal of Accountancy; and The CPA Journal. Kyoko Fukukawa is a lecturer in marketing at Bradford University School of Management and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham, UK. Her research interests include ethical decision-making in consumption and business practices; corporate social responsibility (CSR) of MNCs concerning their policies and strategic communication; and CSR and corporate branding. Her publications appear in the Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Corporate Citizenship and others. Grace M. Lee is an assistant professor is the Department of Accountancy at Lingnan University in Hong Kong. Her primary research interests are corporate financial disclosure and corporate social responsibility disclosure in the Greater China Region. She has published in the Journal of International Financial Management and Accounting and the Journal of Information Systems.     

Utility of Ethical Frameworks in Determining Behavioral Intention: A Comparison of the U.S. and Russia

Using Reidenbach and Robin‘s ( Journal of Business Ethics 7, 871–879, 1988) multi-criteria ethics instrument, we carried out the first empirical test of Robertson and Crittenden‘s (Strategic Management Journal 24, 385–392, 2003) cross-cultural map of moral philosophies to examine what ethical criteria guide business people in Russia and the U.S. in their intention to behave. Competing divergence and convergence hypotheses were advanced. Our results support a convergence hypothesis, and reveal a common emphasis on relativism. Americans are also influenced by the justice criterion while Russians tend to emphasize utilitarianism. Rafik I. Beekun (Ph.D., the University of Texas at Austin) is Professor of Management and Strategy in the Managerial Sciences Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. His current research focuses on business ethics, national cultures, and the link between management and spirituality. He has published in such journals as the Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Relations, Journal of Management, Journal of Business Ethics and Decision Sciences. Correspondence regarding this article should be addressed to him: MGRS 28, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557–0206. James Westerman is an Associate Professor of Management at Appalachian State University. He received his Ph.D. in management from the University of Colorado at Boulder. His research interests include person-organization fit, employee ethics, compensation, and selection. Jamal Barghouti (B.Sc., MBA, Ph.D Management) is currently Advisor on Petroleum Affairs, H.H. Ruler’s Court, Dubai. He is also a lecturer at local universities including Dubai University College in human resources management, international business, organizational behavior and business communication. He has about 35 years of experience in the oil industry in the U.S.A., U.K., Russia, and the Middle East.