Modeling social interactions: Identification, empirical methods and policy implications

Social interactions occur when agents in a network affect other agents’ choices directly, as opposed to via the intermediation of markets. The study of such interactions and the resultant outcomes has long been an area of interest across a wide variety of social sciences. With the advent of electronic media that facilitate and record such interactions, this interest has grown sharply in the business world as well. In this paper, we provide a brief summary of what is known so far, discuss the main challenges for researchers interested in this area, and provide a common vocabulary that will hopefully engender future (cross disciplinary) research. The paper considers the challenges of distinguishing actual causal social interactions from other phenomena that may lead to a false inference of causality. Further, we distinguish between two broadly defined types of social interactions that relate to how strongly interactions spread through a network. We also provide a very selective review of how insights from other disciplines can improve and inform modeling choices. Finally, we discuss how models of social interaction can be used to provide guidelines for marketing policy and conclude with thoughts on future research directions.     

Labour unions,globalization and deregulation in Thailand

This contribution traces the evolution of work systems and labour-management relationships in Thailand, with emphasis on the nature and role of unions in the Thai economy. We focus on issues that have emerged as a consequence of globalization and privatization (currently the most significant form of deregulation in Thailand). Labour unions are quite weak in Thailand, even in comparison to other rapidly developing countries in the region. Furthermore, unions have been weakened further in recent years as the consequence of government action, prompted both by globalization pressures and extensive privatization of state enterprises. The emergence of a democratic political system in Thailand has not served to reverse this trend. Indeed, a reversal of this trend does not seem likely in the foreseeable future.     

Reflections on management style and corporate social policy

Corporate social policy can be viewed as three legs of a tripod: efficient production, stable employment, and a social and political environment that promotes high performance of both workers and managers. Social policy process consists of achieving a balance of corporate interest with other interests in the society. Each policy position taken by the firm alters its relationships with all other interests and creates a new balance. This entails the risk of creating unfriendly interests and losing the support of others, depending on the issue and shift in power. The substance of policy affects this balance according to varying degrees of risk ranging from low to high: provision of good pay and working conditions, and justice; participation in local community affairs, charitable and cultural contributions, corporate lobbying, and electing candidates. Social policy formation is, thus, the search for a balance of public policy and private interests. It is an experiment in governance; in mediating differences over values between public and private interests.     

Globalization,non-standard employment and Australian trade unions

This article explores the impact of the growing non-standard workforce on trade union membership and union policy in Australia in the context of neoliberal policy responses to globalization. It is no coincidence that trade union density has rapidly declined in Australia as the non-standard employment share has rapidly increased. The characteristics of the jobs and the workers filling non-standard jobs are largely outside of the traditional domain of trade unions. While trade unions are faced with an increasingly hostile political environment in Australia, one of the real challenges they confront is to make themselves more relevant for non-standard employees and to increase their recruitment among non-standard employees.     

A reluctant stakeholder? On the perception of corporate social responsibility among European trade unions

Seen from a national business system perspective, the notion of corporate social responsibility (CSR) emerges as a specifically US‐American response to challenges regarding the corporate place in society. With the spread of American capitalism, however, CSR is bound to come into contact – and conflict – with other approaches to the role of business in society that have been shaped by different national cultures. Within Europe, one such area of potential conflict concerns the role of organised labour in representing employee interests. Studying the perceptions held by European trade unions on stakeholding, as one of the important concepts in the CSR discourse, does indeed reveal a considerable degree of union scepticism of CSR and its terminology. There is, however, also embryonic evidence of at least some unions attempting to link the CSR discourse to traditional union goals. Furthermore, national differences in union responses to CSR are beginning to emerge, which may, in turn, further shape the evolution of national business systems in Europe.     

Globalization,labour market deregulation and trade unions in Singapore

This contribution examines recent trends in globalization and their effects on the labour market in Singapore. It discusses the responses of the government and the trade union movement to the challenges of globalization, and concludes by looking at the changing role of the trade union movement in Singapore. Citing government policies in dealing with the recent economic crisis, the article highlights the ‘managed flexibility’ approach of the government. We find that the trade union movement has gained considerably in stature and influence in providing training for the workers and helping them cope with retrenchment and the recession.     

How unions view gainsharing

What is it that unions like about gainsharing? What aspects do they oppose? And why are unions moving from a neutral position to active support of gainsharing plans?     

Women, Ethics, and MBAs

We argue that the declining female enrollment in graduate business schools is a manifestation of gender bias in business education. The extant conceptual foundation of business education is one which views business activity in terms of a game with fixed and wholly material objectives. This concept betrays an underlying value system that reflects a male orientation. Business education is not merely amoral, therefore, but is gender biased. We suggest that business educators adopt a broadened behavioral rubric. Virtue-ethics theory provides such a rubric.     

Product market imperfections and customs unions theory

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the welfare implications of trade creation and trade diversion within the context of the standard model of customs unions to which increasing returns and domestic monopoly have been added. The problem we consider is particularly important to the less-developed countries in which both types of product market imperfections are encountered. It is shown that, in the presence of product market imperfections, trade creation I and trade creation II may entail welfare loss, while trade diversion I and trade diversion II may be welfare-improving.     

What ails our unions?

Unions are faced with declining membership and power. The author contends that the slip may be only temporary if management continues its current tactics.     

Multinational corporate social policy process for ethical responsibility in sub-Saharan Africa

The article identifies the challenges that multinational corporations (MNCs) from the developed world face in sub-Saharan Africa and examines the direct foreign-investment and development interests of the region. In light of these challenges and interests, it also explores answers to the question “What is to be done?” The occurrence of MNCs' operations in culturally pluralistic societies suggest that they use, as the basis for a corporation-formulated regional code of conduct, a value-based corporate social policy process. That process should embody utilitarian and situation ethics in the exercise of MNCs' prima facie operations and of their responsibilities to society. For the African normative environment, the appeal of this approach is substantiated by the notion that both utilitarian and situation ethics are at once consistent with the region's investment codes, development interests, and value systems. But more than that, utilitarian and situation ethics are consistent with corporate social policy process and can assist MNCs to meet effectively their social responsibilities by helping them reverse the economic stagnation of most of the continent. However, because deontological (that is, Kantian) ethics emphasize autonomous actions that satisfy individual goals, they are largely at odds with sub-Saharan African value systems that typically emphasize the ethnic group (heteronomy) rather than the self. MNCs would, therefore, do well to de-emphasize their use in the region.     

Globalization,China's free (read bonded) labour market,and the Chinese trade unions

After two decades of economic reform during which China developed a strong export thrust into the world market, an industrial labour market has taken shape in China. But it is not really a free labour market in that deposits are generally required of workers when they commence employment. For some migrant workers this has led to a condition equivalent to being bonded, which enables Asian foreign investors to establish harsh labour regimes in the factories they manage. The Chinese official trade unions are at a crossroads – do they side with the workers, management or with the party-state?     

Inflation,uncertainty, and monetary policy

Low inflation likely reflects factors whose influence should fade over time. But many uncertainties attend this assessment, and downward pressures on inflation could prove to be unexpectedly persistent. My colleagues and I may have misjudged the strength of the labor market, the degree to which longer-run inflation expectations are consistent with our inflation objective, or even the fundamental forces driving inflation. In interpreting incoming data, we will need to stay alert to these possibilities and, in light of incoming information, adjust our views about inflation, the overall economy, and the stance of monetary policy best suited to promoting maximum employment and price stability. How should policy be formulated in the face of such significant uncertainties? In my view, it strengthens the case for a gradual pace of adjustment. But we should also be wary of moving too gradually. It would be imprudent to keep monetary policy on hold until inflation is back to 2%.     

加强以人为本的理念,坚实做好工会工作

必须坚持以人为本,把人民的利益作为一切工作的出发点和落脚点,不断满足人民群众多方面的需求和促进人的全面发展.工会组织是党联系职工群众的桥梁和纽带,工会工作是党的群众工作的重要组成部分.坚持用以人为本的指导思想指导工会工作,就要从工会的性质和特点出发,在各项工作中把维护职工群众的合法权益作为根本的出发点和落脚点,努力促进职工群众多方面需求的满足的自身的全面发展.     

社会性别视域下的劳动政策责任主体分析

对女性劳动者的政策倾斜是实现社会性别平等的重要措施之一.以企业(雇佣者)为社会责任主体的女性劳动保护政策规范得到了计划经济时期国家再分配机制的有力支撑,但由于责任主体的错位,其在市场经济时期的不适应不仅没有保障女性劳动者的劳动权利,反而加剧了劳动力市场的性别不平等基于此,本文认为应改革完善与市场价值规律不相适应性的女性劳动保护规范,确立以政府为责任主体的女性劳动保护政策规范体系.     

Internationalisation, industrial policy and clusters

This paper analyses industrial policy in an open economy hosting an agglomeration consisting of vertically linked upstream and downstream firms. We show that optimal policy towards upstream and downstream industries may typically differ radically in this setting as compared to the case of a closed economy. Internationalisation in terms of international mobility of firms as well as reduced trade costs is found to have significant impact on policy design. We find that in addition to technology and demand characteristics, degree of mobility and level of trade cost are key determinants of tax and subsidy levels.