Gender Effects in Grievance Arbitration

This study investigates arbitrators' decisions in 557 suspension cases and reveals that, other things equal, male arbitrators were 74 per cent more likely to sustain the grievances of female grievants than male grievants. There was no evidence, however, that female arbitrators treat male and female grievants differently. A review of studies on gender effects in arbitration suggests a weak gender effect where male arbitrators are more lenient with female grievants than with male grievants.     

Gender Effects in Grievance Arbitration

This study investigates arbitrators' decisions in 557 suspension cases and reveals that, other things equal, male arbitrators were 74 per cent more likely to sustain the grievances of female grievants than male grievants. There was no evidence, however, that female arbitrators treat male and female grievants differently. A review of studies on gender effects in arbitration suggests a weak gender effect where male arbitrators are more lenient with female grievants than with male grievants.     

Interest Arbitrators and Their Decision Behavior

We analyze the salary portions of a multi-state sample of police interest arbitration awards to determine what decision criteria (e.g., pay comparability, ability to pay, inflation) arbitrators' mention most frequently. Using the results, we construct measures of these criteria and assess their influence on awarded salaries. We find that arbitrated salaries are related to several of the measures and also to the employer and union salary offers. The parties' offers are also influenced by our measures, indicating that unions and employers attempt to strategically position their offers before the arbitrator.     

On whether to prosecute suspected price-fixing conspi racies: A hypothesis-testing approach

This paper analyses the antitrust policy decision of whether to sue prosecute a suspected price-fixing cartel. The analysis is conducted in the Bayesian hypothesis-testing mode, using a Cournot market. framework. This approach recognizes that the decisions to instilute an investigation, file suit, or go to trial, are all binary decisions that involve testing a null hypothesis: notably. the hypothesis that the antitrust laws have not been violated versus the alternative hypothesis that they have been violated. Rejecting the null hypothesis is equivalent to electing to proceed along the prosecution path. The paper demonstrates that formalization of the decision-making process can help to enhance our understanding of the factors that underlie the various decisions, and particularly how those factors can influence the decisions, and provides guldellnes for antllrust administration under the current U. S. antitrusl laws.     

Small business purchasing of capital equipment

This article concerns the results of a study employing consumer brand-choice methodology to explain the evaluation and buying decisions for light excavators by individual entrepreneurs. First, the purchasing of industrial products by small businesses is briefly discussed conceptually. Second, the buying decisions of Finnish contractors for light excavators were investigated with a multiattribute choice model. The results indicate that buying decisions are based on product attributes that differ from one excavator model to another. The usefulness of the selection model is evaluated, and a framework model describing factors affecting an individual entrepreneur's excavator buying process is suggested together with certain implications for marketers.     

Finding true north: Design and implementation of a strategic sourcing framework

This study investigates the evolution of the design, development and implementation of a strategic sourcing framework able to support decision-makers in formulating differentiated, rather than generic supplier base strategies. These strategies are in turn implemented through specific action plans, assuring the coherence and alignment between the different strategic hierarchical levels, beginning with business strategy, through category strategy to specific tactical sourcing levers. The proposed framework is the result of a longitudinal study executed through two action research cycles engaging in a strategic sourcing project in a leading European specialty steels manufacturer. By integrating and refining in our framework three dominant purchasing portfolio models - i.e. Kraljic, Olsen & Ellram, and Scott & Westbrook - we highlight the importance of adopting multiple perspectives to manage the complexity of formulating a purchasing strategy and its related implementation decisions. The proposed framework has been designed to facilitate dynamic learning mechanisms through a feedback loop to continuously update the three integrated models and in turn allow managers to gain a strategic perspective of the evolution of buyer-supplier relationships, the influence of previous decisions and external factors. A critical discussion explores the proposed solution through the main theoretical lenses emerged throughout the research process.     

Agricultural policy decisions in the EC : Consequences of institutional imbalance

In almost all developed countries agriculture is protected by state interventions of a differing nature and degree, subject to political decisions. These decisions are determined by the institutional framework of the relevant decision-making process. In this article it is demonstrated that the institutional framework of the EC differs to a large degree from those in most parliamentary democracies. Such institutional peculiarities favour the transformation of political interests of farmers into decisions on farm policy by the Council of Ministers largely because of a lack of countervailing checks.     

The Impact of the Corporate Mind‐set on New Product Launch Strategy and Market Performance

In the last decade, there has been an increasing interest in the link between new product launch strategy and market performance. So far, new product launch research has focused on this performance relationship without giving much attention to background factors that can facilitate or inhibit successful launch strategies. However, investigating such antecedents that set the framework in which different strategic launch decisions enable or prevent the market performance of new products is useful for enhancing the current state of knowledge. Drawing on the concept of a firm's orientation, the present study discusses the influence of the corporate mind‐set on new product launch strategy and market performance. It is hypothesized that the capability to successfully launch new products is based on the interplay between a firm's mind‐set (i.e., an analytical, risk‐taking, and aggressive posture) and its strategic launch decisions on setting launch objectives, selecting target markets, and positioning the new product. A research model with mediating effects is proposed, where the corporate mind‐set determines the launch strategy decisions, which in turn impact market performance. The model is tested with data on 113 industrial new products launched in business‐to‐business markets in Germany using a multiple informant approach. The results support the mediated model as the dimensions of the corporate mind‐set have a significant impact on most strategic launch decisions, which in turn significantly contribute to market performance. It is found that while an analytical posture relates to all three strategic launch decisions, risk taking and an aggressive posture have a significant impact on two, respectively one, launch strategy elements. These findings confirm the importance of investigating antecedents for a successful new product launch, as the corporate mind‐set serves as a background resource that sets the framework for successful new product launch decisions. In the final section implications for research and managerial practice as well as limitations of this research are provided.     

A Risk-Return Analysis of a Firm's Working-Capital Position

In this paper, a method is proposed by which management is able to analyze the risk-return tradeoff for various levels of liquid assets for the firm and for different maturity compositions of its debt. Together, these factors determine its working-capital position. Certain probability concepts are employed; and information is provided about the risk of cash insolvency for alternative strategies. In addition, the opportunity costs of these strategies are determined. With the framework proposed, more rational working-capital decisions are possible. The firm is able to achieve a working-capital position that provides the appropriate margin of safety in relation to the cost involved in attaining that position     

Towards value-based pricing—An integrative framework for decision making

Despite a recent surge of interest, the subject of pricing in general and value-based pricing in particular has received little academic investigation. Yet, pricing has a huge impact on financial results, both in absolute terms and relative to other instruments of the marketing mix. The objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive framework for pricing decisions which considers all relevant dimensions and elements for profitable and sustainable pricing decisions. The theoretical framework is useful for guiding new product pricing decisions as well as for implementing price-repositioning strategies for existing products. The practical application of this framework is illustrated by a case study involving the pricing decision for a major product launch at a global chemical company.     

Ex ante margin squeeze tests in the telecommunications industry: What is a reasonably efficient operator?

This paper studies the implementation of Reasonably Efficient Operator margin squeeze tests by National Regulatory Authorities in European telecommunications markets. It provides a theoretical framework which shows how regulatory authorities deal with the asymmetries between entrants and incumbents by adjusting the Equally Efficient Operator margin squeeze test used in competition policy. Using this framework, this paper presents a benchmark of implementation choices by inspecting authorities' guidelines, market analyses, and decisions. Whereas some implementation choices are very similar across authorities' decisions, some others display a strong heterogeneity.     

理解企业外包决策的一个概念框架

企业在进行外包决策时，应该比较外包的总成本与内部生产的总成本。总成本由生产成本、谈判成本和机会主义成本构成。谈判成本和机会主义成本统称治理成本，其大小取决于产品的复杂性、市场的可争夺性和资产专用性三个因素。按照产品复杂性和资产专用性的不同，可以将企业的外包环境分成四种类型，在不同类型的外包环境下，外包企业应该采取不同的措施。     

The making of public investments: The role of champions,co-ordination,and characteristics of nutrition programmes in Mozambique

This study examines governance and institutional factors that influence how public resources are allocated for nutrition interventions in the context of a developing country—Mozambique—with very high rates of malnutrition. Based on qualitative empirical analysis building on a political economy framework, we explore the importance of two agent-centred and two investment-centred factors that determine how decisions on budget allocation to nutrition are made. The analysis finds that public decisionmakers strongly favour highly visible nutrition investments and those with a short duration between the time that spending is incurred and outcomes or outputs are achieved. Co-ordination has been quite successful among donors, and mainly of a spatial nature. Co-ordination is significantly weaker among government agencies, given the absence of fiscal tools of the co-ordinating agency, and its placement in a sector ministry rather than at a supra-sectoral level. Champions as change agents have had a truly influential role in attracting more funding to nutrition and improving its allocation. But their influence is also fleeting and difficult to sustain.     

Cost management and cross-functional communication through product architectures

Product architecture decisions regarding, for example, product modularity, component commonality, and design re-use, are important for balancing costs, responsiveness, quality, and other important business objectives. Firms are challenged with complex tradeoffs between competing design priorities, face the need to facilitate communication between functional silos, and want to learn from past experiences. In this paper, we present a qualitative approach for systematically evaluating the product architecture of a product family, comparing the original architecture objectives and actual experiences.
The intended contribution of our research is threefold: (1) to present a framework that brings together a diverse set of product architecture-related decisions and business performance; (2) to provide a set of metrics that operationalise the variables in the framework, and (3) to provide a workshop protocol that is based on the framework and the metrics. This workshop aims to improve cross-functional communication about the product architecture of an existing product family, and it results in practical improvement actions for future architecture design projects. Experiences with this approach are reported in pilots with Philips Domestic Appliances and Personal Care, and Philips Consumer Electronics.     

The moderating influence of firm market power on the transaction cost economics model: An empirical test in a forward channel integration context

Transaction cost economics (TCE) has guided a variety of research on governance in the strategic management literature. An important question arises, however, as to whether the TCE framework is equally appropriate for all types of firms in all business settings. In this paper, we argue that TCE is not and suggest that firms with high market power may be able to lower transaction costs under high asset specificity and uncertainty in nonintegrated distribution channels, avoiding the need to utilize highly integrated channels as a result. We test our hypotheses with data collected from 40 manufacturers of electronic and telecommunications products in 109 product‐markets in the United States. The results support our hypothesis that transaction cost factors are better at explaining forward channel integration for firms with low market power than for firms with high market power. Our results indicate that the basic TCE framework must be supplemented by the market power construct to adequately explain forward channel integration decisions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improving the New Product Development Process: A Fractal Paradigm for High-Technology Products

Those professionals who are charged with improving the new product development (NPD) process may well feel as though they have been asked to bring order out of chaos. For every level in the organization, and for every step in the NPD process, they must contend with myriad, often interdependent choices—of products and processes; of tools and technologies; of proven best practices and hypothesized solutions. In turn, each choice may cascade into several additional decisions. With so many issues to address and so many variables to consider, practioners and researchers alike need a clear, but complete, framework for exploring, understanding, and improving the NPD process. To help bring some order to the study and the practice of NPD management, W. Austin Spivey, J. Michael Munson, and John H. Wolcott introduce a new metaphor, or paradigm, for product development: a fractal paradigm. Like some fractal images, their framework for understanding the essence of NPD rests on the concept of self-similarity. In other words, the picture their framework provides for understanding and managing the NPD process consists of the same set of concerns, regardless of the level at which the process is viewed. They developed this fractal paradigm during an empirical study of technology transition in a highly successful federal laboratory organization. Whether the focus is on the organization, the division, the team, or the individual, the essence of the NPD process as viewed through their framework comes down to two sets of factors: management factors and resource factors. In turn, each of these factors cascades into several interrelated sets of concerns. For example, the management factors comprise concerns about leadership and the management system. The resource factors include concerns about information, infrastructure, time, and money. Regardless of the level of detail at which the framework is viewed, improving the NPD process requires attention to all of these factors, by all levels within the organization. For example, visionary leadership on the part of senior management will have little effect if middle management and line supervisors fail to provide the necessary leadership for their respective groups of subordinates. Notwithstanding the complexity of the NPD process, the fractal paradigm focuses attention on those few key factors that must be managed continually, throughout all levels of the organization, to ensure successful commercialization of new products.     

A research and development decision model for pharmaceutical industry: case of China

This paper evaluates prospective technology areas, development strategies, and various innovation resources in China's pharmaceutical sector through the use of a hierarchical decision model. The results indicate that although domestic SMEs are the major preferred innovation alternative, it is followed closely by foreign MNCs. The sensitivity analysis indicates that the effectiveness of policy decisions are influenced by certain high technology areas. Recombinant therapeutic proteins, recombinant vaccines, and monoclonal antibody technologies are identified as the major areas that will influence the priority of innovation resources. The research crafts a research framework to formulate innovation strategies in dealing with the uncertainties of technology development and policy decisions in the biopharmaceutical industry.     

Applying partial least squares to model genetically modified food purchase intentions in southern Spain consumers

Consumers’ potential reactions towards genetically modified (GM) foods influence their commercial feasibility and determine the decisions of economic agents. This paper studies the underlying factors involved in determining consumers’ choice behaviour towards GM foods in order to develop an integrated analytical framework. Reliable information about consumers’ behaviour towards GM foods should lead to the design of political strategies intended to make citizens feel safe in their purchasing choices. In addition, there is an analysis of behavioural differences due to consumers’ objective knowledge levels. The research was performed in southern Spain using variance-based structural equation modelling, namely the Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression technique. The results support those arguments that connect consumers’ behavioural intentions, attitudes and different factors involved in determining consumer choice, because attitudes towards GM foods link consumer purchasing intentions to the perceived benefits and risks posed by GM foods. Furthermore, there are some insights into the moderating role played by the consumers’ level of knowledge in their purchase intentions to GM food.     

The psychological context of strategic decisions: A model and convergent experimental findings

Strategic decision-makers typically are involved in a series of incremental decisions, each affected by a variety of contextual factors. This papers develops a model of the psychological context of strategic decisions and reports two experiments. First, students made reinvestment decisions faced with success or failure feedback on a past decision, high or low perceived organizational slack, and decisions framed to depict a positive or negative future outlook. All three variables had main and interactive effects. Second, managers made similar decisions in a related experimental design. Results confirmed and extended the initial findings. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Managerial perceptions of global pioneering advantage: Theoretical framework and empirical evidence in the U.S. and Korea

Managers form mental models of their business environment, and make strategic decisions based on these perceptions of reality. We study managerial perceptions of the competitive advantage gained by a pioneering firm. We expect that managers will make pioneering entry decisions based on their perceptions of pioneering advantages. Due to cross-national cultural and business environment differences, managers from different countries will employ different mental models and thus perceive the relative advantage of pioneering differently.Drawing from the literature on cultural influence on decision-making, we build a theoretical framework of perceived pioneering advantage in different cultural environments. From this framework, and from cultural differences that exist between the United States and South Korea, we derive hypotheses regarding expected cross-cultural perceptual differences. We test these hypotheses using samples of senior product managers from both countries. We find that some, but not all, of the principles of pioneering advantage empirically verified in North America are generalizable to the culturally-different South Korean business environment.