Liverpool slave merchant entrepreneurial networks, 1725–1807

Liverpool surpassed Bristol as Britain's premier slave trading port in the mid-eighteenth century, but the reasons for Liverpool's eventual dominance remain debated. This article utilises the theoretical framework of entrepreneurship and notions of capital applied within associational networks to determine whether or not Liverpool merchants had a ‘particular spirit of enterprise’ which enabled their success. An analysis of the trends in investment patterns of Liverpool slave voyages demonstrates that Liverpool merchants managed voyages in comparatively larger investment groups. Thus, they had greater access to knowledge, skills and resources, which allowed for more competitive advantages to their trade.     

Risk and risk management in the Liverpool slave trade

The profits of the Liverpool slave trade are infamous, if somewhat more realistically represented in recent literature. Contemporaries and historians have posited that these higher profits were required to entice merchants into the trade because of the higher risks. However, there is very little work which investigates whether the risks of the slave trade really were higher than other similar opportunities. This article uses the case study of Liverpool slave traders to investigate the risks within the slave trade compared to other Atlantic ventures, and how Liverpool merchants managed those risks. It will argue that the slave trade was indeed a relatively risky trade in comparison with other Atlantic ventures, but that Liverpool merchants not only understood these risks, but actively embraced them, allowing them to manage them extremely well.     

FOCUS: Ethics in Need of Regulation

How much real impact on business behaviour is achieved by ethical debate and discussion? The author contends that little ethical change will come about unless it is the subject of regulation and institutions, as instanced in equal opportunities, corporate governance and the quality of financial services. Dr Clarke is a member of the Department of Sociology, University of Liverpool, P.O. Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX.     

Fraud and the Politics of Morality

Most large frauds develop only gradually and incidentally. When things fall apart it is politic to call it anything but fraud. The author is a member of the Department of Sociology, University of Liverpool, POB 147, Liverpool L69 3BX.     

What’s in a price? The American raw cotton market in Liverpool and the Anglo-American War

This article argues that an embryonic futures market was present in Liverpool during the Anglo-American War. The analysis of a previously unseen data-set of printed Prices Currents has facilitated not only a price series of raw cotton prices, but an in-depth analysis of the ‘construction’ of those raw cotton prices. By positing a definition of an embryonic futures market and then analysing each of the features of a such a market in turn, this study demonstrates the existence of an embryonic futures market in early nineteenth-century Liverpool.     

The Effectiveness Of Codes Of Conduct

Studies of the prevalence and contents of codes of conduct in the private sector show that their use to define an ethical environment or culture, and their effective implementation, must be as part of a learning process that requires inculcation, reinforcement and measurement. Consequently, the public sector must realise it cannot look solely to formal codes to revive and sustain public sector values. Alan Doig is Professor of Public Services Management, and John Wilson is Principal Lecturer and Head of the Centre for Public Services Management, at Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University.     

Britain and EMU: Assessing the Costs in Macroeconomic Variability

Stochastic simulations are used on the Liverpool Model of the UK to assess the effect of UK euro entry on macroeconomic stability. Instability increases substantially, particularly for inflation and real interest rates. A key factor is the extent of the euro's instability against the dollar; by adopting a regional currency the UK imports this source of shocks, as well as losing its control of interest rates. The results are not highly sensitive to changes in assumptions about the degree of labour market flexibility, the use of fiscal policy, and increased convergence of monetary transmission.     

互联网金融改善了社会融资结构吗?——基于企业融资选择模型

互联网金融的快速发展对企业的融资选择带来了新的冲击.本文通过构建企业融资选择模型,将企业融资选择划分为债券融资和银行融资两类,研究互联网金融对社会融资结构的影响.研究结果表明:互联网金融对社会融资结构的最终影响由其综合效应决定.互联网金融的规模替代效应和"长尾"效应有助于提高债券融资占比,而技术外溢效应及风险传递效应则会降低债券融资占比.同时,本文利用断点最小二乘法实证检验发现:互联网金融对社会融资结构的改善具有正向作用,且不存在断点效应,说明在当前阶段,互联网风险传递效应并不占据主导地位,应继续推动互联网金融的发展以改善社会融资结构.     

Who are the champions? (An analysis of football and architecture)

Association Football is a highly competitive business. In this article Filippo dell'Osso and Stefan Szymanski ask how Liverpool FC the most successful team in the English Football League of the last 20 years have achieved their record. They identify four general categories of distinctive capability which can create competitive advantage: monopoly, reputation, technology and architecture. Nottingham Forest derives its performance by monopolising a unique input: Brian Clough. Manchester United survive on the basis of its reputation. Liverpool's success derives from the club's "architecture", the structure of contracts and relationships which makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts.     

When Will Social Security Shortfalls Begin to Pinch?

The impact of Social Security’s eventual insolvency will be felt as soon as the balance between income and cost of Social Security will begin to shrink, which is currently projected to occur in 2009. This is because a shrinking Social Security surplus reduces government’s ability to rely on that surplus to help fund the rest of its operations as it does now. The shortfall will need to be made up by increased taxation or borrowing, by reduction of Social Security benefit payments or of non-Social Security government programs, or a combination of these alternatives. JEL Classification H550     

A study of the impact of Corporate Social Responsibility and price image on retailer personality and consumers' reactions (satisfaction,trust and loyalty to the retailer)

This study investigates the impact of a retailer's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy and its price image on retailer personality, along with the impact of these two variables on the consequences of retailer personality: consumers' satisfaction, trust and loyalty toward the retailer (measured by their attitude and future behavioral intentions). Data were collected on a convenience sample of 352 consumers of a French grocery retailer. Using Partial Least Squares analysis (PLS), we show that perceived Corporate Social Responsibility and price image have a significant positive/negative influence on retailer personality traits (“agreeableness” and “conscientiousness”/“disingenuousness”) and that Corporate Social Responsibility has also a significant positive influence on the “sophistication” personality trait. For the consequences examined (satisfaction, trust and loyalty to the retailer), we show that Corporate Social Responsibility, price image and retailer personality have a direct or indirect impact on these dependent variables.     

Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media

The concept of Social Media is top of the agenda for many business executives today. Decision makers, as well as consultants, try to identify ways in which firms can make profitable use of applications such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, Second Life, and Twitter. Yet despite this interest, there seems to be very limited understanding of what the term “Social Media” exactly means; this article intends to provide some clarification. We begin by describing the concept of Social Media, and discuss how it differs from related concepts such as Web 2.0 and User Generated Content. Based on this definition, we then provide a classification of Social Media which groups applications currently subsumed under the generalized term into more specific categories by characteristic: collaborative projects, blogs, content communities, social networking sites, virtual game worlds, and virtual social worlds. Finally, we present 10 pieces of advice for companies which decide to utilize Social Media.     

农村养老保险基金缺口预测及实证分析——基于甘肃省的调查研究

以政府财政投入为特征的新型农村社会养老保险试点以来,农民参保人数和参保率呈逐年上升趋势,制度绩效明显提高。本文构建了农村养老保险基金缺口精算模型,通过实证分析得出,随着人口老龄化程度的提高,导致养老保险资金出现较大的收支缺口,未来各年度所需的养老保险金支出政府承担的财政压力较大,农村集体经济承担的养老保险责任将会超出其相应的经济能力。为此,建议不断扩大农村养老保险覆盖范围,多渠道筹集资金,加大中央财政支持力度,合理划分各级地方政府的财政责任,大力发展农村集体经济。     

The Impact of Electronic Payments for Vulnerable Consumers: Evidence from Social Security

Vulnerable consumers may face barriers to using electronic payments, especially consumers in “unbanked” households where no member has an account to receive payments. In March 2013, the US Social Security Administration transitioned exclusively to electronic payments, representing a large shift in payment mode mandated at the federal level. This study identifies the size and characteristics of the population impacted by this shift, by linking administrative data on Social Security payments to a nationally representative survey on the use of bank accounts and financial services. We find that the majority of unbanked Social Security recipients took up electronic payments well before the March 2013 deadline. The mandate does not appear to have increased the use of bank accounts. Instead, recipients used electronic payment cards. However, the transition to electronic payments was slowest among the most financially vulnerable households, suggesting a focus on these households as payment methods continue to develop.     

Usinor-Arcelor: Du local au global …

This article re-examines the recent claim that the economic position of bank clerks was stable or improving during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Using rich data from Williams Deacon's Bank, Manchester and Liverpool District Bank, and Sheffield and Rotherham Bank, it is shown that real salaries were declining between the 1890s and World War I. For some groups of clerks, this decline was considerable. In addition, promotion to higher levels, such as branch manager, was becoming more difficult and the returns to promotion were declining. The economic position of banking staff only recovered in the 1920s and 1930s.     

论入世对中国社会保险立法的影响——兼论我国社保法之进一步完善

社保法出台前我国社会保险立法存在着层次低,碎片化;内容旧,不适时;重城镇,轻农村的特点。入世对我国社保法出台的影响主要体现在3方面:国际贸易形势变化推动立法;其他相关领域法律制度的变化影响社会保险立法;WTO规则影响我国社会保险行政管理体制方面立法。以养老保险为例,入世对我国社保法具体险种的影响主要体现在:促使国家立法扩大了养老保险范围;有利于推动建立多层次的养老保险体系;一定程度上推动了养老保险关系跨区域转移。社保法出台后,仍有需完善之处:法制化有待进一步深入;公平性有待进一步提高;民族性有待进一步发掘和确立。     

Place image and urban regeneration in Liverpool

It is recognized that to date there has been an overemphasis on received images and their impact on the selection and evaluation of tourist destinations; this paper will therefore focus on projected images. While the merit of both semiotic and discursive approaches to analysing place image are recognized, it is proposed that the discursive approach is more appropriate as it takes into account the advantage of deriving meaning from its broader context. Drawing on examples from Liverpool, UK, the discussion indicates firstly, how projected image is formed by a complex and dynamic network of agents and secondly the implications for urban regeneration. Particular reference is made to the influence of the media, the circle of growth and the promotion of culture. Importantly, it is argued that while projected images can influence perceptions, the consumer also plays a key role in this process. It is concluded that while image campaigns can play a role in the regeneration of the urban landscape, drawing on the cultural dynamics of the local population could enhance it further.     

Inheritance and continuity in small family businesses during the early industrial revolution

Explanations for the rapid turnover rates of small businesses during the early years of British industrialisation are usually framed in terms of mismanagement or misfortune. More recently, the short lifespans of family businesses have been presented in the context of family ambitions and priorities. Whilst these explanations are persuasive, such studies tend to describe a reluctance to continue the family firm after the death of the head of household. By utilising evidence of both formal and informal methods of post-mortem estate disposal in Liverpool and Manchester we argue that the petite bourgeoisie of the early Industrial Revolution were more likely than has been thought to continue family businesses and to treat them as valuable going concerns. Moreover, we identify a degree of freedom on the part of those who inherited that allowed them to use their own judgements about the best interests of surviving family members.     

Football – marketplace icon?

Football has always been an important part of consumer culture, in many countries producing a global audience for World Cups and millions of people celebrating annual football competitions. It was once described by iconic Liverpool Football Club (FC) football manager Bill Shankly as follows, “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.” This marketplace icon contribution puzzles over whether football truly represents a marketplace icon and if so how does this effect the world’s most popular sports game? The commentary explores the significance of the beautiful game asking the reader to consider that it is not only a marketplace icon but much more than that, likened here to a “supra socio-cultural phenomenon” which rises above market logic or as Foer argues Football explains the world.     

The Impact of Social Marketing on Social Engineering in Economic Restructuring

SUMMARY

Social Marketing is a rapidly growing marketing sub-discipline based on the premise that bringing successful commercial marketing technologies to bear on problems of individual and social welfare can generate positive outcomes. This paper gives an overview of recent developments in Social Marketing in a global context and discusses the relationship of these developments to those in commercial, not-for-profit or third sector and public sector marketing, and public relations. The paper then relates the global context back to developments in Australasian and Asian nations, with particular reference to social engineering during economic restructuring.