Is Business Performance Related to the Adoption of Quality and Environmental-Related Standards?

We investigate the relationship between French firms’ business performance and registration of quality (QS) and environmental-related standards (ES). Using a propensity score matching method, we found that QS/ES registered firms report higher sales. However, registration is not significantly related to firms’ profits and EBITDA. Our findings also point out the possible synergy between ES and QS, that is, when implemented together, quality and environmental-related standards are more likely to be related to higher sales, profits and EBITDA than when only one of these standards is implemented.     

Environmental management practices: good or bad news for innovations delivering environmental benefits? The moderating effect of market characteristics

We examine empirically whether environmental management practices (EMPs) (environmental audits, ISO 14001 standard, etc.) promote (or not) additional innovations delivering environmental benefits. Using a large sample of French firms (N=4114) and simultaneous equations model (SEM), we found that EMPs positively influence the decision of firms to introduce innovations delivering environmental benefits, but this positive relationship is moderated by market characteristics. The findings indicate that EMPs promote such environmental-related innovations when the market of the main activity of the firm is growing. However, when the market is uncertain or competitive, this relationship turns out to be negative.     

Efficient decentralized fiscal and environmental policy: A dual purpose Henry George tax

One consequence of decentralized responsibility to set tax policy and environmental standards is that local governments might try to attract industry and jobs by underproviding local public goods with lower taxes or lax environmental standards or both. But if local authorities exploit fixed property site (i.e., land) taxation to fund local public goods, affect firm migration, and internalize potential local emission rents, herein we find decentralized efficiency is supported. This result reflects a dual form of the classic Henry George theorem previously overlooked.     

Superior firm performance under conditional communication between top hierarchy and the subordinates

The choice of communication protocol in hierarchically structured firms is critical to business success. A new conditional communication structure is proposed where the subordinates are allowed to communicate with the principal only when the unit performs poorly. Under this protocol, the bad manager is not afraid of whistleblowing by a superior subordinate, because by making a good recruitment he ensures that his unit generally performs well. The good manager will also be given a voice when his unit does not perform well to clarify the underlying causes, and thus saves inefficient firing by the principal. Using a game-theoretic analysis, we show that this is a clear improvement over the “chain of command” style management where there is no communication between the top and bottom layers and managers are always fired following bad performance. Conditional communication can thus be adopted by firms to improve the overall profitability.     

Community standards

I introduce a model of community standards relevant to the judicial determination of obscenity. Standards are defined as subjective judgments restricted only by a simple reasonableness condition. Individual standards are aggregated to form the community standard. Several axioms reflect legal concerns. These require that the community standard (a) preserve unanimous agreements, (b) become more permissive when all individuals become more permissive, and not discriminate, ex ante, (c) between individuals and (d) between works. I show that any rule which satisfies these properties must be “similar” to unanimity rule. I also explore the relationship between the model and the doctrinal paradox of Kornhauser and Sager [12].     

Using Employer Hiring Behavior to Test the Educational Signaling Hypothesis*

This paper presents a test of the educational signaling hypothesis. If employers use education as a signal in the hiring process, they will rely more on education when less is otherwise known about applicants. We find that employers are more likely to lower educational standards when an informal, more informative recruitment channel is used. We thus reject the hypothesis that education is not used as a signal in the hiring process.     

企业价值观在人力资源管理制度中的实现

企业价值观是人力资源管理的灵魂。本文分析了工作说明书、招聘、培训、考核、薪酬管理、晋升等与企业价值观的关系。可以表现并强化企业价值观的包括:工作说明书对职责、工作关系和任职资格的定义,招聘的标准、人员和测试方式,培训的政策、课程、合作伙伴,考核的标准、过程和对象,薪酬的决定因素、构成、差距、级别数,晋升的标准和决策方式等。     

A multi-region model of economic growth with human capital and negative externalities in innovation

We use a multi-region model and provide the first theoretical analysis of the effects of human capital use and a particular kind of innovative activity on economic growth. In each of the N heterogeneous regions in our model, consumers have constant relative risk aversion preferences, there are negative externalities in innovation, and there are three kinds of manufacturing activities involving the production of blueprints for inputs or machines, the inputs or machines themselves, and a single final good for consumption. Our analysis generates four salient findings. First, for each of the N regions, we define a balanced growth path equilibrium, we characterize the market clearing factor prices, and we determine the free entry condition in the R&D sector. Second, we show that without growth in human capital, there is no sustained economic growth in any of the N regions. Third, we show that human capital growth generates sustained economic growth in each of the N regions. Finally, when discussing the above three findings, we shed light on the spatial dimensions of economic growth in our multi-region aggregate economy.     

How to stop industrial growth with minimal pain

In order to reach material equilibrium in the economy, one must be able to control the total production volume of industrial sectors. The paper discusses three ways of stabilizing the size of an industrial sector. The no-nonsense appraoch entails direct regulation of the capacity of industrial plants. The manipulative approach softens the negative employment effects of direct regulation through a subsidy scheme. The enlightened public approach implies reduced material standards, as does the manipulative approach, but insures stable employment even at constant sector output.     

Stimulating different types of eco-innovation in the UK: Government policies and firm motivations

In this paper, we adopt a recent OECD framework and examine the role of external policy tools and internal firm specific factors for stimulating three different types of eco-innovations that range on a spectrum of lower to higher technological and environmental impacts: End-of-Pipeline Pollution Control Technologies, Integrated Cleaner Production Technologies and Environmental R&D. Using a novel firm-level dataset from a DEFRA survey, we estimate a Tobit model, which provides empirical evidence showing that these eco-innovations are motivated by different external policy tools and internal firm specific factors. Our findings indicate that End of Pipeline Technologies and Integrated Cleaner Production Technologies are mainly driven by equipment upgrade motives with a view of improving efficiency while environmental regulations are effective in stimulating the End-of-Pipeline technologies and Environmental R&D. Interestingly, alongside government induced regulations, we find that market factors, mainly motivated by cost savings, are effective in driving Environmental R&D. Finally, ISO14001 certification is effective in strengthening the positive impact of environmental management systems on both End-of-Pipeline technologies and Environmental R&D while CSR policies have no significant impact on motivating any of the eco-innovations.     

Optimal modularity: a demonstration of the evolutionary advantage of modular architectures

Modularity is an important concept in evolutionary theorizing but lack of a consistent definition renders study difficult. Using the generalized NK-model of fitness landscapes, we differentiate modularity from decomposability. Modular and decomposable systems are both composed of subsystems, but in the former, these subsystems are connected via interface standards, while in the latter, subsystems are completely isolated. We derive the optimal level of modularity, which minimizes the time required to globally optimize a system, both for the case of two-layered systems and for the general case of multi-layered hierarchical systems containing modules within modules. This derivation supports the hypothesis of modularity as a mechanism to increase the speed of evolution. Our formal definition clarifies the concept of modularity and provides a framework and an analytical baseline for further research.     

Trade and the impact of innovations and standards: the case of Germany and the UK

The effects of patents as indicators for innovations and standards on German trade performance are analysed in general and German–British trade in detail. The latter analysis goes a step further than the approach of Swann et al. () and is based on a broader and more detailed database. The results show that Germany's export performance can primarily be explained by its innovative capacity and only to a small extent by its strength in standards. Furthermore, the results underscore the common view of the trade-fostering effect of international standards, while ‘idiosyncratic' standards have ambiguous effects on exports.     

Global resilience to climate change: Examining global economic and environmental performance resulting from a global carbon dioxide market

In this study, we investigated global economic and environmental resilience in the presence of climate change. In particular, we examine the possibility of mitigating carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions without stressing standards of living. Here, we set up a cross-country CO₂ market constrained by a quota, where CO₂ is optimally re-allocated based on relative shadow prices of the pollutant. The objective is to stabilize global emissions without hindering global incomes and in the process achieve a single CO₂ price. We introduce a re-allocation model that takes into account each country’s underlying polluting technology. The model solutions are then used to investigate whether a single, global price for CO₂ is attainable. Our results suggest that global CO₂ emissions could stabilize without stressing global incomes, with a global CO₂ market achieving equilibrium. With a CO₂ market, countries would then have the incentive to consider adopting, improving, or investing in additional abatement technologies to move beyond current capabilities, while continuing to increase standards of living.     

R&D,innovation activity,and the use of external numerical flexibility

We address theoretically and empirically the impact of R&D and innovation activity (IA) on the use of external numerical flexibility (ENF). We build a firm-sided model showing that a first-order stochastic dominance shift in the productivity distribution function decreases the probability of hiring workers with temporary contracts, while a second-order shift has ambiguous effects. Next, using a dataset based on a survey of Italian manufacturing firms, we find that R&D and IA increase the extensive and intensive margins of employing workers with temporary contracts. Moreover, we disentangle the impact of different types of R&D and IA, finding that extra muros R&D always has a positive effect, while the effect of intra muros R&D is generally null. Also the effect of IA changes according to the type of activity: positive with product innovation, null with process innovation.     

Ecosystem Service Valuation for National Accounting: A Reply to Obst,Hein and Edens (2016)

While recent experimental frameworks for national ecosystem service accounting have shown substantial progress, in our view some crucial methodological issues remain that deserve further consideration before setting final standards. In response to the landmark work of Obst et al. (Environ Resour Econ 64:1–23, 2016. doi: 10.1007/s10640-015-9921-1), we provide arguments with regard to the suitability of particular valuation approaches. Generally, we agree that respective valuation methods need to produce values that are consistent with national accounting standards such as representing exchange values. However, we disagree with their conclusions regarding specific valuation techniques. Firstly, the circumstance that methods used for estimating shadow prices can also be used to derive consumer surplus does not justify the general exclusion of all shadow pricing methods for valuation of ecosystem services for national accounts, especially for public ecosystem services. Secondly, that preference-based methods can also be used to assess welfare changes does not imply that cost-based methods are generally better suited for ecosystem accounting. To the contrary, we see an essential need for preference information in accounting contexts. Thirdly, that accounting standards use a written-down replacement cost approach, does not mean ecosystem accounting requires to employ a replacement cost approach. To the contrary, we argue that assessing ecosystem degradation through restoration costs would be in line with writing down depreciation, but we also point to its limits.     

Recruitment channel use and applicant arrival: An empirical analysis

This paper focuses on the recruitment behaviour of firms at the extensive margin; we empirically explore the relationship between employer search strategies and the number of applicants by means of (reduced form) two-equations simultaneous models. The empirical analysis is carried out on a rich micro data set on Dutch employer recruitment behaviour. Our empirical analysis reveals that the economic conditions prevailing on the labour market influence employer search activity at the extensive margin. In particular, we see that in tight (slack) labour markets characterised by excess demand (supply) of labour, the flow of applicants is smaller (larger). Employers react to the shortage (excess) of applicants by using more (less) often advertisements. This recruitment channel appears to trigger a significantly larger flow of applicants. First version received: December 1997/Final version received: June 2000     

基于会计环境特征的会计准则制定导向选择

近年来,我国的会计准则建设取得了巨大成就,以2006年颁布的新的企业会计准则为标志,我国的会计准则已初步与国际会计接轨。新会计准则执行一年来,其效果受到理论与实务界的普遍关注,又一次兴起了对会计准则的制定导向的讨论,它既是一个理论问题又是一个实践问题,如何选择合理的会计准则导向,不仅关系到会计准则的质量,而且直接关系到会计准则的推广应用。笔者在对我国会计环境特征进行实际调查的基础上,提出了选择会计准则制定导向,必须充分考虑我国的会计环境特征,进而提出了应采用规则导向基础上的原则导向的观点。     

Equality of opportunity and luck: Definitions and testable conditions,with an application to income in France

We offer a model of equality of opportunity that encompasses different conceptions expressed in the public and philosophical debates. In addition to circumstances whose effect on outcome should be compensated and effort which represents a legitimate source of inequality, we introduce a third factor, luck, that captures the random factors whose impact on outcome should be even-handed for equality of opportunity to be satisfied. Then, we analyze how the various definitions of equality of opportunity can be empirically identified, given data limitations and provide testable conditions. Definitions and conditions resort to standard stochastic dominance tools. Lastly, we develop an empirical analysis of equality of opportunity for income acquisition in France over the period 1979–2000 which reveals that the degree of inequality of opportunity tends to decrease and that the degree of risk of income distributions, conditional on social origin, appears very similar across all groups of social origins.     

AN EXAMINATION OF VOLUNTEER MOTIVATION IN CREDIT UNIONS: INFORMING VOLUNTEER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

ABSTRACT: Volunteer recruitment and retention is a problem that most credit unions experience. Research suggests that knowledge of volunteer motivation can inform volunteer management strategies. This paper uses a survey approach to determine whether current volunteers in credit unions in Northern Ireland are more motivated by the actual act of volunteering, by the output from the volunteering activity (including altruism) or because the volunteering activity increases their human capital value. Altruistic reasons are found to be the most influential, with the act of volunteering also scoring highly. This knowledge should inform volunteer recruitment programmes and internal appraisal processes as management can reinforce messages that provide positive feedback to volunteers on the social benefits being achieved by the credit union. This will further motivate current volunteers, ensuring retention. When motivation was analyzed by volunteer characteristics we found that older volunteers, retired volunteers and volunteers who are less educated are more motivated in their role. There was little evidence that individuals volunteer to improve their human capital worth.     

Pricing beliefs: Empirical evidence from the implied cost of deposit insurance for Islamic banks

Using a large international sample of 348,899 year-firm observations covering 352 Islamic banks and 30,572 conventional banks in 213 countries over the 1999–2013 period, we estimate the deposit insurance premiums of Islamic banks and conventional banks. We find that the premiums for publicly listed Islamic banks are 28% lower than those for publicly listed conventional banks. Moreover, we show that the premiums of privately held banks are significantly higher than those of publicly listed banks. Finally, we show that publicly listed Islamic banks did not record an increase in the level of deposit insurance premiums during the 2007–2009 financial crisis.