The Interaction Between Individuals and Information Systems: Organizations and Individuals on the Same Side

This article presents the results of a research project aimed at understanding under what circumstances the social construction process of information systems (IS) in the banking sector in Brazil takes place. It presents an analysis of the implementation, use, and procedures for the improvement of three systems used in two banks. The data were collected through 46 semi-structured interviews and documental analyses. The data analysis revealed that system assimilation was influenced by training and by the confluence of individual and organizational objectives, following a structure of conformity and conformism to what was previously implemented by the organizations.     

The Concurrent Impact of Cultural,Political, and Spatial Distances on International Mergers and Acquisitions

This paper explores the concurrent effects of cultural, political, and spatial distances on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) flows occurring between any two countries belonging to the whole European Union (27 States) or to the European Neighbours group (16 States) over the period 2000–11. In the econometric analysis, based on zero‐inflated models, we simultaneously estimate the probability of engaging in a cross‐border M&A and the intensity of the deals. This allows us to adequately model the two different mechanisms which may result in the absence of deals in the cross‐border bilateral M&A transactions. The absence of deals may be due to either the lack of any transactions or unsuccessful negotiations. Taking into account the effect of population, gross domestic product, technological capital, financial conditions and quality of the institutions, we find robust evidence that the multi‐dimensional distance between two countries negatively affects both the probability and the intensity of M&A deals.     

The Effect of Cross‐Border Mergers and Acquisitions on Earnings Quality: Evidence from China

Despite the fruitful research on the motives and outcomes of cross‐border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) of Chinese multinational corporations (MNCs), there has been scant research on the impact of cross‐border M&As on corporate governance. In this article, we fill the research gap by exploring whether cross‐border M&As may lead to an improvement in corporate governance of Chinese acquirers. In particular, we examine the impact of cross‐border M&As on earnings quality of Chinese MNCs. We find that the acquisition of a target firm from a developed country leads to a significant improvement on the acquirer's earnings quality. In comparison, the acquisition of a target from an emerging market does not have such an impact. Our results are robust to various corporate governance measures, alternative econometric methods, and controls of relevant firm characteristics and macroeconomic variables. Finally, we show that the effect of cross‐border M&As on earnings quality is more pronounced in non‐state‐owned enterprises (non‐SOEs) that have conducted large M&A deals. Our article offers new insight to the international business literature on latecomer perspective and liability of foreignness. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

中国企业海外并购合法性问题的历史演变——身份落差与群体认知的共演

鉴于中国企业海外并购频频遇到东道国的合法性问题质疑和限制,本文采取多案例探索性分析方法对中国企业海外并购进行动态分析,发现中国企业海外并购合法性在各阶段先后呈现出信息型合法性、身份合法性以及规制合法性的演化特征,这种演化现象的内在逻辑在于中国企业的整体赶超改变了与东道国企业的身份落差,东道国社会的群体认知也发生了相应的改变,从而造成合法性性质的周期性变化。上述结论表明中国企业海外并购呈现出由微观到宏观、由简单到复杂的演化特点,中国企业获取海外并购合法性的难度不断加大,东道国相关组织认知的变迁在于身份落差的改变以及认知心理的变化。     

跨国并购对东道国企业竞争力的影响研究——基于中国制造业企业数据的实证分析

本文首次将跨国并购视为单独变量,运用1999-2007年中国制造业企业数据,使用倍差法和分位数回归方法,实证检验了跨国并购对国内企业竞争力的直接和间接效应。研究结果表明:外资并购对企业竞争力的直接效应和短期间接效应并不显著,但存在正向且非常有限的长期间接效应;同时,外资并购对规模较小的企业的竞争力有显著的抑制效应,而对于规模较大的企业,外资并购会在短期内增强其竞争力,但同时存在长期的抑制效应。     

Violence,Aggression, and Ethics: The Link Between Exposure to Human Violence and Unethical Behavior

Can exposure to media portrayals of human violence impact an individual’s ethical decision making at work? Ethical business failures can result in enormous financial losses to individuals, businesses, and society. We study how exposure to human violence—especially through media—can cause individuals to make less ethical decisions. We present three experiments, each showing a causal link between exposure to human violence and unethical business behavior, and show this relationship is mediated by an increase in individual hostility levels as a result of exposure to violence. Using observational data, we then provide evidence suggesting that this relationship extends beyond the context of our experiments, showing that companies headquartered in locations marked by greater human violence are more likely to fraudulently misstate their financial statements and exhibit more aggressive financial reporting. Combined, our results suggest that exposure to human violence has significant and real effects on an individual’s ethical decision making.     

自由人的自由契约--评J.布坎南《自由的限度--在无政府和利维坦之间》

<自由的限度--在无政府和利维坦之间>是1986年度诺贝尔经济学奖得主J.布坎南的一部重要著作,初版于1975年,其中文版即将被介绍给广大的中国读者.本文回顾了这部作品写作的时代背景,探讨了原书作者关于"社会秩序"问题的重要见解,对于理解正处于社会转型期的中国若干现实问题会有所裨益.本文还通过分析这部作品在布坎南整体学术思想中的位置,梳理了布坎南如何从财政学问题入手而走向社会哲学和道德哲学思考的研究路径.这对于全面系统地考察中国当前的公共财政制度建设问题,也有不应被忽略的方法论含义.     

Rogers,Everett M., and Rekha Agarwala-Rogers. Communication in Organizations. New York: The Free Press, 1976

Abstract

A review of past research on the persuasive effects of source expertise and source similarity reveals inconsistent results. In an effort to provide more direction for advertisers and other communicators, insight into source effects was sought through examining the relationship between source expertise and source similarity. Results revealed that there is no underlying relationship between expertise and similarity. The presence of one source characteristic does not impact the other source characteristic. As a result, the advertiser's decision relating to what type of communication source to use remains an important one. In view of these findings and past research, future research directions are identified.     

Acquisitions Entry Strategies in Africa: The Role of Institutions,Target‐Specific Experience,and Host‐Country Capabilities—The Case Acquisitions of Finnish Multinationals in Africa

Acquisition is an important entry strategy for multinational enterprises (MNEs) seeking to gain faster entry into new and emerging markets and remain competitive in the global marketplace. MNEs utilize partial‐, staged‐, and full‐acquisition strategies when entering into foreign markets. This research analyzes how and why firms opt for these acquisition strategies in the context of Africa. The study applies institutional theory and explores constructs derived from the Uppsala internationalization process model. Using a case study of five Finnish acquisitions in Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, and South Africa), it was found that Finnish MNEs opt for partial acquisition rather than staged and full acquisition in the context of acquisitions made prior to late 1990s without earnout arrangements. Finnish MNEs opt for the choice of staged acquisition rather than partial and full acquisition in the contexts of mild regulatory framework in host countries and when the acquired firm business requires extensive improvements and the target host market structure is fragmented. Finnish MNEs opt for the choice of full acquisition rather than partial and staged acquisition in three contexts specifically: (1) when the acquiring Finnish MNE possesses host‐country capability, target‐specific experience, and ensures the retention of top management personnel of the acquired target; (2) when the size of the acquired target is relatively very small compared to the acquiring MNE; and (3) when the nature of the acquired firm business is well developed and the target host‐market structure is consolidating. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Philip Scranton and Janet F. Davidson, eds. The Business of Tourism: Place, Faith, and History

This volume is a selection of papers presented in 2004 at theHagley Center for the History of Business, Technology and Societyconference. Following the editors, the papers’ focus ison the business dimensions of tourism and not on the culturalones, which today dominate in research. Furthermore, they dealwith three themes, which are not in the foreground of scholarlywork; namely, place, religion, and communism. This may     

Ben S. Bernanke,Timothy F. Geithner,and Henry M. Paulson Jr.: Firefighting: The financial crisis and its lessons

Business Economics -     

The Ethical Frameworks of Social Media Policies Among U.S. Nonprofit Organizations: Legal Expectations,Dialogic Prescriptions,and a Dialectical Model

Nonprofit organizations are experiencing a new world of fundraising, marketing, and stakeholder engagement on a scale previously unseen and due largely to social media. This study investigated the extent to which nonprofits craft social media policies using ethical frameworks to guide online activity mindful of this new reality. Assessing the top 100 U.S. nonprofits and their social media policies, this study examined the 80,000 words of text extant within the available 55 nonprofit social media policies and found emergent themes that articulate the current ethical state of nonprofit social media policies. Hand-coding processes yielded themes of engagement, responsibility, privacy, protection, transparency, and respect. Computer-coding additionally aggregated these themes into larger themes of privacy, sharing, communication, accuracy, inaccuracy, engagement, and dialogue. Further analysis explored the ways in which nonprofit social media policies imply a dialectical model of ethical frameworks between legal and dialogic dimensions.