Rivalry information acquisition and disclosure

In the recent past, there have been numerous scandals around poor product qualities in various industries. Although it can be easily rationalized why bad practices have not been reported by the inflictors themselves, it is more difficult to understand why the non‐inflicting competitors did not report their rivals' acts. In this paper, we study these competitors' incentives to acquire and to disclose information on the quality of their rivals' products and question when we can leave the information disclosure process to the competitive pressure of markets and when there is a need for governmental intervention. We find that low quality levels can be disclosed in markets that exhibit negative spill‐over effects, but should not be expected to be disclosed in markets that exhibit a positive spill‐over effect. A regulatory policy on quality testing and disclosure may be more effective in the latter type of market.     

What have we learnt about board gender diversity as a business strategy? The appointment of board subcommittees

This paper explores whether a board's gender diversity influences the voluntary formation of its board subcommittees. Female board directorship may become a business strategy for firms if it affects the appointment of board subcommittees. We hypothesize that the voluntary creation of board subcommittees is affected by the presence of female directors on boards; the presence of independent, executive, and institutional female directors; and the proportion of shares held by female directors on boards. Board gender diversity has been measured as a proportion and with Blau's index. The results show that independent female directors are positively associated with the likelihood of voluntarily setting up all or some of the committees and a supervision and control committee. The presence of executive female directors negatively influences the probability of forming all or some of the committees, an executive committee and a supervision and control committee. The percentage of shares held by female directors has a positive effect on the voluntary creation of an executive committee. The findings also report that women directors and institutional female directors do not contribute to the voluntary creation of board subcommittees. Our evidence shows that female board directorship impacts the demand of internal control mechanisms such as board subcommittees, suggesting that firms should take it into account as a business strategy. The main implications derived from this research are relevant for Spanish policymakers and researchers because board gender diversity may play a significant role in the decision‐making processes of firms and may influence firms' outcomes.     

Company giving to schools: Business or charity?

Almost weekly, national newspapers report the launch of governmental initiatives and funding programmes to improve educational standards and the environment in which these are to be actioned. Local newspapers also recognise the news-worthiness of the school community. The MP's visit, the Gladiator opening a school fete, the environmental programme are all avidly reported. With the millions of pounds being poured into education and the insatiable appetite of the media to report what is happening at schools, it is hardly surprising that business has recognised the commercial potential of dealing with the school community, be this as a direct supplier or as an organisation that may receive publicity through association. This article will examine the business-school relationship and the motives that underlie this relationship. Much of the below article is developed from material taken from the author's recent book, ‘A Handbook of School Fundraising’¹.     

Emergence-based local Economic Development Model: a way forward in responding to turbulent operating environments

This paper seeks to present a new approach to the implementation of local economic development policies. It takes evidence from such areas as physics, biology, and management theory and proposes that a new 'model' may be the way forward for economic development activities. The new paradigm is based upon research carried out in the Coventry area of the United Kingdom (UK). The paper has a five-part structure. Initially, it will provide an overview of underlying local economic and management trends in the UK. This is followed by an examination of underpinning theories and how these can be used. The third section will report on local economic development agencies (LEDAs) which operate in and around Coventry. The last two sections will draw the strands together to propose an Emergence-based local Economic Development Model.     

What have we learned from the Smart Machine?

Zuboff's (1988) book In the Age of the Smart Machine: The Future of Work and Power is one of the most celebrated texts among Information Systems researchers. Despite its significant influence, I suggest that it may have a richer story to tell than has been told to date. Motivated by this potential, my essay has two aims: to explicate the theory developed in Zuboff's text, and to determine how fully it has been used and extended by Information Systems researchers, through an analysis of papers citing her text. My findings show that the theory developed in Zuboff's text has been used in a fairly limited and piecemeal fashion. I discuss how this presents a significant opportunity for research because the theory appears to be just as relevant now as it was when the text was published.     

The legislation of environmental disclosures in three Nordic countries—a comparison

This paper compares the legislation in Denmark, Norway and Sweden concerning what kind of environmental information firms must disclose. These three Nordic countries have great similarities regarding accounting legislation and standards. However, Denmark has chosen a different way to force firms to disclose their environmental performance compared with Norway and Sweden. Danish firms must deliver separate ‘green accounts’, while Norwegian and Swedish firms are bound to report on environmental issues in the administrative report. The Norwegian and Swedish firms' information mainly addresses the financial consequences of environmental impact and the Norwegian legislation is also found to be more extensive than the Swedish legislation. The information from the Danish firms addresses society in general. The comparison indicates some interesting topics for further analysis, e.g. how the extensive demands in Norway for information about products' impacts when discharged may be fulfilled. As a background for this comparison, an outline of the discussions about voluntary versus regulated environmental information is given as well as an overview of some international standards and recommendations concerning firms' environmental disclosures. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment.     

Multiple Temporalities of Policy Circulation: Gradual,Repetitive and Delayed Processes of BRT Adoption in South African Cities

In 2006, bus rapid transit (BRT) swept across South African cities. Within three years of learning of the Bogotá model of BRT, Johannesburg's Rea Vaya opened, followed shortly by Cape Town's MyCiTi, while several other cities are at various stages of planning and implementation. This article traces the circulation of BRT across the South African urban context to expose the multiple and varied temporalities through which BRT came to appear as the only available solution. These earlier encounters, which include the first published discussion of BRT in South Africa in a 1973 conference report, study visits to Curitiba in the 1990s and a failed attempt to implement a Bogotá‐style BRT system in Cape Town in 2003, were instrumental in creating a fertile ground for later adoption practices. While it may appear as if circulated policies shorten the gestation time from policy introduction to policy adoption, these repeated attempts to implement circulated innovations ensure that the turnover only seems accelerated. This article unravels the story of BRT adoption, departing from the theoretical discussions of the policy circulation process as a rapid phenomenon, instead demonstrating that it is gradual, repetitive and at times delayed.     

The how and why of integrated reporting in a public health care organization: The stakeholders' perspective

Despite the widespread calls for in‐depth case studies on adoption of the International Integrated Reporting Council Framework, in practice, it appears to be underexplored, above all in the public sector. Our aim is to explore how and why a public health care organization (PHO) has chosen to adopt the practice of integrated reporting, and we then delve into whether the PHO's perception of the document's value coincides with that of the stakeholders, who are its recipients. Often, society's perception of value can differ considerably from an organization's. Thus, for our research purposes, a case study was examined, adopting a qualitative approach and action research methodology. Our findings demonstrate the centrality of the value created for patients and of the “normative” scenario that takes place during the implementation of an integrated report in a PHO. Moreover, the concept of legitimacy was found to be virtually synonymous with institutionalization.     

Marketing charitable bequests to lawyers

There is scant literature about the role of the lawyer in influencing the likelihood of a charitable bequest being made in a will. Charities regularly advertise in legal journals and supply bequest materials to lawyers, but the effectiveness of these strategies for influencing lawyers appears not to have been measured in the literature or in practice. Our exploratory research indicates that specialist estate lawyers report that they pay little or no attention to traditional marketing of charitable bequests to them and that lawyers' specific information needs from charities about bequests are not being satisfied appropriately. Our study reveals that lawyers do seek information from charities in order to write a will's bequest clause, once a bequest has been considered by the client. Lawyers indicated frustration with obtaining this information from charities, and we recommend some actions for charities to rectify this situation. Recommendations for enhanced bequest solicitation are made together with suggestions for pathways for future bequest research involving lawyers. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conceiving,designing and trailing a short‐form measure of job quality: a proof‐of‐concept study

The government has accepted the Taylor Review's recommendation that it should report annually on job quality in the UK. This article argues that three principles need to be followed in choosing the right measures and shows how these principles have been used to create a short job quality quiz ( www.howgoodismyjob.com ).     

董责险对企业非效率投资的抑制机理 ——基于监督与信号传递效应的共同中介作用

董事高管责任保险作为一种分散企业经营风险的工具,也是保险公司以非投资者身份参与上市公司治理的一种重要形式.本文以2007—2018年A股上市公司作为研究样本,运用中介效应分步检验法,研究表明董责险通过降低企业内部代理成本和加剧外部融资约束来抑制企业的非效率投资和过度投资行为,代理成本和融资约束在其中发挥部分中介作用,说明董责险一方面能够完善企业的监督机制,另一方面又向外界传递企业存在风险的信号.进一步检验发现,董事高管责任保险的抑制作用在成熟期企业和国有企业中表现得更加显著.本文为上市公司购买董责险、健全和完善公司治理机制提供参考.     

European industry: the emerging market competitiveness challenge

As the global economy has become increasingly open to 'free' trade, European industry ‐ and, indeed, industry across the developed world ‐ has found itself faced with growing competition from low cost, emerging market countries. How is it facing up to this stiff challenge? Newspaper headlines may suggest that effort has been focused on raising trade barriers to keep competition at bay. However, such actions are a thin veneer over the very real, structural changes that are rapidly taking place. This article, by Grant Colquhoun, examines the changing structure of the EU15's trading patterns and the differential impact across manufacturing sectors. It then analyses the steps industry is taking to cope with the competitiveness challenge. As well as attempting to squeeze costs, it is clear that industry in Europe is restructuring in order to focus on higher value added activities, where it typically has a competitive advantage over emerging markets.     

Why do standardized ISO 14001 environmental management systems lead to heterogeneous environmental outcomes?

Institutional theories and resource‐based views have suggested that, although they appear similar externally, standardized management systems may be implemented very differently in different organizations. This variability in implementation may be responsible for the heterogeneous performance of these standardized management systems. The current literature on the environmental impacts of ISO 14001 certification has largely neglected this phenomenon. Drawing on our survey of all US 14001 certificate holders, this study finds that great variability does exist in facilities' implementation of ISO 14001 standards. This heterogeneity has a significant impact on the linkage between ISO 14001 certification and facilities' environmental performance. In particular, we find that facilities that integrate ISO 14001 standards into their daily operations are more likely to report improvements in environmental performance. Environmental improvements are also more likely to occur in facilities that include performance management elements in their ISO 14001 standards. Furthermore, both types of facility are more likely to report that ISO certification contributes to this improvement. Neglecting the heterogeneity in facilities' implementation of ISO 14001 standards may explain the instability of findings from the empirical literature investigating the impacts of ISO 14001 certification. Theoretically, this paper informs the understanding of heterogeneous organizational behavior under isomorphic pressures. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Cross-national differences in cognitive style: implications for management

An important obstacle to productive working relationships between managers from different countries may be cross-cultural variations in cognitive style. This study examined the traditional dichotomy between the 'intuitive' East and the rational or 'analytic' West. A total of 394 managers from six nations and 360 management students from five nations completed the Cognitive Style Index, a self-report measure of the intuitive-analytic dimension. Reliability coefficients suggested that the properties of the instrument are broadly consistent across cultures. Comparison of mean scores showed that the most intuitive groups were located in the Anglo, North European and European Latin slices of Hickson and Pugh's 'culture cake', and the most analytic were in the Developing Countries and Arab categories. On the basis of these findings, it is argued that it may be more fruitful to classify nations in terms of their stage of industrial development rather than the hemisphere in which they are located. Ways of overcoming difficulties in encounters between managers from different cultures may include training in how to identify, respond to and change cognitive styles, and the selection of individuals or management teams whose styles are compatible with those of their foreign counterparts.     

Asking and answering yes/no-questions in survey interviews: a conversational approach

The authors discuss the process of asking and answering yes/no-questions in personal survey interviews from a conversational perspective. They examine the process with regard to yes/no-questions as given in the questionnaire and with regard to the yes/no-questions that interviewers may pose in the subsequent stages of a sequence, when they are probing on the respondent's initial answer or are trying to solve other problems. Hypotheses are derived from the co-operation principle and the politeness principle of conversation, and then empirically evaluated for survey interview settings. In the relatively informal stages of the answering process (subsequences) the conversations appear to go quite well according to the conversation rules, but in the beginning formal stage to a much lesser degree. In particular it has been observed that interviewers strongly prefer to ask one-sided positive yes/no-questions in the subsequences, and, secondly, that respondents usually give agreeing answers to these yes/no-questions. It is argued that this “normal” conversation strategy may seriously affect the validity of the information obtained, and, more generally, that the practical demands from the conversation rules on the interviewer's behaviour set limits on the researcher's abstract demands on that behaviour.

     

Job creation and labour market flexibility: miracle or mirage on the Polish labour market?

Poland's post‐communist economic performance has been generally good. However, for many years, its growth was jobless; it exhibited very high unemployment rates and made little progress towards the targets set for EU Member States and accession countries. Unexpectedly, in 2003, the country's labour market began to exhibit a new dynamism, with employment growing strongly and unemployment tumbling. This apparent improvement coincided with a liberalisation of its Labour Code. Unfortunately, the measures introduced to increase flexibility are at variance with the EU's Fixed‐term Work Directive and will likely need to be modified, which may conceivably reverse the recent developments that form the focus of this article.     

Employee participation: some problems for some shop stewards

It is often felt that shop stewards experience a variety of problems through their role in systems of employee participation. Here the authors report on research which illustrates the stewards' fears and concerns, and show that these may vary from one workplace to another.     

Manufacturer product quality information disclosure with channel encroachment in the E-commerce age

This study investigates the interplay between a manufacturer's quality disclosure and channel encroachment. We show that there exists a U-shaped pattern between the manufacturer's payoff and the disclosure cost, whereas the retailer's payoff exhibits a more complicated and nonmonotonic relationship with respect to the disclosure cost. Both firms may benefit from the increase of the disclosure cost when it falls into the intermediate range and when the channel substitution rate is not too low. The increase of the encroachment cost always hurts the manufacturer, and it may even hurt the retailer if it is medium and if the channel substitution rate is low.     

Human Resource Systems and Ethical Climates: A Resource‐Based Perspective

We know very little about how ethical climates are built and the potential role of a firm's HR system in facilitating the development of this resource. The resource‐based view (RBV) of the firm suggests that human resource systems directly influence a firm's performance through the development of resources that are deeply woven in a firm's history and culture. How this occurs though has not been thoroughly considered in the research literature. Drawing on the theoretical insights from the resource‐based view of the firm, this article explores how HR systems can foster the development and maintenance of five types of ethical climates. In so doing, this article improves our conceptual understanding of why ethical climates may be seen as having strategic value for firms and how HR systems may influence that value. In addition, it contributes to theory by extending the domain of the resource‐based view of the firm by exploring its integration with the varied types of ethical climates. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Reports of the dollar's demise greatly exaggerated

• ? Speculation that the dollar could lose its status as the world's main reserve currency “sooner rather than later”ⁱ looks, in our view, wide of the mark. Across a range of international uses, the dollar accounts for 40–60% of transactions – a share that has been stable or even increasing in recent years. Potential rivals are far behind, especially the Chinese renminbi, which accounts for just 1–2% of transactions. As a result, the dollar's pre‐eminence looks unlikely to be seriously threatened for many years to come. The US's gains from the dollar's global role may also be more modest than often thought.
• ? The dollar's position is supported by factors including its widespread use as a trading and commodity‐pricing currency, the size and liquidity of US financial markets, and the continued lack of a credible rival. None of these is likely to be significantly eroded in the near term, even with some moves afoot to shift away from dollar payments in oil and other areas. Historical evidence suggests that a world of multiple reserve currencies is possible but also shows it can take decades for reserve currencies to lose their dominant status.