The incidence of home accidents is going down in Belgium

The objective of the present study was to estimate the incidence of home accidents in Belgium in 2002 and to compare them with the results of 1996. The Belgian network of general practitioners (GPs) is a national network of GPs who collect and report data on selected conditions, including home accidents. The data about home accidents were recorded by 181 GPs in 1996 and by 150 GPs in 2002. The standardized incidence of home accidents decreased from 2935 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1996 (95% CI 2846 - 3026) to 2669 in 2002 (95% CI 2588 - 2751). This corresponds to a decrease of 9% (p < 0.001). A decrease of 14% was observed in the Flemish Community (p < 0.001). The reduction was very important (36%) among women aged between 75 and 89 years (p < 0.001). In the French community the decrease was not significant. The incidence of home accidents observed in general practice decreased in Belgium, especially in the Flemish Community.     

六月中厚板价格趋降

由于国际市场中厚板价格处于高位,4月份出口刷新了历史纪录,5月初资源紧张的格局难以得到缓解,部分区域规格短缺报价推高.钢厂方面跟随市场价格的走高进行上调,在5月上中旬表现相对明显,从而也为部分区域市场的推高形成了支撑.不过高位出口的警钟让政策变得更加严厉,5月下旬财政部出台了部分钢材产品加征关税的新政,市场再度回到了迷茫的局面.由于中厚板各地库存资源不多,5月份还没有出现明显暴跌表现,但高度依存出口来消化新增资源的中厚板市场在6月份将面临更为严峻的挑战.     

Occupational accidents in the Netherlands: incidence,mental harm,and their relationship with psychosocial factors at work

This study investigated the incidence of mental harm due to occupational accidents and the relation between psychosocial factors at work and the occurrence of occupational accidents in the Netherlands for the construction industry and health and welfare sector. Analyses revealed that occupational accidents in the construction industry more often involved physical harm, whereas accidents in the health and welfare sector relatively more often resulted in mental harm, in comparison to other sectors. Results showed that psychosocial factors were associated with occupational accidents in both sectors. For the construction industry, high time pressure and exposure to violence and harassment by colleagues or supervisors were associated with occupational accidents. For the health and welfare sector, low autonomy and exposure to violence and harassment by colleagues or supervisors or by people outside the organization were associated with occupational accidents. The present paper stresses the importance of also taking psychological consequences and psychosocial factors at work into account in assessing the occurrence of occupational accidents.     

Recording of home and leisure accidents: differences between population surveys and A&E department surveillance systems

Abstract

It is important to make the right choices concerning the method of collecting basic information about injuries. In this article we therefore go into the differences between two of the most common methods used, namely population surveys and Accident and Emergency Department surveillance systems. Items that are mentioned are response, the reference period, the number of reported injuries, costs, specificity and flexibility of the information, the coverage, and the linkage with other information. A study of the literature illustrates the most important differences. By means of this information, the reader should be able to choose the method that best suits his or her objectives for a collection system. The conclusion is that the two methods are so different that they are not alternatives to each other, but can best be used in conjunction.     

The Impact of the home country on internationalization

We analyze how a firm’s home country influences its internationalization. We propose two complementary types of influence. First, we conceptualize a firm’s international trade as shaped by four drivers: comparative advantage, comparative disadvantage, country-of-origin advantage, and country-of-origin liability. Second, we conceptualize the firm’s foreign direct investment as shaped by four other drivers: institutional learning, competitive learning, institutional escape, and competitive escape. Taken together, these eight drivers help pull together recent theoretical advances on topics such as emerging-market multinationals, investment in tax havens, and cross-border acquisitions of firms in advanced countries. We also highlight other home-country related issues, such as strategic responses and home-host country links, in the spirit of fostering future research on home-country effects that warrant a more nuanced understanding.     

The impact of traffic sign deficit on road traffic accidents in Nigeria

This study assesses the impact of traffic sign deficit on road traffic accidents in Nigeria. The participants were 720 commercial vehicle drivers. While simple random sampling was used to select 6 out of 137 federal highways, stratified random sampling was used to select six categories of commercial vehicle drivers. The study used qual-dominant mixed methods approach comprising key informant interviews; group interviews; field observation; policy appraisal and secondary literature on traffic signs. Result shows that the failure of government to provide and maintain traffic signs in order to guide road users through the numerous accident black spots on the highways is the major cause of road accidents in Nigeria. The study argues that provision and maintenance of traffic signs present opportunity to promoting safety on the highways and achieving the sustainable development goals.     

The effect of home country characteristics on the internationalization of EMNEs: The moderating role of knowledge stock

This paper examines the effect of home country characteristics on the internationalization of emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs). Drawing on the institution-based view (IBV), we argue that institutional, political, and social characteristics will positively relate to the internationalization of EMNEs. Further, drawing on the knowledge-based view (KBV), we also argue that a firm’s knowledge stock (KS) will positively moderate the aforementioned relationship. Our research setting involves the incorporation of primary data collected from Iranian multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in the food and beverage industry. The results provide support for the hypotheses that home country characteristics positively impact the international growth of EMNEs but this does not lead to their further expansion. Also, supported was the hypothesis that EMNEs' knowledge stock positively moderates the relationship between home country characteristics and their international growth. These findings not only contribute to the current knowledge about the drivers of EMNE’s internationalization but also stress upon the idiosyncratic role of home country institutions and the impact of knowledge-specific capabilities on the internationalization of EMNEs, their international growth, and expansion.     

Business under adverse home country institutions: The case of international sanctions against Myanmar

We expand the institutional perspective of international business by exploring the range of institutions outside the host country that influence international business. We use a critical case, Myanmar, to explore the dynamics of institutional constraints and the reaction of business to such constraints. Our in-depth case analysis focuses on four industries for the period 1996–2011. On this basis, we develop the concept of ‘low profile strategy’ and propose a conceptual framework of home country pressures influencing multinational enterprises’ international operation, and the variation of their impact across industries and firms. This framework provides a foundation for future work on the extra-territorial effects of institutions in international business.     

Determinants of severe injury and mortality from road traffic accidents among motorcycle and car users in Southern Thailand

Abstract

This study aimed to identify factors associated with severe injury and mortality from road traffic accidents (RTA) among motorcycle and car users in southern Thailand. The data were obtained from the Office of Disease Prevention and Control, Thailand, for years 2008–2013. Chi-squared tests were used to assess associations between determinants and outcomes and these associations were then estimated after adjusting for possible confounding with other factors using logistic regression. Severe injury and mortality contributed 11.6% and 5% to RTA of motorcycle users, and 14.3% and 7.5% for car users. Among motorcycle users, male gender, older age, and not wearing a helmet increased severe injury and mortality rates, whereas drivers had more severe injuries than passengers. Older car users had higher severe injury and mortality rates, whereas not fastening seat belts had higher mortality. Safety device use should be made mandatory for both drivers and passengers. Male motorcycle users and the elderly should be focused on.     

Pre‐professionals’ perceptions of home economics in Finland

This article focuses on some new frameworks that have been under discussion in developing the university studies in the field of home economics or family and consumer sciences in Finland. The empirical data were derived from students’ contributions during their university studies in the degree programme for home economics teachers at the Master's level. The aim of this research is to find out students’ present understanding of home economics and its challenges to complete its different functions. All students are at the level of advanced studies (mainly fourth year), and the number of students is 34. The data were collected by essays using SWOT analysis as a method. Students produced a very rich and multisided data that can be analysed in diverse ways and for many purposes. In general, one can say that most students have a very realistic and positive view of their studies. They can analyse them in diverse ways and reveal important qualifications. They are aware of the various challenges which face us in both the present and future societies. Students’ views are critical and they posed several questions outside the course material. They introduced examples from their working experiences and from studies in other departments and education institutes. The empowerment elements were recognized but these should be used more efficiently in attaining further progress in the field. New frameworks and approaches developed in Finland seems to be relevant in the current situations society finds itself.     

The interplay between home and host country institutions in an emerging market context: Private equity in Latin America

This study examines how the interplay between home and host country regulatory institutions affects the investment strategy of private equity (PE) firms in an emerging market context. To answer this question, we consider three different mechanisms: (1) the institutional hazard avoidance effect, (2) the institutional escapism effect, and (3) the dysfunctional institutions effect. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we argue that regulatory institutional differences between home and host countries can sometimes have a positive rather than a negative effect on investment likelihood. Our findings show that when a host emerging market has a strong regulatory institutional system relative to other emerging markets, it is more likely that this country will attract PE investments from firms based in home countries with very strong and very weak institutional systems. The empirical analyses, based on a polynomial specification and a dataset covering more than 300 PE firms that made close to 1500 investment transactions in Latin America during 1996–2011, are consistent with our main theoretical arguments.     

The effects of mortgage laws on home mortgage rates

Mortgage rates differ between regions because of usury laws, not import of mortgage funds, loan-to-value ratios, and mortgage laws. This study focuses on the effects that state laws regarding foreclosure have on regional mortgage rates.     

Cherries for sale: The incidence and timing of cross-border M&A

This paper develops a model of cross-border M&A activity that features firm-level productivity shocks and endogenous export activity. We show that foreign firms will be relatively more attracted to targets in the domestic country that had high productivity levels that induced them to invest in large export networks several years prior to acquisition, but subsequently experienced a negative productivity shock (i.e., cherries for sale). From the theory we derive a dynamic panel binary choice empirical model to predict cross-border M&A activity, and find strong evidence for our hypotheses connecting the evolution of firm-level productivity to the ultimate targets of cross-border acquisitions using French firm-level data.     

The effects of refugee and non-refugee immigrants on US trade with their home countries

Employing data on US immigrants and trade with 59 home countries for the years 1996–2001, we compare the extent to which refugee and non-refugee immigrants affect US trade with their home countries and provide the first evidence of variation in the US immigrant–trade relationship across immigrant types. We also consider the abilities of refugee and non-refugee immigrants to offset the trade-inhibiting influence of cultural distance. Our results show that while immigrants, in general, exert positive influences on US imports from – and exports to – their home countries, the influence of refugee immigrants is quite minimal when compared with that of non-refugee immigrants. For both immigrant types, however, evidence supporting the notion that immigrants act to offset cultural distance is observed. To conceptualize the economic meaning of our results, we provide estimates of the extent to which each type of immigrants offset transport costs.     

The covariates of regularity in purchase timing

An examination of the timing of consumers' purchases for coffee reveals that consumers vary a great deal in terms of the regularity of their purchasing behavior. Some consumers make purchases at seemingly random time intervals, while others purchase at highly regular intervals. The measurement of regularity in purchase timing, as well as the identification of its covariates, is important in many contexts such as modeling purchase incidence and sales forecasting. We measure the degree of regularity among a sample of coffee purchasers and identify several consumer characteristics that vary with the degree of regularity in purchase timing. Results show that regularity in purchase timing is related to brand loyalty, store loyalty and deal proneness, as well as to certain pattern of routinization by the households, and that regularity may be used, along with other aspects of purchase behavior, to provide a basis for market segmentation.The authors wish to acknowledge the support of Information Resources Inc. for providing the data, and are grateful to Professor Jane T. Landwehr, University of Delaware, for her help.     

The accident analysis of mobile mine machinery in Indian opencast coal mines

This paper presents the analysis of large mining machinery related accidents in Indian opencast coal mines. The trends of coal production, share of mining methods in production, machinery deployment in open cast mines, size and population of machinery, accidents due to machinery, types and causes of accidents have been analysed from the year 1995 to 2008. The scrutiny of accidents during this period reveals that most of the responsible factors are machine reversal, haul road design, human fault, operator's fault, machine fault, visibility and dump design. Considering the types of machines, namely, dumpers, excavators, dozers and loaders together the maximum number of fatal accidents has been caused by operator's faults and human faults jointly during the period from 1995 to 2008. The novel finding of this analysis is that large machines with state-of-the-art safety system did not reduce the fatal accidents in Indian opencast coal mines.     

The missing link between awareness and use in the uptake of pro-internationalization incentives

We investigate the process by which firms become participants in official programmes of public support designed to promote outward internationalization. This study builds on previous research that has established the distinct factors associated with firms’ awareness and use of public support measures. These earlier studies have also shown that deficiencies within programmes manifest in low participation rates. However, scholars have not extended this reasoning to focus on the underlying processes involved, and have paid little attention to the steps through which firms elect to use public support, and how support operates upon, and within, the firm. In particular, the link between awareness of public incentives towards internationalization and the use of these incentives has been overlooked. General failure to understand this link is a potential source of policy inefficiency, reducing the effectiveness of those public programmes that employ incentives. We pose three research questions to examine the concept of such a link: (1) Do firms select public incentives that compensate for a lack of resources or capabilities in their possession? (2) Do firms react primarily to internal or external exigencies, for example, internal financial constraints or, rather, are they responding to unfolding circumstances, such as the more demanding market conditions experienced on internationalization? And (3) do firms use public support to “externalize” the increased risk to which they are exposed as internationalization proceeds, and thereby protect their external activities and investments from loss?The process that firms go through to apply for any type of public support is normally two-staged. Firms first become aware of incentives and then decide whether or not to use them. This process can be handled empirically using a Heckman Selection Model, which we apply to explore our research questions using survey data collected from a sample of Portuguese firms. We find that the greater are the internal limitations of these firms with respect to resources and capabilities and the more demanding are the conditions in which internationalization takes place, then the greater is the use made of public support. We find that awareness of the availability of support is promoted by firms’ in-house resources and capabilities and, at the same time, is positively associated with more demanding conditions of internationalization. The use of public support appears to be associated with the opportunity cost to the firm of public incentives, and with the increased risk inherent with internationalization. These results point to the existence of important sources of inefficiency within the process of application for policy measures, particularly with respect to the link between awareness and use. The use of public support is inversely associated with the opportunity cost to the firm of the resources deployed to apply for public incentives and, for firms with greater resources and capabilities, associated positively with the increased inherent risk of internationalization. We find evidence that it is the firms with greater resources and capabilities that predominate in the application for public incentives, allowing us to infer from the data that the typical recipient pursues more risky modes of entry, or selects locations with higher levels of risk, because of the availability of public support. These results point to the possible existence of important sources of inefficiency within the process of application for policy measures, particularly with respect to the link between awareness and use. This behaviour is quite distinct from the search for return on commercial investments and, therefore, is indicative of the possibility of social loss within this public policy intervention.