Small Area Estimation-New Developments and Directions

The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical review of the main advances in small area estimation (SAE) methods in recent years. We also discuss some of the earlier developments, which serve as a necessary background for the new studies. The review focuses on model dependent methods with special emphasis on point prediction of the target area quantities, and mean square error assessments. The new models considered are models used for discrete measurements, time series models and models that arise under informative sampling. The possible gains from modeling the correlations among small area random effects used to represent the unexplained variation of the small area target quantities are examined. For review and appraisal of the earlier methods used for SAE, see Ghosh & Rao (1994).     

The demand for protection: A look at antidumping cases

Using data taken directly from the ITC's dumping case studies, the paper uses standard logit techniques to empirically investigate a US industry's decision to initiate a dumping case against its foreign competitors. A major finding is that a domestic industry is more likely to initiate a dumping case if there has been a recent surge in imports from that country, and if that country's imports represent a significant share of the US market. In addition, it is observed that depressed or declining industries tend to initiate cases with greater frequency. Support is found for the view that US manufacturers may initiate dumping cases in order to deter new entrants to US markets or to penalize such entry.     

Enhancing employee and organizational performance through coaching based on mystery shopper feedback: A quasi‐experimental study

Based on reinforcement theory, a quasi‐experimental design was used to evaluate the effect of (a) feedback obtained from (b) a relatively neutral third party (namely, mystery shoppers) that was obtained on a (c) variable interval schedule for managers to use to (d) coach their employees. An interrupted time‐series design showed that both employee and organizational performance increased as a result of this intervention. Performance dropped when this intervention was cut back and, subsequently, discontinued. These results were replicated in two additional restaurants. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Multinationals,Institutions and Economic Growth in China

This study examines the effects of multinationals and economic institutions on the economic growth of cities in China. Consistent with previous findings, the empirical results suggest that property rights institutions are significantly more important than contracting institutions in promoting economic growth. The direct effect of multinationals on economic growth is generally insignificant statistically. However, a statistically significant and robust interaction effect exists between property rights institutions and multinationals on economic growth, whereas no such effect is observed between contracting institutions and multinationals. The results are attributable to the fact that multinationals can rely on reputation or personal connections to enforce contracts when contracting institutions are weak. However, it is difficult for multinationals to operate when the state expropriates their profits (i.e. property rights institutions are weak).     

Connecting for competitiveness: future transport in UK city regions

Britain's major cities have fallen behind the best practice in transport of European and north American cities, and need to address this to compete in global markets. A number of potential mechanisms are available to UK cities, but only if central government is willing to transfer (limited) financial powers to the city regions.     

Lending versus giving: The economics of foreign assistance

Historically, very little attention has been devoted to assessing the costs and benefits of concessional loans vs grants as the means of transferring resources to developing countries. Here it is argued that this omission is in part due to the lack of an acceptable analytic construct within which to measure the costs to donors and benefits to recipients of loans and grants. The paper proposes such a framework and explores some of the policy implications for development assistance policy, in particular the trade-off between the volume of assistance and the terms of that aid. The objective is to lay the groundwork for a more constructive dialogue between borrowers and lenders which, hopefully, could foster foreign assistance flows of greater value to developing countries.     

Competitive attack,retaliation and performance: An expectancy-valence framework

This research examines how competitive attacks can best reduce the chances of retaliation. An expectancy–valence model is developed that views retaliation as a function of the subtlety of an attack: that is, its visibility, the difficulty rivals might have in responding to it in kind, and the importance or ‘centrality’ to rivals of the market under siege. Motivational theories suggest that all three of these independent variables need to be in place in order to elicit a response—or conversely, that low visibility, substantial response difficulty, or minimal centrality would each by itself be enough to prevent retaliation. This notion was not supported. Each one of the independent variables could serve as the ‘weak link of the chain,’ increasing the chances of retaliation. However, as predicted by expectancy theory, these variables selectively demonstrated some interactions that compound the threat of retaliation. In combination, high visibility and low levels of difficulty were especially likely to evoke responses from rivals. Finally, there appears to be a real incentive to avoid retaliation given its negative associations with performance.     

Book reviews

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science -     

Stewardship vs. Stagnation: An Empirical Comparison of Small Family and Non‐Family Businesses*

abstract Two major perspectives can be construed in the literature concerning the nature of family owned businesses (FOBs). The first implies that these enterprises have unique characteristics of stewardship. FOB owners are said to care deeply about the long‐term prospects of the business, in large part because their family's fortune, reputation and future are at stake. Their stewardship is said to be manifested by unusual devotion to the continuity of the company, by more assiduous nurturing of a community of employees, and by seeking out closer connections with customers to sustain the business. The second perspective is less flattering. It proposes that FOBs are unusually subject to stagnation: they are said to face unique resource restrictions, embrace conservative strategies, eschew growth, and be doomed to short lives. This paper develops and examines the merits of the two perspectives, neither of which has been systematically articulated or researched. It does so in an empirical study of only small firms that are owned and managed by their founder. Within this sample, it compares firms that are FOBs, that is, family owned and managed, with non‐FOBs, that is, owned and managed by a founder with no other relative involved in the business. The findings show significant support for all three aspects of the stewardship perspective of FOBs, and no support for any elements of the stagnation perspective.     

Empirics for Growth and Distribution: Stratification, Polarization, and Convergence Clubs

This paper studies cross-country patterns of economicgrowth from the viewpoint of income distribution dynamics. Sucha perspective raises new empirical and theoretical issues ingrowth analysis: the profound empirical regularity is an emergingtwin peaks in the cross-sectional distribution, not simplepatterns of convergence or divergence. The theoretical problemsraised concern interaction patterns among subgroups of economies,not only problems of a single economy's accumulating factor inputsand technology for growth.