The end of Brazilian big inflation: lessons to monetary policy from a standard New Keynesian model

The paper analyzes economic stabilization in Brazil in the context of a New Keynesian model estimated with Bayesian techniques. Dataset covers the period 1975–2012. Our methodology is based on tests for multiple structural breaks at unknown dates and counterfactual exercises. The results show that inflation and output volatility present an inverted U-shape pattern, peaking at the 1985–1994 sample. Changes in the monetary policy stance and milder shocks accounted for the reduced inflationary volatility (about 50% each, in some specifications). However, some assumptions indicated that a sharp decline in the Phillips curve slope was also important for controlling inflation. Concerning to output, the sole explanation for its volatility fall seemed to be smaller shocks. Therefore, we conclude that a mix of the “good luck” and “good policy” hypotheses mainly originated the current period of increased stability in the country.     

Location of cargo terminals in metropolitan areas of developing countries: the Brazilian case

This article presents a procedure for establishing and ranking the areas that are candidates for building truck cargo terminals, based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and considering location factors, with focus on accessibility considerations, expressed by indicators derived from graph theory. Accessibility is thus defined objectively for each area, contemplating its needs regarding production or consumption of cargo or promotion of intermodal transport of products. The proposed approach determines the most suitable area for locating the terminal according to the perception of each actor participating in the process as well as the set of actors, seeking to conjugate conflicting interests and facilitate convergence and the establishment of negotiated solutions. With this, it provides a more transparent and participative decision-making process and supplies basic elements for government bodies to formulate their socioeconomic development policies. The application of this procedure in the greater Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region demonstrated its feasibility in developing countries and in contexts with restricted data, funding and planning.     

Voluntary adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards by large unlisted companies in Portugal – Institutional logics and strategic responses

Common explanations for the voluntary adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) have been based on economic efficiency arguments. This paper introduces new theoretical arguments to explain how institutional pressures influence decisions to adopt IFRS voluntarily. Through recourse to an institutional theory context, we combine the analytical framework proposed by Oliver (1991) with the concept of institutional logics, and apply this framework to the financial accounting field for the first time. This combined model shows how multiple forms of rationality constrain company responses to pressures to adopt a new accounting regime.     

Earnings management induced by tax planning: The case of Portuguese private firms

In Portugal, a concept of taxable income associated closely with reported accounting income is used to determine the tax liability of firms. Recently, the Portuguese government legislated to introduce a system of “special payment on account” (SPA). Firms were required to pay an amount of income tax in advance that varied between a promulgated minimum and maximum. Although such a tax is unique to Portugal, other countries have tax arrangements that are similar in intent. Thus, Portugal's experience with the introduction of a SPA regime is likely to be instructive in fiscal policy deliberations in other settings.We assess the extent to which the SPA tax policy measure encouraged private Portuguese companies to manipulate earnings. We find that earnings manipulation appears to have been motivated by desire to minimize SPA. Firms whose estimate of SPA liability fell within the range of minimum and maximum limits of the SPA had higher levels of discretionary accruals than firms whose estimate was (equal to or) above the ceiling imposed by the new legislation. Firms with higher rates of income tax were found to reduce earnings to near zero. Firms with higher average income tax rates were more likely to manipulate their earnings than other firms.Our results reinforce the importance for auditors, stakeholders, and tax policy advisors to be alert to the close association between tax planning considerations and reported earnings in their monitoring, analysis, and policy advising activities.     

Smarter organizations: insights from a smart city hybrid framework

International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal - Smart cities (SC) are communities that use digital technology infrastructure to improve the lives of the individuals and groups, while...     

Beef Credence Attributes: Implications of Substitution Effects on Consumers’ WTP

Consumers’ food choices are influenced by a wide variety of credence attributes, but the food industry faces problems assessing whether the price premiums that consumers are willing to pay for these attributes will be sufficient to offset higher production costs. In this context, consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for safer, cleaner and animal friendlier beef was investigated through a choice experiment. The relative importance of WTP for these attributes shows that consumers place the highest values on food safety, followed by animal welfare and finally environmental protection. WTP for different combinations of the three attributes cannot be obtained by independent valuation and summation due to the presence of significant substitution relationships. However, some suggestions for the relationships between these attributes can be proposed through an after‐survey analytical solution. The bias involved in separately valuing closely related attributes can potentially jeopardise the success of a differentiation strategy.     

Pricing Behaviour and the Cost-Push Channel of Monetary Policy

This paper examines the empirical and theoretical status of the cost-push channel of monetary policy, according to which interest rates affect the costs of production and hence pricing behaviour. Particular attention is paid to modelling the cost-push channel in a manner consistent with cost-plus pricing theory, which is identified as the canonical model of pricing behaviour in heterodox economics. It is shown that different variants of cost-plus pricing behaviour give rise to qualitatively different specifications of the cost-push channel, with important consequences for macrodynamics and the conduct of monetary policy.