Advertising and brand attitudes: Evidence from 575 brands over five years

Quantitative Marketing and Economics - Little is known about how different types of advertising affect brand attitudes. We investigate the relationships between three brand attitude variables...     

Determination of trade flows and choice of trade partners: Reconciling the Heckscher-Ohlin and the Burenstam Linder models of international trade

Zusammenfassung Die Bestimmung der Handelsstr?me und Auswahl der Handelspartner: Wie man die Au\enhandelsmodelle von Heckscher-Ohlin und von Burenstam Linder in Einklang bringt. — In der Au\enhandelsliteratur werden zwei Ans?tze zur Bestimmung der komparativen Vorteile unterschieden: (i) das Heckscher-Ohlin-Modell, das die relative Verfügbarkeit der Produktionsfaktoren als die ent-scheidende Determinante der Handelsbeziehungen ansieht; und (ii) das Burenstam Linder-Modell, das untersucht, wie sich gleichartige Pr?ferenzen der Konsumenten in der Nachfrage und im internationalen Handel niederschlagen. Dieser Artikel verbindet beide Ans?tze in einem einzigen Modell, in dem jeder der beiden Ans?tze nur einen Spezialfall darstellt. In dem Aufsatz wird die Bedeutung des gemeinsamen Modells für die Handelsstr?me, die Konsumm?glichkeiten und die Relation zwischen dem Au\enhandel und der Gr?\e einer Volkswirtschaft analysiert. Im empirischen Teil wird demonstriert, wie nützlich das Modell bei der Vorhersage des Handels mit unterschiedlichen Produktgruppen ist.

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Résumé La détermination des flux d’échanges et le choix des partenaires com-merciaux: La réconciliation des modèles de l’échange international de Heckscher-Ohlin et de Burenstam Linder. — La littérature sur les échanges internationaux distingue entre deux approches à la détermination de l’avantage comparatif: (i) le modèle de Heckscher-Ohlin qui regarde l’abondance relative des facteurs de production comme déterminant principal des relations commerciales; (ii) le modèle de Burenstam Linder qui examine la similarité des préférences des consommateurs comme elle est reflétée sur la situation de demande et les effets sur le commerce extérieur. Cet article incorpore les deux approches dans un seul modèle dans lequel chaque approche constitue un cas spécial. L’article examine les implications du modèle unifié pour les relations commerciales, les possibilités de consommation et le rapport entre les échanges internationaux et la dimension de l’économie. La section empirique démontre l’utilité du modèle pour prédire les relations commerciales des différents groupes des biens.

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Resumen Determination de los flujos comerciales y la elección de los socios comerciales: Reconciliando los modelos de comercio international de Heckscher-Ohlin y Burenstam Linder. — La literatura del comercio internacional distingue entre dos planteamientos para la determinatión de las ventajas comparativas: (i) el modelo de Heckscher-Ohlin, que considera la abundancia relativa de factores de production como el determinante más importante para el patrón de comercio; (ii) el modelo de Burenstam Linder, que examina las similitudes en los gustos re-flejados en el acondicionamiento de la demanda y su impacto sobre el comercio. En este artículo se incorporan los dos planteamientos dentro de un modelo único en el que cada uno constituye un caso especial. El artículo examina las implicaciones del modelo unificado para los patrones de comercio, posibilidades de consumo y la relatión del comercio con respecto al tama?o del país. La parte empírica del artículo demuestra la utilidad del modelo para predecir patrones de comercio de distintos grupos de productos.

     

Implications of a negatively sloped LM curve

Conclusion This paper has shown that the LM curve could be downward sloped if the rate of interest on money (specifically liquid deposits) is sufficiently flexible. If so, the momentary equilibrium could be unstable, especially if the LM curve is far from the vertical (i.e., if the interest rate on money is very flexible). Prospects for instability are enhanced if output adjusts slowly or if the central bank varies the money supply strongly over time in response to the general interest rate. If stability obtains with a downward sloped LM curve, fiscal policy has an unconventional direction of effect on income. Three policy implications follow directly. (1) The rate of interest on deposits which are part of the money supply used as the central bank control tool, should not be allowed to be too flexible (to avoid instability). (2) If the monetary deposit rate is quite flexible, the central bank should not have the money supply react too strongly to the general interest rate—i.e., should not come too close to a pure interest rate policy (again, to avoid instability). (3) If the monetary deposit rate is very flexible, fiscal policy should be used with caution (due to the unconventional direction of effect in the event LM is downward sloped).     

The employee brand: Is yours an all-star?

In this article, a typology is presented which will help organizations better reflect the brand image they desire. The assisting typology is based on the extent to which employees know and understand the organization's mission, values, and desired brand image, and the degree to which they perceive their psychological contracts with the organization as being honored. Organizations can be classified as all-stars, rookies, injured reserves, or strike-out kings, based on the characteristics of a preponderance of their employees. As categorized, rookie organizations cannot deliver the desired brand image because most of their employees lack the knowledge and understanding to do so. Injured reserve organizations, on the other hand, cannot achieve the same because firm employees perceive their psychological contracts with the organization as having been violated, which renders the individuals unwilling and unmotivated. For their part, strike-out king organizations share rookie and injured reserve organizations' worst characteristics. Finally, and conversely, all-star organizations consistently deliver the desired brand image to others because their employees are both able and motivated to do so. To help firms attain this highly desired status, specific guidelines are presented herein which may help organizations become “all-stars” in their own right.     

The materiel manager-chief financial officer alliance.

There is a gold mine of potential inventory reductions, expense reductions, and revenue increases in most hospitals that can be tapped by more intensive materiel management. The first step is incorporating the necessary ingredients for a strong materiel management effort--the right people and a state-of-the-art computer program. Reorganization may be necessary to establish a more unified, consolidated approach to materiel management. Second, conduct an audit of the entire hospital to identify opportunities for improvement and to establish baseline management data. Finally, push forward the process of system changes (which also establishes necessary controls) until results are accomplished--a process that usually requires one to three years. The alliance between the materiel manager and the CFO is definitely beneficial to the hospital and to the individuals involved.     

Information partnerships--shared data, shared scale

How can one company gain access to another's resources or customers without merging ownership, management, or plotting a takeover? The answer is found in new information partnerships, enabling diverse companies to develop strategic coalitions through the sharing of data. The key to cooperation is a quantum improvement in the hardware and software supporting relational databases: new computer speeds, cheaper mass-storage devices, the proliferation of fiber-optic networks, and networking architectures. Information partnerships mean that companies can distribute the technological and financial exposure that comes with huge investments. For the customer's part, partnerships inevitably lead to greater simplification on the desktop and more common standards around which vendors have to compete. The most common types of partnership are: joint marketing partnerships, such as American Airline's award of frequent flyer miles to customers who use Citibank's credit card; intraindustry partnerships, such as the insurance value-added network service (which links insurance and casualty companies to independent agents); customer-supplier partnerships, such as Baxter Healthcare's electronic channel to hospitals for medical and other equipment; and IT vendor-driven partnerships, exemplified by ESAB (a European welding supplies and equipment company), whose expansion strategy was premised on a technology platform offered by an IT vendor. Partnerships that succeed have shared vision at the top, reciprocal skills in information technology, concrete plans for an early success, persistence in the development of usable information for all partners, coordination on business policy, and a new and imaginative business architecture.     

An analytical theory of multi-echelon production/distribution systems

In this paper, we study inventory control problems arising in multi-echelon production/distribution chains. In these chains, material is delivered by outside suppliers, proceeds through a number of manufacturing stages, and is distributed finally among a number of local warehouses in order to meet market demand. Each stage requires a fixed leadtime; furthermore, we assume a stochastic, stationary end-item demand process.
The problem to balance inventory levels and service degrees can be modelled and analyzed by defining appropriate cost functions. Under an average cost criterion, we study the three most important structures arising in multi-echelon systems: assembly systems, serial systems and distribution systems. For all three systems, it is possible to prove exact decomposition results which reduce complex multi-dimensional control problems to simple one-dimensional problems. In addition, we establish the optimality of base-stock control policies.     

“Rational” and “Endogenous” exchange rate expectations and speculative capital flows in Germany

Zusammenfassung ?Rationale? und ?endogene? Wechselkurserwartungen und spekulative Kapitalbewegungen in Deutschland. —In diesem Aufsatz entwickeln wir zwei Verfahren, um sowohl die Wechselkurserwartungen selbst als auch ihren Einflu\ auf die Kapitalbewegungen zu sch?tzen — und zwar im Rahmen eines Bestandsanpassungsmodells der internationalen Kapitalbewegungen mit ?endogener? bzw. ?rationaler? Erwartungsbildung. Im ersten Verfahren spezifizieren wir eine endogene Funktion der Wechselkurserwartungen in einem komparativ-statischen Modell des monet?ren Gleichgewichts. Diese Erwartungsfunktion und die Wirkung solcher Erwartungen auf die Kapitalbewegungen werden gesch?tzt. Im zweiten Verfahren zeigen wir, wie McCallums Test der Wirkungen von ?rationalen? Erwartungen auf den Terminmarkt zu einem Test ihres Einflusses auf die Kapitalbewegungen erweitert werden kann. Dann sch?tzen wir die Wirkungen dieser beiden Ma\e für Wechselkurserwartungen auf die deutschen Kapitalbewegungen in den Jahren 1961–1968 und in ausgew?hlten kürzeren Perioden, die um die identifizierbaren Zahlungsbilanzkrisen in dem turbulenteren Zeitraum von 1968 bis 1973 liegen. Aus unseren empirischen Tests ergeben sich zwei wichtige Schlu\folgerungen. Erstens ist die Gleichung der Kapitalbewegungen in der Zeit sehr instabil, ein Ergebnis, das mindestens teilweise auf die Wechselkurserwartungen zurückzuführen ist. Zweitens liefern die endogene Funktion der Wechselkurserwartungen und die Sch?tzmethoden, die in diesem Aufsatz entwickelt wurden, sinnvolle Sch?tzungen der Wechselkurserwartungen als eine Funktion von realen ?konomischen Variablen in einem monet?ren Modell.

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Résumé Les attentes ?rationales? et ?endogènes? de taux de change et les flux des capitaux speculatifs en Allemagne. —Dans cet article nous développons deux techniques pour estimer les attentes de taux de change aussi bien que leur conséquence sur les flux des capitaux en cadre d’un modèle d’ajustement de stock des flux des capitaux internationaux qui sont en sens de ces approches ?endogènes? et ?rationales? à la formation d'attente. Dans cette première approche nous spécifions une fonction des attentes de taux de change étant endogène à un modèle comparatifstatique de l’équilibre monétaire. Nous estimons cette fonction d’attente et l’effet de telles attentes sur les flux des capitaux. Dans la deuxième approche nous montrons comment on peut élargir le test de McCallum de la conséquence des attentes ?rationales? sur le marché à terme à un test de leur conséquence sur le flux des capitaux. Puis nous estimons les effets de ces deux mesures des attentes de taux de change sur les flux des capitaux allemands de 1961–1968 et pour des sélectionnées périodes plus brèves autour des crises de taux de change identifiables pendant la période plus turbulente de 1968–1973. Il y a deux conclusions essentielles de notre test empirique. Premièrement, l'équation de flux des capitaux est très instable en cours de temps, un résultat au moins partiellement d? aux attentes de taux de change. Deuxièmement, la fonction des attentes endogènes de taux de change et les techniques d'estimation développées dans cet article livrent des estimations significatives des attentes de taux de change comme fonction des variables économiques réelles dans un modèle monétaire.

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Resumen Espectativas ?racionales? y ?endógenas? para el tipo de cambio y flujos de capital especulativos en Alemania. —En este articulo se desarrollan dos técnicas para estimar tanto las espectativas para el tipo de cambio como su impacto sobre los flujos de capital dentro del contexte de un modelo de ajuste de flujos de capital internacionales que están dentro del espíritu de estas aproximaciones para la formación de espectativas ?endógenas? y ?racionales?. En la primera aproximación se especifica una función de espectativas para el tipo de cambio que es endógena a un modelo estático-comparativo para el equilibrio monetario. Se estiman la función de espectativas y el efecto de esas espectativas sobre los flujos de capital. En la segunda aproximación se muestra, como el test de McCallum sobre el impacto de las espectativas ?racionales? sobre el mercado a futuro, puede ser extendido a un test sobre el impacto de estas espectativas sobre los flujos de capital. Luego se estiman los efectos de ambas medidas para las espectativas del tipo de cambio sobre los flujos de capital de Alemania desde 1961 a 1968 y para perlodos seleccionados más cortos alrededor de crisis de tipo de cambio identificables dentro del período más turbulento de 1968 a 1973. A partir de los tests empíricos se llega a dos conclusiones importantes. Primero, la ecuación de flujo de capital es muy inestable a traves del tiempo, un resultado debido por lo menos en parte a las espectativas para el tipo de cambio. Segundo, la función de espectativas para el tipo de cambio endógena y las técnicas de estimación desarrolladas en este articulo llevan a estimaciones sensatas de las espectativas para el tipo de cambio como una función de variables económicas reales en un modelo monetario.

     

Not just understudies: The dynamics of short-term leadership

Contrary to the stereotype that the period between CEOs is a hiatus, interim and acting executives serve during an important strategic window. A model is presented to illustrate the dynamics of short-term leadership, including the precipitating circumstances for the temporary administration, the tasks of short-term leadership, and the moderating factors seen to affect the selection and success of the next chief executive. Researchers and practitioners are urged to consider more carefully the potential that a well-managed interregnum has to repair damage from a traumatic departure, buffer between administrations, and prepare the organization to accept and work with new leadership. © 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.