Institutional positioning: A dynamic concept for retailing strategy

The importance of retail image, i.e., consumers' perceptions of retail institutions, is well known to retailers and to marketers alike. The popularity of the issues surrounding the actual measurement of consumer perceptions of various stores is evidenced by the large number of studies published during the last 15 years. A review of the published research, however, teveals that this increased interest in retail image research has not been matched with an increase in methodological sophistication. The indication is that, with few exceptions, retail image research has not progressed very far in the past 10 years. The major weaknesses of the current retail image studies are discussed, and suggestions for improving the quality and usefulness of image research are outlined.     

Moral ethics v. tax ethics: The case of transfer pricing among multinational corporations

In recent years there has been an increased awareness with regards to ethics in business. More specifically, the abundance of well-publicized examples of cheating, greed, and hypocrisy has created some alarm about the general state of personal ethics (Josephson, 1988). Recent examples include the Oliver North, Ivan Boesky, and Jimmy Swaggart cases. The tax practitioner probably has little direct concern for matters of misconduct and ethical improprieties as mentioned above. Adherence to a code of conduct appears to circumvent the ethical conflict typically found in the business environment. The tax practitioner's ultimate goal is tax minimization for clients. This goal has the blessings of the courts and the writers of tax law.The present day dynamic global economic system includes organizations which have extensive international activity. In an effort to enhance the performance of these organizations, there is typically decentralization of operations. When decentralization exists it is necessary to evaluate the decentralized units. Profit centers are commonly used for this purpose. With profit centers comes the need for transfer pricing between profit centers. The transfer price should be determined in some objective fashion. However, tax minimization often is the driving force in the transfer price decision.This paper examines the compatibility of tax minimization goals, following a code of professional conduct, with moral ethics, using the transfer pricing problem in a multinational environment. A case that presents a common scenario for international firms is used as a vehicle to discuss the underlying tax and ethical ramifications.Don R. Hansen is Professor of Accounting at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.Rick L. Crosser is Associate Professor of Taxation and Coordinator of Graduate Programs at Weber State University, Ogden, UT, USA.Doug Laufer is Associate Professor and Willard Eccles Accounting Research Fellow at Weber State University, Ogden, UT, USA.     

Long-run impact of increased wage pressure

An unanticipated permanent increase in wage pressure is analyzed in a dynamic general-equilibrium model combining standard theory of capital accumulation and monopolistic wage setting. The long-run (steady-state) implications are identical percentage reduction in employment, consumption, and capital stock whereas wages and the real interest rate are unchanged. The reduction in employment on impact is larger than the steady-state reduction whereas wages rise and the real interest rate declines on impact.     

I Know What I Know,but I will Probably Fail Anyway: How Learned Helplessness Moderates the Knowledge Calibration–Dietary Choice Quality Relationship

Prior research suggests that knowledge calibration (KC) supports consumers’ maintenance of a healthy diet. However, no previous studies have considered that learned helpless consumers may refrain from using their knowledge, even though they may be fully aware that they possess it. This research gap is considered in three studies. Study 1 investigates the moderating effect of learned helplessness (LH) by means of a cross‐sectional survey. Studies 2 and 3 are online choice studies. Besides from replicating Study 1, Studies 2 and 3 eliminate potential social desirability bias by objectively measuring respondents’ dietary choice quality. In addition, Study 3 takes into account the possibility that respondents’ responses may be biased by food preferences, medical conditions, and/or food allergies. Moreover, Studies 2 and 3 both investigate the consequences of the findings on consumers who live under a dieting regime. These studies demonstrate that consumers suffering from LH do not stand to gain from calibrating their dietary knowledge to the same degree as other consumers. It is also shown that dieting behavior has a tendency to weaken this negative moderating effect of LH on the relationship between KC and dietary choice quality. Finally, the implications of the findings for marketers and public policymakers are discussed.     

Minimum Rate of Return Guarantees: The Danish Case

We analyze minimum rate of return guarantees for life-insurance (investment) contracts and pension plans with a smooth surplus distribution mechanism. We specifically model the smoothing mechanism used by most Danish life-insurance companies and pension funds. The annual distribution of bonus will be based on this smoothing mechanism after taking the minimum rate of return guarantee into account. In addition, based on the contribution method the customer will receive a final (non-negative) undistributed surplus when the contract matures. We consider two different methods that the company can use to collect payment for issuing these minimum rate of return guarantee contracts: the direct method where the company gets a fixed (percentage) fee of the customer's savings each year, e.g. 0.5% in Denmark, and the indirect method where the company gets a share of the distributed surplus. In both cases we analyze how to set the terms of the contract in order to have a fair contract between an individual customer and the company. Having analyzed the one-customer case, we turn to analyzing the case with two customers. We consider the consequences of pooling the undistributed surplus over two inhomogeneous customers. This implies setting up different mechanisms for distributing final bonus (undistributed surplus) between the customers.     

Über Lehensversicherungsordnungen

Abstract

Eine Lebellsversicherullgsordllullg für die Mitglieder einer Vereinigung wird auf diese Weise konstruiert:     

Impact of operational performance on air carrier cost structure: Evidence from US airlines

The impact of operational performance on airline cost structure is empirically investigated using an aggregate, statistical cost estimation approach. Two distinct sets of operational performance metrics are developed and incorporated into the airline cost models as arguments. Results from estimating a variety of airline cost models reveal that both delay and schedule buffer are important cost drivers. We also find that flight activity outside schedule windows increases cost, whereas flight inactivity within schedule windows does not. Using the estimated cost models, we predict the cost savings to airlines of “perfect” operational performance, obtaining an estimate in the range of $7.1–13.5 billion for 2007.     

Das CO2-Gebäudesanierungsprogramm der KfW: Klimaschutz, Konjunktur- und Budgeteffekt

Die energetische Sanierung von Wohngeb?uden verspricht ein hohes Potenzial für den Klimaschutz. Zu den wesentlichen Initiativen der Bundesregierung z?hlt das CO₂-Geb?udesanierungs programm der KfW, mit dem die energetische Sanierung von Geb?uden finanziell gef?rdert werden soll. Für eine Bewertung des Programms sind über die Aspekte einzelwirtschaftlicher Rentabilit?t von Energieeinsparung und CO₂-Reduktion hinaus gesamtwirtschaftliche Fragen von Bedeutung: In welchem Ausma? werden externe Umwelteffekte internalisiert? Zeigt das Programm konjunkturelle Wirkungen? Wie hoch ist der kurzfristige Budgeteffekt in den staatlichen Haushalten?