Post‐cold war self‐determination: Ireland and east Timor

The national conflicts centred on Northern Ireland and East Timor bear little resemblance. Yet the two main political groupings aspiring to national liberation, Sinn Féin in Ireland and the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT) have developed remarkably similar peace proposals. These define the process of reconstruction, protection of human rights and self‐government as separable from issues of state sovereignty, at least in the medium term. Both have promoted the creation of transitional structures to address these issues, delaying self‐determination in order to promote conflict resolution and political reconciliation. The two peace initiatives have been relatively successful in seizing the moral high ground, and have forced the respective state authorities to participate in a process of peace‐making that has substantially recast the exercise of political authority.     

Is there an S in urban housing supply? or What on earth happened in Detroit?

This article examines the substantial housing stock declines between 2000 and 2010 in many major US central cities. It updates an analysis first formulated in the 1970s, of an S-shaped housing supply curve, to explain decreases in absolute housing stocks. Explanatory variables include Metropolitan Statistical Area standardized rents, center city prior occupancy rates, regional unemployment rates, and a set of regional and state dummy variables. The analysis provides strong evidence of a lower tail of the S, and more tentative evidence of an upper tail. Market fundamentals explain a considerable portion of the large housing stock losses, but in several cities loss of dwelling units and housing abandonment were worse than could be explained by the fundamentals.     

The influence of product-placement type & exposure time on product-placement recognition

This study examines the extent to which product-placement type and exposure time explain the rate at which viewers recognise brand names affiliated with product placements in films. The results support the industry practice of classifying product placements into creative and on-set, since placement type has a significant impact on viewer recognition, even when the measure of viewer recognition is adjusted for the effects of false recognition. The effect of exposure time attained by product placement on viewer recognition is moderated by product-placement type. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.     

Direct marketing in the financial services industry

This article presents empirical research findings on the use of direct marketing by a representative sample of UK financial services institutions. A number of similarities and differences between banks, building societies and insurance companies are identified in relation to direct marketing programmes and the use of particular direct marketing techniques. While acknowledging some exceptions the research concludes that there is scope for a greater appreciation of the strategic value and workings of direct marketing. Institutions could usefully focus attention on achieving fuller integration of direct marketing with other marketing and communication activities and securing improvements in testing, database quality and timing.     

The Future of Estate Agency: Some Consequences of the Recent Acquisition Boom in South West England

The entrance of large financial institutions into the estate agency industry has transformed it from a cottage industry into one dominated by a few large national chains. Based on a postal questionnaire survey of estate agents in the South West and follow-up interviews of thirteen agents in the Plymouth travel-to-work area, this study considers the effects of the takeovers on the operations of estate agents and the future of the estate agency industry. It focuses on diversification, commission rates, attitudes to 1992, marketing and the future of the independent agent.     

The same old song: The power of familiarity in music choice

Does "familiarity breed contempt" or is "to know you is to love you"? In this research, we explore the role of familiarity in music choice. We show that although consumers say they would prefer to listen to unfamiliar music, in actuality familiarity with music positively predicts preference for songs, play lists, and radio stations. Familiarity with music is at least as good, if not a better, predictor of choice as are liking, satiation (which actually positively predicts choice), and regret. We suggest that the need for familiarity is driven by consumers' low need for stimulation in the music domain, and show that when the need for stimulation decreases, the power of familiarity significantly increases. In addition to their theoretical contribution, these results are informative for music managers determining playlists, for the promotion of music events and products, and for advertisers selecting the most potentially lucrative music venues.     

A path model examining the relations among strategic performance measurement system characteristics,organizational justice,and extra- and in-role performance

Economic theory suggests that multiple financial and non-financial measures (i.e., a strategic performance measurement system “SPMS”) be used in compensation contracting to properly direct employees’ attention and motivate behavior aligned with organizational goals. Conversely, linking incentives to the SPMS can result in various dysfunctional behaviors, including game playing by employees, the achievement of unbalanced performance, and the potential of basing compensation on an incomplete performance measurement system. Prior literature has investigated the use of subjectivity in compensation contracting as a means of potentially mitigating these problems; however, subjectivity can introduce other problems including claims of favoritism and bias. Economic theorists have recently begun expanding the traditional agency model to include the notion of fairness or justice. In this study, we obtain data from an organization that uses an SPMS as the basis for the allocation of bonuses and investigate whether characteristics of the SPMS are associated with perceived organizational fairness. Specifically, we hypothesize and show that the extent to which employees perceive that the SPMS reflects a strategic causal model and the degree to which it is technically valid are positively associated with their perceptions of organizational justice. We also provide evidence that heightened levels of organizational justice are the mechanism though which the perceived characteristics of the SPMS are associated with employee performance. The implication is that firms do not necessarily need to introduce subjectivity into the incentive contracting system, but can enhance performance by linking incentive contracts to their SPMS if the system contains characteristics that enhance employees’ perceptions of justice.     

Piercing the Corporate Veil: Cape Industries and Multinational Corporate Liability for a Toxic Hazard, 1950-2004

The ‘corporate veil’ refers to the separation oflegal identity between parent firms and their subsidiaries,which gives the parent protection against the liabilities ofits subsidiaries. Fearing that such liability protection wouldfacilitate illicit activity, early twentieth century courts,especially in America, would sometimes ‘pierce’the corporate veil. This article explores Adams v. Cape (1990),in which American plaintiffs attempted to persuade the Englishcourts to lift the corporate veil and impose liability for industrialdisease on Cape Industries, a leading U.K. asbestos manufacturer.This landmark case shows how corporate strategy can be closelyintertwined with international corporate law and occupationalhealth and safety issues. It also highlights how limited liabilitylaw and separate legal personality can result in significantinjustice to claimants against multinational enterprises.