Fuzzy density estimation

A new approach to density estimation with fuzzy random variables (FRV) is developed. In this approach, three methods (histogram, empirical c.d.f., and kernel methods) are extended for density estimation based on α-cuts of FRVs.     

Power, Control and Resistance in 'The Factory That Time Forgot'

This paper contributes to a developing body of literature which questions the claim that the 'factory of the future' is a total institution in which self-subordination through 'new wave management' is virtually inescapable. It examines the experience of frustrated management efforts to re-engineer working practices, mainly at the point of production, in response to repeated corporate-driven initiatives designed to implement a range of 'lean manufacturing' initiatives at 'Northern Plant', a pseudonym. Our findings illustrate how workers can and do employ a variety of individual and collective forms of resistance involving dissembling co-operation with change initiatives whilst maintaining a distance from them. In accounting for resistance, we note the significance of market conditions but focus primarily upon the importance of workers' identification with practices that had been established earlier when management were content to indulge self-managing patterns of work in return for securing required levels of output.     

The Impact of Ownership Structure On Corporate Debt Policy: a Time-Series Cross-Sectional Analysis

This study examines the influence of agency costs and ownership concentration on the capital structure of the firm. Of particular interest is the composition of equity ownership as a determinant of overall capital structure and the dynamic adjustment of capital structure to changes in the equity ownership. Results indicate that the distribution of equity ownership is important in explaining overall capital structure and that managers do reduce the level of debt as their own wealth is increasingly tied to the firm. It is also noted that the time-series component is important in resolving the conflicting results reported in prior research.     

Globalization and Investment Opportunities: A Cointegration Study of Arab,U.S., and Emerging Stock Markets

Using a sample of Arab, U.S., and emerging stock markets from 1997 to 2002, this study is designed to determine if international diversification is still possible despite growing globalization and the consequent integration among various stock markets. Our results show that within Arab markets, Kuwait cointegrates individually with Jordan, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia and between Tunisia and Jordan, thus offering investors possible continued diversification opportunities. On the other hand, only Jordan, Kuwait, and Morocco are cointegrated with the U.S. general market index, implying that these markets offer a probable substitute for those investing in the U.S. markets.     

Agricultural diversification and integrated pest management in Bangladesh

We study factors associated with a shift toward diversified, high‐valued vegetable crops and the incentives associated with the use of IPM methods for vegetable producers in Bangladesh. The primary objective is to measure how IPM technologies affect the crop and technology choices of low‐income rice farmers. A three‐season household optimisation model is used to study crop and technology choice under price and yield uncertainty. The model is parameterised using data from vegetable farms and experimental IPM trials conducted in Bangladesh. Simulation results show that access to IPM technology and IPM availability combined with access to credit increase household welfare and lead to higher rates of vegetable adoption. Off‐farm employment opportunities work against vegetable cultivation and IPM use by risk‐averse farmers. Implications for policy and extension efforts are highlighted.     

Popularizing a Management Accounting Idea: The Case of the Balanced Scorecard

We explore how the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), as a management accounting technique, was developed and marketed as a general management practice. Drawing on actor network theory (ANT), we analyze interviews with key actors associated with the BSC, insights gained from attending BSC training workshops, and other documentary evidence to construct a history of the BSC. Our historical analysis offers theoretical tools to understand how the various features of the accounting technique were translated and transformed, that is, shaped and solidified. This translation entailed processes of modification, labelling, framing, and specification of abstract categories and cause‐effect relations. We also examine the networks and associations that both shape the form of the BSC and mobilize the interests of various constituencies around it to produce what can be regarded as a global management technology. Finally, we highlight the strategies and actions used to maintain control of this technique through its continuous reinvention, and, by doing so, we emphasize the idea of strategic agency.