Segmental new-product diffusion of residential broadband services

Aggregate models of innovation diffusion do not capitalise on valuable consumer adoption dynamics that may be useful to policy makers and market planners. The non-diffusion choice literature shows quite clearly that these dynamics may indeed be very important factors in the diffusion process. The authors present a segmental broadband diffusion model that is estimated from consumer survey data that measure the effect that household income has on its propensity to adopt this technological product. The results suggest that early broadband adopters are mostly made up from wealthy households and only as time progresses do less well off households adopt. The findings presented in this paper will be important to market planners and policy makers requiring a relatively simple technique that forecasts segmental innovation diffusion.     

A test of cross section dependence for a linear dynamic panel model with regressors

This paper proposes a new testing procedure for detecting error cross section dependence after estimating a linear dynamic panel data model with regressors using the generalised method of moments (GMM). The test is valid when the cross-sectional dimension of the panel is large relative to the time series dimension. Importantly, our approach allows one to examine whether any error cross section dependence remains after including time dummies (or after transforming the data in terms of deviations from time-specific averages), which will be the case under heterogeneous error cross section dependence. Finite sample simulation-based results suggest that our tests perform well, particularly the version based on the [Blundell, R., Bond, S., 1998. Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models. Journal of Econometrics 87, 115–143] system GMM estimator. In addition, it is shown that the system GMM estimator, based only on partial instruments consisting of the regressors, can be a reliable alternative to the standard GMM estimators under heterogeneous error cross section dependence. The proposed tests are applied to employment equations using UK firm data and the results show little evidence of heterogeneous error cross section dependence.     

Why and How Do Employees Break and Bend Confidential Information Protection Rules?

Organizations cannot function effectively if their employees do not follow organizational rules and policies. In this paper, we explore why and how employees in two high‐tech organizations often broke or bent rules designed to protect their employers' confidential information (CI). The CI protection rules sometimes imposed requirements that disrupted employees' work, forcing employees to choose between CI rule compliance and doing their work effectively and efficiently. Employees in these situations often broke the rules or bent them in ways that enabled employees to meet some of the rules' requirements, while also satisfying other expectations that they faced. We discuss implications of our findings for practice and for future organizational scholarship on rule following.     

Mapping moral philosophies: strategic implications for multinational firms

Strategic managers appear increasingly under pressure from stakeholder concerns regarding social and ethical issues. Partially in response, the supply of ethical decision‐making models has grown rapidly. Business ethics scholars have broadened their scope to incorporate moral philosophies into their research endeavors. Despite these positive trends, the international focus of business ethics research has been slow to evolve. Yet, diverse moral philosophies, often most apparent across international borders, have important strategic implications for multinational firms. The ethical norms pursued by cross‐cultural alliance partners, distributors, suppliers, customers, financiers, and foreign government agencies can create public relations disasters, foster shareholder unrest, lead to consumer boycotts, and impact organizational outcomes. We seek to rectify the deficiency in international business ethics scholarship with two distinct contributions. First, we develop a new cross‐cultural, macro‐level model of societal ethics. Second, we map moral philosophies onto an established framework for assessing socioeconomic environments. These theoretical tools should assist managers of multinational organizations, international policy‐makers, and researchers to recognize and prepare for the ethical consequences of international strategic decisions. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trade and Wages: Two Puzzles from Mexico

Mexico plays an important role in the developing‐country trade‐liberalisation literature because it liberalised early and extensively. Numerous papers analysed changes in Mexican wage levels and inequality after Mexico joined the GATT in 1986. This paper reviews recent papers that analyse changes in wage levels and inequality since the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. Two main puzzles emerge. First, wage growth rates are similar before and after NAFTA. Second, Mexican wage inequality, which received much attention after its post‐GATT rise, falls steadily after NAFTA. This paper reviews several possible explanations for these two phenomena.     

Measuring Real and Nominal Macroeconomic Shocks and their International Transmission under Different Monetary Systems

A fundamental distinction can be drawn between real and nominal macroeconomic shocks. The aim of this paper is to identify and measure these two types of shocks, and to estimate the response of output growth and inflation to them. A VAR methodology that incorporates long-run identifying restrictions is used. The analysis is carried out for the US and the UK using annual data since 1869 and quarterly post-war data. The transmission of these shocks between the two countries under different international monetary systems is compared.     

Professional Development: the Individual Perspective

This article outlines why and how professional development processes need to be changed - from the perspective of the individual. It builds not only on a five-year experience in helping individual business school faculty develop their capabilities, but also on experience with other professionals ranging from bankers to entrepreneurs. Key features of the recommended process are that formal professional development should not be remedial but should be regarded as an integral and rewarding part of work.