Lean and mean in the civil service: the case of processing in HMRC

The public sector has been importing private sector methods and practices aimed at generating efficiencies and cost savings. However, the consequences of these changes on the working lives of civil servants are under-researched. This article uses detailed fieldwork to investigate the impact of Lean on labour processes in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). We argue that Lean has a detrimental effect on employees, their working lives, and the service that is provided to the public. The consequences of Lean on public sector work are highly problematic, which is of serious concern given its progressive impact on other civil service departments in the UK.     

Is provision for old-age the main saving motive of the future?—An empirical analysis for Germany

The demographic development is a big challenge for public and private pension schemes. In this context it is important to know if individuals recognize the problem and if this reflects on their attitude towards private pension schemes. The aim of our study is to analyze the general importance of the saving motive old-age provision as well as its impact on the ownership and the demand for old-age provision linked insurance products. We apply panel analysis techniques to show among others that old-age provision as a saving motive primarily impacts the ownership and the demand for annuities. On the contrary to this result, the state funding seems to be the dominant motivation behind the decision to buy state promoted annuities.     

Positioning UK research and technology organizations as outward-facing technology-bases

UK research and technology organizations (RTOs) compete globally by offering engineering, technology and innovation services. Although associated historically with specific industries, UK RTOs have expanded into nontraditional markets and sectors. This article profiles 15 UK RTOs and we suggest that UK RTOs have unique technology and innovation capabilities, which cut across industrial boundaries.     

Why Do Non–union Employees Want to Unionize? Evidence from Britain

This paper assesses the determinants of the level of support for union membership among non–union employees. Using data from a representative sample of non–union employees in Great Britain, the research confirms the importance of job dissatisfaction, left–wing views and perceived union instrumentality as predictors of willingness to join a trade union, union instrumentality being the most significant.     

Are cultural values associated with organizational and union commitment and citizenship behavior? A study of Chinese manufacturing workers

This paper examines the association between individual-level cultural values and employees’ commitment to, and citizenship behaviors towards, their employing organization and union. Based on a study of Chinese manufacturing workers, several significant findings emerged, most notably that workers distinguished clearly between the organization and union as foci for commitment and that horizontal, but not vertical, collectivism was positively associated with union commitment and union citizenship behavior. Our results suggest the need to differentiate between horizontal and vertical collectivism when considering the effects of cultural values on attitudes towards unions and collective action.     

Asset Location,Timing Ability and the Cross‐Section of Commercial Real Estate Returns

This study examines the sensitivity of equity REIT returns to time‐varying MSA allocations of REIT property portfolios. Using a large sample of individual commercial property holdings, we find significant cross‐sectional and time variation in REIT geographic exposures and the ability of these exposures to explain the cross‐section of REIT returns. We further find evidence consistent with REIT managers being able, on average, to time allocation decisions ahead of MSA outperformance. This effect is most prevalent in non‐gateway markets, varies significantly across MSAs and over time, and is concentrated in financially flexible firms with a more diversified geographic portfolio.     

There is no place like home: Information asymmetries,local asset concentration,and portfolio returns

Using a unique setting with significant cross‐market information asymmetries and a large sample of individual commercial property holdings, we provide robust evidence showing that local information plays a significant role in the linkage between local asset concentrations and return outperformance. We further document a significant positive relation between local asset concentration and portfolio returns in markets where information asymmetry is most severe. Two novel identification strategies that exploit a local lender's ability to price the local investor's information advantage and exogenous variation in sales price disclosure laws across states confirm an information‐based effect that is distinct from risk‐based or behavioral explanations.     

The growth and valuation of computing and other generic skills

This paper describes a method for measuring job skills usingsurvey data on detailed work activities, and using these measuresexamines whether the utilisation of skills is growing, and howthey are valued in the labour market. We show that between 1997and 2001 there was a growth in Britain in the utilisation ofcomputing skills, literacy, numeracy, technical know-how, high-levelcommunication skills, planning skills, client communicationskills, horizontal communication skills, problem-solving, andchecking skills. Computer skills utilisation was growing thefastest, and the use of computers was becoming more sophisticated.We re-evaluate the issue of whether computers have affectedwages, taking into account existing critiques in the literature.We find that both computer skills and high-level communicationskills carry positive wage premia, as shown both in cross-sectionhedonic wage equations that control for many detailed activities,and through a within-cohorts change analysis.     

Geographic Portfolio Allocations,Property Selection and Performance Attribution in Public and Private Real Estate Markets

This article examines the effects of geographic portfolio concentrations on the return performance of U.S. public real estate investment trusts versus private commercial real estate over the 1996–2013 time period. Adjusting private market returns for differences in geographic concentrations with public markets, we find that core private market performance falls. Using return performance attribution analysis, we find that the geographic allocation effect constitutes only a small portion of the total return difference between listed and private market returns, whereas individual property selection within geographic locations explains, in part, the documented outperformance of listed versus private real estate market returns.     

Customer Preferences for Social Value over Economic Value in Restaurants

The purpose of this study was to examine a model of value proposition of benefits, willingness to disclose personal information, and customer loyalty in a restaurant context. The results of an empirical study indicated that social value proposition had a stronger positive effect on willingness to disclose information, behavioral, and attitudinal loyalty, respectively; whereas economic value proposition only had a positive effect on behavioral loyalty. Given that there have been few prior studies examining value proposition with decomposition of economic and social benefits, the model verified in this study serves as a guide for managerial strategies and future studies.