Americans' vacations

This paper explores the nature of Americans' vacations from the perspective of current trends in social and symbolic anthropology. Taking the viewpoint of the vacationers themselves, it suggests that there are two polar types of vacations that are recognized by Americans which are termed “Peasant for a Day” and “Queen (King) for a Day.” Each of these types inverts an aspect of American society, but depending on the class of the vacationer involved, the inversion takes on one of two forms: either dissolution or accentuation of the social hierarchy. Examples and variations of these two basic types of vacation are presented; both domestic and overseas holidays are discussed.     

Determinants of local housing growth in a multi-jurisdictional region,along with a test for nonmarket zoning

In the State of New Jersey, two rural preservation tools are paramount: (1) Zoning that sets a floor on the size of residential lots; and (2) the outright acquisition of open space or its development rights by government and nonprofit entities. The present study explores the effects of these two policies on the number of building permits issued across 83 municipalities in northern New Jersey. The empirical work is based on a widely-used urban development model that uses both monocentric and polycentric factors to allocate growth across a set of suburban communities. The study also develops a growth-based test for binding minimum-lot-size zoning, leveraging the fact that the 83 communities are in a single housing market and must serve the distribution of home and lot-size demand collectively, not individually. The study finds strong evidence of excess large-lot zoning, leading to the suppression of short-term housing growth in communities that specialize in this particular “product.” No firm evidence is found that residential development is attracted to the amenities that flow from either large-lot zoning or open space set asides.     

Halifax Henna: The Art of Manageable Growth*

This case explores the dilemma many young women face when they begin a family: juggling a full‐time job as a young Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with a government job, continuing to grow a small business as a henna artist, and caring for a new baby. Even before the arrival of the first child, the combination of continuing to do both jobs was not sustainable. The case provides information to enable students to assess the financial health of a small business and provides a recommendation to the owner. In addition, information regarding paying childcare costs while continuing with a government job provides a realistic comparison for students. Often students jump to the money, which is currently in her accounting job, and forget that passion, dreams, and objectives for work–life balance, although earning less at the moment due to the part‐time nature, may be the best way forward.     

From crisis to opportunity: environmental jolt,corporate acquisitions,and firm performance

This study incorporates the external environmental context into the study of corporate acquisitions by examining the performance implications of corporate acquisitions during an environmental jolt that alters the levels of environmental munificence. We posit that compared to the periods before and after an environmental jolt, corporate acquisitions during a jolt would be positively related to firm performance. Furthermore, we suggest that organizational slack would improve firm performance and accentuate the positive relationship between corporate acquisitions and firm performance during an environmental jolt; however, it would have negative impact on firm performance and make the acquisition‐performance relationship more negative before and after a jolt. Using the Asian Economic Crisis as a natural experiment, we found general support for our core arguments based on a sample of firms from Hong Kong and Singapore. Our work demonstrates that firms can capitalize on the opportunities created by the changes in an environmental jolt. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

What makes migrants more entrepreneurial? Investigating the role of cultural distance and human capital

International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal - Migrant entrepreneurship is seen as an important way to foster economic prosperity as migrants often come with greater entrepreneurial...     

Drivers of context-specific ICT use across work and nonwork domains: A boundary theory perspective

Most theories predicting technology use were conceived when information and communication technology (ICT) devices were less portable, had less functionality, and individuals experienced less permeability between work and nonwork domains. Thus, while individuals today widely use ICT for both professional and personal needs, there is limited knowledge about the validity of traditional models predicting ICT use within and across work and nonwork domains. Using a model based on boundary theory, border theory, and human agency perspective, this study empirically examines the predictors of ICT use across four contexts, namely work use on work and nonwork days, and nonwork use on work and nonwork days. The results, based on data collected from managers and professionals from different Canadian industries, suggest that different drivers may be affecting the four contexts of ICT use. While perceived usefulness of ICT is a significant predictor for both within-domain and across-domain ICT use, there are specific work and individual characteristics that drive across-domain ICT use. Using theories from work/nonwork literature, this paper presents a renewed view to predict context-specific ICT use beyond the traditional models.     

Short-term inflation projections: A Bayesian vector autoregressive approach

In this paper we construct a large Bayesian Vector Autoregressive model (BVAR) for the Euro area that captures the complex dynamic inter-relationships between the main components of the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) and their determinants. The model generates accurate conditional and unconditional forecasts in real-time. We find a significant pass-through effect of oil-price shocks on core inflation and a strong Phillips curve during the Great Recession.