The integration of National financial markets: A review of theory and findings

Zusammenfassung Die Integration nationaler Finanzm?rkte. Ein überblick über Theorie und Beobachtungen. — Dieser Aufsatz bewertet das Ausma der monet?ren und finanziellen Integration unter zwei Aspekten. In den beiden ersten Abschnitten werden Studien analysiert, die sich mit der empirischen Bedeutung von Transaktionskosten und Wechselkursrisiken besch?ftigen, Faktoren, die nationale Geldm?rkte segmentieren k?nnen. In den letzten beiden Abschnitten wird dagegen untersucht, ob die Studien, die Zins?nderungen, Aktienkurse und Kapitalstr?me einbeziehen, st?rker mit der Annahme konsistent sind, da\ die Kapitalm?rkte integriert sind, oder mit der Annahme, da\ sie segmentiert sind. Weder die Studien über das Ausma\ der Kapitalmarktintegration noch die Studien über Transaktionskosten und Wechselkursrisiken führen zu Ergebnissen, die mit der Annahme vereinbar sind, inl?ndische und ausl?ndische Aktiva seien vollst?ndig substituierbar. Keine stützt die Behauptung, es g?be keinen Raum für monet?re Unabh?ngigkeit. Alle sind mit der Ansicht vereinbar, da\ die M?rkte verbunden und ?hnlichen Kr?ften unterworfen sind, aber diese Folgerung schlie\t nicht aus, da\ es Raum für nationale W?hrungspolitik gibt. Die Folgerung, da\ es bis jetzt noch keine Beobachtungen gibt, die mit der Small-country-Annahme konsistent sind, bedeutet nicht, da\ es keine Gründe für eine monet?re Integration gibt, aber sie deutet darauf hin, da\ eine ?konomische Begründung für die monet?re Integration weitgehend mit den Kosten argumentieren mu\, die durch eine nationale Segmentierung der Kapitalm?rkte entstehen.

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Résumé L’intégration des marchés nationaux financiers: une revue de la théorie et des résultats. — Cet article évalue le cadre de l’intégration monétaire et financière de deux points de vue. Les deux premières sections considèrent les études qui s’occupent de la signification empirique de deux facteurs, les frais de transaction et la risque de taux de change, qui pourraient segmenter les marchés nationaux d’argent. Les dernières deux sections, en contraste, considèrent si les études qui incluent les changes des taux d’intérêt, les prix des obligations et les flux des capitaux, sont presque plus consistantes avec la proposition que les marchés nationaux des capitaux sont intégrés ou avec la proposition que les marchés des capitaux sont segmentés. Ni les études sur le cadre de l’intégration de marché financier ni les études sur les frais de transaction et la risque de taux de change ne conduisent aux conclusions qui sont comparables avec la supposition de la substitutionalité parfaite entre les actifs locaux et étrangers. Aucune ne supporte la proposition qu’il n’y a pas de place pour l’indépendance monétaire. Toutes les études sont consistantes avec la vue que les marchés sont reliés et soumis aux forces similaires mais cette conclusion ne dénie pas qu’il y aurait quelque place pour une politique monétaire nationale. La conclusion qu’il n’y a pas encore une évidence étant consistante avec la supposition de petit-pays ne veut pas dire qu’il n’y a pas des arguments pour l’intégration monétaire mais elle suggère, selon une argumentation économique, qu’ils probablement basent considérablement sur les frais de segmenter les marchés nationaux des capitaux.

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Resumen La integración de mercados financieros nacionales: una revisión de la teoría y los resultados. — Este artículo evalúa el ámbito de la integración monetaria y financiera desde dos puntos de vista. Las primeras dos secciones consideran estudios que se ocupan de la significación empírica de los factores, costos de transacción y riesgos cambiarios, que pueden segmentar los mercados monetarios nacionales. Las últimas dos secciones consideran en contraste, si los estudios que envuelven cambios en las tasas de interés, precios de equidad y flujos de capital son màs cercanamente consistentes con la proposición que los mercados de capitales nacionales están integrados o con la proposición que ellos están segmentados. Ni los estudios del ámbito de integración de mercados de capital ni los estudios de costos de transacción y riesgos cambiarios llevan a conclusiones que son compatibles con el supuesto de la perfecta sustituibilidad entre activos domésticos y extranjeros. Ninguno da apoyo a la proposición que no hay lugar para una independencia monetaria. Todos son consistentes con la visión que los mercados están conectados y sujetos a fuerzas similares, pero esta conclusión no niega que puede haber algún márgen para una política monetaria nacional. Concluir que todavía no hay ninguna evidencia consistente con el supuesto del país peque?o no significa que no haya un caso para la integración monetaria, sino que sugiere, que si el caso ha de hacerse sobre bases económicas, con gran probabilidad dependerá fuertemente de Ios costos de segmentar los mercados de capitales nacionales.

     

Disruptive change. When trying harder is part of the problem

When a company faces a major disruption in its markets, managers' perceptions of the disruption influence how they respond to it. If, for instance, they view the disruption as a threat to their core business, managers tend to overreact, committing too many resources too quickly. But if they see it as an opportunity, they're likely to commit insufficient resources to its development. Clark Gilbert and Joseph Bower explain why thinking in such stark terms--threat or opportunity--is dangerous. It's possible, they argue, to arrive at an organizational framing that makes good use of the adrenaline a threat creates as well as of the creativity an opportunity affords. The authors claim that the most successful companies frame the challenge differently at different times: When resources are being allocated, managers see the disruptive innovation as a threat. But when the hard strategic work of discovering and responding to new markets begins, the disruptive innovation is treated as an opportunity. The ability to reframe the disruptive technology as circumstances evolve is not an easy skill to master, the authors admit. In fact, it might not be possible without adjusting the organizational structure and the processes governing new business funding. Successful companies, the authors have determined, tend to do certain things: They establish a new venture separate from the core business; they fund the venture in stages as markets emerge; they don't rely on employees from the core organization to staff the new business; and they appoint an active integrator to manage the tensions between the two organizations, to name a few. This article will help executives frame innovations in more balanced ways--allowing them to recognize threats but also to seize opportunities.     

Retiree health coverage

This article reviews a number of issues that affect retiree medical coverage as part of a multiemployer trust. Strategies for both short- and long-term planning to ensure economic viability of the retiree medical plan include overcoming myths, obtaining data and doing the math, being realistic, minimizing political issues, communication and education. The resolution of issues and problems should always be a part of a strategic planning process rather than dealt with on an emergency or quick fix basis.     

The value of pharmaceuticals--some direction for employers

The costs of drugs keep rising. Are they worth it? Employers should consider value over cost, and make decisions based on diagnostics and research. They should thoroughly examine their organizations' experience to determine high-priority health conditions and do cost-effectiveness studies (using experienced consultants if necessary) that focus on all of the consequences of conditions and indicate the best medical and pharmaceutical therapies to treat them. Doing so should produce both human and financial dividends.     

Principles of Financial Regulation: A Dynamic Portfolio Approach

Economists seeking explanations for the global financial crisisof 1997–99 are reaching consensus that a major factorwas weak financial institutions, which resulted in part frominadequate government regulations. At the same time many developingcountries are struggling with an overregulated financial system—onethat stifles innovation and the flow of credit to new entrepreneursand that can stunt the growth of well-established firms. Inparticular, too many countries are relying excessively on capitaladequacy standards, which are inefficient and sometimes counterproductive.The author argues that financial systems can be reformed successfullyusing a "dynamic portfolio approach" aimed at managing the incentivesand constraints that affect not only financial institutions'exposure to risk but also their ability to cope with it. Thearticle sets out general principles of financial regulationand shows how the dynamic portfolio approach can help countriesdeal with the special problems that arise during the transitionto a more liberalized economy as well as those that arise indealing with a financial crisis similar to the 1997 crisis inEast Asia.      

To the Water’s Edge,and Beyond: Effects of Shore Protection Projects on Beach Development

The effects on real estate development of shore-protection efforts that lower erosion rates and storm hazards are both controversial and difficult to detect. A simple theoretical model indicates that shore protection is likely to tilt development from areas a few hundred feet inland toward beachfront property. A modified repeat-sale house price index is used to measure price appreciation rates to the waters edge. We are able to formulate an extremely sensitive empirical test for a tilt in rates of house-price appreciation implied by a tilt in development. Surprisingly, we find no significant evidence that shore-protection efforts have produced additional beachfront development in the Florida counties studied. The method used in this article is quite general and could be used in a number of applications where an environmental effect impacts real estate differentially over space.     

The Ethics of Consumer Sovereignty in an Age of High Tech

We argue that consumer sovereignty in an increasingly high tech world is more of a fiction than a fact. We show how the principle of consumer sovereignty that governs the societal impact of economic competition is no longer valid. The world of high tech is increasingly responsible for changes in the opportunity, ability, and motivation of business firms to compete. Furthermore, the world of high tech is increasingly responsible for changes in the opportunity, ability, and motivation of consumers to engage in rational decision making. We conclude that we cannot rely on consumer sovereignty to maintain a thriving economy. Instead, we need to develop performance standards designed to meet the demands of the various stakeholders of the organization.     

The Integrity Capacity Construct and Moral Progress in Business

The authors propose the integrity capacity construct with its four dimensions (process, judgment, development and system dimensions) as a framework for analyzing and resolving behavioral, moral and legal complexity in business ethics' issues at the individual and collective levels. They claim that moral progress in business comes about through the increase in stakeholders who regularly handle moral complexity by demonstrating process, judgment, developmental and system integrity capacity domestically and globally.     

The Challenge of Leadership Accountability for Integrity Capacity as a Strategic Asset

The authors identify the challenge of holding contemporary business leaders accountable for enhancing the intangible strategic asset of integrity capacity in organizations. After defining integrity capacity and framing it as part of a strategic resource model of sustainable global competitive advantage, the stakeholder costs of integrity capacity neglect are delineated. To address this neglect issue, the authors focus on the cultivation of judgment integrity to handle behavioral, moral and hypothesized economic complexities as key dimensions of integrity capacity. Finally, the authors recommend two leadership practices to build competence in business leaders to enhance integrity capacity as an organizational strategic asset.