A functional approach to the price impact of stock trades and the implied true price

We propose a functional approach to estimate the instantaneous price impact of a trade and to infer an implied true price. Our model expresses price impact as an S-shaped function of signed volume. It has two parameters, one for price impact and one for liquidity depth. The latter measures the differential impact of small and large trades. The price impact is instantaneous, that is, it occurs at the instant of trade execution. Our specification also permits the price impact of buys and sells to be asymmetric. We compute an implied true price from our model, and we find that it is closer than the quote midpoint to the unobservable true price. Our empirical analysis also shows that the effective spread, which is computed using the midpoint, has an upward bias, and that the implicit transaction costs may be lower than previous estimates.     

They shouldn't let them out for us to see': Empathy and affect intensity as determinants of responses to representations of the facially disfigured in charity advertising

Test subjects were exposed to made-up advertisements for a hypothetical facial disfigurement charity. Certain groups saw an advertisement featuring a disfigured young person on his own; others a similar representation but with the addition of either a physically attractive or unattractive female announcer. Responses to a written appeal accompanying the visual imagery were measured and analysed according to test subjects' levels of emotionality and predisposition to experience empathy. The experiment was repeated using control groups who were given comparable advertisements that did not include any sight of a disfigured person — only an attractive or unattractive female announcer. It emerged that advertisements containing both a disfigured individual and a physically attractive announcer evoked the most favourable responses.     

Technical, Allocative and Scale Efficiencies of REITs: An Empirical Inquiry

Abstract:   This paper empirically explores various efficiency aspects of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in light of their remarkable growth in the 1990s. We find clear evidence of considerable technical inefficiency in REITs, though not much indication for allocative or scale inefficiency. The results also suggest that an increasing number of REITs has been operating under diseconomies of scale since the late 1990s primarily due to the recent wave of consolidation and merger activities. As creatures of the US tax code, REIT's have undergone several changes to their operating status, and our results suggest that the prevalent regulatory environment appears too onerous for the industry and may have contributed to the REITs' poor efficiency performance. In particular, further cuts or total elimination of the dividend restriction on REITs could provide much needed relief and stability in the US real estate market.     

Restraints of trade by durable good producers

Whether they face competition or not, durable good producers may have an incentive to impose vertical restraints on their customers in order to protect quasi-rents in the aftermarkets for maintenance and repair. In this paper, we show that these vertical restraints have little to do with the usual antitrust concerns regarding tying arrangements. Nonetheless, imposing such restraints involves antitrust risks. We examine these risks and the associated antitrust policy questions in light of the Supreme Court's recent Kodak decision. We also offer some suggestions for the appropriate antitrust policy.     

The Value Relevance of Equity Method Fair Value Disclosures

We assess the valuation implications of the fair value disclosures made for publicly traded securities accounted for under the equity method. We test the association between investors' stock price metrics and fair value disclosures while controlling for book values on a sample of 172 investor firm-years during 1993–1997. Our results indicate that the information in the fair value disclosures is incremental to the information provided by both an investment's equity method book value and equity method reported income. This suggests that there is nothing unique about investments in publicly traded common stock that involve significant influence that makes the fair value disclosures irrelevant for firm valuation.     

Environmental reporting in Australia: current practices and issues for the future

This briefing addresses a number of current practices in environmental reporting in Australia. It is limited to consideration of mandatory and voluntary initiatives at the national level (rather than state or territory levels). Three initiatives are explored. Two of these are mandatory requirements—section 299 corporate disclosures required under the 2001 Corporations Act and section 516 disclosures by Commonwealth government organizations under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. One other initiative is voluntary—Public Environmental Reporting—and is aimed at all organizations. Links with the Global Reporting Initiative are considered, followed by a brief comment on incentives and users of environmental reports. The briefing concludes by raising three issues that need to be addressed in the future—sustainable development; education, training and communication; and environmental accounting. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment     

Six Sigma: Definition and underlying theory

Six Sigma has been gaining momentum in industry; however, academics have conducted little research on this emerging phenomenon. Understanding Six Sigma first requires providing a conceptual definition and identifying an underlying theory. In this paper we use the grounded theory approach and the scant literature available to propose an initial definition and theory of Six Sigma. Our research argues that although the tools and techniques in Six Sigma are strikingly similar to prior approaches to quality management, it provides an organizational structure not previously seen. This emergent structure for quality management helps organizations more rigorously control process improvement activities, while at the same time creating a context that enables problem exploration between disparate organizational members. Although Six Sigma provides benefits over prior approaches to quality management, it also creates new challenges for researchers and practitioners.