Custom-built

Mass customization has rapidly moved from an abstract theory to a practical source of competitive advantage. Fabrizio Salvador has been studying the companies that have bolstered their business by tapping into the idiosyncratic needs of customers. Tom Brown reports on his latest thinking.     

Riding the Ever-Rolling Stream: Time and the Ontology of Violent Conflict

In this paper, we examine the ways in which the passage of time is dealt with in econometric studies of violent conflict and civil war with empirical attention to the dynamics of ethnic conflict. We argue that the mainstream approach to econometric studies of civil war is based on a time-invariant ontology and that this is not an appropriate or adequate way of capturing the causal patterns of violent conflict. Based analysis of replication datasets using structural break analysis and rolling windows, we show how careful attention to the passage of time reveals important macro-historical changes in the coefficients on ethnic diversity in explaining conflict incidence. We conclude that econometric studies of civil war need to pay more careful attention to the limitations on the generalizations that they draw through attention to the passage of time and better iteration with qualitative and historical studies.     

An integrative model of e-learning use: Leveraging theory to understand and increase usage

Employees are increasingly using technology to access content for learning, and theory development has been outpaced by practice. Drawing on a well validated theory of behavior change (the Transtheoretical Model of Change), as well as theories on technology acceptance and employee development, this paper offers an integrative model of factors that influence employee use of e-learning as well as practical recommendations for how use might be increased. Recommendations for future research on e-learning are also offered.     

Exchange traded contracts for difference: Design,pricing, and effects

Contracts for Difference (CFDs) are a significant financial innovation in the design of futures contracts. Over‐the‐counter trading in the UK is significant and has created controversy, but there is no published academic research into the design, pricing, and effects of CFDs. This study analyzes CFD contract design and pricing. It uses a unique database of trades and quotes on exchange traded equity CFDs introduced by the Australian Securities Exchange to test theoretical pricing relationships, and draws out implications for successful design and trading arrangements for the introduction of new derivative contracts. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark     

“现在大家都是民主派了……”

"民主,欢迎归来!"——2008年11月6日《海狸》(伦敦政治经济学院校报)关于奥巴马当选的头条标题作为空洞能指的民主时至今日,民主在全球范围内拥有了空前的声望;然而,同样史无前例的是,民主也变得概念随意、内涵空洞。或许,民主现在的人气,恰恰依赖于其意义与实践的开放性、甚至空虚性(如同巴拉克·奥巴马)。这是一个空洞的能指,任何人都可以向它投射自己的梦想与愿望。作为现     

Schooling in a Corporate Society

This article defines a measure of the quality of life in the regional capitals of Poland and compares the results. This taxonomic measure is based on a set of diagnostic traits, including housing conditions, state of the natural environment, labor market, personal safety, and range of cultural services available. For this purpose, a set of variables from 2011 was observed for each regional capital. This research is important in defining the difference between our target cities from the standpoint of social development. It also allows us to classify the cities into groups based on the quality of life of their inhabitants.     

Merit pay preferences among public sector employees

Organisations have choices about methods of pay, and employee pay adjustment preferences are an important consideration in this decision‐making process. Of particular organisational interest currently are pay systems that seek to link increases with individual performance, usually referred to as merit pay. Researchers have shown that pay adjustment systems that are incompatible with employee preferences can be costly for organisations, and have identified a range of demographic factors that predict support for merit adjustments. This article extends this line of research by investigating the impact of a performance appraisal system and a range of situational factors on the level of support for merit pay in a large public sector research organisation in Australia. The study finds that higher levels of perceived job security are associated with support for merit pay, while good promotional opportunities are associated with lower levels of support. Those who saw the outcomes of the current performance appraisal system as fair were unlikely to support merit pay.