Determinants of Voluntary Disclosure of Sales in Small Private Companies in Belgium

Small businesses are the backbone of the economy in many countries. In Europe, for example, small companies represent more than 90 per cent of all companies (e.g., Lukacs, 2005 ). Although these companies represent such an important portion of the economy, few studies have examined their voluntary disclosure decisions. Because small companies have certain unique characteristics compared with their larger counterparts, the general applicability of past voluntary disclosure studies to small companies is questionable. Drawing on agency and proprietary cost theory, this study investigates whether ownership, competition, and accountant factors influence the decision to disclose financially sensitive information on a voluntary basis. Our results (using an e‐mail questionnaire to small private companies in Belgium, n = 1,068) indicate that nearly 40 per cent of the responding companies are not aware of their disclosure behavior. For companies that are aware of their disclosure behavior, the logistic regression analysis demonstrates that factors relating to the separation of ownership and control, namely the type of ownership and number of shareholders, are among the most important determinants in the voluntary disclosure decision of small private companies. Companies with at least one legal entity as an owner of a company are less likely to disclose, while companies with more shareholders are more likely to disclose. We also provide evidence that perceived competition and the default setting of the accounting software used have a significant influence on the voluntary disclosure behavior.     

Measuring Serious Leisure in Chess: Model Confirmation and Method Bias

The serious leisure inventory and measure (SLIM) was tested with 348 chess players to confirm the factors, assess the effects of method bias, and propose a set of the best-performing items for the 18 factor SLIM. The 54-item SLIM demonstrated acceptable fit and reliability values. The effect of method bias was evidenced in the sample and explained one-third of the variance. Inspection of factor loadings, when controlling for method bias, yielded one best-performing item per factor. Findings indicate method bias continues to be problematic for self-report measures such as the SLIM.     

Involvement in and perception of the free-time context for adolescents in youth protection institutions

What adolescents do, with whom, and at which arenas, represent the contextual dimensions of adolescents' daily free-time. Since free-time may be particularly significant for many developmental processes in adolescence, it is important to understand the impact free-time may have on vulnerable youth. This study used the Experience Sampling Method to examine the free time of adolescents who are taken care of by the Child Welfare Organization (Oslo, Norway). When a sample of experiences (n = 479) from 20 adolescents living in youth protection institutions was compared to a sample of experiences (n = 741) from a non-institutionalized comparison group, results showed differences in perception of and involvement in daily after-school contexts. The adolescents from the youth protection institutions reported significantly fewer self-involving activities and spent their free time in different arenas compared to their peers. Further analyses disclosed differences in the perceptual experiences associated with activity, social group and arena.     

Canadian Consumer Willingness to Pay for Omega-3 Meat

This study analyzes Canadian consumer willingness to pay for omega-3 enhanced beef, pork, and chicken. Using a nationwide survey conducted by ACNielsen in 2006 and choice modeling framework, results indicate that smaller household, households with high incomes, and households that have previously purchased an omega-3 product are willing to pay a premium for omega-3 beef, pork and chicken. The results also suggest that consumers that have previously purchased an omega-3 product are willing to pay a higher premium for the respective omega-3 meats compared to households that have never purchased an omega-3 product. Also, premiums are highest for omega-3 beef, followed by omega-3 pork, and last, omega-3 chicken.     

An empirical model of entry and exit in airline markets

This article considers the effect of airline hub-and-spoke systems on the entry and exit behavior of rival firms in the U.S. airline industry. An analysis of simple entry and exit decisions provides insight into equilibrium conditions that are used to specify discrete choice econometric models. The empirical evidence indicates that hub-and-spoke network characteristics are significant determinants of entry and exit decisions in individual citypair markets.     

Reviews

TECS AND SMALL FIRMS.

Curran, J. 1993: TECs and Small Firms: Can TECs Reach The Small Firms Other Strategies Have Failed To Reach? Kingston University.

URBAN PLANNING TODAY.

Rydin, Y. 1993: The British Planning System: An Introduction. London: MacMillan, £14.99, paper, 404pp.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP.

Macfarlane, R. and Laville, J-L1993: Developing Community Partnerships in Europe. London: Directory of Social Change/Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, £12.95.

LOCAL LABOUR.

Campbell, M. and Duffy, K. 1992: Local Labour Markets: Problems and Policies. Harlow: Longman, £22.00, paper.

MARGINAL REGIONS.

Flogenfeldt, T., Hansen, J.C., Nordgreen, R. and Rohr, J.M. (eds) 1993: Conditions for Development in Marginal Regions, Proceedings of the XI International Seminar on Marginal Regions August 1991, Oppland College, Norway, Price NKr. 300, paper.

MARGINAL REGIONS.

Flogenfeldt, T., Hansen, J.C., Nordgreen, R. and Rohr, J.M. (eds) 1993: Conditions for Development in Marginal Regions, Proceedings of the XI International Seminar on Marginal Regions August 1991, Oppland College, Norway, Price NKr. 300, paper.     

Professionals in the NHS – a case study of business process re-engineering

Rather than providing evidence of business process re-engineering (BPR) as another example of cultural change rhetoric, this case study shows BPR as a substantive initiative that has had a considerable impact on health care professionals. A hybrid of differing bureaucratic professions allows for a diversity specific to the health service. The study highlights a number of controversial issues unique to health care professionals, particularly in the areas of job redesign, multiskilling and empowerment.