Role of international politics on agri‐food trade: Evidence from US–Canada bilateral relations

A well‐functioning trade relationship between Canada and the United States is crucial to the economic vitality of the Canadian agri‐food industry. However, agri‐food trade is more susceptible than other sectors to political interventions. The Trump presidency has strained Canada–US relations and his trade policy actions have significantly increased trade restrictions and trade policy uncertainty and undermined the rules‐based global trading system. We examine the pattern of agri‐food trade between the two countries and find that the upward trajectory of bilateral agri‐food trade ended in 2013. Although this flatlining predates the Trump administration, we show that Trump increased trade policy uncertainty starting in 2017 and likely impacted further expansion of trade. We examine what might change under the Biden presidency and argue that the new administration is likely to restore strong relationships with allies and work to rebuild important international institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). Although protectionist forces will continue to impact bilateral agri‐food trade, we expect closer political ties between a Biden administration and the Canadian Prime Minister. This should have a positive effect on the Canadian agri‐food industry by reducing trade uncertainties, thereby increasing agri‐food trade between Canada and the United States.     

Factors affecting the effectiveness and acceptance of electronic selection systems

There has been a rise in the use of electronic selection (e-selection) systems in organizations. Given the widespread use of these systems, this article reviews the factors that affect their effectiveness and acceptance by job applicants (applicant acceptance), and offers directions for future research on the topic. In particular, we examine the effectiveness and acceptance of these systems at each stage of the selection process including (a) job analysis, (b) job application, (c) pre-employment testing, (d) interviewing, (e) selection decision-making, and (f) evaluation and validation. We also consider their potential for adverse impact and invasion of privacy. Finally, we present some implications for e-selection system design and implementation.     

LGB+ identification and donations to Hurricane Irma victims: The role of empathy

Extant literature finds that discrimination promotes empathy towards other people in similar predicaments. We propose that discrimination increases empathy more generally—namely, LGB+ individuals, because of their experience with discrimination in society, which promotes empathy, are more charitable than heterosexual individuals. We recruited 5,131 American respondents of whom 378 identified as LGB+. LGB+ -identifying respondents scored higher on empathy, increasing their monetary donations to victims of Hurricane Irma, relative to heterosexual respondents. Importantly, greater experience with discrimination enhanced LGB+ respondents' empathy and charity. We situate our results within literature that has studied the charitable behaviors of LGB+ individuals. We acknowledge limitations to our study and suggest ideas for further research.     

How it all began: the rise of listing requirements on the London, Berlin, Paris, and New York stock exchanges

The issue of accounting standards for foreign securities listed on a stock exchange arose gradually over the period 1825-1914 among the leading exchanges in the first global financial market—London, New York, Paris, and Berlin. Comparing their listing requirements on the eve of World War I, we find that the London and New York exchanges were most detailed, reflecting their common-law legal environments and their status as self-regulating organizations. The evolution of listing requirements in London and New York therefore influenced the development of accounting standards in those countries. By contrast, Paris and Berlin relied on validation of a security by political authorities. One result of these differences in legal and political environments was that American railroads issued the only securities to be listed on each of the four exchanges.     

Income smoothing behavior of U.S. banks under revised international capital requirements

The use of the loan-loss provision to smooth reported income by large bank holding companies is a much-investigated practice. To the extent that the variability of net income is a measure of risk, income smoothing may reduce the perceived riskiness of the bank and thus increase stock value. Managers may have added incentive to smooth income in response to the structure of their compensation package. The Basel Accord of 1988 phased in new definitions of regulatory capital for banks. These changes have increased the incentives for income smoothing. Most previous studies on income smoothing and loan-loss reserves predate the implementation of the Basel Accord. Others use data that include the transition period. This study revisits the subject, using only post-Accord data. Results of this study are compared with previous results. The evidence confirms the continued existence of income smoothing and supports the proposition that banks have become more aggressive in using loan-loss reserves as a tool for income smoothing.     

The organisational learning system within small UK manufacturing firms

Organisational learning is increasingly being mentioned in the literature as a mechanism for assisting the market performance of small firms. There exists, however, limited empirical evidence on the learning systems utilised to manage the process. A survey was undertaken to acquire data on whether a relationship exists between learning style and the nature of learning systems used by small UK manufacturing firms. The results suggest that as firms move from single towards double-loop learning this is accompanied by the adoption of a more formalised learning system inside the organisation. The implications of these finding are discussed and proposals presented on the needs for further research.     

Dispelling some myths: Uncertain and multiple paths to globalization

Brink Lindsey. 2002. Against the Dead Hand: The Uncertain Struggle for Global Capitalism. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 336 pages; ISBN 0‐471‐44277‐1. Peter Hall & David Soskice (Eds.). 2001. Varieties of Capitalism: The Institutional Foundations of Comparative Advantage. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 540 pages; ISBN 0‐199‐24775‐7.