Exploring the link between cause‐related marketing and brand building

The use of cause‐related marketing (CRM) is increasing around the world and provides benefits to both firms and causes, by linking the two organisations together. Most of the CRM literature examines this strategy from a for‐profit perspective. This paper examines how this literature could be equally applicable to examining CRM from a not‐for‐profit perspective. That is CRM programmes can positively and negatively impact on a not‐for‐profit's brand, which is frequently its most valuable asset. In this way CRM can be related to a number of not‐forprofit brand and brand equity issues including brand awareness, brand attitude and intention to support the CRM programme. Copyright © 2000 Henry Stewart Publications     

Group Contests with Internal Conflict and Power Asymmetry

We investigate simultaneous inter‐ and intra‐group conflict in the shadow of within‐group power asymmetry and complementarity in members' group‐conflict efforts. A more symmetric group faces a higher degree of internal conflict, and might expend more effort in external conflict when the group‐conflict effort technology is highly complementary. Depending on the degree of complementarity, the stronger player's relative contribution to external conflict might be higher in a more asymmetric group and, as a result, it is possible for the weaker player to earn a higher payoff. In the absence of any complementarity, the rent‐dissipation is non‐monotonic with the within‐group power asymmetry.     

The impact of different fibre access network technologies on cost,competition and welfare

Using a novel approach to the evaluation of new network technologies that combines an engineering cost model with a differentiated multi-player oligopoly model with wholesale access regulation this article evaluates the choice among different Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) architectures. The cost modelling relies upon an engineering bottom-up approach that feeds into a competition model. For addressing competition the pyramid model was chosen, which is an extension of the Hotelling model to multiple firms/services. The paper solves for price setting Nash equilibria between an incumbent, wholesale-access-based entrants and cable as an additional fully integrated network competitor. Welfare tradeoffs are highlighted with respect to cost differences and QoS differences between the various FTTH architectures and between the modes of regulation. According to the analysis architectures that can be unbundled (and that allow for greater speeds) outperform, from a social welfare perspective, architectures that (realistically) allow only for bitstream access.     

How do on-the-job injuries and illnesses impact wealth?

This research focuses on one neglected area of workers' compensation research, the effect of injury and illness on net worth. We track participants in the NLSY79: one-third of these baby boomers were hurt at work, but 38% of them did not file for workers' compensation. We find that the typical young baby boomer who is never injured has both much higher absolute wealth and wealth growth rates than boomers who are ever injured. Regression results that control for unobserved heterogeneity suggest, however, that the injury does not predict lower wealth unless workers have reported wage losses or spells off work because of their accidents. For these employees wealth is dramatically reduced, regardless of their participation in the workers' compensation system. We also find that injured workers significantly reduce their consumption over time. These results raise new questions about the adequacy of workers' compensation benefits and the quality of jobs injured workers are able to return to. They suggest that sudden health problems caused by occupational injuries may affect more than employers' costs and individuals' incomes; they may have also wider and longer lasting consequences in term of families' wealth and well-being.     

The valuation effects of overseas listings: The case of the Tokyo Stock Exchange

Shareholders of U.S. firms that listed stock on the Tokyo Stock Exchange from 1973 to 1989 are shown to have experienced no significant wealth gains. The pattern of the market's reaction to a Tokyo listing tracks closely the reactions to a domestic listing, where gains prior to listing are later erased. The findings indicate no advantages to a listing for a firm with a prior business presence in Japan, and they do not support the hypothesis of diminishing returns to foreign listings. The findings are consistent with the integration of international capital markets.     

Incorporating Ethics into Business Students' Research Projects: A Process Approach

Student research projects involving human intervention are being utilised in more and more business subjects. It therefore is essential that students understand the various ethical issues and implications related to undertaking such projects. As such academics need to integrate an ethical evaluation of student projects. While there are many attempts to "teach" ethics, the literature does not address the issue of including ethics in student research projects. A process by which this can be applied is suggested, which is based on a formal ethics approval process used at one Australian university. While the focus of this paper is student based research projects, the process described could be applied to staff research with minimal modifications, which are identified throughout the paper.     

Privatization And Economic Restructuring in Poland: An Assessment of Transition Policies

A bstract . Poland was among the first of the Central European countries to attempt to transform its economy from a centrally planned socialist system to a market-oriented one. Although its International Monetary Fund-inspired "shock therapy" approach sought to transform the economy quickly, Poland's implementation of privatization of state enterprises , a keystone of the reform strategy, lags seriously behind other economic changes. Poland's experiments with privatization were derailed by economic, political, social and administrative problems. The lessons of experience from Poland's transitional period during the early 1990s are that the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises and the spread of entrepreneurial activity were far more important than privatization of state enterprises in moving Poland toward a market system.     

Strategic Second Sourcing by Multinationals*

Multinationals often serve foreign markets by exporting as well as by investing directly in foreign production facilities. We argue that if the multinational competes in an oligopolistic market characterized by strategic complements then there are strategic reasons to use two production facilities—committing to a second source allows the firm to keep average cost low while increasing its marginal cost. The increase in marginal cost softens product market competition resulting in higher profits. We argue that this theory also has implications for the “make or buy” literature in production management and the literature on second sourcing in industrial organization.