Computer based information systems and managers' work

This article identifies three models that imply different views of the 'impact' of the use of computer based information systems for managers' work. Using case study evidence it argues that the 'impact' is not a stable and predictable outcome but a non-linear ongoing process that changes and evolves over time.     

Are Consumers Willing to Pay for Local Chicken Breasts and Pork Chops?

Consumer definitions of and demand for locally produced meat were collected via an online survey of 625 U.S. residents. Consumer choice experiments were utilised to elicit willingness to pay for locally produced chicken breasts and pork chops. Younger respondents, respondents without a college degree, participants in hunting and fishing and those who have altered their total meat consumption in the past 3 years due to food safety or animal welfare concerns more frequently report that local food is produced within 10 or 20 miles of their home. Results indicate that respondents are willing to pay a positive amount (at the mean) for verified local production of chicken breasts but not pork chops.     

Success and Failure in the Market for Corporate Control: Evidence from the Petroleum Industry

A sample of firms from the oil industry is used to test whether managerial actions are consistent with the managerial entrenchment or shareholder interest hypothesis. While targeted firms have lower Q-ratios than non-targeted firms, not all low Q-ratio firms become targets. High levels of managerial stock ownership decrease the likelihood of a low Q-ratio firm being targeted. Managerial resistance to control events is associated with greater share price increases, but a lower likelihood of a control change occurring. Overall, the results are consistent with managers taking actions that protect their positions, possibly at shareholder expense.     

Consumers’ perception of reduced calorie meals: How low is “Low-Calorie”?

ABSTRACT

With consumers becoming increasingly health conscious, the demand for reduced calorie food has significantly increased over the years. However, the definition of low-calorie food remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate consumers’ perception of reduced calorie meals, from the perspective of the maximum calorie level that consumers would consider as “low-calorie.” Survey data were collected using MTurk. In addition to respondents’ perception of the calorie count of low-calorie food when eating out and eating at home, respondents’ attitude toward low-calorie food, behaviors about consuming low-calorie food and exercise frequency, and demographic information were also assessed in the survey. The results demonstrate that consumers’ calorie perception of low-calorie food served in restaurants is consistent among different types of restaurants. Moreover, consumers believe that a low-calorie meal served in restaurants should be under 367 calories for breakfast, 500 calories for lunch, and 677 calories for dinner. Lastly, consumers perceive home-cooked meals to be lower in calories than restaurant food. This study is the first attempt to explore consumers’ definition of a low-calorie meal served in restaurants. The findings will provide guidance to restaurant operators in designing menus, and help policymakers better understand the ongoing need to develop a sound and comprehensive definition for the term “low-calorie.”     

An exploration of gendered systems theory on women-owned businesses in emerging tourism destinations: future directions

The impacts of tourism on host communities are numerous, complex, and at times nuanced. As a result, tourism researchers have placed heavy emphasis on the exploration and identification of these impacts, including how the community responds. Some of the more understated impacts, such as the role of women in tourism development, can be more difficult to understand. This is especially the case in emerging destinations, where communities in the primary stages of tourism development are beginning to consider the costs and benefits to their culture, social structure, and economy. This article uses ecological systems theory as a framework to examine existing literature related to resident attitudes toward the social impacts of women-owned businesses in tourism. Results from this examination determined the need for future, theory-based research regarding socio-cultural impacts, and more specifically, the impact of tourism on changing social roles and the role of women in emerging destinations.     

Are two heads better than one? Evidence from the thrift crisis

We employ a natural experiment from the 1980s, predating the ubiquitous clamor for independence influenced corporate governance structures, to examine which governance mechanisms are associated with firm survival and failure. We find that thrifts were more likely to survive the thrift crisis when their CEO also chaired the firm’s board of directors. On average, chair-holding CEOs undertook less aggressive lending policies than their counterparts who did not chair their boards. Consequently, taxpayer interests were protected by thrifts that bestowed both leadership posts to one person. This is an important policy issue, because taxpayers become the residual claimants for depository institutions that fail as a result of managers adopting risky strategies to exploit underpriced deposit insurance. Our findings corroborate recent evidence that manager-dominated firms resist shareholder pressure to adopt riskier investment strategies to exploit underpriced deposit insurance.     

U.S. Pay Equity Legislation: Sheep in Wolves' Clothing

In the last century, women in the United States have made tremendous changes to their labor market behavior. What has not changed very much over this time period is the relative economic status of women compared to men. Another constant has been a high level of job segregation by gender, such that few organizations employ both men and women to do a particular job. These facts have led many scholars to conclude that employers systematically undervalue female-dominated jobs, and that legislative initiatives are needed to rectify this problem. This paper reviews 4 bills that have been introduced in the U.S. Congress. Each of these bills contains loopholes that would allow most employers to maintain their current pay rates. The Congressional initiatives are contrasted with a much more stringent bill that has been introduced in the New York state legislature.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Dodging Bullets—Changing U.S. Corporate Capital Structure in the 1980s and 1990s, by Robert N. McCauley, Judith S. Ruud, and Frank Iacono, The MIT Press, 1999, 352 pages, suggested retail price $34.95.