Autotelic need for touch,haptics, and persuasion: The role of involvement

Previous research has shown that a touch or haptic element attached to a persuasive appeal can increase persuasion, particularly for individuals who have a clear preference for touch to enjoy its sensory feedback (high autotelics). This research extends previous work by including involvement in the context of an appeal by a nonprofit. We find, in an experiment where we manipulate involvement, that when a haptic element is present, high autotelics are more persuaded regardless of their involvement with the message. However, for low autotelics, a haptic element increases persuasion under conditions of low versus high involvement with the message. A second experiment measures involvement and finds that again, under low involvement conditions, both high and low autotelics are persuaded by a touch element. Finally, a field study with a local symphony orchestra is conducted in which involvement with the message is low but involvement with the company is high. In this case, a touch element is only persuasive for high autotelics. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

YANKEE BONDS AND CROSS-BORDER PRIVATE PLACEMENTS: AN UPDATE

With U.S. Treasury yields near historical lows and the recent relaxation of U.S. regulatory reporting requirements, the U.S. bond markets are more and more frequently the markets of choice for international issuers. Total crossborder U.S. bond issuance is expected to top $350 billion in 2000, easily surpassing previous issuance levels.
Overseas issuers have three primary forms through which they can participate in the U.S. long-term debt markets: publicly traded, SEC-registered bonds (commonly known as "Yankee" bonds); traditional private placements; and underwritten Rule 144A private placements. Each of these three financing methods has distinct benefits and limitations that should be thoroughly evaluated in light of the specific objectives of the issuer. Yankee bonds are typically the most cost efficient vehicle for large, investment grade issuers, and they are expected to account for over 75% of the $350 billion market in 2000. Second in importance is the rule 144A market, which is typically used for complex structures requiring heavy rating-agency involvement, such as future financial flow transactions and project financings. The 144A market has also become a particular favorite with international issuers because of its less formal disclosure requirements and streamlined execution process. The private placement market continues to be the dominant choice of smaller issuers, companies with complicated "stories," and firms that do not wish to submit to regular scrutiny by rating agencies. This article provides a detailed analysis of each type of bond issuance and the issues facing a financial officer in trying to determine the most appropriate source of long-term debt.     

Asymmetric Responses of the Underground Economy to Tax Changes: Evidence From New Zealand Data

This paper considers the relationship between taxes and the size of the New Zealand underground economy. Previous studies indicate that a positive relationship exists in this and certain other countries. This paper addresses the question: 'Is the response of the underground economy to an increase in taxes the same as its response to a decrease in taxes?' We find that although the effect on the underground economy of an upward movement in the effective tax rate is numerically greater than that of a downward tax movement, this difference is not statistically significant.     

世界感受中国经济放缓之痛

【美国《华尔街日报》10月21日】中国蓬勃发展的经济正在以快于大多数人所预料的速度冷却，在发达国家遭遇金融危机之际，对于那些希望中国需求有助于保持全球经济平稳增长的人来说，这不啻是当头一棒。     

资本设备销售完成今年预期值

随着全球各地涌现出40多家新代工厂,分别处于在建、添加新设备或者扩大生产规模的状态,加之电子行业目前正由200mm转向300mm晶圆生产,资本设备的定购额目前已经达到许多分析家当初所预计的2006年全年的产量。事实上,国际半导体设备与材料公会(SEMI)在其最新一期网络季报中,对2006年资本设备市场增长的预测比原来翻了一番还多(原始预计增长率为9%,而现在已提升到20%)。明年这一市场的增长很可能不会像最初所预计的那样强劲,但     

The Use of Person–Group Fit for Employment Selection: A Missing Link in Person–Environment Fit

Given an increased emphasis on work teams in organizations, it is important to select applicants based on their ability to make contributions to a given work team. This paper proposes that person–group fit should be useful to select applicants for work teams and suggests that effective use of person–group fit will create both more cohesive work units and more effectively functioning work units. It proposes ways to make valid and reliable assessments of person–group fit that could be used to minimize bias in the selection process. Finally, it addresses several implications of using the person–group fit paradigm for human resource management practice. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Forecasting and Futurology

The Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research has published forecasts of the Australian economy since the late 1960s. These forecasts (usually 12 to 18 months ahead) have been dominated by short-term macroeconomic factors. Compared with when the IAESR commenced its forecasting, there are now many forecasters who concentrate on the performance of the Australian economy over the short term. There is, however, a dearth of regular commentary which focuses on policy options for the medium to long term. This article is the first of many which will aim to fill this perceived gap. In so doing we shall adopt a wider concept of forecasting called futurology. In this approach, many constraints of traditional forecasting are relaxed. In particular, we allow responses by economic agents to policy changes. This will suggest plausible situations in which different outcomes are possible. Our purpose is not to suggest what the future will be, but what it might be under different scenarios. Here, we put together some necessary ingredients to facilitate futurology. We review recent Australian economic performance, consider the implications of meeting a goal of five per cent unemployment by the year 2000 and outline some important influences on likely future growth. We suggest that new growth theory may provide a policy framework to achieve both high growth and low unemployment, noting the constraints imposed by increasing globalisation. In subsequent articles, we shall employ these ingredients to write out plausible timepaths setting out how desirable end-points (including the reduction of unemployment) may be achieved.