Perceptions of Organizational Ethicality: Do Inflated Perceptions of Self Lead to Inflated Perceptions of the Organization?

Scholars have suggested that the tendency for an individual to perceive him- or herself as more ethical than others might influence the individual's perceptions of his or her organization's ethics. The purpose of this study is to consider if and/or when such a relationship exists. A thorough consideration of the nature of perceptions of relative ethicality suggests that a positive self-bias would negatively influence perceptions of organizational ethicality. The results of an empirical study involving working managers and employees of a hospital support that argument. Furthermore, the results indicate that organizational identification, perceived organizational cohesion, and an individual's insulation also influence individual perceptions of relative organizational ethicality. The findings illuminate this particular phenomenon and further our understanding of the relationship between the individual and the organization, more generally.     

The influence of seller strategy on the winning price in online auctions: A moderated mediation model

This paper examines the impact of seller strategy on winning prices in online auctions. In our conceptual model, three strategic choices made by the seller - minimum opening price, auction length, and use of a hidden reserve price - are mediated by the number of bids placed during the auction and moderated by product type. Our tests analyze eBay auction data for four consumer products through two matched studies (two products per study). In particular, we compare products for which value is easily determined with those for which value is less clear. Overall, we find strong evidence of the effects of minimum opening price and hidden reserve prices on final winning prices. The impact of auction length on winning price is less clear. In general, our tests support the idea that potential buyers rely more on signals such as opening price and reserve price for products for which reference prices are less available.     

How “green” are North American hotels? An exploration of low-cost adoption practices

This study analyzed the so-called “green,” or environmentally friendly, practices of American hotels. As such, it examined how green hotels in the United States are regarding no-cost or low-cost practices. Respondents included 166 hotels, which were identified through a random sample of hotels from the American Hotel & Lodging Association and included chain and independent properties as well as properties of various sizes (based on the number of rooms). The study findings show that chain hotels were at the time of the study stronger adopters of green practices than independent hotels were, likely due to leveraging economies of scale through uniform corporate practices. In addition, hotels in the Midwest were found to be the most environmentally friendly in terms of their use of no-cost or low-cost green practices. Additional results indicated that size (classified by number of rooms) had little effect on the extent to which hotels were trying to manage energy consumption.     

New and Small Firms in Expanding Markets

The recent expansion of markets and increased standardization has not, as might be expected, been associated with an expansion of the role of larger firms. Recent data on new and small firms has indicated a substantial and expanding role for new and small firms in the global economy. There appear to be substantial differences between sectors, as competitive advantage is some is achieved through aggregation (upsizing) and in others thorough disaggregation (downsizing) of the productive process. New data is providing new knowledge on the role of firm size and age on economic growth. The advanced economices of the future will not be dominated by old, large firms.     

Search regret: Antecedents and consequences

Consumer search behavior has received considerable research attention in marketing. An area that has not been studied, however, is unsuccessful consumer search and the outcomes of such. This study proposes the concept of “search regret,” a postsearch dissonance that results from an unsuccessful prepurchase search. A pilot study is conducted to verify the existence of the search regret construct and to identify its potential antecedents and consequences. A conceptual model is then presented and tested. Based on the results, implications for retailers as well as suggestions for future research relating to search regret are discussed.     

Nascent Entrepreneurship and the Level of Economic Development

Based upon two strands of literature, this paper hypothesizes a U-shaped relationship between a country’s rate of entrepreneurial dynamics and its level of economic development. This would imply a different scope for entrepreneurship policy across subsequent stages of development. Regressing global entrepreneurship (GEM) 2002 data for nascent entrepreneurship in 36 countries on the level of economic development as measured either by per capita income or by an index for innovative capacity, we find support for a U-shaped relationship. The results suggest that a ‘natural rate’ of nascent entrepreneurship is to some extent governed by ‘laws’ related to the level of economic development. For the most advanced nations, improving incentive structures for business start-ups and promoting the commercial exploitation of scientific findings offer the most promising approach for public policy. Developing nations, however, may be better off pursuing the exploitation of scale economies, fostering foreign direct investment and promoting management education. An erratum to this article is available at .     

The Prevalence of Nascent Entrepreneurs in the United States: Evidence from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics

The Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED) is a national longitudinal sample of 64,622 U.S. households that were contacted to find individuals who were actively engaged in starting new businesses. The PSED includes information on: the proportion and characteristics of the adult population involved in attempts to start new businesses, the kinds of activities nascent entrepreneurs undertake during the business startup process, and the proportion and characteristics of the start-up efforts that become infant firms. Prevalence rates for nascent entrepreneurs are reported by gender and ethnicity (whites, blacks and Hispanics) on such demographic variables as: age, education, household income, and urban context.     

Derivatives usage in UK non-financial listed companies

In this paper, the authors present the results of a 1997 survey of derivative used by some 231 UK non-financial companies. The questionnaire instrument used in this research is based upon the postal survey methodology of Bodnar et al. (1995). A glossary was attached to the questionnaire survey to enable consistency in defining terminology used. A direct comparison between US and UK findings was undertaken together with an analysis of results from other published surveys conducted in the last four years. We find broadly similar trends in the use of derivatives. The results of our research show that derivatives usage to hedge financial price risk is well established amongst larger UK companies. Our findings support the size effect phenomena reported in other empirical studies. The primary objective cited in using derivatives was to manage fluctuations in accounting earnings, a focus that is inconsistent with the theoretical view of paying attention to cash flow benefits of hedging. The predominant issues of concern to UK inancial directors are the lack of evaluation of risk of proposed derivative transactions and the level of transaction costs incurred. This contrasts with the greater concerns of credit risk and market risk raised by their US counterparts in Bodnar's study. A possible explanation for these concerns could be the impact of the currency crisis happening in Asia especially for firms that are exposed to the affected currencies. It also suggests a lower level of sophistication and liquidity in UK derivatives market. The value of developing a basis for benchmarking good management practice in the use of derivatives to manage financial price risk represents an important area of research. Such a framework is of relevance to the demand and supply side of the derivatives market and to Government policy makers.