Managing Austerity: Comparing municipal austerity plans in the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia

This article attempts to clarify the relationships between the politico-administrative system and responses to austerity by comparing municipal austerity plans in the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Although austerity is a major topic in both states, the approaches differ. In our sample, Dutch municipalities have used the crisis as an opportunity to realize reforms, whereas NRW municipalities have regarded the challenge as a temporary issue and chosen fiscal discipline and stability. Although municipalities seem to deploy similar measures, an in-depth analysis of austerity plans illustrates a wider variety in chosen responses. This variety is shaped by financial autonomy and administrative culture.     

Exploring the Role of Productivity Propensity in Frontline Employee Performance: Its Relationship with Customer Orientation and Important Outcomes

Numerous studies have investigated the performance of frontline employees (FLEs) and how these employees influence organizational success. Because customer‐perceived outcomes are important, much attention has been devoted to the customer orientation (CO) construct. The weak influence of CO on external measures, however, has led to numerous research questions. The current work addresses these questions by introducing a new construct, “productivity propensity,” while examining its relationship with CO and multiple outcome measures. Results from two distinct samples suggest that the construct is a valuable addition to the FLE literature.     

Distributional impacts of a local living wage increase with ability sorting

I develop a model of ability sorting of low-wage workers across multiple markets when one market substantially increases its wage floor using a living wage. The wage floor increase can increase or decrease employment probabilities in both covered and uncovered markets.     

The monetary appreciation of paintings: from realism to Magritte

This study investigates how investments in paintings comparewith those in stocks in terms of risk–return trade-offusing Sharpe and Treynor ratios and Markowitz efficient frontiers.A large database was analysed consisting of more than 10,500auction prices of Belgian paintings over the period 1970–97.These paintings are the auctioned oeuvre of 71 internationallyrecognised painters representing the main artistic schools (fromsocial realism to surrealism) over the period 1850–1950.Hedonic art returns are corrected for auction location and auctionhouse, artistic school, painters' reputation, medium, signatureand painting size. Surrealism and luminism have been the mostpopular currents of art (in monetary terms), while expressionismand symbolism have gained (financial) esteem. This study concludesthat art investments underperform equity market investmentsowing to the high risk of investing in art and its high transactioncosts, resale rights and insurance premia. In addition, theMarkowitz efficient frontier shows limited diversification potentialfor art.     

Natural resource accounting

There is as yet no consensus on the most appropriate way to incorporate the degradation of environmental capital into national income accounting procedure. Net product is currently derived by deducting from gross product the depreciation of man-made capital only. Deducting depreciation of natural capital in a similar manner will give a figure for true net product that provides a better indicator of that level of current income which is sustainable into the future. The user cost and net price methods of calculating the value of natural resource depreciation are analysed and assessed. On the basis of this assessment, the net price method is then used to adjust the national accounts of Zimbabwe for depletion of forests, soils and mineral resources, for the period 1980 to 1989. The results suggest that economic depreciation of natural resources represents approximately 2% of annual GDP, although this is regarded as a significant underestimate. The implications for integrating natural resource depletion into policy making, within the current national political climate, are then addressed.     

On the trait antecedents and outcomes of service worker job resourcefulness: A hierarchical model approach

In a series of three studies, a four-level hierarchical model of personality was employed to identify the antecedents and three validating criteria of a newly developed trait labeledjob resourcefulness (JR). JR is defined as an enduring disposition to garner scarce resources and overcome obstacles in pursuit of job-related goals. Across three service contexts, JR was shown to predict customer orientation, self-rated performance, and supervisor-rated performance. The results also revealed that the hierarchical model accounted for more variance in performance ratings than one version of the 5-Factor Model of personality. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for selecting high-performing service employees. Jane W. Licata (jwlicata@sosu.edu) is an associate professor of marketing at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She has published articles in theJournal of Public Policy and Marketing, theJournal of Marketing Research, and theJournal of Business Research. John C. Mowen (jcmmkt@okstate.edu) is Regents Professor and holds the Noble Chair of Marketing Strategy at Oklahoma State University. He has published articles in numerous journals, including theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Sciences, theJournal of Marketing Research, theJournal of Marketing, Decisions Sciences, theJournal of Applied Psychology, and theJournal of Personality and Social Psychology. Eric G. Harris (eharris@lklnd.usf.edu) is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of South Florida. He has published articles inPsychology & Marketing and theJournal of Marketing Management. Tom J. Brown (tomb@okstate.edu) is an associate professor of marketing at Oklahoma State University. He has published in numerous journals, including theJournal of Marketing, theJournal of Marketing Research, and theJournal of Consumer Research.     

The advent of pattern bargaining in Irish industrial relations

Drawing on the international literature on pattern bargaining in Europe and other countries, the article examines the recent advent of pattern bargaining in Irish industrial relations. Qualitative and quantitative data are deployed to explore the genesis, features, institutional and economic context and future of pattern bargaining in Ireland.     

Student clubs: experiences in entrepreneurial learning

Student-led clubs that seek to enhance entrepreneurial learning can be found in many universities. Yet, like many areas of extra-curricular activity in entrepreneurship education, their role in supporting learning has not been researched widely. The paper introduces research that addresses this gap and investigates the nature of the learning process student's encounter when they take part in clubs. The study explores the literature on entrepreneurial learning; it examines the different concepts and considers their contribution to understanding student learning experiences. From the literature, a conceptual framework is presented, highlighting the key aspects of entrepreneurial learning relevant for the field research. The methodology is introduced, including a series of qualitative studies and a survey of students. The study focuses on two types of student-led clubs ‘entrepreneurship clubs’ and ‘Enactus clubs’ and provides a comparative analysis. The findings reported show a range of student learning benefits that simulate important aspects of entrepreneurial learning, such as learning by doing, learning through mistakes and learning from entrepreneurs. More nuanced findings are also presented showing differences in learning benefits between club forms and heighten benefits for students taking leadership roles. Ultimately, the paper contributes to research in entrepreneurship by illustrating how student clubs support entrepreneurial learning.     

Searching for managerial discretion: how public managers engage managerialism as a rationalization for increased latitude of action

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on the managerial discretion that public managers experience. More specifically, it discusses how managerialism is an embedded ideological stance that influences understandings of public sector governance. I argue that managers’ perceptions of discretion are affected by these understandings. The analysis draws on empirical data from a longitudinal study, demonstrating how public managers engage discourses emanating from managerialism in order to rationalize increased discretion. The findings suggest that customer perspectives functions as a rationalizing factor for engaging public managers’ transition towards increased discretion. As such, this article contributes to knowledge about managerial discretion as well as managerialism.     

Gaming the system: building an online management game to spread and gather insights into the dynamics of performance management systems*

ABSTRACT

Extensive research has produced many insights into the dynamics of performance management systems. Spreading these complex insights among students and practitioners can be a daunting task. Gathering new insights can be equally challenging. This article introduces a novel tool for teaching and researching performance management, reporting on the design and first use of a free online management game. Players take the role of a hospital manager trying to satisfy multiple stakeholders through applying different performance management instruments. While students learn about the complexities of performance management, researchers gather data about the pathways individuals pursue while navigating performance management systems.