Do corporate codes of ethics reflect issues of societal transformation? Western German and Slovak companies compared

Can differences in corporate codes of ethics arise from the specific situation of transformation in Slovakia in contrast to the stable context of the firms in Western Germany? This paper compares codes of ethics of large‐scale enterprises in both countries in terms of ethical issues addressed. It demonstrates that codes of ethics of the Slovak companies mirror the specific transformational circumstances in the country. Compared with Western Germany the codes of these firms include multiple ethical issues, meaning that they experience a broader range of relevant ethical problems. Furthermore, their codes are internally oriented, in terms of the ethical issues raised most often; they put more emphasis on committing employees, managers and shareholders/owners to the firm. Based on the differences discovered, it is proposed that negative experiences within the past process of transformation and in part the socialist heritage are the main reasons for differences between the two samples.     

Safety representatives and committees in the NHS: a healthy situation?

This article uses a survey of RCN safety representatives to examine the operation of the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977. The survey’s findings indicate that while NHS employers have become more supportive of such representatives, many are still failing to comply with their statutory obligations.     

Sharing risk within and across countries: the role of labor market institutions

This paper studies the effect of labor market institutions on within- and cross-country risk sharing, using a model of international trade in risky assets modified to include a subset of agents, labor-owners who do not access financial markets, and employment security provisions. Labor market, institutions, by promoting within-country risk-shifting arrangements between agents with or without, access to financial markets, reduce the fluctuations of non-tradable labor incomes and amplify the, fluctuations of capital incomes. Capital flows become more volatile across countries, and if the, configuration of labor markets differs across countries, capital-owners bear the burden of systematic, undiversifiable world aggregate uncertainty.     

Argumatics: a text analysis procedure for supporting problem formulation

Problem formulation is the most critical phase of the decision making process. This, particularly in the case of high level multi-stakeholder problems, is not trivial, as the problems do not come “neatly packaged”. The procedure presented in this paper aims to support (i) the exploration of the stakeholders' mental constructs, and (ii) the generation, comparison and synthesis of alternative problem formulations. The suggested procedure — while using the decision analytic approach of the traditional text analysis procedures, follows an inverse, bottom-up direction of analysis: first the individual arguments inherent in the text are explored, then taking them as a starting point, the structures behind the arguments are identified.     

Networks or neighborhoods? Correlations in the use of publicly-funded maternity care in California

This study focuses on “network effects” in the utilization of publicly-funded prenatal care using Vital Statistics data from California for 1989-2000. Networks are defined using 5-digit zip codes and a woman's racial or ethnic group. Like others, we find evidence that the use of public programs is highly correlated within groups defined using race/ethnicity and neighborhoods. These correlations persist even when we control for many unobserved characteristics by including zip code-year fixed effects, and when we focus on the interaction between own group behavior and measures of the potential for contacts with other members of the group (“contact availability”). However, the richness of our data allows us to go further and to conduct several tests of one important hypothesis about networks: that the estimated effects represent information sharing within groups. The results cast doubt on the idea that the observed correlations can be interpreted as evidence of information sharing. In particular, we find estimated effects to be as large or larger among women who have previously used the program as among first-time users.     

Partial acquisitions,the acquisition probability hypothesis,and the abnormal returns to partial targets

The acquisition of a partial stake in a target firm has been positively linked to the likelihood that the target will be involved in a follow on full acquisition involving either the original bidder or a third party bidder. Existing studies provide only suggestive evidence of this linkage by comparing the abnormal returns to partial targets that are ultimately acquired to those that are not. Using a sample of partial acquisitions, we identify characteristics that impact the probability of a full acquisition and provide a tangible link between partial target gains and the ex ante probability of acquisition. Partial targets experience positive announcement effects, and the gains are greater for subsequently acquired targets. Partial bids initiated by corporate bidders are more likely to result in a full acquisition, and the size of the acquired stake and the level of institutional ownership are positively linked to the probability of acquisition. Further, the partial target gains are positively linked to the ex ante probability of acquisition even after controlling for any increased monitoring and discipline that the partial bidder is expected to impose. The findings are robust across various time horizons and model specifications.     

Geometry or poetry? Issues of methods and techniques in regional research

This article begins with the assumption that the research and study of geographical, historical, socio-economic and cultural factors of a local community are prerequisites for intervention or developmental policies. Based on the views of Descartes and Hamann, it then goes on to look at the suitability of the methods, tools and techniques a researcher needs to use today in order to get a complete picture. A positive approach of social phenomena claims that social structures decisively affect an individual’s thought and action, and therefore focuses on the study of external factors. In contrast, an interpretative approach aims at understanding the meanings and motives that govern an individual’s life and behavior. The author concludes that research on both macro and micro levels are necessary for the understanding of social phenomena in a local society and the use of methodological pluralism (both quantitative and qualitative methods) is necessary for effective research as it takes into consideration the weight of history and allows the understanding of those factors which govern people’s lives and determine their behavior and interaction.     

Characterizing Ethical Cases: A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Individual Differences, Organisational Climate, and Leadership on Ethical Decision-Making

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the unique impact of individual differences (e.g. gender, managerial experience), social culture, ethical leadership, and ethical climate on the manner in which individuals analyse and interpret an organisational scenario. Furthermore, we sought to explore whether the manner in which a scenario is initially interpreted by respondents (i.e. as a legal issue, ethical issue, and/or ethical dilemma) influenced subsequent recognition of the relevant stakeholders involved and the identification of intra- and extra-organisational variables significant to the scenario depicted. Data for this study were anonymously collected from professional samples in Russia (Moscow region) and in New Zealand. Findings show a strong effect of social culture (i.e. working in New Zealand or working in Russia) on the manner in which respondents characterised the scenario, on the experience of ethical climate and ethical leadership in their organisations, and on the ability to identify intra- and extra-organisational variables responsible for the situation presented in the scenario, above and beyond other individual and contextual factors.