Who's boss? Physiological measures during performance assessment

Leadership in organizations consists of a complex process, which includes the interpersonal relationship with collaborators. By using a neuroscientific approach, we evaluated the effect of the presence of unidirectional versus reciprocal feedback (provided only by the leader or by both figures), as well as the assignment of a quantitative or just a qualitative assessment. Skin conductance level and response (SCL and SCR), as well as heart rate (HR), have been recorded during a role playing. Results revealed increased emotional engagement (SCL/SCR) during no rating and reciprocal condition, as well as a stressful response (increased HR) during rating and unidirectional condition.     

Unearthing the Integral Determinants of Foreign Ownership Prevalence of Companies in Africa: Role of Country-level Governance

ABSTRACT

This study seeks to deepen our understanding on how country-level governance structures influence prevalence of foreign ownership of firms in Africa. This study reinforces the new institutional economics perspective by empirically highlighting that governance structures influence the prevalence of foreign ownership of companies in an economy. Using archival data from 39 African economies, we found that there is a significant positive association between regulatory quality and foreign ownership prevalence. Also, foreign ownership is prevalent in African countries that are politically stable and embrace rule of law. However, we found that countries with high voice and accountability structures are associated with low foreign ownership prevalence.     

Identifying factors affecting the status of superhost: evidence from Sardinia and Sicily

Quality & Quantity - Airbnb is currently one of the most developed new forms of hospitality. It is essentially an online platform that connects the owners of apartments or rooms with potential...     

A review of aggregation techniques for agent-based models: understanding the presence of long-term memory

Quality & Quantity - A key feature of agent-based modeling is the understanding of the macroscopic behavior based on data at the microscopic level. In this respect, financial market models are...     

From FDI network topology to macroeconomic instability

Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination - Fragmentation of production undoubtedly constitutes a possible channel of economic contagion and could play a key role in the study of systemic...     

Considerations on the subject of lease accounting

The question of the correct method for recording lease transactions has already been the subject of debate both domestically and internationally for some time now (2009). The discussion on a set of rules for recording such operations has recently been fuelled by the inclusion in the FASB and IASB's agendas of a joint project regarding accounting rules for both the lessor and the lessee. To this very moment the preliminary output of this joint project has been the drafting of a discussion paper published on 19 March 2009. The present work offers a critical commentary on the main innovations introduced by the boards on the subject of lease accounting and illustrates an alternative accounting model which, starting with the identification of the essential economic elements of any lease contract, would be best suited to representing, in accounting terms, the reasoning and the actual purpose of a lease transaction.     

African trade dynamics: is China a different trading partner?

This paper employs the standard gravity model to identify the quality of governance of China's African trade partners. As a benchmark, we perform the same analysis on other major African trade partners: France, Germany, UK, and USA. Data from 53 African countries in 1996–2009 show that only China is consistently willing to import more from African countries with a lower governance standing. By doing so; China fills a gap left open by the other major world economies, and might even play a key role in the future development of Africa.     

Is psychology of money a gendered affair? A scoping review and research agenda

The study of gender differences in the financial domain is gaining increasing attention as evidenced by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Previous research has highlighted the existence of a gender divide in many economic issues; however, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding of the psychological aspects of money management. This systematic scoping review aims to fill this gap by outlining gender differences in money attitudes and money management practices, adopting the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews protocol as methodological guideline. An extensive analytical strategy was employed on Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and EconLit to identify 100 empirical papers on the topic, published between 1972 and 2021. The analysis revealed clear differences in how men and women approach to money from a symbolic and attitudinal perspective, whereas evidence of money management practices is more complex and sometimes conflicting. Men and women hold different conceptions of money, with men often looking at it as a symbol of success and power and women holding more ambivalent attitudes toward money as both a source of anxiety and a means to ensure security and prove their love. As far as for financial behaviors studies indicate that both genders have similar approaches to savings and expenses monitoring, while financial investments are primarily pursued by men. Future directions and suggestions for private and public institutions are discussed, highlighting research advancements and implications for gender empowerment programs and customized communications.     

Price Transmission in the Swiss Wheat Market: Does Sophisticated Border Protection Make the Difference?

This article discusses horizontal wheat price transmission from international markets to the domestic Swiss market. The Swiss case is peculiar due to the presence of different border policies segmenting the domestic wheat market according to its use: food or feed. Vector Error Correction (VEC) models with structural breaks are estimated. They account for these policy instruments and their adaptation during periods of market exuberance, and acknowledge linkages between the two market segments. Estimation results suggest that the border policy regime isolates the domestic wheat market for feed use, while, in the food case, the domestic price still responds to international markets.