Asymmetric Information and Countermeasures in Early Twentieth‐Century American Short‐Term Disability Microinsurance

American workers and employers a century ago formed microinsurance funds to provide sick pay to temporarily disabled workers. This article analyzes a 1908 survey of several hundred such microinsurers. Theoretically, a single cross‐section may yield evidence of asymmetric information, but cannot enable the separation of moral hazard and adverse selection effects. However, microinsurance fund managers and outside observers believed they did see separate such effects and so microinsurers created separate countermeasures to mitigate these problems. This article finds prima facie evidence of asymmetric information and suggestive evidence of the separability of informational asymmetries and the effectiveness of such countermeasures.     

MEASURING OUTPUT FROM THE PUBLIC SECTOR: A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE ATKINSON REVIEW

In 1993 a new page was turned in national accounting. The United Nations Standards of National Accounting recommended a new standard for the measurement of output from the public sector. Implementation has recently begun in many countries, in Europe based on a European Union directive. In the U.K. the Atkinson Review in 2005 came up with a series of recommendations. This article examines its recommendations concerning the definition and valuation of government outputs. For the non‐market sector a market analog is recommended by the Review. However, several of its recommendations are inconsistent with that, championing social value as a basis for definitions and measurement. If taken seriously it will lead to arbitrary and politically controversial factors inserted into national accounts. The article highlights the norm that GDP is a measure of production, and advocates adhering to the market analog and following well recognized practices of national accounting.     

A model of community-based festival image

This study initiates an original inquiry into the image of community-based festivals (CBFs). A CBF image model was proposed and empirically tested based on existing destination image models. Four image constructs were identified as Attributes, Family and Friendliness, Affective Association, and Overall Evaluation. The interrelationships among these constructs were tested by structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that Attributes affects Family and Friendliness and Affective Association, which in turn, affects Overall Evaluation. This study also included visitor loyalty in the understanding of CBF image. It was found that repeat visitors had more favorable perceptions of the CBF than did first-time visitors. Significant perceptual differences were found in Family and Friendliness, Affective Association, and Overall Evaluation between the two groups of festival goers. In addition, it was revealed that loyalty exerted significantly negative interaction effects on the relationship between Attributes and Family and Friendliness, as well as the linkage between Family and Friendliness and Overall Evaluation. In addition, this study illustrated the importance of the support of local residents for CBFs. CBF planners and local tourism organizations would benefit from this study in terms of cultivating visitor loyalty to these festivals and building the destination's brand.     

Computer networking among executives: A case study

Group Support Systems may be “distributed”; for nonsimultaneous use by being embedded in a Computer‐Mediated Communication System (CMCS). In this manner, large groups may use them for complex tasks over an extended period of time. Will executives use such systems, and what are their reactions? This case study of elites engaged in formulating recommendations for the White House Conference on Productivity demonstrates that executives can use such systems, given that “critical success factors”; are met. Perceived information richness is strongly correlated with perceptions of productivity enhancement as a result of system use.