Ranking economics departments in the US South: an update

This study provides an update to Mixon and Upadhyaya’s (2001) ranking of Southern economics departments using research output indexed in EconLit. Ranking results from a ‘core’ (i.e. the top five faculty researchers) of each institution’s economics department reveal that Vanderbilt University, George Mason University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland and Georgia State University currently maintain the top five economics departments, respectively, in the US South. Relatedly, the five institutions rising the most from Mixon and Upadhyaya (2001) are Tulane University, Georgia State University, University of Texas–Dallas, Rice University and Florida International University, respectively.     

An exploratory study of the impact of intervening variables on student performance in a Principles of Accounting course

The purpose of this paper is to provide some new empirical evidence on the determinants of student performance in a Principles of Accounting course at Birzeit University situated in the Occupied West Bank. It examines the impact of a number of new attitudinal variables on examination performance. The empirical results suggest that, in addition to a number of standard control variables, student perceptions of factors associated with class size, the attributes of the lecturer, student effort and the complexity of the course are associated with student performance in a first level principles of accounting course.     

Is There a Case for Industrial Policy? A Critical Survey

What are the underlying rationales for industrial policy? Doesempirical evidence support the use of industrial policy forcorrecting market failures that plague the process of industrialization?This article addresses these questions through a critical surveyof the analytical literature on industrial policy. It also reviewssome recent industry successes and argues that public interventionshave played only a limited role. Moreover, the recent ascendanceand dominance of international production networks in the sectorsin which developing countries once had considerable successimplies a further limitation on the potential role of industrialpolicies as traditionally understood. Overall, there appearsto be little empirical support for an activist government policyeven though market failures exist that can, in principle, justifythe use of industrial policy.      

Congruence between spokesperson and product type: A matchup hypothesis perspective

This study tested the matchup hypothesis regarding choice of celebrity spokesperson by examining the fit or congruence between image type and the product advertised from an Identification and Internalization viewpoint (Kelman, 1961). Spokesperson type (celebrity versus noncelebrity) was varied, aong with congruence between spokesperson image and product (higher versus lower congruence) in a 2x2 factorial design. Results showed that increased congruence for the spokesperson/product combination resulted in the perception of higher believability and attractiveness of the spokesperson and a more favorable product attitude. The implications of these and other findings for advertising and marketing strategy are discussed. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Desertification in Africa

This article looks at desertification — both on a global scale and as it relates to Africa. Desertification is defined here as the diminution or destruction of the biological potential of the land, and is caused basically by overuse of inherently fragile productive systems. After distinguishing between desertification and drought (two closely related ecological hazards), the author goes on to outline the terrible effects of desertification and the impact it has on the world population's ability to feed itself. Finally, recommendations to halt and reverse desertification are looked at together with attempts to mobilize the resources needed to face this global problem.     

A Monte Carlo simulation estimating US hospital cost reductions associated with hypotension control in septic ICU patients

Objective: This economic analysis extends upon a recent epidemiological study to estimate the association between hypotension control and hospital costs for septic patients in US intensive care units (ICUs).

Methods: A Monte Carlo simulation decision analytic model was developed that accounted for the probability of complications—acute kidney injury and mortality—in septic ICU patients and the cost of each health outcome from the hospital perspective. Probabilities of complications were calculated based on observational data from 110?US hospitals for septic ICU patients (n?=?8,782) with various levels of hypotension exposure as measured by mean arterial pressure (MAP, units: mmHg). Costs for acute kidney injury (AKI) and mortality were derived from published literature. Each simulation calculated mean hospital cost reduction and 95% confidence intervals based on 10,000 trials.

Results: In the base-case analysis hospital costs for a hypothetical “control” cohort (MAP of 65?mmHg) were $699 less per hospitalization (95% CI: $342–$1,116) relative to a “case” cohort (MAP of 60?mmHg). In the most extreme case considered (45?mmHg vs 65?mmHg), the associated cost reduction was $4,450 (95% CI: $2,020–$7,581). More than 99% of the simulated trials resulted in cost reductions. A conservative institution-level analysis for a hypothetical hospital (which assumes no benefit for increasing MAP above 65?mmHg) estimated a cost decline of $417 for a 5?mmHg increase in MAP per ICU septic patient. These results are applicable to the US only.

Conclusions: Hypotension control (via MAP increases) for patients with sepsis in the ICU is associated with lower hospitalization cost.     

Exchange rate uncertainty and the level of investment in selected South-east Asian countries

The effect of real exchange rate uncertainty on aggregate private investment in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand is examined using time series data from 1972–2000. Since the use of non-stationary time series data may produce spurious results, the data series are tested for stationarity using the augmented Dickey–Fuller and Phillips–Perron tests. After establishing the stationarity of the data series, cointegration tests are performed. The cointegration test results reject the hypothesis of no cointegration. Therefore, an error correction model is developed and estimated. The estimated results point to an inconclusive empirical relationship between real exchange rate volatility and aggregate private investment.     

Bilateral Trade Agreements and the Feasibility of Multilateral Free Trade

We studied how the pursuit of bilateral free‐trade agreements (FTAs) affects the likelihood of achieving multilateral free trade. We derive and compare the stable Nash equilibria of two games of trade liberalization: in the FTA game, each country can either form an FTA with one of its trading partners or both of them or none of them, whereas in the (restricted) No FTA game, purely bilateral FTAs are not permitted. The major result is that there exist circumstances under which the freedom to pursue (discriminatory) bilateral FTAs is necessary for achieving multilateral free trade.     

Assessing dimensions of organizational trust across cultures: A comparative analysis of U.S. and Indian full service hotels

This study delves into the organizational trust based similarities and differences across “individualist” and “collectivist” service employees in hotels. Specifically, the three dimensions of organizational trust, i.e., integrity, commitment and dependability are compared across the two samples from the U.S. and India to highlight how employees perceive the level of each of the three dimensions across cultures. Findings suggest that the three dimensions represent the trust construct across different national cultures. However, in comparing the individual dimension of the trust construct, a significant difference exists between the perceptions of employees in the two cultures, suggesting that perception-based differences exist across cultures.