Punishment in a Regulatory Setting: Experimental Evidence from the VCM

To analyze the effectiveness of punishment in inducing regulatory compliance, we modify a standard public goods experiment to include a financial penalty for free riding. The design allows us to vary both punishment probability and severity. We introduce the punishment mechanism in both a one-time and a repeated treatment and find that compliance (contributing to the public good) is increasing in expected punishment cost in both treatments. We also find that punishment severity has a larger effect on behavior than punishment probability. In the repeated treatment, we find that past punishment has a negative rather than positive effect on compliance.     

The viability of alternative call centre production models

In this article we outline three alternative production models and discuss their applicability to call centre management. These include the classic mass production model, the professional service model and the mass customisation model. We then develop a theoretical framework that identifies potential causal links between management practices, workers? affective and cognitive reactions, and performance outcomes. We use this framework to review literature on service workplaces in organisational behaviour and HR studies and to assess the empirical evidence regarding these causal explanations. Finally, we present two recent quantitative studies of call centre performance – one that examines affective explanations and one that explores cognitive explanations for the HRperformance link. We conclude with directions for future research.     

The British investor's gains from international portfolio investment

This paper analyses the effects of exchange controls on the ranking of British and overseas investments. A method is developed by which the costs of such controls can be incorporated into return calculations. It is shown that the adjustment of returns for exchange controls significantly alters the rankings of investments. An additional aspect of the paper is to rank domestic and foreign investments by stochastic dominance and compare the derived rankings with mean-variance. Again a significant differences in rankings is identifiable. It is concluded that the exchange rate regime, institutional exchange controls and the entire distribution of returns should be considered in ranking domestic and foreign investments.     

The changing consumer in the UK

For the UK, the 1980's was Margaret Thatcher's decade; the 1990's may be the decade of Europe. Thatcher's policies and her philosophy still have an impact on social and economic life. An examination is made of demographic changes, economic development, changes in consumption, changes in social attitude and changes in marketing channels that are taking place.Wealth has become more evenly spread throughout society although the bottom is worse off. The UK consumer is becoming more cosmopolitan with increased preference being shown for food and drink from mainland Europe. Another shift is towards increased amounts of both time and money being spent on leisure and in the rapid adoption of new classes of consumer good. There is evidence of the “greening” of the economy but individuals only seem willing to take individual action to “green” their lifestyle for a financial incentive.     

A Consistent Poverty Approach to Assessing the Sensitivity of Income Poverty Measures and Trends

This paper examines the sensitivity of estimates of income poverty rates and trends to variations in the poverty line and to whether or not certain households are included or excluded from the sample used to estimate poverty. The approach draws on the concept of consistent poverty, which has been used to identify those with incomes below the poverty line who also experience deprivation. Our approach involves excluding households with incomes below the poverty line if they report zero or negative income or are self‐employed, have expenditure well in excess of their income, have substantial wealth holdings, or if they do not report having experienced financial stress over the past year. The combined impact of all four exclusions is to reduce the half‐median income poverty rate from 9.9 per cent to 5.4 per cent, but also suggests that poverty increased by more over the decade to 2003–04 than the original estimates indicate.     

Depositors’ risk perceptions and bank failure in a system with co-operative loan support

Zusammenfassung Das Risikoempfinden der Einleger und Bankzusammenbrüche im System einer gemeinsamen Kreditstützung. — In diesem Aufsatz wird versucht zu bestimmen, welche Wirkung die gemeinsame Rettungsaktion der Bank von England und der Clearing Banken auf das Vertrauen der Einleger in den britischen Geldmarkt gehabt hat. Das Vertrauen wird durch die H?he der Risikopr?mien gemessen, welche die Investoren verlangen, wenn sie Bankeinlagen anstelle von risikofreien Anlagen (Schatzwechseln) halten. Ein Modell wird spezifiziert, in dem die Risikopr?mien der Investoren mit solchen Gr?\en in eine funktionale Beziehung gebracht werden, die die Angemessenheit des Eigenkapitals, die Illiquidit?t und Mobilisierbarkeit der Anlagen sowie die Gr?\e des “Rettungsfonds” wiedergeben. Regressionsanalysen best?tigen, da\ es eine signifikante negative Beziehung gibt zwischen den bei der Rettungsaktion gew?hrten Krediten und den Risikopr?mien, die für verbriefte Termineinlagen und Interbankeinlagen verlangt werden. Im Ergebnis scheint die Bank von England recht zu haben, wenn sie behauptet, ihre Unterstützungsaktionen h?tten das Vertrauen der Einleger in das Bankensystem wiederhergestellt, jedenfalls was die gro\en Einleger betrifft. Infolgedessen kann dieses System der Zusammenarbeit als Muster für L?nder dienen, in denen die Konzentration des Bankensystems relativ hoch ist.

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Résumé Les perceptions de risque des déposants et la faillite des banques dans un système de soutien coopératif des prêts. — Cet article essaie de déterminer l’effet de l’opération conjointe de ?canot de sauvetage? de la Bank of England et des banques de clearing sur la confiance des déposants au marché monétaire du R.U. La confiance est mesurée par les primes de risques demandées par les investisseurs pour tenir des dép?ts bancaires au lieu des actifs sans risque (bons du Trésor). L’auteur spécifie un modèle dans lequel les primes de risque des déposants sont fonctionellement rapportées aux mesures de la suffisance de capital bancaire, de l’illiquidité et de la facilité d’écoulement des actifs et de la dimension du fonds de ?canot de sauvetage?. Les tests de régression confirment une relation significativement négative entre la variable de ?canot de sauvetage? et les primes de risque demandées pour les dépêts à terme (C. D.) et les dép?ts inter-bancaires. Il appara?t comme résultat que la Bank of England a raison en arguant que leurs opérations de support rétablissaient la confiance des déposants dans le système bancaire, au moins la confiance des déposants importants. Alors, cette co-opération peut servir comme format pour des actions dans des systèmes bancaires relativement concentrés.

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Resumen Percepción de riesgos de los depositanites y quiebra bancaria en un sistema con apoyo crediticio cooperativo. — Este artículo presigue determinar el efecto de la operación salvavidas de la asociación Bank of England-Clearing Bank sobre la confianza de los depositantes en el mercado monetario del Reino Unido. La confianza se mide por la envergadura de las primas de riesgo demandadas por los inversionistas para mantener depósitos bancarios en vez de activos libres de riesgo (pagarés de la Tesorería). Se especifica un modelo en el que las primas de riesgo de los depositantes se relacionan funcionalmente con medidas de suficiencia de capital bancario, iliquidez de activos, negociabilidad de activos y el tama?o del fondo salvavidas. Pruebas de regresión confirman una relación negativa significante que va desde la variable salvavidas hacia la prima de riesgo demandada sobre C. D. sterling y depósitos interbancarios. Aparece como resultado, que el Bank of England está en lo cierto al arguir que sus operaciones de apoyo restauraron la confianza de los depositantes en el sistema bancario, por lo menos en lo que respecta a la confianza de los grandes depositantes. De este modo esta cooperación puede proporcionar un formato de acción en sistemas bancarios relativamente concentrados.