Industrial Loan Companies: Where Banking and Commerce Meet

Should commercial firms be prohibited from owning banking institutions? Should the United States remain the only G20 country opposed to the “mixing of banking and commerce”? These questions have assumed new urgency as the Dodd Frank Act of July 2010 imposed a moratorium on the commercial ownership of industrial loan companies (ILCs), which was the last remaining entry point for commercial firms into banking. This paper specifically examines the role of ILCs in America's financial system from its beginnings in 1910 to the present. Special attention is paid to the performance of commercially owned ILCs prior to, during and after the most recent financial crisis. The examination is based upon both survey data and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) data, which represents a database of the ILC industry that is the most comprehensive one available to date. The paper also reviews the laws and regulations regarding the mixing of banking and commerce, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of allowing commercial ownership of banks.     

Forward rate,spot rate and risk premium: An empirical analysis

Zusammenfassung Terminkurs, Kassakurs und Risikopr?mie. -In diesem Aufsatz wird ein Verfahren entwickelt, um die Risikopr?mie zu messen, von der angenommen wird, da? sie in direkter Beziehung zum Swapsatz steht, also der Differenz zwischen Kassa-und Terminkurs. Die Erfahrung zeigt, da? die Risikopr?mie im Laufe der Zeit schwankt, weil sich der Swapsatz und/oder die Sch?tzkoeffizienten ver?ndern. Wenn das Modell die Risikopr?mie einbezieht, sagt es die Wechselkurse besser voraus, als wenn es allein die Terminkurse enth?lt. Die Testergebnisse zeigen, da? die allgemeine Markteffizienz-Hypothese (das Risikopr?mien-Modell) der einfachen Markteffizienz-Hypothese überlegen ist, wenn es darum geht, die künftigen Kassakurse vorauszusch?tzen. Au?erdem stellt sich heraus, da? die “andom walk”pothese nicht besser ist als das Risikopr?mienmodell.

---

Résumé Cours à terme, cours au comptant et prime de risque. -Cet article développe une méthode de mesurer la prime de risque sous la supposition qu’il y a une relation directe entre cette prime et la prime à terme, c’est-à-dire la différence entre cours à terme et cours au comptant. L’évidence montre que la prime de risque varie sur temps parce que la prime à terme et/ou des coefficients estimés changent. L’inclusion de la prime de risque en cas d’un pronostic des taux de change surpasse le modèle si seul le cours à terme est utilisé. Les résultats du test démontrent que l’hypothèse générale d’efficience de marché (modèle de la prime de risque) est supérieure à l’hypothèse simple d’efficience de marché si l’on fait un pronostic des taux au comptant. De plus, l’hypothèse de ?random walk? ne produit pas des meilleurs résultats que le modèle de prime de risque.

---

Resumen Tasa a término, tasa spot y sobretasa por riesgo. -En este trabajo se desarrolla un esquema para medir la sobretasa por riesgo, la cual se supone estar relacionada directamente con la tasa a término. La evidencia empirica demuestra que la sobretasa por riesgo varía en el tiempo debido a una sobretasa a término variable, a coeficientes estimados no constantes o a ambos factores. La inclusión de la sobretasa por riesgo en la predicción de tasas de cambio supera los resultados obtenidos con un modelo de tasas de cambio a término solamente. Los resultados del test indican que la hipótesis general de mercados eficientes (modelo con sobratasa por riesgo) es superior a la hipótesis simple de mercados eficientes en la predicción de tasas spot futuras. Además, la hipótesis del ?random walk? no résulta mejor que la de la sobretasa por riesgo.

     

Monetary Policy and the Diversification–Profitability Linkage in Banking: Evidences from Emerging Market Economies

In previous studies, the stance of monetary policy is proven to associate with banking profitability or activities. This paper provides empirical evidence aiming at the influence of monetary policy, including stances of expansionary and contractionary monetary policies, on the relationship between banks' income diversification and their profitabilities in emerging market economies. We find the significant evidence that expansionary monetary policies can raise banks' diversification efforts, whereas contractionary monetary policies weaken the efforts of banking diversification, for which our most robustness tests support these findings. There are some relevant implications and suggestions for bank managers and policymakers.     

Efficiency tests of foreign exchange markets for four Asian Countries

This paper uses the traditional variance ratio test of Lo and MacKinlay (1988, 1989), the non-parametric-based variance ratio test of Wright (2000) and the multiple-variance ratio test of Chow and Denning (1993), to re-examine the validity of the weak form efficient market hypothesis for foreign exchange markets in four floating-rate markets in neighboring Asian economies (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines). The results show that the random walk patterns of the exchange rate return series cannot be rejected, with the one exception of Taiwan, where inefficiency is shown to be most prominent. We therefore conclude that the foreign exchange markets of Japan, South Korea and the Philippines are weak form efficient, while the foreign exchange market of Taiwan is inefficient.     

Examining job stress and burnout of hotel room attendants: Internal marketing and organizational commitment as moderators

ABSTRACT

Housekeeping is a support department that helps provide and support quality service and products for hotel customers. Room attendants, however, face as much job stress as other staff. Therefore, this study examines the causal relationships among job stress, job burnout, and turnover intentions, while also verifying internal marketing and organizational commitment as moderators for the effect of job stress on burnout. Study results indicate that room attendants who suffer job stress do have higher job burnout, which, in turn, affects their turnover intentions. Further, internal marketing and organizational commitment significantly moderates job stress and job burnout.     

An Expectancy Theory Model for Hotel Employee Motivation: Examining the Moderating Role of Communication Satisfaction

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the role of communication satisfaction as a moderator strengthening the effect of three components of the expectancy theory (expectancy, instrumentality, valence) on work motivation in a hotel setting. High and low communication satisfaction groups respond differently to expectancy, instrumentality, valence, and work motivation. Employees who are highly satisfied with communication respond more positively toward motivation components, and they are more likely to perform well in their job when they are motivated. However, a series of confirmatory factor analyses of metric invariance indicated that there is no significant difference in the moderating effect between high and low communication satisfaction groups. Communication should be managed collectively to motivate employees. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided to better explain the process of decision-making when hotel employees are motivated.     

A Comparative Study of Generational Preferences for Trip-Planning Resources: A Case Study of International Tourists to Shanghai

Although many previous studies have investigated the information search behavior in some specific age groups of tourists, few of them comprehensively examined the relationships between cross-generational tourists and their preferences for various types of trip-planning resources. This study aimed to fill this research gap. The authors employed correspondence analysis to assess and visually display the correlations between four generational groups—the Silent Generation (aged over 65), the Baby Boomers (aged 50–64 years), Generation X (aged 30–49 years), and Y (aged 18–29 years)—and 10 primary travel information sources for the Shanghai international tourist market. The results indicated that tourists in the Baby Boomers and Silent Generation groups rely most on travel agencies and tour operators. The Generation X tourists are inclined to search websites for their travel information. Generation Y tourists are more likely to consult friends and/or relatives and travel guidebooks. The study has both theoretical and practical contributions. The core values of generations are used to explain their preference of information sources from a theoretical perspective. This study assists destination marketers to design effective promotional strategies suited for different generational segments.     

Achieving task and extra-task-related behaviors: A case of gender and position differences in the perceived role of rewards in the hotel industry

The study drew on a sample (n=284) from the hotel industry in Hong Kong to advance our understanding about the perceived effectiveness of various reward instruments in achieving specific task and extra-task performance behaviors. We found that the perceived motivating value of a reward varied according to its type. Non-financial rewards, for example, were found to play a prominent role in achieving extra-task performance dimensions. Employee characteristics also affected the perceived performance implications of various rewards. Nevertheless, caution must be exercised when interpreting the results, as other factors may also influence reward–performance relationships, thus paving the way for future research.     

Determining an Optimal Principal Limit Factor for Reverse Mortgages under Economics-Based Models

The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics - Determining an optimal principal limit factor (PLF) is important for a reverse mortgage (RM) contract because it mainly influences the development...