The Dynamics of SME Information Systems

The process by which small firms (SMEs) invest in and gain benefit from information systems (IS) is little understood. This paper analyses two alternative models of IS-based strategic change – the Focus-Dominance model (Levy et al., 2001) and stages of growth models as applied to SMEs. An analysis of the outcomes of IS strategy development undertaken for 43 SMEs maps their IS use over time. The analysis supports the Focus-Dominance model, some parts of the stages of growth model and extends the critique of the latter. Further variances are explained by the entrepreneur/owner's values and experience. One structural variable, namely, the industry sector may also explain the variances. The implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

A pareto optimal collaboration period: The role of financial,industrial and macroeconomic conditions in liquidation decision and timing

In this paper, the author highlights the nexus of interactions among financial, industrial and macroeconomic factors determining the Pareto optimal date on which the firm’s claimants stop collaborating and force the firm into liquidation. The condition for optimal liquidation time summarizes the effects of volatility of the aggregate consumer income and the overall price level, demand elasticity, the industry’s concentration level and depreciation on the firm’s going-concern value. It also takes into account the effects of the firm’s level of indebtedness, foregone interest on alternative usages of the financial resources extended to the firm and the costs of risk bearing perceived by the firm’s claimants from continued collaboration.     

Option values,stipends and the returns to educational investment

In this paper we use a dynamic model of the returns to educational investment to analyze the flow of students moving through the various stages of an educational system. Dropout and graduation rate are linked to the profitability of an educational stage and thus may be influenced by an appropriate choice of stipend level. To determine the effects of changes in stipends on the output of the educational system we hypothesize a probability distribution of abilities in the population. The parameters of this distribution permit the estimation of the effects of stipends on the graduation rate of each educational stage.     

Evaluating capital investment projects

The risk-adjusted discount rate method for evaluating capital investment projects applies the risk-adjusted rate to equilibrium as well as disequilibrium expected returns, leading to biased NPV calculations. This paper uses the CAPM framework, and suggests a procedure for applying the risk-adjusted rate without causing a bias. The procedure is shown to result in NPVs identical to those obtained by the certainty equivalent approach. A comparison with a previously suggested procedure is also provided.     

The Valuation of Stock Purchase Rights as Call Options

The predictability of rights valuation models is tested, viewing the rights as call options. The results show that rights valuation models, on average, overprice the rights. The bias in the model prices of rights found in this paper is opposite to that predicted by Merton. Among several factors considered, possible volatility changes associated with raising capital through a rights offering account for some of the observed pricing deviation. A further regression analysis shows that while the pricing deviation is positively related to both the degree that the rights are in the money and the allocation ratio, it is negatively related to the time to expiration and the daily trading volume of the rights.     

Auctions with a random number of identical bidders

We examine and compare the (normally, mixed) symmetric equilibrium bidding strategies in first-price and all-pay common value multiple item auctions with a random number of bidders, who only seek one of the identical items and have the same budget.