A new sequential design based on the robbins-monro procedure

Summary A sequential estimation procedure based on the Robbins-Monro process is proposed. Through observations of a random variableY(x), estimates of a regression functionM(x) are obtained, whereM(x)=E[Y(x)]. The estimates of the roots ofM(x) are shown to be strongly convergent and asymptotically normal with minimum variance.     

Collaborative production and resource allocation: the consequences of prospective payment for hospital care

This article presents a model of the intensity of care provided by hospitals and physicians and how such intensity was affected by the change to prospective payment by Medicare. Prospective payment introduced an incentive for hospitals to shorten average length of stay, but in order to keep the patient recovery level constant, intensity of inpatient care was forced to increase. Physicians reacted to hospital changes by increasing their own intensity of care provided to inpatients. Implications of the model for admissions and physician office time are also explored. Empirical results indicate that for the period 1983-1987, spanning the introduction of PPS, both hospital and physician intensity of care per inpatient rose significantly.     

Technology adoption: does labour skill matter? Evidence from Portuguese firm-level data

This paper investigates the effect of labour characteristics on the decision to adopt new technologies. As a potential endogeneity problem might arise, we implement estimation techniques that control for endogenous covariates. The results suggest that the share of skilled employees has a significant positive impact on the likelihood of adoption, providing an additional and interesting insight in understanding technology adoption. We also find that firms’ nationality does not matter to the adoption process. The transfer of technology due to foreign investment may not be a widespread phenomenon, casting doubts on the standard internalization theory of foreign direct investment.

Family background and gender: implications for interest in small firm ownership

This paper directly assesses the impact of family background, sex and work experience on interest in small firm ownership and employment. Additional exploration focuses on differentiating family background (parents-only versus extended-only) to assess the impact on small firm career interest. Results indicate that family background, sex and work experience are significant predictors of these interests. Specifically, males are more interested than females in someday owning their own small business. Small firm work experience enhanced interest in small firm employment. When comparing males and females with an extended-only family background, males are significantly more interested than females in small firm ownership. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Regulatory reform and labour earnings in Portuguese banking

This study examines changes in union contracts and wage structure during and after the introduction of regulatory reforms (deregulation and privatisation) in the Portuguese banking sector. The main finding is that, despite a relative wage erosion detected in the contract data, banking workers were able to enjoy an increasing wage premium in the period 1985–2000, probably reflecting the increasing profitability of the industry and the rise in labour productivity. The evidence also shows that some specific groups benefited relatively more than others: the least skilled and educated workforce and male workers gained more from the regulatory reforms. However, this unequal sharing of the wage premium did not raise wage inequality across ownership groups in the industry. I thank Mark Stewart, Odd Rune Straume, Ian Walker and two anonymous referees for very helpful comments. I am indebted to the Ministério do Trabalho e da Solidariedade for allowing the availability of data from Quadros de Pessoal. Financial support was provided by the Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia under the grant BD/SFRH/2000/1291.     

The influence of linear and cyclical temporal representations on risk perception of nuclear waste: an experimental study

Time is an important aspect of the issue of nuclear waste, both from a technical and from a perceptional perspective. Previous studies have investigated the relationship between time and risk perception of nuclear waste, applying the discounting paradigm and therefore limiting time to one very narrow aspect: its duration. However, time is a multifaceted concept and encompasses more than a linear property. The aim of our study is to test the influence of a different aspect of time, namely temporal representations (linear or cyclical) on risk perception of nuclear waste. In an experimental study we demonstrate that both linear and cyclical representations have a reducing effect on risk perception compared to the control condition, where no specific time representation was activated. Examining group differences, we also demonstrate that temporal representations have a differing influence depending on whether participants have a stable belief about nuclear waste or whether they belong to an ambivalent group that does not yet hold a stable belief. Furthermore, we replicate the well-documented gender gap in risk perception. Our results bear potentially interesting implications for risk communication by demonstrating a causal relationship between the graphic representation of time and risk perception of nuclear waste.     

How Institutional Change Reconfigures Successful Value Chains: The Case of Western Pharma Corporations in China

Management researchers have traditionally emphasized two main factors in the definition of corporate strategies: internal capabilities and industry competition. However, in less stable, transition economies it is particularly the changing institutional environment that influences strategy definition and performance of multinational corporations (MNCs) as shown by numerous international business (IB) scholars. Yet, how institutions matter remains a largely unresolved question. This article examines how institutions have affected the value chain configuration of Western pharmaceutical firms in China. Our research framework identifies four major strategic shifts along the value chain of Western firms in the pharmaceutical industry: upgrading along the value chain, outsourcing to contract service providers, expansion of geographical scope and diversification of product portfolio. The findings allow concrete managerial implications to be derived for decision makers of Western pharmaceutical firms operating in China. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Tourism and tourist promotion in Spain

The development of tourism as a big industry is a feature of the second half of the 20th century. Spain is one of the countries where tourism has made especially notable progress. While the number of foreign tourists visiting Spain amounted to only 1 mn in 1950, by 1971 it had increased to 27 mn.