Saving Our Oceans: Scaling the Impact of Robust Action Through Crowdsourcing

One approach for tackling grand challenges that is gaining traction in recent management literature is robust action: by allowing diverse stakeholders to engage with novel ideas, initiatives can cultivate successful ideas that yield greater impact. However, a potential pitfall of robust action is the length of time it takes to generate momentum. Crowdsourcing, we argue, is a valuable tool that can scale the generation of impact from robust action. We studied an award-winning environmental sustainability crowdsourcing initiative and found that robust action principles were indeed successful in attracting a diverse stakeholder network to generate novel ideas and develop these into sustainable solutions. Yet we also observed that the momentum and novelty generated was at risk of getting lost as the actors and their roles changed frequently throughout the process. We show the vital importance of robust action principles for connecting ideas and actors across crowdsourcing phases. These observations allow us to make a contribution to extant theory by explaining the micro-dynamics of scaling robust action's impact over time.     

FORECASTING GLOBAL EQUITY INDICES USING LARGE BAYESIAN VARS

This paper proposes a large Bayesian Vector Autoregressive (BVAR) model with common stochastic volatility to forecast global equity indices. Using a monthly dataset on global stock indices, the BVAR model controls for co‐movement commonly observed in global stock markets. Moreover, the time‐varying specification of the covariance structure accounts for sudden shifts in the level of volatility. In an out‐of‐sample forecasting application we show that the BVAR model with stochastic volatility significantly outperforms the random walk both in terms of point as well as density predictions. The BVAR model without stochastic volatility, on the other hand, shows some merits relative to the random walk for forecast horizons greater than six months ahead. In a portfolio allocation exercise we moreover provide evidence that it is possible to use the forecasts obtained from our model with common stochastic volatility to set up simple investment strategies. Our results indicate that these simple investment schemes outperform a naive buy‐and‐hold strategy.     

Environmental,social and governance reporting in annual reports: A textual analysis

Considering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors becomes increasingly important for companies and investors. However, “ESG” is not clearly defined so far and, therefore, it is difficult to measure the ESG activity of companies. We analyze the extent and changes in 10‐K reports and proxy statements on ESG, using a textual analysis and creating an ESG dictionary. The results show an average of 4.0 % ESG words on total words in the reports. The ESG word list with 482 items can be used to quantitatively examine the extent of ESG reporting, which will be helpful especially for SRI investors. Our classification of 40 subcategories allows a highly granular analysis of different ESG related aspects. Moreover, indications for a relation between changes in reporting and real events, especially negative media presence, are detected. Regulatory bodies have to be aware of the use of such words and how they are used.     

Entrepreneurs' perceived exit performance: Conceptualization and scale development

Recently, research on entrepreneurs who exit their firms has intensified. Scholars agree that the outcome of such entrepreneurial exits needs to be assessed based on the individual entrepreneur's perception and on multiple dimensions. Yet, to date we lack theory and measures that capture this outcome, which we define as entrepreneurs' perceived exit performance (PEP). This study introduces a theoretical framework for the PEP construct and develops a scale to measure it along four dimensions: personal financial benefits, personal reputation, employee benefits, and firm mission persistence. We discuss the wide applicability of the scale and a variety of research opportunities.     

Digitale Ordnungspolitik — Wirtschaftspolitik daten- und evidenzbasiert weiterentwickeln

Wirtschaftsdienst - Die Digitalisierung bringt weitreichende Änderungen für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft mit sich. Vor diesem Hintergrund hat das Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und...     

Reassessing the Ethicality of Some Common Financial Practices

Depositors have perceived banks as acting unethically during the most recent recession. One area of consternation is the ambiguity of the legal obligations entailed by the deposit contract when it is backed with only fractional reserves. In this article, we apply an existing analysis of the legitimacy and ethicality of banking practices to a wider range of financial transactions, including insurance policies, securities lending, perpetual bonds, and callable loans. Securities lending in particular creates rights violations analogous to those in fractional-reserve banking. Both callable loans and perpetual bonds have clear legal obligations which are not inherently problematic, though we herein clarify what these obligations are. Finally, we apply our ethical framework to demonstrate that insurance products are distinct from banking deposit contracts, and that perceived parallels between the two products underestimate these differences.     

Bewertung der Fair Value-Bilanzierung von Versicherungsverträgen anhand der IASB-Zielsetzungen

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) published the Exposure Draft ?Insurance Contracts“ in July 2010. This standard draft is the basis for the final IFRS for accounting of insurance contracts and will replace the currently valid interim standard IFRS 4. In its Discussion Paper from May 2007 the IASB proposed the valuation of insurance liabilities based on a Current Exit Value. However, in the Exposure Draft the board changed his opinion (not at least due to the visible consequences of the last financial crisis) and follows an approach based on so called fulfillment cash flows. This new approach is different in many details and aims at creating a greater objectivity. Goal of this article is firstly to introduce the target valuation model and to judge it based on criteria developed in the paper. Furthermore, alternatives that could be applied in a final standard shall be shown.     

Entrepreneurial Error Does Not Equal Market Failure

Barnett and Block (2015) claim that Bagus and Howden (2012b) support indirectly the concept of market failure. In this paper, we show that maturity mismatching in an unhampered market may imply entrepreneurial error but cannot be considered a market failure. We demonstrate why fractional-reserve banking leads to business cycles even if there is no central bank and why maturity mismatching does not per se lead to clusters of errors in a free market. Finally, in contrast to the examples provided by Barnett and Block, we assure that maturity mismatching does not imply the creation of two incompatible contracts due to the fungible nature of money.