Comparing cross‐country estimates of Lorenz curves using a Dirichlet distribution across estimators and datasets

Chotikapanich and Griffiths (Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, 2002, 20(2), 290–295) introduced the Dirichlet distribution to the estimation of Lorenz curves. This distribution naturally accommodates the proportional nature of income share data and the dependence structure between the shares. Chotikapanich and Griffiths fit a family of five Lorenz curves to one year of Swedish and Brazilian income share data using unconstrained maximum likelihood and unconstrained nonlinear least squares. We attempt to replicate the authors' results and extend their analyses using both constrained estimation techniques and five additional years of data. We successfully replicate a majority of the authors' results and find that some of their main qualitative conclusions also hold using our constrained estimators and additional data.     

Acculturation,coping, and integration success of international skilled migrants: An integrative review and multilevel framework

In this article, we review the limited but growing body of research on international skilled migrants and examine to what extent knowledge generated in adjacent research streams—specifically, work on assigned and self‐initiated expatriates—can be meaningfully applied to aid our understanding of the challenges, coping strategies, and acculturation dynamics of skilled migrants. We develop a framework that explains how variables and processes at multiple levels (individual, organisational, and societal) influence migrant acculturation and coping and result in integration‐related outcomes in the domains of personal/family life and workplace/career. We discuss directions for future research and implications for practice.     

Insider trading and stock prices

We examine the informational content of insider trades and its value to market investors using a US dataset. Overall, our results support the view that insider actions have positive predictive power for future returns. However, these results may come with some caveats. First, it is not the actions of all insiders (directors, officers and large shareholders) that have predictive power for future returns, but typically only those of directors and officers (senior management). Second, while director actions have predictive power for firm of all sizes, officers only have predictive power for small firms. The signal emanating from buys is stronger than the signal emanating from sells. Finally, the trading actions of directors, and to a lesser extent, officers have significant effects on the trading behaviour of other groups of insiders.     

The Influences of Economic and Technology Policy on the Dynamics of New Firm Formation

This study attempts to reveal how macroeconomic and technology policies that encompass the opportunity and individual drivers of entrepreneurship explain the dynamics of new firm formation in a country. To do so we rely on the Schumpeterian, industrial organization, and labor economics traditions of entrepreneurship, and performed an exploratory test with longitudinal U.S. data from 1968 to 1993. The results of this study suggest that R&D investments, patents, economic concentration, pro-competition policy, and labor mobility are important areas in which government policy can influence the intensity of new firm formation.     

The technology adoption life cycle attractor: Understanding the dynamics of high-tech markets

Unlike more stable industries, high-tech firms must constantly be in a strategy development phase. These companies are in desperate need of assistance in strategy formulation. This paper introduces a quantitative (rather than subjective) approach to help high-tech firms to understand their position in the technology adoption life cycle using some of the principles and tools of Chaos and Complexity theories. This approach is demonstrated by using data sets of three case studies in the hard drive, microprocessor, and server high-tech industries.     

Trust restoration: an examination of senior managers' attempt to rebuild employee trust

This article advances discussions surrounding the extent to which senior management can rebuild damaged trust relationships in a context where the founding principle of respect had been contravened. More specifically, our article is concerned with a senior management team's attempt to regain trust through addressing workplace bullying. The study draws on a quantitative methodology where the population of the case study organisation were surveyed (n = 206) at two points in time (2004 and 2007). The findings revealed that managements’ actions had a significant effect on perceptions of bullying. T‐tests, however, provided only partial support for the notion that trust had improved as a result of management actions. In particular, there were significant differences in the levels of loyalty and benevolent motives and also openness, whereas no significant changes were observed for other dimensions of trust (integrity, competence, consistency and respect).     

Dynamic mean–variance problem with frictions

Finance and Stochastics - We study a dynamic mean–variance portfolio selection problem with return predictability and trading frictions from price impact. Applying mean-field type control...     

The management of South Africa’s landfills and waste pickers on them: Impacting lives and livelihoods

Effective management of waste and the promotion and management of recycling activities are necessary for sustainable and liveable cities. A key but unrecognised element in promoting recycling is the efforts of waste pickers who make a living from recycling mainline recyclables. This article aims to describe the approaches used on 10 landfills in South Africa to manage waste pickers’ access to recyclables and their daily activities on the landfills. A multiple case study design and cross-case analysis were used in this study. The sustainable livelihoods framework (SLF) was used to analyse and explain the data. The results showed that waste management policies and practices directly influence the waste pickers’ access to recyclable waste and their livelihoods. Finally, some inclusionary and exclusionary practices are highlighted that could guide inclusive, participatory and co-productive practices for waste pickers in South Africa towards increased recognition, access, dignity and income.     

Belt‐and‐Road Initiative: Driving the need to understand intellectual capital in Chinese multinational enterprises

China's Belt‐and‐Road Initiative (BRI) is one of the most ambitious trade and development projects in history which intends to link Chinese multinational enterprises (CMNEs) to the Asian subcontinent, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe through two trade routes, land and sea. The project involves infrastructure development, human knowledge, and international relations to develop trade relationships. Increased competition along the two routes will see other governments taking initiatives to protect the business community in their nations; thus, adding barriers that must be overcome by CMNEs. The success of CMNEs in the BRI relies on the three components—structural, human, and relational—which are the three components of intellectual capital (IC). Through the use of IC CMNEs can assess their strengths and weaknesses. It will be the understanding of these strengths and weaknesses which will drive the success or failure of CMNEs.     

On the dark side of codes: Domination not enlightenment

In this paper, we show how a middle manager interprets the action of two employees as problematic and how he solves it by using the company's code of ethics as the basis for firing them. Our telling of the story unmasks a darker side of codes and we conceptualize it in terms of power and domination. The paper contributes to the literature on corporate codes of ethics (CCEs) and corporate ethics programs by showing that such codes need not necessarily play an enabling role in organizations. Rather than being instruments of enlightenment and self-regulation, they may be used as instruments to further domination.