Replicating,validating, and reducing the length of the consumer perceived value scale

This research reports an assessment of Sweeney and Soutar's (2001) consumer perceived value (PERVAL) scale. The PERVAL scale contains four dimensions: quality, emotional, price, and social values. The present study develops and evaluates two short forms of the original 19-item PERVAL scale based on Sweeney and Soutar's (2001) original data and three other studies in two different countries. In comparison with the full scale, the short 12-item and 8-item forms have equally good dimensional properties and equivalent predictive validity. The discussion includes implications, both for research and for retail managers.     

Mergers,acquisitions, and the pruning of managerial deadwood

This research investigates the role that mergers and acquisitions may play in the disciplining of entrenched and inefficient managers. The relationship between a company's performance history and its subsequent top management turnover is assessed for a sample of target companies, their parents, and a control group of companies not involved in merger and acquisition activity. The results reveal that target company top management turnover is higher than ‘normal’ in the 2 years immediately following a merger or acquisition, but there is no relationship between previous target company performance and its subsequent top management turnover. Further analyses indicate that first-year target company turnover rates are associated with a history of relatively poor parent company performance, while second-year turnover rates are associated with a history of relatively good parent company performance.     

Firm Size and Market Power in Carbonated Soft Drinks

Sutton (1998) offers us a simple way to model firm size distributions across differentiated products industries. We analyse the implications of this approach for company markups using a structural model for a specific industry. We incorporate the complexities of multi-product (brand) companies operating with different (strategic) configurations of product characteristics and stores to estimate brand markups, using Irish AC Nielsen retail data for Carbonated Soft Drinks. As a second step we estimate that market power does not increase in companies with higher market share, controlling for other factors. This challenges a traditional mind-set.     

Experiencing Part‐Time Work: Temporal Tensions,Social Relations and the Work–Family Interface

Part‐time work is commonly depicted as positive for women workers and their experience of work and home. Drawing on the qualitative commentaries of lower‐level service workers, this study explores the temporal, social and interpersonal consequences of part‐time work. While many employees liked part‐time work, there was evidence that fragmented work schedules, mandated overtime and difficulties in taking time off work created tensions and problems for women in both the work and family domains. Inferior treatment also punctuated the work experiences of a number of part‐time employees and served to underline their differential work status.     

Non-audit Services and Auditor Independence: New Zealand Evidence

Abstract:  This paper examines evidence in New Zealand about whether auditors providing more non-audit services are less independent. Three sets of tests are used to address the issue. The first examines whether there is a relation between non-audit fees and audit fees, the second examines whether there is a relation between non-audit fees and audit report qualification or modification, and the third examines whether there is a relation between non-audit fees and stability of audit tenure. The results suggest a potential for the impairment of auditor independence in appearance when auditors provide non-audit services but no evidence of any impact on independence of mind.     

Can foreign banks compete in China?

Foreign banks in China have faced strict regulatory requirements that were not imposed on domestic banks and as such they have performed poorly in profitability rankings. Recent changes in the Chinese regulatory requirements prompt us to consider whether foreign banks are now on an equal footing with the Chinese domestic banks. Using Cobb–Douglas stochastic frontier analysis with total income as the dependent variable, we find no significant performance difference between foreign and domestic banks. However, robustness testing using the individual components of total income as dependent variables reveals that foreign banks need to improve efficiency of their income generation.     

Charitable Giving of Alumni

A bstract . This research examines the "age-donation" profile of gift-giving alumniai a large public university , based on a pooled micro-data random sample of 4,242 alumni (1926/27-1989/90 graduates) who gave cash gifts during the 1975/76-1989/90 fiscal years. The covariance regression model results indicate lack of statistically significant difference between gift-giving women and men. However, the School of Business graduates , alumni who proceeded to obtain graduate degrees from this university, and alumni members of non-Greek social organizations gave significantly more. Moreover, alumni contributions varied systematically over the business cycle and a 1962 Federal Court Order to desegregate the university racially reduced donations but not significantly. Given the 63-year cycle studied, the growth rates of alumni donations of money are projected to decline after roughly age 52, which falls short of the typical retirement age.     

Why Do Foreign-Owned Firms Pay More? The Role of On-the-Job Training

While foreign-owned firms have consistently been found to pay higher wages than domestic firms to what appear to be equally productive workers, the causes of this remain unresolved. In a two-period bargaining framework we show that if training is more productive and specific in foreign firms, foreign firm workers will have a steeper wage profile and thus acquire a premium over time. Using a rich employer-employee matched data set we verify that the foreign wage premium is only acquired by workers over time spent in the firm and only by those that receive on-the-job training, thus providing empirical support for a firm-specific human capital acquisition explanation. JEL no. F23, J24