THE INFLUENCE OF FIRM‐ AND CEO‐SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS ON THE USE OF NONLINEAR DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

We examine why firms use nonlinear derivatives (e.g., options). Our results suggest that option characteristics in investment opportunities and debt, the payoff structure of incentive compensation, and free cash‐flow agency problems influence the firm's choice. Investment opportunities, internally generated cash flow, business risk, and option compensation positively influence the use of nonlinear currency derivatives. Option feature in bonds positively influence the use of nonlinear interest rate derivatives, whereas bonus and stock compensation, and CEO tenure have a negative influence. In sum, nonlinear cash flow characteristics in investment opportunity, debt, and executive compensation all relate positively to nonlinear derivative usage.     

Ethnicity,acculturation, and the importance of product attributes

This investigation examined the relationship between subcultural group membership and the importance of various product attributes in purchase decisions. Subcultural group membership was defined on the basis of Hispanic ethnicity and level of assessed acculturation. The results indicate that cost considerations such as price and the availability of credit best distinguish these groups. This is particularly meaningful, given that these results persist even when income level is statistically controlled. The second major purpose of the investigation was to test the appropriateness of the traditional progressive learning model of acculturation within the specific buyer behavioral context of product attribute importance. The findings clearly indicate support for this model.     

Market Standards for Money

The power of governments to debauch currencies for political ends has long been condemned by market economists. Monetarists have argued that the government should restrain its production of money; Professor Hayek contended in 1976 that monetary continence would succumb to political pressures and argued for national currencies to be replaced by competing private monies. Here he refines this thinking and suggests that a private 'store of value'—the standard—would be more likely to overcome the political obstruction to the wholesale denationalisation of currencies, but would be immune from use as a political tool by the state.     

BOOTSTRAPPING THE NUMBER OF FACTORS IN THE ARBITRAGE PRICING THEORY

The number of factors in the APT are re-examined through a new methodology called the bootstrap, which provides a nonparametric alternative to the chi-square test used in prior research. Results suggest that the number of statistically significant factors does not increase when the number of firms increases. Moreover, only the first factor is consistently significant across sample sizes of thirty, sixty, and ninety firms.     

A psychoanalytic attributional model for subordinate poor performance

Managers and subordinates often have divergent perceptions as to the cause of a subordinate's poor performance. Normally, this is considered to be a significant problem in that it is correlated with a deterioration in productivity and in manager-subordinate relations. The position taken here is that under certain circumstances, convergence of perceptions can be even more damaging to the psychological well-being of the subordinate. These circumstances include the following: the manager's attributing the poor performance to the subordinate's lack of ability or lack of effort; the manager's being able to influence the subordinate to agree with this assessment; and the attribution being fundamentally inaccurate.     

Developing countries and the future of the automobile industry

This paper reassesses the controversial view which has assumed that, at some point in the future, the global automobile industry, having reached maturity, would naturally migrate to the leading developing countries where the markets are growing more rapidly and wages are substantially lower. The authors argue that the threshold facing a developing country seeking to establish a domestic automobile industry has risen because of two recent developments: the rise of Japan as a major automobile producer; and a new wave of technological and organizational innovation. This involves use of state-of-the-art microelectronics and flexible manufacturing system, as well as complete restructing of component supply resulting in considerable unit cost and lead-time advantages.The authors look at what these trends mean for both the OECD and the developing countries. They outline the conventional view in more detail and then present an alternative analysis of the evolution of the industry. New policy options for the developing countries are spotlighted.