Asynchronous Computer-mediated Communication versus Face-to-face Collaboration: Results on Student Learning, Quality and Satisfaction

Although there has been more than a decade of literature on computer-mediated communication in education, the research has been unclear as to whether it is an effective replacement for face-to-face (FtF) collaboration. This study sought to add to this body of research by exploring the effects of two modes of collaboration on student groups. Following a repeated-measures experimental design, each student group collaborated on two case studies, one using face-to-face collaboration and the other using asynchronous computer conferencing technology as a means of collaboration. Empirical findings indicate that asynchronous collaboration is as effective as face-to-face collaboration in terms of learning, quality of solution, solution content, and satisfaction with the solution quality. However, students were significantly less satisfied with the asynchronous learning experience, both in terms of the group interaction process and the quality of group discussions.     

Imports of intermediate goods and the efficacy of fiscal policy under flexible exchange rates

Zusammenfassung Die Einfuhr von Zwischenprodukten und die Wirksamkeit der Fiskalpolitik bei flexiblen Wechselkursen. — Gew?hnlich ist der Einflu\ der Fiskalpolitik auf eine offene Volkswirtschaft unter der Annahme untersucht worden, da\ nur Endprodukte international gehandelt werden. Die Krisen im Gefolge der starken ?lpreissteigerungen haben in Erinnerung gebracht, da\ diese Annahme unrealistisch ist, und daher die Frage aufgeworfen, ob und in welchem Umfang die früher gewonnenen Schlu\folgerungen gültig bleiben, falls ein Land auch Rohstoffe und Halbfabrikate einführt. In diesem Artikel wird gezeigt, da\ bei flexiblem Wechselkurs eine starke Tendenz dafür besteht, da\ solche Importe die Wirksamkeit der Fiskalpolitik verst?rken oder abschw?chen, je nachdem, ob es zu einer Aufwertung oder Abwertung der heimischen W?hrung kommt, und da\ insbesondere bei vollkommener internationaler Kapitalmobilit?t eine solche Politik nicht v?llig unwirksam ist.

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Résumé Les importations des biens intermédiaires et l’efficacité de la politique fiscale sous des conditions des taux de change flexibles. — Traditionellement l’effet de la politique fiscale sur une économie ouverte a été étudié sous la supposition que seulement les biens finaux sont internationalement commercés. Les crises après l’augmentation du prix pétrolier nous ont rappelés que cette supposition est peu réaliste et qu’on doit demander si et à quelle mesure les conclusions auparavant dérivées restent valables si un pays importe aussi des matières premières et des biens demi-finis. Dans cet article les auteurs démontrent que sous des taux de change flexibles il y a une forte tendance que telles importations renforcent ou atténuent l’efficacité de la politique fiscale selon qu’il en résulte une réévaluation ou une dévaluation de la monnaie du pays importatrice. Il est aussi montré que la politique fiscale ne devient pas complètement inefficace si la mobilité des capitaux internationaux est parfaite.

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Resumen Importaciones de bienes intermedios y la eficacia de la política fiscal bajo tipos de cambio flexibles. — Tradicionalmente el impacto de la política fiscal sobre una economía abierta ha sido estudiada bajo el supuesto que solamente los bienes finales son transados internacionalmente. Las crisis del petróleo nos han recordado que este supuesto no es realista y por tanto hizo surgir la pregunta si y en qué medida las conclusiones derivadas anteriormente permanecen válidas si un país también importa materias primas y productos semi-terminados. En el presente articulo se muestra que bajo tipos de cambio flexibles hay una fuerte tendencia de esas importaciones de aumentar o atenuar la eficacia de la política fiscal todas las veces que resulta en una revaluación o devaluación, respectivamente, de la moneda local y.especialmente, que no resulta completamente inefectiva con una perfecta movilidad internacional del capital.

     

Estimation of a nonlinear panel data model with semiparametric individual effects

This paper investigates identification and estimation of a class of nonlinear panel data, single-index models. The model allows for unknown time-specific link functions, and semiparametric specification of the individual-specific effects. We develop an estimator for the parameters of interest, and propose a powerful new kernel-based modified backfitting algorithm to compute the estimator. We derive uniform rates of convergence results for the estimators of the link functions, and show the estimators of the finite-dimensional parameters are root-N$N$ consistent with a Gaussian limiting distribution. We study the small sample properties of the estimator via Monte Carlo techniques.     

Same But Different—Perceptions of Integrated Marketing Communication Among Marketing Communication Partners in Australia

This article examines whether two key partners in the marketing communication process, advertising and public relations’ practitioners, perceive Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) in the same way. It compares perceptions across a wide range of implementation, organizational, and strategic issues in IMC to test if perceptions have moved past Stage 1 of IMC development (Kitchen & Schultz, 1999 Low, G. 2000. Correlates of integrated marketing communications. Journal of Advertising Research, 40(3): 27–39. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Although both advertising and PR practitioners concur with each other and the literature on a wide range of perceptions of IMC, they still believe that advertising and public relations practitioners have dissimilar views about IMC. The PR practitioners position themselves as a separate breed of marketing communicator, requiring divergent skills from advertising practitioners and thinking differently about IMC.     

A framework of Corporate Social Responsibility for advertising accountability: The case of Australian government advertising campaign

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a dominant theme guiding business practice. Governments have embraced this philosophy and legislated to encourage socially responsible business practice in its many forms. While governments' endorsement of CSR practice is expressed in policy, the successful integration into its own practice is not evidenced in the literature. Using a case research method, this paper analyses the nature of Australian government advertising processes, developing a modified framework founded on Wood's (1991 Wood, D. 1991. Corporate Social Performance revisited.. Academy of Management Review, 16(4): 691–718. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) Corporate Social Performance model and Maignan and Ferrell's (2004 Maignan, I. and Ferrell, O. 2004. Corporate Social Responsibility and marketing: An integrative framework.. Academy of Marketing Science, 32: 1 [Google Scholar]) CSR principles. This research is important because it provides an application model for CSR practice and provides government with a decision‐making vehicle for CSR.     

Are input prices irrelevant for make-or-buy decisions?

The 1996 Telecommunications Act requires incumbent providers to lease network inputs to rivals at cost-based prices in order to jump-start competition. Sappington (Sappington, D. (2005). American Economic Review, 95(5), 1631–1638) uses the Hotelling model to show that input prices are irrelevant for an entrant’s decision to make or buy an input required for downstream production. We show that this result depends upon the particular model of competition employed. Specifically, input prices are not necessarily irrelevant in the Bertrand vertical differentiation model and are not irrelevant in the Cournot model. It follows that departures from cost-based input prices may distort entrants’ make-or-buy decisions in settings of practical interest.