Restraints of trade by durable good producers

Whether they face competition or not, durable good producers may have an incentive to impose vertical restraints on their customers in order to protect quasi-rents in the aftermarkets for maintenance and repair. In this paper, we show that these vertical restraints have little to do with the usual antitrust concerns regarding tying arrangements. Nonetheless, imposing such restraints involves antitrust risks. We examine these risks and the associated antitrust policy questions in light of the Supreme Court's recent Kodak decision. We also offer some suggestions for the appropriate antitrust policy.     

Taxation in Australian undergraduate accounting courses: a review and case note

This review note outlines and reviews the presence of the subject of taxation in undergraduate accounting courses in Australia. It covers the period 1945–1995. Through the outline and review an explanation is provided of why the subject of taxation was present in the accounting degree in Australia. A review is made of one long-standing accounting degree course to provide a case illustration and explanation of how taxation was located within a degree. Some comparisons are made with UK findings of how and why taxation was located in undergraduate accounting degrees. The rationales for the inclusion of taxation in undergraduate degrees are also explored.     

The influence of past behavior on behavioral intent: An information‐processing explanation

Despite considerable research on the impact of past behavior on decision making over the past two decades, little is yet known about how past experience moderates decision theoretic factors within models of behavioral intent. This research explores the implications of past behavior within the theory of planned behavior (TPB), and how it influences key decision‐making variables. A theoretical model of how past behavior can induce deliberative versus heuristic processing of information is developed and tested. Consumer implications of the impact of past behavior on behavioral intentions are discussed, highlighting the importance of addressing one's experience when making a decision. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Incorporating employee resourcing requirements into deployment decision making

Employee resourcing is the process of matching human resource capabilities to the strategic and operational needs of the organization. This is exceptionally problematic in project‐based organizations due to the competing priorities of the project, the individual employee, and the wider succession needs of the organization. This article presents the findings of research examining the human resource management practices that form the key components of the resourcing process. These included, inter alia, human resource planning, recruitment and selection, team deployment, performance management, and human resource administration. Current practices were examined in seven leading construction firms, all of which faced dynamic resourcing priorities. Within an inductive methodology, semistructured interviews were carried out with senior executives, human resource management (HRM) specialists, senior operational managers, and project‐based staff. Based on a synthesis of the promising practices extracted from the case‐study organizations, an innovative approach to project resourcing was developed that aims to balance organizational, project, and individual employee requirements. Team deployment resides at the center of resourcing process for the project‐based organization as it determines the success of the project, which in turn determines the competitiveness of the organization. Long‐term planning and employee involvement enable team deployment to integrate with other elements of HRM effectively and thus help to balance the organizational strategic priorities, project requirements, and individual employee needs and preferences.     

Nonresponse and generalizability in academic research

Summary Generalizability of results is an important issue in academic research. We have attempted to identify some of the major issues related to this topic and to propose consequent guidelines for research practices. Any working researcher knows all too well how difficult it can be to gain access to data and get good samples. Fortunately, academic research can make good use of imperfect samples, but it is incumbent on us to be aware of this issue and make our best efforts.     

Political constraints, organization design and performance measurement in China’s state-owned enterprises

This study develops a theoretical model to test how political constraints on labor decisions mediate the effects of economic liberalization forces on aspects of organizational design such as delegation, performance measurement, and incentives in Chinese state-owned enterprises. Hypotheses tests using a large survey of divisional managers generally confirm the model: that the influence of three liberalization forces (industry level growth and foreign firm competition, joint venture experience and stock market listing) on organization design is mediated by political constraints.     

How the Hungarian State-owned Banks were Privatised

Hungary was the first transition economy to complete the process of privatisating state banks. This article outlines this process in the light of the economic and financial pressures after 1989, which had severely weakened the financial condition of these banks. It describes the ways in which bank balance sheets were consolidated by state-underwritten loan write-offs and injections of capital within a new legislative framework. The main privatisations are described in a set of mini-case studies. The process was effectively complete by end-1997. The EBRD was closely involved as adviser and investor, significant revenue was generated for the state (albeit much lower than the consolidation support required), foreign strategic investors were attracted and no major financial institution had to be liquidated. Despite the attendant controversy and scandal, the Hungarian experience offers useful lessons to other transition economies which have yet to seriously address this issue.     

Successful New Product Development: A Capital Budgeting Perspective

Several studies have emphasized the relationship between process and outcome in New Product Development (NPD). A key process which often appears to be performed less than satisfactorily in NPD is business and financial evaluation. This paper applies a capital budgeting perspective to NPD. It briefly explains “best practice” in project appraisal and suggests a link between the degree of capital budgeting “sophistication” and NPD performance. Evidence from a small sample of firms indicates that both size of capital budget and “sophistication” are significantly associated with ongoing success in NPD.