Forecasting the Malmquist productivity index

The Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) suggests a convenient way of measuring the productivity change of a given unit between two consequent time periods. Until now, only a static approach for analyzing the MPI was available in the literature. However, this hides a potentially valuable information given by the evolution of productivity over time. In this paper, we introduce a dynamic procedure for forecasting the MPI. We compare several approaches and give credit to a method based on the assumption of circularity. Because the MPI is not circular, we present a new decomposition of the MPI, in which the time-varying indices are circular. Based on that decomposition, a new working dynamic forecasting procedure is proposed and illustrated. To construct prediction intervals of the MPI, we extend the bootstrap method in order to take into account potential serial correlation in the data. We illustrate all the new techniques described above by forecasting the productivity index of 17 OECD countries, constructed from their GDP, labor and capital stock.     

The Impacts of Financial Integration on the Linkages Between Monetary Independence and Foreign Exchange Reserves

This paper investigates the short-run and long-run effects of financial integration on the dynamics between monetary independence and foreign exchange reserves using a GMM system estimation involving two-year non-overlapping average data (2000-2011) from 114 countries. The results indicate that the effect of foreign exchange reserves on the monetary independence is intensified by the level of financial integration. This suggests a positive spill over effect from the financial integration to the monetary policy independence. Besides, a positive implication of financial integration on monetary independence could be established when the foreign exchange reserves is at the maximum level. In addition, the comparisons between the mean of foreign exchange reserves and the threshold levels of foreign exchange reserves that neutralise the impact of financial integration indicate that on average, the foreign exchange reserves are sufficient to offset the effect of financial integration. A stable exchange rate will undermine the positive impact of foreign exchange reserves on monetary independence. Finally, the long-run and short-run impacts occur in the same direction. This paper ends with some policy implications and suggestions for future research.     

Networks of queues with infinite servers in each node applied to the management of a two echelons repair system

After a report of results about infinite servers queues, essentially on its busy period, a model is built, using networks of queues with infinite servers in each node, to study a two echelons repair system for example of a fleet of aircraft, shipping or trucks. The customers are the failures, and their service time is the time that goes from the instant at which they occur till they are completely repaired. The failing repairs occur in a base or in a remote station. The whole failures detected in the base are repaired there. Some of the failures detected in the station are repaired there and the others in the base. The results referred above allow the determination of a two echelons repair system performance measures. In this application, models of Carrillo （1991） and Ferreira （1996） are considered, improved and completed. The theory is illustrated with a numerical example.     

Consumer trust, risk and food safety: A review

Consumers' attitudes to trust and risk are key issues in food safety research and attention needs to be focused on clearly defining a framework for analysing consumer behaviour in these terms. In order to achieve this, a detailed review of the recent literature surrounding risk, trust and the relationship between the two must be conducted. This paper aims to collate the current social sciences literature in the fields of food safety, trust and risk. It provides an insight into the economic and other modelling procedures available to measure consumers' attitudes to risk and trust in food safety and specifically notes the need for future research to concentrate on examining risk and trust as inter-related variables rather than two distinct, mutually exclusive concepts. A framework is proposed which it is hoped will assist in devising more effective research to support risk communication to consumers.     

有限责任合伙对会计师事务所组织形式规范的意义及立法建议

我国有限责任合伙立法对注册会计师行业的重要意义(一)寻求适应行业发展规律要求的市场主体我国对会计师事务所等专业服务机构组织形式的法律规定,主要体现在行业法律当中。如《注册会计师法》中规定了合伙和负有限责任的法人两种形式,即会计师事务所可以按照《公司法》下的有限责任公司发起设立。而国外的专业服务组织的发展实践表明,以融资便利为内在属性的公司与以专业人士倚重个人技能与合作为特点的专业服务机构之间存在本质的区别。我国目前“资合”形态的专业服务机构内部管理上的诸多矛盾,已经成为阻碍我国职业组织健康发展的障碍。…     

Development and Validation of a Forced Choice Emotional Intelligence Measure for Chinese Respondents in Hong Kong

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been an emerging topic for psychological, educational, and management researchers and consultants in recent years. Unfortunately, there have been relatively few empirical studies on EI conducted with scientific rigor, especially in Asia. A recent study clarified the definition of EI as a set of mental abilities related to emotions, and developed a self-report EI measure by demonstrating the relationships between EI and life satisfaction, job performance, and job satisfaction for Chinese respondents. To facilitate future EI research and EI-related human resource practices in Asia, we develop an alternative EI measure in this series of four studies using forced choice items. Scenarios with alternative responses showing different levels of EI were generated in the first study, and 20 items were selected empirically. In the second study, pairs of abilities were generated and 20 EI items were paired with various ability facets. In the third study, we examined the social desirability of the 40 items developed in the first two studies. In the fourth study, these 40 EI items were cross-validated. The results indicated that this forced choice EI-scale had acceptable convergent, discriminant and predictive validity using life satisfaction, job performance, and job satisfaction as criterion variables. We discussed the implications of our findings in the conclusion.     

论我国的董事责任保险制度

2001年1月,中国平安保险股份有限公司在中国保险市场上首次推出“公司董事及高级职员责任保险”,其引发了保险业、法律界、各大公司的普遍关注;然而时至今日“公司董事及高级职员责任保险”却推行缓慢。本文试图在肯定该项制度价值的同时,从制度本身、经济、法律三个层面冷静思考该项制度的价值局限和在我国建立和推行的现实障碍;并结合美国、日本的董事责任保险制度,对我国董事责任保险制度的设计作一些初步的思考。     

The impact of role models on entrepreneurial intentions and behavior: a review of the literature

Despite the presence of the term ‘entrepreneurial role model’ (ERM) in the discourse on entrepreneurship, existing empirical evidence on the effects of role models is rather limited. By investigating 86 published journal articles, we provide a structured overview of the academic research on role models’ effects on entrepreneurial intentions and behavior. We reveal that prior research focuses particularly on different types of role models (by whom), at which stage of life (when) and in which context the exposure to role models occurs. We use these research areas to structure our review. By expanding the understanding of the current state of ERM research, we reveal research gaps and provide future research recommendations. Our work could help policy makers and educators consider the different types of role models, the sociocultural context and the life cycle stage of the participants in structuring their entrepreneurship education programs.

     

Listen carefully: transgender voices in the workplace

Abstract

We find that only 17% of FTSE 100 company websites refer directly to transgender (‘trans’) individuals, illustrating the extent to which trans voices are unheard in the workplace. We propose that these voices are missing for a number of reasons: voluntary silence to protect oneself from adverse circumstances; the subsumption of trans voices within the larger ‘LGBT’ community; assimilation, wherein many trans voices become affiliated with those of their post-transition gender; multiple trans voices arising from diversity within the transgender community; and limited access to voice mechanisms for transgender employees. We identify the negative implications of being unheard for individual trans employees, for organizational outcomes, and for business and management scholarship, and propose ways in which organizations can listen more carefully to trans voices. Finally, we introduce an agenda for future research that tests the applicability of the theoretical framework of invisible stigma disclosure to transgender individuals, and calls for new theoretical and empirical developments to identify HRM challenges and best practices for respecting trans employees and their choices to remain silent or be heard.     

The impact of online user reviews on hotel room sales

Despite hospitality and tourism researchers’ recent attempts on examining different aspects of online word-of-mouth [WOM], its impact on hotel sales remains largely unknown in the existing literature. To fill this void, we conduct a study to empirically investigate the impact of online consumer-generated reviews on hotel room sales. Utilizing data collected from the largest travel website in China, we develop a fixed effect log-linear regression model to assess the influence of online reviews on the number of hotel room bookings. Our results indicate a significant relationship between online consumer reviews and business performance of hotels.