Performance Impact of the Elimination of Direct Labor Variance Reporting: A Field Study

Using a field study approach, we examine two competing perspectives on direct labor variance reporting: some argue that direct labor variance reporting is costly and cumbersome, and should be eliminated; whereas others contend that without direct labor variance information, managers will not be able to monitor workers effectively, causing workers to shirk and worker productivity to decline. Specifically, we investigate the productivity and quality impacts of eliminating direct labor variance reporting with panel data containing 36 months of data from seven experimental plants that eliminated direct labor variance reporting and 11 control plants that did not. The experimental plants experienced a significant decline in labor productivity compared to the control plants. Also, the experimental plants showed an improvement in product quality, indicating that workers reallocate their efforts to other tasks as a result of the change in the information set available to evaluate them.     

Imitative innovation and international joint ventures: a dynamic analysis

In this paper we deal with some dynamic issues of international joint venture in the context of a developing country. We provide a rationale for international joint venture formation, as well as its subsequent instability, where instability is interpreted as payoff readjustments between the partners in the venture. Although the joint venture is formed in response to government restrictions on foreign equity holdings in the first period, its subsequent instability is caused by both the change in government policy, as well as the outcome of imitative technological innovation undertaken by the host partner. It is also shown that uncertainty about the government policy in the second period plays an important role in the formation of joint venture in the first period.     

Some order relations between selection and inclusion probabilities for PPSWOR sampling scheme

In this paper we study some order relations between the selection and the inclusion probabilities for PPSWOR Sampling Scheme. We also establish some interesting bounds on the inclusion probabilities in terms of the selection probabilities.     

On the robustness of alternative rankings methodologies: Australian and New Zealand economics departments, 1988 to 2002

Theoretical considerations appear to support the conjecture that stock returns are positively related to growth in the long run. However, the empirical literature does not give unanimous support to the theory. Based on a stochastic general equilibrium model it is argued that the long-run relationship between stock returns and per capita income growth is ambiguous and depends on output volatility. Using a century of data for 20 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries it is shown that the relationship between stock returns and growth is positive over the period 1916–1951, in which output volatility was persistent. Outside this period no relationship between stock returns and growth is found. These findings are consistent with the predictions of the theoretical model.     

Entry-timing,business groups and early-mover advantage within industry merger waves in emerging markets: A study of Indian firms

Merger waves are periods of intense and concentrated merger activity which exhibit a wave-like pattern. Drawing upon the resource-based view, we examine the timing of entry and early-mover advantage within merger waves. Following a robust simulation-based methodology of wave analysis, we identify merger waves in eight industries during the time period 2000–2014. Firms affiliated to business groups were found to be early movers. A higher degree of internationalization is also associated with early movement of a firm. Within business groups, their multi-entity character is positively associated with early entry whereas their board interlock was negatively related with entry-timing. Further, early moving acquirers reap superior post-acquisition performance, thereby suggesting that early-mover advantages exist within merger waves.     

Output variability and economic growth: The case of Australia

This paper looks at the relationship between output variability and economic growth in Australia using the ARCH-M model. Quarterly data for growth rates of industrial production and of GDP are used for the analyses. However, the growth of GDP does not show any ARCH effects. The variability is found to be significantly negatively related to the growth rate of industrial production. Unlike Caporale and McKiernan (1998), our empirical results do not support Black's (1987) hypothesis, which is that there is a positive relationship between output variability and economic growth. Our results support the Keynesian position. The authors thank the anonymous referee for helpful comments on an earlier draft of the paper.     

An econometric analysis of skewed productivity outcomes

An econometric model is developed to help explain uncertain yields from processes that generate inherently skewed outcomes. The yield is modeled as the interaction of potential and effort functions, where potential represents maximum yield that would be observed if the effort was infinite. The potential function is determined by some endogenous factors, and the effort function is determined by an exogenous input and allows for increasing and decreasing marginal returns to effort. A non-linear model incorporating these features is theoretically derived and empirically tested using data on outcomes from sales-tax audits. The results document the superiority of this model in capturing the underlying relationships, and provide a better out-of-sample fit to the data compared to two OLS models. The proposed model can be applied in various business and non-business settings.     

Reverse Psychology Marketing — Konsequent falsch und doch richtig

Um sich von Konkurrenten abzugrenzen und die Aufmerksamkeit der Konsumenten auf sich zu ziehen, sind innovative Marketingkonzepte und -ans?tze gefragt. Viele dieser neuen Ans?tze k?nnen unter dem Begriff „Reverse Psychology Marketing“ subsumiert werden, das bei konsistenter Umsetzung die Wirksamkeit von Marketingma?nahmen erh?hen kann.     

The Spatial Distribution of Tourism in China: Trends and Impacts

Economic inequality in China has increased since China began its economic reforms in 1978. Economic activity has become increasingly more skewed towards China's coastal areas and overall regional economic inequality has increased with economic growth in China. The paper utilizes statistical data over two decades, and tracks the growing regional inequality in terms of economic and tourism development. It confirms the concern that along with phenomenal growth of inbound tourism to China, considerable regional inequality has arisen in tourism in China. There is significant spatial inequality in the distribution of inbound tourism in China and its economic characteristics. International tourism in China is heavily concentrated in the coastal areas. This paper attempts to identify trends in the regional concentration of international tourism in China from 1986 to 2004. Gini coefficients for major tourist indicators are applied to test the characteristics of tourism distribution.     

Mobilizing grassroots’ technological innovations and traditional knowledge, values and institutions: articulating social and ethical capital

The Honey Bee Network has helped provide a sort of loose platform to converge creative, but uncoordinated individuals across not only Indian states having varying cultural, linguistic and social ethos, but also in 75 other countries around the world. What the Network is trying to do in a rather quiet manner may transform the way the resources—in which poor people are rich—are used in the future. These resources are their knowledge, innovations and sustainable practices.I first argue that the classical concept of social capital does not distinguish between the trust in society created for social good versus social ‘bad’. For instance, the trust among members of the mafia and other socially undesirable networks does not constitute social capital. I am also trying to emphasize that part of social trust which is guided by higher ethical values which may not have become social norms as yet. This is being characterized as ethical capital. Finally, I conclude that the Honey Bee Network has tried to articulate the social and the ethical capital of society at the grassroots to demonstrate how local individuals and communities are trying to solve local problems without any outside help.