The value of reputation on eBay: A controlled experiment

We conducted the first randomized controlled field experiment of an Internet reputation mechanism. A high-reputation, established eBay dealer sold matched pairs of lots—batches of vintage postcards—under his regular identity and under new seller identities (also operated by him). As predicted, the established identity fared better. The difference in buyers’ willingness-to-pay was 8.1% of the selling price. A subsidiary experiment followed the same format, but compared sales by relatively new sellers with and without negative feedback. Surprisingly, one or two negative feedbacks for our new sellers did not affect buyers’ willingness-to-pay. JEL Classification D82 · L14 · Z13     

意法半导体大手笔重组

2005年初,当Pasquale Pistorio在担任意法半导体公司首席执行官18年之后退休时, Carlo Bozotti接过了这一重任。Pistorio帮助这家法意合资的芯片制造商一跃成为充满平衡感、精妙之处和多样性的全球半导体工业巨人。接替Pistorio将面临极大的困难。现年53岁的Bozotti要面临重建公司增长、削减公司成本和鼓励公司创新营销等接踵而来的重任。简而言之, Bozotti的工作就是重组这家欧洲最大的芯片制造商,使其在比以往更加以消费者市场为导向的半导体行业中抓住更多的机会。     

Gender Mainstreaming and Corporate Social Responsibility: Reporting Workplace Issues

This paper investigates the potential and actual contribution of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to gender equality in a framework of gender mainstreaming (GM). It introduces GM as combining technical systems (monitoring, reporting, evaluating) with political processes (women’s participation in decision-making) and considers the ways in which this is compatible with CSR agendas. It examines the inclusion of gender equality criteria within three related CSR tools: human capital management (HCM) reporting, CSR reporting guidelines, and socially responsible investment (SRI) criteria on employee and diversity issues. Although evidence is found of gender equality information being requested within several CSR related reporting frameworks, these requirements are mostly limited in scope, or remain optional elements. The nature and extent of relevant stakeholder opportunities are investigated to explain this unfulfilled potential.     

Building a clinical ladder for ambulatory care

Finding innovative rewards for nursing service will be integral in meeting the challenges of future shortages of nursing staff. A clinical ladder is one tool worth exploring and perfecting to address those challenges. Exploration of a case study demonstrates a method for developing a clinical ladder. Steps and pitfalls in developing a clinical path are illustrated. Future uses, benefits, and opportunities for clinical ladders are suggested.     

Transport infrastructure investments and competition for FDI

This paper studies how transport infrastructure investments (TIIs) affect a bidding war for a firm between two asymmetric countries within a region in a context of imperfect competition, where TIIs play the role of a global public good, leading to a reduction in the unit trade cost between the two countries. A number of interesting results are derived from the model. In particular, TIIs can intensify fiscal competition between the two countries. Surprisingly, this conventional wisdom seems to be confirmed by this paper for the first time. Welfare implications of the model are also examined.     

Health state utilities associated with caring for an individual with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)

Abstract

Aim

Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma (CTCL) is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized by skin lesions, which can negatively impact the quality of life of both patients and their caregivers. The Decision Support Unit (DSU) at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK recently outlined a rationale for the inclusion of caregiver burden in economic evaluations. This study aimed to estimate utilities for health states associated with being a caregiver for an individual with CTCL at different stages of treatment.     

The walrus, carpenter and oysters: Liberal reform, hypocrisy and expertocracy in Maori land loss in New Zealand 1885–1911

This paper considers the Liberal Governments’ reformist agenda and resultant hypocrisy surrounding wealth confiscation from Maori in New Zealand from 1885 to 1911. Through an analysis of official records, ledger accounts and other historical documents, it shows how the government compulsorily acquired land from Maori and resold it at considerable profit, thus supplying a means of increasing state revenues. Supplementing these revenues were exorbitant survey fees, government commissions from Native Reserves and local government rates in which accounting expertise made it possible to enclose, price and levy charges. The calculative process enabled parliamentarians to argue that given the poor returns to Maori, their assets should be put into the hands of land-selling councils. Maintaining a figurative distance from the mechanism of exploitation, all the while responsible for its enactment, successive Liberal administrations throughout the period made much of past injustices and expressed considerable sympathy for Maori. Maori were largely dispossessed of their land by the end of this period—a period of relative calm where public appeasement and niceties presented a more benign façade to the disproportionately heavy taxation burden on, and ultimate pillage of Maori.     

Risk factors in Australian bond returns

This study examines the risk factors in Australian bond returns. The study quantifies bond liquidity and estimates a liquidity risk factor in the Australian setting. We develop a three‐factor asset pricing framework that uses term, default and liquidity risk factors to explain the variation of Australian bond returns. Our findings corroborate the US evidence on the pervasiveness of these risk factors faced by bond investors. The three‐factor model developed in this study has practical applications when calculating the cost of debt, evaluating the performance of an active bond fund manager and hedging underlying risk in a bond portfolio.     

What Do Central Banks Know about Inflation Factors?

We offer a novel methodology for assessing the quality of central bank monetary policy reports. We evaluate their economic content by comparing verbally reported inflation factors with factors identified from a simple new Keynesian model. Positive correlations indicate that the reported inflation factors were similar to the model-identified ones, marking high-quality inflation reports. Although sample bank reports on average identified inflation factors correctly, the degree of forward-looking reporting varied.