What Wall Street Wants – Exploring the Role of Security Analysts in the Evolution and Spread of Management Concepts

This paper discusses the role of security analysts in the dissemination of popular management concepts, drawing on neo‐institutional and management fashion theory. Focusing on the core competence concept, we investigate whether security analysts swing with the popularity of a management concept or serve as a corrective that secures the rationality of managerial actions. Through our analysis, which uses data for US‐based firms spanning the period 1990–2002, we show that during the 1990s analysts systematically overvalued the future earnings of refocusing firms that incorporated principles derived from the core competence concept. Moreover, we present evidence that their valuations were positively influenced by the popularity of the core competence discourse and exhibited a systematic bias. Our results suggest a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics underlying the popularization processes of management concepts. In addition to the classical bandwagon‐effects discussed in neo‐institutional theory, we argue that the mediating role of security analysts and their impact on stock‐market prices promote the diffusion of new management concepts.     

Tourists' information search: the differential impact of risk and uncertainty avoidance

While studies in and out of tourism contexts have explored risk and/or uncertainty avoidance's impact on information search, few have clarified whether the two constructs impact differentially on information search. To examine this issue, data were collected from large online panels in Australia, China and Japan. The risk and uncertainty avoidance scales were reliable, had convergent and discriminant validity and were invariant across the three country samples. As expected, uncertainty avoidance was positively related to the extent of information search in all three country samples, whereas risk avoidance was not. This suggests that the constructs are distinct and may impact at different stages of decision‐making. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Does a 'shadow workforce' of inactive nurses exist?

The entire population of inactive nurses in Vermont was surveyed to determine if a "shadow workforce" exists. The notion that large numbers of nurses are available to return to work is not supported by this study. Desirable benefits for those wishing to return are discussed.     

Insurer policies create barriers to health care access and consumer choice

A national survey shows that most insurance companies refuse to credential nurse practitioners in nurse-managed health centers as primary care providers. These prohibitive policies along with weak federal and state laws threaten the long-term sustainability of nurse-managed health centers as safety net health care providers, and the ability for nurse practitioners to become an accepted primary health care source in the United States.     

If at First You Don't Succeed: The Effect of the Option to Resolicit on Corporate Takeovers

This article models, and experimentally simulates, the free-riderproblem in a takeover when the raider has the option to "resolicit,"that is, to make a new offer after an offer has been rejected.In theory, the option to resolicit, by lowering offer credibility,increases the dissipative losses associated with free riding.The outcomes of our experiment support this prediction and producelosses from free riding even higher than theoretically predicted.These dissipation losses reduce raider gains to less than 3%of synergy value of the acquisition     

The Productivity Commission Inquiry Report into Mental Health—A Commentary from a Health Economics Perspective

The Productivity Commission's Inquiry Report into Mental Health makes extensive recommendations to improve population mental health as a means of further enhancing productivity and economic growth. While providing an invaluable high‐level vision for reforming current mental health and social systems at a programmatic level, it lacks supporting evidence that would guide implementation of specific recommendations. We discuss important methodological considerations used to measure the output of the mental health sector and present clinical and cost‐effectiveness evidence, supporting selected recommendations. We suggest the development of a broad‐based health technology assessment process to facilitate consistent decision making across health and other government sectors.     

Perceptions and outcomes of a managerial coaching certificate program: Educational leaders vs. business leaders

Educational leaders face unprecedented changes in developing new strategies and processes that improve teacher effectiveness, student performance, and administrators' professional development. Coaching is a way to improve and increase performance. Educators are in a position to take advantage of coaching as used by business leaders all over the world. This study examined the effectiveness of a coaching model designed for managers in a college of business. The study included both educational (n = 5) and business leaders (n = 30). It examined their perceptions and outcomes of their participation. The results strongly support the efficacy of this coaching model.     

The relation between aggressive financial reporting and aggressive tax reporting: Evidence from ex-Arthur Andersen clients

We investigate the economic trade-offs managers face due to conflicting incentives to report high financial statement book income and, at the same time, report low taxable income. Our setting involves Houston clients of Arthur Andersen (AA), who have been shown to exhibit a culture of aggressive financial reporting. Using our sample of AA Houston clients, we test two competing theories: (1) firms which have a culture of aggressive financial reporting are also aggressive in their tax reporting, versus (2) firms which are willing to pay real dollars (taxes) to report higher financial statement earnings. We do not find support for either theory. Instead, our findings suggest a middle-ground: firms may exhibit a culture of aggressive financial reporting without impacting their relative tax reporting. Our findings not only shed light on the intersection of financial and tax reporting, but they also add to the extant literature involving the culture of AA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to investigate the tax ramifications of AA’s culture of aggressive financial reporting.     

Reflections on the Evolving Terrorist Threat to Luxury Hotels: A Case Study on Marriott International

The advent of global terrorist networks represents a challenge to international business (IB) theory. Traditionally conceptualized as a type of political risk experienced by multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in conflictive areas, terrorism has evolved in recent years. The global terrorist networks that dominate the international scene today have different motivations, strategies, tactics, and organizational structures than their secular and ethnic‐separatist predecessors and these differences matter for IB theory and practice. Moreover, these groups have shown themselves adaptive, resilient, and capable of striking targets of strategic and symbolic importance in global business and financial centers. This paper examines the changing nature of the terrorist threat to MNEs and the implications for a sector that has been a target of recent attacks: the luxury hotel industry. Structured as a case study of Marriott International, a leading global hospitality provider, the paper analyzes ways the firm is adapting to the evolving threat and the measures it has introduced to safeguard guests, staff, property, and brand. Implications for IB theory and practice are drawn. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

National burden of road traffic injuries in Argentina

More than 1.2 million people die and as many as 50 million people are injured or disabled due to road traffic injuries (RTIs) every year worldwide. The lack of reliable data hinders efforts to describe the characteristics of the issue and prioritise prevention activities. The objective was to provide a snapshot of fatal and non-fatal RTI in Argentina. We used the methodology proposed by the Global Burden of Disease Injury Expert group. External causes of deaths with unknown codes were proportionately redistributed over the known categories. In 2007 in Argentina, we estimated 5915 RTI deaths, compared with 3983 RTI deaths reported previously by the Ministry of Health, accounting for 1931 additional cases. The highest number of deaths occurred in young men (15-29 years old), although the highest RTI death rates were in the age group of 55 years and older. Four-wheeled vehicle occupants were the most common road user type killed (59.1%); vulnerable road users represented one third (29.5%) of deaths and 64% of non-fatal RTI. The national and regional estimates of RTI in Argentina should help policy makers and public-health researchers to understand the importance of RTI prevention and design specific interventions to further reduce these preventable deaths and injuries.