The Effect of Behaviour Monitoring and Uncertainty on the Use of Performance-Contingent Compensation

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of control system characteristics and perceived environmental uncertainty on the relative use of performance-contingent compensation. The results, based on a survey of division managers, indicate that monitoring ability is negatively associated with the use of performance- contingent compensation. In addition, monitoring is found to moderate the relationship between uncertainty and compensation system design. Whereas in non-monitoring firms, higher levels of uncertainty are associated with increased use of performance-contingent compensation, in monitoring firms, higher levels of uncertainty are associated with decreased use of performance-contingent compensation. These results support agency theory arguments that compensation structure is determined at least in part by concerns for economic efficiency.     

Dichotomous choice contingent valuation probability distributions

Parametric distributions applied to dichotomous choice contingent valuation data invoke assumptions about the distribution of willingness to pay that may contravene economic theory. This article develops and applies distributions that allow the shape of bid distributions to vary. Alternative distributions provide little, if any, improvement in statistical fit from commonly used distributions. While median willingness to pay is largely invariant to distribution, estimates of mean consumer surplus diverge widely. Sensitivity analysis to determine benefit measure response to distributional assumptions is essential to prevent erroneous policy advice from applied dichotomous choice research.     

Dynamic Relationship among Intraday Realized Volatility,Volume and Number of Trades

In this paper, the vector autoregressive model is fitted to find out the causal relationship among realized volatility, the number of transactions and volume with the intraday time intervals of 10, 20 and 30 min. To understand the impact of shock to the market on specific variables, a multivariate Impulse Response Function analysis is also introduced to visualize the causal relationship among the variables. From the analysis of a stock listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, we find that realized volatility reacts positively to the lagged average trade size. However, the realized volatility forms a negative relationship with the first few lagged number of trades. As a result, the intraday causal relationship among realized volatility, volume and the number of trades is quite different from that obtained on a daily basis. The findings of this paper can enhance the understanding of how the number of trades and the average trade size per transaction affect the risk evolution of financial securities and thus improve the risk management of day trading strategies.     

Trends in Western Canada's Potato Industry

The potato industry in Western Canada is expanding as it becomes part of the continental market which is developing in response to NAFTA initiatives. Two segments of the industry have been responsible for most of this growth – seed potatoes and frozen french fries. Climatic conditions and relative isolation combine to make Western Canadian seed potatoes competitive in the US market. Transnational potato processing firms, seeking to diversify their sources of supply, have been expanding or extending operations to Western Canada. The availability of additional irrigated land will be a crucial determinant of future expansion of the industry in Western Canada. Le secteur de la production de la pomme de terre de l'Ouest du Canada prend de l'expansion grâce au marché continental qui se développe dans la foulée de l'ALÉNA. Deux segments du secteur sont à l'origine d'une bonne partie de cette croissance - les pommesfrites surgelées et les pommes de terre de semence. Les conditions climatiques ainsi que l'isolement relatif contribuent à rendre les pommes de terre de semence de l'Ouest canadien concurrentielles sur le marché américain. Les entreprises transnational de transformation de la pomme de terre qui cherchent à diversifier leurs sources d'approvisionnement ont également pris racine dans l'Ouest canadien. L'expansion du secteur de production de la pomme de terre dans ce coin du pays dépendra dans une large mesure de la disponibilité d'une plus grande superficie de terres irriguées.     

A TEST FOR PRICE INTEGRATION IN THE EC LAMB MARKET

The purpose of this paper is to test for price integration in the British-French markets for lamb in the period after the introduction of the EC sheepmeat regime in 1980. A Holmes-Hutton rank order procedure is used to determine if price changes in one market cause price changes in the other market and thus define an integrated market. Using weekly price data for the period 1983-86, the results indicate that the British-French lamb markets are integrated in that a price change in one market is fully reflected in price changes in the other. However, there is considerable lag time in response to price changes. This may be attributed to less than perfect substitution between the British and French product, to the ex post nature of the clawback provision that existed in the British price support system during the period of analysis, and to informal trade barriers.     

Does workload and institutional pressure on accounting educators affect academia at Australian universities?

This paper examines accounting academics’ perceptions as to whether institutional pressure has increased in the previous 5–10 years subsequent to changes in the higher education environment, encouraging universities to adopt private sector managerialism. Results from 87 respondents indicated that workload pressures have increased and they experienced pressure to perform acts related to a student-as-customer model, which have negatively affected their well-being and work quality. The majority are not actively seeking to leave academia, but believe it is not a good time for others to aspire to such a career. This paper contributes to the debate about the sustainability of accounting academia at Australian universities.     

The migration of gymnastics coaches from the Former Soviet Union to New Zealand: an actor–network theory perspective

This article uses actor–network theory (ANT) to examine factors that influenced highly skilled gymnastics coaches from the gymnastics stronghold of the Former Soviet Union to migrate to the geographically and culturally distant nation of New Zealand. Our research diverges from the emphasis on the professional sports labour market that has dominated sports migration research and extends upon the network-orientated approaches that have recently been utilised in sport. The article is informed by the stories of 10 migrant gymnastics coaches obtained through qualitative interviews. We demonstrate how the ANT approach helps reveal how multiple micro- and macro-factors assembled together to motivate and facilitate the coaches’ migration. While economic factors can be identified, we draw attention to a unique facet that has received little previous attention in the sports migration literature: the non-human. We show how the coaches’ migration was facilitated by non-humans such as a disease, Skype, leotards and work visas and that these non-humans played a role in enabling or disrupting migration.     

Individual adoption of HR analytics: a fine grained view of the early stages leading to adoption

Abstract

High performing organizations are using analytics for evidence-based decision-making. However, the human resource (HR) function in many organizations has been slow to adopt this innovation. This study applies innovation theory, informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), to examine the individual’s decision to adopt HR Analytics in an effort to identify why the adoption rate is lagging. We examined early stages of the individual decision process beginning from Stage 1 (knowledge) and leading to Stage 3, (the decision) to adopt or not to adopt the innovation. We found several points in the process that can act as barriers or facilitators. Organizations and champions of this innovation wishing to facilitate HR analytics adoption can take action to remove as many of these barriers to the individual’s decision as possible. Further research should focus on the best way to remove these barriers.