Information Externalities,Neighborhood Characteristics and Home Mortgage Pricing and Underwriting

Theories of rational redlining suggest thinness in housing markets should lead to greater uncertainty in house price appraisals, increasing mortgage denial rates or pricing. Empirical tests found support for this theory in mortgage underwriting using 1990s data. Using 2006 data and bank‐specific regression models, we revisit this topic in light of two developments leading to the recent mortgage bubble: the widespread securitization that allowed banks to shift loan risk to investors and the advent of risk‐based pricing. Consistent with expectations, we find that information externalities have become economically very small and have shifted from underwriting to pricing decisions.     

A Typology of Communicative Strategies in Online Privacy Policies: Ethics, Power and Informed Consent

The opaque use of data collection methods on the WWW has given rise to privacy concerns among Internet users. Privacy policies on websites may ease these concerns, if they communicate clearly and unequivocally when, how and for what purpose data are collected, used or shared. This paper examines privacy policies from a linguistic angle to determine whether the language of these documents is adequate for communicating data-handling practices in a manner that enables informed consent on the part of the user. The findings highlight that corporate privacy policies obfuscate, enhance and mitigate unethical data handling practices and use persuasive appeals to increase companies’ trustworthiness. The communicative strategies identified provide starting points for redesigning existing privacy statements with a view to communicating data handling practices in a more transparent and responsible manner, laying the groundwork for informed consent.     

Corporate Environmental Disclosure: Contrasting Management's Perceptions with Reality

This paper's purpose is to assess how management's perceptions regarding certain aspects of environmental reporting relate to the firm's actual reporting strategy. Toward that end, we propose a model where a firm's environmental disclosure is conditional upon executive assessments of corporate concerns. The study relies on a survey that was sent to environmental management executives from European and North American multinational firms enquiring about the determinants of corporate environmental disclosure. Responses from these executives were then contrasted with their firms' actual environmental reporting practices, which was measured using a comprehensive multi-criteria grid. Results show that there is a relationship between environmental managers' attitudes toward various stakeholder groups and how those managers respond to the stakeholders via the decision to disclose and the actual disclosures made. Our model provides a perspective as to how a firm responds to the numerous stakeholders to whom it must be accountable. This accountability in turn relates to how the company communicates its actions to society in order to achieve or maintain its social legitimacy.     

Service quality in restaurant operations in China: Decision- and experiential-oriented perspectives

Using the decision- and experiential-oriented perspectives as theoretical guides, this article reported an empirical assessment of service quality in restaurant operations. We proposed and tested a conceptual model of service quality using structural equation modeling. Using data from a sample of 284 customers from two large full-service restaurants in southern China, we investigated the relationships of service quality, customer satisfaction, and frequency of patronage. The results supported the significant links between service quality and customer satisfaction, service quality and repeat patronage, but not customer satisfaction and repeat patronage. The study has provided important insights into service quality and customer satisfaction in the field of restaurant operations.     

The Ethical Dimensions of Decision Processes of Employees

The influence of stakeholders, organisational commitment, personal values, goals of the organisation and socio-demographic characteristics of individuals on the ethical dimension of behavioural intentions of employees in various organisations are investigated. The research results show that employees working for the public sector or in educational institutions take more ethical aspects into account than employees working in the "private" sector. The influence of stakeholders and organisational commitment do not significantly affect the ethical behaviour of employees, and only some personal values and goals of the organisation have a significant influence on ethical behaviour. The most significant explanatory factor of ethical decision making seems to be what may be called "stage in the career of the employee": "ethical" employees can be described as young, with a relatively low income, limited work experience and a low level of responsibility in the company.     

含分布式发电配电网企业综合效益分析

为了提高电力系统的经济性与安全性,评估接入分布式发电(DG)后电网企业的综合效益成为指导企业决策的主要依据,为日后电网整体规划挑选最优方案提供理论依据。在研究含分布式发电的配电网的综合效益的基础上,从DG接入对系统网损、扩容投资、售电损失、生态环境等综合社会效益方面产生影响出发,分析各个部分相应模型,完善整体综合效益量化模型。以电网企业的整体效益最大化为目标,考虑经济性约束条件,保证DG的合理运行。由算例分析可知,电网企业整体社会收益增加,可实现经济接入并带来利润。既验证了模型的合理性,又为电网企业应季规划电力分配的决策提供数据支持与依据。     

Modeling innovative points of sales through virtual and immersive technologies

This study examines the benefits of virtual and augmented reality for retailing in order to propose a theoretical framework for the development of innovative and efficient stores. The purpose is to investigate the relevance of advanced technologies in the points of sale from user’s standpoint for deeply understanding their influence on consumer’s perception. The study gathers data from 150 respondents for investigating the influence on consumers in terms of ease of use, enjoyment and store perception. To achieve this goal, the research focuses on Structural Equation Model (SEM) approach to map the correlations among variables.The results illustrate consumer’s response towards the introduction of virtual and immersive technologies in traditional points of sales. Specifically, they are prompted to use these stores, which became more attractive and appealing.Managerial and marketing implications are also theoretically discussed, showing how an immersive store might represent the starting point for further advances in retailing.     

Nontradable goods prices and per-caita income: an application to regional Korean data

A system of demand equations (given oligopolistic interdependence amon firms) is derived and estimated for two four-digit SIC code industries to explain firms' R&D behaviour through time. The two industries chosen are the perfume, cosmetic and toiletries (PCT) industry, and the drug industry. The industries chosen belong to the same two-digit SIC code classification called the Cchemical and Allied Products industry but not in the drug industry. The introduction of the R&D tax credit in 1981, however, reduced the tendency to free-ride in both industries.     

Employment change in the 1990s: Findings from a study in Nottingham

The paper reports from a study of employment change from a sample of members of Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce. The main focus is a comparison of the workers who lost their jobs and of the new recruits during the period January 1990 — September 1991. The study produced clear evidence of. the wide scale nature of workforce adjustment, although redundancy was the most important labour shedding method adopted, other methods were used. Manufacturing and service companies surveyed shed “permanent” jobs as well as part-time “flexible” jobs. Although far more jobs were lost than were created, half the surveyed companies did, in fact, recruit staff.     

Reflections on World Futures Studies Federation

The World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF) began as an idea of a few visionary people. It developed with the contribution of different people around the world who thought that looking into the future as a set of alternative paths linked to the choices in the present, was crucial for humankind. Many of these people were well known scientists, writers in different areas, some were already involved in futures studies some became involved during their time in WFSF. This article traces the events through which the Federation developed and was enriched. The vision of the Federation is just as valid today as it was when the Federation started. It can still perform the role of a modest bridge between people who are concerned with building a humane world.