Firms Responses to Effluent Regulations: Pulp and Paper in Ontario, 1985-1989

This paper explores the effects of effluent regulatory activity in the Ontarian pulp and paper industry. The model uses instrumental variables to distinguish between that correlation between emission limits and emissions coming from regulatory capture and that coming from true influence on the part of the regulator. Results suggest that total suspended solids (TSS) limits were more effective than biological oxygen demand (BOD) limits. Firm responses to TSS limits were in part through modulating output and these responses lowered emissions. In contrast, firms reported investing in abatement technology in response to BOD limits, but these investments had no discernible impact on emissions.     

The Practice of Financial Risk Management: An International Comparison

The objective of this article is to simultaneously survey the practice of risk management of large United Kingdom, United States, and Asia Pacific multinational companies (MNCs). We investigate whether risk management practices vary internationally. From 179 (30%) usable responses we find a number of interregional differences in the organization of risk management; a greater emphasis on decentralized structures in the Asia Pacific and less formal board control over risk management in U.S. MNCs. In terms of the tools of risk management there were differences internationally in the concerns in choosing derivatives, driven to some extent by differences in the accounting treatment internationally. In general, the size, degree of internationalization and industry sector of the respondent MNCs could not explain these regional differences. However, there was little variation in the methods of forecasting exchange rates and the majority of MNCs in all regions use a centralized risk management system. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The Politics of Tourism in Myanmar

The relationship between politics and tourism is complex and multi-faceted, and a subject which is assuming a higher priority in the research literature. This article examines the politics of tourism in Myanmar where tourism has been shaped by internal and external political forces while also becoming a highly visible and contested political issue. The political background and its effect on Myanmar's tourism are explained and the standpoints of the principal groups involved are discussed, with particular attention given to that of the government and its policies. Reference is also made to demands for a boycott and the ensuing debate about its value. The various parties are seen to interpret and make use of tourism as a political tool in contrasting ways which reflect their own interests and agendas. Finally, some general conclusions are presented about the linkages connecting the central concepts under review and the need to consider tourism within the framework of prevailing national and international political systems in order to fully appreciate its significance.     

Spanish Imports of Manufactures and the European Union: An Empirical Assessment of the Entry

This paper investigates the consequences of Spain's accession to the European Union on its imports of manufactures. To that end the realised shares of GDP and the supplies of Spain's main trading partners in the transition period 1986–1992 are compared with the shares that are predicted by means of a model that is estimated using data that relate to the pre-integration period.     

Understanding the Strength of Gentleness: Soft-Skilled Leadership on the Rise

This paper focuses on the topic of “soft skills” as an intrinsic part of successful leadership. The first part of the paper presents a literature review about the shift in perspective in recent years on what matters in leadership, and the significant changes this prompted in some areas of education and corporate recruitment. In the second part, the findings of a year round study conducted among Los Angeles based workforce members in an MBA program are presented. By utilizing a multi-method approach, consisting of a survey model with three open ended, interview style questions, and data analysis in phenomenological trend, a number of interesting findings emerged, supporting the literature reviewed, that soft leadership skills, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, are steadily on the rise, and that greater attention should be apportioned to strengthen these skills in future leaders.     

Tourism in Dubai: overcoming barriers to destination development

The Middle East as a whole attracts comparatively few visitors, and political events in the current century have generated new uncertainties and tensions which seem likely to further discourage tourists and investors. Additional barriers relate to poor accessibility, a perceived lack of conventional attractions and limited promotion. Despite these apparently unfavourable circumstances, international tourism has been adopted by the Dubai authorities as a core element in a programme of economic diversification. They have invested heavily in expensive facilities, as well as undertaken extensive marketing, and the outcome has been strong growth in tourism. There are great expectations of the future, reflected in the setting of very high arrival targets. However, there are also several constraints that might inhibit progress, with a need to review strategies. The experience of Dubai thus serves to illustrate factors that are critical to destination development, major impediments and approaches to overcoming these. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley &Sons, Ltd.     

Social interactions and the contemporaneous determinants of individuals’ weight

Obesity and overweight are central issues in the public health debate in most developed countries. In this debate, some of the socio-economic determinants of obesity and overweight are still relatively unexplored. This paper presents an empirical examination of the possible influence of social interactions on contemporaneous obesity and (over)underweight. A joint estimation model for obesity and self-image is applied to a sample for Spain taken from the European Union household panel for 1998. The results suggest that obesity might be in part a social phenomenon connected to individuals’ social life.