Strategic Mutual Learning Between Producing and Buying Firms During Product Innovation

The product innovation activities and strategies employed by successful innovators often differ from those used by firms having more mature products. Marketing strategies for innovating firms can vary along two dimensions of knowledge: technological development (stable and evolving) and market needs (known and emerging). In addition, producers often commit to forms of strategic relationships with their buyers because of the difficulties encountered when buying firms adopt and implement technological innovations. Starting with these two orienting constructs from the literature, Patricia Meyers and Gerard Athaide describe the kinds of learning that develop between producers and buyers when markets for a technological innovation are forming.     

A cost comparison of hand hygiene regimens

The cost and quality of two hand hygiene regimens were compared. A waterless alcohol-based rub was significantly less costly than traditional handwashing because of reduced time required, and was associated with significantly better quality.     

Linking management selection and development through stretch assignments

This article provides a framework and suggests strategies for incorporating management development considerations into selection processes. Components of developmental jobs which were derived from studies of on-the-job learning are described first. How various managerial jobs differ in terms of developmental components and learning outcomes is illustrated with data from the Developmental Challenge Profile. Next, how the developmental challenge framework can be used in a selection context to assess the type and degree of “stretch” a job candidate might experience in an assignment is examined. Additional issues to consider in providing developmental assignments to individuals and in enhancing the development emphasis of succession planning systems are discussed. © 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A model for economic analysis

The production process model is proposed as a way to guide economic evaluation of health care projects, programs, technology, or research. The model is illustrated with data from the development of a home care computer intervention.     

The Differential Persistence of Accruals and Cash Flows for Future Operating Income versus Future Profitability

Prior research provides evidence that a higher proportion of accrued relative to cash earnings is associated with lower earnings performance in the subsequent fiscal year. The result has been widely interpreted as indicative of higher levels of operating accruals relative to cash flows foreshadowing a subsequent earnings reversal, and thus signaling earnings management. We note, however, that earnings performance in prior studies is typically defined as one-year-ahead operating income divided by one-year-ahead invested capital, or a measure of profitability. We find that accruals are more highly associated than cash flows with invested capital in the denominator of the profitability measure. In contrast, accruals and cash flows have no differential relation to one-year-ahead operating income. The evidence is not consistent with accruals having a reversal effect on earnings. This suggests that the lower persistence of accruals versus cash flows may not be due to earnings management but may rather be due to the effect of growth on future profitability.     

The Effect of Context on Moral Intensity of Ethical Issues: Revising Jones's Issue-Contingent Model

Jones's (1991) issue-contingent model of ethical decision making posits that six dimensions of moral intensity influence decision makers' recognition of an issue as a moral problem and subsequent behavior. He notes that "organizational settings present special challenges to moral agents" (1991, p. 390) and that organizational factors affect "moral decision making and behavior at two points: establishing moral intent and engaging in moral behavior" (1991, p. 391). This model, however, minimizes both the impact of organizational setting and organizational factors on these experiences of ethical issues. In this theory, context is modeled as affecting the moral intent and behavior of the actor rather than directly affecting the issue's moral intensity. Here we look specifically at the effect of context on the moral intensity of ethical issues through a phenomenological study. Our results indicate that in certain environments, context may be critical in affecting the moral intensity of ethical issues. Thus, researchers should consider it more fully when assessing these issues' moral intensity.     

Divergent Environmental Regulations and Trade Liberalization

The market and nonmarket consequences of environmental regulations and of trade liberalization under different regulatory regimes are explored in the context of the NAFTA through simulation modeling of the North American sheep and lamb markets. Producers are able to shift much of the cost of regulation to domestic and foreign consumers and thus gain from regulation. In the cases investigated, nonmarket effects are unlikely to reverse the sign of market gains or losses, and "level playing field" regulations may or may not be preferred.     

Gender-Related Differences in Ethical and Social Values of Business Students: Implications for Management

This study investigated gender-related differences in ethical attitudes of 318 graduate and undergraduate business students. Significant differences were observed in male and female responses to questions concerning ethics in social and personal relationships. No differences were noted for survey items concerning rules-based obligations. Implications for future management are discussed.