An Efficient Pursuit? Independent Shopkeeping in 1930s Britain

During the 1930s, the small-scale retailer was regarded by manycommentators as being responsible for the apparent inefficienciesof the retail trade in Britain. Using a range of documentaryevidence from the period, this article draws attention to debateon the merits of large- and small-scale retailers, highlightinga concern for the latter’s contribution to wider communitywell-being and to developments in retail trade practices. Therelative inefficiency of the small trader was frequently explainedin relation to a lack of awareness of sound shop management.Consequently, emphasis was placed by commentators on the needfor small traders to enhance their knowledge of retail managementpractices in order to improve their own competitive positionand efficiency in the retail trade more widely. Both the popularand trade press offered small traders a range of advice thatwas intended to improve their fortunes. This article considersthe form and content of such advice.     

Testing for serial correlation in simultaneous equation models: Some further results

In this paper approximate counterparts of the exact tests earlier proposed by the authors are examined. Type 1 error probabilities and test powers are estimated and compared using Monte Carlo experiments. The effect on the Type 1 error probabilities of the misspecification which results when serial correlation is present elsewhere in the system is also investigated.     

The response of fertility to the expectations of death: implications for the demographic transition

The authors present an economic explanation for the first stage of events often experienced by a society entering the demographic transition, namely, declining death rates coupled with high or rising birth rates. The explanation is based on the response of fertility to the expectation of child death and on a distinction between actual and desired family size     

Embedding CSR Values: The Global Footwear Industry’s Evolving Governance Structure

Many transnational corporations and international organizations have embraced corporate social responsibility (CSR) to address criticisms of working and environmental conditions at subcontractors’ factories. While CSR ‹codes of conduct’ are easy to draft, supplier compliance has been elusive. Even third-party monitoring has proven an incomplete solution. This article proposes that an alteration in the supply chain’s governance, from an arms-length market model to a collaborative partnership, often will be necessary to effectuate CSR. The market model forces contractors to focus on price and delivery as they compete for the lead firm’s business, rendering CSR observance secondary, at best. A collaborative partnership where the lead firm gives select suppliers secure product orders and other benefits removes disincentives and adds incentives for CSR compliance. In time, the suppliers’ CSR habit should shift their business philosophy toward pursuing CSR as an end in itself, regardless of buyer incentives and monitoring. This article examines these hypotheses in the context of the athletic footwear sector with Nike, Inc. and its suppliers as the specific case study. The data collected and conclusions reached offer strategies for advancing CSR beyond the superficial and often ineffectual ‹code of conduct’ stage.     

MEASURING CASH FLOWS BY FARM TYPE*

Data from the records of 68 Ontario farmers indicate significant variarion in levels and seasonality of cash flows among several major types of farms. Hence farm type may be a useful classification for data gathering and analysis of financial position. Major differences in level of borrowing between farm types can be attributed to the relative use of agribusiness credit and to seasonal fluctuations in net cash receipts. Des données prises des enregistrements de 68 exploitants ontariens indiquent ?exploitation parmi plusiers types principals de fermes. Done, le type ?exploitation peut être une classification utile pour la collection de données el pour ?analyse de la position financiére. Des differences importantes de niveau ?emprunt parmi des types ?exploitation peut étre attribuées à?utilisation relative de “crédit agribusiness” ainsi qu'aux fluctuations saisonières des recettes comptants nets.     

The Small Firm in a Quantity Choosing Game: Some Experimental Evidence

We demonstrate with a grim trigger strategy that the small firm should be more willing to collude tacitly as its market share declines; large firms should be less willing to cooperate. The small firm is not a maverick. The intensity of rivalry between two firms with asymmetric market shares is studied in experimental markets. Treatments give duopolists (1) 50% shares, (2) a 60 or 40% share, and (3) an 80 or 20% share. Choices for the small firm in the latter treatments are not significantly larger than the collusive choice. Irrespective of relative size, firms in all three market environments exhibit collusive behavior.     

The Face of the Brand: How Art Directors Understand Visual Brand Identity

This study interviewed 15 art directors to explore their understanding of visual brand identity. Art directors define visual brand identity as the holistic look and feel of a brand, manifest as consistency among the brand, its strategy, and all its individual visual elements, ongoing over time. Art directors search for “ownable” visual elements within the competitive space and rely on examples of previous brand advertising to start ideation. We identified four possible routes that visual brand identity construction can take, corresponding to whether existing visual brand identity is strong or weak, and whether many or few client mandatories are imposed. The interviews also indicated that conflicts with clients may arise because elements that contribute to a brand's visual identity may be selected, in part, based on art directors’ personal taste preferences and felt emotion. Implications for managing visual branding and for future research on brand identity are discussed.     

Alumni Orientation: Development of the Construct

The aim of this article is to conceptualize and empirically examine the constructs that constitute the concept of Alumni Orientation (AO). Using a discovery-oriented approach, conducted by supplementing educational and marketing literatures with in-depth interviews from 22 alumni personnel in six different UK universities, the author identified three second-order formative constructs and three first-order reflective constructs to measure the concept of AO. The study then developed a self-administrated survey to validate the six identified constructs that form AO. Through using rigorous statistical analysis, the study confirms that the measurement instrument for AO is the 48 items that can be validly and reliably measured using the nine multi-item components of: Case for Support; Alumni Database Management; Social Media Management; Financing Event Management; Financing Publication Management; Promoting Best Practices of Event Management; Promoting Best Practices of Publication Management; Intrafunctional Coordination; and Interfunctional Coordination.