Monetary policy in steering the EONIA and POLONIA rates in the Eurosystem and Poland: a comparative analysis

The effectiveness of the monetary policies of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Narodowy Bank Polski (NBP) is compared directly in terms of influencing the spread between the interbank overnight rate and the main rates of the central banks during periods of different economic conditions, i.e. the global financial crisis of 2008, the European sovereign debt crisis and the period of relative stability. Three categories of determinants of the Euro Overnight Index Average/Polish Overnight Index Average (EONIA/POLONIA) spreads are considered: (1) monetary policy instruments such as open market operations, standing facilities and minimum reserve requirements; (2) measures of liquidity conditions; and (3) market expectations and risk measures. Applying the ARFIMA–GARCH models, we show that the statistical and economic properties of the EONIA and POLONIA spreads are quite different. The EONIA spread has a long memory while the POLONIA spread is characterized by a short memory. This difference is important from the viewpoint of a stabilizing monetary policy. The impact of shocks on the future levels of the spread was stronger for the POLONIA spread, but it was short-lived in comparison with the EONIA spread. Most of the analysed variables significantly influenced the spreads during the financial crisis, while the biggest differences in the impact of determinants between the EONIA and POLONIA spreads occurred during the period of relative stability. Substantial differences also exist between the volatilities of both spreads.     

A proposition of generalized stochastic Milevsky–Promislov mortality models

The aim of this article is to propose a new approach to the estimation of the mortality rates based on two extended Milevsky and Promislov models: the first one with colored excitations modeled by Gaussian linear filters and the second one with excitations modeled by a continuous non-Gaussian process. The exact analytical formulas for theoretical mortality rates based on Gaussian linear scalar filter models have been derived. The theoretical values obtained in both cases were compared with theoretical mortality rates based on a classical Lee–Carter model, and verified on the basis of empirical Polish mortality data. The obtained results confirm the usefulness of the switched model based on the continuous non-Gaussian process for modeling mortality rates.     

Towards an accessible hotel: a case study of Scandic

This paper focuses on the issue of hotel accessibility and offers a case study of Scandic. Drawing on a qualitative-cum-quantitative methodology, it argues for a holistic approach to the idea of an accessible hotel. Specifically, it is based on semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey conducted among elderly and disabled guests. Accordingly, it underscores not only the importance of a corporate social responsibility (CSR)-centred organizational culture and employee extra-role behaviours, but also of customer satisfaction, loyalty and trust. This paper proposes an original and evidence-based conceptualization of hotel accessibility and offers several practical recommendations intending to turn hotels into truly accessible facilities.     

On the mechanisms of achieving fiscal (un)sustainability: the case of Poland

Aim of this paper is to assess empirically the sustainability of budgetary policy in Poland in years 1992–2006. Our results show that structural surplus did respond to fiscal shocks in a way that stabilizes debt. However, the debt-stabilizing mechanism relied entirely on the revenue side, while the expenditures moved independently from debt and in a way that is close to non-stationarity. Given numerous bounds on increasing fiscal revenues, such an asymmetric mechanism of ensuring sustainability of Polish public finances is likely to fail if pressure on increasing public expenditures remains high over prolonged periods.     

Consumer debt attitudes: The role of gender,debt knowledge and skills

The link between financial attitudes and consumer financial market behaviour is well documented. However, little is known about the role of financial knowledge and skills—the main components of the financial literacy construct—in shaping debt attitudes. This link is especially absent from the gender perspective. This study focuses on consumer debt literacy and debt attitudes. A representative sample of adult Poles (N = 1,004) was participated in a computer‐assisted telephone interview. Latent class analysis was employed to reveal their debt attitudes, and subsequently, links between debt literacy and debt attitudes were studied with multinomial regression models. The results show that respondents in Poland can be grouped into five classes exhibiting different attitude profiles. The structure of debt attitudes is complex and differs from a simple unidimensional pro‐debt/ anti‐debt construct. Although this study did not find significant gender differences either in the conceptualization of debt attitudes or in their drivers, the results showed that in all but one class, consumer attitudes are strongly linked to either debt knowledge or debt skills or to both. Debt skills were revealed to be a particularly strong predictor of consumer debt attitudes.     

In Search of an Appropriate Lower Bound. The Zero Lower Bound vs. the Positive Lower Bound under Discretion and Commitment

Using a standard New Keynesian model, we show that moderate side effects of zero lower bound (ZLB) policy suffice for positive lower bound (PLB) policy to pay off in terms of welfare, especially when central banks fail to commit. For given side effects of the ZLB, as the shock that makes the ZLB bind becomes larger and more persistent, the dominance of PLB policy over ZLB policy becomes more likely. The findings hold for flexible and rigid economies with both fast and slow potential output growth and low and high inflation targets.     

Psychopathic traits of corporate leadership as predictors of future stock returns

This paper examines whether it is possible to forecast 1‐year‐ahead returns of individual companies based on the observed ‘psychopathic’ characteristics of their top management team. We find that language characteristic of psychopaths present in annual report narratives, questionable integrity, excessive risk‐taking, and failure to contribute to charitable undertakings tend to reduce future shareholder wealth. These findings imply that firms could benefit from incorporating psychological evaluation in their recruitment processes, especially when seeking to fill senior management posts. While the return predictability described in this paper supports the upper echelons perspective, it simultaneously challenges the notion of informationally efficient stock prices.     

Some approximations of n-copulas

We consider several approximations to n-copulas: the checkmin, checkerboard, Bernstein, and shuffle of min approximations. The checkerboard, Bernstein, and shuffle of min approximations have been studied in the n = 2 case. We investigate these constructions in arbitrary finite dimensions and consider some of the ways in which they converge or fail to converge to the original copula.