Henry George and Comparable Worth: Hypothetical Markets as a Stimulus for Reforming the Labor Market

Abstract . Despite significant improvements in the status of women, a significant gap between the wages of males and females persists. Women's work is not paid according to its comparable worth. Henry George, the 19th century economist and social philosopher, advocated payment according to contribution to production in a freely competitive labor market. The present is an exploitative one distorted by employers’market power, offering no free choice among alternative occupations. When women can prove, as they do, that sex discrimination has played some part in their historically lower compensation rate, the market is shown to be not fair and efficient. Hence non-market decision making is demanded through vigorous and unrelenting prosecution enforcing the equal pay statute of 1964.     

A slant on cloning

Human cloning may be the most difficult moral dilemma posed by science since splitting of the atom. But recent stories in The New York Times suggest the ethical debate is all but over. Now, along comes Dr. Seed.     

Life-insurance Efficiency in China： A Comparison of Foreign and Domestic Firms

The Chinese life-insurance industry has experienced major structural changes in recent years, primarily because of increasing demand and the entry of foreign insurers. Although the market is clearly booming, the efficiency of its growth and development is unclear. In this paper, we evaluate the efficiency of life insurers operating in China and compare foreign firms with domestic firms. We find that foreign insurers have not brought efficiency into the Chinese market, and that the market is still dominated by domestic giants. However, the gap between foreign insurers and domestic insurers is narrowing. After testing hypotheses regarding scale economy, technical progress andpotential improvements, we discuss several issues＇ of importance to life insurers, market investors and government regulators.     

The Globalization of Business Schools: Curriculum and Pedagogical Issues

In this article we explore the connection between learning goals, cognitive skill development, and pedagogical strategies. We identify cognitive skills that are important to students of international business, and link them to the pedagogical strategies that support them. The characteristics that impact the effectiveness of international business pedagogy are described. Finally, three university programs are used to illustrate the connection between explicit learning goals, pedagogy, and cognitive skill development.     

Factors influencing successful buyer–seller relationships

Previous research has identified factors that influence buyer–seller relationships. Despite the importance of understanding how these factors influence buyer–seller relationships, the relative importance of these factors are has not been empirically determined. The purpose of this research is to identify what factors are of the greatest overall importance to buyer–seller relationships and to identify what factors are of the greatest importance in each stage of buyer–seller relationships. The results of this research have important implications for managers of both buying and selling firms. By understanding the factors that are most important at each stage, managers can focus their efforts on these elements in order to foster successful buyer–seller relationships.     

Deciphering the Motives for Equity Carve-Outs

I analyze 181 equity carve‐outs to determine whether the transactions are motivated by potential efficiency improvements or by an opportunity to sell overvalued equity. Carve‐out operating performance peaks at issue, declining significantly thereafter. Parents sell a greater percentage of shares when subsequent performance is poor. A negative relation also exists between long‐term excess returns and the percentage of shares sold. If subsequent performance is correlated with the degree to which parent managers believe carve‐out subsidiaries are over‐ or undervalued, results imply that many carve‐outs are conducted, not to improve efficiency, but to sell potentially overvalued equity.     

WHAT IS “INSURANCE”? LESSONS FROM THE CAPTIVE INSURANCE TAX CONTROVERSY

Abstract: Over the past 30 years, the tax treatment of insurance premiums paid to captive (i.e., subsidiary) insurance companies has generated considerable controversy and litigation. In this article, we propose a new definition of insurance that is motivated by a careful analysis of the issues raised in the captive insurance tax controversy. Emphasizing the fundamental roles played by market forces and the efficiency of risk transfers, this new definition both broadens and refines traditional definitions of insurance.     

What Is the Cost of Financial Flexibility? Theory and Evidence for Make‐Whole Call Provisions

Firms commonly incorporate make-whole call provisions in their newly issued debt, presumably to improve their ability to retire debt early if circumstances require. In return for increased financial flexibility, firms must compensate bondholders with additional (incremental) yield. To estimate theoretical incremental yields, we use and calibrate a structural model for a large sample of callable and noncallable US corporate bonds issued between 1995 and 2004. In a frictionless model where calls occur only when they are in-the-money, theoretical incremental yields average approximately 2 basis points (bp). In an extended model that incorporates taxes, transactions costs, and randomly occurring exogenous events requiring early bond retirement, incremental yields average approximately 5 bp. Empirical analysis, however, indicates that observed incremental yields are significantly greater than model-generated values, averaging between 13 and 24 bp. In the later years of our sample period, however, observed incremental yields begin to converge to model-generated values.