Decision-making in sequential projects: expected time-to-build and probability of failure

The main purpose of this paper is to account for the two most basic options in the context of a sequential investment project, the option to adjust investment speed and the exit option. Current models of sequential investment ignore the role of a minimal investment rate that must be sustained as long as the project is not abandoned. In most real projects, a positive minimal investment rate provides an incentive for (irreversible) exit from the project. On the other hand, the minimal investment rate still leaves room for adjustment of the investment speed. Therefore, models with realistic (non-extreme) assumptions about the minimal investment should account for both, the exit option and the option to adjust investment speed. In this paper we set up the equations for this dual-option scenario in a continuous (PDE) framework. The resulting model is characterized by the presence of two thresholds describing the optimal decision-making. We provide a robust numerical procedure for the determination of both thresholds. Our analysis reveals that the minimal investment rate creates an endogenous incentive for fast completion that complements the corresponding exogenous incentives. This ??incentive-enhancement effect?? of the minimal investment rate is reflected by the fundamental statistical characteristics of the sequential project. As a direct consequence of this effect, an increase of the minimal investment rate will always lead to a reduction of the expected time-to-build. Another, striking consequence is that the minimal investment rate can also have a positive effect on the probability of failure (default-risk). This effect occurs under the condition of a low exogenous incentive for fast completion, represented e.g. by poor market expectations for the product to be developed.     

The impact of brand authenticity on brand trust and SME growth: A CEO perspective

This article investigates the linkages between brand authenticity, brand trust, and SME growth from a CEO perspective. Brand authenticity is operationalized as consisting of three factors: brand consistency, brand customer orientation, and brand congruency. The hypotheses derived in this paper will be tested with new measures and data from 285 German SMEs using structural equation modeling. The results confirm that brand consistency and congruency foster brand trust, which in turn drives SME growth.     

Internationalization strategies of EU and Asia–Pacific low fare airlines

We employ Dunning’s eclectic paradigm (OLI) to shed light onto low fare airlines’ internationalization strategies. In addition to 31 European low fare airlines, we also analyze the internationalization strategies of 41 low cost carriers in the Asia–Pacific region. The results indicate that homogenous groups of such airlines emerge with regard to their internationalization strategies and that capital and ownership structure as well as relative timing is especially closely related to low fare airline’s entry modal choice. We discuss inferences for the use of the OLI paradigm in further studies of airline internationalization.     

Do Information Rents in Loan Spreads Persist over the Business Cycles?

In this paper, we seek empirical evidence for information rents in loan spreads by analyzing a sample of UK syndicated loan contracts for the period from 1996 to 2005. We use various measures for borrower opaqueness and control for bank, borrower and loan characteristics and we find that undercapitalized banks charge approximately 34 bps higher loan spreads for loans to opaque borrowers. We further analyze whether this effect persists throughout the business cycle and find that this effect prevails only during recessions. However, we do not find evidence that banks exploit their information monopolies during expansion phases.     

Interne Märkte im Versicherungsvertrieb – Konzeptionelle Überlegungen zu einem aktuellen Themenfeld

Societal and technological developments (i.e. expansion of the use of the Internet) continue to challenge insurance product distribution. These trends have lately given rise to a stronger market orientation in sales controlling and management. This paper discusses these trends and develops a conceptual framework for evaluating the advantages and disadvantages that follow from the implementation of so-called internal markets. The analysis concludes that a stronger market orientation is not only relevant for business units close to the sales force, but may also increase pressure on the insurance company as a whole to improve its customer orientation. The same holds with respect to innovative products and the efficient use of available resources.     

How to communicate sustainable tourism products to customers: results from a choice experiment

This multiphase and empirical study explores the best communication style for reaching different international tourism markets and provides an understanding of how purchase decisions could be better influenced in travel brochures. A pre-test experiment evaluated the perceived emotionality and rationality of communication elements in a fictional travel brochure designed for a typical beach holiday but managed according to sustainability principles. In phase two, a choice experiment was conducted to test how Swiss, German, British and US travellers could be influenced by varying visual and textual communication elements in the fictional brochure (based on Mexico for US respondents and Menorca for all others). The choice experiment produced 3006 responses from an online survey in the four countries. Results confirm a general preference for emotionally laden communication styles for sustainable tourism products, while respondents were indifferent to the emotionality of standard product feature communications. Respondents did not show a preference for the inclusion of a graph explaining the product's sustainability attributes.     

Contemporary Accounting Research: A Retrospective between 1984 and 2021 using Bibliometric Analysis*

This study critically evaluates research published by Contemporary Accounting Research (CAR) between 1984 and 2021 using bibliometric analysis. We examine the following: (i) CAR's publication quality and the factors associated with its citations and (ii) CAR's scope regarding research diversity, methods, authors geographical dispersion, and collaborative networks. The methodology permits observation of finer collaboration details and research patterns not apparent by simply categorizing the data. We use tools such as performance analysis, coauthorship analysis, bibliographic coupling, and regression analysis. The bibliometric analysis shows improvement in CAR's CiteScore and source-normalized impact per paper over time, consistent with publishing high-quality research. Our analysis reveals that authors' geographical affiliations, research subject areas, and research methods are not systematically associated with citations across our various subsamples. A notable exception is that research on audit topics generates more citations than studies examining financial accounting topics. Other factors significantly and positively associated with citations include article age, article length, number of authors, order of author names, and number of references. We also show that CAR has become more diverse regarding author affiliations, subject areas, and research methods than most leading accounting journals. Only Accounting, Organizations and Society emerges as more diverse, thereby serving as a benchmark for CAR in the future. CAR should consider focusing on high-interest areas to boost citations and tightening its acceptance criteria.     

Location Choice and Employment Decisions: A Comparison of German and Swedish Multinationals

Using data on German and Swedish multinational enterprises (MNEs), this paper analyzes determinants of location choice and the degree of substitutability of labor across locations. Countries with highly skilled labor strongly attract German but not necessarily Swedish MNEs. In MNEs from either country, affiliate employment tends to substitute for employment at the parent firm. At the margin, substitutability is the strongest with respect to affiliate employment in Western Europe. A one percent larger wage gap between Germany and locations in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is associated with 760 fewer jobs at German parents and 4,620 more jobs at affiliates in CEE. A one percent larger wage gap between Sweden and CEE is associated with 140 fewer jobs at Swedish parents and 260 more jobs at affiliates in CEE. JEL no. F21, F23, J21, J23     

Price and Volume Effects Associated with 2003’s Major Reorganization of German Stock Indices

This paper investigates whether the announcement and/or the implementation of the major changes in March 2003 to the German stock index landscape led to significant price and volume effects. We examine five stock subgroups that were either removed from their former indices or that were added to existing or newly constructed indices. Around the announcement date, stocks in these groups are subject to (cumulative) positive average abnormal marketadjusted returns, whereas the average trading volume tends to decrease. Around the actual change date, (cumulative) abnormal returns are mainly positive, while findings on abnormal transaction volumes are fairly heterogeneous. Our empirical results are not supported by any of the prevailing theoretical explanations of market reactions to index changes, but, as an important result, all findings depend crucially on the chosen benchmark model.The authors are grateful to two anonymous referees for insightful comments and suggestions and for helpful discussions with Stephan Schmidt-Tank. They would like to thank Fabian Zettler for his assistance in collecting the data.