Appropriateness of accounting data in performance evaluation: An empirical examination of environmental uncertainty as an intervening variable

Rooted in contingency theory, this study puts forth propositions stating (1) that superiors of business units which face higher environmental uncertainty will use a more subjective performance appraisal approach whereas superiors of business units which face lower environmental uncertainty will use a more formula-based performance evaluation approach, and (2) that a stronger fit between environmental uncertainty and performance evaluation style would be associated with higher business unit performance. Findings from 58 business units in eight Fortune 500 firms provide strong support to both sets of these propositions.     

The dot.com retail failures of 2000: Were there any winners?

In the year 2000, several dot.com retailers filed for bankruptcy, shut down their operations, or faced the risk of their stock being delisted on the stock market. But did any dot.com retailer do it right? Were there any winners? If yes, who are these winners? What is the product and firm profile of these winners? What lesson, if any, can be learned from these winners and losers? This article addresses these questions based on a study of 48 dot.com retailers, conducted in December 2000. The study identified 1–800contacts.com as the sole winner, using two performance indicators: percentage change in stock price since the initial public offering and stock options underwater. Based on a proposed conceptual framework of product and firm characteristics, the profile of 1–800contacts.com is compared with the hypothesized winner, Amazon.com, and other dot.com retailers. Implications of the study and limitations and opportunities for future research are discussed.     

Organizing for knowledge flows within MNCs

This paper conceptualizes the multinational corporation (MNC) as a network of knowledge flows and argues that, within the same MNC, subsidiary strategic roles can be expected to differ in terms of the extent and directionality of knowledge flows between a focal subsidiary and the rest of the corporation. Building on this framework, the paper hypothesizes and empirically tests for systematic associations between a subsidiary's knowledge-flow based strategic role and the systems and processes linking the subsidiary to the rest of the corporation. The empirical data, collected from 359 subsidiaries of major US, Japanese, and European MNCs (i) provide strong support to the notion of differentiated knowledge flow roles as well as differentiated systems and processes within MNCs, and (ii) suggest that innovation by foreign subsidiaries is more typically the result of autonomous initiative by the subsidiaries rather than strategic directives issued from corporate headquarters.     

Extending corporate accountability: A survey and framework for analysis

This paper has three objectives: to review the state of the art with regard to the literature on corporate internal audit activities; to report on a research study of recent developments in the scope and organization of the internal audit function in major companies in U.S.A.; and to propose an analytical framework which may be used in future research to describe the scope, procedures and responsibilities of the corporate internal audit function. Although there appears to be some confusion in the extant literature regarding the definition and scope of certain internal audit efforts, this research provides new evidence that major U.S. companies are engaging in unprecedented experiments into the use of auditing as a tool for enforcing management and social accountability. This is a movement away from the traditional financial audit which is frequently assumed to fully circumscribe the internal audit function. The implications for implementing heightened standards of corporate accountability should be of interest to audit committees of boards of directors, corporate management, investors, consumers, and future researchers.     

Modeling the diffusion of public policy innovations among the U.S. States

This paper describes and validates a general model of state diffusion of public policy innovations. The model can be used to identify whether new policies are likely to become fully adopted into the system of states and the time horizon over which this is likely to occur. Limitations and extensions of the model are also concluded.     

An Exploration of the Role Duality Experienced by HR Professionals as Both Implementers and Recipients of HR Practices: Evidence from the Indian Railways

This study provides an innovative perspective on empirically assessing HR by focusing on the duality of HR professionals’ experiences as both implementers and recipients or internal customers of HR practices given that they are also employees of the organization. We hypothesize that HR professionals experience HR practices more favorably from an implementer perspective as compared to an internal customer perspective. These differences in experiences are likely to be influenced by HR professionals’ hierarchical position in the HR department. Our analyses of 1,271 HR professionals employed by Indian Railways revealed a number of differences between the two types of experience. Some practices (recruitment and selection, training, and employee welfare) were viewed more negatively from the implementer perspective, whereas others (compensation, benefits, and employment relations) were rated more negatively from the internal customer perspective. Those holding more senior HR positions reported more positive experiences of training and employment relations from an internal customer perspective. Overall our contributions draw on the attribution theory and concepts of intraorganizational power and voice, and have implications concerning the effectiveness of HR practices. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Kaldorian Disaggregation,Temporary Migration and Domestic Welfare

We build a model with two agents: domestic residents and temporary immigrants. The model incorporates Kaldorian disaggregation, with the two groups consuming different goods produced in the economy. It is established that, under certain conditions, an increase in immigrant labor lowers the welfare of the domestic residents. This runs against conventional wisdom that temporary immigration enhances the welfare of domestic residents.     

Skills in South Africa: The journey towards credible planning

ABSTRACT

Since 1994 the state has instituted active labour market policies to redress the apartheid skills legacy. The skills planning challenge continues to be how to coordinate efforts for the provision of the right skills to support inclusive economic growth, ensuring an alignment is achieved between what is required in the labour market and the supply from the education and training system. This article traces the South African journey of skills planning from late apartheid until the current time period in 2014 through a historical analysis of the political economy. The analysis reflects on the relationship between state formation in South Africa and the role of the state in directing skills development, and in the more recent period how skills planning responds to both the demands of the economy and ameliorating the historical legacies of education and skills exclusion.     

Beating the recession blues: Exploring the link between family ownership,strategic marketing behavior and firm performance during recessions

This study explores whether family firms exhibit unique marketing behavior and whether their unique behavior in turn helps them outperform non-family firms during periods of economic contraction. Findings based on a sample of 275 large publicly listed U.S. firms reveal that family firms outperform non-family firms during recessions. This superior performance is partially driven by family firms' proactive marketing behavior and their relatively strong emphasis on corporate social responsibility (CSR). During recessions, while non-family firms tend to decrease their advertising intensities and rates of new product introduction (NPI), family firms are likely to maintain relatively high levels of advertising intensity and rates of NPI. Unlike non-family firms, family firms are also likely to maintain high levels of corporate social performance (CSP) during recessions. These results underscore the benefits of proactive marketing behavior and a continued emphasis on CSR during economic downturns. The authors also add to the scant family-firm literature, demonstrating the family firm to be an effective organizational form.