Internal Cohesion in Response to Institutional Plurality: The Administrative Sciences Association of Canada

Addressing the underdeveloped area of the interrelationships between institutional logics, organizational legitimacy, and organizational identity, we undertake a critical hermeneutic analysis of the archives of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) and the context in which the association exists. Through our analysis we show how ASAC's response to the conflicting institutional logics of Canadianism and business schools has been one of internal cohesion, with continuous attempts to create collaborative synergies between the logics, rather than succumbing to internal conflict and fragmentation. Copyright © 2013 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Why don’t households see the light?: Explaining the diffusion of compact fluorescent lamps

Starting in 2009 the EU ban on the sale of incandescent bulbs will force households to purchase energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). The impact of the ban on consumers will depend on the nature of current barriers to the use of CFLs. This paper employs a Double-Hurdle model to identify distinct barriers to household consideration of CFLs and to the subsequent intensity of adoption using a large survey of German households. Barriers to CFL consideration are found to be low for all households, except those with very low incomes. Barriers to CFL consideration are, however, strongly linked to the residential characteristics of low-income households like small size and to the lack of household knowledge of energy consumption. CFLs use will increase after the ban mainly through a rise in the intensity of adoption. But the ban will be costly to consumers because the range of applications where households chose to employ CFLs is limited, particularly for high income households.     

Evidence for common features in G7 macroeconomic time series

Systems of economic data potentially exhibit a number of common features, which aid both econometric modelling and economic interpretation. This paper surveys a variety of common features and applies the corresponding testing and estimation techniques to systems of macroeconomic time series in the G7 countries. Strong evidence is found of common trends and common or co-dependent cycles in the data, and, for two countries, empirical support for common non-linearities.     

Returns to Initial Shareholders in Savings Institution Conversions: Evidence and Regulatory Implications

In this paper, stock prices for savings institutions that have converted to the stock form of organization are examined. Event-study methodology is used to focus on the returns to initial shareholders in the period immediately following initial trading. The results of the study indicate significant positive returns in savings institution conversions in the first several trading days, suggesting a one-time wealth transfer from depositors not exercising their rights to initial shareholders. The results also provide support for the efficiency of the market as the market price adjusts quickly in the first two days of trading after the public offering. Given the FHLBB's objectives, there appears to be little cause for regulatory concern although initial returns are significant.     

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE AND QUALITY OF SERVICE: LESSONS FROM MEDICAID

Much recent public debate centers around failures in the U.S. health care system. Studies indicate that as many as 33 million Americans are without health insurance, while health care expenditures continue to out-strip GNP growth. Numerous proposals for national health insurance have surfaced in response to these apparent shortcomings. The various proposed health insurance structures are not always based upon careful economic evaluation of incentive schemes and of the full range of potential effects. This paper examines results of recent Medicaid system studies so as to shed light upon the outcomes one can expect from national health insurance plans possessing similar incentive structures. The results here have potentially useful policy implications.     

Creating a company‐wide,on‐line,performance management system: A case study at TRW Inc.

When new company leadership took the helm in 2001, TRW sought to create systems that supported what was, in essence, a cultural revolution—a new culture driven by six company‐wide “Behaviors.” Impeding this revolution, however, were the countless systems and methods for evaluating and managing the development of TRW's nearly 100,000 employees. The senior Management Committee challenged TRW's human resources function to create a common, on‐line, company‐wide system that supports performance appraisal, professional development, and succession management. A cross‐disciplinary and cross‐business team led by the Director of Leadership Development created a uniform Web‐based system in four short months. This system is now in place company‐wide in 36 countries on five continents. The approach we took and the success we have enjoyed can be replicated by other organizations seeking a uniform and effective way to evaluate and develop employees. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Look before you leap: The Franchise route to self-employment

Aspiring entrepreneurs choosing to become franchisees certainly expect to improve their chances of survival during the turbulent early years of business startup and operation. This study examines survival patterns among franchise and nonfranchise African American-owned small firms started between 1984 and 1987. Survival through late 1991 was tracked for these firms as well as for comparison groups of whiteowned firms. The independent business startups-whether black- or white-owned-were found to have better survival prospects than did the franchises.