Effective leadership in unexpected places: A sociohistorical analysis of the Red Tops dance orchestra

The Red Tops, an African-American dance orchestra that performed in southern states during the period spanning two decades before and after the U.S. civil rights movement, might seem a rather unexpected source for the study of effective leadership. Nonetheless, Walter Osborne's management of the group provides an exceedingly appropriate case for just that. In this article, we examine the phenomenon of team leadership using a sociohistorical paradigm to identify and describe effective team leadership, draw lessons for organizational leaders, and demonstrate the power of sociohistorical analysis. In our endeavor, we used the framework proposed by Morgeson, Lindoerfer, and Loring to explain how the team needs of the Red Tops were met by the team leadership of Osborne, the band's elected manager. The main lesson for business team leaders is to ensure that every member feels free to express his or her own identity, while still preserving the shared identity of the team. The team's ability to function and remain intact over a long period of time is enhanced by the ability of the team leader to meet team needs—in terms of trust, fairness, and equality—such that each member may experience what it means to be a true part of the group.     

Slippage in the Conservation Reserve Program or Spurious Correlation? A Comment

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) pays farmers about $2 billion per year to retire cropland under ten- to fifteen-year contracts. Recent research by Wu found that slippage—an unintended stimulus of new plantings—offsets some of CRP's environmental benefits. Wu does not account for the endogeneity of CRP enrollments. Furthermore, the data used by Wu cannot be used to estimate slippage arising from a price feedback effect. We replicate Wu's findings, demonstrate the possible presence of spurious correlation, and construct new estimates with corrections for endogeneity and other econometric problems. We find no convincing evidence of slippage.     

打击造假者

全球最大的电子OEM厂商之一将一低成本产品的生产挪至中国不久,在当地市场即可见到此产品的假货了。该OEM厂商由于在其未销售该产品的地区接到客服电话从而获知假货的出现,假货制造者在打着该OEM厂商品牌的假产品上留下了此厂商的客服电话。     

Export Market Participation,Investments in R&D and Worker Training,and the Evolution of Firm Productivity

This paper uses micro panel data for firms in the Taiwanese electronics industry in 1986, 1991 and 1996 to investigate a firm's decision to invest in two sources of knowledge – participation in the export market and investments in R&D and/or worker training – and assess their effect on the firm's future productivity. The firm's decisions to export and invest in R&D and/or worker training are modelled with a bivariate probit model that recognises the interdependence of the decisions. The effect of these investments on the firm's future productivity trajectory is then modelled while controlling for the selection bias introduced by endo‐genous firm exit. The findings indicate a significant interaction effect between exporting and R&D investments and future productivity, after controlling for size, age and current productivity. Firms that undertake both investment activities have significantly higher future productivity than firms that do one or neither. In addition, these firms are more likely to continue investing in these activities leading to further productivity gains. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that export experience is an important source of productivity growth for Taiwanese firms and that firm investments in R&D and worker training facilitate their ability to benefit from their exposure to the export market.     

The Economy-Wide Effects of the BSE Crisis: A CGE Analysis

A Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model of the UK economy is used to investigate the economy-wide effects of the BSE crisis. The impact of two alternative government strategies for dealing with the crisis, support buying and subsidy payments, are compared with the scenario of no government intervention. The results indicate that whilst the macroeconomic consequences of the crisis may be small in percentage terms, substitution and resource re-allocation effects are substantial. In particular, the impact spreads far beyond those directly impacted by the shock with some sectors of the food industry benefiting. Moreover the alternative government strategies have very different macro economic and intersectoral effects. It is argued that the results support the further development of the model and underlying database.     

Dynamic programming for executive manpower management

Present corporate promotion practice is based upon advancement of the best qualified individual as openings occur. Top executives advanced by this method can only have a haphazard career progression including, perhaps, an occasional effort at “rounding out” or executive development. The career progression model developed here should facilitate executive career analysis and provide a long-term developmental plan for rising executives.     

Defending the Beachhead: Telstra versus Optus

Much less has been written about market defence strategy than about market attack. This article focuses on one aspect of defensive strategy, defending against a new market entrant – though much of the thinking would also apply to other competitive assaults, like a major new product launch. The article outlines a model of the response of the Australian telecoms incumbent, Telstra, after deregulation. The authors conclude that market leaders should avoid price wars, understand the points in the consumer decision process that are defendable and use inertial strategies. Consumers' views of the incumbent can dramatically change their perceptions of the new entrant too.