Doing well by doing good: A quantitative investigation of the litter effect

Corporate social responsibility can prove challenging for traditional businesses as a profit-making agenda may well be in conflict with the wishes and expectations of other stakeholders. Nevertheless, if organizations can align the incentive of better business performance with beneficial outcomes on a wider social and/or environmental level, so called doing well by doing good, conflict ceases between the two aims. This paper investigates a particular global problem within the context of the fast-food industry. Discarded fast-food packaging is the fastest growing type of litter in many Western countries. The paper establishes, by using a quasi-experimental method (n = 1000), that multiple levels of a brand's evaluation are negatively affected when that brand's packaging is seen as litter. This paper also quantifies the financial impact of the litter effect on a company.     

The negative effect of NCAA football bowl bans on university enrolment and applications

Universities provide consumption amenities to students in addition to their educational services. Collegiate sports programs have been characterized as one of these consumption amenities. Previous research has shown that athletic success has a positive impact on both the quantity and quality of students attending a university. Alternatively, we analyse if athletic malfeasance, as measured by NCAA postseason bans of football programs, negatively affects either the quantity or quality of student applications or enrolment. Our findings suggest that athletic malfeasance that results in a postseason football bowl ban lowers the quantity of applications, admittances and enrolment to a university. In addition, we find that universities respond to decreased application numbers by increasing their admission rates, while students who are admitted to the school enrol at the same rate as before the ban. Thus, the reduced enrolment is the result of a smaller applicant pool and not the result of a lower rate of enrolment. Lastly, we do not detect any reduction in student quality at the sanctioned university. Our results demonstrate that impropriety by an athletics program directly impacts a university’s non-athlete student enrolment by influencing the amenity mix provided by the university.     

Productivity and Price Performance in the Privatized Water and Sewerage Companies of England and Wales

After its privatization in 1989, the water and sewerage industry of England and Wales faced a new regulatory régime and implemented a substantial capital investment program aimed at improving water and environmental standards. A new RPI+K regulatory pricing system was designed to compensate the industry for its increased capital costs, encourage increased efficiency, and maintain fair prices for customers. This paper evaluates how successful privatization and the resulting system of economic regulation has been. Estimates of productivity growth, derived with quality adjusted output indices, suggest that despite reductions in labor usage, total factor productivity growth has not improved since privatization. Moreover, total price performance indices reveal that increases in output prices have outstripped increases in input costs, a trend which is largely responsible for the increase in economic profits that has occurred since privatization.     

Reviews in Brief-C.H.M …

This study suggests various theoretical and practical promotional implications based upon empirical tests of reference group influence. The authors examine the role of reference groups and promotional appeals in satisfying consumer motivations. Three motivational reference group functions are emphasized: informational, utilitarian, and value-expressive.     

Harmonizing the notes in the UK and France: a case study in de jure harmonization

This paper provides a case study of the process of de jure harmonization of financial reporting by examining the extent to which in the UK and France the regulations relating to the notes on the accounts (annexe) have been harmonized by the Fourth and Seventh Company Law Directives of the European Union and ‘deharmonized’ by other regulations. It looks at the requirements of the directives in relation to the notes and the reactions in the two countries to those requirements. It examines a number of areas in which implementation of the directives has been different, viz. consolidated financial statements; exemptions and extensions; financial statement formats; accounting policies; true and fair view; and tax. Finally, it explores the problem of readability and understandability and the choice between disclosure in the notes and disclosure elsewhere.     

Career growth opportunities and employee turnover intentions in public accounting firms

This study examines the role of career growth opportunities in explaining turnover intentions of junior auditors in public accounting firms via a survey of them. Prior studies in applied psychology and organisational behaviour argue that employees and their organisations have a social exchange relationship in which employees and organisations provide reciprocal benefits to each other. Extending this research, this paper proposes that career growth opportunities represent a critical benefit to lower level employees in accounting firms. When these employees believe that their firm provides this benefit, they reciprocate with stronger commitment to the firm which, in turn, leads to lower turnover intentions. This study also seeks to identify the causes or antecedents of employee beliefs about career growth opportunities. Two antecedents are proposed: the effectiveness of the firm's training programmes; and, the organisational prestige of the firm. Results of path analysis suggest that both training effectiveness and organisational prestige enhance employee beliefs about the career growth opportunities offered by the public accounting firms, which, in turn lead to higher commitment and lower turnover intentions.     

European languages of account

Choice of ‘language of account’ is not a trivial decision for many European companies. This exploratory paper examines this choice, distinguishing between official, statistically dominant and socio-politically dominant languages; dominant and minority languages; and local and foreign languages. The paper concludes with a discussion of the dominant foreign language of account in the early twenty-first century (English) in its British, American and (possibly) ‘international’ varieties; with the ways in which accounting English is disseminated; and resistance to its use in some countries.