Chronic consumer debtors: the need for specific intervention

Many studies of consumer debtors have identified risk factors associated with chronic consumer debt. Chronic consumer debtors exist in an environment of ongoing efforts to survive financially and meet their debt commitments. Despite otherwise favourable economic conditions for the community at large such as low interest rates and low levels of unemployment, the chronic consumer debtor remains continuously at peril of overcommitment. An analysis of financial counselling interviews in New South Wales (the largest state in Australia) has been used to identify the group that the authors believe to be most at risk of chronic consumer debt in Australia. Other independent studies are provided to support the choice of the identified group. The situation for chronic consumer debtors is contrasted to the situation for acute cases. While financial literacy and support programmes can be provided to the community, the ability to target programmes towards a specifically identifiable group concentrates activities on measures aimed to alleviate the distress caused by ongoing financial hardship for one particular consumer group. The challenge of reducing chronic consumer debt has the potential to raise awareness and understanding of risk factors for consumer debtors generally. Thus, concentrated efforts towards alleviating chronic consumer debt may lead to a reduction in consumer financial overcommitment.     

Inward investment and industrial competitiveness

Inward investment—foreign direct investment in subsidiaries and joint ventures—has played an important part in Europe's post-war development as multinational firms, particularly American multinationals, became a major feature of many European economies. Latterly, we have seen an increasing presence also from Japan and other South-East Asian countries, as well as a resurgence of intra-European investment. What has been the effect of this on the competitiveness of European industry?     

Russia's true business performance: Inviting to international business?

Russia may be twice as inviting to international businesses as has been previously thought, because its gross domestic product (GDP) and its consumer demand may be twice as large as has been reported in the official Russian statistics of Goskomstat. This is because as much as 90 percent of the business activity of Russian companies, especially small private-sector companies, is never reported to Goskomstat and therefore never included in Russia 's data about GDP and per capita income (PCI). This vibrant and growing economy, unearthed in this study by carefully structured qualitative research tools, implies solid, but dangerous and compromising, opportunities for international business.     

THE EFFECTS OF ALTERNATIVE REIMBURSEMENT SYSTEMS ON THE OPERATING BEHAVIOUR OF NURSING HOMES

Nursing home care in Australia is provided by both for-profit and not-for-profit nursing homes. Operating expenditure in nursing homes is funded by the Commonwealth Government. The reimbursement system currently in operation is linked to ownership structure. This paper examines differences in operating behaviour as a result of a reimbursement system based on ownership structure. The results of this study indicate that differences in behaviour occur as a result of ownership differences, ineffective controls and the lack of incentives in the reimbursement system to operate efficiently. These differences have important implications for policy change affecting the funding of nursing home care.     

Caught in the Middle: Organizational Impediments to Middle Managers’ Work-life Balance

As increased work demands and longer working hours become the reality for many employees, the concept of work-life balance has received increasing attention. This paper presents findings from an exploratory study of Australian middle managers, which investigated the impact of middle managers’ daily organizational experiences on their lives both in and beyond the workplace. We focus on respondents’ reports of the difficulty in achieving work-life balance, specifically, the organizational impediments to creating balance. Three particular areas where these impediments were apparent are: the impact of new technologies; limits to autonomy and control in the middle management role; and difficulties in taking advantage of flexibility initiatives in the workplace. As middle managers are caught in the middle between work and personal life, there is a need for organizations to support middle managers’ efforts to achieve work-life balance if the organization’s long-term goals are to be achieved.     

Consumer substitution decisions: an integrative framework

Substitution decisions have been examined from a variety of perspectives. The economics literature measures cross-price elasticity, operations research models optimal assortments, the psychology literature studies goals in conflict, and marketing research has examined substitution-in-use, brand switching, stockouts, and self-control. We integrate these perspectives into a common framework for understanding consumer substitution decisions; their specific drivers (availability of new alternatives, internal vs. external restrictions on choice); the moderating role of a consumer’s commitment to an initially desired alternative; and the affective, motivational, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes of substitution. We use this framework to recommend new avenues for research.     

Twenty years of minority PhDs in accounting: Signs of success and segregation

This study examines the minority status of the 3213 individuals who have earned U.S. accounting PhDs in the last 20 years and considers the relative progress along the academic pipeline of minority graduates. Overall, this study indicates that minority accounting PhD graduates are making greater progress along the academic pipeline than that indicated in many other disciplines. However, the study finds that while accounting doctoral graduation rates of minorities are increasing they have not reached parity with population rates or academia in general. While the overall cohort of minority graduates appear, on average, to have patterns of employment and promotion similar to the non-minority graduates, recent minority PhD graduates are attending significantly lower ranked schools than either earlier minority graduates or their more recent non-minority peers and are gaining employment in lower ranked institutions than their non-minority peers. The findings suggest that while there are signs of success in minority progress, there are also signs of segregation.