The Small World of Corporate Boards

Abstract:  We demonstrate the importance of graph theory for understanding boards of directors. Specifically, we focus on the 'small world' phenomenon. Our empirical results show that a random graph model is remarkably good at explaining board structure and connectedness in the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. Although there are small-world traits such as 'clustering' and 'short-paths' in the corporate world, they are no more pronounced than would be expected by chance in a statistically similar, but randomly assembled corporate universe. In short, boards of directors, especially in the United States, are no more 'clubby' than expected. Finally, our results show the existence of positive degree correlation: directors who sit on many boards do so in the company of other directors who sit on many boards. Board members whose services are in high demand, serve on boards with similar directors.     

The Path to Full Employment? ‘They're Dreamin'!’

This short article critically reviews Mitchell and Watts's Buffer Stock Employer (BSE) model proposal. It concludes that the BSE scheme is unlikely to reduce the long-run unemployment rate.     

Monetary randomness and investment

This paper develops a neoclassical model in which the behavior of the money supply affects investment by affecting the real distribution of asset returns. Investment depends on wealthholders' demand for capital. A stochastic money growth rule influences portfolio choice by affecting the distribution of the inflation rate. The variance of inflation matters to wealthholders because of the existence of assets with returns that are not indexed to changes in the price level: money and bonds which are contracted in nominal terms. In a rational expectations environment, asset demands will thus be sensitive to the distribution of the money growth rate. Our principle conclusion is that an increase in the variance of the money growth rate lowers investment, which complements Tobin's (1965) result that an increase in the mean stimulates capital accumulation. The paper also represents a step toward incorporating an asset market into a macroeconomic model in a manner which takes account of Lucas' (1976) criticism of econometric policy evaluation. All variables in the model, including asset return distributions, are functions of technology, preferences and the money supply rule. Further, expectations are rational.     

预算与控制

Mark Pilkington和David Crowther报告了关于小型公司和微型企业控制机制的研究成果。其重点是研究电子商务中的微型企业和小型公司能否采用“超越预算”模式     

It’s all about audit quality: Perspectives on strategic-systems auditing

We discuss the antecedents of and rationale for what has become known as Strategic-Systems Auditing (SSA). We also describe the conceptual foundation and key elements of SSA. We observe that the auditor employing SSA conceives the audit as a process of evidence-driven, belief-based, risk assessment. We also illustrate facets of this process, including how the auditor, by acquiring a rich understanding of how and how well management is executing its business-model, develops rich (e.g., distributional) expectations of future financial-statement amounts and disclosures. These expectations form a benchmark against which the auditor later compares and investigates management’s asserted financial-statement amounts and disclosures. Finally, we pose and respond to some of the more common questions about elements of SSA and complete the paper by suggesting some educational innovations and high-value targets for research.One salient message is that SSA first emerged in the 1990s as an attempt to enhance audit quality in response to changes in the audit environment. Another salient message is that SSA continues to equilibrate, adapting to more recent environmental changes, especially society’s demand for greater protection from financial-statement fraud. Such adaptation requires ongoing, significant intellectual investments by audit practitioners and audit scholars/educators.     

Options and Bubbles

The Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation method involves derivingand solving a partial differential equation (PDE). But thismethod can generate multiple values for an option. We providenew solutions for the Cox-Ingersoll-Ross (CIR) term structuremodel, the constant elasticity of variance (CEV) model, andthe Heston stochastic volatility model. Multiple solutions reflectasset pricing bubbles, dominated investments, and (possiblyinfeasible) arbitrages. We provide conditions to rule out bubbleson underlying prices. If they are not satisfied, put-call paritymight not hold, American calls have no optimal exercise policy,and lookback calls have infinite value. We clarify a longstandingconjecture of Cox, Ingersoll, and Ross. (JEL G12 and G13)     

Proportionate consolidation versus the equity method: Additional evidence on the association with bond ratings

From a financial analysis perspective, proportionate consolidation of significant influence equity investments is often presumed to provide more useful information than equity method accounting. Surprisingly, Kothavala [Kothavala, K., 2003, Proportional consolidation versus the equity method: A risk measurement perspective on reporting interests in joint ventures, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy 22, 517-538.] finds that financial statement measures based on the equity method are more relevant for bond ratings than are similar measures based on proportionate consolidation. This study provides additional evidence regarding this issue. Using a sample of manufacturing firms with significant influence equity investments accounted for under U.S. GAAP, the results indicate that pro forma proportionately consolidated financial statements have greater relevance than equity method statements for explaining bond ratings.     

Productivity and Turnover in the Export Market: Micro-level Evidence from the Republic of Korea and Taiwan (China)

Widespread empirical evidence indicates that exporting producershave higher productivity than nonexporters, although the reasonswhy are unclear. Some analysts argue that exporters acquireknowledge of new production methods, inputs, and product designsfrom their international contacts, and with this knowledge theyachieve higher productivity than their more insulated domesticcounterparts. Others argue that the higher productivity of exportersreflects the self-selection of more efficient producers intoa highly competitive export market. This article analyzes thelink between a producer's total factor productivity and itsdecision to participate in the export market, using manufacturingdata from the Republic of Korea and Taiwan (China). Differences are found between these two economies in the importanceof selection and learning. In Taiwan (China) transitions ofplants into and out of the export market reflect systematicvariations in productivity as predicted by self-selection models.In Korea there are no significant changes in productivity followingentry or exit from the export market that are consistent withlearning from exporting. A comparison of the two economies suggeststhat in Korea factors other than production efficiency are moreprominent determinants of the export decision.     

Optimal Portfolio Selection with Transaction Costs and Finite Horizons

We examine the optimal trading strategy for a CRRA investorwho maximizes the expected utility of wealth on a finite dateand faces transaction costs. Closed-form solutions are obtainedwhen this date is uncertain. We then show a sequence of analyticalsolutions converge to the solution to the problem with a deterministicfinite horizon. Consistent with the common life-cycle investmentadvice, the optimal trading strategy is found to be horizondependent and largely buy and hold. Moreover, it might be optimalfor the investor in our model not to buy any stock, even whenthe risk premium is positive. Further analysis of the optimalpolicy is also provided.