Are Employers Omniscient? Employer Learning About Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills

Do employers recognize noncognitive skills at the beginning of a career or is there a learning process? Does learning transfer perfectly across employers or is there a degree to which learning resets as employees change jobs throughout their careers? This paper uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 to incorporate measures of noncognitive skills into a model of symmetric employer learning described originally by Altonji and Pierret ( 2001 ) and nested in a model of asymmetric employer learning as in Schönberg ( 2007 ). I find evidence that employers reward self‐esteem, internal control, and schooling initially, while rewarding cognitive skills and motivation over time.     

Wheat breeding,productivity and slow variety change: evidence from the Punjab of India after the Green Revolution*

Variety change and genetic diversity are important means of combating crop losses from pests and diseases in modern agricultural systems. Since the Green Revolution, genetic diversity among wheat varieties released in India has increased but variety change on farms continues to be slow. In this article, we define and summarise indices of variety change and genetic diversity for the wheat varieties released and grown in Indian Punjab during the post‐Green Revolution period. We evaluate the effect of each index on technical efficiency with a Cobb‐Douglas yield model after testing for exogeneity. Findings support the hypothesis that slow variety change has offset the positive productivity effects of diversifying the genetic base in wheat breeding during the post‐Green Revolution period. Policies that speed the rate of variety change and contribute to a more equitable spatial distribution of modern varieties could support wheat productivity in the Punjab of India, reinforcing plant breeding successes.     

Funding an accelerated baccalaureate nursing track for non-nursing college graduates: an academic/practice collaboration

To expand nursing programs to better meet workforce demands, nursing education must offer nontraditional students more educational opportunities that are flexible, streamlined, and low cost. Accelerated programs, particularly programs tailored to attract individuals with degrees in other fields and looking for career changes, are great examples. The cost factors related to a successful accelerated degree program designed for non-nursing college graduates are described. Based on the experiences with a previously implemented accelerated BSN program offered from 1987-1994 at one university, a revised accelerated option model was developed that included ongoing involvement with four community hospitals, shared budget responsibilities, student stipends, and a 3-year work commitment by graduates at a sponsoring hospital. The investment of approximately $1.6 million over 7 years resulted in the education and graduation of 75 new registered nursing professionals to meet the health care needs of the citizens of the community.     

What Determines Employee Perceptions of HRM Process Features? The Case of Performance Appraisal in MNC Subsidiaries

Against the background of Bowen and Ostroff's ( 2004 ) human resource management (HRM) process theorization, this study explores influences on individual employee perceptions of the visibility, validity, and procedural and distributive justice of performance appraisal in subsidiaries of multinational corporations, and at what levels these influences reside. The study adopts an embedded, multiple‐case design with interview data from 33 managers and professionals in six subsidiaries of three corporations. The findings show that perceptions of the performance appraisal process are driven by a number of influences pertaining to the unit, relationship, and individual levels. Further, the study highlights differences and similarities of influences across four performance appraisal process features, and identifies overlaps and inter‐linkages between the process features suggested by Bowen and Ostroff ( 2004 ). For practitioners, the value of our study lies in the identification of steps that can be taken to increase the likelihood that HRM practices are perceived positively and as intended by the organization. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

INDUSTRY EFFECTS OF ANALYST STOCK REVISIONS

We examine the industry valuation effects of analyst stock revisions and identify the variables that influence these effects. Our results show that industry rivals experience significant abnormal returns in response to revision announcements. Although the mean stock price response suggests contagion effects, there is also evidence of significant competitive effects. The valuation effects are influenced by the magnitude of the rated firm's announcement return, along with analyst‐specific and industry‐specific characteristics. However, the sensitivity of the valuation effects to these characteristics is conditioned on whether the industry effects are contagious or competitive.     

Searching an Ex Situ Collection of Wheat Genetic Resources

A theoretical model is developed and applied to the search for disease and pest resistance in ex situ collections of wheat genetic resources, employing actual data on frequency distributions, disease losses, and search costs. Experiments developed from case studies clarify several misperceptions about the value of gene banks and their utilization by breeders. The observation that wheat breeders "use" gene banks rarely does not imply that marginal accessions have low value. High costs of transferring genes with conventional breeding techniques mean that it may be efficient to store certain categories of genetic resources (such as landraces) 'unused' for many years.     

The effect of incentives on customer evaluations of service bundles

Effects of service bundle incentives on perceived value, search intentions, and switching intentions are assessed in two independent studies. The first study demonstrates that service bundling influences switching and search intentions through perceived value. Results related to bundle incentives support the salience of the convenience associated with consolidating charges onto one bill. Further analysis reveals that explicit valuation of savings creates higher perceived value than convenience alone; however, search and switching intentions are unaffected by incentives or valuation thereof beyond the convenience effect. A second study replicates key parts of these results. Research and practical implications are discussed.     

Faculty Choice of a Pension Plan: Defined Benefit versus Defined Contribution

Worker preferences between defined-benefit and defined-contribution pension plans are estimated using a sample of faculty members at North Carolina State University. Newly hired faculty must decide between the state retirement plan (a final pay, defined-benefit plan) and one of three defined-contribution plans (TIAA/CREF, VALIC, Lincoln National). This analysis allows the authors to estimate the choice of a pension plan holding constant the place of employment. The study uses both university employment records and a faculty survey to examine the factors that determine the choice of a pension.     

Can Simple Informational Nudges Increase Employee Participation in a 401(k) Plan?

We report results from a field experiment in which a randomized subset of newly hired workers at a large financial institution received a flyer containing information about the employer's 401(k) plan and the value of contributions compounding over a career. Younger workers who received the flyer were significantly more likely to begin contributing to the plan relative to their peers in the control group. Many workers do not participate in their employers' supplemental retirement savings programs, even though these programs offer substantial tax advantages and immediate returns due to matching contributions. From a survey of new hires, we find that many workers choose not to contribute to the plan because they have other financial priorities. However, some nonparticipants lack the financial literacy to appreciate the benefit. These findings indicate that simple informational interventions can nudge workers to participate in retirement saving plans and enhance individual well‐being and retirement income security.