Inter-firm Collaboration and Learning: The Case of the Japanese Automobile Industry

This paper investigates the effect of intra-firm Research and Development expenditure and inter-firm collaboration on firm performance. It is proposed that R&D expenditures enable a company to improve knowledge and assimilate the exchange of information within non-routine collaboration activities. The hypotheses are tested by an empirical study on inter-firm technical collaboration in Japanese Automobile firms during the years 1975–1995, using the method of first-order auto-regression on a panel data set. The findings indicate that R&D expenditure increases performance, but do not allow clear conclusions on the effects of collaborations.     

A multiple dispatch and partial backup hypercube queuing model to analyze emergency medical systems on highways

The hypercube is a spatially distributed queuing model based on Markovian analysis approximations, used to analyze the configuration and operation of server-to-customer emergency systems. In the present study we adapted the model to analyze emergency medical systems (EMS) on highways, which operate within particular dispatching policies. The study takes into consideration that: the emergency calls are of different types; the servers are distinct (e.g., rescue ambulances, medical vehicles); only certain servers in the system can service calls in a given region (partial backup); and, depending on the type of call, one or more identical or distinct servers are immediately dispatched to service such calls (multiple dispatch). We also consider that the arriving calls take place either along the highway or at the home location of a server – in which case the server does not need to travel to the call location. Finally, we analyzed the computational results of applying such an approach to the case study of an EMS operating on Brazilian highways.     

Housework and the Wages of Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Workers

This article uses samples of young, middle-aged, and older married workers drawn from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to examine whether the effect of housework time on wages differs among these age groups. Results from OLS, fixed effects, and panel data instrumental variables models show that young and middle-aged wives are the only groups for which the authors find consistent evidence of a housework effect on wages. Each additional hour of housework reduces their wages by 0.1–0.4%. Additionally, the analysis finds evidence that for young workers, housework time is an important determinant of the male/female wage gap. (JEL J16 , J22 , J31 )     

Marketing metrics: Insights from Brazilian managers

This study examines how managers approach marketing measures in a Brazilian context. Using data from a large-scale empirical study in Brazil, we focus on managers' views of the practices in marketing measurement and identify which indicators they emphasize. The findings, which reflect Brazilian managerial practice, indicate that managers use a combination of metrics. Items such as total number of customers, number of complaints, and customer satisfaction are among the most known and most used metrics. When addressing the 10 most relevant metrics results yield 4 groups, including customer vision, financial, product vision, and market and innovation. Indicators pertaining to customer vision are the most important to Brazilian managers. Furthermore, we discuss the results and draw comparisons with similar studies conducted in the United Kingdom and China. Finally, we present conclusions and avenues for future research.     

The Changing Rewards to Science: The Case of Biotechnology

Little is known about the form and or magnitude of compensation provided university-based scientists working on firm R&D. This is unfortunate, given the important role that university-based scientists play in R&D, and the growing literature concerning compensation and innovation. This paper sheds some light on these issues by examining the compensation of university-based scientists involved with 52 biotech firms that made an initial public offering between March of 1990 and November of 1992. Although the stock holdings of the university scientists are of particular interest, additional forms of compensation received by the scientists are also examined.We find that approximately 10 percent of the university-based scientists affiliated with these companies hold sufficient options or stock to require disclosure at the time of the public offering. A far larger proportion has an equity position in the firm. In many instances the scientists also receive consulting fees or salary from the firm and enter into licensing agreements with the firm. In addition to providing information concerning the compensation of university-based scientists, the empirical work suggests that the rewards to science can be significantly greater than previous work would suggest.     

Internationalization of Australian business in the Asia-Pacific region: Issues and prospects

The phenomenal economic growth of the Asia-Pacific region initially was driven by export-oriented industrialization and more recently by intraregional trade. This provided the backdrop for the present study that examined the pattern, motivations, strategies, problems, issues, and prospects of Australian businesses and direct investments in this region. The study concluded that although an extensive trade relationship has been fostered between Australia and the Asia-Pacific, this has not been translated into direct investments. Key impediments seem to be attitudinal, because of cultural and language differences, and the lack of international competitiveness. These problems are only beginning to be recognized. An agenda for action is suggested at the Government, industry, and company levels. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Uk Corporate Acquisitions In Latin America In The 1990s: Lost Opportunities In A New Economic Environment

During the 1990s, foreign direct investment flowed into Latin America at an unprecedented rate. Capital inflows associated with privatizations and private mergers and acquisitions (M&As) rose steeply. Drawing on original firm–level transactions data, this article examines the extent to which UK enterprises participated in the Latin American privatization and private M&A boom. The authors conclude that, relative to their counterparts in many other major industrial countries, UK enterprises adopted a cautious stance, largely eschewing privatization opportunities and concentrating M&A activities on relatively few operations, sectors and countries, in order to strengthen product and market positions. Moreover, the strategic logic guiding the most important corporate acquisitions centred on gaining access to domestic markets rather than attempting to create global export platforms.     

Productivity,mechanization and skills: A test of the Hirschman hypothesis for Latin American industry

This paper attempts to test the paradoxical Hirschman hypothesis relating to the suitability of certain capital-intensive industries for less industrialized countries based on the ‘process-centred’ or ‘machine-paced’ nature of those industries which makes their productivity less dependent on the quality of local labour. Following extensive discussion of the methodology (e.g. problems of selection and specification of the variables explaining productivity differentials, and problems in specifying the appropriate variables to be explained), the author presents and analyses results for seven Latin American countries. These countries were chosen because of their more highly developed industrial structure, i.e. higher industrial value added per capita and a more diversified product mix, in order to provide a more severe test of the hypothesis. Although the results are not definitive, they seem to indicate that the industries which did better in relative productivity terms were those based on abundant local resources or of a traditional character on the whole; rather a reaffirmation of comparative advantage with little paradox.     

Corporate Social Responsibility and Family Business in Spain

Despite the economic relevance and distinctiveness of family firms, little attention has been devoted to researching their nature and functioning. Traditionally, family firms have been associated both to positive and negative features in their relationships with the stakeholders. This can be linked to different orientations toward corporate social responsibility. Thus, this research aims to identify the approaches that Spanish family firms maintain about social responsibility, based on the model developed by Quazi and O Brien Journal of Business Ethics 25, 33–51 (2000). An empirical study carried out for 112 Spanish family firms gives support to our initial assumption about these organizations not being a homogeneous group in terms of their orientation towards corporate social responsibility. The differences in perceptions do not seem to be associated to biographical characteristics. These results lead to some relevant academic and practical implications that suggest interesting lines for future research.María de la Cruz Déniz Déniz is professor in the Department of Management at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University (Spain). She received her Ph.D. in the area of Management from that University in 1999. Her current research interests include the study of Corporate Social Performance and the Management of International Business.M^a Katiuska Cabrera Suárez is professor in the Department of Management at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University (Spain). She received her Ph.D. in the area of Management from that University in 1998. Her current research interests include the study of Family Business Behaviour and Management.