Exploring the online buying behavior of specialty food shoppers

Food producers are experiencing a fast-growing need to use the Internet to enhance competitive advantage. Past researchers have urged the need to understand market segmentation mechanisms as applied to different consumer behavior models to better understand the online buying behavior of consumers. This study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior and food-related lifestyle to explore consumer's characteristics of online specialty food buying behavior, and the differences in the online buying process among consumers with different FRL. 569 undergraduate students who purchased specialty food online were surveyed. Findings indicated that consumers have positive attitudes toward purchasing specialty food online; more are inclined to heed the suggestions of others, perceive higher levels of control when using a website, and experienced a higher intention to purchase online. The study then classified consumers into ‘traditionalists’ or ‘adventurous and healthy-conscious’ groups based on their FRL via a two-step cluster analysis. These two groups of consumers had significant differences in terms of (a) attitudes toward online specialty food buying, (b) subjective norms, (c) perceived control, (d) behavioral intention, (e) demographics and (f) online specialty food-buying behavior. This investigation explored whether there is a correlation between consumer FRL and online specialty food-buying behavior. Findings reveal relevant ways for managers to enhance their website marketing strategies.     

The influence of CEO and CFO power on accruals and real earnings management

In this study, we examine the effect of CEO and CFO power on both accruals and real earnings management (AEM and REM, respectively), and the extent to which CEO and CFO power mitigate the effect of one another on AEM and REM. We further examine whether the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) altered these effects. In the pre-SOX period, we find that AEM (REM) is greater when the CEO (CFO) is powerful relative to the CFO (CEO). In the post-SOX period, however, we find that the effect of relative CEO power on AEM subsides, whereas the effect of relative CFO power on REM persists. Additionally, we find evidence to suggest that powerful CFOs inhibit the AEM preferences of powerful CEOs in both the pre- and post-SOX periods. Finally, we find evidence to suggest that powerful CEOs inhibit the REM preferences of powerful CEOs in the pre-SOX period, but not in the post-SOX period. Collectively, our results suggest that the power of the CEO relative to the CFO is an important factor in the both the type and magnitude of earnings management.

     

Interest Rate Pass‐through in Malawi: Implications for the Effectiveness of Monetary Policy

This study investigates the interest rate pass‐through in Malawi and its implications on monetary policy effectiveness. Using the cost‐of‐funds approach and monthly data from 2009 to 2015, an autoregressive distributed lag model is fitted. Results show that there is a near complete pass‐through to the lending rate but not the savings rate. The magnitude of the pass‐through is relatively higher under smaller banks. The results suggest that the structure of the banking industry matters. Market power is important in understanding the variation in lending and savings rates across banks. Overall, short‐term rates as operating targets are consistent with inflation targeting in Malawi.     

The HAMP NPV Model: Development and Early Performance

The foreclosure crisis that began in 2008 triggered the need for new approaches to treat distressed mortgages. A key component of the Obama Administration's Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) was the development of a standardized Net Present Value (NPV) Model to identify troubled loans that were value‐enhancing candidates for payment‐reducing modifications. This article discusses the development of the HAMP NPV Model, 1 its purpose and some important constraints that dictated its structure and limitations. We describe the structure and the estimation of the model in detail. We also describe the responsiveness of the model to key characteristics, such as loan‐to‐value and credit score, as well as provide new evidence on the relationship between HAMP modification performance and key borrower and modification characteristics. The article concludes with a discussion of model limitations and the future role of systematic loan modification using NPV analysis.     

Analytic approximation formulae for pricing forward‐starting Asian options

In this article we first identify a missing term in the Bouaziz, Briys, and Crouhy ( 1994 ) pricing formula for forward‐starting Asian options and derive the correct one. First, illustrate in certain cases that the missing term in their pricing formula could induce large pricing errors or unreasonable option prices. Second, we derive new analytic approximation formulae for valuing forward‐starting Asian options by adding the second‐order term in the Taylor series. We show that our formulae can accurately value forward‐starting Asian options with a large underlying asset's volatility or a longer time window for the average of the underlying asset prices, whereas the pricing errors for these options with the previously mentioned formula could be large. Third, we derive the hedge ratios for these options and compare their properties with those of plain vanilla options. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 23:487–516, 2003     

CHOICE OF PRODUCT TYPE BY STRATEGICALLY INTERDEPENDENT FIRMS

The paper analyses the degree of product differentiation between sigle product firms in alternative market equilibria. The equilibria are stable in the sense of Nash, and both non-cooperative and tacitly collusive market outcomesare identified. The basic model follows the 'address' aproach to product differentiation, and the firms' strategic variables are choice of product type and price charged. When all firms are non-cooperative, product gaps between firms are equal; but tacit collusion results in product gap variation between firms in Nash equilibrium. In all cases, profits for any firm are assumed to be proportional to the multiple of the product gaps between that firm and each of its two closest rivals.     

Accounting for deferred tax in Japanese Banks and the consequences for their international operations

In recent years, financial reporting has changed in Japan towards the requirements of internationally recognized accounting standards. At the same time, banks suffered significant bad debts on their loans and it became difficult to maintain capital adequacy ratios at the level required for international operations. In this context, using as case studies the five major banking groups in Japan from 2002 to 2004, we address four related research questions concerned with the importance of deferred tax for the maintenance of regulatory capital. The responses of the government, regulatory agencies and auditors to problems with deferred tax accounting are also considered. We find that, without deferred tax assets, the five major banking groups would not have been allowed to operate internationally. We also suggest implications, and conclude that the solutions to these problems lie not just with the accounting profession but also with the government and regulatory agencies, as part of wider financial, rather than accounting, reform.     

Thomas Robert Malthus and Samuel Hollander: A Review

In large part we follow the order of Hollander's text, ¹ and page references to Hollander are given by [H, p()]. References to Malthus are from The Works as edited by E. A. Wrigley and David Souden,² and are given by [M, (vol. no.), (abbreviated title of volume), (p())].