Ethical considerations in frequent flier programs

An overwhelming majority of business travelers are now members of frequent flier programs operated by the airline industry. This article addresses relevant ethical issues, particularly employee perceptions of ethical issues, in such programs. A structured questionnaire technique, supported by personal interviews, was used to gather insights into frequent flier practices and attitudes. A fundamental conclusion of the research is that (1) significant ethical dilemmas are posed by frequent flier programs, (2) employees and employers generally choose to ignore these ethical dilemmas, and (3) employee perception of the ethical issues in frequent flier programs is not significantly influenced by employee attributes such as education level, salary, organizational position, age or sex. Recommendations are offered to reduce the inherent ethical dilemmas in frequent flier programs. Richard H. Deane is an Associate Professor of Management at Georgia State University in Atlanta. He earned his Ph.D. degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University. Dr. Deane also holds the J.D. degree and is licensed to practice law before the state and federal courts. His scholarly publication record includes articles in IEE Transactions, Computers and Industrial Engineering, Operations Research Quarterly, Production and Inventory Management, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Business, Industrial Engineering and Operations Management Review. He has also published in The Trial Lawyer's Quarterly, The Golden Gate Law Review, Professional Safety and The Journal of Rehabilitation. His recent publications include articles on employment discrimination, workplace smoking, and ethics in operations management.     

Women Board Directors: Characteristics of the Few

Appointment as a director of a company board often represents the pinnacle of a management career. Worldwide, it has been noted that very few women are appointed to the boards of directors of companies. Blame for the low numbers of women of company boards can be partly attributed to the widely publicized "glass ceiling". However, the very low representation of women on company boards requires further examination. This article reviews the current state of women's representation on boards of directors and summarizes the reasons as to why women are needed on company boards. Given that more women on boards are desirable, the article then describes how more women could be appointed to boards, and the actions that organizations and women could take to help increase the representation of women. Finally, the characteristics of those women that have succeeded in becoming members of company boards are described from an international perspective. Unfortunately, answers to the vexing question of whether these women have gained board directorships in their own right as extremely competent managers, or whether they are mere token female appointments in a traditional male dominated culture, remains elusive.     

Anthropomorphizing makes material goods as happiness-inducing as experiences

Prior research suggests that material goods (e.g., electronic gadgets) often provide less happiness than do experiences (e.g., movies). As a boundary condition, the present research proposes a theory-based yet actionable solution to overcome the happiness disadvantage of material goods. Three studies show that when material goods are anthropomorphized (i.e., imbued with humanlike characteristics), consumers gain enhanced feelings of consumption sociality and, in turn, derive a boost in happiness such that they gain as much happiness from these material goods as from experiences. With mediation and moderation approaches, we provide process evidence for these enhanced feelings of consumption sociality that are typically lacking with material purchases, which are prone to being consumed alone rather than with other people. Thus, the present research suggests that even in the absence of other people, consumers can gain greater happiness from their material goods by perceiving them as human.

     

中国内地银行的外汇风险

本文实证研究使用资本市场法（Capital Market Approach）和14家中资上市银行的股价数据,发现银行规模和其外汇风险之间存在正相关关系。这可能反映了国内大型中资银行更多的外汇操作和交易头寸,以及因人民币汇率变动、对客户风险发生变化所带来的大量间接影响。虽然内地银行对国际市场的参与程度仍低于香港同业,但实证研究结果显示国有商业银行和股份制商业银行的平均外汇风险高于香港银行,而且大银行的外汇风险为负数的情况非常普遍,这意味着人民币升值将降低这些银行的股票价值,从而损害银行业表现。由于股价下跌一般反映违约风险上升,因此应密切监测人民币升值情况对内地银行违约风险可能发生的影响。     

Nursing presence,patient satisfaction,and the bottom line

Hospital planners rely on a number of motivational models to increase patient satisfaction. Missing is the user friendly model oriented to nursing presence. Absent is the approach which taps into that contribution particular nurses might make to increase patient satisfaction and enhance the bottom line. This paper remedies this circumstance by the introduction of the Nursing Presence Grid model. The model is based upon a review of the literature conducted in the manner of Polit and Hungler (1995) and appearing since 1983. Nursing presence is defined. The Nursing Presence Grid matches the various dimensions of nursing presence with various courses of action thought to attain nursing presence. An explanation of how the model might be applied is presented.