Employer‐supported volunteering benefits: Gift exchange among employers,employees, and volunteer organizations

Using gift exchange theory to explain the growing trend of employers offering employer‐supported volunteering (ESV) benefits, this article discusses the creation of exchange relationships between the employer and employee and between the volunteer organization and employee. Hypotheses derived from the employee's perspective are tested with a nationally representative sample of volunteers (n=3,658). Findings suggest that ESV benefits are positively related to hours volunteered by the employee. Volunteer hours predict employee perceptions of skill acquisition, and such perceptions are positively related to perceptions of job success and employer recognition. We discuss the implications of these findings for business, employees, and volunteer organizations, with an emphasis on human resource management policy and practice. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Marketing fine art on the Internet: issues and ideas

The fine art market has grown into a $17bn industry. Yet only recently have art dealers and art buyers discovered the Internet as a viable marketing tool. As art galleries begin to move online, a fundamental question arises: are the major stakeholders willing to use this non‐traditional means to buy and sell art? This paper uses three independent studies, of artists, interior designers and organisational buyers, in North America, to analyse the characteristics of those inclined to use the Internet for this service and considers the magnitude of purchases through this medium. Study results indicate that: (1) artists are under‐represented on the Internet and disconcerted about technology issues; (2) targeting buyer segments, like interior designers, through the Internet is a viable and attractive alternative for fine art dealers; (3) organisational buyers often neglect Internet alternatives. Practical implications for those desiring to utilise the Internet to market fine art are discussed. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications     

Human information processing research in accounting: The state of the art

Accountant's interest in decision making is resulting in a growing body of research based upon theories and models from the psychology of information processing. This paper presents a classification of information processing variables which have been studied by psychologists which serves as a framework for organizing information processing research in accounting. It then reviews and evaluates the existing accounting literature based upon three research approaches: the lens model, probabilistic judgment, and cognitive style. Finally, directions for future research in this area are suggested.     

Decentralized negotiation: An approach to the distributed planning problem

DENEGOT is a distributed planning framework that bases conflict resolution on decentralized peer negotiation. Negotiation is viewed as a distributed search through potential compromises. The framework assumes that a satisficing solution is acceptable (a reasonable assumption in many complex domains). To estimate the quality of potential solutions, the negotiation search space is structured into a lattice of sets of potential compromise solutions based on hard constraints. A solution in a higher set in the lattice, if it is achievable, will be preferable over a solution in a lower set. Agents first search under the hard constraint level representing the highest quality solution standard achievable in the current situation. By relaxing hard constraints, the set of compromises that qualify as a solution are enlarged. Agents search for a resolution under the relaxed hard constraint set when a solution cannot be found under the current set of constraints. The framework consists of three iterative problem-solving phases: coordinated search, negotiation state analysis, and constraint relaxation. The application of the DENEGOT framework to distributed planning problems in two domains is demonstrated.This work was partly supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), monitored by the Office of Naval Research under contract N00014-89-J-1877, by the Office of Naval Research under a University Research Initiative grant, number N00014-86-K-0764, and by the PRC Independent Research and Development project, number R00911. DPS.     

International bankruptcy and the spirit of comity: New U.S. law encourages cooperation among nations

While many international businesses are successful, others experience financial difficulties and file for bankruptcy. These cases pose challenges for bankruptcy courts worldwide because the assets of the debtor are located in more than one nation. How is this being handled? The trend is toward cooperation. Under the principle of comity, one nation gives effect to the laws and judicial decisions of another nation as a matter of deference and mutual respect. The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (the Act), effective October 2005, amends the bankruptcy code in several significant ways. One such amendment is Chapter 15: Ancillary and Other Cross-Border Cases. Chapter 15 not only embraces but also advances the spirit of comity.     

Consumer Protection in Cyber Space and the Ethics of Stewardship

This paper explores how consumer protection is evolving in the information-communications technology (ICT) sector. Traditionally, consumer protection law regimes are vertical in design and somewhat paternalistic in attitude. Requirements are imposed by governmental agencies on providers of goods and services with a view to protecting consumers. In many cases, consumers are not actively engaged by regulatory regimes in their own protection and may not be able to contract out of provisions designed for their protection. In the context of internet-based activities, however, a paradigm shift is necessary to protect not only the individual consumer but the wider network of consumers using the internet. This paper explores what consumer protection should look like in our hyper-connected, online world. Its central argument is that a new sort of model is necessary for consumer protection in the ICT sector. In the context of internet-based activities, regulators must engage consumers on a horizontal level as co-stewards of the internet. This involves more than just education about the risks of malware and online scams. The consumer protection framework must draw consumers into its structure as proactive agents working collaboratively with government, internet service providers, and other stakeholders to promote cyber security.     

Values-Based and Global Systemically Important Banks: Their Stability and the Impact of Regulatory Changes After the Financial Crisis on it

Asia-Pacific Financial Markets - We study the financial stability of Values-Based Banks (VBBs) and Global Systemically Important Banks (GSIBs), and how regulatory changes in the aftermath of the...