Choice of ethnic identity under educational incentives: Ethnic identity manipulation and the bonus policy for the college entrance examination

To what extent do educational incentives change an individual’s economic behavior? This article systematically evaluates the influence of the bonus points policy for the Chinese college entrance examination on the manipulation of candidates’ ethnic identity at both the county and individual levels. We find that the system of bonus points encourages individuals to present themselves as ethnic minority candidates, although local government policy to reduce bonus points has significantly inhibited such manipulation. Differences in the methods of manipulation used lead to a certain degree of educational unfairness. Legal manipulation methods increase the chances of candidates going to college, whereas illegal (fraudulent) methods reduce the risk of candidates dropping out of education.     

都市情感生活中的礼物交换特征与功能初探

礼物交换是都市人情感生活中的重要内容,从情感社会学角度研究礼物交换现象对构建和谐情感关系具有重要的理论和实践意义。运用100名个案访谈资料发现礼物交换在都市情感生活中具有多样性、情境性、仪式性、感受性四个基本特征。礼物交换的基本功能是抒情和实用。随着社会的变迁,抒情功能的强化幅度大于其实用功能,表现为礼物的符号化趋势加强,礼物运用的仪式主义特征更为突出,礼物的情感功能更加鲜明。     

Data sources for the credit-card augmented Divisia monetary aggregates

In 2013, the Center for Financial Stability (CFS) initiated its Divisia monetary aggregates database, maintained within the CFS program called Advances in Monetary and Financial Measurement (AMFM), based on Barnett (1980, 2012). The CFS will soon be making available Divisia monetary aggregates extended to include the transactions services of credit cards. The extended aggregates will be called the augmented Divisia monetary aggregates and will be available to the public in monthly releases. The new aggregates will also be available to Bloomberg terminal users. The theory on which the new aggregates are based is provided in Barnett and Su (2014).¹ In this paper, we provide detailed information on the data sources used in producing the new augmented Divisia monetary aggregates.     

Silence can be golden: On the value of allowing managers to keep silent when information is soft

Most information that public firms are required to disclose is relatively hard (e.g., historical information), whereas the disclosure of relevant information that is softer in nature (e.g., forward-looking information) is typically left to firms' discretion. The lack of a mandatory requirement to disclose soft information has been at the heart of a number of on-going accounting debates. This study shows that while mandating disclosure increases the frequency of disclosure, it results in a reduction in disclosure quality when information is soft. By exploring this tradeoff, the paper sheds light on the merits of restricting mandatory disclosure requirements to verifiable information and leaving disclosure of soft information unregulated. The value of leaving disclosure unregulated is shown to be maximized when managers are given bonus-based compensation, with minimum performance thresholds and maximum caps, similar to those documented in the literature.     

Regal Hair Salon: Tax and financial reporting of gift cards

Regal Hair Salons Inc., an owner and operator of hair salons across the United States, has enhanced its brand recognition through gift cards and promotions. Using authoritative tax literature, you have to determine the amount and timing of its federal income tax liability for the gift cards of other retailers that Regal has sold, gift cards for its own products and services, and the gift cards that it has issued during a special promotion. You also have an opportunity to determine whether Regal’s financial reporting policies with respect to gift cards are consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAPs), using FASB Accounting Standards Codification. Finally, based on your review of book-tax differences, you are to determine the appropriate current and deferred tax provision. The case provides an opportunity to examine several issues in a real-world setting, strengthen your tax and accounting research capabilities, and develop your critical thinking skills.     

关于新一轮个人所得税调整的思考——工资薪金改革角度的探讨

近些年以来,个人所得税的改革一直都是大众所关心的话题。本文首先对此次新一轮个人所得税的改革做一个简单的回顾,通过较为详细的数据对比,分析了年终奖在缴纳个人所得税时,存在奖金增加反而税后收入减少的现象,然后以新、旧个人所得税法间的比较为出发点,对新个人所得税法可能产生的诸多影响进行简单的探讨。     

Consumer payment choice: Merchant card acceptance versus pricing incentives

Using transaction-level data from a three-day shopping diary, we estimate a model of consumer payment instrument choice that disentangles the effect of merchant card acceptance from credit card pricing incentives (rewards) at the point-of-sale. The lack of merchant card acceptance plays a large role in the use of cash, especially for low-value transactions (less than 25 dollars). Participation in a credit card rewards program induces a shift toward credit card usage at the expense of both debit cards and cash. In contrast, changes in the amount of rewards (ad valorem) has a small or inelastic effect on the probability of paying with credit cards. Our findings highlight the importance of the two-sided nature of retail payment systems and provide key insights into consumer and merchant behaviour.     

The influence of sharing versus self-use on the preference for different types of promotional offers

Sharing, which refers to giving something you have to someone else, is one of the most ubiquitous forms of human behavior in the world. Everyone experiences it in various situations, including buying food. Nonetheless, although buying something to share with others is quite common in our daily lives, most consumer research on buying focuses on the condition of “self-use” rather than “sharing.” The main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of promotional offers on consumers' purchase decisions when buying food for self-use/sharing with others. The authors conducted four experiments to answer the main research questions. The results indicated that consumers prefer “price discounts” over “bonus packs” when the shopping task relates to self-use due to their concern about “loss reduction.” In contrast, they prefer bonus packs over price discounts when the shopping task relates to sharing with others because of their focus on “extra gains.” In addition, consumers’ perceived responsibility is a moderator. When perceived responsibility is low and the purchase is for self-use (sharing with others), price discounts (bonus pack) are favored over bonus packs (price discounts). However, when perceived responsibility is high, consumer preference to promotional offers are not significant different either in self-use or sharing with others condition. It seems that role of responsibility is influential when the shopping task relates to self-use. This study not only contributes to a deeper understanding of consumer psychology but will also be beneficial to practitioners in designing effective promotional strategies that consider motives for food shopping.     

Indian and British personnel specialists' understanding of the dynamics of their function: an empirical study

This paper highlights the need for cross-national HRM comparisons from a cognitive perspective. It examines the perceptions of top Indian and British personnel specialists regarding their function. The influence of national culture, national institutions and dynamic business environment on HRM is evaluated. An interview based “visual cards sorting” technique is used to tap the comparative thinking of respondents. The research was conducted in 48 manufacturing (24 Indian and 24 British) firms. The sample firms were closely matched on a number of control variables. A number of differences and similarities were found in the thinking of Indian and British managers regarding their HRM functions. The impact of certain dimensions of national culture, different national institutions and some aspects of competitive business environment on Indian and British HRM practices and policies helps to highlight the context specific nature of HRM function. The findings of the study have both research and practical implications. The analysis opens avenues for future research.     

附赠式有奖销售行为新论

市场经济条件下,附赠式有奖销售行为是商家竞争的一种营销手段,已经十分常见。随着经济发展,赠品价值难以统一规范,对交易相对方公开附赠定性的分歧,尤其针对不直接影响交易的第三人的有奖销售和向潜在客户赠送试用品等新型有奖销售的出现,现行立法和理论研究已无法指导执法实践,重新探讨附赠式有奖销售十分必要。