On Income Transfers and Equivalence Scales

This article focusses on the relations between equivalence scales and income transfers linked to household characteristics, also called demogrants. Since transfer payments have to be financed, the relation is analyzed in the framework of an optimal tax model. The – in a second-best sense – optimal demogrants and optimal marginal tax rate are characterised by their first-order conditions. Some general properties of the demogrant structure are derived and discussed. Finally, an adopted version of Stern's model for the numerical calculation of optimal taxes is used to obtain more explicit indications about how different factors affect the structure of demogrants and the marginal tax rate.     

A Compendium of Multi‐Item Scales Utilized in Logistics Research (2001–10): Progress Achieved Since Publication of the 1973–2000 Compendium

Forty years have passed since the first multi‐item measurement scales were employed through survey research to better understand important logistics concepts. Through the years, four leading logistics journals have published research containing a total of 1,670 scales within 283 articles. A 42% increase in utilization has occurred during the most recent decade. The research fully discloses the conceptualization, composition, and properties of the multi‐item survey scales utilized in the study of logistics and supply chain management theory and practice. By documenting each scale published from 2001 to 2010, the authors make comparisons with results from the 1973–2000 study. Primary findings indicate an increase in the percentage of research utilizing multi‐item scales, and an increase in the application of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) has assisted in producing more highly acceptable psychometric properties of the scales. This implies that researchers are utilizing more highly developed scales and following strict scale‐development procedures for building more robust scales to measure concepts important for advancing our knowledge of logistics and supply chain management. The top four conceptual categories for the scales have remained the same since 1973 and account for greater than half of the scales published. Eight additions to the categories since 2001 pertain greatly to controlling our supply chains for customer, brand, and overall security benefits. The compendium of scales provides a central document to reference as researchers seek to employ highly developed survey measures.     

Integrated ecological-economic modelling of water pollution abatement management options in the Upper Ems River Basin

This paper presents the results of the FLUMAGIS project, in which we developed a spatial decision support system (SDSS) to support the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). The modelling approach is based on the integration of ecological and socio-economic assessment methods, scale-specific and GIS-based data and knowledge modelling and visualization techniques. The project study area is the intensively cropped Upper Ems River Basin in north-western Germany. A method was developed that enables the transfer of scale-specific data and information. Analyses were performed for baseline conditions and specific management and planning scenarios to improve water quantity and quality at micro-, meso- and macro-scale. The results of the study indicate that substantial, expensive water and land management changes at different scales would be necessary to achieve the WFD water quality targets in this basin. Ecological-economic analysis of cost-effectiveness reveals that the costs of achieving certain goals of the WFD can vary more than tenfold depending on which measure is chosen out of the pool of management alternatives. Moreover, the study shows that the differentiation between landscapes and other regional characteristics although considered essential to the successful implementation of WFD measures is very data intensive.     

Construct heterogeneity and proliferation in advertising research

Abstract

This paper presents results from a study of measurement practice in leading advertising journals. The focus is on heterogeneity in measurement operationalizations of the same construct and construct proliferation (i.e. when constructs have different names but overlapping content). These issues were addressed by analyzing the measurement operationalizations in all articles published in three leading advertising journals between 2012 and 2014. Results show considerable heterogeneity in the operationalizations of three common advertising constructs (ad credibility, ad irritation and perceived humour) for which almost every study used a unique operationalization. Results also show considerable construct proliferation as different names were used for the same constructs and there was overlap in the operationalizations of several advertising constructs. The paper offers a discussion of implications for advertising research and suggests steps that can be taken towards improving measurement practice.     

Hospitality Student Expectations

ABSTRACT

This article reports the findings of an exploratory study that primarily examined the relationship between hope and expectations of success among hospitality students at a southeastern university. It also discusses relationships among factors such as grade point averages, student class standing, and declared program majors. The article presents results of the study that identify relationships between measurable criteria associated with the concept of hope and expectations for student success, as well as other associated factors. The article concludes with areas for future research, as well as implications for hospitality educators and human resource practitioners.     

Knowledge absorptive capacity: New insights for its conceptualization and measurement

The processes for absorbing external knowledge become an essential element for innovation in firms and in adapting to changes in the competitive environment. Despite the huge growth in the absorptive capacity literature, a methodological gap still remains about a certain ambiguity in the definition of the construct specifying its theoretical domain and dimensionalization, and a lack of validation of the construct in most studies. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the literature on absorptive capacity through the creation and validation of two scales, justified with a thorough analysis of the literature, to measure the key components of the absorptive capacity construct: potential and realized absorptive capacities. The study includes confirmatory factor analysis on a sample of 952 Spanish firms to verify that the scales meet the psychometric properties the literature requires. The study results confirm the validity of the proposed scales and support their consolidation as a commonly used instrument with which to measure absorptive capacity.     

上市公司增长机会、增发数量与股价反应

以2007年至2009年成功增发的A股上市公司为样本,对我国上市公司增发数量与股价变动的相互关系进行研究,结果表明：上市公司的增发数量内生于其增长机会,增长机会越大的公司增发数量占发行前总股本的比率也越高;股市对上市公司的过度增发会做出显著的负面反应,但仅有微弱的证据表明谨慎增发会导致股价下跌;公开增发的上市公司较之于定向增发的上市公司具有更多的过度增发倾向,且股价反应也更剧烈。     

Properties of Equivalence Scales in Different Countries

Recent studies in industrialized countries have shown that equivalence scales are income-dependent. We investigate whether this dependence also holds in poorer, services oriented countries, by considering the case of Cyprus. We also examine whether household economies of scale and relative children costs differ from those found for industrialized countries.     

浅谈我国中小企业融资

随着社会主义市场经济的不断发展,我国中小企业在国民经济中的作用越来越大,但资金短缺一直束缚着中小企业的发展。因此,本文拟述我国中小企业在国民经济中扮演怎样的角色,宏观经济政策对企业融资的影响及如何制定中小企业最佳融资决策。     

外汇储备适度规模分析:理论方法与中国实证

截止到2006年9月末我国外汇储备余额已达9879亿美元,然而外汇储备和其他很多经济变量一样存在一个适度规模的问题。首先介绍了衡量外汇储备适度规模的几种主要的方法;然后对我国外汇储备的适度规模进行了实证分析;最后针对我国超额外汇储备的管理问题提出了一系列的建议。