Stochastic Demand for Hospitals and Optimizing "Excess" Bed Capacity

This paper addresses the issue of hospital bed capacity by considering the stochastic demand for United States hospitals. An equilibrium condition for the optimal number of "excess" beds is derived and applied using a cost function estimated with a panel data model for the period 1987-1992. Results indicate that it may be difficult to justify the costliness of existing levels of empty hospital beds. The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission should be cognizant of the potential effects of hospital mergers on undesirable excess bed capacity.     

Outsourcing Internal Audit Services: An Empirical Study on Queensland Public-Sector Entities

A study of Queensland public-sector entities suggests outsourcing of internal audit services to be extensive (88%), with 51% of respondent agencies adopting co-sourcing and 37% of the agencies fully outsourcing. Results suggest that internal audit outsourcing is largely adopted for non-financial reasons such as lack of technological know-how and service quality rather than financial reasons. Deficiencies of current governance arrangements concerning internal audit outsourcing include (1) a lack of audit committee involvement in outsourcing processes, particularly in co-sourcing entities, and (2) inadequate segregation of duties whereby the same senior management is involved in key arrangements including selection, approval, negotiation and evaluation of contractual performance.     

Methods for delivering complex social services: exploring adaptive management and regulation in the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme

In the wake of new public management, and with the emergence of new public governance, a number of challenges remain unsolved in the field of public service governance and management. In this paper, we use the example of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme to show how we might deal with the design and implementation of a public service reform within the context of new public governance. We argue that governments need to develop greater openness to risk and policy experimentation during implementation. We therefore propose an adaptive system architecture that could support such risk taking.     

时艰更看领导力（上）

金融危机席卷而来。2009年，麦肯锡咨询公司特别采访了多家大公司的14名领导人，请他们反思自己觉得从危机中学到了什么。当然，这次访谈也不想把他们的评论仅仅局限于当前的衰退，还请他们思考了在以前扭亏为盈的转型或危机期间曾经面临的挑战。     

Think Independently ＆ Willing to Take Risks

Liberty believes that China represents a strong and buoyant new market opportunity. We have a level of brand recognition with China and a customer base that values our British Brand Heritage, our uniqu...     

Application of the Reporting Entity Concept in Australia

For decades, the reporting entity concept has been the foundation of differential reporting in Australia. Those entities classified as ‘reporting entities’ are, prima facie, required to produce full GAAP‐based financial reports while other (non‐reporting) entities are generally able to produce less complex and shorter ‘special purpose’ financial reports. In recent years, the application of the concept, as originally set out in the Statement of Accounting Concepts (SAC) 1 Definition of the Reporting Entity, has been criticized on several grounds—particularly, that it does not yield the reporting outcomes originally intended by regulators. Our analysis of 1,546 companies lodging financial statements with the corporate regulator in Australia (ASIC) shows the principles‐based criteria in SAC 1, designed to indicate the existence of a reporting entity, do not systematically explain its application by entities. Our findings are relevant for policy makers, researchers, and regulators concerned with how these choices might be more effectively regulated in future and whether this is best done through principles‐based or rules‐based approaches.     

Interaction patterns in audio teleconferencing

A telecommunications demonstration project in a rural state provided a natural setting in which to examine patterns of interaction during large and small group audio teleconferences. Five alternative models of information flow are plotted along with their organization features, and implications are drawn for the design and planning of teleconferences.     

Evaluation under the bank merger act of 1960 of the competitive factors involved in bank mergers : The regulatory agencies compared

The decisions and the advisories on competitive factors involved in bank mergers for the years 1964, 1966, and 1968 are used to study the differing attitudes of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, and the Attorney General toward bank mergers. The size of the resulting bank, the share of the relevant market, whether or not the agency is deciding or advising on the case, are considered as explanatory elements. The factors mentioned in their assessments by the agencies, categorized as structural, behavioral, and protectionist, are also examined. Structural considerations are least important to the Comptroller, most important to the Attorney General, while behavioral considerations are most important to the Comptroller. In general, the study reveals substantial variation in the attitudes of the four agencies.