Scale and scope economies for drug abuse treatment costs: evidence for Washington State

Drug abuse treatment has been pervasive in the US in the recent years, and the associated direct treatment costs approached $18 billion in 2001. However, there have been few published studies on scale economies, and none on scope economies, for drug abuse treatment costs. We estimate a restricted cost function for 17 hospitals in Washington State that provided inpatient and/or outpatient drug abuse treatment during the years 1997–2004. We find significant evidence of scale economies for hospitals that provide only outpatient drug abuse treatment services. The marginal costs of outpatient services are even smaller for hospitals that produce both outpatient and inpatient drug abuse treatment services. Further, these joint-production hospitals exhibit diseconomies of scope, or specialization economies. These results all imply that recent trends towards additional outpatient treatment services will enhance cost efficiency.     

The Applicability of a Contingent Factors Model to Accounting Ethics Research

This paper discusses the relevancy of a contingent factors model posited by Jones for conducting accounting ethics research. Using a sample of 37 experienced Australian auditing managers and partners of all of the ‘Big Four’ multinational accounting firms, we find that the contextual model developed by Jones can help guide accounting ethics research by isolating the contingent factors that affect ethical decision making. Moreover, we examine how the factors differ across different accounting settings. Implications for accounting ethics research and accounting practice are then discussed.Jeffrey R. Cohen, PhD is an Associate Professor at the Carroll School of management at Boston College. His research focuses primarily on behavioral ethics issues as well as investigating governance from a behavioral perspective.Nonna Martinov Bennie is a Senior Lecturer at Sydney University. Her research focuses on ethical issues in auditing as well as issues surrounding materiality judgments.     

Contradictions of the Climate-Friendly City: New Perspectives on Eco-Gentrification and Housing Justice

As local governments and corporations promote ‘climate friendliness’, and a low-carbon lifestyle becomes increasingly desirable, more middle- and upper-income urban residents are choosing to live near public transit, on bike- and pedestrian-friendly streets, and in higher-density mixed-use areas. This rejection of classical forms of suburbanization has, in part, increased property values in neighborhoods offering these amenities, displacing lower-income, often non-white, residents. Increased prevalence of creative and technology workers appears to accelerate this trend. We argue that a significant and understudied socio-environmental contradiction also occurs where the actual environmental outcomes of neighborhood transformation may not be what we expect. New research on greenhouse gas emissions shows that more affluent residents have much larger carbon footprints because of their consumption, even when reductions in transportation or building energy emissions are included. We describe an area in Seattle, Washington, the location of Amazon's headquarters, experiencing this contradiction and show a distinct convergence of city investments in low-carbon infrastructure, significant rises in housing prices and decreases in lower-income and non-white residents. We conclude with a discussion of a range of issues that require more attention by scholars interested in housing justice and/or urban sustainability.     

How business can influence government credibility

The business community has failed to act on a fundamental given: a healthy political system is essential to a healthy economic system. A competitive economic system requires a competitive political system. Good citizens — motivated and informed — make effective leadership possible.Its ingredients require ending the escalating arms race among PACs in congressional races by reducing the amoung legislators may accept from PACs; by making small individual contributions count by matching them with the voluntary tax check off; disclosing direct and indirect lobbying expenses; and systematically reviewing our subsidy system by review spending, regulatory and tax preferences.David Cohen, president of the Social Development Corporation, a non-profit organization, served as president of Common Cause 1975–1981, and is an outstanding champion of human rights, including civil rights, consumer and urban affairs, and anti-poverty issues. Before joining the staff of Common Cause, in 1971, he worked as legislative representative for the Council for Community Action, the Industrial Union Department of the AFL-CIO and the Americans for Democratic Action. He also served as Director of Research and Collective Bargaining for the Upholsterers' International Union. A published author on the need to revitalize Congressional operations, Cohen was an Associate Fellow of Calhoun College at Yale University.     

Britsch Guyana in 1878

Enkele dngen vóór het verschijnen dezer Aflevering gewordt ons nevensgaand artikel van den Hr. J. A. T. Cohen Stuart, die reeds vroeger zijne inzigten omtrent de immigratie-kwestie in dit Tijdschrift mededeelde, en wiens jarenlange ambtenaars-loopbaan als administrateur der financien in Suriname hem voorzeker allezins aanspraak geeft, mede gehoord te worden. Ofschoon zijne inzigten geheel van die van mr. S. van Praag verschillen, hebben wij, bij de welligt kort op handen zijnde afdoening van het Immigratieontwerp, om de zoo even gemelde reden gemcend aan het verlangen van den geachten inzender te kunnen toegeven, om ook zijne beschouwingen nog met dit No voor het publiek le brengen,-alzoo het audi et alteram partemgaarne, zooveel doenlijk, ook hier toepassende.     

Management Motivation and Market Assessment: Revaluations of Fixed Assets

The study examines Hong Kong managers' motivation for upward revaluation of fixed assets. The results show that revaluations are positively associated with the firms' future operating performance, suggesting that the managers' primary motivation for upward revaluation of fixed assets has been to signal fair value of assets to financial statements users. Another motivation for revaluations has been to improve the firm's borrowing capacity. The results also indicate a significantly positive association between revaluations and stock prices and returns, suggesting that the market's assessment aligns with the managers' revaluations.