Can national infrastructure spending reduce local unemployment? Evidence from an Australian roads program

We examine the effect of a federally-funded local infrastructure spending program on local unemployment rates. To address the likely funding endogeneity problem, we exploit variation in spending due to pork-barreling, and find that higher government expenditure on roads substantially reduces local unemployment.     

Impact of BSE on Beef Purchases in Alberta and Ontario Quick-Serve Restaurants

This analysis employed a highly disaggregated household data set of Alberta and Ontario fast food purchases from May 2000 to May 2005. A double-hurdle count data model allowed tests of the hypotheses that frequency of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy ( BSE) media coverage affected neither a household's monthly probability of purchasing a beef entree, nor the household's monthly quantity of beef entrees purchased. Ontario consumers were more likely to stop purchasing beef entrees immediately following a surge in BSE media coverage, but those who did buy beef entrees maintained stable quantity levels. BSE media coverage did not systematically affect fast food purchases among Alberta consumers .
Dans la présente analyse, nous avons utilisé un ensemble de données fortement désagrégées sur les achats de repas–minute effectués par des ménages de l'Alberta et de l'Ontario, entre mai 2000 et mai 2005. Un modèle de comptage à deux étapes (double hurdle count data model) a permis de vérifier les hypothèses selon lesquelles la concentration de la couverture médiatique de la crise de l'ESB n'influence pas la probabilité mensuelle d'un ménage d'acheter des repas–minute de bœuf ni la quantité mensuelle de repas–minute de bœuf achetés par un ménage. Les consommateurs ontariens étaient plus susceptibles de cesser d'acheter des repas–minute de bœuf immédiatement après une poussée de la couverture médiatique de la crise de l'ESB, mais ceux qui achetaient des repas–minute de bœuf ont maintenu les quantités achetées. La couverture médiatique de la crise de l'ESB n'a pas systématiquement influencé les achats de repas–minute chez les consommateurs albertains .     

Development of an inclined plate jet reactor system

A new design combines reaction or extraction and separation in one unit. Here are practical working details.     

Shutting up shop: understanding the international exit process in retailing

Internationalisation is a much-studied phenomenon. Exit from international markets has been less analysed. Where it has been studied, most work has been on motives and causes, with relatively little on processes. This article explores the process of international exit in a retail context. It examines the run-up to, announcement of and fall-out from the decision by Marks and Spencer (one of Britain's leading retailers) to close its French stores. The article concludes that understanding the process of market exit is at least as important both for theoretical and practical reasons as understanding the decision to exit or divest. Further research needs to be undertaken on market exit and the processes involved, in order to contribute further to the theory and practice of internationalisation.     

Information Processing Differences among Broadcast Media: Review and Suggestions for Research

Abstract

The research literature on the processing and cognitive response differences among broadcast media is reviewed and considered in relation to recent theoretical advances, with particular attention being given to resolving the inconsistent findings between the studies. Suggestions are provided for conducting research on the subject.     

A catalogue of success? Argos and catalogue showroom retailing

With the exception of Argos, catalogue showroom retailing has not been a major success in Europe. Argos, founded in 1973 by the Green Shield stamp entrepreneur, Richard Tompkins, has grown to be one of Britain's leading retailers. Its corporate history, with two periods of independence and two periods as a business unit in a conglomerate, is of interest. Its innovativeness, through its catalogue development and format experimentation, makes Argos important to our understanding of retail change. The catalogues themselves are essential social and retailing history documents. Now part of GUS plc, Argos has to face the challenge and opportunities of the Internet. With experience of the catalogue as an intervening element in the customer purchase process, Argos has further potential as a multichannel retailer.     

Employment in DIY Superstores

Employment patterns in food superstores have received much research attention in recent years. Employment in non-food superstores has, however, been inadequately researched. Anecdotal and visual evidence suggests that non-food superstores employ fewer staff, more males than females, and more full-time than part-time workers, in comparison with food superstores,. This article quantifies employment in DIY superstores as a basis for future research.     

The impact of scanning on employment in UK food stores: A preliminary analysis

New technology increasingly is being introduced into retailing at the operational level. One particular example is bar code scanning in food stores. By July 1986 there were 636 shops in the UK with operational scanning systems at point‐of‐sale, and of these 60 per cent were food stores. It has been suggested that scanning checkouts can cause change in employment structures and even job loss. This paper investigates some of the employment implications of laser scanning checkouts in a sample of food stores.