bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Spatiotemporal Auto-Regressive Moving Average Model for Solar Radiation
Authors: Glasbey C. A. , Allcroft D. J.
Published: May 2008

To investigate the variability in energy output from a network of photovoltaic cells, solar radiation was recorded at 10 sites every 10 min in the Pentland Hills to the south of Edinburgh. We identify spatiotemporal auto-regressive moving average models as the most appropriate to address this problem. Although previously considered computationally prohibitive to work with, we show that by approximating using toroidal space and fitting by matching auto-correlations, calculations can be substantially reduced. We find that a first-order spatiotemporal auto-regressive (STAR(1)) process with a first-order neighbourhood structure and a Matern noise process provide an adequate fit to the data, and we demonstrate its use in simulating realizations of energy output.
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Authors: Sadli H.E. Mohammad
Published: May 2008

In this introductory article to the new OPEC REVIEW, Dr. Sadli refers to the importance of regular conferences to maintain OPEC's spirit of brotherhood and solidarity, and suggests that a policy of continued moderation in pursuit of its legitimate objectives can only strengthen the Organization's position in the eyes, both of the rest of the developing world and of the West.
THE AFTERMATH OF 1974: A WORLD BANK VIEW
Authors: Singh Shamsher
Published: May 2008

Whilst OPEC's quadrupling of the oil price in January 1974 undoubtedly placed an additional burden on the balance of payments of developed and oil importing developing countries alike, seen in retrospect, the impact in both cases has proved less severe than had been feared. Increased OECD exports to OPEC and the recycling of OPEC surpluses in both groups of countries did much to relieve the pressure. The most striking feature, however, was the performance of the poorer nations: despite the increased oil price and the effects of the recession on their main export markets, this group managed to increase its real CDP by 5% per annum between 1973 and 1977, thus faring considerably better than the developed countries. In this Paper, Dr. Shamsher Singh, of the World Bank, puts in proper perspective the aftermath of 1974 and anticipates the challenges all nations will face in tackling the eriergy problem in the future. He concludes on a hopeful note for the poorer countries: according to World Bank studies, some 40 to 50 of the more than 70 nations classified under this head might produce petroleum, and the Bank intends to continue to extend its traditional forms of assistance into this sector.
U.S. ENERGY POLICY: AN OPEC VIEW
Authors: Jaidah Ali M.
Published: May 2008

The continued failure of the United States Congress to take action on the Federal Energy Plan, first presented by President Carter in April 1977, remains a primary source of concern for U.S. authorities and the international community as a whole. With its twin aims of reducing U.S. dependence on imported oil through promoting conservation and of developing alternative energy sources such as coal, the Plan was supposed to reduce oil imports to 6 million barrels per day by 1985, thereby helping to alleviate the crippling Balance of Payments deficit from which the United States is now suffering. The U.S. Administration hopes that this in turn will lead to a strengthening of the much weakened dollar resulting in a general increase in confidence in the U.S. currency. As we are all only too aware, however, the Carter Plan has met with stiff Congressional opposition, and the United States, the country with the highest per capita energy consumption in the world, still lacks an integrated energy policy.

It was against this background, that OPEC Secretary General, Ali M. Jaidah, analysed the U.S. Energy Situation as seen through OPEC eyes at the Centennial Meeting of the American Bar Association in New York on August 8, 1978. In the extract of his address, which we publish below, Mr. Jaidah begins by showing how U.S. experiences with central planning differ markedly from those of other Western countries, and proceeds to examine the various aspects of the Carter Plan, from the point of view of their likely success. He concludes by stressing the tremendous potential for the U.S. to solve its energy problems if only it can surmount the psychological barrier of accepting economic interdependence, as the rest of the international community has done.
AN AMERICAN CASE FOR HIGHER OIL PRICES
Authors: Snyder Julian M.
Published: May 2008

In the shadow of the plunging dollar, with its serious implications for the world economy in general, and for OPEC Member Countries in particular, this article could not be more apposite or timely. In it, the author advances the, at first sight, startling, view that OPEC should raise – immediately and substantially – the price of its oil, thus “inflicting upon the United States the austerity which is the only way to restore what is admittedly the strongest economy in the world to full economic health.” In the same forthright terms, Julian Snyder states that OPEC, by freezing oil prices, has been directly responsible for the massive depreciation of its own dollar assets. Cogently he points out that the US currency has “experienced its greatest depreciation in history during the precise period that the freeze has been in effect.”
COMMODITY AGREEMENTS AND INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION
Authors: Mikdashi Zuhayr
Published: May 2008

There are positive signs that the “campmentality” which has bedevilled producer‐consumer relations all along, is at last giving way to a realistic sense of interdependence. In the following article, Professor Mikdashi points to the factors encouraging this trend and which are, he believes, moving the protagonists towards the commodity agreement realm of comprehensive collective action. “Dialogue, and eventually a number of cooperative schemes, in which substantial effective parity exists between exporters and importers appear to be a healthy approach to international economic relations.” Professor Mikdashi argues that, as a substitute for the elusive competitive market, the commodity agreement model would permit a more efficient allocation of resources in that it would iron out violent fluctuations in prices –“fluctuations which are a source of uncertainty and waste.”
CRUDE OIL PRICE DIFFERENTIALS
Authors: Al‐Janabi Adrian
Published: May 2008

The search for a solution to the vexed problem of crude oil price differentials continues to exercise the minds of OPEC experts. And in the opinion of Adrian Al‐Janabi, who dealt with the history of this subject in a previous Paper (OPEC Review, Vol. 1, No. 8, December 1977), the continuously changing nature of price differentials makes it “difficult to envisage a simple solution to this multidimensional and dynamic problem.” Nevertheless, OPEC has been endeavouring to come up with an “interim” solution, and here the author examines the main ideas proposed in this field, concluding with an assessment of the prospects offered by the development of computer models by OPEC to solve this problem. In this hitter regard, however, Mr. Janabi is frankly sceptical: computer model printouts, he submits, are hardly likely to be automatically accepted by marketing men as a price‐setter.
SOME REQUIREMENTS AND CONCEPTS FOR OBTAINING NEW REMOTE SENSING DATA TO EXPLORE FOR PETROLEUM AND MINERAL RESOURCES
Authors: Halbouty Michel T.
Published: May 2008

The increasing need for energy and mineral resources dictates accelerated exploration on a global scale. Satellite observations are now being used operationally by the minerals and petroleum industry but the data collection systems are being maintained in an experimental mode. In the immediate future, satellite data collection should be managed on an operational basis to ensure timely and continued distribution to explorationists and to allow the collection systems to evolve in an orderly manner. Significant seasonal multispectral information is being made available for explorationists on a global basis. New concepts in remote sensing are being implemented to enhance land geophysics. An earth resources satellite programme must be developed which will provide not only repetitive global, multispectral, electromagnetic data of the earth's surface, but also global geophysical and topographical data. Continued planetary exploration with better spatial and spectral resolution, and with geophysical instruments, will provide valuable data on the origin of our planet and insight into planetary processes which may control the development of petroleum accumulations and mineral deposits.
The energy situation: South‐East Asia in a world context
Authors: McColl G.D.
Published: May 2008

Summary:It is evident that developing countries in South‐East Asia have become more conscious of the need to achieve greater energy efficiency in production and consumption and to make greater use of both indigenous and imported forms of non‐oil energy. As a consequence, their future consumption of oil is likely to increase at substantially slower rates than those which applied in the 1970s. Whether the decline in oil prices will significantly change this outlook remains to be seen, but it needs to be remembered that all of these countries are likely to be very conscious of the balance of payments constraints under which they have to operate, and they will be anxious to minimize the risk of suffering large increases in the cost of importing oil on the scale which occurred in the early and late 1970s. In these circumstances, other energy forms, particularly natural gas, coal and, in some countries, nuclear power, are likely to play a larger role in energy production and consumption in South‐East Asia in future. Given the over‐supply situation which is likely to persist for some time, intense competition is likely to exist for the coal and gas markets. At the same time, there seems little likelihood of any substantial change in the dependence of those less developed countries which import oil from the Middle East for a considerable part of their energy requirements.
Large Shareholders, the Board of Directors and the Allocation of Cash Proceeds from Corporate Asset Sell‐offs
Authors: Ataullah Ali , Davidson Ian , Le Hang
Published: May 2008

Recent finance literature suggests that managers of divesting firms may retain cash proceeds from corporate asset sell‐offs in order to pursue their own objectives, and, therefore, shareholders' gains due to these deals are linked to a distribution of proceeds to shareholders or to debtholders. We add to this literature by examining the role of various corporate governance mechanisms in the context of the allocation of sell‐off proceeds. Specifically, we examine the impact of directors' share‐ownership and stock options, board composition and external large shareholdings on (1) shareholders' abnormal returns around asset sell‐off announcements, and (2) managers' decision to either retain or distribute (to shareholders or to debtholders) sell‐off proceeds. We find that non‐executive directors' and CEO's share‐ownership and stock options are related to shareholders' gains from sell‐offs for firms that retain proceeds. However, corporate governance mechanisms are not significantly related to shareholders' gains for firms that distribute sell‐off proceeds. Furthermore, we find that the likelihood of a distribution of proceeds, relative to the retention decision, is increasing in large institutional shareholdings, executive and non‐executive directors' share‐ownership and non‐executive representation in the board.
Urban–Rural Differences in Internet Usage, e‐Commerce, and e‐Banking: Evidence from Italy
Authors: DE BLASIO GUIDO
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT By reducing the cost of performing isolated economic activities in remote areas, information technology might serve as a substitute for urban agglomeration. The paper assesses this hypothesis using data on Italian households' usage of the Internet, e‐commerce, and e‐banking. The results do not support the argument that the Internet reduces the role of distance. Internet usage is much more frequent among urban consumers than among their non‐urban counterparts. The use of e‐commerce is basically unaffected by the size of the city where the household lives. Geographically remote consumers are discouraged from purchasing goods by the fact that they cannot inspect them beforehand. Leisure activities and cultural items (i.e., books, CDs, and tickets for museums and theaters) are the only goods and services for which e‐commerce is used more in isolated areas. Finally, e‐banking bears no relationship to city size. In choosing a bank, non‐urban customers give more importance to personal acquaintance than do urban clients, partly because bank account holders in remote areas are more likely to have taken out a loan from their bank.
Manpower and Technological Change in Czechoslovakia
Authors: STIEBER JACK , PAUKERT LIBA
Published: May 2008

In spite of a continuing manpower shortage since World War II, the pace of technological progress and the introduction of labor‐saving technology in Czechoslovakia has been disappointingly slow. The blame for this state of affairs has been ascribed by Czech economists to the system of directive central planning used in Czechoslovakia and other East European countries. Because of the emphasis on meeting and surpassing output targets without regard to quality or need for the end products, the system gave enterprises no incentive to introduce new technology, reduce manpower requirements, or turn out a better grade
Professional Negotiations in Education
Authors: GARBARINO JOSEPH W.
Published: May 2008

I have identified three pure types of employed professional relationships: (1) the general employed professional model, (2) the ideal academic professional model, and (3) the professional union model. Experience with these models, in particular a review of the California approach to professional negotiations in public education, leads to a forecast that organizations of professional employees—both those which call themselves unions and those which do not—will increasingly take their ideology and their rhetoric from the general employed professional model, their goals and status aspirations from the academic model, and their tactics from the union model. In brief, they will do their best to look and sound like professional societies, but, if necessary, will act more like unions.
Hiring, Training, and Retaining the Hard‐Core
Authors: GOODMAN PAUL S.
Published: May 2008

The objective of this paper is to present a model that can explain and predict behavior on programs designed to hire, train, and retain the hard‐core unemployed. More than 50 variables and their relationships have been specified. Some of these variables have been identified in other studies, or can be derived from the organization change literature, but this paper tries to provide a comprehensive list of the extensive set of empirically based variables.
Markov‐Chain Analysis of Internal Manpower Supply
Authors: ROWLAND KENDRITH M. , SOVEREIGN MICHAEL G.
Published: May 2008

The separation of manpower forecasting into a demand forecast and a supply forecast emphasizes that each depends on quite different sources of information. The demand forecast is based primarily on an estimate of sales, which is then transformed into the number and type of personnel needed to produce and sell the company's products. The information for forecasting internal supply can often be treated as if it were independent of the external environment and is often available within the firm. If a matrix representing the probability of transition from one job classification to another can be prepared for the relevant classifications, Markov‐chain theory can be used to generate a forecast of internal manpower supply.
Engineering Occupational Choice, 1950–1965
Authors: BUMAS LESTER O.
Published: May 2008

This study has attempted to explain how the flow of engineers into the profession responded to market forces during the 1950–1965 period. The conventional explanation consists of two steps. The difference between the quantity supplied and the quantity demanded, at prevailing salaries, causes salary variation. Then, relative salary variations are supposed to cause supply variations. But in the case of the engineering labor market, while supplies vaned considerably, relative salaries did not. Consideration of the behavior of individuals has led us to believe that the second step of the conventional theory may be unnecessary. In a pervasively employment‐conscious culture, variations in the availability of jobs seem to be a principal determinant af supply. This finding is actually quite consistent with economic theory which postulates supply as a function of expected earnings. It does suggest, however, that some consideration be given to changing the traditional emphasis from variations in earnings to variations in expectations.
The Union Response to International Corporations
Authors: LITVAK I. A. , MAULE C. J.
Published: May 2008

The purpose of this paper has been to examine, on a pre‐liminary basis, some of the implications of the international corporationunion interface for individual countries. It has been suggested that the impact of this interface will depend on the production strategy of the international corporation, the solidarity of the coalition of the unions in different countries, and the economic and political conditions prevailing in the individual countries.

In order to gain a deeper understanding of the bargaining relationship between unions and international corporations, it is suggested that research will have to be conducted on the following topics: the industrial relations decision‐making process of international firms, in particular the ways in which these firms react to international collective bargaining; the alternative strategies open to unions in international collective bargaining; the impact of international unionism and international firms on the industrial relations system of individual countries; the problems associated with international collective bargaining involving unions with different political ideologies; and the impact of international unionism on economic and political integration and the perception of national governments.
Physician Assistants: Is There a Return to Training?
Authors: SCHEFFLER RICHARD M.
Published: May 2008

The major finding of this study is that the private rate of return to training physician assistants, employing the most conservative projections, is approximately 20 per cent, a rate comparable to that found for physicians. This result would seem to suggest that PA training is a good investment for the individual and that future demand for training will be high. The validity of this result, however, depends on the accuracy of the earnings projections that were utilized. Although they appear reasonable, only future observations can confirm their accuracy.

The multiple regression model used to test the significance of various independent variables indicated that for the ten‐year period analyzed race, sex, and years of education prior to training did not explain differences in net present values of PA training, whereas age, years of health‐related experience before training, training in a specialty, and the type of medical practice employing the PA were found to be important.

Although this study's findings should be considered tentative, the major policy implication evident from this research is that increases in government support to physician assistant trainees does not appear warranted at this point.
Bargaining Structure and Wage Outcomes in the British Coal Industry
Authors: Cappelli Peter
Published: May 2008

The arguments below use case study and time series data to investigate the relationship between bargaining structure and wage settlements in the British coal industry. Consideration of the different bargaining structures in this industry suggests that bargaining power and wage outcomes are very sensitive to market conditions when the negotiating structure is decentralized; when negotiations are centralized in industry‐wide bargaining, power and wage outcomes are quite insensitive to market conditions. These conclusions may help in understanding recent events in this industry and perhaps can be generalized to other cases where bargaining structures are undergoing change.
Preference for Job Attributes: Tradeoffs from Present Position
Authors: SHAPIRA ZUR
Published: May 2008

Successful implementation of incentive systems in organizations depends in part on accurate assessment of employee preferences for different job attributes. Traditionally, such preferences are measured by the use of rating scales to determine the attractiveness of job attributes. This study uses a different method. Senior executives of a large electronics firm are asked to make direct tradeoffs between five attributes: salary, interest and challenge, authority, influence on company policy, and status. The data are analyzed by means of minimizing a least square loss function to estimate tradeoff coefficients based on which attribute importance was derived. Analysis of the effect of present position shows that the higher a manager's position is on a certain attribute, the more important this attribute is relative to others. The tradeoffs method's advantages for understanding the processes by which job attributes acquire their relative importance are discussed
The Wormking Time Debate in Western Europe
Authors: BLYTON PAUL
Published: May 2008

High unemployment levels in western Europe have stimulated calls for reorganizing working time. Some reductions in working time as well as more explicit work‐sharing initiatives have occurred; results from these initiatives have been disappointing. Obstacles include attitudes of the different parties involved and little indication of work‐sharing following simulated or actual hours reductions. A greater work‐sharing effect can be anticipated where hours reductions are greater, when they occur in nonrecessionary periods, and where job‐retention as well as job‐creation effects are evaluated.
Changes in IR Programs Since the Mid‐Sixties
Authors: KRISLOV JOSEPH , MEAD JOHN
Published: May 2008

An up‐date of a 1967 study of industrial relations programs reveals that they are increasingly being integrated into traditional academic units. Both undergraduate and graduate degree programs have increased and most are housed in an academic department. The content of degree programs is shifting from collective bargaining to human resources management.
Strategic Jobs and Wage Structure in the Steel Industry: 1910–1930
Authors: BROWN MARTIN , NUWER MICHAEL
Published: May 2008

The concept of strategic occupations is used to explain individualistic bargaining power during the nonunion era of the U.S. steel industry. It is hypothesized that integrative technical change homogenized the wage structure, but job categories associated with strategic work resisted this pattern. The results show that the degree of wage homogenization corresponded to the degree of technical diffusion in given steel industry departments. Moreover, strategic job categories did resist the pattern of wage homogenization.
Australian Labor Relations Through American Eyes
Authors: Strauss George
Published: May 2008

This article describes how Australia's conciliation and arbitration system emerged in the eighteen nineties and the key role it still plays in that county's labor relations. The respective roles of unions, management, and conciliation and arbitration are discussed, as are dispute resolution procedures at the national, industry‐occupational, company, and plant levels. The functions of strikes and other forms of “industrial action” are examined.
Further Evidence on Union Efficiency in Construction
Authors: Allen Steven G.
Published: May 2008

This study examines the impact of unions on efficiency in retail construction in the late seventies. Square footage put in place per hour is 51 per cent greater for union than nonunion contractors. The study finds no difference in mean cost per square foot and offers mixed econometric evidence on Tran slog cost functions. There is also no difference in profit rates or prices between union and nonunion contractors.
Doubts Regarding the Human Capital Theory of Racial Inequality
Authors: Kiefer David , Philips Peter
Published: May 2008

Using wage data developed by Smith (1984), this paper compares human capital and institutional explanations of trends in the racial wage gap since 1890. While a regression including daily schooling variables is consistent with the human capital theory, so is an institutional model which omits schooling variables but adds the influences of isolation in the rural South, discriminatory hiring and promotion practices, unemployment, and government policy. Including schooling and institutional variables together casts doubt on the relative importance of schooling compared to labor market demands and political variables.
Workers' Preferences in Concession Bargaining
Authors: DWORKIN JAMES B. , FELDMAN SIDNEY P. , BROWN JAMES M. , HOBSON CHARLES J.
Published: May 2008

Prior to recent contract negotiations, members of a very large United Steelworkers of America local union were asked to fill out a contract questionnaire regarding their preferences for various benefits and their willingness to strike to avoid making concessions. This paper reports the survey results and compares the members' pre‐contractual preferences with the actual negotiated settlement.
Bargaining Effects of the Mandatory‐Permissive Distinction
Authors: DELANEY JOHN THOMAS , SOCKELL DONNA , BROCKNER JOEL
Published: May 2008

This study uses a laboratory experiment to examine empirically the effect of the mandatory permissive distinction on the negotiation of wages, employment guarantees, and advertising expenditures. Results suggest that negotiators spend more time bargaining over a smaller settlement range when an issue is mandatory than when it is permissive. Further, tentative findings provide no evidence that negotiators can circumvent the distinction through the use of tradeoffs across issues or bargaining power.
Interest Arbitrators and Their Decision Behavior
Authors: SCHWOCHAU SUSAN , FEUILLE PETER
Published: May 2008

We analyze the salary portions of a multi‐state sample of police interest arbitration awards to determine what decision criteria (e.g., pay comparability, ability to pay, inflation) arbitrators' mention most frequently. Using the results, we construct measures of these criteria and assess their influence on awarded salaries. We find that arbitrated salaries are related to several of the measures and also to the employer and union salary offers. The parties' offers are also influenced by our measures, indicating that unions and employers attempt to strategically position their offers before the arbitrator.
Productivity Levels & Productivity Change Under Unionism
Authors: ALLEN STEVEN G.
Published: May 2008

This paper examines how unions affect the rate of productivity change. The direction of union impact cannot be predicted from economic theory. Firms may select either more productive technologies to offset higher union wages or less productive technologies to keep union wage demands in line. Evidence from manufacturing indicates that unions have not affected productivity growth; in construction, productivity growth has been much slower where there is a high initial level of unionization or where unionization is growing.
Advance Notification of Plant Closing: Does It Matter?
Authors: EHRENBERG RONALD G. , JAKUBSON GEORGE H.
Published: May 2008

A review of the literature on the empirical effects of advance notification of plant closings (voluntary and mandated), including the authors' recent study using data drawn from the 1984 Survey of Displaced Workers. suggests that advance notice reduces the probalility that displaced workers suffer any spells of unemployment and may also moderated temporary increases in area unemployment rates. There is little evidence of adverse effects of advance notice, either to workers or to firms. The implications for public policy are discussed.
Canadian Public‐Private Sector Earnings Differentials, 1970–1980
Authors: SHAPIRO DANIEL M. , STELCNER MORTON
Published: May 2008

This paper examines changes in the public‐private sector wage gap in Canada between 1970 and 1980. The results show that the gross earnings advantage of both male and female government employees rose over the decade. For men, the increase was largely attributable to improved wage‐determining characteristics, especially education, experience, and occupational distribution. For women, the increase occurred mainly because of a rise in economic rents in the form of a constant wage premium.
Temporary Layoffs and Unemployment in Canada
Authors: ROBERTSON MATTHEW
Published: May 2008

The importance of temporary layoffs in measured unemployment has not been solidly established empirically. Clark and Summers (1 979) maintain that these separations account for only a small fraction of U.S. unemployment. Administrative data analyzed in this paper show that temporay layoffs are an important feature of the Canadian labor market. Approximately 35 per cent of the variation in the Canadian unemployment rate over time can be accounted for by changes in temporary layoffs and about 45 per cent by variations in all temporary employment separations.
Job Interruptions and Part‐Time Work: Their Effect on MBAs' Income
Authors: FRIEZE JOSEPHINE E. OLSON and IRENE HANSON
Published: May 2008

An examination of the frequency of job interruptions and part‐time work among a large sample of MBAs finds that such breaks in full‐time employment are more likely among female than male MBAs. The most common reason given by both men and women for these interruptions is “could not find (suitable)Job” Only women are also Very likely to cite “family reasons” or “spouse transferred”. Regression results show that interruptions to full‐time work because one “could not find (suitable) job” have a much more negative impact on later income than do interruptions for family‐related reasons.
Determinants of Salary Dispersion in Organizations
Authors: PFEFFER JEFFREY , DAVIS‐BLAKE ALISON
Published: May 2008

Data from 821 colleges and universities were used to examine the determinants of the degree of wage dispersion in a set of more than 70 high‐level university positions. Salary dispersion was positively related to the amount of dispersion in job tenure, private control, and type of institution (two‐year college, four‐year college, or university). Salary dispersion was negatively related to the proportion of administrative positions filled by insiders and to homogeneity in gender composition. The number of administrative positions (an index of the degree of specialization) increases dispersion when the positions were of a general administrative nature but decreased dispersion when position proliferation was related to the core activities of teaching and research.
Job Classifications and Plant Performance in the Auto Industry
Authors: KEEFE JEFFREY H. , KATZ HARRY C.
Published: May 2008

This study assess the relationship between plant economic performance and job classifications, using data from a large, unionized, automobile manufacturer. Combining skilled and semi‐skilled job classifications leads to small improvements in economic performance, while reductions in the member of assembly job classifications affect neither plant productivity nor plant quality. The data also reveal that classification reductions predict plant modernization, although the magnitude of this effect varies with the occupational group.
Environment, Corporate Ideology, and Employee Involvement Programs
Authors: GOLL IRENE
Published: May 2008

Corporations are implementing employee involvement programs in both union and nonunion settings in response to growing environmental pressures. This study examines the relationships among environmental pressures, corporate ideology, and participative practices in union and nonunion settings and tests two industrial relations models. Questionnaires measuring environmental pressures, corporate ideology, and participation were completed and returned by the Vice President of Human Resources (or similar corporate executive) in 159 of the largest manufacturing companies in the United States. Multiple regression results show that environmental pressures exert little effect on corporate ideology, but ideology has a significant effect on participative practices in both union and nonunion settings.
Gender Effects in Grievance Arbitration
Authors: BEMMELS BRIAN
Published: May 2008

This study investigates arbitrators' decisions in 557 suspension cases and reveals that, other things equal, male arbitrators were 74 per cent more likely to sustain the grievances of female grievants than male grievants. There was no evidence, however, that female arbitrators treat male and female grievants differently. A review of studies on gender effects in arbitration suggests a weak gender effect where male arbitrators are more lenient with female grievants than with male grievants.
Profit Sharing and Public Policy: Insights for the United States
Authors: FLORKOWSKI GARY W.
Published: May 2008

Nations differ in their approach to profit sharing, with policies ranging from nonintervention to mandatory sharing. Mounting evidence that profit sharing has a positive impact on employment and productivity has spurred some American legislators and economists to propose additional tax incentives. While this option has been effective in increasing the number of plans, a more prudent response would be the creation of a national tripartite body to accelerate and enhance the quality of profit‐sharing research.
Technological Choice and Union‐Management Cooperation
Authors: THOMAS ROBERT J.
Published: May 2008

Growth in the number and complexity of “new technology” agreements has led some observers to suggest that companies and unions are entering a new era of bargaining. Key features of the emerging model appear to be formal cooperation around the content and the process, as well as the impacts, of technological change. This paper evaluates these expectations against case study data on technological change in a major unionized firm. Even with a formal commitment to a new approach, intervening factors—intra‐organizational power struggles, resource competition, and technical uncertainties—appear to severely limit union involvement and represent major obstacles to a new era of bargaining over technology.
Career Employment and Job Stopping
Authors: RUHM CHRISTOPHER J.
Published: May 2008

Career jobs typically end well before retirement and are followed by a period of postcareer employment. Although the most financially successful transitions occur when new positions are obtained in the same industry and occupation as the career job, mobility usually involves a change in industry andlor in occupation. Pension‐covered career jobs last longer and more frequently end in retirement than noncovered positions. Pensions may also reduce the probability that retirements occur at very young ages and delay retirements when coverage is first obtained in postcareer employment.
Public‐ and Private‐Sector Occupational Pay Structures
Authors: HUNDLEY GREG
Published: May 2008

Data from a representative sample of wage and salary workers are used to estimate wage equations that provide for direct estimates of the differences between public and private occupational pay structures. The results show that at the state and local levels of government in particular, the public/private wage differential tends to decline as occupational skill requirements increase. Public employees who work on jobs unique to the public sector are paid a wage premium. There is little support for the idea that degree of union coverage in the private sector affects public wages for an occupation.
Effects of Skill and Attitudes on Employee Performance and Earnings
Authors: NOLLEN STANLEY D. , GAERTNER KAREN N.
Published: May 2008

This study uses original survey and archival data from factory and office employees in one firm to relate differences among individual employees' performance to differences in their skill and attitudes about work, and to test the association between employees' earnings and their performance, skill, and attitudes. We suggest that the way in which skill and attitudes affect performance will depend on the type of work that is done. The main results show that among factory employees, those who have on‐the‐job training and longer experience receive better performance ratings than those without training and with less experience. Factory employees' earnings depend on their performance, following the human capital model of wage determination. Among office workers, training and experience do not significantly affect performance ratings; instead, higher‐rated employees have more positive attitudes about work. Office employees' earnings depend on their classroom training, experience, and attitudes, but not on their rated performance.
Quality of Work Life and Human Resource Outcomes
Authors: HAVLOVIC STEPHEN J.
Published: May 2008

This study develops and tests hypotheses regarding the influence of Quality of Work Life (QWL) initiatives on absenteeism, accidents, grievances, and quits, using monthly longitudinal human resource archival data collected at a unionized Midwestern heavy manufacturing firm for the period from 1976 to 1986. The sample size is 129 months (48 months of pre‐QWL measures and 81 months of post‐QWL measures). Autoregression procedures are utilized to examine the direct impact of QWL on human resource outcomes. QWL is found to significantly reduce absenteeism, minor accidents, grievances, and quits.
Supervision, Working Conditions, and the Employer Size‐Wage Effect
Authors: KRUSE DOUGLAS
Published: May 2008

Two hypotheses for the employer size‐wage effect are explored using data from the 1980 Survey of Job Characteristics. We found that there is a strong establishment size effect in both medium‐size and large companies and that employee‐reported frequency of supervision has a negative relationship to pay but makes no difference in the effect. While 26 working conditions reduce the establishment size effect by one‐third, it remains strong and significant.
Industry Wage Differentials and Wait Unemployment
Authors: KLETZER LORI
Published: May 2008

This analysis uses individual‐level data to test the industry wage differential‐wait unemployment hypothesis. Using the 1988 Bureau of Labor Statistics Displaced Worker Survey, it examines the role of predisplacement industry in determining the length of jobless spells and finds some evidence consistent with wait unemployment. The analysis also considers the incidence of joblessness separately from duration and finds that factors positively related to the occurrence of a spell are not necessarily positively related to its ultimate length.
The Stampede Toward Defined Contribution Pension Plans: Fact or Fiction?
Authors: GUSTMAN ALAN L. , STEINMEIER THOMAS L.
Published: May 2008

This paper questions recent conclusions that the trend in primary plan type toward defined contribution plans and away from defined benefit plans is due to increased pension regulation. Analysis of data from IRS 5500 filings by pension administrators shows that at least half of the trend is due to a shift in employment mix toward firms with industry, size, and union status that have historically been associated with lower defined benefit plan rates. Not more than half of the trend can be attributed to a “stampede” by firms with given industry, size, and union status toward defined contribution pension coverage.
Keynesian, Old Keynesian, and New Keynesian Wage Nominalism
Authors: MITCHELL DANIEL J. B.
Published: May 2008

Wage nominalism has long been a puzzle for economists. The original Keynesian explanation related it to a coordination failure in the context of decentralized union bargaining, a problem now in a largely nonunion U. S. labor market. Moreover, Keynesianism assumed wage nominalism as the norm rather than explaining it. New Keynesian explanations, based on implicit contracts, menu costs, and other innovations still do not explain wage nominalism.
Collective Bargaining Coverage of Union Members and Nonmembers in the Public Sector
Authors: HUNDLEY GREG
Published: May 2008

Arguably, models of union status and union wage effects in the public sector should' consider workers in three categories: not covered, covered nonmember, and covered member. Estimates show that stronger union security laws are associated with higher percentages of covered members and nonmembers, that right‐to‐work laws do not affect union coverage or membership relative to where no union security law exists, and that the wages of covered members are higher than those for covered non‐members.
Declining Union Strength and Labor Cost Inflation in the 1980s
Authors: NEUMARK DAVID
Published: May 2008

This paper explores the hypothesis that the declining strength of labor unions underlies the moderation of labor cost inflation in the 1980s, which is not explained by standard Phillips curve equations. Data on union density, union certification and decertification election results, and work stoppages are used as proxies for union strength. No support is found for the declining union strength hypothesis at either the aggregate level (using economywide or union‐sector labor cost series) or the industry level.
Temporary Help Service Workers: Employment Characteristics and Wage Determination
Authors: COHEN YINON , HABERFELD YITCHAK
Published: May 2008

This paper studies temporary help service (THS) workers, a growing component of the secondary labor market. It analyzes two samples of workers in the same four clerical occupations‐bookkeepers, typists, key‐punch operators, and clerks. The two samples‐one for workers employed via a large THS firm in Israel, the other for full‐time, non‐THS workers drawn from the 1983 Israeli Census‐are compared for demographic and human capital characteristics, wage levels, and wage regressions. The results lead us to conclude that viewing THS workers as a homogeneous group of “secondary” workers is not warranted.
Family Structure and Family Earnings: The Determinants of Earnings Differences among Family Types
Authors: TILLY CHRIS , ALBELDA RANDY
Published: May 2008

Mean total family earnings differ greatly by family structure (the number, age, and gender of adults, and the presence or absence of children and dependent elders). This study classifies families into seven major types by structure, and analyzes inequality in mean earnings among these types. Differences in mean earnings among types depend primarily on the amount of labor supplied to the labor market. The quantity of labor supplied, in turn, while reflecting in part differences in the head's characteristics (such as human capital), is largely determined by family structure. Earnings changes by family type over time from 1973 to 1987 are also discussed.
Black‐White Wage Differences among Young Women, 1977‐86
Authors: MCCRATE ELAINE , LEETE LAURA
Published: May 2008

Until the 1970s, wage rates converged for black and white women, especially young women. However, the pay gap between black and white women in their twenties rose. 074 log points between 1977 and 1986. This paper uses data from the 1977 National Longitudinal Survey of Young Women and the 1986 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to explore reasons for the change. Changes in the relative level of work experience and in the rate of return to schooling are emphasized.
The Effects of Unions on Firm Behavior: An Empirical Analysis Using Firm‐Level Data
Authors: BRONARS STEPHEN G. , DEERE DONALD R. , TRACY JOSEPH S.
Published: May 2008

We evaluate the use of firm‐level union coverage rates in empirical models of firm behavior and performance. We focus on the potential for measurement error in both firm‐ and industry‐level data, and find that firm‐level union coverage rates provide more precise estimates of union effects. Higher union coverage at a firm is associated with slower employment and sales growth, decreased productivity in nonmanufacturing firms, increased productivity in manufacturing firms, lower profitability, and less investment in durable assets, such as research and development.
Profit Sharing and Productivity: Further Evidence from the Chemicals Industry
Authors: SHEPARD EDWARD M.
Published: May 2008

Profit sharing potentially augments productivity by affecting motivational variables that promote group norms favoring effort. A factor augmentation model of production is developed to measure the impact of profit sharing on productivity using a test industry in U.S. manufacturing. The model is applied using alternative exogenous and endogenous specifications for the profit‐sharing incentive variable. The results are consistent with those obtained in other recent studies and suggest that profit sharing results in improvements in productivity.
Union Decertifications's Impact on Shareholder Wealth
Authors: PEARCS THOMAS G. , GROFF JAMES E. , WINGENDER JOHN R.
Published: May 2008

Recent research correlated share price declines in financial markets with union organizing. Investors seemingly anticipate a redistribution of earnings away from shareholder returns toward employee compensation. The markets discount security prices accordingly. But were that the case, union decertification activity should correlate with persistent, abnormally high returns on equity investments. Failure to find returns that are both abnormally high and persistent invites an alternative explanation that is consistent with the data from both studies. This study finds that firms that retained union representation in decertification cases actually outperformed those that ousted the bargaining agent in a partitioned sample comparison.
Do U.S. Firms Invest Less in Human Resources?: Training in the World Auto Industry
Authors: MACDUFFIE JOHN PAUL , KOCHAN THOMAS A.
Published: May 2008

We investigate the common assertion that U.S. firms invest less in human resources than key international competitors, testing four alternative explanations for differences in training effort found in survey data from an international sample of fifty‐seven automobile assembly plants. We find the strongest support for the view that the level of training is derived from the requirements of the business/production strategy and the overall “bundle” of human resource policies—beyond training—adopted by the firm.
Human Capital and Black Women's Occupational Mobility
Authors: KING MARY C.
Published: May 2008

This paper measures the contribution of human capital to the dramatic cimprovements in black women's occupational status and relative earnings since 1940, exemplified by their shift from domestic to clerical work. Logit analysis using census data from 1940‐80 and CPS data from 1988 shows that improvements in African American women's human capital explains just one‐sixth of their entry into clerical work. Changing labor market structures, particularly during the 1960s, appear far more important.
Diverging Patterns: Labor in the Pacific Northwest Wood Products Industry
Authors: WIDENOR MARCUS R.
Published: May 2008

In 1986 workers in the Pacific Northwest United States accepted wage concessions while their Canadian counterparts prevailed after a lengthy strike. This study examines the forces behind the divergence in bargaining trends between American and Canadian wood products workers. It finds that while structural and cyclical economic changes in the industry were similar in both countries, there were crucial institutional and environmental differences. These enhanced the bargaining power of the Canadian membership of the International Woodworkers of America compared to that of IWA Region 3 in Oregon and Washington.