bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
THE FLUCTUATIONS OF THE PRICE OF ITALIAN BANKNOTES IN ZURICH: AN ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS (FEBRUARY 1973 – DECEMBER 1975)
Authors: Tullio* Giuseppe 
Published: May 2007

SUMMARYThe paper contains empirical tests of the monetary approach to exchange rate determination for the price of Italian banknotes in terms of Swiss francs quoted in Zürich. The exchange rate was chosen because it is less influenced by government intervention than the official rate. In addition, there is little reverse causation between the chosen exchange rate and its explanatory variables due to the small size of the market analyzed. The tests indicate that the exchange rate analyzed adjusted in only two months to relative rates of monetary expansion between Italy and Switzerland. This fast adjustment is not implausible considering that the market involves to a large extent illegal capital outflows from Italy. Since data on monetary aggregates are published on average with a lag of about two months, he tests do not exclude that the market considered was efficient in a semi‐strong form. The price of Italian banknotes in Zürich was also significantly affected by relative inflationary expectations and by seasonal factors connected with the inflow of foreign tourists to Italy.
THEORIES OF BUSINESS BEHAVIOUR AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF SURPLUS PROFITS
Authors: Dunning John H. , Stilwell* Frank J.B. 
Published: May 2007

SUMMARYThis paper attempts a partial reformulation of the theory of the firm around the central issue of the distribution of profits. According to the institutional, market and purchasing environment in which they operate, the firms can generate surplus profits. Depending on their bargaining strength participants in the firm viz.– management, shareholders, customers, labour and suppliers of other inputs – can share in this surplus by securing payments above opportunity costs. The paper (i) presents a taxonomy of business conduct for incorporating the distribution of profits into existing explanations (ii) examines the extent to which these explanations require modification if this is done, (iii) explores the determinants of the relative bargaining strengths of the stakeholders, and (iv) suggest some implications for future studies of business behaviour.
THE RATIONALE FOR RECIPROCITY IN TRADE NEGOTIATIONS UNDER FLOATING CURRENCIES
Authors: Roessler Frieder 
Published: May 2007

SUMMARYIn trade negotiations under fixed exchange rates governments insist on reciprocity mainly to ensure that the adverse impact of import barrier reductions on the balance‐of‐payments and on employment is offset through concurrent trade liberalization abroad. In negotiations under floating currencies reciprocity is not necessary for these purposes because governments can then liberalize unilaterally and let the resulting depreciation equilibrate payments and stimulate a reallocation of resources. In such negotiations reciprocity serves to reduce the political costs of trade liberalization. Applying Downss' economic theory of democracy, the paper shows that governments can win majority support for freer trade only if they subsidize the acquisition or use of information enabling producers and consumers benefitting from the reduction of import barriers to decide to favour the measures. Governments prefer to liberalize trade on a reciprocal basis because this creates easily demonstrable benefits for narrow interest groups and therefore reduces the need for such subsidization.
CULTURAL TIES AND TRADE: SPAIN'S ROLE IN LATIN AMERICA*
Authors: Kleiman Ephraim 
Published: May 2007

SUMMARYColonial rule reflects itself in disproportionately strong trade ties between the colonies and their mother country. The example of the old British Dominions is sometimes cited to suggest that this is the result of cultural and linguistic ties rather than of colonialist exploitation. To evaluate the effect of such cultural ties on trade we examine the trade share held by Spain in the Spanish‐speaking countries of Latin America. It is shown that in the early 1960s no effects of cul‐tural ties were visible. They had however, become apparent by the beginning of the following decade, in the wake of Spain's rapid industrial growth. Thus while cultural ties are conducive to trade, they are by no means a sufficient condition for it.
Conditions of Existence of a Two Class Economy in the Kaldor and More General Models of Growth and Income Distribution
Authors: Luigi L. Pasinetti  
Published: May 2007

SUMMARYThe author considers the vexed question of whether it is meaningful, or logically consistent, to assume different savings propensities for profits and wages, independently of whether the savers are capitalists or workers. The author claims, however, that the analytical issues must be clarified first of all. Therefore he explores the conditions of existence of a two‐class (capitalists and workers) economy when the rate of interest i is lower than (or at most equal to) the rate of profit r, and the savings function is expressed in the general form: S = sww+ swcPw+ ScPcIt is shown that, at one extreme, when Swc= Se, the savings function reduces to the one originally used by Kaldor, and, if also i = r, no equilibrium path exists. At the other extreme, when Swc= Sww, the savings function reduces to the one originally used by Pasinettiand the range of existence of a two‐class economy is maximum. In between the two extremes, ranges of existence are defined in terms of inequalities involving the parameters of the system.
The Economics of Optimism and Pessimism
Authors: Hey John D. 
Published: May 2007

SUMMARYThis paper suggests a way of incorporating the important concepts of optimism and pessimism into the accepted model of decision‐making under uncertainty. We exploit the primitive notion that an optimist is someone who over‐estimates (underestimates) the likelihood of favourable (unfavourable) outcomes. We show that this incorporation enables us to explain several commonly observed apparent violations of Subjective Expected Utility Theory. Several illustrations and economic applications are presented, and we show that attitude to ‘fate’ (as evidenced in optimism and pessimism) is a different dimension of personality than attitude to risk. We conclude by relating our extension of SEU theory to other recent extensions.
Economists Favour the Price System Who Else Does?*
Authors: FREY BRUNO S. 
Published: May 2007

SUMMARYMost people except professional academic economists resist or reject the use of the price system. The four main reasons are lack of information, undesirable distributional consequences, unfairness and reluctance to trade, and adverse effects on preferences. The reasons brought forward against the price system are only partly convincing, particularly in comparison to other decision‐making systems. The use of the price system may create more problems than traditional neoclassical economics admits. The difficulties and paradoxes connected with the use of the price system provide a challenge to existing economic theory.
On the Possibility of Continuing Expansion of Finite Resources
Authors: Baumol William J. 
Published: May 2007

SUMMARYBecause technological change increases the efficiency of the extraction and use of natural resources it is shown that, despite the accelerated use of the world's finite resources since the Industrial Revolution, it is very possible that their effective remaining supply, measured in terms of the services they are still capable of providing in the future, is greater today than it was, say, two centuries earlier. In this paper it is shown that, paradoxically, measured in terms of their prospective contributions to human welfare, the available quantity of the world's exhaustible resources may rise forever, year after year. However, even though they may never approach disappearance, the consumption of their services will eventually have to decline and, ultimately, approach zero asymptotically.
Women, Men, and Society*
Authors: Moreh Jacob 
Published: May 2007

SUMMARYIdeal solutions based on two bargaining models (RAIFFA, NASH) and two moral principles (Utilitarianism, RAWLS'S Difference Principle) are applied to the sharing of the welfare produced in the family between the representative man (M) and representative woman (W). The good produced by the family has a strong element of public good enjoyed byMandW. Two different assumptions are possible regarding the relative efficiency ofMandWin producing the public good: (1) The feminist hypothesis: they are equally efficient, (2) The patriarchy hypothesis: men are on the average more dominant than women, and better able to hold upper positions in hierarchies. Hence they are more efficient and are entitled to status. If the feminist hypothesis is correct,MandWshould, according to the ethical principles, have equal welfare and should supply equal efforts. However, the bargaining solutions generally adjudgeMmore welfare thanW, mainly because of his higher security level. If one accepts the patriarchy hypothesis, some of the utility whichMderives from his status should redound toW's advantage (except under Utilitarianism) so that she is required to supply less effort. Paradoxically, this may mean thatMshould do more domestic work.
Economic Growth and Saving Theory
Authors: Triantis Stephen G. 
Published: May 2007

SummaryReview of the more widely discussed saving theories suggests that they are unable to account for the observed positive impact of a country's rate of economic growth on its saving ratio. In particular, the compositional explanation offered by the Life Cycle theory would appear to be based on debatable premises. A more promising explanation is found in the examination of the saving behavior of individual households and the respective motives: their saving ratio tends to vary positively with the percentage change in their income. The importance of the distribution of such changes among the economic agents is obvious. A number of implications for economic growth are discussed, including the roles of direct taxation, the export and agricultural sectors and, especially, domestic and foreign capital.ZusammenfassungEine Überprüfung der wesentlichen Theorien des Sparens deutet darauf hin, dass sie nicht in der Lage sind, die beobachtete positive Wirkung der Wachstumsrate eines Landes auf die Sparquote zu erklären. Insbesondere die Erklärung der Lebenszyklustheorie scheint auf fraglichen Voraussetzungen aufzubauen. Eine vielversprechendere Erklärung liefert die Untersuchung des Sparverhaltens individueller Haushalte und ihrer jeweiligen Sparmotive: ihre Sparquote variiert positiv mit prozentualen Einkommensveränderungen. Die Bedeutung der Verteilung solcher Veränderungen unter den ökonomischen Agenten ist offensichtlich. Einige Konsequenzen für das Wirtschaftswachstum werden diskutiert, unter anderem die Rolle, die direkte Besteuerung, Export‐ und Landwirtschaftssektor, sowie in‐ und ausländisches Kapital spielen.RésuméUne revue des théories principales de l'épargne nous amène à conclure qu'elles ne peuvent pas expliquer l'effet positif observé du taux d'accroissement d'une économie sur le rapport entre l'épargne et le revenue. En particulier, l'explication compositionelle proposée par la théorie du Cycle de Vie semble être basée sur des prémisses contestables. Une explication plus promettante se révèle en examinant le comportement des families individuelles quant à l'épargne et les motifs correspondants: le rapport entre l'épargne et le revenu tend à changer positivement avec la variation du taux de changement du revenu. L'importance de la distribution de tels taux parmi les agents économiques est évidente. Quelques implications intéressantes à l'égard de la croissance économique sont discutées, y compris les rôles de l'impôt direct, des secteurs exportateurs et agricoles et, en particulier, des capitaux nationaux et étrangers.
THE PETER PRINCIPLE: PERSONAL OR ORGANIZATIONAL INCOMPETENCE?
Authors: Shull Fremont A. , Mosely Donald C. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThis article proposes that incompetence in management may not be explained so much by the ‘Peter Principle’, i.e. by terminal weaknesses of personnel in faulty promotion systems, as it is by the organizational climate in which managers perform, i.e. by outmoded supervisory styles and limiting structural relationships. This alternative explanation is supported by Townsend's popular book, Up the Organization,1 where Theory X styles of leadership, in some combination with bureaucratic elements of structure, are seen as impairments in modern organizations.This contention argues that organizational change agents must operate in tandem upon perceptions and attitudes as well as structural properties to maintain effectiveness ‐ embarking on either skill and sensitivity training alone or mandating authority and task changes is insufficient. In addition, leadership flexibility and structural variety must provide alternative options across different task units if both short‐run efficiency and long‐term relevance are to be generated for the organization.Finally, organization survival is viewed as a function of managerial performance as determined by structure, including the promotion system, and by level of humanism of the climate, especially motivational stimuli. Within all of this, managerial effectiveness is considered to be influenced by incumbent conceptualizations of goals and capacities of the organization and of his own ‘self’ within that system. Concepts of self, in turn, are determined by historical notions associated with work and authority, as well as by various socialization processes in the organization, e.g. training, super‐vision and general psychological conditioning. Accordingly, the matrix design of organizations and the contingency theory of leadership are offered as vehicles for tentatively re‐conceptualizing the nature and form of collective behavior. Matrix and contingency theories focus upon modern, complex organizational structures and varied superior‐subordinate relationships rather than upon man's instrumental performance, as with the Peter Principle, in explaining managerial inadequacies.
STRATEGIC CHOICE: A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS
Authors: Montanari John R. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThe problem of which organization structure is most appropriate for current business conditions has perplexed managers for decades. Several management theorists have proposed that modifications of the firm's structural design were in response to changes in the organization's context. Recently, Child2 suggested that senior executives in the firm may have the discretion to strongly influence their organization unit's structure. This paper discusses the development of a contingency theory of structural determination which incorporates strengths of past theories, managerial discretion, fourteen dimensions of structure, and organizational effectiveness. It also reports on preliminary research which supports the importance of managerial discretion in the structural determination process.
FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MANAGERIAL RATING OF SUPERVISORY PERFORMANCE
Authors: Child John 
Published: May 2007

SummaryThe performance of first‐line supervisors normally has to be assessed without reference to objective indices. In practice, assessment is often carried out on the basis of ratings by immediate superiors. This paper examines ratings of supervisors' performance by their own managers in two Birmingham plants. A combination of factors together account for approaching half of the variation in these ratings. Only one of the predictive factors, the degree of personal flexibility expressed by supervisors, is independent of the managerial rater. Ratings of supervisory performance in fact appear to tell as much about the rater as they do about the person being rated. The findings of this study also suggest that the highly rated supervisor is the one who successfully protects his superior from the need to be involved with shopfloor activity and its disturbances.
MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS: THE CASE OF THE BRITISH BREAKFAST CEREALS INDUSTRY
Authors: Wheale P. R. , Stubbs P. C. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractIn this paper the authors apply simple econometric techniques to market share models for brand products in the British breakfast cereals market. Brand product price and advertising coefficients, as estimated by regression equations, are explored in the context of assumed profit and market share maximization, and an attempt is made to evaluate empirically firms' actual marketing strategies.
CROSSING MOTHER: IDEOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS ON ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS
Authors: Dunbar Roger L. M. , Dutton John M. , Torbert William R. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis paper uses a case study to explore a basic dilemma: can the people who control organizations develop ideologies which simultaneously facilitate stability and change? This dilemma is likely to become most apparent when people set out to improve an organization within its current ideological context but the consequences implicit in the improvements are poorly understood. The meaning and value of the improvements are then likely to be assessed differently by superiors and subordinates, and by loyal members and heretics. The case study illustrates how resources are mobilized to constrain improvement attempts in such a way that the consequences reconfirm the preexisting organizational ideologies and halt the improvement attempts [I].
THE CONCEPT OF RESPONSIBILITY: SOME IMPLICATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR AND DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Maclagan Patrick W. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTTwo approaches to the conceptualization of responsibility in organizations are suggested. (1) Seen as an objective statement of employees’ responsibilities as defined for them in formal terms. (2) As a subjective belief held by employees regarding their role and obligations in relation to specific events. The significance of the subjectivist conceptualization for understanding employee motivation is considered, especially where employees place a negative value on the moral implications of their formal role. Management theory, incorporating the objective definition, typically serves to manipulate persons’ subjective sense of responsibility. The case for countering or replacing such control‐oriented theory through the enhancement of persons’ critical moral awareness is considered. Although the ethical appeal is considerable, scepticism is raised as to the possibility of doing more than sensitize theorists and practitioners to the issues involved.
THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL INFLUENCE OF MANAGERS: INDIVIDUAL AND SUB‐UNIT PERSPECTIVES
Authors: Kenny Graham K. , Wilson David C. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the extent to which managerial influence over group‐interdepartmental decisions is derived from sub‐unit contingencies or is due to more individualistic characteristics of the manager. Both individual and sub‐unit perspectives are presented in a framework composed of seven power factors each of which is investigated empirically. The major finding from a survey of 142 departmental managers is that individual managerial expertise is more important than sub‐unit‐based power with access to and control of information being of equal importance. We suggest that the investigation of managerial influence from a sub‐unit perspective alone may be insufficient and that, in certain circumstances, both individualistic and sub‐unit perspectives should be taken into account.
FAILURE, UNCERTAINTY AND CONTROL: THE ROLE OF OPERATORS IN A COMPUTER INTEGRATED PRODUCTION SYSTEM
Authors: Buchanan David A. , Bessant John 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article presents the findings of a case study which analyzed how new electronics and computing technology affected the role of process operators in a continuous process plant manufacturing pigments in Scotland. the first stage of the research was a participant observation study of the site over two years. Three years later, production managers and operators were interviewed, and an observation study was carried out over one full shift in the plant studied. the results demonstrate that the process operators required considerable skill, knowledge, experience and training to deal with process faults, cope with contingencies, and to control the process effectively. the operators reported that they found interest and challenge in the work. the impact of technical change on the quality of working life was, however, equivocal. the operators’ mobility was constrained, they were isolated from the rest of the plant, some messy manual tasks remained, and they were still dependent on the technical and chemical expertise of management and engineering staff to handle serious problems. Other operators were less enthusiastic about the work. Management expected the new systems to reduce human intervention and control. But the limitations of the computer controls and the high cost of error meant that effective production was more dependent on human presence and ability than in simpler batch production. Advances in computing technology may highlight the conflict between management desires to reduce human operator control and to design effective integrated production systems.
HOW TO SOLVE COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS ON THE R AND D INTERFACE
Authors: Faas F. A. M. J. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTIt is now widely recognized that isolation of the R and D department from the rest of the company, influences the rate of innovation in a negative way. An essential condition for the innovation process to proceed smoothly, is cooperation between the various functional departments (e.g. R and D, marketing, production). In this paper some results of an empirical study among R and D managers in medium sized Dutch industrial companies will be presented. The four main hypotheses tested are as follows: (1) R and D managers disagree with actual company policy with respect to importance of short‐run vs. long‐run goals in setting the R and D budget. (2) The level of influence that the R and D managers allow from non‐ R and D managers (e.g. on the R and D budget) depends on the level of integration between R and D and the rest of the company. (3) Some identifiable organizational devices have a positive influence on the level of integration (understanding) between functional departments. (4) The level of integration has a positive influence on the performance of the R and D department.Our material can give some useful suggestions to the general manager in deciding how to improve the communication between R and D and the rest of the company.
CAREER ORIENTATIONS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND COMPANIES: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF WEST GERMAN, BRITISH AND US INDUSTRIAL R&D PROFESSIONALS[1]
Authors: Gerpott Torsten J. , Domsch Michel , Keller Robert T. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis study examined dimensions and levels of career orientations and their correlation with work‐related outcome criteria among industrial R&D professionals. Questionnaire data were obtained in 11 West German, 4 British, and 2 US R&D units of large industrial companies. Respondents were 729 West German, 217 British, and 124 US scientists and engineers. Managerial career orientation and professional/scientific career orientation emerged from factor and scale analyses as two independent orientation dimensions with similar meaning across the three countries and the 17 R&D organizations. Results indicated significant cross‐country differences in levels of professional/scientific career orientation, but not in levels of managerial career orientation. Significant differences in levels of both orientation dimensions were detected between R&D units within countries. Distinctive characteristics of West German firms employing R&D staff with particularly strong professional/scientific or managerial career orientations are suggested. Managerial and professional/scientific career orientations were found to be differentially related to objective indicators and self‐ratings of research performance. Directions for future research and managerial implications for selecting and rewarding R&D employees with different patterns of career orientations are discussed.