The Determinants of Shirking: Analysis and Evidence on Job Loser Unemployment

The unemployment rate captures the search behavior of job losers, as well as new entrants or reentrants to the labor force. The behavior of these unemployed groups can display significant differences. This paper extends the Shapiro-Stiglitz model to include an analysis of equilibrium job loss from shirking and empirically tests for the relationship between labor market conditions and job loss. This process identifies empirical differences between job losers and other unemployed members of the labor force. The equilibrium level of job loser unemployment is shown to fluctuate given the degree to which firms monitor shirking over the business cycle. While this extension does not change the core results of the efficiency wage model, it does provide some additional insights. For example, in equilibrium, everyone shirks some. Consequently, on-the-job leisure is a form of employee benefit that is regulated by the extent to which the firm monitors, reprimands, and fires shirkers. Across the business cycle the firm's shadow price of turnover changes, and hence the equilibrium level of job losers.Unemployment rate, unemployment

Marketing Place: The Case of a City and a University Business School

Cities negatively impacted by de-industrialization are turning to marketing in order to ensure a financially secure future. As part of an economic development program for Spartanburg South Carolina, the Johnson College of Business of the University of South Carolina Upstate was asked to locate in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina. Made possible by financial support from the city and the business community, a new College of Business building enhances the prospect of a new period of growth in the life cycle of the city, visibly supports the brand image and strengthens the “college town”positioning of the city

An Investigation of the Types of Problems Faced by Small Firms and How They Affect the Funding Choices Made by Three Distinct Market Segments

This article looks at the relationship between the problems faced by small business owners and the funding sources used to solve those problems. Three problem types are identified: organizational systems, external, and sales and marketing problems. Based on these three problem types and the funding sources used by owners, the market is segmented into three groups using cluster analysis. Segment 1 is made up of firms with few problems. This segment uses the widest array of financial sources. Segment 2 has more problems than segment 3, but both need help with organizational systems resulting in the use of fewer sources

A Reappraisal of Retail Price Cutting Strategies: Opportunities, Threats, and Realistic Expectations

Sidney C. Bennett is an Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing and Darrell F. Parker is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Winthrop College

Generalizability Revisited: Comparing Undergraduate Business Students to Credit Union Managers

This paper looks at the use of college students in survey research. Specifically examined is the use of undergraduate business school students to generalize to adult populations of practicing managers. Some studies suggest that such generalizations are valid, while others argue that generalizations need to be undertaken with caution. The differences between particularistic research and universalistic research are discussed. The findings from a study of 69 undergraduate business majors and 67 practicing credit union managers are presented. In summary, the current study finds that the two groups are very different in terms of two well researched personality constructs: locus of control and need for achievement, hence caution should be taken when generalizing findings from one group to the other

Generalizability Revisited: Comparing Undergraduate Business Students to Credit Union Managers

This paper looks at the use of college students in survey research. Specifically examined is the use of undergraduate business school students to generalize to adult populations of practicing managers. Some studies suggest that such generalizations are valid, while others argue that generalizations need to be undertaken with caution. The differences between particularistic research and universalistic research are discussed. The findings from a study of 69 undergraduate business majors and 67 practicing credit union managers are presented. In summary, the current study finds that the two groups are very different in terms of two well researched personality constructs: locus of control and need for achievement, hence caution should be taken when generalizing findings from one group to the other

Global Outsourcing: A Study of Student Attitudes

The practice of global outsourcing by U.S.A. companies is frequently the source of heated debate. Recently a Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll found that 86% of Americans believe that outsourcing is the number one factor contributing to the country’s continuing economic distress. This study presents the results of a survey designed to assess the attitudes toward global outsourcing among business students and non business students at a large regional university in the Southeast U.S.A. A survey of attitudes toward global outsourcing was administered to 284 undergraduate and graduate students. Descriptive statistics, frequencies and MANOVA methods were used to analyze the data collected. Statistically significant differences with attitudes were found among the students\u27 level of knowledge, age, gender, major, and classification. The results indicate business majors are more positive toward global outsourcing than are non-business majors. Another finding is that older students (\u3e25) and MBA students are more pessimistic toward global outsourcing. Those “older” and MBA’s were mostly concerned with the impact of such outsourcing on jobs. Implications for teaching international business are discussed

Long-term monitoring of Scripps’s Murrelet and Guadalupe Murrelet at San Clemente Island, California: evaluation of baseline data in 2012–2016

San Clemente Island (SCI) supports one of the smallest Scripps’s Murrelet (Synthliboramphus scrippsi; SCMU) colonies in the world, and perhaps the only colony of Guadalupe Murrelets (S. hypoleucus; GUMU) in California. In 2012–2016, the U.S. Navy sponsored development of a long-term murrelet monitoring program at SCI that utilized nocturnal spotlight surveys, night-lighting at-sea captures, and nest monitoring. Standardized spotlight survey transects were established in nearshore waters off breeding areas at Seal Cove and southeast SCI (SESCI). Baseline mean spotlight counts were 29 ± 15 murrelets (n = 31) at Seal Cove in 2013–2016 and 21 ± 10 murrelets (n = 15) at SESCI in 2014–2016. We banded 201 SCMU captured in congregations at Seal Cove (n = 158) and SESCI (n = 43); 12% of the SCMU from Seal Cove and 7% from SESCI were recaptured ≥1 year after banding. We also banded 21 GUMU at Seal Cove, but none were recaptured. Murrelet nests or eggs were found in 6 shoreline breeding “refuges” at Seal Cove and SESCI that were seldom if ever visited by island foxes (Urocyon littoralis clementae) and feral cats (Felis catus). Incubating SCMU were observed in 4 nest sites, but in 8 other sites only eggs or eggshells were found. Overall hatching success was very low (12%; n = 17 clutches) in 2012–2016, apparently due to intraspecific competition for limited nest crevices at Seal Cove and predation (or possibly abandonment and subsequent egg scavenging) by foxes or black rats (Rattus rattus) at SESCI. Using spotlight survey data, we estimated 115 murrelet pairs (range 79–208) at SCI, including 110 pairs (range 76–199) of SCMU and 5 pairs (range 3–9) of GUMU, although a GUMU nest has not yet been found. Power analyses of Seal Cove spotlight data indicated that surveys conducted over 9 nights per year for 20 years could reliably (power ≥ 0.90) detect minimum population changes of ± 1.7% per annum. Additional efforts are needed to (1) confirm the breeding status of GUMU; (2) investigate alternative methods of rat control to increase hatching success in murrelet breeding refuges; and (3) enhance breeding habitats to reduce intraspecific competition for nest sites and increase the number of monitored nests

Global Outsourcing: A Study of Student Attitudes

This paper presents the results of a survey designed to assess students’ attitudes toward global outsourcing. A survey of attitudes toward outsourcing jobs abroad was administered to 284 undergraduate and graduate university students. Descriptive statistics, frequencies and MANOVA methods were used to analyze the data collected. Statistically significant differences with attitudes were found among the students’ level of knowledge, age, gender, major, and classification. Essentially what was learned is that overall, business majors are more positive toward global outsourcing than are non-business majors. However, it was also learned that older students (\u3e25) and MBA students are more pessimistic toward global outsourcing. Those “older” and MBA’s were mostly concerned with the impact of such outsourcing on jobs. Implications for teaching international business are also discussed

The genetics, structure and function of the M1 aminopeptidase oxytocinase subfamily and their therapeutic potential in immune-mediated disease

The oxytocinase subfamily of M1 aminopeptidases plays an important role in processing and trimming of peptides for presentation on major histocompatibility (MHC) Class I molecules. Several large-scale genomic studies have identified association of members of this family of enzymes, most notably ERAP1 and ERAP2, with immune-mediated diseases including ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis and birdshot chorioretinopathy. Much is now known about the genetics of these enzymes and how genetic variants alter their function, but how these variants contribute to disease remains largely unresolved. Here we discuss what is known about their structure and function and highlight some of the knowledge gaps that affect development of drugs targeting these enzymes