Folklore and Oral History: Exploring Subject Indexing

Catalogs, indexes, inventories, retrieval systems, and finding aids are a major part of any archives and, as any archivist knows, they can also be a major problem--both to devise and to maintain. Handling oral materials can present some special problems, and there seems to be no one best system for repositories of folklore and oral history collections. Each institution has had to devise its own methods in response to the different types of material it contains and the different ways this material may be used. A recent project at the Northeast Archives of Folklore and Oral History (NAFOH), at the University of Maine at Orono (UMO), was to devise such a system, specifically a subject index

Microfinance games

Microfinance has been heralded as an effective way to address imperfections in credit markets. But from a theoretical perspective, the success of microfinance contracts has puzzling elements. In particular, the group-based mechanisms often employed are vulnerable to free-riding and collusion, although they can also reduce moral hazard and improve selection. The authors created an experimental economics laboratory in a large urban market in Lima, Peru and over seven months conducted 11 different games that allow them to unpack microfinance mechanisms in a systematic way. They find that risk-taking broadly conforms to predicted patterns, but that behavior is safer than optimal. The results help to explain why pioneering microfinance institutions have been moving away from group-based contracts.Banks&Banking Reform,Insurance&Risk Mitigation,Financial Intermediation,Social Accountability,Civic Participation and Corporate Governance

Microfinance Games

Microfinance has been heralded as an effective way to address imperfections in credit markets. From a theoretical perspective, however, the success of microfinance contracts has puzzling elements. In particular, the group-based mechanisms often employed are vulnerable to free-riding and collusion, although they can also reduce moral hazard and improve selection. We created an experimental economics laboratory in a large urban market in Lima, Peru and over seven months conducted eleven different games that allow us to unpack microfinance mechanisms in a systematic way. We find that risk-taking broadly conforms to predicted patterns, but that behavior is safer than optimal. The results help to explain why pioneering microfinance institutions have been moving away from group-based contracts. The work also provides an example of how to use framed field experiments as a methodological bridge between laboratory and field experiments.microfinance, group lending, information asymmetries, contract theory, experimental economics

Microfinance Games

Microfinance has been heralded as an effective way to address imperfections in credit markets. From a theoretical perspective, however, the success of microfinance contracts has puzzling elements. In particular, the group-based mechanisms often employed are vulnerable to free-riding and collusion, although they can also reduce moral hazard and improve selection. We created an experimental economics laboratory in a large urban market in Lima, Peru and over seven months conducted eleven different games that allow us to unpack microfinance mechanisms in a systematic way. We find that risk-taking broadly conforms to predicted patterns, but that behavior is safer than optimal. The results help to explain why pioneering microfinance institutions have been moving away from group-based contracts.Microfinance, Group Lending, Information Asymmetries, Contract Theory, Experimental Economics

Unions and Labor Archives

Unions and Labor Archives identifies the overlapping roles and the development of good and trusting relationships with unions that is vital to building strong labor collections. While the needs of both the unions and the repository are many, one of the most significant is demonstrating that the proper care of union records will provide a historical memory of union actions that can not only preserve the evidence of past decisions, but inform present and future efforts as well. This article provides practical suggestions, as well as how several important repositories and unions have worked together to document working class culture and experiences

A Keeping of Records: The Life and Art of Peter London

The papers of artist and art educator Peter London have been acquired by the Special Collections Research Center of Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Book Reviews

Reviews of the following books: Dawn Over the Kennebec by Mary R. Calvert; An Honest Woodsman: The Life and Opinions of Dave Priest-Maine Trapper, Guide, and Game Warden by William S. Warner; An Old New England Farm by William Thomson and Kenneth Maclver

ORGANIZATIONAL CYNICISM.

What is the nature of the extremely negative attitudes expressed by so many employees toward their organizations? To respond to this question, we introduce the concept of organizational cynicism. We review the literature from several disciplines on this concept and suggest that organizational cynicism is an attitude composed of beliefs, affect, and behavioral tendencies toward an organization. Following our review and conceptualization, we derive implications of this concept and propose a research agenda for organizational cynicis