Productivity convergence at the disaggregate levels

Using recently developed industry-specific purchasing power parities (PPPs), we test for β-convergence and σ-convergence of labor productivity at one-digit and two-digit industrial levels for 17 OECD countries. We confirm that the principal finding of Bernard and Jones (1996)—that total manufacturing shows little evidence of productivity convergence among OECD countries—is in fact supported by the data, even though their approach is flawed by the use of aggregate rather than industry-specific PPPs. However, we find that many two-digit manufacturing industries do converge. All one-digit sectors except manufacturing exhibit strong convergence trends. Convergence also occurs in all services industries except post and telecommunications. Respective contributions of industrial productivity growth and across-industry labor shifts to trends at the next aggregate level are also analyzed.labor productivity, industry-specific PPPs, β-convergence, σ-convergence

Toly: Design to Enhance Parent-child Relationship

Toly is both a tool and a toy for children and parents. It is composed of two products: a cleaning bubble launcher and an adjustable mop. The form is inspired by sea creatures - specifically a hermit crab and an octopus - which enables Toly to combine role play and household chores. It makes kids love cleaning and provides an opportunity for parents to interact with kids while they are doing necessary housework

A Cognitive Model Of Trust In E-Commerce: Evidence From A Field Study In China

Trust formation in the virtual environment is a complex process and is influenced by a plethora of factors.  This paper proposes a cognitive model of trust in e-commerce based on consumer research and the trust literature. It argues that perceived informativeness, perceived entertainment, and perceived irritation of online shopping, coupled with trust propensity, contribute to a customer’s general trust in e-commerce and intention to use e-commerce.  This model is tested in a field study in China via a survey instrument. Path analysis of data collected shows that all proposed relationships in the model are supported in the hypothesized directions. Results demonstrate that online marketers and Web system designers alike should pay keen attention to elements that may influence an Internet shopper’s cognitive perceptions in order to nurture consumers’ trust in e-commerce and realize the full potentials of doing business online

Perceived Value Of Educational Hypermedia: An Exploratory Study

This paper explores the idea of perceived value of educational hypermedia by extending prior research in advertising and information systems.  It proposes that the value of a course support site comes from both its information content and users’ experience whenthey visit the site.  The cognitive antecedents of a site’s perceived valueinclude perceived informativeness, perceived entertainment and perceived irritation. Through a field study using a course companion site and the subsequent data analysis via structural equation modeling (SEM), this study confirms that learners appreciate informative content in an entertaining format in accessing Internet-based course support.  Findings of this study will help researchers and educators better understand the cognitive dimensions that enhance the perceived value of a learning technology

Applying The Extended Technology Acceptance Model To The Use Of Clickers In Student Learning: Some Evidence From Macroeconomics Classes

This paper applies the extended technology acceptance model (exTAM) in information systems research to the use of clickers in student learning. The technology acceptance model (TAM) posits that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of technology influence users’ attitudes toward using and intention to use technology. Research subsequent to TAM has added perceived enjoyment as a factor in predicting attitude and behavioural intentions. This study tests the validity of this extended TAM model while applied to clickers via data collected from three macroeconomics classes.  Path analytic results show that most of the hypotheses are supported in the expected directions, providing evidence that exTAM is applicable to examining factors influencing learner attitude and behaviour in relation to the use of interactive learning technologies, such as clickers in the classroom

Systemic Decision Making for Liquidity Risk Management in Banks

The outbreak of the recent financial crisis reveals significant problems in current bank practices in conventional liquidity risk management. To avoid catastrophic consequences, a holistic view, which captures the dynamic interactions between liquidity and other financial variables, should be taken to help banks make business decisions. However, few studies in the literature have addressed this problem. To fill the research gap, we present a Systemic decision making approach for Liquidity Risk Management (SLRM) as a more advanced alternative to Conventional Liquidity Risk Management (CLRM) by capturing dynamic factors, offering logic visibility, and considering rare but fatal events. We show that SLRM can be used to support managerial decisions in developing contingency plans for liquidity management. SLRM is validated by using real data from Washington Mutual, a US bank failed during the 2008 financial tsunami. Further, we demonstrate that SLRM can also help banks conform to regulatory changes in Basel III