世界経済・社会統計 = World development indicators

计量经济分析 = Econometric analysis

NUDGE: IMPROVING DECISIONS ABOUT HEALTH, WEALTH, AND HAPPINESS by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein Penguin Books, 2009, 312 pp, ISBN 978-0-14-311526-7This book is best described formally as a general explanation of and advocacy for libertarian paternalism, a term coined by the authors in earlier publications. Informally, it is about how leaders, systems, organizations, and governments can nudge people to do the things the nudgers want and need done for the betterment of the nudgees, or of society. It is paternalism in the sense that "it is legitimate for choice architects to try to influence people's behavior in order to make their lives longer, healthier, and better", (p. 5) It is libertarian in that "people should be free to do what they like - and to opt out of undesirable arrangements if they want to do so", (p. 5) The built-in possibility of opting out or making a different choice preserves freedom of choice even though people's behavior has been influenced by the nature of the presentation of the information or by the structure of the decisionmaking system. I had never heard of libertarian paternalism before reading this book, and I now find it fascinating.Written for a general audience, this book contains mostly social and behavioral science theory and models, but there is considerable discussion of structure and process that has roots in mathematical and quantitative modeling. One of the main applications of this social system is economic choice in investing, selecting and purchasing products and services, systems of taxes, banking (mortgages, borrowing, savings), and retirement systems. Other quantitative social choice systems discussed include environmental effects, health care plans, gambling, and organ donations. Softer issues that are also subject to a nudge-based approach are marriage, education, eating, drinking, smoking, influence, spread of information, and politics. There is something in this book for everyone.The basis for this libertarian paternalism concept is in the social theory called "science of choice", the study of the design and implementation of influence systems on various kinds of people. The terms Econs and Humans, are used to refer to people with either considerable or little rational decision-making talent, respectively. The various libertarian paternalism concepts and systems presented are tested and compared in light of these two types of people. Two foundational issues that this book has in common with another book, Network of Echoes: Imitation, Innovation and Invisible Leaders, that was also reviewed for this issue of the Journal are that 1 ) there are two modes of thinking (or components of the brain) - an automatic (intuitive) process and a reflective (rational) process and 2) the need for conformity and the desire for imitation are powerful forces in human behavior. …

Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness

\"What are your assumptions (implicit as well as explicit) about the most effective way to manage people?\" So began Douglas McGregor in this 1960 management classic. It was a seemingly simple question he asked, yet it led to a fundamental revolution in management. Today, with the rise of the global economy, the information revolution, and the growth of knowledge-driven work, McGregor's simple but provocative question continues to resonate-perhaps more powerfully than ever before. Heralded as one of the most important pieces of management literature ever written, a touchstone for scholars and a handbook for practitioners, The Human Side of Enterprise continues to receive the highest accolades nearly half a century after its initial publication. Influencing such major management gurus such as Peter Drucker and Warren Bennis, McGregor's revolutionary Theory Y-which contends that individuals are self-motivated and self-directed-and Theory X-in which employees must be commanded and controlled-has been widely taught in business schools, industrial relations schools, psychology departments, and professional development seminars for over four decades. In this special annotated edition of the worldwide management classic, Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Senior Research Scientist in MIT's Sloan School of Management and Engineering Systems Division, shows us how today's leaders have successfully incorporated McGregor's methods into modern management styles and practices. The added quotes and commentary bring the content right into today's debates and business models. Now more than ever, the timeless wisdom of Douglas McGregor can light the path towards a management style that nurtures leadership capability, creates effective teams, ensures internal alignment, achieves high performance, and cultivates an authentic, value-driven workplace--lessons we all need to learn as we make our way in this brave new world of the 21st century.

The Human Side of Enterprise.

https://cws.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/cws/article/download/14795/13847

Men and Women of the Corporation

Purpose – This paper reports on the foreign exchange risk‐management practices among Ghanaian firms involved in international trade. The study focuses on how Ghanaian firms manage their foreign exchange risk and the problems involved in managing exchange rate exposure. It also seeks to ascertain the extent to which these firms use foreign exchange risk management techniques.Design/methodology/approach – Descriptive statistics were used in the presentation and analysis of empirical results.Findings – The results indicate that close to one‐half of the firms do not have any well‐functioning risk‐management system. Foreign exchange risk is mainly managed by adjusting prices to reflect changes in import prices resulting from currency fluctuation, and also by buying and saving foreign currency in advance. The main problems the firms face are the frequent appreciation of foreign currencies against the local currency and the difficulty in retaining local customers because of the high prices of imported inputs, wh...

Managing foreign exchange risk among Ghanaian firms

This study explores the e-accounting practices among SMEs in Ghana. The study also looks at the expectations, realities and barriers in adopting e-accounting. The research design is based on a survey methodology using a sample of systematically selected SMEs throughout the country. The findings reveal that SMEs put in place accounting softwares to generate their financial information. The main value of this paper is the discussion of e-accounting practices of SMEs in Ghana.

/pdf/e-accounting-practices-among-small-and-medium-enterprises-in-393zjsc2am.pdf

E-Accounting Practices among Small and Medium Enterprises in Ghana

Financial regulation and financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does financial stability play a moderating role?

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of governance structures in Ghanaian hospitals by comparing the governance systems in public and private hospitals., – This study employs a comparative case methodology. It compares the governance structures in private hospitals to that of public hospitals in Ghana to ascertain whether they exhibit different or similar governance systems. The results obtained are analyzed and discussed to ascertain the extent to which the governance structures in these hospitals conform to Taylor's principles of good governance., – The results of the study revealed numerous differences in the governance structures in private and public hospitals in Ghana. From the review of Taylor's principles of good governance and the comparative case analysis, it was observed that some of the principles are not present in the current hospital governance systems., – The findings of this paper have important implications for proper governance and management of the Ghanaian health institutions.

An examination of hospital governance in Ghana

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between agency factors and the debt level of Ghanaian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – Generalized least squares model is used to estimate the regression equation. Findings – The results indicate that managerial ownership is negatively related to debt level. This suggests that SMEs with insider shareholders may prefer lower leverage to reduce the risk of insolvency. The results also show that SMEs with many shareholders are less likely to employ debt finance. Firms with many shareholders are not likely to entertain the fear of loss of control since the firm is seen as group‐owned. Originality/value – The findings of this study generally suggest that managerial ownership is important in explaining the capital structure of Ghanaian SMEs. This study extends our understanding of the agency theory and the capital structure of SMEs from the Ghanaian context.

Joshua Abor

Papers

Managing foreign exchange risk among Ghanaian firms

E-Accounting Practices among Small and Medium Enterprises in Ghana

Financial regulation and financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does financial stability play a moderating role?

An examination of hospital governance in Ghana

Agency theoretic determinants of debt levels: evidence from Ghana