City University London

About: City University London is a education organization based out in London, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 5735 authors who have published 17285 publications receiving 453290 citations.

Board Independence, Firm Performance and Ownership Concentration: Evidence from Chile

Abstract: What determines the composition of companies’ boards in the context of high ownership concentration? Are independent directors important as an internal governance mechanism in companies with high ownership concentration? Do markets favor companies whose controlling shareholders use voting rights to elect professional directors?Using a four-year, 160-company panel data, and controlling for endogeneity, this paper addresses these three related questions, finding that an increase in the proportion of outside directors affects company value. The paper also finds that companies that present more exacerbated agency conflicts tend to incorporate professional directors to the boards, in an effort to improve corporate governance and ameliorate the agency problem.

What is it to be a model

Abstract: There are various ways in which data for economic evaluations may be obtained, including via clinical trials and via economic modelling. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages associated with each method, though generally clinical trials have been preferred to economic models, largely because they are believed to give a better indication of cost-effectiveness given their reliance on real, albeit clinical trial, data. This brief article discusses this view setting out the main arguments for and against this stance. The general conclusion reached being that while clinical trial data are used in most, if not all, economic evaluations modelling will inevitably also be required.

Flexible Working and Performance: A Systematic Review of the Evidence for a Business Case

Abstract: Interest in the outcomes of flexible working arrangements (FWAs) dates from the mid-1970s, when researchers attempted to assess the impact of flexitime on worker performance. This paper reviews the literature on the link between FWAs and performance-related outcomes. Taken together, the evidence fails to demonstrate a business case for the use of FWAs. This paper attempts to explain the findings by analysing the theoretical and methodological perspectives adopted, as well as the measurements and designs used. In doing so, gaps in this vast and disparate literature are identified, and a research agenda is developed.

The Determinants of Mutual Fund Performance: A Cross-Country Study

Abstract: We use a new data set to study the determinants of the performance of open-end actively managed equity mutual funds in 27 countries. We find that mutual funds underperform the market overall. The results show important differences in the determinants of fund performance in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world. The U.S. evidence of diminishing returns to scale is not an universal truth as the performance of funds located outside the U.S. and funds that invest overseas is not negatively affected by scale. Our findings suggest that the adverse scale effects in the U.S. are related to liquidity constraints faced by funds that, by virtue of their style, have to invest in small and domestic stocks. Country characteristics also explain fund performance. Funds located in countries with liquid stock markets and strong legal institutions display better performance.

Cultural Differences in Collaborative Authoring of Wikipedia

Abstract: This article explores the relationship between national culture and computer-mediated communication (CMC) in Wikipedia. The articles on the topic game from the French, German, Japanese, and Dutch Wikipedia websites were studied using content analysis methods. Correlations were investigated between patterns of contributions and the four dimensions of cultural influences proposed by Hofstede (Power Distance, Collectivism versus Individualism, Femininity versus Masculinity, and Uncertainty Avoidance). The analysis revealed cultural differences in the style of contributions across the cultures investigated, some of which are correlated with the dimensions identified by Hofstede. These findings suggest that cultural differences that are observed in the physical world also exist in the virtual world.