Random Expected Utility

We develop and analyze a model of random choice and random expected utility. A decision problem is a finite set of lotteries that describe the feasible choices. A random choice rule associates with each decision problem a probability measure over choices. A random utility function is a probability measure over von Neumann–Morgenstern utility functions. We show that a random choice rule maximizes some random utility function if and only if it is mixture continuous, monotone (the probability that a lottery is chosen does not increase when other lotteries are added to the decision problem), extreme (lotteries that are not extreme points of the decision problem are chosen with probability 0), and linear (satisfies the independence axiom).     

Sexual Abuse in a Classroom of Ten Male Students: A Group Victimization

The term “professional perpetrator” is used to describe individuals who commit sexual abuse in the capacity of a position of trust such as a teacher, household member, or employer. There is an increasing body of evidence focusing on educator sexual abuse in the school environment. However, data are limited about this topic. The aim of this paper is to present the rare occurrence of the case of a male teacher in Turkey who sexually abused his students in an elementary school. Although it is unknown which populations are most vulnerable to sexual abuse, in Turkey we think that the indigenous population is at risk. Abuse cases are not logged into the criminal justice system because the majority of abuse allegations are ignored or disbelieved by families.     

The role of self-determination theory in marketing science: An integrative review and agenda for research

The marketing literature is replete with the repeated use of traditional theories of behaviour, such as ‘the consumer decision model,’ the ‘theory of buyer behaviour,’ the ‘theory of reasoned action,’ the ‘theory of planned behaviour,’ and ‘the model of goal-directed behaviour.’ The conclusions and criticisms that are drawn from these theories stem from the many ways in which these theories are applied, which reduces the efficiency of these approaches in the sense of predictability and generalizability across different cultures. Moreover, these theories have minimal influence on autonomously motivated behaviours. Despite these limitations, marketing scientists have overwhelmingly applied these theories to predict consumer intention and behaviour. However, theories that are actually capable of explaining consumers' motivations have been surprisingly ignored in the marketing literature; for instance, ‘self-determination theory’ (SDT) is a leading theory of human motivation that has been proven effective at identifying the contingencies that affect motivation and behaviour. Therefore, the goal is to review the marketing research in which SDT is used. To this end, we review all empirical studies published on the subject over a 20-year period. Several clusters of research are identified in which SDT appears to be more promising in addressing marketing problems. Finally, we provide directions for future research in greater detail.     

Prediction and Impact of Sea Level Rise on Properties and Infrastructure of Washington,DC

The city of Washington, District of Columbia (DC) will face flooding, and eventual geographic changes, in both the short‐ and long‐term future because of sea level rise (SLR) brought on by climate change, including global warming. To fully assess the potential damage, a linear model was developed to predict SLR in Washington, DC, and its results compared to other nonlinear model results. Using geographic information systems (GIS) and graphical visualization, analytical models were created for the city and its underlying infrastructure. Values of SLR used in the assessments were 0.1 m for the year 2043 and 0.4 m for the year 2150 to model short‐term SLR; 1.0 m, 2.5 m, and 5.0 m were used for long‐term SLR. All necessary data layers were obtained from free data banks from the U.S. Geological Survey and Washington, DC government websites. Using GIS software, inventories of the possibly affected infrastructure were made at different SLR. Results of the analysis show that low SLR would lead to a minimal loss of city area. Damages to the local properties, however, are estimated at an assessment value of at least US$2 billion based on only the direct losses of properties listed in real estate databases, without accounting for infrastructure damages that include military installations, residential areas, governmental property, and cultural institutions. The projected value of lost property is in excess of US$24.6 billion at 5.0 m SLR.     

Divide and rule: The effects of diversity and network structure on a firm's sustainability performance

To tackle sustainability, firms often use partnerships with organizations from different industries or societal sectors such as government and civil society. While partnerships show potential for firms to improve their sustainability performance, they not only lead to a potential to learn from diversity but also to tensions due to a lack of unity between partners. In partnerships for sustainability, this unity-diversity tension particularly manifests itself in different views of sustainability. This paper examines how this tension affects the sustainability performance of firms taking part in partnerships for sustainability in developing countries. To address this question, this tension is conceptualized as being the result of differences in organizational frames and institutional logics between a focal firm and other organizations in the partnership. It is also taken into consideration that firms are embedded in an overarching, relational network structure that allows them to manage the diversity in frames and logics. To test the hypotheses, the study analyses 1353 greenhouse gas emission reduction projects of 322 firms from developing countries active in the carbon-offset market from 2007 to 2009. The findings show that if partners hold different frames and belong to different sectors, a firm's sustainability performance improves first due to learning from diversity but after a turning point decreases from a lack of unity. This inverse U-shape relationship is flipped if a firm occupies a brokerage position in its network.     

Good Jobs, Good Deeds: The Gender-Specific Influences of Job Characteristics on Volunteering

While research has shown that having a “good” job significantly promotes formal volunteering, we have limited knowledge of how this paid work-to-volunteer work relationship may differ between men and women. Based on the gender-identification spillover theory, we hypothesize that because of the societal expectations that women should be caring, giving and communal, positive job traits such as authority and autonomy promote women’s volunteering more than men’s. Our analysis of data from the National Survey of Midlife in the United States shows that women who exercise supervisory authority on the job volunteer significantly more hours than women who do not, whereas job authority makes no difference in the number of hours volunteered for men. Meanwhile, job autonomy promotes men’s volunteering, but not women’s. Implications of these and related findings for future research on gender and volunteering are discussed.     

Unobservable Investment and the Hold‐Up Problem

We study a two‐person bargaining problem in which the buyer may invest and increase his valuation of the object before bargaining. We show that if all offers are made by the seller and the time between offers is small, then the buyer invests efficiently and the seller extracts all of the surplus. Hence, bargaining with frequently repeated offers remedies the hold‐up problem even when the agent who makes the relation‐specific investment has no bargaining power and contracting is not possible. We consider alternative formulations with uncertain gains from trade or two‐sided investment.     

Self‐Control and the Theory of Consumption

To study the behavior of agents who are susceptible to temptation in infinite horizon consumption problems under uncertainty, we define and characterize dynamic self‐control (DSC) preferences. DSC preferences are recursive and separable. In economies with DSC agents, equilibria exist but may be inefficient; in such equilibria, steady state consumption is independent of initial endowments and increases in self‐control. Increasing the preference for commitment while keeping self‐control constant increases the equity premium. Removing nonbinding constraints changes equilibrium allocations and prices. Debt contracts can be sustained even if the only feasible punishment for default is the termination of the contract.