BUSINESS COMBINATION DECISIONS: A U.S./CANADA STUDY*

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the motives behind business combination decisions. Twenty-one favorable characteristics associated with the motivations for business combinations were selected to serve as the basis for an empirical survey. Our analysis revealed that there are seven motivational variables of varying import and that the motivations underlying business combination decisions are similar for U.S. and Canadian executives.     

OPTIMIZING ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS IN ASSIGNING FACULTY TEACHING SCHEDULES

The administration of higher education, as with other administrative environments, has become increasingly complex. This paper presents a mathematical model which addresses one of the administrative tasks concerning administrators in all institutions, the establishment of faculty teaching schedules. The assignment technique utilized by the model is linear programming with two special characteristics: goal programming and mixed-integer programming. The goal programming characteristic refers to the provision of explicit stack variables to take on values representing deviations from assignment criteria that may result in resolving conflicts which arise from interactive administrative priorities. The mixed-integer programming characteristic refers to a requirement of the model that certain variables take on only integer values if they appear in the final solution. The model is demonstrated using two different sets of preference orderings for goal achievement.     

Quantifying urban forest structure,function, and value: the Chicago Urban Forest Climate Project

This paper is a review of research in Chicago that linked analyses of vegetation structure with forest functions and values. During 1991, the regions trees removed an estimated 5575 metric tons of air pollutants, providing air cleansing worth 9.2 million. Each year they sequester an estimated 315 800 metric tons of carbon. Increasing tree cover 10% or planting about three trees per building lot saves annual heating and cooling costs by an estimated 50 to 90 per dwelling unit because of increased shade, lower summertime air temperatures, and reduced neighborhood wind speeds once the trees mature. The net present value of the services trees provide is estimated as 402 per planted tree. The present value of long-term benefits is more than twice the present value of costs.     

Social Solidarity, Democracy and Global Capitalism*

Dans cette étude, nous examinons les hypothèses des partisans de la «mondialisation>> et proposons des solutions totalement opposées. Dans la première partie, nous réfutons les arguments suivants au sujet de la «mondialisation>>: la souveraineté nationale s'érode dans tous les pays; la part de propriété transnationale est plus importante que par le passé; la «mondialisation>> constitue la conséquence inévitable du changement technologique; et la libéralisation de l'économie à l'échelle mondiale renforce la démocratic Dans la deuxième partie, nous examinons les solutions de rechange démocratiques que peuvent offrir les anciens et les nouveaux mouvements sociaux. L'utilisation de fonds d'investissement gérés par le public et engagés selon les besoins des collectivités est considérée comme une solution de rechange à l'orientation axée sur le marché mondial des entreprises transnationales.
This paper critically examines the assumptions of the advocates of "globalization" and develops an alternative that is the polar opposite. The first half of the paper challenges the following assumptions about "globalization": that national sovereignty is eroding for all countries; that the level of transnational ownership is higher now than in the past; that "globalization" has been the inevitable result of technological change; that democracy is strengthened by global economic liberalization. The second half of the paper examines the prospects for the creation of democratic alternatives to globalization in old and new social movements. Socially controlled investment funds that have "location commitment" to communities are seen as an alternative to the globalization vision of transnational corporations.     

The political influence of unions and corporations on COPE votes in the U.S. senate, 1979–1988

The political influence of unions and corporations is examined by analyzing Senate roll-call votes on COPE-identified legislation for the period 1979–1988. Union PAC contributions and union membership both have significant positive effects on three different types of COPE legislation: Narrow Union, General Labor, and Non-Labor. In addition, corporate PAC contributions to senators’ opponents reduce their pro-union voting behavior on Narrow Union and General Labor bills. There is no evidence that the political influence of unions in the U.S. is declining.     

Parents of young gamblers

A study of gambling among juveniles in the United Kingdom reveals that their favorite form of gambling, both in terms of percent participating and amounts spent, is playing Amusement with Prizes (i.e., slot) machines. These machines are widely, freely, and legally available to persons of all ages at amusement arcades, youth clubs, cafes, sports centers, bus and railroad stations, and other public settings. Before 1980, machine gamblers were rare at Gamblers Anonymous meetings. However, since that time, their numbers have increased rapidly, currently representing about half of all new members. Of these, 50% are described as children with the remainder in their late teens or early 20s.The balance of the paper describes the difficulties faced by the parents of these youth and the recent development and objectives of a unique self-help group called Parents of Young Gamblers.Editor's Note: Since this writing, P.O.Y.G. has channeled their energies into lobbying the Home Office to take action that would recognize slot machines as gambling devices, remove them from their present easy access to children, and restrict their availability to licensed Game Clubs where only registered adult members may play. The Home Office recently has agreed to place this matter under consideration.The Reverend Gordon E. Moody, M.B.E., was Secretary of the late (British) Churches' Council on Gambling. In the United Kingdom he is Honorary Founder-Patron of Gamblers Anonymous and Chairman of the Gamblers Anonymous General Services Board. He is Founder of Gordon House (a hostel for single, homeless compulsive gamblers) and Honorary Life Member of the Society for the Study of Gambling.     

The validity and use of the family-of-origin scale

This study explores the Family-of-Origin Scale (FOS) with regard to its validity and potential use. Subjects included 100 adults currently in psychotherapy, 100 who were not, 32 who previously had sought treatment, and 41 college students. Between-group comparisons, correlations with both the 16PF and a scale of authoritarianism, factor analyses of both the patient and nonpatient FOS responses, and a review of patient feedback revealed several significant results. The FOS differentiates between patients and nonpatients, but it measures only one general factor and delivers little information. Therefore, it has little value as a research instrument, but it may be a useful adjunct to psychotherapy in individual cases.