The impact of unionization on the entry of firms: Evidence from U.S. industries

Traditional models of entry-deterrence typically emphasize sunk costs or predatory pricing, but unionization might also discourage potential entrants. This paper explores this possibility through an empirical model of entry that includes unionization as an explanatory variable. We find that unionization has a statistically significant entry-deterring effect.     

Nonparametric multiple comparison procedures for unbalanced one-way factorial designs

In this paper, we present several nonparametric multiple comparison (MC) procedures for unbalanced one-way factorial designs. The nonparametric hypotheses are formulated by using normalized distribution functions and the comparisons are carried out on the basis of the relative treatment effects. The proposed test statistics take the form of linear pseudo rank statistics and the asymptotic joint distribution of the pseudo rank statistics for testing treatments versus control satisfies the multivariate totally positive of order two condition irrespective of the correlations among the rank statistics. Therefore, in the context of MCs of treatments versus control, the nonparametric Simes test is validated for the global testing of the intersection hypothesis. For simultaneous testing of individual hypotheses, the nonparametric Hochberg stepup procedure strongly controls the familywise type I error rate asymptotically. With regard to all pairwise comparisons, we generalize various single-step and stagewise procedures to perform comparisons on the relative treatment effects. To further compare with normal theory counterparts, the asymptotic relative efficiencies of the nonparametric MC procedures with respect to the parametric MC procedures are derived under a sequence of Pitman alternatives in a nonparametric location shift model for unbalanced one-way layouts. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to demonstrate the validity and power of the proposed nonparametric MC procedures.     

Subclinical Psychopathic Traits and Romantic Attachment in Treatment-Seeking Couples

Subclinical psychopathic personality traits have been associated with multiple indicators of couple distress and romantic attachment insecurities but essentially in community samples. This study examined dyadic associations between primary and secondary psychopathy and attachment anxiety and avoidance, assessed with self-reported measures, in 183 French-Canadian cohabiting partners seeking couple therapy. Two Actor-Partner Interdependence Models were tested: Model 1 considered psychopathic traits as independent variables and Model 2 treated attachment insecurities as independent variables. Analyses revealed that in both partners, secondary psychopathy was associated with attachment anxiety and avoidance (Models 1 and 2), while primary psychopathy was not only associated with attachment anxiety (Model 2; actor associations). Partner effects between primary and secondary psychopathy in men and women's attachment anxiety were also found in both models. These findings complement those reported in community samples and have clinical implications for treatment-seeking couples.     

Primary Divisions of Personality and their Scientific Contributions: From the Trilogy-of-Mind to the Systems Set

Personality theories often identify sets of primary parts. These are sets of a few personality parts expansive enough to collectively describe the total personality. Examples of such sets include the trilogy of mind (motivation, emotion, and cognition), Freud's structural set (id, ego, superego), and the recently-introduced systems set (energy lattice, knowledge works, role player, and executive con-sciousness). These groups may be of unrecognized importance in understanding human personality. The defining characteristics of such sets are identified, their history is reviewed, their theoretical contributions considered, and then, criteria for distinguishing good from bad sets of primary parts are proposed. Finally, the potential contribution of primary parts sets to personality psychology is revisited.     

Technological Diversification: A Systematic Review of Antecedents,Outcomes and Moderating Effects

Technological diversification has been linked to a wide range of phenomena, including financial performance, innovation, product diversification and inter‐organizational relationships. This is the first systematic review of this literature and provides an overview of its historical development and conceptual foundations. It finds that the role of contingency factors impacting the positive relationship between technological diversification and financial performance needs further exploration. Also, it finds that the research on the links between technological diversification and inter‐organizational relationships requires consolidation. This paper suggests three avenues for further research. First, it sets out an agenda for identifying the antecedents of technological diversification. Second, it identifies contextual factors that could shape the relationship between technological diversification and performance. Third, it argues that technological diversification research must engage with contemporary technological and organizational developments such as digital organizations, open boundaries and networks.     

Immigration in the 2008 Virginia presidential election: A cultural issue remains puissant despite an economic crisis

In 2006 and 2007, many analysts expected that immigration would be one of the top domestic issues in the 2008 campaign. However, in the 2008 presidential general election, immigration issues were never a major topic between candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. This was partially because McCain has more moderate views toward immigration reform than the passionate anti-immigration faction of the Republican Party. Prior research suggests that an issue in a presidential campaign can remain influential even when the media and campaigns are not discussing or addressing the issue, even when the candidates or parties do not differ greatly on the issue. In a survey of Virginia residents conducted just before the November election, immigration attitudes were a differential factor between McCain and Obama.     

Bayesian estimation of the difference between two proportions

This paper is concerned with the problem of allocating a fixed number of trials between two independent binomial populations with unknown success probabilities θ₁ and θ₂, in order to estimate θ₁ - θ₂ with squared error loss. Introducing independent beta priors on θ₁ and θ₂, a heuristic allocation procedure is introduced and compared both with the optimal and with the best fixed allocation procedure. Numerical and asymptotic results of these comparisons are given and seem to indicate that there are situations when the best fixed allocation procedure performs almost as well as the optimal procedure.