The growing displacement of theory and other forms of wide-ranging knowledge of social phenomena by empirical research methods in economics is widely noted by economists and…
Abstract
The growing displacement of theory and other forms of wide-ranging knowledge of social phenomena by empirical research methods in economics is widely noted by economists and historians of economic knowledge. Less attention has been devoted, however, to understand the materialization of such changes in the scientific practices. This article studies the recent transformations in the epistemological practices at CEDE, a research center in Colombia. I use a machine learning technique called Topic Modeling, interviews to CEDE researchers, and exegesis of papers to characterize a shift in the production of knowledge in microeconometrics at CEDE during the years 2000 and 2018. I explain this shift by characterizing two sets of epistemological practices that implies a recent tendency to disdain research that cannot make a “strong” causal inference.
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Veneta Andonova and Hernando Zuleta
The purpose of this paper is to study the effect that weak enforceability of property rights has on the human resource practices of firms operating in hostile business environment.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the effect that weak enforceability of property rights has on the human resource practices of firms operating in hostile business environment.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper questions the role of the state as the only provider of stability and guarantor of property rights and hypothesizes that it is not governments, which tend to be weak in weak institutional settings, but private firms that act as the main force behind the protection of entrepreneurial investments. The approach consists in developing a case study about a farm (Hacienda Gavilanes) in rural Colombia.
Findings
It is found that incentives together with inclusive human resources practices and empowerment are among those strategic arrangements that contribute most to the survival and sustainability of the farm today in a setting where legal enforceability is precarious. The replication of this policy might not be easy, however, because it requires a profound shift in the way landowners perceive workers in rural Colombia and many other parts of the world.
Originality/value
The case presented in this paper provides valuable lessons beyond Latin America for other developing countries with similarly fragile governments and economic environments.
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The paper examines the effect that weak enforcement of property rights has on the HR practices of firms operating in a hostile business environment.
Abstract
Purpose
The paper examines the effect that weak enforcement of property rights has on the HR practices of firms operating in a hostile business environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a case study of a workers' co‐operative named Cofudeco, supplying a farm named Hacienda Gavilanes, the paper shows that co‐operative members see the farm's business as their opportunity to provide a better living for their families.
Findings
The paper reveals that the farm today enjoys enviable security conditions guarded by the loyalty of the co‐operative members. The farm owner no longer pays daily wages to the workers but negotiates on compensation for the completion of certain tasks.
Practical implications
The paper contends that, if adopted on a larger scale, such human‐resource practices could transform the business environment in hostile zones in Colombia and even help to improve the country's investment climate.
Originality/value
The paper describes how the system creates incentives for time‐saving innovations, and workers have come up with several proposals for improving the processes. Workers have considerable freedom to take decisions.
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This paper builds a theoretical argument of how the Internet increases the scope for disintermediation and analyzes the changes in the structure of transaction costs in the case…
Abstract
This paper builds a theoretical argument of how the Internet increases the scope for disintermediation and analyzes the changes in the structure of transaction costs in the case of retailing. The paper treats the Internet as a low‐cost selling technology that needs substantial customers acceptance and a specific business model in order to be a viable alternative to traditional retailing. The proposed model predicts that different types of traditional retailers follow different strategies with respect to e‐commerce depending on their pre‐Internet market positioning. These conclusions are supported by empirical evidence from the adoption strategies, followed by a sample of well‐established U.S.‐based retailers. This study shows that retailers whose traditional selling technology is best approximated by e‐commerce are more likely to be among the first to reap the benefits of low‐cost online distribution.