Regulatory Reform: A Report Card for the Reagan AdministrationWeidenbaum, Murray L.
doi: 10.2307/41165047pmid: N/A
Reforms of federal regulation since 1981 have been modest. At the statutory level, the major accomplishment has been the avoidance of new regulatory requirements. A program of reviewing proposed regulations has been put in motion. The inclusion of benefit-cost analysis in these reviews has been especially noteworthy. Yet in the main, the current array of regulatory activities is very similar to that which characterized January 1981.
Environmental Regulation: Some Lessons from British PolicyMorse, C. Wesley
doi: 10.2307/41165048pmid: N/A
The adversarial relationship between business and government in the United States is nowhere more evident than in environmental regulation. Most western governments have avoided much of such conflict through some system of business-government consultation. The most extensively developed of these systems is that of Great Britain. This article examines British environmental control procedures with emphasis on the extensive process of consultation which has developed over a period of more than 200 years. The British experience detailed here suggests some important principles which may guide business and government in considering consultative measures to improve the climate of environmental affairs.
Evaluating Quality Circles: The American ApplicationWood, Robert; Hull, Frank; Azumi, Koya
doi: 10.2307/41165049pmid: N/A
In what represents a reversal in the flow of knowledge between the two countries, managers in U.S. organizations have begun to study and imitate the practices of their Japanese counterparts. The qualify circles programs that exist in many Japanese organizations are being widely adopted in U.S. organizations. However, the high expectations and lack of planned evaluation for the quality circle programs in many U.S. organizations suggests that quality circles are already in the adoption-disappointment-discontinuation cycle that has been characteristic of many other managerial fads. The authors present several reasons why quality circles can lead to increases in the morale, motivation, productivity, and work quality of workers and suggest that the conventional wisdom, which sees them as either a form of job enrichment or a human relations technique, is ill-focused. The types of organizational settings in which quality circles are most likely to be effective are discussed and suggestions are made regarding the proper evaluation of quality circle programs.
Just-in-Time Purchasing: A Challenge for U.S. IndustrySchonberger, Richard J.; Gilbert, James P.
doi: 10.2307/41165050pmid: N/A
Traditional U.S. purchasing is under assault. Japanese purchasing practices, featuring frequent “just-in-time” deliveries in small quantities, have made inroads among Japanese subsidiaries in the United States and more recently in the U.S. auto industry. Just-in-time (JIT) buying tends to be accompanied by a host of structural changes: Long-term, stable buyer-supplier relationships; avoidance of annual rebidding; sole-source contracts; improved containerization; and localized buying, to name just a few. The benefits of JIT purchasing, to both buyer and supplier, include lower material costs, higher productivity, and improved qualify. The strategic advantages—growth of market share and stable relationships—can be significant. Geographical vastness is one of several obstacles in the way of widespread use of JIT buying practices in the United States. The companies that have pioneered in the development of JIT purchasing in this country have demonstrated that most of the obstacles are not insurmountable.
Assessing OPEC's Pricing PoliciesTeece, David J.
doi: 10.2307/41165051pmid: N/A
The failure of analysts to understand OPEC behavior is traced in part to the use of naive textbook models of cartels. This paper compares and contrasts several paradigms of OPEC, which have been adopted explicitly or implicitly by the community of professional and academic analysts. A behavioral view of OPEC that highlights internal budgetary considerations and satisficing-type behavior by several OPEC producers is advanced. The implications for future prices and government policy are assessed. The return of competitive prices is predicted if consuming nations would stimulate further conservation and domestic production through an oil tariff.
Revolution and War in the Persian Gulf: The Effect on MNCsKassicieh, Suleiman K.; Nassar, Jamal R.
doi: 10.2307/41165052pmid: N/A
This article analyzes the effects of the recent developments in Iran—namely, the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War—on the activities of multinational corporations (MNCs) in the Arab oil-producing countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. The level of sales, contracts, and investments by MNCs reflect the perceived spill-over effect of revolution and war and therefore the perceived increase in the risk of losses due to political instability.
The Concerns of the Rich/Poor ConsumerPreston, Lee E.; Bloom, Paul N.
doi: 10.2307/41165053pmid: N/A
After two decades of the pursuit of consumer rights through regulation, a new agenda of consumer concerns is taking shape. This new agenda recognizes that the contemporary consumer is both rich and poor at the same time, and is confronted with new and complex problems involving both scarcity and abundance. The mutual interest of business and government—as well as consumer groups—in identifying and responding to consumer concerns should provide a basis for increasing use of participative and conciliatory, rather than adversary, policy processes.
Marketing to the Hispanic CommunitySegal, Madhav N.; Sosa, Lionel
doi: 10.2307/41165054pmid: N/A
Hispanics make up a consumer market of numerous segments and particular needs, yet they have been ignored by most large companies. What is the nature and scope of this market? The authors present background information on the Hispanic community and outline a framework for analyzing and cultivating this market segment.