This paper expands an earlier analysis of the effect of firm characteristics and safety practices on truck accident rates. The sample size has been increased from 13,000 to 75,500. Negative binomial regressions are used in preference to the Poisson technique used previously. The current analysis confirms previous results, but provides important new insights into the safety implications of being...

This paper uses a sample of quality award winners to empirically test hypotheses that relate changes in operating income associated with effective implementation of total quality management (TQM) to various firm characteristics. The characteristics examined are firm size, the degree of capital intensity, the degree of diversification, the timing of TQM implementation, and the maturity of the pr...

I develop and test the theoretical predictions that when investor overreaction to marketwide news is larger, firm valuations in the cross section become more dispersed and stocks earn lower expected returns. Consistent with these predictions, measures of cross-sectional dispersion of firm valuations are negatively related to subsequent market and portfolio excess returns, especially for sets of...

The U.S. government awarded export subsidies to agribusiness firms through the Export Enhancement Program (EEP). This study analyzes (a) whether the subsidies promoted new firm market entry and (b) whether firm characteristics influenced program participation. Trade in three commodities, poultry, wheat, and wheat flour, was analyzed using firm-level data. It was found that new firm market entry...

This study examines the relation between board characteristics and firm performance among life insurance companies in Thailand. Prior research suggests that boards of directors play a critical role in monitoring non-financial companies in Thailand. However, it is possible that board characteristics are not important in the life insurance industry due to the nature of business and the effect of ...

This paper seeks to identify the characteristics of firms that choose to transfer all or at least part of the fulfilment of their information technology needs to an outside party. We focus both on outsourcing and on offshoring. With a statistical approach, based on a large and nationally representative data set at the firm unit level, we look at the profiles of firms that have decided to outsou...