Cowboy Economics News - December 2009 Archives

States need economic freedom to benefit from natural resources (12/22/2009)

States with small governments, low taxes and labor market freedom enjoy greater benefits from natural resource development than states with large and intrusive government policies, according to a new study by a Florida State University researcher. ...> Full Article

Does scent enhance consumer product memories? (12/19/2009)

It may seem odd to add scent to products like sewing thread, automobile tires, and tennis balls, as some companies have done. But a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research says scent helps consumers remember product information. ...> Full Article

Do consumers always approach pleasure and avoid pain? New study suggests an alternative (12/18/2009)

Whether it's doing sit-ups or eating steamed veggies instead of fries, it's often difficult to get ourselves to do something we know is beneficial. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research says we can trick ourselves into more favorable evaluations of certain products and behaviors. ...> Full Article

Are most consumers planners when it comes to time and money? New study shows some benefits (12/17/2009)

Planning -- regarding money or time -- can bring tangible benefits to consumers. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research discovered what makes planners tick. ...> Full Article

CEO charisma biases financial analysts, can hurt investors (12/17/2009)

Projecting the charisma of a newly hired Chief Executive Officer often leads financial analysts to make crucial errors in forecasting the company's future performance, according to a new study in the current issue of Organization Science, a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. ...> Full Article

Study shows health care spending spurs economic growth (12/16/2009)

As the national discussion of health care focuses on costs, a new study from North Carolina State University shows that it might be more accurate to think of health care spending as an investment that can spur economic growth. The study also shows that government projections of health care costs and financing may be unduly pessimistic. ...> Full Article

Value of volunteering more than economic (12/16/2009)

With rising unemployment and fewer job vacancies, the current financial crisis has seen renewed policy emphasis in both Europe and the UK on volunteering as a route to employment, according to a new report from the Economic and Social Research Council. ...> Full Article

Hourly employees happier than salaried (12/15/2009)

People paid by the hour exhibit a stronger relationship between income and happiness, according to a study published in the current issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, the official journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. ...> Full Article

Difficulties exporting a Western market economy to Russia (12/14/2009)

A Western market economic model has been difficult to realize in Russia."There was an assumption that it would be possible to export capitalism in its Western form, but Russian society is more complex than that," says Oksana Shmulyar Gréen in a new thesis for the University of Gothenburg. ...> Full Article

Debunking fears: Latino growth does not boost crime (12/13/2009)

Rural industries, such as meat-packing and textile manufacturing, create job opportunities that have brought significant numbers of Latino workers and their families to small- and medium-sized towns. This influx of Latino migrants is often met with resistance from other residents, who fear increases in crime and poverty rates. But a new study from North Carolina State University debunks those fears, showing that the introduction of Latinos contributes to positive changes, not negative ones. ...> Full Article

Money changes what we think is fair, research finds (12/12/2009)

Thinking of rewarding your sales department for a job well done? You might not want to make cash part of the payoff. ...> Full Article

Creating jobs with university-based research parks and incubators (12/11/2009)

Changes in federal policy can increase the effectiveness of a key national asset in job creation: university-based research parks and technology incubators, according to US Senate testimony today by Brian Darmody, president of the Association of University Research Parks and a University of Maryland associate vice president. In prepared testimony, Darmody recommended a series of actions, including loans, tax-free financing and more flexible government procedures for commercializing technology developed at incubators with federal support. ...> Full Article

Male and female shopping strategies show evolution at work in the mall (12/7/2009)

Male and female shopping styles are in our genes -- and we can look to evolution for the reason. ...> Full Article

Rural America more prosperous than expected (12/5/2009)

For many people "rural" is synonymous with low incomes, limited economic opportunity, and poor schools. However, a recent study at the University of Illinois found that much of rural America is actually prosperous, particularly in the Midwest and Plains. ...> Full Article

More competitors, less competition (12/4/2009)

The larger the number of examinees, the lower the average grade. This is one of the findings of new studies carried out by scientists at the University of Haifa and the University of Michigan. "It is a well-established fact that subjective factors influence our motivation to compete. Our new studies have shown that objective factors, such as the size of a competing group, also have an effect on motivation," explains Dr. Avishalom Tor. ...> Full Article

Financial restructuring in fresh-start chapter 11 reorganizations (12/1/2009)

The effectiveness of the existing bankruptcy code has long been a source of vigorous debate. More and more lately, high-profile firms like General Motors, Enron, and K-Mart are seeking protection from creditors through Chapter 11 filings. But are these firms really getting the "fresh start" they need? ...> Full Article