Bargaining Position Research Articles

Moral judgment is sensitive to bargaining power.

For contractualist accounts of morality, actions are moral if they correspond to what rational or reasonable agents would agree to do, were they to negotiate explicitly. This, in turn, often depends on each party's bargaining power, which varies with each party's stakes in the potential agreement and available alternatives in case of disagreement. If there is an asymmetry, with one party enjoying higher bargaining power than another, this party can usually get a better deal, as often happens in real negotiations. A strong test of contractualist accounts of morality, then, is whether moral judgments do take bargaining power into account. We explore this in five preregistered experiments (n = 3,025; U.S.-based Prolific participants). We construct scenarios depicting everyday social interactions between two parties in which one of them can perform a mutually beneficial but unpleasant action. We find that the same actions (asking the other to perform the unpleasant action or explicitly refusing to do it) are perceived as less morally appropriate when performed by the party with lower bargaining power, as compared to the party with higher bargaining power. In other words, participants tend to give more moral leeway to parties with better bargaining positions and to hold disadvantaged parties to stricter moral standards. This effect appears to depend only on the relative bargaining power of each party but not on the magnitude of the bargaining power asymmetry between them. We discuss implications for contractualist theories of moral cognition and the emergence and persistence of unfair norms and inequality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Managerial incentives and earnings management: Insights from union certification elections

AbstractThis study examines how unionization affects firms' financial reporting. Using a regression discontinuity design, we compare practices of firms narrowly winning and losing union certification elections. We find that winning firms depress earnings significantly more by inflating discretionary expenses, particularly research and development expenses, to strengthen their bargaining positions with workers. We further show that this manipulation aligns with managers' financial incentives, career motives, and entrenchment levels. The paper highlights managers' strategic use of real earnings management in worker negotiations and provides causal evidence on how the dynamic relationships among managers, shareholders, and workers shapes firms' financial reporting.

Subsidiary strategy and importance of standards: An institutional development of the integration-responsiveness framework

According to the integration–responsiveness framework, subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNEs) are assigned different strategic roles depending on the business environments they operate in. MNEs are classified as multinational, international, transnational, and global firms. Although standards are crucial for both export performance and Foreign Direct Investment, there is no scientific knowledge on how different types of standards interrelate with MNE strategies. Derived from the review of the limited literature on the role of different types of standards for different MNEs subsidiary strategies, we take an institutional theory perspective and position different types of standards within the integration–responsiveness framework. Based on data collected within the German Standardization Panel, cluster analysis is performed confirming that MNEs’ subsidiary strategies can be grouped according to the importance of formal and company standards. While conformity with national formal standards is necessary to meet pressure for local responsiveness, the application of international standards provides firms with access to global markets. Company standards and management system standards are important to transnational firms to achieve efficiency gains and improve bargaining positions. We compare the export intensity of MNEs with different subsidiary strategies to validate our clustering. In addition, different motives for applying different types of standards confirm our conceptual positioning.

When in Debt, Appoint Women? A Re-Examination of Aid, Debt, and the Inclusion of Women in African Cabinets

Abstract Are more aid-dependent and indebted countries more likely to include women in their cabinets? Several studies have suggested that such countries seek to please donors and lenders. Focusing on Africa, we test whether leaders respond to international incentives and, specifically, signal donors and lenders that they value gender equality in political decision-making. Although leaders have more direct control over the gender composition of the cabinet than the legislature, our analyses do not show that aid dependence and indebtedness result in more women in either the cabinet or the legislature. We operationalize aid dependence and indebtedness as a proportion of recipient gross national income, which we argue better reflects the aid and loan recipients’ vulnerability to external pressure. Using regression analysis techniques and multiple robustness checks to evaluate our panel data, our findings remain consistent with arguments that African states have stronger bargaining positions than the foreign aid literature has acknowledged.

Flexibility Stigma Across Europe: How National Contexts can Shift the Extent to which Flexible Workers are Stigmatised

Although flexible working has expanded rapidly, especially during the pandemic, biased views against flexible workers – namely, flexibility stigma - are still prevalent and returning. Flexibility stigma hinders worker’s take up of flexible working arrangements and can make flexible working arrangements result in negative outcomes for worker’s well-being and productivity. This study examines how national cultural and policy contexts shape flexibility stigma levels within a country. We use a multilevel approach using the Eurobarometer dataset of 2018, covering 28 European countries, matched with national level aggregate data on policy and culture. Results show that in countries with a more work-life balance work culture and egalitarian gender norms, we see less prevalence of flexibility stigma. Similarly, in countries with generous family-friendly policies, workers are less likely to have negative perception towards flexible working. Finally, stronger bargaining positions of workers, may it be through stronger union power or through better labour market conditions, helps remove stigmatised views around workers who use flexible working arrangements. This study evidences the importance of contexts that shape views around flexible working, to help us better understand policy changes needed to ensure better flexible working practices.

The Politics of Delay in Crisis Negotiations

States often intentionally stall crisis negotiations, hoping to build arms or attract allies to achieve a more favorable bargaining position. Why do their adversaries tolerate delay in some cases, but attack upon delay in others? I argue that this is because states cannot perfectly distinguish between intentional and unavoidable delays. This presents a strategic tension: a state prefers to attack preventively if the delay is intentional, but prefers to avoid costly war otherwise. To study this tension, I build a formal model of crisis bargaining with delay tactics, showing that rising states may mask bargaining delays behind natural exogenous delays to complete a peaceful power shift. I find that uncertainty over the source of delay may decrease the risk of war under some conditions, and increase the risk of war under others. I discuss the implications of my theoretical model for the causes of war and power shifts in historical cases.

Producing Power: Dennis Hume Wrong’s Perspective on Gender in Contemporary Indonesian Cinema

This article seeks to uncover some of the ramifications of Dennis Hume Wrong's perspective on power in contemporary Indonesian cinema. The cinema is considered as a discursive medium that comprises a series of relationships between the characters, according to this idea of power and gender relations. The targeted films are Ali & Ratu-Ratu Queens (2021), Generasi 90an: Melankolia (2020), dan Imperfect (2019). The three films were made as a screen adaptation of a literary plot in the drama-romance genre. The findings demonstrate that the power relations in the films are legitimized by two consequences: intended and unintended power. Intended power is legitimized by force, manipulation, persuasion, and authority. Meanwhile, the unintended power is legitimized via a process in which power domination is implicitly assumed because everyone is aware of their position. Through these power relations, gender is conceived as a fluid and unstable notion in contemporary Indonesian cinema. The male and female binary is constructed by the flexibility and hybridity of gender identity, which dictates how they should act, feel, and function in society. Women already have an equal bargaining position with men, particularly in the workplace, yet the stereotype of femininity persists due to Indonesian society's belief in ideal gender rather than the modern mainstream of feminism's practice of new stereotypes.

Optimalisasi Pengembangan Bisnis pada Petani Ikan Ciparay

An essential strategic effort to improve community welfare and the productivity of the fishing industry is to optimize the development of fish farmer businesses in Ciparay, Bandung Regency, West Java, which has a lot of potential for cultivating freshwater fish. Fish farmers in this area, however, still face several problems. These include lack of access to advanced technology, knowledge about managing a business, and market limitations. This research aims to find and create the most effective strategy for building a fish farming business in Ciparay. This research uses SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) and Business Model Canvas to find internal and external elements influencing the fish farming business. Apart from field observations and in-depth interviews with fish farmers, data was collected through relevant literature studies. The results of the analysis show that traditional knowledge and extensive experience in fish cultivation are the main strengths of Ciparay fish farmers. In contrast, the main weakness is the difficulty of obtaining technology and capital. The ever-increasing market demand for fresh fish and government support through various aid programs are opportunities that can be exploited. However, there are threats such as climate change and competition with fish products from other countries. The results show that there are several methods that Ciparay fish farmers can use to maximize their business growth. First, increasing product diversification and innovation in fish processing can open up new market opportunities and increase product-added value. Second, increasing access to modern technology through training and technical assistance can help improve product quality and productivity. Third, forming farmer groups or cooperatives can strengthen farmers' bargaining positions and facilitate their access to capital and wider markets. Farmers can gain greater access to markets and capital by implementing stratification strategies

Entrepreneurship-Based Economic Potential Development in Mekarsari Village, Cibalong District, Garut Regency

Mekarsari Village, Cibalong District, Garut Regency. Mekarsari Village has a variety of local economic potential that can be utilized to improve the standard of living and welfare of the local community. To make this happen, targeted and sustainable strategic steps are needed. In this article, we identify the economic potential that exists in Mekarsari Village, including natural resources, local expertise, superior products, and market opportunities that can be used as a basis for entrepreneurial activities. Additionally, this article outlines concrete steps that can be taken to encourage entrepreneurial growth in the region. Some of the steps proposed include training and entrepreneurship development programs for village residents, intensive assistance and guidance in the initial stages of business establishment, as well as the formation of cooperatives or joint business groups to strengthen their bargaining position and expand market access. Product diversification, innovation, and effective promotion and marketing are also important parts of the entrepreneurship-based economic development strategy in Mekarsari Village. This service also highlights the importance of collaboration with external parties, such as government agencies, research institutions, universities and private companies, as a means of supporting economic development at the local level. In this context, financial management and accountability are also important factors that need to be considered in order to maintain sustainability and sustainable business growth. Through these structured steps and approaches, it is hoped that this article can provide guidance and inspiration for stakeholders to jointly contribute to advancing the local economy in Mekarsari Village, creating new jobs, and improving the quality of life of the community as a whole.

Business Development Strategy for Bunga Melati Women’s Farming Groups in Bunutin Village, Bangli District, Bangli Regency.

This research aims to find out the right strategy for business development of the Bunga Melati Women's Farming Group (WFG) in Bangli Regency. The data collection method uses observation, interviews, documentation and Focus Group Discussion (FGD). The respondents in this research were all members of the Jasmine Flower Farming Women's Group, totaling 28 people. The data analysis used in this research is internal and external environmental analysis. The research results show that Bunga Melati WFG has a total IFAS score of 2.87, and an IFAS score of 2.87. The alternative strategy produced by Bunga Melati WFG is 1. Utilizing product diversity and superior quality to expand the scope of product promotion and branding. 2. Study new technological developments to improve efficiency and product quality. 3. Improving the quality of human resources through training and education programs to understand business administration management and also online marketing supported by new technology. 4. Strategy for using digital technology to increase product promotion and branding. 5. Improve product quality to face tight competition and high consumer bargaining power. 6. Product quality-based differentiation strategy by controlling product costs to increase consumer purchasing power. 7. Strategy for understanding customer needs in order to improve product quality. 8. Strategy for developing human resources and increasing competitiveness amidst intense competition and high consumer bargaining positions.

PERAN BADAN USAHA MILIK DAERAH SEBAGAI INSTRUMEN INVESTASI PEMERINTAH DAERAH: STUDI KASUS DIVESTASI SAHAM NEWMONT

The investments made by Local Governments in Regional Owned Enterprises (ROEs) have not yielded satisfactory returns. One potential investment opportunity for Local Governments is participating in the divestment of foreign shareholders in mining companies. This study analyzes the role of ROEs in divesting mining company shares, including the legality of ROE establishment, the position of ROEs in mining company divestment, and their role as investment instruments for Local Governments, using PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara as a case study. Using a normative method and analyzing secondary data descriptively, the study finds that Local Governments must ensure the administrative process of establishing ROEs complies with applicable laws and regulations. ROEs can partner with investors to address funding difficulties in foreign divestment transactions. Additionally, the priority position of Local Governments in divesting foreign shares in mining companies should provide a strong bargaining position in negotiating the establishment of ROEs and subsidiaries used as vehicles in these transactions.

Case Study of Economic Growth with the Act of Monopoly on Food Control in the Field of Poultry Farming from Upstream to Downstream by PT. Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk

This study discusses economic growth, that economic growth does not only provide positive impacts but also negative impacts such as the existence of monopoly crimes that grow because unfair competition practices are based on tight business competition because they are required to increase profits as much as possible. The company PT. Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk (CPIN) is indicated to have committed a monopoly violation in controlling food in the poultry sector in its business activities. The purpose of this study is that the government is expected to be truly present in trying, and anticipating, and or overcoming crimes in the field of monopoly practices and unfair business competition. Namely in overcoming the practice of controlling products from upstream to downstream, the authority in this case is the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU). This research method uses Normative Juridical analysis using secondary data with primary materials in the form of laws and expert opinions. The results of this study are that Business actors must implement Law No. 5 of 1999 Regarding Their Business Activities, and also the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) must take a legal approach to PT Charoen Pokphand Indonesia (CPIN). In this study it can be concluded that all independent farmers are in a very weak position. Because they do not have a bargaining position against suppliers who supply input components such as seeds, feed and medicine, and do not have bargaining power from the sales side, because the market is controlled by poultry integrators such as in this study PT. CPIN. So that monopoly practices occur in product control from upstream to downstream.

The geography of women’s informal entrepreneurial activities in urban Zambia: place, mobility and locational decision-making

Informal entrepreneurship constitutes an essential source of income for women in sub-Saharan Africa. Research has indicated the importance of location to the productivity of informal enterprises, yet we know little about the geography of African women’s entrepreneurial activities and associated decision-making. This article studies how female slum dwellers in Lusaka organise their entrepreneurial activities spatially and how they justify associated locational choices. The study found a substantial variety in spatial arrangements although proximity to the home often took precedence over other business-related considerations. The ability to overcome or take advantage of geography when carrying out business was clearly bound up in wider relationships pertaining to gender, poverty and regulatory frameworks. Important factors contributing to satisfying business-related locational needs included a strong intra-household bargaining position, the ability to outsource reproductive work, social networks, access to financial resources and uneven regulation of space in the residential settlement. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0 .

Wage Bargaining Power of Internal Migrant Workers: Evidence from Urban Labor Market in China

This study analyses the wage bargaining power of employers and internal migrant workers in the urban labor market in China using a two-tiered SFA model. The findings indicate that bargaining power decreases the observed wage relative to the benchmark wage which is associated with worker’s actual productivity. The availability of migrant labor is identified to be a key variable in the wage bargaining process. This study reveals that the migrant workers who obtain jobs via informal job search methods stand in a weak bargaining position relative to those using formal search methods which is consistent with limited choices hypothesis. Additionally, the migrant workers in the manufacturing and construction industries or producing and processing occupations extract surplus nearly identical to other groups.

Precarious employment and mental health in the Belgian service voucher system: the role of working conditions and perceived financial strain.

Jobs in domestic cleaning are often conceived as 'precarious employment' (PE)-i.e. a multidimensional concept referring to accumulated adverse characteristics of employment due to workers' weak bargaining position. Against this background, the Belgian service voucher system (SVS) was implemented aimed at creating formal and stable, subsidized domestic services jobs. The current study assesses the relationship between PE and mental health (WHO5) in the Belgian SVS, accounting for the potential mediating role of working conditions and perceived financial strain at the household level. We analysed a cross-sectional sample of 1,115 Belgian SVS domestic cleaners, collected in 2019 through an online survey. A mediation model was estimated. The crude effect of PE on adverse mental health was strong (ß 0.545-S.E. 0.063). However, 50% of the association between PE and mental well-being was mediated by work task characteristics (quantitative demands, physical demands, task variation and autonomy) and 25% by household-level perceived financial strain. The remaining direct effect of PE on adverse mental well-being is ß 0.066 (S.E. 0.032-25% of the total effect). These findings are the first based on the Belgian Employment Precariousness Scale (EPRES-BE) and are consistent with earlier-made-but seldom simultaneously tested-assumptions on the mechanisms relating PE to adverse mental health-i.e. involving direct associations and indirect associations via adverse working conditions and material deprivation. Based on the results, we recommend more democratic and higher-quality management practices in the SVS, in addition to higher wages and working time reduction.

Is the Post-Reformation System of the Indonesian Government a Parliamentary Form?

Indonesia's democratic government system has experienced ups and downs based on history, where at the beginning of independence Indonesia used a presidential system, then changed to a parliamentary and then returned to a presidential system. The reformation period was a milestone in changing the government system where previously the president was elected by the MPR as the highest state institution to switch to direct presidential elections carried by a party or a coalition of parties - due to the existence of regulation on the threshold for nomination (parliamentary threshold) - but to maintain the implementation of the presidential campaign promise to establish a coalition of parties supporting the government which has an impact on the role of the People^s Representative Council only as a stamp of government interests. The problem in this study is how the presidential system exists in the post-reform Indonesian government system. The form of the research method used is normative juridical with a statutory approach and an analytical descriptive approach that examines primary and secondary legal materials, besides examining the synchronization and harmonization of law. The conclusion is that the current Indonesian government system tends to be parliamentary. This is due to the weak bargaining position of the DPR in supervising the running of government because the majority of DPR members are supporters of the government, while the opposition forces are unequal with the majority, which prioritizes the most voting system over consensus deliberation for the benefit of the people. so that checks and balances - separation of powers - turned into a division of powers - dividing power.

Intrahousehold empowerment gaps and dietary diversity in China.

This article analyzes the relationship between intrahousehold empowerment gaps and food and nutrition security using quantitative data collected through a household survey organized by the Agricultural Information Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS-AII), in 2023. Based on empowerment theory, this study measured the relative empowerment of spouses from the Abbreviated Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (A-WEAI). From the micro-level evidence of 468 rural households, this study found that intrahousehold empowerment gaps harm the diversity of household diets. In particular, reducing gender gaps in access to resources, leadership, and income can help diversify household diets. However, data on the impact of shortening the difference in working hours between wives and husbands for the benefit of food safety are yet to be conclusive. Additionally, gender gaps in the group of non-coresident mothers-in-law and non-migrants hurt household food security. The paper also provides further justification for policies and interventions that aim to improve women's bargaining position in the household.

Marketing Channel Analysis, Marketing Margins, and Farmer's Share Cinnamon Commodity in Sungai Penuh City, Jambi Province, Indonesia

The cinnamon commodity is quite significant in the economy of Sungai Penuh City, but farmers have not felt its role in improving welfare. The fundamental problems faced by cinnamon farmers in Sungai Penuh City are the weak bargaining position of farmers in the pricing process due to lack of access to price information, the attachment of farmers to collecting traders, and the limited ability of farmers to develop processed cinnamon products allegedly resulting in farmers only getting a small profit from sales. Traders, collectors, and exporters process more to meet domestic and foreign market demand. For this reason, an analysis of the existing condition of marketing margins and farmers' share of cinnamon commodities in Sungai Penuh City is needed. The purpose of this study is to analyze cinnamon marketing margins between farmers, collecting traders and exporters in each marketing channel in Sungai Penuh City, analyze the amount of farmers share obtained by farmers in each cinnamon marketing channel in Sungai Penuh City, and analyze cinnamon marketing functions in the form of physical functions, exchange functions and facility functions between farmers, Collecting traders and exporters in Sungai Penuh City. To answer the study's objectives, the author uses marketing margin analysis methods, profit margin analysis, farmer's share analysis, and marketing function approaches in physical, exchange, and facility functions. This research method uses a qualitative descriptive approach, and the informants in this study are determined by purposive sampling. The results showed that as many as 60 percent of cinnamon farmers in Sungai Penuh City chose and 40 percent chose the two-actor marketing channel. In contrast, the cinnamon marketing channel involving three marketing actors showed that the marketing system was inefficient. In contrast, the cinnamon marketing channel involving two marketing actors showed that the cinnamon marketing system in Sungai Penuh City was efficient.

Brand strategies: Enhancing manufacturers' bargaining power in grocery retail through cross‐category complementarities

AbstractThe article emphasizes the role of brand strategies, as placement in regional niche strategies for manufacturers, to impact retailer–manufacturer relations in the grocery retail sector. Due to joint purchases of initially unrelated products within a shopping cart, transaction cost‐induced complementarities between those products arise. Given unique retailer data, we infer complementarities arising from a specific product to a shopping cart of products. Using a Nash‐in‐Nash framework, we are able to show that the impact on the bargaining position for the manufacturer vis‐à‐vis a retailer is substantial and helps to increase the potential of gaining a larger slice of the profit pie.

The Financial Health Analysis and Income Diversification Case Study on Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW)

NGOs are agents of change that were formed with the aim of meeting social development needs that have not been able to be carried out or fulfilled by the government as state administrator. To maintain their existence, NGOs are required to maintain healthy financial conditions and diversified funding to ensure the survival of the organization so that it can provide a sustainable impact for its beneficiaries. Therefore, measuring NGO financial performance is very important. The aim of this research is to determine the financial performance and funding diversification of the NGO Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW). The method used in this research is qualitative descriptive using financial ratio analysis and funding diversification on secondary data obtained from the website https://antikorup.org, in the form of financial reports for 2017-2021. The financial ratios calculated to measure ICW's financial performance use the ratio measurement method developed by Ritchie and Kolodinsky (2003), as well as funding diversification which will be measured using the Hirschman Herfindahl Index (HHI). The research results show that the financial health of ICW is in the good category with diversified income, it is known that the level of dependency on main donors is small. This has a positive impact on the sustainability of ICW to be able to continue to advocate for strengthening the people's bargaining position to control the state and participate in decisions to realize democratic governance, free from corruption, with economic, social and gender justice.