Policy-capturing Research Articles

Marketing Impact of Halal Labeling toward Indonesian Muslim Consumer’s Behavioral Intention Based on Ajzen’s Planned Behavior Theory: Policy Capturing Studies on Five Different Product Categories

The purpose of this paper is to test the applicability of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in explaining the intention to switch from products without certified Halal labels within a wide array of purchase context, especially in the purchase of food and medicine products. A policy capturing  questionnaire was used to elicit responses from consumers using a convenience sampling technique. A  total of 7500 responses were obtained from 150 participating respondent in 50 different scenario cases.  Data is analyzed using Multi-Group Structural Equation Modeling. The study finds that the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is not completely valid to explain both the behavioral intention of Muslim consumers in Indonesia to seek information about the Halal certification of a product and to cancel  their purchase if the product did not have Halal certification. Differences in magnitude and significance of causal relationships exist between different product categories. Keywords: Purchase Behavior, Halal Label, Muslim Consumer

The Design Of Equity Ownership Structure In Inter-Firm Relationships: Do Managers Choose According To Theory?

Theories explaining the equity ownership structure of inter-firm relationships, such as the resource-based view or transaction cost economics, commonly assume a significant role for managerial choice, but this assumption is rarely assessed for its realism. In this study, we use the policy capture methodology to directly assess whether managers choose according to theory (and which theory). In a sample of 66 experienced managers, we find that managerial choices of equity ownership are indeed influenced both by competitive advantage and transaction hazards, though to a greater extent by competitive advantage. Further, only competitive advantage influences managers’ choices about the extent of equity ownership in their partner; transaction hazards motivate the choice of some equity over none. We discuss implications for how inter-firm relationships are and ought to be designed.

(Un)Sustainable Territories: Causes of the Speculative Bubble in Spain (1996–2010) and its Territorial, Environmental, and Sociopolitical Consequences

In this paper we analyse the causes of the Spanish property model and its territorial, social, and political consequences. Particular attention is paid to sociopolitical contexts. These consequences include excessive dependence on economic activity and employment in the housing construction sector, the irreversible disappearance of landmarks in the country's collective history and culture, and examples of ‘policy capture’, especially at local and regional levels. This lengthy process has led to corruption in town planning and an increase in poor policy decisions, greatly harming Spain's reputation.

Corporate strategy, corporate capture: Food and alcohol industry lobbying and public health

This article examines two industry sectors — those making and selling fast food and alcoholic beverages or associated products. We examine their role in influencing policy and decision making on the regulation of their products for health reasons. We argue that the food and alcohol industries engage in a very wide range of tactics and strategies to defend and indeed to promote their ‘licence to operate’. We focus in on a specific component of these by examining public relations and lobbying strategies and their impacts on elite decision makers. We suggest that lobbying influence is a matter of both communication and action. We go on to outline the vertical and horizontal differentiation of lobbying strategies arguing that policy capture is the ultimate goal of lobbying, though influence is pursued by wide-ranging strategies to capture various arenas of decision making. We examine four key arenas; science, civil society, the media and policy, closing with an examination of two cases of the so-called ‘partnership’ model of governance.

Restraining regulatory capture? Anglo-America, crisis politics and trajectories of change in global financial governance

A growing number of respected commentators now argue that regulatory capture of public agencies and public policy by leading banks was one of the main causal factors behind the financial crisis of 2007–2009, resulting in a permissive regulatory environment. This regulatory environment placed a faith in banks own internal risk models, contributed to pro-cyclical behaviour and turned a blind eye to excessive risk taking. The article argues that a form of ‘multi-level regulatory capture’ characterized the global financial architecture prior to the crisis. Simultaneously, regulatory capture fed off, but also nourished the financial boom, in a fashion that mirrored the life cycle of the boom itself. Minimizing future financial booms and crises will require continuous, conscious and explicit efforts to restrain financial regulatory capture now and into the future. The article assesses the extent to which this has been achieved in current global financial governance reform efforts and highlights some of the persistent difficulties that will continue to hamper efforts to restrain regulatory capture. The evidence concerning the extent to which regulatory capture is being effectively restrained is somewhat mixed, and where it is happening it is largely unintentional and accidental. Recent reforms have overlooked the political causes of the crisis and have failed to focus explicitly or systematically on regulatory capture.

The future of development management: Introduction to the special issue

AbstractThis article introducing the Special Issue begins with a review of development administration and management's post‐independence history, outlining the new challenges posed by the rise of the governance model and critical development management. The seven articles, which follow, are then summarised. We extrapolate from them to suggest new directions for development management: a better understanding of the relationship between politics and management; using a more nuanced view of policy to inform development management specialists' ethical choices between policies; understanding policy capture by hostile interests; taking the ‘view from below’, studying local sensemaking and the way it affects programme outcomes, and the interaction of power and knowledge. Suggested new directions include a focus on the practice of development agencies and on developing appropriate research methodologies. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Policy Capturing Investigation of Battered Women’s Decisions to Stay in Violent Relationships

Based on theories of social exchange and cognitive decision-making, the current research was an initial attempt to analyze battered and nonbattered women's decision-making processes using a policy capturing methodology. Participants included 28 battered and 30 nonbattered women who responded to several questionnaires and vignettes about violent relationships. Overall, both groups of women reported they would be unlikely to stay in the described relationships. Further, the cue of violence intensity was overwhelmingly the most heavily weighted variable for women in both samples, and a comparison of subjective reports and objective policies found that both groups lacked insight into which variables they were weighing when deciding to stay. Results suggest that when making the intellectual decision to stay in an abusive relationship, battered and nonbattered women respond similarly.

Decision Analysis Using Policy Capturing and Process Tracing Techniques in a Simulated Naval Air-Defense Task

Decision Analysis Using Policy Capturing and Process Tracing Techniques in a Simulated Naval Air-Defense Task

Decision Analysis Using Policy Capturing and Process Tracing Techniques in a Simulated Naval Air-Defense Task

Research in cognitive systems engineering (CSE) and decision support requires an understanding of the psychological processes involved in a given task. The purpose of the present study is to investigate how policy capturing and process tracing may help understand the decision mechanisms involved in a naval air-defense task and characterize how human decision making effectiveness can be improved. We report results from a study in which participants performed a threat evaluation and weapons assignment task within a naval air-defense microworld. Policy capturing and process tracing techniques provide both converging perspectives and complementary insights into complex decision making processes.

Korrumpierung der Spielregeln: Von legitimer Einflussnahme zur Eroberung von Regulierung und Politik

Article Korrumpierung der Spielregeln: Von legitimer Einflussnahme zur Eroberung von Regulierung und Politik was published on March 1, 2009 in the journal Forschungsjournal Soziale Bewegungen (volume 22, issue 1).

Does Democratization Alter the Policy Process? Trade Policymaking in Brazil

This article explores the implications of transitions to democracy for the economic policymaking process in developing countries. Democracy is supposed to give citizens oversight of their political leaders, while providing leaders with electoral incentives to respect citizens' preferences. Consequently, a shift from authoritarian to democratic rule ought to alter policymaking. Using the case of Brazilian trade policy, this article examines changed versus consistent patterns of post-transition interest aggregation, political participation, and economic goal-setting. Contrary to expectations of a notably enlarged role for the legislative houses, the study finds that Brazil's executive still dominates trade policymaking. However, significant and increasingly transparent interest aggregation occurs within the federal executive. Moreover, policy capture by sectoral special interests has decreased, while non-traditional civil society participants have gained some influence, and trade policy outcomes now are arguably more public-regarding. We find that Brazil's trade policy process has been incrementally democratized.

Origins of Regime Change: “Ideapolitik” on the Long Road to Baghdad, 1993–2000

How was the ouster of Saddam Hussein defined as the solution to America's Iraq problem? Current scholarship on the U.S. invasion of Iraq tends to focus on the post-9/11 road to war, promoting models of policy capture, intelligence manipulation, threat-inflation, or rhetorical coercion of Bush administration opponents. In this essay, I trace the “Ideapolitik” of regime change in the 1990s and show that Bush's post-9/11 rhetoric was firmly embedded in a preexisting foreign policy consensus defining Saddam Hussein as the “problem” and his overthrow as its “solution.” Drawing upon recent research in international relations and public policy, I show how the idea of regime change prevailed in redefining American strategy for Iraq. While the September 11, 2001 attacks had important effects on the Bush administration's willingness to use force, the basic idea that ousting Saddam Hussein would solve the Iraq problem was already embedded in elite discourse. Saddam Hussein's ouster was not simply the result of idiosyncratic or nefarious decision-making processes within the Bush administration, but was instead the realization of a social choice made by U.S. foreign policy elites well before George W. Bush came to power.

Know‐how transfer: the role of social, economic/competitive, and firm boundary factors

AbstractUsing policy capture methodology, this study examines the effect of different contextual cues upon the know‐how transfer efforts reported by 79 biotechnology R&D scientists. Theoretically, these different cues are believed to affect the scientists' expectation of reciprocity, and thus their know‐how transfer behavior. Three types of contextual cues between the know‐how source and recipient were studied: competitiveness, social relationship, and within or across firm boundaries. We find these cues are associated, in the expected directions, with know‐how transfer effort. The findings support a general theory of reciprocity whereby social, competitive, and firm boundary cues have a summative effect upon the expectation of reciprocity and know‐how transfer. This is the first study to examine how these cues taken together influence the know‐how transfer decision. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The modern impact of precolonial centralization in Africa

We assess, theoretically and empirically, the view that precolonial political institutions shaped the performance of colonial and postcolonial African governments. Using anthropological data, we find a strong positive association between the provision of public goods such as education, health and infrastructure in African countries and the centralization of their ethnic groups' precolonial institutions. To empirically identify the effect of precolonial centralization, we build and test a model where centralization boosts public goods by making local elites more accountable. Our results are consistent with the view that precolonial centralization shaped the success of modernization policies in Africa by reducing policy capture by local elites. The paper documents the importance of precolonial institutions and stresses the desirability of centralization when local capture undermines socioeconomic reforms.

Securing Transparency

The management of natural resources figures prominently on the international security agenda. Resources such as timber, diamonds, and narcotics have financed about a third of civil wars since the late 19805.' Increased demand for strategic raw materials such as oil is also raising concern about instability in producing countries and international tensions. More generally, mismanagement affects the life of millions of people through poor economic growth, high inequalities, corruption, authoritarianism, and conflicts. Since the early 19705, the developmental record of many dependent countries is so poor that the idea of a resource curse is now widespread among economists.2As the international security policy community grew increasingly aware of the importance of governance in relation to conflict, specific challenges were identified, policies drawn or revised, and lessons learned.' UN sanction regimes reinvigorated by the end of the Cold War have mostly targeted sectors. Major external military interventions, including by private military companies (PMCs), have also sought to take control of production areas to deprive rebel forces or rogue governments of crucial revenues. A significant number of peace agreements also included specific references to the allocation and sharing of revenues. Overall, resource-oriented initiatives have been geared at ending some two dozen armed conflicts since 1989.4Failing to account for the manner by which resources are exploited and revenues located has left countless people at best economically marginalized. At worst it has contributed to making them the victims of repressive regimes or protracted conflicts, as is so tragically demonstrated in Nigeria or the Democratic Republic of Congo.5 Resource management can provide multiple opportunities to improve human security in producing countries-notably by keeping revenues out of the hands of peace spoilers and generating broad benefits for local populations. Despite broad support for reforming management in the interest of peace and security, many of these initiatives have also received pointed criticisms.6 Economic sanctions and military operations imposed on Iraq, for example, were rightly denounced as harmful to the Iraqi population. Yet, rather than justifying complaisance and inaction, these criticisms call for initiatives that set as a priority the individual and collective security of populations in producing countries.This article reviews some of the main challenges to management in relation to armed conflicts, focusing on the issue of revenue transparency and accountability.7 The following sections examine management priorities and challenges in contexts of conflict prevention, conflict termination, and postconflict recovery. Although transitions between war and peace are most frequently blurred and multifaceted, these three particular contexts provide a basic framework to examine the main initiatives and their relevance for countries recently affected by armed conflicts.MANAGING RESOURCE REVENUES TO PREVENT CONFLICTSConflict prevention through revenue management mostly falls under the general agendas of good governance and sound fiscal and macroeconomic policies. A central priority is to combine fairness in revenue distribution with greater transparency and accountability. This requires strong institutions reflecting the interests of local populations. Unfortunately, the negative effects of revenue windfalls on institutions are well documented. They include corruption, authoritarianism, and policy capture by vested interests.8 Arguably, addressing these likely effects requires enforceable international standards and effective domestic democracy. Both, however, face numerous challenges.At the international level, a first challenge results from sovereignty claims and a lack of financial leverage: resource-rich states need not bow to the demands of donor countries and international agencies. …

Comparing the Efficacy of Policy-Capturing Weights and Direct Estimates for Predicting Job Choice

When studying applicants' job attribute preferences, researchers have used either direct estimates (DE) of importance or regression-derived statistical weights from policy-capturing (PC) studies. Although each methodology has been criticized, no research has examined the efficacy of weights derived from either method for predicting choices among job offers. In this study, participants were assigned to either a DE or PC condition, and weights for 14 attribute preferences were derived. Three weeks later, the participants made choices among hypothetical job offers. As predicted, PC weights outperformed DE weights when a noncompensatory strategy was assumed, and DE weights outperformed PC weights when a compensatory strategy was assumed. Implications for researchers' choice of methodology when studying attribute preferences are discussed.

Commercialising a national airline—the Aer Lingus case study

National airlines dominated international aviation in Europe for almost 70 years. They also dominated policy and achieved identification of the national airline interest with the national interest in the era of protectionism. The success of Aer Lingus in achieving regulatory capture of policy making in Irish aviation from 1936 to 1986 is examined. In the present era of competition and privatisation this article examines the commercialisation of Aer Lingus, its relative decline in competition with Ryanair after deregulation in 1986, its reinvention as a low-cost carrier in 2001 and its likely privatisation at a time when most countries are discarding the national airline model.

The Modern Impact of Precolonial Centralization in Africa

We assess, theoretically and empirically, the view that precolonial political institutions shaped the performance of colonial and postcolonial African governments. Using anthropological data, we find a strong positive association between the provision of public goods such as education, health and infrastructure in African countries and the centralization of their ethnic groups' precolonial institutions. To empirically identify the effect of precolonial centralization, we build and test a model where centralization boosts public goods by making local elites more accountable. Our results are consistent with the view that precolonial centralization shaped the success of modernization policies in Africa by reducing policy capture by local elites. The paper documents the importance of precolonial institutions and stresses the desirability of centralization when local capture undermines socioeconomic reforms.

Determining Component Weights in a Communications Assessment Using Judgmental Policy Capturing

:Objectives: Tools are needed for determining appropriate weights for complex performance assessment components in medical education. The feasibility of using judgmental policy capturing (JPC), a procedure to statistically describe the information processing strategies of experts, for this purpose was investigated.Methods: Iterative JPC was used to determine appropriate weighting for the six core communication skill scores from a communications objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) for medical students using a panel of four communication skill experts.Results: The mean regression weights from the panel indicated they placed less importance on information management (8.5%), moderate and nearly equal importance on rapport building (15.8%), agenda setting (15.4%), and addressing feelings (14.1%), and greater importance on active listening (20.1%) and reaching common ground with the patient (25.5%).Discussion: JPC is an effective procedure for determining appropriate weights for complex clinical assessment components. The derived weights may be very different for those assessment components.

What do Students Want in Advising? A Policy Capturing Study

A policy capturing approach was used to examine the advising variables that contribute to student satisfaction. Students (N = 468) rated 48 scenarios in which advising approach, relationship, advisor gender, emotional nature of the relationship, and type of advisor were manipulated. Results show that being known to the advisor, having a professional advisor, and receiving warmth and support from the advisor were important factors to advisee satisfaction. Ratings differed by student gender, advising experience, and age. Relational variables can exist across multiple advising approaches, and satisfaction likely depends more on the advisor's interpersonal skills and style than advising approach.