Product-harm crises are among a firm’s worst nightmares. Since marketing investments may be instrumental to convince consumers to purchase the firm's products again, it is important to provide an adequate measurement of the effectiveness of these investments, especially after the crisis. We...

Many studies delete incomplete data prior to model estimation, resulting in less efficient and potentially biased parameter estimates. Multiple imputation provides a model-based method of simultaneously estimating missing values for several variables, conditioned on the observed values. The...

Economists are giving more attention to the issue of subjective well-being. A recent study of households in West Virginia treats subjective well-being in a quality of life context (Bukenya 2003) in rural areas. Wolfers (2003) examines business cycle volatility and subjective well-being, while...

This report on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Data Module for Indonesia highlights that the Indonesian statistical system is undergoing fundamental transition. The statistical agencies are dealing with important challenges. They are at various stages of adopting and implementing...

This Report of the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) Data Module provides an assessment of Tajikistan’s macroeconomic statistics against the recommendations of the General Data Dissemination System (GDDS), complemented by an assessment of data quality based on the IMF’s Data...

This paper analyzes interference and timeliness in the revenue-forecasting process, using new data on revenue-forecasting practices in low-income countries. Interference is defined as the occurrence of a significant deviation from purely technical forecasts. A theoretical model explains...

Data published in IMF country staff reports and International Financial Statistics (IFS) may differ for identical variables and, at times, users may be unaware of the reasons for these differences and lack the information needed to permit reconciliation. Such discrepancies stem principally from...

The IMF attempts to catalyze and stabilize private capital flows to emerging markets by providing public monitoring and emergency finance. In analyzing its role we contrast cases where banks and bondholders do the lending. Banks have a natural advantage in monitoring and creditor coordination,...