This paper is a non-technical and somewhat philosophical essay, that seeks to investigate the relationship between economics and reality. More precisely, it asks how reality in the form of empirical evidence does or does not influence economic thinking and theory. In particular, which role do...

This article argues that the label ʻcorporate social responsibilityʼ (CSR) should be reserved for the process by which corporations voluntarily identify and correct the costs their operations impose on society. This would exclude both voluntary measures aimed at making the world a better place...

This paper deals with the risk of opportunism – the usual risk in economic exchanges. The breach of contract is probably the most common event in daily life and has therefore attracted research and debates in many disciplines of the social sciences. Our discussion deals with the current...

In this essay we respond to Jepperson and Meyer’s (2011) critique of “action theories” and methodological individualism in sociology. We highlight fundamental problems with their argument, notably their misconception of methodological individualism(s) and the belief that this explanatory...

This paper studies the phenomenon of early hiring in entry-level labor markets (e.g. the market for gastroenterology fellowships and the market for judicial clerks) in the presence of social networks. We offer a two-stage model in which workers in training institutions reveal information on...

As the economies are becoming knowledge intensive and industries are encountering hypercompetitive technology environments, and the markets undergoing large scale globalization with firms experiencing wild fluctuations in financial performance, firm governance structure and the functioning of...

Based on the bibliographical data available with the RePEc (Research Papers in Economics), the Internet Documents in Economics Access Service (IDEAS) publishes every month the up-dated academic rankings of different geographic regions (countries/states in the US). This paper raises the question...