nep-sog New Economics Papers
on Sociology of Economics
Issue of 2007‒10‒06
five papers chosen by
Jonas Holmström
Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration

  1. Academic Rankings with RePEc By Christian Zimmermann
  2. History of Economics or a Selected History of Economics? By Palma, Nuno
  3. Leaning an University Department: a life experiment By Carvalho, Pedro G.; Miragaia, Dina
  4. Market masculinities and electronic trading By Matthias Klaes; Geoff Lightfoot; Simon Lilley
  5. Accounting: A General Commentary on an Empirical Science By Salvary, Stanley C. W.

  1. By: Christian Zimmermann (University of Connecticut)
    Abstract: This documents describes the data collection and use for the computation of rankings within RePEc (Research Papers in Economics). This encompasses the determination of impact factors for journals and working paper series, as well as the ranking of authors, institutions and geographic regions. The various ranking methods are also compared, using a snapshot of the data.
    Keywords: RePEc, rankings, impact factors, working papers, h-index, citations.
    JEL: A14 A10 A11 A13 Z00
    Date: 2007–09
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:uct:uconnp:2007-36&r=sog
  2. By: Palma, Nuno
    Abstract: While research on the history of economics can be important to modern economics, the work of historians of economics is more often than reasonable associated with either non-contemporary or heterodox issues. I provide quantitative evidence of this, by analyzing the publications in the three main history of economics journals over the last fourteen years (1993-2006). This trend must change if the work of historians of economics is to be taken seriously by mainstream economists.
    Keywords: History of Economics
    JEL: B4 B0
    Date: 2007–09–10
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:5111&r=sog
  3. By: Carvalho, Pedro G.; Miragaia, Dina
    Abstract: The European Quality Assurance methodology is pushing hard Portuguese Universities so that they should improve their overall performance. Working at a Portuguese University more than a decade ago, one of the authors experienced several life cycles in different Departments and the experience acquired in foreign Universities (USA) teached him a couple of simple things in order to positively participate in this kind of processes. However, he found it quite difficult to apply his knowledge without other’s contribution, due to several endogenous and exogenous reasons, including age and generation viewpoints. Together with the second author we started to apply some theoretical new insights we were discussing together during her PhD research. The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiment we are in now, following a social network methodology used in my Economics PhD together with three theoretical influences we think are inter twinkled like the lean thinking, the value focus thinking and the complication in innovation diffusion processes. After a brief literature review we describe the basic pillars we used to achieve the main goal of improving performance in a young university department. Using some coaching and economic tools and knowledge, we were able to gather a group of different people – students, staff and teachers - deeply involved in our proposal methodology. Preliminary results are briefly identified, as much as further research challenges.
    Keywords: Lean thinking; quality improvement; social networks analysis; decision making; Portuguese Universities
    JEL: O22 H83 L23 H52
    Date: 2007–03–05
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:2616&r=sog
  4. By: Matthias Klaes (Centre for Economic Research, Keele University, England); Geoff Lightfoot (Centre for Philosophy and Political Economy, University of Leicester, England); Simon Lilley (Centre for Philosophy and Political Economy, University of Leicester, England)
    Abstract: The transition from exchange mediated by the technology of open outcry to that mediated more entirely by screen might be expected to alter the pronounced gendering of trading. Focusing on narrative repertoires of alternative trading regimes we examine how traders make sense of their activities at the same time as practically orienting them and argue that compared to the widely acknowledged masculinity of open outcry trading, screen based trading provides no less of an arena for expression of compulsory masculinity. Methodologically, we call for greater attention to ethnographically grounded analyses of the gendered repertoires of exchange.
    Keywords: behavioral-finance, feminist-economics, gender, narrative
    JEL: B52 B54 G10 Z13
    Date: 2007–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sti:wpaper:014/2007&r=sog
  5. By: Salvary, Stanley C. W.
    Abstract: Many researchers have questioned the view of accounting as a science. Some maintain that it is a service activity rather than a science, yet others entertain the view that it is an art or merely a technology. While it is true that accounting provides a service and is a technology (a methodology for recording and reporting), that fact does not prevent accounting from being a science. Based upon the structure and knowledge base of the discipline, this paper presents the case for accounting as an empirical science.
    Keywords: national accounting and organizational accounting; risk-sharing arrangements; management of time and other resources; monetization of the economy; command over goods and services; extrinsic value and intrinsic value; commodity money and paper/nominal money; money in relation to credit; the firm and long range planning; market value versus committed finance; explanation and prediction; expectations and uncertainty.
    JEL: M4 M41
    Date: 2007–06–28
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:5005&r=sog

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