Institutions,Entrepreneurship, and Growth: Biomedicine and Polymers in Sweden and Ohio

This paper examines the role of institutions in explaining the differences in performance with respect to entrepreneurship and growth in two industry clusters in two countries: the biomedical/biotechnology and polymer-based industry clusters in Sweden and Ohio. Both clusters are about twice as large in Ohio as in Sweden, even though the industrial history and the composition of industrial output in general are quite similar in the two regions, and even though the Ohio economy is only about 25% larger than that of Sweden.Four types of institutional factors are examined: The science base and mechanisms of technology transfer; the density of networks and the role of business support services and companies in related industries; the entrepreneurial climate, especially the availability of finance; and the policy environment and other infrastructure.Major findings are that the science base plays a different role in the two clusters and that the regions differ in the absorption of new technology, partly due to the differences in the size and structure of firms, that bridging institutions have contributed significantly to connectivity of networks in Ohio, and that the greater availability of venture capital and entrepreneurial management skills makes the Ohio environment for entrepreneurship more supportive than that in Sweden.     

Human capital formation under neo-liberalism: the legacy of vocational education training in Australasia and implications for the Asia-Pacific region

Abstract

This appraisal considers the role and impact of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia and New Zealand, and suggests directions such policy might take in other Asia-Pacific countries. It identifies key issues and constraints in making VET more responsive to emerging labour market needs in the region as an important factor in sustaining high economic growth. It focuses on the way in which the demands of the government, industry, trainees, and, in particular, shifts in political ideology that have influenced the education and training sectors in both countries. It addresses points of specific relevance for the delivery of VET in the broader Asia-Pacific context and concludes with a consideration of lessons and experiences of Australia and New Zealand with VET that may hold for other countries in the region in formulating priorities and implementing strategies in meeting their current and emerging needs for skills development.     

Food retailing strategies in the European Union. A comparative analysis in the UK and Spain

In this paper we analyse differences and similarities in the strategies adopted by the main food retailers operating in the UK and in Spain through the first half of the 1990s. We find seven main profiles of strategic behaviour in each market, including three which have been adopted in similar fashion in both countries (hypermarkets operating on a national scale, small local supermarkets and large supermarkets). We explore possible causes of the similarities and differences in strategic behaviour, and conclude that economic, demographic and cultural factors offer only a very limited explanation. The differences appear rooted in differences in the historical development of the retail industry in both countries, and in specific strategic choices linked to, but not necessary consequences of, those historical differences.     

Capital buffer and credit‐risk adjustments in Islamic and conventional banks

The main purpose of this article is to empirically investigate the interactions between changes in capital buffer and changes in credit risk, using panel data of Islamic and conventional banks located in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region over the period 1999–2016. A negative two‐way relationship between the changes in capital buffer and the changes in credit risk is found for the two types of banks, that is, banks tend to decrease their capital buffers in response to an increase in risk exposure and limit their risky activities in response to an increase in their capital buffers. Dividing our period of study into three subperiods to assess the effect of the last financial crisis 2007–08 on the adjustment process, we point out the negative bidirectional relationship between the changes in capital buffer and the changes in credit risk of the two types of banks is present for the three subperiods except the case of conventional banks during the precrisis period. Moreover, we provide evidence that Islamic banks adjust their capital buffer in response to the changes in credit risk regardless of the existence or not of a deposit insurance scheme. In contrast, the negative two‐way relationship between the changes in capital buffer and the changes in credit risk in conventional banks is found only in countries without deposit insurance schemes.     

保函独立性的司法认定困局及思路修正

我国“独立保函司法解释”适应了法律规则和法学理论发展的国际性、时代性需求，但从其出台至今的周期性司法实践看来，司法机关对保函的独立性认定问题，仍存在一定的认知偏差，各地法院的判决标准分歧明显。独立担保制度产生于欧美发达国家，早期独立担保项下规则适用的基本向度均与欧美各国在不同历史时期下的商事发展需求相关。在资本主义目的因子的驱动下，以美国为代表的英美法和以法国为代表的大陆法国家对独立保函的独立性认定标准各异。中国司法对独立保函的独立性认定思路应以“一带一路”战略需求为导向，参见域外“重实质轻形式”的历史性成果，对“单据”“基础合同”“从属性条款”等争议问题明确定位，采用宽松认定的基本态度。     

The role of small firms in Indonesia

During the last two decades small firms in developing countries have received more and more attention from researchers and policy makers. For this, several reasons have been brought forward. The decline in labour absorption in agriculture and the slow growth of employment opportunities in the other sectors of the economy, combined with the fact that the growth of the labour force has accelerated, have led to un- and under-employment problems in many of these countries.Small firms are generally viewed as a useful means of alleviating these problems, because medium and large firms only would not help to solve the problems. However, from this study it can be concluded that the medium and large firms in the manufacturing sector in Indonesia are doing better in employment and income than generally anticipated.The purpose of this study is to examine the relative pattern of change and development of small firms in the manufacturing sector in Indonesia in the last two decades and possible factors affecting their growth. Also the relative importance of small firms in terms of income generation will be assessed.The study will use national data collected from the Department of Industry and Central Bureau of Statistic in Indonesia. Further, the study will be based, for its theoretical analysis, on relevant literature on the subject and on some empirical studies in Indonesia as well as in other developing countries.     

浅谈国际服务贸易统计

随着国际服务贸易近20年来的迅猛发展,各国政府也越来越重视服务贸易的统计问题。但由于服务贸易自身所具有的不同于货物贸易的特点以及各国服务贸易发展水平和统计状况的不同,长期缺乏统一的国际服务贸易概念和统计标准,服务贸易统计远远落后于服务贸易的发展。本文从概括介绍国际服务贸易统计的现状入手,强调了它的重要性,在此基础上,分析了我国国际服务贸易统计的现状,并提出建立和完善我国国际服务贸易统计体系的若干建议。     

Trade liberalization and the allocation of labor between households and markets in a poor country

We consider the relationship between relative price changes and the allocation of labor between households and the formal wage labor market in the context of Vietnam's liberalization of its rice trade in the 1990s. Many individuals in poor economies work within their own household rather than in formal labor markets. We find that larger rice price increases in a community are associated with declines in hours adults devote to work within the household and increases in time spent in the wage labor market. We also observe increased specialization in household economic activities accompanying these shifts in hours towards wage work. Our results are consistent with the idea that a growth in the extent of the market shifts production and labor from households to markets during development, thereby inducing gains from specialization. Thus, the reallocation of labor between households and markets in response to a trade liberalization might be an important component in understanding the link between trade and growth in very poor economies, currently the focus of the Doha WTO negotiation round.     

Introducing management models in service organisations in developed and developing countries

The aim of this paper is to examine the application of the European Foundation for Quality Management model for self-assessment as a means to introduce changes in management in services in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Spain and in Jordan. This paper uses the case study methodology on eight administrative services in a public university in Spain and seven university services in two Jordanian universities, a public and a private institution. The findings show the steps that an administrative service may follow in order to apply the questionnaire approach successfully in a reform process, the difficulties, the benefits and the success factors in both countries and the consequences of the changes introduced. The study provides lessons for decision makers and managers from other universities in developed and developing countries, who wish to introduce the practice of quality management by creative means. This paper extends knowledge on self-assessment (steps, difficulties, benefits, success factors and changes in management) to services in HEIs.     

Trust transfer from manufacturer to private label brand: The moderating role of grocery store format

Guided by the theory of trust transfer, the present study sheds new insights on the role of trust in manufacturer brand on trust in private label brand (PLB), perceived risk and willingness to buy (WTB). The moderating role of grocery store format between trust in manufacturer brand, trust in PLB and WTB is also examined. The empirical data were collected by means of a written survey instrument from consumers. The hypotheses were analyzed with maximum-likelihood estimation. The results revealed the positive influence of perceived manufacturer brand quality on trust in manufacturer brand and trust in PLB. The positive linkage between trust in manufacturer brand and trust in PLB is also supported. The negative influence of trust in manufacturer brand and trust in PLB on perceived risk was revealed and the positive impact of trust in manufacturer brand and trust in PLB on WTB was also confirmed. The findings provide support for the negative link between perceived risk and WTB. Additionally, perceived risk partially mediates the relationships between trust in manufacturer brand, trust in PLB and WTB. Furthermore, store format moderates the impact of trust in manufacturer brand and trust in PLB on WTB. Theoretical and managerial implications are presented based of the research findings.     

心理契约视角下的高校实验教师管理

运用心理契约理论,结合高校实验教师工作的特点和高校实验教师管理中存在的不确定性问题．分析了在高校实验教师管理中运用心理契约的必要性,并提出在高校实验教师管理中构建良好心理契约的理念和策略。     

Work Values of Turkish and American University Students

The first aim of this paper was to investigate how the traditional Protestant work ethic (PWE) and more contemporary work values (i.e., masculine, feminine, and entrepreneurship values) were related to one another, and differed across genders and two cultural contexts, namely Turkey and the U.S. The second aim was to elucidate the role of religiosity in PWE among the two cultural groups. Two hundred and sixty six American and 211 Turkish university students participated in this questionnaire study. The analyses examining cross-cultural differences revealed that Turkish university students reported greater scores in the PWE and all contemporary work values as compared to their American counterparts. For the Turkish sample, there were no gender-related differences in the PWE, whereas in the U.S. sample, men reported greater PWE scores than did women. With regard to gender differences in contemporary work values, our results showed that gender groups differed in feminine and entrepreneurship values in both cultural contexts; men emphasized femininity and entrepreneurship more than women in Turkey but the reverse was true in the U.S. Correlations between contemporary work values and the PWE illustrated that the PWE is associated with entrepreneurship and masculine values in both cultural contexts and with feminine values in the Turkish context. Finally, our results regarding the role of religiosity in PWE indicated that highly religious participants reported greater PWE scores than the less religious ones regardless of culture. Findings are discussed with reference both to differences in the two socio-cultural contexts and to recent change in the social structure of Turkish society. Zahide Karakitapoğlu Aygu¨n received her Ph.D. in social psychology from Middle East Technical University Turkey. She is currently an assistant professor at Bilkent University, Faculty of Business Administration. Her research interests concern values, commitment and justice. Mahmut Arslan (BSc, MA, PhD) is an Associate Professor received his graduate degree from Hacettepe University Department of Public Finance. He completed a masters degree in Business Administration at Hacettepe University Department of Business Administration and his PhD in Business at University of Leeds (UK). He has worked as a financial analyst and a research assistant. Dr. Arslan has also worked for the several reorganization projects as analyst and coordinator. He became Assistant Professor in 2000 and Associate Professor in 2003 at Hacettepe University Department of Business Administration. He teaches management and business ethics, organizational behaviour. He is also the director of Hacettepe University Centre for Business and Professional Ethics. Dr. Col. Salih Gu¨ney is an Associate Professor graduated from Hacettepe University Department of Sociology in Ankara in 1980. He received master's degree in behavioral sciences from the University of Istanbul, Faculty of Management in 1987. He finished his doctoral studies in behavioral sciences at the same university and received his PhD in 1988. He became an associated professor in 1997. He is currently the head of the behavioral sciences branch in the Turkish Military Academy. He teaches behavioral sciences, communication theory, introduction to sociology, and public relations at the Military Academy.     

Newsom,Doug and Alan Scott. This is PR: The Realities of Public Relations. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1976

Abstract

The use of music and lyrics in commercials run in the United States is compared with their use in commercials run in the Dominican Republic (D.R.). The authors briefly review present theoretical perspectives on the role of music in advertising and address the need to conceptualize music as a culturally situated variable. They discuss the structure of Dominican TV media and examine the influence of U.S. media culture in the D.R., then develop a set of propositions about cross-cultural differences in the extensiveness of music and lyrics in commercials, the style of music used, and the product meanings conveyed in lyrics. The propositions are tested in a content analysis of commercials. The findings support the propositions and indicate a need for sociological and interpretive approaches to the study of the role of music in advertising.     

The rise of dollar credit in emerging market economies and US monetary policy

This paper examines the hypothesis that the boom in dollar credit in emerging market economies (EMEs) is associated with an excessively low interest rate in the US. For this purpose, we use a multivariate correlated unobserved component model that allows for correlation between shocks to dollar credit, cross‐border interest rate gaps—measured as the difference between emerging market interest rate and the US interest rate, and dollar index both in the short run and in the long run. In addition, it also provides us a quantitative estimate of the permanent and transitory movements in dollar credit in EMEs, interest rate gaps and dollar index. The results from this model do suggest that a temporary increase in interest rate gaps and decline in the dollar index are associated with a temporary increase in the dollar credit in EMEs with a very high degree of correlation. The estimate of the cyclical component of the dollar credit in EMEs from our model captures the recent boom and bust in this market and compares favourably to alternative trend–cycle decomposition methods.     

Organisational form and industry emergence: Nonprofit and mutual firms in the development of the US personal finance industry

Economic theories of commercial nonprofits and mutuals usually emphasise the advantages of such organisational forms in reducing agency and monitoring costs in markets that suffer from information asymmetries in exchanges between firms and their customers. This article examines the ability of such transaction cost theories to account for historical variations in the ownership and governance of firms in the US personal finance industry between the early nineteenth century and the Great Depression. It focuses, in particular, on mutual savings banks and their role in the development of the intermediated market for savings accounts. While I find some evidence in support of transaction cost theories of organisational form, I also find that entrepreneurial and socio-political factors played crucial roles in the choice of ownership and governance structures; mutual savings banks predominated in the early years of the industry because the form offered entrepreneurial advantages over investor-owned corporations and because in some states they benefitted from regulatory and political advantages that joint-stock companies lacked. Their relative decline by the early twentieth century was the result of increasing competition in the market for savings deposits, the loosening of regulatory barriers to entry, and changes in public policy that reduced the transaction, innovation and regulatory advantages that the mutual savings bank form had once held. The article draws out the theoretical implications for our understanding of the historical role of nonprofit and mutual firms.     

从智猪博奕理论看民营企业跨国并购策略

进入21世纪以来,作为国际并购市场上一支新兴的力量,中国民营企业开始尝试国际化的发展战略。但与国外达国家企业一百多年并购的历史和经验相比,中国民营企业无论在经验还是规模和实力上都有较大的差距。中国民营企业跨国并购的成功率实际上是比较低的。根据智猪博奕理论,在并购竞争中处于劣势地位的中国民营企业应在并购目标、并购区位和并购方式的选择上避强就弱,并组建并购战略联盟等策略发挥自身的优势与特点,才能在激烈的并购博奕中占有一席之地。     

Factors affecting low fruit and vegetable consumption in Scotland: a review of factors affecting fruit and vegetable consumption

The recently published ‘Scottish Diet’¹ emphasizes the importance of diet in Scotland's poor health record, and sets dietary targets for the year 2000. Fruit and vegetable intake is considerably lower in Scotland than in the rest of the U.K. This paper gives details of the low levels of fruit and vegetable consumption in Scotland in relation to the rest of the U.K., and then goes on to review the factors affecting consumption of these foods, and in particular to discuss them in terms of the Scottish situation. Finally, an agenda for research in this area is outlined, emphasizing the need for further information on the interrelationships between the different factors affecting fruit and vegetable consumption, in order to inform future strategies for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in Scotland.     

当前我国农村阶层分化背景下的思想政治工作探析

改革开放以来，农村社会阶层急剧分化，使农村思想政治工作面临严峻的挑战。农村发展的新形势迫切需要农村思想政治工作的加强和改进，以推进农村社会的现代化进程。本文着重对当前我国农村阶层分化背景下的思想政治工作进行了探析。     

Economic policy strategies in major industrial countries

The stubborn weakness of growth in the industrial countries since the mid-seventies is a manifestation of a serious crisis of stabilisation and adjustment whose roots go far beyond the oil price increases. Against this background there was a marked turn in the direction of economic policy as a result of changes of government in 1979 in the United Kingdom and in 1981 in the USA and France. The programmes to stimulate economic growth were based on the supply-side concept in the UK and the USA but on the demand concept in France. Our article assesses the measures actually taken and the policy accent in the three countries against the background of previous economic developments and the prevailing political and institutional circumstances.     

黑龙江省乡镇卫生院信息网络建设的思考

随着新农村建设的深入开展,建设黑龙江省乡镇医疗系统的信息网络,解决好广大农村人口的医疗保障问题已是迫在眉睫。加强乡镇卫生院信息网络建设,可以加强政府在乡镇卫生院建设中的作用;加强乡镇卫生院内部管理;筹建乡镇医疗信息网络。