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.     

Start-ups and employment dynamics within and across sectors

We use a decade of longitudinal data on start-ups and employment in Swedish regions to analyze the effect of start-ups on subsequent employment growth. We extend previous analyses by decomposing the effect of start-ups on total employment change into within- and cross-sector effects. We find that start-ups in a sector influence employment change in the same as well as in other sectors. The results illustrate that the known S-shaped pattern can be attributed to the different effects of start-ups in a sector on employment change in the same sector and in others. Start-ups in a sector have a positive impact on employment change in the same sector. The effects on employment change in other sectors may be negative or positive, and depend on the sector under consideration. In particular, start-ups in high-end services deviate from manufacturing and low-end services in that they have significant negative impacts on employment change in other sectors. The findings are consistent with the idea that start-ups are a vehicle for change in the composition of regional industry.     

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。     

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。     

新升本高校图书馆评估后的文献采购策略

文章论述了新升本高校图书馆本科教学工作水平评估前的文献资源现状及在"迎评"过程中文献资源建设的主要情况,针对这些情况提出了在"迎评"后应采取的采购策略,尤其是在文献采购经费大幅度下降的情况下,如何用好这些经费的策略。     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Economic Roots of Political Conflict: The Case of Sri Lanka

The escalation of political conflicts in many developing countries and their impact on economic development have been topical issues in recent development literature. The overwhelming emphasis on ‘ethnic conflicts’ in the literature has, however, precluded analysts from looking at political conflicts beyond their ethnic dimension, in the wider context of the development process. In particular, because of the preoccupation with ethnic roots as the prime source of these conflicts, reverse causation, running from economic policy to political conflict, has been virtually ignored in the debate. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap through an in‐depth case study of the ‘twin political conflict’ in Sri Lanka – the Tamil separatist war in the North and the Sinhala youth uprising in the South – with emphasis on its economic roots. The findings suggest that fundamental contradictions in the national development policy in the restrictive trade regime of Sri Lanka were at the heart of the country's twin political conflict.     

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.     

The intrapreneur role of the development directors in an international hotel group

This article fills a gap in the research undertaken into the role of intrapreneurs in the international expansion process of an organisation. The intrapreneurial role of development directors (DDs) in implementing franchising decisions in an international hotel group was investigated. In-depth interviews, observations and document analysis were used as the data collection techniques. Findings suggest that human factors play an important role in the expansion process and, in a culturally diverse context, franchising is very much the concern of the development directors who provide the attributes of intrapreneurs, both in the organisation and externally in the market.     

Organizational Isomorphism and Corruption in Financial Institutions: Empirical Research in Emerging Countries

The globalizations of capital markets in the last 20 years has led to a historic degree of financial integration in the world. It is clear, however, that globalization is not conducive to a complete homogeneity of financial markets and institutions. Among others, one element of diversity is the importance of the impact of corruption in emerging countries. Corruption decreases the credibility of financial institutions and markets. Scandals and unethical behavior in financial institutions erode confidence in such firms. Relying on neoinstitutional literature, this article focuses on the link between corruption and organizational isomorphism in financial institutions in emerging countries. Therefore, our aim is to examine the institutional reasons for corruption in financial institutions in emerging countries. Our structural equation model is based on empirical research in financial institutions in emerging countries. A questionnaire was administrated to 70 top executives of financial institutions in 18 different emerging countries.     

Perceived organizational justice, trust, and OCB: A study of Chinese workers in joint ventures and state-owned enterprises

We examine the relationships among perceived organizational justice, trust, and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) of workers in joint ventures (JVs) and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China. We hypothesize different dimensions of organizational justice are related to trust in organization and trust in supervisor, which will in turn affect workers’ OCB. Some of these relationships are hypothesized to be different in SOEs and JVs owing to the differences in management practices and employment relationships between them. Our hypotheses are tested on data collected from 295 supervisor–subordinate dyads in a JV and 253 such dyads in an SOE. The analyses reveal that (1) the positive effect of distributive justice on trust in organization is stronger in JVs than in SOEs, (2) the positive effect of procedure justice on trust on organization is stronger in SOEs than in JVs, (3) the effect of interaction justice on trust in supervisor is similar for both types of organization; (4) trust in organization affects OCB in both SOEs and JVs, and (5) trust in supervisor affects OCB in JVs only.     

公众意愿是国家审计体制变迁的重要推动力

本文以制度变迁中的博弈理论为基础,对印度国家审计体制的演变过程进行了分析,确定了相应的假设,指出了渐进式体制变迁的主要特征,建立了有限理性下的体制变迁模型,分析了交叉换位与制度变迁的协调性,阐述了战略分布、变迁成本与博弈均衡,总结了国家审计体制变迁的规律和启示,认为公众行为(需求)在成功的渐进式变迁中发挥着不可替代的推动作用,在制度变迁方案设计中,公众可以直接或间接影响博弈参与者战略选择的三个主要变量,即改革的预期制度收益、传统体制下的既得利益和实际的制度变迁成本,在一定时期、一定程度上发挥制度变迁的引导作用。     

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。     

Differing patterns of industrial dynamics: New Zealand,Ohio, and Sweden, 1978–1994

New Zealand, Ohio, and Sweden have experienced sharply divergent macroeconomic developments since the early 1970s. During the 1980s, New Zealand went from being the most heavily regulated and protectionist OECD country to one of the least regulated and most open economies in the world. Ohio suffered severe economic downturns when its major industries (steel, automobiles, and machinery) went through devastating crises. Since then, a major restructuring has taken place, and manufacturing output, exports, and employment have generally grown faster than in the United States as a whole. Sweden had an outstanding industrial growth record for several decades until the mid-1970s but then suffered economic setbacks from which it has not yet fully recovered. Industrial output declined for several years, resumed growth in the early 1980s but then stagnated again in the early 1990s.The object of this paper is to study the microeconomic responses to these differences in the macroeconomic environment. While manufacturing employment declined by more than 20 percent in each country, the number of establishments in manufacturing stayed constant in Sweden while it declined by 9 percent in Ohio and more than doubled in New Zealand.While there are certainly structural differences in the composition of the manufacturing sector in the three economies, these differences explain only a small portion of the differences in development patterns. Only a handful of 3-digit ISIC industries grew in terms of employment in each country between 1978 and 1993, but the growth industries were not the same across countries, and there were substantial differences in the growth patterns within these industries.     

现代中国海关货物贸易统计主流地位的回顾与展望——海关系统外两代统计学人的视角

在当今中国,举凡对货物贸易统计做研究,势必想到海关统计,或者说海关统计就是货物贸易统计的代名词。然而这种对应关系在几十年前并非自然存在,几乎在整个20世纪后半叶,曾有对外贸易业务统计与海关统计平行存在的情形。本文从对外经济贸易大学两代统计学人的视角,回顾了现代中国海关货物贸易统计主流地位演进历程,剖析了中美货物贸易统计差异的原因,澄清了贸易增加值核算的相关表述,并对数字经济背景下海关统计工作的创新进行展望。     

Service offshoring

The discussion on the international relocation of jobs in the services sector is not as advanced in Europe as in the USA, where a broad consensus has emerged in recent years that offshoring has very modest effects on the US labour market. One of the key challenges in the European discussion remains the determination of the magnitude and the patterns of offshoring, as the necessary data are often unavailable at the European level. The following article offers a tentative comparison of the effects of offshoring in Europe with those in the USA.     

Gender stereotypes in advertising: a review of current research

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the historical context of gender stereotypes in advertising and then examine the scholarship related to gender stereotypes. Gender portrayals in advertising have been examined extensively in the last five decades and still remain an important topic. Changing role structure in the family and in the labor force has brought significant variation in both male and female roles and subsequently how it is reflected in advertising. It has been noted that there is a culture lag. Sexes for a long period of time were depicted in advertising in more traditional roles. Women were presented in an inferior manner relative to their potential and capabilities, while at the same the data indicated a shift towards more positive role portrayals. The changing role of men is the area that has seen the greatest interest in the past few years. Men are depicted in advertising in ‘softer’ roles, while interacting with their children. Men are also shown in more egalitarian roles. The paper finally attempts to outline the future research direction of gender portrayals in advertising. First, research should focus on examining gender portrayals in online platforms, and find ways to modify current coding schemes to digital formats. Second, companies and the media are beginning to pay attention to a once largely ignored segment the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) consumer. Third, recent advertising has focused on the ‘empowered’ women called femvertising.