The next step—Space stations

The establishment of permanently manned orbital space stations has emerged as the next major goal in man's exploitation of space. This paper reviews the present status of space station programmes, and examines what forms the utilization of a research and manufacturing facility in earth orbit could take. Uncertainty over the expected returns from space stations now being developed for the 1990s, has raised the question of how the enormous investments involved can be justified. The commitment of large financial resources towards this single goal may have important policy implications for other areas of space development, as well as for issues of international cooperation and commercialization.     

Do welfare‐to‐work programmes work for long?

Evidence that welfare‐to‐work programmes in the USA succeed in boosting welfare recipients' earnings at modest cost has helped shape policy in Britain since 1997. So too has the belief that programmes that prioritise moving people into work quickly are more effective than ones that seek to enhance human capital. However, there is little evidence on how long the beneficial effects of programmes persist after individuals leave them. The analysis reported draws on the experience of 64 US welfare‐to‐work programmes that have all been evaluated using random assignment. It concludes that, on average, these programmes have a positive effect on participants' earnings for five to six years. The effects of ‘work first’ interventions are most marked early on and decline more rapidly than those of programmes emphasising human capital. Nevertheless, work first interventions typically increase earnings received over six years by more than two‐and‐a‐half times that achieved by human capital approaches.     

Towards technological expansion in the solar system?

The prospect of expanding our technological system into space raises two main questions—why and how. This article dicusses these questions and the strategies necessary if space programmes are to achieve such a goal.     

Discovering the ‘international’ in accounting and finance

As higher education in accounting and finance moves increasingly in the direction of internationalisation of degree programmes and student populations, this paper reflects on the ways in which contemporary research contributes to the academic community's understanding of the rich potential of evidence available on international convergence and diversity.Reviews of research published in recent years have pointed to strong parochiality in the research questions and data choices of many researchers. This paper looks for a meta-structure of cross-sectional international comparisons across a range of papers at one point in time. Research papers of 2005 are selected from eight journals giving a broad coverage of subject matter.A cultural framework is proposed as a basis for an ethnographic view of the data and findings of empirical research papers. Cultural diversity is found as an explicit discussion in some papers but others are silent or even apologetic for cultural differences.Country-specific studies reveal the potential for comparative studies on a wider geographical basis but the achievement of such an aim will require the academic research community (editors, reviewers and authors) to show flexibility in dealing with smaller data sets and greater uncertainty about the nature of accounting information. Most importantly this review shows the considerable wealth of interest waiting for those who take time to peruse academic journals.     

Human resources in developing countries

A key futures issue is the ability of developing countries to meet the increasing demand for qualified people with the skills necessary to use the emerging and increasingly sophisticated new technologies. Following a review of IT in higher education, data are presented on human resources in the developing countries, and the role of international programmes in reinforcing such resources is examined.     

Facing the Age Wave and Economic Policy: Fixing Public Pension Systems with Healthcare in the Wings*

There are two overriding problems faced by ageing societies. One is the financing of public pension (social security in US terms) programmes. The other is paying for healthcare. This paper considers the healthcare issue briefly, emphasising that the issue arises primarily because of advances in medical technology. Better medical technology will improve healthcare in the future, but more advanced technologies also cost more. The focus of the rest of the paper is on the public pension problem. The emphasis is on the early retirement incentives inherent in the provisions of most public pension programmes around the world, the reduction in the labour force participation of older people caused by these incentives, and the large fiscal implication of the inducement of older people to leave the labour force. These results are based on the Gruber–Wise ongoing international social security comparison project.     

THE EMERGENCE OF AN OFFSHORE ECONOMY

There has been growing interest over the past few years in the changing political structure of the world. Predictions range from the withering away of the state to the advent of a global state. This article proposes an alternative scenario: that the state system is not disappearing, but is in the process of creating secondary, relatively unregulated juridical spaces in which economic activities can develop more or less without hindrance. This secondary space, known as `offshore', already dominates international finance and shipping, and plays a significant role in international trade and telecommunications. Offshore is a barrier to the extension of those social provisions that were traditionally provided by states. This paper offers an insight into the ways by which increasing integration of the global market is supported and facilitated by the state system.     

National television policy: Monitoring structural complexity

International flows of television programmes are a multimillion-dollar industry about which little is known. In the absence of reliable and well-defined data, policy making in this area becomes virtually impossible at either the national or international levels. An algebraic topological language and approach makes it possible to define structures of television programming at various levels of generality useful for both scientific and policy-making purposes. The interrogation of such hierarchical structures, which may incorporate culturally relative but ideologically pertinent values, constitutes monitoring a complex and dynamic system to make well-informed decisions about future directions. With the aid of modern computers, data-management systems, and analytical software it is possible to see international television flows in any degree of detail required.     

Would emerging market pension funds benefit from international diversification: investigating wealth accumulations for pension participants

In recent years, investment portfolio selection is growing in importance for many emerging market pension funds, as pension reforms replace traditional pay-as-you-go systems with advanced funding systems. Various investment regulations are applied to the funded pensions, particularly in the form of portfolio limits for equities and international assets. With a bootstrap simulation approach, this paper attempts to quantify the impacts on retirement benefits of restricting international assets from the investment portfolios of emerging market pension funds. We find that, on average, over half of the pension portfolios of emerging market countries should be in international assets in order to maximize the expected utility of moderate and conservative pension fund participants. More generally, international assets can play a significant role in the investment portfolios for workers with risk aversion varying from aggressive to conservative. With few exceptions, the entire probability distribution of wealth accumulations at retirement could be shifted higher with the inclusion of international assets.     

The challenges facing energy and climate change policy in South Africa

Conclusion In the context of a political situation characterised by a large number of demands from different spheres, it must be doubted whether the South African government will commit its limited financial and institutional resources to develop and implement programmes to raise energy efficiency and reduce emissions of green-house gases to the extent required. For this reason it is important in the political debate to underline the point that energy-saving measures not only help avoid climate change, but also hold out the prospect of economic advantages. Higher energy efficiency is often associated with higher productivity due to the link between the deployment of modern technology and energy-cost savings. The DME has calculated that nation-wide energy savings of between 10 and 20% could lead to a 1.5 to 3% higher level of GDP. Energy efficiency and climate protection have been adopted, at least as a principle, in a number of statutes and regulations, but the concretisation and implementation of support programmes and minimum standards are being hampered by the lack of political and administrative capacities. Yet delays in implementing such measures are likely to raise the costs of climate-protection measures in the future. For instance, it is more costly to put in insulation and ceilings after a house has been built than to incorporate the requirements of heat insulation into housing construction programmes. If expensive negative developments in the future are to be avoided, among other things the scope for international cooperation in this areas should be exploited.     

Performance persistence of international mutual funds

This study applies the “winner–winner, winner–loser” methodology developed by Brown and Goetzmann, Goetzmann and Ibbotson, and Malkiel to test for short-term performance persistence in international equity mutual funds over the 20-year period from 1977 to 1996. Persistence tests are applied to a database consisting of all international equity funds in existence during this period, varying from a low of 11 (1977) to a high of 473 (1996) funds, reflecting the extremely rapid growth of this asset class over the last 20 years. The authors are not aware of any other persistence studies of international equity funds. The results show statistically significant performance persistence for 1-year holding periods, but no persistence for 2-, 3- or 4-year periods. For 1-year periods, overall, performance persistence is statistically significant at the .001 level. This leads to the conclusion that international equity mutual funds exhibit strong performance persistence for short-term (1-year holding periods), but persistence generally fades after the first year. These results are generally consistent with results found by other researchers using this methodology. Survivorship bias is a concern in virtually all time series studies of mutual fund returns. This bias is minimal in this study because each new fund is added to the database, merging funds continue to be included and adjustments are made for funds that cease operations. The only bias is that if any fund closed and did not merge with an existing fund, that fund would not have returns to be included for the future periods. Only 28 funds ceased operations over the 20-year period during which 490 new funds were introduced.     

Restructuring economic and financial power : The potential role of a foreign exchange-transaction levy

National fiscal and monetary policies are dominated by financial markets, and the obsession of these markets with inflation is forcing governments to neglect other crucial economic and social goals such as growth of employment and reduction of poverty. Exchange rate volatility also adds to business costs and risk. Introduction of a small international levy on foreign exchange transactions would reduce short-term speculation and so the power of the markets to influence interest rates and to destabilize exchange rates. Revenue from the levy would be of benefit to both national governments and the UN for disaster relief, development and strengthened security programmes. Support for the levy is growing.     

Accountability and the debt crisis

The international debt crisis is viewed here as only a symptom—its underlying causes have resulted from a crisis in management among the major actors in the development process, namely commercial banks, recipient countries and development assistance agencies. The cumulative effect has been a lack of accountability that puts the development objectives themselves into jeopardy. This article proposes that all actors should write off their debt for failed projects, that the development assistance system be redesigned, and that a strategy be developed to help countries design and manage development programmes appropriate to their unique circumstances.     

ISO system implementation in small and medium companies from new EU member countries: A tool of managerial and marketing benefits development

The article analyses processes of ISO quality system implementation in small and medium size companies in the new EU member countries. Being a managerial standard by its definition, ISO is important for companies not only in improving their management system an upgrading/sustaining quality of the output. As an internationally recognised and certificated system, ISO plays a significant role in developing international partnerships and developing overall competitiveness of enterprises. This is especially important for SMEs from new EU member-states, since they are relatively unknown to their international counterparts. Having a certified ISO system, such enterprises can speed-up development of partnerships and joining of international supply chains. This strongly influences motivations of ISO system implementation.On the basis of data that covers 8 years period in three countries, author argues that motivations to implement ISO system significantly differ from the benefits that are experienced after its implementation. Marketing and sales arguments play role of the main motivators before ISO system implementation, while managerial benefits are mainly stated as the most important after the system is implemented. The change of opinions is generated by the SME managers’ personal experience, which fills the gap between expectations and realities.     

A comparison of the dominant meta programme patterns in accounting undergraduate students and accounting lecturers at a UK business school

Meta programmes are a means of describing the behavioural traits that a person exhibits when interacting with other people. An understanding of meta programmes can improve communication between individuals and this may have implications for teaching. The purposes of this study are first to identify the dominant meta programme patterns of first year accounting undergraduates at a UK business school. An earlier pilot study validated use of the Motivation Profile Questionnaire (MPQ) to elicit the dominant meta programmes of accounting lecturers at the same Business School (Brown, 2002). Secondly, the students' meta programmes are compared with those of their accounting teachers to identify whether there are any differences or similarities between the two groups. The matching of the meta programmes of the teachers and students would enhance communication whilst major differences in meta programmes would make communication more difficult. A sample of 62 first year accounting undergraduates and 20 accountancy teachers completed the MPQ. The results indicate that, on average, the accounting students have similar dominant meta programme patterns to their accounting teachers. The implications of the findings for improving communication and therefore teaching are discussed, along with the scope for further research.     

宏观审慎政策的国际协调问题研究--基于我国的DSGE模拟分析

本文在两国模型的DSGE框架下引入宏观审慎政策监管机制,把金融摩擦、国际资本流动和宏观审慎政策纳入同一个一般均衡分析框架。通过国际贸易和国际资本流动机制,考察宏观审慎政策的国际影响机制。基于我国的模拟分析结果表明,第一,对于我国来说,宏观审慎政策的国际合作不仅能够有效地应对国内经济冲击,也有助于抵御外部经济冲击。第二,我国推动构建国际宏观审慎政策长效合作机制,有助于积极应对国际资本流动,促进我国资本市场进一步开放。第三,我国宏观审慎政策存在国际溢出效应,但是对其他国家的影响并不明显。     

Valuation effects of domestic and international seasoned equity offerings by Canadian cross-listed firms

This paper finds significant differences in the price impacts around the announcement date for domestic and international seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) by Canadian issuers cross-listed on US trade venues. Important determinants that differ by US cross-listing trade venue are identified for the price impacts associated with domestic and international SEOs. The significant determinants are variables that proxy for positive private and public firm information for the domestic SEOs of issuers cross-listed on NASDAQ, and are mainly variables that proxy for negative private information for the domestic SEOs of issuers cross-listed on the NYSE/AMEX. Good and bad news affect domestic and international SEOs favorably and unfavorably, respectively. The only common determinant for the domestic and international SEOs and for domestic SEOs for both groupings of US listing venues is whether or not the issue is primary.     

Professional Skills and Capabilities of Accounting Graduates: The New Zealand Expectation Gap?

Much has been written about teaching and learning deficiencies in accounting education. Universities have grappled with the challenge and developed a number of strategies to address the concerns raised. Many of the recommended strategies for addressing these deficiencies have included a focus on the development of professional capabilities and skills. This paper reports on a study which has identified the capabilities which are considered to be the most important for successful practice in accountancy during the first years after graduation and identified the extent to which New Zealand universities have focused on these in the delivery of their study programmes. Most attempts to measure the nature and extent of change to accountancy degree programmes have collected data from current or graduating students or from the university itself. This study instead collected feedback from accountancy graduates employed in public practice with three to five years post graduation professional experience and from their workplace supervisors. This paper reports on the results of the graduate feedback, provides a useful insight into where progress has been made and identifies where further improvement is necessary.     

Does recent empirical evidence support the existence of international corporate tax competition?

Recent reductions in institutional barriers to international investment have meant that the existence of international corporate tax differentials is now one of the most significant remaining causes of distortion to the optimum global allocation of resources, and hence to international trade. In the debate as to how to reduce such distortion, two main schools of thought have emerged. The first believes that this result can be achieved primarily through the international co-ordination of corporate taxes. To date, efforts in this direction have not made significant progress. The second contends that market forces, through tax competition, will spontaneously reduce international corporate tax differentials. In this article, an analysis of recent trends in corporate tax rates supports this second contention: statutory and effective corporate tax rates are continuing to decline and converge. However, recent tax revenue data give little support for the existence of tax competition; the expected shift in the tax burden from corporate profits onto less mobile factors such as labor has largely failed to materialize. Several explanations for these contrasting findings are outlined and analyzed.     

美国企业储蓄率变迁的内外因素分析——基于1991-2016年的数据

美国企业储蓄率在1991-2016年间稳中有升,其直接原因是与美国企业未分配利润的持续增加有关,深层次原因则是近年来美国企业利润的不断上升;进一步分析发现,美国企业利润的上升与其海外利润和金融业利润的增加密不可分,而这一切既受到美国国内因素的影响,又受到国际因素的影响。从国内因素来看,管制的放松、大型跨国集团尤其是金融集团的构建,以及对冲基金的国际金融投机,为美国企业海外利润和金融业利润的扩张奠定了丰厚的基础。从国际因素来看,美国在思想领域掌握经济话语权,引领和鼓动别国主动开放金融市场,以及对于符合美国经济思想的海外代理人的培养,使开放资本市场变成发展中国家的一种自觉行动。此外,通过操控国际经济机构逼迫别国开放市场,为美国企业的海外拓展大开方便之门。