危机时刻的社会保障支出

文章研究了社会保障支出与金融危机之间的关系,回答了两个问题:第一个问题是:在金融危机发生后,社会保障支出的发展趋势如何?第二个问题是:哪些原因可以解释这些变化?文章认为,社会保障制度往往诞生于危机之际。此外,一般地讲,社会保障支出在危机期间会增加;但是各国情况不同,发达国家显示出反周期支出的特点。文章支持这样一个观点,即危机可以被当作改善和加强社会保障的机会,而在这样的过程中,各国不仅可以缓解危机最不利的影响,而且能制定比较好的社会政策,改进长期危机的防范应对。     

美国企业工作外包新动向

<正>所谓"工作外包"(outsourcing)是指企业将本来由自己执行的业务按一定的价格交给其他公司去完成,以达到节约成本的目地。时至今日,在世界范围内,外包已不仅仅是一种业务选择,它也成为战略成功的关键因素。外包的成长势头是国际市场成熟的必然结果,是经济全球化发展的必然趋势。世界级的管理大师迈克.波(Michael Porter)认为,"在这诡谲多变的数字经济时代,企业已无法对各项事务面面俱到地照顾周全。加强     

南疆三地州地区农民增收现状分析

南疆三地州是新疆最贫困少数民族最集中、农业人口比重较高的地区。要解决南疆贫困问题关键在于解决农民的增收问题。在国家做出的新一轮全国对口支援新疆的战略下。新疆将会迎来新的发展机遇。因此,在此背景下,进一步研究南疆三地州农民增收问题并在此基础上提出政策建议具有重要意义。     

The economics of well-being

Gross domestic product has long been the chief measure of national success. But there's been a lot of talk lately about changing that, from economists and world leaders alike. GDP is under siege for three main reasons. First, it is flawed even on its own terms: It misses lots of economic activity (unpaid household work, for example) and, as a single-number representation of vast, complex systems, is inevitably skewed. Second, it fails to account for economic and environmental sustainability. And third, readily available alternative measures may reflect well-being far better, by taking into account factors such as educational achievement, health, and life expectancy. HBR's Justin Fox surveys historical and current views on how to assess national progress, from Jeremy Bentham to Robert Kennedy to Nicolas Sarkozy. He also looks at where we may be headed. The biggest success so far in the campaign to supplant or at least supplement GDP, he finds, is the UN's Human Development Index-on which the United States has never claimed the top spot.     

金融危机第二阶段来临

过去,我们都认为金融危机是隔50年、100年才会发生的例外事件,但近年来的金融史却显示,金融危机发生的频率愈来愈高。而且,引发这些危机的原因也跟教科书上谈到的景气循环造成的衰退很不一样,有人称之为“资产负债型”的金融危机：资产泡沫导致民间与政府部门累积了过高的债务。     

It's so hard to be fair

When employees believe they are being treated fairly-when they feel heard, when they understand how and why important decisions are made, and when they believe they are respected-their companies will benefit. Research shows that practicing process fairness reduces legal costs from wrongful-termination suits, lowers employee turnover, helps generate support for new strategic initiatives, and fosters a culture that promotes innovation. What's more, it costs little financially to implement Yet few companies practice it consistently. Joel Brockner examines this paradox, exploring psychological and other reasons that cause managers to resist embracing process fairness. The fact that it's relatively inexpensive to implement, for instance, may be why some numbers-oriented executives undervalue it. Many managers believe that they practice process fairness, but 360-degree feedback tells another story. Some corporate policies actually undermine it--such as when the legal department won't let managers fully explain decisions for fear that disclosure could expose the firm to lawsuits. And, frequently, managers simply follow the all-too-human tendency to avoid uncomfortable situations. But the good news is that organizations can take concrete steps to promote greater process fairness. Many studies have shown that training programs make a big difference, and the author describes the most effective format. In addition, warning your managers that they may experience negative emotions when practicing fair process will help prepare them to cope with those feelings. Finally, role modeling fair process on the executive level will help spread the practice throughout the organization. The fact is, process fairness is the responsibility of all executives, at all levels and in all functions; it cannot be delegated to HR. The sooner managers realize that and work to make it a company norm, the better off the organization will be.     

Aged-care support in Japan: perspectives and challenges

This article explores economic aspects of the market for long-term care (LTC) in Japan. As the world's most rapidly aging nation, it is of interest to understand that country's current LTC system and projections of LTC utilization patterns and costs, as well as their potential drivers. Since Japan appears likely to experience important shortfalls in LTC in the future, the authors also discuss alternate forms of provision.