Forecasting the electric transformation in transportation: the role of battery technology performance

In an effort to encourage consumers to purchase electric vehicles (EVs), the government has been funding battery research to solve some of these problems. This paper presents a study using technology forecasting using data envelopment analysis (TFDEA) to forecast future battery performance characteristics. The results were compared against the performance goals established by the US Department of Energy (DOE). We find that the foreseen progress of EV battery performance will be insufficient to meet the DOE projected goals for the range that EVs can travel before running out of power. Therefore, a new battery technology must be developed because the incremental improvements in current battery technologies leave EVs considerably short of the DOE performance specification for longer trip ranges.     

弄清楚你的住房按揭贷款

美国甚至全世界的房主在本轮国际金融危机前几年犯了太多的错误.这些错误中的大部分能被简化为一个基本的现象:人们借了太多的钱,甚至超过了他们的实际偿还能力.     

A simple examination of the empirical relationship between dividend yields and deviations from the CAPM

Several papers have been published in recent years dealing with both the theoretical and the empirical impact of dividend yields on security returns. Dividends have been postulated as affecting stock returns because of tax effects, agency costs and the Wealth Transfer Hypothesis. In this paper we perform a purely empirical examination of whether and to what extent deviations from the zero beta form of the CAPM are explained by divident yields. The paper demonstrates that dividend yield has a large and statistically significant impact on return above and beyond that explained by the zero beta form of the CAPM. This is consistent with the findings of Litzenberger and Ramaswamy. In addition our results are consistent with the findings of small firm effects.     

A framework for upgrading comparative management research

Nearly a decade ago major problems facing the field of comparative management were identified. They continue to persist today despite considerable progress made in recent years. These problems related to the reliability, validity, and generalizability of comparative research findings will need to be resolved if the field is to attain academic maturity and legitimacy. Indentification and operationalization of critical variables will play an important role in the design of research studies and their conduct. A framework for upgrading comparative management research, with regard to overcoming both theoretical as well as methodological problems, is presented and discussed in this article.     

Understanding Organizational Learning Capability

This paper presents data on how learning takes place in four organizations, what gets learned, and the factors and processes that facilitate or impede learning. Seven orientations for describing organizational learning capability and understanding learning styles are identified. Each of these orientations is conceived as a bi-polar continuum that reflect learning processes. Knowledge source is defined as the extent to which an organization prefers to develop new knowledge internally versus the extent to which it is more likely to seek inspiration in ideas developed externally. Product-process focus refers to a preference for the accumulation of knowledge related to product and service outcomes versus a preference to invest in knowledge about basic processes that support products. Documentation mode refers to attitudes as to what constitutes knowledge and to the repositories of knowledge that are supported. Dissemination mode pertains to the difference between establishing an atmosphere in which learning evolves and one in which a more structured, controlled approach is taken to induce learning. Learning focus has to do with whether learning is concentrated on methods and tools to improve what is already being done versus testing the assumptions underlying what is being done. Value-chain focus indicates which functional, core competencies are valued and supported. Skill development focus involves the orientation toward individual versus collective learning. Organizational learning may be increased by building on existing capabilities or developing new ones. the latter involves a change in culture, the former involves improving current capabilities. Organizations can enhance their learning capability through either approach.     

Education Without the State

With the Forster Act of 1870 the state look over the rode of financing and suppliying education in Britain when private schooling was growing rapidly. If it had not done so we would have been spared the unprecedented excess costs in taxation required to finance it today, and we would have had real choice in education.     

EARLY EXERCISE OF AMERICAN INDEX OPTIONS

We show that exercise of American call options on stock indexes frequently occurs before expiration and attribute this early exercise to the “wild card” option that results from the cash settlement exercise process. The wild card represents an “implied option” to sell the index option at the fixed settlement price; it is therefore a put option on the index call option. We derive a simple one-period valuation model using compound option pricing. Analysis of observed early exercise demonstrates that the wild card feature is a factor influencing early exercise of index options.