一场安静的革命

印度的精英教育体制在过去几十年中一直源源不断地生产着一流的科学家，工程技术人员和管理人员，这些精英们是推动20世纪90年代印度信息技术腾飞的关键力量。但是很少有人注意到，最近一个时期，印度的初等教育正在发生一场安静的革命。如果革命取得成功，将使印度青年一代掌握改进生产率的技术，并进而减少疾病、高出生率、饥饿、贫困所造成的沉重负担，全社会对于性别、种姓、部族和残疫人的态度也将发生深刻的变化。     

Einsparpotenziale bei Verwaltungs- und Verfahrenskosten durch die Fusion von gewerblichen Berufsgenossenschaften — eine empirische Analyse für Deutschland

We analyze the cost savings potential with regard to administration and management costs by merging Commercial Employment Accident Insurance Funds (Berufsgenossenschaften) in Germany. We use data from the German Federation of institutions for statutory accident insurance and prevention (HVBG) for 1999 to 2004. Large Berufsgenossenschaften (BGs) have lower administration and management costs per insured person. However, costs per insured person are negatively correlated with insured risk of the BGs which in turn is an important source of administration and management costs.Results of a multivariate regression analysis help to identify cost drivers and the existence of economies of scale. Notifiable accidents, occupational diseases and risk explain administration and management costs. All estimation results are highly significant and allow to conclude that remarkable economies of scale are likely to be present in the organization of the BGs. Our results are robust to alternative specifications. Also, risk turns out to be an important cost driver with regard to management costs.A hypothetical policy reform is considered that reduces the number of BGs from formerly 35 to 18. We come up with an estimate of expected cost savings (without cutting benefits) of 83 million euros, about 10 % of the current management costs of the BGs under consideration.     

Ein Risikostrukturausgleich für die Bundesländer

In Germany, a lively debate about the reform of the financial equalisation scheme between the member states (“Länder”) is under way. There is broad consensus that the member states’ financial responsibility has to be strengthened. A reduction of the transfer level of tax receipts from high-income to low-income states could achieve this objective, but at the cost of solidarity between states. To avoid this trade-off, the authors propose an indicator-based risk adjustment scheme. Their aim is to equalise different financial needs, not only differences in tax revenues across states. Risk adjustment schemes are a well-established instrument, especially in social health care systems.     

The Zilcha criteria for dynamic inefficiency reconsidered

We reconsider necessary and sufficient conditions for dynamic inefficiency given in Zilcha (J Econ Theory 52:364–379, 1990, J Econ Theory 55:1–16, 1991) and a critique by Rangazas and Russell (2005). First, we show that the characterization given in Zilcha (1990) for nonstationary economies is correct and correct Zilcha’s proof. Second, using this insight, we complement Rangazas and Russell’s (Econ Theory 26:701–716, 2005) discussion of the counterexamples to Zilcha (J Econ Theory 55:1–16, 1991). Third, we discuss consequences of our results for applied tests of (in-)efficiency based on the Zilcha criteria. We would like to thank Itzhak Zilcha, and in particular Peter Rangazas and Steve Russell for detailed and very helpful comments.     

Transactions, volume, and volatility

We show that the positive volatility-volume relation documentedby numerous researchers actually reflects the positive relationbetween volatility and the number of transactions. Thus, itis the occurrence of transactions per se, and not their size,that generates volatility; trade size has no information beyondthat contained in the frequency of transactions. Our resultssuggest that theoretical research needs to entertain scenariosin which (i) both the frequency and size of trades are endogenouslydetermined, yet (ii) the size of trades has no information contentbeyond that contained in the number of transactions.     

Structural model for analysis of key performance indicators for sustainable manufacturer–supplier collaboration: A grey-decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory-based approach

With growing competition in the market and dire need for sustainability, it has become imperative for companies to build long-term relationship with their supply chain partners through sustainable collaboration. Among these, the supplier–manufacturer relationship is crucial for improved organizational, business and sustainable performance. Sustainable collaboration with suppliers involves crucial decision-making processes such as continuous supplier monitoring and supplier development. Hence, a critical challenge that a company faces is to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) for assessing the performance of a supplier for sustainable collaboration. In this regard, this study focuses on identification of KPIs for an Indian home appliance company through exhaustive discussions involving multiple decision-makers. Further, a grey-based decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) model is proposed in the study for analysing the importance levels among the fifteen KPIs based on multiple stakeholder perspectives. The results of the grey structural model indicate seven KPIs as influencing KPIs and eight KPIs as influenced KPIs. The KPI ‘Information disclosure’ has been identified as the most influential KPI for the evaluation of suppliers for sustainable collaboration. The implications drawn from the result analysis model can provide meaningful insights to managers for identifying strategies towards strengthening the supplier–manufacturer relationship and achieving organizational and market competence.     

The incidence of Cash for Clunkers: Evidence from the 2009 car scrappage scheme in Germany

This paper investigates the German car scrappage program, focusing on the incidence of the premium. We ask how much of the €2500 ($3500) buyer subsidy is actually captured by the demand side. More precisely, we analyze the program’s impact on different car segments, allowing for heterogeneity in incidence at different points in the vehicle price distribution. Using a unique microtransaction data set, we find that the incidence of the subsidy strongly and significantly varies across price segments. Subsidized buyers of cheap cars paid a little more than comparable buyers who did not receive the subsidy, indicating incidence amounts slightly below 100 %. For more expensive vehicles, subsidized buyers were granted large extra discounts on top of the government premium, translating into incidence amounts considerably greater than 100 %. Taken together, this results in an aggregate incidence amount of up to plus €350 million, suggesting that the positive effect for expensive cars overcompensates the negative effect for small cars.     

Technology and Corporate Scope: Firm and Rival Innovation as Antecedents of Corporate Transactions

This paper studies the role of technological innovation as an antecedent of changes in corporate scope. It argues that technological innovations prompt the firm to reconfigure its corporate portfolio—to redeploy resources to areas of new opportunity while it divests out of marginal businesses. Results from a cross‐industry sample of U.S. manufacturing firms show successful innovation by a firm is followed by both expansion into new areas through complementary resource seeking acquisitions and divestment out of existing noncore businesses. This relationship is found to be moderated by the level of investible resources available to the firm, and supports the notion of scarce resources as a constraint on firm scope. In addition, firms are found to change their corporate scope in response to rival innovation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.