An Institution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Multi-National Corporations (MNCs): Form and Implications

This article investigates corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an institution within UK multi-national corporations (MNCs). In the context of the literature on the institutionalization of CSR and on critical CSR, it presents two main findings. First, it contributes to the CSR mainstream literature by confirming that CSR has not only become institutionalized in society but that a form of this institution is also present within MNCs. Secondly, it contributes to the critical CSR literature by suggesting that unlike broader notions of CSR shared between multiple stakeholders, MNCs practise a form of CSR that undermines the broader stakeholder concept. By increasingly focusing on strategic forms of CSR activity, MNCs are moving away from a societal understanding of CSR that focuses on redressing the impacts of their operations through stakeholder concerns, back to any activity that supports traditional business imperatives. The implications of this shift are considered using institutional theory to evaluate macro-institutional pressures for CSR activity and the agency of powerful incumbents in the contested field of CSR.     

Taxation and the Taylor principle

A nominal tax system is added to a sticky-price monetary business cycle model. When nominal interest income is taxed, the coefficient on inflation in a Taylor-type monetary policy rule must be significantly larger than one in order for the model economy to have a determinate rational-expectations equilibrium. When effective tax rates are raised by inflation, the stability of the economy's equilibrium can be adversely affected. Finally, when depreciation is treated as a charge against taxable income, an even larger weight on inflation is required in the Taylor rule in order to obtain a determinate and stable equilibrium.     

Current consumption and future income growth: Synthetic panel evidence

Using group means computed from 20 years of high quality survey data, I show a strong and robust relation between households’ consumption growth and subsequent realizations of their income growth, including realizations as distant as six years later. The relation appears in multiple types of variation in income growth: in variation across cohort-education groups, in variation over the life cycle, and in variation over the business cycle. While other explanations are explored, the results are likely due to forward-looking households altering their current consumption in response to information they receive about their income years into the future, information that turns out to be accurate.     

Disruptive technologies, stakeholders and the innovation value-added chain: a framework for evaluating radical technology development

Contemporary frameworks for evaluating technological innovations contend that innovative success is dependent upon the ability of firms to acquire and assimilate new knowledge without disrupting value chain members such as suppliers, customers and complementary innovators. These frameworks, however, provide little advice on how to deal with radical, controversial innovations that may also introduce new undesirable environmental, health, and social side affects. In addition to technological, commercial and organisational uncertainties, the developers of such technology typically must resolve social uncertainties, a particularly difficult activity because of the added complexities and often conflicting and/or difficult-to-reconcile concerns from secondary stakeholders. Attempts must be made to address the potential unintended and unforeseen consequences of the technology, as well as its potential benefits, if it is to be successfully applied. Using Monsanto's development of agricultural biotechnology as an illustration, we suggest an evaluation framework that incorporates stakeholder theory, innovation management concepts and Popper's evolutionary learning methodology of science and its extension to social issues.     

“3S”技术支持下的农地整理初探

本文简要介绍了“3S”集成技术的特点及其发展,论述了“3S”集成技术引入农地整理的必要性与可行性,提出了“3S”集成技术支持下的农地整理的设想,以期使农地整理达到经济、社会、生态三效益的协调发展。     

Cobacabana (control of balance by card-based navigation): A card-based system for job shop control

Existing card-based production control systems such as Kanban are mostly dedicated to repetitive production environments. Cards-based systems for job shop control are lacking, while particularly this industry segment shows a need for simple control systems. This paper aims at filling the gap by presenting a simple card-based system for job shop control, the Cobacabana (control of balance by card-based navigation) system. It is based on the concept of workload control (WLC), which has already proven its value in job shops. Developments towards more robust norms now allow for transforming the WLC concept into a simple card-based system, with loops of cards accompanying orders from release until completion at critical work centers. Cards returning from work centers authorize the planner to release new orders. A card-based display supports the planner with an overview of the shop floor situation, based on non-released cards. An additional loop of cards between sales and planning enables support of the order acceptance and due date promising function. A card-based acceptance display indicates what delivery dates are realistic, considering the current workload situation. Both the scientific roots of the system and practical implementation issues are discussed in this paper.     

Empirical evidence from the Greater Toronto Area on the acceptability and impacts of HOT lanes

This paper describes a study on willingness to pay (WTP) and public acceptability for High-Occupancy/Toll (HOT) lanes using empirical evidence from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. From a stated preference survey of more than 250 drivers, we estimate mean willingness to pay values under various trip conditions and for various traveler characteristics. The study provides statistically significant evidence on the relationships between willingness to pay and the improvement in travel speeds in HOT lanes, the length of the trip, and the urgency of on-time arrival. Furthermore, our study confirms several literature findings from previous studies on the relationship between travelers' willingness to pay and income as well as prior experience with HOT lanes. Some of the findings are qualitatively validated on the basis of the observed travel behavior in choosing tolled facilities over untolled facilities during periods of heightened congestion and urgency.     

Technological Competitiveness in an International Arena

This article takes a sceptical view of the 'globalisation of technology' literature. We suggest three elements to such technological globalisation. First, there is the geographical extent in terms of the spatial spread and intensity (or 'depth'). Secondly, there are 'sectoral' variations in the degree of technological globalisation. Lastly, there is the issue of the 'temporal' extent of the globalisation of technology-when effectively did it first appear and what is the nature and extent of its subsequent development? With this framework, we find a far from uniform 'globalisation'. Government policy at the national level remains important, we argue, in part because much of what is depicted as globalisation is very clearly inter-national.     

Inset appointments: meeting supply through trading water rights

There are conflicting views as to the efficiency and effectiveness of the water industry in England and Wales. Projections put forward by both water companies and OFWAT will, if unchallenged, lead to a significant escalation in the costs of this essential service as the industry invests heavily to meet a seemingly inexorable demand for more water and higher environmental standards. Real market competition (as opposed to comparative competition) is starting to introduce innovation and is challenging assumptions about economies of scale. The impact of competition on the future of Britain's water industry could be profound.