Railways and the Exploitation of Victoria's Forests, 1880s–1920s

Railways made a large contribution to the expansion of Victoria's economy, and in the process enabled and drove environmental change. This article focuses on one industry, forestry. It first examines railway demand for timber in construction and maintenance, particularly for sleepers. This demand caused tensions – a bitter dispute in the 1890s between the Railways Department and the Conservator of Forests, George Perrin, over timber cut on state land led to uneasy co-existence after the turn of the century. Railways not only required timber but also carried commercial quantities in bulk, providing forest industries with access to profitable markets – in particular firewood, the significance of which has been underappreciated previously. Forest products contributed substantially to railway revenue, representing a more stable source of income than other major categories of freight such as wheat, wool, and coal.     

Anticipating independence,no premonition of partition. The lessons of bank branch expansion on the Indian subcontinent, 1939 to 1946

We examine investment in bank branches on the Indian subcontinent in 1939 and 1946. In 1947, the states of India and Pakistan were created from the erstwhile colony of British India. Partition was destabilizing to both economies. We use branch expansion as a proxy for entrepreneur's pre‐partition predictions of the future of these regions. Our results indicate there were no premonitions of economic dislocation. Banks tended to deepen their presence in regions which were already developed. But controlling for the level of 1931 development, branch placement was highest in exactly those regions, Bengal and the Punjab, which were to experience the greatest negative consequences from political division. After 1947, multiple banks failed; most failing banks were registered in the Punjab or Bengal region. In United India, businessmen saw as much promise in regions which were to become Pakistan as in regions which were to become India. After partition, the Pakistan regions were immediately more economically fragile. This event provides a general lesson. Economic integration had intensified over the years of British rule. The abrupt stop to integration harmed especially the smaller, less diversified region. Politicians should be wary of politically dividing regions which have evolved to function as integrated economic units.     

Impact of shared history on customers’ service evaluations

This paper investigates how shared history affects customers' cultural and personal values and impacts their perception of services’ responsiveness and satisfaction in a high-contact service setting (retail banking) from two countries with a shared history (France & Lebanon). Data were collected from 171 French and 141 Lebanese bank customers. Findings reveal that both cultural and personal values moderate the relationship between responsiveness and satisfaction, and that their impact is independent of each other. Further, findings show that in countries with a shared history, existing cultural models in literature may not be detailed enough to explain cross-cultural differences and similarities.     

The development of integrated marketing communications at the British General Post Office, 1931–39

In the 1930s, the General Post Office (GPO) in Britain became one of the nation’s most innovative pioneers of marketing communication. Following criticism of the organisation in the 1920s for its conservative use of publicity, the GPO embarked upon a series of creative publicity campaigns that applied, amongst other methods, advertising, public relations, promotions, cinema, events and artistic posters. Through an overview of its publicity, and through a narrative of three case-studies, this article argues that one of the most important innovations of the GPO was its integration of marketing communication, both in terms of techniques used and in relation to its emphasis in promoting the organisation and the services it provided.     

Intergenerational appeal in advertising: impacts of brand–gender extension and brand history

An intergenerational (IG) appeal in an advertising campaign usually presents a nostalgic image with family portraits, emphasizing the traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation or harkening back to the ‘good old days’ between father and son, or mother and daughter. The IG appeal can effectively enhance a brand's image and induce that all-important consumer purchase. This paper takes gender differences (father/son or mother/daughter) into consideration while examining two moderators related to branding: (in)congruent brand–gender extension and brand history. Results indicate that a well-established brand history enhances the effects of the IG appeal. In addition, a congruent brand–gender extension increases the effects of the IG appeal. More interestingly, IG appeals can be effective in presenting a less established brand which has an incongruent brand–gender extension.     

货币信用属性演化的历史与逻辑

通过讨论主要货币起源与演化理论的矛盾与不足,从货币取得人们信任的角度,尝试整合了货币起源与演化的事实与逻辑,由此可以认为货币的本质是信用,(商品、金属)货币和纸币一样都是信用货币,货币演化是货币内涵的威权因素和物的因素相互竞争的结果;且货币制度的核心是信用。维持人们对货币的信心与币值稳定应当是任何货币调控的出发点和归宿。     

“中国道路”的接续探索与时代价值

“中国道路”的发展“奇迹”引起了国内外专家学者热议，有赞誉，有指责；有肯定，也有否定，呈现出多种思考与议论。针对这些热议，需要坚持“历史与逻辑”相统一的辩证唯物主义立场来认识“中国道路”演化的系统性和必然性，进而领会“中国道路”的时代价值。“中国道路”创新和丰富了世界现代化发展模式。将“中国道路”的“历史起点和逻辑起点”放在宏观时空环境中来观察分析，以期深刻揭示选择走“中国道路”的必然性；同时秉持历史唯物主义基本立场和观点，坚决批判历史虚无主义，树立“道路自信”。     

西方经济强国模式类型及中国特色经济发展模式的思考

历史上的九个经济强国可分为三种类型,按其特色大致分为四种崛起模式;改革开放以来,形成中的有中国特色的经济发展模式创造了世界经济发展史上奇迹;正在形成中的有中国特色的经济发展模式的已具有六个方面的本质特征;重视中国经济发展模式成长中的困境;加大制度创新,突破发展障碍。     

智慧通古今思想达天下——五句《论语》经典的本意解读和现实意义

儒家思想是中国传统思想的核心资源。2007年9月28日，在山东曲阜举行的祭孔大典上揭晓了“国人不可不知的五句《论语》经典”，这五句《论语》经典分别是“有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎”“四海之内皆兄弟也”“己所不欲，勿施于人”“德不孤，必有邻”和“礼之用，和为贵”。深刻领悟这些思想，对于我们构建社会主义和谐社会以及建设和谐世界都具有重要的现实意义。