What Can Be Learned from DuPont and the Freon Ban: A Case Study

Between 1974 and 1988, executives of DuPont, the world's largest producer of CFCs, were confronted with emerging evidence that CFCs were destroying the stratospheric ozone layer. The difficulty that executives face in such cases is that scientific knowledge develops over time and does not necessarily proceed in a straight line toward true conclusions. At the beginning of a new field of research, there is much uncertainty and disagreement among the experts. The solution of the ozone problem required a remarkable cooperation among science, business, and international governments. After looking at the role of DuPont executives in this drama, and the difficulties facing any executive dealing with uncertain science, the paper turns to an evaluation of the field of Business Ethics to see what light it might throw on this and analogous problems. Finally, the paper offers specific suggestions in terms of principles in dealing with uncertain science, and concludes that the course of action that DuPont followed, including some mistakes, can serve as a model for analogous crises.     

Technical analysis as the representation of typical cognitive biases

The present research provides a justification for the popularity of the technical analysis. It finds that financial analysts firmly discriminate between two types of technical signals—those based on typical cognitive biases and “empty” signals that sound like a technical analysis but are without any connotation with psychological inclinations.At the same time that they treat them differently, different analysts rate these items very similarly. These results suggest that the popularity of technical analysis is associated with its relation to the typical cognitive biases of humans.     

Indonesian Local Government Spending,Taxing and Saving: An Explanation of Pre‐ and Post‐decentralization Fiscal Outcomes*

As a result of Indonesia's decentralization program, local governments have gained significantly more responsibility for service delivery, considerably larger fiscal resources, and much greater authority over the use of those resources than before. The present paper develops a simple budget model to describe and explain the substantial differences in pre‐ and post‐decentralization local government fiscal behavior related to spending, taxing and saving. During the post‐decentralization period special attention is paid to the fiscal behavior of natural resource rich regions. Among other things, the evidence suggests that: post‐decentralization local government spending is partly responsive to increasing needs and partly the subject of elite capture; local government taxation has become more aggressive under decentralization and appears to be mostly driven by local bureaucratic expectations related to routine overhead budgets; and the increased savings of local governments during the post‐decentralization period is determined to a large degree by delayed central government transfer payments.     

Demand‐side housing policy in Costa Rica: a response to the housing deficit

The purpose of this study was to establish what the housing needs of Costa Rica are and to assess what policies have been implemented to respond to their housing deficit. In order to answer these questions, a combined methodology consisting of primary and secondary data was used. Using open‐ended questions and a topic schedule, face‐to‐face interviews with Costa Rican housing authorities were conducted at the interviewee's work place in Costa Rica in May 2003. The most recent secondary data available in the country was used to compute the housing deficit and to study the effects of demographics on current housing needs. Sources of the secondary data were the Costa Rica Ministry of Housing and Human Settlements, and the National Institute of Statistics and Census. The Costa Rican government has made great progress in reforming the housing finance system in order to meet the housing demand of its citizens. In 2002, Costa Rica had a 75.6% home ownership rate. Yet, even in light of the housing system's current success, many social, economic and political barriers threaten to undermine its accomplishments and the peoples’ ability to obtain safe and affordable housing. The paper considers the strengths and weaknesses of the current housing finance system as well as the government strategies for addressing difficulties.     

乡镇财政困难：现状、原因、出路——以安徽省为例

乡镇财政困难主要有收入下降、支出膨胀以及债务负担沉重等方面的表，就其原因从其关联性有根本原因、主要原因、重要原因、直接原因以及导火索等五个方面。对此，笔者认为解决乡镇财政困难的出路可以在分析原因的基础上，结合其表现来具体分析。     

供应链合作新概念--协同运输管理(CTM)

阐释了协同运输管理（CTM）的定义、发展历史、实施过程和价值，最后对台湾笔记本电脑市场的CTM实施进行了介绍。     

我国房地产投资基金的发展研究

首先揭示我国发展房地产投资基金(REITs)的意义所在,然后深入分析我国在发展REITs过程中所遇到的问题和障碍,并提出若干政策和建议。     

我国企业国际科技合作现状及对策研究

文章从经济和科技全球化背景下企业国际科技合作的战略地位分析入手,介绍了我国企业国际科技合作概况,重点分析了企业对外科技合作存在的主要问题,提出了推进企业国际科技合作发展的8点对策建议。     

我国企业财务管理目标的现实选择

随着会计国际化进程的进一步发展，传统的财务管理已远不能适应现代企业管理的需要。企业要想在激烈的市场竞争中得以生存和发展，就必须适应现代企业制度的要求，进一步加强企业财务管理，而其首要问题是必须树立现代企业财务管理的总目标。     

泛黄海区域物流链条的形成及合作趋势

以泛黄海区域物流合作为主题,在泛黄海区域经济的兴起及区域物流链条形成的基础上,具体分析了港口物流的竞争优势及其协同导向,同时探讨了泛黄海区域物流合作的发展趋势并提出了区域内物流合作的建议。