Who should own it? An agency‐based explanation for multi‐outlet ownership and co‐location in plural form franchising

Plural forms exist when managers use two owners to perform one activity. Franchising is a plural form explained by agency theory, however, the theory is unable to explain two franchisor actions: 1) allowing franchisees to own multiple outlets and 2) co‐locating company‐owned and franchised outlets. We use research that describes a symbiosis between company‐owned and franchised outlets to extend agency theory and explain these actions. Our investigation of ownership patterns among 4,339 outlets of 16 plural form franchisors is consistent with our theory that multi‐outlet franchising is cost efficient and that co‐location occurs when franchisors fill market gaps left by franchisees. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

经济地理与外资企业的区位选择

本文利用2004～2008年我国546类制造行业的省级面板数据,从新经济地理学的视角,研究了外资企业进入中国各省市区的决定因素。结果表明,各地的市场潜力、贸易成本、地理位置等新经济地理的因素对现阶段外资企业的区位选择有显著的影响,而传统FDI理论所关注的因素如工资成本、优惠政策等对外资企业的区位选择影响不显著。另外,本文还发现了各地区间还普遍存在着不同程度的市场分割现象,这会阻碍外资企业和FDI在省际的自由流动。这些结论对我国各地区今后有针对性地实施吸引外资企业和FDI的政策有一定借鉴意义。     

Geographical location and urbanisation of the Swedish manufacturing industry, 1900–1960: evidence from a new database

Abstract

This article introduces a new database, based on official statistics, of regional manufacturing industries in Sweden. We employ this database to examine the distribution of manufacturing activity across Swedish regions and cities, 1900–1960. Over this period we observe an increasing concentration of manufacturing activities, reaching a peak around 1940, across the northern, southern and western parts (NUTS-I areas) of Sweden. Over the same period, the North-South divide in terms of manufacturing employment grew larger. Across counties (NUTS-III) and cities we, however, observe two shorter periods of convergence of manufacturing activities, in the early twentieth century and in the post-war period, whereas the inter-war period was characterised by divergence. These developments occurred to the backdrop of the urbanisation of industry in Sweden, as the rural share of manufacturing employment declined from roughly 60 to 25% between 1900 and 1960. We also find that the regional patterns of individual industries over time followed different trajectories, suggesting that that the determinants of industry location differed significantly across industries.     

外商对华投资发展历程及在华四大经济区域投资差异分析

基于1992-2011年外商在华投资数据，阐述在华投资经历的四个阶段，从我国东部、中部、西部和东北四大经济区域看，各区域在外商投资企业数量和外商投资总额上存在着巨大差异，区域投资严重失衡。这主要是由于政策战略导向作用、区位差异和投资回报率存在差距造成的。提出加强人力资源队伍建设，充分利用区域资源优势吸引外资，不断完善引资政策等对策建议。     

位置相关信息服务中一种基于价值的数据预取方法

基于LDD的预取策略如DDP考虑了数据距离,但是没有考虑数据的访问概率和更新频率和数据大小,针对以上问题提出基于价值的数据预取(CDP)策略,一些重要的数据预取因素如访问概率、更新频率、数据项大小、数据距离和有效范围等都包含在价值函数里,根据价值函数值的大小来选择被预取的数据。通过实验对比,CDP比DDP策略更有效的提高缓存的命中率。     

The property requirements of knowledge‐based industries

Summary

An analysis of the property requirements of modern industries such as those in the electronics, pharmaceutical and chemical fields, based on detailed interviewing of over 70 companies, is presented. The factors influencing locational choice are considered, as are the specific features of notional industrial schemes. The key points which emerged from the study include: there is no single type of property suitable for all knowledge‐based companies although generally they can be accommodated in existing premises. Location is the most important factor with relatively little importance attached to the particular building scheme. Locational importance derives largely from the need to be close to a highly skilled labour pool. Close proximity to academic centres is only important to a small number of knowledge‐based companies and is not as significant as has been claimed. Flexibility is important in a variety of ways, in terms of space utilization, expansion capabilities and lease structuring.     

Typologies of Banner Advertisements’ Attributes: A Content Analysis

The web has received significant amount of attention from advertising and consumer researchers investigating the impact of banner advertisement on consumers’ psychological and behavioral responses. However, no typology of banner advertisement has been identified yet, and the selection of banner advertisements as advertising stimuli has been carried out on the premise of personal judgment rather than scientific methodology. The identification of typology is important because different banner advertisement, such as static and pop-up, elicit different consumers’ responses. In addition the identification of a typology constitutes an advance to mid-range theory in a research domain. Hence, the purpose of this research is to identify the typologies of banner advertisements’ attributes such as type, number, shape, location, and size using content analysis. Specifically, nine banner advertisement types are identified as well as the typology of number, shape, location, and size of banner advertisements. Contributions of the research are discussed.     

The association between continuing professional education and financial performance of public accounting firms

This study investigates the relationship between continuing professional education (CPE), a mechanism of professional training, and financial performance of public accounting firms. Both training subject (partner and assistant) and training location (internal and external) are included. Public accounting firms are categorized as big, medium, and small-sized ones. Empirical data are obtained from the 1992–1995 Survey Report of Public Accounting Firms in Taiwan, published by the Financial Supervisory Commission, Executive Yuan, Taiwan, ROC. Univariate test and multiple-regression model are employed to examine the financial performance effects of CPE. Main results indicate that both professional training of assistants and external professional training are positively related to financial performance in big-sized firms. Next, we document a significantly positive association between internal training of assistants and financial performance in either big-, medium-, or small-sized firms. Finally, both external professional training of partners in big-sized firms and external professional training of assistants in small-sized firms are positively related to financial performance. Few prior studies investigate professional training of public accounting firms by a regression model due to availability of empirical data. Accordingly, evidences obtained in this study provide useful information to partners for decision-making in public accounting firms under the considerably competitive audit market.     

中秋节老鼎丰仓储选址策略研究

从客观出发,根据评分标准法对备选仓库的自然条件、地理位置、交通情况等进行了详细的评价,并根据不同的评分标准进行了打分,从而给出了老鼎丰在2011年中秋节期间对于备选仓库选址的建议方案。     

Attitudes of Restaurant Site Selection Executives Toward Various People Magnets

This study considers which types of traffic generators or magnets are preferred as site locations for various types of restaurants. Data collected from corporate executives responsible for site location of major restaurant franchises were subjected to statistical analysis regarding basic benefits and levels of service. The findings determined that restaurants prefer to locate near people magnets offering benefits and levels of service to consumers similar to their own offerings. In addition, various types of restaurants rank people magnets differently. The results of this study should be used as a practical guide to small independent restaurant entrepreneurs wishing to gain insight into the magnet preferences of the major chain franchises.