Economic uncertainty,oil prices,hedging and U.S. stock returns of the airline industry

This paper examines the impacts of economic policy uncertainty and oil price shocks on stock returns of U.S. airlines using both industry and firm-level data. Our empirical approach considers a structural vector-autoregressive model with variables recognized to be important for airline returns including jet fuel price volatility. Empirical results confirm that oil price increase, economic uncertainty and jet fuel price volatility have significantly adverse effect on real stock returns of airlines both at industry and at firm level. In addition, we also find that hedging future fuel purchase has statistically positive impact on the smaller airlines. Our results suggest policy implications for practitioners, managers of airline industry and commodity investors.     

环境约束下中国省域旅游经济效率及其影响因素的空间计量分析

采用Super-SBM方法将环境因素作为非期望产出纳入旅游经济效率测算框架,结合空间计量经济方法分析2005—2016年我国省域旅游经济效率空间关联性及影响因素溢出效应,结果显示:环境约束下,我国省域旅游经济具有一定的空间集聚趋势,呈现出"东南热、西北冷"的分布特征,尚未实现网状结构均衡发展;我国省际旅游经济效率间存在显著的空间溢出作用。对于环境约束下旅游经济效率发展来说,人均GDP、技术创新、市场化、环境规制均有显著的正向作用,路网密度作用不显著,外国直接投资(FDI)有显著的负向作用。影响因素的溢出效应来看,市场化、经济增长、技术创新具有显著的积极间接溢出效应,但环境规制带来了显著的负向间接溢出效应,FDI与路网密度的间接溢出效应不显著。     

Key impact factors of visitors’ environmentally responsible behaviour: personality traits or interpretive services? A case study of Beijing’s Yuyuantan Urban Park,China

The environmentally responsible behaviour (ERB) facilitates the sustainability of tourism destinations. This study aims to identify the key impact factors to promote visitors’ ERB in urban park and examine the impact mechanism. A total of 567 visitors were surveyed in Beijing’s Yuyuantan Urban Park. Structural equation modelling results indicate that personality traits are the most important factors that affect visitors’ ERB, while the effect of how satisfaction with interpretive services plays upon visitors’ ERB using place attachment as a mediator. Openness traits positively affect satisfaction with experiential services and general behaviour. Additionally, implications in urban park management are provided.     

Assessing the needs of international markets against an emerging market company's capabilities: A tool for internationalization

Senior managers in emerging markets often strive to ensure that their companies develop sufficient capabilities to confront the needs they encounter in international markets. However, extant research and practice remain unclear as to how senior managers in emerging market companies can approach assessing the needs of their international markets against their own company's capabilities, to aim for a balance between both. This article offers an innovative approach for assessing the needs of international markets against an emerging market company's capabilities. Based on the assessments of 100 senior managers leading emerging market companies, we explain how this approach can provide two key insights. First, evidence of a balance between the needs of international markets and an emerging market company's capabilities, that indicates the company's competitive position is focused; or evidence of an imbalance between the needs of international markets and an emerging market company's capabilities, that indicates the company's competitive position is either vulnerable or overqualified. Second, an understanding of where the gaps between the needs of international markets and an emerging market company's capabilities are, that enables improving the company's competitive position by closing these gaps. Drawing on this approach, we offer an open access tool that allows senior managers in emerging markets to identify and improve their own company's competitive position for internationalization. Using this tool, senior managers can lead their emerging market companies toward a focused competitive position in international markets, providing better chances of successfully capturing potential benefits.     

Spatial determinants of productivity growth on agri‐food Spanish firms: a comparison between cooperatives and investor‐owned firms

This study analyses the effect of the spatial factor, location, and interaction effects among peer companies, on the productivity growth of agri‐food companies in Spain. With this aim, we build a productivity growth index and apply a multiequational Seemingly Unrelated Regression on a sample of 344 Spanish cooperatives and investor‐owned firms for the period 2010–2012. Our findings show that agri‐food firms are influenced by spatial factors finding interesting differences between cooperatives and investor‐owned firms. With regard to the geographical location, cooperatives in the western of Spain show higher productivity growth rates, whereas investor‐owned firms in the northeast of Spain present better results. The interaction effect among closer peer companies is also a relevant factor to determine the productivity growth in agri‐food companies. This factor is more relevant for cooperatives than for investor‐owned firms.     

北京农户增收影响因素与对策研究

对北京农户收入面板数据及187户实地调研数据进行分析，得出农户收入稳步增长、增速平缓、农户收入以工资性收入为主、城乡收入差距大和各区之间农户收入差异大的结论以及存在着农户增收活力不足、经营收益低、财产性所得少、新型农业发展不足、农村人口老龄化、农民文化程度低和农民健康状况差的问题。认为深化农业农村改革、鼓励土地流转、改善人居环境、完善支农政策、推广医疗保险、吸引人才下乡和培育职业农民可增加农户收入。     

基于数据包络(DEA)分析的京津冀地区环境绩效评估研究

提高资源环境绩效是区域生态环境治理的核心与关键。在构建环境绩效评估指标体系的基础上，运用数据包络分析模型（DEA）测度并分析2005-2015年京津冀地区静态环境绩效水平。利用Malmquist指数动态分析法将环境绩效分解为技术效率变化指数和技术进步指数，并探讨分解指标对环境绩效的相对贡献。结果显示：京津冀地区环境治理投入与产出水平均呈现逐年上升趋势；北京和天津的总体环境绩效水平要远高于河北，2005-2011年京津冀地区的环境绩效水平排序为北京、天津、河北,2012-2015年京津冀地区的环境绩效水平排序为天津、北京、河北（2013年除外）。河北省环境绩效水平较低的主要制约因素是技术进步缓慢与全要素生产率偏低。Malmquist指数呈现出一定的波性，这主要是由技术变化指标波动所致。最后，就如何提升京津冀地区环境绩效水平，提出相关对策建议。     

What determines the efficiency of Australian mining companies?

We examine the firm‐specific determinants of technical efficiency in Australian mining companies using data envelopment analysis (DEA). To do so, we employ panel data sourced from individual mining companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) over the period 2010–2014. To ensure valid statistical inference in the presence of serial correlation between DEA efficiency scores, we apply Simar and Wilson's two‐stage bootstrap method. We find that ownership concentration, firm size, firm age, product portfolio, product diversification and growth status significantly contribute to efficiency gains. However, other firm‐specific factors, such as capacity utilisation, financial risk and overseas operations appear to have limited impact on the technical efficiency of mining firms.     

Striking the implied volatility of US drone companies

This study analyzes the impact of drone strikes on the implied volatility of US drone companies. We find evidence of an overall increase in the implied volatility the day after the strike. We subset drone strikes according to countries targeted and US president in office, finding a more significant impact for strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and under the Bush or Obama’s administration. We find that drone strikes are also associated with next day decreasing stock returns of the drone companies. A possible increasing geopolitical risk concern and resiliency rationale may explain our findings.     

钢贸企业经营模式创新和流动资金管理问题探讨

实施经营模式创新,已成为当前钢贸企业走出困境的必由之路。应收款、预付款和库存三个方面是当前钢贸企业日常经营风险的重点之所在。本文对创新钢贸企业经营模式和改进流动资金(应收款、预付款和库存)管理进行探讨。