Social assistance and dignity: South African women's experiences of the child support grant

Many women interact with the South African social security system in relation to the Child Support Grant (CSG), which is social assistance payable for children living with low-income caregivers. This paper explores women's accounts of how the CSG serves to protect and respect dignity, a foundational value in the South African Constitution. Drawing from focus groups and in-depth interviews with female CSG recipients of working age, it is argued that whilst the experience of using the CSG does protect dignity in certain important respects, other aspects including the application process, the small amount of the grant and negative discourses associated with the status of being a CSG recipient were experienced by many as erosive of dignity.     

Picking cherries or lemons: A unified theory of cross‐border mergers and acquisitions

This article provides a theoretical framework that enhances understanding of empirical evidence suggesting that international mergers and acquisitions, a key source of foreign direct investment, seemingly target in‐country firms that are at the extremes of the productivity spectrum—either high‐productivity firms, so‐called cherries, or low‐productivity firms, the “lemons.” The framework demonstrates that foreign firms with intermediate inputs seek high‐productivity domestic firms, while foreign firms with managerial expertise seek low‐productivity domestic firms. We also show that because of the difference in available outside options, high‐productivity domestic firms can demand a significantly higher portion of profits in the partnership than low‐productivity domestic firms.     

东道国金融发展对中国企业对外直接投资的影响:二元边际与生产率门槛

文章基于中国上市企业2008-2015年对外直接投资数据，分析东道国金融发展在扩展边际和集约边际上对企业对外直接投资决策以及投资所需生产率水平的影响。研究发现，在不同生产率的企业中东道国金融发展的影响是异质性的。较高的金融发展水平会系统性地降低投资所需的生产率水平，进而促进中国企业对外直接投资的概率、次数和规模。进一步的研究还发现，在经济发展水平比中国高的东道国金融发展的生产率效应更显著，投资所需生产率下降得更多。尽管如此，高经济发展水平东道国的最低生产率门槛仍然高于低经济发展水平的东道国。控制了金融发展指标和企业全要素生产率的内生性后，结果依然稳健。     

Modeling and Extrapolating Wheat Producer Support Using Income and Other Factors

Using wheat market support data from 55 countries for 1961–2011 from the World Bank Agricultural Distortion database, we develop a fixed effect model that shows a more complicated, nonlinear relationship between income and wheat support and its components than previously realised. We find that income generally has a greater effect on border market price support than on domestic price support. Moreover, the difference between these types of support is greater for net importers than for net exporters and has increased with the URAA or WTO accession. Holding other variables constant, the wheat support level of China, driven mainly by border market price support, is projected to rise with future income growth. Meanwhile, Japan is projected to maintain its high level of support, while the US and EU are projected to maintain their lower levels of support. These results are relevant in the context of multilateral trade negotiations, arguing against a narrow focus on past or current policy profiles and for long‐run analyses that might mistakenly rest on the inconsistent assumptions of constant agricultural policies against the backdrop of rising incomes.     

人力资本、营商环境优化与外资企业创新——兼论引智的重要性

在营商环境优化成为培育引资及引技竞争新优势的背景下，考察发展中国家的营商环境优化对外资企业创新意愿的影响以及外资企业人力资本的调节效应。研究表明：营商环境优化降低了外资企业进行技术创新、流程创新和产品创新的意愿，且平均边际效应依次增强；内在机制是营商环境优化带来的外资企业特惠度降低和内资企业竞争力增强；外资企业的人力资本增强了营商环境优化对其创新意愿的降低作用，且是通过增强外资企业特惠度、降低抑制其创新意愿以及营商环境优化促进内资企业竞争力的方式实现的。进一步发现，外资企业的引智具有显著的创新溢出效应，且内资企业的吸收能力存在积极的调节效应。     

江苏企业“走出去”的模式及财务风险防控研究

随着中国“一带一路”倡议的逐步实施,越来越多的企业开始加入“走出去”的队伍。但是由于不同企业所处行业、资金实力、规模大小、对外投资目的等因素不尽相同,如果选择不恰当的模式往往会导致陷入经营困境。因此本文为江苏“走出去”企业提出相应的财务风险防控措施,旨在促进企业在国际化进程中健康、可持续发展。     

The new wave of AI-powered luxury brands online shopping experience: The role of digital multisensory cues and customers’ engagement

Academic literature retains a dearth of empirical evidence of the cutting-edge aspect of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered digital assistance and digital multisensory cues, despite the prospect of these factors on real-life customers' luxury brand online shopping experience. Thus, the aim of this study is to examine the significant pathway and effects of AI-powered digital assistance toward customers’ luxury brand online shopping experience. Drawing on S–O-R (Stimulus, organism, and response) and TRAM (Technology Readiness and Acceptance Model) paradigm, a multi-method research design was deployed to investigate constructs. Firstly, semi-structured interviews were utilized to explore customers' online behavior under the luxury brands and information technology aspect. Secondly, survey data were collected and analyzed by using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The PLS-based analysis of quantitative data confirmed the exploratory insights of qualitative findings, establishing the connections of AI-powered digital assistance, customer engagement, and customers' luxury brand online shopping experience. Research findings also suggest that customer engagement plays a mediation role in the relationship between AI-powered digital assistance and customers' luxury brand online shopping experience. Besides, digital multisensory cues moderate the relationship between AI-powered digital assistance and customer engagement. Further, fsQCA complements the findings of PLS-SEM that reveal the significant combination of factors that lead to the perceptions of customers' luxury brand online shopping experience.     

财务管理信息化在煤炭企业中辅助决策作用研究

近两年以来,煤炭企业由于煤炭价格的大幅度下跌面临着严峻的经济衰退问题,财务管理作为企业管理的一个重要方面,在企业激烈的市场竞争中发挥重要的作用,通过财务管理信息化手段为企业各层管理者及时地提供准确的财务信息,对企业正确决策发挥着越来越重要作用[1]。     

浅谈学习中心向动态中心的转移

“教师中心论”、“学生中心论”以及“学习中心论”教学法有其各自的理论基础及不足,动态学习中心的观点认为,学生的角色与教师的角色是动态的,二者相互促进、相互作用。     

浅析外贸代理制之存在必然性及其完善

新外贸法的颁布施行,放开了外贸经营的管制,但外贸代理制仍将在我国长期存在。完善外贸代理制,应解决好代理双方权利义务失衡问题,进一步保护委托人的利益。