The making of public investments: The role of champions,co-ordination,and characteristics of nutrition programmes in Mozambique

This study examines governance and institutional factors that influence how public resources are allocated for nutrition interventions in the context of a developing country—Mozambique—with very high rates of malnutrition. Based on qualitative empirical analysis building on a political economy framework, we explore the importance of two agent-centred and two investment-centred factors that determine how decisions on budget allocation to nutrition are made. The analysis finds that public decisionmakers strongly favour highly visible nutrition investments and those with a short duration between the time that spending is incurred and outcomes or outputs are achieved. Co-ordination has been quite successful among donors, and mainly of a spatial nature. Co-ordination is significantly weaker among government agencies, given the absence of fiscal tools of the co-ordinating agency, and its placement in a sector ministry rather than at a supra-sectoral level. Champions as change agents have had a truly influential role in attracting more funding to nutrition and improving its allocation. But their influence is also fleeting and difficult to sustain.     

The scope and scale of the informal food economy of South African urban residential townships: Results of a small-area micro-enterprise census

Growing urbanisation in South Africa is reflected in burgeoning Working class and informal township settlements on the fringes of its major towns and cities. Paired with this is an increasing reliance on cash as the primary means of economic transaction, which has in turn stimulated the growth of micro-enterprise business activities within the township context. This article discusses the findings of an eight-township small-area census which occurred between 2010 and 2013 in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Durban townships representing 250 000 residents. The researchers were able to establish the scope and scale of informal food and drink retailing in these localities. Of the 10 049 micro-enterprises located in the study, some 3966 (or 39% of the total) trade in food. These include enterprises in primary production, fresh produce retailing, grocery retailing from house and spaza shops, and informal foodservice enterprises. Food is the basis for much township informal business and plays an important role in making food increasingly affordable and locally accessible, and in creating cash employment. The article builds on the knowledge base of the township informal economy role in bolstering food security needs for the marginalised.     

Mapping themes in the study of new work practices

Both shaping and shaped by technological, economic and social facets, the world of work has witnessed a wide array of changes. This review article sets out to provide a synthesis of some of the main directions and insights of existing research connected to the new world of work. In particular, we approached the topic of new work practices through four key dimensions: (1) Conceptual and methodological dimensions in the study of new work practices; (2) Spatial and temporal manifestations of new work practices in the collaborative economy; (3) Individuals, organizations and new work configurations; (4) Power and control. The review article critically discusses the future of work and argues that the ‘new’ world of work simply repeats asymmetrical power relations and inequalities that characterise work activities, with the potential of exacerbating even further disparities, inequalities and precarity.     

Rise of the gold market in China: liberalisation and market development

The Chinese gold market is rapidly rising to global prominence in the recent decades. The paper reviews the history of the gold market in China and its liberalisation process amid the country’s opening to the outside world. Details of the current market structure and its main business are presented. Global impacts of the rise of the Chinese gold market are discussed.     

以深化供给侧结构性改革为契机扎实推进水利经济研究工作

分析了深化供给侧结构性改革背景下,推动质量变革、效率变革、动力变革对水利发展的新要求;从切实做好水利与国民经济的关系研究、积极开展水资源水生态的经济问题研究、着力加强水利行业政府和市场的关系研究等方面,探讨了新形势下水利经济研究的重点领域;明确提出加快推进水利经济研究特色智库建设,应整合优势资源、搭建宏观引领研究平台,坚持水利经济主线、积极培育特色品牌,以需求为导向、全面提升服务质量,深化学会改革、持续推进能力建设。     

Luxury products for the circular economy? A case study of Bang & Olufsen

This paper examines whether luxury products can support a circular economy. This is done through a literature review of luxury products and the links to circular economy, as well as a case study of Bang & Olufsen (B&O). The literature review revealed links between some of the core characteristics of luxury products and the circular economy. This included aspects such as the high quality, durability, service schemes, extended warranties, and large aftermarkets. The case study supports the links between the inner circles in the circular economy (maintenance, repair, and reuse) and some of the core characteristics of luxury products. B&O produces products with a long lifespan, has extended warranties, repair and service schemes, spare part availability for 8 years, an aftermarket, and leasing schemes. B&O also does reconditioning of components for its repair loop, conducts dismantling tests, marks plastic parts, and has a negative list that excludes certain hazardous components.     

The economics of markets and platforms

Advances in the study of both markets and platforms contribute to economics. Platforms are typically digital markets, although platforms can designate markets generally. So, the economics of markets and the economics of platforms are one and the same. Platforms show the critical role of intermediaries in endogenous price adjustment and market clearing. The platform model remedies problems with general equilibrium analysis by combining and extending the basic Walrasian and Marshalian market models. The analysis of platforms provides explanations for the bid–ask spread, including market power, search costs, matching costs, adverse selection, and moral hazard. The study of platforms demonstrates the importance of participation and coordination in the formation of markets. The discussion emphasizes that platforms have significant implications for the theory of the firm. The analysis further considers how platforms affect innovation and entrepreneurship.     

Socio-demographics,political attitudes and informal sector employment: A cross-country analysis

In this paper, we empirically investigate the relationship between informal sector employment and micro-level socio-demographic characteristics, political acts and attitudes, and individual norms. Using self-reported individual micro-level data from the World Values Survey for seven developing countries (China, Ecuador, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, South Africa and Yemen), our cross-country regressions and principal component analysis reveal that socio-demographic characteristics of individuals are strong predictors of their informal sector employment. Our estimations further document that individual preferences for an economically strong, interventionist and egalitarian state and confidence in state and political institutions are positively and significantly correlated with informal sector employment, whereas variables associated with confidence in free market institutions and support for competition are negatively and significantly correlated with informal sector employment. We also show that individuals who participate either actively or inactively in peaceful and lawful political processes are significantly less likely to work in the informal sector. Finally, we document that individual norms, such as religiosity and tax morale, are negatively correlated with informal sector employment. Throughout our analysis, instead of having to rely on ad-hoc informality categorizations of third parties, we base our measurement of informal sector employment directly on the self-evaluation of individuals, who have the best information on the degree of their informality.     

共享单车预付押金的法律性质及其法律规制

共享单车预付押金收取模式的异变和返还期限的错配与分离，颠覆了“一物一押”的传统押金结构，异变为“一人一押、一物多押”“一辆单车、多份押金”的新型结构，并使共享单车预付押金朝金融化衍变而呈现出类金融色彩。在免押模式尚不足以全面施行的条件下，应采取特殊的规制方法，通过规范押金收取协议，对预付押金进行账户隔离和妥善保管，增强押金收取、存管和退还的信息透明度，合理利用押金孳息建立行业风险基金以及统一监管机构，有效保护共享经济预付押金的财产安全。     

京津冀生态涵养区生态与产业协调发展影响因素分析

[目的]京津冀协同发展国家重大战略将冀北地区的发展确定为承担生态保障与水源涵养功能,文章基于长期以来该区域生态脆弱、经济落后的特征,研究了该生态涵养区生态与产业协调发展的影响因素,目的是为该区域生态建设与产业经济协调发展提供参考。[方法]设置了影响生态建设与产业经济协调发展的规模因素、经济因素、社会因素与政策因素四大类37个影响因素,借助于统计数据,在对数据进行标准化处理的基础上,应用计量经济模型,通过因子分析法将各个因素进行分类归纳为5个公因子,利用SPSS软件回归模拟结果显示各个因素对生态建设与产业经济协调发展的影响作用。[结果]将四大类通过因子分析法的主成分分析,应用计量经济模型模拟,拟合优度较高,影响因素通过分组具有较强的解释力,结果能够很好地反映这些影响因素对生态建设与产业经济协调发展的影响方向与影响程度。[结论]依据定性分析假设与计量模拟分析结果,针对存在的问题与发展机遇,提出对策建议:继续加强生态建设项目的推进、适度扩大产业经营规模、加大生态建设与产业发展投资力度、实施资源节约型生产创新模式以及健全和完善生态与经济协调发展制度。