Changing patterns of transfers in Slovenia in the last three decades: transition from a socialist economy to a market economy

Rapid population ageing increases interest in economic flows across ages and intergenerational transfers in general. This article uses the National Transfer Accounts methodology to measure consumption and production at each age, and how the difference between consumption and production is financed through (private and public) transfers and the interaction with assets, i.e. ‘asset-based reallocations’. During working ages, people earn more than they consume and with the surplus they finance the deficit of the young and old generations who consume more than they produce. Such a pattern of economic dependency is universal across countries and across time, but huge differences exist in the ages at which individuals produce more than they consume and vice versa. Moreover, the importance of private and public transfers and asset-based reallocations varies across countries and times. In the last three decades, life expectancy at birth in Slovenia increased by 9.3 years, while the age span in which production exceeds consumption narrowed rather than increased. Child dependents are predominantly financed by private transfers, whereas the elderly mainly rely on public transfers. Young and old individuals increasingly rely on public transfers. Together with rapid population ageing, this is likely to jeopardise the public finance system in the future.     

Access to Finance,Financial Development and Firm Ability to Export: Experience from Asia–Pacific Countries

With particular reference to Asia–Pacific countries, the present study examines how access to finance and financial development affects firms’ ability to enter export markets. Using firm‐level data from the World Bank Enterprises Survey, we found that access to finance plays a significant role in improving firms’ ability to export. In addition, development of the financial sector fosters export market entry. Among the financial development indicators, reach of the banking sector variable is most prominent. The present study suggests that improvements in access to finance and financial development (increases in the reach of the banking sector) enable firms operating away from capital or major cities to enter export markets easily. The present study supports policy intervention to strengthen access to the financial sector, which would encourage firms to export, and to facilitate export market entry for remotely located firms.     

互联网金融规制与市场有效性改善*——来自中国网络借贷行业的证据

中国的互联网金融经历了一个先创新发展后监管规制的过程，本文通过对网络借贷行业的实证研究，分析监管规则的出台实施对新型互联网融资市场有效性的影响。实证结果表明，网络借贷平台资金的银行存管、持有ICP证等强制性规定缓解了投资者、平台企业与借款人之间的信息不对称，对克服早期平台间通过竞相承诺高回报率来吸引投资者导致的“柠檬市场”问题、对解决网贷市场上缺乏平台风险性高低有效信号的问题都起到了正向作用，有助于互联网融资市场的有效性提高。     

基于双重约束的区域耕地整理适宜性评价研究

[目的]科学合理的适宜性评价是确保耕地整理能够有效开展的前提条件,同时对于我国的耕地保护与粮食安全保障也具有极为重要的意义。[方法]该研究首先选取可以反映区域耕地整理适宜性的指标因子,然后参考胡学东提出的约束条件评价模型,引入区域生态安全和社会经济双重约束,对研究区域在双重约束下的耕地整理适宜性进行评价,并通过K-Means聚类法将研究区域的耕地整理适宜性分区进行合理划分。[结果]生态安全约束和社会经济约束对区域耕地整理适宜性水平具有重大影响,高生态安全约束与高社会经济约束会降低耕地整理的适宜性,低生态安全约束与低社会经济约束会提高耕地整理的适宜性。[结论]引入生态安全约束和社会经济约束后,可以在一定程度上反映山地区域在社会经济与生态安全双重约束状态下的耕地整理适宜性情况,耕地整理适宜性评价结果更加符合当地实际情况,约束条件评价模型可以更加合理准确地对处于约束条件下的耕地整理适宜性进行评价,是对耕地整理适宜性评价方法的丰富与完善。     

Reciprocity between soccer events and visited destination in a border context

ABSTRACT

The study proposes a conceptual model based on hypothesized relationships among team fanship, satisfaction with the event, and host city as antecedents of behavioral intentions in the United States–Mexico border context. The analysis used data from 290 visitors who attended three soccer games of the Xoloitzcuintles team of Tijuana. The results revealed (1) the emotions felt at the visited destination had significant influences on fanship, satisfaction with event venue, and intentional behavior; (2) fanship and event satisfaction do not seem to influence the visitors’ intentions to return and recommend the visited place; (3) gender and duration of the stay showed a significant moderating function.     

中国海外耕地投资的区位特征及其影响因素*——基于2000—2016年土地矩阵网络数据

［目的］分析中国海外耕地投资的区位特征及其影响因素，以促进我国海外耕地投资的合理布局，提高农业投资效率。［方法］以2000—2016年中国137宗海外耕地投资项目及其所涉及的35个东道国作为研究样本，运用Spearman相关分析方法，分别以耕地投资面积和耕地投资项目数量作因变量，研究其与各影响因素的相关关系，并用对应分析法进一步探究各东道国的相对优势。［结果］（1）我国海外耕地投资区域集中在东南亚且由周边国家向外扩展，被投资耕地用途多样，投资规模自2004年开始急剧上升，近年来呈下降趋势。（2）我国海外耕地投资以效率寻求型和市场寻求型为主，倾向于资源丰富、与我国距离较近、制度相似、经济关系良好但发展水平不高的国家。（3）根据各地区的比较优势，亚洲国家适合效率寻求型和市场寻求型的企业投资，欧洲和美洲国家适合资源寻求型和战略资产寻求型的企业投资，非洲国家适合资源寻求型、效率寻求型和市场寻求型的企业投资。［结论］中国农业企业应结合企业投资目标和各地区的比较优势，合理选择投资区位，适时转变投资策略与模式，积极防范海外耕地投资过程中的自然风险、政治环境风险和道德风险等，以提高投资效果。     

Localism and the Big Society: the asset transfer of leisure centres and libraries – fighting closures or empowering communities?

This paper critically examines the ‘asset transfer’ of leisure services from the public to the voluntary sector. Asset transfer might be theorised as ‘austerity localism’, in which volunteers are obliged to fill the gaps left by retreating public provision, or as ‘progressive localism’, which represents new opportunities through the localism and Big Society agendas to develop more locally responsive, cooperative and mutualist visions. In this way, asset transfer might overcome the limitations of the United Kingdom policies in which ‘Big Government’ is replaced by civic society. Drawing on qualitative interviews with key personnel (volunteers, managers and local authority officers) at 12 leisure facilities, a grounded assessment of the nuanced balance between ‘austerity localism’ and ‘progressive localism’ is provided, including three observations. First, the main impetus for transfer was cuts in local authority budgets which stimulated the emergence of local groups of volunteers. Secondly, the transfers themselves required interaction between local government and the volunteer groups; however, the nature of the relationship and support given varied and support was limited by austerity measures. Thirdly, volunteers do not automatically fill a gap left by the state: without support transfer viability relies on the financial and social capital among volunteer groups, and this is unevenly distributed. These findings suggest that the capacity for a ‘progressive localism’ to emerge through asset transfer is limited. However, where transfer has occurred, there are some progressive benefits of volunteer empowerment and a more flexible service.     

新制度经济学视角下的中国农地制度变迁：回顾与展望

研究目的:分析总结中国农地制度变迁的路径特征、决定条件和影响因素,并展望进一步研究方向。研究方法:文献分析法。研究结果:(1)改革开放以来的中国农地制度变迁呈现出一个较清晰的路径,即改革始终沿着市场取向、明晰产权、稳定地权的方向演进;(2)农地使用权制度改革的成功源于诱致性变迁与强制性变迁的结合,即弹性的中央政策制定、渐进式的地方实施以及具有学习效应的农户认知三者的有机互动,并体现出制度变迁的"共生演化"特征及其蕴含的"适应性效率";(3)新制度经济学是解释中国经济改革和农地制度变迁的有效工具,然而由于经典的新制度经济学本质上的静态性以及国家理论的缺乏,难以对现实世界的各类制度变迁给出一般化的解释。研究结论:基于经典的新制度经济学,进一步整合行为经济学、机制设计理论、演化博弈论等理论工具,超越"强制性—诱致性变迁"二分法,构建一个真正动态的制度变迁模型是一个重要研究方向。     

Examining the influencing factors of intention to share accommodations in online hospitality exchange networks

ABSTRACT

CouchSurfing is a free social-network-based online hospitality exchange network, aptly representing a new sharing economy phenomenon. Based on social capital theory and previous literature, this study attempts to answer why hosts help strangers without any expected economic benefit within online hospitality exchange networks. An empirical study based on a Web survey conducted with CouchSurfing hosts reveals that the most identified antecedents (enjoy helping, shared narratives, desire to make friends, and reciprocity) are significantly related to hosts’ intention to share accommodations. Interestingly, the overshadowing effect of trust in CouchSurfing on the intention to share accommodations is also found.     

Empirical study on Chinese tourists’ perceived trust and intention to use biometric technology

This paper presents a theoretical model based on the Technology Acceptance Model combined with a perceived trust model. SPSS 23 and Amos 22 were used to analyze Chinese tourists’ responses regarding use of biometric technology in hotels and to assess whether their perception of trust – measured through five potential factors – affected their intention to use it. Chinese tourists traveling in Macau were recruited, and three types of biological identification technology were discussed. A total of 600 questionnaires were sent out, and 583 effective questionnaires were recovered. The results that in addition to perceived ease of use, other factors affected visitors’ perceptions of trust. The degrees of effectiveness, however, differed between the three biological identification technologies. Fingerprint technology was revealed to be the most trusted and accepted biometric technology.