Information technology and firm performance: mediation role of absorptive capacity and corporate entrepreneurship in manufacturing SMEs

ABSTRACT

The success of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) depends on dynamic capabilities, as it provides opportunities to remain competitive and perform well in the dynamic business environment. Although several studies show the significant positive impacts of dynamic capabilities on firm performance, our knowledge of the underlying mechanism through which IT capabilities affect the firm performance is not yet clear. Applying the dynamic capability view, this study investigates the intervening role of absorptive capacity and corporate entrepreneurship. The data of 417 respondents is collected from medium-sized manufacturing sector SMEs in Punjab, Pakistan. The research hypotheses have been analysed through the structural equation modelling method by using the Smart-PLS software. The research findings show that absorptive capacity and corporate entrepreneurship partially mediates the relationship between IT capabilities and firm performance. Furthermore, the sequential path of IT technical skills, absorptive capacity, corporate entrepreneurship, and firm performance is highly significant as compared to other paths.     

《经济地理》创刊以来的知识溢出特征与变化

基于引证关系,利用知识图谱、社会网络分析等方法,对1981—2019年《经济地理》创刊以来知识溢出的特征与变化规律进行分析。经济地理学研究的专业综合性、学科交叉性特点,在《经济地理》期刊知识溢出的特征与变化中得以充分诠释。期刊知识溢出的作用与变化,不仅体现在促进作者合作网络形成与机构合作关系的深化上,也体现在对城市化、区域经济发展、区域旅游发展等研究领域的推动作用与变化上。期刊知识溢出的特征与变化在其主题构成、作者贡献、机构力量与前沿引领等的探讨中进一步得以明确。具体地,城市化研究的知识溢出作用,从城市化和城镇化、土地利用、生态环境等方面,逐渐转向新型城镇化、城市网络、生态环境、协调发展等主题;区域经济发展研究的知识溢出作用,经历了从经济联系转向产业集群、再转向空间相互作用关系的主题变化;区域旅游发展研究的知识溢出作用,则从旅游资源、旅游业、生态旅游等方面,逐步转向乡村旅游、旅游经济与协调发展等主题。以国家战略与发展政策为主要导向,促进国内经济地理学的研究与发展,是《经济地理》期刊知识溢出的核心内容与集中反映。     

What drives support for self-driving car technology in the United States?

Abstract

Recent advances in automotive technology have made fully automated self-driving cars technologically feasible. Despite offering many benefits such as increased safety, improved fuel efficiency, and greater disability access, public support for self-driving cars remains low. While previous studies find that demographic factors such as age and sex influence self-driving car support, limited research has examined variables that are well known to predict public attitudes toward emerging technology. Using self-report data from a quota sample of American adults (N?=?1008), we find that age and sex are not significantly associated with support for self-driving car policies when controlling for these other variables. Instead, significant predictors of support included trust in automotive institutions and regulatory bodies, recognition of self-driving car benefits, positive affect toward self-driving cars, and a greater perception that human-driven cars are riskier than self-driving cars. Importantly, we also find that individualism is negatively associated with support. That is, people who value personal autonomy and limited government regulation may perceive policies encouraging self-driving car use as threatening to their worldviews. Altogether, our results suggest strategies for encouraging greater public support of self-driving vehicles while also forecasting potential barriers as this technology emerges as a fixture in transportation policy.     

How Does Using a Mobile Device Change Investors’ Reactions to Firm Disclosures?

I examine how characteristics of investors’ information access tools change investors’ reactions to firm disclosures. I examine my research question in the context of information choice (i.e., allowing investors to choose the order of information and sections to read within a disclosure) and spatial layout (i.e., how information is displayed when viewing the disclosure). Results of an experiment are consistent with information choice improving investors’ judgments if the disclosure is viewed on a computer screen. Conversely, and consistent with cognitive overload, information choice harms investors’ judgments if the disclosure is viewed on a smaller screen, such as that of a mobile device. Follow-up experiments show that changing the disclosure presentation to reduce the need to scroll is one way to improve investors’ judgments on a smaller (or mobile) screen. My findings caution firms and regulators about expanding information choice within disclosures without considering the screen size used to access the disclosure.     

Asymmetric volatility spillovers between economic policy uncertainty and stock markets: Evidence from China

This study explores the spillovers between economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and stock market realized volatility (RV). The monthly index of Chinese and US EPU and RV are used to analyze the pairwise directional spillovers. We find that RV is a net receiver that is more vulnerable to shocks from U.S. EPU than to shocks from Chinese EPU. We further decompose the RV into good and bad volatility to test the asymmetric spillover effect between the stock market and EPU. The results suggest that EPU has a bigger effect on bad volatility in the stock market throughout most of the sample period. However, we find that good volatility spillovers become larger during periods of stimulated reform, whereas bad volatility spillovers become larger during periods of international disputes. We show that Chinese stock market volatility is sensitive to both U.S. and Chinese EPU and that the spillover is asymmetric in different periods.     

超声波技术在食品检测中的应用

超声波技术因其具备适应性强、操作简单、设备投资低等优势而被广泛应用于食品检测领域。本文介绍了超声波技术检测食品的原理和在食品检测中的应用价值,并详细阐述了该技术在食品检测中的具体应用,为超声波技术更好的应用于食品检测领域提供参考。     

论广式糖浆皮月饼生产工艺质量控制

糖浆皮月饼因具有品种繁多、色泽鲜明、可塑性强等特点,受到市场认可.本文阐述了糖浆皮月饼在生产中常见的问题及产生这些问题的影响因素.提出只有加强在糖浆皮月饼生产工艺过程中的质量控制,才能保证糖浆皮月饼的质量.     

长三角一体化背景下,“金融+科技”政策研究及产业培育路径分析

以长三角一体化发展为契机,区域内各个城市均在积极推进区域金融中心城市建设,着力打造金融聚集区、金融商务区试点,提升金融资源的集聚能力,完善金融服务功能和创新能力,形成特色鲜明、功能互补的金融产业集群。2019年8月,中共合肥市委、合肥市人民政府正式印发了《合肥市推动长三角地区更高质量一体化发展重点工作推进方案》,其中明文提到要"加快金融一体化",依托滨湖金融小镇等一批金融产业项目,积极引进长三角银行、保险、基金、期货、证券公司等金融机构在合肥设立区域分中心,为基础设施建设、科技创新升级、实体经济发展提供支持。立足合肥的科创及人才优势,安徽省级特色小镇--合肥滨湖金融小镇从设立之初,就确立了"金融+科技"的特色产业定位,本文通过案例分析及共词分析研究,梳理出滨湖金融小镇应重点推进"确立人才优先的产业集聚核心逻辑""实现科创中心与金融中心良性互动""释放金融基础设施项目,助推金融科技落地""监管科技与金融科技齐头并进""构建产业生态圈与金融品牌"等五大特色产业培育路径。     

基于DEA方法的安徽省地方财政科技投入绩效评价

安徽省近年来一直很重视财政科技投入力度,但财政科技投入的逐年增加并没有引导全社会研发投入有相应幅度的增加,这是因为对财政科技投入的效率和产出效果没有专业的评价,导致投入产出效率不高。本文运用数据包络(DEA)方法,通过建立绩效评价指标体系,从横向和纵向两个维度分别对安徽省16个地市和2007-2017年安徽省地方财政科技投入产出进行绩效评价,评价结果显示2007-2017年安徽省地方财政科技投入总体上的投入产出综合效率表现不错,但是分地区的投入效率不够理想。因此建议政府部门优化财政资金管理体系、增加对基础性研究的财政投入、加强对市级财政科技投入的监管等,进一步提高安徽省地方财政科技投入效率。     

Public good agreements under the weakest‐link technology

We analyze the formation of public good agreements under the weakest‐link technology. Whereas policy coordination is not necessary for symmetric players, it matters for asymmetric players; however, this fails in the absence of transfers. By contrast, with a transfer scheme, asymmetry may be an asset for cooperation. We characterize various types and degrees of asymmetry and relate them to the stability of self‐enforcing agreements. Asymmetric distributions of autarky public good provision levels (also representing asymmetric interests in cooperation) that are positively skewed tend to be conducive to the stability of agreements. We show that under such conditions, even a coalition including all players can be stable. However, asymmetries that foster stability (instability) tend to be associated with low (high) gains from cooperation.