内部控制信息披露质量与资本成本

构建基于熵模型计量的内部控制信息披露质量指数,在此基础上,针对2008-2011年度上市公司内部控制信息披露的情况,实证检验了内部控制信息披露质量与资本成本之间的关系.检验结果发现,自2009年开始,内部控制信息披露质量越高的上市公司,在同等条件下的资本成本更低,这说明市场已经开始对内部控制信息予以足够的关注,意味着内部控制信息披露不仅给上市公司带来负担,也给上市公司带来潜在的利好.     

The association between continuing professional education and financial performance of public accounting firms

This study investigates the relationship between continuing professional education (CPE), a mechanism of professional training, and financial performance of public accounting firms. Both training subject (partner and assistant) and training location (internal and external) are included. Public accounting firms are categorized as big, medium, and small-sized ones. Empirical data are obtained from the 1992–1995 Survey Report of Public Accounting Firms in Taiwan, published by the Financial Supervisory Commission, Executive Yuan, Taiwan, ROC. Univariate test and multiple-regression model are employed to examine the financial performance effects of CPE. Main results indicate that both professional training of assistants and external professional training are positively related to financial performance in big-sized firms. Next, we document a significantly positive association between internal training of assistants and financial performance in either big-, medium-, or small-sized firms. Finally, both external professional training of partners in big-sized firms and external professional training of assistants in small-sized firms are positively related to financial performance. Few prior studies investigate professional training of public accounting firms by a regression model due to availability of empirical data. Accordingly, evidences obtained in this study provide useful information to partners for decision-making in public accounting firms under the considerably competitive audit market.     

Sequential estimation of a location parameter and powers of a scale parameter from delayed observations

The problem of sequentially estimating a location parameter and powers of a scale parameter is considered in the case when the observations become available at random times. Certain classes of sequential estimation procedures are derived under an invariant balanced loss function and with the observation cost determined by a convex function of the stopping time and the number of observations up to that time.     

Your Place in Space: Classroom Experiment on Spatial Location Theory

The authors detail an urban economics experiment that is easily run in the classroom. The experiment has a flexible design that allows the instructor to explore how congestion, zoning, public transportation, and taxation levels determine the bid–rent function. Heterogeneous agents in the experiment compete for land use using a simple auction mechanism. Using the data that is collected, a bid–rent function is derived, and the experimental treatment is altered over the course of three sessions to uncover core concepts in urban economics. Moreover, this provides a tangible experience that can be used to help undergraduates relate to urban issues such as the steep rent gradient found around many larger colleges and universities.     

Applying multiple regression analysis to the forecasting of grocery store sales: an application and critical appraisal

Multiple regression analysis is applied to an analysis of the trading performance of a chain of grocery stores in the north-east of England. The performance of stores outside the conurbations is shown to be related to characteristics of the OPCS ‘urban-areas’ in which the stores are located, and a way is presented of modelling the effect of competition from within and outside these centres.

A high degree of statistical explanation is achieved, and the methodology used is defended against criticisms that can be levelled at many of other multiple regression analyses of store performance. Caution is nevertheless advised against the application of the model to forecasting the performance of new stores, although a range of applications are suggested whereby the implications of changes in the trading circumstances of existing stores might be examined.     

RECOVERING PORTFOLIO DEFAULT INTENSITIES IMPLIED BY CDO QUOTES

We propose a stable nonparametric algorithm for the calibration of “top‐down” pricing models for portfolio credit derivatives: given a set of observations of market spreads for collateralized debt obligation (CDO) tranches, we construct a risk‐neutral default intensity process for the portfolio underlying the CDO which matches these observations, by looking for the risk‐neutral loss process “closest” to a prior loss process, verifying the calibration constraints. We formalize the problem in terms of minimization of relative entropy with respect to the prior under calibration constraints and use convex duality methods to solve the problem: the dual problem is shown to be an intensity control problem, characterized in terms of a Hamilton–Jacobi system of differential equations, for which we present an analytical solution. Given a set of observed CDO tranche spreads, our method allows to construct a default intensity process which leads to tranche spreads consistent with the observations. We illustrate our method on ITRAXX index data: our results reveal strong evidence for the dependence of loss transitions rates on the previous number of defaults, and offer quantitative evidence for contagion effects in the (risk‐neutral) loss process.     

Moldflow在盒盖翘曲变形优化设计中的应用

本文以盒盖为例,借助模流分析软件Moldflow,对盒盖进行翘曲变形分析,得出产生翘曲变形主要是由取向不均和收缩不均引起的,通过对不同方案浇口位置和数量的比较,优化浇口位置,改善材料熔体的流动方向取向,调整保压曲线,有效地减少翘曲变形,达到了预期地变形目标值,为模具开发提供了依据。     

北京市入境旅游与饭店旅行社的耦合协调度研究

基于2001—2010年北京市入境旅游和饭店旅行社的各指标数据,首先通过相关分析,筛选出与北京市入境旅游发展存在相关关系的饭店旅行社参量,然后借助熵值法,计算出各个参量的权重及评价值,最后建立耦合协调度模型,对入境旅游—饭店旅行社的耦合协调度进行了实证研究。结果发现,十年间,其耦合度一直处于拮抗阶段,但耦合协调度水平变化幅度较大,2003年达到低谷,属于中度失调,2010年达到最高值,属于中级协调。因此,北京市饭店旅行社的发展仍不能有效的支撑其入境旅游的发展,亟待提升和完善。     

金融信息风险决策中的熵应用

由于金融信息决策问题的环境存在许多不确定因素,因此就有风险型决策。对风险型决策采用的是概率统计方法,所依据的是期望值准则。然而,复杂的现实生活不断向我们提出这样的问题:依据期望值准则所作出的决策,其不确定性的程度到底有多大?能否寻找到不确定性程度较低的决策方法?本文通过对熵的引入与应用,提出了金融信息风险决策中产生高熵的几个主要因素,同时给出了决策中使系统不确定性的度量——熵变小的方法,使信息管理决策中的熵思想得到广泛的应用。     

Geographical location and urbanisation of the Swedish manufacturing industry, 1900–1960: evidence from a new database

Abstract

This article introduces a new database, based on official statistics, of regional manufacturing industries in Sweden. We employ this database to examine the distribution of manufacturing activity across Swedish regions and cities, 1900–1960. Over this period we observe an increasing concentration of manufacturing activities, reaching a peak around 1940, across the northern, southern and western parts (NUTS-I areas) of Sweden. Over the same period, the North-South divide in terms of manufacturing employment grew larger. Across counties (NUTS-III) and cities we, however, observe two shorter periods of convergence of manufacturing activities, in the early twentieth century and in the post-war period, whereas the inter-war period was characterised by divergence. These developments occurred to the backdrop of the urbanisation of industry in Sweden, as the rural share of manufacturing employment declined from roughly 60 to 25% between 1900 and 1960. We also find that the regional patterns of individual industries over time followed different trajectories, suggesting that that the determinants of industry location differed significantly across industries.