Digital Platforms and the Nature of the Firm

Abstract:

Digital platforms turn traditional approaches of the firm, which relied on the wage relation to explain the major difference between firm and market, upside down and underline the advantages of coordination through organization over coordination through market. This study aims to propose a definition of the firm able to integrate, besides the integrated firm, also hybrid forms such as networks of subcontractor/subcontracting firms as well as atypical forms such as digital platforms. By reactivating the firm-boundary problem, this article suggests putting valorization by labor at the heart of the firm’s decisions concerning integration. It suggests therefore a general definition of the firm as a techno-institutional center of capital valorization, provided that firms make profits by means of the appropriation of labor incorporated into their (productive, structural, intellectual) capital through institutional arrangements. By stressing the relation of production between the owners of the means of production and the direct producers, the approach of the firm supported here should allow to cover the different existing models of the firm, from the classical firm to hybrid models, around which the boundary debate has revolved, to digital platforms.     

The construction of a composite index for general satisfaction in Turkey and the investigation of its determinants

The goal of public enterprises is to increase the wealth and happiness of individuals. This target lets them make the investment to fulfill these expectations. However, not all citizens in a country might have the same opportunities. This case requires comparing citizens who live in cities with regard to satisfaction levels. This study consists of two stages. In the first stage, a composite index called the General Satisfaction Index (GSI), which aims to explain the satisfaction levels of citizens living in cities, is obtained by using the Benefit of the Doubt method. Contrary to the previous studies, the satisfaction indicators based on the emotions and senses of citizens are used to construct a composite index. Satisfaction indicators’ contribution to GSI is ensured using the minimum weights. In the second stage of this study, socioeconomic determinants of GSI are investigated in both countrywide and regions by using regularized regression methods. In the result of the regression analyze, it is confirmed that there are different socioeconomic determinants of satisfaction levels for countrywide and each region. For this reason, it is proposed that policymakers should follow different politicizes in each region to increase the satisfaction levels of citizens in the country.     

可持续生计视角下易地搬迁精准扶贫效果评价

易地搬迁是我国实施精准扶贫政策的重要手段之一。以湖北省十堰市龙韵村115户搬迁农户为研究对象,对其搬迁前后的生计资本、生计策略以及生计结果分别进行对比,分析政策实施对搬迁农户生计的改善情况,并通过移民农户对扶贫搬迁政策的满意度评价扶贫效果。结果表明:(1)易地扶贫搬迁促进了移民生计资本的增加,改变了农户生计策略,优化了贫困户整体生计结果,精准扶贫效果显著;(2)农户对易地搬迁扶贫政策效果的整体满意度较高,均值为3.71,提升了贫困户的获得感及幸福感;(3)易地搬迁可持续减贫仍存在一定的制约因素,需要防范返贫风险。     

Parking futures: Preparing European cities for the advent of automated vehicles

The introduction of automated vehicles (AVs) is a virtual certainty. Much less certain is the timing of their introduction and how rapid the transition to full automation will be. Various governments are already working to facilitate this shift by, for example, amending and elaborating regulations to support the introduction of AVs, or supporting tests in different urban environments. Meanwhile, urban and regional planners and decision-makers are still grappling with the uncertainties and differing opinions about the possible impacts of AVs on land-use changes and location choices, particularly in relation to the space available for vehicles, both moving (i.e. roadspace) and stationary (i.e. parking space). This paper uses a backcasting approach to identify critical policy decisions and measures to be taken before the implementation of AVs, so as to achieve a more desirable, attractive and high-quality city. These policy measures primarily relate to the reuse and reallocation of parking and roadspace. Two strategic decisions are found to be essential to meet the major goals of sustainable and liveable cities: a clear commitment to a shared mobility and the delimitation of Core Attractive Mixed-use Spaces (CAMS). In order to deliver these desired urbanisation patterns, a set of three policy paths, involving eight policy packages, is proposed for the next 20–30 years. This article provides urban and regional decision-makers with examples of interventions that can be implemented beyond and during the implementation of AVs.     

Estimating the potential impact of requiring a stand-alone board-level risk committee

Motivated by the requirement under the Dodd-Frank Act that all large bank holding companies create a stand-alone, board-level risk committee, this paper investigates the association between such a committee and regulatory risk both before and during the financial crisis. I focus the analysis on the set of banks that did not have a risk committee in place prior to the Dodd-Frank Act, as these are the banks that were most affected by the regulation. I find that matched control banks with a risk committee in place had higher capital ratios during the financial crisis, but lower capital ratios during more stable economic conditions relative to the banks without a risk committee. This paper contributes to the literature by narrowly investigating the effects a board-level risk committee, by focusing on a risk measure that is of interest to the regulators who implemented the new regulation, and by documenting that this association changes over time which highlights the importance of estimating the effects of new regulations across different economic conditions.     

离差交易的实证研究与探讨

离差策略是一种对冲交易策略，它是利用股指期权和一揽子股票期权（或部分成分股构成的ETF期权）之间的隐含相关系数，获悉市场成分股期权和股指期权波动率高低的相对关系，再在成分股期权和股指期权建立相反的头寸。离差交易策略选择暴露的风险因子就是隐含相关系数，离差交易使用的是对冲的平价跨式期权交易。选用2006年5月18日至2014年7月17日前复权的沪深300股指、上证50指数和上证180指数作为样本，进行实证检验。虽然结果显著性较强，但不排除存在模型不稳定性以及由于数据不充分造成对相关系数及波动率估计的偏误。同时，离差交易使用的是对冲的平价跨式期权交易，所以组合暴露较小的Delta风险。若离差交易涉及较大的资金量时，则需要用标的资产对组合进行动态Delta中性对冲。     

省级以上土地开发整理项目实施现状及对策——以江苏省如东县为例

以江苏省如东县2001-2013年16个省级以上土地开发整理项目为例,项目实施过程中存在规划设计先天不足、前期准备不细不实、监管不到位、按期竣工难等问题。对比2007年前后项目实施的改革措施,提出四项保证省级以上土地开发整理项目的顺利实施对策:(1)从项目组织者、资金管理和参与者角色等方面调整项目实施管理办法模式;(2)强化基层村组群众参与、质量申报和重点申报意识;(3)从预算审核、报账审查和竣工验收三方面加强资金管理;(4)从廉政建设、项目法人、项目审计、档案管理和综合效益评价等方面完善制度建设。     

网络流行语中民众网络话语权研究

网络流行语作为网络文化的产物，映射当下现代文明的各类现状。通过挖掘网络流行语内在起因、情境和心理，以反沉默螺旋法则为理论依据，研究当代民众网络话语权的产生、表达方式和表达心态以及相关应对机制。希望通过本研究对我国社会行政管理科学化进程有所助益。     

加强师德师风建设提高以德治校能力

教育大计，教师为本；教师培养，师德师风为先。师德师风建设是高校思想政治教育的重要内容，是进一步推动廉政文化进校园工作的重中之重，是增强以德治校水平和提高以德治校能力的关键，是贯彻落实学校党风廉政建设和深入推进反腐败工作的重要举措。