Disentangling the effect of services on B2B firm value: Trade-offs of sales,profits, and earnings volatility

In the face of declining business and growing pressures from low-cost competitors, many business-to-business (B2B) manufacturers have moved from their previously successful product-centric strategies to more service-oriented business models. Yet despite their substantial investments in services, firms fail to understand the performance ramifications of these offerings. With a longitudinal data set (2001–2016) of 227 B2B manufacturers listed in the S&P 1500 index, this study disentangles the simultaneous effects of financial-based mechanisms that link the service ratio (i.e., share of a firm's revenue generated from selling services) to firm value. The findings reveal significant trade-offs across these mechanisms. Although the service ratio monotonously boosts sales growth, it has U-shaped curvilinear relationships with profitability and earnings volatility. These effects also depend on industry- and firm-level factors. Industry maturity positively moderates the effects of the service ratio on sales growth and profitability. However, business scope has an adverse effect on the service ratio–profitability relationship. Finally, industry turbulence negatively moderates the effect of services on earnings volatility.     

An alternative approach for portfolio performance evaluation: enabling fund evaluation relative to peer group via Malkiel’s monkey

We propose an implementable portfolio performance evaluation procedure that compares a portfolio with respect to the portfolios constructed by an infinite number of Malkiel’s blindfolded monkeys, or equivalently the whole enumeration of all possible portfolios. We argue that this approach exhibits two main advantages. First, it does not require any benchmark portfolios because a portfolio is being compared to an infinite number of portfolios. Second, it is market condition invariant. Since the market conditions are already reflected in the portfolio performances of an infinite blindfolded monkeys, our measure of portfolio performances is invariant to volatile market conditions.     

Semiparametric time series regression modeling with a diverging number of parameters

Variable selection and error structure determination of a partially linear model with time series errors are important issues. In this paper, we investigate the regression coefficient and autoregressive order shrinkage and selection via the smoothly clipped absolute deviation penalty for a partially linear model with a divergent number of covariates and finite order autoregressive time series errors. Both consistency and asymptotic normality of the proposed penalized estimators are derived. The oracle property of the resultant estimators is proved. Simulation studies are carried out to assess the finite‐sample performance of the proposed procedure. A real data analysis is made to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed procedure as well.     

Microfoundations of companies' dynamic capabilities for environmentally sustainable innovation: Case study insights from high‐tech innovation in science‐based companies

To achieve sustainable development, companies are increasingly putting an emphasis on the creation and the promotion of environmentally sustainable innovations. Environmentally sustainable innovation often involves a significant shift in a new strategic direction. This paper studies this shift from a dynamic capabilities perspective and aims to identify the microfoundations of science‐based companies' dynamic capabilities for high‐tech environmentally sustainable innovations. It investigates the development of high‐tech environmentally sustainable innovations in two distinctive science‐based companies. To scholars, this study provides an in‐depth process analysis, over time, of how and why microfoundations of dynamic capabilities influence the development of a science‐based company's high‐tech environmentally sustainable innovations. To practitioners in science‐based firms, this process study can function as a frame of reference, enabling the tailoring of a strategy for high‐tech environmentally sustainable innovation.     

X频段高频谱纯度频率合成器设计

针对高灵敏度接收机对频率合成器的高技术指标要求，构建了一种融合了直接模拟、直接数字以及间接数字的频率合成技术方案，根据该方案，成功实现了频率合成器的工程研制。通过测试，频率合成器相位噪声达-112 dBc/Hz@5 kHz，杂散抑制优于-75 dBc，频率分辨率小于1 kHz，10 MHz跳频时间约为13 μs，满足了高灵敏度接收机对频率合成器的高技术指标要求，为高纯度频率合成器的实现提供了一条新途径。     

结合像素域JND阈值空间相关性与图像块类型的残差滤波算法

为了更好地将人眼视觉感知特性应用于视频压缩系统，从而去除视频的视觉冗余成分，在利用像素域的恰可察失真(Just Noticeable Distortion,JND)阈值的基础上，结合JND阈值的空间相关性与图像块类型，提出了一种改进的残差滤波算法。该算法首先在像素域计算出每个像素的JND阈值，然后在变换单元(Transform Unit,TU)中挖掘每个像素JND阈值与其周围邻近像素JND阈值之间的空间相关性，再利用索贝儿(Sobel)边缘检测算子将TU分成不同类型的图像块，并且计算出对应的复杂度因子，最后结合上述像素JND阈值的空间相关性和TU复杂度因子对TU残差进行滤波。提出的算法模型可以嵌入到高效率视频编码(High Efficiency Video Coding,HEVC)框架。实验结果表明，在全I帧配置下，提出的算法与标准算法HM16.0相比，在人眼主观感知质量基本一致的情况下，平均可节省16.1%的码率。     

Alternative balanced scorecards built from paradigm models in strategic HRM and employment/industrial relations and used to measure the state of employment relations and HR system performance across U.S. workplaces

This paper constructs alternative balanced scorecards based on high‐performance work system (HPWS) and employment relations system (ERS) models. The models are depicted and compared in diagrams and used as framework skeletons for building separate HPWS and ERS scorecards, intended to provide a detailed data picture of the operational health and performance of an organization's employment/HR system and its operations, processes, and inputs/outputs. The scorecards are filled in with nationally representative data from 2,000+ U.S. workplaces using more than 50 employment/HR indicators, as reported by separate panels of managers and employees. The indicators for each workplace are aggregated into an overall HR/employment system score, ranked from low‐to‐high, and graphed as frequency distributions. These distributions provide a unique snapshot picture of the mean and dispersion of the state of employment relations and HR system performance for companies across the United State. They also reveal that “models matter” since the HPWS and ERS scorecards provide distinctly different evaluation assessments.     

Does air pollution change a firm's business strategy for employing capital and labor?

We examine the impact of air pollution on a firm's capital-labor ratio. We propose the hypothesis that, in dealing with air pollution, a firm responds strategically by using relatively more capital and less labor to contain labor costs and remain competitive in the market. Using a sample of Chinese firms and a satellite-based air pollution metric, we test this hypothesis, and our results confirm it. In addition, we document that the impact of air pollution on the capital-labor ratio is more salient for firms with high economic incentives and close monitoring. Further, we report that to respond to worsening air pollution, a firm uses more capital and substitutes lower-quality labor with more high-quality labor. Finally, after increasing the capital-labor ratio, a firm's value increases, in terms of Tobin's Q, suggesting that the adoption of a higher capital-labor ratio, due to air pollution, is a sound business strategy.     

优化营商环境,推动发展高质量经济

促进中国经济高质量发展的必由之路是优化营商环境,提升区域竞争力。目前我国面临着国际内外的复杂局势,经济未来的发展趋势不容乐观,为此我们要深入落实新的发展理念,建立新的发展思路,构建新的发展格局。优化营商环境应实现建立服务型政府,实现企业经营环节的全覆盖,降低制度性交易成本、建立完善的商业系统生态链、打造具有中国特色的营商环境。     

从被要求做到主动做：群体卷入模型视角下高参与人力资源实践对员工前瞻行为的影响研究

文章以333名员工和68名主管在两时间点进行的配对调查为样本，基于群体卷入模型的研究视角，探析了高参与人力资源实践与员工前瞻行为之间的关系，对员工感知的高参与人力资源实践如何通过员工组织地位感知促进前瞻行为进行了研究。研究结果表明，员工感知的高参与人力资源实践能够正向预测员工的前瞻行为，而员工组织地位感知在这一关系中起完全中介作用。同时，员工主动性人格会削弱组织地位感知对前瞻行为的正向影响，即相对于高主动性人格的员工，主动性人格较低的员工更易受到由高参与人力资源实践导致的组织地位感知的正向影响，进而更多表现前瞻行为。