How well did the new Sumitomo Electric project ranking method predict performance?

The development and implementation of a new R&D project scoring method (NS-method) within Sumitomo Electric Industries was introduced in a previous report. This paper evaluates the NS-method's effectiveness by comparing the information generated by application to 146 projects in 1997 with the project achievements in 2000. The test results revealed that the NS-method's evaluation scores were correlated to the performance indicators such as the gross profit and R&D productivity. It also showed that, when projects are classified into three groups (i.e., Top, Middle, Bottom) according to the forecast data generated by the NS-method, the projects in the Top category had higher actual productivity ratios and success rates than those in the Bottom category.     

Proposal of industrial research and development performance indices

To express research and development performance, R&D efficiency and R&D cash flow are proposed as indices. These indices reflect the connection between investment and its results more clearly than conventional indices such as R&D expenditure-to-sales ratio. For this attribute, the proposed indices are expected to be particularly useful in demonstrating the R&D division's accountability to other divisions and work within the R&D division toward R&D efficiency improvement.     

Migration Turnarounds and Schedule Changes in Japan, Sweden and Canada

Little progress has been made in convincingly identifying the common determinants of the simultaneous migration turnarounds observed in almost all advanced countries. It is likely, however, that the turnarounds occurred in close relation to changes in the age patterns of the migration rates (or migration schedules). This paper examines the main causes of migration schedule changes by applying a model migration schedule to inter-regional migration data from Japan, Sweden and Canada. The general decline of overall mobility defined by the gross migraproduction rate is common to the three countries. It was clarified that young adults' peak migration rate played a prominent role in changing migration schedules during the decades of the migration turnarounds.     

Assessment of passenger benefits brought about by international airport projects

This study sets forth a method to calculate the passenger benefits of an international airport project and assesses the passenger benefits brought about by two international airport projects.An international airport project mainly increases the number of flights and the possibility of determining convenient timetables. It does not significantly decrease the flight time of international travel. Thus, the user benefits brought about by an international airport project cannot be expressed by the conventional concept of ‘traveling time’, which is the term generally used.In this study, the ‘Expected Value of Traveling Time’ and ‘Expected Value of Generalized Cost’ are presented as indexes to evaluate improvements in convenience brought about by international airport projects. The passenger benefits of two airport projects in Japan are measured by consumer surplus calculated from the demand function using these indexes.These indexes are accurately calculated taking into consideration factors such as scheduling connections between domestic and international transport, and so enable a grasp not only of reductions in flight time, but also of passenger benefits resulting from international airport projects, such as increases in the number of flights and reductions in the time required to make transfers during domestic travel.     

Development and application of a new methodology of evaluating industrial R&D projects

This paper proposes a new methodology of evaluating industrial R&D projects to assess the effectiveness of future R&D in terms of financial credibility, to prioritize them efficiently by clear criteria to reduce the time and burden consumed by both project leaders and management staffs. A new methodology has been developed and applied to all Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI) R&D projects, and is recognized as a useful system for evaluating many R&D projects in a short period, such as 150 projects per month.     

Detecting motives for cooperation in public goods experiments

This study clarifies the types of motives that are important as a source of cooperation in a linear public goods experiment. Our experimental design separates contributions into those due to confusion, one-shot motives (which includes altruism, warm-glow, inequality aversion, and conditional cooperation), and multi-round motives (which includes a strategic motive under incomplete information, a failure of backward induction, and reciprocity). The experiment reveals that multi-round motives plays an important role in driving cooperative behavior. Confusion and one-shot motives play a minor role.     

Terms of trade and full capacity growth in a resource-importing economy

The paper deals with a neoclassical growth model of an economy which has to import all the natural resources needed as nonsubstitutable industrial inputs in proportion to gross output. Depending on the internal and external conditions, one of two contrasting economic paths prevails: (1) a path with rising terms of trade and increasing capital/output ratio and (2) a path with falling terms of trade and declining capital/output ratio that could lead to ‘immiserising growth.’ Certain boundary conditions that distinguish the two cases are discussed.     

A rebuttal to “Nuclear future—A case of method bias?”

A rebuttal to Mr. Sven Hunhammar's technical note is offered. It is stressed that the Nitta and Yoda paper intended to present a holistic scenario of the projected energy shortage without expressing any preference for any particular energy generating technology or forecasting method. Also, the authors explain that their representation of the growth rate in solar cell production accurately represents historical reality.     

Using a competency approach to understand host-country national managers in Asia

This study empirically explored host-country nationals (HCNs) in multinational enterprises (MNEs) using a competency approach. Participants consisted of 500 managers working for a leading Japanese retail MNE, with 100 each from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand. The study highlighted three competency variables for 12 skills of those managers: (1) the level of competency demands, (2) the level of developed competencies and (3) the level of competency improvement needs as assessed by the difference between the levels of developed competencies and the levels of corresponding competency demands. Three conclusions were drawn: First, relationship skills are the most demanded and developed competency of HCN managers in Asia, while their levels tend to vary with Asian countries. Second, goal-setting skills are also very important competency demands but are insufficiently developed by HCN managers. Therefore, HCN managers need to improve their goal-setting skills to a great degree as a top priority. Third, interpersonal and behavioral competency areas of the 12 skills are more important demands for HCN managers than analytical and perceptual competency areas. Based on the empirical evidence obtained from this study, theoretical and practical implications were discussed.