Automated topic modeling of tourist reviews: Does the Anna Karenina principle apply?

Automated content analysis of online travel reviews allows identification of topics of travelers' satisfaction, yet its domain is not well researched. We suggest that the Anna Karenina principle positing a greater variability of the factors leading to business failure as opposed to those leading to success can be applied to the domain of visitors’ reviews of historic and cultural attractions. The larger variability of issues in reviews of dissatisfied visitors is likely to result in limitations for automated topic modeling. We confirm our proposition using TripAdvisor reviews of the Terracotta Army museum in China, and validate the outcome with two additional sites. The study strongly suggests that application of unsupervised topic mining algorithms to negative reviews may be problematic and the results should be treated with caution. The main themes of dissatisfaction of visitors to all three sites are reported and practical implications for management of the attractions are discussed.     

基于标准数据的创新程度提升路径研究

创新程度在资源配置中的作用日趋明显，但目前创新程度常以专利作为测量值。随着标准在产业发展中引导性增强，作为创新重要产出的标准在创新程度提升中的地位日渐凸显。提出一个以标准数据为依据，通过对标准创新程度值的测量，结合国际国内创新程度四分图模型，研究具体领域创新程度提升路径。以信息技术应用领域标准为分析对象，结合国际标准化组织颁布标准和中国标准，确定信息技术在各应用领域创新现状。结果显示：信息技术在办公系统和银行业务两个领域应用的国际国内创新程度都很低，应在完成产业升级后逐渐淘汰；其在健康关怀领域应用的国际发展前景良好但国内创新程度很低，是重点研究领域。随后，对信息技术在健康关怀领域应用的国际和国内标准具体内容进行对比分析，发现中国与国际发展存在差距，并以国际国内创新程度为依据对位于四分图不同区域的信息技术应用领域创新程度提升提出合理建议。     

Optimal targeting of latent tourism demand segments

This paper identifies for the first time the optimal target markets employing the latent tourism demand expenditure, a novel concept in tourism literature. The study quantifies latent tourism demand between each pair of origin-destination through distinguishing by type of tourism and seasonality. It works with market shares that are estimated via a fractional regression model. Moreover, latent demand is clustered using a market segmentation approach based on a latent class regression. Finally, the optimal target markets are chosen depending on the expected latent tourism expenditure. The result has clear policy implications in terms of which markets are promoted, the optimal channels of communication and the maximum budget for each marketing campaign.     

基于组态视角的众创空间创客集聚机制研究

以江苏省383家众创空间为样本，应用组态思维和QCA方法整合资源与服务两个层面的6个条件，探讨形成众创空间创客集聚差异的多重并发和复杂机理。结果发现：①众创空间高创客集聚存在服务主导型、场地-创客教育主导型、全要素型3个组态，其中，服务主导型、场地-创客教育主导型能深层次、强有力地影响众创空间高创客集聚；②众创空间非高创客集聚存在单纯地产式、单纯线下投资促进、单纯线上投资促进3种组态，且对众创空间非高创客集聚的影响基本相当；③资金资源不充足、场地资源不充足与人员服务不充足在解释非高创客集聚时具有替代作用。     

Predictive regressions under asymmetric loss: Factor augmentation and model selection

This paper discusses the specifics of forecasting using factor-augmented predictive regressions under general loss functions. In line with the literature, we employ principal component analysis to extract factors from the set of predictors. In addition, we also extract information on the volatility of the series to be predicted, since the volatility is forecast-relevant under non-quadratic loss functions. We ensure asymptotic unbiasedness of the forecasts under the relevant loss by estimating the predictive regression through the minimization of the in-sample average loss. Finally, we select the most promising predictors for the series to be forecast by employing an information criterion that is tailored to the relevant loss. Using a large monthly data set for the US economy, we assess the proposed adjustments in a pseudo out-of-sample forecasting exercise for various variables. As expected, the use of estimation under the relevant loss is found to be effective. Using an additional volatility proxy as the predictor and conducting model selection that is tailored to the relevant loss function enhances the forecast performance significantly.     

Non-linear Gaussian sovereign CDS pricing models

Prior literature indicates that quadratic models and the Black–Karasinski model are very promising for CDS pricing. This paper extends these models and the Black [J. Finance 1995, 50, 1371–1376] model for pricing sovereign CDS’s. For all 10 sovereigns in the sample quadratic models best fit CDS spreads in-sample, and a four factor quadratic model can account for the joint effects on CDS spreads of default risk, default loss risk and liquidity risk with no restriction to factors correlation. Liquidity risk appears to affect sovereign CDS spreads. However, quadratic models tend to over-fit some CDS maturities at the expense of other maturities, while the BK model is particularly immune from this tendency. The Black model seems preferable because its out-of-sample performance in the time series dimension is the best.     

Club convergence and drivers of digitalization across Indian states

Disparity in the level of digitalization is a crucial driver of economic inequality in an economy. Although a pocket of its population is still bereft of the benefits of digitalization, India currently has the second highest number of internet subscribers in the world despite the nation's late adoption of digital technology. An accurate assessment of the current state of digitalization in the country is required for devising effective initiatives towards building a Digital India and bridging the nation's internal digital divide. Considering 17 major Indian states and 21 variables for 10 years, we constructed a composite index of digitalization with the help of Principal Component Method (PCM). This paper identifies factors responsible for the digitalization divide across states. In the second part of the analysis, the study confirms, with the help of club convergence test, the absence of overall convergence towards digitalization and the existence of the non-convergent group. This paper also shows that the non-convergent group of states are at the bottom of the ranking table which indicates the need for greater attention to initiatives to bridge the digital divide.     

Risk measures for variable annuities: A hermite series expansion approach

In this study, we propose an efficient approach to the calculation of risk measures for an insurer's liability from writing a variable annuity with guaranteed benefits. Our approach is based on a novel application of the Hermite series expansions on the transition density of a diffusion process to the insurance setting. We compare our method with existing methods in the literature, including the analytical method, spectral method and Green's function method, and illustrate its substantial advantages in calculating risk measures for variable annuities with different guarantee structures. The improved efficiency makes our method flexible to practical implementation in reporting risk measures on a daily basis. We also conduct a sensitivity analysis of the risk measures with respect to key parameters.     

“强监督”还是“搭便车”：自然人大股东如何影响企业专利质量

通过构建改进的知识宽度法测算企业专利质量，并以2007—2016年中国沪深A股上市公司为样本，分析自然人大股东对企业专利质量的影响以及在不同类型企业中其作用的差异性。结果表明，作为“强力监督者”，自然人大股东能够促进企业专利质量提高。但因为其角色由“强监督”转变为“搭便车”，故这种促进作用在国有企业和具有政治关联的企业中并不存在。进一步研究表明，促进作用是通过加强对经理人和研发人员的监督，减少其控制权下投机性创新策略，提升其工作努力程度实现的。研究结论为促进国有企业与民营企业创新能力提升提供相应的政策启示。