Futures research and social decision making: Alternative futures as a case study

This article clarifies some basic features of futures research in order to make explicit the relation between futures research and social development in general as well as political planning and decision making in particular. Three paradigms for futures research are described and, as an example of an emancipatory futures research project, ‘Alternative futures’ will be introduced.     

内部审计研究述评:2003—2009

2003—2009年,我国学者关于内部审计的学术研究取得了重大进展,形成了围绕内部控制的清晰脉络。热点集中在内部审计的职能、外包,以及内部审计与公司治理、风险管理、内部控制的相互嵌合方面,内涵也随着内部控制的发展而不断丰富。未来内部审计将在实现技术和相关理论综合上有所突破,有关内部审计人员的研究也将其作为研究方向之一。     

The study of futures, and the analysis of power

This study attempts to find out in which direction global power distribution is shifting. This is expected to shed light on the chances we have to build a democratic, ecologically sustainable and socially just world future society. The paper raises and explores, to some extent, three questions: (1) Who is the emerging global ruling class, and does it develop some sort of class consciousness? (2) What are the means used by the global ruling class in the class struggle? and (3) What are likely consequences for the future of global society?     

Corporate governance,financing and gender: A study of SMEs from Argentinean Securities Markets

The objective of this work is to study corporate governance (CG) and the financing of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) from a gender perspective. Particularly, the participation of women in the holding, administration (board of directors and senior management), and external audit of the SMEs that participate in the Argentinian stock markets is analyzed. The results show that there are significant relations between the participation of women in ownership, external audits, and financing decisions. However, no relation is found between the participation of women at the different levels of the CG.     

An empirical analysis of the supply of liquidity by locals in futures markets: Evidence from the Sydney Futures Exchange

Contrary to the received view of market makers in theoretical literature, this study provides direct evidence that locals on the Sydney Futures Exchange (SFE) do not trade exclusively as passive market participants. In fact, rather than act purely as market makers, locals as a group are almost as likely to demand as supply liquidity. Further, locals trading on the floor of the SFE are less likely to supply liquidity when bid–ask spreads, trading frequency and price volatility are high, as well as around information announcements. These findings are consistent with aggressive trading by locals on the basis of a short-lived information advantage. This study also documents considerable diversity in the propensity of locals to supply liquidity, finding that it is related to the quantity, frequency and average size of their trading activity.     

The past and the possible futures of Futures Studies: Some thoughts on Ziauddin Sardar's ‘the namesake’

The need to explain the concepts and terms used in Futures Studies, as in other sciences, has existed for a long time. But the necessity to do so has increased since the Second World War and is clearly important in recent debates among different groups involved in the field. This article traces the historical timeline of some of these terms in relation to the social and cultural contexts in which they were coined and first used. It argues that concepts and terms used in Futures Studies are mainly of Western origin and suggests that research should be conducted in different social and cultural contexts for concepts and terms embedded, and possibly used, in cultures different from that of the West. The article also suggests that some sort of ‘liberation movement’ should be started in this direction.     

Intraday price reversals in the US stock index futures market: A 15-year study

This paper gives a long-term assessment of intraday price reversals in the US stock index futures market following large price changes at the market open. We find highly significant intraday price reversals over a 15-year period (November 1987–September 2002) as well as significant intraday reversals in our yearly and day-of-the-week investigations. Moreover, the strength of the intraday overreaction phenomenon seems more pronounced following large positive price changes at the market open. That being said, the question of whether a trader can consistently profit from this information remains open as the significance of intraday price reversals is sharply reduced when gross trading results are adjusted by a bid–ask proxy for transactions costs.     

Form,change, and information: Qualitative dynamics in futures research

Certain concepts of qualitative dynamics can be useful aids in the comparison, evaluation, and understanding of long-range forecasts; primarily the implications of these forecasts (as opposed to their means of construction, assumptions, or validity). This usefulness is demonstrated by the application of qualitative dynamics (the topology of catastrophe theory) to the forecasts of the Kahn group and the Meadows group.     

Financialization and de-financialization of commodity futures: A quantile regression approach

This study employs a quantile regression approach to examine the financialization of commodity futures. We confirm a strong degree of dependence in energy commodities from 2004 to 2013, with moderate effects in metals and lesser magnitudes in agriculture. Our findings show a strengthening in the financialization of energy commodities during the 2008–2009 global financial crisis, while there were weaker effects in agriculture and a decoupling or de-financialization in metal markets. The findings reveal the de-financialization of metals and agricultural markets from 2014 to 2017, after the 2013 closure of commodity trading units on Wall Street. Overall, our findings cast doubt on the diversification benefits of energy-dominated commodity indices after 2013. We argue the impact of financialization on commodity futures markets is more permanent than previously thought.     

Early detection,warnings, weak signals and seeds of change: A turbulent domain of futures studies

This paper marks a milestone in a six year research cycle on weak signal analysis and early detection issues in futures studies. While providing a broad view and discussing a variety of contributions on this topic, the aim of this article is to offer a more constructivist approach to early detection studies than has been typically the case so far. The article starts by positioning the underlying problem of weak signals within the broader field of futures studies. The second section examines the Ansoffian tradition, first on the basis of Ansoff's own contributions, then through key enhancements offered by scholars working in the same perspective. The third section develops the arguments for a constructivist critique of the Ansoffian tradition as a way to renew and enrich scientific debate. The fourth and final section presents the main open issues where research, case studies, methods and applications still need to make significant progress in the vast domain of weak signal analysis and early detection.

“I have never doubted the truth of signs, Adso; they are the only thing man has with which to orient himself in the world. What I did not understand was the relation among signs.” William of Baskerville, in the Name of the Rose¹

     

A Model of Returns and Trading in Futures Markets

This paper develops an equilibrium model of a competitive futures market in which investors trade to hedge positions and to speculate on their private information. Equilibrium return and trading patterns are examined. (1) In markets where the information asymmetry among investors is small, the return volatility of a futures contract decreases with time-to-maturity (i.e., the Samuelson effect holds). (2) However, in markets where the information asymmetry among investors is large, the Samuelson effect need not hold. (3) Additionally, the model generates rich time-to-maturity patterns in open interest and spot price volatility that are consistent with empirical findings.     

Toward a simulated replica of futures: Classification and possible trajectories of simulation in futures studies

Simulation is likely to become a prominent method of theory development. Futures studies have used simulation in different ways such as evaluating scenarios. Nonetheless, the central attributes of computer simulation such as reductionism-based abstraction, determinism and elimination of stakeholders are the main barriers of successful implementation of simulation in FS. In this paper, we would paint the plausible evolutionary panorama of futures of simulation in futures studies after looking at the role of simulation in FS so far. The possible mechanisms and partnerships required to be applied to grapple the above-mentioned difficulties will be enumerated and investigated. These, in three categories, comprise firstly, human-machine interactions such as quasi-game simulations, and scenario visualization, secondly, large-network simulations including crowd sourcing, and thirdly, simulation platforms for replication of emergence. Ergo, crafting a classification of simulation in futures studies and the possible developments will be the main contribution of this paper. A novel double diamond classification will be presented as well which reflects the past and plausible futures of simulation in futures studies.     

世界黄金期货市场、工具与法规政策环境的比较分析

本文比较了世界主要黄金期货市场、投资工具与各国黄金市场法规政策环境,分析了不同的市场条件、法规政策环境对本国黄金期货市场发展产生的影响,探讨了成为国际性黄金期货市场应具备的基本要素:现货市场发展程度、市场规模、现货商影响力对黄金衍生工具的发展产生重要影响;外汇管制政策和进出口政策对确定本国黄金期货市场是国际性市场还是区域性市场起到关键性作用;黄金市场流通、增值税、监管政策对确定本国各类黄金市场交易的活跃度产生关键性作用。     

期货市场交易结构、价格形成机制及其效率研究

做市商机制和连续竞价机制是现代期货市场主流的两类交易机制，连续竞价机制则成本较低，价格信号反应灵敏；做市商机制透明、公正，市场连续性较好，代表着期货市场交易机制的未来发展方向。通过对期货市场微观交易结构及价格形成机制的模型研究，结合我国的实际情况，比较考察了几种典型的期货交易机制在不同交易结构下的价格形成效率，对我国期货市场转型完善时期具有现实意义。     

Interdependence and dynamics in currency futures markets: A multivariate analysis of intraday data

This paper investigates long-term interdependencies and short-term dynamics in currency futures utilizing intraday data for six major foreign currencies: the British Pound, Deutsche Mark, Swiss Franc, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, and Japanese Yen. Lack of cointegration (CI) among the foreign exchange futures is found to be the prevailing mode of behavior, but some temporary deviations from the no-CI condition are detected. There is a notable overlap between detected CI relationships and the timing of policy changes, world events, and regime shifts, indicating that the observed CIs are event-driven. The robustness of the CI results is checked with respect to variations in the model, lag structure, data period, sample horizon, and currency basket grouping. Impulse–response functions (IRFs) reveal that currency markets are in general efficient and absorb new information within the day. The interdependence among currencies is found to be asymmetric.     

The futures of democracy in Pakistan: A liberal perspective

Due to the domination of state institutions over political institutions, Pakistan has not experienced a steady consolidation of democracy over its fifty year history. This is manifest in the lack of roots of constitutionalism, the absence of fully autonomous judiciary, a well developed party system and regularly held fair elections. Recent political developments such as the gradual withdrawal of state institutions particularly the military from the political arena, greater assertiveness of the judiciary, parliaments' curtailment of president powers and rising political consciousness among the people have brightened the chances of survival of democracy in the country. Its further consolidation will depend on the capacity of elected leaders to address the serious problems of ethnic and religious dissensions, financial vulnerability, heavy indebtedness, skyrocketing inflation and serious economic disparities.