Equalizing opportunity through small business development: A south african perspective

The active development of the small firm sector is thought to present a vehicle highly appropriate to the task of equalizing opportunity in a very unequal society—the developing country of South Africa. This article seeks to evaluate the merits of the above assumption. It calls for a closer understanding of the unique difficulties encountered by a minority business group that has experienced a long history of prejudice and discrimination, namely the black, essentially small business sector of South Africa. The author calls for careful appraisal of available development initiatives in order to effectively serve the interests of this group.     

Guidelines for the role of the public sector in promoting agricultural development with particular reference to Transkei

The paper reviews past and present agricultural development initiatives in Transkei, examining the reasons why these initiatives have, on the whole, proved to be a failure. The various constraints on agriculture are outlined, and proposals for overcoming these made. Against this background, the author discusses future strategies to promote increased agricultural production, and the role of the public sector in this.     

Business potential in Russia: Competitive growth in the manufacturing sector

The paper analyzes the consequences of radical reforms in the Russian economy for the development of the manufacturing sector, including the behavior of relative prices for manufactured goods, downsizing of enterprises, and problems of the noncompetitiveness of enterprises in the manufacturing sector compared with the approaches to competitiveness in the economy of the United States. The full development of vertically integrated multisectoral corporations owned by the federal government is considered to be a possibility for overcoming the noncompetitiveness of enterprises in the manufacturing sector.     

Industrial policy,corporate governance,and the competitiveness of China's national champions: The case of Shanghai Baosteel Group

The paper presents an in-depth case study of the Shanghai Baosteel Group as a contribution to the overall assessment of the competitiveness and catch-up capability of the Chinese national champions after China's WTO accession. Significant competitive advantages of the firm in the domestic industry are identified, with cautionary remarks concerning the future stiff competition with the global steel giants. Through detailed examinations of the corporate governance mechanism and the industrial policy implementation in Baosteel and the whole steel sector, the paper sheds light on the institutional and policy challenges that the Chinese government has to face in building up its big businesses. It is concluded that whether Baosteel could emerge as a globally competitive steel firm depends critically upon the effectiveness of both the further reform of the state-dominated corporate governance system and the improvement of the industrial policy enforcement.     

Economic structure and development in an emergent Asian economy: evidence from a social accounting matrix for vietnam

Vietnam started a wide-ranging process of economic reform in 1986 and is presently opening up its economy to regional and global economic forces. As a result, Vietnam faces significant challenges in the area of economic policy analysis in spite of a remarkable growth performance in recent years. This paper reviews insights emerging from a detailed social accounting matrix (SAM), compiled for the year 2000. The SAM reflects Vietnam’s heavy reliance on primary sector activities, but we also find that agricultural potential could be expanded significantly. In other sectors, the critical importance of sustained commitments to human capital development is apparent. In this context, the international donor community can support the ongoing transformation process through concerted training and capacity building initiatives that have proven successful elsewhere in the region.     

欠发达地区产业集群形成与发展的对策研究——以晋城铸造产业为例

产业集群作为产业发展的一种新模式,其作用的重要性就在于加强了产业的竞争力。文章以欠发达的山西省晋城市传统铸造产业形成产业集群的对策为例进行了案例研究。在对晋城铸造产业走产业集群道路的可能性做初步讨论基础上,着重讨论了晋城地方政府推动铸造产业走产业集群道路的对策。     

Improving competitiveness. Critical success factors for tourism development

For a variety of reasons an increasing number of local authorities and other agencies have turned to tourism as a means of economic development. To date, however, the level of activity among policy makers has not been matched by research that might inform their deliberations. Although the importance of demand-related issues — such as the promotion of particular destinations — is recognised, this paper shifts the focus to the neglected issue of sector supply. It argues that if tourism is to contribute to economic development that is sustainable, private — and public-sector facilities (such as attractions or hotels) must be nationally — and often internationally — competitive. The paper proposes a model for understanding the competitiveness of organisations in the sector and reports the findings of its application in a case study of east and south-east London.     

Challenges facing international projects for entrepreneurial development in South Africa

International development projects that support entrepreneurship face a number of challenges, not least because they need to integrate different paradigms. Based on the case study of a Canadian non-governmental organisation in South Africa, this paper provides an exploratory assessment of these challenges and highlights four major factors that affect the success of such international projects: transposing a northern business model to the south; developing local roots and adapting to the local context; balancing the allocation of resources between managing the project and providing services to entrepreneurs; and aligning the cultures of the private sector and international development agencies. In practical terms, the findings provide benchmarks for the success of these projects and could help improve interventions that encourage entrepreneurship in developing countries.     

Analysis of the animal feed to poultry value chain in Zambia

ABSTRACT

Rapidly growing populations, urbanisation and income are together triggering increased demand for high-value agricultural commodities across Southern Africa with scope for gains from trade and regional integration. The poultry sector in Zambia, in particular, has witnessed a rapid growth triggering increased investments and competition, benefiting the consumers. Despite this growth, the sector still faces huge challenges hindering the development of the animal feed, feed input and poultry production sub-sectors. This has limited the extent of participation of the Zambian poultry industry in the regional market due to uncompetitive prices. This study analyses the animal feed to poultry value chain in Zambia, focusing on the industry capabilities with a view to enhancing its competitiveness and production for the regional market. Enhancing value chain capabilities will require improvements in productivity and production of key poultry inputs, and addressing transportation inefficiencies and coordination among governments.     

基于产业集群视角的知识共享模型分析

随着社会的进步,知识管理理论为集群竞争力的研究提供了一个全新的视角文章以提升产业集群竞争力为目的,在已有研究成果的基础上,探讨知识管理与集群竞争力之间的关系,提出基于产业集群视角的知识共享模型。研究表明,集群内企业的知识共享度越大,企业得到的收益也越大,集群内企业愿意更多地共享知识,从而集群知识有了来源,进行流动整合,形成集群的竞争力.     

珠三角制造业转型升级的挑战及策略研究

珠三角地区是我国制造业的聚集地,其特征是劳动密集型、低成本、低利润、低技术含量、低附加值、缺乏自主品牌,核心竞争力弱。随着国内原材料成本上升、政策环境日趋严厉、国外经济形势的压力上升,珠三角制造业的困境日益明显。本文分析了珠三角制造业转型升级面临的挑战,提出了珠三角制造业转型升级策略。     

中国服务业发展态势及其国际竞争力:“金砖四国”比较视野

从整体水平、内部结构和国际竞争力方面对中国、巴西、俄罗斯、印度的服务业发展水平进行经验比较。结果表明:与印度、巴西和俄罗斯相比,中国服务业占国民经济的比重和现代服务业占服务业的比重相对偏低,但后者更可能对中国的产业升级带来不利影响;此外,中国服务业出口贸易低级化以及整体国际竞争力弱于印度也是不争的事实。因此,优化服务业结构、加快现代服务业发展和提升服务业的国际竞争力理应成为中国现阶段产业政策的着力点。     

Informal Sector Pollution Control: What Policy Options Do We Have?

In developing countries, urban clusters of informal firms such as brick kilns and leather tanneries can create severe pollution problems. These firms are, however, quite difficult to regulate for a variety of technical and political reasons. Drawing on the literature, this paper first develops a list of feasible environmental management policies. It then examines how these policies have fared in four independent efforts to control emissions from informal brick kilns in northern Mexico. The case studies suggest that: (a) conventional command and control process standards are generally only enforceable when buttressed by peer monitoring, (b) surprisingly, clean technologies can be successfully diffused even when they raise variable costs, in part because early adopters have an economic incentive to promote further adoption, (c) boycotts of “dirty” goods sold in informal markets are unenforceable, (d) well organized informal firms can block implementation of costly abatement strategies such as relocation and (e) private sector-led initiatives may be best suited for informal sector pollution control.     

产业链、产业集群与产业集群竞争力内在机理探讨——以湖南省工程机械产业集群为例

产业链、产业集群与产业集群竞争力存在着密切的联系。产业链推动产业集群发展,并提升集群竞争力,产业集群竞争力的提高会吸引更多的企业进行配套,加快产业集群的发展,并促进产业链的形成、延伸以及进一步完善。文章结合湖南工程机械产业的实际,提出应该以产业链为主线,不断提升产业集群竞争力。     

ICT modernization in Central and Eastern Europe: a Schumpeterian catching up perspective

The paper characterizes main trends in ICT implementation and diffusion in the CEE countries in terms of market volume, economic development and ICT trade integration within the EU market. The analysis reveals a gradual closing up of the technology gap in ICT sector between the CEE and the ‘old’ EU countries. The focus is on the relationship between ICT expenditure, NRI index, vs GDP per capita, competitiveness and productivity. The evolution of ICT development trajectory is traced analysing the changing pattern of ICT trade between the CEE countries and the EU. The impact of the current crisis on the structural adjustment of the CEE ICT sector is assessed from the perspective of Schumpeterian technology gap and catching up.     

区域营销视角下中小企业集群营销模式创新

近年来,我国中小企业及其组建成的集群组织对国民经济的贡献程度越来越高,与此同时,中小企业集群也面临着诸多困境,尤其在金融危机的作用下,中小企业的产品销售遭遇诸多阻碍,如何通过区域营销策略,全面提升集群整体的竞争能力,成为亟待解决的问题。文章首先给出了区域营销的概念及其在中小企业集群发展中的作用,然后从产品、价格、渠道和品牌等方面分析了中小企业集群区域营销的优势,最后给出了基于区域视角的中小企业集群式营销的创新模式。     

基于三角模糊数的产业集群竞争力评价方法研究

产业集群竞争力评价具有一定的模糊性和不确定性,三角模糊数能够表达和处理模糊信息。提出基于"三角模糊数"的产业集群竞争力评价方法,综合考虑评价指标的主观权重与客观权重,通过"三角模糊数"的线性计算,得出产业集群综合竞争力评价值与各竞争力级别的贴近度,根据最大贴近度准则,确定产业集群竞争力的评价级别。     

基于GEM模型珠海高新技术产业集群竞争力研究

高新技术产业是珠海经济的命脉,如何科学的分析珠海高新技术产业集群竞争力,对于科学制定区域集群发展政策,增强集群的规模效应尤为重要。本文借助GEM模型,对珠海高新技术产业的竞争力进行综合分析,以此探寻高新技术产业发展的对策,具有一定的现实意义。     

中小企业集群成长动力机制探析

中小企业集群发展是提升中小企业竞争力的有效路径,通过对中小企业集群成长动力机制研究,有助于培育和促进中小企业集群发展。本文通过对中小企业集群动力机制分析,认为中小企业集群成长主要受企业家精神、追求利润、创新、政府、消费者需求五种动力互相作用,并提出了促进中小企业集群成长的建议措施。     

北部湾产业集群发展策略研究

产业集群是产业组织的新发展和地区经济的新现象,国际竞争实质上是产业集群的竞争,产业集群的发展已成为区域经济发展的加速器,也发展成区域经济增长的源动力。本文是根据北部湾的产业条件,提出了产业集群发展的策略。