Product-Market Competition in the Water Industry: Voluntary Non-discriminatory Pricing

Since franchise bidding in the piped water industry is problematic due to extensive investment requirements, product-market competition or common carriage is a valuable alternative for the introduction of competition. This paper analyses product-market competition by considering a simple model of interconnection where competition is introduced between vertically integrated neighbouring water suppliers. The model contains water markets specificities such as local and decentralised networks and related difficulties of regulating access charges. Even without any regulation, we show that: (i) an inefficient incumbent will give up its monopoly position and lower the access price far enough so that the low-cost competitor can enter his home market; (ii) efficiency of production will rise due to liberalisation; and (iii) in contrary to prejudicial claims, investment incentives are not destroyed by the introduction of competition for the market. Investments of low-cost firms may even increase.JEL classification: L95, L43, D21, Q25     

Industry effects and firm effects: No effect is an island

At the heart of business research is the identification and prioritization of the factors that create competitive advantage. Previous studies that decompose observed firm performance into industry and other effects have not considered the higher moments of the performance distribution (i.e., the excess kurtosis), nor estimated the correct null hypothesis level of those effects (i.e., of the industry effect). We address these issues to find that: (1) the industry effect impact on firm performance is likely overstated; and, (2) the interaction between the calculated component firm and industry effects is likely one that includes synergistic effects (i.e., the standard additive model of decomposition is likely mis-specified). We offer a new model, test it, and then discuss the resulting implications.     

旅游业的要素禀赋、产业集聚与本地市场效应:中国的经验证据

文章梳理旅游产业组织演化规律,分析旅游业中要素禀赋、产业集聚与本地市场效应的相互关系,基于新贸易理论的基本假设,利用旅游和经济社会发展数据,验证中国旅游本地市场效应的存在性。研究发现:中国旅游全行业和旅行社行业不存在明显的本地市场效应;旅游景区在不同模型中均存在本地市场效应;旅游饭店及其他行业只有在考虑要素禀赋的模型中显示存在本地市场效应。研究表明,在旅游市场化的背景下,中国部分旅游行业已受到规模报酬递增影响,出现旅游产业集群化趋势,要素禀赋的比较优势和本地市场效应的规模经济同时存在于旅游景区、旅游饭店及其他行业,本地市场效益将逐渐代替要素禀赋成为中国旅游业持续增长的新动力。     

Exports,borders, distance,and plant size

The fact that large manufacturing plants export relatively more than small plants has been at the foundation of much work in the international trade literature. We examine this fact using Census microdata on plant shipments from the Commodity Flow Survey. We show that the fact is not entirely an international trade phenomenon; part of it can be accounted for by the effect of distance, distinct from any border effect. Export destinations tend to be farther than domestic destinations, and large plants tend to ship farther distances even to domestic locations compared with small plants. We develop an extension of the Melitz (2003) model and use it to set up an analysis with model interpretations of ratios between large plant and small plant shipments that can be calculated with the data. We obtain a decomposition of the overall ratio into a term that varies with distance, holding fixed the border, and a term that varies with the border, holding fixed the distance. The distance term accounts for more than half of the overall difference.     

深圳高技术产业的主要制度优势及其启示

制度优势是深圳高技术产业地区竞争优势的最重要根源。具体而言 ,深圳高技术产业的制度优势突出地体现为经济体制、企业治理结构、法律法规以及文化价值观念等四个方面的优势。就我国的具体情况看 ,深圳高技术产业的重要启示是 :上述四个方面的制度变革与创新将是推动我国高技术产业健康、快速发展的最为重要的力量。     

The Gambler,the Carrots,and the Cook: A Critical Evaluation of Investment Potential in the Vietnamese Software Industry

The Vietnamese software industry has shown substantial development in recent years. On the basis of interviews with informed respondents this article investigates the condition and potential for further development of the industry, using a soft systems approach. Finegold's eco-system model is used to build a model of the industry. Partnerships and networks are identified as important factors in industry evolution, with the key role played by venture capital. Furthermore, the Vietnamese government and its institutions will continue to have a significant influence on the industry.     

基于产业景气指数的我国现代物流业发展实证分析

本文认为,地区差异(市场规模)、企业规模、所有制结构和灾害事故是直接影响现代物流业景气程度的因素,而投资、法治、人力资本等也是影响物流业景气程度的重要因素。实证分析表明,除了表示所有制的亚变量不显著外(之所以如此是因为国有企业目前所享有的规模、政策和机构优势发挥了重要的作用),其他变量大部分得到了验证,物流业投资活跃程度、企业规模、教育程度、市场规模对物流业景气程度有正面影响,单纯加强法治、灾害事故发生对物流业景气程度有负面影响。文章提出,为提高物流业景气程度,应在物流业效率和发展程度不高的情况下,加强物流业基础性投资,带动物流业持续景气,促进经济增长;致力于打造国家级大规模物流企业集团,实现企业扩张带来的规模效应;通过整个市场环境的营造和建设促进物流产业发展,而非仅仅依靠法治;尽快建立完善物流业灾害应急预警机制,充分利用保险机制分担风险;提高人才培养质量,奠定物流业快速发展的基石。     

发挥协同效应发展广东会展业

品牌化、规模化、国际化、运作市场化是西方发达资本主义国家会展业发展的主要特征，也是我国会展业发展的必然趋势。经济强省广东具有发展会展业无可比拟的产业和品牌优势，但协同效应的发挥是该区域会展业走向成熟的关键。     

SNS应用于艺术品行业电子商务营销模式探讨

近年来行业电子商务发展越来越成熟,但是由于艺术品行业本身所具有的特殊性,发展电子商务困难重重。作为Web2.0时代重要应用之一:SNS(社会化网络网站,社会化网络软件,社会化网络服务),通过其真实网络注册信息,用户将真实的人际关系从线下搬到线上,能有效为发展电子商务聚集人气和信任度。将SNS与艺术品行业电子商务结合起来,构建一种新型的电子商务营销模式:SNS社区与交易商城结合。试图建立艺术品行业社区化电子商务,来带动艺术品行业电子商务的立体化、多元化的发展。     

中国产业结构的演变轨迹、σ-收敛性与空间集聚格局

随着经济的发展,第一产业在社会生产总量中的比重不断下降,第二产业、第三产业的比重则不断上升,社会的主导产业将由第一产业转移到第二产业,再转移到第三产业。中国产业结构演变的轨迹显示:现代中国的主导产业是第二产业而不是第三产业,中国的产业结构还处于由低级阶段向高级阶段演变的过程中;中国产业结构存在σ-收敛性,中国的第三产业还没有得到长足发展,中国经济仍处在工业化中期阶段,还未进入完全工业化时代;中国产业的空间集聚与地域的资源存在明显的相关关系,具备显著的地域特色。     

中国速递业立法的思考

文章指出,构建速递业立法体系,加强对速递业的法律规制,是我国速递业进一步发展的前提和基础。制定速递业立法规范,不仅要遵循一般法律规范所应遵循的立法原则与宗旨,还应充分考虑我国速递业发展的现状和特点,避免与相关法律规定相互冲突。文章认为,制定速递业行政法规应明确速递业行业主管部门,经营范围及经营中禁止的行为,速递市场经营主体,速递业管理与处罚的行政执法主体与行政处罚主体,以及违反速递业行业规范所应承担的法律责任等。     

双重委托代理理论视角下股权集中与研发投资间关系研究--基于托宾Q、现金流和行业调节效应的分析

针对我国上市公司股权集中对研发投资的影响在现实和理论中均存在不同表现的现状,基于双重委托代理理论,收集2009－2012年上市公司动态面板数据进行分析。研究结果表明：（1）中国上市公司中股东和经理人之间的委托代理矛盾与大股东和中小股东之间的委托委托矛盾相比较而言,后者比前者更为严重。因此,提高当年的股权集中度不仅会降低当年的研发投资,而且随着股权集中度的增加,当年研发投资降低的速度越来越快,这种影响会持续到第二年,但是影响程度会低于第一年。（2）随着公司市场价值的增加（即托宾Q越大）,股权集中度对研发投资的负向影响程度会降低;随着公司现金流的增加,股权集中度对研发投资的负向影响程度会增加;不同行业中股权集中度对研发投资的影响并没有显著的差异性。     

入世后对发展内生性劳动密集型产业的优势分析

中国加入WTO后，根据我国劳动力资源丰富且就业压力大的特征，产业选择既要符合中国实际又要适应国际竞争的需求。内生优势与外生优势的产业比较，发展内生性劳动密集型产业是我国参与国际分工，提高国际竞争力的较好选择。     

The Restaurant Revolution-Growth,Change and Strategy in the International Foodservice Industry

Summary

This paper reports the results of a two-year investigation into the forces driving change in the global foodservice industry and the identification and analysis of competitive methods used by multinationals to respond to these forces. The five forces identified are: (1) globalization and economic change, (2) a knowledge based environment, (3) the future labor force and its entrants, (4) concern for well being, and (5) threatened natural resources. The competitive methods as identified by analyzing multinational foodservice firms are: (1) strategic expansion into the international marketplace, (2) investment in technological development, (3) internal competency development, (4) effective communication to target markets, and (5) competitive pricing strategies. Using the co-alignment model of strategy as the underpinning of the analysis it was determined that multinational firms have responded well to the forces of globalization and economic change, and the knowledge based environment. However, it appears that little competitive methods have been developed to address the forces such as labor force, well being and threatened natural resources. The implication here is that firms that are not in alignment with environmental forces will have to address this concern if they expect to continue to add value for all industry stakeholders.     

Classifying Credit Union Development in Terms of Mature,Transition and Nascent Industry Types

Classifying credit union industry types as Mature, Transition or Nascent provides a useful heuristic device by which to better understand grorwth ancl development issues facing the world- wide credit union movement. By defining the key attributes of each industry type an evolutionary linkage can be established between Transition and Mature industries, where Muture industries provide a demanstrations of the likely developrnenr path for Transition industries. The importance of Nascent industries to the future grorwth of the credit union movement makes this industry type of particular importance. Use of an industry type classification provides a platforn to better explore the economic and social significance of credit unions world- wide.     

医药零售行业竞争力及服务创新研究

医药零售行业本质上属于服务业,用波特的五力模型分析医药行业的竞争环境,发现服务创新是医药行业进一步发展和提高竞争力的基础,医药零售行业服务创新体系包括服务理念创新、服务界面创新、服务产品创新、服务组织创新以及服务标准化五个方面。根据孙伯和加卢的服务创新驱动力模型,明确创新的轨道,将消费者纳入创新的主体,将服务创新作为企业不变的战略之一,激发员工的创新积极性,将服务创新专门化、专业化,是医药零售行业服务创新的基本对策。     

广东省智慧产业、创意产业、知识型服务业的创新智力要素研究

智慧产业、创意产业、知识型服务业发展创新的关键是人才,而影响人才发展的智力因素包括观察力、思维能力、创造力等,其能力的培养主要依靠高校的教育。目前,广东省各大高校由于教学方式陈旧、教师素质较低、教育体系不完善等原因,还存在人才观察力不足、思维能力较弱、缺乏想象力等问题。广东省高校应加快形成开放式的育人模式,完善自身的教育体系,建立多渠道的交流机制,增强与政府、企业的互动,构建多层次的发展平台,以培养一批优秀的人才,促进其服务业的进一步发展。     

道德风险、激励机制与电力行业规制

电力行业由于具有一定的自然垄断性,规制者与被规制企业之间存在严重信息不对称问题,因而成为规制的重要行业之一。所以必须对电力行业规制理论进行研究,从历史变迁的角度对中国电力行业规制制度进行考察,发现其中存在的问题,并且运用道德风险情况下的规制模型对中国电力行业规制进行分析,从而提出中国电力行业规制改革的建议。     

外国制造业知识产权保护及对我国的启示--以江苏省为例的分析

知识产权制度对现代制造业的发展发挥着积极作用.文章对外国尤其是美、日两国制造业知识产权保护进行考察;江苏完善地方知识产权法有利于促进江苏制造业尤其是高新技术产业的发展,对江苏从制造业大省转变为制造业强省具有重要意义,对我国区域制造业的发展也不无启迪作用.     

From Publishers to Self-Publishing: Disruptive Effects in the Book Industry

Abstract

This paper explores the structure of the book publishing industry post digitalisation, analysing the choices of the publishers and authors. The introduction of successful e-book readers has belatedly given digitalisation the characteristics of a disruptive technology by making self-publishing a serious option for authors. This has been supported by the entry of new types of intermediaries and the strengthening of others. These changes have reduced the general requirements for an author to get a book self-published. As a result, a larger share of the surplus from the book industry is likely to go to authors, explaining the significant increase in the supply of books. The potential oversupply of books has created a new problem by increasing competition and making consumer searches more difficult. We argue that digitalisation has shifted the potential for market failure from an inadequate supply of books to asymmetric information about quality. It remains to be seen whether the market will provide appropriate intermediaries to solve the asymmetric information problem.