Considering Technological Impacts When Selecting Food Suppliers: Comparing Retailers' Buying Behavior in the United States and Europe

Purpose: The research investigates the impact of emergent technologies, specifically supply-chain technology and food-production technology (i.e., genetically modified organisms [GMO]), on global food retailers' supplier decisions.

Methodology/approach: Qualitative research is conducted to examine technology-related vendor selection criteria of food retailers in 5 European countries comparing to those in the US.

Findings: Our findings show that global food retailers view supply-chain technology as a competitive advantage and is integrated as an important selection criteria; however, selection criteria differ for food-production technology between the United States and the European countries. European food retailers explicitly oppose food-production technology (GMO), while U.S. food retailers implicitly accept food-production technology. Emerging from this opposing view, global food retailers establish similar criteria for organic food (non-GMO) supplier selection: reliability, distance, consistent quality, and relationships with suppliers.

Research implications: Applying the supplier choice criteria framework (Lehmann and O'Shaughnessy 1982 Lehmann, D. R. and 'Shaughnessy, J. O. 1982. Decision criteria used in buying different categories of products. Journal of Purchasing and Materials Management, 18: 9–14.  [Google Scholar]) to further analyze organic food suppliers, we find that reliability (adaptive criterion), distance (integrative criterion), consistent quality (performance criterion), and relationships with suppliers (economic criterion) are essential, but price is not.

Practical implications: This study suggests that to sustain competitiveness in the global food market, food suppliers not only need to ensure technological compatibility in supply-chain, but also adapt to the local food-production restriction (GMO) and organic food selection criteria preferences.

Originality/value/contribution: Supply-chain technology is strategically important and is adopted by global food retailers for competitive advantage; yet, there are dramatic differences regarding the acceptance of food production technology. This research contributes to the better understanding of how technologies exert significant and strategic weight in the food supplier selection process.     

欧盟化学品新法规对我国出口的影响及其对策

欧盟准备施行的化学品新法规涉及产品非常广泛,不仅包括化学品,还包括化学品的下游产品,其实施势必会对我国出口产生不可低估的影响,我国必须趋利避害、积极主动采取应对措施,才能把影响降到最低程度,确保我国的出口持续、快速、稳定的增长。     

Earnestly Implementing the Campaign and Strengthening the Customs Protection of IPR

The Chinese government is always paying great attention to the Customs IPR Protection .China has established her border measures of intellectual property rights as far as September of 1994.     

Imports and Exports at the Level of the Firm: Evidence from Belgium

This paper explores a newly available panel dataset merging balance sheet and international trade transaction data for Belgium. Both imports and exports appear to be highly concentrated among few firms and seem to have become more so over time. Focusing on manufacturing, we find that facts previously reported in the literature as applying only to exports actually apply to imports too. We note that the number of trading firms diminishes as the number of export destinations or import origins increases. The same is true if we consider the number of products traded. Our results generally point to a process of self‐selection in both export and import markets. Also, the productivity advantage of exporters reported in the literature may be overstated because imports were not considered. We find that firms that both import and export are the most productive, followed, in descending order, by importers only, exporters only and non‐traders. Our results also show the existence of fixed costs of imports, which appear to be of similar magnitude as those of exports.     

与贸易相关的知识产权保护理论最新进展及启示

在新增长理论的框架下,经济学家已注意到一个健全的知识产权保护制度对于创新和增长的重要性.在开放条件下,由于世界上绝大多数创新都首先发生在北方国家,然后再向南方国家扩散,南北贸易中南方国家的知识产权保护水平对于世界福利水平以及创新率和增长率都有着重要影响.本文评述这一领域的最新文献,并总结出对我国的启示.     

The Impacts of Alignment with Global Product Standards on Exports of Firms in Developing Countries

Complying with global standards and technical norms can be costly, making them potential impediments to trade, but it can also expand export opportunities. Two policies available to governments are alignment of domestic technical regulations with international standards and entry into mutual recognition agreements (MRAs). We study the effects of such decisions on the volume of exports to developed markets by firms in developing countries, using data from a World Bank firm‐level survey of awareness of global product norms. Both standards alignment and MRAs are associated with more exports to developed countries, but only MRAs significantly promote exports. This finding is consistent with theoretical predictions that MRAs should reduce the fixed costs of exporting more than standards alignment, permitting more firms to enter export markets in higher volumes. Governments in developing countries hoping to encourage exports may wish to favour the negotiation of mutual recognition of testing and certification procedures with major trading partners as a more affirmative avenue to expanding international sales.     

金融危机是否对企业出口存在异质性冲击——基于融资约束视角的分析

本文采用我国工业企业数据库2004-2009年的出口企业微观数据,研究了融资约束视角下金融危机与企业出口之间的关系。实证结果表明:全球金融危机对我国不同类型企业出口造成了显著的负面冲击;但从融资约束角度看,相对于国有和股份制企业以及大型企业而言,受到融资约束困扰的主要是出口企业中的民营企业和中小企业;由于金融市场的不确定性增加、企业经营环境恶化等因素,金融危机加剧了我国民营企业和中小企业融资约束难的问题,而对国有和股份制企业以及大型企业的融资约束基本无影响。可见,金融危机对我国企业出口的影响具有明显的异质性。     

俄罗斯知识产权保护问题与“人世”谈判进程

从1993年俄罗斯向GATT递交加入的申请书至今,俄罗斯至今还未能加入WTO。知识产权问题是俄罗斯“入世”的主要障碍之一。俄罗斯知识产权问题集中在：存在着生产盗版光盘的工厂;借助网络从事盗版活动;民法典中没有知识产权内容;市场上销售盗版和假冒产品;对侵犯知识产权的处罚不严厉。2005年4月,俄罗斯与28个WTO成员完成了双边谈判,而与美国的谈判是最艰难的。知识产权是阻碍俄罗斯与美国达成双边入世协定的主要问题。2002年以来,俄罗斯政府在保护知识产权方面取得了显著的进步。俄美两国最终于2006年11月10日达成了双边入世协定,俄罗斯入世取得重大突破。在涉及知识产权方面,俄罗斯政府对知识产权的保护作出了一系列的承诺。     

俄罗斯知识产权保护问题与“入世”谈判进程

从1993年俄罗斯向GATT递交加入的申请书至今,俄罗斯至今还未能加入WTO。知识产权问题是俄罗斯"入世"的主要障碍之一。俄罗斯知识产权问题集中在:存在着生产盗版光盘的工厂;借助网络从事盗版活动;民法典中没有知识产权内容;市场上销售盗版和假冒产品;对侵犯知识产权的处罚不严厉。2005年4月,俄罗斯与28个WTO成员完成了双边谈判,而与美国的谈判是最艰难的。知识产权是阻碍俄罗斯与美国达成双边入世协定的主要问题。2002年以来,俄罗斯政府在保护知识产权方面取得了显著的进步。俄美两国最终于2006年11月10日达成了双边入世协定,俄罗斯入世取得重大突破。在涉及知识产权方面,俄罗斯政府对知识产权的保护作出了一系列的承诺。     

文化距离对韩国广播电视节目出口的影响

本文利用2006-2012年韩国广播电视节目出口的18个国家或地区的面板数据,基于引力模型考察了文化距离对韩国广播电视节目出口的影响。研究显示,整体上的文化距离对韩国广播电视节目出口有显著的负面影响,说明文化距离会阻碍韩国广播电视节目的出口,但是不同维度的文化距离对韩国广播电视节目出口的影响存在差异。此外,还发现在非儒家文化圈的进口国或地区,文化距离存在显著的负面影响,在儒家文化圈的进口国或地区,文化距离存在显著的正面影响;进口国家或地区市场规模越大,文化距离对韩国广播电视节目出口的负面影响越小。研究结论对于我国大力发展文化传媒业、促进文化产品的出口具有重要的借鉴意义。     

双向知识产权保护对中国出口三元边际的影响

理论分析了双向知识产权保护对出口国出口三元边际的影响,并选取2005—2015年中国出口到世界65个国家的HS-6位贸易数据,构建引力模型进行了实证验证。主要结论是,国内加强知识产权保护可以提升中国的出口种类和数量,贸易伙伴国加强知识产权保护可以提升中国的出口种类;没有证据表明,国内或国外知识产权保护水平的提升会影响中国的出口价格;当国内知识产权保护更强时,双向知识产权保护对中国出口种类的促进作用都有所增强,反之则二者作用都不显著;分国家类型的研究表明,双向知识产权保护的同时加强更有益于中国向发展中国家出口产品种类的扩张,但对发达国家则不显著。     

贸易与环境问题的南北关系研究综述

国际贸易的发展与环境问题的全球化有着极为密切的联系,而国际贸易中的环境问题又往往和南北问题交织在一起。南北方在贸易与环境问题上的理论视角存在很大差异,如南北方在贸易环境价值观、资源保护与环境剥削、国内外政策协调等方面都有分歧。本文通过对国内外贸易与环境问题有关文献的梳理、总结和评述了南北方在贸易与环境问题中的分歧和主要冲突,深入剖析了产生这些分歧的主客观原因。     

EC Law, the Environment and Consumers: Addressing the Challenge of Incorporating an Environmental Dimension to Consumer Protection at Community Level

The principal objective of this paper is to stimulate debate about the current state of the relationship and tensions between consumer and environmental protection policies at Community level. By virtue of the constitutional changes to Community Law introduced by the Single European Act 1986 (SEA) and the Treaty on European Union 1992 (TEU), the European Community (EC) has committed itself to re-evaluating its core, fundamental aim of attaining completion of market integration. The EC is now compelled to address whether the development of open and free market conditions ultimately serves the best interests and priorities of its inhabitants and whether its original goals adequately internalise their environmental concerns and demands. This paper aims to assess critically to what extent EC policy and law have responded to these new challenges and requirements by focusing, firstly, on the caselaw of the European Court of Justice and, secondly, on policy innovations introduced by and constraints facing the EC legislative institutions. Ten years on from the SEA, it appears that the Community has barely started to confront the issue of the consumer-environment interrelationship, with the result that political and legal developments have been unclear and often contradictory. The Community must begin to match its rhetoric with definitive action.     

农产品品牌营销对消费者福利水平影响分析

以农产品需求曲线为基础,运用比较分析法对农产品品牌营销给消费者剩余水平或福利水平带来的变化进行了分析.结果表明,对品牌农产品的消费能给消费者带来正的经济剩余.在此分析基础上,进一步研究了农产品品牌营销对提高消费者福利水平的形成机理.     

Impacts of Foreign Direct Investment on the Most Centralized Country: Evidence from Gaeseong Industrial Complex in North Korea

Foreign direct investment (FDI) may influence host countries, not only their economy but also their institutions such as political and economic systems. This study comprehensively explores these diverse impacts of FDI in the most centralized economy in the world, North Korea, by focusing on the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC). The GIC is a special economic zone for FDI, especially from South Korea. Based on the thorough analysis of literature and data on the GIC, this study found a significant impact of FDI on North Korean economy, but limited impact on institutional reforms and military détente. Furthermore, this study attributes the limited FDI impact to characteristics of the GIC, type of FDI in the GIC, and the political system of North Korea. By observing several FDI effects on North Korea, this study provides a holistic view of FDI effects on a centralized economy and the implications for better understanding of FDI. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The Production,Transfer and Spillover of Technology: Comparing Large and Small Multinationals as Technology Producers

Multinational enterprises are, sina qua non, the world's technology producers. In this paper, we explore the concept of technology production by multinationals, focusing on three aspects: (i) technology as a firm-specific advantage, (ii) the costs of technology transfer, and (iii) technology spillovers. In each case, we outline current views and debates in the field about the role played by large multinationals in technology production. Finally, we compare MNEs with small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) as technology producers. We conclude that SMEs face certain constraints, due to small size and inadequate financing, that raise their costs of technology production and transfer, relative to the costs for MNEs. On the other hand, their flexibility and use of unconventional methods can create successful mini-nationals in niche markets.     

文化差异及其对广告诉求的影响:基于中美比较的视角(英文)

全球营销获得成功的首要条件是理解不同文化之间的价值观的相似性和差异性。由于缺乏以研究为基础获得的信息,这一任务对于试图与中国做生意的公司而言尤为艰巨。本研究采用霍夫斯塔德文化模型中的最新价值观来比较中美之间波莱广告诉求的有效性。在以文化维度为基础预测有效诉求的20个假设中,有9个得到了支持。另外一个假设也非常显著,但是与预想的方向正好相反。这些研究发现意味着,采用霍夫斯塔德文化维度作为有效广告诉求的唯一预测指标是不明智的。霍夫斯塔德维度或许缺乏可以有效预测各种广告诉求成功度所必需的结构。此外,广告诉求的有效性还可能由于其他因素(例如,年龄、社会趋势、政治法律环境及产品用法)而有所调整。