Research resource allocation: Determining regional priorities

The paper presents a methodology to assist in the determination of an appropriate regional allocation of research resources to mandate crops in mandate regions of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Adrid Tropics (ICRISAT). Priority indices are developed on the basis of 10 criteria chosen for equity and/or efficiency considerations. Applying alternative weights to these criteria yields alternative priority indices, which are compared with the Institute's present research resource allocation. The approach helps to make explicit criteria which may have implicity been followed in past resource allocation and the results indicate that a more regionally-spread focus for ICRISAT's future activities would seem appropriate.     

Intellectual property rights: An international economics perspective

This paper considers the enforcement of intellectual property rights in an international setting. I consider some of the traditional problems associated with protection of such rights in a closed economy and discuss complications added by an international dimension. Globally-optimal and nationally-optimal policies are compared. A simple model of policy choices is derived and optimal tax/subsidy and rights enforcement policies demonstrated. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the current U.S. approach of discriminatory treatment on the basis of the national origin of an infringing product and argues that it is inferior to subsidies for providing incentives for R&D and to tariffs for shifting profits to U.S. firms.I am grateful to Marius Schwartz for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper. Any remaining errors are, of course, my own.     

Internationalization, resource allocation and firm performance

In this paper, we examine the effects of internationalization and resource allocation on firm performance. We argue that resource allocation plays a pivotal role in determining a firm's international growth. Using a sample of Taiwanese firms, we find an optimal level of internationalization, in terms of the number of countries, as well as the level of investment towards value appropriation that is necessary to start creating a positive impact on firm performance. As a result of our study, we propose that Taiwanese firms would likely benefit by shifting their focus of resource allocation from R&D to marketing.     

Strategy making as iterated processes of resource allocation

Capitalizing on the Bower-Burgelman process model of strategy making in a large, complex organization, we investigate the multilevel managerial activities that lead firms facing similar new business opportunities to respond with different strategic commitments. Our field-based data provide evidence on (I) the role of ‘corporate contexts’ that reflects top managers' crude strategic intent in shaping strategic initiatives of business-unit managers; (2) the critical influence of early business development results on increasing or decreasing middle managers' enthusiasm to the new businesses and top managers' confidence in these middle managers in a resource allocation; (3) the escalation or deescalation of a firm's strategic commitment to the new businesses as a consequence of iterations of resource allocation. We conclude that it is useful to conceptualize strategy making in a large, complex firm as an iterated process of resource allocation.     

Organizational strategy and resource allocation for technological turnaround

Abstract
A major issue for organizations planning for technological turnaround concerns the question of how to internalize the new technology. This article reports the findings of an exploratory research that addressed this problem. A multiple case study approach has been used to study and analyze the different strategies and organizational approaches to absorb alien technologies (in-house development, intercompany co-operation, purchase of technology, contract research, joint-venture, acquisition). On the basis of the results, a propositional framework has been developed which offers managers a perspective to develop a strategy with respect to the appropriate organizational design to 'de-mature' technologically mature business units.     

The International Sugar Agreement 1977 — Market regulator and instrument of international policy

The 1977 International Sugar Agreement is one of several contemporary agreements designed to regulate the international market in specific commodities. A commodity agreement at the same time serves as an instrument through which nations international policies are carried out, and defines the rights and duties characterizing the relations between importing and exporting countries. The author examines the 1977 International Sugar Agreement in this context, discussing its regulatory mechanisms, its relation with the ‘New International Economic Order’ and the extent to which the interests of both importers and exporters are protected.     

Quality measurement as a basis for resource allocation: research assessment exercises in United Kingdom universities

The research assessment exercises covering universities in the United Kingdom aim to produce quality ratings as a basis for the allocation of much of the research funding from central government. For each subject area a panel drawn from higher education and research users awards a grade to each university department. Each subject is allocated a predetermined share of the total research fund. The sum each university then receives is determined by the number of active research workers and the grades awarded.
The first research assessment exercises were carried out in 1986 and 1989. By the time of the 1992 exercise the number of universities in the United Kingdom had increased dramatically with the conferment of university status on all the former polytechnics and a small number of other institutions. This paper describes the way in which quality was assessed and the results of the 1992 exercise together with the changes made for the next exercise taking place in March 1996.
The research assessment exercises have required the new universities (principally the former polytechnics) to compete on an equal footing with the established universities for research funding and thus for their staff to engage more fully in research. The result is a major change in the environment, particularly in the new universities. This paper offers a preliminary examination of the attempts by universities to this change with the consequential effect upon the labour market.     

Market power of the firm and international transfer of technology : A historical excursion

The power of the multinational enterprise to influence or control the international transfer of technology over the past century has shifted from that based upon a priviledged possession of a specific intangible asset to that based on the governance of a set of interrelated activities. This changing form of economic leverage has had important consequences on both the structure of the international technology market and economic policies of home and host governments.     

National grain policies: The international dimension

Government intervention in the pricing and marketing of grains has led to increased use of restrictive trade practices to preserve domestic price levels and ensure orderly marketing of domestically produced and imported grain. The author examines this relationship between domestic agricultural and trade policies of a selected group of grain importing and exporting countries. The article suggests that, because of the strong link between domestic and trade policies, it will be difficult to reduce trade restrictions in international grain markets in future trade negotiations.     

Trade in data services : The international context

This article explores the importance of data services within the service sector, and particularly with regard to international trade in services. International economic agreements have traditionally only dealt with trade in manufactured products and ignored the services, which now make up the largest economic sector. Some international organizations, encouraged particularly by the USA, are beginning to confront the problem of defining an open international framework covering foreign direct investment and trade in services. The national interests of different countries are explored, in the light of their existing data resources and their desire to build them up or be able to access foreign databases.     

The determinants of merger waves: An international perspective

One of the most conspicuous features of mergers is that they come in waves that are correlated with increases in share prices and price/earnings ratios. We use a natural way to discriminate between pure stock market influences on firm decisions and other influences by examining merger patterns for both listed and unlisted firms. If “real” changes in the economy drive merger waves, as some neoclassical theories of mergers predict, both listed and unlisted firms should experience waves. We find significant differences between listed and unlisted firms as predicted by behavioral theories of merger waves.     

市场化原则:行业协会的"准则"

“市场化原则”——指导行业协会健康发展的根本原则行业协会,是在市场经济条件下,企业为维护自己的利益并争取创造有利于共同发展的环境而自愿联合起来的行业性非政府组织。在计划经济时期,国家包揽经济和社会事物,企业没有必要成立这种组织。党的十一届三中全会开始改革开放、十四大确定社会主义市场经济体制改革目标以及十四届三中全会作出相关决定以来,我国经济体制改革在理论和实践上取得了重大进展,社会主义市场经济体制初步建立,以公有制为主体、多种所有制经济共同发展的基本经济制度已经确立,全方位、宽领域、多层次的对外开放格局…     

The economics of international codesharing: an analysis of airline alliances

International airline alliances allow airlines to coordinate their operations in providing international service. This paper analyzes the effect of such alliances on traffic levels, fares, and welfare. In the model, the benefits of alliances arise because cooperative pricing of trips by the partners puts downward pressure on fares in the interline city-pair markets (these are markets where travel on both carriers is necessary). The loss of competition in the interhub market, which connects the hub cites of the partners, generates a countervailing effect, tending to raise the fare in that market. While the presence of economies of traffic density complicates these impacts by generating cost links across markets, simulation analysis shows that the above tendencies typically prevail. Welfare analysis shows that both consumer and total surplus typically rise following formation of an alliance despite the harm to interhub passengers, suggesting that the positive effects of alliances may outweigh any negative impacts.     

Political economy of international diversification: The case for partial integration

The literature on international portfolio diversification explored the benefits of international diversification and the pricing of securities in an international context largely from the perspective of an integrated world capital market. Imperfections in the international markets were acknowledged as exogenous variables added to the basically integrated market, and their effects on security prices, consequences of diversification,etc, were then measured. All studies are related, explicitly or implicitly to two extreme situations. One extreme situation is complete segmentation, the other is perfect market integration. This paper begins with a literature review to illustrate the inadequacy of either of the extreme situations described above. A case of partial integration where the barriers are an endogenous part of the model is then presented. Indirect and circumstantial evidence that the international financial markets are partially integrated by design, and not as a result of market failures, is then presented as a preliminary validation of the partial integration model.The authors are thankful for the very valuable comments of Professor Peter Kaus of UCR.     

The cost allocation issue in joint replenishment

Joint replenishment for several products to achieve a lower inventory logistics cost has been a topic of extensive studies. Less attention has been paid to the issue of deciding how the joint replenishment costs should be allocated across the individual products. Ideally, when items are ordered together one would require a stable cost allocation, such that no subset of products subsidizes another subset. When part of each product's ordering cost is product specific and part can be shared with other products (like in a 3PL setting of Anily and Haviv), it has been shown that even when a stable allocation exists, such an allocation might be difficult to compute. In addition, usually the components of ordering costs are partially determined using estimates and accounting discretion. This paper provides two main insights for determining an appropriate cost allocation. It provides the means to test how sensitive a stable cost allocation is to a range of cost parameter values. Then, in a computational study, it is shown how to obtain a stable cost allocation without excessive computation.     

影儿国际:在超越中完美蜕变

"创新再创新",面对日益激烈的市场竞争,凭借其对中国大陆市场的准确把握和时尚品质的不懈追求,9年来,影儿国际走过了影儿-香港影儿-影儿国际的辉煌历程,不仅获得了大批顾客的忠实拥戴,更获得了"国家质量信得过产品、公众最喜爱的十大商标"等令人瞩目的成就.结实地铸造了一个中国品牌强势的国际化形象.     

The future role of international telecommunications institutions

The telecommunications world is being swept by technological and national regulatory changes. The international telecommunication institutions — the ITU, INTELSAT and CEPT — were founded in times when technological trends were more stable and national regulation was more homogeneous. How will they cope with these new changes? In an era of growing heterogeneity, the ITU may need to look increasingly beynd itself to maintain its centrality. Meanwhile, INTELSAT faces challenges from new market entrants and a more flexible approach to new technological and commercial imperatives in satellite and cable services. The EEC is awakening to the need for institutional change within Europe and this is already having an impact on CEPT. It is concluded that to survive and to maintain relevance the existing international institutions will need to initiate changes or face a loss of authority to other institutions such as OECD and EEC.     

The fight against hunger: Its history on the international agenda

The problem of worldwide hunger was first recognized as an issue for international concern within the League of Nations before the second world war. However, it was not until after the war, and the demise of the League of Nations, that it was put firmly on the international agenda. This article traces the history of the fight against hunger from those days to the World Food Conference in 1974.     

不干胶:在医药市场独占鳌头

医药市场是不干胶渗透率最高的行业。近年来国家对医药行业加强规范整治措施，如GMP、GSP认证的实施，促使医药企业对其生产加工及外包装要求更加严格、规范。以前的湿胶贴标由于种种缺点都将被不干胶标签所代替，而且随着医药瓶体包装形式的增长和自动贴标形式的广泛使用，将使不干胶标签在该行业中占有绝对优势，北美医药行业中不干胶标签占到绝对优势的89％。中国医药行正不干胶标签的趋势也将如此。