上合组织能源俱乐部:互利共赢的新型能源合作平台

2006年6月,在上海合作组织(以下简称"上海组织")上海峰会上,俄罗斯总统普京提出了建立上合组织能源俱乐部的倡议.     

Research needs for technology education: an international perspective

These authors report the findings of a study that sought to determine the most relevant research issues needed to be studied by the technology education profession. It used an international panel of experts to develop a list of important research issues for the school subject of technology education and for the preparation of teachers to better teach it to pupils.     

加大新品开发 提升管理水平 完善激励机制 2010年业绩再上新台阶 广东群兴玩具股份有限公司举行2009年童车经销商大会共商互利合作

群兴的产品不但独具特色,而且与其他童车企业相比,我们在很多方面都拥有着优势。我们要在保持这种优势的同时,不断学习其他企业的优点和经验,充分准确地把握市场信息,加大新产品开发的投放,力争更多新产品供应市场。广东群兴玩具股份有限公司董事长林伟章如是说。     

Crossing East-West boundaries: Knowledge sharing in intercultural business networks

Strategic business nets are becoming increasingly important in the arena of global competition. This article examines the influence of ethnic culture on knowledge sharing in different types of intercultural business nets. Knowledge sharing is essential for the functioning of business networks as it influences the cooperation and outcomes that firms are able to achieve. Our basic assumption is that the nature of the cultures involved and the type of network both influence the knowledge-sharing barriers. This is investigated on the basis of two conceptual frameworks. The first is a framework identifying different types of strategic nets and the requirements they impose for knowledge sharing. Subsequently, a culture-classification scheme based on the individualism-collectivism and the vertical-horizontal dimensions is derived. The strategic net and cultural types are then combined in an intercultural business-net framework, and the opportunities for and barriers to knowledge sharing are analysed using examples representing Asian-European and Asian-North American joint ventures and networks.     

Assessment of information and communications technology maturity level

The use of information and communications technology (ICT) turned out to be a key factor in the process of the wider development of a country. It is therefore very useful to estimate ICT evolution by the means of an appropriate metric. Based on statistical data from 159 countries, the ICT maturity level index (IMLI) is proposed and estimated by using structural equation modelling (SEM). This index is a metric measuring the information society in a country and consists of three sub-indices which are access, use and skills. It is an improvement of the ICT development index, proposed by the ITU in 2009. The analysis divides the countries into two groups, the developed and the developing, due to major disparities in their statistical data. The criterion used to define the groups was the income, as expressed by the Gross National Income per capita. The impact of a number of influential parameters on the ICT maturity level is evaluated and it becomes obvious that there is a substantial difference in their impact between developed and developing countries. Finally, a procedure that allows the ranking of the countries, based on IMLI, is presented.     

The need to change pedagogies in science and technology subjects: a European perspective

This paper evolves out of a consultancy that was carried out with the European Commission over a two year period between 2001 and 2003. A working group, set within the European Commission and comprising representatives from 15 member states, as well as associated and accession countries, stakeholders and social partners involved in maths, science and technology education, was formed. Its remit was to identify good practice in maths, science and technology education across Europe and to make recommendations for policy makers in the area. One important theme which emerged during the analysis of good practice was the need to develop the type of pedagogies which would encourage the active involvement of pupils in authentic and meaningful learning experiences within these subject domains. A series of questions relating specifically to this area was therefore incorporated into the second phase of the investigation and sent out to all participating countries. Qualitative analysis of these questionnaires was carried out. Using the results of these analyses, along with information from discussions, this paper considers the situation in Europe in respect of the introduction of what are essentially social constructivist pedagogies in the field of technology and science education. It explores some of the attempts which have been made to implement such pedagogies and more importantly the barriers to their introduction which have been identified in most countries across Europe. A consideration of research literature in the field is then used to promote the argument that teacher beliefs or theories are a crucial factor in preventing change. The role of these theories in presenting barriers to change are discussed and the implications for both policy makers and for initial teacher education are analysed.     

Telemedicine: an historical perspective

The use of telecommunications technologies to help deliver medical services has increased over the past few decades and is now well accepted. Called telemedicine, it involves medical diagnosis and management with the participants (doctors, nurses and patients) in different places. The practice is not new and follows closely behind technological developments. This paper traces its use from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day. Topics covered include the major telemedicine projects, their impact and the lessons learned from them. A summary of the characteristics of the various technologies is included.     

Strategic groups: A cognitive perspective

The strategic group concept provides an attractive middle ground between firm and industry for both theory development and empirical analysis. To date, this concept has been defined by researchers in terms of secondary accounting and financial data, and a number of critics have questioned the validity of this work. Our research shows that industry participants share perceptions about strategic commonalities among firms, and that participants cluster competitors in subtle ways not reflected in extant academic research on strategic groups. Decision makers' perceptions and cognitions are phenomena that can be expected to influence industry evolution. They are of research interest as an additional source of data on firm commonalities which helps address concerns about previous strategic group research.     

道路运输业规模效益分析

道路运输业规模效益是否明显,运输经营是否存在规模经营效益,本文从理论和实证两个方面进行了探讨。     

Metatheory of network management: A contingency perspective

This paper introduces a metatheoretical, contingency-based framework of inter-organizational network management. We define four basic network management functions and suggest that they are universal to all inter-organizational networks. We argue that management tasks, derived from more general management functions and contingent upon network characteristics, differ according to network type. We further argue that the roles that different actors in a network can adopt depend on their resources and capabilities. The framework contributes to the emerging theory of network management by clarifying the connections between its different conceptualizations and layers. A clear implication of the framework is that it is fundamentally useless to argue that networks cannot be managed. Networks are being managed, all of the time. However, we agree that the extent to which networks can be managed differs from one network to another along with the managerial tasks employed.     

Offshore outsourcing of services: An evolutionary perspective

Offshore outsourcing is gaining increasing importance and attention in both theory and practice. The purpose of this research is to use nine in-depth case studies to analyze the evolution of offshore services outsourcing with regard to how expectations and governance structures change over time. Five testable propositions are presented, building on institutional theory, transaction cost, and resource-based perspectives. The cases demonstrate that offshore outsourcing is initiated because of increasing internal and external pressure to conform and reduce costs. Moreover, companies “chase” efficiency improvements in other geographic locations. But after reducing costs, companies discover more strategic benefits such as the potential to increase quality and market share. Importantly, as buyer–supplier relationships move from tactical to more strategic, expectations and governance structures change.     

Sustainability and branding: An integrated perspective

Sustainability is increasingly drawing the attention of scholars, policy makers, and companies, as the latter are recognizing the necessity and opportunities of implementing sustainable practices in their operations. Marketing plays a substantial role in both applying such initiatives and promoting them, which can be greatly supported through brands. We suggest that firms can use their brands to promote the value of sustainability to their industrial customers, consumers, and other stakeholders. This may be achieved through branding activities that emphasize the firm's sustainability practices and their impact on stakeholders. Expressing sustainability actions as the measurable and relatable outcomes they yield and associating them with brands have the potential to further facilitate this integration of sustainability and branding. A framework and guidelines for sustainability practices that may be employed in this process of integrating operations and marketing are discussed.     

Anatomy of a social partnership: A stakeholder perspective

We offer an anatomic analysis of a social partnership among a complex network of stakeholder organizations. Contributions of this research are twofold. First, we use explanatory case data to develop a framework of stakeholder collaboration in a complex setting involving a mix of for-profit and non-profit organizations. Our study is motivated by a need for understanding about how organizations can work within social partnerships to achieve their goals (be they profit related or otherwise). Second, we offer insight about lateral relationship exchange from the view of the entire project—a perspective not typically employed in the domain of relationship marketing. The focal issue in the case, use of technology to improve highway safety, is a social initiative which further sets our study apart in the relationship marketing literature. Using fieldnotes from 33 in-depth interviews, we employ a mix of inductive and deductive reasoning to formulate a conceptual framework and research propositions for the social partnership. The conceptual framework offers in-depth understanding of social partnership development and relationship dynamics. This, in turn, may help stakeholders achieve organizational goals more effectively in this unique environment.     

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.     

Globalization of an ethnocentric firm: An evolutionary perspective

This paper investigates the globalization process at one traditionally ethnocentric firm. Whereas there has been substantial research on how multinational corporations (MNCs) structure and manage worldwide activities, little research has investigated how MNCs move toward proposed integrated network structures. The paper develops an evolutionary perspective of this process at traditionally ethnocentric firms, suggesting that it is driven by a shifting mix of strategic objectives over time, each of which differs in its impact on various functions. The paper suggests that globalization occurs at the level of the function, rather than the firm, and highlights important differences in the timing, sequence, and objectives of the process across functions. It also describes the importance of development patterns across functions, as changes in one function create opportunities and requirements for changes in others. Finally, the paper develops a framework of the process that can be tested at subsequent sites.     

Capabilities for advanced services: A multi-actor perspective

Servitization involves manufacturers developing service offerings to grow revenue and profit. Advanced services, in particular, can facilitate a more service-focused organization and impact customers' business processes significantly. However, approaches to servitization are often discussed solely from the manufacturer's perspective; overlooking the role of other network actors. Adopting a multi-actor perspective, this study investigates manufacturer, intermediary and customer perspectives to identify complementary and competing capabilities within a manufacturer's downstream network, required for advanced services. Interviews were conducted with 24 senior executives in 19 UK-based manufacturers, intermediaries and customers across multiple sectors. The study identified six key business activities, within which advanced services capabilities were grouped. The unique and critical capabilities for advanced services for each actor were identified as follows: manufacturers; the need to balance product and service innovation, developing customer-focused through-life service methodologies and having distinct, yet synergistic product and service cultures; intermediaries, the coordination and integration of third party products/services; customers, co-creating innovation and having processes supporting service outsourcing. The study is unique in highlighting the distinct roles of different actors in the provision of advanced services and shows that they can only be developed and delivered by the combination of complex interconnected capabilities found within a network.     

International human resource management: An Australian perspective

International human resource management (IHRM) is slowly emerging as a field of academic enquiry. There is, however, a dearth of case study material which documents IHRM strategies and experiences of companies-particularly companies which do not have their home base in the United States. This paper reviews current IHRM literature and reports the results of a recent study of four companies operating internationally from Australia: two are Australian-owned; one is an Australian subsidiary of a multinational oil company and the fourth is a regional division of a multinational automobile manufacturer. For the collection of data, a case study approach was used, with structured interviews of each company's personnel director, expatriate line managers (including returned managers and foreign nationals currently in Australia) and spouses. These case studies are analysed and the extent to which they contribute to the international human resource management literature is examined.The authors would like to thank the companies which participated in the study, and Mary Anderson, Hugh Davies, and Helen De Cieri for comments on earlier versions of the paper.     

Electronic transportation marketplaces: a transaction cost perspective

Electronic transportation marketplaces (ETMs) are Internet-based mechanisms that match buyers and sellers of transportation services. With claims of reducing the administrative costs of transportation procurement to virtually nothing, the allure of ETMs is considerable. Shippers (transportation buyers) must therefore determine whether to pursue the new-founded opportunity and buy transportation services through an Internet-based intermediary or to buy services in a traditional manner. To date, there has been little structured thought on the topic to guide managers. Transaction cost economics (TCE) provides a robust framework toward this end. The TCE framework is adapted to present the procurement decision as one of “make” versus “buy.” The analysis is designed to help firms navigate their own determination to use an ETM and, when considered, the most appropriate form of ETM. The merits and caveats of ETM adoption are presented in the article.     

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.     

Women and food aid: a developmental perspective

The unique aspect of food aid projects is that food, rather than money, is used for achieving developmental objectives. As food is usually controlled by women, they benefit most from considering it to be of economic value. Poor women seem to be short of resources--time and money--which can be supplemented by food aid. Through its income-transfer effect, food aid can enable women to work fewer hours/day and thus have more discretionary time. It can also provide, directly or indirectly, the cash necessary for women to use skills they already possess to set themselves up in small businesses. Food aid projects achieve their developmental objectives through: the nutritional content of the distributed commodity; the income transfer effect; cooperatives or associations; specific activities associated with the project; community improvement aspects resulting from the project; and provision of budgetary support to release resources for additional developmental activities. There are a number of ways through which food aid exerts its effect on women from a developmental perspective. Consumption of the food aid commodity provides women with an improved diet. Food aid as an income transfer can enable women to have more discretionary time. Providing women with opportunities for income-generating activities is an important aspect of development. Women's cooperatives or associations funded by food aid commodities can provide women with income. Current food aid projects, if properly planned, can be beneficial to women without the incorporation of specific activities or skills training. One way that food aid helps women gain more time is by freeing them from wage employment. Another way is to use the income transfer for the purchasing of consumer goods that reduce their labor.