Exploiting information technology: A case study of Singapore

While many developed nations and newly industrializing economies have major initiatives to promote information technology (IT), Singapore has perhaps had the most comprehensive and coordinated effort of all. Singapore's experience represents a good example of a very proactive government strategy. Elements of the government strategy include: skills development; state-of-the-art telecommunications; funding for small to medium-sized IT companies; an international approach to standardization, and special demonstration projects. Singapore's success with IT could be largely attributed to its compactness; however, one can also take the view that Singapore's highly sophisticated IT infrastracture is an early indication of the infrastructure requirements in developing countries.     

Rural energy technology assessment: A Sri Lankan case study

This paper reports and assesses the results of a comparative survey on the costs and benefits of windmills and kerosene pumpsets for irrigation of subsidiary food crops in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka. Secondary objectives are to draw out lessons from the survey (i) for other renewable energy technology programs and (ii) for evaluation methods. Survey results provide a windmill user evaluation, a cost analysis and a comparison of net crop income under the two techniques (windmill and kerosene pumpset). At both financial and economic prices the renewable energy technology is found inferior to the fossil-fuel based technology. The small data set requires caution in drawing final conclusions but does suggest that there is a critical loss in flexibility over cropping patterns by adoption of the windmill.     

Does managerial ability matter for cross-border M&As: Evidence from Chinese listed firms

With the deepening of economic globalization, cross-border mergers and acquisitions (CBMAs) are increasingly becoming an important choice of transnational investment, and more Chinese firms are becoming involved in them. However, the success rate of CBMAs for firms in China seems to be lower than that for firms in other countries. Using data on the CBMA deals initiated by Chinese A-share listed enterprises from 2003 to 2018, we examine the association between managerial ability and the likelihood of completing CBMAs. The empirical results show that the average impact of managerial ability on the likelihood of completing CBMAs is positive. Furthermore, by taking heterogeneity of the ownership structure into account, we find that the positive effect of managerial ability is significant only for non-state-owned enterprises. Moreover, the results from the mediation model show that relaxing financing constraints is a possible channel by which managerial ability affects the likelihood of completing CBMAs. Our results are robust to various model specifications.     

Labour force and land distributional effects of agricultural technology: A case study of coffee

Land reform frequently refers to government policies which expropriate large farms and fragment them into smaller units; however, land reform can also refer to the opposite process, that of consolidation of farms which are too small for efficient production. In the latter sense, that of land consolidation, land reform may or may not be socially desirable and prompt government intervention. Possible gains in efficiency accruing from land consolidation may not be desirable if it entails agricultural unemployment and accelerated rural-urban migration, in which case governments may try to intervene. This paper looks at land reform in the context of one crop, coffee. New techniques of coffee cultivation will increase output-labour, output-land and labour-land ratios, offering the prospect for higher coffee employment and output. However, economic and institutional barries will preclude higher output; as a result coffee employment and small coffee farms will be threatened. This paper examines the economic implications of the new coffee technology in the context of Columbia.     

The choice of technology in the production of fertilizer: A case study of ammonia and urea

The need to increase agricultural production has led many underdeveloped countries to produce industrial fertilizer domestically. A case study of the choice of technology in the production of ammonia and a nitrogenous fertilizer, urea, in the context of India, suggests that there is little scope for utilizing more labour in what is a highly capital-intensive process. There is, however, a choice between increasing energy costs and capital costs, which the Indians might exploit to reduce foreign exchange requirements. The paper then examines briefly some wider technological alternatives.     

Rural schools and educational technology: A case study of rural schools in the Molopo district,Mafikeng

This article examines the position and conditions of rural schools around Mafikeng (North-West Province, South Africa) with relation to the Technology Learning Area – a core component of Curriculum 2005. Technology Education (TE) has been undergirded by the launching of the Science and Technology Campaign by the national Ministry of Education at the introductory phase of Curriculum 2005. Given the well-known limitations on the capacity of rural schools to engage meaningfully and productively with both technological and science education, this pilot study investigates the pre-planning and strategising by relevant stakeholders. The article also focuses on the career aspirations of learners, and career guidance and expectations on the part of the teaching staff and parents, with reference to the acquisition of competencies in the Technology Learning Area by learners. Financial contributions by rural communities to school funds and security provisions for these schools which, it is envisaged, will house instructional materials for TE, are confronted and analysed.     

Public-private wage comparison: A case study of Taiwan

This paper rigorously examines the public-private wage differential. Two novelties: it deals with a newly industrialized economy-Taiwan, and an attempt is made to isolate out any alleged “favorable” industry/occupation job distribution that may exist for the public sector.Significant wage advantages were found to exists for both genders in the public sector. Both the absolute magnitude of this advantage premium and the relative size between genders were comparable to the estimates for the U.S and for Canada. The often alleged superior industry/occupation distribution of public sector jobs were verified and found to account for a significant portion of the observed sectoral wage differential.     

武钢钢材的营销渠道管理策略分析

本文对生产建设企业购买钢材的行为特点进行分析,在此基础上,从渠道的选择、管理、渠道信息化建设、国际市场的开拓、帮助客户成功,同时成功自己五个方面阐述了对武钢钢材的营销渠道管理策略。     

Options for cement production in Papua New Guinea: A study in choice of technology

This paper examines the technical options for local production of cement to satisfy Papua New Guinea's needs. Both rotary and vertical kiln methods and different plant sizes are compared on economic grounds and also assessed against national objectives. Because of Papua New Guinea's small and scattered demand for cement and high internal transport costs, the smaller vertical kiln units are more economic while small-scale manufacture is also more in line with national objectives.     

Chinese MNEs and managerial knowledge transfer in Africa: the case of the construction sector in Ghana

This paper considers the case of managerial knowledge spillovers from Chinese FDI in Africa, in the context of the Ghanaian construction sector. Using empirical data from in-depth qualitative interviews, the paper first identifies key channels and determinants of managerial knowledge spillovers. Limited local employment at the managerial level in Chinese construction firms is the main impediment to managerial knowledge spillovers from these firms. Cultural and linguistic barriers can explain this situation. Localisation strategies, defined as the progressive replacement of Chinese managers by local ones, can help overcome these barriers and foster managerial knowledge spillovers.     

Private sector response to stabilization policy: A case study

The problem studied relates to the monetary policy employed by Leslie M. Shaw, Secretary of the Treasury, 1902–1907. Secretary Shaw initiated active intervention in the New York City money market to relieve the pressure on bank reserves and interest rates which accompanied the annual autumn specie drain. The empirical results suggest that the banks anticipated Shaw's policy of depositing government funds into the banks, and made fewer preparations for autumn drain of specie. The deposit policy was not carried out in a timely and adequate fashion in 1907, the banks were not in position to meet the outflow of specie, and thus this paper helps explain the occurrence of the Panic of 1907.     

Making local labour markets work: A Scottish case study

With the launch of Employment Training (ET) in 1988 there has been increasing interest in providing training that is closely tied to the demands of the labour market. The establishment of ET came about because of a concern that unemployment was still very high at a time when large numbers of jobs were being created. Part of the explanation for this apparent paradox was that the unemployed lacked the motivation and skills to get jobs. The solution, as proposed by ET, was to provide counseling and training (Department of Employment, 1988). Insofar as this recognised that factors other than a lack of skills stopped the unemployed getting work it was to be welcomed. However there are other things that need to be taken account of if labour markets are to work effectively (Haughton and Peck, 1989). Many of these are outside of the control of the unemployed.     

Money and the production function: A case study of France

Zusammenfassung Geld in der Produktionsfunktion: Eine Fallstudie für Frankreich. — Dieser Aufsatz benutzt Daten für Frankreich (1950–1973), um zu prüfen, ob (a) reale Geldbest?nde eine Grenzproduktivit?t haben, die mit der physischer Inputs vergleichbar ist, und ob (b) die Einführung von Geld in die Produktionsfunktion aufgrund einer Vielzahl von Strukturver?nderungen zu einer Instabilit?t der Produktionsbeziehungen führt. Die Autoren ermitteln eine Zeitreihe für das Grenzprodukt des Geldes. Indem sie die Technik zeitlich variierender Parameter in ihrer Regressionsanalyse verwenden, finden sie heraus, da\ die Einführung von Geld in die aggregierte Produktionsfunktion keine Instabilit?t der Produktionsbeziehungen mit sich gebracht hat.

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Résumé La monnaie dans la fonction de production: une étude de cas pour la France. — En utilisant les données pour la France, 1950–1973, cet article essaie de tester (a) si les balances de monnaie réelle ont une productivité marginale qui est similaire à celle des inputs physiques, et (b) si l’introduction de la monnaie dans la fonction de production mène à l’instabilité dans les relations de production due à toutes sortes des changements structurels. Les auteurs présentent une série chronologique du produit marginal de monnaie. En utilisant une technique des paramètres variants sur le temps ils trouvent aussi que l’introduction de la monnaie dans une fonction agrégée de production ne mène pas à une instabilité dans les relations de production.

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Resumen Dinero en la función de producción: un estudio del caso de Francia. — Usando datos de Francia para el periódo 1958–1973, en este artículo se intenta someter a prueba, (a) si los balances de dinero real tienen una productividad similar a la de insumos fisicos y, (b) si la introducci?n de dinero en la función de producción lleva a una inestabilidad en las relaciones de producción debido a una variedad de cambios estructurales. Los autores presentan una serie temporal del producto marginal del dinero. Usando una técnica de paràmetros variables en el tiempo también descubren que la introducción del dinero en la función de producción agregada no imparte inestabilidad en las relaciones de producción.

     

Developing a local retail strategy: A case study of Leicester

Retailing has experienced profound restructuring in recent years. The retail revolution has brought with it changes to employment practices and the organisation of retail businesses, the application of new technologies and shifts in the location of retailing activity, most notably through the growth of off-centre superstores. One consequence is that the retailing sector is now characterised by a particular set of problems which have a major impact on the retail workforce. This article uses evidence drawn from a study of issues concerning Leicester's retail sector to consider the need for, and the appropriate form of, sector-based strategies aimed at alleviating these problems in both Leicester and in other UK local economies.     

Brick manufacturing in Columbia: A case study of alternative technologies

There is systematic variation in size and capital-intensity across firms in LDC manufacturing industries, variation which is greater than that observed in advanced countries (DCs). This paper examines the hypothesis that the pattern results from diffusion of superior modern technology which is proceeding at a slower rate in LDCs than in DCs. Evidence from the Columbian brick industry is presented which suggests that slow diffusion is not a sufficient explanation.