New models for measuring the R&D performance and identifying the productivity of public research institutes

Research evaluation of public institutes is important for measuring the performance of the science sector and improving the cost effectiveness and efficiency of public resource allocation. The purpose of this article is to construct a means of classifying publicly-funded R&D institutions and their performance (high or low). The main findings are two research performance functions, created using discriminant analysis with direct and Wilks methods, which have been successfully applied to 200 public research institutes belonging to the Italian National Research Council. The large number of indicators used within the models creates a macro index that produce, as output, the research performance score. The data analysed is from the 2001 period. The results show that 22.5% of public labs fall into the 'high performance institute' bracket and that they have a site larger than 'low performance institutes'. The models are useful tools for decision making within the research bodies and for reducing X-inefficiency.     

The impacts of performance relative to analyst forecasts and analyst coverage on firm R&D intensity

Taking an agency theory perspective of managers as risk averse and self‐interest seeking and focusing on externally generated analyst forecasts as the performance target, we propose that managers tend to cut R&D expenses when they are under pressure to meet analyst forecasts, especially when they face an increase in employment risk after missing the forecasts. We further argue that analyst coverage can serve as an external monitoring mechanism to help contain this agency problem. We test these arguments with data from a sample of U.S. manufacturing firms during the period of 1979 to 2005. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Morphological analysis in agricultural R&D: A technologist's approach to the definition and economic evaluation of technologies

The research scientist, the planner, and the R&D manager require a methodology that can compose a wide range of technological options within a realistic production system context and subject these options to a comprehensive, multi-parameter economic analysis. A technologically-oriented approach to the generation and ex-ante assessment of technologies is developed for this purpose in an agricultural R&D context. The approach is based on morphological analysis, in which a production process is defined as a series of tasks each of which can be accomplished by one or more alternative techniques. The model is customized for any specific production system using information provided by technology experts. This information is received in the language of the technologist, structured in a way that promotes an holistic view of the system, and processed to answer the needs of the economic evaluator. The model has been well received by technologists in the analysis of about a dozen diverse R&D projects.     

Three decades of research on corporate governance and R&D investments: a systematic review and research agenda

This paper reviews and systematizes the empirical research on the nexus between corporate governance (CG) and investments in research and development (R&D) published in leading business, management, economics and finance journals over the past 30 years. We find that CG is key in shaping R&D investments. Moreover, the effects of both firm- and country-level CG are important for both internal and external R&D investments. Drawing on our review, we welcome future studies to examine the effect of the interplay between various CG mechanisms and different types of R&D investments, and possibly identify mediating variables besides the moderating ones. Moreover, we highlight the need for future interdisciplinary studies, as well as investigations of private companies and across developing countries. Whenever causal interpretations are attempted, both sample selection and endogeneity problems should be addressed, along with testing the CG-R&D investment nexus for nonlinear dynamics. The implications of the study for both theory and practice are also discussed.     

An economic analysis of the impacts of trade liberalization on Asian dairy market

This paper develops an economic analysis of the impacts of further trade liberalization scenarios on Asian dairy markets, using a world dairy model incorporating both vertical and spatial characteristics of the world dairy sector. Japan and Korea’ producers will suffer much bigger losses from trade liberalization than other countries in the region; Japan and Korea’s producers get much more protection from trade distortions than from domestic subsidy. India is a potential competitive exporter if Asia is liberalized. China and India are potential competitive exporters under global free trade. South East Asia and other South Asian countries remain importers under free trade. Greater trade liberalization around the world increases exports for potential exporters and/or ease importing pressure for potential importers. The increasing order of competitiveness of Asian dairy economies sectors is found to be Japan, Korea, South East Asia, other South Asia, China and India. China and India consumers would lose from world trade liberalization, but the other countries’ consumer surplus will increase.     

The evolution of public industry R&D institute – the case of ITRI

Public industrial research institutes are important in regard to aiding industry development in many countries. Research institutes have to constantly change their strategies according to their industrial environments in order to remain influential. The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has been recognised as a successful institute in facilitating industrial development. During its 40‐year development process, ITRI has gone through three stages of strategic repositioning and organisational reforms. The evolution of the organisational structure and the interactions with its social‐technological environment are both complex and dynamic. This study proposes a framework which integrates the role of the institutes with organisation structures and strategies to analyse the process of the evolution of ITRI. Based on the framework, this study uses system dynamics to identify the underlying structure driving the process of its evolution. The result shows that it is important to align the organisational structure with development strategies; in a long‐term perspective, the strategies for short‐term and long‐term goals can reinforce each other. The recent transition of ITRI suggests a new direction‐seeking role for public research institutes to play among the national innovation systems. This study also discusses the potential impacts of the system dynamics approach to R&D management.     

Strategies for best practice in research and technology institutes: an overview of a benchmarking exercise

Many technology institutes have been criticised for their dislocation from, or lack of relevance to, industry. This paper provides an overview of a major benchmaking study which analyzed in depth the most successful technology institutes from eight nations (four in Europe and four in East Asia). Institutes selected for study met a criterion which included a combination of dynamism, relevance to industry, contribution to the national science and technology infrastructure, independent fund-raising capability, innovative organizational structures, and effective management. The paper examines the activities engaged in by the eight institutes, the principal challenges they face, and identifies the main success factors underlying their achievements. The paper attempts to illustrate practical, best practice strategies by showing how leading technology institutes have successfully contributed to their national system of innovation. To this end, success factors have been categorized into those factors which are under the direct control of the institutes (internal), which are outside of their influence (external), and those which can be affected to a lesser or greater extent.     

运行尚平稳 机制待完善——对石化行业转制科研机构情况的调查

根据科技部有关文件的要求，为做好原１０个国家局所属２４２个科研机构的转制工作，针对转制科研机构的具体变化和转制过程中出现的新情况、遇到的新问题及应采取的对策，有关部门于２００１年底对石化行业部分科研机构转制情况进行了跟踪调查，本文将调查情况与研究意见介绍如下。一、科研机构转制情况（一）转制及有关政策的落实基本到位。转制两年多来，被调查的２３个科研机构全部完成了企业工商注册，各单位按不同转制方式实现了管理关系的交接，并纳入到正常的管理渠道。大多数科研机构已经纳入到当地的社会保障体系，还有５家正处于…     

基于DEA模型的高技术产业R&D效率评价

作为创新的"孵化器",高技术产业的RD效率问题至关重要。从区域与行业交叉的视角出发,选取RD活动人员折合全时当量和RD经费内部支出作为投入指标,有效发明专利数和新产品销售收入作为产出指标,运用DEA模型研究了中国高技术产业5个行业在17个省市的RD活动效率,运用层次聚类分析对17个省市加以聚类。研究结果表明:中国高技术产业RD效率普遍偏低,没有任何一个省市的5个高技术产业均处于较高的RD效率上;区域间发展很不平衡,高技术产业行业差异比较明显;个别省市的5个高技术产业的RD效率都很低;传统"创新"大省RD效率并不突出,存在严重的资源浪费。针对存在的问题,从追求效率、追求精益、协同发展和加强政策引导等方面提出了对策与建议。     

国防科技工业自主研发能力开发策略研究

自主创新是提升国防科技工业核心能力、构筑科技竞争优势的根本途径,只有得到自主创新能力的牵引,国防科技工业核心能力才能提升与发展。国防科技工业自主创新是一个由若干要素构成的综合性的能力系统,主要包括自主研发能力、自主制造能力、自主管理能力、自主营销能力和自主转化能力。其中,自主研发能力是自主创新能力系统的核心。要形成和增强国防科技工业的自主创新能力,关键是有效地开发自主研发能力。因此,     

The changing face of research anddevelopment in the public sector

This paper examines the changes that have occurred in the management and scale of R & D, in the contextof the'gas industry's experience. As a resultof the discovery o f North Sea gas and new and expanding operations, R & D has become larger, more central, and thus more integrated into and accountable to the organization as a whole. This has resulted in greater centralization and planning administered according to the ‘sponsorship’ principle. These changes have highlighted the problems of R & D choice and the comparison of commercial and non-commercial objectives in a public sector industry. The unique constraints under which nationalized industries operate and their commitment to the ‘public interest’ as well as to commercial goals, are discussed. These bear upon the way in which R & D decisions not amenable to cost/benefit analysis (such as the balance between long and short term work) are made. It is emphasized that these decisions are made by the industry as a whole and that R & D must thus be seen to be complying with industry objectives. The example of British Gas R & D Planning is used to show how ‘sponsorship’ operates and its values for R & D and the restof the industry. Comparison with other public sector industries indicates that there is no one great system for R & D and that its administration is a function of the history, technological characteristics, and present situation of the industry. These imply different procedures appropriate for the innovation process within the Industry. The role of British Gas within a national energy policy is discussed. The separation of the fuel industries affects the assumptions on which R & D plans are made and thus the degree of uncertainty inherent in all R & D planning. This raises interest- ing questions about the degree of flexibility possible in defining each industry's own objectives.     

The two dimensions of policy impacts on economic cohesion: Concept and illustration for the CAP

Given the growing importance of cohesion policy within the European Union (EU) during the last two decades, public and scientific interest in the role of EU policies for regional disparities has risen continuously. Recent empirical studies on the impacts of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on economic cohesion have been strikingly diverse in their principal findings. Whereas some studies suggest positive overall effects on economic cohesion, others stress exactly the opposite. One major reason for the ambiguous results is that a single agreed-upon measure of economic cohesion is lacking. We propose a concept that distinguishes between two dimensions of policy impacts on economic cohesion: (i) the redistributive impact at a defined period of time and (ii) the change of the redistributive impact over time. The first dimension addresses the question whether a policy makes the distribution of a target variable, e.g., income, more equal or unequal at one point of time. The second dimension covers the impact of the policy on the disparity of the same variable over time, i.e., the impact on convergence. An empirical illustration of the concept for 13 NUTS 1 regions in Germany over the period 1991–2009 reveals that the two policy impacts of the CAP are partly contradictory for the two dimensions. It is shown that the CAP fosters economic cohesion by reducing regional disparities in each individual year. With regard to redistributive impacts over time, we find that CAP transfers leave income convergence largely unaffected for society as a whole. Within the agricultural sector, it leads to a convergence of receipts per farm whereas it induces a divergence of farm receipts per hectare.     

The system-wide impact of healthy eating: Assessing emissions and economic impacts at the regional level

Encouraging consumers to shift their diets towards a lower meat/lower calorie alternative has been the focus of food and health policies across the world. The economic impacts of such changes on regions have been less widely examined, but are likely to be significant, especially where agricultural and food production activities are important for the region. In this study we use a multi-sectoral modelling framework to examine the environmental and economic impacts of such a dietary change, and illustrate this using a detailed model for Scotland. We find that if household food and drink consumption follows healthy eating guidelines, it would reduce both Scotland’s “footprint” and “territorial” emissions, and yet may be associated with positive economic impacts, generating a “double dividend” for both the environment and the economy. The economic impact however depends critically upon how households use the income previously spent on higher meat/higher calorie diets. Furthermore, the likely (but not modelled) benefits to health suggest the potential for a “triple dividend”.     

水平井实施效果经济评价指标体系研究

水平井作为油气田开发的一项成熟适用技术,已经广泛应用于国内油气田开发领域。与直井相比,水平井具有开发投资高、风险大的特点,但在产油量、操作成本、阶段投入产出比上往往具有一定的优势。辽河油田建立了水平井实施效果经济评价指标体系,包括两项技术指标（阶段产油量和单井新建产能）和七项经济指标（阶段收益、投入产出比、万米进尺投资、盈亏平衡产量、财务净现值、内部收益率和投资回收期）。利用该评价指标体系,可以比较客观地评价已有水平井的实施效果,而且评价结果可以用来指导新的投资决策,从而有效规避投资风险。     

改企建制过程中应重视企业文化建设

把企业和文化联系在一起作为研究的对象，是近20年的事情。随着信息时代的到来，一场以“企业文化”为主的管理革命，席卷世界发达国家，也强烈震撼着许多发展中国家的企业界。越来越多的学者和企业管理者重视企业文化，并在企业管理的实践中研究和倡导，取得了令人瞩目的成就。     

The action research model applied to the management of interdisciplinary research in university and industrial settings

There are problems in managing successful interdisciplinary research when resources must be drawn from across departmental bounds. The action research model provides a means for the interdisciplinary group to explore the problem constellation and introduce change. The application of this model to overall interdisciplinary policy management is illustrated for a group of health research centres in an academic Health Sciences Centre and for the Technology and Engineering area of a technology organization. For both, the application of the action research model introduced an improved basis for conducting interdisciplinary activities in discipline oriented organizational settings.     

秩和比法在评价工业经济效益研究中的应用

秩和比法是系统工程中多目标决策分析中一种决策技术。本文通过实例阐明了秩和比法在工业经济效益综合评价中的具体应用,并对秩和比法的编秩方法进行了改进,同时引进权重系数,从而使秩和比法的评价结论更为科学和合理。认为秩利比法具有全面客观、科学合理、准确简便等特点,是一种较好的综合评价方法,在经济领域有一定的应用价值。     

小波分析模型在经济领域中的应用

小波分析理论作为一门新兴的数学理论和方法,已经被应用到各个领域的研究之中.小波分析包括小波积分变换和小波级数.近年来,国内外的学者们把小波分析方法应用在金融和经济学上,将经济时间序列由单纯的相域分析扩展到了相域与频域共同分析.本文将介绍国内外最新的将经济模型与小波分析方法相结合的探索成果.     

充分利用质检机构资源,为水利事业的发展提供基础技术支撑

1 概述：近几年来,随着我国经济体制改革的发展和检测市场的不断完善,各地实验室情况发生了很大变化.为及时掌握我国实验室资源的基本信息,建立我国实验室资源的信息网,充分合理利用现有实验室以及社会各类实验室资源,避免盲目投资和资源浪费,促进我国检测市场规范健康发展,国家认证认可监督管理委员于2004年12月16日,以国认实函[2004]281号文发布了关于全国范围内实验室资源调查情况的通知,在2002年开展的实验室资源调查基础上,组织开展了新一轮的实验室资源调查.     

Reciprocity and R&D search: Applying the behavioral theory of the firm to a communitarian context

We propose that the behavioral theory of the firm perspective on R&D search requires modification when applied to “communitarian” cultures such as Japan because reciprocity and embeddedness can influence the search decision. When performance exceeds aspirations, communitarian‐oriented firms are more inclined to use their privileged position to help their less fortunate stakeholders by engaging in additional R&D search that should yield greater payoffs for these stakeholders in the future. Our results indicate that while Japanese firms engage in “problemistic” search in a manner similar to what has been found in other contexts, they respond differently when performance exceeds expectations. We find that as performance rises above aspirations, communitarian‐oriented firms raise R&D search to a greater extent than do firms that lack a communitarian orientation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.