Nicaragua: structural adjustment policy analysis in the nineties

Three of the most relevant aspects of structural adjustment are presented in this paper: exchange policies, tariff policies, and fiscal policies. They are evaluated with a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. The model is used first to assess the exchange rate as the most relevant macroeconomic variable both for inflation control and for the promotion of exports. Secondly, the CGE considers how trade liberalization sustained on Ricardian principles of comparative advantages within a framework of trade integration agreements. Finally, the CGE analyzes public expenditure contraction as a central element in the new role the state has in the economy. The model is based on a Social Accounting Matrix built for 1991, a key year for these transformations.     

Structural change and technological development

It is important for our understanding of sectoral and regional structural change to analyze the R & D-activities. In this paper we show that R & D should be analyzed as an endogenous, intermediate, public investment variable rather than as ordinary capital investment. The allocation of resources for R&D cannot be decentralized regionally or sectorally but should preferably be decided on as a problem of optimal taxation. It is shown that the optimal rate of taxation for R&D is determined by possibilities of substitution between ordinary capital investments and R&D, by the propensity to invest and by the productivity of the R&D- producing sector. A dynamic model with accessibility representation of knowledge is finally formulated. This interregional R&D-model also has equilibrium growth properties. The equilibrium rate of growth of all regions of this model can be raised by decreasing any interregional distance or by raising any regional propensity to invest.     

Learning the Organisation: Confusions and Contradictions For New Managers

Diane Preston, who is Lecturer in Human Resource Management at Loughborough University Business School, draws on a study of graduates from four sites of a multinational chemical company to discuss the process of socialisation of new managers. She argues that of particular significance is the new managers’ relationship with their own manager; where the manager is supportive and encouraging, this creates a positive lens through which other organisational activities are seen.     

Organisation strategies and industrial relations

Stuart Timperley discusses two important themes in the management of industrial relations in organisations: firstly, that it is possible, through managerial decisions and actions, to influence industrial relations and, secondly, that a case can be made for such decisions and actions to be implemented.     

Celebrate the legacy of traditional firms

The whole notion of digital disruption, however insightful and informative, has simply been blown out of proportion. Too much emphasis has been placed on the potential threat and the disruptive side, causing many traditional business firms to unnecessarily worry and panic, engaging in either excessive reactions or inappropriate responses. In fact, to many traditional business firms, digital transformation might not be disruptive at all. The unique characteristics of many traditional firms enable them to better withstand the onslaught brought by digital transformation, which, on the other hand, may well be substantively and significantly enhancing their value propositions. Traditional firms should ask themselves two fundamental questions in dealing with digital transformation. First, what makes our business robust and resilient enough to withstand digital disruption? Second, what could we do to enhance our value proposition facing digital transformation? This article aims to help firms address these two questions. First, through a series of four tests (Product, Presence, Participation, and Privilege), it dissects the profile of the firms that will most likely withstand the disruption of digital transformation. Second, it outlines the courses of action (Conserve, Co-opt, Contrast, and Celebrate) through which the firms’ value could be enhanced.     

The dynamics of structural change: a model of economic development and urbanization

A system model is constructed for stimulating the development dynamics of a class of developing countries. The interrelations among socio-economic variables, feedback relations and the recursive relationship of intertemporal solutions are emphasized. For some plausible values of parameters and initial conditions, the model generates results generally consistent with the experience of many developing economies. Emerging from the dynamics are rapid urbanization accompanied by little industrial growth, increasingly unbalanced spatial distribution of population, ever-worsening distribution of income, unemployment and under-employment in both rural and urban areas, and other familiar features of the developing world unexplained by comparative-static equilibrium models.     

用创意文化改变发展模式

文化产业为什么重要？ 中国经济发展很好．从上世纪90年代初期以来．我们保持了最佳发展速度．用一句老百姓说的话．叫“八九不离十”。但另一方面却很不理想：这个最佳速度．不是以理想的增长方式换来的。现在的中国经济．依然是粗放的增长方式，具体说来．“三高两低”：高投入．高排放、高消耗．低产出、低效益。标志增长方式优化的指标基本上没完成．但是大家却把这些指标忽略了。如：2006年，我国单位GDP能耗指标不降反升。以这样的增长方式翻两番．全世界的钢铁．煤炭给中国烧完了．还缺口：全世界产的水泥被中国用完了．还缺一半。中央提出科学发展观．转变增长方式，最重要的任务是用科学的增长方式实现中国经济持续快速健康发展。     

Organisation vs. culture: Japanese automotive transplants in the US

It has long been argued that the Japanese production organization is culture-bound and therefore not transferable to other countries. This article examines seven major Japanese automobile assembly plants and over 270 Japanese automotive parts suppliers in the US. The successful transfer of Japanese work and production organization in these ‘transplants’ suggests that Japanese production practices are organizational forms which can be uncoupled from Japanese culture and transferred to other countries.     

Human resource practices and discrimination in South Africa: overcoming the apartheid legacy

While there is some level of isomorphism and convergence in HRM practices, country-specific differences remain, notwithstanding globalization and the influence of increasingly powerful multinationals. Much work has occurred on diversity management and cultural aspects of management in South Africa (SA). This analysis finds that local institutional context in labour relations and particularism in practices remain important, although the influence of convergent forces such as globalization, information technology and increased competition has become much more prominent in post-apartheid SA. Human resource practitioners in SA see the most important workplace challenges as performance improvement, employment equity, training and development and managing trade union expectations. This article critically evaluates the effects of recent legislative measures, particularly labour court and arbitration awards aimed at addressing the adverse impact of past unfair discrimination on pay practices and skills development. The latter are found to be interrelated, sensitive and difficult areas of discrimination in respect of legal proof.     

On the role of policy interventions in structural change and economic development: The case of postwar Japan

In this paper, we study the structural change occurring in Japan's post-World War II era of rapid economic growth. We use a two-sector neoclassical growth model with government policies to analyze the evolution of the Japanese economy in this period and to assess the role of such policies. Our model is able to replicate the empirical behavior of the main macroeconomic variables. Three findings emerge from our analysis. First, neither price and investment subsidies to the agricultural sector, nor industrial policy plays a crucial role in the rapid postwar growth. Second, had there existed a labor migration barrier, the negative long-run level effect on output would have been substantial. Finally, TFP in non-agricultural sector is mostly responsible for the rapid growth of Japan in the post-war period.     

中日社会经济发展与物流变迁(下)——中国社会经济发展与物流变迁

新中国成立至今,社会经济取得了举世瞩目的成就,人民的生活水平发生了翻天覆地的变化.这一发展过程可以说是物资不断丰富、流通不断发展的过程.物流,其概念从无到有,从不被重视到成为重点发展产业,目前正同社会经济一起处于转型升级的重要阶段.本文结合中国社会经济发展对中国物流的变迁进行分析,并针对中国物流现状提出目前中国物流存在的问题,最后结合日本物流发展过程和中国社会经济的特点探讨中国物流的发展方向.     

Using data in legacy fundraising: a practical approach

• Legacies provide a major source of income to charities, and their importance is only likely to increase with the passing on of the baby-boomer generation. Legacy fundraising is a long-term process, based on developing relationships with donors over time. Data have a key role to play in the development of these relationships, allowing legacy fundraisers to measure and track their donors, and to contribute to the development of effective fundraising strategies. This paper discusses the effective collection and use of data in legacy fundraising, from consolidating data, to analysing the results and building legacy targeting models. The authors discuss how these principles have been applied in UK-based charity, Help the Aged, in conjunction with their Data Agency, Tangible Data (formerly Talking Numbers) and to give practical advice on how they may be implemented in other organisations.

Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Role change of design engineers in product development

Product development is recognized as cross-functional, knowledge-intensive work that has become increasingly important in the fast-paced, globally competitive environment. Researchers and practicing managers contend that design engineers may play an important role in product development efforts. However, their effect on the product development process is not well understood and the extent of their impact on product development performance has not been adequately accessed. This research defines the changing role of design engineers, and it discusses their impact on setting clear project targets and sharing knowledge about customers. The study investigates the impact of these variables on product development productivity. Data collected from 205 manufacturing firms were used to create valid and reliable instruments to assess role change of design engineers, clarity of project targets, shared knowledge about customers and product development productivity. Results from structural equation modeling indicate that as the role of design engineers expands the clarity of project targets increase. This increase impacts the extent of shared knowledge about customers. Increases in the clarity of project targets and shared knowledge about customers appear to enhance product development productivity.     

Teamworking and change: managing the contradictions

This article examines managers' experiences of introducing a team‐based work system in a manufacturing firm, and their efforts to manage this. Drawing on a social constructionist view, findings are presented that point to the plurality of ‘world views’ held among managers responsible for the delivery of change and to the socially contested nature of teamworking. Implications of these findings are pursued, including the need for change agents and human resource development (HRD) specialists to build sufficient time for review and reflection into change programmes. This is central to developing more skilled approaches to balancing inherent tensions in the employment relationship and processes of change, and in creating opportunities for more fluid and open dialogue among different groups and individuals within management in order to enhance processes of learning and understanding.     

从企业环境的变化看战略管理思想的演变

文章对战略管理理论的发展演变过程及相应时期的企业环境进行了分析,从而揭示出各种战略管理理论流派与其特定的企业环境的适应性,希望能从当今企业环境的变化趋势来探究战略管理思想的发展方向。     

Towards factories of the future: migration of industrial legacy automation systems in the cloud computing and Internet-of-things context

ABSTRACT

The vision of factories-of-the-future is motivating many industrial companies to modernise their existing portfolio of systems and services to maintain market share and improve business agility. For long-lived industrial systems, it is challenging to adapt legacy assets to a service-oriented stream in cloud computing and Internet-of-things contexts. For this reason, many research studies have proposed techniques and methodologies to migrate legacy industrial functions and systems at different hierarchy levels of automation control. This paper presents an overview of these techniques and methodologies, as well as industry practices to achieve the vision of factories of the future. Better understanding the challenges encountered in legacy migration processes will help researchers and practitioners in their further efforts.