Radical Individualism vs. Institutionalism, I The Division of Institutionalists into 'Humanists' and 'Behaviorists'

A bstract . David Seckler has filled an important gap in the methodological literature of economics by providing a "radical individualist" critique of American institutionalism (1). Seckler argues that institutionalists have been unable to develop a coherent methodology because of their ambivalence on the issue of " free will versus determinism." Thorstein Veblen, he says, entertained both "humanistic" and "behavioristic" hypotheses in his explanations of human behavior and, consequently, descended into obscurantism. The institutionalist literature in general reflects these contradictory methodological tendencies; for example, John R. Commons was a "humanist" , whereas Clarence Ayres was a "behaviorist." Seckler's critique is not, however, persuasive. He fails to recognize the difficulties inherent in the philosophical dualisms posited by "radical individualism," and he employs them credulously in his critique of institutionalism. Equally damaging to his argument is his failure to give adequate consideration to the meaning and significance of the "institutional dichotomy" in institutional analysis.     

Response to Professor Pryor's Millennium Survey

This comment is in response to Frederic L. Pryor (2000). "The Millennium Survey: How Economists View the U.S. Economy in the 21^st Century." The American Journal of Economics and Sociology. 59 (January), pp. 3-33.     

会计与会计教育:从整体主义到个人主义

我国的会计与会计教育实践存在整体主义取向,顺延黑格尔、马克思主义的历史决定论及其对整体、国家、服从的强调,会计实践在现实情境中寻求整体知识的积累与进步。然而,若将会计理解为一种游戏,并通过文化哲学指引会计实践者的行为,会计与会计教育将被导向个人主义。该立场认为,在会计知识学习中处于主体地位的是学生,并强调在会计知识的有效应用中环境与语言情境是决定性的因素,同时,会计行为将呈现出相对主义。个人主义取向对我国目前会计领域的理性活动具有重要的指引作用,将弥补已有理论框架的不足,扩展会计与会计教育改革的路径。     

The Methodology of Austrian Economics and Its Relevance to Institutionalism

A bstract . The methodology of Austrian economics's presented in the writings of Ludwig von Mises is described. The Misesian system is built on a priori categories (choice, causality, teleology, time, uncertainty) which Mises regarded as common to all human actors. He used these categories to describe how theories of social phenomena must be constructed if they are to be comprehensible to others. To interpret history , including economic history , one must invent models based on subsidiary assumptions and he or she must make bypotheseszbom the specific "intentions and expectations" of actors. One model is that of an "economic institution." The meaning of the Misesian model of an institution is stated. It is said to have much in common with the models of phenomenologicai sociology. Finally, contrary to recent papers in this J ournal , it is argued that (1) Misesian a priori categories are not alternatives to a priori assumptions described by institutionalists, (2) although a pure theory of choice does not lend itself to the evaluation of public policy , hypotheses about specific intentions and expectations do permit such evaluations, and (3) statements by Mises on institutions and the study of history resemble those made by many institutionalists.     

Individualism and collectivism: into the 1990s

New, employer-led initiatives in the management of human resources are said to have pitched the emphasis towards the ‘individualistic’ rather than the ‘collectivistic’ aspects of the employment relationship. The marginaliza-tion of trade unions and collective bargaining which this has entailed are but two (albeit fundamental) facets of a wide-ranging set of issues and repercussions. Individualization of employment policies throws up dilemmas and unresolved challenges for managers, trade unions and employees.

In embarking upon a major new empirical research project it has become necessary to revisit and review the utility of the currently available literature. In particular, how well would the traditional approaches to modelling individualism and collectivism cope with the new directions taken by recent managerial initiatives? The results of this analysis contribute the heart of this article. It is suggested that previous approaches ignore key dimensions of change which managers are currently pursuing. A new set of categories is proposed for understanding the mix of individual and collective elements in current developments. It is argued that these more accurately reflect current issues and tensions in management strategy.     

Chamberlin's Experimental Markets Revisited: A Computerized Journey

A bstract . Professor Edward Hastings Chamberlin conducted many experiments about imperfect markets at Harvard University, using his students as bargaining agents. He found that transaction volumes ( i.e. number of units sold) were consistently higher in these "imperfect" markets than would have been the case if the markets were "perfect." This he found surprising but explainable. He also found, however, that the average transaction prices were consistently lower than their equivalents in perfect markets. That he found both surprising and unexplainable. He finally assumed that the biased behavior of his students caused that phenomenon. In the present study, his experiments were replicated but the alleged bias was eliminated by replacing the students with a computer which was programmed to deal impartially and objectively with all buyers and sellers. On completion of the simulation, it was found that the transaction volumes were indeed significantly higher than their perfect market equivalents, but average prices were very comparable to their counterparts in perfect markets. Thus Chamberlin's hypothesis was correct on both counts. This verification of the suspect results we consider very significant, because they may have far reaching effects on welfare economics. As more 'transactions may be completed at essentially the same average price, perhaps the efficiency of these markets could be improved by making these markets less perfect rather than less imperfect.     

To Pool or Not to Pool: Revisited

This paper provides a new comparative analysis of pooled least squares and fixed effects (FE) estimators of the slope coefficients in the case of panel data models when the time dimension (T) is fixed while the cross section dimension (N) is allowed to increase without bounds. The individual effects are allowed to be correlated with the regressors, and the comparison is carried out in terms of an exponent coefficient, δ, which measures the degree of pervasiveness of the FE in the panel. The use of δ allows us to distinguish between poolability of small N dimensional panels with large T from large N dimensional panels with small T. It is shown that the pooled estimator remains consistent so long as δ<1, and is asymptotically normally distributed if δ<1/2, for a fixed T and as N→∞. It is further shown that when δ<1/2, the pooled estimator is more efficient than the FE estimator. We also propose a Hausman type diagnostic test of δ<1/2 as a simple test of poolability, and propose a pretest estimator that could be used in practice. Monte Carlo evidence supports the main theoretical findings and gives some indications of gains to be made from pooling when δ<1/2.     

Francois Quesnay: Interpreters and Critics Revisited

A bstract . Francois Quesnay is held by many to be the first truly modern economist. In 1750, Quesnay outlined a framework for input-output analysis , perfected by Leontiefin 1930's; he developed a general equilibrium theory perfected in the 20th century by Walras and Keynes ; and Quesnay was among the first to analyse economic growth theory as a function of capital accumulation. As the main representative of the Physiocrats he proclaimed the libertarian motto of laissez faire. But his "libertarian ideas" were quite limited to domestic agricultural trade. The Physiocrats were tied with the aristocratic and autocratic "ancien regime" and Quesnay himself did not promote individual freedom and abhorred class struggle. By proclaiming "laissez faire la nature," the physiocrats believed in the natural order of things, with governments enforcing this natural order. In this order, agriculture is the source of all wealth and everything else is sterile: agricultural development means economic development. The physiocratic philosophy contributed to the 18th century "enlightenment" from the outside; it was too tied with the past to induce radical changes. The Physiocrats were forerunners of much of the economic theory and tools used today; but the economics system they envisioned was not meant to widen welfare or economic freedom.     

Social Forums as Space: A Response to Peter Marcuse

Debates about whether to consider Social Forums as a movement in itself or as a workspace for movements to network have been an integral part of the Forums’ formation processes ever since their emergence in 2000. Referring to Social Forums as the‘successor and culmination’ of previous social struggles raises problems of representation and suggests that all kinds of social struggles converge in this particular organizational form. Rather, struggles for social change today are being fought by social movements on a variety of scales and dimensions. Social Forums can offer a space where these various forms and scales of experiences are linked and politicized — but they can hardly act as actors themselves. Taking a next step, political experiences gathered at Social Forums can be transferred to these various kinds of struggles and inspire them. From this perspective organizational structures which enable exchange, debate, learning and the handling of differences are an important feature of Social Forums. Se demander si les Forums sociaux sont un mouvement à part entière, ou un espace d’interconnexion entre des mouvements, participe aux processus d’organisation des forums depuis leur apparition en 2000. Définir les Forums sociaux comme ‘le successeur et aboutissement ultime’ des luttes sociales antérieures pose des problèmes de représentation et suggère que tous ces types de luttes convergent vers cette forme organisationnelle spécifique. Cependant, les combats actuels en faveur du changement social sont le propre de mouvements sociaux de portées et de tailles très variées. Les Forums sociaux procurent un espace où ces diverses formes et échelles d’expériences sont reliées et politisées, même s’ils ne peuvent guère intervenir en tant qu’acteurs. Dans une phase nouvelle, les expériences politiques réunies à ces Forums peuvent être transmises à ces différents types de luttes et les inspirer. Les structures organisationnelles qui permettent échanges, débats, apprentissage et gestion des différences constituent alors une caractéristique importante des Forums sociaux.     

Individualism and collectivism revisited: a study of black and minority ethnic women

This article seeks to add discussion of the intersection of gender and ethnicity to the debates on individualism and collectivism. In doing so, it challenges the prevailing view, in these debates, of the rise of individualism and the decline in collectivism. Through a study of black and minority ethnic women trade unionists, it shows how a differentiated workforce, rather than leading to individualism at work, may contribute to union renewal and inspire more creative forms of collectivism.     

Competitive Advantage and Internal Organization: Nucor Revisited

Why does the cost of organizing particular activities differ across competitors? This article explores in detail the organization of Nucor, a steel minimill that has sustained a significant cost advantage over its competitors. Nucor's past success highlights the complementarities among organizational policies and competitive advantage as well as barriers to the imitation of apparently superior organizational arrangements. The case study also suggests avenues for additional empirical and theoretical research.     

Lincoln Staffens and the McNamara Case: A Progressive Response to Class Conflict

A bstract . Lincoln Stevens' involvement with the McNamara case was one of the major concerns of his life. His Autobiography is not fully dependable regarding this incident; churches were not uniformly hostile to the settlement that ended the case and the Los Angeles Times , ignoring commitments to meet labor grievances, maintained its antiunion position. Steffens' experimentation with "Golden Rule" Christian love as an alternative to class conflict reflected his divergent allegiances to Progressives who sought reform and to radicals , basically opposed to corporate capitalism. It also reflected his own rejection of class partisanship. Although the pledges made in the settlement were broken, Steffens remained loyal to the McNamaras and continued to argue it is futile to punish individuals for acts rooted in social conflict.     

Uncertainty and the Economy of Exclusion: Insights from Post‐Keynesian Institutionalism

Critics of Pope Francis’s Evangelii gaudium argue that recent economic growth and reductions in inequality are evidence that his notion of the “economy of exclusion” is misguided. However, Francis alludes to another type of exclusion—increased uncertainty generated by technological change that affects citizens even in developed nations. Drawing from Post‐Keynesian institutionalist theory, this article argues that this condition is common in capitalism, and that grassroots reforms are needed to ensure shared prosperity.     

《中国特色经济地理学探索》与李小建教授的经济地理研究特色

由李小建教授独著、科学出版社2016年出版的《中国特色经济地理探索》在同行中引起较大反响。李小建教授在新作中第一次明确提出创建"中国特色的经济地理学",为中国经济地理学的发展提出了一个新方向。全书分为经济地理学理论探索、农户地理研究、公司地理研究、经济地理学的小尺度研究、区域研究,共5篇48章。此书基于作者30多年的研究,对国际背景下中国特色经济地理学进行了多视角的探索,充分反映了李小建教授的创新性学术思想、脚踏实地的研究态度,包括从中国特殊国情探索建立中国特色经济地理学,主张经济地理学的"地理"传统,一贯坚持经济地理学微观研究、"学"有所用和实证研究。     

From 2000 Bush–Gore to 2006 Italian elections: voting at fifty-fifty and the contrarian effect

A sociophysical model for opinion dynamics is shown to embody a series of recent western hung national votes all set at the unexpected and very improbable edge of a fifty-fifty score. It started with the Bush–Gore 2000 American presidential election, followed by the 2002 Stoiber–Schröder, then the 2005 Schröder–Merkel German elections, and finally the 2006 Prodi-Berlusconi Italian elections. In each case, the country was facing drastic choices, the running competing parties were advocating very different programs and millions of voters were involved. Moreover, polls were given a substantial margin for the predicted winner. While all these events were perceived as accidental and isolated, our model suggests that indeed they are deterministic and obey to one single universal phenomena associated to the effect of contrarian behavior on the dynamics of opinion forming. The not hung Bush–Kerry 2004 presidential election is shown to belong to the same universal frame. To conclude, the existence of contrarians hints at the repetition of hung elections in the near future.     

Rhetorical Institutionalism: Language,Agency, and Structure in Institutional Theory since Alvesson 1993

In 1993, Mats Alvesson published ‘Organizations as Rhetoric’. In his paper, Alvesson proposed that knowledge was ambiguous and that rhetoric was therefore critical to the construction and operation of institutions and organizations. Moreover, he argued that in such an ambiguous and thus rhetorical world, knowledge operated as an institutionalized myth and rationality surrogate. Alvesson's insights helped inspire and initiate one of the most promising and growing areas of institutional research: rhetorical institutionalism. Rhetorical institutionalism is the deployment of linguistic approaches in general and rhetorical insights in particular to explain how institutions both constrain and enable agency. In this paper, we trace these original insights and discuss the benefits of continuing the integration of rhetorical ideas in institutional research. In addition, we propose and develop a rhetorical model of institutionalism that can spearhead research and conclude with some direct suggestions for future research.