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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

《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。     

Randomized Response Techniques: A Review

Randomized response techniques (RRT) are well–known as tools to procure trustworthy survey data on confidential issues. A review is attempted here of mostly published accounts on RRT covering qualitative and quantitative characters. Conflicting criteria of efficient estimation and protection of privacy are discussed. Infinite hypothetical and concrete finite population set–ups are treated separately.     

On Technology,Infrastructure and the Contemporary Urban Condition: A Response to Coutard

This response to Coutard’s piece, ‘Premium Network Spaces: A Comment’ (in this issue) takes issue with his three main arguments in turn. First, it is argued that post‐monopolistic systems of infrastructure supply, along with the biased application of new technology, do often lead to exaggerated inequalities in social power which his analysis of water fails to reveal because it is the sector where natural monopoly characteristics are most difficult to undermine. Second, I explore Coutard’s argument that intensifying spatial specialization in infrastructure supply can often be benign and economically positive because of the wider trickle‐down and fiscal impacts of major development spaces. Under conditions of intensifying place competition and the erosion of regional planning coordination, however, I argue that such trickle‐down and fiscal impacts are often less significant than the spatially and socially regressive cross‐subsidies that support and sustain the emergence of such spaces. Finally, I argue that boundary control around powerful ‘glocal’ economic spaces, far from being socially benign as Coutard suggests, usually amounts to a powerful set of exclusionary practices with all too real social effects. Cette réponse à la partie de Coutard, ‘Premium Network Spaces: A Comment’ (dans ce même numéro) critique successivement ses trois principaux arguments. Tout d’abord, les systèmes post‐monopolitistiques de distribution, ainsi que l’application détournée des nouvelles technologies, conduisent souvent à amplifier les inégalités de pouvoir social, ce que Coutard ignore dans son analyse de l’eau alors que ce secteur présente les caractères de monopole naturel les plus difficiles àéliminer. L’article étudie ensuite l’argument de Coutard selon lequel intensifier la spécialisation spatiale d’une infrastructure de distribution peut fréquemment ? tre salutaire et positive sur un plan économique, du fait des impacts fiscaux et des effets de diffusion plus larges des grands espaces de développement; cependant, dans un contexte d’intensification de la concurrence entre les lieux, et d’érosion de la coordination régionale de l’aménagement, ces conséquences fiscales et cette diffusion sont souvent moins significatives que les inter‐financements régressifs au plan spatial et social qui soutiennent et entretiennent l’émergence de ces espaces. Pour finir, un contrôle à la périphérie des puissants espaces économiques ‘glocaux’, loin d’être favorable socialement comme le suggère Coutard, couvre généralement un ensemble efficace de pratiques d’exclusion aux conséquences sociales trop réelles.     

Match Specific Gains to Marriage: A Random Effects Ordered Response Model

A random effects ordered response model is used to analyze individuallife satisfaction. It is found that a substantial part of the unexplained variance in theindividual's life satisfaction can be ascribed to the household or marriage. It is further found thatthe age variable should be considered as a random effect on life satisfaction, i.e., an effectthat varies between households.     

PARATRANSIT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: A Market Response to Poor Roads?*

Southeast Asia's paratransit sector has become a vital source of mobility in many cities. Run by private operators, generally under free market conditions, paratransit vehicles maneuver into areas that standard buses cannot serve and provide frequent door-to-door service, at a profit. Yet despite past successes, pressure is mounting to greatly restrict or even ban paratransit vehicles from many cities, replacing becaks, bajajs, tuktuks, microbuses, minibuses, and jeepneys with large buses operated by public monopolies. While it is well known that paratransit provides low performance services tailored to what poor people can pay, an often overlooked benefit is that it compensates for the inadequacies of many roads in Southeast Asian cities. This paper empirically tests the extent to which mixes of paratransit fleets and services have evolved so as to adapt to the low capacity, poorly interconnected road systems in this part of the world. Using data for eight of Southeast Asia's largest cities, it is found that the greatest variety of paratransit modes, both in terms of types and seating capacities, generally exists in the places with the least amount of road capacity per capita and a poor road hierarchy. The paper concludes that any retrenchment in paratransit's role in Southeast Asian cities should be governed by market conditions rather than government fiat.