The development and implementation of National Vocational Qualifications: an engineering case study

The advent of National Vocational Qualifications represents an important change in British Government policy from attempting to secure appropriate training inputs to a system driven by the aim of stimulating the attainment of learning outcomes assessed against national standards. This article presents a case study of the implications of this policy for intermediate skills in engineering, a major industry subject to rapid technological change.     

大部制背景下垄断性产业的管制机构改革——以中国电力管制机构改革为例

在新一轮的政府机构改革中推行大部门体制,这需要探讨与此相关的垄断性产业管制机构改革问题。本文以中国能源产业大部制改革为背景,并以电力产业为例,讨论政府行政部与垄断性产业管制机构的区别与联系;在能源产业大部制过渡时期,现行电力管制机构的定位问题;在能源产业最终实现大部制后,电力管制机构将采取的理论模式及其特征;最后,本文对电力管制机构的动态发展趋势作了预期分析。     

At last! A new Canadian telecommunications act

Despite profound changes in regulatory jurisdiction over telecommunications, in industry structure and in the basis on which service is provided, there has until very recently been no change in governing legislation in Canada, which dated back to the turn of the century. This article seeks to explain why the legislature, even in a parliamentary system of government, lagged behind the courts, the regulators and the carriers in bringing about industry reorganization. It then examines a number of the more significant provisions of the new legislation, which was eventually passed in June 1993, and concludes with some general observations on the role of legislation in industry liberalization.     

规制定价机制的激励强度权衡与模型设计--以我国电信产业的规制定价总体模型设计为例

自然垄断产业中，由于规制机构与被规制企业之间存在着信息不对称。价格规制政策的实施效果受到制约，而制度背景和经济发展程度是设计一个适合国情的规制定价机制必须考虑的前提因素。本文分析了我国目前的制度特征如何影响我国自然垄断产业规制定价机制激励强度的权衡。在此基础上，尝试提出适合我国目前制度特征的电信产业规制定价总体模型——基于收益率规制并加入动态激励因素的规制定价模型．最后对未来的规制定价机制做出展望．     

数字经济背景下ICT货物贸易的影响因素分析——以"一带一路"沿线国家(地区)为例

本文在阐述“一带一路”沿线国家(地区)ICT(信息通信技术)货物贸易现状的基础上,利用2007~2019年贸易流量数据与空间杜宾模型,实证分析贸易格局与国家产业基础、资源禀赋、营商环境等因素的关系。研究发现:(1)“一带一路”沿线国家(地区)ICT货物贸易呈现出两边高-中间低的空间格局,产业基础是主要影响因素,并存在正向的空间溢出效应;(2)改善本国营商环境、提高城市化水平、扩大经济体量是每个沿线国家(地区)改变其ICT贸易格局的有利举措。同时需要注意对外直接投资、汇率及关税的调节作用,重视经济合作组织的影响;(3)我国应充分发挥贸易的直接和间接效应,积极拓展ICT产业新型基础设施建设,满足人们日益增长的带宽需要及通信需求。     

International economic relationships in telecommunications: A painful transformation

This article concerns the international economic relationships between the telecommunications operators which enable them to connect international calls. It focuses on how these relationships are evolving, and on the regulatory policies affecting them. It summarises the existing arrangements concerning accounting rates and settlements; analyses the intense pressures for change; and suggests the kinds of changes that could result. It also presents views of which outcomes should be preferred, and what choices by national policy makers and regulators will make such outcomes probable.     

Competitive heterogeneity,cohorts, and persistent advantage

Research summary: Juxtaposing competing theories of whether superior profits endure, this article investigates differences in the rates at which firms' profit advantages persist following a significant regulatory change in the rules governing industry competition. Such a change creates two cohorts of firms, Entrants that lack experience in the industry and Incumbents that competed in the industry before the regulatory shift. The findings show that both cohorts' profit advantages persist, but at different rates: Superior performing Incumbents sustain an advantage longer than superior performing Entrants. This result is counterintuitive since Entrants are not constrained by a legacy of competing under the prior regime. Overall, the findings indicate that stages of a firm's development and of an industry's evolution are critical to understanding how long superior profits persist. Managerial summary: State and federal institutions employ regulations in an attempt to address market failures and to create a stable set of market and nonmarket relationships among relevant actors. A byproduct of this stability is decreased competition, and in turn, reduced incentives for firms to develop efficient operations. One might expect then that deregulation would fundamentally disrupt incumbent firms' abilities to develop and sustain a profit advantage. We find the reverse: Over time, some firms in the Incumbent cohort develop persistent, albeit temporary, profit advantages despite an onslaught of Entrants. Thus, while deregulation shakes out inefficient firms, it may strengthen, rather than threaten the profit trajectories of incumbent firms over time. Advantages developed by superior performing Entrants also endure, but for a shorter duration relative to Incumbents. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reforms in regulatory processes affecting Canada's food industry

This article includes a discussion of some of the major innovations which have occured in the regulatory processes in Canada and which directly affect Canada's food industry. The author concludes that while much more needs to be done to improve a very heavily regulated industry, much of the regulatory reform will have to focus upon processes rather than standards: the Canadian public has shown itself not very amenable to reduction in standards for grading and inspection of processed foods either prepared in Canada or imported.     

Convergence and regulation of multi-screen television: The Singapore experience

This article addresses complicated convergent and regulatory issues arising from cross-platform audiovisual services and analyzes Singapore's multi-screen television experience. A “platform neutrality” multi-screen TV regulatory scheme is proposed to concentrate on content classification in order to respond to the fast-changing audiovisual industry and competition. Under the scheme, different content and license regulations are applied to four types of TV-like services which are categorized by “socio-cultural impact” (i.e., broadcasting and mass market vs. VOD and niche market)” and “content production/aggregation model” (i.e., gatekeeping vs. participatory mechanism). In addition, competition, content regulation, and digital copyright are identified as key issues involved in the fast-growing cross-platform audiovisual media industry. Finally, this study analyzes market development, regulatory issues, and national plans for multi-screen TV services in Singapore and examines them under the proposed regulatory scheme. Market and policy recommendations are discussed.     

The Dynamics of Industry Concentration for U.S. Micro and Macro Brewers

In this update we document the changes in industry concentration of macro and micro brewers in the U.S. brewing industry since 1970. Technological change and the continued success of Anheuser–Busch forced the macro brewers into a war-of-attrition game and contributed to rising concentration in the macro sector of the industry. Homogenization of the beer produced by macro brewers, changes in local demand conditions, and a more favorable regulatory environment created profitable niches in many local markets for micro brewery beer, and entry into this sector occurred at a phenomenal rate from 1977 to 1998. Consistent with several models of industry dynamics, over-exuberance led to a shakeout as the number of micro breweries fell by over 16% from 1998 to 2002.     

Regulatory options for cable TV in the UK

In this article the alternative methods of regulating the cable TV industry are compared in terms of efficiency and consumer welfare. The effectiveness of each regulatory option in limiting any market power that cable operators may be able to exercise is considered in a framework which recognizes that both the market and government regulations are imperfect, costly and often do not operate in the public interest.     

Convergence and new regulatory frameworks: A comparative study of regulatory approaches to Internet telephony

As an archetype of convergence, Internet telephony has been questioning the continuing appropriateness of the current telecommunications policy and regulation. This article examines how policy makers and regulators in the US, the EU, Japan and Singapore have responded to the challenges brought about by Internet telephony. Their common approach seems to apply the existing regulatory framework to this new service. The authors argue that those responses will not be aligned with the dynamically changing communications environment and explain two key shifts taking place in the communications industry that should be taken into account to form more appropriate regulatory frameworks.     

II Crizontal integration of the natural gas pipeline industry: An exercise in gas pooling

This paper examines a structural change in the natural gas industry that would lead to significant economies of cost and reliability, namely gas pooling arrangements among pipeline companies. In order that gas pooling he able to confer economic benefits, it must be practicable and workable. The study indicates that this is the situation. In addition, gas pooling confers substantial benefits on the participants. An analysis of spocific beneits is undertaken. These benefits are then compared with the disincentives to horizontal integration of the industry. The conclusion of the study is that thoughtful and consistent regulatory policies to encourage gas pooling are in the public interest.     

Telecommunications privacy and the information society

Determining the appropriate actions to insure telecommunications privacy in the domestic telephone system presents unusually complex and interrelated considerations of law, technology and foreign policy. In this article, the author explores these considerations as they pertain to possible future telecommunications policy options for the government in its relations with the privately owned and operated telecommunications industry in the USA.     

A dynamic policy license for flexible spectrum management

Electromagnetic spectrum for wireless communications is fully allocated by regulatory authorities, but this does not mean that it is fully utilized. Demand for greater capacity and new services requires new regulatory and technical models for spectrum sharing. This paper develops a regulatory model denoted the dynamic policy license. The dynamic policy license combines the assurances to licensees that come from holding a fixed license while maintaining regulatory flexibility. A dynamic policy license is similar to a traditional spectrum license that specifies a bandwidth, power, center frequency, location, and other parameters. However, one or more of these parameters is subject to change by the regulator over time. The allowed changes are restricted by the license to provide assurances and predictability to the licensee. The opportunities and challenges that this presents to both regulators and licensees is described. For instance, the dynamic policy license can be a regulatory tool for more aggressive spectrum sharing.     

A Comparison of Approaches for Setting Standards for Technological Products

It is widely believed that setting industry-wide standards of uniformity for technological products hastens their diffusion. In this article, Barry Rosen, Steven Schnaars and David Shani examine whether standards merely make markets less competitive, or whether they promote economic growth through the accelerated diffusion of certain new products. The authors also examine conditions which are most conducive to setting standards and reflect on alternative approaches to achieving technical standards. Finally, they ask who should set industry standards? The article presents opposing arguments for allowing industry to cooperate in the setting of standards and for letting the marketplace be the ultimate arbiter of standards—acting to weed out the weak and promote the strongest technological entry.     

产业集聚与城市化的地域模式--以浙江省为例

无论产业集聚还是城市化问题 ,迄今均已有大量的研究和成果。但对两者之间的关系特别是空间的关联性 ,似尚缺乏足够的关注。本文通过对浙江省的实证分析 ,揭示了产业集聚的指向、类型与城市化推进方式、扩张形态之间的内在联系 ,并进一步提出了从注重廉价劳动力指向→城市化指向、从注重纵向的产业专业化→横向的产业多样化、从注重产出结构→就业结构、从注重要素支撑→制度创新转变等对策建议     

Strategies and Performance in the Thrift Industry: 1979–1987

From the late seventies until 1989, the regulatory environment of the thrift industry was changed from one that permitted little managerial discretion to one in which managers were allowed to choose from a wide variety of lending and borrowing activities. In this article, cluster analysis is used to separate thrifts into strategic groups based on the extent to which they utilized their new powers. Differences among the groups and the relationship between group membership and performance is tested over the period 1979–1987 using analysis of variance.     

Who needs experts most? Board industry expertise and strategic change—a contingency perspective

Research summary: We analyze the effects of board industry expertise on corporate strategic change and the moderating role of institutional quality. We suggest that country‐level contingency factors mitigate the effect of experienced boards on strategy formation by providing alternative sources of information and control in strategic matters. We develop institutional quality as institutional information provision and institutional control provision to test our hypotheses on a sample of firms from MSCI Europe and the S&P 500. Our findings confirm that industry expertise is a salient driver of strategic change across countries. The strength of the effect, however, depends on the institutional quality. We submit that weak institutions require greater board industry expertise as an alternative channel of information and control. Management summary: This study provides new empirical evidence that experience in the firms' industries enables directors to increase strategic change. Our findings show that this effect is even stronger in countries with weak regulatory environments. We hereby provide guidance for multiple stakeholders. First, shareholders seeking a more active adjustment of their firms' strategies may want to compose boards that leverage such experienced directors. Second, directors can use their industry experience to control and to challenge managers better to move beyond the status quo. Third, managers lacking access to information on potential strategic change can use such experienced directors for strategic advice and as a source of information. Overall, we add to the understanding of the corporate board's role in shaping strategy and the influence of weak regulations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ISO／TC193标准化工作的回顾与展望

介绍了国际标准化组织天然气技术委员会(ISO/TC193)的成立背景,10年来该组织机构变化状况,以及标准化工作的发展动向.同时,对我国天然气工业的“采标”工作提出了一些看法.