Group Profit,Market Share and Efficiency: Evidence from Australian Manufacturing

This paper explains the intra-industry variations of profit in Australian manufacturing. Considering three groups of firms, viz leading, secondary and follower groups, a profit model is developed for each group. Indicators of ``strategic behavior' and ``efficiency' are considered along with other control variables. Both equilibrium and dynamic versions of the model are tested using unpublished data at the enterprise level between 1977/78 and 1992/93. The findings support the importance of both strategic behavior and efficiency in determining group profits.     

On the Relationship between Japanese Manufacturing Firms and their Domestic Subsidiaries

Much past research on ownership policy has dealt with foreign subsidiaries. In this paper, we study the ownership relationship between Japanese firms and their publicly-traded domestic subsidiaries. Using a transaction cost framework, we find that benefiting from high subsidiary profitability is not the sole motivation behind parent firms' decisions regarding equity control of their subsidiaries. Our results indicate that different policies are adopted by Japanese firms with respect to domestic and foreign subsidiaries.     

中国制造业资本积累动态效率变迁及其与空间集聚关系研究

中国制造业空间集聚态势非常明显,但并非所有制造业空间集聚都会带来正效益。本文利用1997—2008年中国制造业28个行业的数据,运用AMSZ准则对中国制造业资本积累的动态效率进行测算,并对典型制造业空间集聚规模及其资本积累动态效率关系进行格兰杰因果检验,结果显示:中国整体制造业资本积累动态效率不断提高,制造业内不同行业的资本积累动态效率存在较大差异;进一步分析发现,制造业空间集聚规模与资本积累的动态效率之间不是简单互为因果的均衡关系,只有部分地区、个别行业存在单向的因果关系,而有些产业集聚程度较高地区集聚程度与资本积累动态效率反而偏离长期均衡关系,出现过度集聚、效率下降现象。     

基于MS—VECM模型的中国汽车制造业集中度与利润率的非线性关系研究

本文采用MS—VECM模型来探讨中国汽车制造业的集中度与利润率的非线性关系,实证表明,两者间在不同区制下存在非对称的动态均衡关系,利润率从低速增长转换到高速增长阶段相对困难,从高速增长转换到低速增长阶段相对容易.因此,本文建议应充分考虑国内外宏观经济环境的影响,从多维度来协调集中度与利润率的关系,提高中国汽车制造业市场绩效与竞争力.     

排放法规变化对重负荷柴油机油规格标准的影响

柴油发动机尤其是重负荷柴油发动机具有很多优点,然而在重负荷柴油发动机的使用过程中,如何有效改善尾气排放成为需重点解决的问题之一.为此,世界各国纷纷制定相应的排放法规,以抑制氮氧化合物和颗粒污染物等的排放.这促使重负荷柴油机油的相关产品规范和标准也不断升级,以符合世界各国日益严格的排放标准、提高燃料经济性和延长换油周期等要求.世界主要国家和地区出台的新排放法规对润滑油基础油及添加剂领域产生的影响包括:推动柴油机油向低灰分、低磷、低硫方向发展,同时侧重于选择含硫量低的基础油,主要机油的规格及OEM规格也因此而发生了变化.由于经济发展水平不平衡,世界各地的柴油车使用情况、尾气排放法规的限制不同,所以在重负荷柴油机油的选择方面存在较大的差异.     

重新想象制造业

“现在看来．（第三次工业革命）不是一个遥遥无期的事儿。另外一个,智能化生产,大幅降低成本,这对企业的挑战确实是太大了。再进一步,也不是遥遥无期的,就是3D（打印）。”     

规范项目工程《质量监督通报》之浅析——西气东输“南京二条管线工程”质量监督的实践与探索

针对石油天然气产建工程和长输管道工程建设分散、点多、面广、线长的特点,就工程质量监督站如何履行政府质量监督职能、加强基层项目监督机构的建设、加强责任主体各方质量管理、促进工程质量提高进行了探讨。结合石油天然气长庆工程质量监督站冀宁监督项目部承担西气东输干线和后续支线项目工程,从规范《工程质量监督通报》的角度阐述了创新质量监督工作模式在西气东输“南京二条管线工程”质量监督实践中取得的监督效果。     

Managing in the New World of Manufacturing

It is widely accepted that over two-thirds of the average annual increase in per capita wealth of the United States is attributable to technological change as it becomes embodied in new products, new capital equipment and new production methods. Technological change is the result of research and development (R&;D) carried out by the scientific and engineering communities. Surprisingly, since the first issue of The Engineering Economist appeared in 1966, only one article has addressed R&;D as a public policy issue. Our profession distinguishes itself from that of conventional economists in that we are both economists and technologists. Apropos “going to the next level,” it is time to take a broader view of our professional role. Technology policy is defined as the government's decisions of how and whether to intervene in private R&;D and its provision of funds for public R&;D. This article addresses one instrument of technology policy: the research and experimentation (R&;E) tax credit. Using a traditional engineering economics framework, we evaluate the potential effectiveness of the tax credit in stimulating R&;D. Our general conclusion is that the R&;E tax credit is a weak incentive for stimulating R&;D.     

多级内燃机油的质量特性及应用现状

一、多级内燃机油的含义多级内燃机油是一种粘温性能好、工作温度宽、节能效果明显的润滑油品。在ISO 1989/1石油工业名词术语 -1中关于多级油定义为 :一个多级润滑油的W粘度级号和 10 0℃运动粘度级号之差至少等于 15。具体地说 ,多级油既含有W粘度级号 ,又含有 10 0℃运动粘度级号 ,而且两个粘度级号之差至少等于 15。例如 :10W /3 0油 ,它既符合 10W粘度级号要求 ,即低温CCS粘度在 -2 0℃时不能 >3 5 0 0mPa·s ,边界泵送温度不高于 -2 5℃ ,还满足 3 0粘度级号油的要求 ,即 10 0℃时粘度在 9.3～ 12 .5m2 /s范围内 ,10W和 3 0两个…     

Design Reuse in Manufacturing and Services*

Most professionals, actively engaged in design, live in a world of trade‐offs. The most typical compromise is that reducing the cost of design causes quality to suffer, but there are many others as well. This paper summarizes current use of one of the most popular approaches to improving the new offering development process: design reuse. In the present study 42 companies were surveyed, of which 23 were in manufacturing and 19 were in services—but all were actively engaged in technology and design reuse in new offerings. It was hypothesized that policies for design reuse and internal sourcing would promote the complexity and breadth of reuse (here the combination of modular and architectural substitution), which, in turn would dampen the percentage of substitution and reduce the negative impact on innovativeness of new offerings. These predictions were generally supported. Adoption of policies for encouragement or to mandate design reuse were significantly correlated with the extent of reuse (application of both architectural and modular design vs. just one or the other) among manufacturers but not services firms in the sample. Internal sourcing of ideas for design reuse was significantly correlated with extent of reuse for the total sample, and especially for services. Design reuse percentage and extent of design reuse were significantly and inversely associated for manufacturing, as predicted, but not for services. Novelty of new offerings was significantly and inversely related to percentage of reuse, as predicted, for manufacturing, but not for services. It was found that sector also makes a difference in likelihood of adopting higher levels of reuse with service company respondents reporting significantly higher levels (average of 42% reuse for services and 28% for manufacturing applications). Perhaps one of the most interesting preliminary findings to emerge was that the tipping point of negative impact from design reuse percentage on innovativeness for all firms in the sample of new offerings was 43%, beyond which novelty suffers. For manufacturing, the tipping point was lower: Novelty begins to suffer after 33% design reuse, which has important management implications. The conclusion was drawn, based on these preliminary results, that much can be done to relieve some of the negative consequences of the typical trade‐offs commonly encountered in development programs for new offerings, especially when cost, timing, and innovation are the target goals. However, services and manufacturing are quite different in their approach to design reuse and substitution. Further development of the concept of design reuse strategy appears to be warranted based on these preliminary findings. The findings raise the distinct possibility that mesolevel strategic aggregation issues might lead research into areas that help explain how complex systems realize their full self‐organizing potential and why corporate strategy considerations, alone, have failed to explain the success and failure of organizations coping in rugged landscapes.     

Unions and Investment in British Manufacturing Industry

This paper is concerned with the impact of unions on the investment rate in British industry. On the basis of an analysis of some 72 industries in the manufacturing sector, we find that, ceteris paribus, firms that recognize manual unions and have an average level of union density invest some 23 per cent less than firms that do not recognize unions. However, once we allow for union effects on wages and productivity, this overall effect is reduced to between 4 and 13 per cent, depending on the degree of competition in the product market.     

Australian Experiments in Wage Policy

Industrial conciliation and arbitration have been pivotal in pay determination in Australia throughout the twentieth century. This paper examines how these institutions influence macroeconomic performance, paying special reference to their impact on cost inflation. It goes on to evaluate the contribution of the Accord (incomes policy) in the last decade. Consensus and participation within the institutional framework are shown to be essential for effective wage policy.     

Understanding the strategies of late-movers in International Manufacturing

This paper analyzes the internationalization of new multinationals from emerging countries. It also focuses on Production's role in firm internationalization, a subject seldom addressed because the discipline of International Manufacturing is still embryonic, while International Business tends to overlook production. The authors integrate International Business and International Manufacturing concepts and frameworks in order to analyze new multinationals from emerging countries, using the empirical evidence of a survey plus case studies of Brazilian multinationals for understanding late-movers’ strategies and competences, with emphasis on production.     

Industrial Relations Climate in the Manufacturing Sector in Singapore

The objective of this study is to assess the state of workplace industrial relations climate in the manufacturing sector in Singapore. Based on a survey of 73 manufacturing companies in Singapore and subsequent intensive study of eight of them, it was found that the overall labor-management relations in the industry were good and had improved over the past few years. Union membership was reported to have increased and this was accompanied by a perceived increase in union role and influence on labor-management relations. The findings also highlighted the need to strengthen the communication processes among the three parties—workers, unionists and management.     

Employee Voice in Union and Non-union Australian Workplaces

The fall in unionism and the rise in the non-union workplace over the past two decades raises the question as to whether workers now have a reduced capacity to initiate issues and articulate grievances. For some commentators independent unions are the only source of genuine voice. Others have argued that the adoption of the HRM paradigm within an enterprise will provide workers with adequate voice mechanisms. This paper addresses the issue by comparing employee voice in non-union and unionized Australian workplaces.     

Economies of Scale and Scope in Australian Telecommunications

This paper employs a composite cost function toexamine the cost structure of Australian telephoneservices. The composite cost model combines thelog-quadratic input price structure of the translogmodel with a quadratic structure for multiple outputs. Quadratic output structures permit the measurement ofeconomies of scale, economies of scope, andsubadditivity without prejudging their presence. Model estimates, on Telstra system data from 1926 to1991, show that the production of Australian telephoneservices exhibits economies of scope but no rayeconomies of scale.     

Survival and Decline of the Apprenticeship System in the Australian and UK Construction Industries

The preservation of the apprenticeship system in the Australian construction industry contrasts with its decline in Britain over the last three decades. This decline is conventionally ascribed to changes in industrial structure, specifically a decline in the role of the public sector, intensification of subcontracting and growth of self‐employment. Given that the Australian construction industry has undergone similar structural changes to those in the United Kingdom, this difference in outcome requires explanation. This article suggests that the contrasting outcomes are the result of institutional differences in the organization of the training system, employers and labour between the two countries. These institutional differences are, however, diminishing as arrangements for training and industrial relations in Australia are increasingly fashioned in the likeness of the United Kingdom.