The Strategic Management of Trade Secrets in Technology-based Firms

The importance of trade secrets to the effective strategic management of technology-based firms can make the difference between economic success and failure for significant new product lines, or even the firm itself. This article proposes the conceptual outlines of a framework addressing the strategic management of trade secrets. The author identifies three environments that strongly influence strategy formulation (legal and market) and strategy implementation (organizational). A conceptual framework for trade secret strategy formulation is developed, offering a logical approach to reaching a managerial choice of trade secrecy over other forms of intellectual property protection. Discussion of trade secret strategy implementation invokes an emphasis on managerial control structures and mechanisms, focusing on the use of the trade secret audit, the identification of components of an implementation strategy (e.g., employee education, controlling physical and electronic access, and monitoring competitors), and an ever vigilant defense of trade secret protection pursued in the courts.     

The Impact of State Incentive Regulation on the U.S. Telecommunications Industry

We examine the impact of state incentive regulation on network modernization, aggregate investment, revenue, cost, profit, and local service rates in the U.S. telecommunications industry between 1986 and 1999. We find evidence of greater network modernization under price cap regulation (PCR), earnings sharing regulation (ESR), and rate case moratoria (RCM) than under rate of return regulation (RORR). Costs are generally lower under RCM. Costs are also lower under ESR and PCR when local competition is sufficiently intense. Some local service rates for business customers are lower under PCR. Revenue, profit, aggregate investment, and residential local service rates do not vary systematically under incentive regulation relative to RORR.     

垄断竞争的电信业定价策略研究

讨论垄断竞争条件下电信业定价策略,对理解电信运营商的竞争行为、制定电信业竞争政策有重要的意义。本文将呼叫外部性引入模型,考察了呼叫方内部化接听方效用条件下企业定价策略,从而扩展了目前理论内容和结论。研究表明：当呼叫方内部化接听方的效用时,在线性定价条件下,电信运营商仍然会通过提高接入费进行合谋;在非线性定价条件下,由于电信运营商可以利用固定费进行市场份额的争夺,电信运营商不再有利用接入费进行合谋的动机;在基于终接网络的价格歧视条件下,当消费者接听效用接近于呼叫效用时,电信运营商将会通过制定无穷大的呼叫异网价格来获取更大的市场份额,因此网络联接发生了中断。     

现阶段美国对华贸易政策重点及启示

美国对华贸易政策既是其总体对外贸易政策的一部分，同时又具有独特性。随着中国加入WTO的过渡期即将结束，现阶段美国对华贸易政策又出现新的特点。泰文从讨论美国对华贸易政策发展的历史入手，重点分析现阶段美国对华贸易政策的目标和主要手段及给我们的启示。     

农村税费制度改革：制度变迁成本与收益角度的分析

农村税费制度改革成功的关键是力求新制度形成自维护机制,保证农民相对负担不断下降。税费制度改革收益巨大,同时也要支付一定的成本,尤其是摩擦成本。在短期,完善农业税收制度,改革财税体制,加大对基层的转移支付力度可以缓解改革的摩擦力,而完善农村的政治民主建设、农民组织的建立和发展以及加强对农民的教育,才是减轻农民税费负担的根本对策。     

金融危机对美国对外贸易的影响及其传导

金融危机通过对进口的抑制和对出口的刺激改变了美国的对外贸易结构,这些影响首先传导到贸易收支账户.使美国的贸易收支状况得到改善;之后进一步传导到国民收入账户,减少了金融危机对美国经济增长的冲击.     

美国与法国财政联邦主义比较

财政联邦主义是处理中央与地方政府之间财政关系的一种制度设计。美国和法国分别是典型的联邦制国家和单一制国家,其政府间的职权、支出责任、税收与税权的划分以及转移支付关系等,均表现出极强的财政联邦主义特征,通过比较,既可以为财政联邦主义理论提供实证,也能够为我国分税制财政体制的完善提供可资借鉴的内容。     

The value of ecosystem services provided by the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System in the contiguous U.S.

Studies that demonstrate the economic value of the ecosystem services provided by public conservation lands can contribute to a more accurate appraisal of the benefit of these lands. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic value, in real (2004) dollars, of the ecosystem services provided by the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System) in the contiguous U.S. In order to estimate this value, we determined the ecosystems present on the Refuge System in the contiguous 48 states, the proportion in which they are represented, and the dollar value of services provided by each. We used land cover classes as an approximation of ecosystems present in the Refuge System. In a geographic information system (GIS), we combined land cover geospatial data with a map of the Refuge System boundaries to calculate the number of acres for each refuge and land cover class within the Refuge System. We transferred values for the following ecosystem services: climate and atmospheric gas regulation; disturbance prevention; freshwater regulation and supply; waste assimilation and nutrient regulation; and habitat provision. We conducted a central tendency value transfer by transferring averaged values taken from primarily original site studies to the Refuge System based on the ecoregion in which each study site and refuge was located and the ecoregion's relative net primary productivity (NPP). NPP is a parameter used to quantify the net carbon absorption rate by living plants, and has been shown to be correlated with spatially fungible ecosystem services. The methodologies used in the site studies included direct market valuation, indirect market valuation and contingent valuation. We estimated the total value of ecosystem services provided by the Refuge System in the contiguous U.S. to be approximately $26.9 billion/year. This estimate is a first cut attempt to demonstrate that the value of the Refuge System likely exceeds the value derived purely from recreational activities. Due to limitations of current understanding, methods and data, there is a potentially large margin of error associated with the estimate.     

当前金融危机下美国救市政策效果的经济学分析

金融危机对世界经济的危害日益加深,全球金融体系面临的重重压力将加深全球增长下滑的风险.为了防止危机的进一步恶化,美国政府采取了包括扩张性的货币政策和财政政策在内的救市措施来应对危机.本文在对美国救市措施进行简要概览的基础上,运用经济学理论对其效果进行了分析,得出当前情况下财政政策更为有效的结论,并对美国未来救市政策的走势进行了展望.     

基于贸易收支数据的美国贸易逆差与美元汇率相互关系研究

通过选择美国与中国、日本、加拿大、英国和欧元区11国等美国主要贸易伙伴的双边贸易数据作为样本,研究美国的双边贸易逆差与美元汇率之间的关系.实证分析表明,美国对主要贸易伙伴国的双边贸易收支与美元汇率没有实质性联系.美国逼迫其它货币升值没有也不能缓解美国的贸易逆差问题,同样,美国逼迫人民币升值也不能缓解美中双边贸易失衡问题.     

Innovation and the Business Cycle: A Comparison of the U.S. Semiconductor and Automobile Industries

This paper examines data for U.S. automotive and semiconductor firms from 1976 to 2000 to analyze the cyclical nature of innovation, and to find if it is the same across the two industries. Although previous studies have used aggregate data, it does not follow that distinct industries respond to economic fluctuations in the same way. Using patenting as a proxy for innovation, this study finds that there is evidence that innovation is procyclical in the semiconductor industry, but there does not appear to be a similar cyclical pattern in the automobile industry. This has implications for government policy aimed at increasing private sector innovation, particularly at the regional level.     

Trade policy in majoritarian systems: the case of the U.S.

Abstract We provide a theory of trade policy determination that incorporates the protectionist bias inherent in majoritarian systems, suggested by Grossman and Helpman (2005) . The prediction that emerges is that in majoritarian systems, the majority party favours industries located disproportionately in majority districts. We test this prediction using U.S. data on tariffs, Congressional campaign contributions, and industry location in districts represented by the majority party over the period 1989–97. We find evidence of a significant majority bias in trade policy: the benefit to being represented by the majority party appears at least as large in magnitude as the benefit to lobbying.     

美国的FTA战略与石油安全

在多边贸易体系不断受阻后,美国转向了FTA战略,并以FTA作为政策工具服务于国家整体战略.由于美国的石油储备有限,而且是世界第一大石油消费国,石油安全成为美国国家安全的重大问题.美国政府通过与主要石油供应国签署FTA或者BITs和TIFAs的形式,来达到或促进保障石油供应安全的目的.此外,美国通过与主要石油运输通道国家签署FTA,用其全球最大的消费市场作吸引,从而获得能源运输的安全.本文试图从美国石油安全和FTA战略实施的关系的角度进行分析,找出其内在的联系,为我国制定FTA战略和能源安全战略提供可以借鉴的经验.     

美国服务业的发展及其启示

美国服务业的发展现状、吸纳就业、相关产业政策、政府对服务业的管理等情况介绍,美国服务业发展对我们的启示和建议     

宁波市上市公司盈利质量不高的原因与对策

盈利质量的不断改善和提高是企业可持续发展的根本。上市公司的主营业务利润比重与企业盈利质量存在正相关关系，即主营业务利润比重越大，上市公司的盈利质量越高，因此，提高盈利质量的关键就是要突出主业，壮大主业，不断提高主营业务利润比重，形成自己的核心盈利能力。     

美国制造业技术创新政策对我国的启示

制造业是工业中的主要部门,也是关系到国民经济发展的重要部门.目前,我国正处于工业化进程中,制造业虽然发展迅速,但与美国等发达国家仍存在一定差距.美国曾一度是制造业世界霸主,但在20世纪80年代后期制造业竞争力下降,为此,美国政府实施了一系列促进制造业技术创新政策,使制造业在不到十年内实现了重振雄风,为其经济的高速增长做出了重要贡献.本文分析了美国制造业重振过程中实施的技术创新政策,并结合我国国情得到了一些启示.     

技术性贸易壁垒与出口的边际效应——基于产业贸易流量的检验

本文以1995—2008年WTO成员TBT通报构造了进口覆盖率作为技术性贸易壁垒的量化指标,并基于全球105个国家产业层面的双边贸易数据和HMR两阶段重力模型,就技术性贸易壁垒对出口的边际效应进行了实证检验。整体检验结果发现,作为成本增加型壁垒,技术性贸易壁垒同时影响了贸易国出口的变动成本和固定成本,由此影响了贸易国出口量的调整和出口概率的变动。分组检验结果发现,技术性贸易壁垒对国际贸易流量的影响存在明显的国别差异和行业差异。     

美国大学研究与工业研究的关系演化进程

大学研究与工业研究——美国研究开发体制中最为关键的组成部分,它们各自在体制内部运行着,相互间保持着一定的张力。不过,这种张力随着环境的变化而变化:大学研究的性质(理论性或实用性)易受经费来源结构和数量变化的影响并受经费提供者的意愿所左右,而工业研究的效果更易受经济规制的影响。     

我国煤炭行业出口政策的效果评价——基于战略性贸易政策理论的实证分析

在外贸战略转型期,各行业出口政策的调整备受关注,我国煤炭行业的出口政策便由出口退税转变为征收出口关税.原有政策的效果评价和政策调整的成因探析,将对相关产业的贸易和产业政策的制定或调整提供参考和借鉴.