Business,Governments and Political Risk in South Asia and Latin America since 1970

This article examines how businesses perceived political risk in South Asia and Latin America over the last half century. Employing data from an oral history database at Harvard Business School, the article identifies five major sources of political risk: macroeconomic and policy turbulence, excessive bureaucracy, political instability, corruption, and violence. Marked regional differences were identified in perceptions and responses to risks. Macroeconomic and policy turbulence was the biggest perceived source of risk in Latin America. Excessive bureaucracy was the biggest source of perceived risk in South Asia. South Asian businesses often avoided bureaucracies, while Latin Americans worked with them.     

Business reactions to the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak in Scotland

The paper focuses on two aspects of the 2001 foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Scotland that have been largely ignored: first, business managers perceptions of the impact of FMD during and immediately after the outbreak; and second, reactions to the outbreak in terms of action taken by businesses and advice sought. A panel survey of non-farm businesses conducted in April, June and September of 2001 is analysed to shed light on these issues. We find that even at the time, the vast majority of businesses did not report any real impact, although businesses in rural areas and in the tourism industry were more likely to feel some impact - either positive or negative. We show that business managers appeared to favour private sources of advice, although some public sources were found to be very useful, and that some actions, such as increased advertising in tourism businesses, could be more effective than others, such as making redundancies. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of the findings for contingency planning in the event of future FMD outbreaks.     

WELFARE, ENTERPRISE, AND ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY: THE CASE OF THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN KIMBERLEY REGION, 1968–96

This article traces the development of Aboriginal-controlled businesses and their ability to access land, labour, and finance in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It investigates the influence of the development policies on Aboriginal commercial operations. Among other things, the implementation of a new policy – beginning in the early 1970s – saw the handing over by the state of large tracts of land, and the provision of labour and finance to Aboriginal interests. The article analyses the tension between land and enterprise as a welfare measure and as a means of commercial endeavour.     

A Matter of Trust: The Ashby Research Service and the Business of Market Research

As Australia's pioneering market research firm, the Ashby Research Service helped introduce market research to Australian businesses and played a leading role in building confidence in market research as a business investment. By examining the firm's activities and organisational operations from the 1930s to the 1970s, this article contends that the establishment, development, maintenance, and deepening of trust underpinned all aspects of the firm's operations – from internal practices to externally focused client relations. The long-term approach also illustrates the multiplicity of factors contributing to the development of trust in business, and underscores the importance of culture in this process.     

探索中小企业存在与发展的理论和现实意义

不论是在发展中国家还是在发达国家，中小企业近十几年来都得到充分发展，并对世界各国经济与社会发展起到重要作用。本试从经济理论与实际出发，分析中小企业存在与发展的原因和重要意义，以期望为我国中小企业发展战略与发展方向提供借鉴意义。     

美国金融混业经营制度的演变及中国金融业的对策选择

本文分析了一次降价促销活动 8个方面的成功之处 ,指其 6个方面的不足 ,为企业开展类似活动提供参考和借鉴。     

Robert Kuok: Family,Dialect, and State in the Making of a Malaysian Magnate

Chinese overseas family businesses generally lack longevity. In addition to difficulties in transiting towards professional management they are susceptible to state pressures. However, Robert Kuok, the richest man in Southeast Asia who heads a vast business empire, has been able to surmount both challenges. This study shows how Kuok successfully turned three important sources of identity into strengths: family, dialect, and the state. These three sources are set against his Johor Bahru background, the changing domestic political landscape, and shifting regional economic influence.     

基于电子商务的网络财务软件探讨

网络财务是电子商务时代的新产物,它摈弃了传统财务软件的弊端,逐渐带领财务会计工作向现代化迈进,不仅可以将企业的资源进行合理有效的配置,更有助于企业的集中管理。网络财务软件是电子商务时代实现网络财务计划的最主要的工具,为企业提供了网络化的工作方式,并且支持动态会计核算方式,提供集中式管理服务。我们只有从技术方面、会计理论方面和工作方式方面进行全新的改革,才能在电子商务时代充分发挥网络财务软件的效果。     

风险投资在促进创新型中小企业成长中的作用

风险投资家不仅为创新型中小企业提供了股本支持,而且还运用自身丰富的管理经验、专业能力及社会网络,向创新企业家提供其所缺乏的管理服务。风险投资这一创新的投资方式,使其成为推动创新型中小企业发展的不可替代的力量。要发挥风险投资在推动创新型中小企业发展中的巨大作用,必须遵循风险投资交易的规律,一方面要大力发展我国的风险投资业,另一方面要增强创新型中小企业吸纳风险投资的能力。     

FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE LONG‐TERM SURVIVAL OF MICRO,SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN ETHIOPIA

There is an increasing recognition of the potential importance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for employment, income and poverty reduction in Ethiopia. Although the MSME sector contributes significantly to the national economy, the high failure rate among well established small businesses and enterprises is a matter of major concern. A random sample of 500 small businesses and enterprises selected from five major cities in Ethiopia were followed up for 6 years in order to assess the impact of influential factors that affect the long‐term survival and viability of small enterprises. Hazard ratios estimated from the Cox Proportional Hazards Model were used to quantify the impact of key predictors of survival. Businesses that ceased operation were characterised by inadequate finance (61%), low level of education (55%), poor managerial skills (54%), shortage of technical skills (49%), and inability to convert part of their profit to investment (46%). The study shows that participation in social capital and networking (iqqub schemes) was critically helpful for long‐term survival. Businesses that did not participate in iqqub schemes regularly were found to be 3.25 times more likely to fail in comparison with businesses that did. Results of the study have implications that could be used for developing policy initiatives that are aimed at fostering long‐term growth in small businesses and enterprises.     

The myths,facts, and theories of ethnic,small-scale enterprise financing

This article combines the results of three financial studies that examine capital issues affecting minority business development. The results are presented so as to explain or refute conventional wisdom regarding capital availability, cost of capital, credit market discrimination, sources of capital and differences in firm capital composition. Generally, Asian and Hispanic businesses more approximate nonminority businesses in the sources of capital, the cost of capital, total capital investment, and access to capital. Black firms, on the other hand, face credit discrimination from all sources of capital, which limits their access to capital, increases its cost, and affects firm profitability. Consequently, black firms have a smaller capital composition at startup and during operations. The only deviation from this pattern occurs where minority and nonminority financial institutions vie for black business patronage by reducing the cost of borrowing and increasing the availability of funds.     

Housing Boom,Dutch Disease,and the Decline in China's Manufacturing Exports

Drawing on Dutch disease theory, we assess how the recent housing boom has contributed to a decline in China's manufacturing exports. Using Chinese city and enterprise panel data from 2004 to 2013, our analysis reveals that Dutch disease indeed exists and that the housing price increase has played a very important role in affecting China's manufacturing exports through two key channels: resource movement effect and spending effect. Specifically, this paper found that: (i) the housing price increase hindered labor flowing into China's manufacturing industry (resource movement effect) and caused higher inflation (spending effect); (ii) the housing boom clearly impeded China's manufacturing exports, especially after the outbreak of the global economic crisis in 2008; (iii) the impacts of the housing price increase on China's manufacturing exports were heterogenous, and were more significant for labor-intensive manufacturing businesses, businesses that were foreign owned, less R&D intensive, or located in the central and western regions.     

Manufacturing enterprises and marketing planning in a mining area of the North West Province,South Africa: lessons for local business support centres

This paper examines the extent to which manufacturing SMMEs (small, medium and micro enterprises) see marketing planning as important for their businesses in the area of the North West Province known as PKOSH (Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp, Orkney, Stilfontein and Hartbeesfontein). It identifies lessons for local business support centres, based on a case study of manufacturing businesses in this region. The literature suggests that appropriate marketing planning will increase profitability, but it was found that most manufacturing industries in this area do not plan their marketing appropriately. This is largely because of their close relationship with and dependence on the mining industry, which is at present extremely volatile, with mine closures imminent. Against this background, the authors argue that local business support centres should have a much better understanding of local business trends and should provide information to help businesses open up markets beyond their immediate environment.     

日本零售企业进入海外市场的动机、经营绩效与撤退原因

在零售商业的国际化过程中，日本零售企业扮演了重要角色．日本零售企业进入海外市场的动机与决策过程因进入市场、进入时期及业态形式的不同而不同，同时，日本零售企业在海外市场的经营绩效也是不容乐观的，并出现了大量的撤退案例。研究日本零售企业进入海外市场的动机及经营绩效不佳的原因，不仅对日本零售企业制定跨国经营战略具有参考价值，而且对包括进入国家或地区在内的全体零售企业制定零售经营战略也具有借鉴意义．     

台商在闽农业直接投资对福建省农产品出口的影响分析

以FDI与国际贸易之间的关系理论为基础，对台商在福建省农业直接投资的状况进行论述，利用1997-2005年台商在福建省农业直接投资和福建省农产品的出口量的数据进行相关性分析，得出结论，台商在闽农业直接投资对福建省农产品的出口量的影响很小，但使福建省农产品出口的品种更加的多样化，也改变了农产品出口的产地结构。     

日本中小企业的历史地位及其在经济再生中的作用

在战后日本经济总量的扩大和产业结构的优化过程中，中小企业发挥了不可替代的作用，它与大企业一起共同支撑了日本经济的振兴。究其缘由，这是中小企业具有自己相对固定的优势领域、与大企业形成的长期分工和互补关系以及多品种小批量的生产体制等多种因素共同作用的结果．20世纪90年代以后，中小企业更是利用其在生产经营上具有的机动性和灵活性特点，在吸纳劳动力就业、推动技术革新以及振兴地方经济等方面积极发挥作用，为遏制日本经济的进一步恶化进而走上“再生”道路不断贡献力量．     

美、日中小企业技术创新比较研究

对于中小企业来说，技术创新是极其重要的。当经济全球化的趋势日益扩大、国际性竞争日趋激烈的时候，是技术创新给予了中小企业的存在和发展以最强有力的支持。在美国，由中小企业所开展的技术创新在很多领域已经超过了大企业，尤其是那些掌握尖端技术的中小企业已经成为技术创新的主导；日本中小企业的技术创新活动在近几年问也取得了长足的进步，促进了企业的发展。美国中小企业技术创新的构成和实际状况与日本的中小企业相比存在着差异，因此，对美、日中小企业技术创新的构成和实际状况进行详细的分析和比较具有一定的现实意义。     

FINANCIAL CRISES AND KNOWLEDGE,HISTORICAL AND ANALYTICAL*

Noel Butlin would have welcomed the theme from which this paper began, ‘Financial Crises: Historical Perspectives’. Respecting his memory, I seek to use aspects of New Zealand's financial history to illuminate recent experience while acknowledging that: distinguishing transitory from significant changes is not easy; bringing historical knowledge to bear on current issues is different from mining the past for convenient arguments; and ideas and analysis need to be kept up to date. Economic analysis is far more enlightening than moral protest.     

A targeted approach to informal business development: the entrepreneurial route

The present paper maintains that initiatives to promote and support small businesses need to focus on those with growth potential rather than on the small business sector as a whole, and that the human factor, especially entrepreneurial intentions and behaviour, is the overwhelming force in small business success. Empirical evidence shows that many entrepreneurs setting up businesses in the informal economy of South Africa have little business acumen. The majority of informal businesses operate as survivalist entities with limited development and growth potential. The paper suggests that only between 10 and 15 per cent of informal entrepreneurs have sufficient business skills to expand and develop their businesses. These should be the focus of policy initiatives. Separate collective support measures should be designed to make the business environment more hospitable to low-potential informal businesses.     

Characteristics of black-owned corporations in Atlanta: With comments on the SMOBE undercount

Black-owned corporations are only 3 percent of all black-owned businesses in the nation, but account for almost half of all revenue and employment of these businesses. Even though their rate of growth greatly exceeds that of proprietorships and partnerships, very little is known about the characteristics of black-owned corporations. TheSurvey of Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (SMOBE) is published every five years by the Department of Commerce and is the most comprehensive source of information on black-owned businesses. Yet, most researchers fail to realize that this survey does not include all corporations in its survey universe, but only 1120 S corporations. This study uses primary data collected on 722 of the most successful blackowned businesses in the Atlanta metropolitan area. We analyze the characteristics of black-owned corporations and the human capital attributes of their owners, and we comment on the SMOBE undercount of 1120 subchapter C corporations. We find that in Atlanta, not only do black-owned subchapter C corporations greatly outnumber S corporations, but they also have a much greater financial capacity.