On improving the robustness of Asian management theories: Theoretical anchors in the era of globalization

A careful review of the history of research on global strategy and cross-cultural management reveals that considerable attention has been paid to the functioning of organizations located in the Asian context in comparison with their Western counterparts. While research in this tradition has generated some useful insights, there is a need for improving robustness of management theories that are applicable in the Asian context. In this paper, we advance a taxonomy of cross-cultural management theories and suggest methods of deriving research propositions well-grounded in the latest findings in cross-cultural research. It is suggested that robustness of management theories that are uniquely applicable to the Asia Pacific countries is best achieved by addressing the complex interplay of cultural variations found in these countries with globalization-related influences.     

A Comparison of PIM Estimates with Direct Stock Information for Dwellings

One of the major sources of uncertainty in capital stock estimates stems from the use of the perpetual inventory method (PIM) in all the cases where direct stock information is not available. In the Danish capital stock estimates, it has been possible to dispense with the PIM as far as buildings are concerned. Instead, an administrative register of buildings is used together with a property register and the business register to produce an exhaustive enumeration of practically all buildings in the economy broken down by industry and sector. For the most important type of buildings, namely dwellings, the paper compares direct stock estimates derived by multiplying physical quantities (square meters) by the replacement prices per square meter with those that would result from applying the PIM to historical investment series. Dwellings are by far the most important non-financial assets in most developed economies.     

Determinants of Teenage Birth Rates as an Unpooled Sample

ABSTRACT Illinois teenage birth rates are estimated both as a pooled sample and also as an unpooled sample (under eighteen years old and eighteen to nineteen years old). The younger teens'are statistically significantly affected by the number of two-parent families in the county. The older teens'birth rates have statistically significant coefficients for three additional predictors–county education and income levels and the percent of children living in poverty. Variables that do not have a statistically significant relationship with either group's birth rates are population density and the unemployment rate. The proportion of white population was a statistically significant determinant for the younger teens'birth rate.     

Building for the future: housing-related sectors and the welsh economy

Since the establishment of the Welsh Assembly Government there has been more emphasis on indigenous enterprises in relation to economic development policy. However, the housing-related sector has received little attention. This paper¹ presents the results of research that has investigated this sector and its significance to the local economy. Whilst acknowledging the considerable data-related difficulties in this exercise, analysis of housing and housing-related functions (including construction, finance, legal services, management of housing stock) showed that the sector accounted for around 4.5% of Welsh employment, and had considerable potential for assisting in the future development of the regional economy.     

构建全国性市场体系的承诺

SEC(美国证券交易委员会)正在考虑关于市场架构的问题,我很高兴能够在这里与大家分享自己对这些重要问题的看法.如往常一样,我的发言仅仅代表个人观点,并不必然反映SEC或我的其他同事的意见.     

Ranking sectors using fuzzy output multipliers

Using input–output analysis to model the effects of changes in industry final demands is fraught with problems, many of which relate to the fundamental limitations of the concomitant linear framework. A further issue concerns the accuracy of the results, a consequence of the uncertainty surrounding the values of multipliers. Such uncertainty can create problems where the values of output multipliers are used to inform resource directions. This paper utilizes (and develops) a fuzzy input–output model and investigates the ranking of industries based on fuzzy output multipliers. The non-triviality of the fuzzy model is exposited in a general problem, where imprecision is defined by a proportional level of imprecision (fuzziness) in the technical coefficients. Through a nascent method for ranking fuzzy numbers, comparisons are made between the fuzzy and more traditional (non-fuzzy) analysis.     

Reshaping internal labour markets in the National Health Service: new prospects for pay and training for lower skilled service workers?

This article considers how two new strategies for improving pay and skills development have been used in the UK National Health Service (NHS) to develop labour capacity and capability by stimulating the development of relatively coherent internal labour markets for workers at the lower end of the occupational hierarchy. Drawing on data from 13 NHS trusts, we scrutinise the implications of the new national pay system, Agenda for Change, for healthcare assistants and cleaners and find substantial one‐off improvements in pay for these groups as a direct result of the new national pay framework. However, the detailed case‐study data reveal there is considerable uncertainty regarding the extent, depth and durability of pay improvements. In particular, opportunities for pay progression in reward for acquisition of new skills and qualifications were more variable as a result of the stronger role of management choice and strategy at the organisational level in implementing the new national strategy for skills development, the Skills Escalator. Moreover, management strategy shaped the demand for, and distribution of, intermediate‐level skills (through new job design, for example), which was critical to the effectiveness of trusts in pulling lower grade employees up through an internal career trajectory.     

Clothes without an Emperor: Analysis of the preferential tariffs in ASEAN

This paper examines the current state of intra-ASEAN trade under the preferential regime of the AFTA. It partly addresses some data problems and employs a gravity model to arrive at alternative ways of gauging the importance of preferences in the absence of data on the actual utilisation of AFTA preferential tariffs. Our results show that although the range of products where AFTA might have an influence is limited, preferences seem to matter when the differential margin between the MFN and preferential tariff rates reaches a critical amount, allowing regional exporters to cover the costs of requesting preferences. However, at very high differential margins, the significance of AFTA preferences seems to wane. This indicates either the presence of non-tariff measures which prevent traders from exploiting the huge tariff discounts offered by the AFTA, and or, the propensity of ASEAN to extend high preferences on products where little or no intra-ASEAN trade takes place.     

What Should Be the EU’s Approach to Global Trade?

For a global player like the EU, it must adequately respond to US unilateral actions and not give in to threats in order to preserve its credibility. However, it is not in its interest to let trade conflicts escalate and be drawn into trade wars.It is worth noting that through the bilateral rules established in the context of a comprehensive trade agreement, the EU not only influences global norms and standards but that those in turn feed back into the EU’s economic order in a way that traditional trade agreements have not. They can therefore either reinforce the European model or weaken it.     

Individual choice or collective action? Exploring consumer motives for participating in alternative food networks

Alternative food networks (AFNs) are growing in number and relevance in Germany. Those networks include new models of production and distribution, such as food cooperatives (FoodCoops), self‐harvest gardens or community‐supported agriculture (CSA) schemes. AFNs, as an alternative to conventional food supply systems, are characterized by a close producer‐consumer interaction. They are typically located within urban or peri‐urban areas. The study aims to identify the rationale and motivation of urban residents in participating in AFNs and developing a consumer typology. We also assess whether AFNs potentially lead to collective action with societal impact. Therefore, we conducted a qualitative content analysis based on 18 interviews with members of existing AFN projects in three German metropolitan regions. Our results revealed that the willingness of urban consumers to participate in AFNs is driven by a broad range of motives. They include personal desire for high‐quality food (in terms of taste or freshness) and health reasons, but also political or environmental motives (opposition to conventional agriculture or short transport distances). Furthermore, consumers often want to support a certain farmer and his/her philosophy or they appreciate the community‐building aspect. Three different consumer types were derived from the motive combinations. Many consumers communicated a sense of belonging to a societal movement, however, our study revealed a lack of organization and collective action. Although AFNs can influence the consumption patterns of individuals, their potential to induce social change and to challenge traditional models of consumption in the near future does not appear to be high.