A note on the spread between the rates of fixed and variable rate loans

An expression of the optimal expected spread between the rates of fixed and variable rate loans offered by a competitive risk-averse bank is derived. We find that the expected spread varies directly with the volatility of the funding cost, the bank's degree of risk aversion, and the competitive profit margin on variable rate loans. Our analysis also characterizes the optimal mix of fixed and variable rate lending in a bank's loan portfolio.     

Fiscal policy in Korea: Before and after the financial crisis

This paper examines the role of fiscal policy in the Korean financial crisis and the subsequent recovery from it. We specifically address three questions: Was Korea’s fiscal policy prior to the crisis conservative, or were there large hidden contingent liabilities not captured in the official budget balance? What were the main characteristics of fiscal policy in stimulating and restructuring the economy under the IMF stabilization program in Korea? How effective were the financial guarantee and public investment programs as part of the counter-cyclical fiscal policy in the recovery process from the crisis? To address these questions, we re-estimate the consolidated budget deficits in Korea by incorporating the quasi-fiscal activities of public funds and public enterprises using their micro balance-sheet data from 1972 to 2003.     

FISCAL MULTIPLIERS DURING THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS: FISCAL AND MONETARY INTERACTION MATTERS

This study investigates the fiscal multipliers of 21 Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development countries during the global financial crisis using panel vector auto regression methodology. Our findings suggest that the 1‐year fiscal multiplier was greater than 1 during the crisis, whereas it was less than 1 before the crisis because of different fiscal and monetary interactions. The combination of expansionary monetary and fiscal policies during the crisis boosted gross domestic product more effectively through internal and external transmissions: investment crowding‐out was limited, and net exports were spurred by the policy interaction. In addition, our results are robust to various specifications. (JEL E61, E63, E65)     

Business planning based on technological capabilities: Patent analysis for technology-driven roadmapping

This research responds to the needs of technology-driven business by focusing on how firms can find new business opportunities based on their technological capabilities. It proposes a technology-driven roadmapping processes that starts from capability analysis for technology planning and ends with business opportunity analysis for market planning. We suggest the use of patent data as a proxy measure of technological capability for this purpose and develop four analysis modules — Monitoring, Collaboration, Diversification, and Benchmarking — to support decision-making during the process. Various analysis techniques such as text-mining, network analysis, citation analysis and index analysis are applied to discover meaningful implications from the patent data, which are summarized in four maps — Actor-similarity map, Actor-relations map, Technology-industry map, and Technology-affinity map. For the purpose of illustration, RFID-related patents are collected and the 18 firms with the most patents used, focusing especially on the third biggest. We believe using roadmapping and patent analysis together can play complementary roles for each other. Putting roadmapping techniques together with patent analysis can increase the objectivity and reliability of technology roadmap, while using patent analysis restricted to technological information together with roadmapping techniques can ensure that a more valuable breadth of strategic information is extracted from patents.     

High‐end Encroachment Patterns of New Products

Previous research describes two key ways in which a new product may encroach on an existing market. In high‐end encroachment, the new product first sells to high‐end customers and then diffuses down‐market; in low‐end encroachment, the new product enters at the low end and encroaches up‐market. This paper focuses on high‐end encroachment, which can further be broken down into three subtypes, which are called the immediate, the new‐attribute, and the new‐market forms of high‐end encroachment. This paper makes three key contributions. First, it provides a sound theoretical underpinning for the three distinct subtypes of high‐end encroachment—a linear reservation price curve model (LRPCM) is used to establish this theoretical foundation. Second, this paper delineates and illustrates four different ways the high‐end new‐market diffusion process may progress over time. These four are: (1) the traditional type, where the new product diffuses relatively slowly and methodically over time; (2) the fad scenario, where the new product opens a new market but then fizzles out after a relatively short period of high sales; (3) the rapid diffusion outcome, where the new product opens a new market and then rapidly diffuses down‐market; and (4) the prolonged‐niche type, where the new product purposefully restricts itself to its own niche rather than diffusing down‐market. The third key contribution of this paper is to offer managerial insights into the new‐market high‐end encroachment process by discussing two short case studies; namely, a retrospective look at the introduction of the iPhone, and a prospective look at Tesla's challenges in growing the market for its electric car. With regard to the iPhone, it helps explain why Apple precipitously dropped the price of the iPhone by one third only 68 days after its introduction. With regard to Tesla, it discusses how Tesla must leverage the revenues that stem from its current high‐end pricing power. Tesla must be able to progress down the learning curve fast enough so that it can create a virtuous cycle; a cycle in which cost reductions and technology improvements lead to price reductions and increased sales, which in turn lead to further cost reductions. At the conclusion of the paper, a step‐by‐step approach is offered to aid in determining which type of encroachment should be pursued and in determining how the encroachment pattern will eventually develop. The encroachment framework and the step‐by‐step approach are intended to help managers better assess and mitigate the risks inherent with a new product introduction.     

我国东部地区对外开放度分析:1993～2005

本文研究的是1993年至2005年我国东部地区的对外开放程度。研究结果表明,1993年～2005年,进入21世纪以来,东部地区的外资依存度呈现持续下滑的态势,尤其是广东、福建和天津;我国FDI流入占当年固定资产形成的比例低于世界平均水平且呈现逐年下滑态势;东部地区的贸易依存度不断提高,且比全国的贸易依存度高20%～30%左右;由于存在东部地区进出口贸易中加工贸易比重高等原因,实际东部地区的贸易依存度并不高。     

导入智能审计模式研究

导入智能审计模式是应用于CPA财务报表审计的一种信息化审计模式,它以会计信息化全通用理论、《信息技术会计核算软件数据接口》（GB／T19581—2004）国家标准和社会对账为立论基础,以会审软件、数据导入、社会对账和智能审计为核心要素,利用会审软件有效保证CPA的独立性与主动性,通过导入会计信息系统的科目编码、期初余额和记账凭证三大类基础数据,并对其进行深度数据挖掘,结合社会对账系统和网上估价系统,实现智能审计,从而大幅度提升信息化审计的效率和效果。     

未决羁押的合理期限及其法律规制

现代国家一致要求未决羁押不得超过“合理期限”;国际社会关于什么是未决羁押的“合理期限”的判断标准已经达成共识。两大法系国家不仅在立法上以不同方式对未决羁押期限做出了明确的规定,而且建立并实施了未决羁押期限的常态化审查机制,这一机制主要体现为羁押权力司法化、羁押理由个别化、羁押程序正当化三项具体原则。相比之下,我国未决羁押期限及其延长制度设计基本上被侦查、调查等追诉利益所左右,在司法实践中存在两大突出问题： 一是未决羁押期限过长,恣意羁押和非法羁押的情形长期存在;二是缺乏一个中立的司法机关对羁押决定进行司法授权、司法审查和司法救济,被羁押人对于恣意羁押和非法羁押缺乏有效救济途径。存在这些问题的根本原因在于,对未决羁押期限在法律制度上缺乏系统的有效规制。要实现我国未决羁押期限的合理化,从长远角度看,需要在未决羁押制度乃至整个刑事司法制度现代化过程中推动羁押期限的制度性变革;从近期看,需要进一步完善羁押审查机制和相关配套措施。