Änderungen an der Grundsicherung im Alter statt unsystematischer Rentenkonzepte

There is discussion in Germany about the future threat of widespread poverty among the elderly. Some argue that the social pension system will not be able to provide sufficiently for low-wage workers. At the same time, applying for welfare payments is seen as unfair in light of the lifetime achievements of the elderly. There are two basic approaches to deal with these concerns: adjusting the rules for welfare payments or changing the social pension system. Present proposals prove to be inadequate. Proposals to reform the social pension system in particular are inconsistent with basic principles. I present a proposal that will provide the right incentive while respecting the fundamental structure of the system. All other income arising from retirement provisions should be only partially credited against the welfare claim.     

The urban growth potential of second-generation migrant entrepreneurs: A sectoral study on Amsterdam

A rise in second-generation migrant entrepreneurs and an increasing focus on modern economic sectors have become new trends in migrant entrepreneurship in recent years. Although traditional sectors are still the most popular among the first-generation migrant entrepreneurs, because of the increasing pressure and their high competitiveness in traditional areas, nowadays new market niches are rapidly developing. While the first generation has more often become active in new areas such as the producer services sector which includes finance, insurance, real estate and business-related professional services, the second generation has contributed to the emergence of new areas of immigrant business activity such as the ICT sector and the creative industries.Against this background, this study focuses on the external orientations of the second-generation migrant entrepreneurs by addressing in particular the way – and the extent to which – the choice for entrepreneurship is made by higher-educated young ethnic generations. This is a new field of entrepreneurship research in many European countries. The empirical data of our study is based on in-depth personal interviews held in the first half of 2007. We employed a recently developed multivariate qualitative classification method, coined rough set analysis, in order to investigate the motivation, goals and strategies of second generation Turkish entrepreneurs in the ICT and the financial services sector in the Netherlands.The results of our study show that the second generation Turkish entrepreneurs in the Netherlands have started to be involved in new and non-traditional sectors like ICT and financial services sectors. The motivation and driving forces of the second-generation Turkish entrepreneurs are stemming from both their personal characteristics shaped by their higher educational level and their previous working experience as an employee or entrepreneur in the same sector. The demand for and a gap in the sector as well as the growing and promising structure of the sector play also an important role in pulling the second generation Turkish immigrants to become entrepreneur in these new sectors.     

Environmental evaluation of agri-environment schemes using participatory approaches: Experiences of testing the Agri-Environmental Footprint Index

The Agri-Environment Footprint Index (AFI) has been developed as a generic methodology to assess changes in the overall environmental impacts from agriculture at the farm level and to assist in the evaluation of European agri-environmental schemes (AES). The methodology is based on multi-criteria analysis (MCA) and involves stakeholder participation to provide a locally customised evaluation based on weighted environmental indicators. The methodology was subjected to a feasibility assessment in a series of case studies across the EU. The AFI approach was able to measure significant differences in environmental status between farms that participated in an AES and non-participants. Wider environmental concerns, beyond the scheme objectives, were also considered in some case studies and the benefits for identification of unintentional (and often beneficial) impacts of AESs are presented. The participatory approach to AES evaluation proved efficient in different environments and administrative contexts. The approach proved to be appropriate for environmental evaluation of complex agri-environment systems and can complement any evaluation conducted under the Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. The applicability of the AFI in routine monitoring of AES impacts and in providing feedback to improve policy design is discussed.     

"Selling America to the World"? The Rise and Fall of an International Film Distributor in its Largest Foreign Market: United Artists in Britain, 1927-1947

Few industries are as widely associated with the spread of Americanvalues, ideas, and products as the film industry. U.S. firmscertainly dominated the global market for feature films, butdid they do so simply by "selling America to the world" or wasthere more to be gained by catering to the diverse tastes ofinternational audiences? This article examines the operationsof a leading U.S. film distributor in its largest foreign market.United Artists, like other U.S. firms, was forced to offer aminimum proportion of British films for distribution in theUnited Kingdom in the 1930s and 1940s. Was this requirementa burden, or were the firm’s British films actually atthe heart of its success in the U.K. market?     

The Challenge of Globalization for Large Chinese Firms

As China joins the World Trade Organization, the authors question whether China’s large firms will be able to compete on the global level playing field. Over the past two decades, Chinese large enterprises have undertaken extensive evolutionary change but, at the same time, the world’s leading firms have undergone a revolutionary transformation. Based on analysis of firms with the aerospace, oil and petrochemical industry, the authors conclude that China’s leading firms face critical challenges, even in sectors in which China’s policy-makers have scored significant successes.     

农村金融组织体系的历史变迁与发展模式研究

文章对农村金融组织体系的历史变迁及发展模式进行了研究。     

SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT THE COMPOSITION OF TAX‐BASED STIMULUS PACKAGES?

We investigate the effects of tax policy shocks on the U.S. economy over the 1972:3–2008:4 period within a structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) framework. Disaggregating tax shocks suggests that the positive output multipliers documented for total taxes by the previous literature are present only for indirect tax innovations. We also show that both labor and corporate taxes have similar effects on output, with labor tax multipliers being slightly larger in magnitude. The positive and negative responses of inflation following respectively corporate and labor tax shocks imply that former shocks work through aggregate supply, whereas the latter work predominantly through aggregate demand. (JEL C32, E62, H20)     

A corporate entrepreneurship perspective of pre‐entry strategies for internationalization: A case study of a Chinese business conglomerate

The international expansion of Chinese firms is a remarkable phenomenon of contemporary international business. However, international expansion is particularly challenging for firms expanding from emerging market economies such as China because they have relatively few ownership advantages and suffer disadvantages. We apply a corporate entrepreneurship perspective to explore this under‐researched topic via a longitudinal case study of a large Chinese business conglomerate. Thirty‐one semistructured interviews and seven focus‐group discussions were conducted with 55 informants; company documents were also analyzed. We found sophisticated pre‐entry entrepreneurial initiatives are critical for successful internationalization, as they enable emerging market firms to overcome some constraints, leverage their assets, and build competences for international venturing.     

Women farmers’ participation in the agricultural research process: implications for agricultural sustainability in Ethiopia

Empowering women farmers to participate in agricultural research is a key strategy for sustainable agricultural development. Women empowerment has the potential to improve their roles in agricultural production while enhancing nutrition and food security. Although new agricultural development policies are focusing on improving women engagement in agriculture, there is limited literature on women empowerment in relation to agricultural research. This study used mixed methods to analyse women farmers’ participation in four stages of the agricultural research process – design, testing, dissemination, monitoring and evaluation. Two hundred and thirty individual interviews with women farmers and 16 focus group discussions with men and women farmers were conducted in four Woredas (districts) of Ethiopia. Quantitative data were analysed using binary and multivariate probit models. Qualitative data were analysed using line-by-line coding. The results showed that several empowerment indicator variables significantly (p?≤?.001) influenced women’s participation in different stages of agricultural research. Specifically, input in production decisions, autonomy in plot management, membership to farmer groups, and ability to speak in public enhanced women’s participation in different stages, in addition to access to information and extension services, education and land size. Cultural norms hindered women’s empowerment and engagement in research. To foster sustainable agriculture development, it’s important to integrate holistic and proactive gender perspectives into research strategies to increase women’s participation in farmer research groups, access information and knowledge, have voice and challenge constraining cultural norms and traditions.     

To go or not to go,that is the question: Using social influence to reduce hot beverage cup waste

ABSTRACT

While most consumers today feel concerned by environmental issues, the consumption of hot beverage in disposable cups remains very important. In this study, we use influence strategies related to social norms to reduce these behaviors and get consumers to consume their hot beverage in reusable cups. 14373 orders were analyzed and demonstrate that normative messages can be effective to change consumer behavior toward a more responsible choices.