University patenting and technology commercialization – legal frameworks and the importance of local practice

The impact of national legislative frameworks on the higher education sector's contribution to technological innovation is heavily disputed. This paper argues that legislative frameworks may stimulate the development of local practices for the management and exploitation of intellectual property (IP), which in turn determine the level of academic patenting. We present case studies of two comparable universities in each of four selected European countries with different histories of national IP legislation. A within-country analysis shows that a wider range and earlier development of local IP management and exploitation practices are accompanied by higher levels of academic patenting, and that increasing similarity of IP practices is associated with decreasing differences in patenting outputs. A preliminary cross-country analysis reveals an expansion in and increasing similarity of practices for IP management and exploitation in countries with different national IP framework histories. We conclude that adopting Bayh-Dole-like legislation may trigger the development of local IP practices, which stimulate patenting. However, it is not always sufficient and definitely not always necessary. The study concludes with some policy recommendations.     

Strategic Interests of ASEAN-5 in Regional Trading Arrangements in the Asia-Pacific

We examine the strategic interests of ASEAN countries within APEC when forming regional trading arrangements in the pursuit of trade liberalization. Employing a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model, the effects of ASEAN's various Free Trade Area arrangements with the U.S., Northeast Asia as well as APEC are analyzed. The impact on ASEAN as a whole as well as for each individual member coutry is examined. A free trade area with the U.S. is likely to benefit the Philippines and Indonesia most.     

Differential total factor productivity in the Four Dragons: the Singapore case

This paper introduces a concept of a latent resource to explain the seemingly low total factor productivity estimated for Singapore. It found that total factor productivity growth in the economy is not as dismal as estimated in other studies if the factor shares used in the computation are nearer to those of developed industrialized economies. The existence of a latent resource also explains the discrepancy in factor shares reported in published information as compared to the empirically derived figures. From this, the policy implication is that measures to maintain the latent resource become important for the Singapore economy to remain internationally competitive.     

Cultural constraints on the emergence of women as leaders

Women, who have historically been less represented than men in leadership positions, emerge as leaders in some societies more than others. Unlike previous cultural explanations for this effect (rooted in differences in values, practices, or gender roles), we argue that a culture's tightness – its strength of norms and social sanctions – can provoke a resistance to change practices that historically placed men in leadership positions. Tighter cultures will yield fewer women represented among top leadership positions. Moreover, cultural tightness moderates the degree to which egalitarian practices – where individuals from both genders are treated equally – lead women to emerge as leaders. Specifically, differences in egalitarian practices are more likely to predict the emergence of women as leaders among tight rather than loose cultures because such practices are more strongly implemented in tight than weak cultures. Analysis of publicly available data reveals some preliminary support for predictions. This research concludes that loose cultures will be more receptive to changing existing cultural practices, but that tight cultures are more successful in implementing and sustaining such changes.     

Deviation from Purchasing Power Parity: Evidence from Malaysia, 1973–1997

This paper presents an empirical test of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) applied to the Malaysia ringgit for the period from 1973 (CPI) and 1984 (WPI) to 1997. Consistent with other research findings, it is detected that real exchange rate follows a random walk. Using multivariate cointegration methodology for the long-run relationship between real exchange rate and certain macro-economic variables, the study provides evidence supporting a long-run relationship between the real exchange rate and the current account balance and government spending, the last two variables have been not included in previous studies of this economy. The causality test between real exchange rate with the current account balance and government spending, however, does not receive support from the error-correction model. This suggests that both government spending and current account balance are not adequate to explain the changes in ringgit real exchange rate. The puzzle still remains unsolved.     

Survey Accuracy as a Function of Usage Rate

Using a large-scale AT&T database, we decompose usage levels into frequency and duration, and then investigate how they affect survey response accuracy. Results show that more accurate surveys are obtained from those in the high frequency group (possibly because of the increased use of the more accurate rate-based method of recall and higher degrees of regularity), and from those in the longer duration group (possibly because of increased involvement). We therefore suggest that the survey method is less suited for light users because of higher error, and that alternative methods such as diaries might be more appropriate. We also found similarly consistent results with respect to self-perception of usage rate and the accuracy of survey recall.     

Contrasting approaches of corporate and association meeting planners: how the hospitality industry should approach them differently

Using survey data, this paper examines the different goals and constraints facing corporate and association meeting planners (AMPs). It next shows how these differences produce 11 different concerns and behaviours. For instance, increased pressure for ethical behaviour and financial transparency has forced corporate meeting planners to focus attention on reducing meeting costs and to choose easily accessible and convenient properties for meetings. On the other hand, associations focus on the interests of their members and strive to comport with group norms, and therefore plan enjoyable family‐friendly meetings, often at relaxed and upscale locations. This paper outlines seven different ways in which the hospitality industry should approach corporate and AMPs. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bootstrap ARDL on energy-growth relationship for 22 OECD countries

Applying a recent bootstrap autoregressive distributed lag method, this article re-examines the energy-growth relationship for 22 OECD countries over the period 1966–2013. The empirical results suggest degenerate cases for eight countries. Only Japan is truly cointegrated. Some causality patterns are identified.