Growing Trade in Intermediate Goods: Outsourcing,Global Sourcing,or Increasing Importance of MNE Networks?

Growth in trade is often seen to have played a dominant role in integrating national economies. Analyses of this role have, however, almost exclusively been based on trade in final goods. This paper attempts to address this problem by analyzing recent growth in intermediate goods. Three possible causes are posited for this growth: outsourcing, global sourcing, and the increasing importance of MNE networks. These are examined in two analytical frameworks: one using OECD input–output table data and one using German time‐series data. Results from both frameworks give strong support to the hypothesis that international production plays a great role in explaining the strong increase in intermediate inputs imports of developed countries. The evidence for the hypothesis that the increasing importance of the MNE network causes the growing trade in intermediate goods is especially strong. The outsourcing hypothesis receives also some support.     

Einbindung des Finanzbereichs in das Beteiligungscontrolling

Zusammenfassung Auf der Grundlage einer umfassenden empirischen Bestandsaufnahme und L?ngsschnittsanalyse der Finanzorganisation befasst sich dieser Beitrag mit der Einbindung des Finanzbereichs in das Beteiligungscontrolling. Die zentralen Befunde dieser Organisationsproblematik lauten: a) für die Beziehungen zwischen Finanzzentrale und Verbundmitgliedern: Zentrale Finanzhoheit beruht in der Regel auf dem Vertrauen der Verbundglieder in die Leistungsf?higkeit und den Leistungswillen einer konzernweiten finanziellen Führungsinstanz. Dieses Vertrauen wird durch marktnahe, transparente Regelung der Konditionen im konzernweiten Liquidit?tsausgleich gef?rdert, durch autonomes Ertragsstreben seitens der Zentrale jedoch oftmals beeintr?chtigt; b) für die Beziehungen zwischen finanzieller Führung und Beteiligungscontrolling: Voraussetzung für die konstruktive Zusammenarbeit dieser Instanzen ist eine reibungslose Kommunikation auf gleicher Hierarchiestufe. Das Beteiligungscontrolling fungiert dabei als Informationsknotenpunkt für repetitive Informationen der Verbundglieder und leitet diese an die finanzielle Führung weiter. Unsere Daten geben Hinweise darauf, dass die Finanzplanung und -kontrolle im Team aus Treasurer und Controller besonders geeignet ist, Synergien freizusetzen. Die bewusste Einschaltung der finanziellen Führung w?hrend des laufenden Entscheidungsprozesses über langfristige Sachinvestitionen kann als Indikator einer dialog- und konfliktf?higen Führungsorganisationen dienen und pr?destiniert eine Integration der finanziellen Führung in das Beteiligungscontrolling.

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Summary Based on data from 29 German industrial multinational corporations we analyze the considerations between treasuring and controlling. Successful leading of subsidiaries depends on confidential cooperation between these both departments, equal in rang within the top of the whole corporation. In this cooperation, treasuring is focused on the liquidity-goal and controlling on the profit-goal. To reach these goals, it is necessary to implement a powerful central treasuring with financial market oriented regulations which are transparent and equal for all subsidiaries. On the other hand it is not recommended that the central treasuring strive for own profit of the subsidiaries’ costs.

     

Associations between affect and risk perception

Risk perception research has been dominated by cognitive psychology as a theoretical basis for understanding how people perceive and judge risks. However, during the last few years the role of affect in risk perception has received increased attention. Potential hazards may cause worry and concern and, consequently, an affective component is involved. Affects are often assumed to be post-cognitive. The present study aims to test the hypothesis that an 'image of risk', i.e. affect, may precede cognitive judgement and need not always be a criterion variable. During the period 1996 to 1998 a questionnaire survey was carried out in Norway. In total 1450 respondents replied to the questionnaire. Structural equation modelling showed that the fit of the models of risk depended on the respondents' sex, education and the type of risks evaluated. In the majority of model tests the idea that an image of risk may predict the cognitive judgement of risk was supported. The study also identified two dimensions of affectivity. Cognitive judgements of risk seemed not be related to affectivity as such, but rather to one aspect of affect, i.e. worry and concern. Treating affectivity as one dimension may be a hindrance to detecting the real associations between general affect and cognitive risk judgements.     

Towards a typology of transparency for marketing management research

This paper explores and extends the concept of transparency, as transparency-related terminology in marketing management research is limited in its typological development. Building on previous research, it outlines four types of transparency and extends them by adding three related facets. The four types are: cost transparency, supply transparency, organizational transparency and technological transparency. The expanded concept of transparency is discussed and analyzed using four illustrations, based on case studies conducted at two focal firms in the Swedish manufacturing industry. The study contributes to the field of marketing management research by showing the interrelatedness of information technology exploitation, trust and transparency. In addition, the study highlights the dynamic aspects of the transparency concept. In contrast to results of former studies, the present findings indicate that increased transparency in buyer-supplier relationships brings about not only positive, but also some negative effects.     

Shiftable Externalities: A Market Solution

In this paper we propose a regulatory scheme for what has become known as shiftable externalities (Not In My Backyard type garbage location problemswhere the externality is characterized by the absence of jointness in supply).The scheme facilitates the establishment of a market for the externality, and it isfeasible for a wider class of regulation problems and more information efficientthan the other regulatory schemes that have been proposed for this type ofexternality. Finally, we show that it is possible to decentralize the participationdecision so as to take account of verification costs.     

How do Asia's two most important consumer markets differ? Japanese–Chinese differences in customer satisfaction and its formation

Little is known about international differences in the formation of customer satisfaction, particularly regarding developed and emerging markets in Asia. This lack of knowledge limits the competitiveness of Western companies in Asia. From the perspectives of economic and cultural country differences, this study thus compares customer satisfaction and its formation between Japan, China, and Germany (Western reference country). Customer satisfaction is higher in Japan than China for goods and private services but lower for public services. It is influenced more strongly by perceived quality and less strongly by perceived value (difference moderated by switching costs), public brand image, and quality expectations in Japan than China. Economic differences between developed (Japan, Germany) and emerging (China) markets influence consumer preference structures more strongly than cultural differences. Due to larger inter-Asian cultural variance than Western managers might expect, Chinese consumer preference structures differ more from Japanese than German consumer preference structures.     

Predictors of unrealistic optimism: a study of Norwegian risk takers

In areas of voluntary risk behaviour, as with other kinds of risk, people tend to be overly optimistic regarding not being injured. A study of risk perception and causal explanations of injury assessments was conducted on 199 respondents from three different sub‐groups in Norway; skydivers (n?=?88), fire fighters (n?=?73) and soldiers (n?=?38). Unrealistic optimism was studied by means of four demographic variables: the background of the subject (sub‐sample), gender, age, and education. In addition, three predictors of unrealistic optimism were taken into account—safety attitudes, control, and anxiety. These predictors were included in an Analysis of Linear Structural Relationship (LISREL) analysis. The results showed that optimism differed between the sub‐groups, and that different factors influenced risk perception depending on the group and depending on whether the assessment was of oneself or of others. These findings offers additional information that will help explain the inconsistent findings in the current literature of unrealistic optimism. Of the predictors investigated, safety attitudes were found to be the most important, which may be because respondents preoccupied with safety are more aware of potential dangers and thereby less optimistic.     

Identifying domestic and imported core inflation

This paper estimates core inflation in Norway, identified as that component of inflation that has no long-run effect on GDP. The model distinguishes explicitly between domestic and imported core inflation. The results show that (domestic) core inflation is the main component of CPI inflation. However, CPI inflation misrepresents core inflation during some periods. The differences are well explained by the other shocks identified in the model, in particular the oil price shocks of the 1970s when Norway imported inflation, and the negative non-core (supply) shocks of the late 1980s, which pushed inflation up temporarily relative to core inflation.