Limit to improvement: Myth or reality?: Empirical analysis of historical improvement on three technologies influential in the evolution of civilization

The evolution of civilization appears to have primarily resulted from continuous improvement made possible by technological advances. A group of social evolutionists and economists have identified, among others, energy, transport, as well as information and communication to be the three most influential technologies. On the other hand, a number of eminent scholars have cited several forces, natural, physiological, technological, as well as environmental which can place a limit on on-going improvement.The purpose of this paper is to empirically explore the continuous improvement process as well as the limit placed on these three technologies. Using the framework of both connected and disconnected multiple technology S-curves and X-factor, historical improvement data on these three elements have been analyzed. The results of our analysis indicate that improvement in general has continued without limit mainly due to a series of emerging new technologies. These emerging technologies can be either connected or disconnected from the existing mature technologies. Our preliminary analysis shows that much of the past improvement comes from new technologies that on first serious application appear to be substantially superior from earlier technologies. In addition, enormous continuous improvement, which has accompanied both connected and disconnected new technologies appear to have played the critical role in sustaining the evolution of civilization. The paper discusses a number of policy implications and suggests topics for future research.     

Employee emotional response toward healthcare organization’s service recovery efforts and its influences on service recovery performance

Previous studies on service recovery performance of frontline employees have focused primarily on the direct relationship with the organizational efforts for service recovery. However, based on the reformulation of attitude theory (appraisal-emotional response-behaviour), we believe that the emotional responses (work engagement and burnout) toward organizational efforts for service recovery of frontline employees mediate the relationship. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine how healthcare frontline employees show their emotional response toward the organizational efforts for service recovery and it influence on actual recovery performance. This study uses two conflicting emotional responses, burnout and work engagement, to examine how employees react toward organizational efforts, helping better understand employees?? evaluations of the efforts. Research model and hypothesis were tested using a sample of frontline employees who perform none-clinical activities in hospitals. The results showed that teamwork and empowerment have positive effects on work engagement. In addition, customer complaint management, empowerment, and teamwork influenced negatively on burnout. Lastly, work engagement and burnout showed statistically significant impact of service recovery performance of frontline employees. Among the organizational efforts for service recovery, teamwork was the most important factor in improving frontline employees?? work engagement and lessened their burnout, respectively. Interestingly, customer service training had a negative effect on burnout. Besides, by comparing our research model to two alternative models, we confirmed the validity of the research model.     

FDI与中国汽车业集中度实证研究:基于灰色关联分析

文章采用灰色关联分析的方法,对FDI与中国汽车业集中度的关系做了实证分析,结果表明二者呈较高的灰色关联度。这意味着伴随FDI的增多,汽车产业集中度呈上升趋势。然而,与汽车进口量、国内市场需求量、汽车整车厂数量这几个指标相比,FDI并不是影响产业集中度的主要因素,这种结果与政府的产业政策导向有关。最后,本文对如何利用FDI促进中国汽车业的发展提出政策建议。     

基于东北亚经济合作的战略伙伴关系

文章在分析了东北亚经济合作的必要性的基础上,探讨了作为主要经济合作手段 的东北亚各国产学研机构间的战略伙伴关系,并提出了发展东北亚经济共同体的具体模式。     

浙江省国内旅游客源空间结构特征分析

游客空间特征是旅游地理学研究的重要内容,浙江省在国内旅游客源空间特征方面的研究相对薄弱。文章在问卷调查的基础上,选取地理集中指数和游客吸引半径作为主要指标,分析了浙江省游客的空间分布特征,特别对省内各地市客源空间结构特征进行了阐述,同时对浙江省客源的空间流动规律作了分析。得出了浙江旅游的主要客源地分布规律;浙江各地市旅游吸引力主要受经济发展水平和公路交通距离影响,大致呈同心圆结构,以杭州湾为核心向外辐射;自驾车旅游将日益火爆;浙江旅游的发展必须依托长三角的一体化建设等,对浙江省旅游业的进一步发展,对深化国内旅游客源空间结构研究,具有现实意义。     

Social Capital, Household Welfare and Poverty in Burkina Faso

This paper investigates empirically the importance of socialcapital, in the form of local associations and networks, forthe welfare of rural households in Burkina Faso. It draws ona unique database combining standard information on householdwelfare with multidimensional measures of social capital. Theanalysis finds that higher levels of social capital are associatedwith higher household per capita expenditures and better accessto credit. The distribution of social capital was found to bemore equal than that of other assets. Poor households and thosewho own little land obtain a higher return from social capitalthan other households.     

INTERNATIONAL LISTINGS, THE SECURITY MARKET LINE AND CAPITAL MARKET INTEGRATION: THE CASE OF US LISTINGS ON THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE

This paper examines for international capital market segmentation by testing for changes (both inter-temporally and inter-beta) in the parameters of the riskreturn pricing relationship caused by the listing of US stocks on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) between 1965 and 1987. It is hypothesized that international listings reduce the negative effects associated with barriers to international investments, help integrate world markets and therefore decrease internationally listed stock's required returns. Significant negative deviations from the Sharpe-Lintner (SL) pre-listing pricing relationship during the postlisting period are therefore expected, primarily caused by decreases in the intercept parameter. We find, in support of the hypothesis, significant negative deviations from the predictions of SL for our sample, although they do not appear to have an intertemporal dimension. These deviations are largely associated both with decreases in the value of the SL model's intercept parameter and with low beta firms, and point toward some integration benefits from US listings on the LSE.     

遗失物拾得人报酬请求权及标准研究

新颁布的物权法规定了遗失物拾得制度,虽然立法者并没有按照国际惯例在物权法中充分肯定所有遗失物拾得人报酬请求权,然而通过一些调查分析,我们发现这与我们的国情又是相符的。看来,对所有遗失物拾得人报酬请求权的肯定还要循序渐进。     

Using Market Structure to Regulate a Vertically Integrated Monopolist

A natural monopolist whose cost is private information produces a good which is combined with another good that can be produced by the monopolist or by other firms. The agency that regulates the monopolist can impose any of several different market structures in the industry: integrated monopoly, vertical separation with free entry downstream, or liberalization downstream (both integrated and independent production). When several firms produce downstream, a Cournot quantity-setting game with free entry determines the market price. We derive the optimal contracts to offer the monopolist under all three market structures and examine the influence of downstream cost differences on access prices.We then study the optimal regulatory policy where the regulator can condition the downstream market structure on the monopolist's cost report to the regulator. The optimal regulatory policy awards a monopoly to a low-cost upstream firm, but requires free entry downstream if the monopolist reports high upstream costs. Thus, the choice of market structure is an additional tool to limit rent extraction by the monopolist. Simulation analysis reveals the possibility of significant welfare gains from this additional regulatory tool.     

故居民风千年根

春节前后，我偶然来到泰山脚下新泰市的大寺村——一个平凡而简单的小山村。走近村里一堵堵青青白白的石砌墙，一座座茅草覆顶的旧门楼，看到狗儿、猫儿、行人，安闲的在胡同里青石板上踱步，直觉得好像从陶渊明的诗句里跑出来的影像一般。家家户户的大门上贴着鲜艳的对联、门神、五彩的门笺。孩子们放鞭炮、捉迷藏；83岁的张老太和小孙子推起碾子，洒下一串欢笑