A comparative study of production efficiency in coastal region and non-coastal region in Mainland China: An application of metafrontier model

This paper examines production efficiency of coastal region and non-coastal region in Mainland China between 2000 and 2010 using one-step stochastic frontier analysis and two-step metafrontier model. Unlike previous studies, this study not only discusses production efficiencies but also considers differences in production patterns. The empirical results indicate that coastal region has better production performance in metafrontier technology efficiency (MTE) and technology gap ratio (TGR). In addition, this study finds that the gap of MTE and TGR between coastal region and non-coastal region is increasing for the past years.     

Reorganizing a partnership efficiently

Review of Economic Design - We modify the partnership dissolution model pioneered by Cramton et al. (Econometrica 55:615–632, 1987) to consider the possibility that each partner has an...     

Integrating big data and marketing concepts into tourism,hospitality operations and strategy development

Quality & Quantity - Big data (BD) research articles are on new issues, this study sought to fill the knowledge gap of linkage the relationships between big data and marketing strategy with...     

Does possessing an installed base induce a proprietary software producer to act aggressively or mildly in pricing and intrinsic quality provision?

This paper investigates competition between open-source software (OSS) and proprietary software (PS) which possesses an installed base. We find that an increase in PS installed base does not necessarily induce the PS producer to increase price or reduce intrinsic quality. Specifically, if OSS is weakly (moderately) compatible with PS, then an increase in PS installed base induces the PS producer to invest less (more) in intrinsic quality. Regarding the price of PS, if OSS is highly compatible with PS possessing a large installed base, then an increase in installed base induces the PS producer to sell products for a lower price.     

Experiential learning through STEM: Recent initiatives in the United States

This paper reviews recent educational initiatives in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in the United States, asking to what extent experiential learning methods are being incorporated into STEM education. We draw on a combination of qualitative and quantitative evidence. The quantitative evidence is from an analysis of the proposal abstracts for all 11,406 of the STEM education and workforce development-related projects funded by NSF grants from the end of 2018 to the beginning of 2022. The qualitative portion of the paper analyzes results from a number of scholarly studies of local initiatives from the last 10 years drawn from a range of published and conference papers, reports and media stories, and project websites, drawn from education research databases, secondary literature, and websites of specific organizations. We seek to classify and describe patterns observed among the projects examined, identifying common patterns and combinations of features. We believe that the paper represents the first comprehensive study of efforts to employ experiential learning methods in STEM education to link formal and informal aspects of learning.     

How the quality of initial coin offering white papers influences fundraising: Using security token offerings white papers as a benchmark

In recent years, many initial coin offerings (ICOs) scams have been reported, attracting attention to this relatively new and unregulated ICO market, which lacks disclosure requirements and therefore suffers from intensifying problems of information asymmetry inherent in crowdfunding. As a prospectus-type document, an ICO white paper serves as a major means of voluntary disclosure practices adopted by ventures seeking external financing. Given the importance of an ICO white paper and the difficulty of assessing its quality, we propose to benchmark it against white paper content for security token offerings (STOs)—a more regulated ICO subset. Using the similarity of ICO white papers with STO white papers to proxy for disclosure quality, we document that the ICO campaigns that have white papers more similar to STO white papers are more likely to raise funding successfully. Our findings provide implications for policymakers, ICO fundraisers, and investors on the importance of white paper quality.     

Convenience yield and real exchange rate dynamics: A present-value interpretation

In this paper, we empirically investigate the relationship between the convenience yield of government bonds and the real exchange rates using monthly data from 1999 to 2018. We extend the conventional models, based on the present-value relationship between the real exchange rate and economic fundamentals, while explicitly considering the role of the convenience yield. Empirical results suggest that our present-value models can capture the dynamic properties of the real exchange rate documented in the literature, including high persistence, excess volatility and excess co-movement compared with real interest rate differentials. We also find that the sum of expected convenience yields significantly drives real exchange rate movements. Moreover, we find that foreign exchange swap market friction also plays a role in explaining real exchange rates. Finally, we find that monetary policy at the zero lower bound may be essential in real exchange rate modelling.