The new product development process for commercial financial services

The attention of senior executives in the financial services industry is increasingly being focused on how well the new product development process is working within their institutions. This focus on product development results from the combined pressures of increased competition, a rapidly changing marketplace, new technology, and new and pending legislative changes. All of these factors underscore the need to be able to design, develop, and launch, in a timely fashion, new products that are winners. A strong new product initiative is now considered an essential weapon in both offensive and defensive initiatives.To achieve their goals, executives are increasingly reexamining their organizations' approach to development and launch of new products to determine if the process can be redesigned for faster reaction time, better utilization of limited resources and improved success rates. This article examines the new product development process within the setting of corporate/commercial financial services. Its conclusions provide executives with some broad principles for their own new product processes to help them in their quest for competitive advantage through winning new products.     

On the Relationship between Japanese Manufacturing Firms and their Domestic Subsidiaries

Much past research on ownership policy has dealt with foreign subsidiaries. In this paper, we study the ownership relationship between Japanese firms and their publicly-traded domestic subsidiaries. Using a transaction cost framework, we find that benefiting from high subsidiary profitability is not the sole motivation behind parent firms' decisions regarding equity control of their subsidiaries. Our results indicate that different policies are adopted by Japanese firms with respect to domestic and foreign subsidiaries.     

Book reviews

Abstract

This article examines the cultural field of fitness as a network of producers, consumers, products and practices that has developed around the care of the body through physical exercise. Drawing on a thematic text analysis of US exercise manuals, the paper focuses on how the commercial fitness field naturalizes associations between physical exercise and leisure, and between leisure and self‐work. In particular, the analysis examines three themes and their relevance to our broader understanding of leisure in contemporary consumer society: the management of leisure time; the use of leisure for self‐investment strategies; and the promotion of consumption as the framework for leisure and an accompanying notion of pleasure. The fitness field casts light on how leisure more generally is constructed as a sphere of obligations to make productive use of one’s time, to improve one’s body and self, and to do so through the wares of the consumer marketplace. The cultural imaginary of leisure as a time of freedom from work and responsibility is thus recast, in an age of individualization, as a time of freedom to accomplish the work of self‐production.     

Perceived trust in contractual channel dyads: an exploratory investigation of Finnish food retailers

Distributor firms have found long-term contracting an effective means of gaining competitive advantage. To realize these benefits, the alliance should involve trusting others. However, contracts can also be one-sided rather than reciprocal, favouring the larger business partner. Should trust develop naturally where there are formal contracts defining the terms of the relationship? And what inducements should a supplier take to gain retailers' trust? The trade-off is further complicated when the retailers operate in a small market with few suppliers and high barriers to entry. This study focuses on these questions. We use original field data from Finnish food retailers who have signed a written agreement with their focal wholesaler. We find that maintaining autonomy increases trust in the relationship. We also find that regular communication in the dyad and balance between perceived rewards and contributions are associated with higher levels of trust. In turn, intrachannel competition strongly reduces retailers' trust in the dyad.     

Advertising and the Department of Energy's Campaign for Energy Conservation

Abstract

Motivating consumers to conserve energy has proven to be a difficult task in the United States. One tactic that has been used on a limited basis by the Department of Energy is paid advertising. This paper examines the role of conservation within the country's broader energy problems, delineates several consumer issues that affect the success of government conservation programs, discusses the controversy surrounding the use of paid advertising to promote consumer conservation efforts, and describes those DOE programs that have used paid advertising as an integral component of conservation program strategy.     

美国是“负责任”的实力下降霸权吗?——兼论中国必须掌握国际关系理论研究的话语权

随着美国的可持续发展能力和经济总量的相对下降,巨大的军费开支、难以缩小的财政赤字、自我变革能力的弱化阻碍着其重新振兴,其政府的国内治理能力下降。相应地,美国的软实力不断下降和所主张的发展模式对其他国家的吸引力也在减弱。从中长期来看,美国实力的相对下降已是一个客观趋势。作为世界唯一霸权,处在实力下行过程中的美国是否是一个负责任的国家,这是一个关系到全局的问题。更重要的是,在西方国际关系理论的主导下,理论框架和议题设置完全由西方决定,这类问题往往被遮蔽掉了。处在国力上升中的中国,在国际关系理论中如不能设置自己的议题,而只顺着西方设置的议题研究,将无法有效维护自己的国家利益,也难以争取国际秩序变革中的主动权。     

亚洲工厂及关联度分析

依据亚洲零部件贸易数据,作者采用了依存比率的方法对亚洲工厂的规模、工厂内部以及同美国之间的相互依存关系进行了研究。研究结果发现,亚洲工厂的规模超过北美洲和欧洲工厂,成为了世界上最大的工厂。亚洲零部件内部贸易额及比重超过了欧盟,这说明亚洲生产的一体化程度更高。从零部件进出口规模角度看,亚洲地区的经济体均高度依赖亚洲工厂的活动,而亚洲工厂对中国的依存度则最高,对日本的依赖程度只排在第三位,这说明中国是亚洲工厂的核心平台。美国在亚洲贸易中的重要性主要体现为中国的最终产品出口对美国市场存在严重依赖,而亚洲主要经济体对中国市场的出口已经超过对美国的出口,亚洲工厂对于美国的依赖程度并不高,远远低于亚洲工厂对中国内地和中国香港的依赖。相反,美国对亚洲工厂的依赖程度则远高于亚洲工厂对美国的依赖。     

中国国家间道义思想探本溯源——基于先秦诸子国家间道义思想的对比分析

中国先秦时期的国家间道义思想具有整体性特征,其内在逻辑基点和现实支持即是人性中的道德。它有两个理论支点:一是国家间道义与国家利益具有统一性;二是国家间道义有助于形成国际权威。先秦国家间道义思想主张将国家间道义作为处理国家间关系的重要考虑因素,认为符合道义应该成为国家对外行为的最高追求,但其出发点和落脚点都是国家利益。先秦诸子(韩非子除外)均认为,在处理国家间关系时应遵循道之以德,不以强凌弱;和睦相处,不以战争方式扩大国家利益的原则;孔子、荀子和管子还强调遵循言而有信、讲求国际诚信的原则;儒家强调礼之用,和为贵以及遵守国际规范的原则。先秦诸子普遍认为,具备坚实的道义基础是一个国家成功崛起的必备条件。先秦国家间道义思想与西方主流国际道义思想的相同之处在于两者都承认道义因素在国际关系中具有的作用,其不同点在于:前者将道义视为在国际关系中发挥巨大作用的重要考虑因素,后者则将道义因素虚拟化处理。以孔子和老子等为代表的先秦杰出思想家,其思想对后世的中国文化以及世界文明都产生了巨大影响。     

亚洲国家视野下的中国历史基体——兼论从日本、韩国和越南发展研究视角的可能性

针对中国研究文献中认为中国具有某种本体或历史基体的惯常假设,同时包括中文和英文文献,但尤其重视日本文献,作者对中国历史基体的论述进行了分析,并将沟口雄三具体提出的中国历史基体的主张作为反省的对象,旨在分析他提出历史基体论的动机,即要摆脱因为日本自身历史脉络对日本学者认识中国所造成的限制。作者以韩国学者研究朝贡关系为案例,对历史基体论这一学术议题提出了质疑,并佐以越南的两位中国学专家的观点进行了比较,认为对基体论进行检视有助于中国研究取得知识启示。