Towards internal cohesion? The role of local government in economic development under the EU Single Programme in Northern Ireland

This paper focuses on the extent to which EU funding available under the Local Economic Development Measure of the Northern Ireland Single Programme (1994-99) has encouraged local government in Northern Ireland to adopt a new role in local economic development. It also considers whether the implementation of the Measure has effectively addressed its objectives of economic and social cohesion. It discusses the rationale for district council involvement and concludes that the local government structure in Northern Ireland requires adaptation to optimise the impact of the aid on offer.     

Industrial product innovation: An international comparison

This paper presents and discusses the data obtained from a study of 500 industrial innovations introduced in major industrialized countries from 1953 to 1973. The trends in industrial innovation of both the country of origin and the country of market introduction are examined based on the data presented.     

An Empirical Examination of The Nasdaq/CHX Dual-Trading Experiment

We analyze the effects of the SEC's experimental Nasdaq/CHX dual-trading program. The program, which began in 1987 and continues to the present, establishes an experiment in which the costs and benefits of competition between dealer and specialist market structures can be observed directly. Our primary finding is that the program led to significantly reduced mean quoted and percentage spreads for the dual-traded issues. Further, even though the CHX specialists quote lower spreads, they are not able to garner a significant number of trades from Nasdaq.     

Recreational demand for farm commonage in Ireland: A contingent valuation assessment

This paper measures willingness to pay (WTP) for public access and trail improvements on commonage farmland for recreational walking in upland and lowland areas of Connemara region in the West of Ireland using the contingent valuation method (CVM). Common to both upland and lowland commonage sites was the much higher ranking for infrastructural features by those WTP for scenario implementation compared to those preferring the status quo. Results for those expressing a positive WTP reveal a median willingness to pay (MWTP) for formal access with improved trail infrastructure of €12.22 for the lowlands compared with €9.08 for the uplands.     

What Is the Economy Really Doing, and Where Is It Going?

China's official GDP statistics say the economy grew 8.9％ in Q4-2011,and 9.2％ for the year -pretty quick Given widely held expectations of a slower Q4 and general scepticism on Chinas economy,some might wonder whether these numbers are accurate.At times of stress,we know that China's GDP numbers can appear a little weird.In late 2008,we recommended a number of growth proxies to watch in case the GDP numbers became less reliable,including electricity production,freight traffic,and production of key industrial goods.All of these proxies suggested a deeper downturn in late 2008 and early 2009 than the official GDP numbers showed.In this note,we check in on those proxies,and they suggest that the economy is indeed continuing to expand,albeit at a more moderate pace than in 2011.     

Teamworking: Redesigning the Organization for Manufacturing Improvements

This paper argues that our understanding of the different forms of teamworking in manufacturing is aided by placing teamworking within an organizational and a strategic context. The argument is developed firstly by considering changes in the manufacturing environment which have resulted in the need to overcome the legacy of traditional organization and move to contemporary forms emphasizing quality and flexibility. Secondly, there follows a discussion of the role of teamworking in the current literature, particularly that focussing on 'new wave' manufacturing. Thirdly, extracts from one of our fourteen in-depth case studies from field work are presented as examples. This is of a car assembly plant, which used teamworking as a vehicle for major organizational change. Data analysis used Hinings and Greenwood's (H.R. Hinings & R. Greenwood, Understanding Organisational Design (Oxford, Blackwell, 1989)) theoretical framework, arguing the relevance of that model to aid our understanding of teamworking, both in terms of utilizing an organizational perspective and of recognizing and defining different team archetypes. Finally, the article concludes by summarizing the main findings of the research so far, emphasizing the benefits of taking a strategic approach to teamworking.     

Non-scale Models of Economic Growth

Growth models that incorporate non-rivalry and/or externalities imply that the size of an economy may influence its long-run growth rate. Such implied scale effects run counter to empirical evidence. This paper develops a general growth model to examine conditions under which balanced growth is void of scale effects. The model is general enough to replicate well known exogenous, as well as endogenous, (non-) scale models. We derive a series of propositions that show that these conditions for non-scale balanced growth can be grouped into three categories that pertain to (i) functional forms, (ii) the production structure, and (iii) returns to scale.     

Reflections on the Ambiguous Intersections between Volunteering and Tourism

In this paper we critique the intersections between volunteering and tourism and consider how these have been treated in scholarly research. We highlight how current narrow definitions of volunteer tourism may be obscuring activities which could further expand our understanding of the intersections of volunteering and tourism. We reflect on three examples from our own research to explore atypical volunteer tourism activities that push at the current boundaries of volunteer tourism conceptualizations and definitions.