Bank generic strategies: does Porter's theory apply in an international banking center

This study examines banks' competitive strategies and their relationship with performance in a highly internationalized banking center, Hong Kong. The factor analysis results have, by and large, provided support to Porter's three strategy typology. Nevertheless, the empirical findings from the cluster analysis and the subsequent inter-group comparison of performances have cast doubt on Porter's stuck-in-the-middle proposition by demonstrating that banks adopting a multi-strategic approach did outperform other strategically monotonous rivals. While the stuck-in-the-middle proposition is grounded in the premise of inherent inconsistencies for pursuing more than one generic strategy simultaneously, the resource-based view and the present empirical findings hint at the feasibility for well-resourced banks to combine apparently incompatible value creating activities in a synergistic way to achieve integrated flexibility and consequently, a sustainable multi-strategic position. It is suggested that this feasibility very much depends on a bank's organizing and coordinating capabilities that are developed and refined through managerial commitment, learning and experience, as well as a careful assessment of various organizational activities and its inter-relationships within the entire business system.     

Does the quality of public-sponsored training programs matter? Evidence from bidding processes data

This paper analyzes the link between training quality and labor-market outcomes. Multiple proxies for training quality are identified from bidding processes in which public and private training institutions compete for limited public funding in Peru. Information about exact dates of program enrollment is analyzed to show whether the first-come-first-served assignment rule randomized eligible individuals across courses of varying quality. Generalized propensity score (GPS) is implemented to estimate dose–response functions in the context of multiple treatments. We find that beneficiaries attending high-quality training courses show higher earnings and better job-quality characteristics than either beneficiaries attending low-quality courses or nonparticipants. The returns are particularly robust for women, making the provision of high-quality training services cost-effective. Furthermore, the most important training attribute is expenditures per trainee. Class size and infrastructure are weakly related to the expected impacts, while teacher experience, curricular activities, and market knowledge seem to bear no relationship with the expected impacts. External validity was assessed by using five cohorts of individuals over an eight-year period.     

How supply chain oriented is the port sector?

The current literature recognizes the relevance of supply chain orientation for ports and terminals. However, there is very little empirical study on the issue, particularly in relation to whether in fact ports are supply chain oriented. This paper contributes to the empirical literature by considering the port of Incheon as a case in point and by measuring the degree of its supply chain orientation based on certain valid indicators drawn from the current literature. Further, unlike the previous empirical literature, this paper examines both operator and user perspectives. The findings of this study have significant strategic policy implications and shed more light on the role of supply chain orientation in practice.     

浴在奢华里

手拿上好的葡萄美酒，耳边环绕优雅的古典音乐，坐在结合高科技产品、有贵重金属镶嵌的浴盆中，墙上水晶灯发出迷醉的光芒，原来沐浴也可以这样奢侈。     

THE ROLE OF HONG KONG IN SINO-TAIWAN AND SINO-KOREA TRADE, 1981-87

Sino-Taiwan and Sino-Korea trade through Hong Kong has been growing steadily since early 1980's. Direct trade is impossible because of the lack of diplomatic relations between China and Taiwan and China and S. Korea, Thus, an intermediary is essential to carry out the transactions. Then, there is the issue of why Hong Kong is chosen as the major intermediary. This relates to the transportation costs and transaction costs advantages that Hong Kong possesses as an entrepot. As the major intermediary in Sino-Taiwan and Sino-Korea trade, Hong Kong is playing multiple roles. It is serving as an entrepot in commodity trade; as an agent in the export of technology from Taiwan and S. Korea to China; as a mediator in trade disputes; and as the middle-man in some trade related issues such as the application of patent protection and the establishment of trade offices. Above all it is observed that Hong Kong has major roles to play not only in the case of indirect trade, but also in the case of direct trade. In the future, there might not be much chance for the legalization of direct trade. Nevertheless, the recent change in the trade and investment policies of Taiwan and S. Korea has shown that the future prospect of indirect trade is very bright.     

Informed trading and liquidity in the Shanghai Stock Exchange

Dufour and Engle (J. Finance (2000) 2467) find evidence of increased presence of informed traders when the NYSE markets are most active. No such evidence, however, can be found by Manganelli (J. Financial Markets (2005) 377) for the infrequently traded stocks. This article investigates the issue of informed trading and its relation to liquidity in Shanghai Stock Exchange. Consistent with the hypothesis that information-based trade exists for all stocks, our findings suggest an increased presence of informed trading in both liquid and illiquid stocks when markets are active. Moreover, for the actively traded stocks, our results support the price formation model of Foster and Viswanathan (Rev. Financial Studies (1990) 593) that activities of informed traders deter uninformed investors from trading, thereby reducing market liquidity.