Structural change under New Labour

The paper examines specific features of structural change inthe UK since 1997, contrasting the decline in industrial jobswith the rise in a variety of service jobs. It examines theproximate causes of structural change, in particular whetherthe chronically slow growth of manufacturing output in the 1980shas persisted. The implications of this structural change areconsidered, particularly the effects on the balance of paymentsand regional employment patterns. The paper suggests that themain impact of government policies on regional employment mayhave been through the direct and multiplier effects of publicexpenditure.     

Gender differences in accounting education: an undergraduate exploration

There is increasing evidence that females are outperforming males in secondary education across a range of subjects. The data in higher education, however, is not so clear-cut. Several studies have been undertaken examining the impact of gender on undergraduate accounting performance, ranging from early year performance to that of later years, with conflicting results. Some of the literature suggests that gender differences are dependent on the type of assessment utilized, reporting that females tend to perform better than males in coursework assessments with the position being reversed for examinations. This paper examines gender differences across several performance measures both prior to and post entry into an Accounting and Finance degree. Data was collected from the population of honours graduates of 1998, 1999 and 2000 (n?=?132) on a thick sandwich Accounting and Finance degree at the Robert Gordon University in Scotland. All the data was extracted from student files to develop a multitude of independent performance related variables, categorized into: point of university entry data, early university performance data and final honours year performance data (examined on an individual module basis and also a global coursework and examination performance basis). Statistical differences were examined using a two independent sample technique, whereby the population was categorized by gender into male and female, with either a t-test or Mann–Whitney test being utilized dependent on the distribution of the independent variable. Only two gender differences were found: females outperformed their male counterparts in the first year accounting module and also in the auditing module, which was undertaken via distance learning during the third year of the programme. No gender differences were found in any of the final year modules, and this was also evident in the coursework and examination performance analysis. Single sex focus groups were set up to explore why gender differences were apparent in the auditing module.     

Information for Policy Design: Modelling Participation in a Farm Woodland Incentive Scheme

Incentive schemes which use farmers and landowners as agents of policy are now the main driving force for modifying the countryside environment. Nevertheless, policy-makers lack quantitative models that describe farmers' response to schemes, and specifically their entry decisions. This paper examines the benefits from modelling entry decisions with and without additional information generated through surveys of participants and non-participants. It uses logit models to predict the probability of entry into a farm woodland incentive scheme, initially using only those explanatory variables that are available to policy-makers from the annual farm census. The model performs well in identifying those factors pre-disposing farmers to entry. The potential gains from enhancing the information set by incorporating lifestyle and other variables not recorded in the census are examined. The cost of additional surveys, and their small sample size compared with the census, casts doubt on the value of such an approach which may reduce rather than enhance predictive power.     

International market development

Die vorliegende Ausgabe des Marketing Review St. Gallen befasst sich mit der Entwicklung neuer und insbesondere internationaler M?rkte, einer Dimension des Business Development. Die Beitr?ge sind nach den drei Hauptbereichen „Strategie und Organisation“, „Instrumente“ und „Kontrolle“ im International Market Development gegliedert.     

文化差异、价值观与不完全契约的治理

通过分析差异文化下的交易困境,认为文化的经济功能除了对违约行为形成约束外,还通过形成一些基本价值判断标准,规定了不完全契约的"剩余"分配的可接受比例,降低了交易的不确定性。但不同的文化价值观的判断标准是不同的,因此也造成了差异文化之间的交易"壁垒"。认为实现从封闭秩序文化向开放秩序文化的转型对我国现阶段的经济建设具有重要的推动作用。     

The relationship between land use and groundwater resources and quality

Groundwater has three major roles in our environment: providing the baseflow that keeps most rivers flowing all year long, maintaining good river water quality by diluting sewage and other effluents, and as an excellent source of water supply, providing over 75 per cent of the potable supply in some regions. Groundwater is intimately connected with the landscape and land use that it underlies, and most of the landscape and is vulnerable to the anthropogenic activities on the land surface above. Land use affects groundwater resources through changes in recharge and by changing demands for water. Inappropriate land use, particularly poor land management, causes chronic groundwater quality problems. Acute groundwater quality problems are common and arise from unsuitable land use and control, notably through point sources of hazardous chemicals. Current land use instruments have only been designed to address quality issues in groundwater and do not consider recharge. These instruments have been largely ineffective in protecting groundwater from diffuse pollution for several reasons including fragmentation, their general absence of teeth, and their lack of integration into the land use planning system. This paper argues for a more radical approach which would zone land according to its overall vulnerability and resilience to anthropogenic and climatic influence in order to sustainably support the ecosystem services it can deliver. Land use would be matched with the vulnerability of the soil, with geology and water, and with the whole ecosystem. The Water Framework Directive offers a mechanism to do this, but there is no evidence of enough political will to tackle the long-term conflicts between land use and groundwater.     

Understanding wine tourism in China using an integrated product-level and experience economy framework

Wine tourism in China is an emerging market. This study addresses two research questions: the product offering and the tourist experience in this market. Findings of an exploratory study using netnography were examined by combining product levels theory and the experience economy model. The resulting proposed theoretical framework identified the status of China's wine tourism market as situated in the infancy stage. Results revealed the core product needed more customers’ involvement, and enrichment of the augmented product, to best position the wine destinations. While, enhancing educational, entertainment, and escapist experiences would benefit the whole experiences and increase future loyalty.