透视安然的崩塌

因安然公布第三季度巨额亏损而引发的安然申请破产案，使这个全美最大的天然气与电力交易商、《财富》“美国500”中的第7强、最富创新精神和成长最快的公司之一，突然崩塌。虽然各种调查正在进行当中，但是不合规的股权货币化运作，与重大关联交易相关的隐藏投资损失和转移资金的黑洞等，可能是造成安然崩塌的部分原因。而少数高级管理人员的贪婪，独立会计审计的纵容，会计与审计制度的弊端，以及资本运作手段的过度使用，无疑是导致安然悲剧的深层原因。     

E-banking comes to town: Exploring how traditional UK high street banks are meeting the challenge of technology and virtual relationships

UK high street banks are continuing to extend the choice of channel through which customers can manage their moneycolon; an obvious example is e-banking. They have been keen to exploit technological advances and changing customer attitudes to alternative channels. Additionally, competition from leaner new market entrants has provided an added incentive to adopt new approaches. In the light of such developments, it is worth reflecting on the changing nature of the bank–customer relationship. This paper suggests that banks are finding it difficult to manage relationships effectively due, in large measure, to the sheer volume of customer data generated by new interactive, technology-based channels. Paradoxically, it seems that the more data banks have about customers the less likely they are to know them on a personal level. It is further suggested that channels such as e-banking potentially reduce the level of personal contact between bank and customer to the extent that a ‘virtual’ relationship develops. This paper concludes that, given the tendency towards ‘virtualisation’, it is inconceivable that bank–customer relationships will become any more intimate in the future. Indeed, a greater degree of personalisation in customer communication may be the very best that banks are able to offer.     

现代金融是21世纪经济运行的轴心

在人类社会进入21世纪的今天,世界经济正在发生一些显著的、甚至是根本性的变化。这种显著变化的重要特征之一就是经济增长的方式和推动经济增长的基础要素正在发生根本性变化。传统经济增长理论认为,经济增长的要素有劳动力、土地和资本(资金),之后又加上了一些生产要素,如管理、信息等。有越来越多的迹象表明,在21世纪经济运行中,这些要素虽然仍将发挥着非常重要的作用,但有两个要素在经济增长过程中所起的作用将比以往任何时候都更加突出,这就是现代科学技术和现代金融。     

以设计为核心的质量管理体系

新世纪的来临，凸显出高科技搭上知识经济快速列车的征兆，在加快新产品开发步伐和缩短产品更新换代周期时间方面展示出美好的前景。以信息、技术和学习为基础的知识经济为提高生产率和经济增长开创了新的里程碑。面对这一新时期，更需要有个增值，适宜和有效的质量管理体系作为推进经济活动的发动机。     

Consistent estimation in the bilinear multivariate errors-in-variables model

A bilinear multivariate errors-in-variables model is considered. It corresponds to an overdetermined set of linear equations AXB=C, A∈ℝ^m×n, B∈ℝ^p×q, in which the data A, B, C are perturbed by errors. The total least squares estimator is inconsistent in this case.  An adjusted least squares estimator is constructed, which converges to the true value X, as m →∞, q →∞. A small sample modification of the estimator is presented, which is more stable for small m and q and is asymptotically equivalent to the adjusted least squares estimator. The theoretical results are confirmed by a simulation study. Acknowledgements. We thank two anonymous reviewers for their suggestions and corrections.? A. Kukush is supported by a postdoctoral research fellowship of the Belgian office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs, promoting Scientific and Technical Collaboration with Central and Eastern Europe.? S. Van Huffel is a full professor with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.? I. Markovsky is a research assistant with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.? This paper presents research results of the Belgian Programme on Interuniversity Poles of Attraction (IUAP V-22), initiated by the Belgian State, Prime Minister's Office – Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs of the Concerted Research Action (GOA) projects of the Flemish Government MEFISTO-666 (Mathematical Engineering for Information and Communication Systems Technology), of the IDO/99/03 project (K.U. Leuven) “Predictive computer models for medical classification problems using patient data and expert knowledge”, of the FWO projects G.0078.01, G.0200.00, and G0.0270.02.? The scientific responsibility is assumed by its authors.