Ag econ angst crisis revisited

The present paper was inspired by and is a response to the Rola-Rubzen, Hardaker and Dillon paper 'Agricultural economists and world poverty: progress and prospects' (Rola-Rubzen et al. 2001). It is agreed that the position of agricultural economists in foreign aid and poverty programs has declined over recent decades. Such a feeling of guilt and remorse expressed by the above authors does indeed create considerable 'angst'. A major reason for this state of affairs lies in 'the flavour of the month' approach of the development agencies. These include women in development, gender-based farming systems research, household nutrition and food security, people participation, and targeting the poorest of the poor. These fads have driven disciplinary considerations to the wall and the more widely-defined objectives have reduced the drive for economic efficiency. We argue there is still a place for better designed and delivered assistance programs within the wider framework of assistance that has become fashionable. Greater application of institutional principles in both the political processes associated with assistance and the implementation agencies would improve the outcomes of many projects. Particular attention would need to be given to the interface between the development agencies and recipient governments. The present paper picks up on the market failure aspects of agriculture's rather poor contribution to development, and develops a wider perspective in terms of the new institutional economics and a continuing role for the agricultural economist.     

EDITORIAL: TAX REFORM AND SIMPLIFICATION

Major tax reform to simplify the UK tax system is possible. Merging income taxes, social security taxes and corporation tax into only a single flat-rate of tax on all incomes would be a radical start. Avoiding taxes on income and expenditure which are 'too high' requires major reductions in government spending, mainly on the welfare state. Given the political will, over a period of years we really can hugely improve the UK tax system.     

超常发展再铸辉煌--上海港集装箱运输发展回顾与展望

2002年,上海港创造了一个新纪录——集装箱吞吐量完成861万TEU,比上年634万TEU增长35.8%,超越高雄港而成为排名世界第四位的集装箱港口。这一辉煌业绩标志着作为我国大陆最大的国际通航港口又向国际航运中心建设的目标迈出了一大步。上海港集装箱吞吐量的发展是超常的。近10年来,它都以年均28%的增长率攀升。1994年突破100万达到119.9万TEU,从1997年至2001年的5年里,每一年都突破一个大数,分别超越200万、300万、400万、500万和600万TEU,2002年则跃升双百万,达到861万TEU。这是上海港集装箱运输发展史上前所未有的。它超常发展的巨大…     

略论中国企业跨文化管理的原则与方法

本文阐述了跨文化管理的基本原则,重点探讨了企业实施跨文化管理的主要方法。     

Exploring the Intensive and Extensive Margins of World Trade

World trade evolves at two margins. Where a bilateral trading relationship already exists it may increase through time (intensive margin). But trade may also increase if a trading bilateral relationship is newly established between countries that have not traded with each other in the past (extensive margin). We provide an empirical dissection of post–World War II growth in manufacturing world trade along these two margins. We propose a “corner-solutions version” of the gravity model to explain movements on both margins. A Tobit estimation of this model resolves the so-called “distance puzzle”. It also finds more convincing evidence than recent literature that WTO-membership enhances trade. JEL no. F12, F15     

经济快车道正伸向阿塞拜疆

在美丽的里海之滨,)域连绵的高加索南麓,有一块8.66万平方公里面积的国土,从地图上看它,酷似一只睡梦初醒的雄鹰,开始伸展翅膀,向着大海蓝天飞翔。这就是以盛产石油而文明于世的阿塞拜疆。这个处在欧亚交界地带的国家,自1991年脱离前苏联,宣布独立后,其经济一度连续下滑。从199     

服务营销:3G时代企业致胜的法宝

随着3G时代的到来,电信企业之间的竞争将更加激烈.电信企业要想在激烈的竞争环境中立足,拥有自己的市场,必须以服务营销为战略研究重点,建立以用户为中心的服务营销体制,建立包括企业利润、企业的成长性,用户忠诚、用户满意、提供给用户的产品与服务的价值,员工能力、满意、忠诚及效率在内的电信服务利润链.     

Gentlewomanly capitalism? Spinsters,widows, and wealth holding in England and Wales,c. 1800–1860

This article examines the demographic and geographical importance of wealthy middle-class women. It argues that in certain towns and cities, notably London, such women were of sufficient importance to merit attention in their own right. Drawing upon a sample of wills, it describes the types of wealth owned by these women. By examining women's investment in government securities, it argues that women's wealth was of crucial importance to the British state. Its findings challenge conventional understandings of the relationships between gender ideology, wealth holding, and economic development.