Examining the link between skill shortages,training composition and productivity levels in the construction industry: evidence from Northern Ireland1

One of the key questions in international research addresses the tensions arising from international co-ordination and local adaptation of multinational companies' (MNCs) policies and practices. The German business system encourages MNCs to have a long-term, high-investment orientation, to practise intensive management-labour cooperation and to pursue developmental human resource management (HRM). This study analyses six major German MNCs operating in both Britain and Spain and outlines their reasons for the international co-ordination of HRM. It addresses the issue of central control versus local adaptation by looking at the transfer of German HR policies and practices. The cases show that the MNCs were able to preserve substantial ‘German-ness’ abroad. However, the results of the transfer of German HRM were not always positive due to a variety of endogenous and exogenous causes. Barriers to transfer from institutionally strong to weak environments are discussed and possible internal HR approaches are suggested to counterbalance the national business system effect. Their success will depend on head office-foreign affiliate relations shaped by factors such as cross-border communication, trust and power distribution.     

Some reflection on research ‘Schools’ and geographies

Reflecting on real and perceived differences between European and North American research cultures, I challenge views that ‘European’ research is under appreciated or discriminated against, and caution against isolationist European positions. Instead, I argue that although no distinctive and coherent European tradition or culture really exists, there may be elements of the prevalent research culture that can be turned into an advantage for Europe-based and/or European-trained researchers in helping to influence and improve one, global research conversation. Of course, a range of sub-communities and sub-conversations will and should exist, but there is no reason for these to be based on geography.     

批发市场对农产品供应链的信息阻滞及其克服

在分析农产品批发市场的历史作用和现状的基础上,详细阐述了以批发市场为核心的农产品流通体系的特点,及对市场信息的阻滞影响。同时指出培育农产品供应链核心企业,并取代农产品批发市场发挥核心作用．是解决供应链信息阻滞的有效途径之一,最后探讨了围绕核心企业来建立农产品供应链的两种运作模式。     

非上市公司在新企业会计准则执行中的问题与对策

新会计准则的颁布实施,对企业、投资者等经济社会各方面产生诸多影响,而目前的研究焦点多集中于上市公司。随着时间推移,越来越多的非上市公司开始执行新准则,并暴露出诸多问题。主要总结分析了非上市公司新准则执行中的问题,并提出相应对策,以期抛砖引玉。     

Superhedging under ratio constraint

We consider superhedging of contingent claims under ratio constraint. It has been widely recognized that the minimum cost of superhedging a contingent claim with certain portfolio constraints is equal to the price of a claim with appropriately modified payoff but without constraints. In terms of the backward stochastic differential equation (BSDE) and the variational inequality equation approach, we revisit this result and provide two counterexamples.     

我国亏损上市公司盈余管理实证研究

盈余管理对企业的发展产生有其特定的理论背景,结合国内外的研究状况对其进行了分析。选取上海A股市场上市公司财务数据,并划分为首亏样本和扭亏样本,以首亏样本财务数据研究亏损上市公司在首亏年度和首次亏损出现的前一年是否存在盈余管理;以扭亏样本研究扭亏年度的盈余管理行为。同时为这些样本选择了规模相近的控制样本,组成控制样本组,并选择迪安戈模型进行研究。研究结果显示,在t检验和威尔科森秩检验下数据均在不同显著性水平下通过检验。     

我国房地产上市公司绩效测算与比较

为了解我国房地产企业的绩效状况,以经济增加值作为绩效的代表指标,选取沪深A股91家房地产上市公司为样本,测算其2001-2012年绩效并开展产业内外的对比分析。结果显示：（1）2001—2012年,以经济增加值衡量的样本房地产上市公司绩效均值为0．99,不同房地产上市公司之间绩效差异程度较大,低于平均绩效水平的样本公司数量较多,样本公司的绩效均值在2006年以前为负,2006年以后为正;（2）房地产上市公司的绩效均值高于建筑业上市公司但低于制造业上市公司,不同所有权结构、地域和主营业务的公司绩效均值差异较大。     

The impact of the European social fund on youth education and employment

The effectiveness of the European Union's Cohesion Policy in reducing regional socio-economic gaps remains an open empirical issue, while evidence as to how the policy is affected by specific territorial factors and which social groups benefit most from it remains sparse. This article seeks to address this gap by disentangling the impact of the European Social Fund (ESF) on youth education and employment prospects. Drawing on macro-level data for the European NUTS-2 regions, we assess the impact that this fund has on different education-specific youth population shares and employment rates. In the case of education, we find that the receipt of funding is associated with a human capital polarization of regional populations. Specifically, we identify a positive impact of the ESF on population shares with lower-secondary and tertiary education, and a simultaneous negative impact on the share of those with upper-secondary education. In the case of employment, we find a positive response for youth of all education levels. A heterogeneity analysis indicates that both the education and employment responses of the youth population to the receipt of the ESF are strongly influenced by local specialization in high-skilled activities.     

武汉城市圈上市公司资本配置效率研究

武汉城市圈上市公司的发展壮大,一方面取决于资本总量的积累,另一方面取决于资本配置效率的提高。对2005—2009年武汉城市圈上市公司资本配置效率的实证研究表明,固定资产净值（投资额）和利润总额（盈利额）显著正相关,利润的增加会引起投资的增加,而且利润对投资的引致作用成增大趋势,资本配置的效率趋于提高。     

欧盟在巴以和平进程中的作用分析

欧盟积极参与巴以谈判和巴以冲突危机处理,以经济和财政支持为主要手段、构建区域合作机制,为缓和巴以关系创造条件,提供多层次平台,积极帮助解决巴以冲突问题。然而,由于巴以矛盾的复杂性、欧盟成员国缺乏采取共同行动的政治意愿、加之美国对巴以和平进程的掌控,欧盟的影响力受到限制。在中东变局下,欧盟有必要联合中国和俄罗斯组成平衡美以关系的国际力量,提出新的巴以和平计划,为推动巴以和平进程发挥独特作用。