Productivity Growth, Efficiency and Outsourcing in Manufacturing and Service Industries

This paper is a survey of recent contributions to, and developments of, the relationship between outsourcing, efficiency and productivity growth in manufacturing and services. The objective is to provide a thorough and up–to–date survey that provides a significant discussion on data, as well as on the core methods of measuring efficiency and productivity. First, the readers are introduced to the measurement of partial and total factor productivity growth. Different parametric and non–parametric approaches to the productivity measurement in the context of static, dynamic and firm–specific modelling are discussed. Second, we survey the econometric approach to efficiency analysis. The issues of modelling, distributional assumptions and estimation methods are discussed assuming that cross–sectional or panel data are available. Third, the relationship between outsourcing and productivity growth in manufacturing and services is discussed. The correspondence between a number of hypotheses and empirical findings are examined. Examples of varieties of relevant empirical applications, their findings and implications are presented. Fourth, measurement of inputs and outputs in manufacturing and services are discussed. Finally, to promote useful research, a number of factors important to the analysis of outsourcing, efficiency and productivity growth in the service sector are summarised.     

高职金融与证券专业学生社会实践项目化教学改革

高职学生假期活动是学生的社会适应性,是完善学生的专业知识结构,也是提高实践能力、就业能力和创新能力的机会.围绕高职实现技能型/技术型应用性人才的培养目标,分析高职学生社会实践活动的现状,通过温职院的社会实践教学改革的启示,提出了以专业实训实习项目为主线开展社会实践活动的改革措施,实行高职学生项目化社会实践活动的新模式.     

会计师事务所转制对审计质量的影响研究——来自上市公司的经验证据

通过分析2008-2012年A股上市公司相关数据,研究会计师事务所转制对于审计质量的影响,结果显示：特殊普通合伙制会计师事务所的审计质量高于有限责任制会计师事务所的审计质量;转制后会计师事务所的审计质量高于转制前会计师事务所的审计质量,但是转制对审计质量的提高有一定的不同步性。研究结论为转制政策的合理性提供了证据支撑,也为其他中小型会计师事务所改制提供了必要性方面的经验依据。     

Where has all the skewness gone? The decline in high-growth (young) firms in the U.S.

The pace of business dynamism and entrepreneurship in the U.S. has declined over recent decades. We show that the character of that decline changed around 2000. Since 2000 the decline in dynamism and entrepreneurship has been accompanied by a decline in high-growth young firms. Prior research has shown that the sustained contribution of business startups to job creation stems from a relatively small fraction of high-growth young firms. The presence of these high-growth young firms contributes to a highly (positively) skewed firm growth rate distribution. In 1999, a firm at the 90th percentile of the employment growth rate distribution grew about 31 percent faster than the median firm. Moreover, the 90−50 differential was 16 percent larger than the 50−10 differential reflecting the positive skewness of the employment growth rate distribution. We show that the shape of the firm employment growth distribution changes substantially in the post-2000 period. By 2007, the 90−50 differential was only 4 percent larger than the 50−10, and it continued to exhibit a trend decline through 2011. The overall decline reflects a sharp drop in the 90th percentile of the growth rate distribution accounted for by the declining share of young firms and the declining propensity for young firms to be high-growth firms.     

Brand equity in the professional service context: Analyzing the impact of employee role behavior and customer-employee rapport

The study examines whether factors related to customers' perception of employees' behavior in terms of customer perceived role ambiguity, role overload and customer-employee rapport influence the development of brand equity in the professional service context. 632 customers of one of the Big Four auditing companies participated in the study. The results of structural equation modeling show negative effects of role ambiguity and role overload on brand associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty, which constitute brand equity. The findings indicate a positive effect of customer-employee rapport on the enhancement of B2B brand equity. However, the negative influences of role ambiguity and role overload on customer-employee rapport transfer detrimental indirect effects on brand equity. The study contributes to an understanding of how the real interaction between service providers and customers can influence brand equity in the professional service setting.     

Reconceptualizing professional service firm innovation capability: Scale development

Building on capability theory, this paper presents a reconceptualization of the innovation capability construct within a knowledge-intensive service context, specifically, professional service firms (PSFs). Employing a rigorous multi-stage scale development process we interviewed 37 participants and surveyed 463 respondents across a wide range of PSFs including lawyers, accountants, consulting engineers and management consultants. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses highlight the multi-dimensional nature of innovation capability within this context. Three dimensions were identified: client-focused, marketing-focused, and technology-focused innovation capability. We provide evidence of face validity, content validity, convergent and discriminant validity, nomological validity and reliability of our scale. Our scale offers a new way to measure innovation capability within PSFs and highlights the need to move beyond the narrow manufacturing mind-set focus of prior innovation research. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

Marketing capabilities and innovation-based strategies for environmental sustainability: An exploratory investigation of B2B firms

While emerging literature on sustainability shows that environmentally responsible strategies can contribute to competitive advantage and enhanced financial performance, little is known about specific marketing capabilities that lead to sustainable consumption behavior, and whether implementing such strategies leads to firm competitive advantage. Using the case method approach, this study explores marketing-related strategies and practices pertaining to sustainable consumption as reported by leading sustainable firms in the B2B context. We examine case studies of forty seven B2B firms and identify key marketing capabilities that tie to innovation-based sustainability strategies, sustainable consumption behavior and firm performance. We use our findings to develop a conceptual framework linking marketing capabilities to innovation strategies for firm sustainability, sustainable consumption behavior and firm competitive advantage, and put forward propositions for future research.     

高职计算机网络技术专业教学改革与探索

高职计算机网络技术专业教学改革应遵循以岗位需要为主线、以能力培养为根本、以学生发展为中心、以教学服务为模式的教育理念，打破传统课程原有的学科体系，按照“必需、够用”的原则将课程进行重组与创新，实行整体优化。学历教育应与证书培训有效结合，构筑专业课程新体系，以实现教学环节与毕业生就业的工作岗位零距离对接。     

Foreign Plants and Industry Productivity: Evidence from Chile

This paper presents new evidence on foreign plants and their effects on a host industry. I test the predictions of a Melitz‐type model using a panel of domestic and foreign plants in the Chilean manufacturing sector. Foreign ownership is a strong predictor of plant productivity and size advantages. Moreover, productivity gains for a domestic incumbent are positively associated with foreign plants' presence in the same industry and region. I also find a positive correlation between foreign entry and exit of less productive domestic plants, but inconclusive evidence on the effects on productivity of new domestic plants.     

Effect of cognitive style and professional development on the initiation of radical and non-radical management accounting innovations

This study examines the effects of adaptive/innovative cognitive style, and professional development on the initiation of radical and non‐radical innovations by individual management accountants. Data are gathered through questionnaire and follow‐up interviews with practising management accountants. The results show that management accountants with a more innovative (adaptive) cognitive style tend to initiate more (fewer) radical relative to non‐radical innovations, and that this effect is amplified by professional development. The study has implications for research in management accounting innovation and for practice, including the importance of maintaining a balance of radical and non‐radical innovations in organizations, and of professional development.