The unanimity rule and extremely asymmetric committees

This paper analyzes how to allocate experts into committees that use the unanimity rule to make decisions. We show that an optimal allocation of experts is extremely asymmetric. To reach the optimal allocation, therefore, one needs only to rank the experts in terms of their abilities and then allocate adjacent experts such that an expert’s ability tends to vary inversely with the size of his committee. In the special case of three-member committees, we show that the optimal allocation maximizes the sum of the products of the experts’ skills in each committee.     

Zambia at 50: The persisting challenges of economic structural transformation

This article examines the structural transformation trajectory in Zambia since independence. Drawing from sectoral analysis of the structure of output and the composition of labour over the last five decades, the article illustrates that although there have been shifts in the composition of output and labour in the economy, especially since 2000, these shifts have not contributed to positive structural transformation. Instead the economy has been experiencing widening productivity gaps between sectors, signalling perverse economic structural transformation. Although there have been some slight improvements in the overall productivity since 2000, productivity in the agriculture and informal sectors, where almost 85% of the labour works, has remained stagnantly low. This is compounded by the economy experiencing a net movement of labour from high to low-productivity employment, mainly the informal urban sector.     

Board diversity and firm performance: evidence from the U.K. SMEs

This study examines the relationship between board diversity and firm performance in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the U.K. In particular, we investigate the role of gender and age as two dimensions of diversity. Using a large sample of SMEs (34,798 firms) located in the U.K. and focusing on the period from 2005 to 2013, our results show a significant negative association between each of gender diversity and age diversity, and firm performance. Our evidence yields important insights on the association between board diversity and firm performance, and calls suggestions for increased board diversity into question. A possible explanation for our findings could be due to the fact that our sampled firms are SMEs, whereas those in previous studies have been large enterprises. This research provides insights to entrepreneurs on how to enhance their performance, and to governments and policymakers on the development of rules that would achieve better performance in the SME sector.     

超额剩余价值——价值转形研究中缺失的关键环节

马克思的价值转形数学模型,是建立在两个隐含假定之上的：一是各部门资本有机构成固定,一是部门间没有资本流动,这两个假定把模型限制在历史的一个横截面上。而价值转形问题,其实质是解释价值规律从简单商品经济到资本主义经济的历史演进。因此,只有取消这两个假定,把价值转形问题放在生产力进步、资本跨部门流动的历史进程的背景下,才能解决价值转形问题。在这个生产力进步的历史进程中,超额剩余价值是最核心的概念。     

Evaluating innovation networks in emerging technologies

Interorganisational innovation networks are increasingly important for innovation in emerging technology fields. The performance of such networks can have a large impact on the future development of emerging technologies. A useful framework for the evaluation of innovation networks however does not yet exist. In this paper, such a framework is developed, using elements of the social network analysis literature and the resource-based view. This framework is subsequently applied to compare two policy-driven innovation networks: 1) the Center for Translational Molecular Medicine; and 2) the BioMedical Materials program. Based on this first empirical exploration of the framework implications for management and further policy development are formulated.     

Hierarchical system of road networks with inward, outward, and through traffic

This paper formulates a continuous model of a grid road network for determining the optimal hierarchical system of road networks. The hierarchical system is represented as the proportions of area taken up by roads at each level of the hierarchy. The objective is to derive the optimal ratio of road areas that minimizes the total travel time. The model explicitly incorporates inward, outward, and through traffic as well as inner traffic to examine how traffic composition affects the optimal ratio of road areas. The result reveals that the optimal ratio of major arterial roads increases with inward, outward and through traffic.     

贸易与环境质量:基于面板数据的分析

贸易与环境问题一直是学术界广泛研究和争论的热点问题,目前国内现有相关文献多是将贸易的环境效应进行分析,测算我国部分经济要素对环境质量的影响,缺乏对主要经济要素的环境效应的系统分析。根据我国1990-2009年间(除西藏以外29个省及直辖市)的面板数据进行回归分析,试图揭示开放经济条件下我国主要经济要素与环境污染的关系。结果表明:对外贸易对不同污染物排放的影响效应不同;对外贸易对环境质量影响的规模-技术效应和结构效应均为正;由对外贸易而引致的经济结构有双重环境效应,即污染天堂动因的积极环境影响和要素禀赋动因的消极环境影响;技术进步和经济结构优化升级有利于我国环境质量的改善。     

资本有机构成上升的实证研究

本文基于中国数据,用计量经济学方法检验了马克思资本有机构成上升的命题。结论表明,中国已经处在技术进步导致资本有机构成提高的阶段,实际工资和教育人力资本投资的上升也并没有改变这一趋势。