低碳与高成本运行环境下的广东物流产业升级路径与对策

在阐述广东省物流产业现状的基础上,分析了低碳经济政策、高油价、高路桥费的物流产业运行环境和产业结构调整给广东物流业带来的压力与挑战,认为在全球物流价值链中从功能操作向一体化集成物流发展将是广东物流产业升级的路径与方向,文章最后还就广东物流产业升级问题提出了相应的对策与建议。     

从上海闵行经济技术开发区的发展进程探索开发区低碳建设的模式

上海闵行经济技术开发区地处黄浦江上游水源保护区,特殊的地理位置和敏感的环境因素,给开发区以制造业为主的产业发展带来了压力,同时也提出了更高要求。为此,开发区从建立至今,努力探索"低碳制造引领、土地集约使用、污染物总量控制、企业履行环境责任"的模式,不断地在绿色生产、环境保护、节能减排、机制创新等领域进行实践,坚持走低碳经济、可持续发展的道路。     

THE IMPACT OF LABOR MARKET REGULATION ON EMPLOYMENT IN LOW‐INCOME COUNTRIES: A META‐ANALYSIS

Controversy over labor market policy often centers on achieving a balance between preventing worker exploitation, and avoiding loss of productivity or employment through excessive regulation. Although the literature documenting the impact of labor market regulation on employment is extensive, there is a dearth of evidence on the impact of such policies in low‐income countries (LICs). Since it is easier for workers, especially women, to slip into the informal sector in LICs, regulations are likely to have stronger impacts on formal employment in these countries (but lower impacts on unemployment). We systematically reviewed available research from countries that are, or were until recently, LICs. Most studies document that more stringent labor regulations are associated with lower formal sector employment and higher informal sector employment. We also conducted a metaregression analysis of the impact of minimum wages on formal and informal employment. After controlling for publication bias, higher minimum wages are associated with lower formal employment and a higher share of informal workers.     

The property requirements of knowledge‐based industries

Summary

An analysis of the property requirements of modern industries such as those in the electronics, pharmaceutical and chemical fields, based on detailed interviewing of over 70 companies, is presented. The factors influencing locational choice are considered, as are the specific features of notional industrial schemes. The key points which emerged from the study include: there is no single type of property suitable for all knowledge‐based companies although generally they can be accommodated in existing premises. Location is the most important factor with relatively little importance attached to the particular building scheme. Locational importance derives largely from the need to be close to a highly skilled labour pool. Close proximity to academic centres is only important to a small number of knowledge‐based companies and is not as significant as has been claimed. Flexibility is important in a variety of ways, in terms of space utilization, expansion capabilities and lease structuring.     

The futures of offshoring FDI in high-tech sectors

This paper examines what is still a relatively new phenomenon in the literature, the outsourcing/offshoring of high-technology manufacturing and services. This has become a concern for both policy makers and academics for two reasons. Firstly, policy makers have become concerned that the offshoring of high-technology sectors in the West will follow the more labour intensive sectors, and move to lower cost locations. Secondly, international business theory has tended to view low costs, and high levels of indigenous technological development as being the two main drivers of location advantage in the attraction of FDI. We show that this may not be the case for offshored high-technology manufacturing or services.     

Employment Effects of Offshoring across Sectors and Occupations in Japan

In the case of Japan, the studies conducted so far focus alone on firm‐level data and delve into the productivity effects and the skill upgrading between skilled and unskilled workers. Here, we carry out an empirical analysis of the employment effects of offshoring for Japanese industries on a broader classification of skills or occupations, while considering the three major sectors of the economy and taking account of both services and materials offshoring. The results suggest that various types of offshoring affect occupations differently. In particular, services offshoring tends to benefit highly skilled occupations more, while materials offshoring tends to benefit production workers instead.     

Changes of Thai economy since 19701 1

Within the last 30 years, the number of Thai population increased from 35 million to 62 million, the general price level went up 6 times, and Thai currency baht devaluated 2.2 times against the dollar. The industrial production increased 36 times nominally. The biggest industry of Thailand changed from agriculture to manufacture, and the total value of exports jumped by 192 times and that of imports grew by 95 times. Thai current account balance had recorded a deficit every year from 1970 to 1996. During the same period of time, however, the capital account balance had shown surplus. The inflow of foreign capital was the only stronghold of Thai economy at that time. In 1997, Thailand suddenly experienced a total change of its external environment From then on, Thai current account shifted from a deficit to a surplus and Thai capital account turned from a surplus to a deficit. The conclusion of this paper indicates that the future of Thai economy is heavily dependent on whether the amount of surplus in Thai current account could surpass the deficit in Thai capital account     

The impact of low-cost carriers on airport choice in the US: A case study of the Washington–Baltimore region

Previous research has shown that low-cost carriers (LCCs) may stimulate traffic at an airport by offering low fares. Using passenger survey data from the Washington–Baltimore region’s three airports, we find that the benefits of LCCs to airports extend beyond the traffic generated directly by the LCCs through their low fares. In addition, we find that the mere presence of an LCC at an airport can attract passengers, even to competing carriers. These “halo effects” from LCC presence increase the significance to airport managers of attracting LCCs in order to generate passenger demand.     

Innovation,network services and the restructuring of work organisation in customer services

The information and communication technology revolution has had important qualitative effects on the manner in which the output of new products and services is managed. This is in part associated with leveraging the knowledge of a broader group of employees. Through a case study of customer services in a major telecommunications firm, it is shown that integrating broader groups of employees into the innovation process can be vital. However a case is made that transforming work-related institutions in the firm has proved a challenging process, particularly when management are required to broaden the powers of decision making granted to employees, allowing greater discretion at the workplace and changing the manner in which work tasks are enforced.