A theory of innovation for process-based innovations such as nanotechnology

Many see Nanotechnology as the technology that will underlie the next Schumpeterian wave creating new opportunities for wealth and job creation. Further it is a process based or materials technology. Yet all currently used models of innovation are based on assembled products or service products and these simply do not recognize the differences in materials products nor the “enabling” nature of Nanotechnologies. If nanotechnology is poised to become the economic engine of this millennium and if current models of innovation, which are utilized, by policy makers and firm based strategist alike are based on technology product paradigms that are dissimilar to the realities of nanotechnology and other process-based technologies then there is cause for concern.Here the authors provide a model and supporting cases demonstrating a new process or materials based innovation model that is based on the tight coupling between product and process innovation of not only Nanotechnology-based products but other process-based products. This is an important finding, because it identifies and remedies a gap in the literature associated with earlier process and product innovation models. For process-based products like materials, food, chemicals and nanotechnologies any change to the manufacturing processes results in significant changes in end product features. The implications of this model to practice are considered.     

Asymmetric volatility in the foreign exchange markets

We examine the presence or absence of asymmetric volatility in the exchange rates of Australian dollar (AUD), Euro (EUR), British pound (GBP) and Japanese yen (JPY), all against US dollar. Our investigation is based on a variant of the heterogeneous autoregressive realized volatility model, using daily realized variance and return series from 1996 to 2004. We find that a depreciation against USD leads to significantly greater volatility than an appreciation for AUD and GBP, whereas the opposite is true for JPY. Relative to volatility on days following a positive one-standard-deviation return, volatility on days following a negative one-standard-deviation return is higher by 6.6% for AUD, 6.1% for GBP, and 21.2% for JPY. The realized volatility of EUR appears to be symmetric. These results are robust to the removal of jump component from realized volatility and the sub-samplings defined by structural-changes. The asymmetry in AUD, GBP and JPY appears to be embedded in the continuous component of realized volatility rather than the jump component.     

基于引力模型的中美农产品贸易边境效应研究

针对中美两国在农产品贸易上的新变化,应用引力模型的派生模型——边境效应引力模型对中美两国农产品贸易的流量和流向进行理论和实证研究。首先介绍了边境效应引力模型基本模型的推导过程,并引入了调整模型。然后采用1987至2005年其中5年的截面数据进行计算,结果发现:中美农产品贸易的边境效应显著存在,且呈逐年下降趋势;两国之间的农产品贸易边境效应存在流向和区域上的差异;距离的平方并不影响模型的可靠性。     

景区拓荒群体的旅游特征——以福建邵武天成岩为例

邵武市天成岩是一处原始旅游地,已有一些旅游者自发而来。这些拓荒群体以中青年为主,他们多数经人介绍获得信息,以猎奇心态对景区观光漂流体验活动感兴趣,他们希望景区保持原样,不要太多人为干扰。这些拓荒群体的旅游特征对原始旅游地开发具有一定的指导意义。     

当代艺术审美理想的迷失与重建

中国当代艺术审美理想的迷失从根子上说是有些中国作家和艺术家社会背叛的结果,从美学上说,不但是席勒当年所批判的恶劣倾向的沉渣泛起,而且消解了人对自己的尊严的捍卫和对自由的追求。中国当代艺术审美理想的重建就是要求中国作家和艺术家精神寻根,按照美的规律创造。     

加入WTO中小企业经营策略初探

中小企业是社会和经济发展中不可或缺的力量,在经济高速发展、竞争日趋激烈的今天加入WTO,给中小企业带来了新的机遇和挑战,把握好时机,采取避实就虚、加强创新、做专做精,避免贪大求全、盲目扩张、感性炒作,这是新形势下,中小企业进行资本积累,发展壮大的必由之路。     

石油企业机关量化管理的思路和对策

石油企业机关管理效率和服务质量不高的原因是管理中缺乏量化的约束和激励机制,要改变这种“大锅饭”现象,必须做到目标量化、责任量化、考核量化的“三量化”管理。     

新形势下如何加强与改进学生思想政治工作

新形势下,高校学生工作环境发生了巨大的变化,使学生工作面临新的挑战。新时期如何加强与改进高校学生思想政治工作已成为学校工作的当务之急。因此,研究加强与改进高校学生思想政治工作应当从分析学生工作面临的环境变化着手,更新教育观念,确立“以人为本”的思想观念,搞好校园文化建设,坚持与时俱进,开拓创新。     

Strategic Behavior and Consolidation in the Agricultural Biotechnology Industry

We develop a model explaining the consolidation patterns in the agricultural biotechnology industry. Among different consolidation and cooperation mechanisms, we consider collaborative and licensing agreements, joint ventures, acquisitions, and exchanges of ownership and spin-offs. The key results derive from the benefits of coordinated actions, distinction between transferable and nontransferable payoffs, the substitutability, complementarity, and the importance of the managers' noncontractible investments, and access and expansion of markets. Results from the model are used to examine the cooperation and consolidation activities for four major players in the agricultural biotechnology industry, DuPont , Dow Chemical , Monsanto , and Novartis .     

The Nested PIGLOG Model: An Application to U.S. Food Demand

A new demand system is introduced, the Nested PIGLOG model, nesting thirteen other demand systems including five that are also new. This new model and its nested special cases are applied to models of U.S. food demand that include food-at-home (FAH), food-away-from-home (FAFH), and alcoholic beverages. Although nested tests and out-of-sample forecasting performance favor generalizing models to a certain degree, statistically insignificant improvements to in-sample-fit and even poorer out-of-sample forecast accuracy undermine further generalizations. Based on a subset of preferred models, FAFH is found to be price and income elastic compared to FAH which is price and income inelastic.