Unpacking the interplay between organisational factors and the economic environment in the creation of consumer vulnerability

ABSTRACT

Access to credit is a key enabler of modern life. Yet many consumers face factors beyond their control which sometimes render them unable to borrow from mainstream lenders. This paper documents how firm-related factors determine lending thresholds and shape who is, or is not, a creditworthy customer. The impact of the 2008 economic recession on lending decisions is explored, an aspect that has been insufficiently discussed even though recessions are cyclical events. Drawing on semiotics and using multiple case studies, the study captures not only the groups that were excluded but also the reasons for exclusion. Empirical support is offered for the notion of vulnerability as a fluid state and the role of the timing of decisions as a source of vulnerability is described.     

The determinants of employers’ use of temporary contracts in the frictional labor market

This paper focuses on the following two primary reasons that employers use temporary contracts: to flexibly adjust employment and to screen workers. A search-matching framework is used to not only address employers’ endogenous choices in using temporary contracts, but also numerically identify the situations in which these contracts are likely to be used as a screening tool for permanent positions. This numerical exercise demonstrates that reducing employment protections in permanent jobs, reducing benefits for unemployed workers and raising the conversion probability from temporary to permanent employment will increase the relative proportion of employers who use temporary contracts as a screening device.     

非对称信息下企业员工素质类型目标考核甄别机制

采用数量经济学方法,利用委托-代理理论,给出在存在员工素质信息非对称条件下,企业构建的员工素质类型目标考核甄别机制;指出基于两阶段工资与考核标准的目标考核甄别机制具有信息甄别功能,对于给定的员工通过考核概率,企业增加第二阶段工资与减少第一阶段工资,加大工资差距,更有利于促进对两类不同素质员工的有效甄别与增加低素质员工企图冒充高素质员工的成本。     

Genetic Screening in the Workplace: Legislative and Ethical Implications

This paper discusses legal and ethical issues related to genetic screening. It is argued that persons identified with actual or perceived deleterious genetic markers are protected by the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991, if members of a protected group, regardless of whether or not they are currently ill. However, legislation may not protect all employees in all scenarios, in which case, ethical principles should guide decision-making. In doing so a model of preventive ethics is proposed to better understand the multiple levels on which this issue resides.     

风险投资选项过程及企业家应对措施

本文在介绍风险投资的基本概念和作用的基础上,指出风险投资的选项过程,及在选项过程中所采用的投资政策和选项标准,然后据此得出期望获取风险投资的企业家应采取的措施。     

基于噪声甄别模型的我国FDI福利效应的差异性分析——来自1997-2009年的数据证据

运用含有噪声的甄别博弈模型,分析得出东道国在引资过程中需要结合自身情况和其他引资国的政策制定符合本国福利增进的引资分割点,且东道国引资优惠额度越大反而越有可能损害本国福利。在此基础上结合我国1997-2009年引进FDI数据进行实证分析得出:(1)整体FDI对我国福利效应的增加带来了积极作用,但FDI对收入福利指数的贡献较小,对生产福利指数贡献较大;(2)自2005年开始,制造行业FDI对我国福利增加的贡献率趋于减小且有恶化趋势;而处于农、林、牧、渔业和信息传输、计算机服务和软件行业的FDI对我国福利的贡献率却逐渐增加;(3)处于后危机时代的FDI在引资政策上更应该重视产业导向以提升FDI的正向福利效应。     

《物流管理基础》课教学案例筛选原则

在物流管理教学中案例教学法被广泛采用,在实践和理论研究中都取得了一定的成果,所选择的案例是否恰当是案例教学法运用成功与否的关键因素之一。如何从繁多的案例中筛选出最优案例,大家并未达成共识,为此,文章进行了有益的探索,结合教学实践对《物流管理基础》课教学案例的筛选原则提出了自己的见解,以使筛选出的案例能更好地为物流管理教学服务,最大限度地提升学生分析和解决问题的能力。     

Brighter prospects? Assessing the franchise advantage using census data

This paper uses Census microdata to examine how starting a business as a franchise rather than an independent business affects its survival and growth prospects. We assess factors that influence the decision to become a franchisee and use various empirical approaches to correct for selection bias in our performance analyses. We find that franchised businesses on average exhibit higher survival rates than independent businesses; but importantly, the difference is small compared with claims in the trade press. The effect is also short lived: conditional on surviving a year or two, we no longer find survival (or growth) differences. We then explore two potential sources for this small survival advantage, namely franchisors’ screening process and the benefits arising from the brand and business know‐how provided by franchisors. We find evidence that both of the sources contribute to the franchising advantage.     

两性霉素B菌种选育及发酵工艺研究

为了提高两性霉素B(amphotericin B,AmB)的产量,降低生产成本,满足市场需求,采用紫外诱变和常压室温等离子体(atmospheric and room temperature plasma, ARTP)诱变的复合诱变方法进行菌株选育。首先,对结节链霉菌出发菌株A318-10进行复合诱变;然后,筛选高产菌株,并利用软件Design-Expert 12对显著效应因子进行Box-Behnken Design试验设计,得到最优发酵配方;最后,在1 L摇瓶及50 L发酵罐中进行发酵优化配方验证。结果表明,在紫外诱变60 s并ARTP诱变35 s后,筛选得到了高产菌株20-2-15,其最优发酵配方为葡萄糖94.6 g/L、中温豆粉27.7 g/L、淀粉24.1 g/L;在最优配方下,结节链霉菌1 L摇瓶和50 L发酵罐的发酵最高水平分别为18 968μg/mL和21 257μg/mL,比原始配方分别提高了32.6%和29.4%。研究结果应用于规模化生产后,有利于降低成本、提高企业竞争力。     

Drug testing and the law

This article examines judicial and administrative rulings and legislation involving or related to the issue of drug testing in the workplace. It discusses the rights of employees in the public and private sector: constitutional rights; federal, state, and local statutory rights; rights of unionized employees; and common law rights. It analyzes both the current state of the law and future directions the law may take, as courts and administrative agencies decide more cases and governmental bodies continue to pass drug testing legislation.