Identifying and mapping forest-based ecotourism areas in West Virginia – Incorporating visitors' preferences

This study identifies and maps forest-based ecotourism areas in West Virginia by incorporating visitors' preferences. Relative weights for ecotourism destination criteria were obtained using the Analytic Hierarchy Process based on a survey of 777 participants. The study classified the state into five levels of naturalness with areas under Class I being the least natural and Class V being the most natural. The presence of wildlife was found to be the most important criterion and slope was found to be the least. Results also showed significant variations in visitors' preferences. Areas under Class IV and Class V in both weighted and unweighted ecotourism maps covered more than half of the state's area, suggesting high prospects for promoting forest-based ecotourism in the state. The results further showed that each class changed in size when visitors' preferences were applied. The ecotourism maps created provide useful insights for visitors, destination managers, and decision makers.     

Use of mental models and cognitive maps to understand students’ learning challenges

Mental models and cognitive maps have been used in college business education as an instructional design technique, assessment tool, and learning strategy. The authors propose a novel use of mental models and cognitive maps as a device to elicit students’ challenges in learning the domain knowledge of a course. Such usage is illustrated in a management information systems course. This student-focused approach can help instructor to better understand students’ learning challenges and enhance teaching effectiveness.     

浅析离散型矿用设备维修企业SAP项目成功实施要素

本文参考国内多数企业实施SAP项目成功的案例,根据矿用设备维修企业自身特点,分析SAP项目在具体实施过程中可能遇到的问题,并提出相应的改进建议,促进同类型企业SAP项目得以成功实施。     

数字经济学：内涵、理论基础与重要研究议题

数字技术催生了以数据为关键生产要素的数字经济形态，表现出参与者身份相对模糊、更关注产品使用和服务延伸等与传统经济不同的形式。梳理与总结数字经济学一方面有助于指导社会生产方式数字化转型，另一方面也有助于发展甚至重构经济管理理论逻辑。在梳理数字经济内涵特征的基础上，结合数据要素非竞争性、使能性、生产与消费统一性等特征以及数字技术促使社会生产方式变革的路径，探讨数字经济学的理论基础，并提出未来需要重点关注的研究议题，为构建数字经济学术共同体提供借鉴。     

初创企业未获取价值与商业模式创新

技术或业务升级会产生新价值和放大原先的一些未获取价值。作为技术与商业绩效之间的中介变量，商业模式创新在商业变革中发挥了非常重要的作用。技术或业务升级中产生的未获取价值和资源拼凑是初创企业成长的两个新兴议题，关系到商业模式及其创新。采用单案例法深度分析某初创企业后发现：①商业模式创新存在新的驱动因素与机制;②商业模式创新不仅是认知活动与过程，也是实践活动与过程;③任何初创企业的商业模式中都隐藏着未获取价值，但将不同未获取价值转变成现实价值需要不同拼凑行为。最后，基于上述发现，为初创企业识别技术创新升级中的未获取价值、开展拼凑活动和商业模式创新提出对策建议。     

The impact of the new protectionist stance in US trade policy on selected German companies in Mexico

ABSTRACT

Previous studies on the impact of the new protectionist stance of the United States have focused mainly on the imposition of the controversial border tax. This research advances the understanding of the possible impacts of the tightening of the rules of origin and the imposition of the most-favored nation tariffs on manufacturing companies. The findings show a negative impact from the protectionist measures on businesses by increasing costs per unit and decreasing the gross margin. The results suggest that those additional costs could be passed on to the final buyers, raising the price level by more than previously assumed.     

Digitalization,business models,and SMEs: How do business model innovation practices improve performance of digitalizing SMEs?

Digital transformation is requiring companies to rethink and innovate their business models (BMs). However, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have scarce time and resources for experimenting with their BMs and implementing new strategies. This paper examines whether SMEs that undergo digital transformation perform better if they allocate more resources for BM experimentation and engage more in strategy implementation. An empirical study was conducted on 321 European SMEs that actively use social media, big data, and information technology to innovate their BMs. Furthermore, structural equation modelling showed positive overall firm performance effects of more resource allocation to BM experimentation and more engagement in practices of strategy implementation. These effects were mediated by BM experimentation practices and company innovativeness. Moreover, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) revealed the presence of equifinality by identifying different configurations in which these antecedent conditions affect overall firm overall performance. The results of two methodological approaches showed that SMEs may take different routes to improve their performance when digital transformation is changing their BM. This paper is one of the first to analyse how SMEs can handle the impact of digitalization by spending more time and effort on innovating their BMs. Practical and policy implications are discussed.     

Business cycle in an oligopolistic economy with entry and exit

In this paper we introduce a microfounded macromodel with endogenous market structure, where macroeconomic fluctuations may be determined by firms’ strategic interactions, entry and exit. All the agents have the same preferences but may differ in their budget constraints and change their social status according to idiosyncratic stochastic shocks that trigger entry, while exit is caused by firms’ bankruptcies. Our numerical simulations show that birth and death of firms (associated with entry and exit) can generate macroeconomic fluctuations without technology shocks.     

Optimal input trade policy under economic uncertainties in a small open economy

This article theoretically analyses optimal input trade policy under economic uncertainties in a small open economy. The benchmark model explains both key business cycle moments and asset prices of a representative emerging economy, and the corresponding deterministic version of the model finds no gain by deviating from the free input trade policy. The main findings are as follows: (1) it is optimal for the government to subsidize imported intermediate inputs in the benchmark model and (2) the result is robust to various shocks, various key structural parameters and various preference specifications.     

Brexit and the Trump Era: The future of IFRS

Following the uncertainty of regulatory reform under Brexit and the new Trump Administration Era, this installment of Accounting Matters explores the future of international financial reporting standards (IFRS). I interviewed Mr. Hans Hoogervorst, Chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), and Mr. Michael Izza, Chief Executive of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). The two give their opinions on what they see as the lasting impact of Brexit and the Trump Era on their organizations and accounting standards internationally.