Franchising: Directions for Future Research

There have been important contributions to the literature on franchising in recent years, but many interesting questions have received less attention than they deserve. In this paper, I briefly highlight four of these: (i) the existence of master franchising and multi-unit ownership, (ii) the differences in the intensity of franchising across sectors, (iii) international franchising, and (iv) the problems surrounding the adoption of new technologies and adaptation in franchised chains. While not exhaustive, this set of topics illustrates the variety of potential franchise-related research topics.     

Entrepreneurial strategic posture and learning effort in international ventures: The moderating roles of operational flexibilities

Drawing from the attention-based view, this article extends the study of international entrepreneurship by investigating how the contribution of international ventures’ entrepreneurial strategic posture to their actual learning efforts in foreign markets depends on various flexibilities that underlie their operations. The results from a sample of international Chinese ventures indicate that an entrepreneurial strategic posture enhances international learning effort more to the extent that the ventures possess greater cognitive and political flexibilities. Somewhat paradoxically, greater structural flexibility impedes the translation of an entrepreneurial strategic posture into international learning effort. The findings have important implications for the growing body of research that adopts an international new venture perspective.     

Growth gains from trade and education

A multi-sector general equilibrium model is presented where education enhances general human capital, which is essential for increasing or maintaining the mobility of workers across industries. The paper shows that international trade, combined with education, can have a positive growth effect by allowing workers to move easily to, and specialize in, the industry with the greatest productivity in each period, which enables an economy to grow in the long run at the growth rate of the industry with the most rapid technical progress. Depending on the initial ratio of general-to-specific human capital stock, multiple equilibrium growth paths can exist including a poverty trap, and trade liberalization can allow an economy in a poverty trap to transform into one with continuous education and higher output growth.     

论国际贸易中的超绝对利益

在国际贸易中,不仅存在绝对利益和比较利益,而且存在超绝对利益。超绝对利益是一国与另一国进行对方没有的商品贸易时所具有的利益,主要产生于社会资源的特点,特别产生于技术和技能的积累。超绝对利益商品的国际价格与绝对利益或比较利益商品的国际价格不同,它的基础是垄断价格。超绝对利益的存在,意味着许多国际贸易理论需要重新表述。     

次区域经济合作与边境民族地区可持续发展

中国参与的次区域经济合作对边境民族地区可持续发展产生了直接的影响。文章就次区域经济合作的情况,进行了边境民族地区次区域合作的障碍分析,以民族地区经济可持续发展为着眼点,提出加强次区域各国和地区的多边协商,制定共同的次区域可持续发展战略;调整产业结构,实施绿色产业经济计划,促进产业结构升级;改善贸易和投资环境,促进贸易和投资的便利化;积极谋求国际经济组织各方面的支持等四个方面的对策。     

我国工业制成品出口贸易结构与竞争力实证分析

近年来,我国工业制成品出口贸易有了较快的发展,贸易结构也有了很大提升。通过多个竞争力指标的分析得出的结论是:我国出口产品在劳动密集型领域具有一定的国际竞争力;在资本技术密集型领域,出口产品的国际竞争力水平起步比较低,但近年来发展很快;出口价格总体上呈现出不断下降的趋势,贸易条件需要改善。     

出口额与GDP比率影响因素的系统考察

出口额与国内生产总值(GDP)的比率是衡量一国经济开放度的重要指标之一,但由于该比率的影响因素众多,不同国家出口额与GDP的比率往往缺乏可比性,所以不能简单地以各国出口额与GDP比率的大小来判断各国经济开放度的高低。本文通过对出口额与GDP比率影响因素的系统考察,阐释在对一个国家或地区出口额和GDP的比率进行纵向和横向比较时必须关注的比较基础。     

论国际贸易的健康视野

国际贸易与健康,这两个似乎不相关的问题,在经济全球化的今天日益受到人们的关注。通常人们只注意国际贸易对健康的正面影响。实际上,贸易自由化在给世界经济发展带来新机遇的同时,也对人民的健康造成了负面影响。目前迫切需要国际、国内和世界贸易组织采取有效的措施,实现二者的协调发展。     

大连港和营口港在东北地区经济发展中的地位和作用分析

大连港和营口港作为东北地区最重要的出海口,在发展过程中历经几度变迁.本文分析了在区位、政策、腹地和服务职能等各种因素影响下,两大港口的地位变化和在区域经济发展中产生的重要影响.在新时期,如何确定两大港口之间的功能定位至关重要.本文提出了大连港和营口港之间的战略关系是在竞争和合作基础上采取协同发展的战略,共同打造东北亚航...     

Does acquisition of a cooperative generate profits for the buyer? The Dairyworld case

This article examines the takeover of a cooperative (Dairyworld) by an investor‐owned firm (Saputo) that was not previously present in the industry, determines if this takeover generates greater returns for the investor‐owned firms (IOF), and on the basis of this evidence makes some inferences about the behavior and performance of cooperatives and IOFs. The empirical evidence strongly supports the conclusion that Saputo's stock price rose with its takeover announcement. This outcome is consistent with a number of explanations, including that Saputo was unaffected by hubris, a factor often suggested as the reason that many firms overbid when they undertake acquisitions. Dairyworld's poor liquidity and capital shortage problems, as well as a limited number of suitors, may have weakened its bargaining position in its dealings with Saputo. The observed increase in Saputo's stock price is also consistent with the possibility that, by taking over a cooperative, Saputo was able to decrease competition and thus increase its profits. A fruitful area for future research would be a rigorous theoretical and empirical determination of the impact that these various factors have on acquisition profitability. Such analysis is required before inferences about the behavior and performance of cooperatives and IOFs can be fully answered.