THE IMPACT OF GREATER AUTONOMY ON EFFICIENCY OF WORK AND QUALITY OF SERVICES IN PUBLIC SERVICE PROVIDERS: A CASE OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

ABSTRACT: The paper analyses impact of greater autonomy on efficiency of work and quality of services in public service institutions. Autonomy is one of the key principles of New Public Management that, according to the theory, increases performance in public service providers. However this assumption has been scarcely researched in practice. To narrow this gap, the experimental reform that implemented greater managerial and financial autonomy in 13 Lithuanian state vocational schools was chosen for research. In order to analyse the impact of autonomy after the reform, maximally similar institutions (those that underwent the reform and that did not) are compared using quantitative (incl. counterfactual analysis) and qualitative methods. The results indicate that institutions that have been reformed tend to have better efficiency and quality of services, even though this relationship is not causal. Moreover, the research challenges the notion that such results came from greater autonomy. Finally, the logic of the NPM of as to why more autonomous institutions perform better is also challenged.     

猕猴桃产业发展的奇迹——新西兰猕猴桃的案例启示

中国已是世界上最大的猕猴桃生产国,但产品出口仅占全球的2%.而新西兰从猕猴桃原产地中国引入猕猴桃后,一跃成为目前世界上最大的猕猴桃出口国.文章深入研究新西兰猕猴桃产业发展和创新的经验,包括采用"Kiwigreen"生产措施,成立生产者控股的"Zespri"公司,对猕猴桃实行统一的"Zespri <'TM>"品牌营销和培育猕猴桃新品种等;同时分析了中国猕猴桃产业发展存在的问题和不足,提出发挥中国猕猴桃原产国的优势,积极培育红心猕猴桃等新品种,提升猕猴桃产品质量以及实施以"地理标志保护"为特色的品牌营销等对策建议.这些有助于挖掘中国猕猴桃产业的潜力,促进中国从猕猴桃生产大国向出口大国转变.     

战略型新兴产业评价模型构建及实例分析

战略型新兴产业已成为国家经济复兴的一剂良药,它必将改变经济增长轨迹和产业格局。文章界定了战略型新兴产业的内涵,概括了战略型新兴产业的特征;结合钻石理论,由产业资源潜力、产业联动效应、产业竞争能力、产业需求能力及外部影响因素——政府和机会等六大指标入手,构建了战略型新兴产业评价指标体系,形成了以产业贡献力和产业成长力为纵横坐标的三维空间评价模型;以江苏省镇江市为例,对新能源、新材料、电子信息、航空制造和海洋工程等五大战略型新兴产业的发展状况进行评价。评价结果初步发现,电子信息和新材料产业方面的既有优势明显,可成为该市未来发展的支柱性产业;新能源、海洋工程和航空制造产业发展状况乐观,在大力培育和扶持之下,会有明显的积蓄优势。     

核心通货膨胀:理论模型与经验分析

现有的核心通货膨胀计算方法假设各种商品和服务的价格变化可以表示为核心通货膨胀与异质性相对价格变化之和,然而这种价格变化的分解方式既缺乏理论基础又违背经济直觉。本文将经典的新凯恩斯模型推广到多部门情形,证明了多部门新凯恩斯菲利普斯曲线,提出了各部门商品价格变化的理论分解公式。以这个分解公式为理论基础,本文提出了估计核心通货膨胀的计量经济模型及其两阶段估计方法,给出了根据稳态权重估计核心通货膨胀的简便方法,估计出了我国的核心通货膨胀。有效性检验表明,根据两阶段估计方法和基于稳态权重的估计方法得到的核心通货膨胀都是有效的核心通货膨胀度量。     

Alternate signs of life: The growth of biotechnology industries in Shanghai and Bangalore

This paper explores the emergence of biotechnology centers in Shanghai and Bangalore by comparing their development to best practices in the literature for biotechnology cluster growth and development. Interviews with over fifty biotech companies and related institutions in China and India indicate that these regions are developing alternate models of low cost manufacturing and services that build on the current local base of knowledge and expertise. The ability to convert research into successful commercial activity was identified in both regions. The strong research capacity, private sector funding, and entrepreneurial environment deemed critical best practices were limited. New growth theory is used to explain these alternate approaches to technological and social change.     

行政区划调整对住宅价格变化的影响效应分析——以南汇并入浦东新区为例

行政区划的调整往往是为了适应城市化和区域经济一体化的要求而进行的。除经济和生态环境因素外,住宅价格还受社会、文化和政治等因素的影响和作用,但行政因素对住宅价格变化影响的实证研究并不多见。以上海市南汇区并入浦东新区为例,运用Hedonic模型、多元线性回归分析、半弹性系数等方法,从时间和空间两个方面,定量测度行政区划调整对住宅市场价格变化的影响程度。结果表明:从时间变化上看,行政区划调整以后,浦东新区各板块的住宅均价呈现上涨趋势,住宅价格比调整之前上涨2.74个百分点,且前阶段的涨幅较之后要大;从空间变化上看,外郊环、郊环外涨幅潜力更大。总体而言,行政区划调整对区域住宅价格变化有一定的正面影响,但其影响程度有限且不及区位、交通和住宅特征等因素显著。因此,地方政府和房地产开发商应当理性对待行政区划调整策略,不能过于奢望通过短期的行政区划调整来提升房地产价值,而应当更多地关注开发区位的选址及区域交通和环境条件的改善,提升物业管理水平与服务质量,完善社区公共服务配套设施建设。     

Monetary and fiscal policy interactions in the post-war U.S.

A New Keynesian model allowing for an active monetary and passive fiscal policy (AMPF) regime and a passive monetary and active fiscal policy (PMAF) regime is estimated to fit various U.S. samples from 1955 to 2007. The results show that data in the pre-Volcker periods strongly prefer an AMPF regime, even with a prior centered in the PMAF region. The estimation, however, is not very informative about whether the Federal Reserve's reaction to inflation is greater than one in the pre-Volcker period, because much lower values can still preserve determinacy under passive fiscal policy. In addition, whether a PMAF regime can generate consumption growth following a government spending increase depends on the degree of price stickiness. An income tax cut can yield an unusual negative labor response if monetary policy aggressively stabilizes output growth.     

Where have all the flowers gone? Forecasting green trends in the automobile industry with a choice-based conjoint adoption model

With rising gas prices, global warming, and green thinking, all-electric vehicles are currently considered the automobile technology of the future. However, besides their advantages electric drive trains also exhibit several disadvantages. Moreover, history shows several failed attempts to establish electric vehicles. Thus, a reliable forecasting model is needed that predicts if the current trend is sustainable. We develop and empirically test a choice-based conjoint adoption model that uses individual-level preferences as a basis for prediction. Predictions are mapped to the time of the next planned purchase in order to establish the adoption process. The model extends existing research in several ways. First, no prior information, e.g., historical market data or a functional form of the adoption process, has to be integrated. Second, the model allows dynamic modifications of product specifications or competition at different points in time. Third, a no-choice option can be integrated so that a technology switch is not forced by the model itself and switching costs can be considered. The empirical results reveal different critical factors for the adoption of all-electric vehicles, such as purchase price, range, timing of the market entry, or environmental evolution, which could lead to a solid base of consumers preferring this option.     

The interaction effect of strategic orientations on new product performance in the high-tech industry: A nonlinear model

Innovation and market orientation are two strategic orientations or business philosophies that can guide a company in its business activities. Although the interaction effect of these two strategic orientations is conceptually recognized as a critical factor for new product's success, empirical results are mixed. This paper examines this issue in terms of innovation orientation, two types of market orientations (responsive and proactive), and new product performance. Based on a sample of 107 high-tech firms, the results of this study show that the interaction between innovation orientation and two types of market orientation yields different patterns of nonlinear responses for new product performance. Specifically, new product performance, when derived from the interaction between innovation orientation and responsive market orientation, is in the form of an inverted U, i.e., the interaction effect is contributory to firm performance until an optimal level is reached, and then the effect becomes detrimental thereafter. However, new product performance derived from innovation orientation and proactive market orientation is in the form of a U, i.e., the interaction effect is detrimental to firm performance until a threshold level is reached and then the effect becomes contributory thereafter. The different patterns of new product performance indicate that the costs and organizational learning effects of these two strategic orientation interactions are dissimilar. The paper concludes with a discussion of theoretical and practical implications of these findings.     

货币冲击与中国经济波动——基于DSGE模型的数量分析

基于1993~2008年的季度数据,本文在一个包含Calvo价格粘性的新凯恩斯主义模型中,讨论了中国货币冲击与经济增长的关系。在假定货币政策通过调整货币供给增长实施的前提下,本文根据模型模拟和实际数据的对比以及脉冲响应函数分析得出以下结论:(1)货币并非我国经济波动根源,实际产出对货币供给具有一定反馈作用。(2)通货膨胀的顺周期性和领先增长表明中国经济周期存在总需求拉动的特性。物价波动在中短期主要由货币供应量波动引起。(3)货币政策对实体经济有效但效果有限,货币供给变动对投资的作用效力更大,对消费需求刺激有限。