Collaborative cost-cutting: productive efficiency as an interdependency between public organizations

Collaboration between public sector organizations is typically understood as a response to complexity. Agencies collaborate in order to address complex, cross-cutting policy needs that cannot be met individually. However, when organizational size is a constraining factor in public service efficiency, collaboration can also reduce costs by capturing scale economies unavailable to organizations of sub-optimal size. Using organization theory, the article conceptualizes these two different triggers for public sector collaboration, and builds a framework for tracing their wider impact upon the formation, operation, and outcome of inter-agency partnerships. The framework is illustrated, and its implications for future research are explored.     

The relationship between national culture and the use of professional services: Evidence from two cross-country studies

Each year, clients spend large sums on professional services, such as accounting services, legal services and consulting services. While research has found significant cross-country differences in organizations’ spending on professional services, we do not know why they occur. Inspired by the organizational buying behavior literature, this paper investigates the influence of national culture on the use of professional services, particularly management consulting services. As the use of professional services involves considerable uncertainties—particularly for the buyer—it can be assumed to be influenced by cultural differences regarding the level of Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism and Masculinity. By drawing on two independent cross-country studies, we show that organizations in high uncertainty avoidance and individualistic cultures use professional services less than organizations in low uncertainty avoidance and collectivist cultures. We found no relationship between Hofstede's dimension of Masculinity and the use of professional services. The findings contribute to the theorizing on how the cultural context influences organizational buying behavior and the purchasing of professional services.     

Altruism and the Economic Values of Environmental and Social Policies

Altruism is a type of non-use value which can have different definitions depending on the type of goods entering the utility function of the altruists and their expectations about the contributions of others. The purpose of this paper is to measure the trade-offs between different types of altruist values originating from social and environmental policies. Environmental policies are concerned with reducing health effects from a power plant while social policies involve both the attainment of public facilities for education and leisure and an increase in the income of the affected population. The empirical application utilizes a choice experiment technique which allows for valuation of multiple goods. Health effects are decomposed into the values of the risk of becoming ill, the duration of the episodes and the limitations imposed by illness. Altruist values are elicited from a population that is not affected by pollution. Results show that altruism is significant for policies directed to reducing health effects and improving the income level of the affected population, whereas there is egoism for a policy aimed at improving public facilities in the polluted suburb. The value of altruism is significantly influenced by the expectations of net benefits to be received by the affected population.     

生产性服务业对制造业就业的影响研究——以上海为例

文章基于上海制造业27个细分行业1997-2009年的面板数据,就生产性服务业对上海制造业就业的影响进行了实证研究.结果显示,整体而言,生产性服务业对上海制造业就业具有显著的积极影响.但是,生产性服务业对上海制造业就业的影响程度与制造业和生产性服务业的异质性相联系.具体而言,信息传输、计算机服务和软件业对三种要素密集型行业就业的提升都有显著影响;科学研究技术服务业的发展对资本和技术密集型行业的影响有积极作用,但对于劳动密集型行业的影响则不明显;而交通运输仓储争邮政业、金融业和房地产业对三种要素密集型制造业就业影响的替代效应高于促进效应.最后,指出了发展现代生产性服务业对上海制造业就业提升的重要意义和相关政策建议.     

新时期高职院校图书馆如何为教学科研服务

文章首先阐述了高职院校图书馆信息服务的现状,在此基础上提出了图书馆为教学科研服务的举措.     

区域生产性服务业梯度与协作发展研究——以京津冀经济圈为例

生产性服务业是作为其它产品生产的中间投入的服务业。梯度反映的是地区间产业发展水平的差别。京津冀生产性服务业各行业的梯度特征可以从增加值梯度、就业梯度和劳动生产率梯度等三个方面进行分析。基于梯度特征,进一步完善京津冀生产性服务业协作的对策措施包括建立政府性协调组织、发挥非政府组织的积极作用、促进三次产业互动协调发展、推进知识密集型服务业的产业扩散、培育区域性大型服务业企业集团、加快中小企业网络化服务体系建设。     

影响我国服务贸易出口的可量化因素分析

文章简要回顾了中国服务贸易出口现状,并对影响服务贸易出口的可量化因素进行了分析。根据1990—2004年中国服务贸易出口及其可量化因素的时间序列数据做出的多元线性回归模型,印证了人均国内生产总值、世界GDP增长率、服务业占GDP的比重、货物贸易出口额等因素对我国服务贸易出口的影响,文章最后还就增加我国服务贸易的出口提出了几点建议。     

试论第三方物流企业仓储增值服务

仓储增值服务是物流增值服务中的一种,开展仓储增值服务将提高第三方物流企业的竞争力。近几年国内有些学者、企业家开始认识到物流企业开展仓储增值服务的巨大意义,并注重这方面的研究和开展。我国第三方物流企业可开展的仓储增值服务模式有简单加工、包装、组装、维修服务、质押融资、现货市场、报关服务、二手货架赊销等。     

生产服务业发展与制造业竞争力的关系

以珠三角9城市2000年～2010年的面板数据研究生产服务业发展与制造业竞争力的关系,结果表明:发展生产服务业对珠三角制造业的竞争力提升具有积极的促进作用,交通运输仓储邮政业、金融业、房地产业、批发零售业以及科学研究技术服务地质勘查业与制造业效率的提高均具有正相关关系。因而这些城市应发挥各自的区位优势,大力发展具有比较优势的生产服务业。     

我国公共卫生投入方式的转变

通过对公共卫生投入现状和问题的考察,发现存在投入主体单一、投入总量不足、投入结构不合理、投入效果不明显等问题,提出了应由政府单一投入向市场政府多元化投入转变,由以地方为主投入向中央地方共担投入转变,由维持运营投入向扩大服务投入转变等结论,顺应公共卫生投入由行政管理式向市场服务式投入的转变趋势。