Race to burn the last ton of carbon and the risk of stranded assets

A cap on global warming implies a tighter carbon budget which can be enforced with a credible second-best renewable energy subsidy designed to lock up fossil fuel and curb cumulative emissions. Such a subsidy brings forward the end of the fossil fuel era but accelerates fossil fuel extraction and global warming in the short run. A weaker fossil fuel oligopoly implies that anticipation of a given global carbon budget induces fossil producers to deplete reserves more voraciously and accelerate global warming. This race to burn the last ton of carbon is more intensive for the feedback than open-loop Nash equilibrium, so that the Green Paradox effect of a renewable energy subsidy is stronger. There is an intermediate phase of limit pricing to keep renewable energy producers at bay, which becomes much more relevant when a cap on global warming is enforced. A stronger fossil fuel oligopoly lengthens the period of limit pricing and typically brings forward the carbon-free era. Finally, the mere risk of a cap on global warming being enforced at some unknown, future date makes fossil fuel extraction more voracious and accelerates global warming.     

Cultural Paradox in Advertising: Evidence from Finland

This study examines whether the use of appeals in advertisements can be attributed to cultural practices or values. A convenience sample and a survey method were used to collect data from professionals and students living in Finland. Results show that in Finland cultural practices are more hierarchical and masculine than Hofstede's cultural values. Furthermore, advertisers use significantly more high power distance and masculinity appeals than low power distance and feminine appeals. These frequently used appeals are associated with cultural practices rather than cultural values. These findings suggest that due to the value paradox, cultural practices explain the reflection of culture in advertising.     

Resource misallocation,production efficiency and outward foreign direct investment decisions of Chinese enterprises

Resource misallocation, as an essential characteristic of China’s “progressive reform,” has become a significant factor restricting high-quality outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). Using the Database of Chinese Industrial Enterprises (2009–2013), this paper empirically analyzes the impact of resource misallocation on OFDI and its heterogeneous characteristics via the Heckman two-stage selection model. This study finds that total factor productivity has a positive influence on expanding investment quantity. In addition, from the perspective of resource misallocation, factor price distortion inhibits the role of productivity in increasing investment propensity. A mechanism analysis indicates that there is no “productivity paradox” in the decision-making process of OFDI in China as a whole; but there may be an investment productivity paradox in foreign-funded enterprises, enterprises in coastal areas, and large-scale enterprises. After controlling for factor price distortions, the productivity paradox disappears. Thus, total factor productivity (TFP) becomes an important factor in promoting OFDI propensity of overseas-funded enterprises, enterprises in coastal areas and large-scale enterprises.     

Professor Ronald W. Jones and his influence on Asia Pacific economics

Professor Ronald W. Jones is one of the greatest general equilibrium theorists, who has illustrated the economic force underlying a general equilibrium adjustment in a very elegant manner. With his friendly personality, at the same time, he has made an enormous contribution to Asian Pacific economic research and the formation of a strong network of economists in our region. This essay intends to explain what I think of as the essence of his economics and his contributions to Asia Pacific economics.     

从抽象和具体的辩证法中理解社会必要劳动时间

社会必要劳动时间是马克思劳动价值论的一个重要概念,但很多人认为第二种含义的社会必要劳动时间导致了马克思理论体系的逻辑矛盾,我们之所以从抽象和具体的辩证法中去理解社会必要劳动时间,其目的就是为了更好的去解释和解决这一逻辑矛盾。     

中国企业出口与生产率关系实证研究

运用2005—2008年中国14个制造业企业面板数据,分析企业出口的自我选择效应和出口中学效应,结果表明：中国制造业企业出口与生产率的关系违背异质性企业贸易模型,自我选择效应不显著,并且存在“生产率悖论”;出口中学效应也不显著。虽然出口企业的生产率与出口规模正相关,但在控制其他影响出口规模的变量后,生产率与出口规模则呈现负相关;在控制其他影响生产率的变量后,出口规模与生产率同样也会呈现负相关。中国企业出口的自我选择效应不显著的原因在于其加工贸易等现实条件与经典理论假设的背离;而中国企业出口中学效应不明显的重要原因则在于其自我选择效应的不显著和规模报酬递减。     

政府高储蓄对宏观经济的负面影响——基于“政府储蓄悖论”的解释

作为政府宏观经济管理的中介指标,政府储蓄对于经济稳定增长至关重要。但是,当政府的高储蓄没有真正发挥其作用时,就导致“政府储蓄悖论”现象的发生。负面影响具体表现为,在政府储蓄中的政府用于投资支出部分给经济带来结构调整的风险,在政府储蓄中的政府金融资产部分在经济上使政府资产表现出不确定性风险。     

中国出口企业“生产率悖论”存在性检验——来自2005～2008年中国制造业企业的证据

在异质性企业贸易理论提出后,对中国企业生产率的计算认为中国存在出口企业的生产率悖论,即出口企业的生产率比非出口企业的生产率要低。但是测算只是运用了求企业生产率的平均值的方法,这不能反映出口企业与非出口企业的生产率整体状况。文章使用2005～2008年中国制造业企业数据,运用总量法和均值法分行业、分地区计算并比较出口企业与非出口企业的生产率,从而检验中国出口企业生产率悖论的存在性。最后实证检验生产率与企业出口规模的相关性,结论显示生产率与企业出口是负相关的,这也是一种检验生产率悖论存在性的方法。     

国际定价权视角下的中国稀土产业发展研究

作为稀土这一战略性资源的主要供给者和需求者,中国却缺乏稀土的国际定价权.从国际定价权的涵义与决定机制出发,本文指出了中国"稀土悖论"现象背后的根本问题:产业链后端研发能力欠缺、资源开发过度、产业集中度偏低、行业协会发展缓慢、期货市场跟进不足、信息共享平台缺失等,针对中国稀土现存问题的解决和稀土国际定价体系的重构提出了相应的政策建议.     

The Strategic Management of Trade Secrets in Technology-based Firms

The importance of trade secrets to the effective strategic management of technology-based firms can make the difference between economic success and failure for significant new product lines, or even the firm itself. This article proposes the conceptual outlines of a framework addressing the strategic management of trade secrets. The author identifies three environments that strongly influence strategy formulation (legal and market) and strategy implementation (organizational). A conceptual framework for trade secret strategy formulation is developed, offering a logical approach to reaching a managerial choice of trade secrecy over other forms of intellectual property protection. Discussion of trade secret strategy implementation invokes an emphasis on managerial control structures and mechanisms, focusing on the use of the trade secret audit, the identification of components of an implementation strategy (e.g., employee education, controlling physical and electronic access, and monitoring competitors), and an ever vigilant defense of trade secret protection pursued in the courts.