Public–private partnerships for nature-based tourist attractions: the failure of Seal Rocks

In 1998, the Seal Rocks Sea Life Centre opened on Phillip Island, Australia. It was a public–private partnership, with a privately funded tourist attraction built on a government-owned protected area. Almost immediately it was beset by problems and court action found in favour of the private developer, who was awarded $A37 million in damages, with ownership of the centre returning to the state. This article fills a gap in the literature examining public–private partnerships by considering this failed venture. It is a qualitative case study, analysing the 2003 appeal court judgement in the case and newspaper accounts from 1995 to 2004. Our findings highlight that deficiencies with the drafting of commercial contracts for public–private partnerships may limit the environmental and economic benefits that are being sought by governments through these arrangements. In this case, the application of a “best efforts” clause was critical, as it required that priority was given to the commercial success of the project over environmental and planning concerns. Furthermore, the development was a centralised decision made by the state government, affording very little input from local parks management and community stakeholders. Such a court finding has important ramifications for future developments of partnership agreements in nature-based tourism.     

PPP的认识误区与公共服务改革

通过查阅大量国外文献,试图厘清公私合作(PPP)的家族谱系,纠正对PPP、BOT、PFI等融资模式的误解。通过论述政府采购的特征,阐明PPP不是政府投资而是政府公共服务采购。根据我国PPP的发展阶段以及政府在各类PPP模式中发挥的作用,提出公共服务改革的10项建议。     

基于延伸售后保证的第三方物流运作模式

提出将延伸售后服务保证外包于第三方物流,并构建了最优化模型。发现:在延伸售后服务市场中,应根据消费者价值采取不同的延伸售后保证策略;对制造商和第三方物流服务提供商的成本进行对比的结果表明,将延伸售后保证服务外包给第三方物流服务提供商可有效降低制造商的成本,同时可增强第三方物流服务提供商的综合竞争能力。最后探讨了延伸售后保证外包于第三方物流服务提供商的运作模式。     

民营企业融资难的原因剖析——以台州为例

民营企业在我国国民经济和社会发展中有着及其重要的地位,台州是中国股份合作企业的发源地,民营企业是台州经济发展的重要基础,由于金融体制滞后等多种因素,台州民营企业融资相当困难,融资难已严重影响台州经济的发展,本文从多次调查研究的基础上总结出台州民营企业融资难的原因,以期供相关部门在解决融资问题时参考,同时对分析我国同类地区民营企业融资难时有所帮助。     

Institutional Pressures and an Evolving Forest Carbon Market

It is estimated that 87 million acres of forestland in the United States (US) is managed by private industrial forestland owners (nearly 14% of the forestland nationwide). Private industrial forestland owners include forest product companies, Timber Investment Management Organizations (TIMOs) and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Current regulatory and voluntary carbon markets, as well as proposed national emission reduction legislation, in the US make provisions for substantial carbon offsets from domestic forestry projects. This research employs the theory of planned behavior by means of an online questionnaire in order to survey large industrial forestland owners (>30 000 acres) regarding intentions to manage forestland for carbon sequestration and trading. Quantitative results suggest that very few organizations (18%) were managing forestland for carbon values. Attitudes towards carbon sequestration and trading were significantly influenced by the managers' beliefs that emission reduction legislation would become law and that US forest carbon offsets can be used as a legitimate climate change mitigation tool. Qualitative results revealed that most organizations are taking a passive approach to carbon sequestration and trading until a suitable regulatory framework emerges and carbon prices provide the conditions for a sound investment. The researchers suggest that, given the size and scope of the climate change phenomenon as well as the multifaceted and unified mitigation strategy required to address it, the development of functional carbon markets will be an iterative process and may require a global carbon framework that reflects the globalized nature of the forest economy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

The phoneless in the broadband age: A pilot study in Massachusetts

Questions about universal service continue to evolve as information and communication technology advances, bringing new platforms, services, and business models. Concerns about exclusion remain, particularly in times of transition to new technologies and platforms. While the universal service literature is rich in econometric studies that indicate the drivers of household telephone penetration, without qualitative data directly from those households that experience phonelessness, we cannot understand the causes well enough to design effective policy. This research explores why people are phoneless in the current environment of increased platform and business model choices. Particular focus is placed on understanding the relationship between new technology, platforms and business models and phonelessness. Data is obtained from surveys completed by approximately 100 individuals in Massachusetts who are currently without any voice connection, either landline or mobile, or have been sometime in the past ten years. The survey includes questions about different platforms and communication services in order to learn how they have led to phonelessness. The results of the pilot study show that the vast majority of phoneless households do not choose to be phoneless. The study also shows that the most frequent causes of phonelessness in this population are unemployment and unpredictable bills. Many instances of unpredictable bills leading to phonelessness occur with wireless service or bundled services but are the result of business models for service provision rather than the platforms themselves. Prepaid wireless service is a market-based solution that helps households prevent phonelessness by reducing unpredictability. Universal service policy for voice and broadband can better reduce exclusion with greater attention to business models and practices versus technologies and platforms, and increased emphasis on prepaid service to reduce unpredictability.     

我国商业银行理财业务发展中的问题及其化解

近年来，我国理财业务发展迅猛，但由于受金融分业经营的限制以及会计核算滞后，高素质专业人才缺乏，产品细分不到位等因素影响，其发展中又存在着诸多问题。解决我国理财业务发展中的这些问题，必须借鉴国外理财产品市场的发展经验，采取科学有效的措施，包括打破金融市场的分业经营限制，构建理财市场监管体系，扩大理财业务的跨行业合作，注重专业理财人员的培养，改进理财产品的服务与营销理念，开拓立体化的理财产品营销渠道等，从而实现我国理财业务的健康、可持续发展。     

Types of Word-of-Mouth Messages: Information Search and Credence-Based Services

Word-of-mouth communication (WOMC) has been recognized as a powerful marketing communication medium and a credible information-gathering tool. To date, the various types of WOM messages have not been adequately studied, especially in credence-based services (CBS). Using the individual interview technique, this study fills this gap by describing the three types of WOMC messages in CBS information-gathering. The results contribute to the ongoing development of WOMC theory and also advance management's understandings of the types of WOMC messages in the CBS information-gathering process.     

Community health service centers in China, not always trusted by the populations they serve?

Based on the idea that healthcare needs to be managed by individuals and that basic health services should be provided by the community, this paper examines the factors that impact urban outpatients' preferences for particular community health service centers (CHSCs) and hospitals. Rational consumption of healthcare is influenced by a patient's beliefs, beyond simple demographics and social structure. Ignorance of basic health issues leads to non-rational patient behavior, which also explains the confusion in Chinese health reform regarding people's mistrust of CHSCs. Health education in the form of self-managed care may increase personal health knowledge and encourage individuals to make use of the basic health services that are supplied by CHSCs.     

银客纠纷的对策、思考与建议

银行是面向社会大众的金融服务机构,在提供服务的过程当中,因银行与客户各自之间的信息掌握、产品使用、理解能力、文化背景、风俗习惯等的不同与偏差,银行与客户免不了会产生各种各样的摩擦与纠纷。文章从银行基层的角度出发,通过案例剖析方式,试图探索一条处理银行与客户纠纷的方式。