Home country uncertainty and the internationalization-performance relationship: Building an uncertainty management capability

We analyze the impact of home country uncertainty on the internationalization-performance relationship of emerging market firms. Building on organizational learning theory and the institutional approach, we argue that internationalization has a positive impact on the performance of emerging market firms, and that this relationship is strengthened for firms based in emerging countries with higher corruption and political risk. The reason is that by being exposed to high levels of home country uncertainty in the form of political risk and corruption, firms develop an uncertainty management capability at home that helps them face the challenges of internationalization better. We also propose that this uncertainty management capability helps emerging market firms perform better outside of their home region. We test our arguments on a sample of 536 firms from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru.     

The influence of proximity to market on bean producer prices in Nicaragua

Transport costs are an important determinant of smallholder welfare in developing countries. In particular, transport costs influence the prices that smallholders receive for their produce. We propose a simple way of quantifying this influence. Taking the example of bean producers in Nicaragua, we employ a hedonic price model to estimate the effects of a smallholder's proximity to markets on the prices that he/she receives, while controlling for other factors such as the volume and quality of beans sold. We find that on average each additional minute of travel time reduces farm gate prices by 2.5 cents per quintal. Based on these results, the annual income from bean sales of the average smallholder in our sample would increase by between 24 and 110 USD if travel time to markets were reduced by 25%. Estimates of this nature can make an important contribution to cost–benefit assessments of infrastructure investments.     

Reterritorialization practices and strategies of campesinos in the urban frontier of Bogotá, Colombia

Much of the research on urbanization has focused on how rural populations move to cities for work opportunities. This paper takes a different perspective on the relations between rural populations and urbanization. The livelihoods of rural dwellers on the outskirts of the city of Bogotá in Colombia are increasingly affected by the expansion of urban activities and infrastructure. Therefore, urbanization takes place in the areas of residence of the rural populations; these people do not migrate to the city but, rather, the city migrates to them. Consequently, rural ways of life face growing competition from the production of commodities and services on the urban-rural fringe, including quarrying and landfills serving the needs of industries and urban populations. We explore how rural populations and their livelihoods have transformed as a response to these urban dynamics and the expansion of the city. We focus on the strategies that the rural populations employ to deal with the physical and socio-ecological impacts of this change. The defense of peri-urban livelihoods through these strategies is simultaneously social and spatial and has been partially successful. However, increasing social and environmental inequality, including worsening access to land, water and vital ecological functions, tends to lead to a general reduction in the quality of life in the urban frontier.     

留美知识分子与20世纪30年代的中国乡村建设——以晏阳初在河北定县的实验为例

20世纪30年代,在河北定县的乡村建设中,以晏阳初为代表的留美知识分子,以其特有的知识结构和思维方式,为探寻中国乡村现代化的独特发展之路做出了重要贡献。这是一次将西方的科学知识同中国乡村实际相结合的实验,并在一定程度上促进了中美文化的交流。     

中美核桃发展历程及产业政策对比研究

文章从美国核桃资源及其发展进程、中美两国核桃产业和市场现状对比、美国核桃相关科学研究与产业发展政策等角度进行分析,找出值得我国学习和借鉴之处,旨在促进我国核桃产业的健康发展。提出相关政策建议。     

The concise economic history of Portugal – a comprehensive guide

Most research on British business in Latin America has concentrated on the free-standing companies, such as the railways, which characterised British investment before 1914. Apart from Royal Dutch Shell, the most important new British investments thereafter were manufacturing companies, which steadily increased their presence in the region. Some began to arrive before 1914, but several more made significant investments between the wars, especially in Argentina and Brazil, with a further wave of new investment after 1945. This paper utilises corporate archives, as well as those of the British government and Bank of England, to investigate the financial aspects of their growth. While the provision of finance for fixed investments and working capital was relatively straightforward before World War II, thereafter it became more difficult due to government regulation on both sides of the Atlantic, leading to ingenious solutions to overcome financial challenges.     

美国品格教育研究综述

品格教育是美国重要的道德教育理论,目前我国国内对美国品格教育的研究已取得了一定的成就,内容涉及美国品格教育的现状及历史发展进程、理论探究、实践、启示及评价等方面,但仍存在一定的问题,如文献数量不足、存在研究薄弱区和研究方法有待丰富等问题。     

美国创新型科技人才管理实践及其对中国的启示

全球经济与科技的一体化发展,促使创新型科技人才成为世界各国争夺的最宝贵的人力资源。正是由于美国实施创新型科技人才扶持政策、重视创新型科技人才的培育、多方引进创新型科技人才、投入巨额的科技研发经费、灵活多样的人才管理模式,才拥有世界领先的科技优势。美国在创新型人才管理方面的成功实践,对于中国加强创新型科技人才队伍建设具有十分重要的借鉴意义。     

从高低语境文化交际理论看中美交际模式差异

交际与文化之间关系紧密.交际行为是文化和社会行为,它必然发生在社会之中,并受社会中众多因素的影响和制约.霍尔提出的高低语境文化对研究交际有着重要的指导意义.中国和美国由于所处的语境不同,从而造成了交际模式上的差异.     

我国对美国白羽肉鸡产品反补贴案上游补贴规则的运用与述评

通过对美国肉鸡产品反补贴案法律规则适用情况的分析,发现这是我国商务部借鉴美国上游补贴规则的理论和实践,首次运用上游补贴规则进行补贴利益传递分析并做出肯定性裁决的案件。尽管在我国法律法规没有明文规定上游补贴规则的情况下,我国商务部的这种做法可能存在重大的法律瑕疵,但也表明了我国亟需制定上游补贴规则的紧迫现实。为此,现阶段我国的上游补贴立法和实践应注意投入产品所接受补贴的性质、上游补贴的保护对象、上游补贴的地域性限制及审慎适用等问题。