International Comparisons of Australia's Infrastructure Performance

International benchmarking has played a key role in the reform of Australia's infrastructure industries by promoting indirect or yardstick competition, in highlighting the need for further reform and building a consensus for implementing necessary changes. The international benchmarking of infrastructure performance by the Bureau of Industry Economics (BIE) between 1991 and 1996 did much to focus attention on the need for change. The BIE examined the performance of eight infrastructure industries relative to international best practice: electricity, rail freight, telecommunications, the waterfront, road freight, coastal shipping, aviation and gas supply. Performance comparisons concentrated on indicators of price, service quality, labour productivity and capital productivity. This paper reviews and summarises the performance comparisons the BIE undertook over the last three years of its infrastructure benchmarking program. The BIE international benchmarking program provides a useful role model for other countries wanting to seriously pursue reform of their infrastructure industries.     

Rural Women＇ s Talents and Scientific Development of the Rural Economic

农村妇女实用人才资源的开发,是一项重要的社会系统工程。目前我国人才资源尚未完全开发、潜力仍然很大,尤其是目前农村劳动力的主力军是妇女,关注妇女实用人才的发展对农村经济的科学发展至关重要。以农村妇女为切入点,分析了农村妇女实用人才开发的现状及存在的问题,并就如何开发农村妇女人才资源提出相应的对策及建议。     

Consumption and communication perspectives of IT in a developing economy

Technological innovations are important sources of competitive advantage when there is a balanced rate of adoption that helps organisations maintain or improve performance levels. This paper synthesises and builds on efforts to conceptualise the adoption and implementation of technologically induced customer services in developing countries. Its point of departure is recent advances in computer-mediated marketing environments (CMMEs). It assesses relationships between customer services and evolving technologies in the provision of services in the banking sector. Using phenomenological hermeneutics and a case study approach, we iteratively engaged with data that emerged to identify core values and community-based values. These facets were further developed into seven main issues (core values: quality, education and reach, and community-based values: efficiency, usability, control and security). The paper offers practical steps by which companies and institutions may counter these issues and the theoretical implications for wider considerations are discussed.     

推行党员发展量化考核 着力提升党员素质——以川北医学院临床医学系为例

在大学生中积极培养和发展新党员是高校党建工作的重要内容,对我们党、国家和民族具有重大的战略意义。因此,结合现实党建实践,分析了当前大学生党员发展中存在的问题,努力探索构建一套科学、完善、实用的党员发展量化考核机制,着力提升党员素质。     

The Needham puzzle,the Weber question,and China's miracle: Long-term performance since the Sung dynasty

This paper attempts a brief overview of China's economic performance since the Sung dynasty. It discusses Chinese long economic stagnation since the Sung dynasty and explores the reasons why it was quickly lagging behind western countries from the 1800s. It explains why the industrialization and modernization led by Chinese government from 1949 to 1978 failed in narrowing the gap between China and the developed countries. It examines Chinese rapid economic growth during its reform and opening up period.     

Saltatory Ontogeny and the Life-History Model: Neglected Processes and Patterns of Evolution

A single cell – an egg – cannot be in the same stabilized state as a differentiated multicellular embryo or reproducing adult. The entire ontogeny must, therefore, consist of a sequence of stabilized states. Ontogeny of a phenotype cannot progress gradually but is a saltatory homeorhetic system, proceeding via natural thresholds from one self organized state to the next, hierarchically ever more complex and specialized. The natural boundaries of ontogeny – the far-from-stabilized thresholds – represent also states when changes can be easiest inserted or induced, and especially in the early ontogeny, from the intervals where evolution (change) can occur. As a result, ontogeny can also be divided into distinct life-history intervals called periods, be it embryo, larva (infant, pup), juvenile, adult and senescence, each divided in turn into phases, and each of these into natural steps. It is left to the imagination of scholars in social sciences to find parallels of saltation in economics and history.     

Determinants of Monitoring Capabilities in International Franchising: Foodservice Firms within East Asia

This paper undertakes an exploratory study on determining capabilities of international franchising within East Asia. There is a need to develop a deeper understanding in franchising within East Asia as much of the franchising literature is based on the U.S. experience. Findings from this paper indicate that international franchisors use a combination of mechanisms to prevent franchisee opportunism in East Asia. They include ex-ante bonds, performance schedules and formal controls in brand management. However, the effectiveness of these mechanisms depend on the capabilities of the franchisor to negotiate a high initial franchise fee, select the right franchisee and make adaptation but still maintain brand integrity.     

铁路个性化货运产品的设计分析与实现方案研究

随着市场经济和铁路运输业的快速发展,个性化运输需求和铁路自身的发展要求推动着产品战略的转型。本文从铁路货运产品的特征入手,讨论了个性化产品设计的基本原则,提出了一种结构体系,并结合铁路生产实践给出了实现方案。     

基于VAR横型对城镇化、工业化与金融发展变迁的实证分析——广饶案例

工业化、城镇化是我囝经济发展的两大引擎,金融是现代经济的核心,三者之间是相互联系的。本文以广饶县为案例,基于VAR模型对三者之间的因果关系进行实证分析。通过广饶县工业化、城镇化和金融发展的历程比较发现,金融发展对工业化、城镇化起到了积极助推作用,工业发展到一定阶段义进一步促进了金融发展。     

企业战略中经济利益与环境利益的博弈研究

经济与环境之间博弈一直是人们争论的焦点。根据争议的内容使用分类框架将相关文献分为4类加以分析研究,针对目前研究缺少实践指导的情况,提出基于价值分析的前瞻性环保投资决策方式,使用项目对价值的冲击和资源投入的灵活性两个指标来对前瞻性环保项目可行性进行判断,旨在通过为企业提供可操作性的投资指导,引导企业走适应自身特色的可持续发展之路。