Mediation effect of TQM technical factors in excellence management systems

This study seeks to examine the relationship between TQM social and technical factors and their effects on organizational results, and takes the EFQM model as a reference. Moreover, through structural equation modeling (Partial Least Squares), the study hypothesizes and tests a mediation model between social factors, technical factors and overall results. The study uses a sample of 116 Spanish firms undergoing complete assessment processes according to RADAR logic. The results show that: (1) an open, flexible and continuous improvement oriented culture, a committed and involved leadership, and efficient management of human resources (TQM social factors) exert a direct and significant impact on the effectiveness of the quality system deployed (TQM technical factors) and on the results; (2) the management and improvement of processes, the alliances with suppliers and other partners, and the management of resources (TQM technical factors) also directly influence results; moreover, (3) this variable partially mediates the effect of social TQM practices on organizational results.     

高管团队人力资本与权力配置差异化程度的关系研究

本文在权力配置上采用权力配置差异化程度作为潜变量指标,提出假设,构建模型;通过对110个高管团队的实证调查,利用PLS结构方程模型,分析高管团队特征与权力配置差异化程度的关系、高管团队能力结构与权力配置差异化程度的关系、高管团队价值取向与权力配置差异化程度的关系。最终揭示出团队权力配置合理化,需要提高整个团队的人力资本含量,可以通过选拔更有经验的员工,有好的教育背景的员工,有较好的管理技能的员工作为高层管理团队的成员,以提高TMT能力结构。与此同时,通过培养TMT成员的责任感、诚信精神和协同合作精神来提高TMT能力结构,也是必不可少的。     

Forecast combination through dimension reduction techniques

This paper considers several methods of producing a single forecast from several individual ones. We compare “standard” but hard to beat combination schemes (such as the average of forecasts at each period, or consensus forecast and OLS-based combination schemes) with more sophisticated alternatives that involve dimension reduction techniques. Specifically, we consider principal components, dynamic factor models, partial least squares and sliced inverse regression.Our source of forecasts is the Survey of Professional Forecasters, which provides forecasts for the main US macroeconomic aggregates. The forecasting results show that partial least squares, principal component regression and factor analysis have similar performances (better than the usual benchmark models), but sliced inverse regression shows an extreme behavior (performs either very well or very poorly).     

开放经济条件下我国游资规模的测算研究

自2005年汇率改革以来,在人民币预期升值驱动下,国际游资大规模流入中国,对我国货币政策的独立性和实施效果产生了较大的冲击和影响。结合Auto-Regressive模型、PLS回归和GM(1,1)模型对2005~2009年的我国国际游资规模进行测算,结果表明,我国的国际游资主要是通过贸易顺差流入我国的,FDI中隐藏的国际游资相对要少很多。测算至2009年底,我国的国际游资规模已经达到了12623.31亿美元。     

Customer pressure and innovativeness: Their role in sustainable supply chain management

This work investigates how sustainable supply chain management develops within a company and evolves from internal to external practices. Specifically, the relationships among sustainable process management (internal practices), sustainable supply management (external practices), customer pressure and innovativeness are elaborated in a conceptual model, which is tested using a survey approach. Partial least squares (PLS) methodology is applied to data collected from a sample of 77 Italian manufacturing firms. Our results highlight that customer pressure and innovativeness positively and significantly affect SPM. We also observe that SPM fully mediates the relationships between such factors and SSM. Finally, innovativeness negatively and significantly moderates the effect customer pressure has on SPM. This study is relevant because it shows what driving and enabling factors influence the development of SSM, providing guidance for companies that wish to achieve further social and environmental improvements in their supply chains.     

Modeling Distribution Channel Dynamics of North American Cars in the Spanish Automobile Industry

Relations between manufacturers and distributors have been the center point of the distribution channel’s management. This study covers the effects of coercive, as well as non-coercive power on intermediary variables such as cooperation and conflict. It will also analyze the effects of cooperation and conflict on American car dealers’ satisfaction and performance in Spain. Due to the small sample size (46 dealers), the model based on causal modeling compelled us to use the optimization method based on the partial least squares (PLS) regression techniques coupled with a bootstrapping to enable some generalization of the results.

Covariance versus component-based estimations of performance in green supply chain management

In this paper, we investigate the relationships between environmental management (EM) and performance to verify: whether the implementation of an effective internal environmental is a firm’s precondition to belong to a green supply chain; which type of environmental practices (either internal or external) contribute the most to increasing a firm’s performances; and whether performing the environment translates into higher economic performance. We use structural equation modeling for testing our research hypotheses on a large sample of Italian firms, and estimate the structural paths between constructs by means of both covariance- and component-based approaches. The use of both estimation methods allows us contributing to the recent debate about the specification of the “performance” construct as an emerging rather than as a latent variable, and then using formative rather than reflective indicators. Formative indicators are used whenever a construct does not exist without its measures, any change in one of the indicators causes a change in the construct, and the measures are ingredients of the construct rather than being caused by it. For instance, economic performance is an emerging construct since economic measures (e.g., profits and market share) contribute to forming the construct rather than reflecting the behavior of the latent variable. We show that the correct model specification changes the estimates of the path coefficients and leads to research findings aligned to the literature. Our results indicate that being green internally is a prerequisite for collaboration into a green supply chain, internal EM contributes to increasing performance more than external EM, while performing the environment does not lead to a higher economic performance.     

基于PLS方法的不同企业群体技术创新活动效应分析

文章在偏最小二乘法(PLS)的基础上,以国有控股公司和三资企业两种不同的企业群体中科技活动的资本,人力和组织投入等科研资源为指标,对中国创新活动中创新能力及创新投入产出进行量化分析。研究结果显示:人力和资金的投入对企业创新产出的影响更为强烈,而科技机构的数量对创新产出的作用不明显。而对不同的企业类型,技术创新活动的侧重要有所区别,对于国有控股的企业而言科技活动人员的投入对创新产出的作用更明显,而对于三资企业来说科技活动经费投入更有意义。     

中美贸易摩擦对中国金融安全的影响路径研究——基于PLS模型的验证

基于第四代金融危机理论、金融脆弱理论和经济与金融关系理论提出贸易摩擦对中国金融安全影响的作用路径,采用偏最小二乘路径分析法,分别构建简单路径模型和复合路径模型。结果显示,研究期复合路径模型更合理,贸易摩擦直接负面影响对中国的金融安全影响效果是显著的,并且贸易摩擦直接负面影响可通过对市场情绪产生积极引导,进而正向影响中国金融安全;而贸易摩擦直接负面影响指标通过中国经济基本面的途径影响中国金融安全的结果则不显著。据此,为了增强金融安全重要影响因素和降低市场情绪,提出以下建议:稳定利率,平衡汇率与债市;结构性调整外贸企业杠杆率,增加直接融资;培育股票市场机构投资者,增强专业性;维持较高外汇储备,应对不确定性风险;中国人民银行继续动用逆周期因子。     

物流企业顾客满意度指数测评

本文根据美国顾客满意度指数模型（ACSI）,在对物流业和物流服务的特征进行分析的基础上,建立起了物流企业顾客满意度指数测评指标体系.并采用偏最小二乘法（PLS）对模型进行参数估计,构筑物流企业顾客满意度指数测评模型,实现了对物流企业顾客满意度指数测评的研究.