Complexity and the limits to learning

In this paper we look at the manner in which ideas coming from complexity science change our understanding of the cognitive powers of agents that is really necessary to explain the evolution of markets and of firms. The general ideas behind complex systems dynamics and evolution are presented and then two examples are treated in detail. The first in an evolutionary model of a market in which some new product is developed by competing firms and their “task” is to find a strategy in terms of quality and price that will be sustainable. This essentially requires agents/firms to discover mutually compatible strategies, and to create thereby sustainable market niches. The second example considers the internal structure of firms, in terms of their constituent working practices and skills. It demonstrates that it is precisely their ignorance of the consequences of adopting any particular practice that generates diversity in the emergent capabilities of firms, exploring the dimension of potential demand and therefore leading to a successful and sustainable business sector. The work supports the notion that the cognitive abilities that are involved are not about deduction and logic, as a traditional view of rationality might suggest, but are about the development and contraction of interpretive frameworks, which will be different for each player. The paper links these examples to a general recognition of the idea that complex, multi-agent systems evolve through successive “structural attractors”—multi-dimensional dynamical systems—with temporary structural stability. Because real systems contain both the structure and deviations from it, then there is a constant probing of structural stability and the possibility of qualitative change to a new structural attractor. This resembles the ideas in biological evolution related to “punctuated equilibria,” but it also links this to the idea of emergent and evolving networks of interaction, never of course near thermodynamic equilibrium.      

建设城市森林需警惕生物入侵

在城市森林建设过程中,为了丰富城市的生物多样性,必然会大力引进外来植物,但引种可能会引起外来生物入侵.从生物入侵的含义、危害及其特征的分析入手,着重探讨了城市森林建设过程中面临的生物入侵问题,提出了防止生物入侵的一些有效措施.     

我国农业的制度变迁与技术变化

通过分析新中国成立以来农业土地制度,经营制度,组织制度变化对农业技术变化的影响,研究了农业制度变迁与技术变化的相互关系,认定制度变迁与技术变化以促进经济增长具有重要变化。     

河南省国内旅游客源市场时空结构分析

国内旅游已经成为我国越来越多居民生活方式的选择。通过相关资料,分析了近10年来河南省国内旅游客源市场时空结构特征。结果表明,近10年来河南省国内旅游客源增长速度较快,总量较大,国内游客分布存在地域不平衡的现象,但这种差异在逐渐较小;河南省省内游客流量一直大于省外游客流量;河南省国内游客主要流向旅游经济发展比较好的地市和经济比较发达的地区以及河南周边地区如陕西、湖北和经济发达地区如江浙、广东等地。     

非均匀生物介质中太赫兹光波传播特性的研究

为进一步了解太赫兹光波与生物介质的相互作用机理,采用蒙特卡罗法(MCM)对太赫兹光波在非均匀生物介质中的传播进行模拟计算,得到了太赫兹光波在非均匀生物介质表面的漫反射光强分布曲线.数据显示了漫反射光强分布与生物介质中异物的大小(R)及位置(D)的关系.     

The Bioeconomics of Cooperation

When transactions and information are costly and exchange is non-simultaneous, ‘institutions matter’. They matter because exchange under these circumstances subjects the participants to potentially harmful behaviors by other participants, among which are: opportunistic behavior, agency, the free-rider problem, cheating, moral hazard, and adverse selection. Institutions constrain these behaviors, allowing the participants to take advantage of the gains from trade and specialization, and thereby facilitating cooperation. Individuals adhere to institutional rules because they gain by doing so. Because the individual gains are inseparable from the structure of the institutions, the institutions themselves necessarily become the focus of the analysis—as we see in the new institutional economics (NIE). The new group selection position in biology involves a similar shift in focus from the level of the individual to the group when studying the evolution of altruism. But some of the proponents of group selection go further, arguing that altruism in biology evolves because it is in the interest of the group, but not the individual. In fact, group level analysis is necessary in biology, as in the NIE, because it allows for the discovery of ‘institutions’ that constrain cheating, opportunistic behavior, etc., thereby making participation in the group in the long-run self-interest of the individual. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

战略联盟到战略网络的演化分析

随着市场竞争的日趋激烈,战略联盟已经成为企业间合作的主要形式。然而,任何一种组织为了生存和发展必须不断适应环境的改变,因此,战略联盟的演化逐渐成为研究的焦点。文章通过战略联盟与战略网络的比较,基于企业熵理论,分析战略联盟向战略网络演化的途径,找到战略联盟向战略网络演化的关键点——核心企业的形成。     

义乌城市生态系统景观结构演变

利用1996、19992、0022、005年的义乌市遥感资料,对城市环线内的城市生态系统景观进行分类,用景观指数和转移矩阵分析法,在更宏观层次上分析了人类活动对城市生态系统景观格局的影响。结果表明,1996—2005年研究区自然景观减少了145.58hm2,年变化率2.05%,占研究区的百分比从8.95%下降到7.30%;半自然半人工景观减少了3 545.32hm2,变化量超过了1996年一半,年变化率6.17%,占研究区的百分比从72.33%下降到32.17%;人工景观增加了3 690.89hm2,年变化率24.82%,占研究区的百分比从18.72%上升到60.53%。研究区的城市生态系统景观演化就是自然景观和半自然半人工景观的“城市化”。     

企业生态群落和“大”动态能力战略观

战略管理的核心作用是把环境的机会和企业的力量相匹配，同时保护企业的弱点使之不受环境的威胁。目前的企业能力理论过多地把其战略目光放在了企业内部。然而，竞争日益全球化的今天，企业的竞争，其实质不再仅仅是单纯意义上的企业能力与企业能力的较量，而是企业所属的生态群落能力间的较量。为此，本文从全球化竞争的视角出发，阐释了企业生态群落中政府动态能力、企业动态能力、金融制度动态能力、教育制度动态能力的内涵，探讨了政府动态能力、企业动态能力、金融制度动态能力、教育制度动态能力间互动作用机理，在此基础上提出了“大”动态能力企业战略观。     

全球化下珠三角本土企业创新网络的演变及影响因素研究——基于顺德东菱凯琴集团和珠海德豪润达集团的对比实证

创新网络是经济地理学研究的前沿主题之一。通过考察东菱和德豪润达两家本土家电企业自成立以来创新网络的演变过程,发现两家企业的创新网络的演变呈现出较大的差异。通过进一步的研究发现,珠三角本土企业创新网络的演变是全球化和地方化因素共同影响的结果,而全球化下的"供应商-客商"关系、企业发展战略、区域内企业之间的互动关系与区域性的制度安排和环境是影响珠三角本土企业创新网络演变的主要因素。