Applying multiple regression analysis to the forecasting of grocery store sales: an application and critical appraisal

Multiple regression analysis is applied to an analysis of the trading performance of a chain of grocery stores in the north-east of England. The performance of stores outside the conurbations is shown to be related to characteristics of the OPCS ‘urban-areas’ in which the stores are located, and a way is presented of modelling the effect of competition from within and outside these centres.

A high degree of statistical explanation is achieved, and the methodology used is defended against criticisms that can be levelled at many of other multiple regression analyses of store performance. Caution is nevertheless advised against the application of the model to forecasting the performance of new stores, although a range of applications are suggested whereby the implications of changes in the trading circumstances of existing stores might be examined.     

Microeconomic consequences and macroeconomic causes of foreign direct investment in southern African economies

The authors use a new data set on firms in 13 countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and comparators from other regions to identify the benefits and determinants of FDI in this region. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has facilitated local development in the SADC. Foreign-owned firms perform better than domestic firms, are larger, and locate in richer and better-governed countries and in countries with more competitive financial intermediaries. They are also more likely to export than domestic firms and evidence suggests that they might have positive spillover effects on domestic firms. Based on a standard empirical model, the SADC is attracting the inward FDI per capita that the region's level of income would predict. But this means that there are less capital inflows per capita to the region than there are to wealthier parts of the developing world. Moreover, the SADC is attracting less FDI than comparators for reasons that are possibly more fundamental than current income, namely, countries’ past growth record, demographic structure and the quality of physical infrastructure. Interestingly, inward FDI is less sensitive to variation in income within the SADC than in other parts of the world, but is more responsive to changes in country's openness to trade.     

Business process re-engineering in the logistics industry: a study of implementation,success factors,and performance

As business process re-engineering (BPR) is an important foundation to ensure the success of enterprise systems, this study would like to investigate the relationships among BPR implementation, BPR success factors, and business performance for logistics companies. Our empirical findings show that BPR companies outperformed non-BPR companies, not only on information processing, technology applications, organisational structure, and co-ordination, but also on all of the major logistics operations. Comparing the different perceptions of the success factors for BPR, non-BPR companies place greater emphasis on the importance of employee involvement while BPR companies are more concerned about the influence of risk management. Our findings also suggest that management attitude towards BPR success factors could affect performance with regard to technology applications and logistics operations. Logistics companies which have not yet implemented the BPR approach could refer to our findings to evaluate the advantages of such an undertaking and to take care of those BPR success factors affecting performance before conducting BPR projects.     

International Involvement,Target Market Selection,and Consolidated Performance: A Firm-Level Analysis of Taiwan's FDI in China

This paper assesses the sensitivity of consolidated corporate performance to two aspects of foreign direct investment (FDI): international involvement and target market selection. Empirical evidence from China-bound FDI by Taiwan's listed companies between 2000 and 2010 is summarized as follows. First, under the internalization of FDI, performance tends to rise with intensity of FDI activity. Second, profitability appears higher as FDI targets the export market outside China. Third, synergetic performance is created mainly through improved efficiency in resource management rather than increased sales, which indicates effective cost control is crucial for successful FDI in emerging markets such as China.     

超滤膜性能指标检测技术现状

本文简要介绍了超滤膜的起源及发展前景,分析了开展超滤膜性能指标检测方法研究的必要性,通过分析和总结调研结果,初步提出超滤膜性能评价指标,并简要阐述了各项指标检测方法的研究现状,最后对于改善超滤膜性能指标检测方法研究现状提出几点建议。     

基于外溢效应的创意产业氛围投资及绩效提升研究

创意氛围是创意产业化不可缺少的一环。氛围投资将构建外溢效应的渠道,促进创意知识溢出,于是,创意氛围投资及绩效提升成为财务管理的一个新的领域。本文试图以外溢效应为切入点探讨创意产业的氛围投资及融资管理,从知识管理的角度考察减少创意产业化成本及提升绩效的途径,以抛砖引玉。     

中国财政创新激励政策的增长绩效分析

新一轮积极财政政策已全面启动并付诸实施,财政政策如何影响并激励研发创新成为理论界和实际部门关注的焦点。本文在融合资本积累、研发创新、财政创新激励政策等变量的经济增长理论模型基础上,按中国经济发展的实际情况给模型中的外生变量或参数赋值,做数值模拟试验,研究结果发现:税收优惠和研发资助两种财政创新激励政策都有助于提高研发创新量和经济增长率;税收优惠与市场研发互补,研发资助则具有一定程度的替代性,从而税收优惠政策比研发资助政策对经济增长的冲击力度更大,但研发资助政策的作用时滞更短;为提高增长绩效,应根据两种创新激励政策各自的优缺点审慎选择适用领域。     

Limits to strategic HRM: the case of the Mauritian civil service

Taking as its starting point the impressive evidence for the strategic human resource management (SHRM) model's effect on organizational performance, and for the relationship between public staff management and economic growth, the paper offers the civil service of Mauritius as a case study of SHRM's relevance to developing countries. It finds that SHRM is not practised in Mauritius, nor is it feasible in the near future, because it is not widely known, because there is no strategic management framework, because staff management is highly centralized and because political will to make radical changes in staff management is lacking. The case study does not support claims that SHRM and its associated practices have a universal validity, or that public staff management is a ‘magic bullet’ that delivers economic growth. Improvements to staff management in Mauritius, and possibly other developing countries, will require a creative and piecemeal adaptation of Anglophone ‘good practice’ that respects political, economic and social realities.     

加拿大政府绩效评价制度及其启示

本文从制度框架、组织构架和实施方式三个方面介绍了加拿大政府绩效评价的制度设计。并在此基础上总结出该国政府绩效评价制度高效运转的四大经验启示:以政府绩效管理的先进理念统摄整套绩效评价制度的设计,立意高远;三大管理制度环环相扣,将绩效评价功能发挥到极致;从内阁到具体项目管理者上下联动,使得绩效评价工作一气呵成;绩效评价类型全面,工具得力,步骤流程合理。     

营运资金管理绩效的研究综述

营运资金被认为是企业"流动的血液",维系着企业的生存和发展,营运资金管理的好坏直接关系到企业经营的成败。营运资金管理可分为营运资金政策选择、营运资金管理绩效评价等。本文对营运资金的相关研究进行了梳理和总结,将营运资金管理的研究集中在管理绩效评价上,主要包括:其一,营运资金概念的界定;其二,营运资金管理绩效的评价。在对已有文献总结归纳的基础上,构想未来的研究方向。