Call For Papers: The Eighth International Convention of the East Asian Economic Association

This paper provides empirical estimates of total factor productivity (TFP) trends in a sample of 17 APEC countries over the period 1975 to 1996. TFP growth is an important measure of an economy's performance and if measured correctly it can provide valuable guidance on issues related to the assessment of sustainable growth trends. We use the Malmquist index to measure TFP growth and decompose it into an efficiency change and a technical change component. This decomposition provides extra insight on assessing sustainable growth trends. The measurement technique itself is regarded as a significant improvement over previous conventional measures of TFP growth. The results are very interesting. Japan, Thailand and primarily Indonesia and Malaysia are identified as countries exhibiting on average negative TFP growth rates in the 1975-1990 period. In all these countries as well as in South Korea and Taiwan the main cause of low TFP growth is a poor (negative) efficiency record. The average TFP growth rate for Japan and Malaysia is positive in the 1975-1996 period but the efficiency change component remains negative. In all these countries the main contributor to labour productivity growth is capital accumulation. Unlike previous studies we find no evidence of a poor TFP growth performance for Singapore. Furthermore, we estimate that most of Singapore's labour productivity growth is driven by efficiency change. Estimates of rates of convergence towards the frontier economy that is estimated (not assumed as in other studies) to be the US, are also reported.     

Training, search and wage dispersion

This paper combines on-the-job search and human capital theory to study the coexistence of firm-funded general training and frequent job turnovers. Although ex ante identical, firms differ in their training decisions. The model generates correlations between various firm characteristics that are consistent with the data. Wage dispersion exists among ex ante identical workers because workers of the same productivity are paid differently across firms, and because workers differ in their productivity ex post. Endogenous training breaks the perfect correlation between work experience and human capital, which yields new insights on wage dispersion and wage dynamics.     

Mortality investigation among persons whose applications for insurance have heen rejected

Abstract

Extract

Life insurance companies are interested III investigations of the mortality among that group of applicants whose applications for insurance, for health reasons, have not been accepted. The compa. nies thereby obtain material enabling them to decide whether their rejection policy during a period has been too strict or not, and on which points, if any, the selection of risks can be liberalized.     

Does the fourth entrant make any difference?: Entry and competition in the early U.S. broadband market

We study the importance of sunk costs in determining entry conditions and inferences about firm conduct in an adapted Bresnahan and Reiss (1991, 1994) framework. In our framework, entrants incur sunk costs to enter, while incumbents disregard these costs in deciding on continuation or exit. We apply this framework to study entry and competition in the local U.S. broadband markets from 1999 to 2003. Ignoring sunk costs generates unreasonable variation in firms' competitive conduct over time. This variation disappears when entry costs are allowed. Once the market has one to three incumbent firms, the fourth entrant has little effect on competitive conduct.     

派生状态形容词的分类及认知意义

加词缀的派生状态形容词虽然数目不是很多，在词汇中也不被人们特别重视，但却是极有特色的一类。从构成上将其分为ABB式、A里AB和ABCD式三类，而且各有其认知的意义。这类派生状态形容词以它独有的魅力活跃在现代汉语词汇园地里，丰富着汉语的表现力。     

Extreme dependence with asymmetric thresholds: Evidence for the European Monetary Union

Existing papers on extreme dependence use symmetrical thresholds to define simultaneous stock market booms or crashes such as the joint occurrence of the upper or lower one percent return quantile in both stock markets. We show that the probability of the joint occurrence of extreme stock returns may be higher for asymmetric thresholds than for symmetric thresholds. We propose a non-parametric measure of extreme dependence which allows capturing extreme events for different thresholds and can be used to compute different types of extreme dependence. We find that extreme dependence among the stock markets of ten initial EMU member countries, the United Kingdom, and the United States is largely asymmetrical in the pre-EMU period (1989–1998) and largely symmetrical in the EMU period (1999–2010). Our findings suggest that ignoring the possibility of asymmetric extreme dependence may lead to an underestimation of the probability of co-booms and co-crashes.     

Foreign cultures, Sarbanes–Oxley Act and cross-delisting

Using a sample of foreign firms listed in U.S. and delisting shares over the period 2000 and 2010, this paper studies the impact of Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) on the cross-delisting behavior of foreign firms based on the firm characteristics, legal tradition, overall culture and degree of individualism of the country of domicile. Pre-SOX, the propensity to delist is lower for firms from countries with cultural similarities to the U.S. and higher for firms from individualistic societies. Post-SOX these trends are reversed. Consistent with the existing research we find that the delisting decision of foreign firms cross-listed in the U.S. is based on the potential gains from listing based on the growth opportunities, length of presence in the U.S. and legal regulations of the country of domicile. Out findings provide evidence of the cultural factors that impact the competitiveness of U.S. capital markets.     

Proposed algorithm for the identification of land for consolidation with regard to spatial variability of soil quality

The quality of soil is one of the most significant factors having a real impact on the potential level of agricultural crops. Therefore, it is a significant element shaping the profitability of agricultural production in the specific area. Familiarity with spatial variability of soil quality classes in respective voivodeships has an impact on planning the development of agricultural areas and effective allocation of money to rural spatial restructuring. This element also provides important information in the process of consolidation works programming which takes place at the regional government level. This data is characterised by very long usability due to a small number of changes referring to classification of land entered into the land and building survey. Data on the quality and suitability of soil in the analysed area was acquired from the analysis of data from the land and building survey. Analyses were carried out in 3 poviats of Lublin voivodeship located in the eastern part of Poland covering an area of 501 132.9 ha, split into 610,160 plots. This paper presents an algorithm designed by the author for identifying areas in which land consolidation works should be performed, including its practical application using the adopted sample. The algorithm identifies areas characterised by the highest soil quality, which makes it possible to indicate areas where land consolidation work should first be undertaken.     

糯扎渡电站地下工程工期调整索赔分类及依据的探讨

针对施工中工期调整索赔分类及依据,通过对实践中工期调整索赔分类及依据的具体案例,结合地下工程工期调整索赔的特点,对工期索赔分类及依据充分、程序合规总结,以求达到提高工期调整索赔获得率。     

色谱经济分析法的理论思考

本理论思考是受化学色谱分析法的启示，将其基本原理引入到数量经济理论与方法的研究之中。以复杂经济现象为研究对象，以创建一个新的方法论为研究目标，探索和评估色谱经济分析法作为一种创新的数量经济理论与方法的可行性，提出了对色谱分析法概念、过程、原理和对象的置换研究，期望最终形成一套科学的色谱经济分析法理论体系。从理论研究的视角看，本研究不仅仅为数量经济研究领域增添一种新的分类方法，而且通过交叉学科的置换机理的研究，探索一条人文社会科学领域与自然科学领域的跨学科交叉研究的研究思路和方向：从实际应用的视角看，本研究，不仅在多元统计分析拓展、宏微观经济分析得到很好的应用，而且有望在诸多具体的应用领域发挥应有的作用。