Capital mobility,wage bargaining,and social insurance policies in an economic union

In a two-country model with mobile capital we analyse decentralized social insurance policies. These policies are a compromise between the preferences of workers and capital owners. Due to wage bargaining, worker-based social insurance contributions are borne by capital owners. These contributions affect the profitability of investment, and consequently the direction and size of capital flows. Countries will take account of these effects in determining social insurance policy. Noncooperative decision making results in tax competition and an underprovision of social insurance. In addition, increasing economic integration, represented by increasing capital mobility, could imply a divergence of social insurance levels in the two countries.     

An outcome-based assessment of international transfer pricing policy

Instead of concentrating on the selection of the optimal transfer pricing method, this paper focuses on the consequences of international transfer pricing for multinational entities. A sample of U.S.-based multinational firms is employed to determine if transfer pricing results in measurable financial outcomes. Results of the study indicate that firms employ international transfer pricing to meet a variety of objectives. The dollar value of international transfers and the foreign sales percentage are both significant explanatory variables for the financial outcomes of these objectives.     

Dynamic analysis of stock return volatility in an integrated international capital market

This paper examines the dynamic behavior of the stock return volatility for Canada, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The evidence indicates that international stock return volatility is mainly influenced by the U.S. stock return volatility and the exchange rate volatility, supporting the international capital market integration hypothesis. There seems to be some correlation between stock return volatility and macroeconomic volatility, but the effect is relatively weaker. In addition to the economic fundamentals, the noise component is found to be time varying, confirming the AR(MA)CH specifications in the stock return models.     

The Determinants of Corporate Trade Credit Policies in a Bank‐dominated Financial Environment: the Case of Finnish Small Firms

This paper examines trade credit policies of small firms operating in a bank‐dominated environment (Finland). We find that creditworthiness and access to capital markets are important determinants of trade credit extended by sellers. The level of purchases is positively correlated with the level of accounts payable. Larger and older firms and firms with strong internal financing are less likely to use trade credit, whereas firms with a high ratio of current assets to total assets, and firms subject to loan restructurings use it more. Negative loan decisions by financial intermediaries increase and a close bank‐borrower relationship decreases the probability that a firm does not take advantage of trade credit discounts.     

Transferring and Transforming Technology Education: A Study of Norwegian Teachers’ Perceptions of Ideas from Design & Technology

What happens when educational ideas cross national and cultural borders? How do teachers respond to ideas originating in a different school system and a different national culture? This article reports on an empirical study investigating the transfer of ideas from Design &; Technology as a subject in England and Wales into Norwegian schools. A sample of teachers participating in a specific project on technology teaching inspired by this subject has been studied by means of interviews and classroom observation. Results of the study show that while some elements of Design &; Technology are adopted by the teachers, essential ideas of the subject are significantly transformed. Drawing on Barnes, (1992, Teachers and Teaching: From Classrooms to Reflection (pp. 9–32), The Falmer press, London) concept of teachers' professional frames for teaching, it is shown how specific aspects of the national and educational culture have had a considerable effect on?the teachers' interpretation of the nature of technology as a subject of teaching and its place in the curriculum. The study illustrates the importance of the cultural context in how educational ideas are interpreted, reshaped and realized in schools.     

西部少数民族经济快速发展的财税政策选择

中央财力不足、税制不够完善以及分税制体制方面的问题致使西部民族地区的经济发展比较缓慢,产生诸多不利影响。因此,在改善投资环境、调整经济结构和布局、扩大内需等方面,税收应有所作为。     

关于推进我国粮食流通体制市场化改革的思考

改革开放以来,我国粮食流通体制改革朝着市场化趋向渐进式发展.市场化是粮食流通体制改革的主线.当前应努力塑造农村市场经济的微观基础,逐步完善粮补改革若干政策,积极推进粮食流通体制市场化改革.     

我国现行融资制度功能的理论及实证分析

内生于经济增长的融资制度应具备筹资功能、降低交易成本功能、价格发现功能、流动性功能和风险转移功能等五方面的功能.我国现行融资制度基本能够有效地进行储蓄动员,但在向资本转化方面存在着一定的障碍;作为公共资源的政府融资仍然发挥着相当重要的作用,但金融市场对经济的促进作用有进一步弱化的趋势;在地区间和企业间存在着资源的逆配置现象,总体上资本的运用效率较低,而非正规金融发挥了不可或缺的作用;严格的利率管制使中介的价格发现功能几乎没有,而市场的价格发现功能一直较弱;此外,存在较高的交易成本,流动性水平整体较低,风险转移功能也相对缺乏.     

价值系统的模块化与价值转移

“价值”是一个极具争议且令人富于联想的词汇。在最近的文献中,涉及产品价值的研究多数是从企业生产、经营和管理的角度展开的,从消费者层面系统研究产品价值问题的著述并不多见。基于此,本文试图从消费者层面挖掘产品价值的基本内涵,通过对消费者需求的剖析,揭示出产品的价值形成、价值测试以及价值结构的基本关系;进而利用模块化的基本原理阐释了价值系统的模块化结构;在此基础上,厘清了产品价值系统的三类价值转移问题。     

Alternatives to blanket guarantees for containing a systemic crisis

This paper seeks to explain how policy actions undertaken at the outset of recent crises—particularly the issuance of extensive liquidity support and government guarantees—absorb off-budget fiscal resources and inappropriately constrain officials’ subsequent options for restructuring their country’s troubled financial and corporate sectors. Empirical evidence supports the commonsense view that the damage a crisis works on a country’s financial sector and on its real economy is lessened by taking market-mimicking actions that promptly estimate and allocate losses during the early stages of a crisis. The most important steps are to plan to call a timeout to separate hopelessly insolvent institutions from potentially viable ones and to provide haircuts, guarantees, and liquidity support in ways that protect taxpayers and avoid subsidizing insolvent institutions’ longshot gambles for resurrection.