The effect of offshoring on knowledge flows in the US automobile industry

This paper examines the impact of financial constraints on innovation for established firms. We make use of a direct measure of the existence of financial constraints obtained thanks to a specific survey addressed to French established firms. This is a distinctive feature of this paper as most of previous studies had to rely on proxies (like the cash-flow sensitivity), which may be subject to interpretation problems. The probability to have innovative activities and the probability to face financial constraints are simultaneously estimated by a recursive bivariate probit model. Accounting for the endogeneity of the financial constraint variable, we find that financial constraints significantly reduce the likelihood that firms have innovative activities. The probability to encounter financial constraints is explained by firms’ ex ante financing structure and economic performances.     

Spillovers and absorptive capacity in the decision to innovate of Spanish firms: the role of human capital

This paper investigates whether the existence of knowledge spillovers and the capacity of firms to assimilate them, which we relate with R&D intensity and some human resource management practices, are associated with the decision to innovate of Spanish firms. In order to do this, we employ data from the ‘Central de Balances’ database, which covers both manufacturing and services firms during the period 2003–2007, and use an estimator proposed by Wooldridge [2005. Simple solutions to the initial conditions problem in dynamic nonlinear panel data models with unobserved heterogeneity. Journal of Applied Econometrics 20, no. 1: 39–54] for dynamic random effects discrete choice models. The empirical exercise provides evidence on the positive link between spillovers and the innovative behaviour of companies, not just for the knowledge generated in the same industry, but also for that generated in the same region or by the public sector. Moreover, this link is stronger for those firms with a higher capacity to absorb those spillovers. This ability not only works through firms’ R&D capabilities, but also through factors such as the quality of the labour force, the share of temporary employment and the amount of resources spent in training. In addition to these factors, we find that innovation performance exhibits a high degree of inertia. Further, some other observed firm characteristics, such as size, sales growth, export behaviour, sector capital intensity or financial structure variables, are also found to be relevant determinants of the likelihood of innovation.     

文化消费影响因素的实证研究——以江苏为例

本文以1983-2011年江苏省的相关经济数据为基础,通过建立联立方程模型进行实证分析,利用TSLS法以考察不同因素对于文化消费的影响。研究结果显示：前期文化消费水平,居民可支配收入的当期水平及其滞后1期均对当期文化消费有正向显著影响,而居民家庭恩格尔系数则对文化消费起着负向显著作用。最后提出了如何促进文化消费的若干建议。     

Determinants of Length of Stay for Domestic Tourists: Case Study of Yixing

The length of stay of a tourist is one of the most important factors indicating consumption levels and revenue generation for certain tourist destinations. This study employs data from a tourist survey in Yixing, China, to investigate potential factors influencing a tourist's length of stay. Applying an ordered logit model, it is found that distance, age, organized tour, transportation, motivation, past visits and assessment of accommodation are some of the major determinants of a tourist's length of stay. The results indicate that traveling distance and the assessment of accommodation are positively associated with the length of stay. In addition, tourists with different modes of transportation, motivations and past visits have different durations of stay. Based on the estimation results from subsamples, it is also found that there are differences in determinants of length of stay between organized tourists and individual tourists, and among different age groups.     

Economies of scale in the Australian tourism industry

The measurement of economies of scale in the tourism industry has not been done to this point, as tourism is not a specific industry according to international statistical standards. Among many industries related to tourism, four sectors (accommodation, transport, retail trade and recreational services) across six states and two territories from 1997 to 2007 are studied as they contribute nearly 70% of tourism output in Australia. By comparing regression results from the Cobb–Douglas (C–D) production function and the translog production function, we find that there is evidence of increasing returns in transport, retail trade and recreational services at the industry level. However, accommodation is characterized by constant returns to scale at the industry level. As accommodation is responsible for the biggest share of tourism output, this suggests that overall the tourism sector is not characterized by increasing returns. We also find that the degrees of returns to scale from the C–D and translog production functions are different and that the imposition of input share also influences the empirical results. Both of these factors stress the importance of model specification to the measurement of economies of scale.     

Factors Influencing Young Consumers’ Acceptance of Genetically Modified Food in India

We analyzed the determinants of acceptance of genetically modified food (GMF) by using the probit model. In this study, we found that around 41% of the students are willing to buy GMF, and acceptance of GMF is less in female respondents than male respondents. The findings indicate that in India, benefit perception of GMF outweighed the risk perception. We also found that respondents’ trust in international organizations for truthful information has a positive and significant influence on acceptance of GMF.     

Adoption of Multiple Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Rural Ethiopia

The adoption and diffusion of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) has become an important issue in the development‐policy agenda for sub‐Saharan Africa, especially as a way to tackle land degradation, low agricultural productivity and poverty. However, the adoption rates of SAPs remain below expected levels. This study analyses the factors that facilitate or impede the probability and level of adoption of interrelated SAPs, using recent data from multiple plot‐level observations in rural Ethiopia. Multivariate and ordered probit models are applied to the modelling of adoption decisions by farm households facing multiple SAPs, which can be adopted in various combinations. The results show that there is a significant correlation between SAPs, suggesting that adoptions of SAPs are interrelated. The analysis further shows that both the probability and the extent of adoption of SAPs are influenced by many factors: a household’s trust in government support, credit constraints, spouse education, rainfall and plot‐level disturbances, household wealth, social capital and networks, labour availability, plot and market access. These results imply that policy‐makers and development practitioners should seek to strengthen local institutions and service providers, maintain or increase household asset bases and establish and strengthen social protection schemes in order to improve the adoption of SAPs.     

国民经济增长中的出口信用联动机制定量研究

文章利用1978年至2004年的数据,采用三阶段最小二乘方法构建并拟合了包含6个子模块、25个方程和43个变量的"出口信用对国民经济贡献的联立方程模型"。利用联立方程模型进行仿真研究后的结果表明:我国出口信用对我国宏观经济具有较好的贡献度,具体而言,如果进出口银行贷款余额增加1亿元,将导致国内生产总值增长1.82亿元,税收总额增长0.48亿元,就业人数增加2190人。     

粮食直补对稻农参与非农劳动的影响分析——基于湖北309户农户入户调查的分析

随着我国经济结构转型,农村劳动力大量向非农业领域转移,非农劳动收入已成为湖北农民现金收入的主要来源。实施粮食生产补贴政策将直接增加农户收入,农户劳动力分配很可能因此产生调整。基于湖北309户水稻种植户的入户调查,运用Probit模型分析粮食补贴政策是否影响水稻种植农户参与非农劳动的情况。研究结果显示：接受粮食补贴的水稻种植农户中参与非农劳动的显著增加受多方面因素影响,无论按计税面积计算的粮食补贴还是按种植面积计算的粮食补贴,都将影响农民参与非农劳动。     

贵州省宏观经济联立模型及其应用

自1952年以来,贵州省平均边际消费倾向为0．53,边际投资倾向为0．51,地区生产总值的持续增长促进了居民消费和总投资的增长。同时,居民消费和总投资的快速、稳步增长也巩固和带动着贵州省地区生产总值的增长。特别是1994年以后,居民消费的自发性支出由1994年之前的10．44亿元增加到54．34亿元,总投资在新的基数上保持持续增长。