Could lean practices and process innovation enhance supply chain sustainability of small and medium‐sized enterprises?

Small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt lean practices (LP) to reduce waste across their organisational value chain, which helps achieve sustainability. Process innovation (PI) has also been applied through cleaner production, environmental management system, ecodesign, and so on to address both customers' needs and legislations by policymakers. Although prior studies reveal the effect of sustainable practices, LP, and PI on sustainable performance separately, less is known on the integrated effect of them on sustainability performance. Moreover, studies on mediating effect of LP and PI on sustainability performance are scant. This is significant as LP and PI are considered to be the enablers for achieving sustainability performance. This research addresses this knowledge gap. The research first theorises a model integrating these four major constructs (sustainability practices, LP, PI, and sustainability performance) through hypotheses development. Subsequently, using structural equation modelling, it is tested whether each of sustainability practices, LP, and PI effect sustainability performances. Additionally, mediating effect of LP and PI between sustainability practices and performances is derived. The study uses data from 119 SMEs within manufacturing industries in the Midlands, United Kingdom. Further, a few case studies have been undertaken to validate the findings from quantitative analysis. The overall results show that although sustainability practices, LP, and PI help achieve sustainability performance of SMEs supply chain through efficiency and responsiveness respectively, the mediating effect LP is more compared with PI. Moreover, SMEs adopt LP when they are economy focused and implement PI when they are pressurised by customers and/or policymakers.     

Green human resource management: Development of a valid measurement scale

The objective of the study was to develop a valid measurement scale for green human resource management (HRM). Even though the common practices of green HRM have been presented in much of the literature, the previous studies focused only on a small number of functions in integrating environmental management with HRM. Additionally, the measurement of green HRM practices still calls for empirical validation. The two‐stage methodology of structural equation modeling in AMOS was employed for data analysis. Exploratory factor analysis revealed seven dimensions of the construct measured by 28 items. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the factor structure. The measuring instruments revealed convergent and discriminant validity. Several model fit indices indicated the model fitness. The study provided supplementary evidence on the underlying structure of the construct that can be valuable to researchers and practitioners in this area.     

Are firms ready to use big data analytics to create value? The role of structural and psychological readiness

In this study, we leverage Information Technology (IT) readiness literature and resource-based view (RBV) to investigate the impact of firm structural and psychological readiness on firm value creation, as mediated by big data analytics usage. The proposed research model is empirically validated using survey data from 179 senior IT managers. The findings demonstrate the importance of both structural (i.e. IT infrastructure capability, tools functionality, employee analytical capability, and bigness of data) and psychological readiness (i.e. IT proactive climate) in enhancing firm value creation through big data analytics usage. These results provide interesting theoretical and practical insights.     

城乡关系变迁的新动力——基于城乡复合型二元结构视角的分析

在市郊农村,由于在原有城乡二元结构基础上嵌入了新的一元——外来移民,产生了原住民(主要是当地农民)与外来移民(主要是流动民工)之间的新二元差别,从而形成了当代中国城乡关系中特有的一种新型二元结构——复合型二元结构。这种新型二元结构一方面由于其普遍性和梯度型非连续分布,在现时期呈现出阶段性、长期性的特征,另一方面由于其流动性、动态性、非稳定性的属性,在我国的社会主义新农村建设中往往被忽略。尝试借助复合型二元结构概念分析城乡关系问题,揭示城乡关系变迁的新动力。     

The shale oil revolution and the global oil supply curve

We focus on the implications of the shale oil boom for the global supply of oil. In order to derive testable implications, we introduce a simple stylized model with two producers, one facing low production costs and one higher production costs but potentially lower adjustment costs, competing à la Stackelberg. We find that the supply function is flatter for the high cost producer and that the supply function for shale oil producers becomes more responsive to demand shocks when adjustment costs decline. On the empirical side, we apply an instrumental variable approach using estimates of demand-driven oil price changes derived from a standard structural VAR of the oil market. A main finding is that global oil supply is rather vertical, with a short-term elasticity around 0.05. A rolling sample reveals that the shale oil boom does not appear to have fundamentally changed the contours of global oil production, but there is evidence for the oil supply curve to become more vertical in Saudi Arabia and more price responsive in the United States.     

成本冲击、通胀容忍度与宏观经济政策

与之前比较,2010年以来此轮通胀成本冲击型特征十分明显（主要表现为国际大宗商品价格高企和国内劳动力成本上升）。在此背景下,是否应提高对通胀的容忍度以及宏观政策如何有所作为已成为热门话题。目前国内外已经有一些对通胀容忍度的探讨,但规范性的研究论文并不多见。本文在多恩布什-费雪（Dornbusch Fischer）框架基础上,结合中国实际,创新性地区分大宗商品价格和劳动力成本冲击（尤其是B S效应）对总供给以及宏观经济的不同影响机制,探讨有关通胀容忍度以及宏观政策应对问题。     

略论二元经济的实质与转化——基于信息和知识视角

二元经济是发展中国家在发展过程中最基本的经济特征.从信息和知识的角度看,任何经济系统、组织、个人都是信息和知识生产、收集、传递及利用的装置,二元经济形成的关键在于不同区域在信息和知识的生产、收集、传递及利用能力及效率上的差异.因此,二元经济如何发展和转换完全取决于该区域内与信息和知识利用相关能力的形成和发展.     

利率规则与通货膨胀：一个模型分析

物价水平居高不下是我国政府和广大居民目前所面临的一个严峻问题。调控货币数量和名义利率水平是治理通货膨胀的两大举措。一部分投资者只能参与产品交易,而另一部分投资者既可以参与产品交易,也可参与债券交易,且存在速度冲击,交易者初始禀赋是同一的条件下,通过公开市场操作而购买债券会降低利率水平;在速度冲击是独立同分布的情况下,速度冲击对货币增长率的影响是暂时性的。     

纵观越南经济危机

当前世界经济目光聚焦越南,不再是为其过去七年高速发展的经济,而是关注其是否会成为第二次亚洲金融危机的导火索。越南当前面临着通货膨胀压力,货币贬值压力,对外贸易赤字,政府财政赤字,楼市股市疲软等危机,政府采取了各种措施防止危机的继续扩大。由于越南经济情况不同于泰国经济危机,并且当前亚洲各国经济实力与1997年相比都增强许多,因此认为不会引发亚洲经济危机的爆发。但越南的经济危机亦对中国有着警示作用。     

浅谈结构选型与建筑使用功能、经济造价的关系

结构选型与建筑使用功能、经济造价有很大的关系,有时结构选型受建筑使用功能的影响,有时结构选型决定经济造价。在业主对建筑使用功能的要求下进行结构选型,经济造价提高是解决不了的矛盾,最优的结构型选及其设计应是结构设计人员必上的一课。