Pay dispersion among the top management team and outside directors: Its impact on firm risk and firm performance

Two key groups central to improving firm performance are the top management team (TMT) and the board of directors. Executives undertake strategic actions, whereas board members fulfill their resource provision and monitoring roles. Drawing on tournament theory and equity theory, we propose that high pay dispersion among outside directors and the TMT is positively associated with strategic risk, whereas high (low) TMT pay dispersion and low (high) outside director pay dispersion are positively associated with firm performance. Our predictor is the unexplained component of horizontal pay dispersion, or the residual of pay dispersion resulting from regressing pay on observable firm, industry, period, and individual characteristics. Our results highlight the importance of unexplained pay dispersion for TMTs, but not for boards of directors, in improving firm performance.     

The impact of technical consultants on the quality of their clients' products: Evidence from the Bordeaux wine industry

Research summary : Recent research rooted in the resource‐based view of the firm suggests that resources are more likely to create value if they are effectively managed. An underlying assumption of the literature is that firms manage their resources on their own. However, many firms hire consultants to help them do so. In this study, I develop and test hypotheses regarding the impact of technical consultants on the quality of their clients' products. Using data from the Bordeaux wine industry, I find evidence that the use of technical consultants has a positive impact on relative product quality and a negative impact on the extremeness of relative product quality. Moreover, the positive impact of technical consultants on relative product quality is stronger at lower levels of relative resource quality. Managerial summary : Findings from a study in the Bordeaux wine industry indicate that the decision to hire consultants should depend on a firm's strategy. If a firm wants to improve its performance, it should hire consultants. Indeed, the “best practices” of technical consultants are generally more valuable than internally generated knowledge. If a firm wants to achieve outstanding performance, hiring consultants may not be the right decision. Because the “best practices” of technical consultants have more certain performance implications than internally generated knowledge, they decrease the likelihood of extremely low performance. However, their lack of uniqueness also decreases the likelihood of extremely high performance. Finally, the decision to hire consultants should depend on the quality of a firm's resources. Firms with low‐quality resources tend to benefit more from the “best practices” of technical consultants. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

泥沙颗粒暴露度与等效粒径研究

回顾了对暴露度的研究现状及存在的问题。提出了一种定义暴露度的方法及其计算式，同时得到了计算暴露度Δ及暴露度系数ξ的表达式。经过分析，给出了ξ的取值范围为0～1，它随颗粒在床面的位置而变。同时提出了等效粒径的概念及其计算方法。并对不同粒径，在床面不同位置的暴露度、暴露度系数及等效粒径进行了计算。对非均匀沙，当相对暴露度系数一定时，大于平均粒径的泥沙颗粒的等效粒径较同等粒径均匀沙的等效粒径小，容易起动；小于平均粒径的颗粒较同等粒径均匀沙的等效粒径大，较难起动，等于平均粒径的颗粒与均匀沙等效粒径相当。经分析等效粒径是一种较符合实际的方法，且公式简单、使用方便。     

一种机载三维音频技术的快速计算方法

针对机载三维音频应用的实时性需求,提出了一种基于单耳相对头相关传递函数和改进型混响模型的机载三维音频快速实现方法,在较传统实现方式性能无明显下降的情况下降低了80%的计算量。对提出的算法在F-16战斗机模拟强噪声环境下进行相关主观试听实验,同时在某型飞机音频系统中实验验证。实验结果表明,所提方法在实时处理3路三维音频时,三维音频方位分辨精度在5°以内,可满足实际机载平台使用需求。     

Reconsidering Media Discourses on Food Crisis from a Quantitative Perspective

In 2007–2008, when food prices started to increase dramatically, purchasing power parity of consumers, especially the urban poor, started to decrease automatically. High food prices were argued to cause poverty, hunger, and food riots among urban populations. Henceforward, “food crisis” became a new storyline in the current debate. In contrast, in the pre-2007 period, when rural farmers had been facing negative welfare effects of low food prices for many years, there were no crisis talks. This article analyzes different media coverage of urban consumers and rural producers under changes in relative incomes for the 2000–2013 period and propounds media bias on the food crisis debate by using content analysis and the OLS regression model.     

Determinants of Intra-GCC Food Trade

Using panel data for six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries from 1995–2014, we assess the impacts of several major economic variables on intra-GCC food exports, and on GCC food exports to the world. The GCC customs union had minimal impact on intra-GCC food exports, but occasioned a significant reduction in GCC food exports. Unlike GCC food exports, intra-GCC food exports occurred among countries with similar relative factor endowments, in agreement with the Linder Hypothesis. Rising incomes and exchange rates played significant roles in both intra-GCC food exports and GCC food exports, while distance has lost its once-dominant role.     

毛竹水溶性多糖提取工艺的优化及结构表征

采用响应面法优化毛竹水溶性多糖的提取工艺,分析其成分,并进行结构表征.研究结果表明,优化的毛竹多糖(BSP)提取条件为:料液比1:27(g/mL)、提取温度78℃、提取时间4 h,该条件下BSP提取率为(5.18±0.07)％,提取物中多糖含量为(72.14±0.02)％,糖醛酸含量为(9.76±0.03)％;BSP具...     

外坑支护结构转动时坑间被动区土拱效应分析

为研究支护结构受力与变形特点,分析了坑中坑式基坑坑间区土体的成拱作用。当外坑支护结构绕底端转动时,利用土拱效应分析方法,推导了被动土压力表达式;定义了内外坑支护结构相对位移比,以此描述内坑支护结构位移对外坑支护结构被动土压力的影响,得到土压力呈非线性分布。工程算例对比分析表明土压力分析方法能更好地反映土拱效应及坑间距对作用在外坑支护结构上土压力的影响,以此土压力值用于基坑支护结构设计相比采用库仑理论计算值偏于安全;当内坑支护结构不发生位移时,坑间距越小、支护结构相对位移比越大,外坑支护结构所受到的被动土压力愈大,说明提高内坑支护结构支撑刚度有利于控制外坑支护结构的变形。研究成果对分析基抗支护结构安全问题,具有一定的参考价值。     

水库水面蒸发量计算方法的研究

根据水库水面蒸发机制，结合前人研究成果，提出一种新的水库水面蒸发量计算模型，利用不同气候区多站资料确定模型参数，并利用全国各地30多个水库漂浮蒸发站实验资料，对模型进行拟合检验与移用检验，结果表明，该模型的适应性很强，有推广前景。对模型特性较深入的分析说明，该模型较过去常用的几种模型有许多更合理之处。     

三峡左右岸电站机组稳定性能和能量特性的试验与研究

稳定性能和能量特性一直是检验和评价水轮发电机组好坏的关键性指标,也是水电站安全和经济运行的基础.对三峡左右岸电站水电机组进行了大量的真机试验,对5种机型的压力脉动、振动和摆度、稳定运行区、出力和效率曲线进行了对比分析,掌握了三峡左右岸电站5种机型的稳定性能和能量特性,为指导三峡电站机组的安全稳定和经济运行奠定了基础.