Digital Security Tokens and Their Derivatives

Digital objects in network commerce cause new credit risks (e.g., by an unpredictable certificate revocation). Financial theories can be used to estimate these risks but theories firstly need models. This paper models the objects as security token (setok). Each setok has its price, values, timestamp, and contents. Not only the price but also the values can be uncertain and cause risks. In order to hedge such risks, an option written on the value is introduced and priced. The pricing can be used to estimate parameters which describe the uncertainty. Discussions include how systematic the revocation risk is.     

Dr. Martin Bronfenbrenner (1914-1997): Scholar, Critic, Cynic, and Comrade-in-Arms

ABSTRACT Professor Martin Bronfenbrenner's mark on the economics profession was significant and worth remembering. He touched the lives of many as a father, cousin, teacher, scholar, expert referee, colleague, and judge of important contemporary debates. Of special interest is his unique personality. He was a specialist in self-effacement, peppered with liberal shakes of cynicism and sarcasm. Despite all this, he managed to win the respect and hearts of individuals on several continents and across several generations. This essay brings a small but diverse part of the story together in one place.     

Globalisation,multinationals and productivity in Japan’s lost decade

This paper studies the process of plant exit and productivity growth in Japan during the ‘lost decade’. A productivity decomposition shows the low rate of productivity growth at the aggregate level to be due to slow within plant productivity growth and a small contribution from the entry and exit components. We find the causes of plant exit to be similar to results in other country contexts except we find no effect from import competition. Our results suggest that the low productivity growth is attributable to high entry barriers and little to the shutting of productive plants by MNEs.     

Investment and cultural conflict: the Japanese in South Korea

After decades of heavy investment in South Korea, Japanese firms are now finding the country less than ideal for long-term investment due to numerous management conflicts. This study found that many Japanese firms would not initiate new direct investment projects or expand their operations under the existing conditions.     

How Does FDI Affect Productivity at Home?: Evidence from a Plant-Level Analysis

This study investigates the effect of foreign direct investments (FDI) on home productivity using plant-level data rather than firm-level data. Our results are consistent with the theoretical predictions. Horizontal FDI (HFDI) does not have a significantly positive effect on home productivity in plants that have the same activities abroad. In contrast, vertical FDI (VFDI) significantly enhances productivity in plants with an input–output relationship with activities relocated abroad. Furthermore, focusing on FDI in East Asia, the productivity improvements at home through VFDI are even greater, which might be caused by significant differences in factor prices between Japan and host countries.     

Wage determination and sex discrimination in Japan

In spite of a significant contribution by female workers to the post-war economic expansion of Japan, the average female wage remains no more than half the average male wage. In his study, Nanshi Matsuura found that workers' wages are mostly determined by non-job-performance-related factors, some of which are based on discriminatory social elements.     

Closure within multi-plant firms: evidence from Japan

In the literature there is substantial evidence that a plant is more likely to be closed down if it is owned by a firm with other plants or is owned by a multinational enterprise (MNE). But does ownership or multi-plant status matter for which plants are closed? Using Japanese data we study plant closure by multi-plant MNEs and non-MNEs. We show that both organisational forms raise the probability of plant exit and that plants that are relatively small and capital unintensive relative to the rest of the firm are significantly more likely to exit.     

Complex vertical FDI and firm heterogeneity: Evidence from East Asia

This study statistically tests the validity of the mechanics of complex vertical foreign direct investment (C-VFDI) in Japanese machinery FDI to East Asia by estimating a multiple-spatial lag model. From a theoretical perspective regarding C-VFDI, the production activity of affiliates in a given country is positively related to the production activity in neighboring countries that have large differences in factor prices with the given country. Furthermore, high-productivity firms are likely to choose a C-VFDI strategy. Our empirical results show no robust geographical relationship among affiliates’ activities. However, the significantly positive relationship in wage differentials among those activities is found only for high-productivity firms.     

Japanese management and labor relations in US subsidiaries

Here the author surveys Japanese executives and American workers in Japanese subsidiaries in the US. American employees welcome Japanese labor practices which increase employment stability, cash wages and individual leverage, but oppose those requiring collective behaviour and loyalty to the firm.