Development in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Statistics at the Australian Bureau of Statistics

This paper outlines the ICT statistical developments that the ABS has undertaken over recent years. These developments have been on both the supply side (ICT industry) and the demand side (use of IT by sector). The content of ABS ICT surveys has changed significantly over the last few years and are expected to develop further in line with industry changes and emerging policy needs.
Recent developments in household collections have been the inclusion of IT use questions in the 2001 Census of Population and Housing and in various ABS social surveys such as Children's Participation in Culture and Leisure Activities. Annual business IT use surveys are now conducted and include topics such as Internet commerce and IT security. Biennial ICT industry surveys are conducted to provide data on ICT production, imports and exports, ICT industry employment, performance and structure information. An Internet activity survey is run every six months and provides regional Internet access details and infrastructure details on Internet service providers.
A major development for 2002–03 will be the compilation of an ICT satellite account. ABS intends to produce an ICT Information Development Plan to guide its future statistical development work in the ICT field.     

The appraisal of ordinary shares by Saudi investors

This paper reports on a questionnaire survey about share valuation practices among investors and their intermediaries in Saudi Arabia. The findings suggest that fundamental analysis is used most by investor respondents where a P/E multiple is applied to an earnings forecast to generate a prediction of future price. However, technical analysis is also used to a much greater extent than in developed markets. Finally, the results indicate that quarterly and annual reports as well as newspapers are widely consulted by investors when forming their expectations about share valuations.     

An examination of the literature relating to issues affecting the human variable in just-in-time environments

There has been an extensive body of research conducted into the technical aspects of the just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing methodology, particularly prior to 1990. It is only in more recent times that the focus has turned toward the more subtle people-related aspects. The recognition of JIT as a truly holistic approach to managing manufacturing operations has led to an appreciation of the importance of the role played by the human variable as well as an emphasis on the impact that organisational structure and management style can have on successful operation. This article examines and analyses the content of a wide range of articles related to issues such as: the need for change in corporate culture, the role of organisational structures, factors significantly impacting chances of success, the importance of employee involvement, how best to involve employees, the importance of training, how/whom/when to train, different team-based organisational structures, the impact of changing roles on various levels of the organisation and the appropriateness of particular change management strategies. An overall picture of the current state of thinking on these issues is thus developed and the importance of these factors to the successful implementation and operation of JIT highlighted. Opportunities for further research in this important area are identified.     

我国市场经济的历史起点与发展阶段的选择

国际上市场经济经历了萌芽阶段、初级阶段、发展阶段、发达阶段,各阶段的依据是不同生产力性质、不同生产关系形式以及商品生产和商品交换的不同水平.我国市场经济的历史起点应是三个:一是从计划经济开始向市场经济转化,二是从自然经济向商品经济转化,三是从小商品经济(或简单商品经济)向大商品经济或市场经济转化.我国市场经济发展阶段的战略选择,应该是分类定位和分类发展,采取多层次多样化的市场经济的发展阶段.     

University-Provided Retirement Planning Support and Retiree Financial Satisfaction During Retirement: Differences by Gender, Job Classification, and Planning Behavior

Sound financial planning and financial advice is necessary to achieve retirement income adequacy. The shift from defined benefit to defined contribution pension plans and the recent bankruptcy of Enron Corporation underscore the importance of managing retirement accumulation and liquidation risks. This study analyzes the effectiveness and adequacy of institutional-provided information and advice on employees' retirement planning decisions and their satisfaction with financial resources during retirement. Results suggest that retirement planning should begin earlier in an employee's career and that employer-provided retirement information and advice is a highly valued service. Gender, planning practices, job classification, and age are all significant predictors of satisfaction with financial resources during retirement. Targeting women and union employees with retirement information and advice that focuses on allocating contributions using a balanced portfolio approach should result in significant increases in satisfaction with financial resources during retirement. Regulatory objectives should focus on reducing retirement accumulation and liquidation risks, improving the delivery of professional financial advice to plan participants, and expanding qualified retirement plan choice for all labor force participants. To encourage employer participation in employee retirement planning, employers acting in "good faith" should be federally protected from liability for providing retirement planning information and advice to employees.     

The e-integration dilemma: The linkages between Internet technology application, trading partner relationships and structural change

The evidence from an empirical study involving 281 Australian organizations suggests that the availability, open nature, and (comparative) ease of implementation of Internet technologies for integration with trading partners, whilst on the one hand providing the means by which organizations can integrate processes and systems in a cost effective way, can amplify the need for both structural change and closer collaboration with trading partners. The relationships proposed and tested in the model are justified and explained based on a number of theoretical perspectives. These include Transaction Cost Economics, Socio-technical Systems, Resource Dependency, Knowledge Based View, Stakeholder Theory and Organizational Learning. The implications of the findings for Transaction Cost Theory are noteworthy firstly because they support the appropriateness of the inter-organizational governance structure in the context of this study, and secondly because although application of these technologies may reduce information search and related costs, whether this necessarily leads to reduced coordination costs is problematic. The potential benefits from improved coordination may be constrained by the perceived costs, and risks, of transition to new structural forms. The implication for practice is that increased use of Internet technologies creates substantial pressure to invest in organizational change. The attractiveness of investing in technologies that place managers in a position where they need to promote organizational change in order to extract adequate returns creates a significant dilemma. On the one hand Internet technologies enable extensive sharing and integration of data among trading partners, but at the same time they create conditions requiring managers to embrace fundamental organizational change in order to leverage the potential of such integration.     

Urbanization: the challenge for the next century

This article summarizes a new 1996-97 report from the World Resources Institute, the UN Environmental Program, the UN Development Program, and the World Bank, which describes a future with increased levels of urbanization that were reshaping the physical and social environment. Urbanization increased economic growth and environmental degradation. By the year 2000, 50% of the world population will live in urban areas. Cities are the center of economic activity. Consumption is the highest in cities. Cities produce the most pollution and waste. Three issues are particularly crucial to survival: the water supply, sanitation, and water resource management. Neglect of these and other environmental issues is likely to have important consequences in both developing and developed countries. The greatest growth in urban areas is occurring in developing countries. Cities in developing countries have huge populations living in poverty. The poor in either rural or urban areas are confronted with lack of access to clean water, to sanitation, and to housing. There is overcrowding and exposure to industrial wastes and air pollution. There is a need for policy reform, stronger institutions, and enlightened political leadership. Cities need to improve their environment and to strengthen local government and implement poverty reduction programs. Reform of urban policies must be accompanied by effective urban governance. Community-based approaches are essential. Broad-based support is needed for changes in strategies and practices and for attainment of a more sustainable environment.     

规范农村低压电网资产管理

随着“两改一同价”工作的不断深入,农村集体电力资产已经与供电部门管理的电网资产融为一体,农村集体电力资产的管理责任事实上已由县供电企业承担。规范农村低压电网资产管理,妥善处理资产问题,解决好资产成本费用开支渠道,已成为县供电企业无法绕过而且亟待解决的重要问题。针对农村用电管理实际,山东省临沂供电公司组成课题组,在深入调查研究的基础上,形成了研究报告。该报告紧紧围绕规范管理,规避风险,提高农村电网健康运行水平等主题,深入浅出地探讨、分析了存在的问题,提出了规范管理的具体思路。     

荆州农场电改频闪红灯

国有农场是特殊时期的特殊产物,经过几十年的发展,已成为国民经济中的一支 重要力量。农场虽地处农村,但受管理体制的约束,“两改一同价”工作滞缓,已严重制 约到农场经济的发展。荆州供电公司的调研报告,让我们对农场电力体制改革、对全国 农电体制改革保持着清醒的认识。来自五三农场电力局成功改制的案例剖析,则再次 证明深化农电体制改革是大势所趋。     

英国和德国的会计师行业考察报告

行业管理现状英国是注册会计师职业的发源地，经过一百多年的发展，已经形成了一套较为完善的行业管理体制(参见图1、图2)。概括起来有以下几个方面的内容：1.法律规范方面。1845年，英国修改《公司法》时明确规定了“公司的账目应当由会计师审计”。这是世界上第一次以法律的形式确立的会计师审计制度。1991年10月1日起，英国又在修订后的《公司法》中明确规定，实行审计资格注册制度，即特许会计师只有取得审计资格后，才能从事审计业务，同时，会计师事务所要承办审计业务，也必须取得审计资格。从而以立法的形式规范了会计师的执业条件…