Working-time reduction and employment: experiences in Europe and economic policy recommendations

The paper seeks to evaluate the evidence on the employment effectsof the collective working-time reductions in Europe over thepast 20 years. While theoretical analyses produce contradictoryassessments, most empirical studies show positive employmenteffects but take insufficient account of these conditions underwhich the reductions in working time were implemented. Theseconditions for the success of collective working-time reductionsinclude an active training policy designed to minimise skillshortages in the labour market, the modernisation of work organisation,wage increases in conjunction with productivity gains and amore equal income distribution.     

Economics and underdetermination: a case study of urban land and housing economics

Underdetermination, associated with the Duhem–Quine thesis,is a familiar if under-researched theme in economics. In thelight of this, we examine the development of urban land andhousing economics. Through its Cartesian dualistic delineationof theory and data, the contemporary mainstream approach appearsunable to circumvent the problem of underdetermination. In effect,it employs the strong version of Duhem–Quine in its retentionof the assumption of a single, unitary competitive market (andassociated access–space trade-off). Conversely, we highlightthe affinity of Ely's (and the later Columbia School's) approachto pragmatists Dewey and Peirce, which provides a more fruitfulbasis for explanation.     

Some Cracks in the Empire of Chance (Flaws in the Foundations of Reliability)

Making quantified statements about the uncertainty associated with the lifelength of an item is one of the most fundamental tasks of reliability assessment. Most practitioners routinely do this using one of the several available statistical techniques. The purpose of this paper is two-fold. The first is to give the user an overview of the key tenets of two of the most commonly used parametric approaches. The second is to point out that these commonly used approaches involve strategies that are either ad hoc, or are in violation of some of the underlying tenets. A method that is devoid of logical flaws can be proposed, but this method is difficult to implement. The user must therefore resign to using that technique against which the fewest objections can be hurled.     

Dividend Imputation and Shareholder Wealth: The Case of New Zealand

On April 1, 1988, New Zealand stopped the double taxation of dividends by implementing a full dividend imputation program. Because many believed that the tax advantage of debt had led to more highly leveraged firms subject to greater financial risk than was socially optimal, it was hoped the removal of incentives to finance with debt would result in a more efficient allocation of capital. The empirical results suggest that the shareholder wealth gain from dividend imputation was more than offset in firms with large debt levels. Moreover, an examination of debt ratios indicates debt levels declined in the post–imputation period.     

信贷市场非均衡对需求者与供给者的影响

信贷市场非均衡将改变企业与金融机构的行为 ,降低资源配置效率 ,增加企业与银行的经营成本。“超贷”与“惜贷”都是信贷市场非均衡现象 ,不以利润最大化为目标是导致“超贷”、“惜贷”现象的根本原因。     

论《全明散曲》所收散曲的体式及其特征

谢伯阳先生主编的<全明散曲>,展示了明代散曲的全貌,是目前收录明代散曲最全的集子.然而<全明散曲>中收录的明代散曲体式却鲜为人知,这里分三部分叙述:名称与分类;宫调与曲牌;用韵与语词,旨在揭示明代散曲体式的概貌.     

我国会计行业如何面对WTO的挑战

随着世界贸易组织 (WTO)的大门向我国打开 ,一个重大的现实课题赫然摆在我国会计理论界和实务界的面前。加入WTO会给我国会计带来哪些挑战 ?我们将如何应付 ?本文就此问题提出观点。     

新创企业早期成长中的异质性资源的塑造与整合分析——以阿里巴巴公司的早期创业成长为例

新创企业早期成长中都会遇到创业团队的资质、创业机运、创业资源及创业盈利模式等四大关键成功要素(KSF)的制约,其中,异质性资源的塑造和整合是竞争优势的的基础。本文通过分析阿里巴巴在创建及早期成长过程中四大关键要素之间的匹配和协同规律,围绕异质性资源的塑造与开发的动态过程,总结出阿里巴巴持续竞争优势的实现基础,最后给出了有效促进中国新创企业早期顺利成长的三点启示。     

退耕还林对延安地区农业经济的影响

对延安地区11个农业县退耕前后耕地/播种总面积、种植业结构、农业投入、粮食、油料产量与单产量以及农民年均纯收入的变化进行了研究,探讨了退耕还林对延安地区农业经济的影响及其作用机制。退耕还林优化了农村的种植业结构与产业结构,全面带动了农村经济的发展。但仍然存在着一些亟待解决的问题,并给农村经济带来了一定的负面影响。