The long overhang of bad decisions in agro-industrial development: Sugar and tomato paste in Ghana

In theory, learning from past mistakes should result in adapted and improved development policy. However policy learning can be difficult to achieve, and the link between learning and policy change is neither direct nor immediate. In this study we look at learning in agro-industrial policy in Ghana, by tracing the interest in sugar production and tomato processing over six decades. Specifically we ask why four failed factories established in the early 1960s have continued to play central roles in both policy and public discourse. Using policy documents, academic material, and the popular press, we show that Ghana’s policy focus on sugar production and tomato processing has endured, despite the fact that the factories were misconceived, poorly sited, ill-equipped and poorly managed. Indeed, the political ideas that underpinned the establishment of these factories in the early days of independence can be seen in the current One District, One Factory policy. We suggest that it is their symbolic and political value, not their economic value, which keeps the discussion around these factories alive. Even when shut down, they are a physical manifestation of historic commitments by the state, and as such they guarantee the attention of politicians, and hold out hope of a next re-launch. Unfortunately as long as the factories continue to be incorporated into each new generation of agro-industrial policy, it is difficult for any alternatives to gain traction. This analysis highlights the very long overhang of bad decisions, particularly when they are associated with physical infrastructure. Learning from past mistakes will only happen if the short-term political cost of turning policy learning into policy action can be overcome.     

公允价值计量模式研究

财务会计的核心问题之一是会计计量问题。从国际财务会计的发展动向看,由于对金融工具、特别是衍生工具的计量需要,公允价值计量模式备受关注。我国也高度关注公允价值理论和实务的发展,财政部颁布的新会计准则中,已将公允价值作为计量属性之一。但应用中出现的问题和阻力使公允价值计量成为财务会计的难题之一,本文对此进行了探讨。     

物流按地域属性分类的理论探索

从物流按地域属性分类切入，首先介绍了物流的地域属性，然后列出目前物流按地域属性分类的常见分法并对它们的不足之处详细分析，在此基础上，最后提出其科学的分类方法并对其中的概念进行一一解释。     

新疆劳动参与率偏低的原因分析

本文通过对新疆和全国劳动参与率的比较分析,得出新疆地区的劳动参与率明显低于全国水平,并对此产生的原因作了简要分析。除了各种宏观经济因素外,与新疆地区推行特殊的少数民族生育政策而带来的高幼儿扶养比和该地区传统的小富则安缺乏竞争意识的思想观念也有很大关系。     

Nonlinear IV unit root tests in panels with cross-sectional dependency

We propose a unit root test for panels with cross-sectional dependency. We allow general dependency structure among the innovations that generate data for each of the cross-sectional units. Each unit may have different sample size, and therefore unbalanced panels are also permitted in our framework. Yet, the test is asymptotically normal, and does not require any tabulation of the critical values. Our test is based on nonlinear IV estimation of the usual augmented Dickey–Fuller type regression for each cross-sectional unit, using as instruments nonlinear transformations of the lagged levels. The actual test statistic is simply defined as a standardized sum of individual IV t-ratios. We show in the paper that such a standardized sum of individual IV t-ratios has limit normal distribution as long as the panels have large individual time series observations and are asymptotically balanced in a very weak sense. We may have the number of cross-sectional units arbitrarily small or large. In particular, the usual sequential asymptotics, upon which most of the available asymptotic theories for panel unit root models heavily rely, are not required. Finite sample performance of our test is examined via a set of simulations, and compared with those of other commonly used panel unit root tests. Our test generally performs better than the existing tests in terms of both finite sample sizes and powers. We apply our nonlinear IV method to test for the purchasing power parity hypothesis in panels.     

论企业的双重属性

本文从企业人、资产、产品、价值、环境等与企业行为相关的五方面较为全面地分析了企业双重属性的内涵,指出企业必须认识到自己所天然具有的社会及经济属性,并以此作为指导企业发展设计和规范企业行为的意识准备。     

路径依赖的作用:家庭联产承包责任制的建立与演进

人地比例、耕作技术、土地产权制度之间的互动循环导致了中国历史时期土地产权制度演进中路径依赖的形成。中国目前人口与资源（土地）之间的紧张关系就是历史时期土地产权制度演进的结果，这一约束条件决定了中国土地产权制度只能是朝着更加周密细致地保证农民土地长期使用权与收益权的方向演进。从公社一级到三级所有、大队为基础，到三级所有、队为基础，再到家庭联产承包责任制的建立，直至承包期限由短期变为长期，由15年变为30年。这一步步的演进都是朝着保证农民土地长期使用权与收益权的方向回归，显现出制度变迁过程中路径依赖的作用。由于历史时期土地产权制度演进的影响，家庭联产承包责任制完善的方向应该是土地国家终级所有的前提下，强化农民现有土地长期使用权，并通过法律手段保证土地使用权的转让。     

产品差异:一般框架与批介

产品差异是现代经济学中涉及面较宽的论题之一,也是产业组织理论的核心领域之一.产品差异是指定位在不同位置的产品集,这些产品或者可以在不同的时间购买,或者包含了不同的特征水平.对产品差异进行研究的理论文献相当丰富,可以从不同的研究视角进行梳理.     

The Relevance of Western Corporate Governance in Mitigating Management Misconduct in Thailand

This article provides empirical evidence on the relevance of structures central to Western models of corporate governance in mitigating management misconduct in Thailand. We find no evidence supporting the effectiveness of Western-based corporate governance structures such as board independence, audit committee effectiveness, and separating the roles of CEO and Board Chair in limiting management misconduct. However, we do find evidence supportive of independent directors with more experience and longer tenure, the presence of institutional ownership, and concentrated controlling ownership in limiting management misconduct. This provides some support for the validity of resource dependency theory in an emerging economy setting.     

Non-coercive influence: Scale development and validation based on resource and relational paradigms

To overcome competition in an increasingly network dependent market, retailers are required to influence upstream channel partners while sustaining relationships. However, the contemporary supply chain literature has not sufficiently leveraged the resource and relational paradigms to examine influence. Grounded on resource dependency theory and commitment-trust theory paradigms, this study describes conceptualization and operationalization of a 12-item scale for measuring non-coercive influence on upstream channel partners in retail supply chain management (R-SCM) context. The study is based on responses from 547 retail professionals in India obtained over four successive surveys. Psychometric properties were assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The proposed scale demonstrates construct validity. Invariance-testing carried out over 4-levels of increasingly demanding equivalence confirmed cross-validation. Nomological validity of the scale was tested by evaluating association with suppliers’ intention to cooperate. The results indicate existence of three dimensions of non-coercive influence: collaborative intent, market intelligence dissemination, and operational support. Retailers can use the scale to assess their personnel's non-coercive influence behavior over suppliers.