Path(ological) Dependency? Core Competencies from an Organizational Perspective

The development of the 'resource-based theory of the firm' has helped to reorient the field of strategic management towards a focus on the organizational processes and structures which produce 'core competencies'. By challenging previous assumptions of market determinism this approach seems to open up the prospect of a greater dialogue with the theories and concerns of organization studies. This paper aims to determine the scope of such a dialogue by developing an appreciation and critique of the core competencies framework from an organizational perspective. In this context, the key feature of resource-based theories is seen to be their focus on organizational knowledge rather than decision-making processes as the engine of competitive performance. This focus has a powerful resonance with studies of knowledge in organizations, particularly those forms of knowledge which are linked to product and process design.
However, despite the important shift towards a knowledge-based view of competition, the core competencies approach fails to follow the logic of its own argument as far as the organizational appropriation of knowledge is concerned. In their pursuit of an ontological model of competitive performance –defining the essential causes of firm competitiveness – resource-based approaches neglect the socially embedded qualities of organizational knowledge. As a result, the social construction of knowledge, encompassing the dilemmas posed by the employment relationship and the pitfalls of institutionalization, is neglected. Instead, a smoothly linear model is developed linking skills, competence and competitiveness. This mechanistic view is further reinforced by reliance on a command and control model of the management process. Organizational knowledge is not a biddable resource at the disposal of top management.     

An Integrated Risk Assessment Model of Township‐Scaled Land Subsidence Based on an Evidential Reasoning Algorithm and Fuzzy Set Theory

Land subsidence risk assessment (LSRA) is a multi‐attribute decision analysis (MADA) problem and is often characterized by both quantitative and qualitative attributes with various types of uncertainty. Therefore, the problem needs to be modeled and analyzed using methods that can handle uncertainty. In this article, we propose an integrated assessment model based on the evidential reasoning (ER) algorithm and fuzzy set theory. The assessment model is structured as a hierarchical framework that regards land subsidence risk as a composite of two key factors: hazard and vulnerability. These factors can be described by a set of basic indicators defined by assessment grades with attributes for transforming both numerical data and subjective judgments into a belief structure. The factor‐level attributes of hazard and vulnerability are combined using the ER algorithm, which is based on the information from a belief structure calculated by the Dempster‐Shafer (D‐S) theory, and a distributed fuzzy belief structure calculated by fuzzy set theory. The results from the combined algorithms yield distributed assessment grade matrices. The application of the model to the Xixi‐Chengnan area, China, illustrates its usefulness and validity for LSRA. The model utilizes a combination of all types of evidence, including all assessment information—quantitative or qualitative, complete or incomplete, and precise or imprecise—to provide assessment grades that define risk assessment on the basis of hazard and vulnerability. The results will enable risk managers to apply different risk prevention measures and mitigation planning based on the calculated risk states.     

A surplus process involving a compound Poisson counting process and applications

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce a surplus process involving a compound Poisson counting process, which is a generalization of the classical ruin model where the claim-counting process is a homogeneous Poisson process. The incentive is to model batch arrival of claims using a counting process that is based on a compound distribution. This reduces the difficulty of modeling claim amounts and is consistent with industrial data. Recursive formula, some properties and relevant main ruin theory results are provided. Further, we consider applications involving zero-truncated negative binomial and zero-truncated binomial batch arrivals when the claim amounts follow exponential or Erlang distribution.     

基于模糊理论的城市快速路交通状态检测算法

通过分析流量、速度、占有率与城市快速路交通状态的关系,提出了一种基于模糊理论的城市快速路交通状态检测算法。通过在深圳市某快速路上的实际验证表明,该算法在能保证一定的检测率情况下,具有较低的误报率和较少的检测时间,表明此方法在实际应用中是切实可行的。     

4万亿经济激励计划背后的经济学问题

凯恩斯的宏观经济理论既不涉及现实的政治维度，也不关注微观经济层面的资源配置效率问题，这样的理论应用于现实的结果很可能是弊大于利。作为应用凯恩斯理论的总需求管理思想的产物，中国4万亿的经济刺激计划在政治层面难以避免寻租和腐败、政治权力固化等问题，在经济层面有可能导致资源配置的扭曲。虽然政府出台了各种监管措施以预防这种可能出现的弊病，但经验和理论都告诉我们这些措施的有效性是有限的。     

追寻失落的记忆——泰傣民族起源研究述论

泰傣民族起源研究是学术界的热点。本文梳理了泰傣民族起源研究从"南迁说"到"土著说",再到"西迁说"的演变过程,并就相关问题作了评论。     

中国共产党第三代领导集体民族理论是马克思主义民族理论在中国发展的新阶段--中国共产党第三代领导集体民族理论研究之十四

中国共产党第三代领导集体的民族理论,继承和发展了马克思主义民族理论,是马克思主义民族理论在中国发展的新阶段.本文主要论述了关于少数民族地区经济发展和改革开放的理论、关于培养少数民族干部和民族工作理论、关于少数民族地区社会事业发展理论等方面的继承和发展.     

Leveraging the common and outsourcing the distinct: institutional difference and multinational company identity in emerging economies

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the challenges of outsidership faced by multinational companies (MNCs) accessing emerging economies. The paper departs from popular conceptualisations of culture drawing instead on social identity theory as part of an institutions-based view, to explain how employing a singularities approach can allow the identification of commonalities of Indianness and Australianness that can be leveraged to ameliorate negative socially embedded business norms that pose a challenge to MNC success in emerging economies. This study shows that despite recognised formal (regulatory) and informal (cultural) differences, managers of Australian MNCs operating in India were able to innovatively identify and exploit cultural commonalties/singularities to ease cultural adjustment and mitigate intergroup conflict, allowing them to achieve an innovative institutional fit. The paper discusses how, using this approach, sole-venture MNCs can access many of the benefits provided by collaborative entry modes while preserving MNC identity. We further propose that the singularities approach can provide a valuable starting point to develop culturally appropriate competence training initiatives.     

中国共产党第三代领导集体关于培养和选拔少数民族干部的理论与政策--中国共产党第三代领导集体民族理论研究之九

中国共产党第三代领导集体关于民族干部的理论和政策的基本观点包括努力造就一支宏大的德才兼备的少数民族干部队伍,是做好民族工作和解决民族问题的关键;培养选择少数民族干部是一件关系全局、具有战略意义的事;少数民族干部队伍状况是衡量一个民族发展的重要标志;培养少数民族干部,既要有计划地扩大数量,更要提高素质、改善结构;要注意培养少数民族中高级干部和各种科技管理人才.