Every Minute Counts: Using Process Improvement and Performance Feedback to Improve Patient Flow in an Emergency Department

Prolonged emergency department (ED) visits are associated with a number of adverse outcomes for patients as well as lower patient satisfaction scores and increased costs. Several factors that influence the length of ED visits are out of the control of hospital employees, but some opportunities exist to improve performance. For this study, the ED department of a 150-bed hospital in the southeastern United States wanted to improve door-to-discharge time. To do so, a subprocess of door-to-discharge time was targeted, door-to-order. After analyzing the process, the team created standard orders for the 10 most common presenting conditions in the ER with preapproval, allowing nurses to submit the orders without the provider first visiting the patient. Following the process change, daily feedback was added to increase utilization of the preapproved orders. Reductions in door-to-order times and door-to-discharge were observed and patient satisfaction remained stable. Implications for future research in this area are discussed.     

基于双边减排成本信息不对称的排污权二级交易市场拍卖机制研究

本文构建了一个基于双边减排成本信息不对称的排污权二级交易市场拍卖模型，分析了统一价格、歧视价格及混合拍卖机制下卖方收益、排污权价格波动及排污权供给量差异，在此基础上给出了排污权二级交易市场最优拍卖机制，并进一步讨论了相关参数对最优拍卖机制的影响。结果表明：从收益最大化角度来看，最优的拍卖机制为歧视价格拍卖机制，但考虑到价格波动及排污权供给量等其他因素，排污权二级市场交易应选用混合拍卖机制。风险偏好变化对混合拍卖机制下卖方收益及价格波动的影响存在不确定性，当风险偏好超过某一阈值时，随着风险偏好程度增大，需求隐蔽效应占主导，收益及价格波动增大；相反，当风险偏好小于某一阈值时，随着风险偏好程度增大，竞争效应占主导，收益及价格波动减小。价格变动的供给影响系数对卖方收益的影响随买方参与人数的不同而不同。当买方参与人数较小时，需求隐蔽效应占主导，竞争效应不明显，随着价格变动的供给影响系数增大，混合拍卖机制下卖方的收益不断增加；当买方参与人数较大时，卖方收益同时受到需求隐蔽和竞争效应影响，随着价格变动的供给影响系数增大，收益呈先增大后减小趋势。随着价格变动的供给影响系数增大，价格波动呈先增大后减小趋势。     

考虑储存成本的集装箱公铁联运路径优化

联运企业的效益受运输路径和运输方式的影响。如何降低联运成本、提高联运企业的效益,已成为学术研究的重中之重。针对集装箱公铁联运路径优化问题,以运输成本、换装成本、储存成本、时间惩罚成本构成的运输总成本为目标函数,建立集装箱公铁联运路径优化模型,考虑运输时间限制、班期限制、节点储存成本,得出使运输总成本最低的运输路径及运输方式,并利用算例验证模型的有效性。     

“一带一路”沿线国家互联网基础设施的贸易效应——基于贸易成本和全要素生产率的中介效应分析

在"一带一路"建设背景下，研究阐释"一带一路"沿线国家互联网基础设施的贸易效应及其作用机制，对于当前中国优化沿线国家的互联网基础设施建设布局，有效激发贸易效应，应对外贸环境的不利冲击，具有重要的现实意义。文章基于贸易成本和全要素生产率的分析视角，构建2007-2017年中国与45个"一带一路"沿线国家的面板数据，运用中介效应模型实证考察"一带一路"沿线国家互联网基础设施的贸易效应。总体检验结果表明，"一带一路"沿线国家互联网基础设施有利于中国与沿线国家的双边贸易往来，且主要通过降低贸易成本而非提高全要素生产率来发挥贸易效应。异质性检验结果表明，无论区分贸易方向还是沿线国家经济发展差异，互联网基础设施都具有明显的贸易效应，其中：贸易成本的中介效应主要发生在沿线发达国家对中国进、出口贸易中；全要素生产率的中介效应主要发生在沿线国家对中国出口贸易以及沿线发展中国家对中国进出口贸易中。新形势下中国参与"一带一路"沿线国家的互联网基础设施建设，要注意合理布局和把握建设力度，既培育贸易增长新动能，也优化进出口贸易结构。     

Pension scheme fees and charge ratios in 44 countries: A comparative study

Based on data received from pension supervisory authorities, the article reviews 85 different pension schemes in 44 jurisdictions by looking at fees and charges as well as their legal ceilings and their development since 2014. A key finding is the observed decrease in fees and caps. The article presents jurisdictions according to clusters, i.e. by groups of countries with identical or very similar items already covered by pension fees, and analyses the extent to which various cost and fee elements are covered by fees charged to members. Finally, we calculate charge ratios for each cluster to quantify the impact of fees and charges on pension savings. Occupational defined contribution pension schemes and personal plans linked to employment tend to be much more cost effective than personal schemes that have no direct employment link.     

消费者导向类型与电商全渠道决策研究

从现实出发，基于不同消费者导向类型研究了电商的全渠道决策问题。首先建立电商单渠道销售的基础模型，并得出最优产品组合、价格和交付时间。在此基础上，给出了消费者为产品导向型和渠道导向型情况下电商采取全渠道决策的条件，得出双渠道产品组合、价格及交付时间的最优决策；并进行了数值验证。研究发现，同一渠道提供的产品其最优价格相同，最优交付时间只和消费者耐心程度及交付成本函数有关。若消费者为产品导向型，仅当双渠道运营成本之差较小且消费者耐心程度较低时，电商进入线下渠道才有利可图，且在线下渠道提供最受欢迎的产品，线上渠道提供剩余产品。若消费者为渠道导向型，电商进入线下渠道必然有利可图，且在线下渠道提供最受欢迎的产品，线上渠道提供所有产品。     

Experimental Coastal Land Reclamation: Qianhai as a Case Interpreted

ABSTRACT

Informed by a Coasian transaction cost paradigm enriched by the concept of Schumpeterian innovations, this paper discusses the advantages of using experimental coastal reclamation of the sea to build new cities with a policy for fostering innovations. A new development area at the margin of Shenzhen in China, Qianhai, is used to demonstrate how urban expansion by urban sprawling in a megacity can be avoided by reclamation of marginal land as analytically less costly than along intra-marginal land and more suitable for experimentation for the type of megacity concept that Qianhai aims to achieve.     

基于消费者显著性偏好的双边平台转换成本和定价策略研究

针对消费者对转换成本和价格属性具有显著性偏好的实际情况，基于显著性理论对垄断双边平台企业的转换成本和定价策略问题进行了研究。研究发现：1)在显著性偏好非对称型市场上，对价格敏感的一方收取的价格最低，对高转换成本的一方收取的价格最高，而在显著性偏好对称型市场上，平台的最优价格位于非对称型市场之间，但是对价格敏感型市场收取的价格低于转换成本敏感型市场的价格。2)在高转换成本的市场，平台利润最低；低转换成本市场平台利润最高，而混合型情况的最优利润位于这两者之间。该研究结论说明平台企业应该采取措施来降低用户加入平台的转换成本，从而增加利润，这与现实的案例研究结论相吻合。     

培育公民依法维权意识路径的调查研究

文章通过问卷调查方式,了解我国公民的维权状态,分析影响公民依法维权意识的相关因素,围绕创新维权教育、顺畅维权渠道、引进社会力量、减少维权成本等内容,提出培育公民依法维权意识路径的策略。旨在通过路径培育,最大限度激发公民依法维权意识,指导公民在法治化轨道上积极维权,避免矛盾激化,减少社会不和谐因素,进而推进法治化国家建设进程。     

Testing the gender similarities hypothesis: differences in subjective task value and motivation to transfer training

ABSTRACT

Are female and male trainees similar or different in their reaction to training programmes, specifically regarding their subjective task value and motivation to transfer? According to the gender similarities hypothesis, women and men are alike on most psychological variables. However, according to research in organizational behaviour, female and male employees differ on certain aspects, such as their job satisfaction and work identity. To test these two views on gender similarities and differences in the context of human resource development and training evaluation, the present study examined the extent to which gender moderated reactions to training. Based on the expectancy-value theory of motivation and self-determination theory, a web-based questionnaire was used to measure six training reactions: intrinsic value, attainment value, utility value, perceived relative cost, autonomous motivation to transfer, and controlled motivation to transfer. The results indicated that women and men differed in their ratings of attainment value but were similar for the remaining five reaction measures. These outcomes support the gender similarities hypothesis. The findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical implications for modelling gender effects in HRD research and their practical significance for promoting training effectiveness and transfer of training.