Living Arrangements, Employment Status, and the Economic Well-Being of Mothers: Evidence from Brazil, Chile, and the U.S

Using data from Brazil, Chile, and the U.S., we estimate country specific models of household income that characterize mothers according to their marital status, living arrangement, and employment status. We assess the predicted economic well-being of each type of mother relative to a benchmark of married mothers in the same country, and at various points in the income distribution. We find dramatic cross-country differences in the distribution of mothers across categories, but few differences in each type's relative economic status. In all three countries and at all points in the income distribution, mothers who are the only adults in their households have the lowest levels of predicted income, while married mothers—followed closely by cohabitors—have the highest levels.     

保函在国际承包工程中的运作方式——商贸英语教学中应介绍的一课

保函是国际商务活动,尤其是国际工程承包业务中被普遍接受的一种担保形式.本文主要介绍涉外商贸活动中常用的几种保函及运作方式.指出在商贸英语教学中向学生教授此类专业知识的必要性.     

民族地区县级政府竞争：路径选择与制度安排

我国地方政府竞争的趋势将愈演愈烈,地方政府竞争带来了不同的竞争效应。文章对地方政府竞争模型的反思入手,分析了民族地区政府竞争的特征和存在问题的基础上,提出了民族地区提升政府竞争力的路径选择:以提升制度竞争力为先,推进市场、产品等要素建设;并对民族地区政府竞争提出相应的制度和政策安排。     

商业保险公司的合约性质

传统观念认为,保险公司是一种特殊的组织,它凭借大数定律把被保险人组织起来,产生自救行为。但是这并不能解释保险公司的投资行为,也不能解释一些保险公司的投资收益占总收益的比率相当大,更不能解释一些保险公司在本原业务的经营出现问题时依靠投资收益走出困境。采用静态分析方法是这一理论的主要局限性。本文拟创造性地综合运用企业理论、金融工程、微观经济学和保险理论的分析方法从一个新的视角──保险企业的合约性质──对保险公司的性质作出分析,并进一步对保险公司为什么需要投资作出新的理论解释。     

土地承包经营权的物权重构

土地承包经营权的物权属性,学界已基本取得共识,但现行法对土地承包经营权的制度设计依据的是传统物权理论。占有权的基本原理应是土地承包经营权进行物权重构的基本法理。据此,涉及土地承包经营权的主要法理必须进行重新探讨。     

动态环境下联盟竞合、治理机制与创新绩效的关系研究

本文从竞合视角审视联盟组合,结合动态关系观探讨有效的联盟治理机制,揭示了联盟组合中竞合关系(横向竞合、纵向竞合)、治理机制(契约治理、关系治理)和创新绩效之间的关系,并考察了动态环境特征(技术波动、竞争强度)的二次调节作用。在不同的竞合关系中,由于合作和竞争的强度不同,契约治理与关系治理机制的作用也存在差异,同时,治理机制与创新绩效之间的关系也受到两种不同环境动态性特征的影响。研究结果显示,在纵向竞合中,运用关系治理比运用契约治理能更好地提升创新绩效,技术波动正向调节契约治理、关系治理与创新绩效间的关系。在横向竞合中,运用契约治理比运用关系治理有效,竞争强度加强了契约治理对创新绩效的影响,即关系治理在波动的环境中更有效,契约治理在竞争的环境中更有效。本文为企业开展研发联盟组合管理提供了新的视角和管理对策。     

中、日、韩人口经济制度的阶段比较

中日韩三个国家因为地理、历史原因具有很强的发展趋同性,具有共同的人口经济发展阶段特征,引领着东亚经济快速发展。在人口经济制度方面正在进行或即将进行第四个发展阶段。经过研究认为契约关系是中日韩在人口经济制度发展变革中共同的认同点。从战略发展来看,及时调整各利益集团的利益合理分配、推动公共活动效率透明化是实现这一地区完成人口经济制度巨大变革的关键措施。     

Economics of the firm and economic growth: a hybrid theoretical framework of analysis

Abstract

The main goal of this study is to achieve a critical discussion around the conceptualization of the firm and its role in the dynamic process of economic growth. By reviewing the theoretical matrix of the economics of the firm we go beyond the mainstream economics of the firm proposing a hybrid approach combining evolutionary and population ecology, which is likely to constitute a fruitful path for the conceptualization of the firm in the process of economic growth. Specifically, the analysis confronts the distinct theoretical perspectives around some imperative and controversial issues such as the nature of knowledge and learning and the cognitive capacities of economic agents within the firm. We argue that the economic understanding of growth and development of human societies will strongly benefit from a conceptualization of the firm capable of capturing the spirit of the Knightian firm. Overcoming the shortcomings of the mainstream growth models, which conceive firms as a black box, the proposed hybrid approach recalls the true nature of the firm as an organization. Issues related to the organizational arrangements that sustain the feasibility of productive activities and to the incentive contracts are also taken into account. Although acknowledging some recent important contributions within mainstream economic growth theory to adopt more realistic concepts of the firm, we believe that evolutionary and organizational population perspectives include crucial pointers in developing further research aimed at the construction of economic growth models based on a micro-economic perspective that is closer to the reality of firms.     

信息技术如何实现契约治理与关系治理的平衡——基于D公司供应链治理案例

运用纵向案例研究,通过过程模型来解析基于契约和关系二元治理平衡的形成路径,打开信息技术与契约和关系的二元治理平衡之间的"黑箱"。研究发现,促进长期跨组织协同的关键在于实现基于关系和契约的治理机制平衡;信息技术能够在跨组织治理过程中实现治理机制的动态叠加,在治理机制不断优化的过程中实现治理机制之间的平衡。这一研究进一步丰富了跨组织治理理论,对中国企业在互联网环境下的长期合作具有启发和指导意义。     

Exploring Policy and Financing Options for Long-Term Care in Taiwan

Summary

Policy and financing arrangements for long-term care are important themes in each country and/or region, and Taiwan, with its unique historic and politico-economic background, can be regarded as a bridge between well-developed and under-developed countries. Policy formulation about long-term care in Taiwan involves several agencies in the government, including Ministry of Health, Interior Affairs, Education, Insurance Bureau, and Economic Council, and formulation of policy objectives has progressed considerably in the last five years. Financing arrangements are less well-developed because the National Health Insurance Program began only in 1995, and most long-term care is not yet covered. As demand for long-term care exceeds supply, and this gap will grow in future, current resource allocation measures are concerned to facilitate the expansion of community care rather than allowing institutional care to absorb more resources. Developing future financing options is now a central task for policymaking, and government must continue to take a leading role in consolidating financing and integrating the service systems.