The impact of government policy on technology transfer: an aircraft industry case study

This case study explores the interaction between domestic and foreign governmental policy on technology transfer with the goal of exploring the long-term impacts of technology transfer. Specifically, the impact of successive licensing of fighter aircraft manufacturing and design to Japan in the development of Japan’s aircraft industry is reviewed. Results indicate Japan has built a domestic aircraft industry through sequential learning with foreign technology transfers from the United States, and design and production on domestic fighter aircraft. This process was facilitated by governmental policies in both Japan and the United States.     

Teaching mands by manipulating conditioned establishing operations

Skinner’s (1957) analysis of verbal behavior suggests the functional independence of the verbal operants. However, only a few empirical studies have directly examined the nature of these operants, and their independence. The present study evaluated whether teaching topographies as tacts would lead to their emission as mands. The results indicated that manding only occurred reliably after direct mand training, which consisted of the use of imitative and tact prompts, and fading those prompts, to transfer stimulus control from nonverbal stimuli to conditioned establishing operations. The results contribute to the existing data on the functional independence of mands and tacts, as well as demonstrate the value of manipulating conditioned establishing operations for mand training.

     

Risk preference and employment contract type

Summary.  We explore the possibility that a systematic relationship exists between employment within a particular type of contract and risk preference. We exploit a set of proxies for risk preference, whereby some of the proxies capture risk loving behaviour (expenditure on gambling, smoking and alcohol) whereas others capture risk averse behaviour (expenditure on life and contents insurance, and unearned income). The empirical analysis, based on pooled cross-section data from the UK Family Expenditure Survey, 1997–2000, provides evidence of a systematic relationship between employment contract type and risk preference, with, for example, self-employed workers being more or less likely to engage in the consumption of 'risky' or financial security products respectively. The results are based on the ordered generalized extreme value model, a relatively infrequently used discrete choice model, which allows for ordering and correlation in the alternatives observed.     

Same Difference? Older People's Organisations and Disability Issues

This paper addresses some important areas of commonality in the political interests of older and disabled people. The paper reports findings from survey and interview research with local organisations representing older people, and their engagement with disability issues. We begin by reviewing similarities in the claims and mobilisation of older and disabled people, and by reviewing the groups that participated in the study. The main part of the paper identifies substantive policy issues that were perceived as important to older people. Here, there are considerable areas of overlap with the claims of disabled people's organisations (for example, in relation to information, independent living, accessible housing, transport, social support, and incomes). We review these commonalities and offer some thoughts on the potential for political alliance between the two movements. The paper concludes that, while there are considerable areas of common ground, there remain cultural barriers to the mobilisation of such alliances.