Abstractions on steroids: A critical realist approach to computer simulations

Computer simulations are increasingly used within various fields of the social sciences, including analytical sociology and computational social science. However, the method has yet to fully find its place within critical realism, generally regarded as reductionist and methodological individualist and thus inadequate to the task of grasping the full and enigmatic complexity of social life. This article contributes to the discussion by suggesting an alternative approach to computer simulations in the social realm. Instead of representing reality, simulations are seen as a way of boosting abstraction by enabling us to isolate and study the effects of emergent mechanisms. The need for such tools is growing more urgent in an age characterized by rapid change and global networks of causal interrelation. Hence there is a need not only for new tools to deal with causal complexity within critical realism, but also for a critical realist perspective to fill the meta‐theoretical vacuum on which the simulation approach is largely based. The approach developed here provides a challenge to the predominant ways in which simulations are utilized today, with increasingly sophisticated models aiming towards realistic representation on the basis of empirical data.     

关于运输代理制的探讨

针对我国即将加入WTO的实际 ,从运输代理的功能、意义等方面 ,论述了开展运输代理业的可行性、创办运输代理企业的基本依据及具有旺盛生命力的发展前景。同时 ,就如何推进运输代理业的发展提出了较强的可操作性建议     

Agency Problems between Managers and Employees in Nonprofit Organizations: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Most principal–agent literature of nonprofit organizations has focused on the relationship between board members and managers. However, in addition to the role as an agent of the board, the manager also performs a role as principal with respect to the nonprofit employees. By using a discrete choice experiment, we identify the objectives of managers and employees in nonprofit organizations and assess the presence of agency problems in this relationship. Our sample consists of 76 headmasters, 161 teachers, and 39 administrative employees in 74 secondary nonprofit schools in Belgium. We find that the six objectives set out in the experiment play an important role for both headmasters and subordinate staff. However, the results also indicate that some of these objectives are significantly more important for the headmasters. In sum, our results suggest that agency theory and stewardship theory are not necessarily in conflict with each other but can be combined into a more general governance framework for nonprofit organizations. Consequently, we argue that incentive structures that incorporate different types of objectives can facilitate the recruitment and retention of employees in nonprofit organizations.     

Organizational Sustainability and Systemic Boundary Processes

Abstract

Every day, managers work to sustain the organizations wherein they work. In this article, the authors examine certain systemic boundary processes that are intrinsic to organizations and their sustainability. For readers of this journal, whose name points to the inherent connection between organizations and society, the authors present an argument that organizational boundary processes and their influence on organizational sustainability are important considerations for those of us interested in a viable future for our society. The importance of these processes for managers also is indicated.     

西南民族大学金·史密斯藏学文献馆的建馆历程

著名藏学家金·史密斯先生用一生的时间从事藏文文献的保护工作,在藏文文献的收集、整理、研究、利用等领域做出了巨大的贡献,为后人留下了大量的藏文文献。他在美国纽约建立了藏传佛教文献资料中心（简称：TBRC）,大量的藏文文献在国内、外藏学界利用起来。同时他也是把藏文文献的原件从国外捐赠给中国的第一位外国藏学家,2012年12月,历时5年的藏文纸质文献的捐赠工作顺利完成。本论文对金·史密斯先生建立TBRC的具体情况,捐赠纸质文献给西南民族大学的事件,西南民族大学金·史密斯藏学文献馆建馆历程等内容进行梳理,以此来缅怀为藏文文献的保护工作付出一生的美国藏学家。     

建立有效的国有企业管理人员的激励和约束机制

如何充分发挥国有企业管理人员的才能 ?如何针对国有企业管理人员的行为特征建立有效的激励和约束机制 ,从而解决激励不力、约束不力的问题 ?对这些问题的回答也正是搞活国有企业的关键所在。论文尝试建立针对国有企业管理人员的有效的激励、约束机制 ,从而推动国有企业的改革 ,实现国有资产的保值增值。     

网络证据保全有效性法律问题研究

网络证据保全是保证网络证据有效性的重要途径和方法，从网络证据保全的角度出发，研究网络证据应当如何进行有效提取、存储和固定，确保网络证据作为适格的证据。就网络证据保全的有效性而言，应当严格区分网络证据保全的技术方法和法律规范，积极应对网络证据保全面临的现实挑战和困难。网络证据保全的有效性主要体现在两个方面，其一，网络证据保全在技术上必须保证其准确性；其二，在保全程序上保证其有效性。只有通过完善网络证据保全的法律程序，制定网络证据保全的法律程序和规则，采用科学合理的证据保全方法，网络证据保全的有效性才能够得以保证，网络证据在诉讼中才能发挥其应有的价值。     

风险投资过程中投资者对风险投资家的激励机制研究

目的/意义结合政府引导基金参股子基金投资运作的多任务特征,设计面向双重任务的激励契约能够引导基金管理人合理分配努力投入,从而提高投资运作的效率,确保政策目标的实现。设计/方法引入任务重要性系数、努力成本系数和可测绩效方差,构建双重任务下基金管理人的激励契约,并在两项任务独立、互补和替代3种情形下,分析了相关参数对激励契约的影响。结论/发现当两项任务相互关联时,对给定任务的激励同时受到与两项任务有关参数变化的影响,与另一项任务有关的参数变化对给定任务施加影响的方向取决于两项任务的关联属性。引导基金应根据任务的重要性、努力成本和可观测性的不同制定差异化的激励方案,并根据相关参数的变化对两项任务的激励水平进行调整。     

关于保护北京古都风貌的几个问题

一个城市的发展 ,有其自身的发展规律和内在的文化传承关系 ,人们只有尊重这种传承关系 ,才能保护好城市的风貌。城市规划是城市发展建设的灵魂 ,既要保持文化上的传承 ,又要尊重城市自身的发展规律 ,具有保护与创新的双重任务。北京地区的古代建筑在文化上、经济上都具有不可估量的价值 ,其所具有的经济开发潜力 ,也是十分雄厚的。而这种文化资源的价值 ,是不可再造的 ,一旦遭到破坏 ,将是不可挽回的损失。     

论国际货物运输代理人的法律地位——以中国现行法规为基础

对于国际货物运输代理人,目前学界对其业务范围没有同一的认识,相应的也没有同一的定义,对其法律地位自然也是莫衷一是,本文以中国目前有效的法律文本作为基础,以概念法学逻辑涵摄的方法,辅之以法律解释的方法,通过相应的分析指出了国际货物运输代理人在不同的业务形式下的法律地位。