Measuring and Achieving Equity in Multiperiod Emergency Material Allocation

Emergency material allocation is an important part of postdisaster emergency logistics that is significant for improving rescue effectiveness and reducing disaster losses. However, the traditional single‐period allocation model often causes local surpluses or shortages and high cost, and prevents the system from achieving an equitable or optimal multiperiod allocation. To achieve equitable allocation of emergency materials in the case of serious shortages relative to the demand by victims, this article introduces a multiperiod model for allocation of emergency materials to multiple affected locations (using an exponential utility function to reflect the disutility loss due to material shortfalls), and illustrates the relationship between equity of allocations and the cost of emergency response. Finally, numerical examples are presented to demonstrate both the feasibility and the usefulness of the proposed model for achieving multiperiod equitable allocation of emergency material among multiple disaster locations. The results indicate that the introduction of a nonlinear utility function to reflect the disutility of large shortfalls can make the material allocation fairer, and minimize large losses due to shortfalls. We found that achieving equity has a significant but not unreasonable impact on emergency costs. We also illustrate that using differing utility functions for different types of materials adds an important dimension of flexibility.     

Corporate Financial Strategies for Global Competitiveness

This paper focuses on the role of corporate financial strategies to improve their market valuations and lower their cost of capital. The identification of successful strategies is accomplished within an overall strategic framework. The paper is built on 12 longitudinal case studies from the Nordic countries to illustrate the linkages between business strategy, firm motivation, and various financial strategies.     

The impact of managerial political ties on corporate governance and debt financing: Evidence from Ghana

In this study, we draw upon insights from agency theory to examine the impact of managerial political ties on cost of debt and also to explore whether corporate governance mediates this impact. We hypothesize that political ties reduce financial reporting quality, disclosure of non-financial information and board independence, and are therefore associated with higher interest rates. We also hypothesize that the negative effect of political ties on the cost of debt will be stronger if firms borrow from privately-owned banks versus government-owned banks. Using data from Ghana, we find support for our direct and moderation hypotheses; political ties are associated with high interest rates and poor corporate governance. However, we do not find evidence of mediation. Altogether, the findings reveal the dark side of political connections and highlight the cost of political embeddedness in emerging credit markets.     

控股股东代理成本、纳税筹划方案抉择及其市场价值:基于J有限公司的案例研究

纳税筹划是实务界与学术界共同关心的领域,现有研究大量讨论了公司纳税筹划行为的决定因素及其经济后果,但仍存在巨大争议。一方面,纳税筹划节约了现金流,提升股东价值;另一方面,代理问题使企业的纳税筹划方案更可能有利于控股股东或管理层,而非上市公司利益最大化,从而可能降低企业价值,最终纳税筹划方案的经济后果取决于上述两方面的共同作用。本文基于某上市公司(J有限公司)收购大股东土地案例,分析了代理成本影响公司税务决策的路径及其经济后果。本文发现,控股股东构造了较为复杂的股权转移交易方式,为上市公司和控股股东节约了大量税务成本。但由于代理成本的存在,在多种纳税筹划方案中,控股股东并未选择对上市公司最为有利的方案,而选择了能够取得现金最多,控股股东利益最大化的方案。进一步的研究发现,市场非常关注该企业的纳税筹划行为,与本文搜集的对照样本相比,尽管J公司的控股股东未选择最优的方案,但投资者仍给予了该纳税筹划行为以积极反应,提升了企业价值。本文为研究代理成本影响公司税务决策的机理提供了重要参考。     

产品市场竞争、融资约束与公司现金持有:基于中国制造业上市公司的实证分析

本文采用我国制造业上市公司2001年-2007年共2401个公司年的平衡面板数据,利用行业间竞争、行业内竞争两个维度的产品市场竞争变量,实证分析了我国制造业上市公司产品市场竞争对现金持有水平的综合影响。实证结果显示,对于所有制造业上市公司来说,产品市场竞争对公司现金持有存在显著的掠夺风险效应。在考虑公司融资约束的情况下,产品市场竞争对公司现金持有的掠夺风险和代理成本两种竞争效应被有效区分开来。融资约束公司表现为显著的掠夺风险效应,非融资约束公司则表现为显著的代理成本效应。这些研究结论不仅丰富和补充了产品市场竞争与公司现金持有之间的相关研究,也为公司实施积极的现金流风险管理和持有现金的高效利用提供了实践支持。     

基于卓越绩效模式的供应链质量成本优化研究

本文以供应链质量成本为主要研究对象,分析归纳供应链质量成本研究现状,结合卓越绩效模式方法,提出质量成本核算体系,建立基于卓越绩效模式的供应链质量成本模型。通过一个应用案例,采用遗传算法求解,证明该方法使供应链成本得到了优化。     

信任与激励:价值链成本治理机制的实验研究

本文采用试验研究方法,模拟价值链节点企业交易过程,研究了信任与激励两种价值链成本治理机制的治理效果以及它们之间的作用关系。试验结果显示,高度信任与基于价值链利益的激励机制均可以有效缓解或防范合作问题、协调问题和侵占问题,对价值链成本治理具有明显的治理效果。当价值链节点企业之间缺乏信任的时候,激励机制会失去效用;信任机制与激励机制之间具有显著的互补关系。     

公司并购绩效与公司边界:交易费用的视角

公司并购重组是重新确定公司边界的一种有效机制。本文充分整合产权理论、交易费用经济学、影响成本理论以及公司并购协同效应理论,推导出影响公司边界的若干因素,确定出影响公司并购绩效的主要潜在因素,再在此基础上建立一个分析公司并购绩效与公司边界的综合性理论框架。结果发现,资产专用性、影响成本与公司并购协同效应都将对公司边界的调整和公司并购绩效产生决定性的影响,而且这个影响的大小又取决于治理结构、融资工具以及组织结构等诸多因素。     

非对称信息条件下成本控制模型研究

运用委托代理理论方法探讨了信息不对称条件下,生产管理者如何激励生产者努力降低成本的问题。信息不对称情况下,管理者不能观测到生产者为降低成本而付出的努力,因此管理者需要对生产者进行激励。管理者根据自己的要求和生产者的自报数确定了一个合约基数,并建立了满足生产者个体理性约束和激励相容约束条件下的管理者期望效用最大化模型,分别以奖励系数和惩罚系数为决策主量。运用进化规划算法作了仿真计算。     

Efficiency determinants in retail stores: a Bayesian framework

This paper analyzes the impact of vertical integration, age, geographic expansion, and low price strategy on the cost efficiency of retail stores. We test our hypotheses using the innovative Bayesian frontier methodology. The data involve a sample of Spanish retail stores that operate in a highly competitive and dynamic environment. From the results, it is clear that cost efficiency is higher for stores that have: longer years in business, stronger geographical presence, and lower price offerings. Vertical integration, on the other hand, is negatively related to efficiency. Further discussions of these findings and related managerial implications are provided in the paper.