Causal Linkages in Supply Chain Management: An Exploratory Study of North American Manufacturing Firms

In this paper we investigate the key causal linkages in supply chain management. We propose a conceptual framework and test this framework on data from 215 North American manufacturing firms using structural equation modeling techniques. Three major research issues are addressed in this study: Do sourcing decisions affect the degree to which firms achieve manufacturing goals of cost, flexibility, dependability, and quality? Does the degree of manufacturing goal achievement lead to higher customer responsiveness? Does the degree of manufacturing goal achievement lead to higher internal manufacturing performance? The study examines the relationship among sourcing decisions, manufacturing goals, customer responsiveness, and manufacturing performance. The results support the notion that an integrated supply chain involves aligning sourcing decisions to achieve manufacturing goals that are set to respond favorably to the needs of customers.     

Interorganizational Determinants of Environmental Purchasing: Initial Evidence from the Consumer Products Industries*

Environmental purchasing consists of the purchasing function's involvement in activities that include reduction, recycling, reuse, and substitution of materials. Despite the potentially important role that the purchasing function can play in a firm's environmental activities, little research has been performed to date that examines the factors that impact environmental purchasing. The authors develop and empirically test a theoretical model that examines how interorganizational factors both drive and constrain purchasing's involvement in environmental activities. The empirical findings suggest that environmental purchasing activities will be facilitated through increased coordination with suppliers as well as downstream members of the supply chain, including retailers. The results also suggest the need for increased coordination within the firm, particularly between the purchasing function on the inbound side and marketing and distribution functions on the outbound side.     

A Bayesian analysis on time series structural equation models

Structural equation models (SEM) have been extensively used in behavioral, social, and psychological research to model relations between the latent variables and the observations. Most software packages for the fitting of SEM rely on frequentist methods. Traditional models and software are not appropriate for analysis of the dependent observations such as time-series data. In this study, a structural equation model with a time series feature is introduced. A Bayesian approach is used to solve the model with the aid of the Markov chain Monte Carlo method. Bayesian inferences as well as prediction with the proposed time series structural equation model can also reveal certain unobserved relationships among the observations. The approach is successfully employed using real Asian, American and European stock return data.     

Detection of structural breaks in a time-varying heteroskedastic regression model

A Bayesian method for estimating a time-varying regression model subject to the presence of structural breaks is proposed. Heteroskedastic dynamics, via both GARCH and stochastic volatility specifications, and an autoregressive factor, subject to breaks, are added to generalize the standard return prediction model, in order to efficiently estimate and examine the relationship and how it changes over time. A Bayesian computational method is employed to identify the locations of structural breaks, and for estimation and inference, simultaneously accounting for heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation. The proposed methods are illustrated using simulated data. Then, an empirical study of the Taiwan and Hong Kong stock markets, using oil and gas price returns as a state variable, provides strong support for oil prices being an important explanatory variable for stock returns.     

结构参数、出口固定投入成本与贸易扩展边际

替代弹性和异质性参数是决定出口固定投入成本对扩展边际影响程度的关键因素。本文借鉴异质性企业贸易理论分析框架,推导出能反应市场结构的结构引力模型,并使用2004-2007年的面板数据对中国制造业29个产业的出口进行实证分析,在此基础上对10个产业的结构参数（替代弹性和异质性参数）进行估计,并考察出口固定投入成本对总出口和扩展边际影响的程度。结果发现,大部分产业（29个产业中有22个）结构引力模型系数的估计结果符合理论预期;对10个产业结构参数的估计也同理论预期一致;出口固定投入成本对总出口和扩展边际的影响因产业的不同而不同。政策含义上意味着贸易便利化政策和产业政策应相互结合,保证贸易平稳健康发展。     

个人网上银行客户体验基本构成要素间作用关系实证研究

客户体验与客户体验管理能够解决个人网上银行的同质化问题。本文旨在探讨个人网上银行客户体验基本构成要素间的作用关系。通过对2000多位客户的问卷调查,本文采用结构方程模型,对体验感知、体验期望和感知价值等个人网上银行客户体验基本构成要素之间的作用关系以及安全、使用成本等因素对体验感知的作用关系进行实证研究,发现体验感知对感知价值、体验期望对体验感知有正向的影响;体验期望对感知价值有负向影响;安全、使用成本、易用、速度与稳定、品牌信任、功能满足、客户服务和便利等对体验感知有正向影响;而营销活动对体验感知没有显著影响。     

复杂环境下地震灾害应急救灾协同机制:一个实证分析

灾害应急管理是国家治理体系与治理能力建设,维护经济社会发展长治久安,以及实现"中国梦"、"两个一百年"奋斗目标的重要基石,也是中国特色社会主义制度更加巩固和优越性充分展现的战略部署。根据治理理论与协同学理论,通过对汶川、玉树等高原地震应急救灾的问卷调查和案例资料,探讨了政府主导社会基于支持保障体系的应急救灾协同机制实现路径,阐述了破坏性地震应急救灾何以协同、为何协同以与如何协同的内在逻辑及其现实要求,提出了加强灾害应急管理及科学引导社会参与救灾等优化对策。     

十年间山西农民就业对比分析

如何有效提高农民收入是解决三农问题的关键,而农民的就业问题直接关系到农民收入的高低。探寻山西农民的就业情况从下面两方面考虑。一方面,通过对十年间山西农民就业情况的纵向对比分析,发现农村大量的富余农民依然禁锢在传统农业上。另一方面,通过与全国以及中部六省劳动力转移情况的横向对比,发现山西农村劳动力转移存在的一些个问题,通过分析,提出相应的建议。     

关系成员企业管理者社会资本水平其机会主义行为间关系的实证研究——以中外合资企业为例

本文以中外合资企业为主要研究对象,就关系成员企业管理者社会资本水平与其在特定关系中的机会主义行为水平的联系及其对关系绩效的影响进行了实证研究。研究结果首次证实了企业管理者社会资本会提高其在特定关系中的机会主义倾向这一潜在关系的存在,但这种机会主义行为主要体现在对关系程序控制权的获取上,并不会降低社会资本在提升关系收益水平方面的价值,同时也不会影响关系成果分配的公平性。本研究的相关结论对于进一步的研究与企业管理实践均有一定价值。     

当前中国的主要民生问题分析

旨在通过对中国民生发展的历史背景和现实困境的系统考察,细致梳理中国民生问题产生的时代背景、发展过程和存在的问题。当前中国主要的民生领域存在着结构性矛盾。民生问题中存在的结构性矛盾是转型期经济社会发展失衡的社会后果。