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As economic activities span the supply chain boundary, the effective use of technology as the medium for coordination (or integration) among and within organizations has received much attention. In the US manufacturing sector, IT usage is increasingly becoming a source of sustained competitiveness and an opportunity for improvement. And there is a growing demand to achieve conflicting performance objectives (revenue versus profitability versus efficiency, for example). This article explores the relationships between information technology investment, performance, and productivity. While management should continue to evaluate IT investments by any practical means that satisfies company needs, the development of IT competencies and investment policies so as to optimize the firm's performance seems to be a worthwhile goal. Our empirical findings clearly suggest that IT investment has a positive impact on market performance as a result of better coordination in the value chain, but that larger investments do not seem to lead to higher financial performance. Additionally, coordination productivity seems to benefit from increased investment by reducing, say, working capital requirements. Given the diversity of firms represented, we conclude that the way in which these firms compete may also have a direct influence on the extent of IT investment and competencies.

Kubota reviews 'Economic Ideology and Japanese Industrial Policy: Developmentalism from 1931 to 1965' by Bai Gao.

This study examines the most problematic mutual economic policy issues between Latvia and Russia during the period of 2004 – 2007, straight after Latvia joined EU and NATO. The focus is on the coverage of these issues by Latvia's largest business newspaper "Dienas bizness". The study attempts to find out the possible frames that are rising from the articles about Russia - Latvia mutual economic relations and what role journalists and EU institutions have in these relations. Previously, the framing of the events, issues, and actors as well the impact of the frames have been widely researched. However frame performed functions which are grounded in Robert Entman's framing theory and economic policy frames in press and more specifically about Latvia-Russia mutual economical relations have not been broadly studied. In this respect the press is telling the public how to think about these relations and why. The conducted analysis provides strong evidence of framing in Latvia − Russia economic relations issues in the newspaper, as well as explaining the functions of these frames. The most important and widely framed cases are Latvia − Russia border agreements, border queues, Nord Stream pipe line project, Latvia's energy dependency problem as well as Latvia's and other EU countries animal origin product import problems to Russia. The analysis shows that the causes of most of the cases are based historically on both the country's relations and political aims; however inexperience and new business targets are affecting those as well. By not being a part of the World Trade Organization, Russia is an unreliable partner but it doesn't make it less significant for Latvia's business area. The newspaper suggests Latvia to be a partner with a common sense and prudence to use all the possibilities of Russia's market. On the other hand it puts Latvia in a frame with the rest of EU to think of the common values of the union and policy towards Russia. At the same time, Russia is changing its policy towards Latvia by not limiting its business expansionist plans just to previously strategically meaningful partners. Journalists turned out to be evaluators, criticizers, and advocators of the policy making however, not considered to be strong initiators. Asiasanat:Business press, Latvian business media, economic policy, Latvia - Russia economic relations, framing analysis

'Globalization and Nationalism: The Changing Balance in India's Economic Policy, 1950-2000' by Baldev Raj Nayar is reviewed.

Preliminary Material /Robert Repetto , Tai hwan Kwon , Son-Ung Kim , Dae Young Kim , John E. Sloboda and Peter J. Donaldson --Introduction /Robert Repetto --The Historical Background to Korea's Demographic Transition /Tai Hwan Kwon --Migration and Korean Development /Dae Young Kim and John E. Sloboda --Socio-Economic Influences on the Fertility Decline in Korea /Robert Repetto --Population Policies in Korea /Son-Ung Kim --Evolution of the Family-Planning System /Peter J. Donaldson --Notes /Robert Repetto , Tai hwan Kwon , Son-Ung Kim , Dae Young Kim , John E. Sloboda and Peter J. Donaldson --Bibliography /Robert Repetto , Tai hwan Kwon , Son-Ung Kim , Dae Young Kim , John E. Sloboda and Peter J. Donaldson --Index /Robert Repetto , Tai hwan Kwon , Son-Ung Kim , Dae Young Kim , John E. Sloboda and Peter J. Donaldson --Harvard East Asian Monographs /Robert Repetto , Tai hwan Kwon , Son-Ung Kim , Dae Young Kim , John E. Sloboda and Peter J. Donaldson.

The European Union's external energy policy architecture is very important for further energy security and economic development. European normative power on its neighbours represents the most efficient way of integrating neighbouring energy markets, with the EU's emerging internal market and, in perspective, through economic interdependence and complementarities, there are chances of creating an European geo-energy space. EU's tools for shaping the geo-energy space are becoming more effective in an extended European economic area that would allow it to act as the main actor in a multilateral interconnected system of energy producer and transit countries. The result of the paper is materialized in a new paradigm for EU's external energy policy, which can provide future security of supply through market institutions and an active economic diplomacy in the resource energy countries. Keywords: European geo-energy space, energy markets, regulatory framework. (Romanian Journal of European Affairs / SWP)

Today, many cultural institutions like museums, theaters or libraries, are considered as major economic agents who can have a profound economic impact. This paper reviews different approaches to analyze economic value and efficiency of cultural institutions in public policy; it also discusses the major arguments that explain the evolving roles of those institutions in society. The shortcomings of the evaluation approaches are also discussed.