Suchergebnisse

ABSTRACTWe ask how the scope for non‐profit objectives in a state‐owned enterprise (SOE) in a mixed oligopoly changes because of competition from firms in another country. There is no change if costs and demand are given, unless the trade partner is a low‐cost country. However, the scope for non‐profit objectives is limited by the country's relative size if wages are market‐clearing and if workers and firms are stationary, because of reduced competitiveness caused by higher real wage rates. The total surplus is then not affected by the actions of the SOE. International trade does not otherwise reduce the scope for its non‐profit objectives if workers and firms are mobile, but productivity differences might require restrictions in order to avoid a complete relocation of the workforce in either country.

The papers and presentations in this volume were part of aninternational conference on Latin American and Caribbean basin securityissues hosted by the Latin American Research Centre at the University ofCalgary in May, 2013. Focusing on Canadian security policies in the region,the conference went beyond traditional notions of security and focusedon a range of human security issues: the impact of insecurity on violenceagainst women, the role of illegal armed groups, organized crime, guerrillainsurgencies, youth gangs, and the impact which armed conflict has on thephysical environment. The findings of this conference suggest that, withincreased private sector investment in the region combined, growing tradeties have implications for the image of Canada in the region and necessitatea close and effective working relationship between government andthe private sector to ensure that international standards pertaining to theenvironment and human rights are observed.

A central point of disagreement animates global governance research. Some scholars see changing forms of global governance as eroding the power of the state. Others reject this claim, arguing that relative state power remains the most important factor in international affairs. I contend that analytical misconception confounds and misleads this debate. Both sides insist on modeling the state as a unitary actor; further, both neglect the temporal dynamics of international regime formation. I build a novel analytical framework that focuses on political processes that unfold over time and opens up the unitary state. Probing three decades of innovation in global finance, trade and environmental governance, I find no evidence of a zero-sum relationship: experimental forms of transnational governance often empower governmental actors and state agencies. However, I also conclude that relative organizational power grounded in historical processes of regime formation matters more than relative state power in shaping global regulatory change.

Summary Studies show that the implemented and certified early risk detection systems in practice are often unable to identify developments that could jeopardize a company's existence. This is due to methodological weaknesses, e.g. insufficient consideration of the liquidity effect of risks, the lack of analysis of extreme risks and, in particular, the absence of adequate risk aggregation that considers interdependencies and hence combination effects of risks. In many recent insolvencies, among them the here investigated case of Gerry Weber International AG, it is easy to see that the early risk detection system, as explained in the Annual Report, has not fulfilled the legal requirements. In order to avoid such "unexpected insolvencies", it is necessary to implement advanced risk management procedures and pursue audits that are more rigorous. The article at hand develops a concise but comprehensive assessment scheme that may not only be easily applied within companies but also by external auditors. Zusammenfassung Die meisten börsennotierten Gesellschaften haben ein Risikofrüherkennungssystem, das vom Abschlussprüfer ohne den Verweis auf schwerwiegende Mängel testiert wird. Tatsächlich zeigen Studien, dass die in der Praxis implementierten Systeme häufig ungeeignet sind, um an sich erkennbare bestandsgefährdende Entwicklungen zu identifizieren. Dies liegt an methodischen Schwächen, z. B. an einer fehlenden Betrachtung der Liquiditätswirkung von Risiken, einer vernachlässigten Analyse von Extremrisiken und insb. am Fehlen einer Risikoaggregation, die auch Kombinationseffekte berücksichtigt. Bei Insolvenzen, wie hier im Beispiel von Gerry Weber, lässt sich bei Betrachtung des dokumentierten Risikomanagementsystems erkennen, dass die gesetzlichen Anforderungen nicht erfüllt wurden. Um solche "überraschenden Insolvenzen" zu vermeiden, ist es erforderlich, bessere Verfahren zu implementieren und durch Prüfer testieren zu lassen, was bisher nicht konsequent geschieht. Der Beitrag schlägt ein einfaches aber umfassendes Prüfschema für Risikofrüherkennungssysteme vor, das sowohl intern als auch von externen Prüfern verwendet werden kann.

Purpose– This paper aims to examine how multinational enterprises (MNEs) and local partners, including suppliers, customers and competitors in China, improve their innovation capabilities through collaboration. This collaboration was analysed as a three-way interaction between the ownership-specific (O) advantages or firm-specific assets (FSAs) of the MNE subsidiary, the FSAs of the local partner and the location-specific assets of the host location.Design/methodology/approach– The propositions are examined through a survey of 320 firms, supplemented with 30 in-depth case studies, based in Mainland China.Findings– It is found that the recombination of asset-type (Oa) FSAs and transaction-type (Ot) FSAs from both partners leads to new innovation-related ownership advantages, or "recombinant advantages". Ot FSAs, in the form of access to local suppliers, customers or government networks are particularly important for reducing the liability of foreignness for MNEs.Originality/value– The study reveals important patterns of reciprocal transfer, sharing and integration for different asset categories (tacit, codified) and different forms of FSA and explicitly links these to different innovation performance outcomes. The paper reports on these findings, making an empirical contribution in an important context (China-based partnerships). This paper also contributes to conceptual developments, connecting various kinds of FSA, tacit and codifiable assets and "recombinant advantages". Limited conceptual, methodological and empirical contributions are made in linking asset integration with (measurable) innovation performance outcomes in international partnerships.

AbstractTaxi cabs are a key feature of daily life in Madrid, which is one of the most important European cities. An exploratory study was undertaken in order to evaluate the quality of Madrid's taxi cab industry.This paper analyses the current situation by using the Taxi Cab Management Model (TCMM) which identifies the key processes for managing and operating a taxi cab service in any international city. The model provides a benchmark for measuring performance against other capital cities in developed nations. By comparing the results of this analysis with similar case studies of London, New York and Paris, areas of best practice are identified, as well as possible operational improvements.The study concludes that the Madrid taxi cab industry is ahead of cities like London, New York and Paris in terms of IT integration within the industry, but that some key issues need to be reviewed e.g. the potential for a more centralised fleet management system. One of the best features of the Madrid taxi cab industry was found to be the test for candidate drivers. It is well designed in terms of its user interface (candidates do not need to be computer literate), it has a large bank of questions (up to 6000) that are used randomly to generate examinations, and it offers a highly efficient way to assess candidates. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

We provide an overview of the field of information and communication technologies for development (ICTD). This field is concerned with how information and communication technologies can be used to support poor and marginalized people in social, political and economic spheres. Through referring to seminal authors in ICT4D and its sub-fields, human–computer interaction for development (HCI4D) and participatory design for development (PD4D), we articulate the main themes, debates and challenges presented in this field. We conclude by arguing that communication challenges must be solved before technological ones: impact and success in ICT4D rely first and foremost on having a common and mutual understanding of needs, values and perspectives, which will determine whether and which technologies are needed.

Adverse early experiences of adopted children tend to entail emotional deprivation, which may have impaired their attachment relationships. Using an adaptation of a projective test specifically devised to assess attachment in teenagers, the relational histories of 70 Spanish adolescent international adoptees were explored and compared to non-adopted peers. A significant association between insecure attachment and difficulties with internal representation of parental figures (birth and adoptive) appeared in young adoptees with adverse pre-placement care and late adoption. With knowledge of internal attachment's working models, professionals can improve their understanding of the adopted adolescent and go beyond mere classification of attachment patterns.

This research note examines voter preferences in Swiss-EU relations. We identify large shares of cross-pressured voters, i.e., citizens who support the bilateral treaties but wish to either control immigration into Switzerland or oppose a liberalization of social protection measures on the job market. Voters experiencing a trade-off between immigration control and international cooperation are mainly located on the Right. Their share decreased between 2015 and 2019, whereas the share of neutral voters sharply increased. Moreover, negotiations about an Institutional Framework Agreement between Switzerland and the EU have given rise to a new trade-off – namely between social protection and international cooperation – with cross-pressured voters mainly concentrated on the Left. This tension has generated a high share of undecided voters. When pressured to decide on these trade-offs, cross-pressured and neutral voters opt for the bilateral treaties over immigration control, whereas they prefer social protection over the new agreement. Partisanship is a strong predictor of these choices.