Suchergebnisse

The arguments of reformers for a major realignment of public & private decision making in the US's national industrial policy (NIP) are predicated on six key myths: (1) employment opportunities in high-paying manufacturing jobs are declining, while those in low-level service jobs are increasing; (2) this rapid industrial decay necessitates new government initiatives to ease the "pain of adjustment"; (3) the Chrysler Corp was saved from bankruptcy solely through aid from the federal government; (4) the Japanese government has been the major force behind Japan's incredible economic growth; (5) protectionist measures such as "Buy American" can solve industrial development problems; & (6) the US cannot compete with imports because of cheap foreign labor. Examination of these myths will enable citizens to better decide the degree to which they wish government to intervene in economic matters in the formulation of a coordinated industrial policy. 2 Tables, 10 Graphs. K. Hyatt.

Consideration is given to legislation proposed by Democratic Representative William Ford (Mich) that originally was designed to restrict movement of business from the "frost belt" to the "sun belt" but that has broadened so as to penalize severely any plant shutdowns, on the basis of the financial & social repercussions of such actions. Characterized as "inane, thin veils for the socialist's dream of strong central control of the economy," these restrictions are believed to be far worse than the ills they would supposedly alleviate, & would ultimately be paid for by the very workers they are designed to protect. It is also pointed out that embedded in this legislation are provisions enabling the government to easily come to the aid of companies that are in financial difficulty. Argument is made for businesses to remain in free competition & to stay afloat without governmental interference or support. D. Abrahams.

Departmental discord is common & often expected. There are backbiting, warring factions, & political intrigue, & departmental fights provide an excellent data base for conclusions about conflict in other social contexts. The incentive of the faculty is economic, & the University operates on a wage-fund system of pay; faculty members know that their activities will not affect this fund. A given faculty member may increase his or her share of the fund by increasing productivity, or by reducing the outputs of others. The latter technique is predation, which varies with department size. In large departments, the rational course of action is to increase one's production, while in smaller departments, predatory tactics are more effective. An intermediate size department is most likely to be economically efficient, & University policymakers should be aware of this. This analysis may be extended to include predatory activity in private firms; the optimum-sized department in private sectors should be smaller than those in the U. The concept of an optimum-size department is problematic, but holds potential for improving production & minimizing predation. The wage-fund system should be either improved or discarded; setting limits for tenure & promotions in small departments can generate unnecessary conflict among members. L. Kamel.