In an international context in which the effective management of hydrocarbon supplies is viewed as depending on liberalized energy markets and in which governments act as regulators rather than entrepreneurs, Central American countries are in the process of restructuring their energy sectors. This paper sets out the issues that should be considered in order to analyze the scope for and long-term consequences of structural reform in the oil industry of Central America.
In England and Wales the responsibility for the provision and maintenance of water supply and sewerage facilities was transferred to the private sector with the sale (privatisation) of the government-owned Regional Water Authorities to create nine English and one Welsh public limited companies (PLCs). Prior to privatisation, the Regional Water Authorities held an agreement whereby the various English Local Authorities were responsible as agents to the Water Authorities for the provision and maintenance of sewerage facilities within their districts. These agency agreements were transferred to the PLCs but these could be subject to far reaching review in the future. There are also 28 existing small private water supply companies with no involvement in sewerage matters.
The growth of the Swedish Computing and Communicationsindustry is studied in this thesis. Growth is seen as a dynamicprocess moved by the entry, expansion, contraction and exit offirms. The analysis is founded on the theory of the ExperimentallyOrganised Economy, which views the economy as an experimentalprocess. The entire thesis is organised around the problem ofresource allocation and the issue of growth through theintroduction of new combinations into the economic system,using the terminology of Schumpeter (1911). Competence blocsdetermine the efficiency of the economic process, i.e., theextent to which it leads to sustained economic growth ratherthan stagnation. Change is a fundamental feature of theeconomic process, firms have to be flexible to survive and theeconomic system must promote flexibility to grow. Many trials,or experiments, are required to discover and select "winning"firms and technologies. Hence, the turnover (i.e., entry andexit) of firms is supposed to have positive effects on growth.Theory, furthermore, predicts that new and small firms are moreentrepreneurial and innovative and that they, therefore, willgrow faster than old and large firms. The empirical results show that firm growth decreases withfirm age, decreases with firm size, increases with firmindependence, decreases with government ownership and thatindustry growth increases with firm turnover. Moreover, thesmallest firms have been the major job contributors during the1993-1998 period investigated empirically. It is also shownthat employment growth is facilitated by a sustained high entryof firms. Lastly, many policies, several of which were introduced inthe late 1960s and early 1970s, have selectively supportedlarge firms in mature industries. Hence, they have exercised arelatively negative influence on exactly the types of firmsthat have been shown to contribute to growth. These policieshave also made the Swedish economy less flexible. It is arguedthat this partly explains the slow economic growth in Swedencompared to other OECD countries since the 1970s. Aninteresting question is where Sweden would have been today witha different policy orientation. Keywords:The Experimentally Organised Economy;Competence Blocs; Industrial dynamics; Industrialtransformation; Firm age, Small-firm growth; Turnover of firms;Computing and Communications industry; IT industry;Institutions.
The growth of the Swedish Computing and Communicationsindustry is studied in this thesis. Growth is seen as a dynamicprocess moved by the entry, expansion, contraction and exit offirms. The analysis is founded on the theory of the ExperimentallyOrganised Economy, which views the economy as an experimentalprocess. The entire thesis is organised around the problem ofresource allocation and the issue of growth through theintroduction of new combinations into the economic system,using the terminology of Schumpeter (1911). Competence blocsdetermine the efficiency of the economic process, i.e., theextent to which it leads to sustained economic growth ratherthan stagnation. Change is a fundamental feature of theeconomic process, firms have to be flexible to survive and theeconomic system must promote flexibility to grow. Many trials,or experiments, are required to discover and select "winning"firms and technologies. Hence, the turnover (i.e., entry andexit) of firms is supposed to have positive effects on growth.Theory, furthermore, predicts that new and small firms are moreentrepreneurial and innovative and that they, therefore, willgrow faster than old and large firms. The empirical results show that firm growth decreases withfirm age, decreases with firm size, increases with firmindependence, decreases with government ownership and thatindustry growth increases with firm turnover. Moreover, thesmallest firms have been the major job contributors during the1993-1998 period investigated empirically. It is also shownthat employment growth is facilitated by a sustained high entryof firms. Lastly, many policies, several of which were introduced inthe late 1960s and early 1970s, have selectively supportedlarge firms in mature industries. Hence, they have exercised arelatively negative influence on exactly the types of firmsthat have been shown to contribute to growth. These policieshave also made the Swedish economy less flexible. It is arguedthat this partly explains the slow economic growth in Swedencompared to other ...
Guided by a simple theory of task assignment and time allocation, we investigate the long run response to national differences in tax rates on labor income, payrolls and consumption. The theory implies that higher tax rates reduce work time in the market sector, increase the size of the shadow economy, alter the industry mix of market activity, and twist labor demand in a way that amplifies negative effects on market work and concentrates effects on the less skilled. We also describe conditions whereby cross-country OLS regressions yield unbiased estimates of the total effect of taxes, inclusive of indirect effects that work through government spending responses to tax revenues. Regressions on rich-country samples in the mid 1990s indicate that a unit standard deviation tax rate difference of 12.8 percentage points leads to 122 fewer market work hours per adult per year, a drop of 4.9 percentage points in the employment-population ratio, and a rise in the shadow economy equal to 3.8 percent of GDP. It also leads to 10 to 30 percent lower employment and value added shares in (a) retail trade and repairs, (b) eating, drinking and lodging, and (c) a broader industry group that includes wholesale and motor trade.
Shipbuilding has changed from a heavy industry to become a capital- and technologyintensive activity over the last decades. While Japanese, South Korean and Western European yards dominate the merchant shipbuilding market so far, Eastern European yards are increasingly active, in particular in low and medium complex ships. We develop a market analysis and identify the axes of competition in international civil shipbuilding. From there, we analyze the restructuring process of Eastern European yards. Polish yards have proceeded with relatively quick enterprisation, establishing strong links to domestic and international suppliers. Restructuring in Russian and Ukrainian yards is blocked by local obstacles to enterprization, leading to increasing competitiveness gaps with CEE-yards. We conclude that a science&technology policy should be demand-oriented and target only the clearly identified obstacles to enterprization. ; Die Schiffbauindustrie hat sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten von einer Schwerindustrie zu einer kapital- und hochtechnologieintensiven Branche entwickelt. Neben den marktführenden Werften Japans, Südkoreas und Westeuropas drängen nun auch verstärkt mittel- und osteuropäische Werften auf die internationalen Schiffbaumärkte. Wir identifizieren Marktsegmente und Wettbewerbsachsen und leiten hieraus die aktuelle Situation der osteuropäischen Werften ab, die recht unterschiedlich sind. Polen schaffte es durch eine rasche Unternehmisierung seiner Werften und die Umstrukturierung der Produktionsprozesse, der mit dem Aufbau eines internationalen leistungsstarken Zuliefernetzwerkes einher ging, wettbewerbsfähige Schiffe internationale anbieten zu können. Der Umstrukturierungsprozeß der Werften in Rußland und der Ukraine ist dagegen wegen verzögerter Unternehmisierung und Privatisierung blockiert und führt zu einem zunehmenden Rückstand gegenüber ihren Konkurrenten. Eine Wissenschafts- und Technologiepolitik sollte nachfrageorientiert sein und sich auf die Beseitigung eindeutig identifizierter Hindernisse der Umstrukturierung beschränken.
Notas acerca de la evolución del folclore, en líneas generales, a partir del siglo XVII hasta la actualidad. Diversas razones, económicas y políticas, inciden hoy en un nuevo auge otorgado a la tradición folclórica. Ésta constituye, según el autor, el último instrumento de resistencia frente a la pérdida de la identidad cultural local, comarcal o regional. ; We present some notes about the evolution of folklore, along general lines, from the XVII century until the present. Diverse economic and political reasons have given new interest to folk tradition. Folklore, according to the author, is the last intrument of resistance against the loss of local and regional cultural identity. ; Grupo de Investigación Antropología y Filosofía (SEJ-126). Universidad de Granada
The paper analyzes the development and structure of the Japan's software industry, focusing particular attention on the failure of government support policies to nurture an internationally competitive industry and the success of foreign software producers in the Japanese market. The research adopts an evolutionary approach to explain Japan's problems in building a competitive software industry except in games, challenging the validity of standard explanations such as cultural disadvantage and failure to adopt best practice. The pattern of development in the Japanese software industry results from strong user preference for customized software over packaged products. Large users develop highly customized software systems that reflect their unique organizational structures and operating advantages. Software is viewed as an input into the production process, rather than an output to be independently marketted. As such, the structure of the software reflects the administrative heritage of major industrial users as much as developments in computer technology. The tendency to emphasize customization favors intra-industry software advances over interindustry expansion. Moreover, high demand for customization combines with large variation in operating systems to fractionalize the industry and frustrate government support policies. Even though the Ministry of International Trade and Industry followed the same industry support model that proved so successful in manufacturing, an independent world class software industry has not developed. The preference for customization has also allowed foreign software producers to successfully pursue a hub and spoke strategy. Foreign producers have been able to expand their user base, thereby lowering unit cost and putting local software developers at a further disadvantage. The research suggests that this situation will continue.
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Media reports of desecration of graves and human remains and other types of mismanagement at cemeteries and crematories have inspired a debate regarding whether the federal government should take on a greater role in regulating the death care industry, primarily funeral homes, crematories, cemeteries, pre-need sales of funeral plans, and third party sales of funeral goods. The federal government has a limited role in regulating the death care industry, as most regulatory responsibilities are handled at the state level. Because of this, federal policymakers have expressed an interest in understanding the range of practices that are used by the states to regulate the various segments of the death care industry. Based on surveys of state regulators covering the various segments of the death care industry; and visits to the states of California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, New York, and Texas; this report provides information on (1) the structures used by states for regulating the death care industry, and (2) the mechanisms used by states for enforcing their regulations covering the industry. The report also provides information on the resources available to help consumers make informed choices regarding death care transactions. Details on the results of GAO's surveys of the states can be found at: http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/ getrpt?GAO-03-831SP."
Cassava is planted each year in about 120,000 hectares of agricultural land in the Philippines, producing about 1.8 million tonnes of cassava roots. Principal products of the processing industry are food, dried chips and starch. As a traded commodity, however, cassava contributes only about 2% to gross value-adding in agriculture. The following factors favor the expansion of the industry: a) trends in associated commodities, b) dwindling prime agricultural land, c) expanding demand for cassava products, and d) availability of improved technologies. As a food crop, demand for cassava is increasing and this trend is expected to continue with the increase in population and improvements in techniques for transforming cassava roots into more stable, convenient and attractive products. Cassava has gained gradual acceptance as a high-energy component in commercial feed formulations. This is fueled by chronic shortages and the resulting high price of domestically produced maize. In specific locations, farmers now recognize that intercropping cassava with maize and given optimum care, this cropping system is economically comparable to two maize monocrops, and provides a more reliable income. The outlook for the cassava starch industry in the Philippines is rather bleak. Trade liberalization and the absence of real government assistance in improving productivity and efficiency are threatening the survival of this sector. The agricultural modernization program, which is supposed to cushion the impact of trade liberalization, virtually has had no funding during the first two years from its passage, and until now has not produced anything of practical significance. With the negative outlook for the Philippine sugar industry, cassava emerged as the most viable alternative source of raw material for production of alcohol for liquor. San Miguel Corporation has been investing heavily on plant construction and supply base development since 1995. The greatest challenge in the future will be to put in place a system that results in an adequate and stable year-round supply of cassava for the distillery. Strengthening the cassava industry in the Philippines requires strengthening the linkage between production and markets accompanied by improved access to credit, supportive government policies and appropriate technical support.
This paper addresses an optimal tariff design to protect an infant-industry in the presence of learning effects. Firms decide how much to produce, taking into account learning effects induced by their current production, while the government decides on the level of tariff protection. In order to include different levels of bargaining power for each group of agents, each component of the welfare function is weighted with these weights taken as given. We solve the symmetric case without spillovers and fixed cost reduction due to accumluated output. Assuming that domestic and foreign production are imperfect substitutes for each other but perfect substitutes within each group, we use a complete linear demand system to represent domestic consumers' preferences. The analytic Markov Perfect Equilibria of this game is derived by solving a linear-quadratic differential game. The optimal tariff policy is characterized and compared to Spain's tariff policy on Iron and Steel for 1913.
In: Heeks , R 1995 , ' Import Liberalisation And Development Of The Indian Computer Industry ' Economic & Political Weekly , vol 30 , no. 34 , pp. M82-M93 .
The Indian computer industry has come a long way since its total reliance on imports from a few multinationals in the 1960s. However, the current round of import liberalisation is producing an increasing number of features redolent of that earlier period. This article investigates the relationship between import liberalisation and development of industrial production, exports and technological capabilities. It concludes that import liberalism cannot be regarded as the optimum strategy for any country wishing to develop local production capabilities, and that some measure of import protection has to be in place for this development to take place. However, the case is made for a reactive government policy which can apply varying degrees of protection or liberalisation as the circumstances of external change and industrial development demand. Therefore, both the timing and phasing of policy changes will be important. Technical change and other factors are shown to have mediated some outcomes and to have constrained policy choices.
The reflection we propose on the relationship between humanities and architectural projects is an opportunity to recall the ability of the sociologist to criticise, guide or induce spatial choices in the production of architectural projects. As a first step, we identify in the architectural project aspects that compare sociological knowledge of the uses and specificity of the project. Secondly, we highlight the value of this sociology in criticising the architectural project, drawing a distinction between: a general, social and cultural criticism, another more political one leading to normative proposals on living spaces. ; International audience ; The reflection we propose on the relationship between humanities and architectural projects is an opportunity to recall the ability of the sociologist to criticise, guide or induce spatial choices in the production of architectural projects. As a first step, we identify in the architectural project aspects that compare sociological knowledge of the uses and specificity of the project. Secondly, we highlight the value of this sociology in criticising the architectural project, drawing a distinction between: a general, social and cultural criticism, another more political one leading to normative proposals on living spaces. ; La réflexion que nous proposons sur les relations entre sciences humaines et projet architectural est l'occasion de rappeler la capacité du sociologue à critiquer, orienter ou induire des choix spatiaux dans la production de projets architecturaux. Dans un premier temps nous identifions dans le projet architectural des aspects qui confrontent connaissance sociologique des usages et spécificité du projet. Dans un deuxième temps nous précisons l'intérêt de cette sociologie pour une critique du projet architectural en distinguant : une critique générale, sociale et culturelle, une autre plus politique pour aboutir à des propositions normatives sur les espaces habités.
Članak predstavlja prvi deo rada koji se bavi odnosom jugoslovenske sociologije prema socijalizmu u periodu između 1945. i 1990. godine. Stav jugoslovenske sociologije prema socijalizmu prvenstveno je bio uslovljen promenama koje su se zbivale u vladajućoj kolektivno-vlasničkoj klasi i njenoj političkoj organizaciji - SKJ. U ovom delu se razmatra odnos istorijskog materijalizma prema socijalizmu, zatim, Đilasova kritika socijalističkog društva i shvatanje prvih poratnih jugoslovenskih sociologa o društvenoj strukturi socijalizma. ; This article represents the first part of a work dealing whit the relationship between Yugoslav sociology and socialism in the period 1945. to 1990. Tle relationship between Yugoslav socilogy and socialism was on the first place determined by the changes happening too the ruling colective-owner class and its political organization - Communist Party. This article deals whit the relationship between historical materialism and socialism, and, Djilas's critics of socialist society and the ideas of first Yugoslav.
The spread of eco-design activity through industry has not necessarily resulted from a systematic assessment of the potential benefits. For example, eco-design principles have been adopted (and developed) by organisations or individuals who feel an increased environmental or social responsibility, or designers who find an aesthetic resonance with ecology. Alternatively, eco-design principles are adopted as a means of reducing production costs or meeting new legislation. Industries such as electronics, IT and domestic appliance industries already integrate environmental issues in their design culture and manufacturing operations whilst other industries such as construction are still aligning themselves with issues of sustainability. Certain sectors have much potential to benefit from the application of eco-design principles. It is suggested here that indicators of the potential for reducing environmental impact through eco-design could be found in publicly available aggregated data for industry spending and environmental impact. A systematic characterisation of UK industry sectors according to the potential benefits associated with application of eco-design principles could be instrumental in directing future eco-design research, development and application in industry. Results are presented for the characterisation of several industry sectors, conclusions about the methodology and suggestions for further work are made.
