The Impact of Telecommuting on the Activity Spaces of Participants

A spatial analysis of the activity spaces of telecommuters, based on the geocoded travel diary data from the State of California Telecommuting Pilot Project, is performed to analyze the impacts of telecommuting. The study analyzes the spatial location, orientation, and extent of the activity locations within the “activity spaces” of telecommuters and a nontelecommuting control group. To be able to quantitatively compare and contrast the travel patterns and the distribution of trip ends within the activity space, several spatial indicators have been defined. Several hypotheses concerning the selection of activity locations by individuals are presented and the impact of telecommuting on the selection of locations for activity is analyzed. Key findings include: on telecommuting days, 86 percent of telecommuters' activities are performed closer to home than to work, compared to 56 percent on normal commuting days; and destinations on telecommuting days are more evenly distributed in all directions around the home, whereas a majority of destinations on commuting days are oriented toward the work location. To be able to understand the influence of the contributing factors toward the selection of nonwork activity locations, potential causal relationships between the influencing factors and the activity location choice are investigated. Several plausible log-linear model structures for cross-classified data provide a good fit to these relationships. Key results include: interaction effects of activity location with commute distance and with trip purpose are present in all the best-fitting models, confirming the importance of these two variables in the selection of activity location; the interaction of activity location and income is also significant; and day status (telecommuting or not) of the employee influences the trip purpose, which in turn affects location.     

组织的服务氛围与员工的情感性劳动对服务质量的影响

作者在广州市的17个酒店和餐馆进行了一次实证研究,探讨组织的服务氛围和员工的情感性劳动行为对顾客感知的服务质量的影响.多层次线性模型分析结果表明,组织的服务氛围、员工感知的交往公平性、自然表演和深层表演行为与服务质量有显著的正相关关系,表面表演行为与服务质量存在显著的负相关关系;服务氛围既直接影响顾客感知的服务质量,又调节员工感知的交往公平性、心理服务氛围和工作满意感对服务质量的影响.     

饭店企业组织伦理氛围对组织承诺的影响研究

近年来,组织伦理氛围与组织承诺之间的相关性研究备受研究者关注。我国大陆关于饭店企业组织伦理氛围对组织承诺影响的研究非常少见。本研究主要以安徽、福建、湖南、四川、河南等地的9家三星级以上饭店为样本,采取问卷调查方法,利用结构方程模型软件定量分析了饭店企业组织伦理氛围对组织承诺的影响。据此提出了改善饭店企业组织伦理氛围与提升员工组织承诺的对策建议。     

略论美国内战在经济上的代价和影响

查尔斯和玛利·比尔德在他们的名著《美国文明的兴起》中把内战称为“第二次美国革命”。这不仅仅是因为内战解放了 40 0万黑奴和废除了奴隶制 ,而且是因为比尔德夫妇认为内战推动了美国工业资本主义的迅速发展。路易斯·海克后来对此作了进一步阐发。他认为内战中的政治权力转移替“工业资本主义的代言人”提供了完成其经济蓝图的机会。海克引述为证的战时措施包括关税、《银行法》、铁路土地赠与、《宅地法》、《莫里尔法》以及《契约劳工法》等等 ①。在比尔德和海克看来 ,内战是美国资本主义经济发展中的一个分水岭或者说转折点。他们这…     

The Impact of Global Economic Crisis on Remittances in the Commonwealth of Independent States

Two European geographers and an economist analyze the impact of the 2008-2009 global economic recession on remittances in the Commonwealth of Independent States. Drawing on balance-of-payments data as well as information on money transfers to and from the region, they detail the annual growth of remittances since 2001, illustrating the growing importance of this income stream to a number of countries in the region. Using quarterly data, they then provide details of the impact of the financial crisis on remittances starting with the 2007 credit crunch and intensifying with the collapse of global markets in 2008. Based on the impact of the 1998 Russian Crisis, they suggest that by 2012, remittances to the region could fall to only one-third the 2008 level, and that a return to pre-crisis levels of remittances could take almost a decade. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F220, F240, J610, O180. 4 figures, 6 tables, 47 references.     

The Impact of Global Financial Crisis on the Mechanism of Economic Growth in Russia

A noted specialist on the Russian economy presents an assessment of the impact of the global financial crisis on the mechanism of the country's economic growth. Focusing on the demand side of the economic ledger, the author explores the question of whether Russia will be able to re-attain the high economic growth rates of the period from 2000 to 2007 after recovering from the crisis. The paper analyzes the sharp drop in production in 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, attributing most of the damage to liquidity problems and declines in the price of oil. Empirical evidence is based primarily on data collected by the author from the Central Bank of Russia and the country's federal bureau of statistics (Rosstat). Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: E010, E200, E660, F210, G010. 11 figures, 3 tables, 29 references.     

The Impact of Property Taxes and Property Tax Classification on Business Activity in the Chicago Metropolitan Area

The City of Chicago and the inner suburbs grew much more slowly than the outer suburbs in recent decades. In the central county of the metropolitan area, commercial and industrial property is "classified," in that it is assessed at a higher ratio of market value than residential property. Classification is not used in the surrounding suburban counties. The empirical analysis finds evidence consistent with the notion that property tax classification contributes to differential rates of economic growth. High property tax rates lead to significantly slower growth rates for employment, commercial property, and industrial property.     

Getting Climate Policy on Track after The Hague

In November 2000, the Sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-6) ended in disarray and recrimination. The objective of the meeting was to agree on the details of the definitions and rules underlying the Kyoto Protocol negotiated in 1997. Unfortunately, the issues at stake were not small ones but points of principle and substance on which agreement had previously proved impossible, not only in Kyoto but in the negotiating sessions that followed. COP-6 is to be reconvened in July 2001 in the hope of resolving the differences, but the outlook is not favourable because positions appear to remain far apart. As a result, it is not clear what directions the international negotiations might take next. This article explores various paths, and draws the conclusion that several years may be required before a necessary revision of the Kyoto rules and targets can be undertaken. In the interim, progress on climate issues should not stop, and the authors suggest a set of efforts to be pursued, even while the search for a common global response continues. These efforts include pursuing domestic action to reduce emissions, maintaining activities already begun under the Framework Convention, and, in as much as possible, seeking agreement on consistent accounting rules.     

Local Academic Knowledge Transfers and the Concentration of Economic Activity

In this paper I examine agglomeration effects on the intensity of local knowledge transfers from universities to high technology innovations within the modified Griliches-Jaffe knowledge production function framework. Estimations are carried out at the level of U.S. metropolitan areas. Concentration of high technology employment turns out to be the most important factor promoting local academic knowledge transfers. I find that a "critical mass" of agglomeration must be reached in order to expect substantial local economic effects of academic research spending.     

Paper 3: Impact of the Indoor Climate on the Performance of Building Materials Contaminated with Salt Mixtures

Abstract

Archaeological sites are essentially submitted to decay phenomena inherent on their history as well as the environment to which they are exposed after excavation. The history of such archaeological sites is particularly related to their long-term underground conservation conditions during which they were subject to salt migration into the architectural remains.

It is well known that soluble salts present in building materials can cause damage, mainly by producing stresses in the substrate. A lot of research has been done in the past concerning the behaviour of salts in built constructions. However, most studies include single salts, of which the deliquescence points are well documented, while in situ one mostly finds complex salt mixtures, which makes the conservation strategy much more intricate.

The environmental conditions to minimize damage of salt-laden porous building materials can be modelled using a computer program ECOS capable of predicting the crystallization behaviour of salt mixtures. To use the model data of quantitative salt analyses are required as input. The program is then able to predict from a thermodynamic point of view which minerals will exist in the solid state under specified climatic conditions.

This paper deals with the results of a systematic investigation of the salt contamination of the building materials of the Coudenberg site and a prediction of the behaviour of the salt mixture related to the actual climate, as part of the environmental assessment.     

The Regional Economic Impact of an Earthquake: Direct and Indirect Effects of Electricity Lifeline Disruptions

This paper develops a methodology to estimate the regional economic impacts of electricity lifeline disruptions caused by a catastrophic earthquake. The methodology is based on specially designed input-output and linear programming models. A simulation of a major earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone near Memphis, Tennessee, indicates the potential production loss over the recovery period could amount to as much as 7 percent of gross regional product. Reallocation of scarce electricity across sectors could reduce the impacts substantially. Additionally, an improved restoration pattern of electricity transmission substations across subareas could reduce losses even more.     

土尔扈特蒙古西迁后的经济状况及其对东归的影响

土尔扈特蒙古西迁至伏尔加河流域后,其经济状况可以概括为:传统游牧经济由盛而衰;以互通有无为基础的对俄贸易往来不断;为俄国军事战役出兵助战获得战利品和报酬成为特殊的收入来源;突袭其他民族和控制贸易路线是增加财富的渠道之一;捕鱼成为相当一部分生活贫困的土尔扈特人赖以维持生计的重要方式。作者认为经济状况恶化是促使土尔扈特蒙古东归的原因之一。     

The Local Climate of the Rybinsk Reservoir

The appearance of the Rybinsk Reservoir has had the effect of increasing wind velocity, especially at night, raising nighttime and lowering daytime temperatures in the first half of summer, and producing a round-the-clock warming effect in the late summer and autumn. The warming effect in turn tends to lower relative humidity at night while increases are observed in the daytime.     

论古代战争对政治权力的影响——以战利品赏赐与人力资源为例

本文从三个方面分析了战争与政治权力的关系,并以战利品的赏赐和人力资源的利用为例,探讨了古代战争对政治权力的影响。作者的论点是：战争可以通过各种物质因素影响政治权力。战争需要从多方面进行投资,其结果也直接影响国家的物质基础。赏赐战利品对王权产生双重影响,既可以激励士兵,提高军人的忠诚度,也可以导致军人压力集团的形成或军心涣散,从而削弱王权。新的人力资源（战俘、奴隶和臣民）为巩固王权提供了便利条件。作者认为对殉葬的传统解释过分强调政治层面而忽略了这一现象的宗教文化因素。     

关中平原气候变化对低温天气的影响

本文利用陕西省关中平原地区自西向东的宝鸡、泾阳、西安、潼关 4个观测站的逐日气温资料和逐日降水资料 ,分析了关中平原 195 7年到 1972年 16年间本区春季气温、降水与春季低温天气的关系。揭示出关中平原地区春季低温天气发生次数与春季气温存在负相关性 ,与春季降水存在正相关性 ;在所研究的时间段内 ,关中平原地区气候变化趋于冷干 ,春季气候变化趋于冷湿 ,该区春季低温天气的天数趋于增多 ;低温天气的出现与温度的变幅有一定关系。