Spatiotemporal context and firm performance: The mediating effect of strategic interaction

Traditional studies of firm performance typically focus on the effect of market structure and rarely consider the impact of the spatiotemporal context in industrial competition. Using a sample of 1,555 listed companies from 2015 to 2018 in China, this study shows that the profit center of gravity tends to move from southeast to northwest, and that there are negative effects on firm performance with distance from the profit center of gravity. Moreover, when controlling for organizational variables, strategic interaction at the local level significantly mediates the relationship between spatiotemporal context at the global level and firm performance at the microlevel. This investigation provides preliminary support for strategic interaction as a significant mediator between spatiotemporal context and firm performance, and further highlights the relevance of spatiotemporal context and strategic interaction in determining firm performance. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the dynamic mechanism of spatiotemporal context affecting firm performance and the role of strategic interaction at the local level in this relationship, which can improve the existing insights into new economic geography.     

北京籽种产业科技创新现状调研与发展建议

籽种产业是现代农业的核心,是北京都市型现代农业发展的首要任务。通过对北京籽种产业科技创新的基础与现状进行调研,从人才、技术、信息、资源等方面阐明北京所具备的种业科技创新的实力和地位,分析在全球经济一体化的大形势下北京种业科技创新面临的问题与挑战,探讨北京籽种产业科技创新的途径与思路,提出促进籽种农业发展之建议。     

Emerging geography of technological innovation in China's ICT industry: Region,inter‐firm linkages and innovative performance in a transitional economy

This study critically evaluates the relevance of the existing theory of technological innovation to the case of China's information and communications technology industry. Based on a large‐scale questionnaire survey conducted in China's three most important city‐regions, namely, Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, where the core of China's information and communications technology industry is located, this study reveals a significant regional variation in technological innovation in a political economy undergoing marketisation and globalisation. This research has found no significant relationship between the innovative performance of firms and the extent of production linkages; nor was there a significant knowledge exchange among firms. A further analysis has identified the significant role played by government purchases, research and development capital input and export propensity in the process of technological innovation. The findings of this research cast doubts over the prevailing theory of ‘new economic geography’ in which soft and unbounded relational assets have been overemphasised at the expense of some solid and bounded actors and agents that are pivotal to technological innovation in a developing economy.     

The heterogeneity of agglomeration effect: Evidence from Chinese cities

Using annual surveys of industrial firms in China from 1998 to 2007, this paper applies the non‐linear least squares (NLS) method based on a grid search to analyse the effect of city size on firm total factor productivity (TFP). The results show that overall, the agglomeration effects in large cities, but not selection effects, significantly promote improvement in firm TFP. The optimal agglomeration scales of different industries differ as follows: those of capital‐ and technology‐intensive industries are larger than those of labour‐intensive industries. The agglomeration effects are also robust to different spatial areas without considering administrative boundaries. An inverted U‐shaped relationship exists between firm size and agglomeration effects, while the relationship between firm age and agglomeration effects is U‐shaped. State‐owned firms experience weaker agglomeration effects than non‐state‐owned firms. Cities higher in the administrative hierarchy and those with special economic zones have stronger agglomeration effects. However, cities higher in the administrative hierarchy and those with a larger economic development zone index can provide more resources to increase the survival rate of low‐productivity firms; thus, selection effects are not significant in Chinese cities.     

Agglomeration and firm performance in times of economic turmoil: Evidence from Tunisian firm-level data

The paper analyzes the relationship between agglomeration economies (urbanization, specialization, and diversity) and firm-level performance during a period of deep economic downturn (2011–2018). We use data from the National Survey of Economic Activities for eight Tunisian manufacturing industries to explore which agglomeration externalities matter most for firm performance after the revolution. The analysis considers, in addition, the role played by selected firm-specific characteristics. The empirical results, based on a multilevel analysis approach, sanction the importance of firm-specific determinants of productivity and exporting. They also indicate that only specialization externalities have a positive and significant effect on firms' performance. The replicate results during a period of economic stability (1998–2004) show, however, that specialization and urbanization economies are both relevant predictors of firms' productivity and that more productive firms, in particular the smaller ones, are better able to benefit from agglomeration. This finding has not been confirmed for the post-revolutionary period.     

The innovation effect of low-carbon technology transfer from the perspective of carbon emission reduction demand: A case study of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China

Reducing carbon emissions is the only way to solve the global climate problem, which obviously requires the joint efforts of all regions. From the perspective of carbon emission reduction demand, this research obtains the data of low-carbon patents and CO₂ emissions from 2000 to 2019, and then explores the innovation effect of low-carbon technology transfer in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB). We draw the following conclusions: (1) Low-carbon technology transfer has a positive impact on low-carbon technology innovation. However, a large number of low-carbon technology transfers are concentrated between developed regions in the YREB at present. (2) No matter from the perspective of total amount or efficiency, carbon emission reduction demand can play positive moderating role in the process of exerting the innovation effect of low-carbon technology transfer, indicating that the transfer of low-carbon technologies to regions with high demand is efficient. (3) The moderating effect of carbon emission reduction demand in different regions has regional heterogeneity. Carbon emissions per unit of GDP plays a greater role in moderating the innovation effect of low-carbon technology transfer in the eastern region, while CO₂ emissions plays a greater role in the central and western regions. Therefore, we propose to strengthen the transfer of low-carbon technologies between developed and less-developed regions, and adopt differentiation strategies according to the actual situation of each region. Our research has deepened the understanding of environmental economic geography on the innovation effect of low-carbon technology transfer, and has reference significance for global low-carbon technology cooperation.     

Open innovation and innovative performance of universities: Evidence from China

University–industry interactions have been extensively discussed by economic geographers. However, while universities increasingly engage in local and nonlocal interactions with the industry, there is a lack of evidence concerning the consequences of universities becoming involved in these open innovation processes. Therefore, this study empirically examines the effects of local and nonlocal knowledge interactions on the innovative performance of universities by utilizing a large panel database constructed from a sample of 185 universities in China. First, we observe that both local and nonlocal interactions have an inverted U-shaped relationship with university innovative performance. Second, local interactions combined with nonlocal interactions have a negative effect on the innovative performance of universities. Finally, we find that a balance is required between local and nonlocal interactions to enhance university performance. These results have important implications for policy design.     

论农技推广中的科技载体运筹

基层农技推广单位设立农资经营门市部,进行技术咨询和物资配套服务,农资经营门市部已成为农业技术推广的窗口之一.这种把技术和物资相结合的形式,比较适宜当前农村经济文化发展水平,尤其适宜以家庭联产承包为主体的农业生产形式.基层农技推广单位服务质量的好坏,直接影响到千家万户的农业生产.现结合本人多年实践,谈谈自已的粗浅认识.     

试论国际农业科技交流与合作

以作者先后在加勒比地区多米尼克和东南亚地区菲律宾等国承担我国农业对外援助项目和国际科技合作项目的经历,论述了国际农业科技尤其作物科技交流与合作的领域、方向与进展等情况,提出开展国际科技交流与合作的一些建议,以供参考。     

Taiwanese bed and breakfast business performance: A geographic region perspective

Taiwan has prioritized bed and breakfast (B&B) business performance improvement in its tourism policies because B&Bs are a sustainable business model that can boost local economy through rural tourism. In order to identify the factors that can improve business performance, this research uses directional distance function and metafrontier approach to evaluate the technical efficiency of 18 cities and counties with B&Bs in Taiwan from 2011 to 2016. Results are divided into four geographic regions: Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern Taiwan; technology gap ratios are computed to determine the degree of technical gaps for each region in order to provide information to potential B&B owners when selecting their accommodation location or region, to aid B&B managers in tailoring their business models and marketing strategies to maximize total revenues or minimize inputs, and to facilitate tourism, small businesses, and local economy with the support of the Taiwanese government.     

对青海省种子科技推广工作的思考

随着我国加入WTO,国外先进的种子科技和优质专用品种不断涌入我省,加之近年来种植业结构调整对品种需求的增加,传统的种子科技已不适应新形势的要求,科技创新显得尤为重要.     

Hong Kong and the globalisation of the Chinese diaspora: a geographical perspective

This study examines the processes of spatial restructuring in the Hong Kong–South China region. The paper analyses urban‐rural interaction in a historical and transnational context. Based on detailed census data collected in 1961 and 1996, this study traces the origins of the Hongkongers and maps out their spatial distribution according to their native place identities. The heightened population movement between the rural hinterland in the South China region and the Hong Kong metropolis is inseparable from territorial organisation on the Chinese mainland. The great spatial mobility demonstrated by the Hongkongers, or, their ‘refugee mentality’ as it is known, is found to be deeply rooted in their marginal sub‐ethnic identity in the nation. A systematic analysis of spatial data reveals that the diasporic landscape developed in Hong Kong has been polarised by the élite English and Shanghainese speakers on the one end and the Kejia people on the other end. Despite the processes of globalisation, the great spatial mobility of the Hong Kong sojourners and the diasporic landscape they have created have been effectively shaped by their place‐based ethno‐linguistic identities. If the transnational movement of people is considered an important component of globalisation, then this study reinforces the importance of locality and contests the fashionable notion of globalisation as a ‘placeless’ phenomenon. The seemingly displaced empire of Chinese diaspora capitalism, in which Hong Kong has played a crucial part, has remained grounded by pre‐existing place‐specific conditions.     

试论中国种业企业自主创新与发展

《种子法》实施5年来,种子企业已经历了品种、价格、质量、数量、规模、品牌等方面的竞争,目前大部分经过了转轨、创业初期的兴奋期,而基本处于一种缓慢发展、维持生存的状态[1].     

影响高校科技成果转化的因素及对策

阐述了目前中国高校科技成果产出及转化情况,并在剖析制约高校科技成果转化因素的同时,提出了加速中国高校科技成果转化的对策     

我国农业科研院所种子产业再发展的对策

农业科研院所种业公司是我国种子产业中不可替代的有生力量,如何保持自身优势,赢得市场竞争主动权,是目前农业科研院所种子产业再发展面临的新问题.     

The Role of Government in Housebreaking

There is a conflict of the interests among the housebreaking householder, the developer and the government. In this paper, the different interests among the three sides are analyzed based on the city housebreaking management ordinance. It is suggested that taking intervention measures by the government to restrict the behavior of the developer and guarantee the interests of the weak parties to find a way out from the conflict.     

The persistence of inter‐regional hierarchy in technology transfer networks: An analysis of Chinese patent licensing data

This paper asks whether the technological development of a nation reduces the inter‐regional hierarchy in knowledge flow. We examine two scenarios that are the alternative to each other. The first is what we call the globalization of regional innovation system/weakening of inter‐regional hierarchy scenario: As many regions develop their niches in the global economy, the national “anchor” region loses its relative importance as the importer and distributor of new knowledge, rendering the domestic inter‐regional hierarchy less significant as a result. The second scenario is the globalization of national innovation system/persistence of inter‐regional hierarchy. The nation’s traditional anchor region becomes even more active in importing technology and distributing it to other regions of the country. To test which scenario is closer to reality, we employ social network metrics to analyse inter‐regional technology diffusion networks using Chinese patent licensing data for the 1998–2013 period. Our findings support the second scenario, showing that the influence of the traditional anchor region persists in the hierarchical network structure as new cities enter the network. We found five anchor regions: the three usual suspects—Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen—plus two that were slightly less expected—Dongguan and Suzhou.     

中国渔业科研机构的国际竞争力比较与分析

通过构建渔业科技竞争力评价指标体系,运用层次分析法将中国具有代表性的渔业科研机构与14个重要渔业国家的16所渔业科研机构进行科技竞争力分析与比较。结果显示,中国渔业科研机构的资源投入竞争力位于世界渔业科研机构前列,主要体现在研究人员数量得分以及研究总经费得分较高;科研成果竞争力居中等偏下,主要体现在高水平学术论文量得分过低,篇均被引频次得分过低等方面;渔业机构科研综合竞争力位居中上水平。结果提示,语言问题是影响中国渔业科技竞争力的因素之一,但不是主要因素,而整体原始创新能力与水平的不足才是主要影响因素。     

DUI and STI innovation modes in the Canadian wine industry: The geography of interaction modes

This paper explores the geography of collaborations and interactions that are linked to DUI (Doing, Using, and Interacting) and STI (Scientific and Technologically based Innovation) innovation modes in the wine industry: that is, the geography of interaction modes. DUI and STI interaction modes are analysed by exploring their association with innovation and the extent to which this varies with geography. The results, based upon firm-level data from a sample of 151 Canadian wineries, suggest that different types of innovation are connected to specific interaction modes. We show that the effects of each interaction mode are strongly dependent on whether the mode is deployed regionally or non-regionally. In particular, the paper highlights marked differences between regional and non-regional DUI and between regional and non-regional STI interactions modes with respect to their association with innovation outcomes.