Economic Planning: Time to Reconsider?

Together with the collapse of what was once called the socialist system, was also the collapse of research on any other form of economic organisation of a society. Administrative methods for running an economy, with economic planning foremost among them, were inseparably linked to the collapse of the socialist system and, in essence, were held responsible for it. Thus, although the dominant economic paradigm has once again failed to deliver in recent years, the research for other methods fell into oblivion along with the system they were attached to. This work represents an attempt to reconsider the potential of economic planning as a means of organizing an economy at various levels, at various degrees and in various environments. I shall try to illustrate that the blame for the collapse of different socialist systems should not have fallen on the systemic deficiencies of economic planning but, instead, on the political institutions responsible for its application. In addition, I will stress that economic planning has been condemned by non-economic parameters and the application of wrong planning methods. In making this argument I hope to provide an angle through which the discussion of economic organisation can be opened to a broader scope of research.Economic planning, Political economy, Comparative economic systems, Institutions

Economic planning: Time to reconsider?

Together with the collapse of what was once called the socialist system, was also the collapse of research on any other form of economic organization of a society. Administrative methods for running an economy, with economic planning foremost among them, were inseparably linked to the collapse of the socialist system and, in essence, were held responsible for it. Thus, although the dominant economic paradigm has once again failed to deliver in recent years, the research for other methods fell into oblivion along with the system they were attached to. This work represents an attempt to reconsider the potential of economic planning as a means of organizing an economy at various levels, at various degrees and in various environments. I shall try to illustrate that the blame for the collapse of different socialist systems should not have fallen on the systemic deficiencies of economic planning but, instead, on the political institutions responsible for its application. In addition, I will stress that economic planning has been condemned by non-economic parameters and the application of wrong planning methods. In making this argument I hope to provide an angle through which the discussion of economic organization can be opened to a broader scope of research

Μελέτη της θερμικής σταθερότητας μιγμάτων ABS/PP από ανάμιξη σε δικόχλιο εκβολέα

Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο--Μεταπτυχιακή Εργασία. Διεπιστημονικό-Διατμηματικό Πρόγραμμα Μεταπτυχιακών Σπουδών (Δ.Π.Μ.Σ.) “Συστήματα Αυτοματισμού

The ten myths of manufacturing:what does the future hold for UK manufacturing?

The recent recession has caused upheaval for the economies worldwide. The impact has been felt enormously all over and especially in the manufacturing sector. This report discusses significant data on China's manufacturing industry that suggests they are already growing again despite recent events, while India has continued to maintain their efforts. One question the report raises is as the balance of economic power shifts to the East, what if the future for the once great UK manufacturing industry

Το προφίλ των Γενικών Διευθυντών των Υπουργείων

Αντικείμενο της παρούσας μεταπτυχιακής διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η διερεύνηση του προφίλ των Γενικών Διευθυντών των Υπουργείων, που επελέγησαν με το σύστημα που προβλέπουν οι διατάξεις του Ν.4369/2016. Προς το σκοπό αυτό, αξιοποιήθηκαν τα ποσοτικά στοιχεία που αφορούν τα τυπικά – εκπαιδευτικά προσόντα και την εργασιακή εμπειρία ογδόντα επτά (87) επιλεγέντων Γενικών Διευθυντών των Υπουργείων. Τα στοιχεία αυτά αντλήθηκαν από τις ανακοινώσεις των αρμόδιων Ειδικών Συμβουλίων Επιλογής Προϊσταμένων (ΕΙ.Σ.Ε.Π.), που αναρτήθηκαν στο διαδικτυακό κόμβο του Ανωτάτου Συμβουλίου Επιλογής Προσωπικού (Α.Σ.Ε.Π.), στο πλαίσιο των διαδικασιών επιλογής. Επιπρόσθετα, προκειμένου η έρευνα να μην περιορίζεται σε ποσοτικά στοιχεία, καταρτίστηκε ερωτηματολόγιο και διεξήχθησαν συνεντεύξεις με είκοσι δύο (22) συνολικά επιλεγέντες Γενικούς Διευθυντές. Κατέστη, έτσι, εφικτή η συγκέντρωση ποιοτικών στοιχείων που σχετίζονται με τα ανωτέρω προσόντα αλλά και η μελέτη της οπτικής των ίδιων των επιλεγέντων για το ρόλο τους και τον τρόπο επιλογής του. Η μελέτη των στοιχείων καταδεικνύει ιδιαίτερη προτίμηση του συστήματος για υψηλά τυπικά – εκπαιδευτικά προσόντα, αντιμετώπιση της εργασιακής εμπειρίας ως δευτερεύουσας σημασίας κριτήριο, καθώς και καχυποψία για την προηγούμενη άσκηση καθηκόντων ευθύνης. Μέσα από αυτή την τυποποίηση των κριτηρίων επιλογής, επιδιώκεται το σύστημα να χαρακτηριστεί αντικειμενικό και διαφανές. Τέλος, οι επιλεγέντες εκφράζουν την άποψη ότι ο ρόλος τους θα έπρεπε να είναι περισσότερο συμμετοχικός στη διαμόρφωση πολιτικών, απ’ ό,τι πραγματικά είναι.The subject of this postgraduate thesis is the investigation of the profile of the Directors-General of the Ministries, who were selected with the system provided by the provisions of Law 4369/2016. For this purpose, the quantitative data concerning the educational qualifications and the work experience of the eighty-seven (87) selected Directors-General of Ministries were utilized. These data were drawn from the announcements of the competent Special Councils for Heads Selection that were posted on the website of the Supreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection (ASEP) in the context of the selection procedures. In addition, in order to ensure that the research is not limited to quantitative data, a questionnaire was developed and interviews were conducted with twenty-two (22) selected Directors-General. Thus, it became possible to gather quality data related to the above qualifications as well as to study the point of view of the selected Directors-General when it comes to their role and the way they were selected. The study of the data demonstrates a particular system’s preference for high formal - educational qualifications. The selection system takes into consideration the work experience as a secondary criterion and the previous exercise of responsibilities suspiciously. It seems that it takes into consideration these criteria to ensure being transparent and impartial. Last but not least, the Directors-General express the view that their role should be more participatory in shaping policies than it really is

How do MNEs invent? An invention-based perspective of MNE profitability

Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Although MNEs create inventions both internally and collaboratively with partners as well as within and across countries, we know very little about the effects that combining such inventive activities have on their profitability. This study develops an invention-based perspective that considers how MNEs' profitability is influenced by the ways they organize the development of inventions across organizational boundaries (internally or collaboratively) and geographic boundaries (within or across countries). This perspective postulates that profitability is not merely driven by advantageous technological endowments but also by how such technological assets have been created. Accordingly, it explains why specific combinations of inventive activities across the two boundaries affect the likelihood of creating breakthrough inventions differently, provide different revenue and cost advantages, and have different effects on MNEs’ profitability. It further explains why cross-country inventions contribute more to profitability when they are internalized, while within-country inventions are more profitable when they are created collaboratively. - Résumé: Bien que les entreprises multinationales (Multinational Enterprises – MNEs) créent, aux échelles transfrontalière et nationale, des inventions à la fois en interne et en collaboration avec des partenaires, nous en savons très peu sur les impacts de la combinaison de telles activités inventives sur leur rentabilité. Cette recherche développe une perspective fondée sur les inventions laquelle examine comment la rentabilité des MNEs est influencée par les manières dont elles organisent le développement des inventions à travers les frontières organisationnelles (internes ou collaboratives) et géographiques (à l'intérieur ou entre des pays). Cette perspective postule que la rentabilité n'est pas seulement façonnée par des facultés technologiques avantageuses, mais aussi par la manière dont ces actifs technologiques ont été créés. Par conséquent, cela explique pourquoi les combinaisons spécifiques des activités inventives à travers les deux frontières influencent différemment la probabilité de créer des inventions disruptives, apportent différents avantages en matière de revenus et de coûts, et exercent divers impacts sur la rentabilité des MNEs. Cela explique en outre pourquoi les inventions transfrontières contribuent davantage à la rentabilité lorsqu'elles sont internalisées, tandis que les inventions au sein d’un pays sont plus rentables lorsqu'elles sont créées en collaboration. - Resumen: A pesar las empresas multinacionales crean invenciones tanto interna como en colaboración con socios, así como dentro y entre los países, sabemos muy poco sobre los efectos que la combinación de tales actividades inventivas tiene en su rentabilidad. Este estudio desarrolla una perspectiva basada en la invención que considera cómo la rentabilidad de las empresas multinacionales está influenciada por las formas en que organizan el desarrollo de las invenciones a través de los limites organizacionales (interna o colaborativamente) y los limites geográficos (dentro o entre países). Esta perspectiva postula que la rentabilidad no está impulsada simplemente por legados tecnológicos ventajosos, sino también por la forma en que se han creado dichos activos tecnológicos. Por ende, explica por qué las combinaciones específicas de actividades inventivas a través de los dos límites afectan de manera diferente la probabilidad de crear invenciones novedosas, proporcionan diferentes ventajas de ingresos y costos, y tienen diferentes efectos en la rentabilidad de las empresas multinacionales. Explica además por qué las invenciones entre países contribuyen más a la rentabilidad cuando son internalizadas, mientras que las invenciones dentro del país son más rentables cuando se crean en colaboración. - Resumo: Embora MNEs criem invenções tanto interna quanto colaborativamente com parceiros, bem como dentro e entre países, sabemos muito pouco sobre os efeitos que a combinação de tais atividades inventivas tem em sua lucratividade. Este estudo desenvolve uma perspectiva baseada em invenções que considera como a lucratividade de MNEs é influenciada pelas formas como organizam o desenvolvimento de invenções além de fronteiras organizacionais (internamente ou colaborativamente) e geográficas (dentro ou entre países). Essa perspectiva postula que lucratividade não é apenas impulsionada por dotações tecnológicas vantajosas, mas também por como esses ativos tecnológicos foram criados. Consequentemente, isso explica por que específicas combinações de atividades inventivas através das duas fronteiras afetam de forma distinta a probabilidade de criar invenções revolucionárias, fornecem receitas e vantagens de custo diferentes e têm efeitos diferentes na lucratividade de MNEs. Ela também explica por que invenções entre países contribuem mais para a lucratividade quando são internalizadas, enquanto invenções dentro do país são mais lucrativas quando são criadas de forma colaborativa. - 摘要 虽然跨国公司(MNE)同时在内部和通过与伙伴合作在国内和跨国创造发明, 但我们对此类发明活动的结合对其盈利率的影响知之甚少。本研究提出了一个基于发明的视角, 该视角考虑了MNE的盈利率如何受到它们跨越组织边界 ( (内部或协作) 和地理边界 ( 国内或跨国 ) 织发明开发的方式的影响。这一视角假定盈利率不仅受有利的技术禀赋的驱动, 而且还受这些技术资产的创造方式的驱动。因此, 它解释了为什么跨越两个边界的发明活动的特定组合对创造突破性发明的可能性产生不同的影响, 提供不同的收入和成本优势, 并对MNE的盈利率产生不同的影响。它还进一步解释了为什么跨国发明在内部化时对盈利率的贡献更大, 而国内发明在合作创造时更有利

Under what institutional conditions do business groups enhance innovation performance?

This study examines the institutional mechanisms through which business groups impact innovation in emerging markets. Rather than merely viewing groups as the result of a weak institutional environment, this study proposes that there are complementary elements between groups and institutions, enabling groups to benefit from interactions with their institutional environment. Evidence from a large sample of Chinese firms indicates that the effects of groups on innovation are pronounced when the group is affiliated to a higher level government agency and when the level of region-specific marketization is higher. The findings point to the context-dependent nature of the innovation and the existence of both substitution and complementary effects between business groups and institutions

Migrant human and political capitals value in entrepreneur enterprise performance. A comparative study of four emerging markets

This paper investigates the impact of human and political capitals of entrepreneurs on enterprise performance in four emerging nations.The rent generation potential of these capitals is a well established fact, however, much less is known concerning the contingent nature of their value creation prowess. In this work, we draw on institutional theory and dynamic managerial capabilities perspective to examine the interactive effect of country of origin economic developement level and the international experience of entrepreurs, on the capitals, with respect to a set of financial indicators. Employing a quantitative methodology, our findings reveal that the relationship between the capitals and enterprise performance are indeeed contingent with the capitals of home-grown entrepreneurs, rather than those of returnee migrant entrepreneurs, exhibiting a greater propensity to influence enterprise performance. We conclude with implications for theory and practice