Journal of Engineering and Technology Management

SupplierUpgradingintheHome-furnishingValueChain:AnEmpiricalStudyofIKEA’sSourcinginChinaandSouthEastAsiaOriginalResearchArticleWorldDevelopment,Volume38,Issue11,November2010,Pages1575-1587IngeIvarsson,ClaesGöranAlvstamShowpreview|Relatedarticles|RelatedreferenceworkarticlesPurchase$19.9565Exchangerates,globalimbalances,andinterdependenceinEastAsiaOriginalResearchArticleJournalofAsianEconomics,Volume19,Issue1,February2008,Pages53-73JacquesMazier,YongHyupOh,SophieSaglioShowpreview|Relatedarticles|RelatedreferenceworkarticlesPurchase$41.9566Internationaltradeandindustrialdynamics:GeographicalandstructuraldimensionsofChineseandSino-EUmerchandisetradeOriginalResearchArticleAppliedGeography,InPress,CorrectedProof,Availableonline16March2011LiLi,MichaelDunford,GodfreyYeungClosepreview|Relatedarticles|RelatedreferenceworkarticlesAbstract|Figures/Tables|ReferencesAbstractThispaperdrawsontradedatatoexaminethedegreeofupgradingofChina’stradestructurewiththeworldasawholeandinparticularwiththeEuropeanUnion(EU).MorespecificallyitexaminestheevolutionoftheindustrialstructureofChina’stradewiththeworldandwiththeEUbetween1996and2008andoftheunderlyingdynamicindicatorsofrevealedcomparativeadvantage.ThismethodofanalysingChina’sindustrialstructureprovidesclearevidenceofupgradingintomoreadvancedindustrieswithoutatpresentlosingsignificantcompetitiveadvantageinindustriesemployingunskilledworkers.TheexaminationofrevealedcomparativeadvantageindicesforworldandSino-EUtradealsoindicatesanincreasinglyhighdegreeofinterdependencebetweentheEUandChinabetween1996and2008.TheEU(especiallyGermany,theUK,andFrance)isChina’smostimportantexportmarket,thoughitisalsomuchmoreimportantasamarketforChina’sexportsthantheEUisasasupplierforPurchase$31.50China.China’sconsequenttradesurpluswiththeEUhasgraduallyshiftedfromtextilesandclothingtomachineryandfurniture.FurtherinvestigationrevealsthatthecomplementarySino-EUbilateraltradeismovingtowardsintra-industrytradeatthe4-digitlevelofHS(HarmonizationSystem)commodityclassification.AlthoughChinaisstilla‘globalsweatshop’withastrongspecializationinlabour-intensivecommoditiesproducedforeconomicallydevelopedcountries(byimportingmachinery,rawmaterialsandexportingprocessedgoods),therearesignsoftechnologicalupgradinginnumberofselectedsectorsinChina,noticeablyelectronics,computersandtelecommunicationsequipment.China’srelianceofimportsofmineralsindicateshoweverthatenergyandresourcesecuritycouldbeanimportantconstraintonChina’slong-termeconomicdevelopment.ArticleOutlineIntroductionComparativeadvantage,specializationandinternationaltrade:theoreticalideasandempiricalmeasurementComparativeadvantage,internationaltradeandindustrialupgradingMeasuringrevealedcomparativeadvantageTradedatasourcesandmethodsThegeographyofChinesebilateraltrade:complementaritiesandcompetivenessStructuralchangesinChinesemerchandisetradeChangingprofilesofChinesemerchandisetradeChangingRCAofChinesecommodities:asignofindustrialupgrading?StructuralupgradinginSino-EUtrade:CAsofChinesecommoditiesConclusionsAcknowledgementsReferences67Theimpactofinformationandcommunicationtechnology(ICT),educationandregulationoneconomicfreedominIslamicMiddleEasterncountriesOriginalResearchArticleInformation&Management,Volume46,Issue8,December2009,Pages426-433FaridShirazi,RoyaGholami,DoloresAñónHigónClosepreview|Relatedarticles|RelatedreferenceworkarticlesAbstract|Figures/Tables|ReferencesAbstractOurstudyinvestigatedtheimpactofICTexpansiononeconomicfreedomintheMiddleEast(Bahrain,Iran,Jordan,Kuwait,Lebanon,Oman,Qatar,SaudiArabia,Syria,UnitedArabEmirates,andYemen).Ourempiricalanalysisusedarchivaldatafrom1995to2005;itshowedthatICTexpansionintheMiddleEasthasbeeneffectivebothinbridgingthedigitaldivideandalsoinpromotingeconomicfreedominaregionthatwasvulnerabletopolitical,social,andglobalconflict.However,differencesbetweencountries,suchastheeducationalattainmentoftheircitizensandinstitutionalresistancetotechnologyacceptance,bothenhancedandrestrictedtherelationshipbetweenICTandeconomicfreedom.ArticleOutline1.Introduction2.Background2.1.ICTdevelopmentintheMiddleEast2.2.ICTandeconomicdevelopmentintheMiddleEast3.Estimationframework3.1.Economicfreedom3.2.ICT3.3.Politicalrightsandcivilliberties3.4.EconomicgrowthPurchase$31.503.5.Regulation3.6.Educationalattainment3.7.Researchmodel4.Datasourcesanddescriptivestatistics4.1.Theeconomicfreedomindex4.2.ICTindex4.3.Regulation4.4.Educationalattainment4.5.AnnualgrowthrateofGDPpercapita4.6.TheIndexofPoliticalRightsandCivilLiberties(PRCL)5.Empiricalresults5.1.Theimportanceofeducationandregulation6.ConclusionAcknowledgementsAppendixA.AppendixAppendixB.AppendixReferencesVitae68Asia,Africa,MiddleEastRenewableEnergyFocus,Volume10,Issue5,September-October2009,Page8Closepreview|Relatedarticles|RelatedreferenceworkarticlesAbstractNoabstractisavailableforthisarticle.Purchase$41.9569ThegeographyoftheSpanishairportsystem:spatialconcentrationanddeconcentrationpatternsinseatcapacitydistribution,2001–2008OriginalResearchArticleJournalofTransportGeography,Volume19,Issue2