FDI in small states and unattractive markets: the case of São Tomé and Príncipe

ABSTRACT

Studies on Small States, ‘unattractive’ markets, namely those from Africa, are very scarce. São Tomé and Príncipe (STP), a Small State, insular economy, has had considerable momentum in attracting FDI in the last decade albeit its geographical and demographic constraints and relative weak economic growth. The current study uncovers the potential determinants of FDI in unattractive markets using STP as a case study. Based on (robust) logistic estimations on a sample of 56 Portuguese companies that have trade relations with African countries, we show that in the case of Small States economies and unattractive markets, the relevance of institutional factors and resource seeking strategies surpass internalisation and location factors related to market size and dynamics. We further uncovered that foreign companies’ characteristics, namely size and (general) human capital, are critical in explaining companies’ likelihood to invest in an ‘unattractive’ market.     

Market men and station women: changing significations of gendered space in Accra,Ghana

It is impossible to understand the gendered relation between women and public space without taking into account its other, that is, male engagements with and in space. Our joint paper contrasts the public spaces of a market and a bus station in central Accra, Ghana. While the former is historically associated with female entrepreneurship, masculinity is deeply inscribed in the activities defining the latter. However, recent developments gradually undermine these gendered divides. By focusing on interpersonal claims to entrepreneurial places in the two locations, we illustrate how the configurations and co-constructions of gender and space are exposed to on-going, often subtle shifts, which are impelled by dialectically grounded transformations of quotidian spatial practices and social relations. Expanding upon the notion of viri–/uxorilocality, we explore shifts in the gendered strategies of newcomers establishing their presence in the two spaces and the extent to which these practices may alter gendered spatial significations.     

民事裁判文书上网公开的边界问题探究——基于司法知情权与个人隐私权的冲突与平衡的考量

裁判文书公开是司法公开的核心,裁判文书上网公开又是目前裁判文书公开的重要形式。虽然裁判文书上网公开的普遍性和便捷性能满足公众对于司法知情权的需求,但不可避免在一定程度上会对相关人员的隐私权造成侵害。互联网的广泛应用为裁判文书公开提供了良好的载体,但也使得知情权与隐私权的碰撞更为激烈。通过比例原则和可分割性原则,对于涉及个人隐私的不同情况进行区别对待,并赋予当事人充分的程序保障权,以此对裁判文书上网公开中的知情权与隐私权的冲突予以平衡。     

Technology‐Driven Alteration of Nonverbal Cues and its Effects on Negotiation

A person’s appearance, identity, and other nonverbal cues can substantially influence how one is perceived by a negotiation counterpart, potentially impacting the outcome of the negotiation. With recent advances in technology, it is now possible to alter such cues through real‐time video communication. In many cases, a person’s physical presence can explicitly be replaced by 2D/3D representations in live interactive media. In other cases, technologies such as deepfake can subtly and implicitly alter many nonverbal cues—including a person’s appearance and identity—in real time. In this article, we look at some state‐of‐the‐art technological advances that can enable such explicit and implicit alterations of nonverbal cues. We also discuss the implications of such technology for the negotiation landscape and highlight ethical considerations that warrant deep, ongoing attention from stakeholders.     

在线经营主体身份认证——论我国在线交易安全解决方案

电子商务成为当今社会主宰的商务形式,而电子运营环境的特殊性,使得电子商务的安全问题成为威胁电子商务的首要问题.而电子商务安全首要问题是交易主体的识别问题,即如何确认交易主体是否真实存在,对应于现实中的哪个特定的主体问题.将在线经营主体分为两类,一类是经工商登记的商事主体;一类是未经工商登记的从事在线商事活动的个人,进而讨论这两类经营者的身份认证问题.对于取得工商登记的在线经营者,以我国三个地方的实践为基础,提出可以通过工商登记信息电子化(数字化)实现在线验证,是可行的解决方案;而对于未经工商登记的个人,则采纳形式上匿名体制--即以身份验证为条件的注册,但允许匿名从事在线交易行为--以确保未经登记的个体商户人身份真实性.这种体制充分平衡了在线交易安全和个人商户的隐私利益,是一种可行的选择.     

违章建筑买卖合同法律问题初探

违章建筑引发的民事纠纷已成为我国当前亟待解决的社会问题.违章建筑人对违章建筑不享有任何权利,只是一种占有;违章建筑买卖合同是一种效力待定合同,司法实践中对此类合同纠纷的具体审理应因合同效力的不同而采取不同的处理.     

The Impact of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban on Gun Markets: An Assessment of Short-Term Primary and Secondary Market Effects

The reactions of the gun market, including those of producers, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers, play an important role in shaping the potential impact of gun control policies on gun crime. As a case in point, this paper examines the federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which bans a group of military-style semiautomatic firearms (i.e., assault weapons). Using a variety of national and local data sources, we assess the short-term (1994–1996) impact of the assault weapons ban on gun markets, examining trends in prices and production of the banned weapons in legal markets and assessing the availability of the banned weapons in illicit markets as measured by criminal use. Prices of assault weapons rose substantially around the time of the ban's enactment, reducing the availability of assault weapons to criminal users in the very short run. However, a surge in assault weapon production just before the ban caused prices to fall in the months following the ban. Implications of the findings for assessing this and other gun control policies are discussed.     

对在线经营者强制说明义务的法律思考

我国《消费者权益保护法》虽规定了经营者的说明义务,但不具有强制性,对在线经营者强制说明义务的立法更落后于国际社会。从网络交易的远程性、虚拟性出发,为实现消费者权益保护的终极价值追求,应对BtoC中的卖方和IPP网络平台提供者做出强制说明的法律规定。     

对网上刑事执法办案的几点思考

随着公安信息化的发展,个别公安机关推出了网上刑事执法的工作模式。由于网上刑事执法办案所涉及的电子签章及其认证系统、刑事法律文书和刑事证据材料等还没有相应法律规定和配套制度体系,所以应当暂缓这一做法。     

当代大学生网恋心理探析

网络时代,互联网以数字化、网络化、信息化为标志的生存状态,以交互性、虚拟性、学习性为标志的运作模式,以多边性、全时性、共享性为标志的机制特质,使网络直接影响到当代青少年的学习和生活。网聊和网恋,几乎成为当代青少年的一种文化时尚。在高校里上网聊天和网恋更为流行,许多大学生都经历过或者正在经历着网恋。究竟应该怎样看待网恋?网恋心态有哪些?它为何有如此大的魔力?这正是当代大学生研究中一项亟待解决的问题,也是放在我们面前的一项重要青年研究课题。