Institutional competitiveness in the global economy: Denmark,the United States,and the varieties of capitalism

Despite high taxes, a large welfare state, and much economic regulation, Denmark competes successfully against other advanced capitalist economies. Denmark’s success is based in large part on its institutional competitiveness – its capacity to achieve socioeconomic success as a result of the competitive advantages that firms derive from operating within a particular set of institutions. The institutional basis for successfully coordinating labor markets and vocational training programs are examined for Denmark and the US – two countries that were very different institutionally but very successful in the 1990s and in the 2000s. We show that there is no one best way to achieve success in today’s global economy, except with respect to social inequality; that the mechanisms underlying institutional competitiveness are more complex than often recognized; that institutional hybrids can be as successful as purer political economic cases; and that high taxes and state spending can enhance socioeconomic performance. As such, this paper challenges both neoliberalism and the varieties of capitalism school of comparative political economy.     

Contemporary challenges to the German vocational training system

The German vocational training system has played a central role in sustaining the competitive strength of German manufacturing. This article provides an analysis of contemporary developments in this system to assess its likely future trajectory. I begin by underscoring the differences and similarities of the German system to alternative arrangements that have emerged in other countries. I then turn to recent trends in Germany that have caused concern among policy‐makers about the continued strength and viability of the vocational training system. I discuss reforms undertaken in the past few years that point to incremental, though possibly transformative, changes in the system designed to reduce costs and increase flexibility through renegotiations on two fronts: between general training standards and firm needs and training practices, and between the in‐plant and school‐based components of training.     

Institutional competitiveness,social investment,and welfare regimes

Are the rather generous welfare regimes found in most European countries sustainable; that is, are they competitive in a globalizing economy? Or will they, on the contrary, be crowded out by the more austere and less expensive regimes generally found in liberal Anglo‐Saxon countries? We first discuss this issue conceptually, focusing on the notions of institutional competitiveness, social investment, and short‐term and long‐term productivity. We then briefly present the results of an empirical study of 50 social indicators of policies and outcomes in 20 Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) countries during the early 2000s. We conclude that welfare regimes have not been forced to converge through a “race to the bottom.” There remain three distinct ways to face the “trilemma” of job growth, income inequality, and fiscal restraint: Nordic countries achieve high labor market participation through high social investment; Anglo‐Saxon countries attain the same objective through minimal public intervention; while Continental European countries experience fiscal pressures because their social protection schemes are not promoting participation to the same extent.     

Social funds and decentralisation: optimal institutional design

Most of the 60+ developing countries that have established social funds (SFs) are decentralising their governments as well. But the question of how to tailor SFs—originally a highly centralised model—for a decentralising context has received relatively little attention in the literature. We first examine evidence on the ability of SFs to adapt to a decentralised context. We then lay out the implications of decentralisation for SF institutional design step‐by‐step through the project cycle. The topic is doubly important because social funds can increase their effectiveness, and the sustainability of their investments, by reorganising internal processes to take advantage of the political and civic institutions that decentralisation creates. Local government has an informational advantage in local needs and characteristics (time and place), whereas SFs have access to better technology and knowledge of sectoral best practice. The key is to create institutional incentives that best combine these relative advantages. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

“钻石体系”下的山西煤炭产业竞争力研究

波特的“钻石体系”强调在没有要素禀赋的情况下，企业如何抓住每个环节主动提高国际竞争力而非被动依赖先天优势，该分析范式完全适合对山西煤炭产业竞争力的分析。目前影响山西煤炭产业竞争力的主要因素有：生产要素、国内市场需求、企业战略、结构及同业竞争等，面对机会与挑战并存的态势，山西煤炭产业必须充分发挥非天然资源的其他生产要素的优势，获得相关产业如电力、钢铁产业的支持，加强同业合作，改变煤炭产业内部恶性竞争的局面，真正提升自身的竞争力。     

推进规模城镇化向人口城镇化的转型

中国的新型城镇化面临重大机遇、拥有巨大潜力,并将在推动经济社会转型发展中扮演重要的历史性角色。当前的突出问题是,如何解决城镇化质量不高、不可持续的矛盾和问题。我们的主张是,推进规模城镇化向人口城镇化的转型,以人口城镇化为主要载体、以政策和体制创新为重点,有效释放城镇化的内需潜力,争取到2020年基本形成人口城镇化的新格局。     

浅析企业高技能人才的培养

高级技能劳动者队伍梯次发展和比例结构基本合理的格局,是企业实施人才战略,提高企业核心竞争力和自主创新能力的重要举措。目前高技能人才培养中存在培养理念需进一步更新、培训需求调研流于形式、工学矛盾突出、评价难以发挥应有的作用并存在盲区等问题。解决方法：一是转变观念,加强队伍建设;二是加强技能培训,提高业务水平;三是建立完善的激励约束机制,充分调动人才的积极性和创造性;四是营造竞争机制,增强学习积极性。     

外商隐名投资纠纷的司法困局——以一起行政诉讼为切入点

《关于审理外商投资企业纠纷案件若干问题的规定(一)》针对外商隐名投资纠纷的处理确立了新的制度,明确在获得审批机关同意等条件下司法机关可以作出确权判决,其实质是将外资审批机关的外商准入审查引入民事诉讼程序,实现行政权与司法权在这类案件中的相互配合。然而司法实践却暴露了诉讼过程中当事人对审批机关的异议机制缺失的新问题。司法机关审理外商隐名投资纠纷的困局,根本上是由我国实行外商准入审批制造成的,审批制向备案制的转变将从根本上解决此类案件的司法困局。     

立法解释的学理解构与制度重建——以刑法为视角

立法解释是在法律施行的过程中,立法机关对法律用语所作的阐释。立法解释存在诸多缺陷。从宏观角度而言,立法解释既不符合民主原则,也不符合法治原则,是规则中心主义的体现,其内容与司法解释内容高度趋同。从微观角度而言,立法解释不当地介入诸多问题。司法解释完全可以取代立法解释,其质量可以得到监督和保障,同时,人们应当坚持客观解释的立场。     

论我国行政服务中心的制度困境及其破解

行政服务中心是新公共管理理论在我国的实践模式。它体现了生产者社会向顾客社会的角色转换;承载了由行政审批到市民服务的核心功能。制度困境是行政服务中心的根本制约因素,包括合法性与合理性的纠结,机构性质不明确和机构职能模糊。进行制度创新是根本出路：通过行政服务中心的组织法和程序法确立中心的合法地位;确定行政服务中心性质为常设性行政机构;合理设定中心的职能边界。