Local Public-Services Provision under Public–Private Partnerships: Contractual Design and Contracting Parties Incentives

When deciding to resort to a PPP contract for the provision of a local public service, local governments have to consider the demand risk allocation between the contracting parties. In this article, I investigate the effects of demand risk allocation on the accountability of procuring authorities regarding consumers changing demand, as well as on the cost-reducing effort incentives of the private public-service provider. I show that contracts in which the private provider bears demand risk motivate more the public authority from responding to customer needs. This is due to the fact that consumers are empowered when the private provider bears demand risk, that is, they have the possibility to oust the private provider in case of non-satisfaction with the service provision, which provides procuring authorities with more credibility in side-trading and then more incentives to be responsive. As a consequence, I show that there is a lower matching with consumers’ preferences over time when demand risk is on the public authority rather than on the private provider, and this is corroborated in the light of two famous case studies. However, contracts in which the private provider does not bear demand risk motivate more the private provider from investing in cost-reducing efforts. I highlight then a tradeoff in the allocation of demand risk between productive and allocative efficiency. The striking policy implication of this article for local governments would be that the current trend towards a greater resort to contracts where private providers bear little or no demand risk may not be optimal. Local governments should impose demand risk on private providers within PPP contracts when they expect that consumers’ preferences over the service provision will change over time.     

Employees’ Acceptance of E-Newsletters for Organisational Information Transfer

ABSTRACT

Internal marketing and internal communication collectively strive to build relationships with, empower, and motivate employees to foster an organisational culture of support for organisational goals and objectives to be met and organisational success achieved. Electronic newsletters support internal marketing and internal communication endeavours as they serve the purpose of transferring organisational information to employees. E-newsletters can be tested to determine whether employees willingly utilise them for their intended purposes. By means of a quantitative research approach, utilising regression to analyse the empirical data, a study was conducted to determine employees’ acceptance of e-newsletters. This was conducted by means of an adapted technology acceptance model (TAM), and a self-administered e-mail survey was disseminated to employees of a higher education institution. Based on the research results, employees perceive TAM differently to what is put forward in literature, which results in the acceptance of e-newsletters for the purpose of transferring organisational information. Results show that respondents perceived two of the factors of TAM as one factor. In addition, the results provide insight into how academic employees perceive e-newsletters and what practical changes can be made to e-newsletters in order to cater to employees’ preferences.     

The Laffer effects of a program of deregulation cum detaxation: the Italian reform of labour contracts in the period 1997–2001

We examine the Laffer effects of the policy of social security tax reduction cum partial deregulation of labour market undertaken in Italy in the period 1997–2001. Laffer effects of tax cut are generally delayed and governments responsible of the reform cannot benefit from the resulting increased revenues when in office. Our empirical findings show that tax cuts combined with policies of liberalization determine almost immediate Laffer effects. In terms of coherent supply-side political programs, the effects of the two measures are not separable. Reflection on our results may broaden the scope of the supply-side policies of deregulation and detaxation.

合同解释中的司法能动与克制

法官对合同的解释无法脱离其能动性,而主观性的解释须以客观性为目的。当法官在合同解释出现障碍时应恪守两个标准：理性第三人标准和社会公共利益标准。同时,必须对法官的能动性予以下列限制：法官在适用理性第三人标准时,应尽量避免以所谓的＂理性第三人＂之名而作出偏离缔约人真意的解释;法官在合同解释中的自由裁量权要受合同解释规则、合同文本内容、法官职业共同体之规则、公平、正义、诚信等基本原则的限制。     

《鹿特丹规则》的构建

《鹿特丹规则》已于2008年12月11日在联合国大会上正式通过,并于2009年9月23日在荷兰鹿特丹举行签字仪式。在回顾《鹿特丹规则》签字仪式及此后的最新进展的基础上,简要评述《鹿特丹规则》的制定背景和发展历史,并对《鹿特丹规则》生效后可能带来的一些重大变革进行分析。     

论网络赌博犯罪案件的侦查模式

由于网络赌博具有组织体系严密、技术含量高、涉赌行为手法隐蔽、调查取证难等诸多特征,所以公安机关应针对网络赌博活动的一般特征及不同类型的网络赌博活动,采取切实可行的网络赌博犯罪案件侦查模式,包括：树立侦查办案中的战略意识,实现公安机关内部警力资源的综合运用,科学把握抓捕时机,确保一网打尽,依法勘查网络赌博活动案件现场,及时固定电子证据,启用分组取证模式,及时与检察院、法院沟通,形成打击网络赌博的合力等。     

电子商务环境下商标侵权行为实证分析

电子商务环境下,企业商标权的战略保护已成为企业发展急需解决的重要课题。从电子商务概念和特征出发,结合实际案例对四种商标侵权行为进行分析,归纳概括各种侵权行为方式,解析侵权行为与现行法律规定的冲突与矛盾,可以为我国企业强化知识产权意识,完善相关电子商务环境下商标侵权行为法律法规提供镜鉴。     

数字签名与电子签名法

《中华人民共和国电子签名法》已经开始实施,本文对电子签名的定义、使用的范围及其作用作了介绍,并对电子签名技术实现中的一些技术问题如公钥基础设施PKI的功能,三种最常用的公钥算法,数据摘要与哈希(Hash)函数的作用与要求,常用的哈希算法MD5与SHA-1,以及数字签名的技术实现过程作了一些探索。     

数字图书馆初探

数字图书馆是21世纪全球文化科技竞争的焦点之一,发展数字图书馆对于一个国家的经济和社会发展具有重要意义.数字图书馆具有众多说法,无一定论.数字图书馆与传统图书馆具有非常大的差别,它具有独特的特征、体系结构、工作模式.目前,数字图书馆还存在许多急需解决的难题,如技术、版权等.     

中国电子商务发展的现实水平与未来路径

电子商务是现代经济背景下的贸易新业态,中国一直高度重视电子商务的发展。近年来,中国数字技术与实体经济相融合,从事电子商务交易活动的企业数显著增加;全国网民规模大,网购用户占比高;跨境电子商务业务发展迅速,形成电商品牌。有电子商务交易活动的企业数与地区经济发展水平相关;不同地区的电商产品存在差异,其与地区特色产品存在关联;经济较发达的地区聚集了较多的电子商务上市公司和较多的国家电子商务示范基地。未来,中国需要加强农村电商要素资源整合,构建农村电商体系,打造农村电商品牌;强化与境外电商平台的联通,创建多元化的跨境电商模式;培育新业态,建设示范基地,推动电子商务与区域经济协同发展;加强电子商务法治和诚信建设,优化电商发展环境。