Global economic clusters will fuel competitiveness

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Public Private Partnerships ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Economic Prosperity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cluster Development ◽  
Income Inequalities ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
The Uk

Subject Economic clusters. Significance Economic clusters are geographic concentrations of interconnected businesses and institutions in a particular field. Being in close proximity, businesses benefit from economies of scale. New clustering of industries is promoted as a means of achieving economic prosperity. Governments are offering incentives, funding and bringing research institutions close to industrial providers. Yet there is criticism that, by over-relying on cluster developments, economies become overspecialised, whereas policies promoting diversification would make them more resilient. Impacts There are fears that cluster development could exacerbate regional and income inequalities. Governments will support new cluster drivers, with public-private partnerships such as the UK Catapult initiatives. Governments will back clusters to commercialise innovation, increasing growth in specific concentrations within a region.

Economies of scale in European life insurance

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udo Klotzki ◽  
Alexander Bohnert ◽  
Nadine Gatzert ◽  
Ulrike Vogelgesang
Keyword(s):  
Life Insurance ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Insurance Markets ◽  
Fixed Effects Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Administrative Costs ◽  
Life Insurers ◽  
Acquisition Costs ◽  
The Uk

Purpose Due to the continuing low interest rate environment as well as the increase in acquisition costs, price transparency, cost transparency and competition with banks, the cost of life insurance becomes increasingly important for customers, insurers and shareholders. Against this background, the purpose of this paper is to study the development of insurers’ economies of scale in regard to administrative costs for four of the largest European life insurance markets. Design/methodology/approach The analysis on economies of scale is based on a comprehensive set of 477 life insurers in Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, yearly data between 2000 and 2014, and regression calculations that are based on 4,855 observations. Findings The results show that economies of scale exist for all considered markets and for most of the considered years. However, the extent of economies of scale varies considerably across countries. Originality/value Overall, the existing academic literature on costs and corresponding economies of scale in life insurance primarily deals with analyses of total costs instead of administrative costs, a single year or a single market. This paper contributes to the existing literature by conducting an analysis of recent market dynamics and economies of scale in regard to administrative costs for the period from 2000 and 2014 for four of the largest European life insurance markets for which the respective data were available (Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) and 477 life insurers in total. This is done by means of a log-log transformation of premiums and costs and a fixed effects model based on these transformed figures for 4,855 observations. In addition, for each market, the authors analyze the development of administrative costs for a total of 477 insurers.

United Kingdom to strengthen cybersecurity nationally

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Public Private Partnerships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
A Priority ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Naming And Shaming

Subject The United Kingdom's new cybersecurity strategy. Significance The UK government on November 1 published its Cybersecurity Strategy for 2016-21. The new strategy doubles the previous investment in cyber to 1.9 billion pounds (2.4 billion dollars) during a time of government cutbacks, making it clear that the government regards cybersecurity as a priority. Impacts Despite serious investment, the government will still face a challenge in recruiting those with the required cyber skills. Given the expertise in the private sector, public-private partnerships will continue to be vital for protecting UK networks. ‘Naming and shaming’ cyber aggressors may become more prevalent as states seek to deter further cyberattacks. Governments may also increasingly focus on developing offensive cyber tools that can be used to counter-strike.

Online streaming will transform media consumption

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Data Protection Regulation ◽  
Online Platforms ◽  
The Media ◽  
General Data ◽  
Streaming Services ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Media Firms ◽  
Online Streaming

Subject Online streaming. Significance US media firms CBS and Viacom announced their merger yesterday, having split in 2006; this will create a 30-billion-dollar entity and economies of scale that will help the firm compete in online streaming. The UK telecoms regulator Ofcom’s annual media review on August 7 shows that 40% of viewers now watch TV and film largely through online video. Indeed, streaming on online platforms such as Twitch is becoming more popular than conventional media forms, and UK subscriptions to streaming services overtook subscriptions to traditional TV services for the first time last year. Impacts Competition will intensify -- AT&T, Comcast, Disney and Apple are starting streaming services to compete with Amazon, CBS, Hulu and Netflix. Online streaming has vast potential beyond the media, for example in training in sectors such as medicine, and in workplaces more broadly. Insufficient regulation of appropriate online content and advertising risks creating obstacles that may curb the rise of streaming. Methods will improve to monitor and punish illegal streaming, but cybersecurity will still struggle to keep pace. The EU General Data Protection Regulation is causing reports of data breaches to rise, risking reduced user faith in online platforms.

Driving forces for implementation of public private partnerships (PPP) in Malaysia and a comparison with the United Kingdom

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhaiza Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Driving Forces ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Public Private Partnerships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Motivation Factors ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Unique Nature ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Comparison Of The Results ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it aims to investigate the factors forcing the implementation of public private partnerships (PPP) in Malaysia. Second, the study intends to compare the driving forces for PPP implementation in Malaysia to the UK. Design/methodology/approach – Using a questionnaire survey, 122 responses were received from respondents in Malaysia and the responses were analysed using descriptive analysis, which included the mean and mean score ranking. In comparing to the driving factors in the UK, evidence from prior studies that adopted a similar questionnaire instrument was obtained and analysed. Findings – The results show that the top three driving forces for PPP implementation in Malaysia are “economic development pressure of demanding more facilities”, “private incentive” and “shortage of government funding”. Although comparison of the results between the two countries found that both countries regarded all the factors, to some extent, as important, different countries have a different priority for each of the driving forces. The findings imply that the unique nature of PPP in different countries is reflected in the different motivation factors of each country to implement PPP. Originality/value – The present study not only offers insights on the key driving forces for PPP implementation in Malaysia but also useful information on the comparison of motivation factors to the pioneer of PPP implementation (i.e. the UK).

Benchmarking of Singapore maritime cluster: the role of cluster facilitators

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahrin Osman ◽  
Balan Sundarakani ◽  
Torger Reve
Keyword(s):  
Case Study Research ◽  
Maritime Industry ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cluster Development ◽  
Innovation Activities

PurposeThis article analyses the role of cluster facilitators in the Singapore maritime cluster. Singapore has been recognised for its pro-business policies and its ability to attract international shipping companies to set up the ship ownership headquarters and ship management activities in Singapore.Design/methodology/approachThe research is an empirical investigation on the approach for industrial cluster development of the Singapore maritime cluster, using the case study research methodology. The case study approach leverages on multiple sources of evidence from deep interviews (of 24 Singaporean firms and 13 Norwegian firms) related observations, documentation and archival records. As a means of contributing to the cluster renewal process, Singapore as the country embarks on the next stage of maritime cluster development, a benchmarking against the Norwegian Innovation Cluster has been incorporated.FindingsThe research findings reveals that Singapore is lacking in innovation activities that entails multi-firms collaborations and collaboration between multi-firms and research institutions. The existence of cluster organisation to facilitate collaborations between firms in the cluster and between firms in the cluster with research institutions is another contributing factor that are not institutionalised in the Singapore maritime cluster.Research limitations/implicationsThough the research is grounded primarily on the international business theory, particularly from firm- and country-specific advantages of location decisions, the economic geography theory and cluster theory also complement the theoretical grounding.Practical implicationsThe findings derived from this research aim to facilitate policy makers, maritime leaders and practitioners to develop effective courses of action in current and future maritime industry development.Originality/valueThe research provides value to maritime industry stakeholders, maritime leaders and policy makers in their firm positioning strategy. Thus, the research adds values to the maritime industry with similar country perspectives and firm values for developing policies.

scholarly journals A community hub approach to older people’s housing

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Evans ◽  
Teresa Atkinson ◽  
Robin Darton ◽  
Ailsa Cameron ◽  
Ann Netten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
The Uk ◽  
New Literature

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of housing with care schemes to act as community hubs. The analysis highlights a range of benefits, barriers and facilitators. Design/methodology/approach Data are presented from the Adult Social Services Environments and Settings project which used a mixed methods approach including a review of the literature, surveys and in-depth case study interviews. Findings Most housing with care schemes have a restaurant or café, communal lounge, garden, hairdresser, activity room and laundrette, while many also have a library, gym, computer access and a shop. Many of these facilities are open not just to residents but also to the wider community, reflecting a more integrated approach to community health and adult social care, by sharing access to primary health care and social services between people living in the scheme and those living nearby. Potential benefits of this approach include the integration of older people’s housing, reduced isolation and increased cost effectiveness of local services through economies of scale and by maximising preventative approaches to health and wellbeing. Successful implementation of the model depends on a range of criteria including being located within or close to a residential area and having on-site facilities that are accessible to the public. Originality/value This paper is part of a very new literature on community hub models of housing with care in the UK. In the light of new requirements under the Care Act to better coordinate community services, it provides insights into how this approach can work and offers an analysis of the benefits and challenges that will be of interest to commissioners and providers as well as planners. This was a small scale research project based on four case studies. Caution should be taken when considering the findings in different settings.

scholarly journals The gilded path: capital, habitus and illusio in the fund management field

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Millar
Keyword(s):  
Service Organizations ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Fund Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social Implication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interpretive Study ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Reflexive Agency

PurposeThe fund management sector plays an important role in society. The sector exists in close proximity to the accounting profession and the concerns of the paper reflect themes discussed by accounting scholars, particularly financialization, inequality and life within elite professional service organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis is an interpretive study of the fund management field based in the UK. It is based on 32 semi-structured interviews with individuals with personal experience of the field, combined with reflections from the researcher's own experience as a practitioner within the field.FindingsThe paper describes the backgrounds and motivations of individuals entering the field, the recruitment processes through which they are admitted, and the different strategies used to gain admission to the field. It explores the habitus of successful professionals in the field and the effects of this habitus.Social implicationsAn important social implication of the paper is the problematization of the fund management industry's dislocation from broader society.Originality/valueBy identifying the different strategies employed by applicants from different backgrounds, it highlights the role of reflexive agency and the complicity between agent and field. Recognizing that professional fund management is organized as a game, it suggests that individuals are so committed to the game they know they are playing that they fail to realize that they are also drawn into a different game, namely the absorbing game of being a fund manager.

GREEN OPEN ACCESS IN KENYA: A REVIEW OF THE CONTENT, POLICIES AND USAGE OF INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORIES

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 25-54
Author(s):  
Wanyenda Leonard Chilimo
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Google Scholar ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
Current State ◽  
Theses And Dissertations

 There is scant research-based evidence on the development and adoption of open access (OA) and institutional repositories (IRs) in Africa, and in Kenya in particular. This article reports on a study that attempted to fill that gap and provide feedback on the various OA projects and advocacy work currently underway in universities and research institutions in Kenya and in other developing countries. The article presents the findings of a descriptive study that set out to evaluate the current state of IRs in Kenya. Webometric approaches and interviews with IR managers were used to collect the data for the study. The findings showed that Kenya has made some progress in adopting OA with a total of 12 IRs currently listed in the Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) and five mandatory self-archiving policies listed in the Registry of Open Access Repositories Mandatory Archiving Policies (ROARMAP). Most of the IRs are owned by universities where theses and dissertations constitute the majority of the content type followed by journal articles. The results on the usage and impact of materials deposited in Kenyan IRs indicated that the most viewed publications in the repositories also received citations in Google Scholar, thereby signifying their impact and importance. The results also showed that there was a considerable interest in Swahili language publications among users of the repositories in Kenya.

Determining the structure of pharmaceutical industry in Iran

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-115
Author(s):  
Sara Emamgholipour ◽  
Lotfali Agheli
Keyword(s):  
Pharmaceutical Industry ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Monopolistic Competition ◽  
Pharmaceutical Market ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Measure Concentration ◽  
Pharmaceutical Industries

Purpose As the pharmaceutical industry is one of the key sectors of the health-care system, the identification of its structure is of particular importance. This paper aims to determine the structure of the pharmaceutical industry in Iran to provide appropriate solutions for pricing and regulation by policymakers. Iran is a growing pharmaceutical market with over $4bn in sales, so the supply side needs to be examined to meet the domestic consumption. Design/methodology/approach This research is a descriptive and retrospective analytical study which examines the Iranian pharmaceutical industry through library studies and using pharmaceutical data of the country’s Food and Drug Administration during 1992-2016. Due to data availability in firm level, the concentration ratio of N leading firms and the Herfindahl–Hirschman index are used to measure the concentration of the pharmaceutical market in 2014 and 2016. Findings The results show that pharmaceutical manufacturing, importing companies and distributing companies play roles in monopolistic competition market, loose oligopoly market and oligopoly market, respectively. For all companies, the magnitudes of Herfindahl–Hirschman indices indicate non-competitive settings. As a result, these companies set their own prices, and market demand affects their sales. In addition, demand for medicines is shaped in the form of supply-induced demand. Research limitations/implications This research was accomplished with no computational limitation. However, it was confined to only one country, one industry and the mentioned period of study. Practical implications The pharmaceutical manufacturers have no influence on medicine prices, and government pricing regulations lessen the market power of such market agents. However, the easy entry to and exit from market stimulate producers to participate in manufacturing activities. The pharmaceutical importers may expand their imports in response to entry new actors; however, the new entrants weaken the coordination on pricing decisions. Social implications As pharmaceutical distributers act in an oligopoly market, they can collude, reduce competition and lower the welfare of pharmaceutical consumers. In such conditions, high investment requirements and economies of scale may discourage the entry of new firms. Originality/value Although there are various studies on market structure in non-pharmaceutical industries, this study is a new effort to measure concentration in the Iranian pharmaceutical market and to determine its structure.

Medical treatment and best interests: judicial interpretation of values, wishes and beliefs under the Mental Capacity Act 2005

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-173
Author(s):  
Owen P. O'Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
Mental Capacity Act 2005 ◽  
Mental Capacity Act ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The prominence of the best interests principle in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 represented an important transition to a more resolutely patient-centred model regarding decision-making for incapable adults (“P”). This paper aims to examine the courts’ consideration of P’s values, wishes and beliefs in the context of medical treatment, reflect on whether this has resulted in a wide interpretation of the best interests standard and consider how this impacts clinical decision makers. Design/methodology/approach A particular focus will be on case law from the Court of Protection of England and Wales and the Supreme Court of the UK. Cases have been selected for discussion on the basis of the significance of their judgements for the field, the range of issues they illustrate and the extent of commentary and attention they have received in the literature. They are presented as a narrative review and are non-exhaustive. Findings With respect to values, wishes and beliefs, the best interests standard’s interpretation in the courts has been widely varied. Opposing tensions and thematic conflicts have emerged from this case law and were analysed from the perspective of the clinical decision maker. Originality/value This review illustrates the complexity and gravity of decisions of the clinical decision makers and the courts have considered in the context of best interests determinations for incapacitated adults undergoing medical treatment. Subsequent to the first such case before the Supreme Court of the UK, emerging case law trends relating to capacity legislation are considered.

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