Grey Clustering Evaluation for the Cooperation Efficiency of PPP Project: Taking Beijing Metro Line 4 as an Example

PPP model is an important model which provides public products or services based on the coordination between the public sector and private sector. The implementation of PPP model is helpful for relieving the stress of insufficient funding for public sector and improving the efficiency of resource allocation. Comparing with traditional infrastructure project, PPP project involves many stakeholders, and the cooperation efficiency during the different stakeholders impacts the results of the project directly. Thus, it is important to explore the cooperation efficiency of PPP project. Based on grey clustering model, this paper evaluates the cooperation efficiency of PPP project. An evaluation index system including 36 indexes is established based on the aims and objectives of three stakeholders (public sector, private sector, and passengers). A case study of Beijing Metro Line 4 PPP project is implemented to verify the validity and applicability of the evaluation model. And the results showed that the cooperation efficiency of Beijing Metro Line 4 PPP project is relatively high. The model also provided insights into the shortage of the cooperation efficiency of Beijing Metro Line 4 PPP project. As such, the results can assist all stakeholders in adjusting the cooperation efficiency.

RURAL RESIDENTS SATISFACTION AND INFLUENCING FACTORS IN THE SUPPLY OF PUBLIC GOODS IN CHINA

The satisfaction of farmers with the supply of rural public goods is an importantindicator of the effectiveness of rural public goods investment. Using cross-sectionaldata on 400 farmers in five counties of China’s Shaanxi province, this study adoptsordinal logit and probit models to investigate rural residents’ satisfaction and theinfluencing factors in the supply of public goods. The empirical results indicate thatthe income of farmers has a significantly negative impact on their satisfaction, farmerswho were consulted in the process of public goods supply have higher satisfactionlevels than farmers who were not, and farmers who profited from the supply of publicgoods are more satisfied than those who did not. Additionally, other factors have asignificant impact on the satisfaction of certain public products. For example, the olderthe respondents, the higher their satisfaction with medical hygiene service and highereducation levels among the respondents reduce their satisfaction with compulsoryeducation. Our empirical results provide a relevant reference for governmentdepartments in China.

Consumer-brand congruence and conspicuousness: an international comparison

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how congruence influences product evaluations in an international Latin culture context, as moderated by the public vs private nature of the product and user-image vs product-personality congruence. Design/methodology/approach Participants were recruited from two universities in Spanish-speaking, Latin cultures: Spain – Latin Europe (n=340) and Uruguay – Latin America (n=400). All participants were asked to indicate product-personality congruence (i.e. congruence between one’s self and the product) and user-image congruence (i.e. congruence between a product’s typical user and the product) for two private and two public products. Findings Two types of congruence (product-personality and user-image) positively influence brand evaluations more for publicly consumed than for privately consumed brands for consumers in both Latin cultures, with effect sizes being greater than prior research in other cultures. Research limitations/implications This research supports congruence theory in showing that similarity between a consumer and a brand leads to more favorable attitudes. Limitations include the sole use of student subjects and examination in only two countries of Latin culture. Practical implications Regardless of a brand’s personality, brands should seek consumers with similar personality traits, especially in Latin cultures. Originality/value This research addresses several limitations in prior research by examining both publicly and privately consumed products in one study, exploring congruence across Latin cultures, and testing products not confounded by addictive properties.

CHINA’S MISSION IN SURVEYING，MAPPING AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION DURING GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

In the new era, it is proposed that China should be transformed from a participant and a cooperator into a designer, an impeller and a leader, continue taking an effect of responsible great power, increase public product supply, perfect a global governance system and contribute to China’s wisdom and China’s schemes during global governance, thus surveying and mapping geographic information takes on great mission. On the one hand, we have to timely grasp global geographic information data resources to provide an important scientific data support for China’s wisdom and China’s schemes. On the other hand, we have to provide surveying and mapping geographic information infrastructure construction and public products for developing countries, support location services within a global territorial scope, and realize the smoothness of talent flow, material flow and information flow between China and countries in the world. Meanwhile, external assistance and international communication and cooperation of surveying and mapping geographic information are also enhanced, and popularization and application of a geographic information technology in underdeveloped countries and regions are promoted.

Multifunctional natural forest silviculture economics revised: Challenges in meeting landowners’ and society's wants. A review

Aim of study: This paper objective focuses on the contribution of multifunctional natural forest silviculture, incorporating both private and public product managements, to forest and woodland economics.Area of study: Spain and California (USA).Material and methods: This conceptual article has developed a critical revision of the existing literature on the main economic issues about the multifunctional natural forest silviculture in the last decades.Main results: Multifunctional natural silviculture has secular roots as a local practice, but as a science of the natural environment applied to the economic management of forest lands it is still in the process of maturation. Timber silviculture remains the central concern of forest economics investment in scientific publications. By contrast, silvicultural modeling of the natural growth of firewood, browse and other non-timber forest products of trees and shrubs receives scant attention in scientific journals. Even rarer are publications on multifunctional natural silviculture of forest and woodland managements, including environmental services geared to people’s active and passive consumption. Under this umbrella, private environmental self-consumption is represented by the amenities enjoyed by private non-industrial landowners. As for environmental public products, the most relevant are carbon, water, mushrooms, recreation, landscape and threatened biodiversity.Research highlights: This paper is a good example about the conceptual research on forestry techniques and economic concepts applied to multifunctional silviculture in Mediterranean areas of Spain and California. The combination of technical knowledge and private and public economic behaviors definitively contributes to the multifunctional management of natural forest systems.

Overall Coordination of Megacity Governance from a Regional Perspective

The governance of megacities is a global problem, but not without way out [O’Sullivan. 2000. Urban Economics. 4th edn. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Company]. Overall speaking, in the short run, it mainly depends on strengthening the daily management of the city’s operation and digging out the potentials of the current infrastructure. And in the medium term, the city’s governance should rely on the further construction and improvement of the infrastructure, and greatly enhance the city’s capability of providing public products and services. And in the long run, the adjustment and dispersal of the city’s functions would be vital to finally realize a dynamic equilibrium between urban population and the capacity of urban infrastructure. In fact, all of these are related to the regional background of megacity governance, and should be taken into consideration together with the development of the megacity’s hinterland area, and then the problem can be properly solved.

Supply of Quasi-Public Products under Private Participation in Western Region - An Example from Decentralized Wastewater Recycling

As a typical quasi-public product, decentralized wastewater recycling has been inadequate in western region of China. In this paper, it is analyzed and compared different supply models of quasi-public products under private participation. Evolutionary game theory has been introduced to calculate the optimal cooperation point under budget constraints. Based on the study, the suggestions for development of quasi-public products under private participation are provided.