IUJ Repository (International Univ. of Japan)
Not a member yet
645 research outputs found
Sort by
Insufficiency in the Dispute Settlement Mechanism of the WTO : Consequences and Implications for the Multilateral Trading System
Get PDFTrends of trade disputes show that the developed countries are more active in the dispute settlement process of the World Trade Organization (WTO) than the developing countries. Our analyses show that financial strength is an important factor for countries to participate in the dispute settlement process of the WTO. It also plays significant role in winning trade disputes. Therefore, lack of financial strength could be an explanation for the low rate of participation of the small-developing countries in the dispute settlement process. A close look at the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU) reveals that it has considerable inability to provide feasible remedies against unfair trade practices. This also discourages the small-developing countries to participate in the dispute settlement process. To ensure equitable participation of the developing countries in the dispute settlement process, the WTO should increase legal and technical assistance for the small-developing countries. At the same time the WTO needs to ensure quick resolution of the disputes and replace the provision of "retaliation" with other meaningful remedies.departmental bulletin pape
Sino-Japanese Relations : The Dimensions of Trade and FDI
Get PDFThis paper provides an extensive analysis on the Sino-Japanese trade and Japanese direct investment in China. It investigates the trend, the growth and the structure change of the bilateral trade, and examines the scale, the major characteristics of Japanese FDI in China, as well as its contribution to the Chinese economy. The analysis suggests that rising trade and FDI flows have deepened the economic relations between China and Japan. It is market forces that have been driving the economic integration between the two countries. The common interests and mutual benefits have outweighed the political disputes in the development of the bilateral economic relations.departmental bulletin pape
Behavioral Difference between Self-Employed and Hospital-Employed Physicians in Japan
Get PDFThis paper presents a theoretical framework to describe the physicians' behavior under the fee-for-service scheme in Japan by explicitly incorporating the behavioral difference between self-employed and hospital-employed physicians into the model. One crucial assumption is found in the difference in the employment structure related to their income. The results show that self-employed physicians always provide unnecessary non-labor medical treatments, while hospital-employed physicians always give their patients the ideal level of the non-labor medical input. This study also presents that a substantial decline in the number of hospital-employed physicians results in an increase in physicians' overwork or unpaid work as well as in a decrease in the health level of the patients. This result could also be interpreted as a possible consequence of the reform of the Japanese trainee programme of physicians in 2004. We furthermore find that as long as the number of patients treated by both types of physicians is identical, hospital-employed physicians attain lower utility with heavier workloads but give better medical services with the higher health level of patients than self-employed physicians do.departmental bulletin pape
Urban and Rural Dimensions of Income Inequality in Vietnam
Get PDFThis study analyzes urban and rural inequalities in Vietnam by applying two techniques of inequality decomposition by population groups and income sources based on two data sets from the nationwide household surveys in 2002 and 2004. It is found that within-sector inequalities in income distribution are substantially higher than that in expenditure distribution because expenditure level is more dependent on location characteristics of a household, while the determinants of income level seems to stay in other characteristics such as education and occupations of household members. Income inequality within the urban sector is higher than that in the rural sector because urban income mainly comes from wage employment and non-farm self-employment, which are more unequal than agricultural income. Interestingly, wage employment appears to be an equalizing income source in both urban and rural areas. Agricultural income is undeniably an inequality-equalizing source. Therefore, much of income inequality stays in the distribution of sources other than wage and agriculture. Based on the review of current policies related to income distribution and decomposition analysis, the paper suggests that income diversification, development of private sector, encouraging rural-urban migration and trade liberalization would be appropriate for increasing income level while restraining increasing inequality.departmental bulletin pape
Individual orientations towards the same task: An activity theory perspective
Get PDFThis study discusses verbal and nonverbal features of dialogic interactions between interlocutors based on a task given by the researcher. It focuses on task-openings that show evidence of how each interlocutor approaches the given task. The study argues that each interlocutor's orientation to a task is a crucial factor in understanding individual differences in task performance. It argues for interpreting task within the notion of activity as more important in understanding such interactions.departmental bulletin pape
The stratified quality assurance scheme for ELICOS in Australia : An interview with a chairperson of English Australia
Get PDFオーストラリアは教育に関して包括的な質保証の枠組みを持つ国である。竹内(2007)ではオーストラリアの英語学校の認定制度から日本が学び取ることのできる評価基準を主眼としたが、そこで割愛された問題に、英語学校の質を保証する枠組みに関する、外部の人間には分かりにくい重層性がある。本稿はその点を確認すべく行なったオーストラリアの担当者への聞き取り調査の記録で、重層性の解明の一助にしようとするものである。departmental bulletin pape
Cross-Cultural Differences in Managers' Learning Styles : A Comparative Study between Japan and the United States
Get PDFThis study aims to understand cross-cultural differences in managers' learning styles by comparing Japanese managers with US managers. For this aim, the present research empirically examined learning styles of 254 participants in total: 128 subjects of Japanese managers and 126 subjects of US managers. There are three findings that were obtained from this study. First, Japanese managers were more concrete and reflective than American managers in general. But this general learning tendency may be affected in accordance with types of business that managers engage with. Second, Japanese managers were more heterogeneous in learning styles, while American managers showed more homogeneity of learning styles. Third, in the aspect of balance and specialization on learning styles, American managers demonstrated more balanced learning abilities than did Japanese managers. These findings suggest that group oriented countries like Japan possess symmetry on collective learning styles and asymmetry on individual learning styles; and in contrast, individual oriented countries like the US hold asymmetry on collective learning styles and symmetry on individual learning styles.departmental bulletin pape
Optimal Programs on Invasive Species Management under Growth Uncertainty and Measurement Error
Get PDFThe management programs for invasive species have been proposed in many regions. The resulting outcome on success or failure seems to be significantly affected by the degrees of multiple uncertainties, such as growth uncertainty and measurement error, associated with management practices. This study first examines the optimal policy on invasive species management under growth uncertainty, and then incorporates measurement error into the model. We find various novel results and discuss related policy implications that emanate from the interplays between two sources of the uncertainty. The corresponding values of the optimal programs are also examined.departmental bulletin pape
Economic Analysis of the Exchange Rate Channel and Monetary Policy Rule : The Case of Indonesia
Get PDFAfter the Asian financial crisis, Indonesia changed its exchange rate system from a managed floating to flexible type, allowing market forces greater influence in determining the country's exchange rate. While the managed floating exchange rate system has brought predictable results to a certain extent it has also created new challenges for Indonesian monetary policy. It is quite difficult to propose appropriate policies towards inflation targeting without quantifying the impact of monetary policy. At the same time, identifying possible links between the floating exchange rate and monetary rules is also rather challenging. The objective of this paper is to examine the links between the exchange rate channel and a proper monetary policy rule toward an inflation targeting framework for Indonesia. The paper employs a small macroeconometric model based on the IS-LM-Philips Curve type developed by Batini- Haldane (1999). Our finding is that the exchange rate in Indonesia is becoming less volatile, but both the magnitude changes in the rupiah (Indonesian currency) as well as depreciation are quite high. We also find that in a small open economy such as Indonesia, it is difficult to implement inflation targeting directly without taking exchange rate movements into consideration. Under these circumstances, it is recommended that the Central Bank of Indonesia should apply optimal monetary policy rules to the exchange rate as the reaction function. Optimal monetary policy can better stabilize the whole economy regardless of the fact that using the 'exchange rate into policy' rule does not yield a better value of loss function.departmental bulletin pape
Japanese Expatriates Adaptation : A Study of Fits between the Skills and the Demands
Get PDFThis study investigates adaptation of Japanese expatriates (N=215) in relation to current overseas assignment tenure. For comprehensive understanding of their adaptation, Japanese home managers (N=87) and American counterpart managers (N=125) were also used in comparisons. The uniqueness of this study is to examine Japanese expatriates' adaptability through analysis to what extent the levels of 12 learning skills are matching with those skills demands.departmental bulletin pape