KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOPMENT
Year:2008 | Volume:15 | Issue:23|Papers Count:12

In order to identify the potentials of different regions for the purpose of regional planning, the comparative advantage theory can play an important role. Comparative advantage is an important economic index for the production as well as export and import to measure the relative priorities of a region in comparison to others. This paper deals with the value added comparative advantage of sectors and activities in the Khorasan region (Le. Razavi and Northern as well as Southern provinces) and compare them to other provinces of the country. We have used the most recent regional accounting data published in 2006 as well as the latest edition of system of national accounting (SNA93) in order to measure the so-called Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) for Khorasan region between 2001-2005. the results indicate that the region enjoys comparative advantage in agriculture sector and industries related to agricultural activities such as food industries whereas it has not revealed comparative advantage in industry as a whole. We also found that the region has comparative advantage in activities related to tourism industry (i.e. hotels and guesthouses).therefore, it is suggested that the region concentrate on investment in tourism related activities and also on agricultural products processing industries.

Recently, there has been a focus, among many economists such as Ronald Coase, Douglas North, and Oliver E. Williamson, on recognizing the institutional and structural conditions of societies and their impacts on economics and economic variables. This study has been aimed at the influences of economic, political, and social structures on fluctuations of exchange rate during a period of thirty years (1973-2001). To do the task, we have firstly referred to various existing theories concerning factors involved in exchange rate fluctuations, and have reviewed the exchange rate changes throughout the intended period. Next, we have analyzed exchange rate changes through a historical study, and have recognized the most important economic, political, and social structures in Iran in order to make a comparative exploration of exchange rate changes. The results have shown that the mentioned structures have, in many ways, influenced the exchange rate fluctuations in Iran. The obtained primary findings were included in a questionnaire in order to test hypotheses of this study in accordance with the attitudes of Iranian economic authorities and academicians. Through doing the various coefficient tests including Kendall's Tau-b, Kendall's Tau-c, Gamma, and Spearman tests, all three intended hypotheses show the existence of a significant relationship between economic, political, and social structures, and exchange rate fluctuations. This study has concluded a summary, policy recommendations, and final considerations.

Exchange market operations, as prime institution for capital market, reflect the mutual interaction of buyers, brokers, administrators of stock Exchange and government behavior on stock prices. So, the resultant pattern of stock prices is considered as an important issue. In this research, we study the feasibility of stock price forecasting, the degree of efficiency, and expectations formation method. We concentrate on non-metal industries, financial intermediaries, and car industry in Tehran Stock Exchange for the period of 1999-2003. We use CAPM model to find out intrinsic value of stocks for above mentioned industry and then try to understand the kind of relationship between market price and intrinsic values under the conditions of meaningful systematic risks. We also examine the relationship between present and past rate of return to market capital efficiency. Finally, we examine expectations formation by using ECM model.

Electronic insurance is using Information Technology (IT) in insurance industry. The aim of this article is to study and analyze the barriers for implementing Information Technology in Iran insurance industry. This research is an applied one, using descriptive and survey method. The findings of this article show that among 26 factors, classified in 6 main factors: managerial, human resource, cultural, organizational, technological and environmental factors, 5 main factors are preventing for implementing Information Technology in Iran insurance industry. These factors are: environmental, cultural, technological, human resource and organizational factors.

This research with help of the Human Development Index, attempts to find a relationship between gender differences and level of development in Iran. Nowadays, as human development indexes have an important role on economic development, this paper tried to point the effect of gender differences on development, focusing on humanity explanation of economic development by specifying appropriate model for Iran economy and using VAR and VECM methods for calculating the effective variables on economic development, behavior of variables have been estimated. Estimation of specified model for men and women is tried to be separated, though computing the models can demonstrate gender differences on economic development. The results show that women participation has positive effect on economic development which can influence the policymaking.

Living in today complicated world is associated with risks. Certainly, inventions of goods (which are the result of new technology) have been accompanied by welfare; but there is also dangers with them, which threat the human's life and properties. Product Liability Insurance is a branch of liability insurance which insurer covers the liability of producer and seller of defective and injurious products, against the person who incurs a loss. Development of technology and increasing production of industrial goods, domestic necessities, consumer goods and hygienic materials, etc put customers' life in serious risk, which causes the importance of studying the legal dimensions of producer. In the current era more than any other time, economic and social relations, social treaties, techniques, data systems and working conditions are changing and in any moment, new phenomenon are formed in various fields of human life and various type of civil liability will appear which in this direction, Product and Producers Liability Insurance play an important role as a strategy to develop the regularity, adopting the liability, modifying the social relations, create and maintenance of peace in society.

In the world today, automobile industry is considered as the locomotive of the industry sector in most developed and developing countries and its production is a symbol of national identity and growth. This research is conducted in order to identify and rank problems and obstacles of exporting Iranian automobiles. In this research, we have studied the situation of Iran automobile industry, taking into consideration exporting of automobile to global markets, based on Michael E. Porter's "Diamond of National Competitive Advantage" model. The findings of this research enhance our understanding about importance and priority of problems facing automobile export, identify factors that are considered as problems and obstacles in the field of Iranian-made automobiles export to international market, and shows the priority of these factors according to amount of their influence on exporting of Iran s automobile. In the end, some suggestions and solutions for the improvement and promotion of the competitive automobile industry in Iran and conquering the problems and obstacles of automobile industry are recounted.

Today, in numerous countries financial analysis apply two criteria of market value added and economical value added for performance appraisal and effects of management decisions on stock price by considering that, financial fulfilling takes effect from capital increase on stock holders rights, number of stock and stocks price. These items are main variables in market value added accounting. Thus we can make a study about effect of capital structure change on market added value. So, in this paper, after considering the theoretical base of market value added, the effect of decisions related to capital increase in different conditions on market value added for eligible corporations in Tehran stock exchange are taken into consideration. Findings of this research showed that, there is a meaningful relationship between method of increasing capital and market value added changes.

A binary probity model is an appropriate method to analyses household and individual characteristics influencing women's employment. Since this model is a non-linear probability model, its interpretation is not so easy as linear models. In this paper, after making the probit model of women's employment based on data on 4220 married women at 20-50 age groups, the model has been interpreted using probabilities predicted by various quantities of explanatory variables and changes in probabilities. Findings show that although, in comparison between urban and rural areas, direction of relation of the explanatory variables with women's employment probability is the same, the extent and form of this relation (being either linear or non-linear) in most cases is completely different. In addition, it follows that the increase in the spouse's annual income and in the household's miscellaneous incomes could leave a considerable negative effect on the married women's employment probability. Meanwhile, we concluded that the employment probability increases significantly with increase in age and educational levels.