Iranian Journal of Trade Studies
Year:2005 | Volume:9 | Issue:35|Papers Count:9

In the context of knowledge economy, the process of economic development is examined on the proposition that (creation, acquiring, sharing, and effective application of) knowledge matters for economic performance. In this article, we examine the explanatory power of the knowledge economy model in comparison with the previous development models to study the achievement of greater economic development. After elaborating the methodology of knowledge economy, we also evaluate Iranian knowledge economy using World Bank Institutes data and software. It is found that in some aspects, i.e. information and communication infrastructure and human resources development, the situation of Iranian economy is moderate. However, in terms of economic incentives and institutional regime and innovation system, which significantly affect the creation and application of knowledge, there is a long way to go to meet the main objectives of the development outlook of I.R. of Iran.

One of the important measures adopted by the members of Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) for economic integration is the conclusion of the agreement entitled the Trade Preferential System Among the OIC member states (TPS/OIC). So for fifteen members of OIC have ratified this agreement and the negotiations have started within the framework of Trade Negotiations Committee of the agreement. Although there is a rather lengthy theoretical and empirical literature on PTAs and their impacts on the member countries, there is not ample studies regarding how to embark upon tariff reduction and as a corollary to determining the offer and request lists. In this article, taking into account the recent surge in bilateral negotiations for trade liberalization between I.R. Iran and other countries and also ongoing negotiations within the Trade Negotiations Committee of TPS/OIC, attempts have been made to provide a theoretical framework for providing such lists and based on that and as a case study to propose a possible Irans offer and request lists with Turkey. The results demonstrate that the potential trade flows between the two countries amounts to 1$ billion. The offer list containing the most important items at 6 Digit level of H.S. amounts to 252 and the request list comprises of 152 items respectively. The same methodology could be employed for determining the offer and request lists in respect of other members of TPS/OIC.

Strategic planning has a key role in organizational success in the competitive markets. This type of planning which usually has been applied by large organizations, results in selecting proper strategies that bring progresses and excellences for organizations. This paper is aimed to identify the differences between strategic planning in large and small enterprises. Also a suitable model of strategic planning is developed for small enterprises through comparing existing strategic planning models for large and small organizations. To identify the differences, some known differences were discovered from literature and tested in statistical sample of this study. Finally the differences are identified through analysing gathered data. To design the new strategic planning model for small enterprises, 9 models of large and 3 models of small enterprises were studied comparatively. Three factors were exerted as common factors of 12 compared models. They were: 1. Mission & vision; 2. External & internal factors; and 3. Strategies & strategic plans. These exerted factors were considered as principle factors of the new model. Considering special characteristics of small enterprises, another factor was added as a special factor to the new model. The fourth factor was the "view or perspective of top managers" of small enterprises. This new model became the conceptual model of this study. Findings show that strategic planning for large organizations is different from small enterprises. And also the new developed model is suitable for small enterprises from different dimensions.

The responsibility for damages which is happened after the contract is concluded and before the good is handed over to the buyer is a question of great significance for the contracting parties. The problem is when the sellers responsibility for the good is finished? And on the other hand when the risk is transferred to the buyer? The answer in different legal systems is not the same and this essay studies the transfer of risk in the contracts involving carriage of goods in the Vienna Convention and Iranian Law.

This survey seeks to investigate the effect of (anticipated and unanticipated) monetary and fiscal policies, also the rationality of expectations formation in Irans economy (1338-82), employing SUR method. The results indicate that the anticipated and unanticipated monetary policies are neutral, but anticipated fiscal policies have significant positive effects on real output. Also with respect to the significance of anticipated monetary policy effect and ineffectiveness of unanticipated monetary policy, the rational expectations hypothesis is not accepted for Irans economy. Finally, it is concluded that only fiscal policies can be employed to stimulate production level, but the inflationary effect of such policies should not be ignored.

This paper studies the effects of Irans agricultural policies on Kiwifruit production using PAM. The results show that, as a whole, the effects of Iranian governments intervention on kiwifruit production process have been in the interest of the producers in domestic market. But its profitability has decreased in international markets. In this regard, the study of its main export markets in Europe, Persian Gulf region and Central Asia suggests the decrease of comparative advantage and net social profit of this product. Therefore, Iranian governments policies, as a whole, have not been in line with export promotion of kiwifruit especially in product markets.

Not far ago foreign investment were looked upon as a means of domination of the developing countries by the developed countries. Nowadays, though, there are few developing countries who do not have an extensive plan for attracting foreign direct investments (FDI). In fact in the aftermath of the negative perception of FDI, today most developing countries of the world welcom FDI with open arms. Along with worldwide increase in FDI both in developed and the developing countries in recent years and its significant role in the economies of these countries at the macro level, economists as a whole have shown greater interests in the economic ramifications of such investments. As a result there has been an influx of FDI related researches and studies in recent years expressing different economic point of views of this concept. In this article an attempt has been made to estimate the supply function of the foreign direct investment in 31 member states of the Organization of the Islamic Countries using panel data approach for the period 1995-2000. The results indicate that expanding the market size, implementing appropriate trade policies such as tariffs reductions, freedom of foreign trade, reducing economic instability through lowering the rate of inflation, cutting the budget deficit and also easing the governments foreign debts all have positive impacts in attracting FDI to Islamic Countries.

Due to economic and social roles of raisins and grape in national economy, abilities of the country for quantitative and qualitative improvement of this group and world competitations in agricultural products market and high exporting capacity of raisins, in this search, marketing of grape and raisins in Iran is studied. Time-series data 1981-2001 was used for estimating marketing margins and for recognizing marketing channels, data was collected by survey research in Khorasan province. The results showed that the mean of retail margins of raisins and grape are more than that for wholesale margins. And the mean of marketing cost coefficients of grape and raisins is 49.7 and 25.59 percent respectively, it means that the share of marketing factors in final prices of these products is 49.7 and 25.59 percent. Influential factors investigation on marketing margins using mark-up and marketing cost models of raisins indicated marketing margins was affected by exports, production, retail and wholesale prices. Furthermore, most influential factors on marketing margins of grape are transport cost index, grape production, retail and wholesale prices.