Trade policy, firm entry and welfare. This project aims to quantify the effects of global tariff cuts on international trade volumes, firm entry and consumer welfare. Tariffs have fallen significantly globally. The project will incorporate international-trade theory into a parsimonious quantitative model of international trade including almost all countries. The project will also compile a comprehensive international database on tariff barriers. The project expects to refine international trade ....Trade policy, firm entry and welfare. This project aims to quantify the effects of global tariff cuts on international trade volumes, firm entry and consumer welfare. Tariffs have fallen significantly globally. The project will incorporate international-trade theory into a parsimonious quantitative model of international trade including almost all countries. The project will also compile a comprehensive international database on tariff barriers. The project expects to refine international trade theory on the effects of tariff reductions on firm entry into markets; estimate the effects of actual multilateral and preferential tariff reductions; create a tool for evaluating trade and industrial policy; and disseminate international tariff databases.Read moreRead less
Increasing Globalisation and its Economic Implications. This project will focus on globalisation and its economic implications. We will: (a) propose definitions and measure of the ?degree of globalization", (b) examine its relationship with the degree of uncertainty facing an economy, (c) study the effects of globalisation and uncertainty on productivity growth, (d) examine the effects of uncertainty on the economy and (f) provide empirical applications for the Australian economy. Our project wi ....Increasing Globalisation and its Economic Implications. This project will focus on globalisation and its economic implications. We will: (a) propose definitions and measure of the ?degree of globalization", (b) examine its relationship with the degree of uncertainty facing an economy, (c) study the effects of globalisation and uncertainty on productivity growth, (d) examine the effects of uncertainty on the economy and (f) provide empirical applications for the Australian economy. Our project will provide an important, innovative and comprehensive examination of globalization and its economic effects. In addition to making novel theoretical and empirical contributions, it will also facilitate meaningful analyses of policy issues in Australia.Read moreRead less
APEC, the WTO and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs): which way forward for Japan's agricultural trade liberalisation? Japan is an important market for Australian farm products, but high import barriers prevent the full potential of this market from being realised. Japan has consistently presented stiff opposition to agricultural trade liberalisation - in APEC, at the WTO, and in bilateral free trade negotiations. The project, by identifying which negotiating arena is most likely to deliver ....APEC, the WTO and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs): which way forward for Japan's agricultural trade liberalisation? Japan is an important market for Australian farm products, but high import barriers prevent the full potential of this market from being realised. Japan has consistently presented stiff opposition to agricultural trade liberalisation - in APEC, at the WTO, and in bilateral free trade negotiations. The project, by identifying which negotiating arena is most likely to deliver an agreement to liberalise agricultural trade, will contribute to the advancement of Australia's economic and trading interests. Improving access to the Japanese market for agricultural products in the context of a broader trade agreement will generate substantial dividends for Australian farmers as well as tangible benefits for the wider community.Read moreRead less
Indian agriculture in the 21st century: The political economy of market reforms. India has emerged to be a key player in the 21st century global economy, with the fortunes of its agricultural sector central to its economic and social transformations. These issues have great relevance beyond India itself, and are of vital interest to Australia. India's prominent role in WTO agricultural negotiations means that its stance on market agriculture will shape the future global politics of food. Using c ....Indian agriculture in the 21st century: The political economy of market reforms. India has emerged to be a key player in the 21st century global economy, with the fortunes of its agricultural sector central to its economic and social transformations. These issues have great relevance beyond India itself, and are of vital interest to Australia. India's prominent role in WTO agricultural negotiations means that its stance on market agriculture will shape the future global politics of food. Using case studies of strategic sites of market reforms, this project will analyse their social and economic outcomes, with the aim to generate an internationally significant assessment of the political economy of Indian agrarian reform.Read moreRead less
International Trade, Climate Change and Economic Policy. The research project addresses the role of, and interactions between, environmental and international trade policies within the context of a global economy with increasingly open economies whose production and consumption activities generate emissions of greenhouse gases that accumulate in the atmosphere and have potentially adverse effects on the world’s climate, which then impacts the environment, production and households. The objective ....International Trade, Climate Change and Economic Policy. The research project addresses the role of, and interactions between, environmental and international trade policies within the context of a global economy with increasingly open economies whose production and consumption activities generate emissions of greenhouse gases that accumulate in the atmosphere and have potentially adverse effects on the world’s climate, which then impacts the environment, production and households. The objective is to develop better understanding of the nexus between the international economy, climate change through the environment, and international trade and environmental policies. It will achieve this objective by analyses of multi-country models of international trade, climate change and policy design.Read moreRead less
Profiling Accurate Segmentation Structures in Rural Communities. The proposed project has two aims - one aim is applied and pertains to Australia's rural community, and a second is methodological and pertains to methods of segmenting populations in a variety of contexts. These aims are 1) to identify a valid basis for segmenting Australia's rural community based on their choice behaviour and individual characteristics; and 2) to develop and test a staged approach for inferring market segments u ....Profiling Accurate Segmentation Structures in Rural Communities. The proposed project has two aims - one aim is applied and pertains to Australia's rural community, and a second is methodological and pertains to methods of segmenting populations in a variety of contexts. These aims are 1) to identify a valid basis for segmenting Australia's rural community based on their choice behaviour and individual characteristics; and 2) to develop and test a staged approach for inferring market segments utilising a joint approach which simultaneously accounts for individual characteristics and choice behaviour that is informed by non-parametric classification techniques to account for a variety of sources of heterogeneity, not just preference heterogeneity.Read moreRead less
ASEAN+3 Free Trade Agreement and Its Impact on Australia-Vietnam Trade. The ASEAN+3 (China, Japan and Korea) free trade agreement endorsed by ASEAN Leaders in 2001 poses a serious trade diversion threat to Australia's goods and services trade to ASEAN and North Asia (reaching $33.9b and $85.0b respectively in 2001, see DFAT 2003). No research on this has been done or reported. The project, with Vietnam Institute for Trade collaboration, uses new analytical and empirical approaches to investigate ....ASEAN+3 Free Trade Agreement and Its Impact on Australia-Vietnam Trade. The ASEAN+3 (China, Japan and Korea) free trade agreement endorsed by ASEAN Leaders in 2001 poses a serious trade diversion threat to Australia's goods and services trade to ASEAN and North Asia (reaching $33.9b and $85.0b respectively in 2001, see DFAT 2003). No research on this has been done or reported. The project, with Vietnam Institute for Trade collaboration, uses new analytical and empirical approaches to investigate this FTA and its implications to Australia's trade to a major ASEAN country, namely Vietnam, where 2002 trade reached $2.8b and Australia's global companies (eg. ANZ, Telstra, RMIT) currently have large operation.Read moreRead less
Strategic Service Innovation: The Role of Heterogeneity in Substantive and Dynamic Capabilities. This project will provide Australian companies with the tools to conduct a services capabilities audit. This tool will allow them to identify substantive and dynamic service capabilities that they must strengthen or acquire, in order to remain competitive in domestic and global markets, where consumers increasingly differentiate between organisations by value-adding services that they offer. Austral ....Strategic Service Innovation: The Role of Heterogeneity in Substantive and Dynamic Capabilities. This project will provide Australian companies with the tools to conduct a services capabilities audit. This tool will allow them to identify substantive and dynamic service capabilities that they must strengthen or acquire, in order to remain competitive in domestic and global markets, where consumers increasingly differentiate between organisations by value-adding services that they offer. Australia imports over $40Bn worth of services each year. This project has the potential to increase the domestic and international competitiveness of Australian manufacturers and service industries and contribute to the economy by reducing dependence on service imports, and assuring ongoing employment for Australian workers. Read moreRead less
Negotiation style choice and performance in non-equity business partnerships: An empirical assessment. Business relationships, in general, and non-equity business partnerships, in particular, are increasingly important in accomplishing commercial and community objectives in Australia. While businesses focus on purposefully negotiated agreements to drive the performance of these collaborations, an all too large majority fail. This study will result in theoretical and empirical contributions to ou ....Negotiation style choice and performance in non-equity business partnerships: An empirical assessment. Business relationships, in general, and non-equity business partnerships, in particular, are increasingly important in accomplishing commercial and community objectives in Australia. While businesses focus on purposefully negotiated agreements to drive the performance of these collaborations, an all too large majority fail. This study will result in theoretical and empirical contributions to our understanding of negotiation behaviour and related performance effects in non-equity business partnerships; hence, filling a gap in the literature. The findings will significantly benefit those organisations being involved in partnering by providing recommendations for negotiating these partnerships more effectively; hence, reducing their failure rate and achieving important objectives.Read moreRead less
Porous Mineral Formulations for Controlled-Release Applications. The controlled release of biologically active agents from host materials is a process that is used routinely in pharmaceuticals delivery but has received only limited attention in large-scale, low-cost areas such as the agrochemicals industry. Here we identify a number of rare tubular mineral phases as having great potential for low-cost controlled release. These little-studied minerals, for which high quality deposits exist in Aus ....Porous Mineral Formulations for Controlled-Release Applications. The controlled release of biologically active agents from host materials is a process that is used routinely in pharmaceuticals delivery but has received only limited attention in large-scale, low-cost areas such as the agrochemicals industry. Here we identify a number of rare tubular mineral phases as having great potential for low-cost controlled release. These little-studied minerals, for which high quality deposits exist in Australia, consist of hollow tubules of nanoscale dimension. This project involves the first ever studies of the kinetics of guest release from these fascinating hosts, and promises to generate important new technologies in agrochemical delivery.Read moreRead less