Culture and the regulation of entry

Does culture affect the manner in which a society regulates the entry of new firms? Our results suggest it does. We find more individualistic countries regulate entry more lightly. We investigate how culture matters presenting evidence of significant interactions between individualism and formal legal and political institutions. Individualism has a greater impact on entry regulation in societies with democratic political institutions or a common law tradition. This outcome is consistent with the idea that culture influences social preference for regulation, and political and legal institutions determine the degree to which those preferences are expressed as policy outcomes.     

Culture,legal heritage and the regulation of labor

According to cross-cultural psychologists, cross-country differences in individualism vs. collectivism constitute an important dimension of cultural variation. Legal-economic theorists argue that legal philosophies such as common law and civil law have developed differently over centuries and have persistent effects. In this paper, we argue that the effects of culture and institutions should not be analyzed in isolation from each other, as this disregards their interactions. We merge the two separate literatures on cultural attributes and legal origin theories, and derive a hypothesis regarding their joint effects on labor market regulations. We hypothesize that the effect of individualism on the political determination of labor regulations should be particularly pronounced in more market-oriented economic systems (as in British common law countries) compared to more rigid and bureaucratic state-centered systems (as in French civil law countries). Market oriented economies give individual effort and ability greater room to flourish, which in individualistic cultures yields weaker labor regulations. The effect of individualism should be smaller in state centered systems. Using data on the average rigidity of labor regulations during the years 1950–2004 in 86 countries, we find that the negative effect of individualism on the rigidity of labor regulations is enhanced by the presence of a common law legal system. In fact, individualism has no effect on the rigidity of labor market regulations in civil law countries. Analogously, the negative effect of common law legal origin on labor market regulations is found to be conditional on the level of individualism. Individualism and common law legal systems are complements in the determination of labor regulations.     

制度距离与跨国合作创新绩效——文化严格程度的调节作用

国家间差异是影响跨国合作创新的关键因素,然而,已有文献较少涉及国家制度和文化差异影响研究。试图从国家制度和文化视角探讨国家间差异对跨国合作创新的影响。在区分正式制度距离与非正式制度距离的基础上,采用2005-2019年17个国家相互之间共同发明专利数据,实证分析两类制度距离对跨国合作创新绩效的影响,并进一步检验文化严格程度在这一影响过程中的调节作用。研究表明,正式制度距离和非正式制度距离均对跨国合作创新绩效具有显著负向影响;文化严格程度减弱了正式制度距离的影响,却增强了个人主义/集体主义和长期导向/短期导向两个维度上非正式制度距离的影响,但对其它维度和总体非正式制度距离影响的调节作用并不显著。结论不仅揭示了不同国家文化环境下制度距离对跨国合作创新绩效的影响机制,还可为各国制定跨国合作创新战略以及我国应对中美科技合作挑战提供理论指导和参考。     

Culture,democracy, and market reforms: Evidence from transition countries

Transition countries differed widely in the extent to which they implemented market reforms. This paper empirically investigates the role of culture as a potential determinant of market reform adoption among the post-socialist economies of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. I examine an unbalanced panel of up to 21 transition countries over the period 1989–2001 and estimate the relationship between different cultural typologies and the adoption of liberalizing reforms. I report that a sense of individualism and intolerance for unequal dispersion of power within societies are robustly associated with greater market reform efforts. Only limited evidence exists for the influence of other cultural attitudes.     

类属性思维与东西方文化异同

人的思维和行为，受一定民族文化的影响，民族文化的形成同我们的生活和生态环境又密不可分。东方人和西方人有很多相同之处，但他们在战略上和文化上的类属性思维有很大差异。本文首先讨论：什么是生活生态和民族文化及民族4L理论（土地=land，语言=language，生活方式与精神信仰=life style and spirituality，领袖=leadership）；第二，文化如何影响人的行为和思维？第三，什么是类属性思维？为何要使用类属性思维？第四，民族文化和类属性思维的关系如何？民族文化有自我性和认同感吗？第五，民族战略规划同类属性思维有何关系？第六，类属性思维（个体主义和集体主义），文化策略举例一美国文化（好莱乌电影）和中国文化（如孔子学院）。最后是结论和展望。     

The effects of national culture on corporate social responsibility disclosure: a cross-country comparison

This article presents a cross-country analysis of the influence of national culture on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure. We analyse the relationship between the Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and the sustainability disclosure with the GDP per capita (GDPPC) of 44 countries, using panel data with information based on the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines. The governance effectiveness and the foreign direct investment are also included in the analysis. The results show that in countries with higher GDPPC, the CSR disclosure is negatively related to individualism and masculinity and positively related to uncertainty avoidance and indulgence. When focusing in countries with lower GDPPC, the results suggest that CSR disclosure is negatively related to power distance and positively related to uncertainty avoidance. Moreover, five of the six Hofstede’s cultural dimensions negatively affect sustainability disclosure in countries with middle GDPPC.     

Culture,business environment and SMEs' profitability: Evidence from European Countries

This paper aims to examine whether and how, certain country-specific characteristics shape the profitability of SMEs. Using a large sample of around 40,000 firms operating in 25 EU countries over the period 2006–2014 we find that freedom from corruption, a better environment in terms of the conditions that could contribute to the ease of getting credit, and fewer government regulation related to the starting, operating, and closing a business, enhance profitability. The dimensions of national culture also play an important role. Our results show that individualism, masculinity, and long-term orientation have a positive impact on profitability, whereas power distance and uncertainty avoidance have the opposite effect. We also find that the magnitude of the impact of national culture on profitability depends on political stability and institutional quality.     

Political instability and labour market institutions

This paper investigates the relationship between political instability and labour market institutions. We develop a theoretical model in which political instability creates incentives for a government to introduce labour market regulation in the economy. The distortionary effect of regulation on unemployment effectively puts a constraint on the design of fiscal and public policies. We empirically investigate these predictions using panel data for 21 OECD countries for the period 1985–2006. Our results are consistent with the view that political instability is associated with more regulated labour markets, lower labour taxation, and lower unemployment benefit replacement rates.     

Does political instability affect exchange rates in Arab Spring countries?

This article investigates the dynamic relationship between political instability and exchange rates in five Arab Spring countries over the period 1992Q1–2016Q4. We include macroeconomic fundamentals to identify the transmission channels through which political instability may affect exchange rates. Based on VAR and ARDL models, our results report that political instability is associated with a significant drop in the value of domestic currencies of these countries. Economic growth is found to be the key mechanism channel. We find also that the dependence between variables is more emphasized in the short run than in the long run.     

企业家社会资本对文化企业财政支持可获性的影响——基于江苏省文化企业调研数据的实证研究

财政支持是影响文化企业发展的重要政策因素.文章首先将企业家社会资本分为企业家政治关系资本和企业家商业关系资本 ,在此基础上使用178家江苏地区文化企业实地调研数据 ,构建计量经济模型实证检验了企业家社会资本对文化企业财政支持可获性的影响.研究结果发现:企业家政治关系资本对文化企业财政支持可获性具有正向影响 ,但在统计上不显著;企业家商业关系资本对文化企业财政支持可获性具有显著正向影响 ,且企业家商业关系资本的作用明显大于企业家政治关系资本 ,这表明地方政府在决定是否对文化企业给予财政支持时 ,明显淡化了以往侧重于通过行政权力主导补贴资金的传统做法 ,而更多地遵循了通过市场机制来配置公共财政资源的原则.     

Political instability and economic growth

This paper investigates the relationship between political instability and per capita GDP growth in a sample of 113 countries for the period 1950 through 1982. We define political instability as the propensity of a government collapse, and we estimate a model in which such a measure of political instability and economic growth are jointly determined. The main result of this paper is that in countries and time periods with a high propensity of government collapse, growth is significantly lower than otherwise. We also discuss the effects of different types of government changes on growth.     

政府创业支持与国家创新绩效：文化价值观的调节效应

创业作为实现创新的过程，对创新绩效提升具有重要作用。文化价值观作为社会“软实力”的重要指标，能够对创新过程施加重要影响。以文化价值观作为调节变量，构建政府创业支持与国家创新绩效关系模型，并通过全球54个国家数据进行实证检验。结果发现，政府政策支持、资金可获得性对国家创新绩效具有显著正向影响，权力差距、个人主义、不确定性规避负向调节政策支持与国家创新绩效间的关系，个人主义正向调节资金可获得性与国家创新绩效间的关系，而男性气质不存在调节效应。研究结果对政府制定有效政策具有一定参考价值。     

Political stability and growth: An application of dynamic GMM and quantile regression

This paper studies the effect of political stability on economic growth by taking 120 developing countries over the period of 1996–2014. We apply relatively advanced dynamic two step system-GMM and quantile regression. Political stability is found to be a key determinant of economic growth. More importantly, political instability (or risk) is found to be higher in the OIC countries and is a deterrent to economic growth. Also, for the lower and middle income OIC countries, political instability appears to affect economic growth more severely perhaps due to the absence of strong economic and political institutions. Moreover, political instability is also found to be significantly higher in the oil-dependent OIC countries. Notably, political instability is likely to affect growth through the channels of investment and human capital accumulation in the developing countries. Finally, the impact of political stability and political instability on growth is found to be equally distributed across the OIC countries with higher or lower growth level. Therefore, the development of political and economic institutions along with human capital development is recommended for all the developing countries in general and the OIC countries in particular.     

Effect of cultural distance on reverse technology spillover from outward FDI: a bane or a boon?

This article aims to investigate the role of cultural distance in the relationship between outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) and reverse technology spillover. Chinese firm-level data have been used to examine whether the cultural distance between domestic and host countries is a bane or a boon to innovation when firms engage in OFDI for technology acquisition. Generally, businesses with similar cultural backgrounds have an easier time-making technological progress. However, this research revealed a deeper level of reverse technological spillover among firms that invest in Europe and the USA, which are considered to quite culturally distant from China. Reverse technological spillover through OFDI is positively affected by individualism and uncertainty avoidance, which are the two dimensions of cultural distance.     

Culture and labour productivity: An empirical investigation

Culture is considered as one of the most powerful forces that shape human behaviour and thereby economic activity. This paper investigates the effects of culture on labour productivity and examines the cultural traits driving this relationship. Using panel data analysis, empirical evidence is provided covering a sample of 34 OECD countries over a wide period of three decades. Our empirical results suggest a significant positive relationship between the cultural background and labour productivity. The main channels of this positive impact are control and work ethic environment, while obedience has a negative impact on productivity. These findings are robust to a series of robustness checks, including alternative cultural measures, additional control variables, various country samples, and alternative specifications.     

Individualism and the adoption of clean energy technology

Why do 20% of Swedes report having adopted a clean energy system while the corresponding share of Spaniards equals 0.4%? Using data for about 25,000 individuals across 33 countries, this study tests which cultural trait, individualism or collectivism, is associated with greater levels of clean technology adoption. Our fractional probit estimates suggest that individualistic individuals are more inclined to adopt clean energy systems for home and transport purposes. In particular, the adoption probability rises by an estimated 2% if a person exhibits individualistic values. This finding is not driven by country-specific tax or subsidy policies or market-specific determinants and is robust to controlling for individual and household characteristics, attitudes, social and personal norms and other significant dimensions of cultural differences. The results, therefore, facilitate an understanding of how the decision to adopt clean energy technologies can be driven by cultural factors.     

Culture,financial crisis and the demand for property,accident and health insurance in the OECD countries

Culture has been known to play an important role in explaining differences in consumption behaviour across countries. Yet, we know very little how it affects spending on non-life insurance products. This paper attempts to shed some light on how cultural characteristics impact the demand for property, accident and health insurance, focusing on the OECD countries in the period 2000–2017. We find, via the system generalized method of moment estimations, that cultural characteristics such as individualism, long-term orientation, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance were the drivers of the expenditure on property insurance, whereas long-term orientation, uncertainty avoidance and hypometropia explained accident and health insurance spending across the OECD countries. In the presence of the global financial crisis, cultural effects on property insurance spending turned out to be relatively minor, with the exception of individualism. These findings provide valuable information for non-life insurance companies, consumers and policy makers in the OECD countries.     

The influence of cultural distance on the volatility of the international stock market

Along with the development of cultural dimensions and cultural distance, the influence of cultural variables on the stock market is attracting more and more attention. In this study, we propose an improved gravity model to examine the relationship between culture and the volatility of the international stock market. Firstly, based on Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory, a model of the impact of cultural dimensions on the volatility of the national stock market is presented. Secondly, cultural distance is incorporated into the extended gravity model. Then, models of the impact of cultural distance on fluctuations in the international stock market and on foreign securities investment are proposed. Finally, the results of case studies using samples of national stock market indices indicate that different cultural dimensions have different influences on the volatility of national stock markets. The smaller the cultural distance between countries, the more similar the level of volatility in those countries' stock markets. Greater cultural similarity promotes increased securities investment between countries.     

Modelling the effect of national culture on countries’ innovation performances: A conditional full frontier approach

This paper provides empirical evidence of the link between countries’ cultural factors and innovation performance. By defining innovation process in a knowledge production framework it uses conditional and unconditional Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models together with data from the European Innovation Scoreboard for the year 2007 and Hofstede’s cultural indexes. In this way it models and measures the effect of cultural values on 25 European countries’ innovation efficiency levels. The empirical results reveal that national culture can impact countries’ innovation performance. Specifically, we find significant negative effects on countries’ innovation efficiency levels for countries with higher power distance and uncertainty avoidance values.     

A socio-political approach to exploring the innovation culture in post-socialist countries: the case of Croatia

Innovation culture and the social determinants of national innovation capacities have rarely been empirically researched in innovation-weak post-socialist countries despite the fact that innovation is considered one of the main drivers of their economic growth and convergence. Applying an alternative approach to identifying the factors that shape a national innovation culture is challenging as there has been little empirical research in the area. Moreover, the global cross-cultural concepts of national innovation culture hold little relevance for post-socialist countries. The trans-disciplinary socio-political approach employed in this article relies on the qualitative analysis of the dominant concepts used in political economy and sociology to identify the socio-cultural and political aspects of Croatia’s post-socialist transformation into a capitalist country. This is presented as one of the critical formative determinants of innovation culture. Croatia is chosen as a typical innovation-weak post-socialist country, where innovation remains weak. The analysis presented here suggests that transition-induced factors dominated by ‘crony variance of capitalism’ have an equal, if not a greater, suppressive impact on the current innovation culture than standard explanations based on the socio-cultural heritage of socialism and cultural inertia.