Non-linear exchange rate relationships: An automated model selection approach with indicator saturation

This paper examines whether the explanatory power of exchange rate models can be improved by allowing for cross-country asymmetries and non-linear effects of fundamentals. Both appear to be crucial. The samples include the USD versus pound and yen from 1982:10 to 2013:10, and automated model selection is conducted with indicator saturation. Several non-linear effects are significant at 1%. Further, many of the indicators present in the linear models are eliminated once allowing for non-linearities; suggesting some of the structural breaks found in previous work were an artifact of the misspecified linear functional form. These conclusions are robust to estimation using principal components.     

Pricing the hedging factor in the cross-section of stock returns

We investigate the role of investors’ net hedging strategy (factor) in predicting stock returns and pricing the cross-section of individual stocks and equity portfolios. We estimate stock exposure to changes in the hedging factor and show that the hedging premium is driven by outperformance of stocks with large positive net hedging betas, which explains their higher average returns. We find the positive hedging premium indicates risk-averse investors demand extra compensation to hold stocks with higher equity risk premiums, and they are themselves willing to pay higher prices for stocks with positive hedging betas.     

家庭农场经营效率及其差异分析*——基于山东234个示范家庭农场的调查

[目的]文章通过对山东省家庭农场经营效率的实证分析,旨在厘清技术、规模对农场经营效率的促进作用,通过比较分析找出各类型家庭农场短板,针对性地提出政策建议。[方法]以山东234个家庭农场数据为例,运用DEA模型对家庭农场全样本及纯种植、种养结合、种植兼休闲、种养兼休闲4类家庭农场的经营效率进行了测算和分解。[结果]首先,家庭农场综合技术效率仅为0. 170,纯技术效率和规模效率分别为0. 235和0. 786,规模效率相对充分纯技术效率不足是经营效率较低的主要原因;其次,种养结合类农场发展势头较好,纯种植类家庭农场发展滞后且综合技术效率和纯技术效率最低,种养兼休闲类农场的规模效率最低。[结论] 4类农场差异明显,应降低生产技术使用门槛,引导农场主参加职业教育,提升纯种植类农场纯技术效率,同时出台相关政策,实现土地流转的降费提效,改善种养兼休闲类农场规模效率。     

东北地区粮食型农户家庭农场经营风险认知的影响因素分析

［目的］东北地区作为维护国家粮食安全的“压舱石”，准确而系统地掌握东北地区粮食型农户家庭农场经营风险认知水平，为政府部门精准实施粮食型农户家庭农场配套扶持政策提供参考。［方法］文章利用黑龙江、吉林、辽宁3省301个粮食型农户家庭农场调研数据，运用交叉列表和多元有序logit模型分析家庭农场经营风险认知水平及其影响因素。［结果］（1）6312%的粮食型家庭农场有一定风险认知能力，土地经营面积在333~1333hm2（50~200亩）与1333~3333hm2（200~500亩）的家庭农场风险认知处于中等水平， 3333hm2（500亩）以上家庭农场经营风险认知低； （2）玉米种植型家庭农场风险认知水平高于水稻种植型家庭农场； （3）年龄、是否村干部、劳动力数量、土地经营规模、是否有自然灾害、农产品市场价格波动、是否“三品一标”认证、金融支持、农推人员技术指导和新型经营主体间合作稳定对东北地区粮食型农户家庭农场经营风险认知有影响。［结论］应培养家庭农场主个人特质，鼓励支农惠农政策向规模适度的家庭农场倾斜，从流程入手提高家庭农场风险防范能力。     

Drivers of cropland abandonment in mountainous areas: A household decision model on farming scale in Southwest China

Cropland abandonment has emerged as a prevalent phenomenon in the mountainous areas of China. While there is a general understanding that this new trend is driven by the rising opportunity cost of rural labor, rigorous theoretical and empirical analyses are largely absent. This paper first develops a theoretical model to investigate household decisions on farming scale when off-farm labor market is accessible and there is heterogeneity of farmland productivity and distribution. The model is capable of explaining the hidden reasons of cropland abandonment in sloping and agriculturally less-favored locations. The model also unveils the impacts of heterogeneity of household labor on fallow decisions and the efficiency loss due to an imperfect labor market. The model is empirically tested by applying the Probit and Logit estimators to a unique household and land-plot survey dataset which contains 5258 plots of 599 rural households in Chongqing, a provincial level municipality, in Southwest China. The survey shows that more than 30% of the sample plots have been abandoned, mainly since 1992. The econometric results are consistent with our theoretical expectations. This work would help policy-makers and stakeholders to identify areas with a high probability of land abandonment and farming practice which is less sustainable in the mountainous areas.     

Can China escape the middle-income trap?

Can China continue its relatively rapid economic growth and rise to the high-income status in the coming decade? In this article we address this question by examining three issues. One, is the current slowdown mainly a cyclical or a structural phenomenon? Two, can China successfully transform its growth model? And, three, what does China need to do to foster its capability of technological innovation and industrial upgrading? We conclude that, with necessary reforms, such as improvement in the education and research capability, liberalization of the financial system and introduction of a more transparent and accountable political system, China will most likely be able to escape the middle-income trap in the next 10 years.     

Comparison of public perception and risk management decisions of aircraft noise near Taoyuan and Kaohsiung International Airports

This study uses multiple linear regression to identify factors contributing to perceived risk among residents near Taoyuan and Kaohsiung International Airports, the effect of perceived risk on their willingness to reduce risk, and consumption preferences that can reduce risk. Results indicated that residents' risk perception near Taoyuan Airport is lower than that near Kaohsiung Airport. Noise pollution experience, perceived probability of environmental contamination and negative effects, and perceived severity of catastrophic consequences significantly increase residents' perceived risks. Residents are willing to recognize and participate in mitigating the risks of aircraft noise pollution. The more risk residents perceive, the more willing they are to participate in disaster reduction and investigate means of improving the risk environment.     

How to increase multichannel shopping satisfaction? An adapted Kano based stage-gate approach to select new technologies

Today, brick-and-mortar retailers with integrated online shops have many alternatives to increase their customers’ shopping satisfaction: They could invest in (for the retailers) new physical store technologies (e.g., beacons or magical mirrors if not implemented up to now), new online shop technologies (e.g., visual tagging or webcams), or in new less technology-based improvement options (e.g. events or product testing). We propose an adapted Kano based stage-gate approach to support multichannel retailers confronted with such selection problems. The approach is applied to a major European sporting goods retailer. 37 improvement options are pre-selected and evaluated by current and potential customers. It can be shown that instore returns, instore services, reserve&collect, click&collect, customization, product testing, and magical mirrors are drivers of satisfaction for the current customers and should be implemented in contrast to, e.g., geofencing or beacons. The potential customers are more technology-savvy, but show similar categorizations as a current customer segment and so confirm the selection.     

国企多任务努力成本相关下的高管激励问题

本文在Holmstrom和Milgrom多任务委托代理模型的分析框架下,建立国有企业的三任务模型,探讨国企多任务努力成本相关下高管激励问题。研究发现,当多任务为互补时,实现企业社会责任目标会对企业经济性任务产生互补促进性作用,有利于经济性任务目标的实现,增加可观测性较高的任务激励会带来互补性任务绩效的提高。当多任务为替代时,实现企业社会责任目标会对企业经济性任务目标的实现产生阻碍作用,不利于经济性任务目标的实现,增加可观测性较高的任务激励会带来互补性任务绩效的减少。当多任务为不相关时,任务间努力成本互相独立,实现企业的政策性任务与其他任务努力成本不相关,应剥离政策性任务。该结论对于国有企业的任务选择与指派,以及存在多任务时的激励机制设计具有重要参考价值。     

Pseudo panel data estimation technique and rational addiction model: an analysis of cigarette,alcohol and coffee demands

We use a pseudo‐panel data approach to analyze the relationship between the consumptions of cigarettes, alcohol, and coffee in a rational addiction framework. We find that while cigarette and coffee demands fit well with the rational addiction model, alcohol demand conforms to a model with inventory effects. The results suggest that alcohol consumption increases the marginal utility derived from consumption of cigarettes. Increasing alcohol prices would decrease not only the consumption of alcohol, but also the consumption of cigarettes. On the other hand, increasing cigarette prices do not have the same effect on consumption of alcohol. The cross‐price elasticity of coffee with respect to cigarette price is positive and significant which suggests that coffee substitutes for cigarettes when cigarette prices increase. The cross‐price elasticity of alcohol with respect to coffee price is found to be negative and significant. On the other hand, Morishima elasticities of substitution indicate that cigarette, alcohol and coffee substitute each other along the indifference curve when relative prices change.