Institutional environment and firms' sources of financial capital in Central and Eastern Europe

The external business environment is a major determinant of which sources firms select to obtain financial capital. We examine how the regulatory, political, and financial dimensions of the institutional environment influence the extent to which firms rely on informal sources of financial capital. The analyses of data from 2869 firms in twenty-six transition economies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) indicate that ineffective regulatory system, underdeveloped financial system, and government corruption are strong determinants of firms' reliance on informal channels for financial capital. We also find that smaller firms are more vulnerable when the local financial system is underdeveloped and the regulatory institutions are less effective in these transition economies. A subgroup analysis of firms' forms of establishment shows that private firms are sensitive to the level of development of the local financial system and state-owned enterprises are particularly sensitive to the degree of corruption.     

理性看待中国的“世界工厂”地位

中国制造业的高速发展和迅速崛起,为中国赢得了"世界工厂"的称号,而近年来频频爆发的"质量门"事件和全球贸易摩擦却使中国制造业危机重重。中国制造业"大而不强",在效率、效益、技术、品牌、成本等方面面临严重的发展瓶颈,离真正的"世界工厂"还相距甚远。为实现从制造大国向制造强国的转变,必须以国际金融危机的倒逼压力为契机,加速中国制造业的结构调整和转型升级,变"中国制造"为"中国创造"。     

Democracy and prosperity in two decades of transition1

This article revisits the relationship between democracy, liberalization and prosperity in transition countries, using a panel of 25 countries over 20 years. Earlier investigations found political and economic liberalization to be positively correlated although the relationship between political liberalization and prosperity remained unclear. In this article, the results are ambiguous regarding the relationship between democracy indicators by Freedom House and the Polity Project on one hand and growth on the other. This contribution therefore investigates the component variables of these indicators to determine their degree of influence. The findings suggest that basic constitutional rights and constraints on the government rather than political competition as such may be conducive to both economic liberalization and prosperity in the transition countries.     

我国房地产业的制度变迁

本文描述了自经济体制改革以来我国房地产制度的变迁过程,对房地产业制度变迁历程中存在的产权与融资、管理等方面存在的缺陷进行分析,并提出了完善我国房地产业制度的相关建议。     

经济学的二重性和在政策分析中的角色

经济学具有二重性,即兼具科学性质和人文性质.作为科学的经济学只涉及解释手段的选择,不考虑目的的选择问题.这是因为:手段的效果可以通过事实经验地证明,而目的包含价值观和伦理因素,无法转换为纯粹经验的描述.虽然不符合实证原则,但是作为人文的经济学是作为科学的经济学的前提,作为人文的经济学讨论目的的选择.在目的选择的过程中,伦理、价值判断、政治哲学等因素起着决定性的作用.社会实现稳定和谐的最终基础是道义与共识.     

A model of local labor market regulation of China in the transition period

With the establishment of labor market of China, market is playing a more and mare important role in allocation of human resources. However, with the transition of economy in China and industrial upgrading in recent years, many labor problems have occurred which do harm to the sustainable development of local economy. The paper researches on the labor market issues of China from the perspective of local labor market regulation. Firstly, it reviews the theories of local labor market regulation. And then the main components of local labor market regulation of China are identified and the evaluation index system is established. The results of analysis of the calculated output show that （1） the local labor market regulation of China has an obvious character of gradient distribution geographically and decreases gradually from east to west; （2） of all the regulations, the regulation of the development of human capital has the most significant impact on local economy currently which is followed by the regulation of labor relation and the regulation of market participation. As to the regulation of social security, it has no Significant impact on the development of local economy.     

Income inequality and economic growth

Despite the extensive existing literature on income inequality and economic growth, there remains considerable disagreement on the effect of inequality on economic growth. Existing literatures find either a positive or a negative relationship. In this paper, we attempt to theoretically examine that relationship with a stochastic optimal growth model. We make the disagreement clear within a single model. We conclude (i) that both are possible – that is, higher inequality can retard growth in the early stage of economic development, and can encourage growth in a near steady state, (ii) that income redistribution by high income tax does not always reduce income inequality. Income inequality can be reduced by higher income tax in a near steady state, but it cannot be reduced in the early stage of economic development, and (iii) that two government polices – rapid economic growth and low income inequality – can be achieved by low income tax in the early stage of economic development, but both cannot be achieved simultaneously in a near steady state.     

Theoretical activity in sustainable tourism research

There is growing recognition in tourism and sustainable tourism research of the need for a fuller engagement in theoretical activity. The paper examines how different research strategies in recent articles on sustainable tourism have advanced theoretical understanding in this research field. The articles advance thinking through ideas and concepts connected with political ecology, mobilities, transition pathways, and behavioural and systems change. They are evaluated using a typology of research strategies associated with theoretical work, using a broad perspective on this work. The research strategy typology was developed for the paper, and it is explained and illustrated. While the papers on sustainable tourism use a range of strategies associated with theoretical activity, there is only limited engagement with “big” social theories.     

转轨阶段城乡居民收入差距的演变及社会效应

我国经济体制转型期间的城乡居民收入差距呈缩小—扩大—缩小—扩大的趋势,这在一定程度上对农村居民收入的增长和对农村消费市场、人力资本投资产生负面影响,同时也对社会的稳定、经济的可持续发展以及建设和谐社会产生负面效应。