Impact of foreign direct investment on greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture of developing countries

This research analyses the impact of foreign direct investment on greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture sector of developing countries. Panel data from 63 developing countries for the period 2005 to 2014 was used to estimate a dynamic econometric model by applying a system‐generalised method of moments. The empirical results indicate a positive impact of foreign direct investment in agriculture on the carbon dioxide equivalent emission intensity in developing countries. The results provide weak support for the pollution havens hypothesis and imply the importance of coordination between foreign direct investment and environmental policies.     

科学型企业商业模式:中国情境的复合案例研究

以中国企业为研究对象，运用复合案例研究方法分析与构建了科学型企业商业模式概念模型，分离出科学平台和价值平台两个独特要素，进而构建以科学平台-价值平台互动为核心的P2P商业模式运作模型，并根据不同类型科学型企业，分析模型的有效性、适用性以及模型在不同类型科学型企业中的共性与差异，最后总结出科学型企业商业模式特点及企业管理对策。     

新疆棉农残膜回收行为影响因素及实证研究*——基于棉农的调研数据

［目的］为响应农业农村部“农业绿色发展五大行动”，加强农业面源污染防治，缓解新疆棉田残膜危害，基于新疆棉农的问卷调查研究棉农的残膜回收行为。［方法］采用描述性统计和Logistic回归模型分析影响新疆棉农残膜回收行为的因素。［结果］（1）新疆农用地膜回收率低，地膜污染形势严峻。（2）棉农对残膜危害认知缺乏，对残膜回收的间接价值认识不足，影响新疆残膜回收效率。（3）残膜回收的成本收益是影响棉农残膜回收行为的关键因素，其他如棉农年龄、种棉年限、对残膜危害的认知等自身特征，以及农户劳动力数量、政府对残膜污染的关注程度等因素对棉农的残膜回收行为有重要影响。［结论］网络及电视广播等现代媒体对棉农的残膜危害认知水平有较大影响，棉农更愿意采用成本更节约的焚烧、堆地的残膜处理方式。因此提出引导棉农残膜回收、提高棉田残膜回收效率的对策建议。     

Political competition,tax salience and accountability. Theory and evidence from Italy

This paper argues that electoral competition may hinder rather than foster political accountability, especially when elected officers can choose among a number of tax instruments. We develop a political agency model showing that politicians in more competitive jurisdictions use less salient tax instruments more intensely. Defining salience as visibility or, analogously, as voters' awareness of the costs associated with specific government revenue sources, we argue that voters are less likely to hold politicians to account for the associated tax burden of a less salient instrument. This in turn implies that strategic politicians will more heavily rely on less salient revenue sources when electoral competition is stronger. Using data on Italian municipal elections and taxes over a 10-year period, we determine the degree of salience of various tax instruments, including property taxes (high salience) and government fees for official documents (low salience). We then show that mayors facing stronger competition for re-election use less salient tax instruments more intensely.     

Well-being effects of self-employment: A spatial inquiry

Our paper presents an empirical analysis of entrepreneurial well-being using a large-scale longitudinal household survey from the UK that tracks almost 50,000 individuals across seven waves over the period 2009–2017, as well as a number of exploratory case studies. We contribute to the existing literature by investigating how entrepreneurial well-being varies across locations along the urban-rural continuum, and across wealthy-deprived neighbourhoods. We use a Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM) approach to compare the well-being outcomes of individuals who switch into self-employment from waged employment, and show that entrepreneurial well-being, in the form of job satisfaction, is significantly higher for those living in semi-urban locations, relative to those living in urban and rural locations. We argue that semi-urban locations provide an optimal combination of ease of doing business and quality of life. Our results also show that individuals in wealthy neighbourhoods who switch into self-employment experience higher job satisfaction than otherwise comparable individuals living in materially deprived neighbourhoods, although the latter experience greater levels of life satisfaction following the switch.     

城市既有居住建筑绿色改造决策权配置研究

城市既有居住建筑绿色改造决策过程复杂烦琐、难度较大,明晰决策主体构成、合理配置决策权是实现决策有效性的关键着力点。利用2-模网络分析方法,从整体视角分析主要利益相关者对绿色改造项目的影响力,进而明确决策主体结构化组成;然后基于局部视角,以决策主体为权利载体实现决策权可视化,探明决策权在不同阶段、不同主体下的特征演变规律,提出决策权配置新思路。研究表明:社区自治组织、改造区域业主及政府部门构成决策核心主体;随着决策过程的推进,控制决策权由核心主体向决策参与主体发生动态转移和分散,从而使决策过程趋向民主、客观及合理化。基于上述研究结果,构建决策权配置框架,并提出针对性建议及措施以保证决策权有效实现。     

Resident perceptions of the impacts of P2P accommodation: Implications for neighbourhoods

Although a research base is beginning to emerge in relation to the peer-to-peer accommodation phenomenon, the voices of residents are seldom heard in this scholarly literature. This study uses Social Exchange Theory to examine resident perceptions regarding the impact of P2P accommodation growth, and specifically Airbnb, on their neighbourhood. Fifty-one semi-structured interviews were employed to illuminate understanding of how resident perceptions are formed in relation to the exchange relationship with Airbnb guests. Findings reveal a dominance of negative perceptions of socio-economic and environmental impacts. The study also contributes a typology of residents, based on their perceptions and behaviour towards associated impacts, which may guide policymakers and practitioners towards the adoption of an anthropocentric approach on P2P accommodation. The study concludes with a discussion of theoretical and practical implications.     

A macroeconomic perspective on Airbnb’s global presence

The rise of the P2P economy has been fueled by a range of social, economic and technological factors, but limited research has been focused on the P2P economy from a macroeconomic perspective. Therefore this study tried to identify the macroeconomic factors affecting Airbnb’s global presence. In order to explain the number of rentals available in different capitals, we considered several macroeconomic factors, such as countries’ degree of technological development, economic size, the relative size of the tourism and travel industries, tourist arrivals, nominal exchange rate, the average level of economic development (or well-being), and their productivity level. This study found that the total number of listings is positively correlated with the development index, the contribution of trade and tourism to GDP, the nominal exchange rate and negatively with GDP per employed person. Airbnb is more popular in countries where the population is technologically savvy. Another significant variable is represented by the relative size of the tourism and trade industries in the country. Implications of research findings and directions for future research are suggested.     

EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY: EAST VS. WEST GERMANY

The case of German reunification has been subject to extensive research on earnings inequality and labour market integration. However, little is known about the development of equality of opportunity (EOp) in East and West Germany after 1990. Using German micro data, we empirically analyse how circumstances beyond the sphere of individual control relate to inequality in East and West Germany. Our results show that EOp is larger in East than in West Germany. However, despite increasing income inequality, EOp remained surprisingly constant.