Marx 200: The Abiding Relevance of the Labour Theory of Value

ABSTRACT

Marxist political economy is alive and well, and not just because of the habitual turn to Marx in response to any crisis of capitalism. Both through Capital and through the continuing evolution of Marxism, Marxist political economy offers valuable insights that can illuminate the modalities of social and economic reproduction and the relationships between (different aspects of) the economic and the non-economic. Marxism’s presence has been felt through its own internal debates and debates with other approaches to political economy, and even through its influence on those reacting against Marxism. The key to the continuing relevance and analytical strengths of Marxist political economy lies in its capacity to provide a framework of analysis for unifying disparate insights into and critiques of the contradictions of capitalism across the social sciences. The instrument for forging that unity is Marx’s theory of value, the potential of which is examined and illustrated with reference to the Sraffian critique and two key concepts in Marxian political economy: the value of labour power and financialisation. They are explored in the light of the processes of commodification, commodity form and commodity calculation.     

管理层权力与或有事项信息披露——基于环境不确定性的调节效应研究

基于2003—2016年我国A股上市公司的经验数据，以企业表内列报的预计负债金额与表外附注中披露的或有事项频数为考察对象，实证检验了管理层权力对或有事项信息披露的影响。研究发现，管理层权力与表内列报的或有事项信息显著负相关，而与表外披露的或有事项信息显著正相关；进一步发现，随着环境不确定性的增加，管理层权力对企业表内预计负债列报的负向影响显著增强，而对表外或有事项披露的正向影响明显减弱。在当前外部环境瞬息万变、内部治理机制弱化的背景下，管理层可能会利用其控制权操控或有事项信息的披露方式，自我服务偏好明显。     

微时代高等职业院校教育主体社交平台话语权建构必要性研究

微时代是以微博、微信等社交平台为代表的新时代。高职院校教育主体与受教育主体面对社交平台的新型话语体系,展现出不同的话语特征。教育主体只有进行话语权的体系建构,才能帮助学生形成正确认知、树立正确的价值观念,真正培养具有坚定信念和国际视野的高端技术技能人才。     

粤港澳大湾区城市群区域治理机制的架构思考:从政府治理权出发

推进建设粤港澳大湾区城市群,尤其应当重视各级政府在该区域治理机制架构中的地位。协调不同法域、不同层级和不同类型地方政府之间的治理权,是推进该城市群协调发展,并率先推进实现新型城镇化转型的基础和保障。就该区域而言,政府治理权的架构可以分为三个层次:根据中央顶层设计的区域布局,推动地方政府转换行使治理权的视阈,合理安排不同地方政府治理权,并建立权力协作机制;由此机制出发,协调区域内各地方的发展方向,深化彼此之间利益共生关系;最后,与利益共享对应,还应当配合财政供给改革,实现区域治理责任的成本共担。     

The effects of exchange rate pass-through and cost channel on price level: The case of fragile five countries

ABSTRACT

In this study, we investigated whether the exchange rate and the interest rate had an effect on the inflation rate in the fragile five countries between the years of 1996Q4 and 2015Q4. In this context, a model was created to estimate the effect of interest rate and exchange rate on the inflation rate. The methods used in the study take into account cross-section dependence and heterogeneity. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that there was an exchange-rate and interest-rate pass-through effect in the fragile five countries. Moreover, it was found out that the cost channel and price puzzle were effective in Indonesia and South Africa but were not effective in Turkey, Brasil and India.     

Third-party certification and post-IPO acquisitions

ABSTRACT

We explore the link between third-party certification (venture capital backing, analyst following and having a top underwriter), and post-IPO acquisition activity through the reduction in valuation uncertainty channel. In a sample of 2,424 U.S. IPOs, we find that third-party certification facilitates post-IPO acquisitions. The certified firms are both more likely and conduct acquisitions sooner after the IPO. Our results support the notion that third-party certification reduces post-IPO valuation uncertainty and thereby facilitates a more efficient acquisition strategy.     

Political uncertainty and labour investment efficiency

ABSTRACT

We examine the impact of political uncertainty on the labour investment efficiency (LIE) of a firm. Using a sample of Chinese firms, we test the market discipline and managerial entrenchment hypotheses. Our findings suggest that political uncertainty adversely affects LIE. The results are consistent with the managerial entrenchment hypothesis. That is, firms hire more labour in a period of increased information asymmetry due to the political uncertainty, which deteriorates LIE. Our findings are robust to a battery of alternative measures of LIE and estimation methods. We conduct several additional analyses and document that the adverse impact of political uncertainty is stronger when the newly appointed government official is older, the firm is state-owned, the firm belongs to a politically sensitive industry or the firm operates in locations with stringent labour protection. By contrast, when the firm locates in a region with weak Chinese government intervention or after President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign, the adverse impact of political uncertainty on LIE is less pronounced. Last, we document that after hiring more labour, firms receive tangible and intangible benefits in terms of receiving more loans, collect more government subsidies, and able to re-establish some political connection but at the cost of lower performance.     

国内外电力建设工程竣工移交条件差异及合同纠纷分析

国内外电力建设工程竣工移交时,在性能试验责任主体、时间、试验项目等多方面存在较多差异,进而导致了工程投入商业运行、颁发移交生产交接书、缺陷责任期起始和结束等诸多时间的不一致,这些差异和不一致可能引起业主与EPC承包商之间的合同纠纷。本文对上述差异和可能引起的纠纷进行了分析,并提出对策和建议。     

Exploring the nexus between bank market power and exports

Although the literature underlines the importance of finance in international trade, no prior study has examined the causal links between market power in banking and export performance. Using a world sample over the 1997-2010 period, and accounting for both observed and unobserved country heterogeneity, we find a positive effect of bank market power on exports, especially in high-income countries. We also document that this export-enhancing effect is more potent in informationally opaque markets. Our findings accord with information hypothesis which suggests that market power in banking induces stronger bank-firm relationships which can generate benefits for both borrowers and lenders. Policy interventions should, therefore, promote the supply of relationship lending as a means to mitigate informational asymmetries in the export market.     

Capital accumulation through studying abroad and return migration

This paper examines the interplays among studying abroad, return migration and capital accumulation, in a dynamic general equilibrium model featuring heterogeneous ability. Households invest in education and make two migration decisions: whether to study abroad and subsequently whether to return home. The model predicts that the highest, middle and lowest-ability people choose respectively permanent migration, return migration and no migration. More interestingly, we find a novel migration cycle: returnees bring back learned-knowledge and over time, capital accumulates, attracting more return migration. Further, the usual “brain drain” in the literature can be turned into “brain gain”, by providing a subsidy to studying abroad and returning home.