Do analysts add value when they most can? Evidence from corporate spin‐offs

This article investigates how securities analysts help investors understand the value of diversification. By studying the research that analysts produce about companies that have announced corporate spin‐offs, we gain unique insights into how analysts portray diversified firms to the investment community. We find that while analysts' research about these companies is associated with improved forecast accuracy, the value of their research about the spun‐off subsidiaries is more limited. For both diversified firms and their spun‐off subsidiaries, analysts' research is more valuable when information asymmetry between the management of these entities and investors is higher. These findings contribute to the corporate strategy literature by shedding light on the roots of the diversification discount and by showing how analysts' research enables investors to overcome asymmetric information. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The strategic evolution of large US law firms

In recent years, large US law firms have been undergoing significant changes. Most have switched from a professional model (P2 form) to a corporate business model, employing competitive strategies and a profit orientation. As the market for corporate legal services became more competitive, many large US law firms began to diversify the services they offer and expand their operations into new geographic regions of the country and into international markets. They even engaged in acquisitions and learned to manage and leverage their critical resources, human capital and relational capital. As a result, most of these law firms have added more professional management. All in all, the services law firms offer and the rivals with which they must contend have changed substantially over the last 15 years.     

Export diversification and real exchange rate in emerging Latin America and Asia: A South–North vs. South-South decomposition

The present paper examines the directional causality between export diversification and real exchange rate in the middle-income countries of Asia and Latin America over the period from 1995 to 2013. Additionally, we investigate asymmetries in the causality issue by examining the direction across trading partners.

Our empirical results show that there is a two-way causality between the two variables when we look at the sample as a whole. A causal link running from the real exchange rate to export diversification is consistent with the standard literature but it is not systematic at all. The reverse causation is very appealing and challenges the standard argument on exchange rate determination. When the causality issue is investigated by treating export markets differently, our findings at the aggregate level are confirmed in exports destined for the advanced countries. The analysis for ‘South-South’ trade only shows a unidirectional link from the real exchange rate to changes in export diversification. The same tests performed at the individual countries level reveal a heterogeneous causality across trading partners.     

政府民生消费性支出对居民消费的影响——基于中国居民消费行为的视角

以中国居民消费行为特征为出发点,通过构建符合中国国情的消费函数,从理论和实证角度分析政府民生消费性支出对居民消费的影响。理论和实证检验分析都表明,政府民生消费性支出与居民消费存在显著的互补关系,并且,政府民生消费性支出是导致居民消费变动的主要影响因素之一。因此,政府今后应进一步加大教育、医疗、社会保障、住房等方面的民生消费性支出,以利于构建强有力的社会安全网,降低居民对未来的"大额刚性支出"预期,促进居民消费需求的稳定增长。     

社会保障审计服务于加快转变经济发展方式的若干思考

十二五是我国全面建设小康社会的关键时期。加快转变经济发展方式是十二五时期的主线,如何服务于加快转变经济发展方式,是社会保障审计工作面临和必须解决的问题。社会保障审计工作有利于增强经济发展的内生动力,改善和优化经济结构,促进就业和维护社会的和谐稳定,对于加快转变经济发展方式具有重要意义。文章总结了十一五期间我国在保障和改善民生、加快推进覆盖城乡社会保障体系方面取得的成就,分析了当前我国社会保障制度改革现状中存在的碎片化、责任划分不清、基本公共服务分享不均等突出问题,提出了社会保障审计工作的总体思路、工作目标和十二五期间的重点审计内容,同时结合当前审计队伍现状提出了实现目标的一系列配套措施。     

商业银行多元化经营对绩效和风险的影响研究--基于53家银行的面板分析

本文运用2003-2013年间我国53家商业银行的面板数据,通过建立多元化风险模型,对商业银行收入结构多元化、经营绩效以及风险的关系进行了系统分析。得出结论：规模较大的银行在专业型多元化经营业务成熟的基础上,转而发展综合型多元化经营业务,有利于银行绩效提升,但必须注重对风险的把控;而规模较小的商业银行因受地域、规模等因素的限制并不适合开展综合型多元化经营业务,应在主营业务发展充分的基础上,以发展专业型多元化经营业务为主。最后,根据实证结果提出相关的对策建议。     

上海城乡经济多样化测度方法及其演变特征

以上海市为例,从作物多样化、产业发展多样化、土地利用结构多样化、城市经济功能多样化等视角,提出了相应的定量测度方法并展开实证分析。研究结果表明:11950年以来,尽管大多数区县的作物多样化程度趋于下降态势,但上海郊区的作物多样化程度依然较高;近郊区的作物多样化程度的下降幅度大于远郊区,且两者的作物多样化程度在1990年前后发生了明显改变。2改革开放以来,上海农业发展日益趋于多样化;上海工业则经历了"两升两降"的结构调整和优化过程,优势工业行业的集中化和专业化与其它工业行业的分散化和多样化交替演进;上海服务业的多样化程度总体上呈现在波动中上升的态势。31996年以来,上海土地利用结构多样化指数基本呈现上升趋势,且土地利用结构的多样化程度总体较高。41980年以来,上海城市经济功能多样化态势日益明显,产业结构升级与就业结构多样化互动发展。     

Nonparametric Evaluation of Economies of Scope in the Context of Technical Efficiency: The Case of Rice and Vegetable Farms in Korea

This paper provides a nonparametric evaluation of economies of scope in the context of technical efficiency allowing for non‐convexity, with an application to Korean rice and vegetable farms. Relying on non‐parametric‐free disposal hull and data envelopment analysis approaches and input–output data for rice and vegetable farms from the Korea Farm Household Economy Survey data collected in 2007, this article examines technical inefficiency and its decomposition under non‐convexity and convexity. Empirical measures of technical inefficiency and its decomposition results are provided, with a focus on a component of technical inefficiency associated with economies of scope (i.e. diversification benefits) under non‐convexity in production technology. The decomposition measures of technical inefficiency include pure technical inefficiency, size inefficiency and diversification inefficiency. The results provide empirical evidence supporting size‐dependent diversification strategies, where benefits of diversification are larger for small farms on average compared to those of large farms.     

城市居民税负感及影响因素的实证研究

根据北京市居民税负感调查所得数据,通过对居民税负感及其影响因素之间的相关性实证研究,得出结论,税负感与收入、文化程度、年龄以及对税收的了解程度等因素呈显著正相关,与是否参加社保呈显著负相关。在被调查的居民中,超过一半的居民税负感较重或很重,其中,收入越高和对税收了解的越多税负感就越重,本科学历和中年人群税负感较重,未参加社保的居民税负感较重,参加社保的居民税负感较轻。税负感研究的结论显示,居民税负感不仅与税收负担的高低密切相关,而且与国家的财政支出方向密切相关,扩大财政的民生开支是降低居民税负感的重要途径。     

基于多元化战略的集团公司销售协同探讨

本文认为,多元化战略是很多大型集团公司采用的经营方式,也是实现协同效应的重要方式,同时协同效应是实施多元化战略的重要动因。销售协同的关联存在于销售活动价值链的各个环节,且相关多元化公司更容易找到这种关联。不同协同方式各有特点及适用条件,公司应考虑其产品类型、经营区域、目标客户及公司战略等因素来选择恰当的方式。文章提出,在实现销售协同的过程中应注意以下问题:不同协同方式如品牌延伸、人员共享与跨部门使用、销售基础设施共享、共享物流、建立销售子公司等有各自的优劣势和适用条件。在实施销售协同过程中应该注意由高层推动与设定共同战略目标,创造良好的环境氛围,选择恰当的协同方式,建立有效的评价激励制度等方面的问题。