The impact of foreign direct investment on productivity: New evidence for developing countries

We provide new empirical evidence on the relationship between inward foreign direct investment (FDI) and total factor productivity (TFP) growth using cross-country data for 51 developing countries over the period 1984–2010. Our results suggest a weak direct effect of FDI on TFP growth but, after accounting for the roles of human capital and institutions as contingencies in the FDI-TFP growth relationship, we find a robust FDI-induced productivity growth response dependent on these ‘absorptive capacities’. However, the relevance of the human capital contingency effect diminishes when the effect of institutions is also considered, which suggests that improving institutions is relatively more important than human capital development for developing countries to realise productivity gains from FDI.     

The Effect of Foreign Entry Regulation on Downstream Productivity: Microeconomic Evidence from China*

We examine the cross‐industry influence of foreign entry regulation (based on a novel measure) on the productivity outcomes of downstream firms through input–output linkages in China. In contrast to the significant liberalization of the manufacturing sector, restrictions on the service sector remained stringent over the period 1997–2007. We find a powerful depressant effect of foreign entry barriers imposed on the upstream manufacturing and service industries on the productivity of downstream manufacturers, and this effect depends on a number of industry‐ and firm‐specific features. Our research calls for further investment liberalization (particularly in the service sector) in China.     

区域制造业空间效应及生产性服务业发展模式选择

通过空间计量模型考察生产性服务业发展模式与制造业集聚的空间溢出效应后发现:生产性服务业专业化水平及多样化水平与制造业集聚呈倒U型关系,同时城市化水平会对服务业发展模式与制造业集聚关系产生影响。分区域模型研究发现,生产性服务业对制造业全要素生产率影响因区域经济发展水平、产业层次、要素禀赋等因素有所差异,东部地区制造业全要素生产率与生产性服务业呈线性关系,适合选择多样化发展模式;中部地区呈倒U型关系,现阶段中部地区生产性服务业更适合选择多样化发展模式;西部地区生产性服务业发展水平与制造业全要素生产率呈正U型关系,生产性服务业专业化和多样化发展都将促进制造业全要素生产率提升。     

Size and value effects in high-tech industries: The role of R&D investment

We use monthly US stock data over 55 years from 1962 to 2017 to show that the R&D intensity at firms adds another important dimension to the size and value effects in describing stock returns, especially for small high-tech firms. A trading strategy that double sorts on R&D intensity and size or book-to-market ratio outperforms a simple small-minus-big (SMB) or high-minus-low (HML) strategy in producing higher and more significant portfolio returns. The most profitable schemes involve triple sorts by size, BM, and R&D intensity: the payoffs of buying high-BM/R&D-Active portfolio and selling low-BM/R&D-Inactive portfolio in the small-size/high-tech group and that of buying high-tech/high-BM and selling low-tech/low-BM in the small-size/R&D-active group generate a return of more than 2% on a monthly basis. Our results are robust to alternative classification method of assigning stocks in portfolios.     

Tax incentive,R&D investment and firm innovation: Evidence from China

We estimate the effect of R&D tax incentives on firm-level R&D expenditures (RDE) and patenting using a change in the eligibility criteria for a super deduction in China. In 2006, the Chinese government relaxed the “10 % eligibility criterion”, which stated that only firms with a 10 % or higher increase in prior-year RDE can claim an additional 50 % tax deduction. We use an event study approach to show that firms that became newly eligible to claim the super deduction (those just below the criterion) catches up on RDE and product innovation measured by the sales of new products. In the long run, we also observe a closing gap in the number of patents between the two groups of firms. Moreover, extending tax benefits to all firm helps to lower the tax burden, and we find no evidence of manipulation and relabeling.     

广州开发区与上海张江高科技园生物医药产业创新对比

生物医药产业是全球公认的具有发展前景的战略性新兴产业，同时也是对专利保护具有高度依赖性的产业，美日欧等生物医药产业强国的经验表明，以园区为聚集形式可以快速拉动生物医药产业发展。从专利视角对广州开发区与上海张江高科技园的生物医药产业创新能力进行对比分析，解析广州开发区生物医药产业的发展现状以及存在的问题，提出了广州开发区生物医药产业发展的对策措施。     

Does Outward Foreign Direct Investment Facilitate China's Export Upgrading?

This paper empirically investigates the impact of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) on its export sophistication. Using a provincial‐level panel dataset and applying fixed effects and instrumental variable regression techniques, the study finds that, on average, OFDI has no significant impact on China's export sophistication. However, after the full sample is divided into different regions, the study finds that OFDI has a positive and significant impact on export sophistication in the developed coastal region, but no such impact is observed in the less developed inland regions. Further investigation using a panel threshold model reveals that only when GDP, per capita GDP, human capital, and the research and development intensity of a home economy reach a certain level can OFDI promote export sophistication. The findings suggest that accelerating eco nomic development and increasing absorptive capacity can facilitate the contribution of OFDI to China's export sophistication.     

The impact of earnings expectations on corporate downsizing

Research Summary: We propose that due to financial market pressures, managers are forward‐looking in their search and decision processes and focus on meeting performance targets set by the financial community. Using panel data on S&P 100 companies, we find that pressure felt by management to meet the analyst consensus earnings estimate influences the extent of corporate downsizing. Moreover, our results show that high levels of institutional investor stock ownership and CEO power attenuate managers’ sensitivity to financial market pressures, while high levels of analyst coverage increase their sensitivity. Managerial Summary: In this study we examine how financial market pressures influence managers’ downsizing decisions. We argue that investment analysts’ earnings estimates represent important performance targets to which managers aspire. If firms fail to meet analysts’ expectations, the stock price will suffer. This study shows that managers utilize corporate downsizing to address the potential shortfall between a firm's future performance and the analyst consensus earnings estimate. In addition, we find that managers’ concerns over meeting analysts’ earnings estimates are influenced by various contextual factors such as institutional investor stock ownership, CEO power, and high levels of analyst coverage.     

地方财政压力与投资多样性——基于所得税分享改革的研究

利用企业所得税分享改革构建强度倍差模型，使用1997—2012年全国地级市数据，检验了地方财政压力对于投资多样性的影响及相关传导机制。结果表明，地方财政压力不利于投资多样性的提高；在财政压力下，地方容易形成偏向房地产行业的投资倾向。然而，不同地区地方财政压力对投资结构的影响存在异质性。经济发展水平较低的地区在财政压力下更容易降低投资多样性；而经济发展水平高的地区应对财政压力时，更倾向于通过多元化投资的方式做大税基、减轻财政压力。优化分税制结构、建立地方性税种能缓解地方财政压力，对于改变地方“房地产集中型”投资结构有一定的积极作用。     

中国海外耕地投资的区位特征及其影响因素*——基于2000—2016年土地矩阵网络数据

［目的］分析中国海外耕地投资的区位特征及其影响因素，以促进我国海外耕地投资的合理布局，提高农业投资效率。［方法］以2000—2016年中国137宗海外耕地投资项目及其所涉及的35个东道国作为研究样本，运用Spearman相关分析方法，分别以耕地投资面积和耕地投资项目数量作因变量，研究其与各影响因素的相关关系，并用对应分析法进一步探究各东道国的相对优势。［结果］（1）我国海外耕地投资区域集中在东南亚且由周边国家向外扩展，被投资耕地用途多样，投资规模自2004年开始急剧上升，近年来呈下降趋势。（2）我国海外耕地投资以效率寻求型和市场寻求型为主，倾向于资源丰富、与我国距离较近、制度相似、经济关系良好但发展水平不高的国家。（3）根据各地区的比较优势，亚洲国家适合效率寻求型和市场寻求型的企业投资，欧洲和美洲国家适合资源寻求型和战略资产寻求型的企业投资，非洲国家适合资源寻求型、效率寻求型和市场寻求型的企业投资。［结论］中国农业企业应结合企业投资目标和各地区的比较优势，合理选择投资区位，适时转变投资策略与模式，积极防范海外耕地投资过程中的自然风险、政治环境风险和道德风险等，以提高投资效果。