European firms’ corporate biodiversity disclosures and board gender diversity from 2002 to 2016

We examine how board gender diversity is associated with biodiversity disclosures of a firm, and whether the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the EU biodiversity strategy reinforce this relationship. Using institutional theory and resource dependency theory, our sample comprises 4013 firm-year observations from European corporations covering data from 2002 to 2016. We use panel regressions with country, time and industry dummy variables to analyse the disclosure of biodiversity initiatives (DBI) and logit regressions to explain biodiversity impact assessment (BIA). We find that board gender diversity is positively associated with the DBI and BIA of a firm, and that the GRI framework and the EU biodiversity strategy positively moderate this relationship. Moreover, the GRI framework and the EU strategic plan show positive relationship with the DBI, rather than BIA. Altogether, our evidence suggests that corporate boards with a higher proportion of female directors are more sensitive to the concerns of institutional pressures and respond to those concerns by increasing corporate biodiversity disclosures. Overall, we find that firms tend to comply with the GRI framework and the EU 2020 strategy by undertaking symbolic biodiversity disclosures, rather than providing a comprehensive disclosure of their impacts on biodiversity.     

基于SCP范式的中国乳业市场绩效的实证分析

基于SCP范式的理论对我国乳业市场结构和市场行为的各项指标以及对市场绩效的影响进行实证分析,发现市场结构作用于市场行为并最终影响市场绩效,为企业在调整市场结构以提高市场绩效方面提供可借鉴的理论和政策建议。研究结果表明:①我国乳业行业规模经济效益越来越显著,行业进入壁垒提高,市场结构逐渐向中高度寡占型转变;②我国乳业的市场绩效与市场集中度、行业规模之间的相关关系通过显著性检验;③乳制品行业内各乳企之间的产品差异化不明显,技术程度有待加强。     

农村环境治理绩效审计的作用机制与实施路径

农村环境治理是实施乡村振兴战略的重要举措,实施农村环境治理绩效审计是推进环境治理体系和治理能力现代化建设的重要内容之一。目前农村环境治理存在着投资大、周期长、涉及面广、收效缓等问题,亟需开展农村环境治理绩效审计以提升农村环境治理绩效。本文基于农村环境治理全流程,把农村环境治理绩效审计的主要内容分为农村环境政策审计、农村环境资金审计、农村环境项目审计和农村环境监管审计。然后从审计的预防、揭示和抵御功能分析了农村环境治理绩效审计的威慑、纠偏和反馈作用。在此基础上,提出了农村环境治理绩效审计的实施路径:加强审计处理与处罚力度,协同审计追责问责;聚焦审计整改与纠偏控制,统筹审计资源技术;完善审计建议与公开制度,构建审计评估机制。     

铁路企业建立职业经理人制度探索

为进一步深化铁路企业改革,加快完善市场化经营机制,应积极探索建立职业经理人制度。在阐述职业经理人制度政策依据的基础上,提出推进职业经理人制度建设的基本条件,即建立公司化的法人治理结构,并从优化产权结构、明确权责划分、推进董事会建设、发挥职业经理人作用等方面对建立健全铁路企业法人治理结构进行论述。从管理机制、激励约束机制、引进退出机制3个方面,探讨铁路企业建立职业经理人制度形成机制,提出铁路企业应按照分层分类改革原则,逐步推行职业经理人制度。     

Corporate brand strategy: Drivers and outcomes of hotel industry’s brand orientation

The MNC resellers are vastly competitive and capital-intensive. Based on the corporate brand orientation, the objective is to investigate how the individual dimensions of hotel industry’s brand orientation can improve a corporate experience and subsequently create superior hotel performance and retailer preferences. A model of the integration of the hotel industry’s brand orientation was tested in a survey conducted among MNC resellers from hospitality industry. Structural equation modelling was applied to gain insight into the various influences and relationships. The research makes two main contributions. It makes a theoretical contribution by classifying the integration of the hotel industry’s brand orientation for hospitality industry and from this extrapolate key suggestions for further study. The continuous evolution and economic influence of the hospitality industry require the application of innovative marketing practices.     

Corporate social responsibility in international hotel chains and its effects on local employees: Scale development and empirical testing in China

This study aims to investigate the corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of international hotel chains operating in China and their effects on local Chinese employees. As CSR practices vary across countries and contexts, this study developed a scale of CSR metrics, which was based on CSR reports published by international hotel chains in China and a comprehensive literature review. Subsequently, the proposed model, which depicts the relationships between CSR practices and local employee work metrics, was tested with a PLS-SEM. Multiple phases of qualitative and quantitative investigations of 2451 local Chinese employees of international hotel chains allowed for validating a formative construct of CSR with four dimensions: environment protection, employee wellness, business ethics, and customer wellness. The PLS-SEM results confirmed the significant effects of CSR practices of international hotel chains in China on local Chinese employee engagement, commitment, job satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications are presented.     

The COVID-19 pandemic and organisational commitment of senior hotel managers

The COVID-19 pandemic will reduce the attractiveness of hospitality occupations. This particularly concerns senior management positions whose holders may substitute hospitality jobs with more secure and rewarding employment in other economic sectors. Organisational resilience of hospitality businesses, including their response to COVID-19, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices may, however, affect perceived job security of senior managers and, thus, influence their commitment to remain in their host organisations. This paper quantitatively tests the inter-linkages between the above variables on a sample of senior managers in hotels in Spain. It finds that the levels of organisational resilience and the extent of CSR practices reinforce perceived job security of managers which, in turn, determines their organisational commitment. Organisational response to COVID-19 affects perceived job security and enhances managers’ organisational commitment. To retain senior management teams in light of future disastrous events, hotels should, therefore, strengthen their organisational resilience and invest in CSR.     

中国高新技术企业认定政策绩效评估

高新技术企业认定政策是国家为扶持和鼓励高新技术企业发展而提出的一项重要政策，但其实施效果如何有待验证。采用2007、2010及2011年《中国工业企业数据库》数据，运用双重差模型对高新技术企业认定政策绩效进行评估。通过实证研究发现：①高新技术企业认定政策有助于提高企业市场价值及市场占有量；②高新技术企业认定政策对企业研发投入的增长影响不显著；③相对于中小型企业，高新技术企业认定政策对大型企业影响更大。最后，提出相应的政策建议，以期为我国高新技术企业认定政策完善提供启示。     

Do economic institutions matter for trade liberalization? Evidence from China’s Open Door Policy

Trade liberalization can promote export by inducing better resource allocation and more advanced technologies. Although the literature emphasizes the mechanism of geographic proximity, this paper identifies an institutional effect. Using infant mortality rate as an instrument that is irrelevant to export and geographic effects, we confirm that the openness due to China’s Open Door Policy promotes firm exports. We further document that the positive relationship between openness and firm exports is mediated by property rights protection and corporate autonomy, either of which reflects institutional quality at the constraint on the government’s strategic behavior. In particular, our estimates are robust to different samples, different estimation methods, and endogeneity bias.     

How does corporate social responsibility affect financial performance,financial stability,and financial inclusion in the banking sector? Evidence from Pakistan

This paper examines the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the financial performance, financial inclusion, and financial stability of the banking sector, focusing on annual data for 20 Pakistani commercial banks for the period 2008–2017. The results suggest that CSR, as well as age and size, has a positive impact on all three factors. However, high levels of leverage reduce financial inclusion and financial stability, while financial inclusion is also negatively associated with the tangibility of assets.