Decomposing financial (in)stability in emerging economies

The analysis of the build-up of risks in emerging economies have traditionally been scarce and focused mostly on external risks, despite the recent substantial development of their financial system. This paper builds an index of financial vulnerabilities tailored to emerging economies, grouping 32 indicators around four poles: valuation and risk appetite, imbalances in the non-financial sector, financial sector vulnerabilities, and global vulnerabilities. It adopts a model-free approach, purposely departing from early warning models or complex econometric constructs, and rely on data made already available by international organisations. Our index of financial vulnerabilities enables a granular mapping of where risk originates and how it spreads to other parts of the financial system. Using various data visualisation tools and benefitting from the flexibility of our index’s methodology, we are able build a narrative of the evolution of financial stability in emerging economies from 2005 to 2015. Finally, we also discuss the relation between our index and both the business cycle (proxied by GDP) and the credit cycle (proxied by the credit-to-GDP gap).     

The impact of shareholders and creditors rights on IPO performance: An international study

This paper examines the impact of cross-country variation in shareholders' and debt holders' rights on post-IPO performance and survival of newly listed stocks across the globe. Using a sample of 10,490 initial public offerings (IPOs) in 40 countries between 2000 and 2013, we find that post-IPO performance and survival is better in countries with stronger shareholder protection, but the impact of creditor protection is negative i.e. stronger creditor protection leads to poor post-IPO performance and survival. This effect is driven by rules requiring creditors’ consent for company reorganization and the mandatory replacement of incumbent managers. Reputable IPO advisors exacerbate the positive impact of shareholder rights and the negative impact of creditor rights.     

Is there a profit premium for market-oriented firms? A panel data investigation

ABSTRACT

This paper provides an empirical investigation of the impact of market orientation on firms' economic performance during the period 1998–2012 using a panel of Italian manufacturing firms. We introduce a dynamic concept of market orientation, in that we define a market-oriented firm as one that persistently undertakes product and marketing innovation, while at the same time introducing organizational changes and training efforts to manage and improve its knowledge assets over the long term. This notion of market orientation is therefore crucially related to the so-called dynamic capability approach. The related empirical model shows that being a market-oriented firm significantly affects profitability, in a framework in which this latter is simultaneously estimated with productivity, thus allowing for more precise estimates of the profit premium which is earned accordingly.     

Do vertical spillovers differ by investors’ productivity? Theory and evidence from Vietnam

Developing countries are eager to host foreign direct investment to receive positive technology spillovers to their local firms. However, what types of foreign firms are desirable for the host country to achieve spillovers best? We address this question using firm‐level panel data from Vietnam to investigate whether foreign Asian investors in downstream sectors with different productivity affect the productivity of local Vietnamese firms in upstream sectors differently. Using endogenous structural breaks, we divide Asian investors into low‐, middle‐, and high‐productivity groups. The results suggest that the presence of the middle group has the strongest positive spillover effect. The differential spillover effects can be explained by a simple model with vertical linkages and productivity‐enhancing investment by local suppliers. The theoretical mechanism is also empirically confirmed.     

“Opt out” or kept out? The effect of stigma,structure, selection,and sector on the labor force participation of married women in India

Using the 61st and 68th rounds of National Sample Survey data, we investigate the role of stigma, the economy’s structure, potential selection bias, and sectoral differences in explaining the low labor force participation (LFP) of middle and secondary educated women in India relative to low‐ and high‐educated women (the “U‐shape”). Estimating LFP regressions on a sample of prime‐aged married women, we show that, controlling for background characteristics, if a woman’s husband works in a white‐collar job in a region with a high share of blue‐collar jobs, she is less likely to participate in the labor market (stigma). We also find a positive effect of an increase in an index of white‐collar job growth (structure) on married women’s LFP. These effects are present in both rural and urban sectors but are strongest in the rural sector. However, middle and secondary educated women are still found to have substantially lower LFP than low‐ and graduate‐educated women in both sectors. Indeed, over time, the U‐shape persists in the rural sector and deepens in the urban sector. Because unobservables are quite large in the urban sector, we use the method of instrumental variables and find an increasing return at middle levels but stagnation at higher levels.     

Farmer organizations and maize productivity in rural Burkina Faso: The effects of the diversion strategy on cotton input loans

This study analyzes the impact of the diversion strategy of cotton inputs on maize productivity among farmer organization (FO) members in Burkina Faso, based on an endogenous treatment effect model. This impact is assessed by measuring the effects of the producers’ strategy of using part of their cotton inputs for growing other crops, such as maize. The data from a 2014 multisectoral survey in Burkina Faso were used. The main result is that maize productivity is 59.11% lower for FO members who divert their cotton inputs. We suggest the development of financing systems for cereals, similar to those in the cotton sector, and the establishment of monitoring the use of input credits.     

外来者劣势与海外并购企业的生产率提升

海外并购已成为新兴经济体企业对外投资和实现国际化扩张的重要战略选择。外来者劣势是中国企业海外并购活动面临着的诸多困难之一。“外来者”身份会对企业并购后的整合与生产率提升这一关键问题产生负面影响,化解负面影响需作深入的细化研究。选取2008-2015年中国上市企业共计197起海外并购事件,以制度距离、文化距离以及地理距离分别作为外来者劣势中合法性缺失和信息不对称的替代变量,分析外来者劣势对海外并购企业生产率提升的作用机制。结果显示,合法性缺失导致的外来者劣势对海外并购企业的生产率提升有显著负影响,但信息不对称对生产率的影响并不显著。调节效应检验结果表明,国内投资能显著弱化制度距离和文化距离引致的外来者劣势对海外并购企业生产率的负影响,国际化经验和出口能克服制度距离带来的合法性问题,但对文化距离带来的合法性缺失的弱化效果并不明显。     

中国的所有制结构与区域劳动生产率收敛

基于2001~2017年中国工业分企业所有制-分地区-分行业的面板数据，利用相对劳动生产率和变异系数指标对全国和分区域的国有企业、私营企业、外商和港澳台企业的劳动生产率增长和收敛性进行描述性分析，并运用双向固定效应模型对其进行计量检验。结果显示：从全国范围来看，三类所有制结构的劳动生产率均呈现显著的绝对收敛和条件收敛，但是收敛速度呈现差异。其中，私营企业收敛速度最快，外商和港澳台企业次之，国有企业收敛速度最慢。分区域来看，东北和西部收敛速度相对较快，中部次之，而沿海三类所有制结构的劳动生产率收敛速度均较慢。因此，政府应进一步从深化国有企业改革、鼓励非公有制经济发展和完善市场竞争等方面努力，有助于缩小区域发展差距和促进所有制结构的收敛，从而带动整体经济的收敛。     

金融发展、环境规制与绿色全要素生产率——基于空间杜宾模型的实证分析

选择2006~2015年中国内地30个省、直辖市、自治区面板数据，运用DEA-BCC模型、熵值法测算绿色全要素生产率，采用空间杜宾模型研究金融发展和环境规制对绿色全要素生产率的空间溢出效应。研究结果表明：（1）中国省域绿色全要素生产率存在显著的空间溢出效应，即本地区绿色全要素生产率的发展会促进周边地区绿色全要素生产率；（2）单一的金融发展和环境规制对绿色全要素生产率有一定的促进作用；（3）现阶段，"金融发展-环境规制"相结合的模式抑制了绿色全要素生产率。为此，应不断深化金融体制改革，优化金融发展成效；完善环境规制体系，合理进行污染治理投资；制定适宜环境规制政策，结合考虑金融发展。     

济南市古生物化石赋存特征及保护区划研究

为贯彻《古生物化石保护条例》,提高济南市古生物化石保护水平,在对区内古生物化石资源进行野外勘查和综合整理的基础上,依据古生物化石鉴定结果及其赋存地层分布特征,得出济南市古生物化石的分布特征,划分了古生物化石产地,选择化石完整程度、富集程度、剖面出露程度、周边地质环境、工程活动影响五个评价因子,运用综合指数法,建立了符合济南实际的古生物化石保护区划分体系,将区内古生物化石产地进行了保护区分级,并按照“保护优先,结合实际”的原则,制定了符合济南市实际的古生物化石保护措施。