Risk assessment for public–private partnership projects: using a fuzzy analytic hierarchical process method and expert opinion in China

Public–private partnerships (PPP) have been widely used in China to procure public facilities and services. Complicated problems in PPP projects in China arise because of a variety of risk factors. A proper risk assessment model is needed to identify risks and provide risk response strategies for future Chinese PPP projects. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP) method provides the ability to solve complex risk assessment of PPP projects. Current risk assessment models are limited to PPP projects in specific countries and do not consider unique risks in China, especially political, economic, social, and legal risks. This paper designed a risk evaluation index system for PPP projects based on the Delphi expert investigation method, and then established an optimized risk evaluation model for PPP projects in China using the F-AHP method. The risks identified are confirmed by interviewing experts from Chinese local government departments, private enterprise, third-party intermediary consulting and regulatory agencies, and academic organizations. The results show that the risks that ranked among the top ten are closely related to China’s political and economic policies and relationships among stakeholders. It can be concluded that government authorities play a critical role in providing a favorable political, social, and economic environment and an effective institutional framework for PPP projects. Furthermore, it is also important to deal with relationships among stakeholders based on the public–private ‘win–win’ principle. This study provides risk response strategies, addressing key issues from eight aspects: an impeccable legal and regulatory framework; a central coordinating and regulating PPP authority; supportive governmental authorities; institutional capacity-building; favorable economic conditions and viability; community, partner, and moral accountability; clear division of responsibilities through contracts; and effective advisory management. These effective measures may be useful in reducing the adverse effects of risk for PPP projects in China.     

Destination Image of Taiwan From the Perspective of Hong Kong Residents: Revisiting Structural Relationships Between Destination Image Attributes and Behavioral Intention

Destination image plays an important role in how tourists make their travel and purchase decisions. This study examines the perceived image of Taiwan as a travel destination from the perspective of Hong Kong residents. The Hong Kong outbound tourism market is important for Taiwan. Using a self-completed questionnaire, this research examines the destination image of Taiwan among 213 Hong Kong residents. The results indicate that affective image is a stronger predictor of travel intention than cognitive image. Affective image also plays a mediating role in the relationship between cognitive image and behavioral intention. Hence, affective image is an important intangible quality for today’s destinations.     

中老年"农转非"城市居民的健康风险更高吗?

在我国户籍制度改革背景下,分析经历过从农村户口到非农户口转换的群体,即"农转非"群体的健康风险具有重要的政策价值.文章基于中国健康与养老追踪调查2013年和2015年的面板数据和样本选择纠正方法,实证研究了城市中老年农转非居民同城市原住居民自评健康风险的差异,结果发现:(1)在移民健康的影响因素研究中,不进行样本选择纠正,可能会大大低估户口性质和教育对健康风险的作用;(2)农转非居民尽管实现了向上的社会流动,但相对于城市原住居民,无论是处在中年阶段还是老年阶段,他们的自评健康风险更高;(3)相对于城市原住居民,在高中及以下群体中,同等教育程度的中年和老年农转非居民的健康风险均显著较高;不过,在高等教育群体中,两个群体的健康风险不具有显著性差异.因此,在户籍制度改革和城镇化过程中要重点关注低教育和中等教育程度的新兴"农转非"城市居民的健康风险.     

我国农村产业融合发展的效率评价

[目的]为了进一步提升农村产业融合发展效率,提升农业质量效益和竞争力、增强农村发展活力、促进农民持续增收,[方法]文章根据我国农村产业融合发展的投入产出指标数据,利用DEA方法对我国31个省(自治区、直辖市)农村产业融合效率进行了科学的分析与测算,[结果]研究表明,我国农村产业融发展的总体效率偏低。从综合效率看,仅有天津等7个省(自治区、直辖市)的综合效率值高于0. 5;从纯技术效率看,仅有江苏等8个省(自治区、直辖市)的纯技术效率高于0. 5;从规模效率看,西藏、甘肃、青海3个省(自治区)的规模效率低于0. 5。提升农村产业融合发展效率仍有较大的空间。[结论]应从进一步加大对农村产业融合发展的资金投入力度、着力优化农村产业融合发展的资金投入结构、建立农村产业融合发展效率考评制度等方面提升农村产业融合发展效率,促进农村产业融合快速发展。     

地理资本视角下村级多维贫困测度及贫困类型划分*——基于重庆市1 919个市级贫困村调研数据

[目的]精确测度村级多维贫困以及划分贫困类型,是当前提高贫困识别精准度,进一步推进农村精准脱贫的战略需求。[方法]文章基于重庆市1 919个市级贫困村的调研数据,构建地理资本视角下村域多维贫困测度指标体系,并采用多维贫困测度模型、指标贡献度模型和最小方差方法系统揭示了重庆市贫困村多维贫困程度、贫困类型及其空间分布特征。[结果](1)重庆市贫困村多维贫困程度呈两端大中间小的"哑铃状"结构,贫困程度极化特征显著,区域发展具有不平衡性。空间分布上,贫困村多维贫困程度呈从渝东北、渝东南分别向渝西地区逐渐减轻的特征,贫困村多维贫困程度存在明显的地域性差异;(2)重庆市贫困村贫困类型主要分为单资本缺失型、双资本缺失型、三资本缺失型、四资本缺失型4个类型,其占比分别为9.07%、20.27%、66.91%、3.75%,三资本缺失型是最主要的贫困类型。[结论]重庆市贫困村致贫因素复杂多样,需要根据各自的贫困特征,因地制宜地开展差别化的帮扶工作。科学推进精准扶贫战略,力争实现2020年全面脱贫。     

Quality of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and Cost of Equity Capital: Lessons from China

This article explores the relationship between the quality of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure and the cost of equity capital by analyzing the financial data and CSR reports of A-share listed firms in China from 2008 to 2014. The quality of the CSR disclosure is shown to be negatively related to the cost of equity capital of the listed firms. This negative correlation proves to be more prominent among firms of environmentally sensitive industries. Taking the ownership of the listed firms into consideration, it is further confirmed that the negative relationship between the CSR disclosure and the cost of equity capital is of higher significance for state-owned enterprises. Our findings also empirically demonstrate that the quality of CSR disclosure is more negatively related to the cost of equity capital among the large listed firms than the smaller ones.     

乡村振兴的网络途径及其实践探索

内生发展理论的核心思想包括在城乡统一市场中形成交换价值、挖掘利用乡村社区本土资源、促进乡村产业多样化、增强乡村社区活力并实现本地人群的全面发展。在乡村定义的认识转型、消费主义与新的城乡格局的宏观发展背景中,网络途径成为内生发展理论一种具体的实施模式,能够将乡村管治与本地人群的内生发展动力进行整合,成为介于国家与市场、内生与外生之间的第三条途径,并在国际社会中得到了广泛的理论认可与实践论证。将网络途径运用于我国乡村规划的实践中,可以在实施层面形成促进乡村社区可持续发展的动力网络,有助于探索乡村振兴战略中"治理有效"要求的具体实施途径。     

中国应对CPTPP协定经济影响的政策选择及效果

CPTPP协定是美国退出TPP协定后剩余成员国签订的新区域贸易协定,它为整个亚太经济圈创造了新的供应链机会,而且不久的将来有望建立以CPTPP为中心的价值链系统.CPTPP的区域排他性和可能构建的国际经贸新规则,势必会对身处CPTPP之外的中国造成影响并形成挑战,因此中国需要采取积极措施进行应对.文章使用2018年数据构建了一个包含26个经济体的全球一般均衡数值模型系统,并嵌入价值链和增加值贸易结构,系统量化模拟了中国应对CPTPP政策选择的三类九种情景的经济效果.研究发现:(1)中国单方面采取措施应对CPTPP影响的四种情景下,政策效果从高到低的顺序依次为建设中日韩自贸区、RCEP生效、不采取措施和进一步扩大对外开放.(2)中国加入CPTPP的两种情景下,和第一批扩容国家一起加入协定的措施效果更好,而之后独自加入CPTPP的效果略差.(3)如果美国重返CPTPP,中国的三种政策选择中,经济效果从高到低依次为优化营商环境、不采取措施、和美国一起加入CPTPP.因此,中国应积极考虑以合适的方式加入CPTPP,推动亚太地区的合作共赢与经济发展.     

寡头市场具有混合捆绑销售契约的竞争分析

在寡头竞争市场环境下,生产完全互补产品的厂商可以通过谈判签约并使用"混合捆绑"策略进行竞争,如电信运营商与手机厂商共同推出的签约套餐和预付费套餐.针对这种行为,文章构建了一个包含两组互补品厂商的寡头博弈模型,研究混合捆绑销售契约对市场价格、厂商利润和社会福利的影响.研究表明:当只有一组厂商签订混合捆绑销售契约时,签约厂商能够从捆绑折扣中获得竞争优势,而竞争对手则被迫降低自己产品价格并在竞争中处于劣势;当两组厂商均签订混合捆绑销售契约时,围绕捆绑产品的竞争将使得捆绑折扣进一步提高,但各自的利润却下降了.然而当这种签约策略内生时,所有厂商将选择签订契约并进行捆绑销售,从而陷入"囚徒困境".最终,在互补产品"纵向外部性"和系统产品"横向外部性"的共同作用下,混合捆绑销售契约提高了消费者剩余而降低了社会福利.基于本文分析,应该反对竞争政策对厂商谈判签订契约使用混合捆绑策略进行竞争的行为.文章的贡献在于从契约的角度研究厂商之间的捆绑销售策略,并运用统一的分析框架考察了不同契约结构下厂商实施捆绑销售的动机,对于深化捆绑销售的理论研究和完善竞争政策具有重要的借鉴意义.     

Client Importance and Audit Quality at the Individual Audit Partner,Office, and Firm Levels

We investigate whether audit partner level data provides a more powerful measure than office or firm level measures of client importance. We find that the likelihood of issuing a going-concern opinion (any and first-time) increases, and the absolute value of discretionary accruals decreases, in relation to the proportion of audit fees to the total audit fees received by audit partners from all their clients. We also find that the likelihood of issuing a going-concern opinion (any and first-time) increases, and the absolute value of discretionary accruals decreases, in relation to the proportion of non-audit services fees from a client to total non-audit service fees, and the proportion of total audit and non-audit service fees from a client to total fees from all their clients at the office and firm levels. Our findings provide evidence to regulators, audit clients, and stakeholders that audit partners do not succumb to pressure from economically more important clients as audit quality has a positive association with client importance.