Together alone: a group-based polarization measurement

Quality & Quantity - The growing polarization of our societies and economies has been extensively studied in various disciplines and is subject to public controversy. Yet, measuring...     

零工经济时代数字平台控制劳动力的供给行为

本文首先基于委托-代理模型构建了一个数字平台控制劳动力供给的行为经济学模型,从理论上分析了数字平台控制劳动的方式和心理机制;然后建立了一个赫克曼(Heckman)选择模型,利用Uber的大数据实证分析了网约车司机的劳动决策.研究结果表明:(1)在零工具有参考点偏好的前提下,数字平台通过高货币激励或高目标奖励使零工劳动者的参考点具有适应性,进而避免其过早地陷入“收入目标”行为;(2)数字平台利用零工劳动者的厌恶损失偏好,对其实施控制以延长工作时间;(3)网约车司机存在“收入目标”行为,且该行为呈现出动态性的特点;(4)收入激励和“峰时”溢价对网约车司机的工作概率和工作时间具有显著的正影响,且在一天的某个时间段内能够抑制网约车司机的“收入目标”行为.可见,零工经济时代到来,一方面提高了劳动力资源配置效率;另一方面,数字平台通过劳动控制变相延长了零工的劳动时间,加剧了剥削.     

Do Parents and Peers Influence Adolescents’ Monetary Intelligence and Consumer Ethics? French and Chinese Adolescents and Behavioral Economics

As recently stakeholders complain about the use of conflict minerals in consumer products that are often invisible to them in final products, firms across industries implement conflict mineral management practices. Conflict minerals are those, whose systemic exploitation and trade contribute to human right violations in the country of extraction and surrounding areas. Particularly, supply chain managers in the Western world are challenged taking reasonable steps to identify and prevent risks associated with these resources due to the globally dispersed nature of supply chains and the opacity of the origin of commodities. Supply chain due diligence (SCDD) represents a holistic concept to proactively manage supply chains reducing the likelihood of the use of conflict minerals effectively. Based on an exploratory study with 27 semi-structured interviews within five European industries, we provide insights into patterns of implementation, key motivational factors, barriers and enablers, and impacts of SCDD in mineral supply chains. Our results contribute to both theory and practice as we provide first insights to SCDD practices and make recommendations for an industry-wide implementation of SCDD. Altogether, this study provides the basis for future theory testing research in the context of SCDD and conflict mineral management.     

The major determinants of logistic performance in a global perspective: evidence from panel data analysis

The global logistics industry has grown significantly and logistics has become an important sector of the business economic system and a major global economic activity in recent years. Logistics activities accelerate economic and productivity growth. Efficient logistics is also important to a country’s competitiveness and source of employment. The purpose of this paper is to uncover and understand the major determinants of logistics performance (LP) to further lift the LP of countries. Using unbalanced panel data of 93 selected countries from 2007 to 2014, the present research attempts to critically investigate the major determinants of LP. In estimating the model, this study prefers to use static panel data approach owing to limited data. The findings of the present study reveal that (a) countries with low level of corruption and stable political environment are likely to yield a high level of LP; (b) improvement in resources supply such as infrastructure, technology, labour, and education also have a significant positive effect on LP. Therefore, institutional reforms and upgrading resources will effectively accelerate LP.     

The impacts of governance and institutions on inbound tourism demand: evidence from a dynamic panel data study

This study explores the impact of governance and institutions on inbound tourism demand in Malaysia using a dynamic panel data approach for 45 tourism source countries over the period 2005–2015. The results show that institutions play a very important role in explaining the behaviour of inbound tourism demand. To obtain a better picture, we investigate the response of international tourists to disaggregated institutional quality. We find that international tourists are more concerned about political stability, governmental effectiveness, regulations, laws, and corruption than voice and accountability. Therefore, policymakers should focus on ways to improve institutional quality to significantly increase international tourist arrivals.     

Irreversible investment,ambiguity and equity default swaps

We study the impact of ambiguity on the pricing and timing of the option to invest. There is a funding gap to undertake the investment, which is covered by entering into an equity-for-guarantee swap. Our model predicts that the more ambiguity-averse the agents, the less the option value, the later the investment and the higher the guarantee cost and the leverage. If the entrepreneur is more ambiguity-averse than the insurer, the investment threshold slightly rises as the perceived ambiguity increases, and on the contrary, if the entrepreneur is less ambiguity-averse than the insurer, the investment threshold increases sharply as the perceived ambiguity rises.     

微波提取酵母胞内甘油的分析方法初探

本文探讨了面包酵母胞内甘油分析的预处理方法——微波破碎法。通过单因素实验分析,确定了胞内甘油的提取条件:酵母细胞用微波破碎3次、每次破碎10 s、间隔5 s,然后用10 mL蒸馏水提取30 min得到胞内甘油,此法简便、易提取,适用于天然产物的快速提取。     

绿色环保军用食品的研究与进展

军用野战食品是保证战士饮食的重要食物,对提高战士的身体素质、提升军队的战斗力具有至关重要的作用。各国军队首脑对此都十分重视,将此项内容作为军队建设的重要内容。基于此,本文综述了相关学者对军用食品的研究,以期为相关学者提供借鉴。     

Exploring the Nexus Between Work-to-Family Conflict,Material Rewards Parenting and Adolescent Materialism: Evidence from Chinese Dual-Career Families

Journal of Business Ethics - As a social issue of widespread concern, work-to-family conflict has been found to adversely affect employees’ work and family lives. The current research linked...     

Do goodwill impairments affect audit opinions? Evidence from China

There has been a steady growth of goodwill impairments in the Chinese stock market since the adoption of the impairment approach in accounting. The influence of goodwill impairments on a firm’s financial position and profitability give reason to doubt its current and future performance. We examine whether auditors, as a crucial external monitor, identify the information risks of goodwill impairments and express their concerns about financial reporting quality in their audit opinions. Using a sample of firms listed on China’s A-share market from 2007 to 2017, we test the association between goodwill impairments and the type of audit opinion received in the same financial period. Our findings are as follows. First, the probability of receiving a modified opinion increases with the amount of goodwill impairments. Second, the positive association between goodwill impairments and modified audit opinions is driven primarily by earnings management risks. Third, this positive association is more salient when auditors are industry experts and there is no auditor–client mismatch. Fourth, auditors are more sensitive to the amount of goodwill impairments than to their mere existence. Overall, we document that auditors perceive goodwill impairments as a signal of information risks and communicate their concerns to investors to avoid litigation.