Winning us with trifles: Adverse selection in the use of philanthropy as insurance

Research Summary: We study the use of corporate philanthropy as a form of reputation insurance, developing a formal model of such insurance to examine how the terms of insurance in equilibrium change under different assumptions about the firm and its stakeholders. We then test the predictions from this model in the U.S. petroleum industry and find that philanthropic donations offer insurance‐like benefits, but are also positively associated with subsequent oil spills—firms that give more, spill more—with this association being stronger for spills that are under firms’ control and in states with low civic capacity. These results are consistent with an adverse selection/moral hazard equilibrium and suggest that the use of philanthropy as reputation insurance may benefit firms at the cost of society. Managerial Summary: Firms that donate to social causes develop a reputation for being socially responsible, and are often given the benefit of doubt when negative information about them comes to light. But are philanthropic firms truly more responsible? We argue that firms that donate more may be more likely to do harm—those that expect to do harm later are likely to give more now, and those that know their reputation protects them may become less careful. Evidence from the U.S. petroleum industry is consistent with this argument, with firms that give more having more subsequent oil spills, but only the type of spills that are under the firm's control, and only in states where the firm faces weaker scrutiny.     

基于IPA分析的西安江村沟垃圾填埋场 景观生态修复策略

通过对西安江村沟垃圾填埋场内及周边村民生活生产区共57处土壤进行实测与问卷调查，运用IPA分析方法，从村民景观生态感知角度出发，探讨村民对周边垃圾填埋场实际景观生态感知与期望之间的关系，以及影响村民景观生态感知的重要因素，得出景观生态满意度模型。对影响景观生态感知因素的重要性与满意度进行测量，同时生成IPA表现值与期望值，并以此为依据结合土壤实验结论，运用景观生态恢复技术，对垃圾填埋场的景观生态恢复提出了相关设计策略。     

Portfolio manager home-country culture and mutual fund risk-taking

I find that home-country culture affects portfolio managers’ investment risk-taking and performance. I focus on security value, which measures the degree to which people in a country assign importance to security, safety, and stability. Funds managed by managers from countries with higher security value exhibit lower fund return volatility, trade less frequently, and follow benchmarks more closely. These funds also tend to avoid lottery-type stocks and hence perform significantly better. However, the impact of home-country security value decays as managers spend more time away from their home countries.     

论农村闲置宅基地与农房收储的制度构建

农村闲置宅基地与农房收储制度是全面推进乡村振兴背景下盘活利用闲置宅基地与农房的前提和基础.目前,在深化宅基地制度改革中,仅有少数地区进行了探索,尚未形成系统的收储制度.闲置宅基地与农房收储的实践探索主要分为村集体主导和政府主导两种模式.闲置宅基地与农房收储制度应从制定收储指导意见、设置管理模式及机构、明确收储条件和补偿标准、强化收储资金保障、健全收储程序、完善收储监管与责任等方面进行系统构建.闲置宅基地与农房收储后可通过复垦复耕统筹使用,纳入集体经营性建设用地并入市流转,发展休闲农业和乡村旅游产业,兴办厂房、仓储或发展特色产业等路径,激活"沉睡"闲置的宅基地与农房,实现宅基地与农房由资产到资金的蜕变.     

浅析铁路建设项目竣工图编制标准化管理

竣工图是高速铁路建设国家档案验收的重要组成部分,影响着工程验收的质量.依据现行技术规范和实际经验,总结铁路建设项目竣工图编制中出现的关键问题,进而加强竣工图编制管理准标化,提高铁路建设项目档案验收质量.     

Evaluation method of benefits and efficiency of grid investment in China: A case study

The existing evaluation system for power grid investment in China has not combined measures of the investment benefits and investment efficiency very well and it lacks practical reference value. This article proposes an improved evaluation index system of the benefits and efficiency of power grid investment projects. The system divides the evaluation method into indexes. This includes the basic indexes, modification indexes, and appraisal indexes that evaluate the economic and environmental benefits of the investment projects comprehensively. It considers the overall efficiency in terms of the economy, technology, and society. It combines an absolute efficiency evaluation model with a data envelope analysis relative efficiency evaluation model. Finally, the benefits and efficiency of investment of an actual power grid project are evaluated through a case study. The results show the practical value of the proposed efficiency evaluation method for evaluating investment projects in a power grid.     

Business Ties and Information Advantage: Evidence from Mutual Fund Trading

This article examines whether ties to portfolio firms’ management via pension business relationships provide mutual funds with an informational advantage. Funds become related to portfolio companies when fund families serve as trustees for firms’ employee pension plans. Selling by related funds is more likely to be motivated by an information advantage than their buying, because the latter is heavily influenced by the desire to secure pension inflows. We find that stocks with larger net sales by related funds experience lower future returns. Information appears related to firm fundamentals, as the return predictability of related funds’ selling concentrates in stocks with negative future earnings surprises. Consistent with an information‐based explanation, the predictive power of related funds’ selling for future returns is more pronounced when information uncertainty about the stock is higher. Our results contribute to a growing literature that shows the sources of informed trading by institutions.     

民办院校有机化学实验多元化教学模式探索

民办院校把有机化学实验作为有机化学教学的重要组成部分,多元化教学模式主要从教学方法与手段、教学内容、学习方式、考评体系等方面进行多元化教学模式探索。建立以微课视频、翻转课堂、问题引导,依托基础性实验、综合型实验和创新型实验,依托多元化信息化的教学手段雨课堂、虚拟仿真情景模拟实验、超星尔雅平台,融合多种教学方法,结合“线下”翻转课堂,建立多元化教学模式。这种多元化教学模式能有效提高学生的学习主动性和创新能力。     

员工持股、信息透明度与企业创新 ——基于员工持股计划的准自然实验

自2014年6月证监会重启员工持股计划以来,已有超过8%的上市公司推出员工持股计划预案。以2010—2017年A股上市公司为研究样本,基于多时点DID研究框架,用以控制可能存在的内生性问题。实证检验企业实施员工持股计划（ESOP）对企业创新活动的影响效果,以此揭示中国混合所有制改革背景下实施员工持股计划（ESOP）的真实效果。结果发现：实施ESOP的企业相较于未实施ESOP的企业具有更高的创新产出,并且在信息透明度更高的企业中这种促进作用更显著;相比于国有企业,在非国有企业实施ESOP对创新活动的促进作用更强。进一步通过中介效应对机制进行检验发现,实施ESOP后可以提高管理层创新意愿进而促进创新投入。研究揭示了ESOP对企业创新活动影响可能存在的作用机制,对广大投资者理解ESOP公司治理作用具有一定启示意义。     

Marketed tax avoidance: an economic analysis∗

Recent years have witnessed the growth of mass-marketed tax avoidance schemes aimed at the middle (not top) of the income distribution, with significant implications for tax revenue. We examine the consequences for the structure of income tax, and for tax authority anti-avoidance efforts, of tax avoidance of this type. In a model that allows for both demand- and supply-side considerations, we find that: there is an endogenous threshold income below which taxpayers do not avoid, and above which they avoid maximally; the per-dollar price of tax avoidance is decreasing in income under progressive taxation; endogenous adjustments in the price of avoidance make supply less responsive to anti-avoidance activity than thought previously; and avoidance may drive a non-monotone relationship between tax rates and tax revenue. These findings suggest that new approaches to anti-avoidance, beyond legal enforcement, might be needed.