Does bank competition promote financial inclusion? A cross-country evidence

The idea of financial inclusion has recently been discussed as one of the key strategies to enhance economic development (World Bank 2014). We move this discussion forward by examining if bank competition is a crucial component enforcing financial inclusion, which is arguably a finance supply-side driven process. In this study, we compute the financial inclusion index built on Sarma (2008) approach to better reflect banks’ willingness and capability to provide financial services. Applying System Generalized Method of Moments to the panel of 93 countries, we find that bank competition promotes financial inclusion.     

Labour use efficiency in the Indian and Pakistani commercial banks

The Indian and Pakistani banking industry is said to have an excessive use of labour due to the significant market share of government owned banks. Both countries have undertaken a process of regulatory reform to bring about market discipline in the usage of inputs and to increase the labour use efficiency and productivity. The focus of this paper is the estimation of productivity and efficiency of labour use in the banking sectors of the Indian sub-continent. The results show that the efficiency of labour use across the Indian sub-continent is improving over time and that foreign banks are more efficient compared to domestically owned banks in their usage of labour.     

Extending working hours: why not work 42 h rather than 38?—a CGE analysis for Germany

Faced with a record level of unemployment, the present debate in Germany is to extend the weekly hours of work. In this paper the employment effects of an economy-wide increase in weekly hours are quantified on the basis of a computable general equilibrium model for different specifications of the wage setting rule and the use of additional policy-induced public income. The simulation results back the argument of the opponents of longer working time that not more jobs will be created. However, when the higher tax revenues from GDP growth are used to reduce social security contributions, then the claim of the proponents that more jobs will be created can be supported.     

价值理论研究中的热点难点问题探讨（下）

马克思的政治经济学的任务，主要是研究资本主义的生产关系。而当代马克思主义的经济学，不仅要研究包括社会主义社会的生产劳动在内的经济问题，也要研究当代资本主义的经济关系、经济运行和发展的新特点。因此，马克思主义理论工作者，需要在继承与坚持劳动价值论的前提下，对这一理论进行创新和发展。     

西方国家对劳动派遣放松规制的背景及其启示——兼评《中华人民共和国劳动合同法（草案）》相关条款

自20世纪90年代以来，西方国家和国际劳工组织对劳动派遣的政策已呈现出放松规制的迹象。西方国家是在严格规制的原有基础上和劳动力供给不足的市场环境中，在劳动派遣作为典型雇佣关系补充形式且以雇佣型劳动派遣为主的情形下，在严格控制派遣机构资格并有社会合作伙伴广泛参与监管的同时，对劳动派遣放松规制，这也是强化与放松并存的结构性规制。我国劳动派遣业的发展具有不同于西方国家的背景，虽然也应当强化规制与放松规制并举，但现阶段应当侧重强化规制；并且，应当基于我国国情，就从严规制和从宽规制的事项作出选择。     

流体包裹体在油气地质中的应用──以喀什凹陷为例

本文在成岩作用研究的基础上，对喀什凹陷第三纪灰岩中的流体包裹体作了初步研究，通过包裹体的显微测温及包裹体的再平衡研究，得出了该区灰岩的成岩温度及其经历的最大古地温。并利用包裹体资料对该区的生油岩作了初步评价。     

Values, prices of production and market prices: some more evidence from the Greek economy

This paper extends the empirical investigation of the relationbetween labour values and different price forms in the caseof the Greek economy. Subjecting the labour theory of valueto empirical tests with data from various countries helps inthe derivation of general conclusions regarding its empiricalvalidity and practical usefulness. Our results on the closenessof values and prices as measured by their absolute deviationand correlation, the shape of the wage–profit curves,the predictive power of labour values over market prices comparedwith other ‘value bases’, and the comparison offundamental Marxian categories when estimated in value and priceterms provide further support for the empirical strength ofthe labour theory of value.     

Labour unions and leverage: evidence from firm-level union data

ABSTRACT

Using firm-level labour union data from Japan, this paper investigates the effect of labour unions on firm leverage. We find that as union coverage increases, both the level of and extent of change in leverage decreases. These relations remain robust when a firm falls into deficit. We also find that firms with higher union coverage have a higher interest coverage ratio. In addition, we find that firms with higher union coverage are less likely to choose issuing debt compared to issuing equity when they face financial distress. Our results imply that significant employee influence enhanced by labour unions increases fixed costs, crowds out the firm’s debt capacity and consequently reduces the firm’s leverage.     

Ideology, markets and money

Contemporary economic theory is considered in terms of the science/ideologydistinction. Marx's critique of Hegel is then used to derivea demarcation criterion that sharply separates scientific knowledgefrom ideology. This critique interprets Hegelian methodologyas fundamentally ideological because it understands realityin terms of abstract thought and then hypostatises that thoughtas reality. This process is more generally treated in termsof Marx's theory of value and money, in which money really doesdo what Hegelian logic purports to do. The consequences of consideringMarxian theory in this way provide some purchase on the logicand limitations of contemporary economic theory.     

关于生态环境的价值

本文在分析马克思关于自然物只具有“使用价值而不是价值”以及劳动含义的基础上,指出生态环境是物质资料使用价值的源泉,生态环境具有价值、生态价值和使用价值,并进而提出度量生态环境价值和生态经济效益的方法。