Trapped in Informality: The Big Role of Small Firms in Russia’s Statist-patrimonial Capitalism

Manifestations of patrimonialism such as corruption and state predation on business are widespread in many emerging economies. This paper presents the case of Russian political economy, dubbed ‘statist-patrimonial capitalism’, which is marked by state threats to private property rights through bureaucratic extortion or legal harassment. How can we explain the resilience of Russia’s statist-patrimonial capitalism? Predominant accounts focus on the lack of institutional constraints on state predation. The paper offers a different perspective by exploring the often-overlooked contribution of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). First, statistical data show a steady rise of SMEs in the 2000s despite increasing state predation, suggesting that SMEs are not simply subjugated by the state. Second, in-depth interviews with Russian entrepreneurs reveal that business contributes to the maintenance of the statist-patrimonial system through the mechanism of the ‘informality trap’: firms that choose the informal strategy have difficulties to return to the legal sphere and get stuck in informality. The drivers of informality include firm-specific characteristics, institutional factors and socio-cultural factors dubbed ‘normality’. The mechanism of the ‘informality trap’ highlights the agency of firms in corrupt polities and may be applicable to other emerging economies.     

Evolution of corporate governance in Russia: government policy vs. real incentives of economic agents

This article is devoted to analysing the evolution of corporate governance mechanisms in Russia. Special attention is paid to the causes of dramatic discrepancies between the expected outputs of institutional reforms implemented by the Russian government with World Bank and IMF support and the actual behaviour of Russian companies. Why was the model of interaction between enterprises and investors, owners and managers, which had been successful in other countries, rejected by Russian business in the 1990s? And how can we evaluate certain positive changes that have occurred recently in corporate policies of major Russian companies? These questions are answered on the bases of analysis of economic agents' motivation at different stages of development of corporate structures in Russia. The article argues that the need for comprehensive organisational and technological restructuring of enterprises led to the need for a concentrated ownership structure. The formation of such a structure in the late 1990s (which occurred, in fact, contrary to the government's activities) created preconditions for extending the time horizon of dominant owners and managers and for positive qualitative changes in the relations between major Russian companies and their shareholders and investors.     

Business innovation in Russian industry

This article reports the results of a quasi‐longitudinal survey of 2,800 top corporate executives of Russian industrial enterprises, presenting a snapshot of current innovation attempts in Russian enterprises and indicating economic and institutional factors that foster or hinder innovation. Russian CEOs see the necessity of profound changes in many areas of enterprise management and are not afraid of such changes, as innovations are perceived to be the best competitive weapon. However, their resources for radical innovation are rather limited. Beside lack of finance, the superimposed narrower strategic focus, the rigidities of local business networks, the weakness of external infrastructure for innovation and the absence of state support seriously impede attempts to implement radical changes. However, in every Russian industry surveyed there is a visible presence of innovative companies, which constitute 15–30% of all large and medium‐size companies. Moreover, increasing imports and the growing number of foreign subsidiaries in Russia will continue to push Russian companies towards more intensive changes in all areas of enterprise management.     

高管法律执业经历、内部控制与上市公司违法行为研究

许多上市公司拥有法律从业背景的董事、监事、高管，知法懂法的他们可能会更加依法办事，但也有可能因为对法律的了解以及应对法律问题的自信而进行更多操控，导致公司更易卷入诉讼案件中。本文使用Logit模型，将上市公司按照是否存在内控缺陷进行分组，检验具备法律执业背景的高管所在公司是否更容易被卷入诉讼纠纷。实证和稳健性检验的结果均显示，管理层拥有法律执业经历人员比例越高的上市公司反而越容易卷入被起诉纠纷，但是更好的内部控制会削弱这种情况的发生。本文丰富了高管特质与企业表现相关研究，也为上市公司审慎选择公司高管、加强内部控制、规范经营行为提供了有益启示。     

独立董事制度与中小股东利益保护

设立独立董事，对上市公司中小股东的利益保护能够起到一定的作用，但是绝不要过于依赖，第一，独立董事是经济人，在效用最大化行为原则和许多现实条件的约束下，独立董事难于与中小股东激励相容，独立董事积极保护中小股东利益的动力有限；第二，独立董事在董事会中，由于董事会的机制限制，独立董事保护中小股东利益能力也十分有限.本提出，保护中小股东的利益，关键要在如下三个方面下功夫；第二，健全公司股东利益保护的法制，特别是有关重大经营信息披露的时限与责任规定；第二，降低大股东持股的首位度，形成股东制约股东的机制；第三，加大对重大的股东侵权案件的查外，既追究侵权的法人机构的责任，更要追究当事的自然人违反诚信义务的民事责任和刑事责任。     

国有商业银行与股份制商业银行的长期贷款特征差异研究——基于我国上市公司长期借款数据

选择2009年上市公司的银行贷款为研究样本,将其分为仅获得国有商业银行和仅获得股份制商业银行贷款的两组相对立的样本,对其进行独立样本T检验,研究两种性质银行在选择贷款客户、贷款定价上的差异。以期对我国金融政策的完善方面提供有益的借鉴。     

我国国有控股上市公司治理:现实困境及制度求解——基于双重委托代理理论的分析框架

我国国有控股上市公司脱胎于国有企业市场化转型的自我探索,由此形成了高度集中的股权结构及不平衡的权力配置特征。在此基础上,国有控股上市公司各经营主体的利益冲突更为复杂,公司大股东与经营者之间,以及大股东与中小股东之间均存在委托代理问题。为缓解国有控股上市公司中的双重委托代理问题,需厘清各方相关行为收益和成本,尽快优化和完善公司治理机制,以求得国有控股上市公司治理困境的制度解。     

坚持科学发展观 打造诚信民营企业

诚信经营是现代企业坚持科学发展观、实现可持续繁荣发展的必需素质和核心战略。而我国的民营企业由于外部市场机制及法制建设不健全,内部经营者及员工素质不高、信用管理机制欠缺,普遍面临着严重的信用问题,因此,必须通过健全市场机制、完善法制建设、增强舆论宣传及深化企业制度改革等多角度逐步改善我国民营企业诚信经营的状况,从而为我国民营企业树立和落实科学的发展观、走诚信经营之路提供参考。     

Disparities in the financial performance of agricultural entities according to the legal form: the case of Slovakia

Financial management in agricultural enterprises is affected by a range of factors that are not present in other sectors. One of the factors that affect the performance of enterprises is the legal or organizational form of the business. In Slovakia, the specific structure of farms is different from that of almost any other member state of the European Union. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the disparities in the financial performance of agricultural enterprises according to the legal form. We analysed and compared two groups of agricultural entities, agricultural cooperatives and business companies, for the period from 2005 to 2014. Based on an analysis of the differences using mathematical and statistical methods, we can conclude that the legal forms are distinguished in all monitored parameters and our hypothesis on the differences in economic performance of agricultural entities according to legal form was confirmed.     

金融控股公司的治理机制——基于金融控股公司运行特征的分析

金融控股公司运行的特殊性必然导致其利益主体的冲突性较其他企业更为激烈。受金融行业严格管制的影响,金融控股公司的外部治理机制受到削弱,内部治理机制在公司治理中的重要性则大大提升。严格的行业监管是对公司治理的一个有效补充,但在综合监管手段匮乏的情况下,应强化以提高市场透明度建设为目标的管理。     

背诵是有效掌握俄语语法的良策

本文强调背诵在俄语语法熟练过程中的作用,使俄语专业学生通过背诵掌握枯燥的俄语语法规则,并且灵活地掌握俄语语言的内在表达规律,早日形成俄语学习的坚实的基本技能。     

Uncertain recovery prospects in Russia

By mid-1996, restrictive fiscal and monetary policies have brought lower inflation and exchange rate stability to Russia. The mass privatization was an apparent success although it contributed to an unclear ownership structure and weak corporate governance. The production decline continues and the structure of the Russian economy has been deteriorating. The popular dissatisfaction with the drop in living standards is reflected by a deep split in society, despite Mr. Yeltsin's victory in the presidential elections. As in the recent past, the new government will continue with ‘stop-and-go’ reform policies, probably with a stronger accent on the protection of domestic producers, legal reforms and economic growth. Because of serious structural and institutional distortions, the Russian economy is more likely to stagnate than to grow strongly in the near future.     

管理层权力、内外部监督与企业风险承担*

本文以2005—2014年中国沪深A股上市公司为样本，采用主成分分析法构建管理层权力的衡量指标，实证检验管理层权力对企业风险承担的影响。研究结果表明，管理层权力越大，风险规避的倾向越明显，企业风险承担水平越低；良好的内外部监督机制能弱化管理层权力对企业风险承担的抑制作用；渠道测试表明，管理层权力通过削弱企业的融资水平规避风险，而对企业投资无显著影响。本文拓展了管理层权力的经济后果及企业风险承担影响因素领域的文献，对引导管理者积极承担风险、加强上市公司内外部治理体系建设、维护中小股东权益具有重要的现实意义。     

基于BP算法的企业经营状况评价模型

利用2008年的64家公司的数据构建了以每股收益、每股净资产、净资产收益率、主营利润增长率为主的企业经营状况的指标体系,并通过matlab软件建立了基于BP算法的企业经营状况的评价模型。最后利用该模型对2009年的17家公司的经营状况进行了评价,仿真结果表明,基于BP算法的企业经营状况评价模型是一种非常有效的评价方法。     

Defence and Promotion of Desired State Identity in Russia’s Strategic Narrative

This article examines how the Russian state promotes and protects its preferred self-identity, using the conceptual framework of ‘strategic narrative’. Nation branding practices, including state-funded ‘mega-projects’ like the Sochi Olympics, have contributed to the narrative by characterising Russia as a welcoming, attractive destination. However, a more salient feature of Russia’s strategic narrative is intense ‘anti-Western’ and ‘anti-American’ political and media discourse, formulated to defend against rival, threatening narratives projected from other countries. Through analysis of official statements and state television content, this article demonstrates how determination to protect ‘great power’ and ‘European’ identities underlay Russia’s strategic narrative in 2014. It considers responses which the narrative has prompted, arguing that desired results in domestic reception have been achieved at the expense of unsatisfactory results internationally. Heavy-handed attacks on the identities of other states boost collective self-esteem among Russian citizens, but they fail to produce – and arguably obstruct – desired responses among foreign audiences.     

企业财务风险评价及对策——以黑龙江九三油脂集团为例

随着金融危机影响的不断加深,越来越多的企业日益意识到财务风险的重要性。财务风险的产生既有金融、法律、经济等方面的外部原因,也有企业内部财务管理关系混乱,财务管理制度不完善等方面的内部原因。财务风险的评价方法有单变量模型判别法,多元线性模型回归评价,多元逻辑回归模型等一般方法,但这些方法都难以对企业的财务风险做出合理的评价。基于上述不足,以九三油脂企业为例,运用模糊综合评价法对企业的财务风险进行评价,根据评价结果提出有效防范企业财务风险的对策措施。     

法律制度的信誉基础

法律和信誉是维持市场有序运行的两个基本机制。事实上 ,与法律相比 ,信誉机制是一种成本更低的维持交易秩序的机制。特别是 ,在许多情况下 ,法律是无能为力的 ,只有信誉能起作用。进一步 ,法律的判决和执行依赖于当事人对信誉的重视程度。当人们没有积极性讲信誉的时候 ,法律就失去了信誉基础。在商业社会 ,企业是信誉的载体。中国企业不重视信誉的原因在于产权不明晰和政府对经济的任意干预。法律制度的运行也离不开执法者的信誉。为了使执法者重视自己的信誉 ,有必要在司法系统引入竞争机制。     

The 2014–15 Financial Crisis in Russia and the Foundations of Weak Monetary Power Autonomy in the International Political Economy

ABSTRACT

This article contributes to international political economy debates about the monetary power autonomy (MPA) of emerging market and developing countries (EMDs). The 2014–15 Russian financial crisis is used as a case study to explore why an accumulation of large international reserves does not provide protection against currency crises and macroeconomic adjustments in EMDs. The analysis centres on the interplay between two dimensions of MPA: the Power to Delay and the Power to Deflect adjustment costs. Two structural factors condition Russia’s low MPA. First, the country’s subordinated integration in global financial markets increases its financial vulnerability. The composition of external assets and liabilities, combined with cross-border capital flows, restrict the use of international reserves to delay currency crises. Second, the choice of a particular macroeconomic policy regime embraced the financialisation of the – mainly state-owned – Russian banking sector, thus making it difficult to transform liquidity inflows into credits for enterprises. Russia’s main comparative advantage, hydrocarbon export revenues, is not exploited. The type of economy created due to the post-Communist transition means that provided ‘excessive’ liquidity remains in the financial system and is channelled into currency arbitrage. This factor increases exchange rate vulnerability and undermines Russia’s MPA.     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS DEFINITION AND CORPORATE GROWTH: THE EFFECT OF FUNCTIONAL ALIGNMENT

Abstract. In previous research, the hypothesis drawn from Theodore Levitt's idea that companies could continuously grow by ‘functional’ business definitions was statistically proved with 50 Japanese electric/electronics companies. The current research tests the hypothesis that in the case where the functions in corporate business definitions, divisional business definitions and products and services are all aligned, it will ultimately bring continuous growth to the company, through case studies and content analysis of four companies with highly functional corporate business definitions. As a result, it is proved that the company that successfully aligns the functions on every level continuously grows at a higher rate than the others.     

从价值观管理到制度领导力

制度领导力是领导者在同制度情境互动后，通过制度工作将价值观和领导权力嵌入组织系统和结构中的领导力。领导者通过构建制度领导力，能够减少组织对个体领导者的依赖并实现组织稳定发展。DS的实践表明，企业通过价值观管理和制度管理构建制度领导力，可以促进企业价值观落实和制度执行，并对组织利益相关者产生行为约束和理念引导，从而对企业稳定持续发展产生积极影响。DS模式是中国企业管理的新突破，以DS公司为例探究领导者通过价值观管理和制度管理构建制度领导力的过程，为企业进行制度领导力构建提供了新理论视角。