Gender Quotas and Human Capital Formation: A Relative Deprivation Approach

We study a quota's effect on individual human capital investment incentives beyond merely altering individual's overall probability of being promoted. We assume that individuals sense relative deprivation from unfavorable (income) comparisons within their reference group and that comparisons take place within the same gender. The introduction of a female quota increases (decreases) the number of women (men) holding top positions. On one hand, the relative deprivation to which female individuals are subjected to increases. These female individuals respond to an increase in their relative deprivation by acquiring additional human capital which, because it enables them to increase their earnings, reduces their relative deprivation. On the other hand, male individuals invest less in human capital in response to a decrease in relative deprivation. We show that the human capital formed by women who are encouraged to do so by the quotas is larger than the human capital that men who are discouraged by the quotas refrain from forming. However, the positive human capital accumulation effect hinges on a certain level of ability by gender and on how much individuals perceive relative deprivation.     

Efficiency of Screening and Labor Income Inequality

We analyze the importance of information about individual skills for understanding human capital accumulation and income inequality. The paper uses the framework of an overlapping generations economy with endogenous investment in human capital. Agents in each generation differ by random individual ability, or talent, which affects the screening process. The human capital of an agent depends on both his talent and his investment in education. The investment decision is based on a public signal (test outcome), which screens all agents for their talents. We analyze how a better information system, which allows more efficient screening, affects investment in education and, hence, income inequality in equilibrium. As a main result, we find that, typically, less inequality in the distribution of actual incomes can only be achieved at the expense of more inequality in the distribution of income opportunities.     

创新能力对天生国际化企业绩效的影响

创新能力是天生国际化企业生产经营活动的重要特征,根据天生国际化经典理论,结合中国企业国际化发展实际,筛选符合条件的中国创业板上市公司,获得高质量的公开数据,实证分析以研发密集度、员工教育水平、管理者海外背景和管理者行业经验表示的创新能力对天生国际化企业绩效的影响。结果发现：由于研发投入转化为生产能力提高的程度较低、研发质量不高等原因,研发密集度对企业绩效没有显著正向影响;员工受教育水平对企业绩效具有显著正向影响,这是因为以高素质员工为代表的人力资本是企业竞争力的重要源泉;管理者海外背景对企业绩效没有明显影响,管理者行业经验对企业绩效具有显著正向影响,这是因为中国创业板上市公司的创立者和领导者一般均具有所在行业多年工作或研究经验,熟悉行业国内外市场和技术情况,海外背景的管理者面对中国市场可能存在水土不服问题。     

增值税减税政策对企业投资的影响研究*——基于企业杠杆率差异的视角#br#

我国增值税改革持续深化，增值税减税的效果成为学界和政府关注的热点问题。由于产品供需存在弹性，企业无法将增值税税负完全转嫁给消费者，并且不同企业面临的借贷市场环境存在差异，因此增值税减税对企业投资的影响问题显得较为复杂。本文针对企业投资决策建模，发现增值税减税会增加企业投资，但杠杆率较高企业由于借贷市场受到约束，投资水平的提高弱于杠杆率低的企业。本文基于2016Q3-2019Q1上市公司的季度数据，利用双重差分模型实证分析显示，2018年增值税减税政策提高了企业的投资水平，且对固定资产投资的影响更为显著，但借贷市场的传导机制减弱了增值税减税政策对杠杆率较高企业投资的促进作用。     

The Effect of Better Information on Income Inequality

We consider an OLG economy with endogenous investment in human capital. Heterogeneity in individual human capital levels is modelled by a distribution of innate ability across agents. This distribution is common knowledge but, at young age, no agent knows his/her ability. The production of human capital depends on each individual’s investment in education. This investment decision is taken only after observing a signal which is correlated to his/her true ability, and which is used for updating beliefs. Thus, a better information system affects the distribution of human capital in each generation. Assuming separable and identical preferences for all individuals, we derive the following results in equilibrium: (a) If the relative measure of risk aversion is less (more) than 1 then more information raises (reduces) income inequality. (b) When a risk sharing market is available better information results in higher inequality regardless of the measure risk aversion. We are grateful to Alex Cukierman, Zvi Eckstein, Yona Rubinstein and Daniel Tsiddon. An anonymous referee made extremely useful comments and suggestions. Financial support from the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF) is gratefully acknowledged.     

CEO自恋、研发投资与企业价值

基于高阶梯队和资源依赖理论,以2009-2016年A股上市公司为研究对象,实证检验了CEO自恋对研发投资及企业价值的影响。结果表明：CEO自恋对企业价值有显著正向影响;研发投资在CEO自恋与企业价值间关系中发挥中介作用,CEO自恋可以通过研发投资对企业价值产生正向影响;相对于非国有企业,国有企业CEO自恋对研发投资及企业价值具有更为显著的正向作用。研究结论不仅丰富与拓展了CEO自恋相关理论,而且对我国企业价值提升及公司高管选择具有重要的实践意义。     

Stochastic imitation in finite games

In this paper we model an evolutionary process with perpetual random shocks, where individuals sample population-specific strategy-payoff pairs and imitate the most successful behavior. For finite n-player games we prove that in the limit, as the perturbations tend to zero, only strategy-tuples in minimal sets closed under single better replies will be played with positive probability. If the strategy-tuples in one such minimal set have strictly higher payoffs than all outside strategy-tuples, then the strategy-tuples in this set will be played with probability one in the limit, provided the minimal set is a product set and the sample is sufficiently large.     

Book Reviews

This paper reformulates Kalecki's investment models based on 'the principle of increasing risk'. First, it is shown that in his model risk can be interpreted as a conditional probability of bankruptcy of a firm, or the 'hazard rate' in reliability theory. Secondly, a simple static Kaleckian investment model is developed based on this interpretation. In the model, a slightly modified Kaleckian optimality condition for investment holds. It is also shown that, as Kalecki correctly pointed out, the principle of falling marginal efficiency of capital (or investment) is not required to obtain a finite level of investment. Finally, I consider sequential investment in an intertemporal model. In this model, a modified version of the Kaleckian optimality condition determines investment. In addition, as Kalecki emphasized, his increasing risk limits the level of investment even without increasing and convex adjustment costs associated with investment, by which the finite rate of investment is derived in the macroeconomics literature.     

Determinants of adoption of Internet in Africa: Case of 17 sub-Saharan countries

This study develops two-level hierarchical model that identifies factors that favor or hamper the use of Internet in Africa. We used data from a survey covering 17 African countries. Our results confirm that urbanization and the spread of Internet infrastructures play an important role in individual decisions to adopt this technology. They also reveal that an individual will have a larger probability to use Internet if he/she has at least completed primary education.Moreover, individual characteristics such as sex, age, level of education, and a social network membership greatly influence Internet adoption. Indeed, men are more likely to use Internet than women; this probability is larger if they are young (16–30 years old) or if they attained at least secondary education level or if they are members of a social network.     

Irreversible investment and Knightian uncertainty

When firms make a decision about irreversible investment, they may not have complete confidence about their perceived probability measure describing future uncertainty. They may think other probability measures perturbed from the original one are also possible. Such uncertainty, characterized by not a single probability measure but a set of probability measures, is called “Knightian uncertainty.” The effect of Knightian uncertainty on the value of irreversible investment opportunity is shown to be drastically different from that of traditional uncertainty in the form of risk. Specifically, an increase in Knightian uncertainty decreases the value of investment opportunity while an increase in risk increases it.     

创业企业高管团队特征对风投机构投资策略的影响——制度环境与机构专长的双重调节效应

高管团队作为创业企业的掌舵者，是风投机构制定投资策略的重要信号机制。因此，基于高阶理论，探究创业企业高管团队特征对风投机构投资策略的影响机制，进而剖析制度环境与风投机构行业专长对上述影响的调节机制，得出以下结论：①对于平均年龄较低、受教育水平较高、政治关系较强以及社会关系较强的创业企业高管团队而言，风投机构倾向于采取分阶段投资与联合投资策略；②良好的制度环境能够降低投资成本，帮助风投机构优化价值服务质量，弱化创业企业高管团队特征对风投机构分阶段投资与联合投资的影响；③较高的行业专长意味风投具有较完善的监督机制与丰富的资源网络，能够降低创业企业高管团队特征对风投机构分阶段投资与联合投资的影响。     

创业企业高管团队特征对风投机构投资策略的影响——制度环境与机构专长的双重调节效应

高管团队作为创业企业的掌舵者,是风投机构制定投资策略的重要信号机制。因此,基于高阶理论,探究创业企业高管团队特征对风投机构投资策略的影响机制,进而剖析制度环境与风投机构行业专长对上述影响的调节机制,得出以下结论：①对于平均年龄较低、受教育水平较高、政治关系较强以及社会关系较强的创业企业高管团队而言,风投机构倾向于采取分阶段投资与联合投资策略;②良好的制度环境能够降低投资成本,帮助风投机构优化价值服务质量,弱化创业企业高管团队特征对风投机构分阶段投资与联合投资的影响;③较高的行业专长意味风投具有较完善的监督机制与丰富的资源网络,能够降低创业企业高管团队特征对风投机构分阶段投资与联合投资的影响。     

Human Capital, Study Effort, and Persistent Income Inequality

The paper shows that if an individual's cost of human capital accumulation depends on his parents' human capital and there exists a "raw labor" sector of production, individuals with low parental human capital may devote little effort in study and become unskilled workers. Further, if an individual exerts little effort in study, the human capital he accumulated may be even less than his parents'. Consequently, his children will have even lower parental human capital than him and they will therefore also become unskilled. Thus, the model shows that even when education is free, income inequality can persist across generations.     

判别高新技术企业技术创新投资决策错误的风险准则

高新技术企业的技术创新是一种高风险活动,高风险意味着面临获得高风险收益或遭受高风险损失的可能。因此,正确的技术创新投资决策有利于实现收益的最大化。通过对企业技术创新投资风险收益规律的分析发现,企业技术创新投资客观上存在最佳风险度和临界风险度,认为对于理性的技术创新投资决策者而言,应根据企业自身的风险承担能力和经营战略,确定包括最佳风险度在内的风险容忍区间,作为判别技术创新投资决策错误的风险准则,并通过消错理论中的错误函数度量投资决策错误的程度,以便采取相应的补救措施。最后通过错误投资决策的实例分析,说明了该风险准则的科学性和合理性。     

Public Investment and Income Taxation: Redistribution vs. Productive Performance

This paper deals with government investment in a static two-type self-selection model of optimum income taxation. It is shown that the second-best investment rule is consistent with efficient production, provided that public investment has no influence on relative factor prices. Otherwise, however, redistributive income taxation implies that optimal investment expenditures exceed (or fall below) the efficient level as long as they raise (or decrease) the wage rate of the unskilled individuals relative to the wage rate of the skilled individuals.     

The Role of Foreign Direct Investment in the Privatisation and Restructuring of the Czech Motor Industry

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been considered one of the crucial factors of a successful economic transformation in Central and Eastern Europe. This article investigates the role of FDI in the privatisation and restructuring of the Czech motor industry in the 1990s. In particular, it examines how governmental policies towards FDI affected FDI inflows, the immediate effects of FDI at the enterprise level, and the contested nature of this change. Advantages of foreign ownership for Czech enterprises, such as access to investment capital, access to sale and distribution networks of parent companies and technology transfer are discussed, as well as examples of failures of FDI to result in a successful enterprise restructuring. The information presented is based upon in-depth interviews with top managers of twenty component suppliers, governmental officials and vehicle makers in the Czech Republic as well as on the secondary data.     

Estimating returns to education using twins in urban China

This paper empirically estimates the return to education using twins data that the authors collected from urban China. Our ordinary least-squares estimate shows that one year of schooling increases an individual's earnings by 8.4%. If we use a within-twin fixed effects model, the return is reduced to 2.7%, but rises to 3.8% after the correction of measurement error. These results suggest that a large portion of the estimated returns to education is due to omitted ability or the family effect. We further investigate why the true return is low and the omitted ability bias high, and find evidence showing that it may be a consequence of China's education system, which is highly selective and exam oriented. More specifically, we find that high school education may mainly serve as a mechanism to select college students, but as a human capital investment per se it has low returns in terms of earnings. In contrast, both vocational school education and college education have a large return that is comparable to that found in the United States.     

Cost of Road Accident Fatalities to the Economy

Road accidents have a major impact on the economy as well as society. In other words, such an event also has an impact on the affected individuals’ contribution back to society and state. The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of traffic accidents on the economy. We evaluate the value or cost of a human life in traffic accidents. To estimate the cost, we need to know the income contribution of each individual via his or her employment or other earnings, i.e. his or her income-generating capacity for the remainder of his or her life, had the incident not occurred. Then we find the “present value” of such income, adjusted for the probability of such an event (fatality) happening. This is similar to the calculation of a pure insurance premium. Assessment of the economic impact caused by human life loss is dealt with using insurance-based methods. We calculate the burning cost of an insurance policy that provides coverage for the risk under investigation. It is of interest to the state and the family of the deceased to recover as much of this lost income as possible.     

Innovation and performance – evidence at micro level

This empirical study aims to shed light on the link between innovation and economic performance at micro level. Based on a comprehensive survey among dairy and crop farms in the Netherlands we estimate a structural multi-stage model to deliver evidence on the effect of engagement and investment in innovation on the production of product, process and organizational or marketing innovations as well as on the effect of such innovations on farm level productivity. The results suggest various market and farm behaviour related factors to stimulate an increase in innovation engagement and production. Furthermore, the study reveals that indeed a greater innovation investment per unit (innovation input) leads to a higher probability of producing at least one successful product, process and/or organizational or marketing innovation (innovation output). The production of process and organizational or marketing related innovation leads to significant productivity gains. Various recommendations towards a more effective and efficient innovation policy are finally given.     

The role of corruption and risk aversion in entrepreneurial intentions

The literature on entrepreneurship has suggested that an individual’s entrepreneurial intention depends on three types of factor: personal characteristics, the individual’s expertise and professional background, and external factors. Our study investigates how corruption, an external factor, and risk aversion, a personal characteristic, may simultaneously affect individuals’ entrepreneurial intentions. With data on 76 203 individuals in 53 countries, our estimation results indicate that risk aversion decreases the individual’s probability of having an entrepreneurial intention by 6.67 percentage points. In addition, an increase in 1 SD in the perceived level of corruption in a country decreases the individual’s probability of having an entrepreneurial intention by 0.96 percentage points.