Uncertainty and Investment: Evidence from Australian Firm Panel Data

This paper investigates the key drivers of fixed firm investment of listed non‐financial companies in Australia over the period from 1987 to 2009. A Tobin's q model of investment is augmented to account for the effect of economic uncertainty on the investment decision. The effects of Tobin's q, sales and cash flows on firm investment rate are also analysed and discussed. Consistent with existing literature, this research finds clear evidence of negative effects of both macroeconomic and firm idiosyncratic uncertainty on Australian firm investment. However, evidence also shows that firm‐specific uncertainty is more important in explaining firm investment than macroeconomic uncertainty.     

不完全信息条件下的出口与信贷约束——来自中国的理论与证据

文章讨论了在"银行-企业"不完全信息条件下,国内企业和出口企业面对的信贷约束为何不同.由于企业的生产率等信息对于银行而言属于内部信息,银行为了保持激励相容,会向企业提供少于企业所需最优数量的贷款.这种贷款的约束构成了企业面对的信贷约束.出口企业的运输时间越长,相比国内企业就会面临更紧的信贷约束.使用中国企业的数据验证这一理论,我们发现,对中国企业而言,出口业务占比越大、运输时间越长、生产率差异越大,企业面临的信贷约束也就越紧.     

Financial Development Impact on Firm Dynamic Creation: Panel Data Evidence on MENA Countries

Using a panel of 14 MENA countries, this paper investigates and examines whether financial development trains a substantial effect on entrepreneurship development by facilitating the rise of new firms. Generalized Two-Stage Least Squares estimate results with instrumental variables highlight the relevance of developed financial systems for the creation of new firms. In overall, financial development and its component explained by the institutional quality exert a positive and significant effect on new entry density in oil MENA countries compared to non-oil ones.     

Incentives and Female Entrepreneurial Activity: Evidence from Panel Firm Level Data

The goal of this paper is to investigate entrepreneurial activity and to analyze the incentives of female participation in the labor market. Female entrepreneurial activity is closely related to social and economic issues. They represent a driving force, active and effective members of economic, political, professional and managerial societies. On the other hand, they have families with serious maternal responsibilities and inelastic household obligations, roles which they are trying to balance effectively. To that reason, specific actions and carefully designed measures are essential in encouraging and promoting them to engage into entrepreneurial activity. To investigate the issue of entrepreneurial activity, personal characteristics and various motivation incentives are examined in order to determine the major factors that may influence female entrepreneurial spirit in Greece. Obtaining data from 1600 industrial firms located in the prefecture of Piraeus over the period 1999–2009, this study makes use of the panel methodology approach to provide evidence about the main determinants of female entrepreneurship. What is found is that a combination of pull and push motives and effective mentoring framework, in addition to a set of personal characteristics such as risk of failure, educational level, creativity, innovativeness, ambitiousness and marital status, seem important for the encouragement of women entrepreneurship in Greece to start up a new business. The implications seem very substantial for the formulation and implementation of effective support policies and measures for female entrepreneurs’ vital start up and early stage period.     

融资约束降低了企业加成率吗?--来自中国的证据

融资约束是否限制中国工业企业加成率的提升?针对此问题,基于微观层面的中国工业企业生产和贸易匹配数据,实证检验融资约束对中国工业企业加成率的影响及其作用机制。结果显示:融资约束显著降低了中国工业企业的加成率。有关机制分析和实证检验进一步发现,融资约束会降低企业的生产率、减少企业出口的概率和降低出口产品质量,从而限制企业提升加成率水平,表明融资约束影响企业加成率理论机制中的生产率渠道、出口渠道和出口产品质量渠道均存在。为此,需深化金融市场改革,拓宽企业融资渠道,增强企业融资能力,以提高中国企业加成率以及在国际市场中的影响力和贸易利得。     

Form of Ownership and Financial Constraints:Panel Data Evidence From Flow of Funds and Investment Equations

This paper analyzes the effects of the form of ownership on the substitutability between internal and external sources of finance in Italy. In particular, we test whether financial constraints are more severe for independent firms compared to members of large national business groups and subsidiaries of foreign multinational corporations. The results obtained from flow of funds and investment equations estimated for a panel of Italian companies imply that independent firms face more severe financial constraints. In fact, not only members of national groups and subsidiaries of multinational corporations find it easier to substitute cash flow with external finance when the former falls but they do not display excess sensitivity to cash flow and debt in their investment decisions.     

Extensive and Intensive Margins of Exports and Labor Heterogeneity

This paper investigates how changes in skilled and unskilled labor supply affect different margins of exports. Using bilateral trade data in manufacturing sectors of 34 countries from 1995 to 2010, we find that most of the impact of skilled labor on exports goes through the intensive margin, whereas most of the effect of unskilled labor works through the extensive margin. These outcomes result from the impact of labor skill composition on the productivity cut‐off of exporters. We also find that the impact of skilled and unskilled labor on trade margins depends on the income level of countries and on the type of products. The results indicate that the effect of skilled labor is greater for low‐income countries and differentiated products, while that of unskilled labor is greater for high‐income countries and homogeneous products.     

中国海外并购的动因研究——基于广延边际与集约边际的视角

在海外并购蓬勃兴起的过程中,一个显著而重要的现象是,我国并购常常在东道国引起激烈争议并受到不同程度的限制甚至抵制。争议的焦点在于中国海外并购的动因被认为与市场经济国家不同。然而,中国海外并购的动因是否真的与众不同,这一问题并未得到严谨的检验。本文利用二阶段引力模型,克服传统文献中的样本选择问题,在统一框架下系统研究了我国海外并购的广延边际(区位选择)和集约边际(投资规模)决策。结果表明,我国海外并购表现出市场寻求和矿产金属资源寻求特征;我国经济发展到新阶段后,海外并购表现出战略资产寻求动机;在区位选择决策中,对东道国政治、经济风险欠缺考虑,甚至在投资规模上表现出明显的风险追逐特征,而重视交易成本,倾向于进入腐败程度较低的国家。双边投资协定对我国海外并购的区位选择和投资规模在总体上并无显著影响。总体而言,中国海外并购符合主流文献总结的基本模式,其特征符合我国经济发展所处阶段的特定需求。     

中国金融发展与技术效率改善——基于工业制成品行业面板数据的经验研究

技术效率改善对于中国经济效率进一步的提高具有决定性作用。基于2001～2007中国国有及规模以上非国有工业制成品行业面板数据,本文在Malmquist指数法下测算了技术效率改善指数。利用该指数,本文进一步检验了金融发展与技术效率改善的联系。经验结果表明,金融发展促进了技术效率改善,而在外源融资依赖度高的行业,这种促进效应更加明显。     

Internet Technology and the Extensive Margin of Trade: Evidence from eBay in Emerging Economies

Online platforms such as eBay offer technologies that make it easier for firms to export. This paper dissects a new firm‐level dataset that covers sales made through eBay by sellers based in 21 emerging economies to provide a new lens through which to look at the effect of trade costs on the extensive margin of trade. Comparing eBay sellers with “offline” firm‐level data from the World Bank's Exporter Dynamics Database allows us to test whether the observed trade patterns on eBay fit with the trade‐liberalization predictions of heterogeneous‐firm models. We find that eBay firms export to more destinations, suggesting low destination‐specific fixed costs on eBay. We then show that the distribution of export destinations across eBay sellers is well approximated by a balls‐and‐bins model of frictionless trade, suggesting eBay indeed lowers fixed export costs. Finally, we compare the gravity of eBay with that of offline trade and find geographic distance, languages, and trade agreements to matter less for online trade.     

境外上市对融资约束的影响——基于H股公司的经验证据

中国企业境外上市日益成为金融界一个倍受瞩目的现象,其动因问题也一直为理论界所关注.通过以2000-2003年间在香港上市的H股公司为样本来检验境外上市对公司融资约束的影响,我们发现上市后公司投资对内部现金流的敏感程度下降,说明境外上市有利于放松公司的融资约束.通过对匹配A股的公司投资对内部现金流敏感性的比较分析,以及H股公司上市前后财务保障比率变化的分析,进一步支持了这一结论.     

Relative Income and Indebtedness: Evidence from Panel Data

We examine patterns of indebtedness in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, focusing on the period surrounding the housing bubble and its aftermath (i.e., 1999–2009). Leverage increased across households, but most quickly among lower income households during this period. We find additionally that leverage grew faster for households with lower relative income compared to other households in similar demographic groups or within a state controlling for own income. Together, these findings provide evidence for the thesis that the rising indebtedness of households in the U.S. is related to high levels of inequality, and that “Veblen effects,” whereby relative income matters for individual well‐being and decisions, may contribute to rising household indebtedness.     

“母市场效应”:来自中国制造业对外贸易面板数据的证据

文章通过模型的建构证明了母市场效应的存在性。文章采用Bergstrand(1989)的引力模型,考察了中国制造业中出口额较大、出口国较多的HS码共28章产品。通过对各章产品面板数据的回归分析发现,除了陶瓷品外,其余27章产品均存在显著的母市场效应。其中钢铁、无机化学和车辆等产品呈现较强的母市场效应,而纺织品、精密仪器等产品则呈现较弱的母市场效应。28章产品中除了陶瓷外其余均为劳动密集型产品,而且绝大部分产品对伙伴国来说为奢侈品。距离、是否接壤和是否有共同语言等变量对中国制造业产品的出口影响并不太显著,对各章产品影响方向也不一致。自由贸易协定对中国制造业产品出口具有显著的促进作用。     

Economic Reform and Corruption: Evidence from Panel Data

The notion that economic reform can reduce corruption remains prevalent in the policy agenda of international financial institutions, especially of the World Bank. Economic reforms have, therefore, been carried out throughout various parts of the world to improve the performance of the economies. Using data from 94 low‐ and middle‐income nations for the period 1996–2015, this study employs static and dynamic panel analysis to examine whether economic reform undertaken in accordance with the World Bank's reform programs negatively affects corruption. Our findings suggest that enhancing government effectiveness (i.e. independence of civil service from political pressure, provision of quality public services, effective policy formulation and the government's commitment to such policies) and improving public rights and civil liberties could be some of the most promising policies in terms of fighting corruption. The role of economic development and growth in real per capita income is also found to be significant in some of the specifications. However, the assertion that economic reform can reduce corruption is rejected in all the specifications. We rather find evidence that economic reforms negatively affect the ability of democracy to fight corruption, although on a slim margin. The central theme of the implications of our findings is that in combating corruption, social, institutional and legal means are far more important than economic means. The finding thus is compatible with the World Bank's effort in the later years to introduce governance and democracy as effective tool against corruption.     

中国市场化进程中的工资形成机制——来自各省面板数据的证据

文章运用1993~2004年各省的面板数据,分析了影响我国工资变化的主要因素。在市场化的进程中,工资与通货膨胀、劳动生产率以及失业率的联系在逐渐加强。但是工资的市场化程度还有待进一步完善,主要表现为工资与劳动生产率的联系不充分,对失业率的反应滞后。各个地区的工资形成机制也存在着差异,与人们的一般印象相反,计量结果显示东部沿海地区的工资市场化并不理想。     

民营资本的宗族烙印:来自融资约束视角的证据

本文使用中国明朝至1990年各个城市的族谱数据测度宗族文化,并构建中国民营上市企业的融资约束KZ指标,研究后发现,地区内的宗族文化越浓厚,民营企业面临的融资约束越小,在考虑内生性问题后结论依然稳健。机制检验发现,信任、信息交互和道德规范是三条潜在的影响路径,并且在经历行业危机的冲击时,前述影响更明显。进一步的研究显示,在宗族文化浓厚的地区,更多宗族成员参与企业的股权融资,企业可以依托宗族从上下游获得更多商业信用,但并不能从正规的金融机构获取更多的信贷支持。并且发现,对于在当地拥有较大宗族势力以及在本地经营的企业家而言,宗族文化的影响更为明显,而人口流动带来的人口结构变迁会削弱宗族文化的影响。最后,在宗族文化浓厚的地区,企业的融资成本更低。     

Local Government Debt and Firm Leverage: Evidence from China

China's local government debt financing has been expanded aggressively to support infrastructure investment, especially since the enactment of four‐trillion‐yuan stimulus plan to stimulate the economy post global financial crisis. At the same time, the rapid increase of firm‐level leverage ratio of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) and the decline of leverage ratio of non‐SOEs jointly deteriorated China's credit misallocation problem. In this study, we empirically test the effect of local government debton firm leverage in China. We find that an expansion of local government debt significantly crowded out the leverage of non‐SOEs, while crowded in that of SOEs. Moreover, the effect differed across industries and sectors.     

银行竞争的微观效应:来自融资约束的经验证据

银行竞争的加剧将促使银行更多地搜集和挖掘企业信息,降低银企之间的信息不对称,进而缓解企业融资约束。为此,本文在构建理论模型分析的基础上,进一步实证检验了这一假定。实证检验结果表明,银行竞争显著降低了企业投资-现金流敏感性,即缓解了企业融资约束;该结论在控制内生性问题,以及采用不同银行竞争指标和融资约束指标进行稳健性检验后仍旧成立。同时,本文还发现,银行竞争降低了企业债务融资成本,从而为银行竞争降低企业融资约束这一结论提供了补充性证据。进一步地,在企业信息不对称程度更严重的情况下,银行竞争缓解企业融资约束的作用更大,且银行竞争能够降低企业贷款的交易成本,从而为银行竞争降低融资约束的作用机制提供了证据支持。本文不仅丰富了银行竞争的经济后果以及融资约束等相关领域文献,同时还具有较为重要的政策含义。     

政府规模与公共服务水平关系研究——基于中国省际面板数据的分析

本文运用1997-2006年中国21个代表性省市相关数据,在Lynn MacDonald(2008)的模型基础上进一步拓展,引入其他一些决定模型的因素,运用固定效应GLS(Cross-Section Weiht)计量方法考察政府规模与公共服务水平之间的关系.实证分析表明,政府规模与公共服务水平呈正相关关系,这与当前政府机构改革中"精简机构"的改革思路有所偏离,从而引发我们对政府机构改革中"精简机构"实质的重新思考与定位.     

金融发展、企业特征与研发融资约束

基于2008-2014年沪深A股主板和中小企业板上市公司数据,实证研究金融发展能否缓解企业R&D融资约束、促进企业R&D投入,并进一步考察这种作用在规模、区域、所有权、行业等4种因素影响下的差异性。研究发现：金融发展能够显著缓解企业面临的R&D融资约束,并且这种缓解作用对小规模企业和民营企业更加明显;金融发展水平较高的东部地区能够在更大程度上促进企业研发投入,而中西部地区则未能有效刺激企业R&D支出;与高科技行业相比,非高科技行业能够从金融发展中获利更多,其R&D投入水平得到显著提高。