收入差距、社会资本与居民贫困

研究目标：分析收入差距与社会资本及其交互作用对居民贫困的影响,并探讨两者的影响机制。研究方法：构建Logit等计量模型,并采用三阶段最小二乘法（3SLS）与工具变量法（IV Probit）进行稳健性检验。研究发现：在社区层面上,收入差距导致了教育与财政资源在区县间的配置不均等,阻碍了医疗保险制度的发展以及产业结构的提升,进而提高了居民的贫困发生率;在个体层面上,收入差距降低了居民对教育资源的可及性,恶化了居民的健康水平,从而导致居民进入贫困状态。社会资本能够降低居民发生贫困的概率,同时也能够缓解收入差距对居民贫困的不利影响;提升就业能力与收入水平、增加教育与医疗投资、改善社会经济地位、强化融资能力等是社会资本缓解贫困的主要渠道与机制。研究创新：采用具有代表性的中国家庭追踪调查数据,研究收入差距与社会资本对居民贫困的作用机制,指出社会资本是缓冲收入差距对居民贫困不利影响的重要保障。研究价值：为相关理论研究提供更多的经验证据和路径解释;在实践中,对减贫、防贫具有指导意义。     

On the role of institutional factors in shaping working capital management policies: Empirical evidence from European listed firms

The study examines the impact of institutional factors on working capital management for a sample of 5431 European listed firms over the period 2010–2018. Employing a weighted least squares (WLS) methodology, we provide empirical evidence on the role of institutional quality in shaping the working capital policies of European listed firms. The results indicate that firms located in countries with a stronger institutional framework maintain lower levels of working capital on average. The results are robust to different subsamples of firms. The study complements the extant literature by analyzing the effects of institutional quality on working capital management, across a large number of different institutional systems specific to developed and transition economies alike. The results are useful for practitioners and policy makers in understanding the relationship between institutional quality and short-term firm-level decisions.     

REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND POVERTY: A REVIEW OF THE TRANSMISSION CHANNELS AND THE EVIDENCE

While there is an extensive literature on the impact of regional trading agreements on trade and capital flows, as well as on the relationship between international trade, growth, and poverty there is comparatively little treatment of the possible linkages between regional integration and poverty. We analyze the channels through which regional integration could impact on poverty, and then review the existing evidence on the impact of regional integration on poverty. We focus on two key characteristics that make any regional integration process different from unilateral and multilateral liberalization: first, the asymmetric nature of the liberalization process; second, the scope or ambition of the regional liberalization being undertaken and the nature of the institutional arrangements that are put into place to manage the process of regional integration. We also distinguish between short, medium, and long run effects on poverty of regional integration processes. There is some direct evidence explicitly linking regional integration and poverty, but in good part the shedding of the light depends on an indirect literature on trade, FDI, migration, and inequality.     

A comparative study of net entrepreneurial productivity in developed and post-transition economies

The paper develops net entrepreneurial productivity (NEP) as a complex latent construct of second order composed of productive, unproductive and destructive entrepreneurial activity. Its parameters were estimated using the partial least squares structural equation modeling method in the selected 15 developed and 7 post-transition economies for the average values in the period 2006-2013. The results unveil the direct and indirect effects between entrepreneurial activities, and between entrepreneurial activities and NEP, as well as that the level of NEP and productive entrepreneurial activity in developed economies is at a higher level compared with post-transition economies. The results suggest that for NEP and productive entrepreneurship to take place, regardless of the group of economies considered, an effective institutional environment that supports human capital development, fair competition and transparency should be established and maintained before developing more specific entrepreneurial programs and policies.     

The heterogeneous relationship between board social ties and corporate environmental responsibility in an emerging economy

Firms in emerging economies are faced with multiple, incompatible institutional forces in their environmental activities. Which of these forces will be dominant and instantiated within an organization is partly determined by the social relationships that a firm maintains with external actors. This paper investigates the relationship between board social ties and the level of environmental responsibility undertaken by firms in China, an emerging economy, by categorizing board social ties into three types in terms of the three isomorphic forces in the institutional field (coercive, normative and mimetic). Drawing on institutional and agency theories, using a sample of listed firms in environmentally sensitive industries, and a generalized least squares regression method, the results provide empirical evidence that ties that are linked to coercive and normative forces (i.e., political organizations and universities) are related to a higher level of environmental responsibility; however, those that are linked to mimetic forces (i.e., industrial peers) have a negative association with environmental responsibility, which is mitigated by CEO power. These findings suggest that the heterogeneous effects of board social ties on environmental responsibilities experienced by firms in a context of environmentalism are at an early stage.     

公司治理、资本结构、资本成本关系的实证研究

本文结合理论研究及中国制度背景,探求公司治理与资本结构及资本成本的关系。应用三阶段最小二乘法实证支持以下论点:发放现金股利、CEO持股比例与资产负债率正相关,第一大股东持股比例、第一大股东是国有时与资产负债率负相关;资产负债率、第一大股东是国有时与资本成本正相关,发放现金股利、第一大股东持股、CEO薪酬、信息披露质量与资本成本负相关;独立董事比例、董事会素质及监事会素质与资本成本、资产负债率相关性均不显著。总的来说,提高公司治理有利于提高企业价值,在一定程度上利于提高负债率,且现金股利政策、资本结构与资本成本三者间存在互动效应。     

Stereotypes, Asian Americans, and Wages: An Empirical Strategy Applied to Computer Use at Work

This article examines the effect on wages of the Asian-American stereotype as mathematically and technically adept, and the role this stereotype may play in explaining racial wage differences. We propose an empirical strategy to examine the influence of stereotypes on labor market outcomes, with a specific application to the wage premium associated with computer use at work. Using Current Population Survey data, ordinary least squares estimates do not provide compelling evidence that a positive stereotype affects wages for Asian Americans.     

BALANCED VARIABLE ADDITION IN LINEAR MODELS

This paper studies what happens when we move from a short regression to a long regression in a setting where both regressions are subject to misspecification. In this setup, the least‐squares estimator in the long regression may have larger inconsistency than the least‐squares estimator in the short regression. We provide a simple interpretation for the comparison of the inconsistencies and study under which conditions the additional regressors in the long regression represent a “balanced addition” to the short regression.     

Rethinking Institutions and Organizations

In this Point–Counterpoint article we argue that institutional scholarship has become overly concerned with explaining institutions and institutional processes, notably at the level of the organization field, rather than with using them to explain and understand organizations. Especially missing is an attempt to gain a coherent, holistic account of how organizations are structured and managed. We also argue that when institutional theory does give attention to organizations it inappropriately treats them as though they are the same, or at least as though any differences are irrelevant for purposes of theory. We propose a return to the study of organizations with an emphasis upon comparative analysis, and suggest the institutional logics perspective as an appropriate means for doing so.     

The Emerging Role of the State In Latin America

The article is designed to (a) provide a theoretical framework for analyzing reforms in the role of the state; (b) assess the Latin America experience in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of core government functions at all levels of government (e.g. human resource management, financial management, tax and customs administration and cross-sectoral service delivery though excluding a detailed treatment of sector-specific areas such as education and health); and (c) examine the experience to date in Latin America of successfully implementing institutional reforms with respect to (i) private sector development (legal reforms to facilitate private transactions as well as provide a regulatory role for government in the face of market failures and their enforcement) and (ii) poverty alleviation particularly with respect to reforms in the social security system as well as the introduction of social investment funds.     

Functional Principal Component Regression and Functional Partial Least‐squares Regression: An Overview and a Comparative Study

Functional data analysis is a field of growing importance in Statistics. In particular, the functional linear model with scalar response is surely the model that has attracted more attention in both theoretical and applied research. Two of the most important methodologies used to estimate the parameters of the functional linear model with scalar response are functional principal component regression and functional partial least‐squares regression. We provide an overview of estimation methods based on these methodologies and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. We emphasise that the role played by the functional principal components and by the functional partial least‐squares components that are used in estimation appears to be very important to estimate the functional slope of the model. A functional version of the best subset selection strategy usual in multiple linear regression is also analysed. Finally, we present an extensive comparative simulation study to compare the performance of all the considered methodologies that may help practitioners in the use of the functional linear model with scalar response.     

Learning cycles in Bertrand competition with differentiated commodities and competing learning rules

This paper stresses the importance of heterogeneity in learning. We consider a Bertrand oligopoly with firms using either least squares learning or gradient learning for determining the price. We demonstrate that convergence properties of the rules are strongly affected by heterogeneity. In particular, gradient learning may become unstable as the number of gradient learners increases. Endogenous choice between the learning rules may induce cyclical switching. Stable gradient learning gives higher average profit than least squares learning, making firms switch to gradient learning. This can destabilize gradient learning which, because of decreasing profits, makes firms switch back to least squares learning.     

The Flexible Fourier Form and Local Generalised Least Squares De‐trended Unit Root Tests*

In two recent papers Enders and Lee (2009) and Becker, Enders and Lee (2006) provide Lagrange multiplier and ordinary least squares de‐trended unit root tests, and stationarity tests, respectively, which incorporate a Fourier approximation element in the deterministic component. Such an approach can prove useful in providing robustness against a variety of breaks in the deterministic trend function of unknown form and number. In this article, we generalize the unit root testing procedure based on local generalized least squares (GLS) de‐trending proposed by Elliott, Rothenberg and Stock (1996) to allow for a Fourier approximation to the unknown deterministic component in the same way. We show that the resulting unit root tests possess good finite sample size and power properties and the test statistics have stable non‐standard distributions, despite the curious result that their limiting null distributions exhibit asymptotic rank deficiency.     

A multimodal,multicommodity, and multiperiod planning problem for coal distribution to poor families

Tackling poverty has been one of the greatest global challenges and a prerequisite to sustainable development of countries. Countries implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures to address poverty. This paper addresses an aid system adopted by the government in Turkey where significant amounts of coal is distributed to poor families each year. The objective of the coal aid system is to complete the delivery of coal to poor families by the start of winter. However, an analysis of the data from previous years indicates that the distribution to many families cannot be completed on time. This results from the fact that planning is done manually and by trial-and-error as there is no system that can be used for distribution planning. This paper describes the planning problem encountered and develops a mathematical model to solve it. The proposed model is a multimodal, multicommodity, and multiperiod linear programming (LP) model. The model can be used to develop and update a distribution plan as well as to answer several what-if questions with regard to capacities, time constraints, and so forth. The model is solved using CPLEX for several problem instances obtained under different scenarios using data for the year 2012. The results show that at least 9% cost savings and about 40% decrease in distribution completion time can be achieved when the model is used. We analyze scenario results qualitatively and quantitatively and provide several insights to the decision makers. As a part of quantitative analysis, we develop regression models to predict optimal costs based on several factors. Our main contribution is to provide an efficient and effective tool to handle a large-scale real-world problem. The model has also helped to prove that the organization responsible for distribution planning may move from the current planning practice to an all-encompassing top-down approach.     

Distribution-sensitivity of rank-dependent poverty measures

We propose a criterion to rank poverty measures on the basis of distribution-sensitivity. The criterion compares reactions to ‘lossy’ transfers among the poor. We focus on the class of rank-dependent poverty measures and provide distribution-sensitivity rankings of the poverty gap ratio, the first and second Sen measures, the Thon measure, the Shorrocks measure, and the Thon, Kakwani and S-Gini classes of measures. Moreover, we discuss the relationship between the proposed criterion and two alternative distribution-sensitivity criteria based on the Arrow–Pratt theory of risk aversion. Finally, we provide an empirically tractable necessary and sufficient condition for unanimous poverty rankings by all continuous and replication invariant rank-dependent poverty measures that exhibit a predetermined minimum degree of distribution-sensitivity.     

Determination of Discrete Spectrum in a Random Field

We consider a two dimensional frequency model in a random field, which can be used to model textures and also has wide applications in Statistical Signal Processing. First we consider the usual least squares estimators and obtain the consistency and the asymptotic distribution of the least squares estimators. Next we consider an estimator, which can be obtained by maximizing the periodogram function. It is observed that the least squares estimators and the estimators obtained by maximizing the periodogram function are asymptotically equivalent. Some numerical experiments are performed to see how the results work for finite samples. We apply our results on simulated textures to observe how the different estimators perform in estimating the true textures from a noisy data.     

西北地区精准扶贫典型与经验调查研究——基于宁夏地区的实地调查

党的十八大以来,党中央把脱贫攻坚作为全面建成小康社会的底线任务和标志性指标,作出一系列重大部署。党的十九大以后,党中央把打好精准脱贫攻坚战作为全面建成小康社会的三大攻坚战之一。论文通过对宁夏地区扶贫政策支持力度、脱贫效率、脱贫效果和全面发展能力的调查研究,期望总结出脱贫示范点的成功脱贫经验和存在的不足,并提出可行性建议,为宁夏全面打赢脱贫攻坚战提供帮助。     

The impact of institutional change on forecast accuracy: A case study of budget forecasting in Washington State

This paper explores the relationship between institutional change and forecast accuracy via an analysis of the entitlement caseload forecasting process in Washington State. This research extends the politics of forecasting literature beyond the current area of government revenue forecasting to include expenditure forecasting and introduces an in-depth longitudinal study to the existing set of cross-sectional studies. Employing a fixed-effects model and ordinary least squares regression analysis, this paper concludes that the establishment of an independent forecasting agency and subsequent formation of technical workgroups improve forecast accuracy. Additionally, this study finds that more frequent forecast revisions and structured domain knowledge improve forecast accuracy.     

The process of entrepreneurial action at the base of the pyramid in developing countries: a case of vegetable farmers in Benin

The assumption that entrepreneurship is a critical factor in expanding employment, creating wealth and contributing to poverty alleviation at the base of the pyramid (BoP) in developing countries has led to the development of many initiatives to strengthen the entrepreneurial activities of poor people. Despite the fact that entrepreneurship is seen as a strategy in combatting poverty, the process that leads to entrepreneurial action in a BoP context is still unclear. In this paper, we illustrate the possibilities a multi-layered perspective offers to understand the complexity of entrepreneurship in poverty settings. Based on five focus group discussions and 36 in-depth interviews with vegetable farmers in Benin, we examined the entrepreneurship of poor people. We learned that entrepreneurial action is the nexus of individual and exogenous factors in complex relationships. Based on this, we elaborate on the characteristics of the process model of entrepreneurial action. We provide a process-based view of entrepreneurship at the BoP, suggesting a need for consistency between individual, behavioural strategies and contextual elements. We discuss the implications of our findings for BoP practice and provide a framing perspective that we hope will encourage a greater focus on the complexity of entrepreneurship phenomenon.