Does Corporate Social Responsibility Really Make a Difference？ An Explorative Analysis for Chinese Companies

Many studies have been performed to assess the impacts of corporate social responsibility （CSR） on the financial performance of companies. There are, however, very few studies that analyze how CSR policies and instruments affect the realization of social and environmental CSR goals, such as the reduction of workplace accidents or CO2 emissions. Therefore, it remains uncertain to what extent CSR really contributes to sustainable development and whether it can serve as an alternative to government regulation to internalize external effects from market operation. The present study provides an explorative empirical analysis that aims to fill this gap. We employ regression analysis on a sample of 109 Chinese companies. The estimation results show that having a code of conduct stimtdates the implementation of other organizational CSR instruments, but CSR implementation only partly affects the realization of CSR goals. Having codes of conduct without implementing CSR does not have a significant impact on societal welfare.     

Life-insurance Efficiency in China： A Comparison of Foreign and Domestic Firms

The Chinese life-insurance industry has experienced major structural changes in recent years, primarily because of increasing demand and the entry of foreign insurers. Although the market is clearly booming, the efficiency of its growth and development is unclear. In this paper, we evaluate the efficiency of life insurers operating in China and compare foreign firms with domestic firms. We find that foreign insurers have not brought efficiency into the Chinese market, and that the market is still dominated by domestic giants. However, the gap between foreign insurers and domestic insurers is narrowing. After testing hypotheses regarding scale economy, technical progress andpotential improvements, we discuss several issues＇ of importance to life insurers, market investors and government regulators.     

China＇s Foreign Trade and Investment： An Overview and Analysis

This study discusses the current development of China‘s trade and investment and their related issues. It presents data consistent with the hypothesis that Chinese firms try, to overcome market impediments, such as capital account inconvertibility and differential tax treatment between foreign and domestic firms, through trade and investment. Various challenges and opportunities related to China‘s future trade and investment are also discussed.     

China's Exchange Rate Movements and Corporate Currency Invoicing Strategies

Since China introduced a new managed floating exchange rate regime in 2005, the persistent appreciation of the renminbi against the US dollar has led Chinese firms to reassess their choice of invoice currency among the dollar and other international alternatives to price their exports. The present paper performs a systematic invoice currency analysis by surveying the published literature, summarizing criteria for decision-making, and evaluating the choices available to Chinese exporters implementing currency invoicing strategies to maximize expected profits. This study finds that the euro could play an increasing role as the invoice currency of Chinese firms, although the US dollar will still play a dominant role. Chinese exporters might shift gradually from the dollar to the euro in the face of the falling dollar, balancing between the two by necessity.     

Market Response and Firms＇ Operating Performance Surrounding Actual Share Repurchases： Evidence from Hong Kong

Share repurchases have become a popular payout method to distribute cash flows to shareholders not only in the U.S. but also other countries. This study examines the firms＇ share price and operating performance surrounding actual share repurchases and the motivations behind share repurchases in the Hong Kong stock market. The empirical results show that, on average, firms engage in share repurchases when their stocks are under-valued andrepurchases are followed by abnormal positive returns. Among repurchases, the stock price performance varies across firms＇ size and market-to-book ratios. The market responds most favorably to repurchases that are made by small and ＂value＂ firms. This suggests that smaller firms are usually less analyzed and more likely to be undervalued; hence, the market reacts more favorably when they repurchase.     

Firm Size and Work Compensation in China

Remarkably, recent research on the Chinese labor market has suggested that the situation in China is inconsistent with the stylized fact that large firms pay higher wages and offer more generous benefits. Expanding the empirical basis from 78 to 300 000 industrial firms, I overturn theprevious result andshow that wage determination in the averagefirmfits the international norm. Exploring subsamples of firms I also point to a likely source for the conflictingfindings： firm size is positively correlatedwith the average wage in private firms, but negatively correlated with the average wage in the state-owned sector. These novel results couM guide future studies aiming to understand the sources of the firm size wage premium, and, in particular, studies that target the largest industrial labor market in the world     

Solidarity based economy： The success of work integration social firms in Spain

The work insertion social firms have grown in the last decade in Spain. The aim of this work is to help unemployees and workers with several problems （being in prison, drugs...） to start in ＂normalized＂ companies as workers. The aim of the paper is to analyze the success of work insertion social firms defined by social and commercial dimensions. Using a sample of 49 companies in Spain, the authors have developed an explanatory model in which the doubt about the success of these companies is explained. This paper seeks to analyze the main problems of the poor financial situation of companies that are based on social help. The work integration social enterprises could be a new entrepreneurship form that helps improving work skills of workers to be able to obtain a ＂normalized job＂.     

市场开放条件下中国证券企业之发展

Since Chinese government made commitments to open it securities market under the WTOFinancial Service Agreement, Chinese securities firms have begun to play a key role in theprocess of the overall Chinese securities market development. At the same time, they alsoface both challenges and opportunities. It is time that they take actions to solve the existingproblems and adapt to the situation under market opening.I. Chinas Commitments in Securities Marketunder the WTO AgreementUpon access…     

A Study on Current and Future Guanxi Networks of China

Despite the abundant opportunities are presented by Chinese market, many foreign practitioners have commented that operating in China is more complex and time consuming than necessary, and of the 53 companies interviewed by Hong Kong＇s Bank of East Asia, 42% were reported not to be profitable （Economist Intelligence Union （EIU）, 1995）. Given the fact that China＇s potential as a market is unparalleled, while many foreign business practitioners have commented that operating in China is difficult to be profitable, and it is more complex and time consuming than it is necessary （Ewing, Garuana ＆ Wong, 1999）, a large number of researches on doing business hi China recogniZe the concept of Guanxi, a business relationship network, as the key for conducting successful business in China This study co llectsboth primary data and secondary data to explore the issues of Guanxi. The review on the secondary data helps to build the analysis techniques and study instruments. A survey questionnaire is developed after the study on the secondary data, and the primary data is collected from the surveys, which are faxed to sample groups in both Taiwan and Mainland China. The study on the Mainland China senior managers is to find the current Guanxi concept of China, while the Taiwan senior manager group and the Mainland China college student group are chosen to explore the future Guanxi changes. By using statistical techniques of the mean and standard deviation calculations, the t-test for two samples with equal variances, and the correlation test, the findings of this study help to answer the critical questions concerning the study objectives. The practical interpretation and implications of this study of Guanxi are gained from the summary of the statistical results. A conclusion and recommendations of this study on the Guanxi concepts are presented to business practitioners both inside and outside of China.     

Micro Econometric Analysis of Determinants of Occupational Choice in Algeria

A review of the literature on the issue of labor market participation and occupational choice allows to see that researches on this one turned more on developed countries. In underdeveloped countries, including Algeria, the determinants of participation in economic activity and individuals＇ occupational choice remain understood, despite their economic and social importance, since the degree of economic vulnerability and social development is strongly correlated with the occupied job. This work is not concerned with income from the labor market but rather the process that takes place upstream, that is to say, the integration into the labor market. This paper will study the labor market functioning by analyzing the supply and demand of labor. So the first step is to analyze the participation determinants in economic activity and in a second stage to determine the role of individual characteristics, in particular human capital for the tenure choice. The aim of this work is to answer the following questions： （1） What are the factors that influence individual＇s participation in the labor market？ Is there a difference between men and women？ （2） What are the occupational choice determinants of an individual on the labor market？ Is this the same factors for men and women？ （3） What are the causes of failure in the labor market？ To answer all the concerns, authors have exploited the employment surveys conducted by the National Office of Statistics （NOS） from Algerian households （employment surveys 1997 and 2007）. For processing and data analysis, authors applied several econometric techniques： models of discrete choice （binary logistic regression） and segmentation techniques. Four major findings emerged from this study： First, authors note that women＇s participation in economic activity is following logic quite different from that of men. For women, the education and training determine the participation in the labor market. For men, it is rather the age that determines particip     

Effects of Social Capital,Top Executive Attributes and R＆D on Firm Value in Chinese Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

This study uses an unbalanced panel data analysis to examine the effects of social capital, top executive attributes and R ＆D on firm value in Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises （SMEs） listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Board from 2007 to 2011. There are several interesting findings. First, the gender （male） and academic degree of the chairperson in the SMEs have a positive and significant effect on firm value. Second, social capital （measured by politieal connections, managerial business association networks and technology association networks） and R＆D have a positive effect on SME firm value. Third, the effect of politieal connections on firm value for state-owned enterprises （SOEs） is stronger than for non-SOEs, while the effect of business and technology networks on firm value for non-SOEs is stronger than for SOEs. Our study has important policy implications for SMEs that want to compete successfully in China.     

Scaling risk and the square-root-of-time rule in the emerging markets： Evidence from the Chinese stock market

This paper examines the square-root-of-time rule that frequently used in volatility estimation to the Chinese stock market that comprises Shanghai and Shenzhen stock market. The Jarque-Bera test conclusively rejects normal distribution of both stock market returns, while the Hurst analysis indicates both stock market returns does not follow a random walk. Furthermore, the tests for volatility scaling indicate volatility of both stock market returns do not scale according to the square-root-of-time rule and lead to bias in risk estimation. Henceforth, the study urges more alternative methods in risk management that suitable for the emerging Chinese stock market.     

Bridging the Gap between Western and Chinese Evidence in the International Education Market

Using a sample of 1674 international students in China, the present study explores sociocultural adaptation and its determinants. The results indicate that sociocultural adaptation among international students＂ in China is largely shaped by the nature of the interaction with host nationals. In particular, among international students, those who experienced higher levels of social interaction with host nationals and received more social support were better poised for sociocultural adaptation. Rather contrary to similar research in the Western context, the study finds that international students from East Asia actually experienced more sociocultural difficulties in China than their counterparts from Western countries. These findings suggest the possibility of China and other oriental countries with sound higher education systems playing more active roles in the global higher education market.     

Tax Rebate and Dividend Payout in Bangladesh

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the introduction of 20% tax rebate in 2002 for certain firms on the dividend policy of firms potentially qualifying for this rebate in Bangladesh. A balanced panel data set of 63 non-financial firms of Bangladesh for 14 （1998-2011） years from the Dhaka stock exchange is used for this purpose Newey-West estimator is used to estimate a logit model and the specified model uses binary values of 0 and 1 to identify if it met the tax rebate threshold. The explanatory variables are finn size, log of market value to face value ratio and profitability. A dummy variable was used to separate the pre-rebate period （2003 and before） from post-rebate period （after 2003）. The dummy variable turned out to be insignificant indicating that introduction of the tax rebate had no impact on dividend policy of qualifying firms.     

Comparative study of the inducement of US subprime mortgage crisis and symptom of real estate in China

Since the essence of US subprime mortgage crisis just lies in the bank credit crisis caused by bubbles bursting of real estate market, some questions are really worthy of our deep reflection, such as whether there are bubbles existing in Chinese real estate market, whether there is crisis implied in Chinese real estate industry and financial crisis, as well as the difficulties that Chinese real estate is facing and the extent to which its difficulties might overshadow it. Therefore, based on the comparative study of the inducement of US subprime mortgage crisis and symptom of real estate in China, this paper illustrates the inducement of US subprime mortgage crisis and relevant symptom that Chinese real estate industry is facing, and further dialyzes a series of warnings brought to Chinese real estate.     

Marketing and Territorial Factors： An Integrated Study of the Accommodation Choice in the Island of La Palma

The literature has highlighted the relevance of segmenting the tourism market as a start point for developing the right tourism policy recommendations. The present study examines the rural tourism market on the island of La Palma （Canary Islands） and its relationship with territorial factors. Specifically, it attempts to establish the role played in tourists＇ accommodation location choice by territorial and related factors （for instance, the area of the island, proximity to the beach, hours of sunshine, etc.） compared to other factors. A sample of 316 tourists who holidayed in rural tourism accommodation in La Palma during the period from July to September in 2007 was selected for this purpose. The methodology consisted of a preliminary analysis of the associations between the variables and their modalities, followed by a multiple correspondence analysis （MCA）. The results of the study allow to conclude that the weight of territorial variables in the choice of destination and accommodation location can vary substantially depending on the market segment considered.     

The Identification Mode of Corporation Types for Chinese MBO

In this paper, we aim at the identification mode of corporation types for Chinese Management Buy-Out. Referring to the existing research results, we recognize the two points： （ 1 ） Profit rate is not correlative with different control-type firms; （2） Behaviors of different control-type firms are unlike. Manager-control firm pursues the maximum of firm scale. Corporate-control firm pursues the maximum of capital tumover. Owner-control firm pursues the maximum of sale profit rate. Profit rate of firm can be unrelated with the type of corporate control when there is an effective competition in the market of each kind of firm. With the gradual setting-up of the effective competitive market, the state-owned enterprise might produce the low benefit or face the difficulty existing in the industry of full competition because that the human capital of the managers of state-owned enterprises can not fix the price effectively through the price mechanism of the market. It is concluded that the MBO is an effective measure to reform the property right structure, exciting the furthest latent ability of manager and advancing the enterprise＇s vitality. Finally, a summary on five general identification conditions of MBO is given.     

Executive Compensation： Pay-for-Performance in High-Technology Firms

This study examines the relationship between corporate performance and the Chief Executive Officer （CEO） compensation in high-technology firms in the S＆P 500. The total short- and long-term CEO compensation in high-technology was compared with other industrial sectors from standard classification codes and tested in terms of corporate performance. The ExecuComp database was used to find the variables and to create a sample of firms between 2004 and 2010. Important corporate performance variables are used in this work, such as assets, employees, sales, net income, and earnings per share （EPS）, as reported by the firms for each year. A panel data GLS with a fixed effect model for time is estimated that describes total compensation for the period between 2004 and 2010. The result was aligned with the theory of executive compensations to address agency problems and to examine CEO pay-for-performance. The main objective of this paper is to consistently demonstrate that the performance is determined for the total CEO compensation for short- and long-term periods and to examine whether the total remunergttion paid to CEOs in high-technology firms in the S＆P 500 is related to corporate finance. This work provides a better understanding of the relationship between compensation and performance in high-technology firms. Results suggest that high-tech firms tend to use more sophisticated performance measurements to determine CEO compensation.     

Toward successful IC foundry venturing

The goal of this research is to analyze the evaluation criteria used by integrated circuit （IC） designers when selecting foundry service providers. With an MCDM model considering the aspects of technology, production, customer service and support, and manufacturing location, we interviewed managers and experts of Taiwan＇s IC design firms, using the AHP survey with 16 attributes, to determine the areas of top concern with respect to foundry evaluation criteria. In this study process technology has been found to be the most significant evaluation criterion in view of competitiveness in the customer market.     

Whether entering WTO influences U.S. bidders＇ wealth？——Some evidence from U.S. bidders＇ taking over BRIC＇s target firms

With the ever-increasing economic integration of nations, cultural homogenization and relaxation of foreign ownership regulations by many countries, international acquisition has become an important tool for finns＇ globalization. Being important emerging markets, BRIC countries （Brazil, Russia, China ＆ India） are providing international acquirers, many unique opportunities and challenges. Joining in the WTO opens access to the world markets, promotes competition in the domestic market, provides opportunities to settle trade issues and increases trust of the trade partners and investors to the emerging countries. The author tests the wealth effects （i.e how the market react） of U.S. bidding firms on their announcements for taking over BRIC firms. In Brazil and China, significantly positive market reactions are found after their entering WTO, which reflects the sound economic development with the further opening up. Things are different in India, which are most likely caused by the economic depression during 1990s. As the only BRIC country having not joined in WTO, taking over Russian fires lead to vague market reactions in U.S..