Unemployed Chinese workers: the survivors,the worried young and the discouraged old

The forces of globalization and the wave of economic reform in the People's Republic of China have led to government policies to downsize state-owned enterprises and support a competitive labour market. Chinese workers who have been laid off ( xiagang ) are leaving the 'iron rice-bowl' security of the socialist state. Unemployment produces personal challenges for laid-off workers and human resource policy challenges for the government. For workers, xiagang and unemployment status mean they must cope with the unfamiliar challenges of job search and the threat of economic hardship. But how unemployment influences workers' lives is strikingly diverse in its impacts. Distinctly different patterns emerge for workers depending on: 1) their position in the social structure and stage of life, 2) their available skills and coping resources, and 3) their experience of economic and psychological distress. The present study reports survey responses of a sample of 2,412 laid-off Chinese workers in seven cities in China and identifies three distinct sub-groups of unemployed workers: 1) 'Survivors': more confident and better educated workers, 2) 'The Worried Young': distressed younger workers with few coping resources, and 3) 'The Discouraged Old': older workers with less education looking towards retirement. Each of these groups of workers views their circumstances and life prospects in quite different ways. Our results are examined in the context of the literature on social change and the life course. Our findings also suggest different human resource policies for each of these groups of workers.     

The end of the 'iron rice-bowl': whither Chinese human resource management?

This study examines the degree to which enterprise reforms in the PRC have affected human resource management practices over the 1990s. A comparison is made between state-owned enterprises and joint venture firms, involving a national sample of sixty-two companies ranging from those in the North to those in the South. Our main findings show how organizational inertia has obstructed the change of the mind-sets associated with the 'iron rice-bowl' that characterized Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) before economic reform. The main conclusions of the research point to ownership, location and size of the firm as the main factors affecting the evolution of HRM in Chinese enterprises.     

Non-wage benefits,corporate ownership and firm performance in post-communist economies: evidence from Ukraine

The economic reforms in the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe have fundamentally reshaped ownership and governance of economic production, notably through the privatization of former state-owned enterprises. These reforms were expected to transform management practices by displacing ‘cradle-to-grave’ welfare arrangements administered by state-owned enterprises. Using data drawn from two large samples of Ukrainian establishments, we investigate, in two different time points, the relationship between non-wage benefits and firm performance during the period of transition to a market economy (1994–2004). We found that non-wage benefits continued to be a critical feature of HRM practices in Ukraine during this period, and were positively associated with firm performance.     

Organizational differences in managerial compensation and benefits in Chinese firms

More than two decades of economic reforms have brought profound changes in human resource management practices in both the state and non-state sectors in China. This study focuses on the impact of organizational factors on compensation and benefits for Chinese managers in state-owned enterprises (SOEs), publicly listed firms (PLFs), and foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs). The empirical investigation of 465 firms located in three major Chinese cities, Shanghai, Nanjing and Guangzhou, provides evidence that organizational factors, such as ownership, firm size, firm age, location and industrial sector, have significant impacts on the variances in Chinese managers' compensation levels, compensation structures and benefits. The trends in the development of compensation and benefits for Chinese managers are also discussed as the Chinese economy moves closer to a more globalized, highly dynamic economy after China's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001.     

混合所有制改革是否有助于缓解人力资本配置扭曲

将人力资本在所有制企业间的配置扭曲（错配）理解为技术配置扭曲和规模配置扭曲两个方面,基于1998—2013年中国工业企业数据库的相关数据,探讨国有企业混合所有制改革影响人力资本配置扭曲的内生机理,结果表明：混合所有制改革鼓励非国有资本通过参股、控股和并购等方式参与到国有企业的生产决策中,这有助于完善国有企业的公司治理结构和利润分配机制,进一步缓解人力资本的技术配置扭曲和规模配置扭曲程度;相对于非行政垄断行业,行政垄断行业中国有企业混合所有制改革对于人力资本配置扭曲的缓解作用较小。     

Regional Unemployment in Transitional China: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to explain the pattern of regional unemployment in transitional China. A model is developed to explore how urban unemployment in the provinces is influenced by peasants' wages, formal sector wages, and the size of the formal sector. Evidence from panel data suggests that a significant indicator of high unemployment rates is greater Urban–Rural Income Inequality within the province. The hypothesis is that the urban–rural income gap produces migration, and more rural migrants substitute for urban workers, causing further urban unemployment.Since the economic reforms began in 1978, the non-state owned enterprises have been carrying an increasing weight in the economy, and they have contributed significantly to the rapid economic growth of China. Empirical evidence shows that economic reforms have reduced unemployment. The provinces that are still heavily dependent on the state sector are therefore more likely to experience higher unemployment.     

国企混改与财务价值创造

国企拥有资源优势和政策优势,但经营效率不高增值效果不明显。国企进行混合所有制改革,能否提高经营效率和增加企业价值?研究发现:只“混”不“合”、只“混”不“改”的国企改革,不但不能提高投资效率,而且降低筹资效率,毁损企业价值;既“混”又“合”、既“混”又“改”,“混”、“合”与“改”的有机统一的国企改革,既能提高投资效率,又能提高筹资效率,从而增加企业价值。研究结论以期对国企混改提供理论支持和方向指引。     

市属国有投资公司财务视角下经营业绩考核问题探究

近年来,市属国有企业改革重组愈演愈烈,而所有改革的主要目的无外乎是扩大资产规模、提升资源的配置效率、优化资产的结构等。而通过对外并购投资等一系列资本运作手段,可以在短期内为投资企业带来资产大规模的提升,但是很多情况下,投资的经济效益都有时间滞后性,由此导致市属国有投资公司的经营业绩很难在短期内释放出来。论文以市属国有投资公司为主要研究对象,对投资公司激励考核问题进行详细的分析,并针对该问题提出建议,望能够将投资标的的潜在收益与经营业绩考核相挂钩,提升市属国有投资公司在市场上的竞争力,以便做大做强公司规模。     

Do types of economic ownership matter in getting employees to commit? An exploratory study in the People's Republic of China

Economic reforms launched in the People's Republic of China led to rapid growth in the non-state sector. Economic organizations in this sector adopt different styles of business operations and management practices when compared with their state counterparts. These systematic differences generate work dynamics with implications for workers' job attitudes and behaviours. The present study explores the relationship between workers' perception of the workplace and organizational commitment after the reform. Three hundred employees in Shanghai, from six enterprises, were randomly sampled for interview. Differences were found between state and non-state employees in their demographic characteristics, organizational perceptions and commitment. Findings suggested that state and non-state workers differed in their commitment and these relationships were mediated through various perceptual dimensions. Implications of the results for theory and practice are discussed.     

Manager's occupational stress in state-owned and private enterprises in the People's Republic of China

Privatization that has taken place in the People's Republic of China has brought about improved profitability and effectiveness of enterprises. However, it is not known whether employees' occupational stressors and strains in private enterprises would differ from those in state-owned enterprises. This study aims to examine the major sources of manager's occupational stress in private and state-owned enterprises, and comparing the intensity of these stressors and strains. The relationships between stressors and strains were also investigated in both economic sectors. The questionnaires were completed by 234 managers in state-owned enterprises and 179 managers in private enterprises from eight cities of the PRC. The questionnaires were used to measure sources of stress, job satisfaction, and physical and psychological strain. The results showed that managers in private enterprises experienced higher levels of occupational stressors (mainly ‘Organizational structure and climate’ and ‘Relationship with others’) and psychological strains than those in state-owned enterprises. Moreover, ‘Organizational structure and climate’ was also found to be a major stressor when predicting both psychological and physical strain in both economic sectors.     

Profit-sharing and financial performance in the Chinese state enterprises: Evidence from panel data

This paper examines the effects of incentives in employee remuneration on financial performance in a sample of Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The estimates show that bonus payments as a form of profit-sharing between employees and the state have positive effects on both the total factor productivity and profitability of the sample SOEs. Moreover, the actual level of bonus payments is found to be lower than the optimal level which a competitive firm would set to maximise profits. These results suggest that profit-sharing introduced in Chinese state-owned enterprises as one of the centrepieces of economic reforms over the last decade has been effective.We wish to thank participants at the Seventh Annual Conference of the Chinese Economic Association (UK) in December 1995 and an anonymous referee for comments. The paper has also benefited from the comments by participants at the STICERD Lunchtime Seminar, the London school of Economics. The financial support from ESRC (grant no. L324253025) is gratefully acknowledged.     

国有大型资源型企业与属地政府协调机制研究

国有大型资源型企业与属地政府的协调关系是影响我国经济社会发展的重要因素之一。结合国有大型资源型企业和属地政府的行为目标及特征，分别从经济、社会和环境方面探析两者的关系现状，深入剖析税费、产业结构、劳动就业、文化活动、生态环境、基础设施等方面的协调关系，从建设服务型政府、增强企业社会服务和扩大企业辐射功能等方面，提出国有大型资源型企业与属地政府协调机制构建思路。     

国有企业引入EVA激励及应用注意事项

随着我国经济改革的逐步深化,现代企业制度已经成为常见的经济组织形式。如何对企业经营层进行有效激励,进而促进股东价值最大化,是一个非常具有挑战性的课题。目前,国有企业的激励机制存在种种局限性,很难保障经营层的行为完全以股东利益为导向。本文旨在探讨将在国际上广泛应用的EVA激励机制引入国有企业,对经营层起到约束和鞭策作用,提升国有企业竞争力,促进全面健康发展。     

Economic growth and multi-tasking by state-owned enterprises: An analytic framework and empirical study based on Chinese provincial data

By preventing large-scale unemployment during China's economic transition, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) helped maintain social stability, which supported the development of non-state sectors through a positive externality. Yet this burden reduced the productive efficiency of SOEs. Using a simple framework with two sectors, our paper decomposes the conflicting contributions of SOEs (lower efficiency but enhanced stability) to regional economic growth during 1992–2007. We find that productive efficiency in the state sector was lower than in other sectors and identify a significant positive externality that supported non-state sectors. Since these two effects offset each other, the contribution of SOEs to economic growth in China during our sample time frame was not significantly different from that of non-state enterprises.     

地方政府政绩诉求、政府控制与国有企业税负

以我国2004—2012年A股非金融类地方国有上市公司为研究样本,在区分了省级政府与市级政府控制的基础上,实证检验了各级地方政府不同的政绩诉求对国有企业控制程度是否存在差异及该控制程度对国有企业税负的影响。研究发现：地方政府的政绩诉求（包括财政盈余、相对经济增长率、失业率等）显著影响地方政府对国有企业的控制程度,且省级政府更注重相对经济增长率及失业率,市级政府更关注财政盈余水平;三个政绩诉求中相对经济增长率对政府控制的影响最为显著;地方政府对国有企业的控制程度与企业税负显著正相关;与省级政府相比,市级政府控制的国有企业税负更重。这表明,增加地方国有企业税负是市级地方政府实现其政绩诉求的重要途径。     

国有企业融资过程中财务管理的问题及对策

对于国有企业的发展来讲,在经济水平快速进步与提升的过程中,市场经济体制在不断完善,所以国有企业在融资时,相应的融资方式也变得越来越多样化,相比较过去具有了很大的不同。在这种变化背景下,国有企业进行融资时,所面临的财务管理问题也越来越多,所以论文就财务管理工作在国有企业融资过程中所发挥的重要作用,以及新时代发展背景下,国有企业融资出现的财务管理问题和相应对策进行探讨,避免国有企业融资过程中面对大量风险,全面提高国有企业融资水平。     

An Assessment of the Performance of Indian State-Owned Enterprises

We examine the determinants of performance of 68 Indian state-owned enterprises in the manufacturing sector for a five-year period: 1987 to 1991. Relative performance is determined using data envelopment analysis, with variations in performance patterns subsequently explained using regression analysis. We note that the performance of firms in the Indian state-owned sector is characterized by both, low performance, as well as significant and systematic variations in the performance parameters. Size is positively associated and age negatively associated with efficiency. Further, economic liberalization and reforms aimed at improving the performance of state-owned firms induces efficiency gains over time. This heterogeneity within the state-owned sector has policy implications, which we discuss. In countries which have privatized large numbers of their state-owned firms, it is often the larger establishments which have been sold to the public. The state-owned firms in the manufacturing sector that can be candidates for privatization are the smaller and older manufacturing firms. These firms may also be easier to dispose of to private investors. This finding reinforces our central thesis that firm-level analysis within the state-owned sector is useful and important for generating pragmatic policy guidelines.     

国有企业的反垄断法规制问题探析——《中华人民共和国反垄断法》第七条释义

我国反垄断法第七条规定,国家对国有经济占控制地位的关系国民经济命脉和国家安全的行业以及依法实行专营专卖的行业的合法经营活动予以保护,并对经营者的经营行为及其商品和服务的价格依法实施监管和调控,这是国有企业反垄断法规规制的法律依据。本文试图对这一规定做出解读,以利于法律的实施。     

浅议中小型国有供水企业经营管理

中小型国有企业生存发展的基础来自经济效益的提高、和谐稳定的构建,其前提需依赖于企业的经营管理水平的提升。文章就如何抓好国有中小型供水企业管理,提升中小型国有供水企业的竞争力进行了初步探讨。     

积极探索人文关怀在企业破产工作中的有效途径——兼论企业破产突发群体性事件中危机传播的舆论导向

搞好搞活国有企业一直备受社会瞩目,在东北老工业基地,很多国有企业都走上了破产重组的道路。企业破产对职工来说在不同程度地存在思想波动和对抗情绪等问题,破产工作稍有不慎,就容易引发职工群体上访等事件。本文主要是从破产企业注重人文关怀,帮助职工提高思想认识,确保企业破产的顺利进行。