The reform of housing benefit

Housing benefit in the UK is currently out of control, due to its open-endedness and the ability of landlords to control rent levels. This paper proposes the abolition of housing benefit and its replacement with a notional housing element incorporated into income support. This will break the control of landlords as well as reconnecting the link between income and rent levels which is lost under the current system.     

英语归属歧义的成因与消解

归属歧义是由于句法结构不明确而使某些词语产生了不同归属所引发的歧义.英语归属歧义很容易产生,而且易于形成语言谬误,影响正常交际.其中限定不明确所引发的定语归属歧义、修饰不明确所引发的状语归属歧义、修饰不明确所引发的句子成分归属歧义比较常见.     

Governmental responses mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on small and medium-sized enterprises and the case for insolvency law reforms in Hong Kong

The COVID-19 crisis has triggered unprecedented governmental responses around the world to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, with particular attention being given to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Governments around the world have implemented economic measures in the form of direct subsidies or government-guaranteed loans, and legislated to provide mandatory relief from contractual obligations. In addition, increasing recognition of the limitations of insolvency regime in addressing the crisis for SMEs prompted many jurisdictions to change their laws. However, consistent with its free market principles, Hong Kong has only adopted economic measures and has provided limited contractual relief in favour of SME tenants. There is no SME-specific insolvency law nor is the Hong Kong government currently considering any such law reform. This article reviews the need for a temporary insolvency regime to cater to distressed but economically viable SMEs restructure their debts. Drawing on a set of interviews with Hong Kong SME owners, this author finds that they are often unaware of how insolvency law operates, their unsecured creditors are apathetic, and bankruptcy stigmatism is high. Based on a review of the frameworks in the other advanced common law jurisdictions such as the United States, Australia and Singapore, a recommendation for a simplified restructuring and liquidation framework is developed. The process is designed to be simplified and expedited and it incentivises early negotiations with creditors.     

Product variety,sourcing complexity,and the bottleneck of coordination

Research summary: This paper studies the coordination burden for firms that pursue variety as their main product strategy. We propose that product variety magnifies the tension between scale economies in production and scope economies in distribution, giving rise to complex sourcing relationships. Sourcing complexity worsens performance and poses a dilemma for organization design: A hierarchical structure with intermediate coordinating units such as sourcing hubs reduces sourcing complexity for downstream distribution but creates bottlenecks at the hubs, hurting performance for both the hubs and downstream distribution. We empirically examine operations data for about 300 distribution centers within a major soft drink bottling company in 2010–2011. Results support our hypotheses, illuminating the source of complexity in multi‐product firms and the challenge for organization design in managing complexity. Managerial summary: This paper uses data for about 300 distribution centers within a major soft drink bottling company to study how a large product variety creates complex sourcing networks. We find that, in addition to poor performance (e.g., increased stockouts), complex sourcing networks can cause challenges for organization design. In particular, the benefits of converting an existing distribution center into a sourcing hub (i.e., reduction in sourcing complexity for downstream distribution) and the costs of doing so (i.e., reduction in performance for both the hubs and downstream distribution) are both real and significant. The design of an efficient sourcing network despite its complexity involves important managerial decisions. Experiences in building and managing such networks can be the basis of a dynamic capability. © 2016 The Authors. Strategic Management Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

社会保险代位追偿问题研究:以工伤保险为例

传统观点认为,代位追偿权只适应于财产保险中.本文分析认为,由于人的生命、身体和健康的无价性,容易让人形成在人身险中不宜采用代位追偿权的思维定势.人身伤害赔偿实际上由两类组成:一是针对物质性损失的补偿;二是针对肉体痛苦和精神性损害的赔偿.对于前者,由于涉及到的是与人身伤害相关的费用和收入的填补,可以适用代位追偿权,对于后者,由于精神损害赔偿不具有足额补偿性,则不适用.对于工伤事故的赔偿,在补充模式下,我们可以按以上原则来使用代位追偿权.     

推进利率市场化进程亟待完善金融安全网建设

“十二五”规划明确指出,我国将稳步推进利率市场化改革。关系金融稳定的金融安全网三道防线一审慎监管、最后贷款人制度、存款保险制度的建立与完善,成为深化利率市场化改革的重要保证。文章指出,应从完善宏观审慎管理框架、明确央行最后贷款人职责和加快建立存款保险制度这三个方面完善金融安全网建设,有规划、有步骤、坚定不移地推进利率市场化改革。     

Cost of Equity and S&P 500 Index Revisions

We examine how the cost of equity changes when firms are added to or removed from the S&P 500 Index during index revisions. Newly added firms experience a significant decline in the cost of equity, while recently removed firms show a significant increase. Liquidity improves for addition firms and declines for removed firms. Addition firms also experience a decline in shadow cost. Changes in cost of equity for included firms are explained by changes in liquidity, shadow cost, and firm size. Finally, included firms with greater investment opportunities benefit more from the reduction in cost of capital.     

关于在城市低收入人群中推广小额人身保险的思考

我国人身保险市场现有的险种,大都针对城市富人和中产阶层,而实际上,社会低收入者比前者面临更多的人身风险。目前在世界多个发展中国家得到推广的小额保险恰可解决这一问题。小额保险具有保费低、产品设计简单、定位准确等特点。在推广该险种的过程中,保险公司要特别注意结合我国国情,创新险种设计,选择合适的销售渠道和保费收取模式,实现经济效益和社会效益的"双赢"。     

资产价格与货币、财税政策——文献综述与评价

本文在对研究资产价格与货币、财税政策关系的国内外相关理论进行了较为细致的梳理和总结后发现,国内外学者对于资产价格与货币政策的研究广泛而深入,而其研究结论又是如此模棱两可,资产价格与货币政策的关系处于不确定状态。而从税制发展史上看,房地产税收问题更一直是财政学研究的一个重点问题。关于资本市场的税制研究,国内外学者似乎着墨不多。     

Shareholder Behaviour in the New Issue Market-A Preliminary Report

The compulsory use of IFRS for the consolidated statements of listed companies in the EU and elsewhere, and the convergence of IFRS with US GAAP, might imply the end of ‘international accounting’ as an important field of study. However, there are motives and opportunities for international differences of practice to exist within IFRS usage. Some of the original motives for international accounting differences may still be effective in an IFRS context, though in different ways. The opportunities for different IFRS practices are divided into eight types. Hypotheses relating to each of these are proposed, and some ways of testing them are suggested. Some implications of the existence of different national versions of IFRS are noted.