Recent estimates of exchange rate pass-through to import prices in the euro area

This paper provides an update on the exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) estimates for 12 euro area (EA) countries. First, based on quarterly data over the 1990–2012 period, the study does not find a significant heterogeneity in the degree of pass-through across the monetary union members, in contrast to previous empirical studies. As the authors use a longer time span for the post-EA era than existing studies, this is not surprising, since the process of monetary union has entailed some convergence towards more stable macroeconomic conditions across EA member states. Second, when assessing the stability of pass-through elasticities, the authors find very weak evidence of a decline around the inception of the euro in 1999. However, their results reveal that a downtrend in ERPT estimates became apparent starting from the beginning of the 1990s. This observed decline was synchronous to the shift towards reduced inflation regimes in their sample of countries. Finally, the authors notice that the distinction between “peripheral” and “core” EA economies in terms of pass-through has significantly decreased over the last two decades.     

Equally-distributed equivalent utility,ex post egalitarianism and utilitarianism

We provide an axiomatization of expected equally-distributed equivalent-utility social welfare functions in the context of Harsanyi?s impartial observer theorem. For this family of social welfare functions, we show what additional axiom is necessary and sufficient for the observer to exhibit aversion to ex post inequality. We also relate this axiomatization to our axiomatization in a companion paper of generalized utilitarian social welfare functions. Given certain richness assumptions, the only social welfare functions that belong to both families are the utilitarian.     

Difference in degrees: CEO characteristics and firm environmental disclosure

We contribute to the literature on firms' responses to institutional pressures and environmental information disclosure. We hypothesize that CEO characteristics such as education and tenure will influence firms' likelihood to voluntarily disclose environmental information. We test our hypotheses by examining firms' responses to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and find that firms led by newly appointed CEOs and CEOs with MBA degrees are more likely to respond to the CDP, while those led by lawyers are less likely to respond. Our results have implications for research on strategic responses to institutional pressures and corporate environmental performance. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The European economy in an expanding world

Summary Postwar economic development in Europe can be subdivided in two periods. In the first subperiod 1950–1973 growth is determined by catching up vis-d-vis the US. The second subperiod 1973–1993 is characterised by a reorientation with respect to the international division of labour. This sets the stage for future developments, which are presented in the form of three different scenarios. In the European Decline scenario Europe cannot match developments in the US and Japan. As appears from a scenario called Fortress Europe import protection provides no sensible solution. To compete on a world scale Europe needs more technological dynamics as sketched in the European Recovery scenario. Calculations of future paths are based on the WorldScan model of the Central Planning Bureau.Theo van de Klundert is Professor of Economics at Tilburg University. Ben Geurts and Hans Timmer are staff members of the Central Planning Bureau, The Hague. We are indebted to Martin Fase and Simon Kuipers for useful comments on an earlier version of the paper.     

国家低碳战略提高了企业全要素生产率吗?——基于低碳城市试点的准自然实验

低碳城市试点是推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的重要战略方向,并且带动、突破与引领全国低碳发展,而低碳城市试点政策的实施也为企业提高全要素生产率提供了重要契机.以低碳城市试点作为准自然实验,基于2008-2019年沪深A股上市企业数据及与企业所在城市进行匹配的城市面板数据,采用渐进双重差分法考察国家低碳战略对企业全要素生产率的影响.研究发现:(1)低碳城市试点政策能够提高企业全要素生产率,并且在进行平行趋势检验、安慰剂检验、PSM-DID检验等一系列稳健性检验后,结论依然成立.(2)低碳城市试点政策会降低高碳排放行业企业全要素生产率,但有助于提高非国有企业全要素生产率.(3)低碳城市试点政策通过缓解企业融资约束、提升企业技术创新水平与企业资本配置效率来促进企业全要素生产率的提高.研究丰富了将低碳城市试点切入企业层面进行政策效应评估的理论研究和经验证据,是基于中国情境对"波特假说"相关领域研究的补充,为低碳城市试点的深入推进及企业以该试点为契机来提高全要素生产率提供了政策启示.     

企业ESG表现改善的技术创新促进效应研究

ESG表现的改善不仅能够显著提升企业形象,而且对企业可持续发展具有多重积极影响,包括融资约束缓解效应、代理成本减少笑效应、内部控制优化效应等,而这些积极效应又将促进企业的技术创新。采用沪深A股上市公司2011—2020年数据的分析发现：ESG表现的改善能够显著促进企业技术创新,且其中存在缓解融资约束、降低代理成本、优化内部控制等影响路径;ESG表现改善的技术创新促进效应因企业特征的不同而具有异质性,非国有企业比国有企业、重污染企业比非重污染企业更强,成长期和成熟期企业比初创期和衰退期企业更为显著;市场化程度对ESG表现改善的技术创新促进效应具有负向调节作用,在市场化水平较低、政府对市场干预程度较高、产品市场发育程度较低的地区企业ESG表现改善的技术创新促进效应较强。因此,一方面,应加快构建和完善中国特色ESG体系,推动企业积极实施ESG战略以及ESG信息披露数量和质量的提升;另一方面,应对不同类型、不同地区企业的ESG表现提出差异化要求,在强化外部监督的同时激励和支持各类企业的ESG投资。     

Deposit market competition,wholesale funding,and bank risk

Empirical research on the effect of bank competition on bank risk has so far produced very inconclusive results. In this paper we revisit this long-standing debate and propose a new empirical approach that is concentrated on the relationship between deposit market competition and bank risk. This approach closely follows the traditional theoretical views of the competition and risk relationship and is focused on testing the classical moral hazard problem of the bank: deposit market competition raises the optimal risk choice of the bank by raising the costs of bank liabilities. Since banks can substitute between retail and wholesale funding, we relate deposit market competition to wholesale market conditions and examine their joint effect on the risk of bank assets. The analysis is based on a unique, comprehensive dataset, which combines retail deposit rate data with data on bank characteristics and data on local deposit market features for a sample of 589 US banks. Our results support the notion of a risk-enhancing effect of deposit market competition.     

廉州话的代词

廉州话,是合浦县的主要方言之一,是一种颇具特色的粤方言。文章对廉州话代词的形式和功能进行介绍并对其特殊用法进行描写和分析,以揭示廉州话代词的基本面貌。