Auditors' Responses to Workload Imbalance and the Impact on Audit Quality*

Using detailed data for fieldwork hours and audit hours by rank from audit engagements in Korea, we examine whether audits conducted under workload imbalance, proxied by busy‐season audits, impair audit quality, and how auditors adjust staff assignments for busy‐season audits. We generally find that busy‐season audits are associated with lower audit quality, and that audit firms reduce the involvement of senior auditors during busy‐season audits. In addition, the greater the involvement of senior auditors and junior auditors, the lesser the deterioration in audit quality. Finally, although there is no increase in interim audits in response to workload imbalance during busy seasons, increasing interim audits can mitigate the negative impact of busy‐season audits on audit quality. Our results are relevant to auditors and regulators, who have expressed concerns about the adverse effects of workload imbalance on audit quality.     

Beyond trade creation: Preferential trade agreements and trade disputes

This study investigates the effects of preferential trade agreements (PTA) on bilateral trade disputes. We construct a unique and comprehensive dataset on inter-country trade disputes from 1995 to 2007. The dataset covers 110 countries and 1,162 bilateral country-pair trade disputes. Using this dataset in a gravity-type model of trade dispute analysis, we find that countries belonging to the same PTA tend to experience fewer trade conflicts among themselves than with non-member countries. By studying various types of PTA with different dispute settlement mechanisms, we further find that the dispute-reducing effect only comes from PTA with specific provisions on dispute settlement mechanisms. Moreover, the effect is stronger if those PTA explicitly stipulate that members can also resolve their disputes via the WTO Dispute Settlement Body. However, having PTA that do not address how members should resolve their disputes may lead to more dispute initiations than in cases without PTA.     

旅游保险企业顾客资产函数模型构建——基于互补性理论的探讨

旅游保险企业销售业绩不理想的一个主要原因,是不能很好地理解互补性营销资产管理的互补机理。旅游保险企业在组合渠道资产(互补性资产)时,如果原有服务质量(核心营销资产)比较薄弱,而新渠道资产需要对服务质量作出变革时,就不可以只组合进渠道资产而保持原有服务质量不变,否则只能达到次优甚至失败。中国旅游保险企业加强与互补体合作,就有可能获取后发营销竞争优势。     

另一只"看不见的手"——埃莉诺·奥斯特罗姆与"多中心"理论

在"多中心"理论之前,社会上主要存在市场秩序和国家主权秩序.多中心的产生源于集体行动理论的局限性,它颠覆了公共财产只有交由中央权威机构管理或完全私有化后才能有效管理的传统观念.本文对当代公共选择学派和公共经济学的代表人物埃莉诺·奥斯特罗姆的"多中心"理论做了解读,并从奥斯特罗姆个人学术研究经历出发,追溯多中心思想形成的全过程,最后就"多中心"理论的重要意义与发展方向做了展望.     

Regional differences in a national culture and their effects on leadership effectiveness: A tale of two neighboring Chinese cities

We argue that regional differences in a large culture influence leadership effectiveness. Studying the differences and their consequences on leader–member exchange (LMX) and the employee performances in two neighboring Chinese cities, our empirical results show significant differences between group supervisors in Hong Kong and those in Shenzhen. Hong Kong supervisors apply the LMX technique more aggressively, and also more successfully than their Shenzhen counterparts in terms of improving employee performance and reducing turnover.     

全球经济滞胀风险成因及前景

当前全球通胀压力不断加大,从欧盟的情况来看,由于减碳力度加大,碳价及能源价格暴涨正在推动电价飙升,多国PPI突破10%,创近30年之最;从美国情况来看,政策刺激力度超过次贷危机,短期内需求扩张推升了通胀;从生产要素看,疫情下的供应链中断叠加油气价格暴涨,各国都面临要素成本上升的问题;从不可控因素看,极端天气变化导致全球食品价格大幅上涨。在通胀压力与日俱增的同时,全球经济在短暂修复后出现放缓的趋势,呈现出滞胀的特征。为了避免经济滞胀向中长期演化,需要加强国际政策合作。     

中国参与区域经济合作的历史进程及战略深化

20世纪90年代以来,与国内不断深入的改革开放历史进程相适应,面对席卷全球的世界经济一体化和新一轮区域经济一体化浪潮,中国开始了积极参与区域经济合作的艰辛探索,历经10多年的辛勤耕耘,取得了可喜成果,初步构建了多层次、多种机制的“米”字型区域经济合作基本框架。但中国的区域经济合作战略带有一定程度的“模糊性”和“软弱性”,总体上表现为一种务实的运动和一个具体的进程,没有清晰的议程和核心的目标。本文对中国参与区域经济合作的历史进程及当前的战略深化进行了初步探讨,并提出了自己的看法和见解。     

以人为本建构人学

千百年来,孔子一直是中国人心目中"天字第一号"的圣人.18世纪以后,一向自视甚高的西方人也开始关注孔子的学说.20世纪80年代,欧美地区接连出现了两件与孔子有关而令当代中国人既吃惊又振奋的事情:一是孔子被美英学者推选为世界十大思想家之首;二是诺贝尔奖获得者在巴黎会议结束时的宣言中呼吁:"如果人类要在21世纪生存下去,必须回首2500年前,去孔子那里汲取智慧.