The use of information technology for international transfer pricing in multinational enterprises

This paper studies the degree to which multinational enterprises (MNEs) use information technology for managing international transfer pricing (ITP). Based on 21 interviews conducted with in-house accounting and tax professionals in MNEs, we observed limited use of information technology for ITP management. However, some degree of ITP automation was observed in workflow management to produce transfer pricing documentation. The limited degree of automation observed was driven by both system- and individual-level barriers. Overall, we found that management accountants and information technology experts dominate the enterprise resource planning system design agenda, and the tax departments’ ITP tax compliance objective plays a relatively limited role. This reduces the ability for ITP automation partly because the data segmentation that is prioritized for management reporting does not support the tax departments’ needs for legal-entity data segmentation to document tax compliance.     

Volatility of Tax Payments and Dividend Payouts*

Dividends are a key mechanism for shareholders to discipline managers and mitigate agency conflicts. This study examines whether the volatility of tax payments is associated with dividend payouts. Consistent with the predictions, results suggest that firms with more volatile tax payments are less likely to pay dividends overall and their dividends are lower in magnitude when doing so. These effects are economically significant and incremental to a firm's operating risk. The link between volatile tax payments and the likelihood of dividend payouts is weaker for firms that distribute dividends to alleviate agency conflicts. Similarly, the link between volatile tax payments and the amount of dividend payouts is weaker for firms that hold more cash for tax reasons. Taken together, these findings add to our understanding of the economic consequences of volatile tax payments and the determinants of dividend payouts.     

期权理论与南水北调东线工程“水银行”设想

通过分析南水北调东线工程的建设与运行机制,将新型金融衍生工具———期权理论引入其具体的水权转让中,建立南水北调东线工程虚拟“水银行”。在规避水源用户相应的自然和市场风险的同时,有利于提高水源用户的节水意识,重塑节水与效益的关系,是实现水资源优化配置的有效途径。     

惯例复制和环境宽容性中介调节下的人力资本与知识转移

基于知识基础观理论，实证检验了环境容忍度影响下，专才和通才两种角色特性、惯例复制与知识转移之间的内在联系。对246家知识密集型企业样本数据进行分析，结果表明：专才型人力资本与通才型人力资本均对知识转移绩效具有显著正向影响，并且惯例复制在这一过程中发挥部分中介作用；环境宽容性负向调节惯例复制在专才型人力资本与知识转移之间的中介作用，存在被调节的中介效应；环境宽容性负向调节惯例复制在通才型人力资本与知识转移之间的中介作用，存在被调节的中介效应。     

The impacts of inventory in transfer pricing and net income: Differences between traditional accounting and throughput accounting

This research proposes the Theory of Constraints (TOC) throughput accounting (TA) as an alternative management control mechanism in an international transfer pricing setting. We compare TA with the traditional accounting method and demonstrate that the traditional method underestimate factors as demand variation and inventories, which affects decisions, such as moving production to an offshore plant. A detailed system dynamics model is built to simulate the production process in an offshore supply chain to compare the methods. The study aims to fill a gap in the management accounting studies and contribute to the understanding of international transfer pricing and their management controls, exploring more than just the tax savings, which are usually considered isolated from operational factors for supply chain (SC) offshoring decisions. Furthermore, we conduct a brief literature review, present the model and discuss the results. It has been observed that inventory levels are an important part of accounting, offshored supply chains, and transfer pricing. Traditional cost and accounting methods favour higher inventory levels, and they can overestimate net income results up to 70% – especially in higher demand variation scenarios – when compared to the throughput accounting.     

Elections and COVID-19 benefit payments

This study examines the political factors associated with the implementation of a benefit payment policy in Japan during the COVID-19 crisis. The Japanese government announced a universal cash payment program in April 2020, but the payment date differed across localities. This study estimates the correlation between this timing and local politicians’ characteristics, finding that local governments with mayors elected unopposed tended to start making payments comparatively early. As such, mayors elected uncontested may be able to mobilize resources within government offices to execute programs such as the Special Fixed Benefit program in Japan, which attracted public attention.     

Crossing the bridge from network training to development: A guide to move trainees from classroom insights to effective networks

Professional networks help employees accomplish work tasks, progress in their careers, and thrive personally. Decades of research suggest that achieving these outcomes requires more than simply amassing 'more' network contacts. Instead, networks with certain characteristics (e.g., networks that are open, diverse, and deep) enhance effectiveness. Network training teaches trainees about effective networks and helps trainees identify their network development needs by providing feedback on their current network. Once back on the job, trainees are assumed to take appropriate actions to develop their networks. However, our research and experience training MBA students, executives, and employees at all levels suggest that trainees often struggle to develop their networks after training. We studied 119 trainees engaged in network training and development to understand why. Our investigation revealed that many trainees fail to set network development goals that match their personalized feedback, identify strategies that match their goals, and take actions to develop networks that match their strategies. These mismatches create gaps in the bridge that trainees build to take themselves from network training to development. Further, even after building strong bridges by aligning their feedback, goals, strategies, and actions, many trainees encounter on-the-job barriers that prevent them from improving the effectiveness of their network. We offer a guide to help address translational gaps and mitigate on-the-job barriers, thereby enhancing the translation of network training insights into network development.     

资金供给、技术能力与技术转移绩效——国家重点研发计划多群组结构方程模型分析

国家重点研发计划对全产业链的强调使得研究其技术转移尤为必要。参考资源基础理论和动态能力理论，构建“资金供给—技术积累规模—技术转移能力—技术转移绩效”国家重点研发计划技术转移模型。应用结构方程模型进行检验，使用多群组结构方程模型探讨不同研究项目各因素对技术转移绩效的不同影响。结果发现：(1)国家重点研发计划技术转移绩效总体处于较高水平；(2)技术转移能力是国家重点研发计划技术转移绩效最直接、最有力的影响因素，资金供给是技术转移绩效的重要支撑；(3)技术积累规模难以直接影响技术转移绩效，但在技术转移绩效影响机理中发挥重要传导作用，是技术转移的基础性技术资源；(4)不同项目类型影响效应存在显著差异。研究结论可为政府、项目参与单位、首席科学家和普通参与者有效促进科技项目技术转移提供参考依据。     

南水北调工程价值链管理研究

根据价值链理论,把与南水北调工程相关的组织看作为价值链成员,由这些成员共同构成价值链,实现价值。本文对南水北调工程实施价值链管理进行了利弊分析,研究表明南水北调工程实行价值链管理能够提升管理水平,只要有效克服一些可能的障碍,一定能实现工程预期的价值。借鉴价值链理论来研究南水北调工程的管理体制,是一种新的尝试,拓展南水北调工程的研究视角。