Endogenous human capital accumulation, comparative advantage and direct vs. indirect redistribution

Recently, several papers have reexamined the so-called production efficiency theorem and the Atkinson and Stiglitz theorem on commodity taxes in the optimal taxation literature. Naito [J. Public Econ. 71 (1999) 65] showed that indirect redistribution through production distortion or consumption distortion can Pareto-improve welfare and that the two theorems do not necessarily hold when different factors are imperfect substitutes and factor prices are endogenous. On the other hand, Saez J. Public Econ. (2002) forthcoming argued that in the long run, where human capital accumulation is endogenous, the two theorems are still valid. This paper develops reasonable alternative models where individuals accumulate human capital based on their comparative advantage. The present paper shows that the production efficiency theorem is not necessarily valid and that indirect redistribution from the able to the less able such as tariffs and production subsidies can increase efficiency even when skill accumulation is endogenous.     

国内外水资源承载力的研究综述

随着能源危机的出现,资源环境问题逐渐成为各国经济学家和环境学家特别关注的问题.近年来,水资源短缺越来越成为各地经济发展的制约因素,面对这种情况,资源承载力概念的提出为资源与经济发展问题提供了一条新的研究途径.本文将国内外有关水资源承载力概念和量化方法的研究作一总体分析,结果表明:(1)国外对水资源承载力的研究较少,国内的研究大体可分为初始、发展、鼎盛和拓展四个阶段;(2)从横向比较来看,水资源承载力的研究在我国以近十年为盛.但研究多集中在资源学科领域和地理环境学科领域,角度大多是综合考虑多方面的影响因素,对一个地区的水资源承载力作出系统评价,并借助可持续发展的思想,应用已有的和创新的方法来解决水资源承载力的问题;(3)水资源承载力的研究在一定程度上是土地资源承载力研究的进步;(4)水资源承载力的研究较少考虑环境污染对水资源承载力以及整个社会系统的影响.在此基础上,本文最后对承载力在自然资源方面的研究作了小结和展望.     

Identification and analysis of underdeveloped resource-rich regions in China

This paper analyzes the existence of developmental views and compares the results of previous studies for underdeveloped regions.In view of the limitations of previous studies,this study details regional unit,expands index system,applies factor-analysis to structure index system,uses the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model to improve analytic hierarchy process,and identifies the economic developmental levels of 384 regions,including 4 municipalities,333 cities at prefecture level,and 47 counties under the jurisdiction of province.The levels of the 47 counties are identified by dividing the rank of comprehensive values of more than 337 regions unit into five equal graduations and then matching the 47 counties with the five-graduation results.This study provides the distribution of resources-rich region in China qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of coal,oil gas and other 14 kinds of metal mineral resources.Finally,by matching the two parts of results,this study identifies the distribution of underdeveloped resource-rich regions （URRRs）.URRRs are mainly distributed in Shaanxi,Shanxi,Guizhou,Yunnan,Sichuan,He ＇nan,Shandong,Guangxi and Gansu provinces,which accounts for 78.57% of the total in China.To a certain degree,the result of this paper proves that ＂resources curse ＂ existing in the national stratification plane in later 20^th century still takes places in some cities in China,especially in the counties of these cities ＇jurisdiction.     

Human capital composition, growth and development: an R&D growth model versus data

The effect of human capital composition on growth and development has been somewhat neglected in economic literature. However, evidence has suggested the importance of engineering and technical (high-tech) skills to economic growth, and international organizations have suggested their shortage in developed countries. Using a standard increasing variety growth model, we propose various measures of human capital composition that are related with economic growth and development. When compared to data, the model does well in explaining the rate of growth and the level of development as a function of these measures. “the British colonies had a better educated population (...). Education was secular with emphasis on pragmatic skills and yankee ingenuity (...). The 13 British colonies had nine universities in 1776 for 2.5 million people. New Spain, with 5 million, had only two universities (...) which concentrated on theology and law.” –(Maddison, 2001)     

人力资本价值、外部性与产权

人力资本价值包括使用价值和稀缺性价值,随着经济形态的演变,人力资本价值将上升,而且人力资本具有极强的正外部性,这是人力资本产权确立的重要基础.我国在进行物质资本产权制度改革的同时必须尽快建立一个有效的人力资本产权制度,以促进人力资本的形成和有效利用,这是我国在知识经济时代能否实现现代化目标、赶上发达国家的重要前提.     

市场准入规制与资源的优化配置

本文讨论了政府通过市场准入规制来调节市场结构,优化市场主体资源配置的问题。提出通过选择适当的门槛,政府可以促使企业更加理性地进行市场进入决策,保持市场适度的竞争,提高社会资源的综合利用效率。     

Age-specific dynamic labor demand and human capital investment

To study the optimal age-specific labor demand and human capital investment at the firm level we extend the standard dynamic labor demand model by introducing ‘age’ as a second dynamic variable and distinguish between two types of workers: ‘low skilled’ and ‘high skilled’. Applying an age-structured optimal control model we derive qualitative features of the optimal age-specific hiring and training effort. For the case of a linear revenue and production function we prove that firms do not anticipate changes in adjustment costs in their optimal decisions. This result no longer holds if a nonlinear revenue or production function is considered.     

人力资本产权的实现方式

人力资本要素作为经济发展的根本动力,为越来越多的人所认识。而现行企业产权制度的不完善,严重制约着人力资本作用的发挥,为了充分发挥人力资本的作用,调动其积极性,必须赋予其产权。本文通过分析认为,人力资本产权的实现方式是产权化。     

Communication externalities in cities

To identify communication externalities in French cities, we exploit a unique survey recording workplace communication of individual workers. Our hypothesis is that in larger and/or more educated cities, workers should communicate more. In turn, more communication should have a positive effect on wages. By estimating both an earnings and a communication equation, we find evidence of communication externalities. In larger and more educated cities, workers communicate more and in turn this has a positive effect on their wages. Depending on the estimates, we find that 13 to 22% of the effects of a more educated and larger city on wages percolate through this channel.     

The Effects of Auditor Social and Human Capital on Auditor Compensation: Evidence from the Italian Small Audit Firm Market

Abstract

This study examines whether social and human capital influence the compensation of individual auditors in the small audit firm market. We employ a sample of Italian auditors and use measures from the network and auditing literatures to capture their professional connections, representing social capital, and their industry expertise, representing human capital. Our findings show a positive and economically meaningful association between these individual attributes and auditor compensation. We run several tests to address potential endogeneity issues in our research design. Our results suggest that, in the small audit market, clients perceive as valuable those auditors with higher social and human capital, and as a result, are willing to pay a premium for these specific auditor attributes.