小农经营、功能转换与策略选择——兼论小农户与现代农业融合发展的“第三条道路”

基于大国小农的基本国情,正确处理小农经济与现代农业发展的关系,实现小农户与现代农业发展的有机衔接,是中国探索农业现代化道路所长期面临的重大问题。本文试图厘清小农经济与现代农业发展的经济学含义,分析传统农业与现代农业"两分法"的可能性缺陷,由此揭示农业多功能拓展态势下农户经营及其转型的可能性图景;进而在把握家庭经营全球性趋势的基础上,构建小农经营及其转型发展的逻辑线索,重点阐明中国小农户与现代农业融合发展的第三条道路。文章认为,与美国农户大规模经营及其自我服务、日本农户小规模经营及其生产性服务内卷化不同,中国小农户与现代农业发展有机衔接的关键是农业服务的社会化,并由此将小农经营卷入分工经济。     

The impact of the UK's Modern Slavery Act (2015) on the disclosure of FTSE 100 companies

This paper explores the impact of the UK's Modern Slavery Act (2015) on the disclosure of the FTSE100 companies. It conducts a content analysis of modern slavery disclosures in the modern slavery statements, annual reports, and sustainability reports from 2013 to 2019. By utilising the framework by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, Practical Guidance by the Home Office and the Global Reporting Initiative, we assess the extent and quality of modern slavery disclosures. Our analysis reveals a high level of compliance to the Act's minimum disclosure requirements. We also note an increase in the extent and quality of disclosures following the introduction of the Act, although quality remains low throughout the period as symbolic disclosure is predominantly in evidence. Drawing on normativity theory we identify intrinsic and contextual conditions for norm development. We find that while the presence of intrinsic conditions has positively contributed to the extent and quality of some disclosure themes, the lack of controllability and communication with suppliers has undermined related disclosure provision and constitutes a major hurdle for improving accountability in supply chains.     

Exploring effectiveness of entity actions to eliminate modern slavery risk – Early Australian evidence

The need for entities to eliminate the unethical and illegal practice of modern slavery in their operations and supply chains has led different jurisdictions to require large entities to report on how they assess the effectiveness of actions taken. In Australia, to build awareness of practices for internal and external stakeholders, the Australian Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) mandates annual reporting in modern slavery statements and provides guidance as to how effectiveness of actions might be reported on. Based on theories/frameworks/models from literature addressing organisational effectiveness, an inductive analysis is conducted on the first 255 modern slavery statements published on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. Results indicate great diversity in approaches to reporting on effectiveness of actions, ranging from a total lack of reporting, through basic compliance, to going beyond compliance. The observations are used to develop a comprehensive framework for assessment of organisational effectiveness and an assessment of the extent to which current effectiveness theories/frameworks/models can guide future developments. The paper suggests adoption of the proposed framework can lead entities to improved transparency and validation of the effectiveness of their actions, as an important first step towards elimination of modern slavery in their supply chains.     

中国大规模减税降费的政治经济学诠释

文章是对我国2016-2020年"大规模减税降费"的一次总结和分析，试图通过对大规模减税降费实施的背景、有关企业税负问题的全国大讨论以及政治决策过程的回顾和梳理，运用政治经济学和财政学的方法，对减税降费系列举措组合拳的作用机理及实施效果进行理论诠释与经验总结。实证和思辨分析的结果表明，大规模减税是马克思主义政治经济学中国化的重要理论和实践成果，是与中国传统的"轻税主义"思想文化的有机契合，有助于从理论和实践两个方面加深对中国式现代化国家治理体系建构过程的认识和推进。     

现代西方国防经济学及其在中国的发展综述

现代国防经济学是现代经济学分支学科之一,与其他分支学科一样已经发展成为非常成熟的学科,但由于这门学科本身研究对象的特殊性,以及这门学科在中国发展的滞后性,使得国内经济学界对这门学科的历史及其在中国发展的现状缺乏了解.本文力图介绍现代西方国防经济学研究的现状,并回顾中国国防经济学的发展历程,旨在使国内主流经济学界对这门学科及其在中国的发展予以关注,并参与到这门学科的研究中来.     

The role of market devices in addressing labour exploitation: An analysis of the Australian cleaning industry

This study examines how the risk of labour standards noncompliance can be rendered calculable and commensurable through a market device. We present a case study of the Cleaning Accountability Framework (CAF), an industry certification scheme, which seeks to address labour exploitation in the Australian contract cleaning industry. We pay particular attention to the central device of the certification scheme – the pricing schedule. We examine how the pricing schedule shaped the calculative space informing contracting parties during the procurement process. In doing so, the pricing schedule increased transparency around the potential risk of labour standards noncompliance. The nature of this transparency and the perceived objectivity of the pricing schedule acted to reshape the market for contract cleaning, resulting in a redistribution of accountability for labour exploitation. We also examine how the pricing schedule formed part of a wider framework of accountability, and how these mechanisms enabled strategic co-enforcement of labour standards compliance by supply chain stakeholders. Overall, our study indicates the potential for accounting practices to play a more active role in shaping how markets address modern slavery risks.     

20世纪50年代的职工储蓄动员与现代国家建设

伴随着现代国家建设,政府对民众日常生活的介入与塑造愈益加深。1949年以后,为了早日向工业国转变,国家选择了高投入、高积累的工业化发展战略,并通过计划经济体制调整国民收入中积累和消费部分的比重,个体消费者的经济活动也因此被纳入国家计划的范畴。储蓄作为一种延期消费,具有调节货币流通、推迟社会购买力、增加生产建设资金的作用。为此,国家加大了对城市居民特别是职工储蓄的推广力度。对银行储蓄的大力提倡和动员,成为国家调整积累与消费关系的重要手段,同时它也在无形中改造了民众传统的经济生活方式和消费习惯。根植于传统“熟人社会”的民间借贷具有强大的生命力,成为现代国家推广银行储蓄的一大阻力。在这种情况下,互助储金会等新型的互助.互济组织应运而生,承担着将职工从民间信贷导向银行储蓄的历史功能。     

Management controls and modern slavery risks in the building and construction industry: Lessons from an Australian social housing provider

Modern slavery presents a complex risk for organisations worldwide, with perpetrators continually adapting practices to maintain a veil of secrecy. While management controls may reduce modern slavery risks, little is known about how they optimally function across industries and organisational forms. To advance the state of knowledge, we examine an Australian not for profit housing provider using an interventionist research method. We draw on a combined conceptual framework of management controls and expectancy theory to analyse participant observations and document data collected over 24 months. Our findings show that despite constraints, the organisation reduced modern slavery risks. This outcome, informed by a social purpose within the organisation, was facilitated through the introduction and adaptation of cultural, personnel, action, and results controls. By discussing the changes this housing provider made, we add to the literature on management controls and modern slavery and provide theoretical insights into why they were adopted. We also highlight limitations in what the organisation could achieve that point to areas for future research.     

Modern slavery and the accounting profession

This first paper in the Special Issue on “Modern slavery and the accounting profession” considers how various branches and functions of the accounting profession in business operations and supply chains are implicated by the move to end modern slavery. Accounting has always been involved with slavery practices. When slavery was legal, accounting focused on reporting slaves as assets and expenses in the accounts. In these more humane times, now that ownership of slaves is illegal, the accounting profession has different functional responsibilities towards modern slavery. These include external reporting in line with and above and beyond requirements of legislation; internal management accounting to build awareness and support planning, control and decision making to reduce modern slavery risk and look for opportunities from mitigation; and audit and assurance to ensure credibility of claims made by business. The papers presented in this Special Issue touch upon some of the key aspects of the connection between modern slavery and management control systems, corporate disclosures and the historical role of professional auditors/the accounting profession, but much remains to be achieved in the research agenda ahead.