Integration of rice markets: the case of southern China

In this article, integration of rice markets in southern China is analyzed using the cointegration technique and monthly price data. Results show that there is a general lack of integration among the indica rice markets in China. Poor transport facilities, government interventions, and the limited amount of grain available for arbitrage are identified as the major impediments to market integration. Policy implications are discussed.     

Corporate Social Responsibility and Worker Rights: Institutionalizing Social Dialogue Through International Framework Agreements

International framework agreements (IFAs) represent a new generation of transnational agreements between multinational companies and global trade union federations. This paper analyzes the impact of such an agreement on a successful union organizing campaign in Colombia in 2012. We argue that management strategies towards corporate social responsibility and social dialogue influence the impact of IFAs on worker rights. However, this relationship is mediated by the capacity of managers and worker representatives at multiple levels to mobilize their capabilities. The results highlight the importance of institutionalized dialogue between managers and worker representatives, of the dissemination of capabilities across multilevel coordination structures and, most importantly, of their complementarities at various levels.