FINANCIAL DEPENDENCE,BANKING SECTOR COMPETITION,AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

The relationships among competition in the financial sector, access of firms to external financing, and associated economic growth are ambiguous in theory. Moreover, measuring competition in the financial sector can be complex. In this paper we first estimate for 16 countries an industrial organization‐based measure of banking system competition. We then relate this competition measure to growth of industries and find that greater competition in countries' banking systems allows financially dependent industries to grow faster. These results are robust under a variety of tests. Our results suggest that the degree of competition is an important aspect of financial sector functioning. (JEL: D4, G21, L11, L80, O16)     

Integrated Management Systems — Opportunities and Risks for Corporate Environmental Protection

Environmental protection in companies is increasingly carried out using Integrated Management Systems (IMS). Based on empirical results, this article examines how IMS can be designed and how the integration affects corporate environmental protection. In particular, we discuss the findings of four empirical studies, which surveyed experiences of German and European companies.Our work shows, that the success of corporate environmental protection does not depend on whether the company has implemented a separate environmental management system or an IMS. What is crucial is the rank of environmental protection within the company's system of objectives. In case of goal conflicts, decision criteria in agreement with the company's system of objectives have to be formulated. Furthermore, the IMS model can have an effect on this issue. The results of a pilot project in the automobile sector are discussed to illustrate how to implement such an IMS on the basis of ISO 14001.Compared to isolated environmental management systems, IMS can even improve environmental protection, because ecological criteria can be considered from the beginning when designing customer-oriented products and processes.     

Corporate Social Responsibility through Cross‐sector Partnerships: Implications for Civil Society,the State,and the Corporate Sector in India

Corporations are increasingly forced to widen their agendas to include social and environmental concerns, or corporate social responsibility (CSR). This development has been recorded in the current academic debate, and the views regarding its implications for business, the state, and civil society diverge. However, there is agreement within the CSR and corporate governance literatures that there is a lack of thorough empirical studies of these effects. Based on a case study of the multinational wind energy company Suzlon Energy's CSR projects in rural India, this article contends that CSR projects implemented through cross‐sector partnerships can help to build the capacities of civil society organizations (CSOs). Although the risk of corporate steering of the civil society agenda is reduced when CSR prioritizes community needs over business imperatives, CSOs tend to bear the highest costs in partnerships, through credibility losses and insecurity concerning project terms and funding, reinforcing the importance of critical cooperation and complementary core competencies in cross‐sector partnerships. The results have implications for the strategies of corporations, CSOs, and governments as well as for the planning of national and international development aid.     

Do ownership and size affect the performance of water utilities? Evidence from Estonian municipalities

Concerns regarding rising water and sewerage prices have generated a renewed interest in measuring and assessing water utility performance. An efficiency analysis can serve as a basis for price setting decisions. This article examines the influence of ownership structure and corporate size on the efficiency of Estonian water companies, and assesses the empirical efficiency gaps through the lens of corporate governance and natural monopoly theories. To assess efficiency and the influence of ownership and corporate size on efficiency, we use a Data Envelopment Analysis and truncated regression with maximum likelihood estimation as well as an ANOVA test. The study sample consists of 43 water utilities, serving more than 68% of the Estonian population. One main finding of the study reveals that ownership structure does not affect the efficiency of Estonian water utilities, while efficiency does increase with corporate size: large water utilities outperform small utilities. An additional conclusion is that the Estonian water sector is too fragmented.     

Competition and The Operational Performance of Hospitals: The Role of Hospital Objectives

We examine the effect of a hospital's objective (i.e., non‐profit vs. for‐profit) in hospital markets for elective care. Using game‐theoretic analysis and queueing models to capture the operational performance of hospitals, we compare the equilibrium behavior of three market settings in terms of such criteria as waiting times and patient costs from waiting and hospital payments. In the first setting, a monopoly, patients are served exclusively by a single non‐profit hospital; in the second, a homogeneous duopoly, patients are served by two competing non‐profit hospitals. In our third setting, a heterogeneous duopoly, the market is served by one non‐profit hospital and one for‐profit hospital. A non‐profit hospital provides free care to patients, although they may have to wait; for‐profit hospitals charge a fee to provide care with minimal waiting. A comparison between the monopolistic and each of the duopolistic settings reveals that the introduction of competition can hamper a hospital's ability to attain economies of scale and can also increase waiting times. Moreover, the presence of a for‐profit sector may be desirable only when the hospital market is sufficiently competitive. A comparison across the duopolistic settings indicates that the choice between homogeneous and heterogeneous competition depends on the patients' willingness to wait before receiving care and the reimbursement level of the non‐profit sector. When the public funder is not financially constrained, the presence of a for‐profit sector may allow the funder to lower both the financial costs of providing coverage and the total costs to patients. Finally, our analysis suggests that the public funder should exercise caution when using policy tools that support the for‐profit sector—for example, patient subsidies—because such tools may increase patient costs in the long run; it might be preferable to raise the non‐profit sector's level of reimbursement.     

THE ROLE OF SUPPLY MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES IN GREEN SUPPLY

Managers realize that they should avoid complex green supply initiatives when they do not have the capabilities to implement them. However, they have little guidance on how these capabilities can be developed. This paper provides an initial analysis of the role of supply management capabilities in green supply. We argue that the implementation of green supply is better explained by focusing on the development and deployment of an organization's specialized internal resources, rather than by the more usual focus on external environmental pressures on a firm. Further, we argue that capabilities appropriate for green supply are developed by a proactive corporate environmental stance and by a more strategic purchasing and supply management approach. We test our model using data from a two‐phase survey of 70 operating units within UK public limited companies. Our results indicate support for our conjecture that supply management capabilities are jointly developed by a proactive corporate environmental approach and a strategic purchasing and supply process. Our study results should be useful to business strategists, regulators, and researchers interested in the predictors of corporate green behavior. They should also assist future researchers in many branches of environmental management who are seeking to explore the role of the internal capabilities of firms in supporting environmental management.     

Public Sector Reform in Denmark: Organizational Transformation and Evaluation

Public sector reform in Denmark has not been studied extensively, despite the country's tireless reorganization efforts and track record of trying new ideas. This article thus seeks to fill a gap in the literature. It does this by examining the reorganization of the public sector in terms of the transformation of organizations, and by assessing how successive governments have evaluated the initiatives taken with the aim of knowing whether or not reorganization has worked. The discussion shows that reorganization has been incremental and pragmatic, and that governments have rarely evaluated their reorganization efforts in any systematic way. One of the primary reasons for this has been the desire of politicians and top civil servants to have political and administrative flexibility and freedom to seize on strategic opportunities, unconstrained by the findings of detailed evaluations.     

Changes in mental well-being,blood pressure and total cholesterol levels during workplace reorganization: The impact of uncertainty

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of uncertainty caused by large-scale workplace reorganization, on psychological well-being, blood pressure and total cholesterol levels. Employees (98 women and 86 men) were assessed four times, at approximately 6-monthly intervals, twice before and twice after reorganization. Self-reported psychological well-being was at its lowest level shortly prior to reorganization, as predicted. Greater self-reported uncertainty about one's own future occupational situation was associated with a bigger reduction in mental well-being before reorganization, as was role ambiguity after reorganization. Systolic blood pressure was elevated over initial levels just prior to reorganization, and shortly after reorganization, but at the final assessment was not significantly different from initial levels. A bigger increase in systolic blood pressure was seen in those reporting greater future job uncertainty before reorganization, and in those who started a new job or who reported greater role ambiguity after reorganization. Diastolic blood pressure was also significantly elevated over initial levels just before reorganization, but this effect became nonsignificant once changes in body mass index were statistically controlled. Total cholesterol also reached its highest level just prior to reorganization, but this effect was not significant. It is concluded that workplace reorganization caused significant increases in distress and in systolic blood pressure and that uncertainty contributed to these effects.     

THE DYNAMICS OF CLIMATE AGREEMENTS

This paper analyzes a framework in which countries over time pollute and invest in green technologies. Without a climate treaty, the countries pollute too much and invest too little, particularly if intellectual property rights are weak. Nevertheless, short‐term agreements on emission levels then reduce every country's payoff, since countries invest less when they anticipate future negotiations. If intellectual property rights are weak, the agreement should be tougher and more long‐term. Conversely, if the climate agreement happens to be short‐term or absent, intellectual property rights should be strengthened or technological licensing subsidized.     

Competition Between Banks and Building Societies in the Retailing of Financial Services

Within the financial services sector there has been diversification on a vast scale, with varying degrees of success. Financial services are increasingly viewed as products, the various branch networks as channels of distribution. The competition between banks and building societies has become a major battleground in the war for consumers' financial services expenditure. Both types of organization have a strong presence in the high street and have become major users of media advertising and other marketing weaponry. Historically, they have both enjoyed strong but different forms of relationship with their customers; these differences are rapidly diminishing as each invades the other's trading territory. This paper presents results from a study of bank-building society competition, illustrating the attributes and dimensions upon which consumers tend to base their choices. Financial services retailers are urged to base their marketing strategies upon a clear understanding of consumer needs and motives, not upon ‘me-too’ responses to competitors' moves. As many product retailers have discovered to their cost, heavy marketing expenditure cannot be a substitute for a well founded retail marketing strategy.     

The Performance of an NHS Trust Board: Actors' Accounts,Minutes and Observation

The corporate board is a common feature of both private sector and public sector enterprises. The roles undertaken by boards are therefore a significant area of interest for writers on organizations. This paper makes two contributions to the study of corporate hoards. First, it presents the results of an intensive study of the performance of the board of directors of a first wave National Health Service (NHS) Trust based on three sources of data: actors' accounts; minutes; and observation. This study concludes that the board has made only a marginal contribution to the governance of the Trust. Second, it provides a critique of the three methodological approaches which are available to researchers undertaking such studies and argues that most reported studies of boards are unreliable as they are based on only one, or at best two, of the three available sources of data.     

产品市场竞争、融资约束与公司现金持有:基于中国制造业上市公司的实证分析

本文采用我国制造业上市公司2001年-2007年共2401个公司年的平衡面板数据,利用行业间竞争、行业内竞争两个维度的产品市场竞争变量,实证分析了我国制造业上市公司产品市场竞争对现金持有水平的综合影响。实证结果显示,对于所有制造业上市公司来说,产品市场竞争对公司现金持有存在显著的掠夺风险效应。在考虑公司融资约束的情况下,产品市场竞争对公司现金持有的掠夺风险和代理成本两种竞争效应被有效区分开来。融资约束公司表现为显著的掠夺风险效应,非融资约束公司则表现为显著的代理成本效应。这些研究结论不仅丰富和补充了产品市场竞争与公司现金持有之间的相关研究,也为公司实施积极的现金流风险管理和持有现金的高效利用提供了实践支持。     

Trends and challenges of developing human capital in India

With the population touching 1.2 billion, half of which is around 25 years of age, India is set to be among one of the top countries for human capital in the next two decades. While the country has been making rapid progress economically, human capital additions may remain marginal and may not keep up with the pace of economic growth unless accompanied by planned development of manpower. The Indian corporate sector was the first to start a dedicated HR function 30 years ago and the nation was the first to have a Ministry of HRD 20 years ago. Despite the early start, the last two to three decades have provided a mixed bag of experiences and expectations. Conservative HRD policies have not helped India's skill base to develop at the same rate as economic progress. An inadequate research base and the low quality of people entering the HR profession have prevented corporate HRD from becoming more productive than it is now. A lot of attention is directed towards recruitment, retention and compensation strategies rather than to talent multiplication. At the same time, innovative leaders and chief executive officers (CEOs) who have taken up the mantle of HR have made a mark. The future of human capital formation will be bright at the national level if the government makes more intense efforts to build human capital and becomes more innovative and expansive. At the corporate level, the credibility of HR is still suspect as it has not been able to match its steps with those of India's more innovative leaders. Preparation of a new breed of HR professionals combined with education of CEOs in what good HR can do may go a long way in helping Indian HR develop a strong footing.     

Beyond Association: How Employees Want to Participate in Their Firms' Corporate Social Performance

Although many studies have found a positive relationship between corporate social performance and employer attractiveness, few have examined how different forms of responsibility might mediate that attraction, particularly when those social practices afford different degrees of employee participation. The current study undertook this line of inquiry by examining prospective employees’ attraction to three common approaches to corporate social performance (CSP) that offer increasing levels of participation: donation, volunteerism, and operational integration. Unexpectedly, findings from an empirical investigation challenged the study's main hypothesis; that is, prospective employees were least attracted to firms that integrated their social and financial goals. Consequently, important implications and questions remain for both employers and business educators.     

ON THE STABILITY OF DIFFERENT FINANCIAL SYSTEMS

An economy in which deposit‐taking banks of a Diamond and Dybvig style and a financial market coexist is modeled in a simple framework closely related to Diamond (1997). Solely depending on the fraction of naïve households who cannot efficiently invest directly in the corporate sector, two different types of financial systems emerge. With the fraction comparatively low, the evolving financial system can be interpreted as market‐oriented, whereas a high fraction brings about a bank‐dominated financial system. In market‐oriented systems, banks only provide naïve households with access to efficient investments; in bank‐dominated systems, banks' deposit contracts also offer some degree of liquidity insurance. Consequently, compared to market‐oriented financial systems, the household sector in bank‐dominated financial systems holds a larger portfolio fraction in deposits and a smaller part in direct investments. Analyzing the resilience of the different financial systems to various types of shocks shows that moderately bank‐dominated (or hybrid) financial systems are particularly fragile, because only in these systems do fire sales of assets by distressed banks cause a deterioration in asset prices that also precipitates other banks into crisis. (JEL: D52, E44, G10, G21)     

企业投资决策同伴效应及其特征的实证检验——基于中国上市公司的面板数据

企业投资的同伴效应是指企业的投资行为受到其参照组内同伴投资的影响。为解决识别同伴效应时面临的参照组有效性问题以及企业决策互相影响的联立性问题，本文选择跨区域的同行业企业作为同伴企业，首次构建了同伴企业的同区域跨行业企业的投资均值作为工具变量，基于2008-2015年中国上市公司的面板数据，实证检验了上市企业投资决策的同伴效应。结果表明，中国上市企业投资决策受到跨区域同行业的同伴企业投资显著正向影响，且这种同伴效应在增减变动方向上具有不对称性和乘数效应的基本特征。本文拓展和深化了企业财务决策同伴效应的现有研究，并有助于投资者与监管部门理解同伴效应的放大作用。     

基于联立方程模型的公司治理溢价研究——兼谈如何检验公司治理评价指标的有效性

公司治理溢价研究可以揭示公司治理与企业价值之间的互动机理,不仅有助于深化和丰富公司治理理论,为上市公司优化公司治理指明方向和重点,而且有助于投资者全面评估企业价值.而对公司治理的客观评价是公司治理溢价研究中的关键问题,本文在以往研究成果基础上,以上证公司治理板块的评选结果为参照样本,给出了检验公司治理评价指标有效性的科学方法,进而验证了以DEA方法构建的公司治理效率值指标的有效性;在此基础上利用联立方程模型对公司治理溢价进行研究,解决了公司治理与企业价值之间可能存在的内生性问题;以2007年中国沪市578家A股公司为样本对联立方程模型进行估计.结果表明,中国股票市场存在公司治理溢价,公司治理效率值每增加0.1,流通盘市场附加值就会有37.2%的溢价.     

The Primary Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethicality in Corporate Reputation: An Empirical Study

We examine three assumptions commonly held in the corporate reputation literature: (1) reputation ratings of owners and investors are generally representative of all stakeholders; (2) stakeholders will generally provide a higher reputation rating to firms that emphasize corporate social responsibility versus firms that do not; and (3) profitability is the primary criterion of importance to all stakeholders when rating a firm's reputation. Using an exploratory in‐class exercise, our findings suggest that: (1) there are significant differences among stakeholder groups in their reputation ratings; (2) firms that emphasize corporate social responsibility are not rated more highly across all stakeholder groups; and (3) for all stakeholder groups, the ethicality criterion explained more of the variance in firms' reputation ratings than the profitability criterion.     

Social movement spillover: Barriers to board gender diversity posed by contemporary governance reform

Managerial oversight is strengthened and firms' strategic performance improved when boards are gender-diverse. Yet the rate of women's appointment to corporate boards is decelerating. This study proposes an explanation for the unexpected attenuation rooted in social movement dynamics, particularly cross-movement influences originating from the contemporary governance reform movement. Seeking to alleviate managerialist tendencies, the governance reform movement has compelled major changes to board structure, composition, and activity, as well as the broader logic surrounding corporate boards. By definition, social movements' cognitive and structural advances manifest “spillover” effects – unintentional impacts affecting the opportunity structure, and ultimately progress, of neighboring campaigns. Drawing on social movement theory, a conceptual model is outlined explicating the mechanisms by which governance reform's broad enactments have incidentally impeded board gender diversity's advance. Theoretically-grounded strategies for reversing those effects are also outlined and the study closes with a discussion of implications for research, practice, and policy.     

投资者法律保护、产品市场竞争与现金股利支付力度——来自中国制造业上市公司的经验证据

在股利代理理论的框架下,实证检验了投资者法律保护、产品市场竞争与企业现金股利支付力度的关系,以及在不同投资者法律保护水平(包括法律制度和法制环境)下,产品市场竞争对企业现金股利支付力度的影响.研究发现,在其他条件一定的情况下,投资者法律保护水平、产品市场竞争程度与公司现金股利支付力度呈显著正相关关系;当法律保护水平较低时,产品市场竞争对公司现金股利支付力度的影响更显著.研究结论进一步说明了在法律保护水平较低时,激烈的产品市场竞争可以弥补法律保护的不足,保护投资者的利益.