The Social Inclusion and Inequality Nexus: EU versus non‐EU migrants

This study examines the relationship between social inclusions of migrant and income inequality. Both positive and negative impacts of social inclusion on income inequality have been observed in the previous literature. This study specifically considers two types of migration flow: migration flow from EU and migration flow from non‐EU. The aim of this article is twofold: 1) is there a strong association between social inclusion of migrants and income inequality, 2) is there any different impact of social inclusion of two types of migrants (EU vs non‐EU)? Using data from 33 mainly European countries over the period 2003‐2015 and controlling for savings rate, arable land rate and age‐dependency ratio, our results indicate that there is a significant negative relationship between social inclusion and income inequality. In particular, we find that social inclusion from non‐EU migrants significantly reduces income inequality compare with EU migrants.     

Entrenchment in publicly traded family firms: Evidence from the S&P 500

Family involvement in corporate governance through ownership, management, and board membership presents a unique dilemma for understanding the strategic impetus and costs of entrenchment decisions. The presence of shared family ties and the family-centered goals of firm principals call to question the applicability of extant agency arguments regarding the nature and antecedents of managerial entrenchment. Exploring this, we develop and test a model of family firm-specific determinants (i.e., family ownership and family's involvement in management and governance) of entrenchment in publicly traded firms by drawing upon principal-principal agency theory. Findings of the empirical analysis of family owned S&P 500 firms suggest family firms are motivated to entrench managers when doing so supports the pursuit of family-centric goals. However, the extent to which entrenchment supports such goals varies at different levels of family ownership.     

China’s flexible overseas food strategy: food trade and agricultural investment between Southeast Asia and China in 1990–2015

Using the UN Comtrade database and multiple sources of agricultural investment data, this paper outlines the emerging patterns of food trade and agricultural investment between Southeast Asian countries and China. The paper shows that China has adopted a flexible overseas food strategy. First, China has increased food export and shifted its food trade with Southeast Asia from a dependent relationship towards a complementary relationship at the regional level in recent years. Second, China tends to adapt to the existing conditions of food production and trade in Southeast Asian countries instead of fundamentally altering them. Finally, Chinese overseas agricultural investment is less driven by domestic food demand but more oriented for profit making, and this gives it flexibility in diversifying investment. An adequate understanding of China’s flexible food strategy in bilateral and multilateral relationships holds implications for global food security.     

适度提高养老保险农民缴费档次的可行性分析

通过对不同经济发展程度地区农民参保情况的调查,发现目前农民在选择养老保险缴费时往往选择最低标准和档次的缴费。通过分析,认为城乡居民基本养老保险制度设计缺乏长远考虑、制度执行过程注重眼前利益、农民更倾向传统养老方式以及存在盲从心理等是城乡居民基本养老保险农民低档次缴费的原因。在对农民养老需求与缴费能力进行分析的基础上,认为当前可以适度提高农民缴费档次,通过采取更具有激励性的缴费政策、规范制度执行等措施来促进农民选择更高的缴费档次。     

产业集群持续竞争优势及其机理

基于资源和动态能力等企业战略管理视角,对产业集群持续竞争优势的构建进行分析,并建立相关概念模型,提出了本土组织机构、集体声誉、共享知识、竞合互动氛围等共享性资源本身及通过吸收能力和创新能力中介作用对集群持续竞争优势的影响机理,集体学习机制为资源的合理利用提供路径和渠道。     

农用地变更许可的法权表达

我国现行《土地管理法》第44条确立的农用地转用审批行为,是从程序层面严格执行土地用途管制的制度保障。变更农用地用途管制须遵守农用地转用审批程序,这由此确立了农用地用途变更许可制度。在法权逻辑层面,应将农用地用途变更许可行为归结为农用地开发许可法律制度的范畴。以农用地开发许可权的法律属性来定性农用地转用审批行为,可避免农用地转用审批这一事实行为游离于法律思维之外,而处于文本层面的灰色地带。     

2015年吉尔吉斯斯坦议会选举及政党政治发展态势

2015年10月,吉尔吉斯斯坦如期举行的议会选举进一步检视了议会制政体的有效性,政党政治也朝着更加民主化的方向迈进,但由于选举制度、政党体制、宪政制度等多重因素相互交织,吉尔吉斯斯坦政党政治的"波动性"态势难以消弭。     

The arrival of critical citizens: decline of political trust and shifting public priorities in China

Political trust has been in decline in China. In this article, we capture this decline as reflecting the modernization of Chinese political culture. While the government managed to deliver a sustained period of rapid economic growth, the public's trust in it is diminishing through two mechanisms. On the one hand, Chinese citizens are acquiring stronger liberal democratic values, which make citizens more critical toward government institutions. On the other hand, changing political culture is also shown in the citizens’ shifting of their priorities toward the expansion of freedom and empowerment of citizens. Decades of socioeconomic modernization, therefore, meant that the era of critical citizens has arrived in China.     

What Helped Nonprofits Weather the Great Recession?

This study examined the effectiveness of several financial strategies for nonprofit organizations in fighting the Great Recession. Using data from human services and community improvement organizations in the state of New Jersey, we tested hypotheses about the relationships between three measures of financial sustainability and various fundraising efforts and financial indicators. We found that (1) except for strong external funding relationships, funding efforts were generally not effective in enhancing financial sustainability during the crisis; (2) higher operating margin and equity ratio improved an organization's ability to generate revenue and maintain expense levels, but higher debt ratio and administrative cost ratio were generally harmful; and (3) revenue diversification might aggravate fiscal stress and cause more expense cuts in a severe crisis. These findings improve our understanding of the mechanics of nonprofit management during times of harsh fiscal conditions and suggest useful ways for nonprofit organizations to navigate future financial crises.     

Characteristics of atmospheric PM2.5 in stands and non-forest cover sites across urban-rural areas in Beijing,China

Urban Ecosystems - Monitoring air pollution at a city scale is essential for controlling urban air pollution in cities, especially megacities, in China. In this paper, data for 1 city center site...