Resistance to Trade Liberalization in Unionized Sector

This paper studies the lobbying against trade liberalization by both a firm and a union in the same industry. We find that the relationship between their political activities depends on the effect of political activity by one on the marginal effectiveness of political activity by the other. We also show that, when they are strongly risk-averse and their political activities are strategic complements, trade liberalization is likely to be successful if business is brisk, the foreign firm's production cost is high or the number of union members is small. However, when they are not strongly risk-averse, these results hold reversely.     

Is the Optimal Labor Income Tax Progressive in a Unionized Economy?*

This paper concerns optimal nonlinear labor income taxation in an economy with union wage setting and endogenous hours of work. The purpose is to study the determinants of tax progression. We show that the optimal degree of progression of the labor income tax depends on the extent to which the government can influence the wage rate via tax policy as well as on its ability to redistribute income across individuals. In addition, the argument for progressive labor income taxation depends on whether hours of work are chosen by the employed themselves or the union.     

Monetary union and the Maastricht inflation criterion: The accession countries*

We model an accession country facing a Maastricht‐type inflation criterion that specifies an inflation ceiling. In addition to deciding whether or not to satisfy this criterion, the country must decide how much costly economic reform to undertake. If the country puts enough weight on the future that it can credibly meet the inflation criterion no matter what the ceiling is, then the inflation criterion benefits the country but lowers reform. If the country puts less weight on the future, then a criterion with a properly chosen inflation ceiling can increase reform. We derive the inflation ceilings that maximize the country's welfare and its reform.     

试论建立和完善农村合作金融管理体制

建立和完善农村合作金融管理体制是我国金融体制改革的重要组成部分。我国农村合作金融虽然有了很大发展 ,但农村合作金融管理体制还存在很多弊端 ,迫切需要建立和完善具有中国特色的农村合作金融管理体制。本文在充分分析问题和弊端的基础上 ,科学地提出了建立新体制的构想 ,对于加强农业的基础地位、促进农村经济发展有着十分重要的意义     

论细分化和联合化思想在营销专业产学结合中的应用

产学结合作为目前高校特别是高职院校办学的特色和亮点，近来越来越被强调、应用，呈现出蓬勃发展的趋势。本文从产学结合的实际应用情况出发，引入细分化和联合化的思想，对营销专业产学结合的发展趋势做了一定的思考。     

工会资产的性质及管理

工会资产是工会事业发展的重要物质保证,是全体工会会员的宝贵财富.随着社会经济的不断发展和工会组织的不断壮大,工会组织的资产也迅速增加.通过对工会资产性质的确定和构成的分析,使我们能准确的界定、高效的运用和管理工会资产,确保工会资产的保值增值,更好地发挥工会组织在建设现代化社会和构建社会主义和谐社会中的作用.     

Voting requirements, concessions, international side payments and the European Monetary Union

This paper addresses the question of criteria for selection of EMU members. We identify two factors in the decision process: (1) The costs and benefits which the individual countries attribute to alternative EMU arrangements (`hard-core', medium-sized, all EU members), and (2) the binding institutional restrictions, i.e., the distribution of votes in the European Council and the minimum vote requirements. Within this framework the EU countries are assigned to different groups according to their degree of convergence. Based on stability concessions and side payments these groups decide on the final EMU composition. We show that minimum vote requirements can lead to a suboptimal size of the EMU and can threaten the feasibility of a multi-speed monetary union.     

虚拟物流企业信息平台构建的研究

研究了虚拟物流企业信息平台的构建问题，设计了信息平台的结构和功能，提出了组建虚拟物流部门提供商模式的信息平台的设计方案。     

社区医疗企业的经营策略研究

社区医疗经营的好坏关系到广大人民群众的切身利益,同时发展社区医疗存在大量的商机,但是目前许多问题阻碍了社区医疗的进一步发展。文章指出,如何去发掘潜力、发展壮大社区医疗,关键是要有创新的思维,目前社区医疗走与大医院联营或者与大医院直接经营的方式应该是一种值得尝试的途径。     

Labour unions and leverage: evidence from firm-level union data

ABSTRACT

Using firm-level labour union data from Japan, this paper investigates the effect of labour unions on firm leverage. We find that as union coverage increases, both the level of and extent of change in leverage decreases. These relations remain robust when a firm falls into deficit. We also find that firms with higher union coverage have a higher interest coverage ratio. In addition, we find that firms with higher union coverage are less likely to choose issuing debt compared to issuing equity when they face financial distress. Our results imply that significant employee influence enhanced by labour unions increases fixed costs, crowds out the firm’s debt capacity and consequently reduces the firm’s leverage.