大规模诚信缺失为何出现在转轨时期——一个基于微观行为的解释框架

The Reasons for Large-scale Lack of Integrity in the Period of Economic Transition:An Explanation Based on Micro-behavior

"道德滑坡"论和"制度缺陷"论不曾深入讨论大规模诚信缺失为何与"转轨"这一动态过程联系在一起。文章从转轨的两大特征(即市场规模扩大和法治逐步加强)出发,基于交易个体的微观行为讨论了从关系型治理社会向法治型治理社会转轨过程中诚信缺失的原因:市场规模扩大和法治加强,都对关系型治理有破坏作用,使交易对长期关系的依赖程度下降,削弱了基于长期关系的诚信行为,法治加强虽可强化短期关系中的诚信行为,但市场扩大却会弱化短期关系中的诚信行为,加之法治建设通常会滞后于市场实践,结果转轨时期短期关系中的诚信行为总的来说被弱化了。文章还逻辑地推导出,加快发展市场经济和提高政府管理能力对于治理诚信缺失非常重要。

Large-scale lack of integrity is not linked to the period of economic transition in the theories of moral collapse and institutional defects. From the angle of two properties of transition, namely the expansion of market size and the reinforcement of rule-by-law system, it analyzes the reasons for large-scale lack of integrity during the transition period from relation-based governance to rule-by- law-based governance. It indicates that the expansion of market size and the reinforcement of rule-by-law system have negative effects on relation-based governance, leading to the reduction of integrity behavior based on long- term relationships. The reinforcement of rule-by-law system strengthens integrity behavior based on short-term relationships, but the expansion of market size weakens it; owing to several reasons, the rule-by-law construc tion usually lags market practice, resulting in the weakening of integrity behavior based on short-term relationships during the transition period in the whole. The paper also logically deduces the importance of the rapid development of market economy and the improvement of government qualities to the governance of lack of integrity.