工业机器人应用与企业内部薪酬差别的机制与效应研究

Research on the Mechanism and Effect of Industrial Robot Application to Expand the Firm Pay Gap

企业内部不同人力资本员工的薪酬差别持续扩大已成为中国收入分配差别不断加剧的缩影,备受关注。构建一个引入高、低人力资本员工的理论模型,纳入外部机会,对模型中机器人应用后企业内部的薪酬差别变动进行推演,并以中国A股上市公司2012—2019年数据为样本,实证检验工业机器人应用对企业内部薪酬差别的影响效应。研究发现,工业机器人的应用水平提升会显著扩大企业内部高、低人力资本员工之间的薪酬差别,在利用Bartik工具变量法克服内生性干扰后依旧成立。机制检验结果显示,工业机器人应用能够通过增加高人力资本员工的外部机会,并同时挤占低人力资本员工的外部机会,使得二者间薪酬差别不断扩大;工业机器人应用对高、低人力资本员工生产率的非对称冲击同样加剧了二者的薪酬差别。异质性分析表明,非国有企业、出口贸易类企业内部薪酬差别的扩大效应更为明显。因此,在“机器换人”背景下,应通过完善企业内部薪酬合约设计、匹配个性化职业技能培训,增加低人力资本员工的外部机会,缓解企业内部薪酬差别进一步拉大。

The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence technologies,particularly industrial robots,has driven a new wave of transformation,upgrading,and healthy development in the Chinese economy.However,while these technologies contribute to overall economic growth,they also have significant implications for labor groups in different regions and departments.Notably,industrial robot applications have led to substantial changes in production and governance methods within enterprises.As artificial intelligence technology continues to advance,the automation scope of economic activities,previously limited to production and processing positions,is gradually extending to encompass professional roles such as customer service,sales,and research and development.This shift poses a potential threat to the employment and income of internal employees.However,existing literature has yet to clarify the mechanism through which the application of industrial robots affects income distribution within enterprises,and there is a dearth of empirical evidence from micro enterprises.This paper addresses this gap by constructing a theoretical model that introduces high and low human capital employees and incorporates outside opportunities to mathematically deduce the impact of industrial robot applications on the firm pay gap.In the empirical analysis section,the paper draws on data from the Wind database,China Stock Market&Accounting Research Database(CSMAR),International Federation of Robotics(IFR),and CEIC global database,following the indicator design ideas of Wang and Dong(2020).The study calculates the level of industrial robot application at the enterprise level of Chinese listed companies and explores its impact on the firm pay gap.The results indicate that increased levels of industrial robot application significantly widen the firm pay gap between high and low human capital employees.This finding holds true even after addressing endogenous interference using the Bartik instrumental variable method.Further research reveals that the asymmetric impact of industrial robot applications on outside opportunities and productivity of high and low human capital employees plays a vital role in exacerbating the firm pay gap.Moreover,the study finds that non-state-owned enterprises and export-oriented firms experience a more pronounced widening effect on the firm pay gap.In comparison to existing research,this paper offers several key contributions.First,it explores,for the first time,the theoretical mechanism behind the impact of industrial robot applications on the firm pay gap,specifically considering different human capital levels within enterprises.Second,the paper unveils the underlying logic behind the intensification of industrial robot applications and the subsequent widening of the firm pay gap.It shows that the demand shock created by industrial robots generates more outside opportunities for high human capital employees while limiting opportunities for low human capital employees.In addition,industrial robot applications are found to improve the productivity of high human capital employees more than that of their low human capital counterparts.Third,the study examines the firm pay gap from the perspectives of high and low human capital employees,thereby expanding the existing literature on factors influencing the firm pay gap.In conclusion,this research sheds light on the internal dynamics of how industrial robot applications impact initial allocation within enterprises,providing a new entry point for China to enhance its system of initial allocation and reduce internal disparities within enterprises.