Resolved concerns after 28 years of Bt cottonin China

Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner(Bt)cotton was widely grown in China from 1997.Since then,it has resulted in many misunderstandings and concerns about Bt cotton.However,extensive research and practical experience over the past 28 years in China have led to the resolution of many of these concerns.This short review explores how the concerns has been resolved,and provides valuable insights for the future utilization of genetically modified products.

A“Going Concern”and the Need to Fully Integrate Economics in the Business School Curriculum

In response to the recommendation by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business(AACSB,2002),which urged business schools to embark on interdisciplinary programs to facilitate boundary-spanning teaching and learning,many colleges have conducted one form of curriculum integration or the other.Many of these team-taught course integrations,however,concentrate on core business courses without reaching out to related courses in other disciplines.Moreover,due to some factors,the informational contents of management disclosures in annual reports and audit unqualified opinions may not align with the future viability of an enterprise.Using a“going concern concept”,this paper demonstrates how the addition of economics in business school curriculum integration could produce well-rounded business graduates.Economics concepts could unambiguously support the tests that cast doubts on firms’ability to continue operations.

Customer Information Disclosure and Analyst Forecasts : Empirical Evidence from Analysts' Perspective

Based on the company's disclosure of key customer information,the impact of corporate customer concentration on analyst forecast was studied,and we further studied the impact of detailed customer names on analyst forecasts. It is found that:(i) customer concentration significantly affects the accuracy of analyst forecasts. The higher the customer concentration is,the lower the accuracy of analyst forecasts is;(ii) Voluntary disclosure of customer names can provide incremental information to analysts and mitigate the negative impact of customer concentration on the accuracy of analyst forests;(iii) further research has found that the incremental information brought by the state-owned enterprises' disclosure of the customer names to analysts is more obvious; disclosure of customer names by companies with high environmental uncertainty is more likely to be of concern to analysts; and star analysts have a higher ability to interpret customer names than non-star analysts.

Open Meta-Analyst软件及其功能简介

Meta分析是生产证据的重要方法,其合并效应可以为临床实践指南提供有效的数据支持,分析过程依赖于性能良好的软件。Open Meta-Analyst软件是近年来新研发出来的一款具备多种Meta分析功能、适用于多种类型Meta分析的免费、非编程软件,操作简便,易于学习与掌握。本文以二分类数据为例,介绍Open Meta-Analyst软件的功能及其实现Meta分析的过程,同时分析该软件的优势与不足。

Detection of Multi-dimensional Driving Forces of Public Environmental Concern in China:Based on Spatial Heterogeneity Perspectives

Public environmental concern(PEC)is an important bottom-up force in building an environmentally sustainable society.Guided by attitude theory,this paper innovatively constructed a PEC evaluation index system,while introducing entropy weighted-TOPSIS(Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution)to realize the assessment of PEC.Exploratory spatial data analysis was used to portray the spatio-temporal evolution patterns of PEC in 362 Chinese cities at prefecture-level and above from 2011 to 2018.Furthermore,the Geodetector model was performed to identify the multi-dimensional determinants of PEC from the perspective of spatial heterogeneity.The results indicated that:1)PEC in China exhibited a fluctuating upward trend,consistent with the spatial distribution law of‘Heihe-Tengchong Line’and‘Bole-Taipei Line’;2)the driving effect of each factor varied dynamically,but in general,economic development level,population size,industrial wastewater,and education level were the dominant driving factors explaining the spatial variation of PEC;3)risk detection revealed that four factors,government environmental regulations,PM_(2.5),vegetation coverage,and natural resource endowment,had nonlinear effects on PEC;4)the interactions between factors all demonstrated an enhancement in explaining the spatial differentiation of PEC.PEC was driven by the comprehensive interaction of four-dimensional factors of economy,society,pollutant emissions,and ecology.Among them,population agglomeration accompanied by a high level of regional economy and information technology can explain the increase in PEC to the greatest extent.

Theoretical explanations to security analysts＇ forecast bias

As the representative of mature investors, security analysts＇ recommendations are guidance for most investors, However, a great deal of studies nearly draws the consistent conclusion, i.e. they are not as smart as we imagine, or the market doesn＇t trust their recommendations so much. The existence of optimistic bias in their recommendations has been supported by empirical data widely. Hence these make many papers to explore the reasons and try to give theoretical explanations. Based on prior researches, this paper mainly compares two theoretical models both based on mathematical methods.

Earnings disaggregation and analysts＇ forecasts

Accounting concepts dictate that separately disclosed components should contain separate useful information. This paper examines the relations between income statement components and analysts＇ earnings forecasts and forecast errors. Regressions explaining earnings forecasts using earnings components provide a better fit than regression using just aggregate income to explain forecasts. We interpret this as consistent with the hypothesis that analysts use incremental information in components not available in aggregate income. However, additional tests based on predictability of forecast errors indicate that analysts do not incorporate all information available in components into earnings forecasts. In addition, this inefficiency appears to increase at longer forecast horizons.

New European Union＇s Requirements and IFRS Practice Statement ＂Management Commentary＂： Does MD＆A Disclosure Quality Affect Analysts＇ Forecasts？

The Management Discussion and Analysis （MD＆A） is a mandatory document under the European Union＇s （EU） law. In 2003, the EU issued Directive 2003/51/EC, which broadened the information that firms have to provide in their MD＆A, and in 2010 the International Accounting Standards Board （IASB） issued the International Financial Reporting Standards （IFRS） Practice Statement ＂Management Commentary＂, a non-binding guidance for the presentation of this document. The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between MD＆A disclosure quality and properties of analysts＇ forecasts. In fact, although most studies found that financial analysts mainly refer to financial statement data in forecasting earnings, there are few researches highlighting the importance of MD＆A disclosures for financial analysts. On this basis, Ramnath, Rock, and Shane （2008） called for researches in order to better understand the relationship between the information really used by analysts and their forecasts. To assess the quality of MD＆A disclosures, we developed a multidimensional measure on the basis of the EU requirements and the IFRS Practice Statement, and then we regressed this variable on both forecast accuracy and dispersion. The findings show that our measure of MD＆A disclosure quality is significantly and positively related to forecast accuracy. We conducted other analyses in order to better understand the previous relationship and we found that, if we analyze the different information contained in the MD＆A statement, financial analysts consider useful accounting and financial data in forecasting earnings. These results enhance our understanding of the role of MD＆A disclosures in the wide set of information that firms provide to financial statement users.

Carbon emission trading system and stock price crash risk of heavily polluting listed companies in China:based on analyst coverage mechanism

This study reveals the inconsistencies between the negative externalities of carbon emissions and the recognition condition of accounting statements.Hence,the study identifies that heavily polluting enterprises in China have severe off-balance sheet carbon reduction risks before implementing the carbon emission trading system(CETS).Through the staggered difference-in-difference(DID)model and the propen-sity score matching-DID model,the impact of CETS on reducing the risk of stock price crashes is examined using data from China’s A-share heavily polluting listed companies from 2007 to 2019.The results of this study are as follows:(1)CETS can significantly reduce the risk of stock price crashes for heavily polluting companies in the pilot areas.Specifically,CETS reduces the skewness(negative conditional skewness)and down-to-up volatility of the firm-specific weekly returns by 8.7%and 7.6%,respectively.(2)Heterogeneity analysis further shows that the impacts of CETS on the risk of stock price crashes are more significant for heavily polluting enterprises with the bear market condition,short-sighted management,and intensive air pollution.(3)Mechanism tests show that CETS can reduce analysts’coverage of heavy polluters,reducing the risk of stock price crashes.This study reveals the role of CETS from the stock price crash risk perspective and helps to clarify the relationship between climatic risk and corporate financial risk.

分析师关注度视角下企业社会责任对绩效的影响机理:基于机器学习与文本分析的研究

研究整合利益相关者理论与信号理论,以分析师关注度作为中介变量,利用机器学习与文本分析方法,通过对中国A股957家上市公司5 472条企业社会责任数据的分析,从言(披露)、行(行为)两个方面探究了企业社会责任如何影响企业绩效的内在机理。研究发现:包括社会责任报告语调、易读性、覆盖范围等在内的企业社会责任披露及包括捐赠金额、捐赠增幅、行业内捐赠占比等在内的企业社会责任行为对证券分析师关注度具有显著影响;证券分析师关注度无论对企业短期绩效还是长期绩效都产生正向影响,并作为中介变量传递企业社会责任对企业绩效的正向影响效应。研究结果优化了对企业社会责任言、行的测量方式,较大程度地避免了依赖第三方数据库可能产生的信息偏误,克服了已有文献大多将企业社会责任言、行割裂开来展开研究的不足,将证券分析师关注度这一关键中介变量纳入理论模型,打开了企业社会责任言行如何影响企业短期和长期绩效的“理论黑箱”。

ESG评价分歧的信息效应——以分析师预测为例

第三方机构的ESG评价结果为使用者提供企业的可持续发展信息,然而评价分歧的经济后果及其机制尚未形成共识。本文研究ESG评价分歧的信息效应,基于信息使用框架,从分析师角度出发,提出基于不确定性信息和异质性信息的两种对立机制,利用2017—2021年7家不同ESG评价机构的得分数据对上述机制进行验证。结果表明,ESG评价分歧会降低分析师预测误差,从而支持异质性信息的观点。研究还发现,ESG评价分歧通过反映企业每股收益和提高市场分析师整体预测质量来降低分析师预测误差。此外,ESG评价分歧能够为分析师提供信息不对称程度高企业的更多信息。在控制ESG得分均值的情况下,ESG评价分歧与ROA、ROE和个股回报率呈现正相关关系,进一步验证了信息效应。本文不仅以评价分歧的新视角补充了ESG相关文献,还阐明了ESG评价分歧的信息效应及其机制,为后续的高质量ESG评价提供了理论和实证支持。

数字化转型、分析师关注与企业创新绩效

企业与数字技术深度融合是实体经济发展的重要趋势。根据2008—2020年A股制造业微观企业数据,基于分析师关注视角研究企业数字化转型对创新绩效的作用及内在机理。结果显示:企业数字化进程明显促进了创新绩效的改善,且在一系列稳健性检验后该结论仍然成立;机制检验表明,数字化转型可以通过提高分析师关注度和降低分析师信息搜寻成本,进而改善企业创新绩效表现;异质性分析发现,微观层面,董事、监事等高管拥有海外背景的企业,数字化转型更有助于提高企业创新绩效水平;中观层面,供应链集中度较高和劳动密集型行业中的企业,数字化转型对企业创新绩效的激励效果会更弱;宏观层面,数字化转型对于处在环境不确定性较低和东部地区的企业,更有利于改善创新绩效。基于分析师关注视角研究有效拓展了数字化转型与企业创新的相关研究,为政府通过完善金融市场中介来推动创新驱动发展战略和现代化产业体系建设提供了经验证据。

中国式员工持股计划与公司违规:监督者抑或合谋者

以我国员工持股计划重启为背景,以2011—2019年A股上市公司为样本,验证员工持股计划对公司违规的影响。结果显示,员工持股计划降低了公司违规概率与频率。机制检验发现,员工持股计划一方面通过促进中小股东投票与委派董事涉入公司内部治理,另一方面通过信息传递提升独立董事履职效率并增加分析师跟踪。进一步地,区分违规类型后发现,员工持股计划的抑制作用主要存在于信息披露违规与一般违规;区分员工持股计划方案后发现,员工持股规模高、锁定期长、高购买折价、无杠杆、无控股股东担保或兜底、无业绩条件的员工持股计划对公司违规的抑制更显著。经济后果分析发现,员工持股计划对公司违规的监督能够抑制股价崩盘风险。研究结论从公司违规角度验证了员工持股计划的监督者角色,为我国员工持股计划实施效果提供了新的经验证据。

明星分析师关注、企业投资行为与公司价值

企业投资行为对于中国经济高质量发展与“双循环”国家战略实施发挥重要作用。通过手工搜集2016—2021年明星分析师研究报告数据,研究明星分析师对公司投资行为的影响。研究发现,明星分析师通过缓解融资约束、增强股票流动性、解读研发行为,促进企业投资行为,而且明星分析师在管理层持股比例较低、大股东持股比例低、成长性水平较低、公司透明度较低的样本中,结果更加显著,体现其较好的专业胜任能力。进一步分析发现,明星分析师能够解读不同盈利分组的投资行为,不存在明显的选择性偏好;与没有明星分析师跟踪的样本相比,明星分析师跟踪对投资行为具有更强的影响;明星分析师通过正向解读投资行为途径,对公司价值挖掘,发挥积极作用。研究结论对发挥明星分析师信息中介作用,优化投资结构与提升投资绩效,提供经验参考。

投资者关注、ESG信息披露与企业绿色技术创新

绿色技术创新是实施国家创新战略的核心动力、实现“双碳”目标的重要支撑。利用网络爬虫技术,爬取深交所“互动易”平台2011—2021年管理层与投资者问答记录数据,探究投资者关注对企业绿色技术创新的影响及作用机理。研究发现,投资者关注明显促进了企业绿色技术创新,且能够通过提升企业ESG信息披露水平进而推动企业绿色技术创新。进一步研究发现,在市场化程度高、行业竞争程度高、低碳试点城市的企业,投资者关注对绿色技术创新的激励作用更明显,更易推动企业进行绿色发明创新。同时,政府补助对投资者关注与企业绿色技术创新的关系有正向调节作用。研究结论可以为推动我国企业绿色技术创新、绿色低碳转型以及改善企业环境绩效提供理论支持和政策建议。

直面挑战:审计师数字化专长是否有助于提高审计质量?

借鉴审计师行业专长的度量方法,将数字化客户占比较高的审计师定义为数字化专长审计师,并检验在数字化变革过程中,积极参与数字化审计并取得数字化审计经验的审计师是否能够取得更好的审计结果。结果发现数字化审计专长审计师在数字化市场领域能够带来更优的审计质量,并且他们的特殊技能带来的积极作用能够被资本市场的投资者和分析师识别和认可(股价同步性更低且分析师预测更精准)。该结论为在数字化变革中,审计师如何能动应对大样本档案提供了证据,并为实务中事务所发展数字化审计提供了一些启示。

管理层股权激励对企业ESG表现的影响研究

如何激励管理层主动履行ESG责任是近年来学术研究的热点话题。基于2011—2022年中国沪深A股非金融类上市企业数据,对管理层股权激励与企业ESG表现之间的关系进行了实证分析。研究结果如下:管理层股权激励正向影响企业ESG表现;作用机制检验显示,管理层股权激励可以通过增加分析师关注和降低代理成本两方面促进企业ESG责任履行;异质性检验发现,在信息透明度越高、融资约束越低的企业中,管理层股权激励对企业ESG表现的正向影响程度越大。

“无废城市”试点政策对企业绿色创新的影响

为推进固体废物治理改革,贯彻落实“双碳”目标及探索区域绿色发展路径,文章以2016—2021年我国试点城市内沪深上市公司为处理组,采用PSM-DID方法进行准自然实验检验。研究发现:相对于非试点地区,“无废城市”试点政策渐进提升了试点地区企业的绿色创新水平和质量;作用机制检验发现,政府环境关注度在试点政策与企业绿色创新之间具有部分中介作用;进一步引入三重差分模型进行异质性检验发现,该政策对工业企业绿色创新质量的提升效应更显著,对国有企业及知识产权保护力度较高地区企业的绿色创新水平和质量提升均更显著。文章为“十四五”期间“无废城市”试点政策的推广提供决策参考。

媒介动员如何回应公众关切?——“中国人体器官捐献”微信公众号的劝服性叙事研究

器官捐献不仅是医学问题,也是社会文化议题,需要有针对性的媒体科普与宣传动员。以中国人体器官捐献管理中心官方微信公众号“中国人体器官捐献”发布的621篇推文为研究对象,探讨发布内容的劝服性叙事策略及其是否回应了影响公众捐献意愿的关切因素。以叙事传输理论框架作为编码依据分析推文的叙事劝服特征,同时梳理公众号读者评论及相关文献,归纳提炼影响公众捐献意愿的关切因素。对比考察推文劝服叙事与公众关切因素,研究发现:“中国人体器官捐献”公众号推文主要通过“减少负面认知”“认同故事角色”“产生真实临场感”和“唤起情绪反应”四种劝服性叙事策略回应影响公众捐献意愿的主要观念因素、信息因素和社会因素,但仍需在生死观念、制度信息以及社会认同等维度加强宣传动员。