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15 July 2026, Issue 04 (243) Previous Issue   

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Government Digital Transformation and Corporate Employment—A Quasi-Natural Experiment Based on the National Pilot Program of Information Benefiting the People GU Hansha 2026 (04):  1-11.  Abstract ( 182 )   PDF (1459KB) ( 304 )   Against the backdrop of mounting pressure to stabilize employment, the employment effects of the digital economy have attracted growing attention. However, limited research has examined the impact of digital government development on firm-level labor demand. Using panel data of A-share listed firms in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2011 to 2021, this study exploits the "National Pilot Program of Information Benefiting the People" launched in 2014 as a quasi-natural experiment representing the digital transformation of government governance, and employs a difference-in-differences (DID) approach to investigate the effect of enhanced digital governance capacity on corporate employment. The results indicate that the policy significantly increases firms’ employment levels, suggesting a stabilizing effect on employment. Mechanism analysis shows that digital government development promotes corporate employment by facilitating firms’ digital transformation, reducing perceived economic policy uncertainty, and improving operational stability. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that the employment-stabilizing effect of the policy is primarily concentrated in firms located in eastern regions, cities with higher integrity efficiency, and capital- and technology-intensive industries. Based on the above findings, corresponding policy recommendations are proposed to further promote the coordinated advancement of public service digitalization and employment stabilization. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Analysis of the Influencing Factors of Local Governments’ Response to the Policies of the New Energy Vehicle Industry SU Chen 2026 (04):  12-24.  Abstract ( 178 )   PDF (1458KB) ( 27 )   In the process of coordinated implementation of industrial policies between the central and local governments, existing theories and policy practices still present significant divergences: is the clarity of central policies a "catalyst" that enhances the response efficiency of local governments, or does it compress the space for local "context-specific" innovation due to the rigidity of policy objectives? Existing literature mostly explains the variations in policy coordination from the perspectives of macro-level central-local game theory or local resource endowments, while few studies have systematically examined how policy clarity is micro-transmitted to local governments’ implementation willingness and tool selection preferences from the perspective of the intrinsic attributes of policy texts. In view of this, this paper constructs a theoretical model of policy implementation response under the central-local principal-agent framework, establishes an evaluation system for the effectiveness of explicit and ambiguous policies based on the new energy vehicle industry policy texts from 2009 to 2023, matches the data of listed companies in the industrial chain with local response indicators, and conducts an empirical test using a dynamic panel model. The research findings indicate that explicit industrial policies exert a positive impact on local government responses; the higher the clarity of central industrial policies, the stronger the willingness of local governments to choose non-fiscal and taxation instruments. The conclusions of this study provide a reference basis for improving the implementation effect of industrial policies and offer policy recommendations for realizing the organic integration of a proactive government and an efficient market. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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New Endogenous Industrial Development in Poverty-Stricken Areas: The Maxiang Village Model, Where "Homestays Plus" Drives Rural Revitalization WANG Zhizhang, LIU Xiaolin 2026 (04):  25-36.  Abstract ( 165 )   PDF (2221KB) ( 37 )   Industrial development in rural revitalization efforts generally faces challenges such as a lack of endogenous momentum, the unsustainability of external support, and fragmented resource utilization. However, Maxiang Village in Dongxiang County, Gansu Province, has successfully overcome these bottlenecks by integrating the homestay economy with rural industries. Unlike existing studies, which often adopt a single external or endogenous perspective, this research is guided by the new endogenous development theory. It constructs an analytical framework centered on four dimensions—policy, actors, resources, and space—and employs a case study approach. The study summarizes the development path of the homestay industry in Maxiang Village as follows: endogenous empowerment of actors, collaborative external support, mutually beneficial resource transformation, and spatial integration and symbiosis.Research has found that Maxiang Village follows a development logic prioritizing external factors to initiate change and internal factors to ensure sustainability. This approach involves four specific measures: internally, stimulating the initiative of villagers and cooperatives; externally, strengthening support from policies and enterprises; coordinating internal and external resources to establish mechanisms for enriching the people; and integrating spatial resources to achieve cluster-based development. In the long term, efforts must continue to focus on building a core team of talent, improving industrial operating mechanisms, developing year-round, region-wide tourism, and fostering new forms of cultural and tourism industries. This will broaden the theoretical perspective on endogenous development and provide new insights for rural industrial practices. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Rural Governance Modernization:An Observation Based on a Case of Reflexive Modernization of Voluntary Service Organization GUO Hong 2026 (04):  37-48.  Abstract ( 158 )   PDF (1791KB) ( 13 )   Under the backdrop of rural revitalization, endogenous social organizations are playing an increasingly prominent role in the modernization of rural governance. However, existing research exhibits a bias toward exogenous organizations while neglecting endogenous ones, and insufficiently explores the mechanisms of their embeddedness within local cultural contexts and their dynamic adaptive logic. Focusing on endogenous rural volunteer service organizations, this paper transcends the limitations of research paradigms that uncritically transplant urban experiences. It constructs a novel analytical framework of "composite reflexive governance" and employs an in-depth single-case study of a volunteer service team in Village B, supplemented by cross-regional auxiliary cases, to uncover the pathways through which endogenous organizations enhance rural governance efficacy. The findings reveal that, under the impact of urbanization, Village B is exposed to multiple risks, including institutional and cultural ones. Endogenous voluntary service organizations stimulate farmers' subjectivity, integrate internal and external resources, and achieve self-development and good governance of rural society through "multi-stage reflexivity" in modernization. The cases from eastern Guizhou and western Guangdong verify the robustness of this research. This study provides policy implications for the government to classify and strengthen the grassroots governance supplementary functions of endogenous social organizations. Furthermore, it challenges conventional interpretations in the "volunteer failure" and Western modernization theories that treat the state as an external variable, and re-positions the relationship between the state and endogenous social organizations in China’s governance modernization as one of "structural embeddedness and functional complementarity". References | Related Articles | Metrics

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From "Smart Governance" to "Stagnant Governance"? The Generation of Digital Embedding Alienation in Rural Governance: A Pressure-Based System Perspective DENG Song, ZHANG Meijuan 2026 (04):  49-61.  Abstract ( 166 )   PDF (1511KB) ( 13 )   Rural digital governance constitutes a critical pathway for stimulating the endogenous dynamics of rural revitalization. However, the practical application of digital technology in rural governance has not only failed to yield the anticipated results but has also spawned new governance conundrums, causing governance practice to degenerate from "smart governance" to "stagnant governance". To explicate this phenomenon, this study introduces the theoretical concept of "digital embedding alienation in rural governance". Based on fieldwork conducted in the first batch of 13 pilot counties (including county-level cities and districts) for digital rural development in Province Y, this study utilizes the Gioia methodology to classify alienation types and constructs the institution-behavior analytical framework within the context of the pressure-based system to dissect its generative mechanisms.The findings reveal that digital embedding alienation in rural governance primarily manifests in three core types: structural embedding alienation, relational embedding alienation, and resource embedding alienation. Viewed through the theoretical lens of the pressure-based system, the generation of digital embedding alienation stems not from technological anomie or individual behavioral deviations, but rather from the interaction between the internal inducements of institutional pressure and the adaptive behaviors of actors. Specifically, the pressure-based system systematically drives rural actors—including local governments, grassroots cadres, and villagers—to adopt adaptive behaviors through mechanisms such as quantitative task decomposition, performance evaluation, and accountability. This process, in turn, engenders distinct types of digital embedding alienation. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Enterprise Digital Transformation and the Upgrading of Green Export Product Quality LI You, ZHANG Xin 2026 (04):  62-71.  Abstract ( 166 )   PDF (1429KB) ( 17 )   The advancement of digital transformation has established it as a crucial pathway for the green quality upgrade of export products. This study utilizes panel data from China's prefecture-level cities spanning 2011-2023 to measure the degree of urban digital transformation and the level of green export product quality. Employing a two-way fixed effects model and the spatial Durbin model, it examines the impact of digital transformation on green export product quality and its underlying mechanisms. The findings reveal that digital transformation significantly promotes the upgrade of green export product quality, a conclusion that holds up after a series of robustness tests. Mechanism analysis indicates that digital transformation drives the upgrade of green export product quality by facilitating industrial structure upgrading and green technological innovation. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that digital transformation exerts a more pronounced effect in cities with stronger green development foundations and central cities. Further findings indicate that the improvement effect of digital transformation on green export product quality exhibits spatial spillover effects. Consequently, leveraging digital transformation as a catalyst to accelerate industrial upgrading and green technological innovation while addressing regional disparities is essential to achieve a comprehensive leap in the green export product quality. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The coupling coordination degree of the common prosperity and people’s sense of acquisition and its spatiotemporal characteristics LI Shunyi, ZHANG Hongfeng 2026 (04):  72-82.  Abstract ( 170 )   PDF (2036KB) ( 14 )   The effectiveness of promoting common prosperity needs to be translated into people’s sense of acquisition. Different from the existing literature that mainly focuses on the situation and promotion path of common prosperity, this paper focuses on the collaborative relationship between the objective achievements of common prosperity and the subjective sense of acquisition. This paper measures the development level of common prosperity and people’s sense of acquisition in 29 provinces in China from 2012 to 2020 by using the fixed-base polar deviation method, and measures the degree of coupling coordination between the two by using the coupling coordination model, and further portrays their spatial correlation and distributional dynamics evolution by using the Moran’s I index and Kernel density estimation. The results show that: (1) China’s common prosperity and people’s sense of acquisition in the sample period show an overall growth trend. (2) the coupling coordination degree of the common prosperity and people’s sense of acquisition maintains a stable growth trend, but there are large differences in the average value and average growth rate of 29 provinces in the sample period, and the coupling coordination degree is measured through the Moran’s I index and Kernel density estimation. differences, the coupling coordination degree achieves a more balanced coupling coordination degree of each province at the end of the sample period through rapid growth in the low-level provinces. (3) there is a spatial positive correlation between the coupling coordination degree of the common prosperity and people’s sense of obtainment, and the stable local spatial relationship reflects the stable relative differences of each province. The findings provide policy insights for promoting the synergistic enhancement of common prosperity and people's sense of acquisition. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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How Overwork Effect the Fertility Intention of Migrant Workers—From the Perspective of Intergenerational Support ZHANG Yongfeng, ZHANG Jiyang, LU Yao 2026 (04):  83-94.  Abstract ( 160 )   PDF (1386KB) ( 13 )   Despite the continuous decline in China’s overall birth rate, there exist significant disparities across different groups. Among them, migrant workers have a substantially higher fertility intention than pure rural households and urban residents. Therefore, strengthening research on the fertility intention of migrant workers is crucial for slowing the downward trend of China,s birth rate. Existing studies mainly analyze residents’ fertility behavior from the perspective of cost-benefit, and few explore the fertility decision-making of migrant workers from the altruistic motivation of intergenerational support. We examine the true impact and mechanism of overwork on the fertility intension of migrant workers using the data of CFPS. The study found that: firstly, migrant workers with overwork behavior have significantly higher fertility intension. This conclusion still holds after excluding issues such as sample self-selection, omitted variables, and reverse causality, and after a series of robustness tests. Secondly, the impact of overwork on the fertility intentions of migrant workers shows a clear asymmetry, particularly among male migrant workers, low educated migrant workers, and migrant workers who lack job security. Thirdly, overwork can increase actual income, strengthen job stickiness, and increase the possibility of intergenerational upward mobility, thereby leading to an increase in the willingness of migrant workers to have children. Fourthly, heavy-work may still increase the fertility intension of migrant workers, but its income effect is smaller than the crowding out effect caused by health loss, resulting in a significant decrease in the impact of heavy-work on migrant workers’ fertility intension. Fifthly, when migrant workers complete the identity transition from "outsiders" to "locals", overwork has a stronger promoting effect on their fertility intentions. However, after achieving identity transcendence, overwork no longer has a significant impact on their fertility intentions. This article provides a new explanation for comprehensively understanding the overwork behavior of migrant workers from the perspective of intergenerational support. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Does Digital Technology Innovation Trigger the "Green Paradox"—A Study from the Perspective of Carbon Emissions ZHANG Wenqian, AN Zebin, GUO Ye 2026 (04):  95-106.  Abstract ( 156 )   PDF (1392KB) ( 19 )   Against the backdrop of the coordinated development of digitalization and greenization, there remains extensive controversy over whether digital technological innovation will trigger the "green paradox". Existing studies mostly focus on the business performance benefits of digital technological innovation or the carbon emission effects of macroeconomic policies, while few directly conduct empirical tests on the carbon emission effects of digital technological innovation at the micro-firm level. Based on the data of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2023, this paper studies the impact of digital technology innovation on corporate carbon emission intensity, and provides empirical evidence for whether digital technology innovation leads to the "Green Paradox". The results show that: Digital technology innovation significantly reduces the carbon emission intensity of corporations and does not give rise to the "green paradox". Digital technology innovation reduces the carbon emission intensity of corporations by promoting corporate digital transformation, improving total factor productivity, promoting green technology innovation, and alleviating financing constraints. The carbon emission intensity inhibitory effect of digital technology innovation is more pronounced in corporations in low-competition-intensity industries, low-labor-intensity corporations, and state-owned corporations. Further research finds that the establishment of data trading platforms significantly reduces the carbon emission intensity of corporations. This study provides theoretical basis and empirical support for the coordinated development of digitalization and greenization. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Can artificial intelligence policies drive the upgrading of corporate human capital?—Empirical Evidence from National New Generation AI Innovation and Development Pilot Zones XING Mingqiang, HUO Yibo, XU Long 2026 (04):  107-117.  Abstract ( 178 )   PDF (1578KB) ( 14 )   The implementation of artificial intelligence policies is accelerating the digital transformation of businesses, but there is still no consensus on how and why this affects corporate human capital.To this end, drawing on data from Chinese A-share listed companies between 2012 and 2022, this paper uses the PSM-DID model to examine the impact of the implementation of artificial intelligence policies on corporate human capital.The study found that artificial intelligence policies significantly enhance firms human capital levels, and this conclusion holds up under a number of robustness tests.Mechanism tests indicate that artificial intelligence policies promote the enhancement of human capital within enterprises by accelerating their digital transformation, boosting their investment in research and development, and fostering breakthrough innovation.Heterogeneity analysis revealed that the spillover effect was more pronounced in state-owned enterprises, larger firms, high-tech enterprises, non-labour-intensive enterprises and technology-intensive enterprises.The findings of the study provide empirical evidence to inform the refinement of policies for the National Pilot Zones for the Innovation and Development of Next-Generation Artificial Intelligence, to promote the optimisation of corporate human capital, and to support high-quality economic development. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Can ESG Performance Enhance Corporate Export Resilience?—Evidence from Listed Manufacturing Firms in China’s A-Stock Market YAO Min, WANG Yibo 2026 (04):  118-128.  Abstract ( 175 )   PDF (1656KB) ( 24 )   Amidst the dual challenges of deepening global sustainability imperatives and escalating trade protectionism, corporate ESG performance demonstrates resilience-enhancing capabilities to withstand external shocks through export channel empowerment. This study investigates the 2018 Sino-U.S. trade friction as an exogenous shock, employing fixed-effects models on panel data from 1,509 A-share listed manufacturing enterprises in China during 2018-2023. Key findings include:ESG performance significantly strengthens export resilience, with environmental (E) and social (S) dimensions exhibiting greater impacts than governance (G);Three verified transmission mechanisms emerge: green technological innovation acceleration, corporate reputation enhancement, and new-quality productive capacity cultivation;Heterogeneity analysis reveals amplified effects among heavily polluting industries, non-SOEs, central/eastern regional firms, and financially unconstrained enterprises. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The Cultivation Effect of Mergers and Acquisitions on Chain Leader Firms and Its Mechanism ZHANG Qia, DAI Baoxuan 2026 (04):  129-142.  Abstract ( 143 )   PDF (1491KB) ( 13 )   Promoting the cultivation of chain leader firms is not only a key lever for breaking through the "low-end lock-in" dilemma of industrial chains, but also a strategic measure for achieving the security and controllability of industrial chains. Existing literature primarily focuses on industrial policies and external environments, with insufficient attention paid to the role of corporate proactive strategic behaviors in this process. Based on data from A-share listed companies from 2012 to 2022, this paper employs a two-way fixed effects model to systematically examine the causal effect and mechanisms of corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&A) on the cultivation of chain leader firms. The findings reveal that M&A significantly enhance the level and scale of chain leader firms, primarily through two channels: the synergy of heterogeneous resources and disruptive technological innovation. Further analysis indicates that vertical M&A, by strengthening industrial chain control and technology ecosystem lock-in effects, has a particularly prominent cultivation effect, and the empowering effect of M&A on chain leader firms is more significant in the eastern region. The findings expand the theoretical framework for cultivating chain leader firms from the perspective of corporate proactive strategies, and provide empirical evidence for differentiated M&A strategies and regional policy formulation. References | Related Articles | Metrics