Doctoral Dissertation Research: State Intervention, Interfirm Relations and Firm Performance

博士论文研究：中国转型经济中的中国企业集团的国家干预、企业间关系与企业绩效明尼苏达大学社会学系诺克和新乡陈新祥教授本研究项目将考察两个相关的社会过程：国家干预对企业间治理关系的影响，以及这些治理关系对中国转型经济中的中国企业集团企业绩效的影响。它将检验一系列假设和假设，即国家干预力度较大的中国企业集团经历的垂直一体化程度相对较高，从而企业业绩水平相对较低。数据将主要在北京、郑州和深圳收集，使用对30个商业集团约120家公司的内部人士的采访，以及从二手来源收集的定性和定量数据。数据分析将集中于中国商业集团的资本结构和成员结构对其公司间垂直一体化的影响，与相对成熟的西方市场经济相比，垂直一体化是当前转型经济中具有中国特色的企业治理的主要形式。此外，本研究还具体分析了在中国国家干预的背景下，中国企业集团垂直整合对企业绩效的影响。项目调查人员将促进对国家干预和经济发展之间复杂关系的理解，特别是企业业绩，因为它们受到企业治理结构的调节，特别是中国企业集团。对中国企业集团的研究，对于国家干预取代企业家社会资本的争论也具有重要意义。该项目将有助于国家角色理论在不同情况下促进经济发展。这项研究与如何最好地推进中国企业集团改革的问题相关。因此，其结果对缺乏运作良好的市场的发展中国家或正在经历转型经济的发展中国家具有潜在的公共政策影响，这对其人民的福利具有重要影响。将向广泛的学术和政策受众传播项目成果，以推动组织理论研究；促进对企业集团替代治理形式的认识；并向公众和政策制定者通报这些成果对发展中国家国家干预政策制定的影响。

Doctoral Dissertation Research: State Intervention, Interfirm Relations and Firm Performance of Chinese Business Groups in China's Transition EconomyDavid Knoke and Xinxiang ChenDepartment of SociologyUniversity of MinnesotaABSTRACTThis research project will investigate two related social processes: the impact of state intervention on interfirm governance relations, and the effect of those governance relations on firm performance in Chinese business groups in China's transition economy. It will test a set of propositions and hypotheses that Chinese business groups with greater state intervention experience a relatively higher degree of vertical integration, and thereby a relatively lower level of firm performance. Data will be collected mainly in Beijing, Zhengzhou, and Shenzhen, using interviews with insiders from approximately 120 firms belonging to 30 business groups, as well as qualitative and quantitative data gathered from secondary sources. Data analyses will focus on the effects of the capital and membership structures of Chinese business groups on their interfirm vertical integration, which is a primary governance form of business enterprises with Chinese characteristics in the current transition economy, in contrast to the relatively mature Western market economies. In addition, the research specifically analyzes the effect of the vertical integration of Chinese business groups on firm performance under the context of Chinese state intervention. The project investigators will advance the understanding of complex relationships between state intervention and economic development, especially firm performance, as they are mediated by the governance structures of business enterprises, specifically Chinese business groups. Research on Chinese business groups has also important implications for the debate about the substitution of state intervention for entrepreneurial social capital. The project will contribute to state role theory about improving economic development in different situations. The research is relevant to questions about how best to further the reform of Chinese business groups. Therefore, its results have potential public policy implications for developing countries lacking well-functioning markets or experiencing transitional economies, which have important consequences for their people's welfare. Project results will be disseminated to a wide variety of academic and policy audiences to advance organization theory research; to promote awareness of alternative forms of governance for business groups; and to inform the public and policymakers about the implications of these results for policy-making on state intervention in developing countries.