IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v69y2024ipas1544612324010948.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Labor protection and corporate labor investment efficiency - Evidence based on the implementation of the "Labor Contract Law"

Author

Listed:
  • Zhao, Liupeng
  • Zhang, Ke

Abstract

This research examines non-financial companies listed in China's capital market, using the “Labor Contract Law” as a natural experiment to explore how labor protection influences investment efficiency. The study provides insights into how such policies shape corporate investment behavior. Findings indicate that stronger labor protection significantly improves labor investment efficiency and the allocation of labor resources within companies. Furthermore, the positive impact on investment efficiency is more pronounced in smaller firms and non-state-owned enterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhao, Liupeng & Zhang, Ke, 2024. "Labor protection and corporate labor investment efficiency - Evidence based on the implementation of the "Labor Contract Law"," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 69(PA).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:69:y:2024:i:pa:s1544612324010948
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2024.106064
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612324010948
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2024.106064?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Clara Xiaoling Chen & Hai Lu & Theodore Sougiannis, 2012. "The Agency Problem, Corporate Governance, and the Asymmetrical Behavior of Selling, General, and Administrative Costs," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(1), pages 252-282, March.
    2. Sualihu, Mohammed Aminu & Rankin, Michaela & Haman, Janto, 2021. "The role of equity compensation in reducing inefficient investment in labor," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    3. Shangguan, Yiwen & Feng, Qiyangfan, 2024. "Environmental bonuses of employment protection: Evidence from labor contract law in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    4. Jiménez, Bruno & Rendon, Silvio, 2023. "Does employment protection unprotect workers? The labor market effects of job reinstatements in Peru," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    5. Han, Yue & Yang, Jie & Ying, Limeng & Niu, Yanfang, 2024. "The impact of corporate digital transformation on labor employment," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    6. Di Novi, Cinzia & Paruolo, Paolo & Verzillo, Stefano, 2023. "Does labour protection influence mental-health responses to employment shocks? Evidence on older workers in Europe," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    7. Guo, Jing & Tang, Qi & Jin, Guangzhu, 2021. "Labor protection and the efficiency of human capital investment," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 195-207.
    8. Khedmati, Mehdi & Sualihu, Mohammed Aminu & Yawson, Alfred, 2020. "CEO-director ties and labor investment efficiency," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    9. Jingbo Luo & Xiaorong Li & Kam C. Chan, 2020. "Political uncertainty and labour investment efficiency," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(43), pages 4677-4697, September.
    10. Wang, Sai & Wen, Wen & Niu, Yuhao & Li, Xin, 2024. "Digital transformation and corporate labor investment efficiency," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    11. Kong, Dongmin & Liu, Shasha & Xiang, Junyi, 2018. "Political promotion and labor investment efficiency," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 273-293.
    12. Ghadhab, Imen & Nizar, Hamza & Benkraiem, Ramzi & Lakhal, Faten, 2023. "Cross-listing dynamics and labor investment efficiency: International evidence," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chowdhury, Hasibul & Estreich, Timothy & Hossain, Ashrafee & Zheng, Jiayi, 2024. "U.S. Political corruption and labor investment (in)efficiency," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    2. Lai, Shaojie & Li, Xiaorong & Liu, Shiang & Wang, Qing Sophie, 2022. "Institutional investors’ site visits and corporate employment decision-making," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(3).
    3. Sophie Wang, Qing & Lai, Shaojie & Pi, Shuwen & Anderson, Hamish, 2022. "Does directors' and officers' liability insurance induce empire building? Evidence from corporate labor investment," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    4. Wang, Sai & Wen, Wen & Niu, Yuhao & Li, Xin, 2024. "Digital transformation and corporate labor investment efficiency," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    5. Shuoqi Chen & Longfei Ding & Yingbing Ni, 2024. "Government Employment Target Pressure and Labor Investment Efficiency in China: A Political Economy Perspective," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(3), pages 11495-11532, September.
    6. Chowdhury, Hasibul & Hossain, Ashrafee & Masum, Abdullah-Al & Zheng, Jiayi, 2023. "Does corporate sexual orientation equality affect labor investment efficiency?," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    7. Fan, Rui & Pan, Jianping & Yu, Minggui & Gao, Hao, 2022. "Corporate governance of controlling shareholders and labor employment decisions: Evidence from a parent board reform in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    8. Bai, Min & Fu, Yumei & Sun, Mingwei, 2023. "Corporate diversification and labor investment efficiency: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    9. Karami, Gholamreza & Mehrani, Sasan & Beik Boshrouyeh, Salman & Ezadpour, Mostafa & Mohebbi, Masoud & Samavat, Milad, 2024. "Political connections and labor investment efficiency," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PB), pages 568-580.
    10. Cao, June & Li, Wenwen & Hasan, Iftekhar, 2023. "The impact of lowering carbon emissions on corporate labour investment: A quasi-natural experiment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    11. Liu, Yunxin & Cao, Yuqiang & Lu, Meiting & Shan, Yaowen & Xu, Jiangang, 2024. "Automating efficiency: The impact of industrial robots on labor investment in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    12. Li, Bin & Zhao, Qizi & Shahab, Yasir & Kumar, Satish, 2023. "High-speed rail construction and labor investment efficiency: Evidence from an emerging market," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    13. Jiang, Dequan & Lan, Meng & Li, Weiping & Shen, Yongjian, 2024. "Threat or opportunity? Unveiling the impact of population aging on corporate labor investment efficiency," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    14. Ang, James & Yan, Zhenli & Xiao, Tusheng & Yuan, Chun & Wang, Jingfang, 2024. "Impact of Fintech on labor allocation efficiency in firms: Empirical evidence from China," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    15. Chowdhury, Hasibul & Hossain, Ashrafee & Tan, Kelvin & Zheng, Jiayi, 2022. "Do external labor market incentives improve labor investment efficiency?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C).
    16. Long, Houyin & Wu, Guilin & Wang, Jiaxin & Zhang, Pengdong, 2023. "How U.S. job policy affects China's scientific and technological manufacturing firms? A perspective based on the competitive environment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    17. Huang, Xinhui & Tarkom, Augustine, 2023. "Labor substitutability and corporate labor investment: Evidence from the H-1B program," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    18. Jia, Jing & Li, Zhongtian, 2024. "Opioid abuse and labor investment efficiency," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA), pages 1267-1285.
    19. Lai, Shaojie & Li, Xiaorong & Chan, Kam C., 2021. "CEO overconfidence and labor investment efficiency," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    20. Ee, Mong Shan & Hasan, Iftekhar & Huang, He, 2022. "Stock liquidity and corporate labor investment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:69:y:2024:i:pa:s1544612324010948. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.