State-owned Enterprises in Chinese Economic Transformation: Institutional Functionality and Credibility in Alternative Perspectives

Main author: Lo, Dic
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-31379
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
topic HC Economic History and Conditions
description The institutions of China’s state-owned enterprises have deviated fundamentally from the principle of individual(istic) property rights. The paradox is that the enterprises appear to have performed well in terms of productivity and profitability. This article examines the institutions in the light of alternative theoretical perspectives. The central message is two-fold. First, regarding functionality, the long-term oriented institutions could be conducive to productive efficiency but could also be detrimental to allocative efficiency. Second, regarding credibility, the actual performance hinges on the appropriate match between the institutions and the broader developmental conditions. The efficiency attributes are thus found to be context-specific. Further discussion on the notion of context-specificity reveals that relative efficiency is conjunctural rather than structural in the determination of the functionality and credibility. In the spirit of Original Evolutionary and Institutional Economics, it is submitted that the attributes of relative efficiency are themselves subject to the particular “social valuation” of China’s prevailing political-economic conditions.
format Journal Article
author Lo, Dic
author_facet Lo, Dic
authorStr Lo, Dic
author_letter Lo, Dic
title State-owned Enterprises in Chinese Economic Transformation: Institutional Functionality and Credibility in Alternative Perspectives
publisher Taylor and Francis
publishDate 2020
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/31379/