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This dissertation focuses on labour market returns of migrants and non-migrants in transitional urban China. Literature on internal migrants in urban China reveals different perspectives on whether internal migrants have higher or lower labour market returns than urban residents. Labour market segmentation theory highlights the effect of an institutional barrier, the Hukou system, and suggests that migrants are placed in the lower segment of the market while urban residents have many advantages over migrants. On the contrary, migration selectively literature suggests migrants in urban China are positively selected and have higher quality than non-migrants, thus suggesting that migrants have higher-level returns than non-migrants. Market transition theory provides a transitional view and suggests the inequality caused by the Hukou system is decreasing with the development of a market economy, with competitiveness increasing among both migrants and urban non-migrants. The main objective of this research is to examine the differences in earnings and occupational attainments among different population groups - urban non-migrants, temporary migrants and permanent migrants - and their changes over time, and to examine factors that contribute to the changes. Three key factors, Hukou reforms, development of market mechanisms and migration selectivity, are highlighted in this study. Using CGSS 2003 and 2008, the empirical analysis shows that first, the independent effect of migrant status on earnings was significant in 2003 but not significant in 2008, however, migrant status had a significant independent effect on individuals’ occupational attainments in both 2003 and 2008. Second, migration selection had significant and positive effects on individual’s earnings and occupational attainments in both 2003 and 2008. Third, migrants with urban Hukou status have an advantage in labour market returns. Urban migrants (temporary and permanent migrants from urban to urban) had a net earnings advantage over urban non-migrants in two years of 2003 and 2008; permanent migrants (permanent migrants from rural to urban and from urban to urban) had an advantage in occupational attainments over urban non-migrants in both 2003 and 2008. The mixed findings of decreased effects of migrant status on individual’s earnings from 2003 to 2008 and the remaining effect of migrant status on individual’s occupational attainment from 2003 to 2008 indicate that both segmentation and competition exist in urban labour markets in China. This reflects the nature of China’s transition from a planned to a market economy, where growing market forces co-exist with institutional legacies. Migrants in China are positively selected and migration experience contributes positive returns on earnings and occupational attainments.

This thesis examines the trajectory and role of development within the context of transition from a command to market economy, in a northern region of the Lao PDR. It looks at how the long-term effects of development interventions have contributed to a context of regional integration where the role of foreign investment and the private sector are increasing. In particular, it examines the role of development interventions in the processes of diversification and differentiation that accompany market integration. The village of Ban Jai illustrates this process as a site where despite the failures of development projects a diversification of livelihoods have developed. The implementation of UNDP projects in Ban Jai raises questions regarding the role of international projects and suggests that rather than alleviating poverty they produce a chain of effects that contribute to the tensions that result from structural changes to the village household economy. My analysis examines the tensions produced by such shifts and how villagers negotiate their engagement with the market economy. The experience of women traders illustrates how relations of solidarity are reworked in an attempt to negotiate tensions produced through processes of market integration. As structural shifts take place with increasing economic integration, international agencies also respond in particular ways by shifting strategies. I also ask what changes shifts in strategy introduce at the local level and how this intersects with the way policies are rationalized by local officials and the UNDP. An examination of this trajectory over a period of two decades, suggests that changing strategies in development have involved a shifting role between international development organizations and the private sector. I ask what kind of context this intersection of structural shifts, policy shifts and institutional shifts produces on the ground and how such shifts are negotiated locally.

The Chinese market transition has provided new opportunities for individuals to improve social status. In contemporary urban China, do people have equal access to opportunities to obtain occupational status? Following theories of human capital, social network and market transition, this study uses a dataset of the 2003 China General Social Survey and interviews, to explore different effects of human capital, family background and social network on occupational mobility from a perspective of work sector change. The first major finding is that the returns for education were highest for those whose first and second occupations were in the state sector. Work experience and party membership were significant only for workers remaining in the state sector and human capital was often considered equal to work ability. In the private sector, occupational status depended on recognition of the ability to work. Secondly, family background was meaningful for workers transferring within both sectors. In the state sector, the effects were mainly through the use of fathers’ political power to make occupational promotion whereas in the private sector, it came down to economic support or information transmission. Thirdly, social network was significant in the form of strong ties if workers stayed in the state sector or transferred there from the private sector. It mainly took the form of job information for those staying in or transferring to the private sector. And last, education significantly affected income for all groups but with the highest returns for stayers. I conclude that for one thing, human capital, family background and social network exert markedly different effects on occupational mobility in four subgroups in contemporary urban China. The use of political power is the main influence of family background and social network, especially for those transferring to the state sector. The institutionalization of occupational promotion based on political power may result in unequal opportunity for job and status mobility and consequently the stagnation of economic and social development. In order to establish a fair labour market, five policy proposals are made related to promotion of a market-oriented economy, disclosure of information in the labour market, law regulation, reform of distribution of socioeconomic benefits, and political system reform.

<p>The Chinese automobile industry has been experiencing some profound changes during the market transition and globalization. Regarding to the ownership structure and technological upgrading strategies of the domestic assemblers, there have emerged four major developmental models. Transitional theoretical perspectives have limitations in face of these differing models. In this study, a perspective of social construction is proposed to resolve this research question. This dissertation explores four representative cases including FAW, SAIC Group, Chery and Geely. The major argument is that the local political structure, developmental ideas and agencies as necessary components of local social construction have resulted in the divergent paths among these Chinese car makers.</p> / Dissertation

This thesis examines the trajectory and role of development within the context of transition from a command to market economy, in a northern region of the Lao PDR. It looks at how the long-term effects of development interventions have contributed to a context of regional integration where the role of foreign investment and the private sector are increasing. In particular, it examines the role of development interventions in the processes of diversification and differentiation that accompany market integration. The village of Ban Jai illustrates this process as a site where despite the failures of development projects a diversification of livelihoods have developed. The implementation of UNDP projects in Ban Jai raises questions regarding the role of international projects and suggests that rather than alleviating poverty they produce a chain of effects that contribute to the tensions that result from structural changes to the village household economy. My analysis examines the tensions produced by such shifts and how villagers negotiate their engagement with the market economy. The experience of women traders illustrates how relations of solidarity are reworked in an attempt to negotiate tensions produced through processes of market integration. As structural shifts take place with increasing economic integration, international agencies also respond in particular ways by shifting strategies. I also ask what changes shifts in strategy introduce at the local level and how this intersects with the way policies are rationalized by local officials and the UNDP. An examination of this trajectory over a period of two decades, suggests that changing strategies in development have involved a shifting role between international development organizations and the private sector. I ask what kind of context this intersection of structural shifts, policy shifts and institutional shifts produces on the ground and how such shifts are negotiated locally.

The green bond market has grown rapidly in the past years but still only stands for 1 percent of the total bond market. More issuers need to issue green bonds for the green bond market to grow, and investors need to invest in new issuers. A weakness of the green bond market is that there is no universal definition of sustainability. This thesis investigates the green bond market from investors’ perspectives, focusing on the role of trust in the green bond market. The thesis is qualitative research containing eight interviews with people on pension funds, asset management firms, an insurance company, and a fixed-income institute. The interviews were supplemented with a short questionary. The main findings are that trust has a vital role in the green bond market. Trust between investors and issuers can be strengthened through increased transparency from the issuer. Issuers’ general sustainability work is essential for investors when investing in green bonds. The research identified that the green bond market growth would benefit if a third-party actor would vouch for the company’s sustainability work. A recommendation to facilitate market growth is to establish a voluntary standardized sustainability rating with clear financial incentives for the issuer. It would enhance issuers’ sustainability awareness and increase transparency for the investors as the rating would be on the issuers’ initiative. / Den gröna obligationsmarknaden har vuxit kraftigt de senaste åren men står endast för 1 procent av den totala obligationsmarknaden. För att marknaden ska växa behöver fler emittenter utfärda gröna obligationer samtidigt som investerare behöver investera i nya emittenter. En svaghet för den gröna obligationsmarknaden är att det saknas en universell definition av hållbarhet. Detta arbete undersöker den gröna obligationsmarknaden från en investerares perspektiv med fokus på tillitens betydelse på marknaden. Arbetet är en kvalitativ studie som baseras på åtta intervjuer med personer inom pensionsbolag, kapitalförvaltning, försäkringsbolag och ett ränteinstitut. Intervjuerna kompletterades med en kort enkät. De viktigaste resultaten visar på att tillit har en betydande roll på den gröna obligationsmarknaden. Tillit mellan investerare och emittenter kan stärkas genom ökad transparens från emittentens sida. Resultat visar även på att emittentens generella hållbarhetsarbete är viktigt för investerare när de investerar i en grön obligation. Det identifieras att den gröna obligationsmarknaden skulle kunna dra fördel av om det existerar en tredjepartsaktör som kan bekräfta en emittents hållbarhetsarbete. Ett förslag som eventuellt skulle kunna leda till marknadstillväxt är att införa ett standardiserat hållbarhetsbetyg kopplat till tydliga finansiella incitament för både emittenten och investeraren. Detta skulle öka transparensen för investerare samt kunna förbättra emittentens medvetenhet gällande hållbarhet eftersom bedömningen skulle göras på emittentens initiativ.

經濟全球化的發展，勞動市場產生結構性的變化，勞動市場趨於彈性化，使非典型工作增加，普遍低薪的情形讓青年較上一代面臨更大的就業風險，也迫使他們必須改變觀念和行為來因應大環境的變遷。青年依照自己的處境與需要，重新調整並找出適合自己的轉銜路徑，度假打工成為現今台灣青年的新選擇。 度假打工對現今青年的生涯規劃存在著不可忽視的影響力，本研究旨在探討為何青年願意放下國內的工作赴海外度假打工？其回國後之就業選擇是否產生變化？度假打工期間的個人成長是否增加其在職場的競爭力，符合企業對人才的需求？ 本研究採取立意抽樣及滾雪球抽樣，針對度假打工回國至少一年以上者進行深入訪談。發現度假打工的動機包括：想離開台灣日益惡化的就業環境、對工作感到倦怠、看不到工作的未來發展性，以及不清楚人生志向。從青年回國後的求職及就業狀況，發現他們在度假打工期間累積的能力，如溝通能力、抗壓性與挫折忍受度、解決問題及應變能力、國際接軌能力、學習意願高，都是現今企業所重視的，對於他們重新投入職場以及職涯發展具有深遠影響。 / Economic globalization has been changing the labor market enormously in terms of the structure and flexibility. Thus the increase of atypical employment is one of the main causes of deteriorating labor market and low-paid jobs. The youth of today face higher employment risk and they are forced to change their employment behavior and aspirations in response to circumstantial vicissitude. The youth try to find out the road which is suitable to them. In recent years, working holiday has become the new choice among young people in exploring their career pursuit. The influence of working holiday in youth’s career planning cannot be ignored. There are three issues this study focused on. Firstly, why the youth in Taiwan resign their job and go oversea for working holiday? Secondly, will the youth’s career selection change after they come back? Lastly, during the working holiday, will the youth’s personal ability get strengthened as a result of working holiday experience and that capability in turn increases their competitiveness in labor market? By Purposive Sampling and Snowball sampling, the target groups who had come back at least one year are chosen and are conducted in-depth interviews. We found out that their motivation to undertake working holiday includes the following: getting away from deteriorated labor market of Taiwan, job burnout, pessimism for the future career development, and lost purpose in their life. As to the impact of working holiday, the findings show that the experience of working holiday will have long term impact on the youth’s future career development, such as communication skills, stress resistant ability, problem-solving capability, global adaptability, and high willingness to learn.

有關中國轉型的研究，在九○年代與兩千年後，由於聚焦於不同的社會層面，產生了研究上的鴻溝。原有的各項轉型制度理論，無法對現實社會問題，提供研究的指導與洞察，因此造成近年社會分析的理論貧乏問題。本文乃嘗試以制度為主線，捻出「制度同化」與「制度相依」兩項觀點，有系統的整理、爬梳現有各項轉型理論文獻，試圖連綴「轉型歷程」、「經濟成就」與「社會失衡」間的相互關係。本文希望藉此文獻功夫，幫助銜接「既有的理論架構」與「演進中的社會實踐」，使得彼此滋潤、相互激發，不斷開展出中國社會研究的源頭活水。 / The study of China’s market transition falls into two distinct periods: in the earlier phase, China’s phenomenal economic success is the subject and many institutional accounts has been proposed while in following years , China’s rising economic disparities attracts all the attention and little effort has been devoted to the business of theory-building. As a result, today’s social analyses in China have hardly ever been theory-informed. Given this situation, this paper seeks to review existing theoretical literature with special reference to institutional changes and hopefully bridge the gap between institutional theory and Chinese practices.