Worker Protections, Innovation, and Worker Displacement
Prof. Qian XIN
Associate Professor of Accounting, School of Economics and Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen
Date: 18 October 2024 (Friday)
Time: 14:30 – 16:00
Venue: E22-G008
Host: Prof. Duncan Jiancheng LIU, Assistant Professor in Accounting
Abstract
We exploit credibly exogenous wrongful discharge rulings by U.S. state courts to study adverse unintended consequences of policies intended to protect workers. When state courts rule that employees can recover damages if discharged “in bad faith,” firms face higher labor adjustment costs, incentivizing them to reduce labor utilization. We find the rulings cause firms to increase the rate at which they apply for labor-automating patents. The rulings also cause R&D intensity to become more negatively associated with future employment growth. We infer increases in labor adjustment costs cause firms to shift innovation strategy toward greater focus on labor displacing technology.
Speaker
Prof. Qian XIN is an associate professor of accounting at the School of Economics and Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in accounting from The University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on the role of information intermediaries in capital markets, including financial analysts, auditing, and social media. His research papers have been published in Management Science, Journal of Economic Theory, Journal of Corporate Finance, and Journal of Accounting and Public Policy.
All are welcome!
