Belton Fleisher | Ohio State University (original) (raw)

Papers by Belton Fleisher

Research paper thumbnail of Survey of Labor Economics Textbooks

The Journal of Economic Education, 1985

Research paper thumbnail of Policy Reform and Chinese Markets

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Mar 31, 2008

The evolution of China’s market economy is one of the most important developments in the world ... more The evolution of China’s market economy is one of the most important developments in the world economy in the twenty-first century. The diverse contributors to this book provide a unique set of essays that evaluate legal, regulatory, and economic aspects of China’s transition from planned to market economy.

Research paper thumbnail of China’s Evolving Labor Market

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Mar 31, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of Labor economics: Theory, evidence, and policy

Research paper thumbnail of Principles of economics

Research paper thumbnail of Foreign GTAs are Effective Teachers of Economics at LPU (Large Public University)

We assess the impact of graduate teaching associates who are not native-English speakers on under... more We assess the impact of graduate teaching associates who are not native-English speakers on undergraduate economics instruction in an environment in which English is the standard language for the majority of undergraduate students. We use a sample of over 3,000 students who initially registered for microeconomics principles in lecture-recitation format courses during the academic year 1995-96, and follow their progress through that course, macroeconomics principles, and intermediate courses to the end of the academic year 1999-2000. Outcome measures include course completion, course grades, and student course evaluations in micro principles. We also examine the relationship between GTA nationality and subsequent course choice and grade outcomes. We find little evidence that GTAs who do not come from Englishspeaking backgrounds adversely affect either course grades in economics principles courses or student choices on whether to enroll in additional economics courses. Strikingly, in ...

Research paper thumbnail of Intangible Capital, Innovation, and Growth in China

We study the relationship between industry-level investments in intangible capital (IC) and three... more We study the relationship between industry-level investments in intangible capital (IC) and three key economic indicators in China. We find that investments in IC are productivity-enhancing among Chinese enterprises—more so in domestically owned than in foreign invested enterprises. Consistent with other research, we find that China’s IC generates new patents, but fewer than in major industrialized economies. Among domestically owned enterprises, we find that IC growth has been associated with increasing export-competitiveness, while among foreign invested enterprises, it has been oriented more toward improving domestic sales.

Research paper thumbnail of Technical progress and induced innovation in China: a variable profit function approach

Journal of Productivity Analysis, 2022

We propose a new methodology to estimate empirically the input price-induced technical change and... more We propose a new methodology to estimate empirically the input price-induced technical change and total factor productivity (TFP) growth in China. Our primary goal is to test Hicks' induced innovation hypothesis by examining whether technical change in China has been induced by sharp increase in input prices that have accompanied its rapid economic growth. Utilizing the idea of a firm's two-stage optimization problem, we develop a new parametric form of the variable profit function wherein the derived input demand and output supply functions can be easily constrained to be regular, and the functional structure is parsimonious in the number of parameters. Applying this methodology to Chinese time series data for 1986-2015, we find that not only is wage-induced innovation significant and quantitatively important, but also that it substantially buffers a long-term decline in TFP growth that would otherwise be quite substantial. We conclude that China's economic growth is predominantly driven by wage-induced innovation along with massive injection of heavily subsidized physical inputs in public works and huge investment in industrial sectors.

Research paper thumbnail of The Lasting Impact of Mothers' Fetal Malnutrition on Their Offspring: Evidence from the China Great Leap Forward Famine

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010

valuable comments. We are grateful to the China Health and Nutrition Survey, funded by NIH (R01-H... more valuable comments. We are grateful to the China Health and Nutrition Survey, funded by NIH (R01-HD30880, DK056350, and R01-HD38700), and the Carolina Population Center and the Chinese CDC for providing data. Members of the Friday Working Group, Will McGuire, Kerry Tan, and Kent Zhao patiently listened to many presentations of the material and made valuable comments throughout.

Research paper thumbnail of Provincial Trade, Financial Friction and Misallocation in China

Social Science Research Network, 2020

Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research pu... more Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but IZA takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The IZA Institute of Labor Economics is an independent economic research institute that conducts research in labor economics and offers evidence-based policy advice on labor market issues. Supported by the Deutsche Post Foundation, IZA runs the world's largest network of economists, whose research aims to provide answers to the global labor market challenges of our time. Our key objective is to build bridges between academic research, policymakers and society. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author.

Research paper thumbnail of Under Planning and Reform1

We estimate returns to schooling using a retrospective work history survey covering more than 4,0... more We estimate returns to schooling using a retrospective work history survey covering more than 4,000 workers over the period 1950 to 1994, with particular emphasis to the returns to schooling for workers who attended institutes of higher education and who graduated from college. We find evidence that schooling returns declined throughout the period leading up to the Cultural Revolution (CR), with returns for workers who did not attend college becoming negligible. Returns to those with some college education remained positive, but low compared to other countries. Consistent with other studies, we find that returns to schooling did not recover from their CR low until the 1990s. Increases in the return to schooling during the transition following the CR were not associated directly with workers changing jobs or with taking “new-economy ” jobs but appear to have occurred for most workers across all ownership categories. Workers most likely to leave jobs in the traditional ownership secto...

Research paper thumbnail of Forthcoming in The Journal of Economic Education

This paper develops an original measure of learning in higher education, based on grades in subse... more This paper develops an original measure of learning in higher education, based on grades in subsequent courses. Using this measure of learning, this paper shows that student evaluations are positively related to current grades but unrelated to learning once current grades are controlled. It offers evidence that the weak relationship between learning and student evaluations arises, in part, because students are unaware of how much they have learned in a course. The paper concludes with a discussion of easily-implemented, optimal methods for evaluating teaching. We are grateful for comments from Tisha Emerson, Eric Fisher, and Hajime Miyazaki, seminar participants at Ohio State University and especially members of The Ohio State University Undergraduate Economics Society, and participants at the 2007 American Economic Association

Research paper thumbnail of Academia Sinica

Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published i... more Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit organization supported by Deutsche Post Foundation. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its international network, workshops and conferences, data service, project support, research visits and doctoral program. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to enco...

Research paper thumbnail of Authors

agricultural research centers that receive principal funding from governments, private foundation... more agricultural research centers that receive principal funding from governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations, most of which are members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTORS AND PARTNERS IFPRI’s research, capacity strengthening, and communications work is made possible by its financial contributors and partners. IFPRI receives its principal funding from governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations, most of which are members of the Consultative Group on

Research paper thumbnail of Human Capital and the Economic Convergence Mechanism: Evidence from China

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of The World Bank

Research paper thumbnail of Education, Worker Productivity, and Income Distribution in China

derivatives include average treatment effect (ATE), treatm i Econo ii These ent on the treated (T... more derivatives include average treatment effect (ATE), treatm i Econo ii These ent on the treated (TT),): The iv This a treatment on the untreated (TUT), bias, selection bias, and sorting gain.

Research paper thumbnail of of LaborEvolution of the Industrial Wage Structure in China Since 1980

Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published i... more Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit organization supported by Deutsche Post Foundation. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its international network, workshops and conferences, data service, project support, research visits and doctoral program. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to enco...

Research paper thumbnail of Long-Term Health Effects of Malaria Exposure around Birth: Evidence from Colonial Taiwan

Living things are "plastic" in their early lives: their growth and development are molded by the ... more Living things are "plastic" in their early lives: their growth and development are molded by the environment. ðDavid J. P. Barker 2000Þ 1 The Barker hypothesis is also known as the Fetal Origins hypothesis. However, it is noteworthy that the recent development in this line of research concerns both the intrauterine period and early childhood after birth. See http://www.thebarkertheory.org/index.php. 2 There are four strains of Plasmodium that are known to infect humans: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae. Further information is available at http://who.int/topics/malaria/en.

Research paper thumbnail of of Labor Intangible Knowledge Capital and Innovation in China

Intangible Knowledge Capital and Innovation in China * Intangible knowledge capital (IKC)-technol... more Intangible Knowledge Capital and Innovation in China * Intangible knowledge capital (IKC)-technology produced by workers but not embodied in them-can offset the "middle income trap" as China exhausts the benefits of international technology transfer. IKC is productivity-enhancing among Chinese enterprises-more so in domestically owned than in foreign invested enterprises. Consistent with other research, we find that China's IKC generates patents in China, but fewer than in major industrialized economies. Among domestically owned enterprises, IKC growth has flowed more toward higher-tech, export-oriented industries, while among foreign invested enterprises, it has been oriented more toward domestic sales.

Research paper thumbnail of Survey of Labor Economics Textbooks

The Journal of Economic Education, 1985

Research paper thumbnail of Policy Reform and Chinese Markets

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Mar 31, 2008

The evolution of China’s market economy is one of the most important developments in the world ... more The evolution of China’s market economy is one of the most important developments in the world economy in the twenty-first century. The diverse contributors to this book provide a unique set of essays that evaluate legal, regulatory, and economic aspects of China’s transition from planned to market economy.

Research paper thumbnail of China’s Evolving Labor Market

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Mar 31, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of Labor economics: Theory, evidence, and policy

Research paper thumbnail of Principles of economics

Research paper thumbnail of Foreign GTAs are Effective Teachers of Economics at LPU (Large Public University)

We assess the impact of graduate teaching associates who are not native-English speakers on under... more We assess the impact of graduate teaching associates who are not native-English speakers on undergraduate economics instruction in an environment in which English is the standard language for the majority of undergraduate students. We use a sample of over 3,000 students who initially registered for microeconomics principles in lecture-recitation format courses during the academic year 1995-96, and follow their progress through that course, macroeconomics principles, and intermediate courses to the end of the academic year 1999-2000. Outcome measures include course completion, course grades, and student course evaluations in micro principles. We also examine the relationship between GTA nationality and subsequent course choice and grade outcomes. We find little evidence that GTAs who do not come from Englishspeaking backgrounds adversely affect either course grades in economics principles courses or student choices on whether to enroll in additional economics courses. Strikingly, in ...

Research paper thumbnail of Intangible Capital, Innovation, and Growth in China

We study the relationship between industry-level investments in intangible capital (IC) and three... more We study the relationship between industry-level investments in intangible capital (IC) and three key economic indicators in China. We find that investments in IC are productivity-enhancing among Chinese enterprises—more so in domestically owned than in foreign invested enterprises. Consistent with other research, we find that China’s IC generates new patents, but fewer than in major industrialized economies. Among domestically owned enterprises, we find that IC growth has been associated with increasing export-competitiveness, while among foreign invested enterprises, it has been oriented more toward improving domestic sales.

Research paper thumbnail of Technical progress and induced innovation in China: a variable profit function approach

Journal of Productivity Analysis, 2022

We propose a new methodology to estimate empirically the input price-induced technical change and... more We propose a new methodology to estimate empirically the input price-induced technical change and total factor productivity (TFP) growth in China. Our primary goal is to test Hicks' induced innovation hypothesis by examining whether technical change in China has been induced by sharp increase in input prices that have accompanied its rapid economic growth. Utilizing the idea of a firm's two-stage optimization problem, we develop a new parametric form of the variable profit function wherein the derived input demand and output supply functions can be easily constrained to be regular, and the functional structure is parsimonious in the number of parameters. Applying this methodology to Chinese time series data for 1986-2015, we find that not only is wage-induced innovation significant and quantitatively important, but also that it substantially buffers a long-term decline in TFP growth that would otherwise be quite substantial. We conclude that China's economic growth is predominantly driven by wage-induced innovation along with massive injection of heavily subsidized physical inputs in public works and huge investment in industrial sectors.

Research paper thumbnail of The Lasting Impact of Mothers' Fetal Malnutrition on Their Offspring: Evidence from the China Great Leap Forward Famine

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010

valuable comments. We are grateful to the China Health and Nutrition Survey, funded by NIH (R01-H... more valuable comments. We are grateful to the China Health and Nutrition Survey, funded by NIH (R01-HD30880, DK056350, and R01-HD38700), and the Carolina Population Center and the Chinese CDC for providing data. Members of the Friday Working Group, Will McGuire, Kerry Tan, and Kent Zhao patiently listened to many presentations of the material and made valuable comments throughout.

Research paper thumbnail of Provincial Trade, Financial Friction and Misallocation in China

Social Science Research Network, 2020

Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research pu... more Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but IZA takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The IZA Institute of Labor Economics is an independent economic research institute that conducts research in labor economics and offers evidence-based policy advice on labor market issues. Supported by the Deutsche Post Foundation, IZA runs the world's largest network of economists, whose research aims to provide answers to the global labor market challenges of our time. Our key objective is to build bridges between academic research, policymakers and society. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author.

Research paper thumbnail of Under Planning and Reform1

We estimate returns to schooling using a retrospective work history survey covering more than 4,0... more We estimate returns to schooling using a retrospective work history survey covering more than 4,000 workers over the period 1950 to 1994, with particular emphasis to the returns to schooling for workers who attended institutes of higher education and who graduated from college. We find evidence that schooling returns declined throughout the period leading up to the Cultural Revolution (CR), with returns for workers who did not attend college becoming negligible. Returns to those with some college education remained positive, but low compared to other countries. Consistent with other studies, we find that returns to schooling did not recover from their CR low until the 1990s. Increases in the return to schooling during the transition following the CR were not associated directly with workers changing jobs or with taking “new-economy ” jobs but appear to have occurred for most workers across all ownership categories. Workers most likely to leave jobs in the traditional ownership secto...

Research paper thumbnail of Forthcoming in The Journal of Economic Education

This paper develops an original measure of learning in higher education, based on grades in subse... more This paper develops an original measure of learning in higher education, based on grades in subsequent courses. Using this measure of learning, this paper shows that student evaluations are positively related to current grades but unrelated to learning once current grades are controlled. It offers evidence that the weak relationship between learning and student evaluations arises, in part, because students are unaware of how much they have learned in a course. The paper concludes with a discussion of easily-implemented, optimal methods for evaluating teaching. We are grateful for comments from Tisha Emerson, Eric Fisher, and Hajime Miyazaki, seminar participants at Ohio State University and especially members of The Ohio State University Undergraduate Economics Society, and participants at the 2007 American Economic Association

Research paper thumbnail of Academia Sinica

Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published i... more Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit organization supported by Deutsche Post Foundation. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its international network, workshops and conferences, data service, project support, research visits and doctoral program. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to enco...

Research paper thumbnail of Authors

agricultural research centers that receive principal funding from governments, private foundation... more agricultural research centers that receive principal funding from governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations, most of which are members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTORS AND PARTNERS IFPRI’s research, capacity strengthening, and communications work is made possible by its financial contributors and partners. IFPRI receives its principal funding from governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations, most of which are members of the Consultative Group on

Research paper thumbnail of Human Capital and the Economic Convergence Mechanism: Evidence from China

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of The World Bank

Research paper thumbnail of Education, Worker Productivity, and Income Distribution in China

derivatives include average treatment effect (ATE), treatm i Econo ii These ent on the treated (T... more derivatives include average treatment effect (ATE), treatm i Econo ii These ent on the treated (TT),): The iv This a treatment on the untreated (TUT), bias, selection bias, and sorting gain.

Research paper thumbnail of of LaborEvolution of the Industrial Wage Structure in China Since 1980

Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published i... more Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit organization supported by Deutsche Post Foundation. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its international network, workshops and conferences, data service, project support, research visits and doctoral program. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to enco...

Research paper thumbnail of Long-Term Health Effects of Malaria Exposure around Birth: Evidence from Colonial Taiwan

Living things are "plastic" in their early lives: their growth and development are molded by the ... more Living things are "plastic" in their early lives: their growth and development are molded by the environment. ðDavid J. P. Barker 2000Þ 1 The Barker hypothesis is also known as the Fetal Origins hypothesis. However, it is noteworthy that the recent development in this line of research concerns both the intrauterine period and early childhood after birth. See http://www.thebarkertheory.org/index.php. 2 There are four strains of Plasmodium that are known to infect humans: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae. Further information is available at http://who.int/topics/malaria/en.

Research paper thumbnail of of Labor Intangible Knowledge Capital and Innovation in China

Intangible Knowledge Capital and Innovation in China * Intangible knowledge capital (IKC)-technol... more Intangible Knowledge Capital and Innovation in China * Intangible knowledge capital (IKC)-technology produced by workers but not embodied in them-can offset the "middle income trap" as China exhausts the benefits of international technology transfer. IKC is productivity-enhancing among Chinese enterprises-more so in domestically owned than in foreign invested enterprises. Consistent with other research, we find that China's IKC generates patents in China, but fewer than in major industrialized economies. Among domestically owned enterprises, IKC growth has flowed more toward higher-tech, export-oriented industries, while among foreign invested enterprises, it has been oriented more toward domestic sales.