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The role of energy or emission intensive firms face contradictory demands from advancing economic development and environmental improvement and protection and thus require appropriate policy interventions to balance the two needs. China's “Green Credit” policy that restricts loans to energy or emission intensive firms provides an example to study the impact of these kinds of policy intervention.

Using the data of all A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, our paper empirically analyzes the impact of the Green Credit Policy on performance of these energy or emission intensive firms.

(1) Using difference-in-difference (DID) and propensity score matching (PSM)-DID method and the dynamic effect method, we found that from 2012 to 2015, the Green Credit Policy had an inhibiting effect on the performance of energy or emission intensive firms. This inhibiting effect was gradually weakened in 2016, and it turned into a positive promoting effect in 2017; (2) The performance's change of these firms around 2015 showed that Green Credit promoted the green transformation and upgrading of these firms; (3) Loans were helpful to the performance of energy or emission intensive firms to some extent, but government subsidies were not significant.

The results suggest that the government, banks and other institutions should dynamically assess the implementation results of the Green Credit Policy on energy or emission intensive firms.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of low-carbon city pilots (LCCPs) policy using Chinese city-level data from 2009 to 2018 and examine the mechanisms of LCCP policy using a mediation effect model.

The authors measured carbon emissions by high-resolution carbon emission data and used difference-in-difference (DID) and propensity matching score-difference-in-difference (PSM-DID) model to investigate the relationship between LCCP policy and urban carbon intensity. The complex relationship between policy and carbon intensity was evaluated through a mediation model.

The results show that LCCP policy can reduce urban carbon intensity (−0.287), but its effects are different in different sectors. The impact of LCCP policy is greater in the industrial enterprise sector than in the transport sector than in the agricultural sector. Second, the authors find that LCCP policy under market-driven is more effective than government intervention. Third, there is a spillover effect of LCCP policy, which is decreasing with distance. Finally, the authors explore the mechanisms of LCCP policy from multiple perspectives, such as optimizing industrial structure, green areas, promoting public transport travel, population migration and innovation. In addition, the flow of these factors can also explain the spillover effects of LCCP policy.

This study confirms that LCCP policy is an effective tool for achieving urban sustainable development. Government policy-makers should consider the differences in the impacts of LCCP policy in different sectors and the spillover effects of LCCP policy. And, it shows that the effects of LCCP policy are larger by market-driven. These findings imply that the government should take full account of city characteristics and marketisation processes when formulating carbon reduction policies.

This study analyzed the relationship between LCCP policy and urban carbon intensity based on high-resolution carbon emission data. Urban panel data are used to discuss the impacts of LCCP policy under government intervention and market-driven and the mechanisms at play. The study reveals that LCCP policy mainly acts on the industrial enterprise sector, the spillover effects and the market-driven effects.

Considering the substantial benefits derived from the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in construction projects, governments and its related sectors have introduced mandatory policies requiring the use of BIM. However, little is known about the impact of mandatory policies on BIM-based project performance. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide a systematical understanding on the impact of policy interventions on the implementation practice of innovative technologies.

This paper utilizes the propensity score matching and difference in differences (PSM-DID) method to investigate the impact of policy interventions on BIM-based project performance. Using the panel data collected from 2015 to 2021 in the Hong Kong construction industry, this paper explores the impact of the first mandatory BIM policy on the BIM-based project performance of three key stakeholders.

The subjective BIM performance and BIM return on investment (ROI) have significantly improved after implementing the mandatory BIM policy. The promotion effect of mandatory BIM policy on BIM-based project performance gradually increases over time. Moreover, the promotion effect of mandatory BIM policy on BIM performance shows significant heterogeneity for different stakeholders and organizations of different sizes.

This study examined the impact of policy interventions on BIM-based project performance. The research findings can provide a holistic understanding of the potential implications of innovative mandatory policy in performance improvement and offer some constructive suggestions to policymakers and industry practitioners to promote the penetration of BIM in the construction industry.

Waiting time, as an important predictor of queue abandonment and patient satisfaction, is important for resource utilization and patient experience management. Medical institutions have given top priority to reforming the appointment system for many years; however, whether the increased information transparency brought about by the appointment scheduling mechanism could improve patient waiting time is not well understood. In this study, the authors examine the effects of information transparency in reducing patient waiting time from an uncertainty perspective.

Leveraging a quasi-natural experiment in a tertiary academic hospital, the authors analyze over one million observational patient visit records and design the propensity score matching plus the difference in difference (PSM-DID) model and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to address this issue.

The authors confirm that, on average, improved information transparency significantly reduces the waiting time for patients by approximately 6.43 min, a 4.90% reduction. The authors identify three types of uncertainties (resource, process and outcome uncertainty) in the patient visit process that affect patients' waiting time. Moreover, information transparency moderates the relationship between three sources of uncertainties and waiting time.

The authors’ work not only provides important theoretical explanations for the patient-level factors of in-clinic waiting time and the reasons for information technology (IT)-enabled appointment scheduling by time slot (ITASS) to shorten patient waiting time and improve patient experience but also provides potential solutions for further exploration of measures to reduce patient waiting time.

This study aims to construct an evaluation system for farmers’ livelihood capital in minority areas and evaluate the impact of relocation in response to climate change on farmers’ livelihood capital.

According to the characteristics of Yunnan minority areas, the livelihood capital of farmers in minority areas is divided into natural, physical, financial, social, human and cultural capital. The improved livelihood capital evaluation system measures farmers’ livelihood capital from 2015 to 2021. The net impact of relocation on farmers’ livelihood capital was separated using propensity score matching and the difference-in-difference (PSM-DID) method.

The shortage of livelihood capital makes it difficult for farmers to resist climate change, and the negative impacts of climate change further aggravate their livelihood vulnerability and reduce their livelihood capital. Relocation has dramatically increased the livelihood capital of farmers living in areas with poor natural conditions by 15.67% and has enhanced their ability to cope with climate change and realise sustainable livelihoods.

An improved livelihood capital evaluation system is constructed to realise the future localisation and development of livelihood capital research. The PSM-DID method was used to overcome endogeneity problems and sample selection bias of the policy evaluation methods. This study provides new ideas for academic research and policy formulation by integrating climate change, poverty governance and sustainable livelihoods.

This study examines whether the national innovative city pilot policy (NICP) influences urban entrepreneurship (UE). To examine the underlying causal mechanism, this study modeled the city-level intellectual capital index and financing capacity (FC) in the relationship between NICP and UE.

An empirical model of NICP, intellectual capital, FC and entrepreneurship is conceptualized based on theoretical analysis. Using a quasi-natural experiment of China’s NICP, with a sample of 280 prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2018, propensity score matching with difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) is used to empirically test the NICP’s impact on UE, mediating effects of intellectual capital and moderation effects of FC.

The results show that the NICP can significantly motivate UE. Intellectual capital plays mediating effects on the relationship between NICP and UE. Moreover, the NICP and intellectual capital’s effects on UE are moderated by FC.

This study provides an important reference for promoting UE through intellectual capital and FC in the construction of the NICP.

This is a pioneering study that develops a theoretical model to incorporate NICP, intellectual capital, FC and UE. This paper applies experimental governance theory in innovative urban scenarios, and verifies its applicability and particularity in the Chinese context.

The rising uncertainties in the macroeconomic environment exacerbate the challenges firms face in the export market. This study aims to explore which strategy is suitable for export enterprises to develop sustainably under COVID-19.

Based on the sample data of China’s A-stock listed manufacturing firms from 2010 to 2020, this study applies a survival analysis method to explore the impact of strategic flexibility on export firm survival. Furthermore, this study uses the difference-in-difference model to test the relationship between strategic flexibility and firms’ profits in the context of the pandemic.

The results show that strategic flexibility can increase firms’ survival time, improving dynamic production and innovation capabilities, which is favorable for their sustainable development. Meanwhile, after the spread of COVID-19, firms with strategic flexibility have higher profits than those without. This influence mechanism mainly involves exploring new markets that can improve the company revenue and the coordination capabilities of the supply chain; this reduces corporate costs.

This study expands relevant research on the factors affecting the survival of export enterprises and supplements research on the economic consequences of firms’ strategic flexibility; this also enriches the dynamic capability theory. Additionally, it provides important implications for firms to enhance strategic flexibility and recommends government implementation of policies that encourage the domestic sales of commodities originally produced for exports under COVID-19.

Although blood banks have recently started to recruit blood donors through social media platforms, including WeChat, to increase recruitment effectiveness, few researchers have studied their effects on blood donation behavior. The aim of this study is to examine the influence of using official WeChat accounts on repeat blood donation behavior.

This paper used the backstage operation data of official WeChat accounts and blood supply chain management system data from the blood bank for the study to analyze the changes in repeat blood donation behavior. First, to analyze the changes in the average frequency of blood donation per year, average volume of single blood donation and blood eligible rate of repeat blood donors before and after following the official WeChat accounts by difference-in-differences model combined with propensity score matching (PSM-DID). Second, we examined the impact of official WeChat accounts on the proportion of repeat blood donors through survival analysis.

The results show that following WeChat accounts increases the average frequency of blood donation and blood eligible rate of repeat blood donors by 14.36% and 1.19%, respectively, and have no significant effect on the average volume of single blood donation. Further, WeChat accounts have a more significant impact on the average frequency of blood donations per year for workers, farmers, medical staff and groups with education levels of junior high school. In addition, official WeChat accounts can effectively increase the proportion of repeat donors.

The results provide a quantitative basis for the influence of official WeChat accounts on repeat blood donation behaviors. On the one hand, it is of great significance to guide the publicity and recruitment of unpaid blood banks. On the other hand, it provides an evidence for the promotion of official WeChat accounts.

This study introduces Social Contribution Value per Share (SCVPS), an indicator devised by the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), as an easy-to-interpret Measurement of Corporate Social Performance (MCSP) to the international research arena. The authors first explore the informativeness role of voluntary disclosure of SCVPS in the stock market. The authors then go one step further to demonstrate the relationship between corporate value creation quantified by SCVPS and firm value.

The study takes a new perspective – a quasi-natural experiment of SCVPS disclosure in 2008 and uses a Propensity Score Matched Difference in Difference model (PSM-DiD) to investigate the impact of SCVPS disclosure policy on stock price synchronization and firm value. Through manually recalculating all the values of SCVPS and its components, this study enables us to further investigate the relationship between corporate value creation for various stakeholders and firm value.

This study reveals that voluntary disclosure of SCVPS can signal firm-specific information to the market and reduce noise in returns, thus affecting stock price synchronization. The findings further demonstrate that such firm-specific information has value relevance to firm performance. Moreover, the authors demonstrate that corporate value creation for different stakeholders measured by SCVPS can significantly affect firm value. The moderating effects of ownership structures and industry types are also investigated, and an endogeneity test confirms the robustness of the findings.

This study argues that SCVPS offers an economically viable way for firms, including small-and-medium-sized enterprises, in emerging economies to disclose corporate value creation and provide the public with a direct understanding and appreciation of the values created by corporations for stakeholders.

The result makes contributions to the MCSP literature and explores the informativeness of SCVPS disclosure. Besides, this paper demonstrates that SCVPS offers a good setting to explore the effect of corporate value creation on firm performance in an emerging market.

A city is a spatial carrier of innovation activities. Improving the level of urban innovation can play a significant supporting role in building an innovative country. China began to implement the innovative city pilot policy in 2008 and continued to expand the policy into more areas for exploring the path of innovative urban development with Chinese characteristics and improving urban innovation.

Based on mechanism analysis, this paper used the panel data of 269 cities from 2003 to 2016 to empirically test the effect of the pilot policy on the level of urban innovation by using different methods, such as the difference-in-differences model.

The results show that the innovative city pilot policy significantly improves the level of urban innovation. However, according to the findings of the heterogeneity analysis, the effect of the pilot policy on improving the innovation level in direct-controlled municipalities, provincial capitals and sub-provincial cities is weaker than that in ordinary cities, and the effect of the pilot policy on improving the innovation level in cities with a higher quality of science and education resources is weaker than that in cities with lower quality of science and education resources.

Moreover, as the level of urban innovation increases, the effect of the pilot policy on improving the level of urban innovation is an asymmetric inverted V shape, which means the effect is first strengthened and then weakened. The research also finds that the locational heterogeneity of the pilot policy for improving the level of urban innovation is not notable. In addition, the innovative city pilot policy can strengthen the government's strategic guidance, promote the concentration of talent, incentivize corporate investment and optimize the innovation environment, having a positive impact on urban innovation. Moreover, the effect of concentration of talent and the effect of corporate investment incentive are the important reasons for the pilot policy to promote the improvement of the level of urban innovation.