Topic: Training and Firm Performance 

Speaker: Prof. SHI Jin, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law

Time: April 10, 2025, 15:00

Venue: EMS 237

Abstract:

This study tests Resource-Based Theory (RBT) by examining the impact of training on frm performance. Using web crawling and textual analysis, we create a novel training variable measuring managerial attention to training. Ourfindings reveal that prioritizing training significantly enhances firm perfomance, surpassing the impact of education. We also explore the interaction betveen training and education, highlighting their complementary roles in improvingfirm performance. We stress the importance of supply-side constraints on employee mobility, including factors suchas emplbyee welleing and location preferences. Furthermore, we show that the value of training varies with thecompetitive environment, being more beneficial in highly competitive product markets and for fims pursuingdifferentiation strategies. Overall, this study advances our understanding of RBT's boundaries and offers insights intohow firms can strategically leverage resourcaes for sustainable competitive advantage.

Guest Bio:

SHI Jin is currently a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Finance, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, and a national high-level talent. He holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the Australian National University. He has previously held positions at the Australian National University, RMIT University, and Macquarie University in Australia. He is a Fellow of the Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand (AFAANZ), a Council Member of the Asian Finance Association, and serves as Associate Editor for the SSCI-indexed journal Accounting and Finance, Field Editor for the Journal of Accounting Literature, and Associate Editor for Research in International Business and Finance. His research areas include fintech, empirical corporate finance, corporate governance, bond ratings, and corporate strategy, with a primary focus on China's economy and financial markets. He has published over 70 papers in leading domestic and international academic journals, including American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy, Administrative Science Quarterly, Strategic Management Journal, Management Science, and Economic Research Journal.