Ambiguity and conflict in pension policies implementation: evidence from China

Abstract

While the literature generally acknowledges that target groups affect policy implementation, we argue that a more detailed investigation of the mechanisms and factors associated with such effect is necessary. Drawing on the Ambiguity-Conflict Model, we explore how target groups’ perceived policy ambiguity and conflict relate to the implementation of Corporate Employee Pension (CEP) policies in China. Empirically, we utilize a unique sample of all firms listed on China’s A-stock market from 2008 to 2014 and hypothesize that target groups’ perceived policy ambiguity and conflict negatively associate with the implementation outcomes of the CEP policies in China. Our results confirm such a relationship and suggest that the implementation outcomes, from most favorable to least favorable, follow the order: Administrative Implementation, Political Implementation or Experimental Implementation, and Symbolic Implementation. Such results are robust to both state-owned and non-state-owned enterprises. Our research offers implications for both scholars and practitioners of pension policies in China.

Keywords:

• Target groups
• implementation outcomes
• pension policies
• social governance
• China

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers and the editors for their constructive and astute reviews.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Exworthy and Powell, “Big Windows and Little Windows,” 263–281; Sabatier, “An Advocacy Coalition Framework of Policy Change,” 129–168; Schneider, Ingram, and Deleon, “Democratic Policy Design,” 105–149; Smith, “The Policy Implementation Process,” 197–209.

2 Howlett, Ramesh, and Perl, Studying Public Policy; Van Meter and Van Horn, “The Policy Implementation Process,” 445–488.

3 Barrett, “Implementation Studies,” 249–262.

4 Sabatier and Mazmanian, “The Implementation of Public Policy,” 538–560.

5 See note 3 above.

6 De Leon and de Leon, “What Ever Happened to Policy Implementation?” 467–492.

7 Goggin et al., Implementation Theory and Practice.

8 See note 3 above; Grantham, “How Networks Explain Unintended Policy,” 851–870; Sabatier, “Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches to Implementation,” 21–48.

9 Howlett, Ramesh, and Perl, Studying Public Policy.

10 Ibid.

11 Matland, “Synthesizing the Implementation Literature,” 145–174.

12 O'Brien and Li, “Selective Policy Implementation,” 167–186.

13 Cai, “Irresponsible State,” 20–41.

14 Heilmann, “Maximum Tinkering under Uncertainty,” 450.

15 Ahlers and Schubert, “Effective Policy Implementation in China,” 372–405; Wang, “Adapting by Learning,” 370–404; Zhu, “Target Groups’ Views and Policy Implementation,” 817–841.

16 Guo, “The Politics of Local Justice Expenditure,” 374–394; Solinger, “Jennifer Pan, Welfare for Autocrats”; Zhu and Cao, “Decision-Making and Risk Sources,” 95–110.

17 Feldman, Order without Design, 5.

18 Kingdon, Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies, 84.

19 See note 11 above, 156.

20 Howard, Wrobel, and Nitta, “Implementing Change in an Urban School District,” 934–941.

21 Ellis, “Personalisation, Ambiguity and Conflict,” 239–254.

22 Hordern, “An Unfinished Experiment,” 248–265.

23 See note 20 above.

24 Ran, “Perverse Incentive Structure and Policy,” 17–39.

25 Schneider, Ingram, and Deleon, “Democratic Policy Design,” 105–149.

26 Zahariadis, “Ambiguity and Multiple Streams.”

27 See note 18 above.

28 This rate was later adjusted to 5% in 2009.

29 Guo and Ba, “Adopt or Not and Innovation Variation,” 298–319.

30 See note 20 above, 936.

31 Samuelson, “Consumption Theory in Terms of Revealed,” 243–253.

32 CSMAR: http://cn.gtadata.com/#/index

33 Yoshida and Horiba, “Determinants of Defined-Contribution Japanese Corporate,” 33–47; Butrica and Smith, “401 (k) Participant Behavior in a Volatile Economy,” 1–29.

34 Matland, “Synthesizing the Implementation Literature,” 160.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lei Guo

Lei Guo is an associate professor in the School of Economics and Management at Tongji University. His research focuses on employee benefits, occupational pensions, and social security policy innovation diffusion.

Yuhao Ba

Yuhao Ba is a doctoral candidate in Public Administration in the School of Public and International Affairs at North Carolina State University. His research focuses on environmental policy, non-state environmental governance, and public policy process.