September 2025，Volume 200, Issue 3

期刊简介

《Journal of Business Ethics》是商业和伦理领域的高水平学术期刊，被英国《金融时报》列为全球经管类权威期刊（FT50）。该期刊聚焦商业相关伦理问题的原创研究。2024年数据显示其影响因子为6.7，五年影响因子达8.7。

Abstract

We examine the influence of human resource (HR) slack, specifically that accrued through employee overtime, on firm innovation in China. Leveraging textual analysis to gauge overtime levels, our findings reveal that although overtime increases innovation output, it does not enhance its quality. These results remain consistent even in firms with research and development personnel slack or those offering higher salaries. Additionally, no significant differences are observed between state-owned and non-state-owned firms in terms of overtime’s impact on innovation. Furthermore, the effect of employee overtime on innovation output is less pronounced in the manufacturing and labor-intensive industries. Our study suggests that governmental leniency towards corporate infringement of employee rights does not sufficiently boost firm competitiveness. This research contributes to the understanding of the economic implications of widespread employee overtime in emerging economies, offering valuable business ethics and policy insights for managers and regulators addressing the fundamental working hour practices.

Keywords

Employee overtime · Human resource (HR) slack · Firm innovation · Employee rights

作者简介

杨菁菁，教授，博士生导师，副院长，广东外语外贸大学校学术委员会委员，广东外语外贸大学欧美同学会（留学人员联谊会）副理事长，民盟广东省委经委会副主任，广州市高层次金融人才，在University of Technology Sydney和Massey University分别获得金融学硕士和金融学博士学位，曾在香港城市大学从事访问研究。

国家级一流本科专业建设点”金融学“专业负责人，主持国家自然科学基金项目、国家社会科学基金项目，以及教育部和广东省级项目多项，在SSCI和CSSCI刊物等发表论文40余篇，多次获得省级科研奖项和国内外学术会议优秀论文奖。