Chris Jones
Professor, Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship | Aston University
Birmingham, UNITED KINGDOM
Professor Jones maintains primary research interests in various areas of international economics and international business.
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Biography
Chris maintains primary research interests in various areas of international economics and international business. The broad theme of his research revolves around international financial flows such as foreign direct investment (FDI), international trade, foreign aid and migrant remittances. More specifically however, he has undertaken projects that look at FDI in controversial locations such as conflict zones and controversial industry sectors such as tobacco.
Recently, his research focus has moved towards an analysis of the profit shifting activities of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and how MNEs utilise tax havens. This area has received significant media attention given the state of the OECDs public finances and various scandals such as the Panama Papers and the Paradise Papers. Chris has published two papers on this topic and has a future pipeline of research in this area. Furthermore, he has just been awarded Leverhulme Project Grant for £121,590 over the course of two years where he will be the Principle Investigator. This research will analyse tax haven use by emerging market MNEs.
Chris has published articles in leading journals such as the Journal of World Business, British Journal of Management and World Development. In addition to obtaining grant income from the British Academy. He has also presented his research at many leading conferences across the world. In terms of impact, Chris has undertaken collaborative work with the Tax Justice Network that has looked in to the role of the Big 4 Accountancy Firms and tax avoidance and an analysis of the EU proposals for a common consolidated corporate tax base.
In addition to research, Chris also takes very seriously the importance of learning and teaching. He holds a Masters degree in Higher Education and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He has also published pedagogic research in journals such as Studies in Higher Education. Chris has won numerous teaching awards. In 2011 Chris won the Economics Network's Student Nominated Award and in 2012 Chris won the Aston Excellence Award as Outstanding Teacher of the Year. Chris is also a Public Governor of Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust.
Areas of Expertise (5)
MNEs
Foreign Aid
Tax Havens
FDI
International Trade
Accomplishments (2)
Aston Excellence Award: Outstanding Teacher of the Year (professional)
2012
Economics Network Outstanding Lecturer of the Year (professional)
2011
Education (4)
University of Leicester: BA, Economics 2002
University of Leicester: MSc, Financial Economics 2004
University of Nottingham: PhD, Economics 2008
Aston University: MEd, Higher Education 2016
Affiliations (2)
- Higher Education Academy : Senior Fellow
- Academy of International Business
Links (5)
Media Appearances (3)
Budget 2017: experts respond
The Conversation online
2017-11-22
The UK chancellor of the exchequer, Philip Hammond, has delivered a budget which offered help to first-time home buyers and the prospect of more money for workers in the National Health Service, but his speech was partly overshadowed by sharp cuts to GDP growth forecasts from the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR).
An original Republican tax plan offers Trump a radical tool for corporate tax reform
The Conversation online
2017-01-30
Major US companies have long been known to specialise in profit shifting to tax havens to reduce their tax bill. This erosion of the corporate tax base is thought to lead to rising inequality and deprives countries of important revenues to spend on public services.
How smoking bans could lead to the death of the tobacco industry
The Conversation online
2016-05-31
Smoking bans have been introduced in numerous countries around the world, following the incontrovertible link that’s been made between smoking and cancer. The World Health Organisation estimates that over 6m people a year will die from smoking related illnesses each year and thousands more suffer from the effects of secondhand smoke.
Research Grants (2)
Tax Havens & Firm Performance
British Academy Small Research Grant £10,000
2014-2015 With Yama Temouri
Tax Havens and Emerging Market Multinational Enterprises
Leverhulme Project Grant £121,590
2018-2020 With Jun Du, Yama Temouri and Karim Kirollos
Articles (5)
The Relationship Between MNE Tax Haven Use and FDI into Developing Economies Characterized by Capital Flight
Transnational Corporations JournalThe use of tax havens by multinationals is a pervasive activity in international business. However, we know little about the complementary relationship between tax haven use and foreign direct investment (FDI) in the developing world. Drawing on internalization theory, we develop a conceptual framework that explores this relationship and allows us to contribute to the literature on the determinants of tax haven use by developed-country multinationals. Using a large, firm-level data set, we test the model and find a strong positive association between tax haven use and FDI into countries characterized by low economic development and extreme levels of capital flight.
The Relationship Between Corporate Governance and Tax Havens: A Critical Review and Future Research Directions
Annals of Corporate GovernanceThis review investigates the important linkages of the role and extent of corporate governance in explaining tax haven activity by multinational enterprises (MNEs). We contribute to the literature by identifying and mapping how the extant academic and policy literature has hitherto investigated: (1) the magnitude of tax haven activity over time; (2) the channels and mechanisms via which individual MNEs are able to use tax havens; and (3) the determinants that may drive MNEs to invest in tax havens. We further contribute by identifying the linkages through more recent and exciting research that investigates the relationship between corporate governance factors and tax haven activity.
Identity of Asian Multinational Corporations: influence of tax havens
Asian Business & ManagementThe sustained growth and importance of Asia as a hub of economic, social and political activity has attracted significant foreign direct investment and opportunities for economies from the West and other parts of the world to invest in this fast growing region. Regional headquarters and global innovation hubs of large multinational corporations (MNCs) are evidence of an Asian century phenomenon. The proliferation of tax havens in the region or the use of tax havens by firms in the Asian region is no surprise.
Tax haven networks and the role of the Big 4 accountancy firms
Journal of World BusinessThis paper investigates the association between the Big 4 accountancy firms and the extent to which multinational enterprises build, manage and maintain their networks of tax haven subsidiaries. We extend internalisation theory and derive a number of hypotheses that are tested using count models on firm-level data. Our key findings demonstrate that there is a strong correlation and causal link between the size of an MNE’s tax haven network and their use of the Big 4. We therefore argue that public policy related to the role of auditors can have a significant impact on the tax avoidance behaviour of MNEs.
Do work placements improve final year academic performance or do high-calibre students choose to do work placements?
Studies in Higher EducationThis study investigates whether the completion of an optional sandwich work placement enhances student performance in final year examinations. Using Propensity Score Matching, our analysis departs from the literature by controlling for self-selection. Previous studies may have overestimated the impact of sandwich work placements on performance because it might be the case that high-calibre students choose to go on placement.
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