关键词: 信任,自然空间距离,社会空间距离,契约选择

Abstract: Contract choice has been the frontier subject of contractual economics. This paper constructs an analytical framework of spatial distance, trust and contract selection to conduct an empirical analysis of the survey data from five counties in Guizhou Province. The results show that firstly, farmers with different personal features are different in choosing their contracts. Secondly, the spatial distance (including natural spatial distance and social spatial distance) between both sides of the transfer can impact the farmers’ contract choices; the farther the spatial distance, the more likely they will choose written contracts while less likely to choose oral contracts. Thirdly, trust will also influence contract selections; the greater the trust between both sides of the land transfer, the more likely they will choose oral contracts while less likely to choose written contracts. The policy implications of this study are as follows: in order to let land transfer go smoothly in the social context of low cost, the first is that the government departments should conduct more publicity to farmers with good faith during the process of farmland transfer, so as to form a good credible environment. The second is, on the premise that the natural spatial distance is not shortened, to shorten the social spatial distance so as to enhance the trust between the two sides of the transfer. Through the increase of the frequency of land transaction and the frequency of interaction, the rate of contract implementation can be improved and the mutual trust can be enhanced, thus the benefit community of both sides of land transfer can be formed, and smooth land transfer can be promoted.

Key words: trust; natural spatial distance; social spatial distance; contract selection