Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Economic Incentives (economic + incentive)
Selected AbstractsAre There Economic Incentives for Non-Traditional Students to Enter HE?HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2007The Labour Market as a Barrier to Widening Participation The expansion of higher education (HE) in the UK has disproportionately benefited young people from relatively rich families: the gap between rich and poor in terms of participation in HE having widened since the 1970s. We explore a neglected possible cause of this class difference: that the labour market fails to provide sufficient incentives for potential entrants from less advantaged backgrounds to enter HE. Most studies of the rewards from participating in HE in the UK suggest that the rates of returns are sufficiently high to provide clear economic incentives to participate. However, until recently, most studies generated estimates of the average rate of return to graduation, which could overestimate returns to marginal entrants, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In this review we examine the methodological problems faced by more targeted studies of the rates of return to graduation and review their key findings concerning the economic returns to non-traditional entrants. [source] Economic and financial aspects of mine closureNATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 4 2001James R. Kahn Abstract Today, mine reclamation is a key component to a successful mine plan. Most of the industrialized nations have recognized the need to make mining activities relatively environmentally friendly, if they want to continue to benefit from the economic gains from mineral resource development. Countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa are leaders in the field and have implemented relatively sophisticated legislation to ensure environmentally correct mine closure. These countries rely on a combination of strict control strategies and economic penalties to ensure compliance. Yet, from the firm's perspective, reclamation activities are counterproductive as they cut into profits. In order to attract economic development and earn much needed economic capital, most of the rest of the world, particularly the developing countries, lack effective mine closure legislation. The traditional command and control type of legislation that is sometimes used is either vague and therefore avoided, or not enforced appropriately, resulting in an undesirable level of environmental degradation. With the use of case studies from Brazil, this article shows that direct controls are effective in some instances and not in others. It proposes that economic and financial tools may be more effective than the traditional direct controls in getting firms to comply with environmental standards, particularly in developing countries where environmental compliance is more difficult to achieve. It explains the use of performance bonding as one type of economic incentive that has proven to be an effective environmental policy in mine planning and closure. The authors additionally push beyond the typical style of performance bonds to introduce a flexible bonding and insurance system that allows governments to maintain strict environmental standards but limits firms financial exposure during the mining process. Such a system learns from the successes of the industrialized countries that use performance bonding and is sensitive to the needs of developing nations to attract investment yet maintain environmental integrity. [source] Developing an effective community conservation program for cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) in ColombiaAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2010A. Savage Abstract Developing effective conservation programs that positively impact the survival of a species while considering the needs of local communities is challenging. Here we present an overview of the conservation program developed by Proyecto Tití to integrate local communities in the conservation of Colombia's critically endangered primate, the cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus). Our comprehensive assessment of the threats effecting the long-term survival of the cotton-top tamarin allowed us to establish the primary components of our program. Proyecto Tití has three areas of emphasis: (1) scientific studies detailing the biology and long-term survival of the cotton-top tamarin, (2) conservation education programs to increase public awareness and conservation knowledge, and (3) community empowerment programs that demonstrate a valuable economic incentive to protecting wildlife and forested areas in Colombia. This integrated approach to conservation that involves local communities in activities that benefit individuals, as well as wildlife, has proven to be remarkably effective in protecting cotton-top tamarins and their forested habitat. Our bindes program, which uses small cook stoves made from clay, has demonstrated a marked reduction in the number of trees that have been harvested for firewood. Developing environmental entrepreneurs, who create products made from recycled plastic for sale in national and international markets, has had a significant impact in reducing the amount of plastic that has been littering the environment and threatening the health of wildlife, while creating a stable economic income for rural communities. Proyecto Tití has provided economic alternatives to local communities that have dramatically reduced the illegal capture of cotton-top tamarins and forest destruction in the region that has positively impacted the long-term survival of this critically endangered primate. Am. J. Primatol. 72:379,390, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Duck Hunting and Wetland Conservation: Compromise or Synergy?CANADIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2003Jeff Bennett Duck hunting is an issue , often controversial , that generates both benefits and costs to society. Hunters enjoy benefits from engaging in their sport, while those who have ethical concerns regarding the shooting of ducks endure costs. Some in the community fear that duck hunting puts pressure on the continued ecological viability of the hunted species, while others argue that the demand for hunting provides sufficient economic incentive for wetland conservation. Whether society as a whole should permit or restrict duck hunting is to some extent an empirical question: Are the costs to society of allowing duck hunting greater or less than the benefits it generates? Evidence presented in this paper addresses this question. The benefits enjoyed by people who hunt ducks in the upper south east of South Australia are estimated using the travel cost method. The ethical costs borne by the general community because of duck hunting are estimated using the choice modeling technique. Finally a threshold value analysis is used to assess the activities of Wetlands and Wildlife, a not-for-profit organization that manages wetlands in part for hunting. La chasse au canard est un sujet qui prête souvent à controverse et qui est une source de coûts et d'avantages pour la société. Les chasseurs profitent des avantages que leur procure leur sport, tandis que ceux qui ont des préoccupations d'ordre moral touchant à la chasse subissent des coûts. Certaines personnes dans la communauté craignent que la chasse au canard ne fasse pression sur la viabilitéécologique des espèces chassées. Est-ce que la société dans son ensemble devrait permettre ou limiter la chasse au canard est dans une certaine mesure une question empirique: est-ce que les coûts pour la société de permettre la chasse excèdent ou non les avantages qu'elle procure? Les données présentées dans cet article répondent à cette question. Les avantages reçus par ceux qui chassent le canard dans le haut du sud-est de l'Australie du Sud sont estimés en utilisant la méthode du coût de transport. Les coûts d'ordre moral subis par la communauté dans son ensemble à cause de la chasse au canard sont estimés en utilisant la technique de modélisation des choix. Enfin, une analyse de valeur seuil est utilisée pour évaluer les activités de Zones Aquifères et Nature, un organisme bénévole qui gère les zones aquifères en partie pour la chasse. [source] Achieving Integrative, Collaborative Ecosystem ManagementCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2006HEATHER L. KEOUGH beneficios sociales y ecológicos; gestión; participación pública; toma de decisiones cooperativa Abstract:,Although numerous principles have been identified as being important for successfully integrating social and ecological factors in collaborative management, few authors have illustrated how these principles are used and why they are effective. On the basis of a review of the ecosystem management and collaboration literature, we identified eight factors important for integrative, collaborative ecosystem management,integrated and balanced goals, inclusive public involvement, stakeholder influence, consensus group approach, collaborative stewardship, monitoring and adaptive management, multidisciplinary data, and economic incentives. We examined four cases of successful ecosystem management to illustrate how the factors were incorporated and discuss the role they played in each case's success. The cases illustrate that balancing social and ecosystem sustainability goals is possible. Collaborative efforts resulted in part from factors aimed at making plans economically feasible and from meaningful stakeholder participation in ongoing management. It also required participation in monitoring programs to ensure stakeholder interests were protected and management efforts were focused on agreed-upon goals. Data collection efforts were not all-inclusive and systematic; rather, they addressed the ecological, economic, and social aspects of key issues as they emerged over time. Economic considerations appear to be broader than simply providing economic incentives; stakeholders seem willing to trade some economic value for recreational or environmental benefits. The cases demonstrate that it is not idealistic to believe integrative, collaborative ecosystem management is possible in field applications. Resumen:,Aunque numerosos principios han sido identificados como importantes para la integración exitosa de factores sociales y ecológicos en la gestión cooperativa, pocos autores han ilustrado como son utilizados estos principios y porque son efectivos. Con base en una revisión de la literatura sobre gestión de ecosistemas y colaboración, identificamos cinco factores,metas integradas y balanceadas, inclusive participación pública, influencia de grupos de interés, estrategia de consenso en el grupo, gestión cooperativa, gestión adaptativa y monitoreo, datos multidisciplinarios e incentivos económicos,que son importantes para la gestión integradora y cooperativa de ecosistemas. Examinamos cuatro casos de gestión exitosa de ecosistemas para ilustrar como fueron incorporados los factores y discutimos el papel que jugaron en el éxito de cada caso. Los casos ilustran que el balance de metas de sustentabilidad social y ecológica es posible. En parte, los esfuerzos cooperativos resultaron de factores orientados a hacer que los planes fueran económicamente viables y de la participación significativa de grupos de interés en la gestión en curso. También se requirió la participación en programas de monitoreo para asegurar que los intereses de los grupos fueran protegidos y los esfuerzos de gestión se enfocaran en las metas acordadas. No todos los esfuerzos de recolecta de datos fueron incluyentes y sistemáticos, más bien, eran dirigidos a los aspectos ecológicos, económicos y sociales de temas clave a medida que emergían. Las consideraciones económicas parecen ser más amplias que simplemente proporcionar incentivos económicos, los grupos de interés parecen dispuestos a cambiar algo de valor económico por beneficios recreativos o ambientales. Los casos demuestran que no es idealista pensar que es posible aplicar la gestión integradora y cooperativa de ecosistemas en el campo. [source] DEMAND UNCERTAINTY AND RESALE PRICE MAINTENANCECONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 4 2000D FLATH When retailers must commit to shipment quantities prior to resolution of demand uncertainty, manufacturer stipulation of a minimum retail price is likely to be profitable for the manufacturer and not damaging to the retailers. The reason is simple: if demand turns out to be low, the unfettered market-clearing price can lie below the price that maximizes total sales revenue. A minimum retail price that is binding in the low-demand state can thus increase total revenue even though it saddles retailers with unsold merchandise. The ubiquity of full reimbursement for returns in Japan, even though it is in theory merely a second-best way of achieving minimum retail price stipulations, reveals important aspects of manufacturer maintenance of retail prices having to do with enforcement problems, the allocation of risk-bearing, and economic incentives. These aspects of resale price maintenance (RPM) are relevant to the normative evaluation of the special exemptions for RPM that Japan's Fair Trade Commission has long maintained but is now phasing out. [source] From Disaster to Sustainable Civil Society: The Kobe ExperienceDISASTERS, Issue 1 2004Rajib Shaw Nine years after the Kobe earthquake in Japan, social issues are still prominent, and the rehabilitation process is still ongoing. The earthquake caused two major changes in Japanese society: an increase in voluntary and non-government activities, and the enhancement of cooperation between local government and the residents' association. People's participation in the decision-making process was a significant achievement. To sustain the efforts generated after the earthquake, the Kobe Action Plan was formulated and tested in different disaster scenarios. The current study suggests that civil societies in urban areas are sustainable if, first, the activities related to daily services are provided by the resident's associations; and second, these are linked to economic incentives. Leadership plays a crucial role in collective decision-making. Creation of the support system is essential for long-term sustainability of civil-society activities. These observations are exemplified in the case study in Nishi Suma, one of the worst-affected areas in the Kobe city. [source] Endogenous growth theory: a critiqueECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 3 2000Omar Al-Ubaydli Endogenous growth theory is based on a misperception of how science and technology are acquired and diffused. In particular, it is incorrect to assume that knowledge is freely available. Any knowledge which has economic value has to be accessed via the brains of experts who are members of the relevant ,invisible college' and are rivalrous. It therefore has the characteristics of a private good which can be left to conventional economic incentives to supply. [source] WORKFORCE COMPOSITION AND FIRM PRODUCTIVITY: EVIDENCE FROM TAIWANECONOMIC INQUIRY, Issue 4 2010JIN-TAN LIU We study the relationship between workforce composition and firm productivity based on a new employee-employer-matched data set, using an array of workforce characteristics and three alternative measures of firm productivity. While firm age is not essential for the performance of firms, those of smaller size and those in the steel and transportation industries outperform others. Moreover, labor quality, particularly the middle-aged with higher education, contributes significantly to firms' productivity. Furthermore, economic incentives and market competition both play important roles in the performance of firms. Finally, there is an employer-size premium with larger firms paying higher wages and nonwage benefits. (JEL C33, D20, J30) [source] Seeking asylum in EuropeECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 38 2004Timothy J. Hatton SUMMARY Seeking asylum in Europe Over the last three decades the annual number of applications for asylum in the countries of the European Union has increased from about 15 000 to more than 300 000. This has sparked a political backlash, a revolution in policy, a lively academic debate, but very little economic analysis. Although the causes of asylum flows and the effects of policy are much discussed, they have rarely been the subject of quantitative analysis. This article examines the evolution of asylum flows and asylum policy across the EU since the early 1980s. It investigates the effects of war and conflict, economic incentives, and asylum policies on the total numbers and on the proportions going to the different countries of the EU. Special attention is given to the growth of policy restrictiveness across the EU and to the harmonization of asylum policies. Contrary to some views, policy has worked to stem the flows, but it has been overwhelmed by other forces. [source] Transmission pricing using the exact power and loss allocation method for bilateral contracts in a deregulated electricity supply industryEUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL POWER, Issue 3 2007Cattareeya Adsoongnoen Abstract This paper proposes a new method based on exact power and loss allocation for bilateral transactions under the enhanced single buyer model in the Thai electricity supply industry (Thai ESI). Generally, a transmission network is designed to transfer mainly active power. The transmission pricing for this active power charge in the Thai ESI comprises three components, namely the transmission use-of-system charge, the connection charge, and the common service charge. However, the calculation of transmission pricing, using marginal cost scheme, might not ensure revenue requirements of the transmission owner in case of a high reactive power demand in the network because a part of transmission line capacity is subsequently required for the reactive power transfer. Thus, the triangle method is used to segregate the transmission pricing by classifying active and reactive charges. The users are charged regarding their system usages by applying the exact power and loss allocation method. The proposed transmission pricing sends economic incentives to the users with fair charges. It ensures an investment recovery of the transmission owner in case of high reactive demand in the network. The Thai power 424-bus network demonstrates the method exemplarily. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A Political Theory of Economic StatecraftFOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS, Issue 4 2008Jean-Marc F. Blanchard When can economic sanctions and incentives achieve important political objectives? Why do they often fail? We propose a political theory of economic statecraft, arguing that the success of economic statecraft does not depend on the magnitude of its economic effect. Instead, it succeeds when the economic pain or gain it engenders translates into political costs or opportunities. We argue that the political effects of economic signals will depend on a variety of international and domestic political factors, the most important of which is the target state's level of stateness, comprised of three components: autonomy, capacity, and legitimacy. When economic statecraft motivates key domestic coalitions to push for policy change, high stateness enables target state leaders to resist their calls and defy the sender. Conversely, when economic statecraft convinces target leaders that they ought to comply with the sender's demands, high stateness enable them to overcome domestic opposition to compromise. To evaluate the usefulness of our theory, we employ a plausibility probe, testing our approach against three leading alternatives (the realist, economic liberal, and domestic conditionalist approaches) with case studies of Western economic incentives to Hungary and Romania after the Cold War and Indian sanctions against Nepal in the late 1980s. [source] The influence of economic incentives and regulatory factors on the adoption of treatment technologies: a case study of technologies used to treat heart attacksHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 10 2009Mickael Bech Abstract The Technological Change in Health Care Research Network collected unique patient-level data on three procedures for treatment of heart attack patients (catheterization, coronary artery bypass grafts and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) for 17 countries over a 15-year period to examine the impact of economic and institutional factors on technology adoption. Specific institutional factors are shown to be important to the uptake of these technologies. Health-care systems characterized as public contract systems and reimbursement systems have higher adoption rates than public-integrated health-care systems. Central control of funding of investments is negatively associated with adoption rates and the impact is of the same magnitude as the overall health-care system classification. GDP per capita also has a strong role in initial adoption. The impact of income and institutional characteristics on the utilization rates of the three procedures diminishes over time. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Are There Economic Incentives for Non-Traditional Students to Enter HE?HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2007The Labour Market as a Barrier to Widening Participation The expansion of higher education (HE) in the UK has disproportionately benefited young people from relatively rich families: the gap between rich and poor in terms of participation in HE having widened since the 1970s. We explore a neglected possible cause of this class difference: that the labour market fails to provide sufficient incentives for potential entrants from less advantaged backgrounds to enter HE. Most studies of the rewards from participating in HE in the UK suggest that the rates of returns are sufficiently high to provide clear economic incentives to participate. However, until recently, most studies generated estimates of the average rate of return to graduation, which could overestimate returns to marginal entrants, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In this review we examine the methodological problems faced by more targeted studies of the rates of return to graduation and review their key findings concerning the economic returns to non-traditional entrants. [source] Factors influencing implementation of occupational safety and health management systems by enterprises in PolandHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 3 2006Daniel Podgórski Implementing legal regulations in occupational safety and health (OSH) as well as other actions aimed at improving working conditions in industry in many countries run in parallel with promoting nonobligatory OSH management systems (OSH MS). To define a scientific basis for working out a set of guidelines for promoting OSH MS, a survey was conducted in 40 companies. This research aimed to identify motivational factors for decisions to introduce OSH MS. Four groups of professionals who participated in the decision-making process related to implementing OSH MS were interviewed: (a) the most senior managers of the enterprise, (b) representatives of top management for implementation and maintenance of OSH MS, (c) safety and health managers, and (d) workers' safety representatives. The results indicate the need for: (1) improving the efficiency of programs promoting implementation of OSH MS; (2) considering the role of economic incentives in promoting these systems; (3) developing and promoting training packages related to OSH management, adjusted particularly to the needs of employees and their representatives to increase their involvement in OSH activities; and (4) modifying legal solutions establishing a system of differentiated premium rates for social insurance against occupational accidents and diseases. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 16: 255,267, 2006. [source] Using economic instruments to overcome obstacles to in situ conservation of biodiversityINTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2006Jeffrey A. McNEELY Abstract The leading direct cause of the loss of biodiversity is habitat alteration and disruption. If we are to address this cause directly, we need to find ways of changing the behavior of rural people. Experience has shown that this is done most effectively through the use of economic instruments, ranging from taxes that discourage over-exploitation, to direct payments for conservation activities carried out by rural land-owners or those occupying the land. In many parts of the world, governments provide incentives such as tax breaks to private land-owners. Other countries recognize specific use rights on particular parts of the land, enabling the land-owners to earn appropriate benefits. Since many protected areas have resident human populations, it is especially important that they be encouraged to contribute to the objectives of the protected area, and economic incentives offer an important way of doing so; they might, for example, be given employment in the protected area or in associated tourism activities. Direct payments to farmers for conserving watersheds is becoming increasingly popular, in both developed and developing countries. Improved conservation will require both removing perverse subsidies and developing a wide range of approaches for rewarding land-owners for biodiversity conservation activities. [source] Structural Traps, Politics and Monetary PolicyINTERNATIONAL FINANCE, Issue 1 2004Robert H. Dugger Structural conditions pose a challenge to monetary policy, as the example of Japan shows. In this paper we develop the concept of structural trap, where the interplay of long-term economic development incentives, politics, and demographics results in economies being unable to efficiently reallocate capital from low- to high-return uses. The resulting macroeconomic picture looks like a liquidity trap , low GDP growth and deflation despite extreme monetary easing. But the optimal policy responses are very different and mistaking them could lead to perverse results. The key difference between a liquidity trap and a structural one is the role of politics. We show how, in the Japanese case, longstanding economic incentives and protections and demographic trends have resulted in a political leadership that resists capital reallocation from older protected low-return sectors to higher-return newer ones. If the Japanese case is instructive, in a structural trap, extremely loose monetary policy perpetuates deflation and low GDP growth, because unproductive but politically important firms are allowed to survive and capital reallocation is prevented. By preventing the needed reduction in excess capacity, a structural trap condemns reflationary policies to failure by making the creation of credible inflation expectations impossible. Faced with a structural trap, an independent central bank with a price stability mandate should adopt a monetary policy stance consistent with restructuring. If political resistance is high, monetary policy decision makers will need to keep nominal rates high enough to ensure that capital reallocation takes place at an acceptable pace. [source] Accounting Discretion in Fair Value Estimates: An Examination of SFAS 142 Goodwill ImpairmentsJOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 2 2006ANNE BEATTY ABSTRACT This study examines Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 142 adoption decisions, focusing on the trade-off between recording certain current goodwill impairment charges below the line and uncertain future impairment charges included in income from continuing operations. We examine several potentially important economic incentives that firms face when making this accounting choice. We find evidence suggesting that firms' equity market concerns affect their preference for above-the-line vs. below-the-line accounting treatment, and firms' debt contracting, bonus, turnover, and exchange delisting incentives affect their decisions to accelerate or delay expense recognition. Our study contributes to the accounting choice literature by examining managers' use of discretion when adopting a mandatory accounting change and by developing and testing explicit cross-sectional hypotheses of the determinants of firms' preferences for immediate below-the-line versus delayed above-the-line expense recognition. [source] An interdisciplinary evaluation of fishery production systems off the state of Pará in North BrazilJOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 3 2009V. J. Isaac Summary The performance of 20 fishery production systems off the state of Pará in the northern region of Brazil was compared using the ,RAPFISH' methodology, with 57 identified attributes distributed among five evaluation fields: economics, sociology, ecology, technology and politics. The results indicated the existence of three large groups of fishery sectors: (i) industrial (red snapper with traps, the Laulao catfish, shrimp trawl) and semi-industrial (lobster) fisheries; (ii) large-scale artisanal fisheries (acoupa weakfish, red snapper with lines, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, coco sea catfish); and (iii) small-scale artisanal fisheries (shellfish, crab, estuarine longline, fish traps, etc.). While the industrial and large-scale artisanal systems demonstrated greater sustainability from an economic and social standpoint, small-scale fisheries appeared to be more ecologically sustainable. Based on the results, a reduction in industrial fishing efforts is recommended, along with the establishment of licensing quotas for fishing vessels, as well as an increased investment in research on proper guidance and management of the semi-industrial and large-scale artisanal fisheries sectors. For small-scale artisanal fisheries, economic incentives are suggested for the aggregate value of the products and to assist fishers in the development of an appropriate social organization. Finally, it is believed that a greater stakeholder involvement in the decision-making process would improve management actions for all modalities. [source] Asset Write-Offs in the Absence of Agency ProblemsJOURNAL OF BUSINESS FINANCE & ACCOUNTING, Issue 3-4 2008Neil Garrod Abstract:, Using a large sample of small private companies, we show incremental influence of economic incentives over prescriptions from accounting standards by financial statement preparers in a code-law setting with high alignment between financial and tax reporting and no agency problems. Contrary to predictions from standards, more profitable companies are more likely to write-off and the write-off magnitude is greater, reflecting tax minimisation. Larger companies are more likely to write-off, but the magnitude decreases with size, reflecting increasing political costs due to greater visibility to tax authorities. Previous write-off patterns and magnitudes are persistent, reflecting institutional learning linked to regulatory changes. [source] The Economics of Nonpoint Pollution ControlJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 3 2001James S. Shortle A timely literature on the design of economic incentives for nonpoint pollution control has been emerging. We describe the nonpoint pollution control problem, some of the peculiar challenges it poses for policy design, and the policy-related contributions of the theoretical and empirical literature on the economics of nonpoint pollution. [source] Predicting food safety losses in turkey processing and the economic incentives of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) interventionAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2006William E. Nganje Turkey is an important food commodity whose total value of U.S. production amounted to $2.72 billion in 2003. Empirical evidence suggests that among broilers, eggs, turkeys, and chickens, Salmonella contamination of ground turkey is highest at 49.9% prior to hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) implementation and 26.6% after HACCP implementation. Salmonella and other microbial outbreaks have greatly contributed to the large number of food recalls in the meat and poultry industry; therefore, processed turkey constitutes a prime commodity for HACCP intervention analysis. Value-at-risk provides a framework for assisting firm management to assess food safety risks in monetary terms, and to evaluate the economic incentives of control measures like HACCP. Results show that food safety losses as measured by downside risk significantly declined following HACCP implementation. Medium- and large-scale turkey processors are more likely to derive more benefit from implementing an augmented HACCP plan than a generic HACCP plan. [EconLit citations: C150, Q180] © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 22: 475,489, 2006. [source] Family formation among women in the U.S. military: Evidence from the nLSYJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 1 2005Jennifer Hickes Lundquist Although female employment is associated with lower levels of completed fertility in the civilian world, we find family formation rates among U.S. military women to be comparatively high. We compare enlisted women with civilian women using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (N = 3,547), the only data set to measure simultaneously the nuptiality and fertility of both populations. Using propensity score matching, we show that the fertility effect derives primarily from early marriage in the military, a surprisingly "family-friendly" institution. This shows that specific organizational and economic incentives in a working environment may offset the more widespread contemporary social and economic factors that otherwise depress marriage and fertility. [source] Improving Adherence to Abnormal Pap Smear Follow-UpJOURNAL OF OBSTETRIC, GYNECOLOGIC & NEONATAL NURSING, Issue 1 2001Priscilla DeRemer Abercrombie RN Objective: To gain a better understanding of factors that affect follow-up and the strategies that have been found to improve follow-up after an abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) smear test. Data Sources: A computer-based search of the literature was conducted using MEDLINE with the keywords adherence, nonadherence, compliance, Follow-up, and abnormal Pap smears. Study Selection: Research studies published between 1985 and 1999 in the English language were included. If relevant studies were cited in the articles reviewed, these studies also were reviewed. A total of 25 studies were reviewed. Data Extraction: A critical review of these studies was conducted, with special attention to implications for clinical practice as well as future research. The studies fell into two groups: factors associated with nonadherence and strategies developed to improve adherence. Data Synthesis: A number of factors were identified that affect adherence to follow-up among women with abnormal Pap smears. Some of these factors involve characteristics of the woman, such as demographics, social support, lack of understanding, and fear. Factors that pertain to the health care system, such as inconvenient clinic hours, male providers, and insensitive staff, also were identified. A number of strategies have been successful in improving follow-up, including telephone counseling, educational programs, and economic incentives. Conclusions: Nurses play a crucial role in Facilitating adherence to recommendations for follow-up. They can identify women at risk for poor follow-up, increase awareness of the factors that affect follow-up, and implement strategies shown to be successful in improving adherence. Future research should take into account the rnultifactoral nature of adherence as well as the patient's perspective. In addition, studies should be designed with special attention to generalizability and should include women from populations most at risk for cervical cancer. [source] Excision of selectable marker genes from transgenic crops as a concern for environmental biosafetyJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 14 2007Satheesh Natarajan Abstract The main task in the development of transgenic plants is the capability to distinguish between plant cells with an integrated transgene and the bulk of non-transformed cells. Selectable marker genes are required to achieve this goal within the transgene, and to select for their expression. These selectable markers are mostly based on genes conferring antibiotic or herbicide resistance. The presence of the marker gene will lead to unpredictable environmental hazards, so on the basis of economic incentives and safety concerns, several methods, such as site-specific recombination, homologous recombination and co-transformation, have been developed to eliminate these genes from the genome after successful transformation has been achieved. Gene transfer without the incorporation of an antibiotic-resistance marker or herbicide-resistance marker in the host genome should convince the public with regard to the field release of transgenic organisms. Moreover, it would obviate the need for different selectable markers in subsequent rounds of gene transfer into the same host. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source] A systems analysis of soil and forest degradation in a mid-hill watershed of Nepal using a bio-economic modelLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2005B. K. Sitaula Abstract Forest degradation, manifested through decline in forest cover, and the resulting soil erosion and organic carbon losses, is a serious problem caused by a complex coupling of bio-physical, socio-economic and technological factors in the Himalayan watersheds. Greater understanding of the linkages between these factors requires a systems approach. We have proposed such an approach using a bio-economic model to explore the system behaviour of forest degradation, soil erosion, and soil C losses in the forest areas. The outcome of the model simulation over a 20-year period indicates that soil erosion and C loss rates may increase more than four-fold by the year 2020 under the existing socio-economic and biophysical regime (the base scenario). Reductions in the population growth rate, introduction of improved agricultural technology and increase in the prices of major agricultural crops can help slow down the rates of forest decline, soil erosion and C loss or even stabilize or reverse them. The results suggest that economic incentives may be highly effective in the reduction of soil loss, as well as C release to the atmosphere. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Sustainability of the dimension stone industry in Zimbabwe,challenges and opportunitiesNATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 3 2001Oliver Maponga Abstract The rapid expansion of the dimension stone and black granite industry in Zimbabwe in the 1990s, a result of increasing domestic and international demand for black granite, has ushered in new challenges and opportunities for producers and beneficiaries alike. This article investigates the social, environmental and economic challenges emanating from the export boom, the economic opportunities presented by the expanding market and the potential role the robust industry could play in regional economic development and poverty alleviation. The article evaluates the long-term sustainability of the dimension stone industry and recommends the reinvestment of revenues into diversification of the regional economic base, upgrading of local infrastructure, further processing of rough stone before export and encouragement of micro-businesses to enhance sustainability. The author argues for modification of economic incentives to incorporate environmental and social objectives in order to enhance sustainability. The need for a holistic approach to policies affecting the exploitation, processing and marketing of granite resources and their products is recognized. More research on the operations of the industry is called for. [source] The Sequential Prisoner's Dilemma: Evidence on ReciprocationTHE ECONOMIC JOURNAL, Issue 468 2001Kenneth Clark We investigate how fairness concerns influence individual behaviour in social dilemmas. Using a Sequential Prisoner's Dilemma experiment we analyse the extent to which co-operation is conditional on first-mover co-operation, repetition, economic incentives, subject pool (United Kingdom vs. United States) and gender. We find the most important variable influencing co-operation is the first-mover's choice, supporting the argument that co-operative behaviour in social dilemmas reflects reciprocation rather than unconditional altruism. However, we also find that co-operation decreases with repetition, and reciprocation falls as its material cost rises. [source] Regional unemployment and its persistence in transition countries1THE ECONOMICS OF TRANSITION, Issue 2 2006Fabian Bornhorst transition; regional unemployment; mobility Abstract We look at the differences in regional unemployment rates in six major transition countries and their persistence over time. We analyse the role various adjustment mechanisms play. While movement out of the labour force seems to be one consequence in many regions with high relative unemployment, there are also signs of emerging wage flexibility. Employment creation, by contrast, has not picked up in regions of high unemployment. Labour mobility also remains very limited in size although it appears to respond to basic economic incentives. Policies addressing housing market imperfections and information asymmetries are necessary to increase worker mobility and to integrate better national labour markets. [source] Transfer Price Negotiation in the Presence of Unequal Bargaining Power: The Effect of a Peer Evaluation Scheme on Inter-divisional Profit DistributionAUSTRALIAN ACCOUNTING REVIEW, Issue 3 2009Mandy M. Cheng This study examines how managers balance economic incentives and inter-divisional equity considerations during transfer price negotiations. Our experiment shows that both buyers and sellers are willing to give up a significant amount of their profits to pursue a more equitable outcome (one that results in greater inter-divisional profit equalisation). We also find that incorporating peer evaluation schemes into negotiators' formal incentive plans has both economic and social-psychological impacts on negotiation behaviour, resulting in even greater inter-divisional profit equalisation. While this outcome may seem ,fairer' to the individual managers, from the firms' perspective profit equalisation can obscure divisional performance, potentially leading to resource allocation inefficiencies. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||