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Specific Sectors (specific + sector)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Humanities and Social Sciences60%
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting40%

Selected Abstracts

Incorporating Sectoral Structure into Shift,Share Analysis

GROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 4 2009
MIGUEL A. MÁRQUEZ
ABSTRACT The objective of this article is to present a new way to incorporate the sectoral dimension within the components of regional growth provided by the traditional shift,share analysis. The new methodology elaborates the way that the dynamics of a specific sector in a region are influenced by the performance of other sectors, the latter decomposed between national, structural, and differential effects. To illustrate this extension of the shift,share method, an application is provided using data for the Spanish region of Extremadura for the period 1990,2004. The results highlight how these new components can shed new insights into the analysis of sectoral and regional economic growth processes. [source]

Societal Safety: Concept, Borders and Dilemmas

JOURNAL OF CONTINGENCIES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2007
Odd Einar Olsen
In most industrialized countries, the end of the Cold War marked a change in focus from preparedness for war to an increasing focus on civil society's own vulnerability and safety. To meet new threats and changing risks, there is also a need for new analytical concepts. Societal safety is a concept developed in Norway during the last decade. It could be defined as: ,The society's ability to maintain critical social functions, to protect the life and health of the citizens and to meet the citizens' basic requirements in a variety of stress situations'. It aims to be a systematic approach for understanding, mitigating and responding to social problems such as extraordinary stresses and losses, interferences in complex and mutual dependent systems, or lack of trust in vital social institutions. Future threats to society are not limited to specific sectors or areas, but stem from complex interactions amongst economic, technological, social and cultural factors. Thus, the main challenges to improve societal safety will be the ability to coordinate, organize and assign clear roles to different actors at the international, national and local levels. Societal safety has interfaces with other safety-related areas such as national security, sustainable development, human security and incident management (handling of isolated accidents, common illness and ordinary criminal acts). Societal safety is, however, a sensitive political issue containing dilemmas and value choices that are hardly possible to perceive or solve as pure scientific problems. [source]

A tale of networks and policies: prolegomena to an analysis of irregular migration careers and their developmental paths

POPULATION, SPACE AND PLACE (PREVIOUSLY:-INT JOURNAL OF POPULATION GEOGRAPHY), Issue 3 2010
Martina Cvajner
Abstract In recent decades, large-scale irregular migration flows and systems have developed across Europe. Although such systems involve most European countries and are often treated as being similar, their structures and dynamics are quite different. Some irregular migration systems have developed through clandestine entries, while other systems are almost entirely the result of overstaying. Some systems have been structured around a sequence of self-contained spells of irregular work, while others have involved long-term irregular residence. Some have coupled specific flows with specific niches in the occupational structures, while others have shown no significant connections with specific sectors of employment. This paper is based on what has been learned from an immigrant life-history project carried out in Italy in recent years, and describes three different types of irregular migratory systems that are themselves rooted in three different kinds of migration careers: atomistic, volume-based and structured. The paper argues that the distinction between different irregular migration systems is crucial both for structural and developmental analysis. Differences in the structure of irregular migration systems should also be taken into account in the analyses of the impact of different migration control policies. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Output and Productivity Performance of Hong Kong and Singapore's Transport and Communications Sector, 1990 to 2005,

ASIAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009
Boon L. Lee
C430; D290; L910; L960; O570 This paper uses the industry of origin approach to analyze value added and labor productivity outcomes arising from progressive liberalization of government and from statutory board control of transport and communications in Singapore. The paper compares these outcomes with those from the market-orientated, more privatized transport and communications sector in Hong Kong, for the benchmark year 2004 and a review period from 1990 to 2005. The study is among the first to carefully compare labor productivity in specific sectors between the two countries. Although Singapore generally recorded higher levels of labor productivity, there was some catch-up by Hong Kong in the later part of the review period. There was also substantial variation in labor productivity performance within sectoral branches in the two sectors. The study suggests there is some evidence that the different political,economic structures and policy approaches to deregulation and liberalization played a role in determining productivity performance in the transport and communications sectors in Singapore and Hong Kong. The analysis infers a potential, increasing focus on privatization as the driving force for further liberalization of the transport and communications sector in Singapore. [source]

Probiotic Dairy Products as Functional Foods

COMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND FOOD SAFETY, Issue 5 2010
Daniel Granato
This growth is fueled by technological innovations, development of new products, and the increasing number of health-conscious consumers interested in products that improve life quality. Since the global market of functional foods is increasing annually, food product development is a key research priority and a challenge for both the industry and science sectors. Probiotics show considerable promise for the expansion of the dairy industry, especially in such specific sectors as yogurts, cheeses, beverages, ice creams, and other desserts. This article presents an overview of functional foods and strategies for their development, with particular attention to probiotic dairy products. Moreover, special attention is paid to the sensory properties of such products to provide important information about their most desirable attributes. [source]