Social interaction and economic organization: Toward an integrative microeconomic model

In the context of increasingly complex economies, with information more and more complicated to handle, social interaction may allow spontaneous co-operation and be more efficient than market or state regulations to overcome co-ordination and information problems. This article provides a theoretical model that compares three “pure forms” of economic organization: state-controlled production, unregulated market, and voluntary organization. We model the behavior of agents who are embedded in a social structure that is characterized by three parameters: the intensity of socialization, the size of individual social space, and the overall level of trust in society. We then study how social interaction parameters influence the relative efficiency of the three different forms of organization.     

Prostitution services: an exploratory empirical analysis

This study provides an empirical analysis of the market for some male prostitution services in the UK. Flexible working hours, part-time working, and multiple job holding are considered as important labour market characteristics in this service sector. Statistical models helping explain the provision of a deviant and a more mainstream sexual service is reported, utilizing cross-section data drawn from individual prostitute advertisements. The significance of various declared intrinsic endowments of the prostitutes are examined in relation to the offer of these services, including age, ethnicity, physique, and masculine demeanour.     

Virtual world experimentation: An exploratory study

We explore the scientific potential of virtual worlds for experimental economics in terms of the subject pools and experimental platforms they present. Our results offer tentative, qualified support for virtual world experimentation. Overall, the behaviour of virtual subjects recruited, incentivised and observed within Second Life across a range of five standard experimental games was not found to differ significantly from established standard results. In addition, we identify certain methodological opportunities and challenges which confront virtual world experimenters.     

Analysis on inbound tourists satisfaction in China:an empirical study based on the investigation of 5 cities

In China,the tourism industry is regarded as one means of fostering local economic development.This paper tries to examine inbound tourism development in China in the last decade and analyze inbound tourism's satisfaction of their travel experience with tourist attractions,facilities,services and price by an empirical study based on the investigation of Lanzhou,Wuhan,Guangzhou,Shanghai and Beijing.This paper discusses the demographie characteristics of visitors from Hong Kong,Macao and Taiwan,US,Korea and Japan by surveying a sample of 528 visitors in five different cities.The survey showed that four provinces/autonomous region in western China ranked the top 10 popular destinations.Chinese natural landscape,culture and food were highly regarded by the tourists.At the same time,tourists expressed less satisfaction with tourist language convenience,tourist facility and nightlife in China.It was also found that only 7.4% of the tourists thought travel in China was far more than what they had paid,that 6.5% regarded they got what they paid for,and that 34.9% thought the travel cost was reasonable.Most tourists were satisfied with their travel experience in China;many of them would like to return to China and would like to recommend China.For the sustainable development of tourism,Chinese tourism authorities should strengthen the construction,propaganda and management of scenic spots,improve tourist facility and tourist edueation,especially language convenience,and strengthen the supervision of tickets,souvenir and hotel prtce.     

顾客满意与顾客忠诚互动关系及其营销实践

顾客是企业生存的前提和基础,顾客满意是顾客期望与顾客感知价值的心理反映,而顾客忠诚则是表现在行为上,两者之间既有分歧又有联系.因而要正确处理顾客满意与顾客忠诚的关系,并对现代营销实践作出启示.     

Influence of consumption experiences on customers'''' satisfaction:an empirical study on fresh farm products in Wuhan, China

Which factors influence customers’ satisfaction? Which way or path does each factor influence and decide customers’ satisfaction? These problems are the focuses of the research on customers’ satisfaction. This paper analyzes the survey data from some customers in the fresh farm food supermarket of Wuhan City with factor analysis method, multiple linear regression method, etc. The analysis results reveal that: 1) the consumption experiences decide custom- ers’ satisfaction degree through influencing the customers’ expectation and the perceived performance, namely the consumption experiences is the important factor which decides customers’ satisfaction; 2) the consumption experiences that influence customers’ satisfaction is a multi-dimensional construct, including such four dimensions as product consumption experience, service experience, shopping convenience experience, supermarket environment experience; furthermore, the degree that different consumption experiences influence customers’ satisfaction is diverse, and the product consumption experiences are the most important factor. This paper is of realistic significance to a certain extent to enrich the theoretical research on customers’ satisfaction and promote the practice of agricultural product marketing.     

Misery loves company: Social regret and social interaction effects in choices under risk and uncertainty

Extensive field evidence shows individuals? decisions in settings involving uncertainty depend on their peers? decisions. One hypothesized cause of peer group effects is social interaction effects: an individual?s utility from an action is enhanced by others taking the same action. We employ a series of controlled laboratory experiments to study the causes of peer effects in choice under uncertainty. We find strong peer group effects in the laboratory. Our design allows us to rule out social learning, social norms, group affiliation, and complementarities as possible causes for the observed peer group effects, leaving social interaction effects as the likely cause. We use a combination of theory and empirical analysis to show that preferences including “social regret” are more consistent with the data than preferences including a taste for conformity. We observe spillover effects, as observing another?s choice of one risky gamble makes all risky gambles more likely to be chosen.     

The satisfaction of university students in Spain: differences by field of study

This article analyses the factors associated with student satisfaction in a sample of undergraduate students from the University of Zaragoza (Spain). In addition to considering socio-demographic characteristics, we also examine factors related to expectations and motivations. Using data from a survey carried out during the academic year 2011/12, we show that the level of satisfaction of the students varies according to their field of study, finding that students in Engineering and Science are comparatively less satisfied than those in other disciplines. Also, expectations about whether having a university degree will be enough to obtain a job are associated with their level of satisfaction. Moreover, alcohol consumption is positively associated with their level of satisfaction. Analysing the correlates of student satisfaction is important to understand student retention and persistence.     

Expectation and satisfaction of rural tourism：a case study of Hainan,China

This study uses the rural tourist motivation scale to measure the motivations, expectations, and satisfaction of nearly 200 rural tourists in five areas of Hainan, China by importance-Performance Analysis （IPA） and factor analysis. The results show that the main motivation for participating in rural tourism is to be close to nature, improve family rela-tionship and relaxation. Tourists are highly satisfied with the landscape and pastoral views as well as the friendliness of the local people and hotels. The results also show that the sample people most care about easy parking and reasonable prices, and they expect ethnic festivals and farm life experiences. Besides the environment, facilities, recreational activities and psychological experience of rural tourism, the overall satisfaction is high. The results of this study can be used by local government leaders as well as the tourism industry to devise ways to promote and improve rural tourism.     

Sources of business-cycle volatility: An exploratory study on a sample of OECD countries

This paper investigates the sources of output volatility in twenty-four OECD economies using annual data from the 1960 to 1990 period. The paper finds that output volatility is positively related to the volatility of the money supply and the variance of the Solow residual, but negatively related to government size. The degree of openness of the economy and the exchange rate flexibility are also positively related to the size of business fluctuations, while price flexibility and industrial structure have no effect on output volatility. These results shed some light on the issue of the sources of business cycles.     

Social interaction and children's academic test scores: Evidence from the National Child Development Study

We explore the relationship between educational attainment and social interaction using individual level data from the British National Child Development Study. To be specific, we analyze whether an intergenerational aspect to this relationship exists by examining the relationship between the educational attainment of children and the degree of formal social activity undertaken by their parents. Our results suggest that children's scores in reading, mathematics and vocabulary tests are positively associated with the extent of their parents’ formal social interaction, and this relationship is robust to alternative definitions of social interaction.     

Online networks,social interaction and segregation: an evolutionary approach

There is growing evidence that face-to-face interaction is declining in many countries, exacerbating the phenomenon of social isolation. On the other hand, social interaction through online networking sites is steeply rising. To analyze these societal dynamics, we have built an evolutionary game model in which agents can choose between three strategies of social participation: 1) interaction via both online social networks and face-to-face encounters; 2) interaction by exclusive means of face-to-face encounters; 3) opting out from both forms of participation in pursuit of social isolation. We illustrate the dynamics of interaction among these three types of agent that the model predicts, in light of the empirical evidence provided by previous literature. We then assess their welfare implications. We show that when online interaction is less gratifying than offline encounters, the dynamics of agents’ rational choices of interaction will lead to the extinction of the sub-population of online networks users, thereby making Facebook and similar platforms disappear in the long run. Furthermore, we show that the higher the propensity for discrimination of those who interact via online social networks and via face-to-face encounters (i.e., their preference for the interaction with agents of their same type), the greater the probability will be that they all will end up choosing social isolation in the long run, making society fall into a “social poverty trap”.     

Social Security and Growth in an Altruistic Economy

This paper studies the macroeconomic impact of private and public intergenerational transfers in the presence of endogenous growth. It focuses on two-sided altruism implying that individuals have both a motive to make gifts to their parents and a motive to leave bequests to their children. The growth effects of social security depend on whether children are making gifts to their parents or parents are leaving bequests to their children. Which of the transfers is operative, in turn, depends on the size of social security benefits. Social security is legislated endogenously. The introduction of a social security program which definitely reduces per capita income growth and harms future generations is contemplated by altruistic individuals even if non-altruistic individuals disapprove it.     

National innovation systems and international knowledge flows: an exploratory investigation with the case of the Netherlands

Since the late 1980s, the literature on innovation systems has flourished, often tying these systems to nation-states. Technology, however, often flows across the borders of nations. In this paper, four cases are studied where foreign technology is imported and appropriated from abroad into Dutch companies. By doing so, the questions what a national system of innovation consists of and what such a system means for firms are explored. The cases studied provide a picture of international-sectoral systems, adding up to a loosely interacting innovation system at the national level.     

Forecasting customer switching intention in mobile service: An exploratory study of predictive factors in mobile number portability

This study investigates switching barriers under the mobile number portability (MNP) in the U.S. mobile market. The structural equation modeling analysis is used to evaluate the causal model, and confirmatory factor analysis is performed to examine the reliability and validity of the measurement model. The logistic regression is used to investigate the effect of demographics on switching decision. The findings indicate that customer satisfactions, switching barriers, and demographics significantly affect subscribers' intent to switch. Among them, switching barriers had the most significant influence, which raises a question of the effectiveness of MNP. The MNP in the U.S. mobile market is intended to play an important role in lowering switching costs which can increase the level competition among providers. The findings, however, imply that subscribers still perceive switching barrier high, discouraging them from switching carriers.     

A case-control study of anaemia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in an adult population in the US: prevalence and impact on healthcare utilisation

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of anaemia and its impact on healthcare utilisation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Patients with claims for moderate-to-severe RA (ICD-9 code 714.x) treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs as well as controls without RA matched for age, gender and time in plan were selected from the MarketScan Research Database. Anaemia was identified by ICD-9 codes 280.x, 285.2x, 281.9, 285.9 and 284.8. The prevalence ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) for anaemia among RA patients versus controls were estimated. Overall disease burden was measured using the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI).

Results: The prevalence ratio for anaemia in RA patients was 2.2 (95% CI 2.1–2.4). Mean ECI was higher in RA (2.26) compared with control (1.02) patients (p<0.001), and RA patients with anaemia had a higher ECI compared with those without anaemia (3.95 vs. 2.08; p<0.001). Total healthcare costs in RA patients with anaemia were approximately twice those of RA patients without anaemia.

Conclusions: The prevalence of clinically diagnosed anaemia in RA patients in the claims database was 2.2 times higher than that in the comparable non-RA control group. RA patients with anaemia had significantly higher levels of co-morbidity and healthcare costs than RA patients without anaemia.     

Gender and wages: a cohort study of primary school teachers

This study uses cohort data to analyse the observed (or gross) salary differential between male and female primary school teachers. The teachers in this sample, who are all employed in state-sector schools in the same geographic locality, are observed 20 years after first entering the teaching profession. The main finding is that two-fifths of the differential cannot be explained by gender differences in the levels of experience, qualification and mobility within our sample and so is attributed to labour market discrimination and other unobservable gender influences.     

Hicks's Valuation of Social income: an appraisal *

This paper attempts to reconstruct and assess the intellectual itinerary of Hicks on the valuation of social income. His 1958 and 1981 papers on that topic have been wholly ignored in the economic literature. In both of them differentmeasures of real income are provided. These show to what extenteach one of them can be relied upon. Our assessment argues that it is impossible to measure social income independentlyof the reasons for which that measure is required and that any valuation cannot ultimatelybe made independently of political and ethical considerations.     

Prevalence and healthcare costs of obesity-related comorbidities: evidence from an electronic medical records system in the United States

Abstract

Objective:

This study estimated the economic burden of obesity-related comorbidities (ORCs) in the US, at both the person and population levels.     

基于效率视角的企业社会责任业绩评价研究

企业社会责任业绩评价是当前会计领域研究的一个焦点问题。很多学者纷纷涉入这个领域进行研究,并提出了许多有代表性的方法。通过分析这些方法的优缺点,并结合我国的实际,指出这些方法在我国应用存在诸多的问题,同时从效率视角提出了评价企业社会责任业绩的新框架。