Privatization,regulation and airport pricing: an empirical analysis for Europe

This paper examines factors determining airport charges. Using data for 100 large airports in Europe, we find that they charge higher prices when they move more passengers. Additionally, competition from other transport modes and nearby airports imposes some discipline on the pricing behavior of airports. Low-cost carriers and airlines with a high market share seem to have a stronger countervailing power. We also find that private airports not regulated charge higher prices than public or regulated airports. Finally, the regulation mechanism does not seem to influence substantially the level of airport charges.     

A generalized upper bounded technique for a linear fractional program

An algorithm is developed for solving a special structured linear-fractional program. The structure under study hasM+L constraints equations,L of which have the property that each variable has at most one nonzero coefficient. The proposed method is similar toDantzig andVan Slyke and, from the basis, a working basis of orderM is derived and is used for pivoting, pricing and inversion which for largeL can be significantly lower order than that of the original system.     

The new organizational structure and its virtual functioning

"Virtuality" is initiating a change in organizations. It is necessary for companies to be managed flexibly and to respond to the changing needs of the environment. Some new concepts of understanding the organization, accompanied by current technological developments, may offer some opportunities and solutions to the various strategies. How does this new concept of organization with no presence, no physical attendance, and no material factors affect existing companies? This paper deals with questions such as: What is virtuality for companies? How does one manage a virtual company? What elements of virtuality need to be considered by traditional companies entering the new millennium? These questions will be reflected upon and analyzed from a theoretical framework. The framework will provide the basis for the design of an empirical study. The results of the study contribute to and give feedback on these initial questions.     

The PPP hypothesis and structural breaks: the case of Mexico

We test the purchasing power parity hypothesis for the Mexican peso/US dollar real exchange rate using monthly data for 1969–2010. Results suggest that the real exchange rate reverts to a changing mean. These mean shifts can be explained by liberalization policies implemented during the 1980s and 1990s that reduced trade barriers in the Mexican economy. Such policies modified the tradable/non-tradable goods composition of the price index producing mean shifts in the real exchange rate associated with PPP.     

Educating in the design and construction of built environments accessible to disabled people: the Leonardo da Vinci AWARD project

An interdisciplinary partnership within an European Leonardo da Vinci project has developed a new approach aimed at educating secondary school students in the creation of built environments accessible to disabled people and at sensitizing them towards the inclusion of people with disabilities in all realms of social life. The AWARD (Accessible World for All Respecting Differences) project is based on the need for education professionals to contribute to the introduction of the principles of Universal Design in the curricula and on the fact that courses should be set up and teaching materials produced that conform to the principles of Universal Design. The project saw the development of an innovative e-learning tool applicable to traditional, distance and individual forms of learning. The software produced, called AWARD, is structured in teaching modules covering the different functional areas and elements that characterise the indoor and outdoor built environments and is organised in such a way as to cover the wide range of different professional skills involved in the design, construction and management of such environments.     

Industrial design students’ perceptions towards a career in user experience field in Turkey

International Journal of Technology and Design Education - The rapid growth of the user experience (UX) field has brought efforts to meet the increasing demand for specialists by welcoming...