Europe Needs More Lisbon to Make the ICT Investments Effective

While the renewed Lisbon strategy has emphasised the potential role that ICT can play in meeting the challenges of boosting growth and competitiveness in the EU, there is no clear understanding of the way ICT could complement the structural reform programme which is at the core of that strategy. The evidence presented in this paper suggests that higher market rigidities in the EU have deterred ICT investment and ICT contribution to GDP growth. The data used for ICT investment and ICT contribution to GDP growth is taken from the Groningen Growth and Development Centre database available at http://www.euklems.net. The views expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the European Commission. Any errors are theirs alone.     

Multi‐Factor Effective Corporate Taxation,Firms’ Mark‐Ups and Tax Incidence: Evidence from OECD Countries

This paper provides novel evidence on the multi‐factor effective marginal tax rates (EMTRs) for a sample of 17 OECD countries and 11 manufacturing sectors. We use a single framework encompassing capital, labour and energy taxes. Our cross‐country/cross‐sector approach allows us to analyse the contributions of these input factors to the effective tax borne by firms, taking explicitly into account their degree of substitution, their tax incidence and the role of mark‐ups. We find that the labour tax plays a particularly important role in the overall level of the EMTR and that the presence of mark‐ups can significantly alter the levels of the multi‐factor EMTR, although without significantly altering the ranking of countries. We also find that the bulk of the variation in EMTRs is across countries, rather than across sectors (within countries).     

The dynamics of regional inequalities

This paper analyses the link between regional inequalities and GDP per capita at the country-level. Our starting hypothesis is that the evolution of regional inequalities should follow a bell-shaped curve as national GDP per capita rises since growth by its very nature is unlikely to appear everywhere at the same time, as has been argued by a number of authors, from Kuznets [Kuznets, S., (1955), Economic growth and income inequality, American Economic Review 45(1), 1–28] to Lucas [Lucas, R.E., (2000), “Some macroeconomics for the 21st century”, Journal of Economic Perspectives 14 (1), 159–168]. We test this hypothesis econometrically using semi-parametric estimation techniques and regional data for a panel of European countries. Our results provide strong support for such a bell-shaped curve and are robust to changing the regional administrative units and the time period, as well as controlling for other possible determinants of regional inequalities. We also find support for this hypothesis when considering non-European countries.     

The impact of climatic change on agricultural production: Is it different for Africa?

This paper examines the impact of climatic change on the level of total agricultural production of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and non-Sub-Sahara Africa (NSSA) developing countries. In doing so it uses a new cross-country panel climatic dataset in an agricultural production framework. The results show that climate, measured as changes in country-wide rainfall and temperature, has been a major determinant of agricultural production in SSA. In contrast, NSSA countries appear not to be affected by climate in the same manner. Simulations using the estimates suggest that the detrimental changes in climate since the 1960s can account for a substantial portion of the gap in agricultural production between SSA and the rest of the developing world.     

Factors Related to the Academic Performance of Students in the Statistics Course in Psychology

Many studies have examined the factors that influence academic performance in primary and secondary education as well as at university, with the purpose of enhancing learning at these stages and reducing drop-out rates. It is within this research framework that we want to emphasise the deficient performance of students enrolled on the statistics course in the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Barcelona. Consequently, this paper attempts to determine the factors that affect student performance in this subject by undertaking an analysis of a structural equation model and determining its stability over time. In order to accomplish our objective, we worked with two samples of students enrolled statistics classes. The first group comprised 211 students enrolled in the academic year 2000–2001, while the second comprised 287 students enrolled in the academic year 2001–2002. By administering a questionnaire, we obtained information concerning such variables as demographic data, previous academic record, information related to the subject and the degree of satisfaction with it, and the final mark obtained by the students in the subject. The parameters for each group of students were estimated separately and the goodness of fit of the proposed structural model was assessed. The data analysis showed a good fit with both data bases, but the set of estimated parameters differed in the two academic years under consideration.     

Learning by Doing and Spillovers: Evidence from Firm-Level Panel Data

In this paper we extend the Bahk and Gort (1993) (Journal of Political Economy, 101, 561–583) approach of testing for the impact of learning by doing (LBD) on firm productivity using data on a panel of Spanish manufacturing firms. Specifically, we show that support for firm specific LBD and spillovers from sector-wide LBD seems to hinge crucially on the econometric methodology, and hence the underlying assumptions, employed. Once potential biases due to unobserved time invariant firm specific effects and endogeneity are taken account of, there is only support for spillovers from sector-wide LBD. Moreover, results depend on the definition of LBD employed.     

Creativity identity in Colombia: the advertising creatives’ perspective

ABSTRACT

This exploratory paper analyses the way in which context influences advertising creativity practices. To establish the role of context, this paper utilized both Social Identity theory and Systems Model of Creativity. Twenty four in-depth interviews with top creative directors of the main advertising agencies in Colombia (Latin America) were collected. Findings suggest the Colombian creative identity is under construction. This identity is influenced by the broader Colombian social context including the unique business characteristics of the country's communications industry, the level of economic hardship experienced by the population, and the actual social conflict lived situation. These findings extend the Systems Model of Creativity to include social hardships and industry level characteristics. Several practical implications not only in relation to Colombia, but also the broader global advertising industry are presented.     

Valuing less and guarding more: Consumption stewardship in restricted contexts

This paper advances the conceptual understanding of consumption stewardship, defined here as a moral commitment to safeguard, nurture and use consumption resources to create consumer value. We delineate consumption stewardship from related consumption variables and articulate its underlying assumptions, conceptual distinctiveness and application areas. To create new theoretical and practical insights, the paper explores how consumption stewardship unfolds when a person enters into and lives in restricted consumption. A 2-year qualitative study, which included observation, casual conversations, and interviews, was implemented. Findings illustrate the nature and trajectory of consumption stewardship across latent, vigilant, submissive and shared modes. Our conceptual development of consumption stewardship and empirical evidence of the homeless experiences makes two main contributions. First, we show how the demands of stewarding material objects operate as a powerful determinant for individual (re)valuation of various possessions. Second, we identify how consumption stewardship drives different ways of consumption for value seeking. Findings offer insights for debates in the marketplace about protecting one's possessions, policies around consumption adequacy and social services' role for addressing space-related needs of vulnerable consumers.