The impact of economic geography on wages: Disentangling the channels of influence

This paper evaluates the role of economic geography in explaining regional wages in China. It investigates the extent to which market proximity can explain the evolution of wages, and through which channels. We construct a complete indicator of market access at the provincial level from data on domestic and international trade flows; this is introduced in a simultaneous-equations system to identify the direct and indirect effect of market access on wages. The estimation results for 29 Chinese provinces over 1995–2002 suggest that access to sources of demand is indeed an important factor shaping regional wage dynamics in China. We investigate three channels through which market access might influence wages beside direct transport-cost savings: export performance, and human and physical capital accumulation. A fair share of benefits seems to come from enhanced export performance and greater accumulation of physical capital. The main source of influence of market access remains direct transport costs.     

Moment-based estimation of extendible Marshall-Olkin copulas

Associated with any parametric family of Lévy subordinators there is a parametric family of extendible Marshall-Olkin copulas, which shares the dependence structure with the vector of first passage times of the Lévy subordinator across i.i.d. exponential threshold levels. The present article derives a strongly consistent and asymptotically normal estimator for the parameters in such models. The estimation strategy is to minimize the Euclidean distance between certain empirical and theoretical functionals of the distribution. As a byproduct, the covariance structure of the order statistics of a d-dimensional extendible Marshall-Olkin distribution is computed.     

Progressive Lending in Microfinance—What about the Farmers?

Dynamic incentives have become a common measure in microfinance institutions (MFI) to counteract the risk of default and to strengthen the borrower's identification with his micro‐lender. This article focuses on progressive lending over the course of the bank–borrower relationship. As the agricultural sector is increasingly important for Azerbaijan's economy, this study differentiates between the lending policies faced by farmers and non‐farmers, and matches the findings with the repayment performances of both client groups. By means of a rich data set spanning from 2007 through 2012 provided by an MFI in Azerbaijan, it can be demonstrated that farmers face a higher degree of loan volume rationing that cannot be justified by our findings on repayment performances. Moreover, we find that repeated borrowing increases the default probabilities of both client groups. In conclusion, we deduce that the MFI and borrowers could benefit from reconsidering the current lending policies.     

Potenziale von Telematik-Tarifen in der Kfz-Versicherung in Deutschland

The potential of telematics contracts in motor insurance in Germany is sometimes considered to be limited. In this article we present some theoretical thoughts and empirical results to this. Certain aspects of the acceptance of telematics tariffs will be looked at in an interdisciplinary way (legally, psychologically and economically) and they will be used in considering the assessment of potentials of telematics contracts. This article includes a legal analysis of the effects of the legally prescribed introduction of the emergency call system eCall coming into force in 2018. Additionally, it presents the results of a survey with regard to direct and indirect factors affecting the acceptance of telematics tariffs (regarding, among other things, their willingness to change their individual driving behaviour as well as their interest in telematics services). The empirical results provide evidence of potentials of telematics tariffs in Germany. Furthermore competitive strategies for market penetration will be reconsidered regarding the German insurance market and telematics. Thus this article is supposed to contrast media reports, which are rather negative, and to complete existing literature about telematics, which is still mostly technically and actuarially orientated. An extension of the previous understanding is realised by the selective presentation of interdisciplinary points of view. The overall picture of potentials regarding telematics tariffs in Germany is much more diverse than the picture drawn in most relating discussions.     

Was tun auf dem Strommarkt? Weichenstellungen für mehr Wettbewerb!

Im November 2007 befasste sich die Wirtschaftsministerkonferenz mit der Frage, ob im Gesetz gegen Wettbewerbsbeschr?nkungen die M?glichkeit eines Zwangsverkaufs von Kraftwerken aufgenommen werden sollte. Sind derart drastische Vorschl?ge notwendig und ad?quat, um die Strompreise zu senken? Kommt es nicht vielmehr auf eine Ausweitung des Angebots an? Hendrik Hering, 43, ist Minister für Wirtschaft, Verkehr, Landwirtschaft und Weinbau des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz.     

Income Per Capita Inequality in China: The Role of Economic Geography and Spatial Interactions

(1241) Laura Hering and Sandra Poncet This paper contributes to the analysis of growing income inequality in China. We apply a structural model of economic geography to data on per capita income over 190 Chinese cities between 1995 and 2002, and evaluate the extent to which market proximity and spatial dependence can explain the growing income inequality between Chinese cities. The econometric specification explicitly incorporates spatial dependence in the form of spatially‐lagged per capita income. We show that the geography of market access and spatial dependence are significantly correlated with per capita income in China. Market access is particularly important in cities with smaller migration inflows, which is consistent with NEG theory, whereas spatially‐lagged per capita income matters more in cities with greater immigration. We conclude that the positive impact of spatially‐lagged income partly results from labour mobility between neighbours, so that spatial dependence reflects the influence of migration, knowledge transfers and increasing competition between cities.     

Partial Minimax Estimation in Regression Analysis

The general minimax estimator of the linear regression model is applicable when the whole parameter vector is restricted to an ellipsoid. In many applications, however, it is more realistic to assume that only a part of the parameter set is constrained. For this case an alternative minimax approach is developed.     

What makes migrants more entrepreneurial? Investigating the role of cultural distance and human capital

International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal - Migrant entrepreneurship is seen as an important way to foster economic prosperity as migrants often come with greater entrepreneurial...