Public-private sector wage differentials in Germany: Evidence from quantile regression

This paper measures and decomposes the differences in earnings distributions between public sector and private sector employees in Germany for the years 1984–2001. Oaxaca decomposition results suggest that conditional wages are higher in the public sector for women but lower for men. Using the quantile regression decomposition technique proposed by Machado and Mata (2004), we find that the conditional distribution of wages is more compressed in the public sector. At the low end of wages, differences in characteristics explain less than the raw wage gap when it is the opposite at high wages. Separate analyses by work experience and educational groups reveal that the most experienced employees and those with basic schooling do best in the public sector. All these results are stable over the 80s and 90s.I thank Michael Lechner and the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim, for letting me work with the full sample of the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP). I am grateful to an anonymous referee and particularly to the editor, Bernd Fitzenberger, for providing me detail comments and suggestions that have significantly improved the paper. I have also benefited from discussions with Michael Lechner and Ruth Miquel.First version received: April 2002/Final version received: June 2004     

The evolution of syndicated loan markets

This paper provides a historical perspective on the development of the global syndicated loan market, where $2.6 trillion worth of funds were raised in 2004. The emergence of the Eurodollar market in the 1960s, the balance of payments problems of non-oil-exporting emerging countries in the 1970s, the Latin American financial crises and the US merger wave of the 1980s, and finally the competitive financial environment and the emergence of the secondary loan market during the 1990s are reviewed. These have been the most influential financial developments that shaped the syndicated loan markets in the last few decades.     

Potentiel de Productivité et Efficacité Technique du Secteur Agricole en Afrique

This study utilizes frontier metaproduction functions to analyze inter‐region agricultural productivity differences. Technical efficiency scores are examined through estimation of stochastic frontiers for 16 African countries divided into three different regions (West Africa, East and Southern Africa, and North Africa) from 1970 to 2001. The idea is to explore the differences in efficiency and technological gaps of agricultural sector. Apart of common traits that characterize African agricultural sector, countries exhibit national and regional specificities. These diversities are such that it is difficult to make valuable generalizations. It appears from the results that: in West Africa, the level of technology is relatively good, meaning that there is no problem of input constraints. By contrast, the efficiency with which inputs are used is very low. The situation is very different in the East and Southern Africa, with the level of technology relatively low and appreciable technical level. At least, the North Africa countries make a performing mixture between technology and efficiency. Cette étude utilise les Meta frontières de production pour analyser les différences inter‐régionales de la productivité agricole. Les niveaux d'efficacité technique sont examinées par l'estimation des frontières stochastiques de 16 pays africains regroupés en trois régions (l'Afrique de l'Ouest, l'Afrique de l'Est et Australe, et l'Afrique du Nord), sur une période allant de 1970 à 2001. L'idée étant d'explorer les différences d'efficacité et les écarts technologiques du secteur agricole. Au‐delà des simples traits communs qui caractérisent le secteur agricole africain, on trouve des expériences nationales et régionales dont il est difficile, du fait de leur grande diversité, de tirer des généralisations valables. Des résultats de l'étude, il ressort que: en Afrique de l'Ouest, le niveau technologique est relativement satisfaisant, traduisant le fait que la présence des inputs ne représente pas une contrainte. Par contre le niveau d'efficacité avec lequel ces intrants sont utilisés est assez faible. La situation est tout autre en Afrique de l'Est et Australe avec un niveau technologique relativement faible et un niveau d'efficacité appréciable. L'Afrique du nord enfin fait un savant dosage entre efficacité et technologie.     

Mobile Commerce Competitive Advantage: A Quantitative Study of Variables that Predict M-Commerce Purchase Intentions

Seeking to fill a gap in current research on the conditions that would facilitate user acceptance of m-commerce, the present study investigated m-commerce users’ perceptions of performance and effort expectancies, social influence, and facilitating conditions of m-commerce trust and perceived risk. We also analyzed how these aspects affect m-commerce purchase intentions. To this end, a total of 165 adult American users of m-commerce were surveyed and their perceptions of performance and effort expectancies, social influence, facilitating conditions of m commerce trust and perceived risk, as well as their m-commerce purchase intentions, were measured. Performance and effort expectancies, social influence, as well as the facilitating conditions of trust in the use of m-commerce, were found to significantly predict m-commerce purchase intentions. The findings also provided further clarification of the facilitating conditions of m-commerce purchases suggesting that implicit motivations and approach oriented goals might be significantly associated with m-commerce purchase intentions.     

Is regional integration in the CFA zone sustainable?

This article aims to study the long-term sustainability of regional integration in the (Communauté Financière Africaine) CFA zone, based on the theory of the endogeneity of monetary zones. To this end, we consider trade and intra-CFA migration as the two quantitative vectors of regional integration. Using robust estimation techniques to overcome the endogeneity bias, our results show that integration in the CFA zone is moderately sustainable. More precisely, while the monetary unions of the CFA zone, in particular that of the WAEMU, contribute to reinforcing the intra-regional mobility of goods and people, they fail to induce strong synchronization of the macroeconomic cycles.     

A Test of the Conditional Independence Assumption in Sample Selection Models

Identification in most sample selection models depends on the independence of the regressors and the error terms conditional on the selection probability. All quantile and mean functions are parallel in these models; this implies that quantile estimators cannot reveal any—per assumption non‐existing—heterogeneity. Quantile estimators are nevertheless useful for testing the conditional independence assumption because they are consistent under the null hypothesis. We propose tests of the Kolmogorov–Smirnov type based on the conditional quantile regression process. Monte Carlo simulations show that their size is satisfactory and their power sufficient to detect deviations under plausible data‐generating processes. We apply our procedures to female wage data from the 2011 Current Population Survey and show that homogeneity is clearly rejected. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Productivity Growth,Technical Progress and Efficiency Change in African Agriculture

Abstract: The paper examines the economic performance of a large number of African countries using an international comparable data set and the latest technique for analysis. The paper focuses on growth in total factor productivity and its decomposition into technical change and efficiency change components. The analysis is undertaken using the data envelopment analysis (DEA). The present study uses data of 16 countries over the period 1970–2001. It was found that, globally, during that period, total factor productivity has experienced a positive evolution in sampled countries. This good performance of the agricultural sector was due to good progress in technical efficiency rather than technical progress. The region suffered a regression in productivity in the 1970s, and made some progress during the 1980s and 1990s. The study also highlights the fact that technical change has been the main constraint of achievement of high levels of total factor productivity during the reference period in sub‐Saharan Africa. Contrariwise, in Maghreb countries, technological change has been the main driving force of productivity growth. Finally, the results indicate that institutional factors as well as agro‐ecological factors are important determinants of agricultural productivity growth.     

The Diaspora and economic development in Africa

Review of World Economics - While the dominant collective belief asserts that brain drain is detrimental to the development of small economies, new studies hold the reverse view. This paper aims at...     

Reporting of book-tax differences for financial and tax purposes: A case study

Recent events in financial and tax accounting have brought the issue of financial accounting for tax expenses to the forefront of both the accounting profession and academia. Complexities abound on both sides, from ASC 740/FAS 109 and ASC 740-10/FIN 48 issues on the financial accounting side to the Schedule M-3 and Schedule UTP reporting requirements on the tax side. This complexity has created a vacuum in accounting curricula, as bits and pieces of the total puzzle are covered in the intermediate accounting and tax courses, without a comprehensive, integrated review in one place.     

Hedonic and utilitarian use of user-generated content on online shopping websites

The Internet has made it possible for consumers to share reviews, opinions, and thoughts about products and services on online shopping websites. This user-generated content (UGC), which can be considered to be part of social commerce, is likely to influence other consumers’ attitudes toward a product and subsequent purchase intentions. The purpose of this study was to investigate two major uses of UGC: hedonic and utilitarian, and how they impact purchase intentions, along with users’ trust for different types of comments and reviews. Also investigated are associations between hedonic use, utilitarian use, and trust, with purchase behavior at online shopping websites. Results of this study will add to the domain knowledge related to marketing and how it impacts consumer psychology and behavior. From a practitioner perspective, marketers need to understand the impact of UGC so they can monitor this method of marketing communication as it can impact trust and purchase intentions.