Evaluating the impact of performance-related pay for teachers in England

This paper evaluates the impact of a performance-related pay scheme for teachers in England. Using data which matches individual pupils to individual teachers, and contains both test scores and value-added, we test whether the introduction of a payment scheme based on pupil attainment increased teacher effort. Our evaluation design controls for pupil effects, school effects and teacher effects, and adopts a difference-in-difference methodology. We find that the scheme did improve test scores and value added increased on average by about 40% of a grade per pupil.     

Continuing Progress? Trends in Occupational Segregation in the United States over the 1970s and 1980s

This study uses comparable data on 470 detailed occupations from the 1970, 1980, and 1990 Censuses to analyze trends in occupational segregation in the United States in the 1980s and compare them in detail to the 1970s experience of declining segregation. We find that the trend towards reduced segregation did indeed continue into the 1980s at only a slightly slower pace. In both decades, changes in sex composition within occupations accounted for the major share of the decline in segregation (compared to changes in the mix of occupations in the economy). We also find that the pattern of changes in the sex composition of occupations and in the employment distribution of workers that produced the observed reductions in segregation were remarkably similar in each of these two periods. This similarity potentially poses some problems for the future. As women continue to enter the same areas, resegregation, which we found to have relatively moderate effects in the 1970s and 1980s, becomes an increasing possibility. Continued progress towards reducing occupational segregation requires that women succeed in entering a broader range of traditionally male occupations and/or a greater flow of men into traditionally female occupations.     

Exploring Fijian's sense of place after exposure to tourism development

Tourism, Fiji's largest foreign exchange earner, is growing rapidly. Remote and less developed villages in Fiji's Yasawa archipelago are experiencing some of the greatest tourism growth and impacts on residents' sense of place. This paper uses photo elicitation to address the meanings that residents attach to their “place” (i.e. villages). Photo elicitation provides residents with a “visual voice” and gives researchers insights into the social or cultural characteristics of the village believed to be integral to sustainability. The results indicated that residents value the Fijian village and way of life, the culture and history associated with traditions, and also new technology and its impact on daily life. They also spoke of the importance of protecting the physical environment as central to the continued maintenance of their traditions and lifestyle as well as tourism. These findings would not have been apparent had traditional methods been used to capture the meanings of sense of place. They lend support for the notion that sense of place is multidimensional, and make evident factors that must be considered by planners and marketers in the development of sustainable products and services.     

U.S. male generational cohorts: Retail format preferences,desired retail attributes,satisfaction and loyalty

Reports in the academic and popular press acknowledge the growing importance of male shoppers from a retail perspective (Albright, 2010) yet to date most studies have only compared men to women or when examining fashion products (Shim and Kotsiopulos, 1991). No research has been done to segment males in order to provide retailers with a better understanding of male shopping behavior (Bakewell and Mitchell, 2003, Meredith et al., 2007). This exploratory study surveyed 560 U.S. males examining retail format preferences, desired retail attributes, satisfaction and loyalty using Generational Cohort Theory (GCT). Results suggest significant differences between male generational cohorts in terms of retail format preferences with males from the Silent Generation preferring the category killer format more than males in the Millennial Generation and both 13th Generation and Millennial Generation males preferring internet-only retailers than did Silent Generation Males. Silent Generation males were also found to be more satisfied with retailers in their area, when compared to the younger Baby Boomer and 13th Generation males. No significant differences were found in desired retail attributes or store loyalty. Additional research investigating U.S. and non-U.S. males using GCT is suggested.     

Taking Chances: The Effect that Growing Up on Welfare Has on the Risky Behavior of Young People*

In this paper, we analyze the effect that growing up in a family with a history of welfare receipt has on young people's engagement in a variety of social and health risks. Unique administrative data matched to survey data for 18‐year‐olds and their mothers allow us to evaluate the effect of welfare receipt over the course of a young person's childhood. Much of the apparent link between family welfare history and risk taking disappears once we control for the effects of family structure, mothers’ own risk taking, and mothers’ investments in their children. We find no evidence that growing up on welfare causes young people to engage in risky behavior.     

Book reviews

The widespread use of festive promotions, in the urban management of the 1990s, represents an extension in the practice of city marketing. This interest in festivity might be accounted for in two ways; as an economic strategy to combat the deleterious impacts of globalization on local economies, and as a social strategy to combat the growing alienation and insecurity felt in public space. However this paper offers an additional, more cultural, reading. Because of its highly competitive character, the practice of city ‘imagineering’ demands continuous innovation. Recent attention has turned to the liminal possibilities of ‘economically underexploited’ temporal periods. Temporal patterns of celebration are being mined for their touristic potential in a process that robs them of their commemorative depth as it simultaneously strives to retain their festive form. This paper examines two such initiatives- the ‘Night-Time Economy’ and the Hogmanay Street Party. While these have been promoted for economic and social gain this discussion, employing Giddens' concept of ontological insecurity and Lebfevre's concept of rhythmanalysis, explores the links between such innovations and their impact on place making.     

The contribution of trout fly fishing to the economy of Rhodes,North Eastern Cape,South Africa

Recent government legislation, which calls for the eradication of trout from ecosystems where they may cause harm, could damage the tourism appeal of many South African catchments. However, no South African studies have tried to quantify the economic impact of removing trout from rivers and streams. This study aimed first to value the Rhodes trout fishery, North Eastern Cape, South Africa, and second to assess whether the trout fly fishing industry in Rhodes could form the foundation for the implementation of a local economic development initiative. Overall, the study found that the trout fishing industry directly generates approximately R5 658 240 per annum, and sustains a minimum of 39 direct job opportunities for the community of Rhodes, and can therefore provide the impetus for the creation of a tourism-based local economic development programme.     

The Impact of Children on the Lifetime Earnings of Australian Women: Evidence from the 1990s

This article presents estimates of the consequences of having children for the lifetime earnings of Australian women in the late 1990s.