The collection efficiency of the Value Added Tax: Theory and international evidence

This paper evaluates the political economy and structural factors explaining the collection efficiency of the Value Added Tax (VAT), where the collection efficiency is determined by the probability of audit and by the penalty on underpaying, and implementation lags imply that the present policy maker determines the efficiency of the tax system next period. Theory suggests that the collection efficiency is affected by political economy considerations – greater polarization and political instability would reduce the efficiency of the tax collection, and collection is impacted by structural factors affecting the ease of tax evasion (such as urbanization, agriculture share, openness). We evaluate the VAT collection efficiency (VAT revenue over the aggregate consumption divided by the standard VAT rate) in a panel of 44 countries over 1970–99. A one standard deviation increase in durability of political regime, and in the ease and fluidity of political participation, increases the VAT collection efficiency by 3.1% and 3.6%, respectively. A one standard deviation increase in urbanization, trade openness and the share of agriculture, changes the VAT collection efficiency by 12.7%, 3.9% and ?4.8%, respectively. Qualitatively identical results apply for the ratio of VAT revenue to GDP divided by the standard VAT.     

Identifying consumer preferences for nutrition information on grocery store shelf labels

Nutrition labels can potentially benefit consumers by increasing product knowledge and reducing search costs. However, the global increase in obesity rates leads one to question the effectiveness of current nutrition information formats. Alternative formats for providing nutrition information may be more effective. Shoppers at a major grocery chain participated in choice experiments designed to identify preferences for nutrition information provided on grocery store shelf labels. Shoppers demonstrate a strong affinity for shelf-label nutrition information and the presentation of the nutrition information significantly affects their preferences as well. Several demographic variables help to explain differences in preferences.     

Real Exchange Rate Overshooting and Capital Controls in a Crisis

This paper investigates the impact of a financial crisis on the attitude towards financial reforms, in an economy partially integrated with the global capital market. I identify conditions under which a crisis induces greater financial openness, mitigating the real exchange rate overshooting. The welfare gains from alleviating the shortage of funds in the sort run should be balanced with the cost of selling domestic equities at a discount. Even if the net gain from opening up the capital market is significant, it will exceed the gain from temporary capital controls only if the FDI is associated with significant favourable productivity effects. JEL Classification Numbers: F21, F23, F32, F34, F36.     

Developing human resources for the technical workforce: a comparative study of Korea and Thailand

Asian countries face significant and growing shortages of technically skilled workers. Vocational‐technical systems are key components of national human resource development. Using labor market data from Thailand and Korea, this paper analyzes the economic payoff for individual investment in vocational‐technical education, and subsequent employment in a related occupation. The results are mixed, showing that relatively few men or women end up working in areas that they are trained for, but that for men in Korea and women in Thailand, employment in a related field pays off in terms of higher monthly earnings. As governments move toward workforce policy created in conjunction with firms and education, the results of this study reinforce the need for national development plans that address the relatively weak relationship between initial training and employment in Asian countries.     

The Role of Undertakings in Regulatory Decision-Making

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has powers under the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cwlth) to accept undertakings from industry participants interested in taking actions, such as mergers, that may potentially be anticompetitive. This paper analyses the role of undertakings, focusing on horizontal mergers. We demonstrate that undertakings can provide an imperfectly in-formed regulator with a credible signal of the positive social benefits of a proposed merger. In particular, if the merged parties undertake not to reduce their output following the merger, then the merger will only be proposed if it results in net social benefits. We discuss the practical issues of implementing a behavioural undertaking such as a minimum quantity commitment, and argue that these are no less difficult than other regulatory activities currently pursued by the ACCC.     

Corporate Reorganizations: Changes in the Intensity of Labor and Capital Expenditures

Using a new measure that indirectly captures a firm's restructuring efforts on the basis of changes in its labor and capital expenditure patterns, this study examines the link between restructuring and financial performance for an international sample of firms during the years 1989–1997. Results show that firms that curbed the growth in labor expense intensity (labor expense relative to sales), regardless of the accompanying changes in sales or in capital expenditure intensity, had significantly higher annual returns (despite having lower profitability) than firms that expanded their labor intensity. Financial market's response to a reduction in labor expense intensity appears to be more favorable if this reduction is accompanied by a reduction in capital expenditure growth when firms face declining sales, and an increase in capital expenditure growth when firm sales are growing.     

How Does Foreign Direct Investment Affect the Export Decisions of Firms in Ghana?

Abstract: Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been identified to promote exports of host countries by augmenting domestic capital for exports, helping to transfer technology and new products for exports, facilitating access to new and large foreign markets, providing training for the local workforce, and upgrading technical and management skills. However, little is known on the role of FDI in the export behaviour of firms in developing countries. The main questions raised in this study are: how does FDI affect the export decisions of firms? How does FDI affect export performance of firms? This study examined the export‐decision and export performance within the Ghanaian manufacturing sector on a panel of plants from 1991 to 2002. Using a probit model, the results show that FDI has a positive effect on firms' decision to export. The random effect results also reveal a positive relationship between FDI and export performance. Clearly, the results of this study indicate that FDI is very relevant in influencing the export decisions and export performance of Ghanaian firms. The findings have significant implications for policy in terms of promoting initiatives to encourage more FDI inflows in the country.     

Powerlessness following service failure and its implications for service recovery

This research examines whether service failure in hospitality settings reduces situational power and whether feelings of powerlessness have implications for service recovery efforts. Three studies demonstrated that service failure reduced consumers’ situational power, but only among those with high dispositional power motivation (studies 1 and 2). Moreover, those with high dispositional power motivation evinced greater satisfaction with service recovery efforts that involved status-enhancing compensation as opposed to utility-enhancing compensation (study 2), and when status-enhancing compensation was presented in public as opposed to in private (study 3). These findings suggest that consumers with high dispositional power motivation prefer service recovery attempts that counteract the feelings of powerlessness they experience from service failure. Service managers can benefit from these findings by understanding how feelings of power interact with service recovery efforts.     

Cultivating the liberally educated mind through a signature program

In this article, the authors describe the Miller Upton Programs launched by the Beloit College Department of Economics in 2008. The programs aim to advance student understanding of the nature and causes of wealth and well-being. After describing the programs’ core elements, the authors discuss ways in which they leverage economic discourse as a means to advance liberal learning. They argue that programs of this kind advance liberal learning by cultivating skills required to engage the great questions of human flourishing, by fostering development of students’ economic imagination and by enhancing students’ ability to engage in genuine intellectual discovery. Details on the history and resource commitments for various program aspects are provided, allowing readers to identify program elements appropriate for replication at their home institutions.