Measures of cost containment, impact of the economical crisis, and the effects perceived in nursing daily practice: an Italian crossover study

A qualitative/quantitative study in two phases was undertaken to describe the economical crisis intensity, cost-containment interventions adopted locally, and their effects perceived in daily practice by Italian nurses. The main economic crisis effects reported by nurses were (a) the staff stress level has increased, (b) patients with social problems have increased, and (c) the workload has increased. Overall, nurses perceived moderate disadvantages due to the economical crisis; several cost-containment measures have been adopted at different levels of the National Health Service. atients in general seem frailer and nurses working in the community centers also seem frailer compared with nurses working at the hospital level. Changes in daily nursing practice both at the hospital and community levels are warning signs that should be monitored carefully for both their short and long-term negative impacts on patients, nurses, and the National Health Service.     

Facing the pain of others: perspectives on international volunteer tourism between agency and spectatorship

This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing academic debate on volunteer tourism by reviewing the volunteer tourists' experience in light of their encounter with poverty and sufferance. Through the analysis of data collected from semi-structured in-depth interviews with a group of 29 young Italian adults, the author examines the different ways in which volunteer tourists construct and negotiate their role as agents of change during their vacations abroad. Results show that the expectations of providing effective help to the local communities is often challenged by the limitations and constraints of the volunteer tourism experience and, as a consequence, volunteer tourists need to find new ways of making sense of their experiences abroad. Looking at the work of French sociologist [Boltanski, L. (1999). Distant suffering. Morality, media and politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press] on the ways in which spectators respond to the distant suffering of others, this paper argues that, in order to avoid an oversimplification and a trivialisation of the volunteer tourism experience, the volunteers' participation needs to be addressed primarily as a matter of spectatorship, rather than as a question of agency.     

Are loyalty shares an effective antidote against short‐termism? Empirical evidence from Italy

Corporate short‐termism is arguably one of the main causes of economic, social, and environmental unsustainability. This paper studies the effectiveness of loyalty shares—shares granting extra dividends or voting rights to shareholders holding them for a specified period of time—in limiting short‐termism. Although there are arguments both supporting (antidote view) and opposing (poison view) loyalty shares' effectiveness, empirical evidence on the theme is scant. By employing earnings management as a proxy for corporate short‐termism and by relying on a hand‐collected database of Italian firms, we find that loyalty shares can serve as an effective antidote against short‐termism. This study contributes to academic literature on corporate governance and accounting and informs the debate among policymakers on loyalty shares' effectiveness.     

Gender wage gap: A semi-parametric approach with sample selection correction

Sizeable gender differences in employment rates are observed in many countries. Sample selection into the workforce might therefore be a relevant issue when estimating gender wage gaps. We propose a semi-parametric estimator of densities in the presence of covariates which incorporates sample selection. We describe a simulation algorithm to implement counterfactual comparisons of densities. The proposed methodology is used to investigate the gender wage gap in Italy. We find that, when sample selection is taken into account, the gender wage gap widens, especially at the bottom of the wage distribution.     

International trade in services: A portrait of importers and exporters

We provide a novel set of stylized facts on firms engaging in international trade in services, using unique data on firm-level exports and imports from the world's second largest services exporter, the United Kingdom (UK). We show that only a fraction of UK firms engage in international trade in services, that trade participation varies widely across industries and that service traders are different from non-traders in terms of size, productivity and other firm characteristics. We also provide detailed evidence on the trading patterns of service exporters and importers, such as the number of markets served, the value of exports and imports per market and the share of individual markets in overall sales. We interpret these facts in the light of existing theories of international trade in services and goods. Our results demonstrate that firm-level heterogeneity is a key feature of services trade. Also, we find many similarities between services and goods trade at the firm level and conclude that existing heterogeneous firm models for goods trade will be a good starting point for explaining trade in services as well.     

A meta-analysis of the willingness to pay for reductions in pesticide risk exposure

We review the empirical valuation literature on pesticide riskexposure and develop a taxonomy of environmental and human healthrisks associated with pesticide usage. Meta-analysis is thenused to investigate the variation in willingness to pay (WTP)estimates for reduced pesticide risk exposure. Our findingsshow that the WTP for reduced risk exposure is 15 per cent greaterfor medium, and 80 per cent greater for high risk levels, ascompared with low risk levels. The income elasticity of reducedpesticide risk exposure is generally not significantly differentfrom zero. Stated preference approaches based on choice experimentsand revealed preference provide lower WTP estimates than contingentvaluation techniques. Survey design, type of safety device (eco-labelling,integrated pest management, or bans) and chosen payment vehicleare important drivers of the valuation results.     

Consumer (goal) satisfaction: A means‐ends chain approach

This study investigates the role that service attributes, customer subgoals, and goals play in forming the satisfaction judgment. Drawing on means‐ends chain theory, and on satisfaction research, satisfaction is conceptualized as the result of a process in which customers activate multiple comparative referents. In a pilot study, a paper‐and‐pencil laddering technique was used to collect attributes and goals connected to the satisfaction judgment. These elements were then used as items in a satisfaction survey of 200 customers. A mixture regression model revealed that both attribute‐related dimensions and goal‐related dimensions determine overall satisfaction, albeit not homogeneously among customers. Two customer segments were identified: Socializers, whose satisfaction is driven primarily by the goal of well‐being, and Achievers, whose satisfaction is generated mainly by the goal of efficiency. Two directed graphs describe the satisfaction path of the two groups of customers, illustrating how service attributes are connected to the satisfaction of lower‐order and higher‐order goals. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.