Backup coverage models in nature reserve site selection with spatial spread risk heterogeneity

Set covering and maximal covering problems are well-known integer programming models in location analysis. Such models have also been used in reserve site selection modeling. They aim at selecting sites to conserve species, sometimes reflecting a desire to group protected sites together or to separate sites. This paper uses such models but considers the case of land heterogeneity in terms of the risk of large disturbances that threaten species even within a reserve, such as fires, diseases, pests or invasive species. It removes the classical assumption of homogeneous land sites and considers both adjacency in areas with a low risk of multi-parcel disturbance and distance between sites in areas with a high risk of a large destructive event. The models are explored in a stylized data set and applied to a portion of the state of Oregon with comparison between the standard covering models in homogeneous and heterogeneous risk settings.     

Managerial Skill and European PERE Fund Performance

The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics - Institutional investors often select private equity real estate (PERE) funds based on the belief that some of the managers possess skill. In this...     

Recessions and Health: The Long-Term Health Consequences of Responses to the Coronavirus*

The lockdown measures that were implemented in the spring of 2020 to stop the spread of COVID-19 are having a huge impact on economies in the UK and around the world. In addition to the direct impact of COVID-19 on health, the following recession will have an impact on people's health outcomes. This paper reviews economic literature on the longer-run health impacts of business-cycle fluctuations and recessions. Previous studies show that an economic downturn, which affects people through increased unemployment, lower incomes and increased uncertainty, will have significant consequences on people's health outcomes both in the short and longer term. The health effects caused by these adverse macroeconomic conditions will be complex and will differ across generations, regions and socio-economic groups. Groups that are vulnerable to poor health are likely to be hit hardest even if the crisis hit all individuals equally, and we already see that some groups such as young workers and women are worse hit by the recession than others. Government policies during and after the pandemic will play an important role in determining the eventual health consequences.     

A comparison of export sales forecasting practices among UK firms

Although the practice of sales forecasting is a widely researched area, only recently have empirical studies differentiated between export and domestic sales forecasting. To identify whether firms adapt their export sales forecasting activities according to the organizational and environmental context in which they are operating, this investigation develops a typology of exporters which is then used to contrast export sales forecasting practices and performance. The findings show how export forecasting activities are adapted according to organizational and environmental influences facing the firm; the impact of such influences on both perceived and actual forecast performance is also noted.     

The effect of environmental regulation on environmental innovation

Environmental expenditure estimates resulting from US environmental policy are based on current technology which may overstate policy's true costs. Existing evidence shows that ex ante cost estimates are greater than realized costs due to unexpected technological progress. This research programme asks whether innovation is a response to environmental regulation or whether the true regulatory compliance costs are overestimated ex ante when technological advancement is ignored? The author conducts an empirical study of the US manufacturing industry's environmental patent activities and environmental regulation as measured by pollution abatement and control expenditure (PACE) data. She finds a statistically significant positive relationship between environmental regulation and innovation when estimated by ordinary least squares (OLS). However, the OLS coefficient of pollution abatement costs is inconsistent because of a correlation between the explanatory variable and unobservable variables. Two-staged least squares addresses the inconsistency problem, resulting in positive and significant PACE coefficients. Thus, there is evidence that innovation is a response to environmental regulation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Can an SME Become a Global Corporate Citizen? Evidence from a Case Study

Global Corporate Citizenship (GCC) continues to become increasingly popular in large corporations. However, this concept has rarely been considered in small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). A case study of a Norwegian clothing company illustrates how GCC can be also applied to small companies. This case study also shows that SMEs can be very innovative in exercising corporate citizenship, without necessarily following the patterns of large multinational companies. The company studied engages as partner in some voluntary labor initiatives promoted by the government, employs people in marginal situations, and exerts influence for the adoption of good working conditions in its supply chain. Environmental issues and actions of solidarity are also considered within a global scope. Ethics of care and concern for specific aspects of the common good seem crucial as GCC drivers in this company, as do personal values, character, and leadership of the owner-manager of the firm.     

Female empowerment and tourism: a focus on businesses in a Fijian village

Women’s participation in business is gaining momentum amongst communities in the South Pacific, yet very few studies have explored this area in the context of tourism in Fiji. Based on ethnographic research, this study focuses on the gender dimension of community-based tourism development in Vatuolalai village, along with the Coral Coast of Fiji. In particular, this study seeks to extend our understanding of the links between female empowerment, tourism and business in this indigenous Fijian community. The paper discusses how indigenous Fijian women, through their involvement in tourism, have adapted to becoming successful business operators and influential drivers of socio-political change affecting established gender relations within an indigenous Fijian setting. Therefore, the current study argues that through tourism-based entrepreneurship, local women have attained not only economic but also psychological, social and political empowerment. Given the literature, this is not a mainstream result, particularly in patriarchal and embedded indigenous communities.     

Outcome-focused national park experience management: transforming participants,promoting social well-being,and fostering place attachment

Understanding visitor experiences is essential if park managers are to facilitate beneficial outcomes for both individuals and society. We investigated visitor experiences in a special model of thematically connected guided walking, biking, and 4WD tours in Australian national parks. Outcomes attained by first-time and repeat participants were assessed by questionnaires with more detailed insights from semi-structured interviews with repeat participants. Participants developed strong social ties with community members and experienced significant improvements in health, well-being, and competence, gaining a sense of achievement from mastering a challenge with positive implications for their lives beyond the tours. The tour series performed well in achieving visitor satisfaction, repeat participation, and word-of-mouth recommendation. The experience increased participants’ attachment to national parks, reinforcing their sense of environmental stewardship. The findings are especially relevant to efforts in parks and elsewhere to better integrate senior citizens into the community and provide opportunities to increase their physical, mental, and social well-being. Such opportunities become limited, for example, when people retire from work or suffer health impairment. The tour series proved an effective tool for outcome-focused park management, providing significant personal benefits to participants with positive implications for larger societal benefits, plus political and financial advantages for park managements.     

Definition of adventure travel: Conceptual framework for empirical application from the providers’ perspective

The growth of adventure travel has been accompanied by an enormous variety and availability of adventure travel products in international travel and tourism. This study attempts to search for a comprehensive definition of adventure travel from the providers’ perspective in order to build a conceptual framework for empirical application. A qualitative analysis of past leisure or recreation theories identified six major component variables which define adventure travel. Together with these six components, several alternative definitions of adventure travel are studied in detail as part of the research. This study proposes a new definition of adventure travel, as a standard tool for measuring and segmenting the adventure travel market.