Mean squared error efficient estimators of the variance components

Summary Pseudo Bayesian estimators for the variance components based on Jeffrey’s Rule are derived for the mixed balanced incomplete block design and are compared with the usual analysis of variance estimators in terms of mean squared error (MSE) efficiency. Numerical results show that Pseudo-Bayesian estimators are more efficient in numerical results.     

Canada-United State Free Trade

A bstract The Canada US Free Trade AGreement (FTA) which came into force January 1. 1989 caused heated debate within Canada about the impact it would have on social programs , other directly or indirectly It was argued that Canada would have to give up some social programs because they would be deemed to be substdues to the production of goods or services Alternatively, it was feared that firms would argue that the programs would need to be cut in order to ensure that they could compete with US firms in firms in terms of taxes It is shown that public unease about the fate of social programs was based both on a misunderstanding of FTA provisions, and on 'misperception'of the mag nitude of social program expenditures Social Programs Such as unemployment insurance , even when they subsidize particular groups of people (eg fisher men) are not normally deemed to be unfair competition which would be countervailable In addition, firsm do not expertence any greter benefit costs in Canada than in the US, albeit there is a different public/private split and thus there is no justification for firms to argue for cutting programs in order tobe competitive, other things being equal     

Education and wages in the Czech and Slovak Republics during transition

An employer-based sample of over 400,000 Czech and 125,000 Slovak men is used to estimate the benefits of education in 1995–1997. By 1997, education of all types had become substantially more highly rewarded in both countries than it was either under communism or in the early years of the transition. Education's value began increasing earlier and reached a higher level in the Czech Republic than in Slovakia. Increases in the value of education were especially pronounced for types of education ideologically disfavored by communism.     

A note on the role of the average cost curve in the neoclassical theory of the firm

A number of influential authors have argued that the long-run average cost curve has only a limited role in the theory of the firm. This note examines this claim in more detail. It argues that the curve has an important role in determining long-run equilibrium as it provides an important ‘signal’ to agents in the capital and product market about the extent to which an industry is in disequilibrium. The effect of removing the certainty assumption is then examined and it is argued that the average cost curve is an important input in the assessment of operating risk.     

PLANNING AND TACTICAL FACTORS IN THE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS

It has been a well-recognized axiom in project management research that the project implementation process can be greatly facilitated by addressing a variety of project critical success factors. It is argued here that critical factors often fall into two distinct sub-groups: those related to initial project planning and those concerned with subsequent tactical operationalization. A field study was conducted to explore changes in the perceived importance of project planning and tactical factors across four stages in the project life cycle. The sample consisted of 408 managers currently involved in projects. It was found that the relative importance of planning and tactical factors varies across the project life cycle. Further, the perceived importance of these factors is contingent upon the type of success measure employed. When an efficiency success measure is used, planning factors are initially perceived to be of high importance but are overtaken by tactical issues as the project progresses through its life cycle. When ‘external’ success measures (perceived value of the project and client satisfaction) are employed, project planning factors dominate tactics throughout the project's life cycle. Finally, implications for managers are developed and directions for future research are discussed.     

On Measurement of Economic Growth

This article continues the discussion raised in the pages of the journal on the methodological problems of justifying economic policy [1]. Problems of measuring the inflationary component of economic growth and in product competitiveness in the internal market and external markets are considered. A procedure to measure economic growth, taking into account the balance of interests of the current and future generations, is proposed.     

A Vector Error Correction Model for Japanese Real Exports

Atlantic Economic Journal - Japanese exports did not immediately react to the depreciations of the yen after a change in the economic policy framework in 2012, with the launching of Abenomics. This...     

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the Workplace Under the ADA in the Wake of Sutton and Its Companions

The terms Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) refer to a neurological impairment that affects the individual's ability to sustain attention and to behave in a calm, rational manner.³Although this disorder has long been considered to be restricted to childhood, recent research has demonstrated that many children carry it over into adult life and take it with them into the workplace. Most U.S. courts have treated AD/HD as a disability covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).⁴However, in the summer of 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court made three decisions that will undoubtedly affect the future status of AD/HD and other impairments under the ADA. This article examines those decisions, how they affect the employment rights of AD/HD-afflicted employees, and the changes they will probably bring to litigation in this area. Because we have many reservations about the court's decisions, we not only voice our criticisms of the decisions, but also offer an alternative approach.     

Compensating Wage Differentials with Unemployment: Evidence from China

We estimate the economic value of mortality risk in China using the compensating-wage-differential method. We find a positive and statistically significant correlation between wages and occupational fatality risk. The estimated effect is largest for unskilled workers. Unemployment reduces compensation for risk, which suggests that some of the assumptions under which compensating wage differentials can be interpreted as measures of workers’ preferences for risk and income are invalid when unemployment is high. Workers may be unwilling to quit high-risk jobs when alternative employment is difficult to obtain, violating the assumption of perfect mobility, or some workers (e.g., new migrants) may be poorly informed about between-job differences in risk, violating the assumption of perfect information. These factors suggest our estimates of the value per statistical life (VSL) in China, which range from approximately US$30,000 to US$100,000, may be biased downward. Alternative estimates adjust for heterogeneity of risk within industry by assuming that risk is concentrated among low-skill workers. These estimates, which are likely to be biased downward, range from US$7,000 to US$20,000.