A Bayesian Net Benefit Approach to Cost‐effectiveness Analysis in Health Technology Assessment

The economic literature on cost‐effectiveness analysis in the context of decisions by health technology assessment agencies assumes as the quantity of interest a linear combination of the mean of the sampling distribution of the effectiveness and the cost. We argue that this is not always reasonable. Our reasons for this assertion are that (i) treatments are compared on the basis of mean values, and for some useful models the mean of the distribution of the cost, which is conditional on the available data, does not exist, and (ii) even for models for which the mean does exist, it might not constitute an accurate reflection of the distribution. This paper presents a general Bayesian cost‐effectiveness analysis of a single treatment, where the quantity of interest is the distribution, conditional on the data, of the net benefit. This approach permits a natural extension to several treatments, which enables us to make a statistical comparison. Illustrations with treatment comparisons for real and simulated data are given.     

The pyramids plateau: A dream searching for survival

Recognized as one of the most unique archaeological sites in the world, the Giza pyramids plateau is the location of the three great pyramids and the Sphinx, tombs, seven smaller pyramids, and other monuments. Over the centuries the plateau has been instrumental in introducing Egyptian civilization to the world, and was recently declared as one of the most iconic travel spots on the planet.In recent years, the location of the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) within the site of the plateau re-ignited the debate between scholars, practitioners and activists over development activities within and around this unique site. Consequently, a growing conflict re-emerged between conserving the plateau and developing the surrounding areas. Additionally, this invaluable site is threatened by urban expansion and development, pollution, rising groundwater and extensive tourism. Yet, currently there are neither tourism management nor development plans for the site.Building on national and international conservation conventions and charters, this paper explores analyses and documents the current gap between ideal conservation management sittings within and around the pyramids plateau and the reality of urban development trends and tourism activities.     

Scope versus speed: Team diversity,leader experience,and patenting outcomes for firms

Research Summary: How does the organization of patenting activity affect a firm's patenting outcomes? We investigate how the composition of patenting teams relates to both the scope of their patent applications and the speed with which their patents are approved, by examining the main effects of team members’ intra‐organizational diversity (based on affiliations with formal organizational units and informal organizational communities) and the moderating effects of team leader experience. We test our moderated mediation model in a sample of 121 teams that filed patents in a Fortune 50 company's India R&D center between 2005 and 2015, using proprietary employee data combined with newly released micro‐data from the U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Our findings illuminate the micro‐foundations of innovation in firms by highlighting a trade‐off between organizing patenting activity to maximize scope versus speed. Managerial Summary: Patenting is an important strategic tool that firms can use to protect and create value from their innovations. A firm can benefit from filing a patent application that gives it a wider possible set of claims related to an innovation. It can also benefit from faster approval of a patent application by the Patent Office. However, our study shows that there is a trade‐off between patent application scope and patent approval speed, which creates tensions for the organization of patenting activities inside firms. In particular, we find that the diversity of a patenting team is positively related to patent scope but negatively related to patenting speed, and that these relationships vary with the experience of the team leader.     

Does Zero Tillage Improve the Livelihoods of Smallholder Cropping Farmers?

The biophysical benefits of zero tillage (ZT) are well documented in the literature. However, the literature on its economic benefits, especially in the context of small and medium‐scale farmers in the temperate developing world is scanty. Using a study of 621 wheat farmers in Syria, we provide empirical evidence on the impacts of adoption of ZT on farm income and wheat consumption. We use propensity score matching (PSM) and endogenous switching regression (ESR) approaches to account for potential selection biases. After controlling for confounding factors, we find that adoption of the ZT technology leads to a US$ 189/ha (33%) increase in net crop income and a 26 kg (34%) gain in per capita wheat consumption per year (adult equivalent) – an indication of meaningful changes in the livelihoods of the farm households. Besides the biophysical and environmental benefits documented elsewhere, our results suggest that adoption of ZT can also be justified on economic and food security grounds. Therefore, ZT can have sizeable impacts in transforming the agricultural sector in the temperate developing world provided that the technology is well promoted and adopted.     

Teenager–peer interaction and its contribution to a family purchase decision: the mediating role of enduring product involvement

The influencing roles of teenager–peer interaction and enduring product involvement on a teen's contribution to a family purchase decision are examined using survey data from 1008 Tunisian teens. Results demonstrate that enduring product involvement mediates the relationship between teenager–peer interaction and the teenager's contribution. A structural equation model with supporting Bootstrap procedure is presented. Implications, limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Stressors,Coping Mechanisms,Perceived Supervisory Support,and Well-Being Among Nurses During Accreditation Surveys: a Study from UAE

Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal - Organizational psychology applies psychological theories to improve the physical and mental well-being of employees, increase productivity, and...     

Libéralisation financière,développement financier et croissance économique: Nouvelle évidence empirique

Résumé: La relation entre le développement financier et la croissance économique a suscité beaucoup d’attention ces dernières années dans la littérature économique. Dans ce papier, nous avons présenté, en premier lieu, l’effet du développement bancaire sur la croissance économique à travers une validation empirique en données de panel d’un modèle à effets aléatoires de 52 pays de 1980 à 2005, et en second lieu, nous avons essayé d’explorer les liens qui peuvent exister entre le développement financier au sens large (bancaire et boursier) et la croissance économique à travers une analyse en coupe transversale pour 42 pays durant la période 1988–2002. Les principaux résultats retenus de ce travail montrent que le niveau du développement financier au sens large peut être un facteur important pour la croissance économique. Toutefois, force est de signaler que cette contribution est conditionnée par la réunion de certaines conditions.