Measuring entrepreneurial quality in southern Europe

The main objective of this paper is working out an empirical methodology to measure the quality of the entrepreneur’s booster function, so that policy makers have an appropriate diagnosis of the qualities of entrepreneurs in their area. In this sense, two essential elements are the construction of an explanatory model, and the establishment of an entrepreneurial typology with respect to quality levels. This methodology is then applied to determine the quality level of entrepreneurs in Seville province (southern Spain), using Partial Least Squares estimation technique on a survey of 278 entrepreneurs from various activity sectors and with firms of different sizes.     

On fair allocations and monetary compensations

Summary In this paper we study fair division problems with the special feature that there exists only one transferable good that everyone likes. This good will be used to compensate some individuals for their differences in other non-transferable resources (like talents or handicaps). In this context we test the traditional no-envy solution and we verify that: 1) its ethical content can be a matter of discussion, and 2) frequently it does not select a non-empty set of allocations. We propose an extension of this criterion that partially solves the existence problem while also retaining the main ethical properties of the preceding solution.Comments and criticisms on earlier drafts by Ahmet Alkan, Marc Fleurbaey, Louis Gevers, Leonid Hurwicz, Mathew Jackson and an anonymous referee are gratefully acknowledged. Financial support has been provided by Spanish DGICYT, PT 90-0654 and Protocolo Aquitania-Navarra-Pais Vasco.     

我国沿海地区乡村——城市转型与协调发展研究

从沿海地区乡村——城市转型机理出发,对沿海地区的乡村——城市转型发展模式进行了梳理,分析了现阶段沿海地区乡村——城市转型与协调发展过程中存在的主要问题,并提出相应的调控对策。     

Measuring welfare losses from interruption and pricing as responses to water shortages: an application to the case of Seville

Supply cuts and pricing policies can be used to ration water. The appropriateness of a given policy depends on the losses in social welfare which it generates. We find some drawbacks with the only method in the previous literature which deals with the issue of measuring welfare losses under supply cuts. We propose an alternative method. We compare the welfare losses under supply cuts and a pricing policy during the drought period of 1992–1996 in Seville, Spain, using both methods, and find that the results vary widely from one method to the other.      

Goodness-of-fit techniques for count data models: an application to the demand for dental care in Spain

This paper compares the practical performance of alternative goodness-of-fit techniques for count data models in the context of a study of the determinants of demand for dental care in Spain. We apply alternative goodness-of-fit techniques to different specifications. In particular, we implement recently proposed specification tests which are consistent in the direction of general nonparametric alternatives. The analysis suggests that a negative binomial model is an appropriate specification for dental care demand. Dental health and income are identified as important predictors of individuals' behavior. First version received: April 2000/Final version received: March 2001     

The shadow economy in three Mediterranean countries: France,Spain and Greece. A MIMIC approach

This paper offers estimations of the evolution of the shadow economy in three Mediterranean countries, namely France, Spain and Greece. A multiple indicators and multiple causes model based on the latent variable structural theory has been applied. As established by Giles (Working paper on monitoring the health of the tax system, 1995), filtered data to solve the non-stationary problems are used. The model includes the tax burden (both as a whole and disaggregated into direct taxes, indirect taxes and social security contributions), a proxy of regulation burden, theu nemployment rate and self-employment as causes of the shadow economy and the GDP growth rate, the labour force participation ratio and the currency ratio as indicators of the underground economy. The results confirm that unemployment, the fiscal burden and self-employment are the main causes of the shadow economy in these countries, and confirm that an inverse relationship exists between the official GDP growth rate and that of the unofficial economy. This paper has benefited from the comments and suggestions of the anonymous referees. The usual disclaimer applies. The paper was partly written when third author was visiting Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard University. The hospitality of this Institution is gratefully acknowledged.     

Does Social Capital Affect Entrepreneurial Intentions?

Nowadays, the scientific community assigns both social context and entrepreneurs’ behavior as a central role in the growth and development of the world economy. However, the relationships between these two factors have not been sufficiently studied in business and economics. Therefore, in this paper, the specific influence of the new socioeconomic factor of social capital on the formation of entrepreneurial intentions will be analyzed. To test the theoretical hypotheses, an empirical study will be carried out using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique with data from a sample of young undergraduate students in the last year of their degree. This population has been selected because these individuals, according to different studies, show a higher propensity towards firm creation. A previous version of this paper was presented to the 61st International Atlantic Economic Conference held in Berlin (15–19, March 2006).     

构建西部金融中心:解决中小企业融资问题的有效途径

中小企业融资是一个世界性的难题,我国西部的中小企业又因其自身的特点和所处的环境还呈现出一些"西部特色".本文在分析了目前西部地区中小企业融资现状及其原因的基础上,提出可以将成都建设成为西部金融中心来促进中小企业融资难问题的解决.     

人力资本积累与西部地区可持续发展

人力资本的积累对经济的发展有巨大的促进作用，西部地区的发展应走人力资本积累型的可持续发展之路，本文分析了妨碍西部地区人力资本积累的主要因素，并提出了大力发展教育事业，吸引外地人才，完善人力资源的市场化配置机制等对策。     

Fungibility and the flypaper effect of project aid: Micro-evidence for Vietnam

While most economists assume that aid is fungible, most aid donors behave as if it is not. Recipient government responses to development project aid are studied in the context of a specific World Bank-financed project. We estimate the impact of a rural road rehabilitation project in Vietnam on the kilometers of roads actually rehabilitated and built. Using local-level survey data collected for this purpose, we test whether the evidence supports the standard economic argument that there will be little or no impact on rural roads rehabilitated, given fungibility. Instead of full fungibility, we find evidence for a “flypaper effect”. Although impacts on rehabilitated road kilometers were less than intended, more roads were built in project areas. Our results suggest that there was fungibility within the sector, but that aid largely stuck to that sector.