Biotechnology Firms in Sweden

The purpose of this study is to create an understanding of the strategies that biotechnology firms in Sweden implement, how they manage to keep their competence ahead and how they finance their research. Their main factor of success is the ability to rapidly identify the latest research findings from academia and turn them into commerciable technology. The collaboration with academia is thus an important part of the networking strategy of the biotechnology firms in Sweden. Outsourcing parts of their activities keeps the firms flexible, which is necessary in this high risk business.Whether a firm chooses an intermediary or integrating position is not found to be correlated to age or size. It is instead heavily influenced by the strategies of large pharmaceutical companies, the nature of the firms' core technology, expectations of investors and the overall access of capital. The private capital market in Sweden has undergone a change during the last years. New marketplaces for young, innovative firms have been created in Sweden and their existence is most likely one reason for the increasing presence of venture capitalists in the country. That, in turn, increases the opportunities for new firms within biotechnology to develop in Sweden.     

The Temporary Leave Dilemma: Lone and Partnered Mothers in Sweden

Abstract

Lone mothers have to take care of a sick child with little or no help from the child's other parent and have to carry all costs connected to leave-taking. This paper empirically tests whether lone mothers take more temporary parental leave to care for sick children than partnered mothers and whether parental leave is associated with a signaling cost. The results from this study of Swedish mothers show that lone mothers use more temporary parental leave than partnered mothers. Further, within the group of lone mothers, those with higher socioeconomic status take less temporary parental leave than those with lower socioeconomic status, whereas no such differences are found within the group of partnered mothers. One possible interpretation is that signaling costs negatively influence the utilization of temporary parental leave for lone mothers.     

Smoking Habits: Like Father,Like Son,Like Mother,Like Daughter?*

We use instrumental variable methods to investigate whether the impact of parental smoking habits on their children's smoking decisions is a causal one. We find suggestive evidence of same‐sex role models in two‐parent households: mothers play a more crucial role in determining their daughters’ smoking decisions, whereas fathers’ smoking habits are primarily imitated by their sons. This same‐sex parent–child link is no longer at play for teenagers living in single‐mother households, for whom the influence of their only cohabiting parent turns out to be predominant independently of gender.     

Public involvement in flood risk management in Hungary

The increasing frequency and intensity of recent floods and their economic, social, and political impacts created a situation in Hungary where flood management strategies need urgent reconsideration. Research suggests that in the case of natural disasters of uncertain and changing character, public education, information, participation, and cooperation are particularly important tools for coping. Drawing on the data collected by two recent empirical studies, this paper investigates state-of-the-art public involvement in flood control activities in Hungary. Results of a questionnaire survey and a series of semistructured interviews conducted in three flood basins of the Tisza river indicate that although the highly centralized system of flood control, and especially its strong financial background, a characteristic of state socialism, has significantly weakened since the political transition, forms of public participation, which could reduce the risk by building on a more conscious and responsible attitude of the citizens, have not developed yet. Paternalist and elitist attitudes prevail on the part of the authorities, contributing to the passivity of the public. There are signs, however, that in certain places, local government leaders take responsibility for building communication networks to raise public awareness and mobilize the public more effectively.     

Partnership Between Local Government and the Local Community In The Area of Social Policy

The article describes the background and history of one project aimed at developing a strategic social plan in the city of Eger. This initiative was based upon partnership between the municipal government, the local community and civil organizations in Eger. It offers an important perspective upon the potential, in the transitional nations of eastern and central Europe, for public-private partnership as an effective mechanism both to map social needs and to develop policies to address these needs. It also offers one particular approach to the development of such partnerships - the decision conferencing model. Such an approach takes public-private partnerships into an arena beyond that of policy implementation alone.     

The executive leadership imperative: A new perspective on how companies and executives can accelerate the development of women leaders

In light of today's leadership shortage, companies face challenges in trying to identify and develop new leaders to fill the key roles left vacant by baby-boomer retirements. This feat can only be accomplished by tapping all sources of future leadership talent—especially women, who are currently underrepresented at the executive level. The development of future leaders in most companies is handicapped by the fact that promotional decisions to the C-Suite level are based on a set of unstated criteria for advancement. The lack of clarity regarding the factors used to determine who does and who doesn’t progress to the executive level presents special challenges for aspiring women executives. Effectively addressing these obstacles requires a new mindset toward talent development within organizations. We recommend actions on two fronts: (1) specific practices that companies can make part of their succession planning and career development processes in the interest of creating a level playing field for executive advancement, and (2) actions that women can proactively employ to take the initiative in their own development as leaders.     

Stereotypical Notions of the Entrepreneur: An Analysis from a Perspective of Gender

The principal objective of this paper is an analysis of the stereotypical figure of the entrepreneur in the Spanish context, from a perspective of gender. We provide evidence that the characteristics largely associated with an entrepreneurial individual are stereotypically male or androgynous, with a notable absence of female typologies. Our findings suggest that this relationship has an influence on the continued predominance of male entrepreneurial activity. This study contributes to the growing empirical literature on female entrepreneurship from an understudied perspective; gender stereotyping, demonstrating that socially constructed gender stereotyping persists in contemporary Spanish culture.     

The determinants and labour market effects of lifelong learning

Despite the policy importance of lifelong learning, there is very little hard evidence from the UK on (a) who undertakes lifelong learning and why, and (b) the economic benefits of lifelong learning. This paper uses a rich longitudinal panel data set to look at key factors that determine whether someone undertakes lifelong learning and then models the effect of the different qualifications acquired via lifelong learning on individuals’ economic outcomes, namely wages and the likelihood of being employed. Those who left school with O-level qualifications or above were much more likely to undertake lifelong learning. Undertaking one episode of lifelong learning also increased the probability of undertaking more lifelong learning. We found little evidence of positive wage effects from lifelong learning. However, males who left school with only low-level qualifications do earn substantially more if they undertake a degree via lifelong learning. We also found important positive employment effects from lifelong learning.     

Market Structure and Financial Stability: the Interaction between Profit-Oriented and Mutual Cooperative Banks in Italy

Journal of Financial Services Research - In this study, we analyze the relation between market structure and financial stability both theoretically and empirically by considering two types of...