Municipal isomorphism: testing the effects of vertical and horizontal collaboration

This study tests whether vertical and horizontal collaborative arrangements generate organizational isomorphic pressures. Using neo-institutional theory, we explore whether local governments emulate their peers when they are (1) bound through collaborative agreements/associations (mimetic pressures), and/or (2) scrutinized by central government through a vertical agreement (coercive pressures). Municipal isomorphism is measured by municipality-dyad convergence across time based on: (1) the number of central-government grant applications submitted by municipalities and (2) use of information technologies. We test for changes in divergence between dyads on these measures using data from all possible dyads generated from 207 Chilean municipalities over 10 years (2005–2014). After controlling for potential confounding factors, findings show mimetic and coercive pressures, from horizontal and vertical forms of governance, reduce a municipal dyad’s divergence in terms of grant applications and use of information technologies. However, collaboration effects on municipal isomorphism are contingent on the type of collaboration. While formal municipal agreements increase a municipal dyad’s convergence, municipal associations unexpectedly seem to decrease it.     

Technology catching-up and regulation in European regions

This paper analyses the effects of the intensity of regulations in the product and labour markets on the growth of total factor productivity (TFP) for 121 European regions. A technological catch-up model is estimated for the period 1995–2007. We use the spatial lag of X (SLX) model to capture possible spatial interactions across spatial units. Our empirical findings show that lower levels of regulation are associated with higher TFP growth. Lower barriers to entrepreneurship and lower bureaucratic costs have a positive effect on productivity growth. Corruption raises operational costs, distorts the allocation of resources and negatively affects innovation activities, thereby reducing TFP growth. Further liberalization in the labour market (in terms of hiring and firing regulation, working hours regulation and employment protection legislation) has a significant positive effect on the growth of TFP. In addition, both regional technological and regional human capital have a positive impact on the TFP growth in European regional economies.     

Eine Investitionsagenda für Deutschland

Wirtschaftsdienst - Der Koalitionsvertrag von Union und SPD enthält erste Schritte in Richtung einer Ausweitung der öffentlichen Investitionen in Bildung und Betreuung, Wohnungsbau und...     

(Gender-differentiated) Effects of Changes in Personal Income Taxation

Intereconomics - One of the most important areas of taxation is the personal income tax, which may have a gender-differentiated effect on work incentives and infl uence the distribution of paid and...     

Is it Possible to Identify High-Risk Suppliers from Financial Statements?

International Advances in Economic Research -     

New Competences for Crisis Times

In general, people always try to achieve their goals in several aspects of their lives such as the studies, jobs, and leisure time. Unfortunately, goals are not always achieved. Sometimes people simply give up on achieving them, or on other occasions, goals are not achieved completely (later, more costly, and to a lesser extent than desired). The principal objective of the present paper is to identify which variables determine success while people try to achieve their own goals. In order to analyze this fact, the authors will define a sample of university students, taking as a goal their current situation, defining the maximum quality of not staying down or not having more than two subjects left to pass. A questionnaire will be developed in order to identify which variables are more important to achieve goals. Answers from the students will permit one to know the importance given to the different variables by them, as well as how students manage these variables in order to achieve their goals. Moreover, a mathematical model will be used to evaluate what is the influence and relevance of each variable to achieving personal goals.     

Foreign Trade Patterns Between Estonia and the EU

In this paper, we focus on the development of the foreign trade flows between Estonia and the EU. We observe rapid reorientation of the trade flows from the former Soviet Union towards Western markets because of economic reforms and foreign trade liberalization. Moreover, we determine the commodity groups with a comparative advantage in the EU market and analyze its dynamics. Further analysis of the intra-industry trade (ITT) shows that vertical IIT plays a dominant role in Estonian-EU IIT flows. Shares of total, vertical, and horizontal IIT have grown rapidly since 2004, the year of accession to the EU.     

天华山森林公园游客特征及旅游消费影响因子分析

旅游消费行为是旅游经济活动的重要组成部分,关注游客的旅游消费有利于探寻旅游地发展演进规律,为旅游产品开发调整、客源市场宣传促销提供研究基础。从游客的人口学特征与游客行为特征两方面对天华山森林公园旅游群体进行了研究。结果表明:天华山森林公园的游客以省内城市的青壮年人为主体,普遍受教育程度比较高;自驾车和随团旅行的中等收入者、旅游目的以欣赏风景为主的游客占绝对优势,且以度假为目的的游客是潜力很大的目标群体。旅游消费影响因子相关分析表明,客源地、职业、收入水平、停留时间4个因子与其显著相关。     

WHEN DOES IT PAY TO GET INFORMED?*

A repeated principal–agent problem where both sides start out symmetrically uninformed about a productivity‐related parameter and where the principal has the option to costlessly learn this parameter is analyzed. Typically, the principal delays the acquisition of information to avoid costly signaling. If the learning decision of the principal is observable by the agent, the expected delay is longer than if it is unobservable. The discrepancy is due to the ability of the principal to avoid costly signaling when he is known to be uninformed.     

福建省毛竹经营效率DEA实证分析——毛竹经营效率研究之一

本研究采用DEA方法,对福建省95份竹农的调查问卷所取得第一手数据资料进行分析,测算毛竹经营效率的水平。结果表明,福建省毛竹经营效率偏低,毛竹生产技术有效性系数不高,毛竹经营无效的样本都呈现规模递增趋势,非DEA有效的决策单元资源浪费较小。