Is Australia Really a World Leader in Closing the Gender Gap?

Abstract

In the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2006 Global Gender Gap report, Australia was highlighted as a world leader in closing the gender gap. With reference to the Economic Participation and Opportunity Index (one of four components in the WEF Gender Gap Index (GGI)), this article assesses whether or not Australia is deserving of this recognition. Closer analysis shows that convergence in the participation gap flowed from increased participation in part-time, low-paid, and precarious jobs. Research also shows that women's entry into professional jobs has led to the feminization of some positions and that vertical segregation remains an ongoing problem. In highlighting these disparities, this article questions the capacity of the GGI to provide an adequate understanding of women's labor market participation and economic attainment.     

Non‐linear Predictability of Value and Growth Stocks and Economic Activity

Recent empirical evidence suggests that stock market index returns are predictable from a variety of financial and macroeconomic variables. We extend this research by examining value and growth portfolios constructed by book-to-market ratio, and consider whether such predictability is evident here. Further, we assess whether such predictability is better characterised by a non-linear form and whether such non-linear predictability can be exploited to provide superior forecasts to those obtained from a linear model. General non-linearities are examined using non-parametric techniques, which suggest possible threshold behaviour. This leads to estimation of a smooth-transition threshold model, with the results indicating an improved in-sample performance and marginally superior out-of-sample forecast results.     

Characteristics of Innovative Firms in the Brazilian Computer Industry

A number of studies have reported characteristics of innovative firms; however, these studies have typically been conducted in freely competitive markets. Angela da Rocha, Carl Christensen and Newton Paim have studied firms within the Brazilian computer industry. The Brazilian government regulates the entrance of foreign competitors to this market. Thus, the authors are able to ask whether the characteristics of innovative firms in a protected market differ from characteristics previously reported in competitive markets. With only a few minor exceptions, the reported profiles of innovative firms are quite similar. These results suggest that characteristics of innovative firms are generalizable across certain industry and environmental conditions, including protected markets.     

The Independence of the Italian Constitutional Court

It is often asserted that the Italian Constitutional Court is not independent of the Executive and Legislative branches of the government in Rome. We offer a view of independence that is congruent with bodies such as constitutional courts. We argue that the evidence, both qualitative and quantitative, however poor it may be, indicates that the Italian Constitutional Court is as independent as any other corresponding constitutional or supreme court of democratic countries. The evidence is not directly conclusive because the question, in the end, is not whether the judges, one by one, are independent, but whether the Court is independent. The evidence we offer pertains mostly to judges. If judges are independent, as that evidence seems to indicate, the Court is a fortiori even more independent.     

What role does culture play? A look at motivation and job satisfaction among hotel workers in Brazil

Job satisfaction has been associated with positive organizational outcomes such as increased employee productivity, higher innovation and reduced turnover, all of which are linked to improved firm performance. Motivation is considered to be a primary determinant of job satisfaction. Yet little research has focused on the links between motivation, job satisfaction and the impact of culture in the workplace. This qualitative research uses Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Motivation to assess job satisfaction in the Brazilian hotel industry. The results partially support the theory and suggest that culture influences the degree of job satisfaction.