Social Indicators

This article was prepared by Helen Owens of the Institute research staff.
Until the mid-1960's it was generally accepted that gross national product provided not only a measure of economic performance but also a useful overall indicator of some aspects of human welfare. The limitations of GNP with respect to most non-market phenomena were well recognised but the implicit assumption was made that the unmeasured aspects of welfare were positively related to changes in income as recorded in national accounts statistics. However, in the last decade or so, growing recognition of social costs and problems asociated with material advancement has led economists and other social scientists to look for new approaches to the measurement of social 'progress'.¹     

Spark ignition hazards caused by charge induction

Unexpected ignition hazards, caused by static charges on nonconductors, warrant greater attention in industrial plants and laboratories.     

Impact of quality-led design on real estate value: a spatiotemporal analysis of city centre apartments

This paper estimates the impact of quality design attributes on real estate value through empirical investigation of the owner-occupied multifamily residential sector. The methodological design is based on spatiotemporal modelling using a unique data-set of 424 Belfast City Centre apartments sold during the period 2000–2008. The key findings indicate that urban scale aspects of quality such as connectivity and vitality associated with building density add to real estate value. At the building level, quality features highly valued by home buyers are namely appropriateness of material quality, fenestration and massing to the surroundings. These key criteria are considered to have a significant visual perception compared to more complex concepts such as identity, material choice and overall condition. The contribution to knowledge involves extending the hedonic model to incorporate a wider selection of design quality variables; and improving estimation through the use of spatiotemporal modelling.     

A Comparative Study of Generational Preferences for Trip-Planning Resources: A Case Study of International Tourists to Shanghai

Although many previous studies have investigated the information search behavior in some specific age groups of tourists, few of them comprehensively examined the relationships between cross-generational tourists and their preferences for various types of trip-planning resources. This study aimed to fill this research gap. The authors employed correspondence analysis to assess and visually display the correlations between four generational groups—the Silent Generation (aged over 65), the Baby Boomers (aged 50–64 years), Generation X (aged 30–49 years), and Y (aged 18–29 years)—and 10 primary travel information sources for the Shanghai international tourist market. The results indicated that tourists in the Baby Boomers and Silent Generation groups rely most on travel agencies and tour operators. The Generation X tourists are inclined to search websites for their travel information. Generation Y tourists are more likely to consult friends and/or relatives and travel guidebooks. The study has both theoretical and practical contributions. The core values of generations are used to explain their preference of information sources from a theoretical perspective. This study assists destination marketers to design effective promotional strategies suited for different generational segments.     

State Minimum Wage Differences: Economic Factors or Political Inclinations?

This paper examines the importance of factors that influence a state's decision to adopt an above-federal minimum wage level. Our results indicate that state political leanings are the primary factor explaining differences in state minimum wage laws since 1991. Further, state cost of living differences do not appear to influence a state's decision to increase its minimum wage above the federal level. This result is interesting since proponents of raising the minimum wage cite the rising cost of living as a principal justification for an increase. Our findings should be of special interest to economists responsible for analyzing and forecasting labor cost trends within and among states where their employers operate or plan to relocate.     

Adjusting for Non‐Response in Population‐Based Case‐Control Studies

In this paper we discuss the analysis of data from population‐based case‐control studies when there is appreciable non‐response. We develop a class of estimating equations that are relatively easy to implement. For some important special cases, we also provide efficient semi‐parametric maximum‐likelihood methods. We compare the methods in a simulation study based on data from the Women's Cardiovascular Health Study discussed in Arbogast et al. (Estimating incidence rates from population‐based case‐control studies in the presence of non‐respondents, Biometrical Journal 44, 227–239, 2002).