THE EMPIRICAL MEASUREMENT OF RENT‐SEEKING COSTS

Abstract This survey focuses on the efforts, carried out mainly by public choice scholars, to measure the social cost of rent seeking. The concept, introduced by Gordon Tullock in 1967 and coined by Anne Krueger in 1974, is well known and accepted by the profession, but its empirical measurement has fallen behind with respect to its theoretical formulation, an often criticized lack in the literature. Although there are good general surveys, none has specifically focused on reviewing the empirical efforts made to measure the phenomenon. The purpose of this paper is to provide such a survey.     

Efficient estimation of forecast uncertainty based on recent forecast errors

Multi-step-ahead forecasts of the forecast uncertainty of an individual forecaster are often based on the horizon-specific sample means of his recent squared forecast errors, where the number of past forecast errors available decreases one-to-one with the forecast horizon. In this paper, the efficiency gains from the joint estimation of forecast uncertainty for all horizons in such samples are investigated. If the forecast uncertainty is estimated by seemingly unrelated regressions, it turns out that the covariance matrix of the squared forecast errors does not have to be estimated, but simply needs to have a certain structure, which is a very useful property in small samples. Considering optimal and non-optimal forecasts, it is found that the efficiency gains can be substantial for longer horizons in small samples. The superior performance of the seemingly-unrelated-regressions approach is confirmed in several empirical applications.     

Beauty is the promise of happiness?

We measure the impact of individuals' looks on life satisfaction and happiness. Using six data sets, from Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, we construct beauty measures in a number of different ways. Beauty raises happiness: A one standard-deviation change in beauty generates about 0.08 standard deviations of additional satisfaction/happiness among men, 0.07 among women. The finding is robust to a rare opportunity to measure it using an instrumental variables approach. Accounting for a wide variety of covariates, particularly educational, marital, and labor-market outcomes that might be affected by beauty, the gross effects are roughly halved, with small reductions arising from the impact of beauty on monetary outcomes.     

Measuring the quality of managerial learning on the job

This article describes the development of an instrument to measure the quality of managerial learning on the job. The instrument can be used to analyse the quality of the individual learning process on the job. The literature shows that two factors determine the quality of the learning process: the learning potential of the job context and the way in which the manager approaches their work. So the instrument has two components. The first component measures the four types of work experience that offer potential opportunities for individual learning. These are transitions, task-related characteristics, obstacles and support. The second component, the so-called learning behaviour, analyses the way the individual approaches the potential learning opportunities present in the job. This can also be divided into four categories: emergent learning, planned learning, instruction-oriented learning and meaning-oriented learning. Based on these two components, an instrument has been developed to measure the quality of learning on the job. This has been shown to be valid and reliable in a sample of European managers.     

A preliminary theoretical examination of the targeted public distribution system in India

A theoretical model of targeting in the public distribution system is set out. In any system of targeting there could be inclusion and exclusion errors. These errors could be reduced by search by the state. The state aims to minimise the costs of food administration subject to keeping the magnitude of the exclusion error bounded. Targeting involves a consideration of the objective poverty level, the official poverty level and the targeted poverty level by the state. The targeted poverty level could be less than the official poverty level if the extent of search is not adequate. The objective poverty level is an increasing function of the above poverty line issue price of food due to exclusion errors, a decreasing function of the procurement price of food and by definition the below poverty line issue price of food. The instruments in the hands of the state are the official poverty level, the above poverty line issue price for food, the procurement price of food and the extent of search. The comparative static implications of the model are set out.     

角速度传感器误差校正研究

某角速度传感器的输入与输出成近似线性关系,测量输出的电压值即可得到目标运动的角速度。为了提高测量的精度,通过对角速度传感器零位和灵敏度的误差进行校正,可得到更为精确的目标运动角速度。实验表明,该校正方法能有效提高角速度传感器的测量精度,有一定的实用性。     

一般借款费用资本化的确认标准和计量方法

根据企业会计准则的规定,符合资本化条件的资产建造或生产过程中如果占用了一般借款应将其相应的借款费用予以资本化。但如何确认在资产建造过程中占用了一般借款,如何计量应予以资本化的一般借款费用却是比较困难的问题。作者从符合资本化条件的资产建造或生产过程中占用的超过专门借款支出的资产与被占用的该资产的资金来源渠道之间的非对应性关系,论证了一般借款费用资本化的确认标准和一般借款费用资本化的计量方法。     

机器人手指的抓取误差分析

本文对机器人不同类型的手指抓取误差进行了全面、细致的分析。既有定性的理论描述,又有定量的计算公式,还有具体的应用实例。因此可供机器人手指设计和使用人员参考。     

知识经济时代无形资产会计的创新

伴随着知识经济的到来，无形资产的重要性日益提高，知识经济对无形资产有着深刻的影响。为知识经济的挑战，使无形资产会计适应时代的要求，无形资产会计必须不断进行改革与创新，重新确立无形资产的会计确认和计量模式，以发挥其应有的作用。