Decentralized screening: Coordination failure, multiple equilibria and cycles

We explore the inter-temporal effects of the pool externalities caused by imperfect screening in competitive credit markets. We find that imperfect screening may, depending on the parameters of the model, generate excessive screening, inefficient duplication of screening or screening cycles. Whenever screening cycles occur they are manifestations of either socially excessive or insufficient screening. We present a full equilibrium characterization and a welfare analysis. The implementation of socially optimal lending decisions requires communication across lenders (i.e. information sharing), which decentralized markets typically cannot achieve.     

Identifying Healthy Menu Items

Abstract

To help restaurants accommodate and promote the growing interest in nutrition, Colorado State University's (CSU) Cooperative Extension and the American Heart Association (AHA) of Colorado created the Dine to Your Heart's Delight restaurant program. The program was designed to help restaurateurs develop and promote healthful menu choices through designated menu items which were lower in fat, cholesterol, calories, and sodium. The program proved popular in the late 1980s, after which participation inexplicably declined. On May 2, 1997, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for nutritional labeling of restaurant menu items that bear a claim took effect. These new regulations provide an opportunity and a challenge for restaurateurs. An assessment of restaurant manager opinions and criteria for selecting and participating in a point of choice nutrition program are delineated.     

The evolution of Australia's natural resource management programs: Towards improved targeting and evaluation of investments

This paper examines the evolution of Australia's natural resource management programs over the past two decades. The story is one of major paradigmatic shifts with implications for the design and operation of similar programs worldwide. Since 1983, Australian Governments have approved the National Soil Conservation Program, the National Landcare Program, the Natural Heritage Trust, the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality and a new program called Caring for Our Country. These programs have seen a transition from the early days of attitude change to the creation of new regional institutions and direct payment systems for environmental stewardship. Despite these advances recent audit reports have mirrored those from the United States and the Europe. They identify problems of ineffective targeting, monitoring and evaluation of expenditure. This paper considers the efficiency and effectiveness of alternative program designs in Australia. Two major design improvements are suggested: (a) systems for linking expenditure to outcomes and (b) adopting standardised metrics for valuing outcomes. This will permit the application of benefit-cost and cost-effectiveness analysis and, ultimately, improved returns on investment.     

刘桥一矿通风系统优化改造研究

针对煤矿向深部延深开采,瓦斯涌出量逐渐增大,通风能力不足的问题,在对矿井通风系统进行了技术测定的基础上,提出了扩井通风系统优化改造方案。并进行了经济投入与效益分析,确定了矿井通风系统优化改造方案,满足了矿井通风需要,保证了矿井安全生产。     

Intensive Coaching of New Immigrants: An Evaluation Based on Random Program Assignment*

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether intensive counseling and coaching by Public Employment Service (PES) caseworkers improves the employment opportunities of new immigrants in Sweden. This is tested within the framework of introduction programs for new immigrants. A trial introduction program was implemented from October 2006 to June 2008. Within participating municipalities, new immigrants were randomly assigned into treatment (intensive coaching) or control (regular introduction programs). The results indicate that there are significant treatment effects on employment probabilities as well as on participation in intermediate PES training programs.     

Gender, self-employment and microcredit programs An Indonesian case study

Credit is often the missing link for low-income families that try to make a living by operating small microenterprises. At the same time, the presumption that lending to the poor is very risky, the costs of operation are high, and the low repayment rates for such loans limit bankers’ willingness to extend credit to the poor. This article, however reports on the results of a microcredit program in Indonesia which suggests that when agencies, government and non-government, in a developing country make credit available to low income women, they can reduce the costs of delivery, greatly increase repayment rates, and substantially improve the well-being of poor families. Other studies also suggest that such credit tends to increase women’s participation in decision making, reduces fertility, substantially improves household nutrition and raises aspirations for children’s education. Our case study cofirms these results.     

The effects of land sales restrictions: evidence from south India

The effects of land sales restrictions on credit use, land investment and cultivation decisions are investigated using data from two villages in south India. Sales restrictions are found to have little ellect on credit supply and demand or demand tor land improvements. Some household characteristics are found to affect investment demand on plots subject to sales restrictions in one village, suggesting that the ‘transactions effect’ of such restrictions may be inhibiting allocative efficiency. However, we also find that household characteristics influence investment on titled plots, and that the magnitude of impact of such characteristics is greater on titled plots. These results imply that sales restrictions are not a major source of inelficiency in the villages studied, and suggest that the nature of village credit and land markets and enforcement ot sales restrictions are critical determinants of the impacts of such restrictions.     

Conservation practice complementarity and timing of on-farm adoption

The adoption of conservation practices is a dynamic process. Factors that vary over time can affect farmers’ decision to adopt and adoption timing. We used a duration model to evaluate the farmer's adoption time for continuous no-till (CNT), cover crops (CCs), and the variable-rate application of inputs (VRA). We found that producers who had previously adopted soil conservation practices were more likely to adopt additional complementary practices. Farmers using crop rotation adopted CNT and CCs approximately 48% and 62% faster than farmers without a crop rotation, respectively. The CC adoption time was also reduced by 70% for farmers who had adopted CNT. Complementarities between conservation practices may enhance the benefits from adoption and allow farmers to adopt bundles of conservation practices more quickly over time. This can be taken advantage of in conservation programs by promoting or requiring practices first that enhance adoption of other practices. We also found important heterogeneity in the adoption speed associated with farm management characteristics, producers’ attitudes, weather patterns, and crop prices.     

Ad ratings when a marketer runs two commercial messages in one television program episode

Advertisers sometimes run two messages in one television program episode. We examine the ad-ratings consequences in passively recorded data. Previous findings suggest that repetition can reduce ad affect and attention duration. Viewers might therefore tend to zap the second message for one brand. If second messages are targeted for zapping, marketers might run only one message per episode. We observe channel changing near the start and end of ad breaks, but no targeted second-message zapping emerged. Marketers might therefore continue to buy two ad units in particularly interesting shows. Interestingly, networks separated the two messages for one brand into early and late program segments. In some shows, this separation may influence the relative ratings of the two messages. For example, the first ad had higher ratings in some shows that followed a much more popular program on the same network. However, the second ad had higher ratings in some game and reality shows with strong audience build-up in late running time. But in each of these situations, the pooled rating for the two ads did not differ from the program’s average ad rating. In sum, our data suggest that marketers don’t provoke targeted ad zapping by running two messages in a program episode.     

New legal pitfalls surrounding wellness programs and their implications for financial risk

In a 2013 Business Horizons article, we described the serious legal problems that can arise when companies develop corporate wellness programs, and outlined ways in which companies can minimize their financial risk. Recently, the landscape changed: For the first time, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asserted that several wellness programs violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. In this installment of Organizational Performance, we explain the battles that are taking place along this new legal front and suggest steps companies can take to best ensure that their financial positions are not undermined by their wellness programs. In particular, we recommend (1) ensuring that wellness programs actually improve employee health; (2) revisiting whether programs are truly voluntary; (3) being cautious about including dependents in wellness programs; (4) collaborating with disabled employees to meet their needs; (5) providing clear, written explanations when asking for medical information; and (6) taking extra precautions to ensure that medical information is confidential.