Industry Wages Across Countries and Over Time: A New Database of Micro Survey Data

This paper presents a newly collected database on industry wages. The underlying data are micro datasets collected through nationally representative household surveys which are mostly conducted by national statistical agencies. In comparison with wage measures based on macroeconomic data sources, we find that industry wages based on micro survey data are more reliable. Furthermore, data from nationally representative micro surveys are becoming increasingly available, thus allowing for better coverage, especially of low‐income countries. The database provides a reliable source of data for research on inter‐industry wage structures and gender wage differentials, across countries and over time. It may also serve as a basis for further research on the determinants and implications of inter‐industry and gender wage variations.     

The U.S. Motion Pictures Industry: An Empirical Approach

We hypothesize that the U.S. motion pictures industry is structured so that star presence increases box office receipts and (less so) admissions, but places Ricardian limits on the output of blockbusters. The few dominant studios (majors) rely on a modified star system to generate supra-normal box office by stimulating admissions at exhibitors. Rising costs (from stars and their promotion) are required for rising revenues; that is, the majors gain revenue only at higher costs. Although the industry has unique features, the empirical results are surprisingly relevant to other industries.     

How much do plant guarantees reduce perceived risk?

Abstract

Consumers do perceive risk in purchase decisions and seek to reduce both uncertainty and probability of loss. Risk also varies across persons and purchasing situations. Retailers promote product guarantees as risk reducers, but the quantitative evidence is lacking. They offer guarantees to help resolve outcomes from post-purchase problems mainly, product performance. We used an online survey to investigate the role of risk mitigation by money-back guarantees (MBGs) on a live product: plants. We obtained online responses from 504?US residents?≥?age 18 years who had made at least one live plant purchase in the six months prior to the study. As MBG length increased, perceived risk (PR) decreased. PR was higher for men than for women and declined as income increased. Subjects with a higher level of product involvement, expertise, delight, repurchase intentions, and regret had a higher level of PR. We conducted separate Chow tests for annual and perennial plants by price and MBG length and found several break points. As price increased from $5 to $10, a 30-d MBG reduced PR for annual plants while the reduction in PR was incrementally decreased for all guarantee lengths when annuals were priced over $20. With perennial plants, the MBG had an increasingly larger effect on reducing PR for each $10 increase in price. Overall, for each day increase in MBG length, we observed a 0.0337 decrease in PR, which meant that a 90-d MBG on a plant would reduce PR by 3%. This quantitative evidence of reduction in PR should encourage the use and communication of MBGs which have the potential to improve purchases, customer retention, and profitability.     

Global Trends and Issues in Value Added Taxation

Since the late 1960s, the VAT has become one of the mainstays of the tax systems in over one hundred countries. Apparently, its revenue raising and neutrality properties make it an attractive tax in a rapidly integrating, high-tax world. Following an overview of VATs throughout the world, this article examines various VAT structure and policy issues under the following headings: tax coverage features, tax base aspects, hard-to-tax sectors, rate structure issues, and interjurisdictional coordination problems. It is shown that the normative requirements of a good VAT are often met only in the breach.     

The Land Administration Domain Model – A literature survey

The international standard for land administration, LADM, ISO 19152, has been the subject of numerous research activities during the last one and a half decade, with topics ranging from technical implementation issues and the registration of real property to legal and organisational aspects. However, some areas have been more researched than others.The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the research as evidenced by research publications 2001–2015 to discuss the distribution of interest areas within LADM research.In total 184 publications on LADM have been analysed in the study. The result shows that technical and real property registration issues have been in focus throughout the surveyed period, whereas there has been less focus on research on legal and organisational matters. There has, however, in recent years been an slight increase in legal research, whereas research on organisational matters, such as efficiency and how to organise and manage interests in land and the benefits and costs for implementing the standard, still is lacking in comparison with the other investigated fields of research, and should be an important area to research now during the implementation phase of LADM.     

从《氓》谈起——女性解放道路之反思

由于受封建思想的束缚。“男尊女卑”的观念深深扎根在人们的心里。从古至今，许多人都为女性解放而做出努力，可人们在女性解放的道路上却逐渐走向误区，盲目的追求男女的绝对平等。当代女性必须首先培养一个健全的自我意识，方可争取彻底的解放。     

公路工程施工放样中常见问题的处理探讨

公路工程施工放样是公路工程建设的重要内容,对保证工程进度与质量至关重要。本文阐述了公路施工放样技术的重要性,对精化区域大地水准面、高低等级公路施工中的测量放样问题进行了较详细的探讨和总结,并提出了一些有效的处理措施。     

上海商学院管理学院学风调查与对策思考

上海商学院管理学院采用问卷调查形式,从大学生在学习期间求知目的、治学态度、学习过程中的行为表现三个层面调查学生在思想、行为与作风上所反映出的学风现状,分析影响学风的主要因素和我校学风存在的主要问题。在此基础上,提出了加强学风建设的六点建议。