Policy-Induced Technology Adoption: Evidence from the U.S. Lead Phasedown

Theory suggests that economic instruments, such as pollution taxes or tradable permits, can provide more efficient technology adoption incentives than conventional regulatory standards. We explore this issue for an important industry undergoing dramatic decreases in allowed pollution – the U.S. petroleum industry's phasedown of lead in gasoline. Using a duration model applied to a panel of refineries from 1971–1995, we find that the pattern of technology adoption is consistent with an economic response to market incentives, plant characteristics, and alternative policies. Importantly, evidence suggests that the tradable permit system used during the phasedown provided incentives for more efficient technology adoption decisions.     

Learning in a double-phase cobweb model

Decisions in Economics and Finance - In this paper, we study a class of markets, among which we can mention agricultural and energy markets, characterized by seasonality, i.e., in which demand...     

Oligopoly models with different learning and production time scales

We propose a modelling approach to study Cournotian oligopolies of boundedly rational firms which continuously update production decisions on the basis of information collected periodically. The model consists of a system of differential equations with piecewise constant arguments, which can be recast into a system of difference equations. Considering different economic settings, we study the local stability of equilibrium, proving the destabilizing role of the time lag between two consecutive learning activities. We investigate some particular families of oligopolies showing the occurrence of both flip and Neimark–Sacker bifurcations, as well as the evidence of multistability with the coexistence between different attractors, occurring when oligopolies consisting of both technologically different and identical firms are studied.     

Does complex hydrology require complex water quality policy?

Nonpoint‐source water pollution is frequently considered intractable because it is hard to regulate large numbers of small sources and because the science associated with assessing the impact of each source is complex. New Zealand has demonstrated that it is possible to implement a simple cap‐and‐trade system to help reduce nitrogen leaching from many small farms and thereby protect water quality. This paper relates to the second challenge: are complex regulatory systems worthwhile when nitrogen delivery is complex? When nitrogen moves through groundwater to a lake, leaching from different farms reaches the lake at different times and the damage caused is temporally differentiated. Policy that regulates farmers according to the timing of their nitrogen delivery will be more complex than policy that does not. Whether the gain in efficiency justifies this additional complexity can be assessed through modelling. We use an integrated model to estimate the gains from complex nitrogen regulation that incorporates groundwater delivery times relative to simple nitrogen regulation that does not. We find that the gains from more complex regulation are small in the catchment we study and cannot justify the additional complexity required. A sensitivity analysis enables us to identify the types of catchments where complex regulation may be worthwhile.     

Promoting 'Strategic' Working within Area-based and Thematic Social Inclusion Partnerships in Scotland

Fundamental to the historical development of partnership working as an approach to managing neighbourhood regeneration has been a concern to promote 'strategic' working practices. However, there has been a distinct lack of conceptual clarity within both policy and practice over the meaning of 'strategic' working within local partnerships. This paper outlines three broad conceptual approaches to understanding 'strategic' working as: a plan of action, as changing organisational practices, and as multi-level organisational collaboration. Drawing on data from Social Inclusion Partnerships in Scotland the paper explores the relevance of these three approaches to strategic working to the practices of these Partnerships. The paper highlights that, contrary to a policy rhetoric promoting organisational change and collaboration, a relatively limited outputs focus has dominated regeneration practice. With pressure on SIPs to spend time-limited budgets and fill gaps in services, a tension emerges between the goals of delivering services and co-ordinating the activities of partner agencies. It is argued here that it is challenging for these localised Partnerships to try to take on both of these goals simultaneously. It is recommended that a more realistic approach is taken with regard to the potential role played by local regeneration partnerships in being 'strategic'.     

Human resources administration processes in commercial restaurants and food safety: The actions of administrators

The study analyzed of the human resources administration processes at commercial restaurants, focusing on the provision of safe foods to consumers. Interviews were conducted with 105 restaurant managers at the city of Florianópolis, Brazil. Three types of restaurants were studied; 45.7% were buffets by weight, 39.1% fast-food restaurants and 15.2% churrascarias. A questionnaire was used with close-ended questions to characterize the restaurants and identify the human resources administration processes for hiring, evaluation, training and provision of benefits to employees. It was found that 89.4% of the restaurants adopt criteria for hiring of employees and 81.9% conduct periodic evaluations. Benefits were offered by 85.7% of the restaurants and 74.3% of the establishments provided employee training. The results indicate that human resources management processes at restaurants can contribute to the provision of safe food, although some establishments still need to adopt professional procedures for recruitment, selection, evaluation and training of their employees.