Digital Commons Network^™

An Experiment-Based Methodology To Understand The Dynamics Of Group Decision Making, Susan G. Mason, Don Holley, Aaron Wells, Amit Jain, Thomas Wuerzer, Alark Joshi

Urban Studies and Community Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, we present an experiment-based design to examine the dynamics of group decision making. The experiment-based design on group decision making that we put forth provides a path for understanding collective decision making. Understanding more about the dynamics of collective decision making will benefit public policy making and design of roundtable discussions, which can enhance communication and cooperation on important issues such as the design and placement of transportation infrastructure, hospitals facilities, and housing for the homeless, and many others.

The Irrelevance Of Nanotechnology Patents, Emily Michiko Morris

Faculty Scholarly Works

Although scientists have for decades now had the ability to manipulate matter at the atomic level, we have yet to see the nanotechnological revolution that these scientists predicted would follow. Despite the years of effort and billions of dollars that have been invested into research and development thus far, nanotechnology has yielded surprisingly few end-user applications. A number of commentators have blamed this lack of progress on the Bayh-Dole Act and other changes to patent law, arguing that, although these laws are supposed to stimulate technological development, they have in fact had the exact opposite effect when it comes to …

Why The U.S. Coal Industry And Its Jobs Are Not Coming Back, James M. Van Nostrand

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: November 18, 2016, Eric Thompson, William Walstad

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) fell by 0.14% during October of 2016. The decline in the LEI-N, which predicts economic activity six months in the future, suggests that economic growth will be modest in Nebraska during the first half of 2017. Two of the six components of the LEI-N were negative during October. Airline passenger counts declined during the month, falling back after a sharp increase in September. There also was another increase in the value of the U.S. dollar during October, a negative for export-oriented businesses in Nebraska. Three components of the indicator rose during October, but …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: November 4, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The gap between business and consumer confidence closed in Nebraska during October. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) rose to 94.0 during October, from a value of 87.9 in September. A reading of 94.0 is still below the neutral value of 100. The outlook of Nebraska businesses was also closer to neutral than in the previous months. Businesses were only slightly optimistic in October, with respondents to the Survey of Nebraska Business neutral on sales and only slightly optimistic regarding employment. Twenty-four percent of businesses expect sales to rise over the next 6 months, while the same percent expect …

Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom

• Georgia Southern named most affordable online college for Economics degree
• Georgia Southern Ranked #1 Accredited Online College in Georgia and #17 Top online MBA Program

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: October 21, 2016, Eric Thompson, William Walstad

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) rose by 1.14% during September of 2016. The increase in the LEI-N, which predicts economic activity six months in the future, suggests moderate economic growth in Nebraska in the first quarter of 2017. Four of the six components of the LEI-N were positive during September. There was a strong increase in airline passenger counts and an increase manufacturing hours during the month. There also was an decline in initial claims for unemployment insurance. Business also optimistic. Respondents to the September Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment over the …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: October 7, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

During September, a gap re-emerged between business and consumer confidence in Nebraska. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell to 87.9 during September, from a value of 97.4 in August. A value of 87.9 is well below the neutral value of 100, and indicates weak consumer confidence in Nebraska. By contrast, Nebraska businesses were optimistic, with respondents to the September 2016 Survey of Nebraska Business reporting plans to expand sales and employment. Thirty-one percent of businesses expect sales to rise over the next 6 months, while just 19 percent expect sales to fall. Thirteen percent of businesses expect to …

Apologetics Without Apology: Arguments For The Existence Of God From Business & Economics, Michael E. Cafferky

Faculty Works

This paper offers the reader ways for the business practitioner to participate in Christian apologetics. Apologetics is defined. The purpose and tasks of apologetics is described. A case is made for the importance of Christian apologetics. Several tactics are introduced that offer potential for the Christian apologist. A matrix describes the potential opportunities to develop Christian apologetics for the context of business and economics. A discussion follows regarding the implications for business scholars and Christian business school curriculum at all levels.

The Road Into The Future Of Health Care: The Importance Of Addressing Access To Health Facilities In Transportation Infrastructure Investment Decisions, Nicola (Nikki) Van Den Heever

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: One school of thought argues that transportation infrastructure is not an ultimate end goal of development and therefore shouldn’t be addressed within development funding decisions while the other argues that transportation infrastructure is the crucial foundation from which all development efforts are based and therefore needs to be addressed within development funding decisions. Within this framework, there is a lack of academic and other research addressing how physical access to health care for pregnant women can better be addressed when making decisions regarding funding of transportation infrastructure projects.

Purpose: To demonstrate the importance of considering access to health care …

Closing The Retirement Savings Gap: Are State Automatic Enrollment Iras The Answer?, Kathryn L. Moore

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

Drawing on insights from behavioral law and economics, automatic enrollment IRAs are intended to address the nation’s retirement savings gap by taking advantage of workers’ inertia. Although automatic enrollment IRAs were initially intended to apply at the federal level, they have gained little traction at the federal level, and states have begun to step into the breach. Between September 2012 and June 2016, five states enacted state automatic enrollment IRA programs.

Studies have uniformly shown that workers are more likely to participate in an automatic enrollment 401(k) plan than in a traditional opt-in 401(k) plan. Proponents of state automatic enrollment …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: September 16, 2016, Eric Thompson, William Walstad

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) fell by 0.32% during August of 2016. The decline in the LEI-N, which predicts economic growth in the state six months in the future, followed an increase of similar magnitude during July. Taken together, the two months of results suggest slow economic growth in Nebraska in early 2017. Three of the six components of the LEI-N were negative during August. There was an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance, as well as a decline in manufacturing hours during the month. There also was a small decline in airline passenger counts. At the …

Nitrogen Application Decision-Making Under Climate Risk In The U.S. Corn Belt, Benjamin M. Gramig, Raymond Massey, Seong Do Yun

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Nitrogen fertilizer is one of the most important inputs to corn production and farmers manage their crop by deciding how much to apply, when to apply it and how to apply it to maximize their yields and resulting profit. There is risk inherent in crop fertility manage- ment because once nitrogen is applied to the soil it is no longer immobile and cropland is subject to loss of this costly input under different weather conditions. Days suitable for field work, a farm’s machinery set, and weather conditions determine when field prepara- tion and planting activities are completed each year. This …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: September 2, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer confidence and business expectations held near July levels during the month of August. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) stood at 97.4 during August, slightly below the neutral value of 100, and similar to its value of 97.5 in July. Further, Nebraska businesses maintained a positive outlook during August. In particular, respondents to the August 2016 Survey of Nebraska Business had a positive outlook for both sales and employment over the next six months. Twenty-nine percent of businesses expect sales to rise, while 24 percent expect sales to fall. For employment, 15 percent of businesses expect to increase …

Northeast Ocean Planning Baseline Assessment: Marine Resources, Infrastructure, And Economics, Hauke Kite-Powell, Charles Colgan, Porter Hoagland, Di Jin, Vinton Valentine, Brooke Wikgren

Publications

This document summarizes the status of coastal and marine resources in the Northeast region of the United States, and how these resources generate economic and ecological value. The Northeast region, for ocean planning purposes, includes the coastal counties of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and the New York counties (bordering Long Island Sound) of Queens, Bronx, Suffolk, Nassau, and Westchester. The coastal and marine natural resources and coastal infrastructure of the Northeast, and the economic activities and cultural/recreational services that rely them, directly and indirectly support more than 500,000 jobs and $40 billion in economic value (GDP) …

The Financial And Professional Impact Of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries In National Football League Athletes., Eric S. Secrist, Suneel B. Bhat, Christopher C. Dodson

Rothman Institute Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries can have negative consequences on the careers of National Football League (NFL) players, however no study has ever analyzed the financial impact of these injuries in this population.

PURPOSE: To quantify the impact of ACL injuries on salary and career length in NFL athletes.

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS: Any player in the NFL suffering an ACL injury from 2010 to 2013 was identified using a comprehensive online search. A database of NFL player salaries was used to conduct a matched cohort analysis comparing ACL-injured players with the rest of …

Building From The Hiv Response Toward Universal Health Coverage, Jonathon Jay, Kent Buse, Marielle Hart, Robert Marten, Scott Kellerman, Morolake Odetoyinbo, Jonathan D. Quick, Timothy Evans, Peter Piot, Mark Dybul, Agnes Binagwaho

Dartmouth Scholarship

Universal health coverage (UHC) has gained prominence as a global health priority. The UHC movement aims to increase access to quality, needed health services while reducing financial hardship from health spending, particularly in low- and middle- income countries.
As a policy agenda, UHC has been identified primarily with prepayment and risk-pool- ing programs. While financing policies provide important benefits, increasing access to health services will require broader reforms.
For lessons, the UHC movement should look to the global HIV response, which has confronted many of the same barriers to access in weak health systems. Considerable success on HIV has resulted …

Tipping The Scales: Is Right-To-Work Legislation On The Path To Prosperity?, Jessica Canada

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

With West Virginia having just become the twenty-sixth state to pass right-to-work (RTW) legislation, the U.S. labor relations movement is at a tipping point. Other policy makers are closely watching the recent revival of RTW laws that has occurred over the last five years and are analyzing relevant studies to determine whether passing legislation that would outlaw union shops in their states might be worth a second look.

With this paper I intend to examine one of the dominant arguments against enacting RTW legislation in a state, which is that this legislation results in a greater degree of state-level income …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: August 5, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer confidence improved and business expectations remained positive during the month of July. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) rose to 97.5 during July, from a value of 92.4 in June. After the increase, consumer confidence is now only slightly below the neutral value of 100. Further, Nebraska businesses maintained a positive outlook for employment in July. In particular, respondents to the July 2016 Survey of Nebraska Business had a slightly negative outlook for sales but a positive outlook for employment over the next six months. Twenty-three percent of businesses expect sales to rise, while 24 percent expect sales …

Multiple Openings And Competitiveness Of Forward Markets: Experimental Evidence, José Luis Ferreira, Praveen Kujal, Stephen Rassenti

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

We test the competition enhancing effect of selling forward in experimental Cournot duopoly and quadropoly with multiple forward markets. We find that two forward periods yields competitive outcomes and that the results are very close to the predicted theoretical results for quantity setting duopolies and quadropolies. Our experiments lend strong support to the hypothesis that forward markets are competition enhancing. We then test a new market that allows for endogenously determined indefinitely many forward periods that only close when sellers coordinate on selling a zero amount in a forward market. We find that the outcomes under an endogenous close rule …

Capturing Regulatory Reality: Stigler’S The Theory Of Economic Regulation, Christopher Carrigan, Cary Coglianese

All Faculty Scholarship

This paper offers a retrospective assessment of economist George Stigler’s classic article, The Theory of Economic Regulation. Stigler argued that regulation is a product that, just like any other product, is produced in a market, and that it can be acquired from the governmental “marketplace” by business firms to serve their private interests and create barriers to entry for potential competitors. He challenged the idea that regulation arises solely to serve the public interest and demonstrated that important political advantages held by businesses can contribute to industry capture of the regulatory process. Although his argument was largely based on …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: July 1, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer confidence improved and business expectations remained positive during the month of June. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N), while below the value of 100 which signifies neutral confidence, rose to 92.4 during June, from a value of 89.3 in May. Further, businesses held a positive outlook in June. Respondents to the June 2016 Survey of Nebraska Business have a positive outlook for both sales and job growth at their businesses over the next six months. Twenty-two percent of businesses expect sales to rise, while just 18 percent expect sales to decline. Eighteen percent of businesses expect to increase …

Process For Removal And Recovery Of Phenolic Compounds From Switchgrass, Robert M. Counce, Nikki Labbé, Michelle L. Lehmann, Jack S. Watson, Jingming Tao

5th International Congress on Green Process Engineering (GPE 2016)

Introduction

This paper describes a process for the separation and recovery of non-structural phenolic compounds from switchgrass. This process is proposed as a preliminary step of a biorefinery incorporating the organosolv process for biomass fractionation. The economics of such an addition to separate and recover phenolic compounds is then investigated.

Switchgrass has been selected as a dedicated feedstock for bioprocesses producing liquid fuels such as ethanol and advanced fuels. The University of Tennessee has been heavily involved in the development of switchgrass as one of the feedstocks for bioenergy production in the southeast (Tiller 2011). Biofuels have the potential to …

Slides: Environmental Flows In The Era Of 'River Anthropology', Rebecca Tharme

Coping with Water Scarcity in River Basins Worldwide: Lessons Learned from Shared Experiences (Martz Summer Conference, June 9-10)

Presenter: Rebecca Tharme, Riverfutures Ltd.

18 slides

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: June 3, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Continuing a pattern seen over the last three months, business expectations remained positive and consumer confidence stayed weak in Nebraska during May. These mixed findings are based on monthly surveys of both Nebraska households and businesses. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell back to 89.3 in May, after a reading of 92.2 in April. In both months, consumer confidence is well below the value of 100 which would signify neutral confidence. Households report a variety of financial concerns with 52 percent reporting that their primary financial concerns relate to the cost of living including health care costs, taxes, …

Chemistry Of Uniqueness And Value: An Introductory First-Year Chemistry Investigation For High School Sophomores, Katelin A. Whittaker

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit begins by asking students how we know the identity of stuff, probing students to consider what makes different items different and unique. This unit uses various metals to investigate these questions in an introductory unit for first-year (sophomore) chemistry. The unit discusses the history of the atom, the components of the atom, the electron, and begins to discuss metallic bonding. This unit connects chemical concepts of stability and uniqueness to further explore economic concepts.

Sustainable Architecture Design: Environmental And Economic Benefits, Michael Babcock

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the movement of environmentalism, and its impact on architecture and construction. During an interview with a professional architect, a basis for research of sustainable design was devised, when he explained that “good” architecture attempts to holistically integrate the external and built environment. Presently, the main measurement for sustainability is energy efficiency. Therefore, architects constantly implement new technology in an attempt to unify both the external and built environment in an energy efficient manner. Furthermore, this thesis provides an environmental and financial cost analysis of implementing sustainable design and build. Research shows that the life cycle and up-front …

Development Of Utility Theory And Utility Paradoxes, Timothy E. Dahlstrom

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Since the pioneering work of von Neumann and Morgenstern in 1944 there have been many developments in Expected Utility theory. In order to explain decision making behavior economists have created increasingly broad and complex models of utility theory. This paper seeks to describe various utility models, how they model choices among ambiguous and lottery type situations, and how they respond to the Ellsberg and Allais paradoxes. This paper also attempts to communicate the historical development of utility models and provide a fresh perspective on the development of utility models.

Economic Consequences Of Failing To Adapt To Sea Level Rise In The Hampton Roads Region, George Van Houtven, Brooks Depro

May 18, 2016: The Economic Impacts of Sea-Level Rise in Hampton Roads

PDF of powerpoint presentation given at the workshop "The Economic Impacts of Sea-Level Rise in Hampton Roads: An Appraisal of the Projects Underway" on May 18, 2016 at the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Center, 1030 University Blvd, Suffolk, VA 23435

An Appraisal Of The Actuaries’ Climate Risk Index, Stephen Lee Kolk

May 18, 2016: The Economic Impacts of Sea-Level Rise in Hampton Roads

PDF of powerpoint presentation given at the workshop "The Economic Impacts of Sea-Level Rise in Hampton Roads: An Appraisal of the Projects Underway" on May 18, 2016 at the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Center, 1030 University Blvd, Suffolk, VA 23435