Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Part 4: Death And Dying In Virginia, Dragas Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Commonwealth Reports

Death and taxes may be inevitable, but where we die is usually not a topic of public policy or discussion. Hospice care is the specialized treatment that provides support and comfort to patients who are terminally ill with a general life expectancy of six months or less. In this chapter, we take a close look at serious disease and hospice care in the United States and Virginia. We examine the demand for hospice care by Medicare beneficiaries as well as the changing nature of hospice care suppliers as now more than two-thirds of hospices nationwide operate as for-profit entities. We …

Ownership Of Esg Characteristics, Mark E. Bateman, Lisa R. Goldberg

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

A portfolio can be viewed as the collection of the businesses, policies and practices of constituent companies. We measure investors' Ownership of this collection. Ownership metrics aggregate an assortment of company specific Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) characteristics to the portfolio level, and they can inform investment and engagement decisions. Relative to a benchmark, investor Ownership is active and satisfies a zero-sum property, which underscores the distinction between Ownership and impact. Ownership of ESG characteristics may be interpreted as ascribing ethical responsibility, but that conclusion and any decisions that result from it belong to the investor.

Using The Lsat As A Labor Market Thermometer For Lawyers, James V. Koch, Barbara Blake-Gonzalez

Economics Faculty Publications

We rely upon a 50-state, 20-year panel to find that the number of Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) takers is only loosely related to economic conditions—although slightly more for men than for women, who in 2020 accounted for 58% of all LSAT takers. The number of test takers rose more than 35% between 2014 and 2020. This wave accentuated an already existing downtrend in the median real income of lawyers, and thus provides support for the hypothesis that most states have more lawyers than they need.

What Type Of Central Banker Dampens The Political Business Cycle? The Case Of Africa, Christine Strong

Economics Faculty Publications

This article investigates the extent to which central bank independence can help to reduce political business cycles in Africa. Like previous studies, we find evidence of political cycles in our sample of 34 African countries for the period 1980–2018, but our findings show that politicians' ability to manipulate both fiscal and monetary policy depends on the degree of alliance between the fiscal authority and the monetary authority. Indeed, our analysis reveals that the political business cycle worsens when the central banker is an ally whereas a non‐ally central banker is associated with a decrease in the ability of the incumbent …

Unification And Division: A Theory Of Institutional Choices In Imperial China, Haiwen Zhou

Economics Faculty Publications

Ancient China experienced various rounds of division and unification. Unification was maintained through economic and political institutions such as low tax rates to reduce peasant rebellions and the division of authority among government officials to reduce usurpation of power. A ruler’s choice of institutions to maintain unification is studied in a theoretical model. Interactions among external threats, internal rebellions by peasants, and usurpation of power by government officials are established. A higher level of external threats induces the ruler to choose a higher level of autonomy for government officials and a higher tax rate. That is, equilibrium probability of internal …

Economic Freedom And One-Way Truck Rental Prices: An Empirical Note, Alexander Cardazzi, Robert A. Lawson

Economics Faculty Publications

This study examines the one-way truck rental prices for 378 cities. There are large price differentials in one-way rental prices between city pairs. The pull of people toward higher economic freedom locales and push away from lower economic freedom locales is found to be an important determinant of the city-pair price differentials.

The Choice Of Technology In Economic Development, Lei Wen, Haiwen Zhou

Economics Faculty Publications

The impact of capital accumulation on job creation is an important and interesting issue in economic development. This model provides a general-equilibrium framework for studying technology choice with unemployment in a developing economy based on micro-foundations. Unemployment in the urban sector results from the existence of efficiency wages. Manufacturing firms engage in oligopolistic competition and choose technologies to maximise profits. A more advanced technology uses more capital and less labour. In the steady state, an increase in the amount of capital induces firms to choose more advanced technologies and the wage rate increases. While a higher capital stock always induces …

Do Lawyers Inhibit Economic Growth? New Evidence From The 50 U.S. States, James V. Koch, Richard J. Cebula

Economics Faculty Publications

Whether the activities of lawyers might hamper economic growth has been hotly contested over the past three decades. Contradictory conclusions have flowed from evidence that typically has focused on the impact of lawyers on the growth rates of countries. Disputes over definitions and samples that vary among countries have colored portions of these debates. We surmount many of these issues by adopting a 50-state panel covering the period 2005-2018 for the United States and by utilizing widely accepted variables regarding economic activity and who is considered a lawyer. Further, we utilize two distinct measures of the activity of lawyers and …

The Managerial Factors Influencing The Retention Of Firms' It Capability, With Some Global Implications, Jinho Kim, Kayoung Park, Timothy Komarek, Li Xu

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Researchers have explored firms’ IT capability and its effects on business performance, yet the factors influencing the long-term retention of this capability have not been fully investigated. Therefore, our study examines what managerial and financial factors influence the retention of firms’ IT capability by utilizing survival analysis. The results show that IT executives’ managerial power does not contribute to retaining the firms’ IT capability. However, the change of IT managers can introduce fresh insights and expertise to an organization, enabling firms to maintain their IT capability, and the degree of retaining IT competency in firms can vary based on industry-specific …

When Does Csr Payoff?, John A. Doukas, Rongyao Zhang

Finance Faculty Publications

We investigate whether firms engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) can preserve firm value during normal and unprecedented exogenous adverse events. Our evidence shows, in regular times, a negative relation between CSR engagement and firm value, but under adverse economic conditions, CSR protects firm value by decreasing firm risks. We also find that firms with high managerial attributes engage in greater CSR activities that benefit shareholders in both normal and aberrant financial times. Despite the controversy surrounding CSR, our evidence points out that CSR can be viewed as a set of intangible assets that can improve firm value across good …

Digital Platforms And Entrepreneurial Support: A Field Experiment In Online Mentoring, Saurabh A. Lall, Li-Wei Chen, Dyana P. Mason

Management Faculty Publications

The benefits of entrepreneurial mentorship are well documented, but there is limited research on how entrepreneurs connect with mentors, especially in digital settings. We partnered with an online platform that connects entrepreneurs to potential mentors to conduct a field experiment in online mentoring. Drawing on literature on entrepreneurial mentorship and Social Cognitive Theory, we compared the effects of three interventions on the likelihood of reaching out and making a connection with a mentor in a digital setting. We find that showing entrepreneurs a video of a successful mentor–mentee relationship increases the chances that they will reach out to a potential …

The Future Of Enterprise Information Systems, Ali Sunyaev, Tobias Dehling, Susanne Strahringer, Li Da Xu, Martin Heinig, Michael Perscheid, Rainer Alt, Matti Rossi

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

[First paragraph] Enterprise information systems (EIS) have been important enablers of crossfunctional processes within businesses since the 1990s. Often referred to as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, they were extended in line with electronic businesses to integrate with suppliers as well as customers. Today, EIS architectures comprise not only ERP, supply chain, and customer relationship management systems, but also business intelligence and analytics. Recently, the move towards decentralized technologies has created new perspectives for EIS. Information systems (IS) research has already addressed opportunities and challenges of these developments quite well, but what will be the pressing opportunities and challenges for …

What Has Digital Transformation Changed? A Chinese Case Study Of Hidden Costs Using A Socio-Economic Approach To Management, Tony Huang, Emmanuel Monod, Alan Eisner, Helaine Korn, Yuewei Jiang, Bin Bai, Samuel Wilson

Management Faculty Publications

Digital transformation is regarded as a way to solve business problems in an organisation. However, the impact on the company’s hidden costs should also be more precisely analysed. This research relies on the socio-economic approach to management to describe the impact of digital transformation maturity growth on hidden costs in a Chinese manufacturing company. This paper combines the case study research method with some quantitative techniques by conducting correlation analyses of staff turnover, low-quality work and occupational injuries and diseases. The results indicate that digital transformation maturity growth is correlated with the financial consequences of staff’s excess salary in terms …

Transitional Entrepreneurship: Unleashing Entrepreneurial Potential Across Numerous Challenging Contexts, Golshan Javadian, Anil Nair, David Ahlstrom, Kaveh Moghaddam, Li-Wei Chen, Younggeun Lee

Management Faculty Publications

[First paragraph] We are pleased to publish the special issue of the New England Journal of Entrepreneurship on transitional entrepreneurship. Transitional entrepreneurship refers to the practices of entrepreneurs from communities facing adversity who navigate substantial life transitions as they launch and manage new ventures in response to various changes and challenges in their environment. Entrepreneurship is not only a critical driver of economic growth and social development (Ahlstrom et al., 2019; McCloskey, 2010) but can also represent a life-changing transition for most, if not all, of the entrepreneurs themselves. Transitional entrepreneurship entails strategic pivots or transformations that enable entrepreneurs to …

Remittance: A New Instrument For Change -- Understanding The Impact Of Remittances On Home Countries Development, Alex M. Hamed

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation constructs a framework to investigate the impact of remittances on the recipient countries in the context of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the European Union (EU). The framework will explore the effects of labor migration induced by bilateral labor agreements (BLAs). Such labor agreements are guided by the desire of autocratic governments to utilize their citizens to finance social contracts to sustain the authoritarian systems. The labor movements are further enhanced by accumulating social capital and remittances. The research also highlights the impact of remittances on the home country's institutional quality. It also highlights the …

Measuring The Economic Impact Of Recurrent Flooding On Workforce Productivity And Property, Joshua G. Behr, Wie Yusuf, George Mcleod, Sarah Stafford, Derek Loftis, Afi Anuar, Rafael Diaz

Presentations, Lectures, Posters, Reports

From the Executive Summary:

This research draws upon expertise across multiple disciplines and fields. Leveraged are natural systems data and social-behavioral data. The high-level objective is to advance our understanding of how very recent recurrent flooding has impacted residents within the City of Portsmouth, and then forecast these impacts under projections of sea level rise. While this research draws upon data for the City of Portsmouth, the findings may be generalized to the broader Hampton Roads region.

Odu Economist Outlines Costs Resulting From Unchecked Sea Level Rise, Brendan O'Hallarn

News Items

No abstract provided.

Odu Researchers Attempt To Forecast Flood Impacts In Real Dollars, News @ Odu

News Items

No abstract provided.

The Political Economy Of Global Private Currencies, Girish Sreevatsan Nandakumar

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines regulatory responses to global private currencies (GPCs). Through detailed analyses of the history and evolution of private digital currencies, and through case studies of the United States, the European Union, and China, this dissertation identifies five factors that condition regulatory responses: (1) compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) laws, (2) compliance with systems built for fiat currencies, (3) degree of transparency in operations, (4) culture of sovereignty within the nation, and (5) great power competition with other nations. Throughout the dissertation, various political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental (PESTLE) characteristics of GPCs are highlighted. This dissertation also …

Two’S A Crowd? Implications Of Economic Geography For Corporate Governance, Matthew Farrell

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Although literature on corporate governance and economic geography often explores similar constructs, theories, and other matters, little work has been done examining their joint effects. This two-essay dissertation integrates these literatures in order to partially fill this gap by asking the following research questions:

1.) Do geographic proximity and multiple directorships function as substitutes or complements?

2.) How is the governance of highly innovative firms affected by the presence of Marshallian externalities?

While some scholars suggest that multiple directorships lead to board members neglecting their advisory and monitoring obligations, others have embraced the idea that holding multiple board seats can …

A Quality Systems Economic-Risk Design Theoretical Framework, Abdallah S. Thefeid

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Quality systems, including control charts theory and sampling plans, have become essential tools to develop business processes. Since 1928, research has been conducted in developing the economic-risk designs for specific types of control charts or sampling plans. However, there has been no theoretical or applied research attempts to combine these related theories into a synthesized theoretical framework of quality systems economic-risk design. This research proposes to develop a theoretical framework of quality systems economic-risk design from qualitative research synthesis of the economic-risk design of sampling plan models and control charts models. This theoretical framework will be useful in guiding future …

Why Has The Median Real Income Of Lawyers Been Declining?, James V. Koch, Barbara Blake-Gonzalez

Economics Faculty Publications

The median real incomes of lawyers have been declining. In 2001, the median real income of lawyers in the 50 states plus the District of Columbia was $129,389 (July 2020 prices). Almost two decades later, in 2020, this number had fallen to $126,930, 1.90% less than in 2001. By contrast, the median real income of workers in all occupations together rose 3.93% between 2001 and 2020, while the median real income of the average family practice physician rose 20.15% and the median real income of a typical economist rose 10.9%. We examine both supply and demand influences to explain the …

Electrical Equipment Industry Cluster, Pragati Gautam

2022 REYES Proceedings

The growing collaboration between two or more industries in a specific region in which they work in a symbiotic relationship, providing benefits to each other and contributing in the overall development of the region, is what is popularly known as business clusters. Even though this concept is commonly known and implemented in the West, South Asian economies are unfamiliar with the advantages of this unique business strategy. There are, undeniably, many potential business clusters in these developing countries, which if tapped efficiently, could result into an industrial boom.

This research focuses on investigating the existence of a business cluster in …

The Expansion Of Nocs: What Strengthening State-Owned Enterprises Means For Global Energy, Alexander L. Fretz

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The rise of National Oil Companies (NOCs) in the 20th century has been well documented. However, little work has been done with respect to how these entities have evolved in the 21st century. This study aims to measure the changing strength of contemporary NOCs by comparing them to their privatized counterparts. Using this comparative analysis, the study will explain the changing global energy landscape and the potential internecine effects on the international system.

Promoting Sustainable Responses To The Us Opioid Epidemic With Community-Academic Partnerships: Qualitative Outcomes From A Statewide Program, David L. Driscoll, Alison Evans Cuellar, Vinod Agarwal, Debra Jones, Kathy Hosig, Mary Beth Dunkenberger

Economics Faculty Publications

Background: Drug overdose deaths in the United States have continued to increase at an alarming rate. The United States is facing two devastating public health crises– the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. Within this context, one of the most ambitious implementation studies in addiction research is moving forward. Launched in May 2019, the HEALing Communities Study (HCS) was developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as part of the Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM Initiative (National Institutes of Health, 2020). The goal for this research was to reduce …

Part 3: Who's At The Bedside? Does Virginia Have Enough Nurses?, Dragas Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Commonwealth Reports

In 2021, nurses ranked again as the most trusted profession in the United States. Yet, even though many Americans view them favorably, nurses have been the target of conspiracy theories, verbal abuse, and physical violence. As more nurses report symptoms of burnout and some are quitting the profession entirely, we explore the coming shortage of nurses in Virginia and ask what factors limit the supply of nurses.

In Memoriam: Arthur Diamonstein, Dragas Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Arthur Diamonstein, a former rector of Old Dominion University’s Board of Visitors, died in Norfolk on Aug. 14. He was 92.

Part 1: Inflation, Drones, And The Economy Of Hampton Roads, Dragas Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

2022 may be characterized as the “best of times and worst of times.” Unemployment continued to fall, wages continued to rise, and homeowners experienced rises in property values. Hotels continued to rebound from the COVID-19 economic shock and the Port of Virginia experienced record volumes of cargo traffic. On the other hand, prices at the grocery store, gas station, and, it seems, almost everywhere else, continued to rise. Employers struggled to find the right employees at the right time and economic sentiment soured. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlighted the continuing revolution in military affairs brought about by drones and other …

Front Matter: The State Of The Region: Hampton Roads 2022, Dragas Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Cover, Front Matter, Table of Contents, Sponsors, and other materials for the 2022 The State of the Region Report authored by the Center for Economic Analysis and Policy at Old Dominion University.

Part 3: Splish - Splash - Cash: Swimming In Hampton Roads, Dragas Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads is known for its relationship with water. For some, it is too much water in the wrong place at the wrong time. For others, it is how water can transform lives. Hampton Roads is home to several premier swimming organizations, and Hampton is opening a state-of-the-art aquatics facility. We explore how swimming is intertwined with the history of the region and the economic impact of the sport on the economy and lives of the region’s resident