Digital Commons Network^™

Wasted Space: Using Parking Lots & Vacant Land To Improve Neighborhood Completeness, Ryan Martyn

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

This study conducts a spatial analysis of Portland, Oregon, focusing on leveraging underutilized areas like parking lots and vacant land—termed "wasted space"—to improve the city's completeness. Central to this investigation is the concept of a "complete neighborhood," characterized by access to daily necessities within convenient active transportation trip. This comprehensive idea encompasses walkability, equitable access to services, and sustainability.

This paper aims to redefine the concept of a complete neighborhood with precision and delve into its implications. The research looks at five regional, town, and neighborhood centers as defined by the city of Portland. These centers act as pivotal hubs …

Refugees Insertion And Labor Market Outcomes And: An Analysis Of The Egyptian Context, Salma Ebrahim

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the association between the inflow of refugees to Egypt and labor market outcomes during the period 2012-2018, using data from the Egyptian Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS). By applying Difference-in Differences and Probit models, the study compares labor market outcomes between Greater Cairo, characterized by high refugee inflow, and the Suez Canal region, which has a very low inflow. The labor force outcomes analyzed wages, formality and labor force participation. The results indicate that the refugee influx is associated with a decline in wages for both formal and informal workers in the treatment group compared to the …

Policy Frameworks And Citizens’ Use Of Fintech Solutions: The Pros And Cons In Egypt, Salma Al-Mohamady

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of the significant influence of financial technology (FinTech) on the banking industry, consumer finance, and economic growth. It specifically concentrates on the swiftly changing FinTech environment in Egypt. The study investigates the impact of incorporating advanced technologies on worldwide financial practices, which has significantly transformed traditional banking models and facilitated the emergence of inventive financial services. The transition is clearly apparent in Egypt, where the expansion of FinTech has been driven by advances in regulations, adaptation to technology, and a population that is becoming more comfortable with digital solutions.

Using a combination of quantitative …

Unraveling The Nexus: Social Spending, Development, And Breaking The Cycle Of Poverty, Yasmin Shehata

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the role of development, as indicated by the Human Development Index (HDI), in shaping the connection between social public spending on health, education, and social protection and poverty in terms of the poverty headcount ratio at $3.65/day (2017 PPP). Empirical analysis is used to this end, employing a panel dataset of 68 countries at varied stages of development over the period 1995-2021. The empirical model is estimated using the Fixed Effects Two-stage Least Squares (2SLS). It is also re-estimated using the Instrumental Variable Generalized Method of Moments (IV-GMM) and Limited Information Maximum Likelihood (LIML) to test the …

The Effect Of Fiscal And Monetary Policy On Public Debt In Egypt, Malak Mohamed

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis aims to examine the effect of monetary policies and fiscal policies on public debt in Egypt during the period from 2006 until 2021. Egypt is witnessing aggravated levels of debt, with limited fiscal and monetary space. Therefore, the objective of the paper is to analyze the effect of discount rates, inflation rates, subsidies, taxes and economic growth on debt-to-GDP in Egypt using a VAR model with an extended test of Impulse Response Function. The results suggest that a positive shock in government expenditures initially decreases public debt but leads to a fluctuating increase in the debt-to-GDP ratio in …

Bitcoin And Stock Market Return Correlation: A Sectoral Analysis Of The S&P500, Michael Narouz

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the correlation between Bitcoin returns and stock market price returns for the S&P500 US stock market index by dividing the index into 11 sectors based on the industry and checking for correlation between Bitcoin returns and the returns of the stocks in each sector individually. The GARCH model is used due to its ability to account for the empirical phenomenon of volatility clustering that is usually present in financial time series datasets such as those used in this thesis. The results show statistically significant positive correlation between Bitcoin returns and stock market returns for all 11 sectors, …

The Relationship Between Microfinance Bank And Economic Growth In Nigeria, Muhammad-Bashir Owolabi Yusuf, Ridwan Olabisi Yusuff, Daud Ishola Jimoh

Arab Economic and Business Journal

The goal of this study was to investigate how Nigeria's economy and microfinance banks are related, using time series data from 1992 to 2021. The relationship was assessed using the ARDL model. Short-term negative relationship exists between Microfinance Bank Asset and Economic growth. Specifically, the results indicate that a rise in the assets of microfinance banks (MFBA) will slow Nigeria's economic expansion. Economic growth in Nigeria is considerable and favorably correlated with microfinance banks loans and advances. Finally, it was clear that there is a long-run equilibrium link between economic growth, microfinance banks' assets and their loans and advances.

Starbucks Workers United And The Future Of American Labor Activism, Sophia Drake Braymen

Honors Projects

This essay explores the goals, motivations, and methods of Starbucks Workers United (the campaign of the labor union Workers United that is aimed at organizing Starbucks employees), as well as the Starbucks Company’s response to it. The analysis is informed by the author’s interviews with both a Workers United organizer and a Starbucks corporate employee. This essay explores the position of Starbucks Workers United within the broader history of American labor activism and our current epoch of union decline, as well as what the recent breakthrough in cooperation between Workers United and Starbucks means for American workers going into the …

Essays On The Determinants Of Women's And Children's Health In Bangladesh, Md Shahjahan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation is titled "The Determinants of Women's and Children's Health in Bangladesh." The first chapter studies the impact of a Bangladeshi schooling program on child immunization rates. The program provided a stipend and other incentives to attend secondary school, significantly increasing rural girls' education. I hypothesize that this would lead to higher immunization rates in the next generation since better-educated mothers have better knowledge of health practices. The study uses a regression model ("difference-in-differences"), which is based on differential exposure to the 1994 Female Secondary School Stipend Program (FSSSP) by birth cohort and rural residence. I find that the …

Corporate Social Responsibility, Job Satisfaction, And Company Performance, Teaira Melvin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor financial performance can have negative impacts on business sustainability. Banking and finance leaders are concerned about poor financial performance because it can lead to a decrease in investor confidence and lower share prices for publicly traded companies. Grounded in stakeholder theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine the relationship between corporate social responsibility, job satisfaction, and return on assets. The participants were 76 employees of the U.S. banking and finance industry who completed a job satisfaction survey. Financial performance and corporate social responsibility data were derived from the LSEG Data & Analytics database. The results …

A Systematic Literature Review On Overconfidence And Related Biases Influencing Investment Decision Making, Uttam Karki, Vaneet Bhatia, Dheeraj Sharma

Economic and Business Review

In the current market scenario, it has been observed that biases are among the most significant factors influencing investment decisions. Among these biases, overconfidence is a common phenomenon managers tend to exhibit while making decisions. To understand the role of overconfidence bias in investment decision making, this study thoroughly scrutinizes and consolidates the current research on overconfidence bias. To achieve the objective, this study performs a systematic review of literature utilizing the PRISMA approach and examines 92 journal articles published in the last 20 years. Results suggest that the other two biases—hindsight and confirmation—are related to overconfidence bias. In addition, …

Firm-Level, Macroeconomic, And Institutional Determinants Of Firm Growth: Evidence From Europe, Anže Burger, Andreja Jaklič, Klemen Knez, Patricia Kotnik, Matija Rojec

Economic and Business Review

To examine the main drivers of firm growth, we estimated a model integrating firm-level, industry-specific as well as country-level determinants, aiming at a comprehensive explanation of firm growth. We used a large dataset of European firms for the 2005–2017 period and combined Amadeus firm-level data with macroeconomic variables and multidimensional measures of institutional framework, based on a range of sources. Using different panel regression model specifications, we found the most consistent relationships for firm-level determinants. Among country-level determinants, infrastructure quality, inward FDI, natural resources, and inequality show a consistently positive and significant relation with firm growth.

The Relationship Between Culture, Sustainable Use Of Resources, And Financial Performance: An Institutional And Natural-Resource-Based Perspective, Deon H. Engelke, Noel J. Pearse, Fabio M. Correa, Frederick O. Skae

Economic and Business Review

Modelling a dataset of 5230 globally listed firms through two statistical approaches reflecting the primary principles of Natural-Resource-Based Theory and Institutional Theory, respectively, this study provides evidence that sustainability initiatives developed by firms are being rewarded in the form of improved Corporate Financial Performance (CFP). Culture has a significant influence on both firm sustainability performance, captured in ESG ratings, and CFP and also interacts with other variables, including industry sector and socio-economic development of a firm’s markets. This study is unique in hypothesising and statistically proving that sustainability is a mechanism that activates the potential of culture to produce CFP. …

Examining The Aggregate Economic Impacts Of Criminal Record Expungement In Marion County, Indiana, Zane Callison

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

This article investigates the individual economic effects of criminal record expungement identified in a previous article as they appear in the aggregate, particularly rates of unemployment and wages. As interest around the effects of overincarceration increases, criminal record expungement offers a possible solution to the economic woes faced by justice-involved individuals. To that end, this article examines unemployment rates and per capita personal income in Marion County, Indiana, where implementation of the state of Indiana’s criminal record expungement statute has been exceptionally effective. After an analysis, we find that criminal record expungement bears only a light or unclear causal relationship …

Education And Empowerment: The Role Of Cash Transfers In Challenging Barriers To Female Schooling In Mexico And Malawi, Kaelynn R. Mcclure

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Despite the wide body of research that supports the benefits of education in reducing poverty and empowering individuals, women around the world continue to face significant barriers to schooling. This paper examines key social norms and aspects of poverty hindering the path to education for girls and women, proposing the use of cash transfers to promote education worldwide. Case studies of two different cash transfer programs, PROGRESA in Mexico and SCTP in Malawi, are evaluated in terms of their effectiveness in providing opportunities for schooling and promoting women's empowerment.

Investment Strategies Of Gcc Sovereign Wealth Funds: Aligning National Development And Geopolitical Goals, Roy Conners

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) prioritize and implement investment strategies in the context of national development and geopolitical dynamics. Using a qualitative case study approach, it analyzes the assets, key industries, leadership, and historical evolution of major GCC SWFs (ADIA, Mubadala, ADQ, QIA, and PIF) based on publicly made available information.

The findings show that GCC SWFs prioritize investments in strategic sectors, geographical destinations, and the private sector. These investments align closely with their respective national development plans, such as 'We the UAE 2031', Qatar National Vision 2030, and Saudi Arabia’s …

Eco 12 Macroeconomics Syllabus, Karen David Prof.

Open Educational Resources

This the syllabus for the RECO 12 Macroeconomics course taught by Prof. David. It is a ZTC course using an OpenStax OER textbook revised by the professor.

Sustaining Digital Assets Through Mobile Estate Planning, Norliza Katuk, Asvinitha Muniandy, Norazlina Abd. Wahab, Ijaz Ahmad

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Many people own online accounts, with some having financial values like Internet banking, e-wallet and cryptocurrency. In the case of sudden death, their heirs are unaware of the digital assets possessed by the deceased person, which causes the assets to be lost forever, and the heirs might not receive the assets. If an estate plan did not account for digital assets properly, the beneficiaries would not be able to access them. Therefore, this paper addresses this issue by implementing a software development approach in designing a suitable model for sustaining digital assets through smartphones to allow the inheritance of digital …

Heterogenous Household Expectations, Consumption Choices And Trust, Justine Guillochon

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of three chapters that study household consumption choices over the business cycle, the formation of household expectations and the trust of households in the monetary policy institutions.

Chapter 1: Using scanner data and product-level information, this chapter documents the trend and the cyclicality of the processing level of market-purchased household food consumption over the period 2007 to 2020 in the United States. I unveil a strategy, the processing effort, that households exploit to reduce the price of their basket. This strategy consists in altering their basket composition at business cycle frequencies to purchase less processed foods for …

Essays In Applied Microeconomics, Ege Aksu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of two chapters that investigate the effect of public health policies on health outcomes.

The first chapter evaluates the impact of the extensive health care reforms enacted between 2003–2013 under the Health Transformation Program (HTP) in Turkey on maternal and infant health outcomes for the poor. By focusing on a specific insurance program (Green Card) expansion that was a part of HTP, I explore changes in infant survival, fertility, and children’s vaccination status. Before 2004, all public health insurance beneficiaries (the control group) were covered for outpatient services, including prenatal and postnatal doctor visits, gestational diabetes screenings, …

Fpdr And Portland: A Concerned Accountant's Perspective, Noah Roth

University Honors Theses

Established in 1942, the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement (FPDR) fund was intended to attract young men to serve as firefighters and police officers in the city of Portland. FPDR provides defined benefit retirement payments to some 2000 retirees from Portland Fire and Rescue and the Portland Police Bureau. Portlanders are obligated to pay these benefits through a property tax levy determined by the proprietors of the Fund itself. The overall liability owed to these retirees, and current employees, accounts for more than half of all liabilities owed by the city of Portland, representing a fiscal burden that calls …

Marriage And Economic Status As Predictors Of Depressed Symptoms, Achmad Kautsar, Dini Widiani, Ni Putu Mia Tarani, Grace Wulandari, Adiatma Y. M. Siregar

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

Mental disorders can result in more significant economic losses than chronic physical illnesses. Mental disorders can be influenced by both economic and non-economic factors. This study investigates the influence of marital status and economic status interventions on depression symptoms with Propensity Score Matching (PSM). The data of this analysis was obtained from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS V). The findings indicated that individuals who were married experienced a 6% reduction in depressive symptoms, while those in the middle to high economic status category experienced a 3% decrease. Enhancing well-being and promoting effective communication play crucial roles in mitigating depressive …

Black Food Geographies And The Politics Of Resistance In The Brick City. An Intersectional Analysis Of Black Food Provisioning Practices, Food Access, And Racial Food Inequities In Newark, New Jersey From 1666 – 2020, Angelika Winner

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This work studied Black food geographies in Newark, NJ, which represent alternative food provisioning practices and strategies working within but also parallel to traditional food geographies and exist within and despite of foodscapes of domination. Black food geographies not only include the spatial agency of Black residents but also entail the structural intersectionality and organized abandonment that Black residents currently experience as well as their historical production. Thus, food access of Newark’s Black resident was analyzed with a three-pronged mixed methods research design, a supply-centered analysis from a Positivistic perspective, a political economy-centered historical analysis from a Marxist perspective, and …

An Exploration Of Degrowth: Reimagining The Economy In The Face Of Climate Change, Nicole Kristene Martinez-Bergman

University Honors Theses

Climate change is an issue of great magnitude facing the world, and communities are already feeling its effects, especially the most vulnerable. As the planet warms, it threatens to upend global ecosystems, from the oceans to the forests to the earth's atmosphere. Furthermore, the strains climate change places on the earth are a threat to global economic systems as erratic weather damages cities and creates an increasingly unstable agricultural system. However, these changes to the climate are due to anthropogenic impacts, meaning humans have caused this issue. This uniquely positions humans to create a structure to slow and eventually reverse …

Unveiling The Impact Of Jkn: Easing Financial Burdens For Pregnant Women In Indonesia, Januar Sulaeman, Riatu Mariatul Qibthiyyah

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

Indonesia’s maternal mortality rate is the second highest in the ASEAN, partly due to financial barriers preventing adequate care during pregnancy and childbirth. The National Health Insurance (JKN) scheme, which is the embodiment of universal health coverage (UHC), was designed by the Indonesian government to reduce the financial risk of its participants. However, its impact on out-of-pocket health spending for pregnant women is under-researched. Using propensity score matching (PSM) and 2019 SUSENAS data, this study found that JKN membership significantly reduced out-of-pocket health spending for pregnant women—especially in eastern Indonesia, where poverty and healthcare access represent critical issues.

Trade Liberalization, Non-Oil Export And Economic Growth In Nigeria, Jerome T. Andohol, Terhemen Tarzoor, Dennis T. Nomor

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

The study examines the impact of trade liberalization and non-oil exports on economic growth in Nigeria from 1986 to 2021. The study utilizes an autoregressive distributed lag model and found the combined effect of trade liberalization and non-oil exports to be positive and statistical significant. While trade liberalization alone may have negative consequences, its synergy with a robust non-oil export can drive sustainable economic growth. The study recommends that strategies to enhance non-oil exports should be encouraged to support the effectiveness of trade liberalization in promoting growth.

Stock Market Volatility In The United Kingdom: Simulating Post-Covid-19 Recovery, Bala A. Dahiru, Mohammed Shuaibu, Najibullah Hassanov

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This paper investigates the time it would take for the FTSE-100 index to reach its post-COVID-19 peak. The paper utilises an exponential generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (EGARCH) model that accounts for leverage effect and asymmetries. The preferred models amongst competing variants was the Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA)-EGARCH(2,1) specification and was used to predict daily FTSE-100 data from 5th January 2000 to 21st June 2024. The empirical exercise showed that the COVID-19-induced financial crisis negatively affected the United Kingdom’s stock market performance. The results show that the FTSE100 index could reach its post-pandemic peak around 27th August, 2024 (two months after …

Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Performance Of Nigerian Stock Market, Shafiu Ibrahim Abdullahi

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study analyzes the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the performance of Nigerian stock market. The study uses a number of models that include autoregressive distributed lag, vector auto regression, exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity and multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity models. Findings show that reported cases of COVID-19 have causal effect on daily returns of the Nigerian stock market. The results also show that Nigerian stocks are good for portfolio diversification. The results of variance decomposition confirm the declining importance of COVID-19 cases and deaths as the pandemic slows down. Further results show that, for the duration of the …

We Cannot Labor Our Way Out Of Oppression: An Exploratory Study Of Wealth Through Black Women’S Lived Experience, Tiffany N. Younger

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

An exploratory qualitative phenomenological study was used to explore Black women’s experiences with wealth accumulation. The aims of this study were to better understand how Black women navigate financial obligations as heads of households and the impact of the wealth gap on their lives. The research on the wealth gap, informed by U.S. values and culture, has assumed the accumulation of wealth is the baseline/default goal or aspiration for all individuals. More specifically the subaims of this study sought to examine the extent to which the structural, interpersonal, disciplinary, and hegemony impacts Black women’s wealth status. Furthermore, this study sought …

Subjective Beliefs About Contract Enforceability, J. J. Prescott, Evan Starr

Articles

This article assesses the content, role, and adaptability of subjective beliefs about contract enforceability in the context of postemployment covenants not to compete (noncompetes). We demonstrate that employees tend to believe that even clearly unenforceable noncompetes are enforceable, including their own. We provide evidence for both supply- and demand-side stories that explain employees’ persistently inaccurate beliefs. Moreover, we show that believing that unenforceable noncompetes are enforceable likely causes employees to forgo better job opportunities and to perceive that their employer is more likely to sue them if they choose to compete. Finally, we use an information experiment to inform employees …