Digital Commons Network^™

Labor Transitions Between Formal And Informal Employment In Egypt, Alaa Mahmoud Al-Barrawi

Theses and Dissertations

Informal employment is the hallmark of developing economies. Egypt is no exception to this trend. Those who are informally employed are exceptionally vulnerable as they lack social protection. Moreover, large informal sectors are symptomatic of underdevelopment and have negative repercussions on the economy. Few studies examine the determinants of labor market transitions in Egypt with a focus on transitions between formal and informal labor market states. This study focuses on determinants of labor market transitions in Egypt, relying on the Egyptian Labor Market Panel Surveys of 2012 and 2018. It develops four multinomial logistic regression models to achieve this goal. …

Did K-12 School Closure And Reopening Policies In Response To Covid-19 Enlarge The Gender Employment Gap?, Xinyi Wang

Economics Honors Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic hits female workers the most. This impact on the United States’s labor market can be attributed to the limited availability of childcare and schooling options (Stefania and Jiyeon, 2021). With limited resources for childcare and schooling, parents, especially mothers, had to exit the labor force or reduce working hours to stay at home and take care of their children. My study will contribute to understanding the effect of the child penalty, especially under the COVID-19 pandemic and study the impact of school closure and reopening policies. Using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) combined with school …

The Unemployment-Crime Relationship In California: A Reexamination At The County-Level, Taylor M. Friedman

Pennsylvania Economic Review

This study investigates the unemployment-crime relationship using a panel of the 58 counties in California from 2015-2019. A regression is estimated using a one-way random effects model to control for unobserved heterogeneity. The dependent variables are categorized into two groups: violent and property crimes. Independent variables are also placed into categories: state expenditures, socioeconomic, demographic, law enforcement, and county. The results indicate that for violent crimes, poverty, Black racial composition, young males aged 14-17, and college educational attainment for people aged 18-24 are positively significant contributors to the crime rate. Population density and college educational attainment for people aged 25+ …

Torn Between Two Pandemics: Poverty Pandemic And Coronavirus Pandemic In Nigeria, Tope Shola Akinyetun

Southern African Journal of Policy and Development

The wave of coronavirus pandemic that hit the world coincides with Nigeria’s struggles with her newly attained position as the poverty capital of the world. This paper argues that prevalent poverty is a pandemic that the world has learnt to live with, and that Nigeria is struggling to overcome. The agony of poverty in the country coupled with the coronavirus pandemic subjects the country to a quandary of a dual-pandemic scourge. The paper relies on secondary data and adopts a descriptive and analytic approach. It concludes that multidimensional poverty in Nigeria is pervasive and has become deepened by the pandemic …

Reskilling And Upskilling : To Stay Relevant In Today’S Industry, Rhea Sawant, Bryan Thomas, Swati Kadlag

International Review of Business and Economics

The rapid modernization and influx of various new technologies and methodologies currently being employed today greatly and continuously changes the definition of professional competence expected of employees that work for companies that are directly or indirectly impacted because of these advancements or changes, this creates a demand for new jobs requiring new skill sets and so, one finds that in order to keep relevant to the workforce, refreshing and adding to one’s skill set has become a necessity. Candidates thinking about entering the job market need to possess the right kind of skills for the right kind of job and …

Can Blended Learning Address Indian Academic Issues?, Vijay Joshi, Sukanta K. Baral

International Review of Business and Economics

Over the years, India has implemented social reforms aimed at providing education to all. This is observed from the growth in GER (Gross Enrollment Ratio) over the years that has resulted in a decrease in the number of students absent in schools. Coronavirus, nonetheless, has disturbed this scenario and is testing the functions, efficiencies, and practices of India's schooling framework. This research paper, written for stakeholders in government, and the education sector, anticipate the extent to which there is a need of continuing the imparting of education. The main objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the …

Gaining A Better Understanding Of Higher Education: During And Post-Pandemic Scenario, Krati Sethi, Manas Roy

International Review of Business and Economics

Because of the coronavirus epidemic, faculty as well as the students have had to respond to “out of the ordinary” difficulty by quickly switching from traditional class - room education to online learning forms via “virtual classrooms”. Students facing challenges and continuing facing difficulties for various reasons required to adapt this modification in this delivery of curriculum becoming un attentive. Few solutions have been developed for students to assist them in freely transferring to virtual classrooms and maintaining proper online learning etiquette. A series of recommendations is offered in the present study to help students so that they can explore …

Prevalence Of Duesenberry’S Relative Income Hypothesis In Nepalese Economy, Rajendra Adhikari

International Review of Business and Economics

Present paper examines the prevalence of Duesenberry’s relative income hypothesis in Nepalese economy during 1974/75-2019/20 through ARDL bound tests under DEF and Davis-SK specifications. The ARDL under DEF specification is found to be not valid. However, the ARDL bound test under Davis-SK specification is found valid. There exists cointegration among average propensity to consume, demonstration effect and ratchet effect. The coefficient of demonstration effect is found to be negative and that of ratchet effect to be positive as reported by ARDL models. The error correction model also implies that short run shocks significantly affect long run relations among the variables. …

Weak Identification Of Long Memory With Implications For Inference, Peter C. B. Phillips

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

This paper explores weak identification issues arising in commonly used models of
economic and financial time series. Two highly popular configurations are shown to
be asymptotically observationally equivalent: one with long memory and weak autoregressive dynamics, the other with antipersistent shocks and a near-unit autoregressive
root. We develop a data-driven semiparametric and identification-robust approach to
inference that reveals such ambiguities and documents the prevalence of weak identification in many realized volatility and trading volume series. The identification-robust empirical evidence generally favors long memory dynamics in volatility and volume, a conclusion that is corroborated using social-media news flow data.

Episode Based Payment Models And The Hospital Safety-Net: An Evaluation Of The Center For Medicare And Medicaid Services’ Comprehensive Joint Replacement Bundled Payment Program, John A. Gravina

Dissertations and Theses

Episode Based Payment Models and the Hospital Safety-net: An Evaluation of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Comprehensive Joint Replacement Bundled Payment Program

By John Anthony Gravina

Advisor: Alexis Pozen, Ph.D.

Introduction: Payments for Healthcare services are increasingly being tied to clinical quality, patient experience, health outcomes, and efficiency through value-based payment arrangements (VBP). VBP presents a potential opportunity to reduce healthcare expenditures by requiring providers to take on financial risk associated with the cost and quality of care, therefore aligning payment incentives with the goals of providing higher quality and efficient care. As of 2020, 80 percent of …

Constructing Indonesian Digital Economy Index In Determining Economic Policy Priorities Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Diah Rukmana Sari, Nasrudin Nasrudin

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

The constant increase in the number of internet users in Indonesia amid a sluggish economy caused by the Large-Scale Social Restriction (PSBB) policy is a great opportunity for a digital-based economy. However, the unavailability of relevant macroeconomic statistical measurements inhibits the digital economy from being determined as a policy priority amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. This study offers an alternative measurement of the digital economy of Indonesia by establishing Digital Economy Index (DEI). This study discovers that digital economic activities in Indonesia have grown rapidly with an average growth of almost nine percent quarterly. On the other hand, this study also …

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 6, Number 6, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Steven L. Fullerton

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Three Essays On Development Economics And Human Capital, Arpita Khanna

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In the first chapter, we estimate the impact of exposure to the 2015 Nepal Earthquake on intimate partner violence with two rounds of Demographic and Health Surveys data. Using differences-in-differences estimation, we find that exposure to the earthquake lead to a statistically and economically significant increase in intimate partner violence in the urban areas but not in the rural areas. This is possibly due to an increase in the stress felt by the victims. We also offer some evidence that the impact heterogeneity between the urban and rural areas is attributable to the differences in the reconstruction processes and assistance …

Effectiveness Of Foreign Aid In Poverty Reduction In Africa: The Role Of Fiscal Policy, Iwegbu Onyebuchi, Risikat O. S. Dauda

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study examines foreign aid effectiveness in poverty reduction in Africa with focus on the role of regional fiscal policy on education and health. The study employs panel dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) estimation technique and covers the period 1980-2017. The results reveal that foreign aid augmented with effective fiscal policy on education significantly improves the income level in all the regions except Central Africa, and consumption in the Western and Central regions. When augmented with effective fiscal policy on health foreign aid enhances households’ income in West and Central Africa and consumption in West and Southern regions. Furthermore, foreign …

Assessing The Nexus Among Energy Consumption, Foreign Direct Investment And Economic Growth In Sub-Saharan Africa, Olanrele1 Iyabo A., Awode Segun S.

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study examines the dynamic relationship among energy consumption, foreign direct investment, and economic growth in Sub-Sahara Africa. Beyond assessing the tripartite causal relationship, the study investigates the extent of impacts among energy consumption, foreign direct investment, and economic growth using the Generalised Method of Moments. The study utilises data from 42 Sub-Saharan African countries spanning 1991 to 2018. Findings from the study show that a percentage increase in energy consumption engenders economic growth by 1.3 percent. Conversely, economic growth increases energy consumption by 0.004 percent. Also, there is a significant one-way causality running from foreign direct investment (FDI) to …

Social Dimension Of Inclusive Growth In Ecowas: Implication For Poverty Reduction, Toriola K. Anu, Goerge O. Emmanuel, Ajayi O. Felix

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study investigates the implication of the social dimension of inclusive growth on poverty reduction in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries. It specifically examines how social indices of inclusive growth comprising of income inequality, education, and health outcomes affect poverty reduction. The study uses a panel dataset of the six (6) lower-middle income countries in ECOWAS which was analysed via panel Difference Generalised Method of Moment (D-GMM). The results show that GDP per capita exerts significant negative effect on poverty while inequality, education and health outcomes do not show significant effect on poverty. Although, the estimates of …

Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On The Nigeria Stock Market: A Sectoral Stock Prices Analysis, Peter A. Adekunle, Yakubu A. Bello, Udochukwu G. Nwachukwu

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sectoral stock prices in Nigeria stock market using daily data covering from February 28, 2020 to June 26, 2020. Applying the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test, the study finds that COVID-19 pandemic had adverse impact on the stock market indices in the short run. Furthermore, the study documents negative response of sectoral stock prices to the pandemic while the stock prices of the banking sub-sector are the worst hit. Compared to the consumer goods, and industrial subsector indices, the speed of adjustment to long run equilibrium is faster for …

(Wp 2022-04) A General Theory Of Social Economic Stratification: Stigmatization, Exclusion, And Capability Shortfalls, John B. Davis

Economics Working Papers

This paper develops a general theory of socio-economic stratification based on the interconnection between a specific micro-level mechanism and a broad macro-level process. At the micro-level, it examines selective social identity stigmatization; at the macro-level it explains social exclusion using the goods taxonomy club goods concept. The paper argues individuals in disadvantaged social groups, particularly by race and gender, suffer two kinds of capability shortfalls: capability devaluations at the micro level and capability deficits and the macro-level. These capability shortfalls mutually reinforce and sustain an overall hierarchical ordering of social groups. Their interconnection is explained using a complexity theory analysis …

Sole Sourcing Reliance, John Sidney Stammreich

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research case study investigated the increasing reliance on sole-sourced critical defense components within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain network. This reliance has resulted in increased risks of operational units not achieving the agency’s minimum operational readiness requirements as presented in the DoD Inspector General’s Top 10 management challenges for the fiscal year 2020. The general problem to be addressed was the increasing reliance on sole-sourcing within the supply chain networks of government agencies and business organizations that have contributed to heightened risks of operational readiness reduction and manufacturing production delays. The purpose of this qualitative …

Start-Up Firms And Corporate Culture: Evidence From Advertised Corporate Culture, Jungho Lee

Research Collection School Of Economics

I document advertised corporate culture among start-up firms from an online job board. Two corporate-culture types emerge, one that concerns the well-being of em- ployees (worker-centered culture) and another that emphasizes other values, such as cus- tomers, firms, and markets (firm-centered culture). The worker-centered culture attracts 20% more applications than the other culture type. Firms advertising the worker-centered culture exploit worker preference by paying 5% lower salaries than measurably similar jobs. Using a standard model of business creation, I show financially constrained start- ups are incentivized to advocate popular culture, even though doing so is not optimal without financial constraints.

Transportation Utility Fee To Fund Transit In California, Shishir Mathur, Ralph Robinson

Mineta Transportation Institute

Public transit is a key tool to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to combat climate change; improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers; and expand accessibility and mobility for all. However, we can only realize this potential by making sufficient investments to provide transit service levels that attract and retain greater ridership. To help with this needed investment, a handful of local governments have turned to transportation utility fees (TUFs), primarily collected as a monthly charge on customers' utility bills or property tax bills. While more widely used to support street maintenance, this study identifies six case studies where TUF …

Representation Learning In Finance, Ajim Uddin

Dissertations

Finance studies often employ heterogeneous datasets from different sources with different structures and frequencies. Some data are noisy, sparse, and unbalanced with missing values; some are unstructured, containing text or networks. Traditional techniques often struggle to combine and effectively extract information from these datasets. This work explores representation learning as a proven machine learning technique in learning informative embedding from complex, noisy, and dynamic financial data. This dissertation proposes novel factorization algorithms and network modeling techniques to learn the local and global representation of data in two specific financial applications: analysts’ earnings forecasts and asset pricing.

Financial analysts’ earnings forecast …

Book Review Of Mind Over Money: The Psychology Of Money And How To Use It Better By Claudia Hammond, Stephen Molchan

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Mind Over Money: The Psychology of Money and How to Use It Better, by Claudia Hammond, explores research in psychology, neuroscience, biology, and behavioral economics related to how individuals interact with and manage money. Hammond is a broadcaster on the BBC, writer, and professor of psychology. In Mind Over Money: The Psychology of Money and How to Use It Better, Hammond uses captivating interviews, presents stories a broad audience can relate to, and cites multiple research studies to show the psychology of money. Throughout the book, Hammond not only presents readers with the research, 263 studies are mentioned, …

Fentanyl In The Global Market: Examining The New Opioid Epidemic At An International Level, Katherine Rejer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Drug use and subsequent addiction is a major global health concern that transcends culture, borders, and generations. The production of synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, has exacerbated the worldwide opioid epidemic that is endangering public health, economic output, and national security. The ease of manufacture of synthetic opioids facilitates clandestine production and trafficking, while their higher potency leads to higher rates of overdose. This research seeks to analyze the dramatic increase in opioid overdoses around the world and explain the transnational variation of the epidemic. In particular, this study aims to compare the epidemic in the U.S and Estonia in contrast …

The Modern-Day Effect Of Holc Redlining On Neighborhood Development, Liubov Ivashov

Master's Theses

Racial segregation, which happened more than one hundred years ago in the U.S., is a fundamental cause of economic inequality for people living in historically segregated neighborhoods today. Redlining was one form of federal policy that forced to separate communities by race even more after the Great Depression. The Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) maps are widely used in economic research papers as one of the most comprehensive sources of data available to measure the effect of residential segregation. In this paper, using the Historical Redline Score (HRS) method, the author measured the association between modern-day population distribution, rent prices, …

Yearly Changes In Education Expenditure And Changes In Student Performance, Dale A. Manzo

Undergraduate Economic Review

Using data from the state of Florida in the 2000s, we dispute the findings of the Coleman report. We find that there is a positive relationship between changes in expenditure per pupil and changes in academic performance. This study takes advantage of changes in expenditure resulting from the Great Recession to formulate a quasi-experimental analysis of the relationship between expenditure per pupil and academic performance. Our conclusion is consistent with the theory of decreasing marginal returns to expenditure on education.

The Road To Reparations A Comparison Between The United States And South Africa, Ikonii Chiabi

Senior Theses

This thesis paper is designed to be an analysis of potential methods on how to achieve reparations in the United States and South Africa. Both nations’ Black demographics have been victims of white supremacy and enslavement, pushing the white masses to excel while the rest are left to parish. The oppression of these groups have been acknowledged and as opposed to a simple verbal apology, I will write on how compensation in the forms of money, education, and land can be used to undo the wrongdoings of the past. The point of this paper is to present my newfound perspective …

Monitoring The Abundance Of Microplastics In Mussels And Marine Ecosystems May Indicate Human Health Risks., Puja Kaur Janda

Master's Projects and Capstones

The numerous scientific methodologies and procedures used in marine research on microplastic pollution restrict our present understanding of this severe environmental issue threatening marine organisms and human health. The abundance and bioaccumulation of microplastic in the food web is causing adverse implications for marine wildlife and potentially human health via seafood consumption. The absence of standardized methods for quantifying and characterizing microplastics is a major limiting factor in comparing current research. To evaluate the issue of monitoring microplastics in the marine environment, I conducted a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis on mussels as a biomonitoring tool. Because mussels …

Impact Of Climate Variability On Child Nutrition In Ethiopia, Juan S. Gomez

Master's Theses

Changes in precipitation and temperature due to climate change have caused a shortage in food productivity leading to an increase in malnutrition outcomes, especially among children in developing countries that are more susceptible to undernutrition outcomes. This study contributes to existing literature studying the impact of climate variability measured by temperature, precipitation, and vegetation index on wasting. Wasting is measured by the weight for height score during the main growing season (Meher) using Demographic and Health Surveys data for five different periods in Ethiopia. Results suggest that lower NDVI outcomes are associated with an increase in the risk of acute …

Using Machine Learning To Analyze Children’S Drawings As Indicators Of Mental Well-Being, Nicholas R. Lawrie

Master's Theses

Human figure drawings are a well-studied diagnostic tool for emotional distress in children. Cleft lip/palate is one of the most common birth defects in the world, and has been shown to negatively impact emotional well-being in childhood which can have negative economic consequences in adulthood. Utilizing a dataset of human figure drawings from children in India and survey data on mental health, this paper will assess the impact of corrective surgery on mental health outcomes, as well as assess the validity of the drawing emotional indicators themselves. The results indicate that while the emotional indicators may not be valid in …