Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

2015 State Of The Commonwealth Report, James V. Koch, Vinod Agarwal, Barbara Blake-Gonzalez, Terry L. Clower, Vicky Curtis, Steve Daniel, Xavier Detagle, Larry "Chip" Filer, Tim Komarek, Feng Lian, Sharon Lomax, Cheng Luo, Wolfgang Mairinger, Alice Mcadory, Janet Molinaro, Jacqueline Sayward, Gary Wagner

Economics Faculty Books

This is the first State of the Commonwealth Report. It is jointly sponsored by the Strome College of Business at Old Dominion University and the Virginia Chamber Foundation. While the report represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, it does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion or it's president, John R. Broderick. Similarly, it does not represent the views of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce or it's president and CEO, Barry DuVal.

The goal of the report is to stimulate thought and discussion that ultimately will make Virginia an even better place …

The State Of The Region: Hampton Roads 2015, James V. Koch, Vinod Agarwal, Barbara Blake-Gonzalez, Christopher B. Colburn, Vicky Curtis, Steve Daniel, Larry "Chip" Filer, Tim Komarek, Feng Lian, Sharon Lomax, Cheng Luo, Wolfgang Mairinger, Alice Mcadory, Katrina Miller-Stevens, Janet Molinaro, Gary Wagner, Douglas M. Walker, Luke Watson, Shara Weber

Economics Faculty Books

This is Old Dominion University's 16th annual State of the Region report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion or it's president, John R. Broderick. The report maintains the goal of stimulating thought and discussion that ultimately will make Hampton Roads an even better place to live. We are proud of our region's many successes, but realize that it is possible to improve our performance. In order to do so, we must have accurate information about "where we are" and a …

Dwelling In Time, Dwelling In Structures: Disintegration In World Politics, Jan Adam Nalaskowski

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation aims to propose a general theory of disintegration. This subject is not treated directly by some theoretical accounts and mistreated by others. European integration theories are fashioned to explain the greater integration process while game-theoretic approaches to withdrawals and secessions, even if treating disintegration directly, fail to include critically responsible factors. This dissertation offers a constructive criticism of both accounts. Since neither turning integration theories symmetrically around nor direct, game-theoretic assessment of disintegration help to provide sufficient explanation, it is suggested that the problem of symmetrical reversal and rational conduct must be revised.

Disintegration fails to follow the …

Economies Of The Internet I: Intersections, Kylie Jarrett, Julia Velkova, Peter Jakobsson, Roderick Graham, David Gehring

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The internet has increasingly been conceptualized as a space of economic activity. This contemporary imaginary has been particularly influenced by insights from the school of Autonomist Marxism in the foundational work of Tiziana Terranova and through the dominance of Christian Fuchs’ application of Marxist economic concepts. While this has generated great insight into the political economy of the internet, and in particular allowed for the conceptualization of user activity as labor, this approach is only one paradigm for considering the economic activities and implications of the internet. For internet research, there is also the need to move beyond the long …

Techno-Economic Analysis Of Protein Concentrate Produced By Flash Hydrolysis Of Microalgae, Alexander Nana Yaw Asiedu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Process simulation and techno-economic analysis of 95wt.% protein concentrate from microalgae has been performed using SuperPro Designer v. 9.0. This work, first of its kind, is focused on the economic analysis of protein concentrate that includes processes such as microalgae cultivation, harvesting, protein extraction and drying steps. A baseline capacity of 160 MT/day protein concentrate production on commercial basis has been analyzed. This throughput requires 336 MT/day dry algae (54 wt.% protein). The amount of carbon dioxide required to grow this quantum of algae is estimated to be 648 MT/day, which is produced from an in situ 21 MW power …

Institutions Of Higher Education And Cultural Heritage Tourism: A Case Study Of The Crooked Road, Virginia's Heritage Music Trail, Terence Michael Gilley

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The southwest region of Virginia has an unstable economy, which cycles through periods of growth and decline. The strategic plans for southwest Virginia propose cultural heritage tourism as a sustainable industry for economic development of this rural region. Institutions of higher education provide education and training for a qualified workforce and community service. This qualitative, single case study on The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail examines the roles of institutions of higher education with regard to cultural heritage tourism for sustainable community and economic development in rural areas. The data sources for this study are the administrators of …

Essays On International Risk-Return Trade-Off Relations, Liang Meng

Finance Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two essays on the international risk-return trade-off relations. The first essay is titled “The Role of the US Market on International Risk-Return Trade-Off Relations” and the second essay is titled “The Role of Investor Sentiment on International Risk-Return Trade-Off Relations”.

In our first essay, we study the intertemporal risk-return trade-off relations based on returns from 18 international markets. Our main contribution is that we find the US market plays an important role affecting the international risk-return trade-off. We present striking new empirical evidence that the inclusion of US market variables significantly changes the estimated risk-return trade-off …

Two-Year And Four-Year Tertiary Education: Measuring Human Capital Effects On Economic Growth In Developing And Developed Countries With The Uzawa-Lucas Model, Darryl M. Tyndorf

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Tertiary education is believed to be a driver of economic development through the relationship between human capital development and economic output. Global massification efforts of tertiary education have led to increased global demand. Countries with limited tertiary education systems, like developing countries, have employed policies to increase domestic tertiary education opportunities instead of sending students abroad. Many tertiary education policies have focused on importing tertiary education from countries with established tertiary education systems. Import efforts first emphasized university models, but limited success prompted the import of more flexible short-cycle education modeled after the United States’ community college system. Limited empirical …

Employee Opportunism In Two Early Modern British Trading Companies, Robert Franklin Unger

History Theses & Dissertations

The English East India Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company were the most prominent of a score or more of seventeenth and eighteenth century joint stock European trading companies whose merchants conducted their trading activities around the globe. The extraordinary distances and length of time that separated the London directorate committees of both companies from their distant employees was perhaps their greatest managerial challenge. Neither company could directly supervise their employees at their remote trading concessions, whether it was India and the East Indies for the East India Company or sub-arctic North America for the Hudson’s Bay Company.

Because of …

Poverty Within Nation-States: The Impact Of Corruption, Trade, Income Inequality, Population Growth, Foreign Aid, And Military Expenditure, Mustafa Karapinar

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Theoretical approaches to development have marginalized poverty and the individual from the developmental debates. Instead, these approaches place the state as the conventional unit of development and tended to address poverty at the societal level. In these respects, these approaches have neglected how development affects poverty at the individual level.

This study criticizes one of these approaches, the modernization theory of Development, and analyzes the relationship between poverty and some economic, political, and social factors. These factors include openness to trade, foreign aid, military expenditure, income inequality, corruption, and population. There have been several studies examining the relationship between poverty …

Three Essays On Dividend Policy, Mehmet Deren Caliskan

Finance Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation considers paying earnings out as dividends a conservative policy as opposed to investing earnings in to value-increasing projects. Based on this view, this dissertation explores the effect of chief executive officers’ (CEO) risk preferences on dividend policy, market’s reaction to dividend policy changes, and the effect of dividend policy on firm financial distress. The first chapter hypothesizes that risk seeking CEOs will be less likely to pay dividends compared to conservative CEOs. The second chapter hypothesizes that when the market sentiment is high (i.e., when investors are willing to take risk) firms that omit dividends should outperform the …

Removing The Rust: Comparative Post-Industrial Revitalization In Buffalo, Cleveland, And Pittsburgh, Scott Nicholas Duryea

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This study seeks to understand the differences in post-industrial redevelopment among the cities of Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. Part of the so-called "rust belt," these three cities experienced industrial decline from the 1960s through the 1980s, largely as a result of the economic globalization of heavy industry. Intensive manufacturing and output had come to a screeching halt, unemployment skyrocketed, outmigration ensued, and each metropolitan area faced formidable challenges to convert to service-oriented industries. Over the past twenty years, these cities, and the regions that encompass them, have begun to redevelop, although unevenly. At a glance, the Pittsburgh region appears to …

Game, Set, And Match: Do Women And Men Perform Differently In Competitive Situations?, Michael Jetter, Jay K. Walker

Economics Faculty Publications

This paper analyzes potential gender differences in competitive environments using a sample of over 100,000 professional tennis matches. We focus on two phenomena of the labor and sports economics literature: the hot-hand and clutch-player effects. First, we find strong evidence for the hot-hand (cold-hand) effect. Every additional win in the most recent ten Tour matches raises the likelihood of prevailing in the current encounter by 3.1 (males) to 3.3 percentage points (females). Second, top male and female players are excelling in Grand Slam tournaments, arguably the most important events in tennis. For men, we also find evidence for top players …

Part 1: Running In Place? Our "So-So" Regional Economy, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

2015 has been another “Goldilocks” year – not too hot, not too cold – economically speaking. We grew faster than the rest of Virginia, but slower than the U.S. It appears that 2016 will reprise this scenario.

Part 5: Early Childhood Care And Education: Should They Be Our No. 1 Economic Development Strategy?, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Investments in early childhood care and preschool programs generate higher rates of return on public dollars than investments in conventional economic development programs that emphasize either attracting new firms, or public-private partnerships to build arenas and hotels.

Part 4: The Third Economic Sector: Nonprofit Organizations In Hampton Roads And The United Way, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

A total of 2,009 nonprofit organizations in Hampton Roads filed tax returns with the IRS in 2012. This does not include most churches. Collectively, these organizations are big business: their revenues approached $9.6 billion.

Part 2: Defense Expenditures In Hampton Roads: Digging Deeper, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

While defense expenditures are decelerating, in FY 2015, Newport News (dominated by Huntington Ingalls) received $1.13 billion in new defense contract awards, while Virginia Beach received $838 million, Norfolk $774 million and Hampton $166 million. Atlantic Diving, headquartered in Virginia Beach, was our second-largest contractor with $206 million.

Part 3: The Port Of Virginia: A Primer, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

The economic importance of the Port of Virginia has increased as it is handling record cargo volumes and now is recording positive net operating income. The Port is challenged to find ways to deal effectively with congestion and logistical problems in and around the Port as well as to secure the funds necessary to modernize its infrastructure and equipment.

Front Matter: The State Of The Region: Hampton Roads 2015, 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 2015 The State of the Region report authored by the Center for Economic Analysis and Policy at Old Dominion University

Part 7: The Economics Of Casino Gambling In Hampton Roads, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

The experience of other cities tells us that casino gambling would not have a large economic effect upon Hampton Roads. Further, casino gambling brings with it a variety of other costs that must be considered. The net effect may be close to zero.

Part 6: Is Hampton Roads Facing A Shortage Of Nurses?, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Our region does not face a debilitating shortage of nurses. With a few tweaks to our policies, we will have a sufficient number of nurses to meet our needs in the years to come.

Estimating Cost Adjustments Required To Accomplish Target Savings In Chronic Disease Management Interventions: A Simulation Study, Rafael Diaz, Joshua G. Behr, Bruce S. Britton

VMASC Publications

Chronic diseases are persistent ailments that are not preventable or curable with medication or vaccination. Many of the leading chronic conditions in industrialized societies may be related to lifestyle choices. The prevalence of these chronic conditions significantly affects the health, suffering, and longevity of patients. This paper demonstrates the utility of system dynamics as an approach to model and simulate the behavior of key cost factors in the implementation of population health management interventions. The study uses modeling and simulation as an evaluative method to identify potential savings stemming from an intervention within a well-defined population group. The model is …

Part 7: Consolidating Or Merging The Public Service Provision In Virginia Cities And Counties: Where Can We Save The Most Money?, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Commonwealth Reports

Controlling for variables such as the cost of living and local characteristics, we examine the provision of 25 distinct public services by the 95 counties and 39 independent cities in Virginia. Could we save money and perhaps provide better services if we combined the provision of some of these services across county and city lines? The evidence suggests that the answer is yes for at least 13 of these public services and perhaps for another four.

Part 1: The Virginia Economy Struggles To Cope With Economic Headwinds, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Commonwealth Reports

The Virginia economy grew 0.02 percent in real terms in 2014, will grow only about 1.33 percent in 2015, and we forecast only a 1.98 percent growth rate in 2016. The villain in this scenario is stagnant or declining federal spending, especially defense spending.

Part 2: Northern Virginia: Standing At A Fork In The Road, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Commonwealth Reports

Direct federal employment and procurement spending accounts for almost 40 percent of all economic activity in Northern Virginia, which in turn accounts for more than 40 percent of all economic activity in Virginia. Sequestration has hobbled Northern Virginia’s growth. However, George Mason University’s leading economic index suggests better times are on the horizon.

Part 8: Domestic Migration: What Moves Us?, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Commonwealth Reports

Virginians and all other Americans can vote with their feet and move from one location to another in response to job opportunities, amenities and other factors. Recently, Virginia has experienced very low or even negative levels of net domestic migration. We look at the migration experience of 358 metropolitan regions nationally (including the largest eight in Virginia) to provide some answers.

Part 3: Digging Deeper: A Closer Look At Defense Spending In Virginia, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Commonwealth Reports

An estimated 11.8 percent of Virginia’s GDP depends upon defense spending. An important part of this are the contracts awarded to Virginia businesses by the Department of Defense. Two regions – Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads – account for 86 percent of these contracts.

Part 4: If You Can Make It There... You Can Make It Even Better In Virginia, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Commonwealth Reports

The good news is that the “real,” inflation-adjusted incomes of Virginians in nearly every area of the Commonwealth are higher than in nearly all comparable regions along the Atlantic Coast, including New York City.

Part 5: Fly Away With Me: A Look At Virginia's Airports, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Commonwealth Reports

For several years, both passenger traffic and the number of available seats have been in decline at nearly all of the Commonwealth’s airports. Reagan/Washington National and Charlottesville are the major exceptions. Decisions made by the U.S. Congress have placed a particular burden on Dulles International.

Part 6: The Small-Business Story In Virginia: What A Quarter Century Of Data Reveal, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Commonwealth Reports

Very small businesses in Virginia (those with fewer than 10 employees) have been holding their own, but many have found it difficult to grow beyond this size. Very small businesses now account for smaller proportions of total employment and payrolls in Virginia than was true 25 years ago. However, public policy changes can alter this situation.