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Articles 6931 - 6960 of 9289

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Off The Cliff And Back? Credit Conditions And International Trade During The Global Financial Crisis, Davin Chor, Manova Kalina May 2012

Off The Cliff And Back? Credit Conditions And International Trade During The Global Financial Crisis, Davin Chor, Manova Kalina

Research Collection School Of Economics

We examine the collapse of international trade flows during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis using detailed data on the evolution of monthly U.S. imports over the November 2006 - April 2009 period. We show that credit constraints and the reduction in the availability of external capital were an important channel through which the crisis affected trade volumes. We identify the effects of credit tightening by exploiting the variation in the cost of capital across countries and over time, as well as the variation in financial dependence across sectors. We find that countries with higher interbank interest rates and thus tighter …

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Internationalization Into The Gcc: Singapore In Retrospect, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred Pow Ngee How, Hong Hao Chong May 2012

Internationalization Into The Gcc: Singapore In Retrospect, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred Pow Ngee How, Hong Hao Chong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

As internationalization becomes, increasingly, the chosen method of (ironically) competing for competitiveness among firms, new and rich frontiers for business come into ever-expanding demand. Among the foremost of these frontiers, the countries of the GCC represent both fertile ground and uncharted waters for internationalizing firms, with cultures as rich as their markets and sometimes byzantine yet fascinating socio-political forces presenting a plethora of challenges to erstwhile investing firms. As a culmination of our research into this region over past years, then, we examine in this paper, as a case study of sorts, the experiences of Singapore firms in the various …

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Wage-Vacancy Contracts And Coordination Frictions, Nicolas L. Jacquet, Serene Tan May 2012

Wage-Vacancy Contracts And Coordination Frictions, Nicolas L. Jacquet, Serene Tan

Research Collection School Of Economics

We consider a directed search model with risk-averse workers and risk-neutral entrepreneurs who can set up firms that post wage-vacancy contracts, i.e., contracts where firms can make payments to more than one applicant, and where the payments can be different for each applicant and be contingent on the number of applicants. We establish that the type of contracts the literature focuses on are not offered if firms can post wage-vacancy contracts. We show that there exists an equilibrium satisfying a Monotonic Expected Utility property which is efficient. Furthermore, we investigate the role of wage-vacancy contracts on welfare and competition.

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Towards Interactive, Internet-Based Decision Aid For Vaccination Decisions: Better Information Alone Is Not Enough, Terry Connolly, Jochen Reb May 2012

Towards Interactive, Internet-Based Decision Aid For Vaccination Decisions: Better Information Alone Is Not Enough, Terry Connolly, Jochen Reb

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Vaccination decisions, as in choosing whether or not to immunize one's small child against specific diseases, are both psychologically and computationally complex. The psychological complexities have been extensively studied, often in the context of shaping convincing or persuasive messages that will encourage parents to vaccinate their children. The computational complexity of the decision has been less noted. However, even if the parent has access to neutral, accurate, credible information on vaccination risks and benefits, he or she can easily be overwhelmed by the task of combining this information into a well-reasoned decision. We argue here that the Internet, in addition …

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Embodied Metaphors And Creative "Acts", Angela K.-Y. Leung, Suntae Kim, Evan Polman, Lay See Ong, Lin Qiu, Jack A. Goncola, Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks May 2012

Embodied Metaphors And Creative "Acts", Angela K.-Y. Leung, Suntae Kim, Evan Polman, Lay See Ong, Lin Qiu, Jack A. Goncola, Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Creativity is a highly sought after skill. To inspire people’s creativity, prescriptive advice in the form of metaphors abound: We are encouraged to think outside the box, to consider the problem on one hand, then on the other hand, and to put two and two together to achieve creative breakthroughs. These metaphors suggest a connection between concrete bodily experiences and creative cognition. Inspired by recent advances on body-mind linkages under the emerging vernacular of embodied cognition, we explored for the first time whether enacting metaphors for creativity enhances creative problem-solving. In five studies, findings revealed that both physically and psychologically …

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Love And Money By Parental Match-Making: Evidence From Urban Couples In China, Fali Huang, Ginger Jin, Lixin Collin Xu May 2012

Love And Money By Parental Match-Making: Evidence From Urban Couples In China, Fali Huang, Ginger Jin, Lixin Collin Xu

Research Collection School Of Economics

Parental involvement in marriage matchmaking may distort the optimal spouse choice because parents are willing to substitute love for money. The rationale is that the joint income of married children can be shared among extended family members more easily than mutual attraction felt by the couple themselves, and as a result, the best spouse candidate in the parents' eyes can differ from what is optimal to the individual, even though parents are altruistic and care dearly about their children's welfare. We find supporting evidence for this prediction using a unique sample of urban couples in China in the early 1990s.

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Organizing The Global Value Chain, Pol Antras, Davin Chor May 2012

Organizing The Global Value Chain, Pol Antras, Davin Chor

Research Collection School Of Economics

We develop a property-rights model of the firm in which production entails a continuum of uniquely sequenced stages. In each stage, a final-good producer contracts with a distinct supplier for the procurement of a customized stage-specific component. Our model yields a sharp characterization for the optimal allocation of ownership rights along the value chain. We show that the incentive to integrate suppliers varies systematically with the relative position (upstream versus downstream) at which the supplier enters the production line. Furthermore, the nature of the relationship between integration and “downstreamness” depends crucially on the elasticity of demand faced by the final-good …

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Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability And Corruption: Evidence From Us States, Filipe R. Campante, Quoc-Anh Do May 2012

Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability And Corruption: Evidence From Us States, Filipe R. Campante, Quoc-Anh Do

Research Collection School Of Economics

We show that isolated capital cities are robustly associated with greater levels of corruption across US states. In particular, this is the case when we use the variation induced by the exogenous location of a state’s centroid to instrument for the concentration of population around the capital city. We then show that different mechanisms for holding state politicians accountable are also affected by the spatial distribution of population: newspapers provide greater coverage of state politics when their audiences are more concentrated around the capital, and voter turnout in state elections is greater in places that are closer to the capital. …

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Human Trafficking: An Ancient Trade With A Modern Face, Singapore Management University Apr 2012

Human Trafficking: An Ancient Trade With A Modern Face, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

If we believe that advances in science, health and human rights have led to a more civilised society than before, think again.

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Making Babies: Getting Into The Mood For Love, Singapore Management University Apr 2012

Making Babies: Getting Into The Mood For Love, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

The pursuit of a perfect partner by women can betraced back to thousands of years ago when the world was still a society of hunters and gatherers. Back then, men tended to provide the family with meat and protection while women stayed at home to plant crops and take care of junior.

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An Inside Job: To Get On The Right Career Track, Look Within, Singapore Management University Apr 2012

An Inside Job: To Get On The Right Career Track, Look Within, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Many people may dream about becoming a doctor, but only a few can join the profession. Candidates to the job must not only possess exceptional academic ability, but also, the physical and psychological stamina for typically long, intense shifts that involve giving comfort to the unwell.

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From Boardroom To Parliament, Singapore Management University Apr 2012

From Boardroom To Parliament, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Everyone has different motivations for working, . But the primary incentive for slogging it out in the corporate jungle would be money— at least that is what employers believe. This helps explain why companies are often willing to shell out wads of cash to outbid one another in the labour market for top executives.

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Making Babies: Getting Into The Mood For Love, Knowledge@Smu Apr 2012

Making Babies: Getting Into The Mood For Love, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Within a span of 50 years, Singapore had to worry about its fertility rate for two very different reasons. Its development years in the 1960s and 1970s saw a baby boom, with the country’s maternity hospital even earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest number of birth in a single maternity facility— a record it held for ten years. However today, the country’s fertility rate has fallen below the replacement rate. SMU professor Norman Li provides a take on this phenomenon.

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Structural Analysis In Multi-Relational Social Networks, Bing Tian Dai, Freddy Chong Tat Chua, Ee-Peng Lim Apr 2012

Structural Analysis In Multi-Relational Social Networks, Bing Tian Dai, Freddy Chong Tat Chua, Ee-Peng Lim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Modern social networks often consist of multiple relationsamong individuals. Understanding the structureof such multi-relational network is essential. In sociology,one way of structural analysis is to identify differentpositions and roles using blockmodels. In thispaper, we generalize stochastic blockmodels to GeneralizedStochastic Blockmodels (GSBM) for performing positionaland role analysis on multi-relational networks.Our GSBM generalizes many different kinds of MultivariateProbability Distribution Function (MVPDF) tomodel different kinds of multi-relational networks. Inparticular, we propose to use multivariate Poisson distributionfor multi-relational social networks. Our experimentsshow that GSBM is able to identify the structuresfor both synthetic and real world network data.These structures can further be used for predicting …

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Reforming The Right To Legal Counsel In Singapore, Jack Tsen-Ta Lee Apr 2012

Reforming The Right To Legal Counsel In Singapore, Jack Tsen-Ta Lee

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This is an opinion prepared for the Criminal Law Committee of the Law Society of Singapore on an arrested person’s right to legal counsel in Singapore. Specifically, it deals with the following: (1) it summarizes pertinent aspects of the law relating to the right to legal counsel in Singapore; (2) it surveys a number of ASEAN and Commonwealth jurisdictions to determine how long after apprehension the right to counsel is generally accorded to arrested persons, and compares the legal position in these jurisdictions to the situation in Singapore; and (3) it examines two rights ancillary to the right to legal …

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Urban Heat Island Research In Phoenix, Arizona, Winston T. L. Chow, Dean Brennan, Anthony J. Brazel Apr 2012

Urban Heat Island Research In Phoenix, Arizona, Winston T. L. Chow, Dean Brennan, Anthony J. Brazel

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Over the past 60 years, metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, has been among the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States, and this rapid urbanization has resulted in an urban heat island (UHI) of substantial size and intensity. During this time, an uncommon amount of UHI-specific research, relative to other cities in North America, occurred within its boundaries. This review investigates the possible reasons and motivations underpinning the large body of work, as well as summarizing specific themes, approaches, and theoretical contributions arising from such study. It is argued that several factors intrinsic to Phoenix were responsible for the prodigious output: strong …

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The Interpretation Of Gats Disciplines On Economic Integration: Gats Commitments As A Threshold?, Heng Wang Apr 2012

The Interpretation Of Gats Disciplines On Economic Integration: Gats Commitments As A Threshold?, Heng Wang

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The interpretation of GATS Article V, which deals with economic integration, is of crucial importance to the growing number of economic integration agreements (EIAs) in services, in terms of dispute settlement, services negotiations, the WTO review of EIAs, the coordination between multilateralism and EIAs, and best practices in drawing up EIAs. However, the Article has received insufficient study and remains vague.This paper takes China's eight EIAs as test cases for interpreting GATS Article V and argues that GATS commitments may be an appropriate threshold for interpreting the Article, in particular the substantial sectoral coverage and elimination of discrimination requirements, which …

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Tradition And Change In Marriage Payments In Vietnam, 1963-2000, Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, John Knodel Apr 2012

Tradition And Change In Marriage Payments In Vietnam, 1963-2000, Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, John Knodel

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This study analyses data from the Vietnam Study of Family Change to document trends and determinants of marriage payments in Vietnam from 1963 to 2000. We investigate the extent to which structural and policy transformations influenced the practice of payments, and estimate how societal changes indirectly impacted payments via their effects on population characteristics. Results indicate that marriage payments surged following market reform, but also reveal nuanced trends during earlier years. While the socialist attempts to eradicate brideprice appear to have been successful in the North before economic renovation, they were unsuccessful in the South. Structural and policy change explained …

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Review Of The Evolution Of Modern States: Sweden, Japan, And The United States By Sven Steinmo, Devin K. Joshi Apr 2012

Review Of The Evolution Of Modern States: Sweden, Japan, And The United States By Sven Steinmo, Devin K. Joshi

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Sven Steinmo’s fascinating new book on the evolution of modern stateschallenges us to view national political economies, tax structures, andsocial welfare policies not as distinct entities but as unique and intertwined“systems” that evolve over time. Two issues stand out in thisexceptional book. First is the application of evolutionary theory, whichposits “social systems” to be “fundamentally different than inanimatematter. Similar to living organisms, they change, adapt and evolve” (10).From this perspective, complex multivariable causation and interactiveeffects are common because the human world is made of complex adaptivesystems and interacting emergent phenomena. Building a prospectivebridge between historical institutionalism and interdisciplinary evolutionarytheory, Steinmo …

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Conflict With Quitting Rights: A Mechanism Design Approach, Madhav S. Aney Apr 2012

Conflict With Quitting Rights: A Mechanism Design Approach, Madhav S. Aney

Research Collection School Of Economics

Why do agents engage in costly dispute resolution such as litigation and arbitration when costless settlement is available? I present a model with one sided asymmetric information where the payoff from litigation for both agents depends on the beliefs of the uninformed agent. Taking these payoffs as their outside options, agents negotiate over the allocation of an indivisible object that is in dispute and transfers. It is shown that it is impossible to implement an allocation that satisfies budget balance that guarantees the agents their payoff from conflict when agents can quit negotiations unilaterally at any stage.

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South Africa, Multilateralism And The Global Politics Of Development, Eduard Jordaan Apr 2012

South Africa, Multilateralism And The Global Politics Of Development, Eduard Jordaan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

South Africa was recently included as a member of the BRICS grouping. South Africa's formal association with the powerful original members suggests that it possesses some international clout. Although South Africa pursues an active foreign policy, for example, as a region organizer, notably through New Partnership for Africa's Development, and as an issue leader championing development-related concerns, the normative direction of South Africa's international involvement has been unclear and often contradictory. This article illustrates how South Africa adheres to and departs from liberal principles when involved in the global politics of development. Middlepowership and domestic politics are identified as two …

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Why Did Universities Precede Primary Schools? A Political Economy Model Of Educational Change, Fali Huang Apr 2012

Why Did Universities Precede Primary Schools? A Political Economy Model Of Educational Change, Fali Huang

Research Collection School Of Economics

Universities were first established in Europe around the twelfth century, although primary schools did not appear until the nineteenth. This paper accounts for this phenomenon using a political economy model of educational change on who are educated (the elite or the masses) and what is taught (general or specific/vocational education). A key assumption is that general education is more effective than specific education in enhancing one's skills in a broad range of tasks, including political rent-seeking. Its findings suggest that specific education for the masses is compatible with the elite rule, whereas mass general education is not, which refines the …

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Semiparametric Gmm Estimation Of Spatial Autoregressive Models, Liangjun Su Apr 2012

Semiparametric Gmm Estimation Of Spatial Autoregressive Models, Liangjun Su

Research Collection School Of Economics

We propose semiparametric GMM estimation of semiparametric spatial autoregressive (SAR) models under weak moment conditions. In comparison with the quasi-maximum-likelihood-based semiparametric estimator of Su and Jin (2010), we allow for both heteroscedasticity and spatial dependence in the error terms. We derive the limiting distributions of our estimators for both the parametric and nonparametric components in the model and demonstrate the estimator of the parametric component has the usual -asymptotics. When the error term also follows an SAR process, we propose an estimator for the parameter in the SAR error process and derive the joint asymptotic distribution for both spatial parameters. …

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Finding Dynamic Treatment Effects Under Anticipation: Spanking Effects On Behavior, Myoung-Jae Lee, Fali Huang Apr 2012

Finding Dynamic Treatment Effects Under Anticipation: Spanking Effects On Behavior, Myoung-Jae Lee, Fali Huang

Research Collection School Of Economics

The dynamic treatment effect literature considers multiple treatments administered over time, with some treatments affected by interim outcomes. But the literature overlooks the possibility of individuals acting in anticipation of future treatments. This lack of anticipation aspect may not matter in the drug–response relationships which motivated the literature. But human beings (or animals with some intelligence) do not just respond to current and past treatments, but also ‘reflect and anticipate’ future treatments. For example, a punishment or reward is likely to prompt forward looking. Even if no personal punishment or reward is involved, people may take action in anticipation of …

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A Semiparametric Stochastic Volatility Model, Jun Yu Apr 2012

A Semiparametric Stochastic Volatility Model, Jun Yu

Research Collection School Of Economics

In this paper the correlation structure in the classical leverage stochastic volatility (SV) model is generalized based on a linear spline. In the new model the correlation between the return and volatility innovations is time varying and depends nonparametrically on the type of news arrived to the market. Theoretical properties of the proposed model are examined. The model estimation and comparison are conducted by Bayesian methods. The performance of the estimates are examined in simulations. The new model is fitted to daily and weekly US data and compared with the classical SV and GARCH models in terms of their in-sample …

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Contractual And Procedural Effects Of Non-Exclusive Jurisdiction Agreements, Darius Chan Mar 2012

Contractual And Procedural Effects Of Non-Exclusive Jurisdiction Agreements, Darius Chan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In Orchard Capital I Ltd v Ravindra Kumar Jhunjhunwala, a respondent’s attempt to stay Singaporean proceedings on forum non conveniens grounds in favour of a non-exclusive jurisdiction (Hong Kong) was denied. In doing so, the Singapore Court of Appeal set out important principles concerning the legal effects of a non-exclusive jurisdiction agreement. This note makes a comparative analysis of the decision with English case law. It will be seen that the decision has taken a bold and firm step in a direction where English case law had previously tiptoed but still not fully embarked.

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Good Reputation: A Reputation For Doing Good, Singapore Management University Mar 2012

Good Reputation: A Reputation For Doing Good, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

When a global food powerhouse saw hungry students who had to attend school without food in their stomachs, it decided to step in and help in ways that it knew best.

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Part Of The Job: The Positive Side Of Office Politics, Singapore Management University Mar 2012

Part Of The Job: The Positive Side Of Office Politics, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Backstabbing, gossiping, and the dangerously, flirtatious dance of the corporate moth around the office fire – also known as workplace politics – can be a costly affair. A 2002 British survey found that managers spent an hour a day engaged in politics. Such actions and more cost the UK an estimated 7.8b GBP in productivity loss a year.

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Markowitz 2.0: Innovations For Asset Allocation, Singapore Management University Mar 2012

Markowitz 2.0: Innovations For Asset Allocation, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

The economic wreckage from the 2008 global financial crisis dealt a blow to the theoretical foundations of finance and economic. Many of these theories, such as Markowitz’s Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT), were considered received wisdom and taught in practically all business schools. But now they appeared inadequate to the task of handling the “fat-tails” and “black swans” of extreme market events. These crashes were also occurring far more often than predicted by these theories.

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What Could Derail The India Express? Economists Speak Out, Singapore Management University Mar 2012

What Could Derail The India Express? Economists Speak Out, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

For the investors and businesses still swooning over India's red-hot growth, a pair of economists delivered a splash of cold water to their faces on February 23 during a talk organized by the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Advanced Study of India.

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