Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The New China Model: Combating Economic And Political Order, Jack R. Swords

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Contemporary world politics centers around the actions of the two largest powers on Earth, the United States and China. They are both each other’s greatest adversary yet at the same time are each other’s largest trading partners. This thesis explores the nature of China’s economic climate that has seen it grow to one of the world’s foremost powers. However, the East Asian Nation faces economic challenges centered around the three D’s: Debt, Deflation, and Demographics. This thesis analyses what the nature of these challenges are and how China is responding to them within the ever-advancing world of economic and political …

The Australian Woolen Industry; British Investment In Colonial Australia: Unraveling The Threads Of Economic Development 1788-1850, Marie Cecilia Hedrick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the dynamic relationship between British investment and the development of pastoralism and wool production in Australia from 1788 to 1850. It focuses on the crucial period of early European settlement and the subsequent growth of the wool industry as one of their first major staple industries. This study utilizes a multidisciplinary methodology approach, integrating historical, economic, political, and agricultural perspectives in order to provide a clearer understanding of the factors influencing British investment decisions. Research is conducted into the motivations behind British colonization in Australia with an emphasis on the role of …

Investing In The Next Generation: The Long-Run Impacts Of A Liquidity Shock, Patrick Agte, Arielle Bernhardt, Erica Field, Rohini Pande, Natalia Rigol

Discussion Papers

Poor entrepreneurs must frequently choose between business investment and children’s education. To examine this trade-off, we exploit experimental variation in short-run microenterprise growth among a sample of Indian households and track children’s education and business outcomes over eleven years. Treated households, who experience higher initial microenterprise growth, invest more in education and are one-third more likely to send children to college. However, only literate households experience child schooling gains and their enterprises stagnate in the long-run. In contrast, illiterate treatment households experience long-run business gains but declines in children’s education. Our findings suggest that microenterprise growth has the potential to …

Salary Needed To Live Comfortably In The Mountain West, 2024, Mohit Pande, Anirudh Polagani, Monserrat Cristando-Romo, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet examines data on the annual salary needed to live comfortably in selected cities in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico as of February 2024. A report by Smart Asset titled, “Salary Needed to Live Comfortably – 2024 Study,” provided wage data for the 99 largest cities in the United States.

Limit Theory Of Local Polynomial Estimation In Functional Coefficient Regression, Ying Wang, Peter C. B. Phillips

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Limit theory for functional coefficient cointegrating regression was recently found to be considerably more complex than earlier understood. The issues were explained and correct limit theory derived for the kernel weighted local constant estimator in Phillips and Wang (2023b). The present paper provides complete limit theory for the general kernel weighted local p-th order polynomial estimator of the functional coefficient and the coefficient deriva-tives. Both stationary and nonstationary regressors are allowed. Implications for bandwidth selection are discussed. An adaptive procedure to select the fit order p is proposed and found to work well. A robust t-ratio is constructed following the …

Minimum Wage: Theoretical And Empirical Debates, Ghofran Alrebh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to explore the evolution of research methodologies in the minimum wage debate, focusing on the contrasting perspectives of the neoclassical and institutional models. By examining the changes in research methodologies employed by economists from these two schools, this study seeks to shed the light on the shifting paradigms and the impact of these changes on our understanding of minimum wage policies and their implications. This highlights the limitations of relying on one economic school of thought in understanding socio-economic phenomena complexations and policy decisions. As well as it creates the necessity to critical evaluation of the method …

Gender Pay Gaps In Mountain West Cities & States, 2024, Dre Boyd-Weatherly, Maryam Raja, Sean Curry, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet examines data on the gender pay gap, or the difference in pay between male and female year-round full-time workers in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. “Cities with the Largest Gender Pay Gaps” published by the Chamber of Commerce uses 2020-2021 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Role Of Transformational Leadership And Job Satisfaction In Change Readiness In Petrochemical Industry Of Saudi Arabia, Maram Alshahrani, Harris Siddiqi Tahir, Bassem Emile Maamari, Beverley Mcnally

Arab Economic and Business Journal

Neglecting an organization’s readiness for change may have far-reaching influence on the success of a change process. This study investigates two factors that impact organizational change success, leadership and job satisfaction. The aim of study is to examine the relationship between transformational leadership, job satisfaction, and change readiness in the Saudi petrochemical industry context. The results reveal that change readiness increases job satisfaction of employees when leaders apply the principles of transformational leadership. The findings have implications for HR practitioners in designing leadership development programs to ensure job satisfaction, better and desired outcomes from an organizational change program.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Intimacy Without The Chance Of Heartbreak For Richer, For Poorer, In Sickness & In Health, Cynthia Nguyen

Honors Projects

The present study investigates the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the consumption of porn, shifts in the production of porn consumed between men and women, and the breakdown of any pattern in adult content via film, pictures, and audio. A quantitative approach was done by using R to analyze data pulled off of Pornhub, Reddit’s GoneWildAudio subreddit, and Archive of Our Own from 2018 to 2023. Statistical inference and modeling is used to attempt to find a pattern in the production of online porn across three mediums over several years before, during, and after the pandemic. Regardless of events …

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 …

Artificial Intelligence As The Next Front In The Class War, Christopher Hill

Dissertations and Theses

For many years, artificial intelligence has been confined to the realm of science fiction, and while the technology has been in development, predicting the effects AI will have on our society has been a challenging endeavor. The release of ChatGPT in 2022, the subsequent mass adoption of the AI chatbot, and the response by other private firms in the field announced AI's permanent entrance into the public sphere. These recent strides made in the field of artificial intelligence reveal that the pace of technological development has outstripped the rate at which we are able to politically examine and understand these …

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. …

The Impact Of Fiscal Policy On Macroeconomic Conditions In Pakistan: Insights From A Structural Vector Autoregression Analysis, Sarnaila Sharif, Saima Nawaz

Business Review

This article explores the relationship between fiscal policy and macroeconomic conditions in Pakistan using a robust Structural Vector Autoregression (SVAR) model. Since fiscal shock has the tendency to put a constraint on the future path of government spending and taxes, as the intertemporal budget constraint holds. This element has been missed in most of the VAR studies. This study extends Structural Framework by incorporating the dynamic nature of public debt in analyzing fiscal policy shocks. Our investigation focuses on estimating the responses of output, inflation, and debt interest payments to changes in government spending and taxes, while keeping track of …

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.

Open Syllabus, Dorina Tila

Open Educational Resources

This is an open syllabus for Principles of Macroeconomics course.

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 …

Turning Movements Into Markets: How Corporations Co-Opt Cultural Values For Profit, Anthony J. Capote

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this dissertation, I explore how corporations engage in values-based marketing in the 21^st Century. It is hardly a new phenomenon for corporate advertising to co-opt popular cultural values and trends. With the rise of platform capitalism — under which digital platforms generate wealth by cultivating our online data and resell it to advertisers — as well as the political and social context of the Trump Administration, however, major corporations have entered a new phase in the marketing framework that aims to attract consumers based specifically on their cultural and political values. Using a mixed methods approach I explore …

Moral Content Diminishes Preference Falsification, Maxine Bonneau, Tanya O'Garra, Praveen Kujal

ESI Working Papers

We examine how the moral (or neutral) content of an issue influences the tendency to falsify attitudes, given varying social and monetary incentives to engage in such ‘preference falsification’. We conduct an incentivized two stage online experimental study where, in a prior first stage, attitude strength over moral and neutral issues is elicited. Then, in the second stage participants in groups of ten were asked to express their preferences regarding the moral or neutral issues for each possible combination of supporters and opposers in their group, each associated with varying monetary payoffs. More than half of the participants falsify their …

Salary Disparity And Team Performance: An Empirical Analysis Of The English Premier League, Alexander Traugutt, Jarid Morton

Journal of Applied Sport Management

The English Premier League (EPL) is the top-tier English soccer system, becoming one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. One topic within the EPL that has garnered significant attention is player compensation and roster construction. Given the varied outputs of players and the spending power of each club, the question becomes whether a specific type of pay structure maximizes on-field performance. Thus, this study aimed to understand the effect of intra-team salary disparity on performance. Results indicated that while rosters tend to be organized in a more compressed manner, salary disparity was not a significant predictor of …