Government of Canada

About: Government of Canada is a government organization based out in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Monetary policy & Productivity. The organization has 796 authors who have published 886 publications receiving 21366 citations. The organization is also known as: federal government of Canada & Her Majesty's Government.

Too Far To Go On? Distance to School and University Participation

Abstract: This study assesses the role of geographic distance to school in the probability of attending university shortly after high school graduation. Students who grow up near a university can save on costs by staying home to attend the local university, and thus may be more likely to attend. Using the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) and a small (publicly available) database of Canadian university postal codes constructed by the author, the straight-line distance between the homes of high school students prior to graduating and the nearest university is estimated using a special postal code conversion file that calculates the geographic co-ordinates (latitude and longitude) of postal codes. After controlling for family income, parental education, and other factors associated with university participation, students living 'out-of-commuting distance' are far less likely to attend than students living 'within commuting distance' are. Distance also plays a role in the relationship between university participation and its other correlates, such as family income and sex.

The Measurement of Success of Activity-Based Costing and Its Determinants: A Study within Canadian Federal Government Organizations*/L'évaluation Du Succès De La Comptabilité Par Activités Et Ses Déterminants: Étude D'Organismes Du Gouvernement Fédéral Du Canada

Abstract: This research first measures the success of activity-based costing (ABC) implementation within Canadian federal government organizations along five constructs, which are the use and frequency of use of the ABC information, decision actions taken, financial improvements, evaluation by management as to overall success, and a composite measure of the four constructs. Second, it identifies the determinants of ABC success. The success determinants used in this study are organizational culture, involvement of a champion, change process, commitment, controls, and continuous education. Measures of ABC success and determinants were obtained using a survey of managers who have participated in ABC implementation in Canadian federal government organizations. The study found that the benefits derived from ABC implementation within Canadian public sector organizations do not measure up to the efforts invested, although respondents consider that some financial improvements have resulted from the implementations. Controls and culture proved to be the two variables that significantly relate to ABC success. The results could have implications for policymaking organizations such as the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada and the Office of the Comptroller General (OCG). The latter should question the benefits of investments made in management accounting best practices in the federal government. The OCG could also direct departments and agencies to the right environment (success determinants) to be put in place in order to ensure the success of ABC initiatives. RESUME Les auteurs evaluent le succes de la mise en œuvre de la comptabilite par activites (CPA) au sein d'organismes du gouvernement federal du Canada selon cinq parametres, soit l'utilisation et la frequence d'utilisation de l'information produite par la CPA, les mesures decisionnelles prises, les ameliorations financieres, l'evaluation du succes global par la direction et une mesure composite regroupant ces quatre parametres. Ils definissent ensuite les determinants du succes de la CPA. Les determinants utilises dans la presente etude sont la culture organisationnelle, l'intervention d'un defenseur, le processus de changement, l'engagement, les controles et la formation continue. Les auteurs obtiennent les criteres d'evaluation et les determinants du succes de la CPA en procedant a un sondage aupres de cadres ayant participe a la mise en œuvre de la CPA dans des organismes du gouvernement federal du Canada. Ils constatent que les avantages decoulant de cet exercice au sein des organismes du secteur public canadien ne sont pas a la hauteur des efforts investis, meme si les repondants estiment en avoir tire certaines ameliorations financieres. Il semble que les variables des controles et de la culture soient celles qui se rattachent de facon significative au succes de la CPA. Les resultats de l'etude pourraient avoir des consequences pour les organismes responsables de l'elaboration des politiques comme le Secretariat du Conseil du Tresor du Canada et le Bureau du controleur general (BCG). Ce dernier devrait s'interroger sur ce que rapportent les sommes investies par le gouvernement federal dans les pratiques de comptabilite de management les meilleures. Le BCG pourrait egalement orienter les ministeres et les organismes gouvernementaux vers l'environnement (ou les determinants du succes) qu'il convient de mettre en place pour assurer la reussite des projets de CPA.

Tariff Reduction and Employment in Canadian Manufacturing

Abstract: This paper uses firm-level tax data to investigate whether the link between tariff changes and manufacturing employment differed across firms with various productivity and leverage characteristics over the period 1988-94. The results suggest that the effect of domestic tariff reductions on employment was typically small, but that losses were significantly larger for less productive firms. For instance, firms with average productivity in 1988 responded to domestic tariff changes by cutting employment by 11.3% over the period 1988-94, while lower-productivity firms typically shed 20.8% of their workforce over the same period. This paper also indicates that firms with unhealthy balance sheets - those with relatively too much equity or too much leverage - downsized more in the face of declining domestic tariffs, suggesting that financial constraints became more binding when tariff cuts were implemented. These results suggest that firms with high productivity and better financial health were better positioned to face the challenge of trade liberalization.

A model of COVID-19 propagation based on a gamma subordinated negative binomial branching process: A tool for decision making with small populations

Abstract: We build a parsimonious Crump-Mode-Jagers continuous time branching process of COVID-19 propagation based on a negative binomial process subordinated by a gamma subordinator. By focusing on the stochastic nature of the process in small populations, our model provides decision making insight into mitigation strategies as an outbreak begins. Our model accommodates contact tracing and isolation, allowing for comparisons between different types of intervention. We emphasize a physical interpretation of the disease propagation throughout which affords analytical results for comparison to simulations. Our model provides a basis for decision makers to understand the likely trade-offs and consequences between alternative outbreak mitigation strategies particularly in office environments and confined work-spaces. Combining the asymptotic limit of our model with Bayesian hierarchical techniques, we provide US county level inferences for the reproduction number from cumulative case count data over July and August of this year.

Markov-Switching Midas Models

Abstract: This paper introduces a new regression model - Markov-switching mixed data sampling (MS-MIDAS) - that incorporates regime changes in the parameters of the mixed data sampling (MIDAS) models and allows for the use of mixed-frequency data in Markov-switching models. After a discussion of estimation and inference for MS-MIDAS, and a small sample simulation based evaluation, the MS-MIDAS model is applied to the prediction of the US and UK economic activity, in terms both of quantitative forecasts of the aggregate economic activity and of the prediction of the business cycle regimes. Both simulation and empirical results indicate that MSMIDAS is a very useful specification.