Showing papers in "International Advances in Economic Research in 2006"

Corporate Governance and Financial Performance of Companies in Poland

Abstract: The research presented in the paper is aimed at examining the relationship between the level of corporate governance and the financial performance of listed companies in Poland. The corporate governance degree is expressed by the outcomes of a rating of 2003 performed by Polish Corporate Governance Forum. The attempted models are of ordered multinomial type. Endogenous variable represents the rating outcome (A−, B+, B, B−, and C+), while the exogenous variables include various financial indicators evaluated on the basis of the 2002 financial statements. The estimated ordered logit models show that the level of corporate governance of companies in Poland is associated with their ability to cope with the financial distress, as expressed by the degree of liquidity, profitability and the financial leverage variables.

An Empirical Analysis of the Determinants of Foreign Aid: A Panel Approach

Abstract: This paper uses a panel approach to examine the determinants of foreign aid. It examines the extent to which taxes on international trade and the scope of government activities, ethnicity, private credit, and education determine foreign aid. The paper specifies and estimates a model that explains the allocation of foreign aid among 151 countries over the period 1975 to 1998. The key empirical finding suggests that Taxes on Trade increases foreign aid dependency. Moreover, trade, private credit, foreign direct investment, GDP per worker, and government consumption are important determinants of foreign aid. The factors that appear to decrease foreign aid include: Years of schooling, private credit, trade, and GDP per worker. The factors that appear to increase foreign aid include: Taxes on international trade, ethnicity, and government consumption.

Ethics and Banking

Abstract: Usually moral conscience has been forgotten after the individualist and utilitarian analysis. However, many people guide their behavior by a value system that is sensitive to social problems, such as equilibrium with nature, respect of human rights, and the equality of opportunities. People have the power to change the society: As consumers and as savers. As savers, people have the opportunity to choose, in financial markets, between institutions and products. In this paper, we will summarize the economic trends that observe a moral conscience in humans. Then, we will analyze if this moral conscience can have a translation in the financial sector. Can ethical banks and investment funds survive in the competitive financial sector? Can moral conscience be incorporated into financial business?

The Effect of Annual Earnings Announcements on the Chinese Stock Markets

Abstract: This paper examines the annual earnings announcement effect of the stock markets in China. The investigation is based on events analysis and carried out by modeling the daily changes of stock returns using the M-EGARCH approach, by testing the news effects of annual earnings announcement on the conditional mean of abnormal return and the variance of the returns. It is found that a higher than expected earnings announcement leads to a rise in the conditional mean of stock returns on days before the news announcement and a fall afterwards. The conditional volatility of the changes are significantly reduced by bigger absolute values of reported earnings before the news announcement and increased afterwards, supporting the rejection of semi-strong-form efficiency.

Estimation of Price Elasticities for International Telecommunications Demand

Abstract: This paper examines the effect of price per call minute on international telecommunications demand for calls made from Greece to five destination countries: Australia, the USA, Canada, the UK, and Germany. For this purpose the authors consider two different models, one with constant price elasticity, the log-linear demand function, and another one with time varying price elasticity, log-linear demand where all variables except price are in logarithms. These models were estimated for calls made during peak and off-peak periods, using quarterly data from 1997:I to 2003:IV. The outgoing traffic includes volume of calls in minutes made by the incumbent only and by the incumbent and the mobile providers.

Have Employment Relationships in the United States Become Less Stable

Abstract: There has been considerable debate as to whether job stability has declined in the United States. This paper uses data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to examine the incidence of labor market turnover between 1986 and 1993. Specifically, we calculate one- and two-year separation rates and then analyze turnover by the source of separation. We find that the incidence of job separations did not increase over the period under investigation, but appears to have declined somewhat. When analyzing separations by reason, conditional on separating from an employer, we find little evidence of temporal changes in the composition of turnover that would indicate greater employment instability. Therefore, we do not find conclusive evidence that employment relationships have become more unstable in the recent past.

A Further Analysis of Determinants of Health Insurance Coverage

Abstract: This study uses state-level data to identify key factors influencing geographic differentials in the percentage of the population without health insurance coverage, with particular emphasis placed on the impact of the percentage of the population that is either self-employed or independent contractors. Not surprisingly, the cross-section analysis finds that the percentage of a state's population without health insurance was a decreasing function of median family income in the state, the female labor force participation rate in the state, and the percentage of the state's population age 65 and older, while being an increasing function of the percentage of households in the state with only a female head of household present (no husband present) and the percent of the state's population classified as Hispanic. Reflecting the emphasis in this study, the empirical estimates all also reveal that the percentage of a state's population without health insurance is an increasing the percentage of the state's population that filed a federal personal income tax return that included a Schedule C, which is used in this study as a proxy for self-employment and independent contractors.

Innovation and the Business Cycle: A Comparison of the U.S. Semiconductor and Automobile Industries

Abstract: This paper examines data for U.S. automotive and semiconductor firms from 1976 to 2000 to analyze the cyclical nature of innovation, and to find if it is the same across the two industries. Although previous studies have used aggregate data, it does not follow that distinct industries respond to economic fluctuations in the same way. Using patenting as a proxy for innovation, this study finds that there is evidence that innovation is procyclical in the semiconductor industry, but there does not appear to be a similar cyclical pattern in the automobile industry. This has implications for government policy aimed at increasing private sector innovation, particularly at the regional level.

Forms of Opportunism Between Principals and Agents

Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to discuss the development of the theoretical approach to a rating of the opportunism between the principals and agents within the framework of the neo-institutional theory The matrix of the opportunistic forms between the principals and agents designed On the basis of the carried out experimental research of firms of the Ural region of Russia, such opportunistic forms of the agents such as flubbing, negligence, and malversation were investigated The experimental dependences of an opportunistic level of the agents from a level of wages, level of non-financial stimulus, effectiveness of punishment, share of creative element of labor, and degree of labor specificity are defined

Short-Run Crude Oil Price and Surplus Production Capacity

Abstract: This paper shows the effect that surplus crude oil production capacity has on short-term crude oil prices. A simple model using Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) industrial inventories and Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) surplus production capacity is introduced. This model provides improved forecasts for the post Gulf War I time period over models without the capacity variable.

Evolution of Female Labor Force Participation in the United States: 1967 to 2003

Abstract: This paper describes the changes in the employment choices of prime working-age women from 1967 to 2003. A neoclassical labor market participation model is presented and applied to data from the March Current Population Surveys (CPS). The paper provides a new insight: It highlights the different patterns of labor force participation by family-status categories. Also, the paper introduces the average annual unemployment rate at the state level as an explanatory variable to capture the demand-side constraint of the labor market. The results of the paper support the finding that since 1990, the increase in the participation of women in the labor force has slowed from previous decades.

Portugal–EU Convergence Revisited: Evidence for the Period 1960–2003

Abstract: This paper uses the stochastic approach to convergence to investigate whether real per capita GDP in Portugal has been converging to the EU15 average. The estimation accounts for conditional convergence, transitional dynamics and up to two structural breaks. It is found that per capita GDP in Portugal has indeed converged to the EU15 average, but the pace of convergence has not been uniform along time. In particular, a slow down in the convergence process is identified in 1974. This result depends, however, as to whether the choice of this break-date is viewed as uncorrelated with the data. No evidence of acceleration in the speed of convergence is found after EC accession, in 1986.

Discrete Choice Model Application to the Credit Risk Evaluation

Abstract: The aim of the paper is to discuss the application of classification functions and artificial neural networks (such as multilayer perceptron and radial basis function) to recognize the risk category of investigated companies. The research is based on data from 295 enterprises that applied for credit in two regional banks operating in Poland. Each firm is described by 13 diagnostic variables and potential borrowers are classified into four classes. The efficiency of classification is evaluated in terms of classification errors calculated from the actual classification made by the credit officers. The results of the experiments show that application of artificial neural networks and classification functions can support the creditworthiness evaluation of borrowers.

International Integration and Growth: A Further Investigation on Developing Countries

Abstract: The paper examines empirically the linkages between international integration and economic growth in a panel of 47 developing countries and 18 trade blocs over the period 1970–1989. Specifically, it attempts to identify through which channel(s) – notably, specialization according to comparative advantage and increased efficiency, exploitation of increasing returns from larger market, and technology spillovers through investment and trade–trade blocs can affect the economic growth of their member countries. The results suggest that (1) intra-bloc trade does not affect growth significantly; (2) income diversion among member countries contributes positively and significantly to growth; and (3) the size of the trade bloc does matter in the sense that the bigger is not always the better for the welfare of the member countries.

Accountability and Rendering of Accounts: New Approaches for the Public Sector

Abstract: This paper is divided into two parts. In the first part, we attempt to analyze the new concepts of accountability and rendering of accounts that have been adopted in the business world over the last few years and their application to public institutions. Aspects involved in defining stakeholders, corporate governance, intermediate financial information, performance indicators, publication of reports on external control and channels for publication of financial information are also dealt with. The second part of the paper consists of an empirical study of how Catalan municipalities of more than 50,000 inhabitants render accounts to citizens by means of the Internet.

Rent Seeking Behavior in Transition Countries: The Case of Romania

Abstract: This paper points out, in the changing institutional setting of transition in Romania, Some relevant factors influencing economic actors to behave in a way that pushes them to devote resources to unproductive goals, rather than to embark on activities that add economic and social value. The theoretical insights offered in the literature of rent seeking are applied to the issues of transition. A mathematical model of a rent seeking economy is presented, analyzing the influence of interest groups activity on the overall income of the economy. Some examples of rent seeking behavior that severely hamper the economic efficiency are illustrated for the case of Romania. The conclusion is that, in appreciating the progress in transition, the reduction in rent seeking is an important factor to be taken into consideration.

Positive Definiteness of Multivariate Densities Based on Hermite Polynomials

Abstract: This note proposes multivariate positive definite densities based on GramYCharlier and the Edgeworth Expansions (GCEE) capable of capturing the joint behavior of financial variables. The GCEE were brought into econometrics by Sargan [Econometrica, 1975] and have recently been proposed to fit high frequency financial densities by Mauleon and Perote [European Journal of Finance, 2000]. The general and flexible distributions obtained by using such expansions provide accurate risk measures but are not positive for all the parametric space. This shortcoming is not only theoretical but also empirical because in many contexts, the convergence of the estimation procedures could jeopardize unless positiveness is guaranteed. Perote [Spanish Economic Review, 2004] extended the densities based on GCEE to the multivariate context, although he did not analyze the problem of positiveness. For the univariate case, Gallant and Nychka [Econometrica, 1987] proposed a straightforward solution based on squaring the weighted sum of Hermite polynomials. Based on this idea, we have redefined the multivariate EdgeworthYSargan distribution ensuring positive definiteness. We show that the positive multivariate distributions so obtained account for the joint behavior of financial data, but the choice among them requires a careful analysis of moments, specifically when conditional variance and kurtosis are considered. (JEL C16, G1) International Advances in Economic Research (2006) 12:425 * IAES 2006 DOI: 10.1007/s11294-006-9029-z

The Strategic Social Map of a Nongovernmental Organization

Abstract: Currently, the traditional states-nation, as far as their social commitments are concerned, are giving way to the nongovernmental organizations (NGO) These organizations have a mission, strategy, and goals different from those organizations looking simply for profits Nevertheless, NGOs are concerned about using management and information systems at least as good as those used by private companies Organizations try to develop a social strategy taking their social responsibility as starting point In this paper, the authors describe how to fix the organization mission, its strategy and goals, and also how to make its action map A strategy proposal will be described, as well as the way on how to put it into practice The main goals of this paper is to describe the mission, strategy, and goals of the organization; design its strategic social map; fix the limits of the organization's action; apply the theoretical model to a NGO; and design an information model in order to manage the strategic development

Estimating Housing Price: Kriging the Mean

Abstract: The price of houses and its evolution in recent years is one of the issues that citizens and, of course, political and economic authorities are worried about. In most of the developed countries the mean price (per square meter) of houses in an area is estimated by a simple average of single prices from a sample of houses that does not take into account the spatial correlation among the prices. As an alternative to this classic procedure, in this paper we propose a linear estimator of the mean price of houses, using the kriging estimator, which has been specially designed for the case of spatially correlated data in a given domain. This estimator is the best unbiased linear one and provides a more realistic estimate of the mean price of houses in the urban area we are interested in. Obviously, the modelling of the variogram function is a central point in the global estimation process.

Prison Labor: The Local Effects of Ohio Prison Industries

Abstract: Prison labor has both positive and negative effects. Keeping prisoners active, training and socializing them to be productive citizens after prison, and helping to pay for their incarceration are some of the positives. Potential crowding out of free labor and industry is the major potential negative. This paper addresses the quantitative financial and employment consequences on local free labor and industry of prison industries in Ohio using an input–output model for Ohio. Based on the analysis, prison industries employment in Ohio has negligible to positive employment consequences for the Ohio economy and partially offsets the incarceration cost of the inmates who participate – providing between 5 and 10 percent of the incarceration cost in net cash flow and induced tax revenues.

Returns of Small Growth Stocks: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract: I investigate the mean reversion tendency of small growth stocks. Using a carefully articulated research design employing established and empirically tested principles, my findings should support or refute the anecdotal evidence that small growth stocks make superior investments. The primary motivation for the study springs from the documented differential preference among investors for value and growth stocks. Despite evidence that value stocks tend to outperform growth stocks, investors retain strong interest in growth stocks. Yet in examining the performance of Business Week’s (BW), smaller capitalization companies (called “Hot Growth Companies”) with respect to the overall financial market, Bauman et al. [2002] found positive excess returns in the pre-publication period but negative excess returns in the post-publication period. A limitation of their study is that their analyses relied on only three criteria: sales, BW rank and return on capital, which do not represent completely a firm’s financial health. I replicate Bauman et al.’s study but use a more robust and representative variable set to test the mean reversal hypothesis — Forbes’ financial criteria — and I focus on six variables. In the current study, I look at 4,200 companies listed in Forbes from 1980 to 2000. The results of the expanded study substantiate Bauman et al.’s [2002] study showing that there are positive excess returns in the pre-publication period, but negative excess returns in the post-publication period. An expanded future study will look at five additional variables to see if they make a significant difference on the effects of the returns of small growth stocks.

The Distributive and Labor Supply Impact of the Minimum Insertion Income: The Case of Italy

Abstract: This paper analyzes the redistributive and labor supply effects of extending at national level the Minimum Insertion Income, introduced experimentally in 1999 in some Italian municipalities. We develop a behavioral microsimulation tax-benefit model that allows for simultaneous labor supply decisions by household members, endogenous choice between dependent employment and self-employment, complete representation of the current Italian tax-benefit system. The results show a positive impact on both inequality and poverty, while overall labor supply reduces. On average magnitude of labor supply disincentive is small for married individuals, relatively larger for single persons and, within this category, for women than men.

Central Bank Independence and the Cost of Disinflation: Why the Wage Contracts Length Matters?

Abstract: Recent empirical contributions demonstrate that countries with less independent central banks enjoy lower output losses during disinflationary cycles. To explain these somewhat surprising empirical findings, some authors suggest that independent central banks probably face a flatter short-run Phillips curve. In this paper, we provide both theoretical and empirical arguments to rationalize this intuition. We demonstrate that, since central bank independence reduces the mean inflation rate and its variance, wage setters opt for a lower degree of nominal wage indexation leading to more wage and price inertia and, thus, to a flatter short-run Phillips curve. Consequently, this paper put forward a channel of positive influence of central bank independence on the sacrifice ratio through its impact on nominal wage indexation. Empirical tests, performed using a sample of 19 OECD countries during the 1960–1990 period, show that these theoretical results hold also empirically.

The Economic Consequences of the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 150

Abstract: SFAS No. 150, “Accounting For Certain Financial Instruments with Characteristics of Both Liabilities and Equity” (SFAS 150), requires companies to report mandatorily redeemable preferred stock (MRPS) as a liability, and the dividends on these securities as interest expense. The purpose of this study is to examine the economic consequences of SFAS 150’s adoption on a sample of public companies. Our analysis indicates that adoption resulted in both intended and possible unintended economic consequences. Specifically: (1) the impact of SFAS 150 on non-public companies caused the FASB to review its position on the disclosures concerning MRPS; (2) some companies redeemed their MRPS prior to the adoption date of the standard; and (3) approximately 4% of sample firms were required to disclose MRPS as a liability.

Power Politics and International Labor Standards

Abstract: This paper analyzes how a country's commitment to labor standards is affected by the international political power they possess. Powerful countries may be less committed to actual enforcement of certain labor standards since they are unlikely to face significant threats of international sanctions regardless of their actions. The paper introduces an index of international power for 116 countries that is used to examine how power affects the extent to which countries enforce standards relating to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The evidence suggests that, even after controlling for differences in wealth, productivity, and market freedom, powerful countries are significantly less committed to the protection of labor standards than less powerful countries.

Evaluating the Relative Efficacy of the Marketing Function in the Construction Complex of Ukraine

Abstract: The break up of the USSR pushed 15 constituent states into a transition phase from a regulated economy to a free market style one. Partially, this involved the wholesale importation of a variety of theories, strategies, and operational plans. This paper seeks to examine the efficiency of the use of the marketing communications mix in medium and large firms in the Ukraine’s construction complex during the transition period to a market oriented economy. In order to do so, a survey of the most significant, privately owned firms in the industry was conducted. A variety of quantitative measures were employed, including econometric estimates and certain elasticity coefficients that allowed us to asses existing tendencies in the industry, identify problems, and to make tentative recommendations.

Aging and Savings in Korea: A Time-Series Approach

Abstract: Thanks to numerous empirical research studies, a general consensus has been reached on the effects of an aging population on the economy, particularly in terms of economic growth and savings. However, most of the previous research examines the effects of the aging on economically advanced countries. Furthermore, rarely have those studies used the time-series properties of the data. By applying two popular time-series statistical tools (multivariate cointegration analysis and vector error correction model) to Korean data, this paper finds: (1) There is a long-run equilibrium linkage among the aging, medical expenditure and savings; however (2) there is no Granger-causality present between aging and national savings in the short run in Korea.

Analysis of Output Fluctuations in Taiwan: An Application of the IS–MP–AS Model

Abstract: Extending the IS–MP–AS model, this paper finds that real GDP in Taiwan is positively affected by real depreciation and stock values and negatively associated with the government deficit/GDP ratio, the U.S. federal funds rate, and the expected inflation rate. Therefore, current large and rising government deficits, recent appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar, and gradual increases in the federal funds rate would hurt real output in Taiwan.

Social Responsibility and Accounting: A Possible Binomial

Abstract: The main objective of our research is to give some evidence, from a conceptual approach, about the possibility of contributing to the social responsibility development, starting from accounting. Different authors agree that there is a rising need for developing a suitable conceptual framework, which gives information companies should provide in relation to their behavior towards the environment. However, this work intends, not only to analyze the reflection of the companies' behavior in financial information, but also to show how a new accounting framework could facilitate progress in the social responsibility of companies. The paper shows that it is absolutely necessary that accounting defines the way of calculating the results of the company, taking into account the social and economical approach. A key question is a more complete definition of the matching principle, and also to put forward the new requirements for information in relation to the new approach.

Regional Exports and Economic Growth: The Case of Spanish Regions

Abstract: Different variables have been considered growth enhancing. Traditionally, physical capital, human capital, and public capital have been considered. While the first two variables have been considered positive factors, the latter shows an ambiguous effect. The literature has also considered the role of exports in the economic growth process, introducing several arguments that test the hypothesis that exports are growth enhancing. One argument to be considered is that higher exports can increase total factor productivity due to returns to scale and that exports are an effective means to introduce advanced technology. To test this argument, an empirical analysis considered three possibilities, an export model, a demand model, and a mixed model that combined both. This empirical analysis was carried out for the various Spanish regions.