bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using Software to Enhance the Writing Skills of Students with Special Needs
Authors: Cullen Jennifer , Richards Stephen B. , Frank Catherine Lawless
Published: June 2017

This study used a modified multiple-baseline design to determine the effects on the writing performance of seven students with special needs when a talking word processor with spell checker software was used independent of and in conjunction with word prediction software as accommodations in daily writing exercises. Results indicated that, in general, the impact of using writing software was positive. The group mean for number of misspellings decreased, accuracy percentage increased, number of words increased, and overall district writing rubric scores increased. Further, the software had different benefits for different students and students expressed preferences for particular software functions. Implications for practice and research are presented.
Public School-Sponsored, Community-Based Work and Independent-Living Training for Deaf-Blind Adolescents: Update 1981
Authors: Dildy Dennis , Carrillo Mike
Published: June 2017

This paper is a review of the Deaf-Blind Adolescent, Community-Based Work-Training Placement and Independent-Living Training Program now in operation in San Antonio, Texas.
What New Media Technology Will Mean to Institutions
Authors: Finkle Louis J. , Dubenezic Charles W.
Published: June 2017

This paper addresses the issue of the changing methods of mediated instruction in an age of budget limitations vs. the goals of far sighted media specialists.
The Effectiveness of Videodisc Instruction in Teaching Fractions to Learning-Disabled and Remedial High School Students
Authors: Kelly Bernadette , Carnine Douglas , Gersten Russell , Grossen Bonnie
Published: June 2017

This study compares the effectiveness of a videodisc curriculum that incorporates principles of instructional design (including discrimination practice and cumulative review) with a traditional basal program designed to teach basic fractions skills. Twenty-eight high school students, including 17 mildly handicapped students, qualified for the study by showing (a) mastery of whole number operations and (b) less than 50 percent mastery of the fractions skills to be taught. The students were matched in pairs based on a pretest score and math scores from the California Achievement Test, and then randomly assigned to one of the treatments. During the ten-day intervention, observers collected data on levels of treatment implementation and student on-task behavior. A criterion-referenced posttest and two-week maintenance test were administered. The videodisc curriculum resulted in significantly higher posttest and maintenance test scores. Levels of on-task behavior were significantly higher in the videodisc sessions, although levels in both conditions were above 80 percent. An analysis of student error patterns indicated that differences in instructional design features contributed to the relative effectiveness of the two curricula.
Planned Change in Special Education Technology
Authors: Cobb Hazel B. , Horn Charles J.
Published: June 2017

Handicapped learners stand to benefit a great deal from educational technology. The technology for teacher training is gradually emerging. It is this technology that is a prerequisite to the systematic use of instructional technology by the classroom teacher. Since teacher educators are instrumental in the adoption of technology in public education there is a necessity to know the current status of adoption and use of technology in special teacher education programs. A comprehensive study was conducted at the University of Alabama in which the researchers examined the extent of planning for technological change being conducted by teacher education institutions in special education. Data for the study were collected by the use of a mailed survey form. The survey included all 697 special education/teacher education programs in the United States. A total was 298 (43%) surveys completed by program chairpersons at each institution was returned. Results of the study indicate that teacher education institutions are not using a variety of the newest technologies needed to acquaint current and future special educators with the tools of the information age. There is no relationship between systematic planning for adoption of a new technology and the subsequent success of the adopted technology. Teacher education institutions in special education are not anticipating adopting a wide variety of new technology. It appears teacher educators are creating a technology gap at the very time they should be leading the effort to explore the potential of new technologies for improving effectiveness and efficiency of instruction for exceptional individuals.
The Effects of CAI and Time Delay: A Systematic Program for Teaching Spelling
Authors: Kinney Patricia G. , Stevens Kay B. , Schuster John W.
Published: June 2017

This study describes a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program that implemented a constant time delay procedure to teach the spelling of 15 state names to a student with a history of spelling disabilities. A multiple probe design across words sets demonstrated that the near-errorless program was effective in teaching the student to type the correct spellings with less than a 5% error rate during instruction. Generalization to written spelling occurred, and maintenance probe data ranged from 94% to 100%. The time delay procedure includes proven principles of learning based upon stimulus control techniques and was found to be highly adaptable to CAI programs.
Technological Innovation in the Context of Special Education Systems: A Qualitative and Structured Research Approach
Authors: Hanley Tom V. , Appell Louise S. , Harris Carolyn DeMeyer
Published: June 2017

A multimethod investigation of the integration of CAI into the curriculum for mildly handicapped high school students is being conducted. The research incorporates both qualitative and quantitative methods. The research design is based on an understanding that decisions, actions, and resources at different organizational levels within the school district affect the ways computers are used in resource rooms, regular classes, and computer labs. A theory-driven, structural model is being evaluated through case studies and formal observations of CAI implementation. Findings are being used formatively during Phase I of the investigation to support development of a model of effective practices that will be replicated and refined during Phase II. Preliminary findings from initial case studies in two school districts support efforts to identify, model, and refine practices in four areas: needs assessment procedures, software selection, inservice training and technical assistance, and school communications mechanisms. A special feature of the on-going study is the nature and extent of collaboration between the researchers and local school staff.
The Integration of Technology in the Curriculum
Authors: Panyan Marion V. , Hummel Jeffrey , Jackson Lewis B.
Published: June 2017

This article describes a 3-year research project to develop an applications model to successfully integrate technology in the instruction of elementary school learners with mild and moderate handicaps. The model is based on decision theory and focuses specifically on the decisions of in-school agents (i.e., students, regular classroom teachers, instructional support personnel, and administrators). Decisions of these agents are considered with respect to four decision areas ( i.e., identification of content, instructional methods and arrangements, organization of instruction, and outcome assessment).

Twenty research questions have been identified and clustered into five elements that represent the beginnings of an applications model. These five elements are: (1) software reference to the curriculum and IEP objectives, (2) integrated instructional activities, (3) collaborative planning, (4) student self-management, and (5) teacher training and support. Finally, this article provides a framework for understanding future project efforts as well as an orientation to the theoretical underpinnings of the research plan.
“If You Could Just Push a Button”: Two Fourth Grade Boys with Learning Disabilities Learn to Use a Computer Spelling Checker
Authors: Dalton Bridget , Winbury Nancy E. , Morocco Catherine Cobb
Published: June 2017

This study examines the value of a computer spelling checker as an editing tool for learning disabled writers with spelling difficulties. Two fourth-grade boys with spelling problems but different learner profiles and writing abilities learned to use the Bank Street Writer III word processing and spelling checker program to edit spelling errors—first with practice exercises and then in their own writing. Both boys learned to manage the spelling-checking process, increased the spelling accuracy of their edited texts, and enjoyed using a spelling checker. There were differences in their learning process and use of the tool, and limitations in the current technology influenced their editing performance (eg, neither student corrected any of the errors “missed” by the spelling checker; both students relied on a collaborative peer to help generate alternative spellings when the spelling checker did not offer the correction).
The Effects of CAI on Word Recognition in Mildly Mentally Handicapped and Nonhandicapped Learners
Authors: Lin Agnes , Podell David M. , Rein Nelly
Published: June 2017

This study was designed to assess the differential effects of the critical features of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and a more traditional paper-and-pencil approach on automatization of word recognition skills among mildly mentally handicapped and nonhandicapped students.

Teachers' task-specific verbal instruction tailored to the performance of individual learners and moment-by-moment decisions about pacing were critical features of the paper-and-pencil condition which led to greater accuracy. The opportunity for students to monitor their performance and the immediacy of feedback and reinforcement were the inherent qualities of the CAI condition that led to faster responses among the nonhandicapped students. Additional findings revealed that students who were initially slower demonstrated greater gains in response time, irrespective of educational placement.
Use of Telecommunications for Inservice Support of Teachers of Students with Disabilities
Authors: Rule Sarah , Stowitschek Joseph J.
Published: June 2017

Telecommunications systems have made it possible to reach learners in geographically distant locations. However, most applications using electronic media are large group courses whose purposes are relevant to but may not directly change instructional methods that teachers apply in the classroom. This article describes applications of electronic media to inservice training, support, and consultation. The intent of the training was to change the instructional technologies that preschool special education personnel applied in their classrooms. The authors suggest further applications to promote a collaborative relationship between university-based personnel and special educators in the field.
Use of an Interactive Telecommunications Network to Deliver Inservice Education
Authors: Slaton Deborah Bott , Lacefield Warren E.
Published: June 2017

An interactive telecommunication network established by Kentucky Educational Television was used to deliver a series of four inservice education sessions on the topics of learning disabilities and adaptive teaching techniques. Participants included 155 educators from 19 school districts located in rural areas of Kentucky. Participants' reactions indicated that interactive television was an acceptable format for delivery of inservice education. Implications for design and delivery of distance learning inservice training are discussed.
Fact Retrieval by Students with and without Learning Handicaps Using Print and Electronic Encyclopedias
Authors: Edyburn Dave L.
Published: June 2017

Retrieval of information from online databases has risen substantially in recent years as a result of issues associated with accessibility, convenience, and efficiency. To examine the potential impact of this trend in schools, a study was conducted to investigate the natural information retrieval skills of thirteen junior high learning handicapped students and fifteen nonlearning handicapped peers using a repeated measures latin square design. Each student conducted four fact retrieval tasks with a print encyclopedia, an online electronic encyclopedia with menus, and an online electronic encyclopedia with commands. While significant differences were found in the overall level of retrieval success between the two groups of students their patterns of performance were identical. Higher levels of success in fact retrieval were found when the retrieval tasks were assigned as opposed to self-selected and when the retrieval tasks were simple as opposed to complex. The form of the encyclopedia was also found to have a significant effect on retrieval success; the highest levels being attained with the menu driven electronic encyclopedia, the print encyclopedia, and the command driven electronic encyclopedia, respectively. A post hoc analysis of the students' performance yielded a diagnostic profile regarding areas of difficulty for student searchers. The results of the study are discussed relative to the viability of using knowledge bases for fact retrieval and the need for teaching information-seeking skills as a necessary prerequisite for exploiting information technology.
Instructional Strategies for Interactive Television
Authors: Ho Curtis P.
Published: June 2017

Delivering instruction at a distance over television presents many of the challenges one encounters in a traditional classroom, as well as some that may be unique to the medium. This article describes some considerations for designing instruction for interactive television and discusses strategies for teaching using it. The development of a course for distant learners begins with a systematic approach to designing instruction that consists of four phases: design, develop, evaluate and revise. Instructional activities are sequenced within each lesson to benefit the distant student. A successful televised lesson capitalizes on the use of visuals to maintain interest and to illustrate key concepts and relationships. An effective lesson also uses appropriate interactive techniques to actively involve students in the learning process.
Technological Advances Linking the Assessment of Students' Academic Proficiency to Instructional Planning
Authors: Fuchs Lynn S. , Fuchs Douglas , Hamlett Carol L.
Published: June 2017

Teachers' use of objective, ongoing assessment to help them formatively and empirically develop effective instructional programs is one signature feature of model special education programs. Despite their demonstrated efficacy, as well as frequent calls for their implementation, these assessment methods have failed to progress from model to typical special education practice due to feasibility problems. In this article, we describe a research program conducted over the past 8 years to address how technology can be used to surmount these implementation difficulties. The research program focused on one variety of objective, ongoing assessment known as curriculum-based measurement, in the areas of reading, spelling, and math. First, we discuss research on the use of computers to assume the mechanical aspects of measurement. Then, we discuss research on the use of computers to help teachers translate the assessment information into feasible instructional adaptations, even within the context of large instructional group size. Implications for the fields of special education, technology, and assessment are drawn.
Development of a Computer-Based System for the Unobtrusive Collection of Direct Observational Data
Authors: Johnson Happy , Blackhurst A. Edward , Maley Kelly , Bomba Cheryl , Cox-Cruey Terry , Dell Amy
Published: June 2017

This article describes a computer-based system, the Direct Observation Data System ( DODS). DODS allows for unobtrusive collection of direct observational data in the classroom and in natural settings. At present the DODS consists of an event recording and duration recording program. The DODS supports the use of a remote recording device for the collection of direct observational data. The remote recording device allows the user to: (1) collect direct observational data while continuing to teach and monitor student progress; (2) collect direct observational data in settings other than where the computer is located; and (3) collect direct observational data in natural settings (e.g., lunchroom, playground, community, home, etc.). The DODS is currently undergoing field testing. Implications for use of the DODS and other computer-based data collection systems under development are discussed.
Assistive Technology Applications in Educational Programs of Children with Multiple Disabilities: A Case Study Report on the State of the Practice
Authors: Hutinger Patricia , Johanson Joyce , Stoneburner Robert
Published: June 2017

Results are reported of a two-year case study that analyzed how assistive technology was used in educational programs for 14 children with multiple disabilities who had two to ten years experience with assistive technology. The authors employed a modified longitudinal approach to study assistive technology use, the effects of technology applications, and barriers to the achievement of the children's educational goals. Data collection procedures included direct observation, videotapes of children as they used assistive technologies, questionnaires, and interviews with teachers and parents. In spite of a number of barriers, by the end of the study the children were able to use technology tools to accomplish tasks previously not possible due to the severity of their disabilities. The greatest improvement occurred in the areas of social and emotional development. The implications for assistive technology use by children with multiple disabilities are discussed.
Family Issues and Assistive Technology Needs: A Sampling of State Practices
Authors: Parette Howard P. , Hourcade Jack J.
Published: June 2017

In part as a result of federal legislation in the 1980s and 1990s, preschoolers with disabilities and their families increasingly have access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. However, to date much is still to be learned about the degree to which various factors impact the many decisions inherent in prescribing AAC devices for these children. This survey of the 58 Part H coordinators throughout the nation queried respondents on services provided; factors considered during evaluation; the role of families in this process; and the consideration of the characteristics of the child, the technology, and the service system. The results are discussed in light of the necessity for sensitivity on the part of professionals to family issues.
The Growth of South Korean Multinational Corporations as a Cause and Effect of the 1997 Financial Crisis
Authors: Tolentino Paz Estrella E
Published: June 2017

The bankruptcy of at least nine chaebols between 1990 and 1997, of which many were South Korean MNCs, may have been one of the underlying causes of the financial and currency crisis that adversely affected South Korea in 1997, or at least contributed to increasing the vulnerability of the South Korean economy to such crisis. The crisis in turn adversely affected the growth of South Korean FDI by curtailing the financial capacity of South Korean MNCs to fund overseas investment expansion. However, the inherent financial weakness of South Korean MNCs has not prevented their continuing growth and expansion throughout the course of their history, so much as the real factors related to the growth of firms and their industries. Fundamental changes in both the real and financial sectors of the economy are required to reduce the vulnerability of South Korea to financial and currency crisis in the future, and to ensure the long-term growth and development of the South Korean economy, their firms and MNCs.
Globalization: Understanding and Action
Authors: Pianta Mario
Published: June 2017

Review of Dean Baker, Gerald Epstein and Robert Pollin (eds.), Globalization and progressive economic policy, New York, Cambridge University Press, 1998, pp. 514.

David Held, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt and Jonathan Perraton, Global transformations. Politics, economics and culture, Cambridge, Polity Press, 1999, pp. 515.

Paul Hirst and Grahame Thompson, Globalization in question, 2nd edn, Cambridge, Polity Press, 1999, pp. 318.
Book Review: Greater china and Japan: prospects for an economic partnership in East Asia
Authors: Taplin Ruth
Published: June 2017

Greater china and Japan: prospects for an economic partnership in East Asia Robert Taylor, 1996. London: Routledge.
Building the Knowledge-Based Economy in Countries in Transition—from Concepts to Policies
Authors: Dyker David A. , Radosevic Slavo
Published: June 2017

Conventional transition policies of a predominantly macroeconomic character have done a good deal to create necessary conditions for building the knowledge-based economy in the countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Establishment of sufficient conditions for such an evolution will require a different approach to policy-making, which will range much more widely across the gamut of possible economic policies, but will at the same time seek to bolster state action with the actions of private, voluntary and semi-public organisations. Generalised government failure must be recognised as a serious constraint on policy-making options, especially in the former Soviet Union. Still, there is much that can be done under the rubric of traditional policy areas like competition and regional development. What is absolutely clear is that without rigorous supervision some areas that are crucial for the development of the knowledge-based economy, notably the banking sector, are very likely to fall prey to problems of moral hazard and abuse of market position. By the same token standards of corporate governance will have to be raised. Only in this way will the transition countries be able to develop the institutional diversity and complex collective learning networks required if they are ever to catch up with the advanced industrial countries.
Political Economic Person, Ideological Orientation and Institutional Change
Authors: Söderbaum Peter
Published: June 2017

Institutions do not exist independently of individuals. Individuals relate to institutions in cognitive and emotional ways. In this essay emphasis will be on how individuals interpret various phenomena as part of their ideological orientation. A Political Economic Person will be suggested as an alternative to Economic Man. Human beings are assumed to be responsible actors with many roles and acting in a changing context from specific positions.

In relation to a specific group of phenomena such as business corporations or markets, there are more than one language and scheme of interpretation that can be used by individuals. The choice and application of one scheme of interpretation is a political matter and part of the mentioned ideological orientation of the individual. Similarly, organisations such as business corporations have their value orientation, business concept, business ideology or mission statement, which suggest specific ways of interpreting the world.

Taking environmental issues seriously may—as an example—lead to a questioning of simplistic ideas about business companies in terms of profits and shareholder values. New schemes of interpretation emerge connected for instance with Environmental Management Systems, such as ISO 14001 or the European Union version, EMAS. The existence of more than one scheme of interpretation in relation to business corporations as phenomena, makes it meaningful to speak of a competition between alternative schemes of interpretation and thereby between institutions. ISO 14001—pointing to an idea that not only the monetary performance of a company counts but also environmental performance—has become institutionalised and in some sense threatens other existing ideas about business.
The Political Economy and the Natural Monopoly of the Postal Service: the Swedish case
Authors: Bladh Mats
Published: June 2017

The postal service is a neglected business in academic historiography. Today’s postal service confronts two challenges: information technology and deregulation. This study deals mostly with deregulatory issues in a historical perspective. Comparisons between different periods in Swedish postal history in regard to competition, cross-subsidisation and bases for a natural monopoly is presented, and also the long-term development of mail volume. It will be argued that there has been quite different attitudes towards competition; that different forms of cross-subsidisation has existed; that the postal service has been a natural monopoly, but for reasons related to change; that mail composition has been transformed from correspondence to mass mail; and that mail volume has increased despite the rise of new modes of communication.
Purchasing Power and Process Attributes: Some Preliminary Considerations in the Arena of International Trade
Authors: Grolleau Gilles , BenAbid Sandoss
Published: June 2017

We analyse the implications of regulating market-based process attributes in an international trade context. We apply our work to agro-food products by providing anecdotal evidences. To guarantee fair trading in open market-based credence goods, we underline the importance of the defining stage prior to the stages of monitoring and signalling hidden credence properties. We briefly discuss some implications of marketing process attributes in the context of international trade, notably by stressing the need for international co-operation.

JEL Classification Numbers: D 82, F 13, Q 18, L 15
Globalisation and the Diversity of National Institutions: A Comparative Analysis of Contract Enforcement
Authors: Lee Soo Hee
Published: June 2017

This paper examines various aspects of comparative economic organization, particularly different types of contractual governance. Despite the widespread claims of global convergence and market-led institutional reform, there is still conspicuous resilience of national specificity and societal variance of institutions that are pertinent to considerations of regulation, policy and business strategy. We provide an evaluation of various debates on the effects of globalisation, concentrating on the literature on state capacity and national business systems, national competitiveness and country-specific firm strategy, and societal variance of institutions. Our main analysis of contract enforcement is concerned with a fundamental question; how transaction costs may influence the emergent forms of institutional arrangements across different societies. We argue that the relative configuration of institutional arrangements facilitating economic exchange is shaped by different modalities of enforcement. Based on the institutionalist insights (Williamson, 1985; North, 1990), we propose a typology of business exchange and enforcement: contract, trust and hostage.
A Macroeconometric Model for the Analysis of the Impact of Technological Change and Trade on Employment
Authors: Tancioni Massimiliano , Simonetti Roberto
Published: June 2017

This paper introduces the theoretical foundations and the structure of a macroeconometric model for the analysis of compensation schemes. After a brief explanation of the main relationships between technical change and employment, the general structure of the model is outlined with reference to the objective of the analysis. The formal model illustrates a possible way of approaching, from a macroeconomic perspective, the analysis of the complex relations between technological change, trade, growth and employment dynamics. The aim is to highlight the relevance of some aspects that in the past have only received a minor treatment in mainstream contributions to the issue. In particular, the strong dependence of the results on distribution and demand is recognized. The model proposed is the extended version of a macroeconomic model previously presented by Vivarelli (1995). Modifications have both theoretical and technical relevance. Some results from an application to Italy and the United Kingdom follow a brief discussion on the techniques adopted for the econometric estimation.
Patterns of Innovation in UK Industry: Exploring the CIS Data to Contrast High and Low Technology Industries
Authors: Cox Howard , Frenz Marion , Prevezer Martha
Published: June 2017

This paper is divided into two parts. The first part is an examination of the OECD classification of industries into high, medium and low technology industries, to look at the basis for this classification and to use that as a benchmark with which to classify the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) data for the UK into similar groupings. The industries are ranked according to their research intensities and the rankings between the two datasets are compared. Some features of the UK rankings are highlighted and anomalies between the two datasets pointed out. The second part of the paper goes on to use the OECD classification into high, medium and low technology industries, applied to the CIS dataset, to contrast patterns of innovation in high technology industries with those in low technology industries. We build on the three types of innovation surveyed in the CIS, namely product, process and organizational innovation and contrast those types across high and low technology sectors. The expected relationship between high technology industries and product innovation holds—that enterprises tend to do more product innovation, the higher their research intensity. But process innovation does not conform to this pattern and there is not such a clear division between high and low technology industries. However the way they do process innovations differs with high technology industries more reliant on internal resources whereas lower technology industries tend to do it using external resources in collaboration with others. Organizational innovation is more complex, with certain types of innovation done as widely by lower technology industries as by the more research intensive industries. This supports the idea that all types of innovation should be considered, with the diffusion of ICTs making an impact across the technological spectrum of industries and showing up in various forms of organizational innovation.
Informing Shareholders and Investors: A Behavioral and Economics Approach from a German Company Law Perspective
Authors: Spindler Gerald , Jaenig Ronny
Published: June 2017

This paper surveys the information instruments provided to shareholders and investors by company law. We integrate theoretical studies from law, economics and behavioral science in order to contribute to the cross-fertilization of these fields. We provide an organizing framework that identifies categories for information instruments. From our point of view, these categories allow a better systematic approach to the economic and behavioral implications of information instruments. We discuss both the effectiveness and efficiency of the generated categories of information instruments. The paper concludes with a cautionary note against the potential for behavioral and economics aspects as a justification for rules and regulations.
Economics, Ethics and Environmental Problems
Authors: Söderbaum Peter
Published: June 2017

The relevance and usefulness of mainstream or neoclassical economics has been questioned more in some fields of inquiry than in others. Against the background of an attempt to characterize environmental problems, the fruitfulness of conventional ideas of economic analysis, as carried out in practice in the form of cost-benefit analysis, is questioned. Alternative approaches judged to be more compatible with environmental problems are indicated.

It is argued that cost-benefit analysis represents a closed ethic or ideology and that approaches which open the way for various possible ethical or ideological standpoints are more promising. Different principles of resource allocation or housekeeping should be considered and the idea of only one “scientifically correct” or “true” principle abandoned. Non-monetary principles of housekeeping, such as specific versions of ecological ethics, are not “less economic” than the now dominant monetary principles.
Technology and the Future: A New Look at Kondratieff Cycles
Authors: Elliott Dave
Published: June 2017

This article considers some of the possible ways in which technological Innovation may facilitate or endanger economic progress in the future. It does so within the general framework of the Kondratieff cycles. Explanations of these phenomena are considered under three categories—economic, technological and socio-economic and the relationship between micro- and macro-economic perspectives examined in greater detail. It then considers whether such cycles are self-limiting or whether they are limited by external resource constraints. The implications for the fifth and, more speculatively, the sixth Kondratieff Cycles are examined. It is argued that newly industrialising countries need not be forced to follow the same route as already industrialised countries and that more countries in turn may find alternative routes to economic development—specifically the choice between “information technology” and “alternative technology”.
Book Review: The Bulgarian Economy in the Twentieth Century
Authors: Lewis R.A.
Published: June 2017

The Bulgarian Economy in the Twentieth Century John R. Lampe, Croom Helm: London & Sidney, 1986. x + 245pp. £25.00.
Is There a Political Monetary Business Cycle?
Authors: Mevorach Baruch
Published: June 2017

This paper provides a political case study explanation to the otherwise pessimistic accounts of the invariance (neutrality) proposition in the rational expectations (ratex) money-output literature. With the assistance of a partisan administration computational “rule”, the anticipated and unanticipated money components are partially separated to allow for consistent partisan anticipated and unanticipated multipliers to exist.

Under republican administrations, with a lesser degree of perceived intervention in the economy, money supply is given a more unanticipated interpretation and thus incorporated to a larger degree in the calculations for determining output variance. When Democrats are in control, the larger degree of perceived intervention in the economy is given a more anticipated interpretation, and thus money supply is discounted to a larger degree, when compared with Republican administrations, from the calculations for determining output variance.
Economic Development: Raising Revenues without Increasing Taxes
Authors: Kemp Roger L.
Published: June 2017

Many local governments are now facing the challenge of maintaining an adequate level of public services without resorting to any form of tax increase. One strategy is to generate additional tax receipts from existing levies through economic development. The author provides an overview of the increasingly creative and innovative array of incentives being negotiated with those who finance and develop desirable real estate projects.
Book Review: Progress in Natural Resource Economics
Authors: McInerny John
Published: June 2017

Progress in Natural Resource Economics. Edited by Anthony Scott. Oxford University Press, 1985. vii + 440 pages. £30.
Book Review: Transformed Economics
Authors: Grief Nicholas
Published: June 2017

Transformed Economics. Alan Storkey. Third Way Books, S.P.C.K. £5.95.
A.N. Whitehead’s Fallacy of Misplaced Concreteness: Examples from Economics
Authors: Daly Herman E.
Published: June 2017

The fallacy of misplaced concreteness is considered, following Whitehead, as a general difficulty in abstract conceptual thought. A connection to economic theory was made by Whitehead himself, although that was not his primary reason for investigating the fallacy. More recently Georgescu-Roegen has identified misplaced concreteness as the cardinal sin of standard economics. This article develops these points, and offers specific examples of this fallacy found in the works of several leading economists. In conclusion some rules of thumb for avoiding the fallacy of misplaced concreteness are offered.
The Falsifiability of the Neoclassical Maximization Hypothesis: Some Methodological Considerations
Authors: Boylan Thomas A. , O’Gorman Pascal F.
Published: June 2017

In recent years the methodological status of the neoclassical maximisation hypothesis has been subjected to criticism from a number of different sources. These have included criticisms from the Austrian subjectivist school based on the work of Hayek and Shackle along with empirical criticisms emanating from the work of Simon and Leibenstein. These criticisms have evoked a response, and one of the most significant contributors has been the work of Lawrence Boland, particularly his 1981 contribution ‘On the Futility of Criticising the Neoclassical Maximization Hypothesis’. We will, in this paper, criticize Boland’s methodological defence of the neoclassical maximization hypothesis. Firstly, we will argue that his treatment of this hypothesis as an ‘All-and-some’ statement does not withstand critical scrutiny. Secondly, we will reject Mongin’s (1986) argument that the neo-classical maximization hypothesis as an ‘All-and-some’ statement is in fact falsifiable. Thirdly, we will argue that Boland’s defence of a metaphysical core is unconvincing view from the wider perspective of the philosophy of science.
Book Revew: Essays on Economic Progress and Welfare in honour of I.G. Patel
Authors: Macmillen Malcolm J.
Published: June 2017

Essays on Economic Progress and Welfare in honour of I.G. Patel, S. Guhan and M. Shroff (Eds.), Oxford University Press/OUP India, 1986, 326 pages, £12.95.
Book Revews: Liberty, Market and State—Political Economy in the 1980s
Authors: Meyer F.V.
Published: June 2017

Liberty, Market and State—Political Economy in the 1980s, James M. Buchanan, Wheatsheaf Books Ltd, Brighton 1986. pp. 278. ISBN 0-7450-0017-7.
Transfer Pricing and Trade Malpractice in the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Log Export Industry
Authors: Grynberg Roman , Wigston David , Vemuri Siva Ram
Published: June 2017

The paper examines the evidence to suggest that there is extensive trade malpractice in the Papua New Guinea log export industry. The malpractice comes in the form of transfer pricing, species misidentification and under measurement of logs. The evidence provided strongly supports the hypothesis that there is extensive malpractice. On the basis of international trade statistics it is possible to demonstrate that PNG logs trade at prices that are substantially at variance with those of logs of other countries in the region. Moreover pricing behaviour appears to be consistent with the administered price hypothesis. The available evidence, gathered from tax files indicates that firms in the PNG forest industry make no taxable profit over long periods of time yet there is no tendency for these firms to exit the market. This would indicate that the firms are actually making profits by various illegal means. It is argued that the various forms of malpractice are symptoms of the same phenomena and any attempt to deal with transfer pricing without simultaneously dealing with species misidentification and under measurement will be pointless as these are alternative strategies of tax evasion.
Dissipative Structures, Control and Innovative Behavior in Monopolies
Authors: Jenner Richard A.
Published: June 2017

Although many economists have tended to agree with Schumpeter that most research and innovative activities will tend to be conducted by large, monopolistic firms, empirical studies do not provide clear evidence to support this conclusion. Part of the problem in resolving this conflict, it is argued, rests with the lack of a methodologically sound conceptual framework for examining the processes of innovation. This paper employs concepts from the comparatively new scientific fields of “chaos”, non-linear systems, and “dissipative structures”—as well as from cybernetics and information theory—to develop an outline of a general model to explore the issue. It concludes that to the extent that monopolies tend to move “close to equilibrium”, their internal entropy will increase, and their R&D efforts will atrophy. On the other hand, when these firms are driven by external market pressures “far from equilibrium”, R&D and innovative activities become revitalized.
Book Review: Transnational Monopoly Capitalism
Authors: Meyer F.V.
Published: June 2017

Transnational Monopoly Capitalism: Keith Cowling and Roger Sugden; Wheatsheaf Books Ltd, Brighton, 1987, pp. 178, ISBN 0-7450-0191-2 (cloth) £22.50 and 0-7450-0267-6 (Pbk) £8.95.

Trade Theory and Policy: Ali M. El-Agraa; Macmillan Press, London, 1984, pp. 118, ISBN 0-333-36020-6, £33.00.

The Stability of the International Monetary System: W.M. Scammell; Macmillan Education Ltd., London, 1987, pp. 162, ISBN 0-333-38577-2 (hardcover) £20.00 and 0-333-38578-0 (Pbk) £6.95.

The Economics of the Common Market, Sixth Edition: Dennis Swann; Pelican Books, London, 1988, pp. 326, ISBN 0-14-022781-4, £6.95.
‘A Confusion of Aims’. Defence Manufacturing and Industrial Policy in the Early 1950’s. A Case study
Authors: Syme-Taylor Victoria
Published: June 2017

This paper looks at the difficulties experienced by both government and industry with the imposition of an accelerated defence programme in the early 1950’s. Shortages in manufacturing capacity, labour and resources forced government to interfere in industry at a time when it was believed that in order to regenerate Britain’s export potential industry had to be freed from the legacy of wartime controls. The impact was not, however, evenly spread but tended to cluster around the engineering industries. Apart from the obvious damage that this would cause to the export drive there was the added and less easily quantifiable problem that directing defence manufacturing to these industries rigidified a regional industrial structure despite government’s realisation of the need for a reevaluation of Britain’s industrial/regional heritage. This paper questions the thesis that the impact of the defence programme was marginal. While accepting the evidence that industry was at times reluctant to observe direction from Government and that indeed much of the programme was not fulfilled, examination of material from the government departments concerned with the programme shows that a confusion of aims may well have helped to undermine industry’s development in this crucial phase of post-war reconstruction.
Young People and Employment in the South West
Authors: Dunkerley David , Wallace Claire
Published: June 2017

From a comprehensive survey of over 1200 17 and 18 year olds in Devon and Cornwall, the paper concentrates on the economic position of young people. Important differences were found between the young people in urban and rural areas. Of interest here is the role played by them in the local economy. The rural South West is shown to be characterized by a prevalence of self-employment and small businesses. Furthermore, factors such as a shortage of housing and travelling difficulties leads to different kinds of interdependence between parents and children in rural areas from those found in urban areas.

Although in rural areas a dependence of young people upon the family was found, this was balanced by the dependence of the family on them in the sense of a young person’s labour often being a crucial part of the family business. This interdependence is intensified in many rural businesses where there is often no geographical separation of home and workplace.

The far South West experiences some of the highest unemployment and the lowest wages in the UK and yet young people in rural areas were found to have developed coping strategies manifested in both formal and informal work practices, casualization and self-employment. The ‘pluriactivity’ found shows young people socialized into long hours, hard work and poor rewards. It is clear from the results that young people are not simply passively dependent upon the household nor that the flow of resources goes simply from parents to children.

Small scale rural enterprises in which young people are employed or seek to be employed still show a marked gender division of tasks. Further, it was difficult in many instances to make a clear distinction between work and non-work although again distinct gender differences are visible.
Commodity Relations and the Forces of Production: The Theft and Defence of Intellectual Property
Authors: Avenell Simon , Thompson Herb
Published: June 2017

In 1993, the info-media companies, Philips and Sony brought their new digital audio recording systems (Digital Compact Cassette and the Mini Disc respectively) onto the market. Since both systems can make perfect digital copies of Compact Discs, this will dramatically affect the profitability of the pre-recorded music industry, which is a repeat of what occurred when audio cassettes were first introduced in the 1960s. The inability to enforce restrictions on copyright or patent infringement is considered a global problem by many firms in the so-called “sunrise industries”. This article situates the problem by presenting and analysing the commodity relations of the pre-recorded music industry within the framework of Marxist methodology. The methodology provides for unique insights into this problem for the capitalist mode of production and points to the possibilities for further research. A secondary, but methodologically important purpose of the article is to widen the potential for Marxist analysis itself by extending attention on the commodity relations-consumption component of the circuit of capital, an area given meager attention by Marxists in the past.
Military Expenditure, Arms Imports and Third World Debt During the 1980s
Authors: Harris Geoff
Published: June 2017

One of the ‘costs’ of military imports and military expenditures by developing countries occurs to the extent that these are financed by incurring foreign debt. This article estimates that, for 61 severely and moderately indebted developing countries, military imports during the 1980s were equivalent to about 28% of new foreign debt incurred. When military expenditures as a whole are examined, the proportion is around 77%. Had these countries made no military expenditures during the 1980s, they could have borrowed very little and/or allocated far more of the borrowed resources to productive purposes, thus making future debt servicing burdens much lighter and/or easier to meet.
Towards Extending the Concept of Human Capital: A Note on Cultural Capital
Authors: Bruin Anne de
Published: June 2017

Economists have progressively recognised the importance of human capital in explaining differences in the economic performance of nations. In the context of the knowledge intensity of today’s global economy, the acquisition of human capital takes on added significance. At the micro level too, endowments and upgrading of human capital are seen as the key to employment and better paying jobs for individuals. Commonly subscribed to notions of human capital are, however, based on neoclassical theory of human capital investment. This note argues that this approach fails to recognise adequately the cultural capital of individuals and communities. It is suggested that the concept of human capital should therefore be widened to include embodied cultural capital, with the term used here in the Bourdieuan sense. Broadening the definition of human capital in this way would overcome the predilection to believe that some groups, especially ethnic minorities, are necessarily less employable because they are lacking in human capital. Furthermore, innovative community initiatives could recognise and utilise this dimension of human capital to provide employment for ethnic minorities. This widened definition would also provide a theoretical underpinning to support direct job creation, particularly practical programmes to create jobs at the local grassroots level.