bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exchange Rate Pass‐Through in Vertically Related Markets
Authors: Aksoy Yunus , Riyanto Yohanes E.
Published: March 2003

The paper provides a theoretical framework which addresses exchange rate pass‐through within the setting of vertically related markets. In particular, foreign firms’ price adjustment in response to an exchange rate shock is evaluated. This permits study of the importance of cost effects of the exchange rate shock. Recent empirical evidence indicated the relevance of these cost effects. It is shown that one can decompose the effects of an exchange rate shock on the final goods market into direct and indirect components. The indirect effect works through the input market. The degree of pass‐through then depends on the relative importance of direct and indirect effects, which in turn depends on the nature of vertical structures and strategic firm behavior. It is shown that the institutional aspects of vertically related markets play a role in explaining incomplete price adjustments in both intermediate and final goods markets and the failure of PPP in the short run.
Trade and Labor Approaches to Wage Inequality
Authors: Haskel Jonathan E.
Published: March 2003

The paper compares the trade and labor approaches to wage inequality. It first looks at the theoretical differences, stressing the different roles ascribed to sector and factor bias, labor supply and the theory of technical change in trade models with endogenous prices. It then briefly reviews some of the evidence on the sector bias of prices and technology.
Comparative Advantage and Economies of Scale: When Does Ricardo Dominate Smith?
Authors: Nordås Hildegunn Kyvik
Published: March 2003

This paper develops a two‐country, two‐sector (X and Y) model of international trade. One country has comparative advantage in the increasing returns Y‐sector. The direction of trade depends on the relative size of the countries and the relative strength of economies of scale and comparative advantage. An equilibrium where the smallest country exports the Y‐good and the largest country loses from trade is possible. A dynamic equilibrium where the X‐sector is subject to learning by doing locks in the initial pattern of specialization. Yet, there may be few welfare gains from protecting the X‐sector in the small country.
Trade Liberalization and Cartel Stability
Authors: Lommerud Kjell Erik , Sørgard Lars
Published: March 2003

Can reduced trade barriers promote a collusive understanding about not exporting into each others domestic markets? Reduced trade costs increase the short‐run gains from starting exporting, but can also make the long‐run punishment of such a strategy harsher. If collusion on prices is supported by a trigger strategy, a reduction in trade costs weakens competition in the sense that collusion is easier to sustain. In a corresponding model with collusion on quantities, this conclusion is reversed. The authors also discuss how results change if grim trigger strategies are replaced by stick‐and‐carrot punishments.
Trade and Environment: Bargaining Outcomes from Linked Negotiations
Authors: Abrego Lisandro , Perroni Carlo , Whalley John , Wigle Randall M.
Published: March 2003

Some recent literature has explored physical and policy linkages between trade and the environment. This paper explores linkage through leverage in bargaining, whereby developed countries can use trade threats to achieve improved developing‐country environmental management, while developing countries can use environmental concessions to achieve trade discipline in developed countries. A global numerical simulation model is used to compute bargaining outcomes from linked trade and environment negotiations. Results indicate joint gains from expanding the trade bargaining set to include the environment. However, compared with bargaining with cash side‐payments, linked negotiations on policy instruments provide significantly inferior outcomes for developing countries.
The Response of Other Lenders to the IMF
Authors: Rowlands Dane
Published: March 2003

Until the late 1980s, it was a stylized fact that when a country adopted an IMF program, additional loans from non‐IMF sources would be triggered. Subsequent empirical research cast doubt on this catalytic effect; a country’s past involvement with the IMF appeared to be negatively correlated with new lending. This paper examines directly the response of lenders to the presence of IMF conditional agreements in developing countries in the 1973–89 period. While total lending does appear to increase in response to the presence of some IMF agreements, the effect varies over time, and across recipients and lenders.
Openness and Growth in North Korea: Evidence from Time–Series Data
Authors: Jin Jang C.
Published: March 2003

New growth theories suggest that an economy's increased openness raises domestic productivity, and hence must have a positive effect on the living standards of a nation. The North Korean economy, isolated from world trade for several decades and its economy devastated, provides a test for this implied causality. The possibility that the ultimate source of declining real gross national product since 1974 is a decrease in trade liberalization of the North Korean economy cannot be rejected. The results are more definitive when the sample is split into two subperiods, pre–1974 and post–1974. These findings are generally consistent with the conventional model in which free trade stimulates economic growth.
Public Homeownership, Housing Finance and Socioeconomic Development in Singapore
Authors: Tu Yong
Published: March 2003

This paper first presents an analytic review of Singapore public homeownership policy developments over the past 35 years. The analysis will then focus on the two main reasons contributing to the success of Singapore public homeownership: the country’s model of public housing finance; and the significant role public homeownership has played in its economic development. Finally, the paper concludes that the Singapore public housing system is not a ready package that can be applied anywhere, but that it does offer experiences that could be useful for other countries.
Income Inequality in Large U.S. Cities in the 1980s
Authors: Nissan Edward , Carter George
Published: March 2003

Per capita personal income among states and regions has been shown to diverge during the 1980s following a long trend of income convergence. This paper investigates the divergence of income using median family income in the 1980s for the largest 51 U.S. cities. Producer services earnings and manufacturing earnings as a percent of total earnings are also investigated to shed light on income divergence. It is found that income and producer services earnings diverged in the 1980s unlike manufacturing earnings which converged. Convergence among regions for household income is also investigated. The results substantiate the common view of trends toward convergence prior to the 1980s and divergence thereafter.
A General Equilibrium Analysis of VAT in India
Authors: Rege Sameer R.
Published: March 2003

Indian industry is under pricing pressure after the government cut tariffs in a phased manner as per the WTO agreements. In order to be competitive, the consensus opinion in government, academics and industry is the implementation of a VAT in India. The paper evaluates the welfare implications of a VAT in the static and a sequentially dynamic context after accounting for the political and administrative constraints facing the Indian government in implementing a VAT. Replacing the old indirect tax structure with a VAT is welfare worsening. The increase in final consumer prices on account of reduced tax base leads to higher price of essentials, causing welfare loss. Zero rating v/s exemption plays an important role on welfare, with lower welfare loss if essential commodities are exempt from VAT. Agriculture sector unambiguously plays a crucial role in welfare.
Measuring Accessibility of Housing to Public–community Facilities Using Geographical Information Systems
Authors: Shen Guoqiang
Published: March 2003

This paper examines housing accessibility to public–community facilities (PCFs) using geographical information systems (GIS) for four county–wide metropolitan areas in North Carolina with population ranging from 90,000 to 700,000. An optimization–based assignment model is developed and implemented in ArcView GIS. Rather than using the conventional and less accurate traffic analysis zone (TAZ) or census geography, this research uses detailed county–wide building and parcel databases to estimate direct distances, hence accessibility, from homes (i.e., apartment, manufactured home, and single–family house) to PCF (i.e., office, shopping center, school). The results indicate that distinct housing accessibility patterns exist. In general, multi–family housing such as apartment and townhouse enjoys higher accessibility to positive (desirable) PCFs, followed by single–family detached housing. Manufactured housing has been placed further away from most positive PCFs, but closer to some negative (undesirable) ones.
Religion, Thick and Thin: On the Development of ‘Religious Studies’ in the American University
Authors: Wiebe Donald
Published: March 2003

Book reviewed in this article:

Johns Hopkins, The University Gets Religion: Religious Studies in American Higher Education
Growth, Competition and Welfare
Authors: Van De Klundert Theo , Smulders Sjak
Published: March 2003

The impact of competition on growth and welfare is analysed by developing a model in which the number of firms, profit margins and innovation rates are endogenous. Different regimes of oligopolistic competition are distinguished. The tougher the price competition, the lower the profit margins for a given rate of concentration. This reduces the number of firms and product variety in a free entry equilibrium. Consequently, tougher competition implies larger firm size and higher rates of innovation since new technologies can be applied in a larger market. Oligopolistic pricing leads to underinvestment in firm‐specific knowledge, even if inter‐firm knowledge spillovers are neglected.
Optimal Tax and Public Investment Rules for Congestion Type of Externalities
Authors: Mayeres Inge , Proost Stef
Published: March 2003

Optimal government policy is considered in a second‐best framework where consumers and producers cause an externality of the congestion type and income distribution issues are taken into account. The theoretical results of the optimal tax literature are adapted using the concept of the net social Pigouvian tax. An illustrative AGE model uncovers the relative importance of its components. The model demonstrates that the level of the externality tax does not depend strongly on distribution concerns, as reoptimization of the other taxes ensures that the income distribution objective is reached. The model also allows us to study the interaction between externality taxes and public abatement.
How Will EMU Affect Inflation and Unemployment in Europe?
Authors: Grüner Hans Peter , Hefeker Carsten
Published: March 2003

This paper explores how European Monetary Union will change the wage setting behavior of national labor unions. We derive the impact of national inflation aversion and labor militancy on the performance of national labor markets under different monetary arrangements. A common central bank raises inflation and unemployment if it acts as conservatively as national central banks. However, unemployment falls in countries that previously tied their monetary policy to the Bundesbank. We also examine the composition of EMU and the influence of national labor market legislation.

JEL Classification: E24; F02; F33
Schooling, Training, Growth and Minimum Wages
Authors: Ravn Morten O. , Sørensen Jan Rose
Published: March 2003

We examine how the long‐run growth performance of an economy is affected by a labor market distortion. In our model, growth occurs through skill formation, and skills are generated through schooling and training of unskilled workers. We analyze how a minimum wage legislation affects long‐run growth. In general, the effects are ambiguous. The reason is that while a minimum wage discourages training, it also encourages schooling. The net effect then depends on whether training or schooling dominates the long‐run increases in labor productivity.

JEL classification: I20, J31, O40
Constructing Bounds on Per Capita Income Differentials across Countries
Authors: Hill Robert J.
Published: March 2003

The results of purchasing power parity (PPP)‐based comparisons of income across countries can be quite sensitive to the choice of index number formula. Tighter bounds on per capita income differentials can be constructed either by assuming homothetic preferences, or by estimating a demand system. Both approaches are used to construct bounds on per capita income differentials across the OECD countries. The paper concludes by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

JEL Classification C43; F31; O47
Shaken or Stirred? Financial Deregulation and the Monetary Transmission Mechanism in Norway
Authors: Bardsen Gunnar , Klovland Jan Tore
Published: March 2003

Is there a credit channel for monetary policy? Has the deregulation of financial markets had any temporary or permanent effects on the monetary transmission mechanism? We present empirical evidence on these issues for Norway by estimating a dynamic system of money, credit, real income and inflation. We find that the deregulation process has not caused any permanent shifts in the long‐run demand functions. Within a small simultaneous dynamic model, there is some evidence for the credit view of the monetary transmission mechanism, as both credit and money exhibit strong and stable effects on aggregate demand.

JEL classification: E50; E44; C51
Equal Pay for Equal Work? Evidence from Sweden and a Comparison with Norway and the U.S.
Authors: Meyersson Milgrom Eva M. , Petersen Trond , Snartland Vemund
Published: March 2003

Using a new data set covering most privately employed workers in Sweden, we compare gender wage differences to those previously reported for Norway and the U.S. The central finding is that the wage gap is small when comparing men and women working in the same type of occupation for the same employer. Segregation of men and women by occupation accounts for more of the gap in Sweden than in the other two countries. In all three countries, we find that segregation by occupation explains more than segregation by establishment, and that institutional changes over the past two decades aimed at improving the status of women had little effect on the gender wage gap.

JEL classification: J16; J71
Discriminant validation of measures of organizations commitment, job involvement, and job satisfaction among Swedish army officers
Authors: Nystedt Lars , Sjöberg Anders , Hägglund Gösta
Published: March 2003

The discriminant validity of measures of job involvement, job satisfaction and organizational commitment was tested with data from 467 army officers in Sweden. Confirmatory‐factor analysis showed a close fit between the proposed three‐factor model and the data. Further, six of eleven job and health correlates related differently to the three attitude vairables. The results indicate that job involvement, job satisfaction and organizational commitment represent three empirically distinct constructs. Implications for future research discussed.
Coping and emotional distress in a sample of Swedish unemployed
Authors: Grossi Giorgio
Published: March 2003

The study investigated the associations between copying and symptoms of emotional distress within a sample of 166 unemployed men and women (mean age 40±10 years, range 22 to 63 years, 52% males). All variables were measuered with a questionnaire comprising sociodemographic background, length of unemployment, financial strain, copying style (“Ways of Copying Checklist”) and emotional distress (Hopkins Symptom Check List‐25). Emotional distress was positively related to financial strain and more common among younger subjects, divorced subjects and those with foreign background, but less frequent among subjects who had been unemployed for more than three years. After controlling for age, gender, education, foreign background, length of unemployment and financial strain, hierarchical regression analyses showed that emotion‐focused copying, i.e. self‐blame and wishful thinking, was positively related to emotional distress. Problem‐focused copying and cognitive restructuring were negatively associated with emotional distress. Younger subjects and divorced subjects made frequent use of both emotion‐focused and problem‐focused coping. Female subjects and subjects with mandatory school made frequent use of emotion focused coping, if exposed to high financial strain. Problem‐focused coping was less frequent among subjects with a low education coupled with low financial strain. Cognitive restructuring was less common among subjects who had been unemployed for more than three years. Younger subjects who were also divorced made less use of both problem‐focused coping and cognitive restructuring. The results confirm that coping style has importance for the mental health of the unemployed, and indicate a differential use of copying strategies among subjects with different sociodemographic backgrounds and different levels of financial strain.
Auditorily elicited EEG desynchronization and synchronization: A review of Christina M. Krause’s doctoral thesis
Authors: Klimesch Wolfgang
Published: March 2003

The present paper reviews the doctoral dissertation of Christina M. Krause, in which auditorily elicited EEG desynchronization (ERD) and synchronization (ERS) was studied in five experiments. These experiments which were conducted by Krause and co‐workers are the first in which the ERD‐method was systematically applied to the analysis of the perception and processing of complex auditory stimuli. The main conclusion is that listening to sounds elicits ERS, whereas cognitive and/or memory processes elicit ERD.
Does P3 Reflect Attentional or Memory Performances, or Cognition more Generally?
Authors: Portin Raija , Kovala Tero , Polo‐Kantola Päivi , Revonsuo Antti , Müller Kiti , Matikainen Esko
Published: March 2003

The study evaluated the off‐line relationship of attention, memory and other cognitive performances with the auditory event‐related potentials P3 (P300) and N2. The sample comprised 200 middle‐aged construction workers. Verbal, visuomotor and memory tests were administered. Attentional domains were examined using CogniSpeed software. Slowed reaction times in the test of sustained attention (vigilance) were associated with delayed P3 latency (p < 0.001) and decreased P3 amplitude (p = 0.005), as well as with delayed N2 latency (p < 0.001). Visuomotor slowing in Digit Symbol was also related to delayed P3 latency (p = 0.030) and decreased P3 amplitude (p = 0.014). In contrast, mild cognitive impairment, short‐ and long‐term memory, and concentrating or sharing attention with high working memory demands were not related to P3. The results suggest that P3 is linked to attentional performance with low working memory demands rather than to effortful working memory updating, retrieval from memory stores, or mild cognitive impairment.
Parental Divorce: Long‐term Effects on Mental Health, Family Relations and Adult Sexual Behavior
Authors: Jónsson Friðrik, H. , Njarðvik Urður , Ólafsdóttir Guðlaug , Grétarsson Sigurður
Published: March 2003

Specific long term effects of parental divorce were examined in a sample of 179 Icelanders, 20 to 30 years of age. The participants answered the Borromean Family Index, the Affect Balance Scale and a number of questions on sexual behavior and attitudes towards marriage and divorce. Results showed that compared to adults whose parents remained married, those of divorced parents reported more negative emotional experiences at the time of the study and had looser family ties. They also had greater number of short love affairs, had their first love affair at a younger age, had a greater number of sexual partners, and were younger at the time of their first sexual intercourse than adults whose parents remained married.
Comprehensive Driving Assessment: Neuropsychological Testing and On‐road Evaluation of Brain Injured Patients
Authors: Schanke Anne‐Kristine , Sundet Kjetil
Published: March 2003

The study investigates the correspondence between neuropsychological test results and on‐road driving performance among 55 patients with a CT‐verified brain damage or documented neurological disorder (cerebrovascular accident: 43, traumatic brain injury: 5, multiple sclerosis: 4, other: 3). 5 patients showed unimpaired test profiles and passed the on‐road evaluation. 18 patients showed severe neuropsychological deficits contrary to driving and were not recommended for on‐road evaluation. Of the remaining 32 patients with some neuropsychological deficits, all 100% in the minor impaired group (n = 8) passed the driving evaluation, compared to 69% in the mildly impaired (n = 16) and 38% in the moderately impaired group (n = 8). Measures of reduced visuoconstructive ability, reaction time, visual attention, and awareness of cognitive impairments, were found to discriminate between groups. It is concluded that neuropsychological assessment of targeted functions provide an ecological valid prediction of driving skill after brain damage, but that on‐road evaluation is needed as supplement in cases with ambiguous test findings.
Structural equation modeling of determinants of planning
Authors: Gärling Tommy , Fujii Satoshi
Published: March 2003

A model is proposed that implies that planning evoked by the formation of an implementation intention is related to behavioral intention and perceived behavioral control, whereas in accordance with the theory of planned behavior, behavioral intention is related to attitude and perceived behavioral control. Measures of attitude toward the behavior, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention, and planning were constructed from 192 undergraduates’ ratings of descriptions of two fictitious situations in which a target behavior was varied with respect to benefit and actual behavioral control. Structural equation modeling yielded an acceptable fit of the proposed model.
Psychological characteristics of elderly insomniacs
Authors: Pallesen Ståle , Hilde Nordhus Inger , Kvale Gerd , Havik Odd E. , Høstmark Nielsen Geir , Helge Johnsen Bjørn , Skjøtskift Svein , Hjeltnes Linda
Published: March 2003

Sixty insomniacs, aged 60 years or over, fulfilling the DSM–IV criteria for primary insomnia, completed a set of questionnaires measuring psychological distress. These included the Sleep Impairment Index (SIM), the Symptom Check List 90 – Revised (SCL–90–R), the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale – 20 (TAS–20) and the Elders Life Stress Inventory (ELSI). The insomniacs were compared on these measures with two contrast groups, one of elderly good sleepers and one an elderly community sample. As norms were developed for the SCL–90–R and PSWQ, insomniacs were also contrasted with the norm groups on these measures. In general, the results indicated a higher level of psychological distress among insomniacs than among the good sleepers, while there were negligible differences between insomniacs and the community sample on most measures. Overall, elderly insomniacs scored higher on measures of worry compared with the other groups, followed by measures of somatization, obsessive–compulsion and depression. It is concluded that excessive worrying was the most characteristic feature of elderly insomniacs.
The assessment of fitness to drive after a stroke: The Nordic Stroke Driver Screening Assessment
Authors: Lundberg Catarina , Caneman Görel , Samuelsson Sven‐Mårten , Hakamies‐Blomqvist Liisa , Almkvist Ove
Published: March 2003

The British Stroke Driver Screening Assessment (SDSA) is a set of four simple cognitive tests to evaluate driving fitness in stroke patients. To evaluate its usefulness in a Scandinavian context, we adapted the tests and assessed a group of 97 stroke patients from Sweden and Norway, using a driving test as the criterion. When results were calculated according to the original method, based on a discriminant function, less than 70% of the participants were correctly classified. To improve the predictive potential, a new discriminant analysis was performed, using the scores of a subsample of 49 patients, and validated on the remaining 48 participants. In total, 78% of the patients were correctly classified, but specificity was superior to sensitivity. We conclude that the Nordic version of the SDSA is a useful instrument, provided that test scores are interpreted in a balanced manner, taking into account the possibility of compensatory traffic behavior.
Changepoint Analysis as a Method for Isotonic Inference
Authors: HIROTSU CHIHIRO , MARUMO KOHEI
Published: March 2003

Concavity and sigmoidicity hypotheses are developed as a natural extension of the simple ordered hypothesis in normal means. Those hypotheses give reasonable shape constraints for obtaining a smooth response curve in the non‐parametric input–output analysis. The slope change and inflection point models are introduced correspondingly as the corners of the polyhedral cones defined by those isotonic hypotheses. Then a maximal contrast type test is derived systematically as the likelihood ratio test for each of those changepoint hypotheses. The test is also justified for the original isotonic hypothesis by a complete class lemma. The component variables of the resulting test statistic have second or third order Markov property which, together with an appropriate non‐linear transformation, leads to an exact and very efficient algorithm for the probability calculation. Some considerations on the power of the test are given showing this to be a very promising way of approaching to the isotonic inference.
Large Deviations Limit Theorems for the Kernel Density Estimator
Authors: Louani Djamal
Published: March 2003

We establish pointwise and uniform large deviations limit theorems of Chernoff‐type for the non‐parametric kernel density estimator based on a sequence of independent and identically distributed random variables. The limits are well‐identified and depend upon the underlying kernel and density function. We derive then some implications of our results in the study of asymptotic efficiency of the goodness‐of‐fit test based on the maximal deviation of the kernel density estimator as well as the inaccuracy rate of this estimate
Likelihood Asymptotics
Authors: Skovgaard Ib M.
Published: March 2003

The paper gives an overview of modern likelihood asymptotics with emphasis on results and applicability. Only parametric inference in well‐behaved models is considered and the theory discussed leads to highly accurate asymptotic tests for general smooth hypotheses. The tests are refinements of the usual asymptotic likelihood ratio tests, and for one‐dimensional hypotheses the test statistic is known as r*, introduced by Barndorff‐Nielsen. Examples illustrate the applicability and accuracy as well as the complexity of the required computations. Modern likelihood asymptotics has developed by merging two lines of research: asymptotic ancillarity is the basis of the statistical development, and saddlepoint approximations or Laplace‐type approximations have simultaneously developed as the technical foundation. The main results and techniques of these two lines will be reviewed, and a generalization to multi‐dimensional tests is developed. In the final part of the paper further problems and ideas are presented. Among these are linear models with non‐normal error, non‐parametric linear models obtained by estimation of the residual density in combination with the present results, and the generalization of the results to restricted maximum likelihood and similar structured models.
On Block Updating in Markov Random Field Models for Disease Mapping
Authors: KNORR‐HELD LEONHARD , RUE HÅVARD
Published: March 2003

Gaussian Markov random field (GMRF) models are commonly used to model spatial correlation in disease mapping applications. For Bayesian inference by MCMC, so far mainly single‐site updating algorithms have been considered. However, convergence and mixing properties of such algorithms can be extremely poor due to strong dependencies of parameters in the posterior distribution. In this paper, we propose various block sampling algorithms in order to improve the MCMC performance. The methodology is rather general, allows for non‐standard full conditionals, and can be applied in a modular fashion in a large number of different scenarios. For illustration we consider three different applications: two formulations for spatial modelling of a single disease (with and without additional unstructured parameters respectively), and one formulation for the joint analysis of two diseases. The results indicate that the largest benefits are obtained if parameters and the corresponding hyperparameter are updated jointly in one large block. Implementation of such block algorithms is relatively easy using methods for fast sampling of Gaussian Markov random fields (Rue, 2001). By comparison, Monte Carlo estimates based on single‐site updating can be rather misleading, even for very long runs. Our results may have wider relevance for efficient MCMC simulation in hierarchical models with Markov random field components.
Cox Regression with Covariate Measurement Error
Authors: HU CHENGCHENG , LIN D. Y.
Published: March 2003

This article deals with parameter estimation in the Cox proportional hazards model when covariates are measured with error. We consider both the classical additive measurement error model and a more general model which represents the mis‐measured version of the covariate as an arbitrary linear function of the true covariate plus random noise. Only moment conditions are imposed on the distributions of the covariates and measurement error. Under the assumption that the covariates are measured precisely for a validation set, we develop a class of estimating equations for the vector‐valued regression parameter by correcting the partial likelihood score function. The resultant estimators are proven to be consistent and asymptotically normal with easily estimated variances. Furthermore, a corrected version of the Breslow estimator for the cumulative hazard function is developed, which is shown to be uniformly consistent and, upon proper normalization, converges weakly to a zero‐mean Gaussian process. Simulation studies indicate that the asymptotic approximations work well for practical sample sizes. The situation in which replicate measurements (instead of a validation set) are available is also studied.
On an adaptive version of the Metropolis–Hastings algorithm with independent proposal distribution
Authors: GÅSEMYR JØRUND
Published: March 2003

In this paper, we present a general formulation of an algorithm, the adaptive independent chain (AIC), that was introduced in a special context in Gåsemyr et al. [Methodol. Comput. Appl. Probab. 3 (2001)]. The algorithm aims at producing samples from a specific target distribution Π, and is an adaptive, non‐Markovian version of the Metropolis–Hastings independent chain. A certain parametric class of possible proposal distributions is fixed, and the parameters of the proposal distribution are updated periodically on the basis of the recent history of the chain, thereby obtaining proposals that get ever closer to Π. We show that under certain conditions, the algorithm produces an exact sample from Π in a finite number of iterations, and hence that it converges to Π. We also present another adaptive algorithm, the componentwise adaptive independent chain (CAIC), which may be an alternative in particular in high dimensions. The CAIC may be regarded as an adaptive approximation to the Gibbs sampler updating parametric approximations to the conditionals of Π.
Referendums in Western Europe – A Wave of Direct Democracy?
Authors: Setälä Maija
Published: March 2003

The aim of this article is to analyze the explanations for the increased number of referendums in Western European states. Bogdanor has explained this by the unfreezing of political alignments and institutions. After classifying referendums in 18 Western European states, it will be observed that especially the number of referendums introduced by citizens has increased wherever they are constitutionally provided, that is, in Italy and in Switzerland. Referendums in these two countries contribute most of the overall increase in the number of referendums in Western Europe. Moreover, the number of referendums concerning European integration have increased, also in states that do not have the referendum as an integral part of their political system. When it comes to the unfreezing of institutions, it must be pointed out that after the 1970s there have been no constitutional reforms which would have significantly increased the use of referendums.
Still Corporatism in Scandinavia? A Survey of Recent Empirical Findings
Authors: Blom‐Hansen Jens
Published: March 2003

This essay surveys empirical research conducted in the 1990s on the influence of organized interests in the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The essay consists of five main sections. After a brief introduction, the first three main sections survey the emergence, development and present state of Scandinavian corporatism. Then the question of the impact of corporatism on the Scandinavian societies is discussed, followed by an overview of the state of corporatism outside the traditional areas of the labour market, industry and agriculture. The essay closes with a brief conclusion discussing areas in need of further study.
Yorkville Crossing: White teens, hip hop and African American English
Authors: Cutler Cecilia A.
Published: March 2003

This case study focuses on a white upper middle class New York City teenager who employed linguistic features of African American Vernacular English (AAVE). It describes some of these features, discusses their origins, and explores the complex dynamics of identification with hip hop, a youth subculture involving the consumption of rap music, baggy clothes and participation in activities like break dancing, writing graffiti and rapping.
You da man: Narrating the racial other in the production of white masculinity
Authors: Bucholtz Mary
Published: March 2003

Sociolinguistic research on the linguistic construction of identity has begun to attend to the construction of culturally normative, unmarked social categories such as whiteness and masculinity. The study of these categories involves the investigation of ideology as well as identity, because ideology produces hegemonic forms of white masculinity. Such ideologies of race and gender shape narratives of interracial conflict told by middle‐class European American boys at a California high school. The article focuses on one such narrative, told by a white boy who aligns with black youth culture and uses elements of African American Vernacular English in his speech. Via language crossing and other discursive strategies such as constructed dialogue, the narrative positions black masculinity, in contrast to white masculinity, as physically powerful and locally dominant. At the same time, the narrative preserves the racial hierarchy that enables white cultural appropriation of African American culture through language crossing.
What do lesbians do in the daytime? Recover
Authors: Moonwomon‐Baird Birch
Published: March 2003

This paper examines a narrative taken from an ethnographic interview, for the speaker's conversational construction of lesbian and other identities along with ideologized personal history. To tell her story, Marge shifts to the discourse style used in the meetings of addiction recovery groups. She prioritizes the recovery (twelve‐step) program's coherence system, structuring her life story in conformity with its terms while narrating a complexly queered identity. Four analyses are given, beginning with a Labovian formal examination and proceeding with a consideration of three types of discourse echoing: interdiscursivity, intratextuality, and manifest intertextuality. This study demonstrates the analytical linking of nonpublic linguistic discourse to social discourses; individual identity construction to social construction (and its coherence systems); and personal history to historical eras. The paper adds the concept of a metalevel complicating action to narrative theory and develops a means of examining intratextuality for critical discourse analysis. It presents a revised view of essentialism for the sociolinguistic study of gender and sexuality.
Turn‐taking patterns in deaf conversation
Authors: Coates Jennifer , Sutton‐Spence Rachel
Published: March 2003

This paper will focus on the turn‐taking patterns of Deaf signers and will compare them with turn‐taking patterns found in spoken interaction. Turn‐taking in the conversation of hearing people has been the subject of considerable attention, but the way conversation is organised by Deaf conversationalists has received less attention. This paper reports on a small project involving conversational data obtained from two Deaf friendship groups, one all‐female and one all‐male. Our main aim was to establish whether Deaf interactants orient to a one‐at‐a‐time model of turn‐taking, or whether there was any evidence to suggest they can also orient to a more collaborative model. It has been assumed by researchers in the field of Deaf Studies that Deaf interactants orient to a one‐at‐a‐time model since, where the medium of communication is visual rather than sound based, participants can attend to only those sources of talk that they can see. The paper also examines the data to see if there are any gender differences in the way Deaf interactants organise conversation.
A State Within the State? An Event Study on the Bundesbank (1948–1973)
Authors: Berger Helge , De Haan Jakob
Published: March 2003

In this paper we analyse certain periods in the history of the Bundesbank concentrating on the determinants of central bank independence as suggested in the literature. The Bundesbank law of 1957 was born only after a long and tedious political process which outcome was initially not at all clear. It is concluded that some determinants outlined in the literature played indeed a role in the making of the Bundesbank Law of 1957. Still, the Bundesbank was put in charge of the Dmark by the Allieds and this proved to be advantagous for the new institution, as was the subsequent debate about federalism. We argue that popular backing is one of the important forces in support of the Bundesbank's independence. However, this support is not exogenous, as the Bundesbank has always tried to influence public opinion. Our analysis of the conflicts between the Bundesbank and the federal government over monetary policy suggest that if a conflict concerned interest rate policy, the Bundesbank always got its way. Even with respect to exchange rate policy, which is primarily in the realm of the federal government, the position of the Bundesbank often prevailed, as the Bundesbank behaved skilfully. The history of the Bundesbank also provides ample evidence of coordination problems with fiscal policy that may arise with two independent players. Finally, it is clear that the theory on the determinants of central bank independence overlooks that very often the government and the Bundesbank were not two monolithic entities, but that there were different views about policy.
UK Output Variability and Growth: Some Further Evidence
Authors: Speight Alan E. H.
Published: March 2003

This paper re‐examines the empirical evidence concerning the relationship between UK output variability and growth using GARCH‐M models applied to post‐war monthly industrial production data, estimated under quasi‐maximum‐likelihood with the consistent variance–covariance estimator of Bollerslev and Wooldridge (1992). In contrast to previous results suggesting a significant positive relationship between UK output variability and growth, we find no significant relationship. Rather than suggesting a connection between risk and return in the attitudes of investors, our findings may be interpreted as more supportive of macroeconomic models which dichotomize the determination of output growth and variability.
The Impact of Company Human Resource Policies on Social Skills: Implications for Training Sponsorship, Quit Rates and Efficiency Wages
Authors: Green Francis
Published: March 2003

The concept of a firm’s human capital is reconsidered to include both the technical and the social skills of its workforce. Technical skills are defined by the ability to turn inputs into outputs, and measured by the productivity of unit labour effort. Social skills are defined by the propensity to behave in a manner conducive to the firm’s objectives. In other words, social skills are constituted as the norm of effort contribution to which an individual assents, and are measured by observed motivation and behaviour. The existence for firms of a labour management function is proposed and supported, relating social skills to human resource policies. Implications for the labour market are that: (i) firms pay for general training and, at the same time, wages do not necessarily increase with training; (ii) human capital acquisition may not lead to an increase in quitting, even controlling for wages; (iii) human resource policies substitute for efficiency wages or for employee monitoring; and (iv) economies with high organisational commitment have low equilibrium unemployment rates.
The English Language Fluency And Earnings Of Ethnic Minorities In Britain
Authors: Lindley Joanne
Published: March 2003

This study addresses two issues. First it estimates how much of the male and female ethnic earnings gap is the result of an advantage in the English language and whether there is an earnings penalty to non–whites, over and above this. Lack of fluency is shown to have a highly significant impact on the earnings of ethnic minorities in Britain, although the language penalty is much greater for women than it is for men. Moreover, only foreign born non–white males that have arrived in Britain between 1970 and 1994, exhibit lower earnings once language fluency is taken into consideration, whilst British born females exhibit higher earnings. So the evidence here suggests that non–white earnings are assimilating towards those of whites and that lower female non–white earnings are a direct result of a lack of fluency rather than ethnicity. Secondly, the study will try to measure any endogenous bias associated with the non–fluency earnings penalty. Controlling for the endogeneity between language fluency and earnings is shown to be problematic. Estimates suggest that single equation earnings functions slightly underestimate the true language fluency penalty for males, and slightly overestimate the fluency penalty for females. Finally, education and fluency are not surprisingly shown to be complementary.
Industrialisation in Indonesia: The Example of Batam Island
Authors: Royle Stephen A.
Published: March 2003

Indonesia is one of the most rapidly developing nations in the world. One important component of its transformation is an industrialisation policy which sees its people utilised by transnational corporations as sources of cheap labour for export goods processing. This has both positive and negative outcomes. This paper explores these issues in a review of Indonesian development strategy with particular reference to Batam Island in Riau Province.
The Web‐based Recruitment of Female Foreign Domestic Workers in Asia
Authors: Tyner James A.
Published: March 2003

In the last three decades, there has been an increased “feminisation” of international migration within the Asian region. In part, the increased mobility of women migrant workers within Asia has resulted from the increased bureaucratic regulation of labour migration. This commodification of the migratory process, however, has placed women in significantly more vulnerable positions vis‐´‐vis their male counterparts. Comparatively little research, however, has examined the critical role of private recruitment agencies, and especially the use of the Internet, within the migratory process. In this paper, I examine the Web‐based recruitment strategies of private recruitment agencies in Asia. Based on a qualitative analysis of 25 recruitment‐related Web sites, I suggest that the commercialisation of migration serves an important “socialisation” process that contributes to the vulnerability and exploitation of female foreign domestic workers.
Tropical Modernism: Designing the Tropical Landscape
Authors: Stepan Nancy Leys
Published: March 2003

The tropical gardens and landscape designs of the Brazilian landscapist, Roberto Burle Marx, are examined in relation to the historical development of the European concept of “the tropical”. The argument is made that Burle Marx's pared down, austere, and abstract designs, which incorporate tropical plants in innovative fashion, yet make no effort to recreate or imitate a jungle experience, can be interpreted as offering a possible solution to the dialectic of nature and culture in a country burdened historically by the designation “tropical”.
The Impact of Export Processing Zone Development on Employment Creation in Kenya
Authors: Mireri Caleb
Published: March 2003

This paper examines the contribution of Export Processing Zones (EPZ) to employment creation in Kenya. The results suggest that employees in non‐EPZ businesses are better paid than those in the EPZ. Firms in the EPZ employ more women than the Kenyan national average, although the proportion is less than the international average amongst EPZs. Against the general fear that EPZ enterprises offer little employment, the number of employees in the EPZ enterprises are comparable to those found outside as are working hours. A weak trade union movement, inefficient and inadequate social security, lack of employment benefits, lack of opportunities for training and promotion and low pay are problems encountered by those working in an EPZ.
Nationalism, Populism, Dependency: Southeast Asia and Responses to the Asian Crisis
Authors: Hewison Kevin
Published: March 2003

Opposition to neoliberal globalisation has been especially intense since the Asian crisis. This paper assesses three responses to the crisis: a broad localist reaction in Thailand, and the approaches adopted by two major Asian‐based organisations, the Third World Network (TWN) and the Focus on the Global South. The discussion of these approaches focuses on the issues of nationalism and populism; dependency; industrialisation and the state; and liberalisation, international institutions, and local society. Their critiques range from the conservative populism of the localists, to reformism of TWN, and to the more radical “deglobalisation” approach of the Focus group. However, none have been able to free themselves of the influence of dependency models. Their populism and “progressive nationalism” prevents an accurate location of the causes of exploitation in capitalist processes. This paper questions whether the national‐global dichotomy of these approaches is an adequate way to conceptualise capitalist production and exploitation in the era of globalisation.