title: Globalization: Countries, cities and multinationals

authors: McCann, Philip

subjects: scale

abstract: This paper explores the relationship between the size of a country, the size of its cities, and the importance of economies of scale in the modern era of globalization. In order to do this, it integrates three different literatures, namely the literature on the optimal size of a country, the literature on historical processes of urbanization and the performance of cities, and the literature on the role of multinational firms in the global economy. Using an economic geography perspective, but looking at these issues through the lens of economic history, it is demonstrated that the importance of agglomeration effects, and in particular relationship between city size and the prosperity of the nation-state, has changed over the different eras of globalization. In earlier eras of globalization, the importance of agglomeration was represented by a fairly simple relationship between the scale of the city and the scale of country-empire, whereas during the inter-war years of the twentieth century, this relationship began to change and to evolve into a much more complex set of relationships that are seen today. In the modern era of globalization the role of multinational companies has become critical for the global connectivity of a city-region, and city-regions in turn are seen increasingly to drive national economies. For industrialized countries the size of a city is nowadays much less important than its level of global connectivity, whereas the size of the city is still dominant in newly industrializing countries. As such, the relationships between firms, cities, and countries have in many ways been largely reversed, thereby casting doubt on various institutional economic theories regarding the optimal size of a country.

text: Globalization: Countries, cities and multinationals This paper explores the relationship between the size of a country, the size of its cities, and the importance of economies of scale in the modern era of globalization. In order to do this, it integrates three different literatures, namely the literature on the optimal size of a country, the literature on historical processes of urbanization and the performance of cities, and the literature on the role of multinational firms in the global economy. Using an economic geography perspective, but looking at these issues through the lens of economic history, it is demonstrated that the importance of agglomeration effects, and in particular relationship between city size and the prosperity of the nation-state, has changed over the different eras of globalization. In earlier eras of globalization, the importance of agglomeration was represented by a fairly simple relationship between the scale of the city and the scale of country-empire, whereas during the inter-war years of the twentieth century, this relationship began to change and to evolve into a much more complex set of relationships that are seen today. In the modern era of globalization the role of multinational companies has become critical for the global connectivity of a city-region, and city-regions in turn are seen increasingly to drive national economies. For industrialized countries the size of a city is nowadays much less important than its level of global connectivity, whereas the size of the city is still dominant in newly industrializing countries. As such, the relationships between firms, cities, and countries have in many ways been largely reversed, thereby casting doubt on various institutional economic theories regarding the optimal size of a country.

year: 2011

title: Efficient quantile regression for heteroscedastic models

authors: Jung, Yoonsuh

subjects: check loss function

abstract: Quantile regression (QR) provides estimates of a range of conditional quantiles. This stands in contrast to traditional regression techniques, which focus on a single conditional mean function. Lee et al. [Regularization of case-specific parameters for robustness and efficiency. Statist Sci. 2012;27(3):350–372] proposed efficient QR by rounding the sharp corner of the loss. The main modification generally involves an asymmetric ℓ₂ adjustment of the loss function around zero. We extend the idea of ℓ₂ adjusted QR to linear heterogeneous models. The ℓ₂ adjustment is constructed to diminish as sample size grows. Conditions to retain consistency properties are also provided.

text: Efficient quantile regression for heteroscedastic models Quantile regression (QR) provides estimates of a range of conditional quantiles. This stands in contrast to traditional regression techniques, which focus on a single conditional mean function. Lee et al. [Regularization of case-specific parameters for robustness and efficiency. Statist Sci. 2012;27(3):350–372] proposed efficient QR by rounding the sharp corner of the loss. The main modification generally involves an asymmetric ℓ₂ adjustment of the loss function around zero. We extend the idea of ℓ₂ adjusted QR to linear heterogeneous models. The ℓ₂ adjustment is constructed to diminish as sample size grows. Conditions to retain consistency properties are also provided.

year: 2015

title: Mai i te kore, ki te pō, ki te ao mārama: He kohinga pūrākau hauora o ngā kaumātua Māori, Māori Elders health and wellbeing stories in life transitions

authors: Shelford, Pita

subjects: pūrākau

abstract: Introduction
New Zealand’s general population is ageing. Kaumātua (Māori elders) only make up approximately 3.1 percent of the total population and yet, they are disproportionately overrepresented in poor health, wellbeing and ageing statistics. However, this is a one-sided story and the focus of a deficit approach. There is a strong need for a strength-based approach where kaumātua voices of problem-solving and resilience related to ageing and the changes it presents, are heard. The purpose of this study is to identify and share those voices and to respond to the call from Māori academics to apply pūrākau as an alternative to Western narrative approaches. Through a pūrākau approach, this thesis sought to answer three key research questions: 

1)What are the cultural and communication features of the kaumātua teina narratives?
2) What are the cultural and communication characteristics of the kaumātua tuakana conversational styles? and 
3) What is the nature of the kaumātua journeys in how the stories unfold, and relationships develop? 

Methods
This study analyses pūrākau from the Kaumātua Mana Motuhake (KMM) collaboration project between the University of Waikato and the Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust in Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand. The KMM project sought to enhance kaumātua wellbeing during life changes such as losses of licence, independence or spouse, health changes and retirement through a peer-support tuakana-teina programme. The KMM team implemented a tuakana-teina peer support programme where kaumātua (n= 121) engaged in up to three conversations as kaumātua tuakana-teina pairs. The conversations involved exploring the life changes the teina chose with the tuakana guiding the conversations and sharing potential services to help with the changes.
This thesis analysed 30 kaumātua conversations in 10 tuakana-teina pairs to tell a strengths-based story of health and wellbeing. Taking a Kaupapa Māori approach, the research prioritised, privileged and foregrounded Māori and Indigenous epistemology, ontology, and axiology. A pūrākau-grounded analysis approach was developed and applied to the conversations.

Findings
Related to the first research question, the analysis revealed kaumātua narratives that spoke to stories about adversity, turning points, independence and resilience. Regarding the second research question, the study identified key cultural and communicational characteristics kaumātua tuakana used, speaking with words of kinship and reciprocation, words of ignition and guidance, and words of empathy and affirmation. Pertaining to the third research question, the analysis illustrated conversational and relational journey types kaumātua pairs travelled, consisting of conversations that went direct to topics, detours that became defining moments, small tiki tours that came back to the topic, stories that were revisited, and hospitality becoming defining moments. 

Conclusions
The findings compiled weave a collective tapestry of kaumātua teina pūrākau, kaumātua tuakana communication styles, and kaumātua conversational and relational journeys. Kaumātua teina have voiced a pūrākau for us to understand inter-generational trauma and how cultural connection liberated their wellbeing. Kaumātua tuakana have composed a script of communication protocols emphasising connection and relationship development essential to upholding tikanga (practices, principles, communications). The paired kaumātua journeys have drawn a signposted road map that highlighted journey types, emphasising reciprocity in conversing, learning, guiding, connecting, developing, strengthening and enhancing communications, relationships, and wellbeing

Implications
Via kaumātua conversations, invaluable understandings into Māori and Indigenous wellbeing, ageing and development scholarship are offered, strengthening transformation, leadership and resilience theories. Pūrākau and whanaungatanga (relationships) methodologies are advocated for and culturally responsive research is promoted. Health, wellbeing and ageing programme development, policy and service delivery can be practically informed, accentuating mentorship, intergenerational initiatives, and culturally appropriate kaumātua support. Together, the findings can cultivate community wellbeing and nurture cultural continuity.

text: Mai i te kore, ki te pō, ki te ao mārama: He kohinga pūrākau hauora o ngā kaumātua Māori, Māori Elders health and wellbeing stories in life transitions Introduction
New Zealand’s general population is ageing. Kaumātua (Māori elders) only make up approximately 3.1 percent of the total population and yet, they are disproportionately overrepresented in poor health, wellbeing and ageing statistics. However, this is a one-sided story and the focus of a deficit approach. There is a strong need for a strength-based approach where kaumātua voices of problem-solving and resilience related to ageing and the changes it presents, are heard. The purpose of this study is to identify and share those voices and to respond to the call from Māori academics to apply pūrākau as an alternative to Western narrative approaches. Through a pūrākau approach, this thesis sought to answer three key research questions: 

1)What are the cultural and communication features of the kaumātua teina narratives?
2) What are the cultural and communication characteristics of the kaumātua tuakana conversational styles? and 
3) What is the nature of the kaumātua journeys in how the stories unfold, and relationships develop? 

Methods
This study analyses pūrākau from the Kaumātua Mana Motuhake (KMM) collaboration project between the University of Waikato and the Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust in Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand. The KMM project sought to enhance kaumātua wellbeing during life changes such as losses of licence, independence or spouse, health changes and retirement through a peer-support tuakana-teina programme. The KMM team implemented a tuakana-teina peer support programme where kaumātua (n= 121) engaged in up to three conversations as kaumātua tuakana-teina pairs. The conversations involved exploring the life changes the teina chose with the tuakana guiding the conversations and sharing potential services to help with the changes.
This thesis analysed 30 kaumātua conversations in 10 tuakana-teina pairs to tell a strengths-based story of health and wellbeing. Taking a Kaupapa Māori approach, the research prioritised, privileged and foregrounded Māori and Indigenous epistemology, ontology, and axiology. A pūrākau-grounded analysis approach was developed and applied to the conversations.

Findings
Related to the first research question, the analysis revealed kaumātua narratives that spoke to stories about adversity, turning points, independence and resilience. Regarding the second research question, the study identified key cultural and communicational characteristics kaumātua tuakana used, speaking with words of kinship and reciprocation, words of ignition and guidance, and words of empathy and affirmation. Pertaining to the third research question, the analysis illustrated conversational and relational journey types kaumātua pairs travelled, consisting of conversations that went direct to topics, detours that became defining moments, small tiki tours that came back to the topic, stories that were revisited, and hospitality becoming defining moments. 

Conclusions
The findings compiled weave a collective tapestry of kaumātua teina pūrākau, kaumātua tuakana communication styles, and kaumātua conversational and relational journeys. Kaumātua teina have voiced a pūrākau for us to understand inter-generational trauma and how cultural connection liberated their wellbeing. Kaumātua tuakana have composed a script of communication protocols emphasising connection and relationship development essential to upholding tikanga (practices, principles, communications). The paired kaumātua journeys have drawn a signposted road map that highlighted journey types, emphasising reciprocity in conversing, learning, guiding, connecting, developing, strengthening and enhancing communications, relationships, and wellbeing

Implications
Via kaumātua conversations, invaluable understandings into Māori and Indigenous wellbeing, ageing and development scholarship are offered, strengthening transformation, leadership and resilience theories. Pūrākau and whanaungatanga (relationships) methodologies are advocated for and culturally responsive research is promoted. Health, wellbeing and ageing programme development, policy and service delivery can be practically informed, accentuating mentorship, intergenerational initiatives, and culturally appropriate kaumātua support. Together, the findings can cultivate community wellbeing and nurture cultural continuity.

year: 2025-11-04