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on Cultural Economics |
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Issue of 2014‒09‒29
four papers chosen by Roberto Zanola Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro” |
| By: | Nikos Bozionelos (Audencia Recherche - Audencia); Thomas Hoyland (HUBS - Hull University Business School - Hull University) |
| Abstract: | The article focuses on cultural diversity and whether it has economic value. Though it is undisputed that cultural diversity within a country increases entrepreneurial behaviour the question that remains is whether this heightened entrepreneurial activity results in greater economic achievements. The article reports on a study that was carried out within the London area that presented an ideal setting given that London is a "super-diverse" city with intense economic activity. The results showed that ethnic diversity in the team of owners and partners of firms was indeed associated with greater innovativeness. This was in line with the view that diversity brings a variety of perspectives, skills and ways of thinking that in turn are translated into greater novelty in products or services and ways of performing tasks. On the other hand, however, ethnic diversity at the top did not translate into success at bringing innovations to the market, neither to revenue growth. Neither did the idea that diversity would be especially beneficial for innovation in knowledge-intensive industries find support. Finally, the data suggested that immigrants become entrepreneurs by choice rather than due to lack of better alternatives. The findings of the study raise the serious question of why the greater innovativeness that diversity brings does not generally translate into market and economic success, which opens new avenues for future research. |
| Keywords: | Diversity; Super-diversity; Global cities; Innovativeness; Market success; Economic success; Discrimination; Financial institutions |
| Date: | 2014–05–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01060334&r=cul |
| By: | Victoria Ateca-Amestoy (Universidad del País Vasco); Mariana Gerstenblüth (Departamento de Economía, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de la República); Irene Mussio (Departamento de Economía, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de la República); Máximo Rossi (Departamento de Economía, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de la República) |
| Abstract: | Well-being, measured as self-reported happiness has many determinants, which range from gender to income and political affiliation. When it comes to more or less active ways of participating in cultural activities, leisure has a significant impact in the levels of reported happiness, which is in line with the proposed ideas of Stiglitz et al (2009). We also quantify the likelihood of being more or less happy in relation to different types of leisure activities. Our approach has the advantage that all these cultural activities can be considered at the same time, accounting for the individual impact of each on individual happiness levels. |
| Keywords: | happiness, leisure, culture, well-being |
| JEL: | Z1 Z10 Z13 |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ude:wpaper:0614&r=cul |
| By: | Thierno Tounkara (DSI - Département Systèmes d'Information - Institut Mines-Télécom - Télécom Ecole de Management); Pierre-Emmanuel Arduin (HEUDIASYC - Heuristique et Diagnostic des Systèmes Complexes - CNRS : UMR7253 - Université de Technologie de Compiègne) |
| Abstract: | This paper highlights the importance of organizational and cultural contexts in the efficiency of knowledge sharing strategies and particularly strategies based on the use of Information Systems to support knowledge sharing activities. Relying not only on our theoretical investigations, but also on industrial fieldworks, we propose a framework which helps Identify, given dominant characteristics of the organizational and cultural contexts, information system functionalities to develop or to promote in order to support knowledge sharing. A case study illustrates the use of our framework and the implications of this work are finally discussed at the end of this paper. |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01061014&r=cul |
| By: | Igor Fedyukin (National Research University Higher School of Economics); Salavat Gabdrakhmanov (National Research University Higher School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | This study employs a unique database covering 2,293 cadets who graduated from the Noble Land Cadet Corps in St Petersburg from 1732 – 1762 to investigate the role of cultural capital in early modern Russia. Our analysis suggests that within this sample cultural capital was negatively correlated with wealth, but positively with father’s rank within the state service. At the corps itself, wealth and social status of families did not directly affect the success of their sons. The only significant factor of success at this school (promotion to a particular rank at graduation) was the family’s access to “Western” education and cultural skills. The results indicate the state was able to create an institutional framework where the possession of new “imported” knowledge and social skills gave the holder a measurable advantage over his peers. This could be considered one of the mechanisms which contributed to the sustainability of the cultural and social regime created by Peter I. |
| Keywords: | cultural capital, nobility, education, early modern state, Peter I, Noble Cadet Corps, Russia |
| JEL: | Z |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hig:wpaper:59hum2014&r=cul |