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on Economic Geography |
| By: | Rafael Boix; Joan Trullén |
| Abstract: | The objective of this paper is to measure the impact of different kinds of knowledge and external economies on the urban growth in an intraregional network of cities. The paper is divided in five sections. First section (theoretical framework) exposes the relation between the knowledge-based city, networks of cities, external economies and urban growth. Second section exposes a methodology for the measurement of knowledge in cities and the identification of knowledge-based networks of cities. Third section exposes a model to measure the effects of knowledge and external economies (static and dynamic) on the urban growth. Fourth section applies this model to a case study (Catalonia). Finally, conclusions and policy implications are exposed. Keywords: knowledge-based city, networks of cities, urban growth, external economies, spatial econometrics. JEL: R11, R12, O3 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p85&r=geo |
| By: | Roberto Ezcurra; Carlos Gil; Pedro Pascual; Manuel Rapún |
| Abstract: | This paper examines productive specialization in the regions of the European Union over the period 1977 to 1999 using the information provided by various methodological instruments. The results obtained reveal a process of convergence in regional productive structures during the twenty-three years considered. This has been due to the behavior of regions with high levels of specialization at the start of the period, whose productive structures have tended to shift to wards the European average overtime. The analysis carried out also high lights the major role played by regional size, level of development and geographical location in explaining specialization in the European context. Finally, the empirical evidence provided suggests that changes in regional productive structures are closely linked to the evolution of the spatial distribution of per capita income in the European Union. Keywords: Specialization, economic activity, regions, European Union. JEL Code: F15, R11, R12. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p372&r=geo |
| By: | Erik Louw; Yvonne Bontekoning |
| Abstract: | In regional science the interest in spatial distribution of productivity is focussed on labour productivity. In our research we focus on another important production factor that is land. By planning local authorities allocate land to different categories of land use. As part of research on the efficiency of this allocation process in the Netherlands, a method is developed to determine the productivity of industrial land (added value per hectare industrial land). To calculate this ‘spatial productivity’, data from the Dutch industrial estates database are used in combination with regional employment and regional output statistics. The paper will explain the method used and show some results. The research outcomes show that there are substantial differences in spatial productivity in the Netherlands. These differences seem to correlate positively with the urban density. On the other hand the share of added value created on industrial estates by region seems to correlate negatively with urban density. Therefore there is some evidence for the hypothesis that industrial land in urbanised regions is used more efficiently than in other areas, indicating that agglomeration effects are observable in spatial productivity. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p63&r=geo |
| By: | Anna Iara; Iulia Traistaru |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the impact of market integration on regional production structures and regional growth differentials in Hungary over the period 1994-2000. Our analysis indicates a relocation of manufacturing towards border regions, in particular towards regions bordering the European Union. On average, regional manufacturing specialization increased. We find a positive relationship between knowledge spillovers proxyed with a measure of foreign direct investment intensity and regional growth as well as between regional manufacturing specialization and regional growth. The change in regional specialization is also positively related to regional growth. Our empirical results show that on average, other things equal, high growth rates are associated with high initial levels of GDP per capita. This finding shows up even when controlling for regional economic structures, change in manufacturing specialization, the degree of openness and geographical proximity to western markets. Our research suggests that in the first stage of market integration divergence forces tend to prevail leading to relative winners and losers across space. Key words: Economic integration, Location of economic activity, Regional growth JEL Classification: F15, R11, R12 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p298&r=geo |
| By: | Jens Suedekum; Michael Pflueger |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the social desirability of agglomeration and the efficiency arguments for regional policy in a simple, analytically solvable ‘new economic geography’ model with two trade integrating regions. The location pattern emerging as market equilibrium is ?-shaped, featuring dispersion of firms both at high and low trade costs and stable equilibria with partial agglomeration of firms in addition to core periphery equilibria for intermediate levels of trade costs. Our central finding is that the market equilibrium is characterised by over-agglomeration for high trade costs and under-agglomeration for low trade costs. For an intermediate level of trade costs, the market equilibrium yields the socially optimal degree of agglomeration. An important implication of this result is that, on efficiency grounds, regional policy should foster the dispersion of firms for a range of high trade costs only, but agglomeration for a range of low trade costs. Hence, regional policies, such as those pursued by the European Union (which are aimed at fostering dispersion in general), is counterproductive when trade integration is deep enough JEL-Classification: F12, F15, F22, R12, R50 Keywords: economic geography, regional policy, optimal agglomeration, welfare |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p341&r=geo |
| By: | Kurt Geppert; Michael Happich; Andreas Stephan |
| Abstract: | Economic disparities between the regions of the European Union are of constant concern both for policy and economic research. One of the “stylised facts” from the empirical literature is that the process of absolute convergence observed for decades has slowed down or even petered out during the 1980s. In this paper we analyse whether it has resumed and persisted in the 1990s when European integration made huge steps forward. We construct a typology of regions in order to examine whether there are overlapping trends of regional development, in particular, overall convergence on the one hand and persistent or even increasing spatial concentration (agglomeration) on the other. Both of our approaches, Marcov chain analysis and dynamic panel estimation, provide evidence that regional convergence in the EU15 has become stronger in the 1990s. At the same time there appears to exist a tendency towards further agglomeration of high income economic activities. Keywords: Regional growth, agglomeration, dynamic panel estimation |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p219&r=geo |
| By: | Giulio Cainelli; Donato Iacobucci; Enrica Morganti |
| Abstract: | This paper is a first attempt to analyse the relationship between spatial agglomeration and firms’ organizational structures. It takes advantage of a large data set on Italian business groups that allowed us to analyse the differences in the presence and characteristics of business groups between districts and non district areas. Overall the result confirms the hypothesis that spatial agglomeration of business activities influences firms’ organization. Groups are more widespread in industrial districts than in non-district areas; moreover groups in industrial districts are less diversified and more spatially concentrated than groups outside industrial districts. Key words: business groups, industrial districts, spatial agglomeration, firm’s organizational forms JEL Classification: L22, R12 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p402&r=geo |
| By: | Rui António Ramos; Antônio Nélson Silva; Vasco Miranda |
| Abstract: | The objective of this paper is to present a comparison of two methods for the definition of regional metropolitan areas, in a perspective of identification of urban territories with similar characteristics. In this study it is assumed that population density is, in the absence of another measure that describe daily or weekly individual movements, a variable that can be used to evaluate, although indirectly, the activity level and dynamics of the territory. The first method explored here uses ESDA (Exploratory Spatial Data Analyses) techniques for the definition of regional metropolitan areas. The second method is based on an index value that results from a rank of the variable under analysis in a spatial context, both at the local and national (or regional) levels. The methods are implemented in a case study in the north of Portugal, where this is a very opportune issue. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p488&r=geo |
| By: | Eckhardt Bode |
| Abstract: | Several recent econometric investigations found externalities related to the density of economic activity to account for one fifth to one half of total regional variations in average labor productivity in the U.S. and big European countries, including Germany. The present paper shows for German NUTS 3 regions, first, that this result is not robust against a more extensive control for private returns that may be correlated with economic density. The paper presents, second, evidence of various types of agglomeration economies, including labor-market pooling, human-capital externalities, localized R&D spillovers, gains from the variety of intermediate goods, to affect regional productivity significantly. Although the productivity effects of these externalities within regions cannot be identified because they are observationally equivalent to individual returns, they can be identified by exploiting the spatial dimension of the data. Keywords: productivity, agglomeration externalities, spatial econometrics JEL: C21, R12 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p120&r=geo |
| By: | Ana Paula Delgado; Isabel Maria Godinho |
| Abstract: | The rank-size model - which states that the size distribution of cities in a country follows a Pareto distribution - has been recognized as one of those stylised facts or amazing empirical regularities, in spatial economics. A common problem in city size distribution studies concerns the definition of “cities”, namely the consistency of those definitions over time. In this paper we use a city-proper data base which uses a consistent definition of cities from 1864 to 1991. Portugal is a country with long established national borders and whose mainland urban system shows a constant number of cities over that period. In Portugal, empirical evidence on city size distribution based on census data shows that two large cities dominate the urban system, associated with a large number of very small cities and a clear deficit of medium-size cities. In this paper we analyse the evolution of the rank size exponent and examine the effect of varying city size cut-offs on the estimated value of that exponent. Then, we study the deviations of the rank-size distribution from linearity. Finally, we explore the dynamics underlying the evolution of the urban system by examining the relationship between city growth rates and city size. Keywords: city size distribution, Zipf’s law, rank-size, urban hierarchy, urban primacy |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p315&r=geo |
| By: | Rachel Guillain; Julie Le Gallo; Céline Boiteux-Orain |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to analyze the intra-urban spatial distribution of employment in the agglomeration of Ile-de-France in 1978 and 1997. In that purpose, exploratory spatial data analysis is used in order to identify employment centers and a sectoral analysis of the CBD and the subcenters is performed. Our results highlight a suburbanization process of employment between 1978 and 1997 in Ile-de-France. A more polarized space emerges in 1997 compared to 1978 with several employment centers specialized in different activities. Moreover, even if the spatial influence of the CBD is diminishing during the study period, the CBD preserves its economic leadership by concentrating a large variety of high-order producer services. Keywords: exploratory spatial data analysis; employment centers; spatial autocorrelation; suburbanization JEL Classification: C12, R12, R14 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p59&r=geo |
| By: | Lars Glanzmann; Nathalie Grillon; Christian Kruse; Alain Thierstein |
| Abstract: | The concept of ‘polycentric spatial development’, a central principle of the European Spatial Development Perspective, is closely linked to the concept of ‘sustainable urban development’. But ‘polycentricity’ has different significance at different spatial scales. Within a European context, polycentricity can refer to functional connectivity (supported by developments in ICT and transportation), between global “gateway” cities such as London, Paris and Frankfurt on the one hand, and the utilisation of global economic and knowledge flows coming into these cities for the benefit of other EU cities and regions on the other hand. At a finer geographical scale, ‚polycentricity’ refers to outward diffusion from major cities to smaller ones over a wide area, and focuses on the local linkages that arise from this process. POLYNET is a joint research program of eight European university institutes, funded by the EU program Interreg IIIB Northwestern Europe (NWE). The project is focusing attention on a new phenomenon as far as it refers to the polycentric ‘Mega-City-Region’ in NWE which in turn is characterised by connectivity in an ‘information’ or ‘network’ society. POLYNET examines functional relationships and information flows (material/transportation and virtual/ICT) associated with service sector business activity (banking, insurance, law, accounting, advertising, logistics, management and design consulting) within and between eight major Northwest European polycentric ‘Mega-City-Regions’: South East England; Delta Metropolis, Netherlands; Rhine-Main, Germany; Île-de-France; Dublin, Ireland; Northern Switzerland / Zurich; Rhine-Ruhr, Germany and Brussels, Belgium. The paper first presents the methodological and empirical approaches applied, secondly identifies the polycentric patterns of the European Metropolitan Region of Northern Switzerland / Zurich. A third section describes the analysis of connectivity and inter-relationship of the metropolitan region of Northern Switzerland with regard to other polycentric metropolitan regions. Section four presents an outlook on potential implications for sustainable management of the metropolitan region of Northern Switzerland. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p440&r=geo |
| By: | Conceição Rego |
| Abstract: | Universities are a source of significant multiplier effects upon local and regional economic activity. In the case of economically depressed regions, the importance of universities is enhanced. This is the case of the University of Évora, located in Alentejo (Portugal), one of the poorest EU regions, where it has been a key element to the dynamics of local economic activity. Apart from a direct impact upon the economic activity of Alentejo, the University of Évora has also been promoting demographic effects, both by encouraging new permanent residents to the area, and also by attracting a fluctuating mass of students which usually become residents during the period of time required to obtain their degrees. In this paper a population of former University of Évora students is analysed with the objective of answering questions related to their connections with the city of Évora, and its surrounding areas, after graduation, and also to analyse their impact upon the regional economic activity and their contribution to the improvement of the regional labour force. The University of Évora is also assessed from the perspective of its relationships with other regional agents, in terms of knowledge and innovation transference. It is concluded that one of the main contributions of the University of Évora to the regional economic activity occurs via the employment of its graduates in local and regional schools, enterprises and other institutions. KEY-WORDS: Human Capital, Regional Development, Universities JEL CLASSIFICATION: O15, O18, R12 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p172&r=geo |
| By: | Francisco Diniz |
| Abstract: | Small and medium-sized towns in rural areas are of particular interest at this stage in the evolution of the European CAP. Serious consideration is being given to mechanisms that could transfer resources from the agricultural sector into a more diversified rural economy in order to safeguard the well-being of both the farming community and the wider rural population while still preserving the environmental assets which are such a valued feature of Europe¡¯s rural areas. Small and medium-sized towns are potentially attractive as a focus for future rural development initiatives because: ¡ñ The concentration of initiatives within such settlements takes advantage of the economies of agglomeration while allowing the benefits of such initiatives to spread out from these sub-poles into the surrounding countryside; ¡ñ Small and Medium-sized towns contain the concentration of both human and institutional capacity required for ¡°bottom-up¡± initiatives of which the LEADER approach to integrated rural development is a good example; ¡ñ Small and medium-sized towns often contain the administrative infrastructure required to manage rural development initiatives on behalf of regional, national or European authorities in a properly accountable and auditable manner; ¡ñ In regions where land is scarce and the population density high, small and medium-sized towns provide the right locations to foster beneficial rural development while preserving the environmental assets of the open countryside. The ESDP ¨C European Spatial Development Perspective, a document published in May 1999 by the European Commission regarding the ballanced and sustainable development of the European Union territory stresses the role of small and medium-sized towns in the spatial orientation policies. It points to the ¡°development of a polycentric and balanced urban system¡± as one of the main development guidelines. It also refers the strengthening of partnerships between urban and rural areas¡± as a means of overcoming the outdated dualism between city and countryside. One of the policy options of this polycentric spatial development towards a new urban-rural relashionship mentioned in point 3.2.3 (Indigenous Development, diverse and Productive Rural Areas) make it clear the important role small and medium-sized towns are expected to play as focal points for regional development and promotion of their networking. With this paper we wish to analyze the results provided by around 150 questionnaires addressed to non-farm businesses in each of the three small and three medium-sized Portuguese towns chosen to be studied in order to draw some conclusions about the purchases and sales local economic integration of these firms regarding: - the relative importance of some of the firms¡¯ characteristics; - the question whether the size of the town matters; ¨C the economic sector where the firm developed its activity; and, finally, - the role of the main economic activity of the town in terms of employment and proximity of a metropolitan area. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p349&r=geo |
| By: | Angels Pelegrín Solé |
| Abstract: | The objective of this paper is to examine the nature and determinants of the regional distribution of FDI within Spain with special emphasis in agglomeration factors. Although the paper focuses in the manufacturing investment, considered a key factor in the economic transformation happened during the last 35 years, and traditionally the large part of FDI until the mid of eighties, the analysis distinguish between total FDI case and manufacturing FDI case. The paper is of interest for two main reasons: first this study introduces agglomeration and urbanization variables to test if they are decisive location factors. As it is showed in the part of description of the variables, there are very few studies of location determinants that consider new economic geography variables. In second tem, there are very few studies of location determinants of FDI in Spain, and even fewer that focus in regional areas. The precedent of this paper is another previous study, where the traditional cost and market determinants were empirically tested, a descriptive part of the work showed a high geographical concentration, so one possible explication could be that agglomeration and urbanization economies were decisive location factors. This study introduces some agglomeration and urbanization variables to test if they are decisive location factors in Spanish regions, distinguishing total FDI case and manufacturing FDI case. The article is divided into five further sections. The next section examines the location determinants of FDI and reviews the existing literature in regional/state location factors. The second section provides details on the database and the econometric methodology. In the forth section the empirical results are discussed. The final section offers a summary and concluding remarks. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p682&r=geo |
| By: | Ferhan Gezýcý |
| Abstract: | Increasing interest on regional inequalities can be easily observed not only within countries but also among countries, related to globalization process and trade unions. European Union has also focused on issues on regional development, inequalities and convergence. Enlargement of EU makes this issue very significant, in terms of structural funds allocation and integration. In this context, Turkey has also several projects for adjustment. One of them is defining NUTS regions in order to adjust regions to EU norms and create some comparable statistical data. In this paper, it is examined regional inequalities in Turkey for NUTS regions, following two other papers (Gezici&Hewings, 2001; 2003) which are examined regional inequalities in terms of three different regional classification. Thus, this paper will give additional information to make a comparison between different regional classifications. Moreover, it will give an opportunity to evaluate adjustment process related to regional issues in Turkey. Regional inequalities will be identified using spatial data analysis in order to see the effects of spatial dependence on regional inequalities. Key words: interregional inequalities, spatial data analysis, NUTS regions, Turkey |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p57&r=geo |
| By: | Dimitris Kallioras; Georgios Fotopoulos; George Petrakos |
| Abstract: | The process of Central and Eastern European Countries’ (CEEC) transition from central planning to market economy has resulted in industrial restructuring and labor reallocation across branches and regions. The paper identifies patterns of industrial activity in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Hungary and Estonia on a basis of employment data, as a proxy for regional industrial structures, at NUTS III spatial level, disaggregated by manufacturing branches according to NACE rev. 1 two – digit classification. Theil entropy index is used in the analysis in order to evaluate patterns of regional specialization (defined as the distribution of the shares of a sector ? in a region ?) and sectoral concentration (defined as the distribution of the shares of a region in a sector ?). The over time evolution of the process of industrial restructuring represents a proper baseline for the likely distributional implications of the EU enlargement for these countries. Key Words: Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Hungary and Estonia, industrial restructuring, industrial mix, competitiveness and growth. JEL Classification: L16, R11, R12. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p89&r=geo |
| By: | Rosina Moreno; Raffaele Paci; Stefano Usai |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the spatial distribution of innovative activity and the role of technological spillovers in the process of knowledge creation across 138 regions of 17 countries in Europe (the 15 members of the European Union plus Switzerland and Norway). The analysis is based on an original statistical databank set up by CRENoS on regional patenting at the European Patent Office spanning from 1978 to 1997 and classified by ISIC sectors (3 digit). In a first step, a deep exploratory spatial data analysis of the dissemination of innovative activity in Europe is performed. Some global and local indicators for spatial association are presented, summarising the presence of a dependence process in the distribution of innovative activity for different periods and sectors. Secondly, we attempt to model the behaviour of innovative activity at the regional level on the basis of a knowledge production function. Econometric results points to the relevance of internal factors (R&D expenditure, economic performance, agglomeration economies). Moreover, the production of knowledge by European regions seems to be also affected by spatial spillovers due to innovative activity performed in other regions. Keywords: Innovative activity, Spatial analysis, European regions, Knowledge production function. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p588&r=geo |
| By: | Maria Jesus Santa Maria Beneyto; Jose Miguel Giner Perez; Antonio Fuster Olivares |
| Abstract: | In the last two decades there have been significant spatial changes influenced by the industrial re-organization processes. And the studies made about these changes have defined new forms of territorial distribution. One of these new forms appears because of territorial diffusion of the economic activity due to a flexible decentralization process and, simultaneously, the endogenous development in a geographical area. This industrial organization model has promoted the development of local geographic areas composed by a high number of small enterprises of the same industrial sector. These areas receive the denomination of local productive systems (LPS). However, these local areas can’t be identified with the administrative areas in which is divided a province or a region. In fact, a LPS can be defined as a certain number of towns, near geographically, with a high concentration of the same industrial activity, but not necessary located in the same municipality. The aim of this work is to identify and locate the LPS in the Spanish territory. So, the first phase will be to identify the industrial sectors which are highly concentrated in certain areas using the municipality which is the basic administrative unit in Spain. For that purpose it will be used indicators of the geographical concentration of the economic activity as the Gini index and the location coefficient. Also, the use of a spatial autocorrelation index will allow us to know if the location of a concrete economic activity in a municipality is influenced by the location of the same activity in other neighbouring municipalities. With this index it will be possible to identify the industrial sectors which are highly concentrated in one territorial area that could be different from the administrative division of the territory, being an agglomeration of municipalities with a high specialization in one industrial sector. In a second phase, the objective will be to establish the geographic areas with a high concentration level in one industrial sector. Next, we will try to delimitate the territorial boundaries in order to identify the LPS using the methodology developed by Frederic Lainé for the French case. In this methodology the characterization of the municipalities is based in four basic requirements for a concrete sector: number of establishments, employment, industrial density and specialization degree. The results, that is, the number of municipalities that fulfil these requirements, will be aggregated in order to search for the municipalities which are specialized in one industrial sector and are geographically nearby from other municipalities with the same industrial specialization. Finally, we will obtain a new spatial unit different from the administrative units traditionally used. These new units will represent a local production systems composed of several nearby municipalities specialized in the same industrial sector. In our opinion, this new spatial unit would represent better the idea of economic unit, more accurate than the administrative-political division. Industrial specialization. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p122&r=geo |
| By: | Hajime Takatsuka; Dao-Zhi Zeng |
| Abstract: | The regional specialization via differences in transport costs are observed in Japanese manufacturing industries. Concretely, industries with high transport costs for their products, such as iron and steel, petroleum and coal products, remained close to the core region while industries with low transport costs, such as electrical machinery, precision instruments, have relocated to the periphery region. The purpose of this paper is to give a theoretical foundation for this fact by use of a new economic geography model with multiple industries. The urban costs and congestion are explicitly included in the model. We obtain the following results. First, if congestion does not exist, at most one industry disperses when transport and commuting costs are sufficiently small. Furthermore, regional specialization occurs in which industries having higher adjusted transport costs (which are defined as the ratios of transport costs to the number of varieties) than that of the dispersing industry agglomerate in one region. Second, in the case of strong congestion, plural industries might disperse even if transport and commuting costs are small, but as the degree of congestion decreases, the location will change to complete regional specialization. Keywords: regional specialization, economic geography, transport costs, urban costs, congestion. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p329&r=geo |
| By: | Sjoerd Beugelsdijk |
| Abstract: | This paper presents the results of an empirical study on the relationship between entrepreneurial culture, regional rates of innovation and regional economic growth. Recent literature mainly in regional science and economic geography has emphasized the role of an entrepreneurial culture in explaining the economic success of regions. Most of these contributions are however conceptual or case-based. Building on Leibenstein’s view of the entrepreneur as the ‘input completer’ and the Austrian school in which entrepreneurial activity is attributed a central role I hypothesize that regions which can be characterized as having an entrepreneurial culture are more innovative and grow faster. I use a standard economic growth model and test this hypothesis on a sample of 54 European regions. The results confirm the importance of an entrepreneurial culture. Keywords: entrepreneurship, culture, innovation, regional economic growth JEL code: Z1, R11 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p210&r=geo |
| By: | Stelios Tsompanolgou; Yorgos Photis |
| Abstract: | The main aim of this paper is the definition of a methodological framework for the determination, analysis and cross-evaluation of urban clusters which are formulated within wider study areas, such as administrative regions. To this end, different methods and techniques are utilised, that stem from the fields of Statistics and Quantitative Spatial Analysis and which during the last years are all the more commonly applied to the different stages of Geographical Analysis. In this regard, the four interconnecting components that form the proposed methodology are Cluster Analysis, Distance Counts, Location Quotient and Nearest Neighbour Analysis along with the analytical and presentational capabilities of G.I.S. technology. The definition of urban clusters is mainly based on different types of variables such as the demographic characteristics of the cities, the number of public facilities located in them, as well as the total length of the different types of road network in the study area. At its final state, the proposed methodological approach is strengthened by the formulation of a comparative indicator of spatial concentration reflecting the role and the relative weight of every urban area in the study region as well as its spatial influence. Such a metric, improves the definition and analysis of urban clusters and in the same time, constitutes an alternative assessment of their overall locational perspective. Both the proposed methodological framework and the formulated indicator are applied and in the region of Thessaly, Greece. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p498&r=geo |
| By: | Antonio Fuster Olivares; Jose Miguel Giner Perez; Mª Carmen Tolosa Bailen |
| Abstract: | There is no enough evidence about the effects of the new information and communication technologies (ICT) in Spain and how these ICT cause differences between regions. So, the aim of this work is to analyze the regional disparities relative to the new economy in Spain. In the first part of this work, we will review the literature about the concept and measure of the new economy and the problems derived from the high number of definitions about it that difficult an homogeneous analysis. Despite of the several definitions, new economy refers, basically, to an economic development based in Internet and the technologic knowledge as the main inputs. Secondly, we review the empirical evidence about the location factors associated with the new economy. As we highlight in this section, the main conclusion is the complexity of the location dynamic related with the new economy because the results of the empirical studies range from the spatial concentration to the spatial dispersion. In the third section, we analyze the methodology and the empirical results. We collect regional indicators of the new economy in Spain trying to establish if the growth of the new economy in Spain has generated a high spatial concentration. But measuring the new economy at the regional level is even more difficult than it is at the national level because many of the most useful data tend to be nationally oriented. Therefore, it will be used a statistical database with the 28 regional indicators. The 28 indicators in this database are divided into 4 categories about the new economy: ICT industry, ICT services, the knowledge society and the information society. Firstly, we analyse the spatial concentration of the new economy variables in the Spanish territory with the aim of comparing the spatial concentration of the new economy with the spatial concentration of the economic activity. Next, we will construct a composite indicator that will give us the information about the relative position of a region in the new economy in order to find a variable that reflects the regional development of the new economy. Also, to compare the new economy indicator with the conventional economy it will be used the GDP per capita. As a preliminary result we find that the regional disparities in economic growth are more reduced than the regional disparities in the development of the new economy. So, the spatial concentration of the new economy is higher than the spatial concentration of the conventional economic activity. Also, a second preliminary conclusion is the relationship between a high economic development and a high level of the new economy. Finally, we conclude with an exposition of the main conclusions highlighting that the Internet and the ICT are an important progress instruments but can generate a growing of the regional disparities. Therefore, the role of the public sector promoting the introduction and development of the information and knowledge society, specially, in the regions with a low position in the new economy characteristics is essential. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p284&r=geo |
| By: | Tatu Hirvonen |
| Abstract: | The severe depression which Finland suffered in the early 1990´s as well as the subsequent economic developments saw Finland faced not only with high unemployment and rising income disparities but also with deepening regional imbalance. As a handful of larger cities grew, many others either coped or declined altogether. In 2000 the Finnish government launched the Regional Centre Programme (RCP). Through the development of a regional network of different sized growth centres based on their particular strengths, expertise and specialization, the original purpose of the programme was not only to find new sources of economic growth but to find ways of spreading growth more evenly across regions without hindering the overall development. The aim of this paper is to assess the development trail which led to the emergence of the RCP as well as to study RCP´s role in assisting the development of small urban centres during its first three years of existence. Keywords: Regional development, Regional Centre Policy, Finland |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p240&r=geo |
| By: | Per Botolf Maurseth; Björn Frank |
| Abstract: | Many advocates of an active regional economic policy tend to consider regional sectoral concentration as something which can be created, as a recipe rather than just a development which sometimes occurs and sometimes not. Whether such a policy can be successful implicitly depends on a number of assumptions which are empirically tested in this paper: The first assumption is that regional concentration and regional specialisation foster growth. We test this hypothesis, using data for nine ICT industries in 97 German regions. According to preliminary results, the effect of concentration is positive as expected, but small and its significance depends on specification and industry. Second, the common perception is that East Germany is still a special case. This is clearly supported for the ICT industry, which lacks behind not only with respect to level, but also with respect to growth rates for 1998 to 2002. Third, if regional sectoral agglomeration is an advantage for regions due to technological externalities, for example, then the same reasons might lead to spillover effects between neighbouring regions. With Myrdal we call this a "spread effect". However, the opposite, called "backwash effect" by Myrdal, is also well possible: If a certain sector is growing in region A, that might be due to firms moving in from the neighbouring regions. While the spread effect is the more popular hypothesis, we find evidence for both effects, using standard spatial econometrics techniques. We also discuss the possible reasons why neighbourhood effects are positive in some ICT industries and negative in others. Forth, we investigate whether regional economic policy has a positive impact. Again using spatial econometrics techniques, not so standard in this case, our preliminary results show that the 16 German Laender seem not able to do change the path which is determined for the ICT industries by spatial and other variables. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p388&r=geo |
| By: | Juan Miguel Benito; Roberto Ezcurra |
| Abstract: | This paper applies nonparametric techniques in order to examine the evolution of the entire distribution of regional productivity in the European Union between 1977 and 1999. Likewise, we study the strength of the respective roles played by regional and sectoral factors in the convergence in productivity observed in the European context. To achieve this aim, we consider a new methodology involving a modification of conventional shift-share analysis and various results reported in the literature on personal income distribution. Our results suggest that regional inequality in productivity in the European Union is closely linked to intrinsic differences between regions. Likewise, the analyses performed reveal the major role played by the national component and the spatial dimension in the explanation of regional disparities in the product per worker in the European Union. In addition, our findings support the relevance of one-sector growth models for analysing regional disparities in per capita income. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p102&r=geo |
| By: | Gertrudes Saúde Guerreiro; António Caleiro |
| Abstract: | Despite being a small country, Portugal is characterised by significant regional disparities which are evident from the analysis of numerous indicators such as the level of income or the unemployment rate. These regional disparities acquire characteristics that, in a sense, do not respect the traditional pattern as the one expected when assuming that standards of living decrease with the distance of each region to the region where economic prosperity is higher. Plainly, this means that, besides the geographical map, it is possible to construct an alternative map of the regions of Portugal which, by its characteristics, is certainly much more interesting from the regional economics point of view. This can be done through the use of multidimensional scaling as it allows representing graphically the regions in a way to reproduce as close as possible the economic distances of the regions as measured by traditional indicators. The analysis of the multidimensional scaling output makes it then possible, on the one hand, to verify how geographical distances are related with economic ones and, on the other hand, to verify if the Portuguese regional economic policies have, indeed, contributed to a diminishment of those regional disparities. KEY-WORDS: Distance, Multidimensional Scaling, Portugal, Regional Disparities JEL CLASSIFICATION: C14, R12, R15 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p156&r=geo |
| By: | Olivier Thomas |
| Abstract: | This paper aims at questioning the link between local finances and the economic dynamism of cities. This issue is based on the frequently stressed cases (by the media) of uncontrolled expenses of cities, increased level of local taxes and negative effects on local economics. This situation has been experimented in the cities of Briançon, Angoulême, and even in the little village of Eyne (Eastern Pyrenees) which had the biggest level of debt per inhabitant of the whole Europe in the beginning of the nineties. Therefore, as a starting point, the lack of neutral link between urban management and local attractive power of cities will be assumed. The relevance of the following assumptions will be considered : * assumption n°1 : the choice of the financial way to manage a city would positively influence economic dynamism, provided it would express the agreement with a “budgetary orthodoxy convention”.* assumption n°2 : conversely, local public management, insofar as it is based (notably) on debts and refers to what could be called “keynesian convention” would negatively influence the attractive power of cities.Thus, everything else equal, the more a city would be granted with important saving resources, the more it could afford to finance it own investments (or increased investments with a given rate of self-financing), the less financial expenses would lessen the functioning resources of the following year, etc … Moreover, a healthy financial management would improve the probability of a city to attract households and firms : if debts and local taxes can be restricted to a law level (in respect to the national average level, to the one of close competing cities …), then this law yearly increase of local taxes would not seem to shackle the dynamics of locations within a given city. The empirical part of this paper deals with the test of the relevance of the previous assumptions. Our sample is composed with all the 324 cities of the French Department of Tarn. The specific features of this sample are : the important number of statistical observations, the fact that all the cities of a local level, between metropolitan areas and Regions, are considered, the diversity of environments (rural, urban, agriculture, industry, dynamic or depressed industrial sectors), high of low proximity with an European metropolitan area (Toulouse), The attractive power of Tarn cities will be estimated by the increase (or decrease) of population. The assumptions will be tested thanks to ordinary least square regressions, and factor analysis. The database includes budgetary variables (budgets of cities, resources, expenses, savings, fiscal wealth, debts, investments, …), fiscal variables (local taxes, income tax, …) and also distances from each city to Toulouse, expressed in kilometres and in time. The conclusions will be detailed in terms of local planning, by comparing the impact of distance to fiscal “fixed” expenses. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p33&r=geo |
| By: | Marcus Adolphson |
| Abstract: | Changes of land use pattern and urban form could be seen as a dynamic result of the trade off by public and private interests. Private interest – individual residents or firms – tries, according to micro economic theory, to maximize their individual utility. Public interests – conveyed by government institutions on different geographical levels - on the other hand, try according to macro economic theories to maximize the general welfare in a community according to the preferences of the political system. The focus is to measure the importance of spatial locations factors regarding new residential and commercial buildings in relation to the existing urban form, political guidelines and ecological features. In the region transportation infrastructure systems, as high speed commuting train and highways, have been implemented in the middle of the period. The time period investigated is 1992-2000. The importances of the location factors were obtained by logistic regression analysis and transformation of the ß -values into elasticities. The dependent variables were settlements of new urban elements in pixels of 50*50 meters. Independent variables where distances to existing urban elements, presence of public interests and some ecological features as south faced hill slopes, distance to water areas and geology. Results from this projects reveals that new urban settlements in general are located in proximity to existing urban settlements of the same kind, in remotness to existing urban focal points and to some extend within planned areas. National/regional transportation nodes do not have any apparent influence on the location. A general conclusion from this investigation is that the built environment develops towards a further dispersed rural spatial pattern though with some correspondence to the comprehensive land use plan. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p684&r=geo |
| By: | Viv. B Hall; McDermott C. John |
| Abstract: | We use National Bank of New Zealand Regional Economic Activity data, to identify and characterise classical business cycle turning points, for New Zealand’s 14 regions and aggregate New Zealand activity. Using Concordance statistic measures, logistic model and GMM estimation methods, meaningful regional business cycles have been identified and a number of significant associations established. All regions exhibit cyclical asymmetry for both durations and amplitudes, and synchronisations between aggregate NZ activity and each region are contemporaneous. The regional cycles rarely die of old age but are terminated by particular events. The regions most highly synchronised with the NZ activity cycle are Auckland, Canterbury, and Nelson-Marlborough; those least so are Gisborne and Southland. Noticeably strong co-movements are evident for certain regions. Geographical proximity matters, and unusually dry conditions can be associated with cyclical downturns in certain regions. There is no discernable evidence of association with net immigration movements, and no significant evidence of regional cycle movements being associated with real house price cycles. The agriculture-based nature of the New Zealand economy is highlighted by the strong influence of external economic shocks on rural economic performance. In particular, there is considerable evidence of certain regional cycles being associated with movements in New Zealand’s aggregate terms of trade, real prices of milksolids, real dairy land prices and total rural land prices. JEL Classification: C22, E32, R11, R12, R15 Keywords: Classical business cycle; Turning Points; Regional business cycles; Concordance statistics; New Zealand |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p200&r=geo |
| By: | Marta Ferreira Dias; Ricardo Silva |
| Abstract: | Over the last decades, the Portuguese economy exhibited an outstanding growth performance. This period of fast economic growth allowed the country to consistently reduce its income gap with respect to the EU average. In spite of this, regions in Portugal exhibited large differences between each other in terms of GDP per capita. Yet, the Portuguese government did make attempts at regional intervention by means of some policy instruments, namely public transfers to local (and regional) government. How successful these policies have been in terms of achieving their goal is still an open question, especially as far as Portuguese Central Government transfers are concerned. The main purpose of the paper is to evaluate if the system of Central Government transfers has affected the intra-regional Portuguese convergence. We haven’t found unquestionable evidence that these policies have been effective at stimulating convergence among Portuguese regions and at improving the overall economies of the poorer regions. Keywords: Regional convergence, Central Government transfers, Regional policy JEL Classification: H71; O18; R58 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p443&r=geo |
| By: | Satu Nivalainen |
| Abstract: | This study examines urban and rural destined/originated migration in Finland in 1996-1999 using a large micro-level data set. Three conclusions stand out from the results. Firstly, migrants not only differ from stayers but there are also many differences between migrants from and to rural and urban areas. In particular, rural-to-urban migrants are highly educated while those moving from urban to rural areas are not. Secondly, locational preferences vary according to the life-cycle: young and single individuals head to urban areas, whereas couples and retired persons tend to relocate from urban to rural areas. Thirdly, the results suggest that both rural-to-urban and urban-to-rural migration work to the benefit of the urban areas; hence regional disparities are likely to increase rather than decrease upon continuing migration. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p317&r=geo |
| By: | Erik Verhoef |
| Abstract: | This paper considers second-best congestion pricing in the monocentric city, with endogenous residential density and endogenous labour supply. A spatial general equilibrium model is developed that allows consideration of the three-way interactions between urban density, traffic congestion and labour supply. Congestion pricing schemes are analyzed that are second best ‘by design’ (and not because distortions exist elsewhere in the spatial economy), like cordon charging and flat kilometre charges. Both for Cobb-Douglas utility and for CES utility, the analyses suggest that the relative welfare losses from second-best pricing, compared to first-best pricing, are surprisingly small. *Affiliated to the Tinbergen Institute, Roetersstraat 31, 1018 WB Amsterdam. Key words: Traffic congestion, second-best pricing, urban structure, spatial general equilibrium JEL codes: R41, R48, D62 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p408&r=geo |
| By: | Bernard Fingleton |
| Abstract: | This paper tests two competing models, one deriving from new economic geography theory (NEG) emphasising varying market potential, the other with a basis in urban economics theory (UE) in which the main emphasis is on producer service linkages. Using wage rate variations across small regions of Great Britain, the paper finds that, taking commuting into account, it is UE theory rather than NEG theory that has explanatory power. However since the two hypotheses are non-nested, the evaluation of the competing hypotheses is difficult and therefore the conclusions are provisional. Nevertheless this paper provides evidence that we should be cautious about the ability of NEG to work at all levels of spatial resolution, and re-emphasises the need to focus on supply-side variations in producer services inputs and labour efficiency variations, including the role of commuting, in local economic analysis. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p638&r=geo |
| By: | Krister Sandberg |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the provincial pattern of growth in China during the period 1985–2000, testing the hypothesis that provinces with similar growth rates are more spatially clustered than would be expected by chance. The provincial economic growth is explained by the distribution of industrial enterprises, foreign direct investment, infrastructure, and governmental preferential policies. The neoclassical hypothesis of convergence is also tested. Indications of unconditional convergence does occur during the periods 1985–2000 and 1985–1990. In addition, conditional convergence is found during the sub-period 1990–1995. Evidence of spatial dependence between adjacent provinces has also been established, and in the econometric part, solved by a spatial lag, or alternatively a spatial error term, in the growth equation. Keywords: GRP-growth, Chinese provinces, Spatial dependence Classification [JEL]: O18, R11, R12 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p596&r=geo |
| By: | Valter Di Giacinto; Giorgio Nuzzo |
| Abstract: | Labor productivity convergence is a key factor in the catching up process of less developed regions. For the regional economies as a whole labor productivity differentials can be traced back to three distinct determinants: - composition effects due to the peculiar structure of the regional economy; a lower than average productivity level could, for instance, be due to the fact that a greater share or the regional labor force is employed in sectors that are denoted by lower productivity at the aggregate level; - different regional endowments, within each given industry, of physical and human capital per worker; - differing levels of total factor productivity (TFP). The study aims at explaining substantial and persistent regional differentials in labor productivity in Italy providing: 1. an assessment of the role played by the three factors above outlined in the variuos regions; 2. an empirical evaluation of the role played by some of the relevant factors suggested in the related literature (e.g., public and social capital, R&D expenditure, international openness, financial markets development, agglomeration and diversification economies, geographic factors), in explaining regional TFP differentials. The empirical analysis makes use of a particularly rich data set including annual regional accounts and capital stock data for 17 industries covering the period 1970-1994. Estimates of human capital broken down by region and industry are produced by the authors pooling information from the Labor force survey and Bank of Italy’s Survey of households income and wealth. The analysis of structural composition effects is carried out by means of the shift-share technique proposed by Esteban (2000), while a cointegrated panel model is used to estimate total factor productivity by region and sector. In an attempt to assess the relevance of spatial externalities in explaining regional TFP levels the final regression analysis makes use of spatial econometric techniques. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p105&r=geo |
| By: | George Ramos; Domingos Santos |
| Abstract: | Recent approaches to the study of innovations enhance some similar aspects of the innovation process in knowledge-based economies: (i) the systemic and interrelated nature of innovation and (ii) its geographic and inter-economic activities density of networking. One perspective is linked to the innovation systems approach at the national, regional and local level. What we know so far is that the most specialized forms of knowledge are becoming a short lived resource, in face of the (increasingly) fast changes that are occurring in the global economy; it’s the ability to learn permanently and to adapt to this fast changing scenario that determines the innovative performance of firms, regions and countries. Another approach is to be found in the research on cluster development, where proximity and interrelated technical/technological linkage are the main features to take under consideration. Although these two approaches operate at slightly different spatial scale of analysis, they both allow the identification of a set of key factors that contribute to understand the way in which institutions and actors, considering the innovation system or the cluster process, participate in the innovation atmosphere and in the economic growth. Nevertheless, both approaches show the same limitation: they tend to focalise into the descriptive and analytical level, disregarding the explanatory level. Local and regional authorities are, mainly, interested in the process of cluster intensification in the local and regional economies context. This feature stress out one other controversy level: are the “hard” location factors (the concrete tangible location factors) more important than the “soft” location factors (qualitative, intangible factors) or vice-versa? This paper aims to explore the current knowledge about this process and to open some fields of future research. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p462&r=geo |
| By: | Wolfgang Wagner |
| Abstract: | Social segregation in cities takes place where different household groups exist and when, according to Schelling, their location choice either minimizes the number of differing households in their neighbourhood or maximizes their own group. In this contribution an evolutionary simulation based on a monocentric city model with externalities among households is used to discuss the spatial segregation patterns of four groups. The resulting complex spatial patterns can be shown as graphic animations. They can be applied as initial situation for the analysis of the effects a price regulation has on segregation. JEL classification: D62, R14, R31, R52 Keywords: simulation, segregation, monocentric city, price regulation |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p687&r=geo |
| By: | Hans Joachim Schalk; Attila Varga |
| Abstract: | Mainstream economic thinking is still characterized by a predominantly a-spatial theoretical structure. Though economists are able to model the impacts of capital, labor or technology on output, employment or prices at both macro and micro levels, our methodological tools are still not sensitive to the influence of geography on the way inputs contribute to production. Empirical investigations of the relationship between agglomeration and macroeconomic growth are still relatively rare in the literature. It is also a very recent advancement that geographical structure is modeled simultaneously with other variables in macroeconomic models. This paper introduces EcoRET the macroeconometric model with regionally endogenized technological change for Hungary. The unique feature of EcoRET is that it incorporates spatial structure into a traditional macroeconometric model by a regional block of technological change. The model can be applied for policy simulations on the macroeconomic effects of changing geographical distribution of regional financial supports. JEL classification: O31, H41, O40 Keywords: endogenous growth theory, new economic geography, knowledge spillovers, total factor productivity, agglomeration economies |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p521&r=geo |
| By: | Tüzin Baycan-Levent; Seda Kundak; Aliye Ahu Gülümser |
| Abstract: | The globalization process has led to an increased interaction between cities and to a new urban system/network in which they need to be competitive and complementary at the same time. “Network of cities”, such as World Cities, Eurocities or Sister Cities are among the well known examples of interaction and cooperation of the cities at the regional and global level. The cities of different regions and countries tend to share their experiences and their cultures within these networks in order to develop some common spatial or social strategies and further cooperation. “Best practices” or “benchmarking are the most important issues of the interaction between cities. While benchmarking facilitates the cultural dialogue between different cities, the common values developed in this process make a great contribution to the construction of global urban culture. The main aim of this paper is to investigate the role of urban networks in the interaction and integration of cities by means of “Sister City” movement that can be defined as a partnership of two cities from different countries which is based on cultural and social understanding to achieve cultural dialogue. This paper focuses on the “Sister Cities of Instanbul” to highlight the development process of the movement in the historical and geographical context and to evaluate the development phases of the relationship with sister cities. The results of our study show that Istanbul’s relationships with its sister cities are at the “associative” and “reciprocative” phases that can be defied as the earlier phases of the relationships. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p106&r=geo |
| By: | Annekatrin Niebuhr; Silvia Stiller |
| Abstract: | Border regions are likely to play a critical role within the special dynamics initiated by the enlargement of the EU. This paper deals with the effects of integration on labour market conditions in border regions. Within the framework of different theoretical approaches the effects of integration on location conditions and labour markets in border regions are analysed. Furthermore, we investigate empirically the degree of labour market integration in European border regions. Measures of spatial association are applied as indicators for the intensity of integration among neighbouring labour markets. The results of an analysis of per capita income and unemployment for the period 1995 to 2000 point at a measurable spatial segmentation of labour markets even among highly integrated EU15 countries. On average, border regions in the EU are characterised by lower degree of labour market integration than non-border areas due to significant border impediments that hamper equilibrating forces between labour markets on both sides of national frontiers. JEL classification: F22, J61, R23 Keywords: European Integration, Labour Market Disparities, Border Regions, Spatial Dependence |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p29&r=geo |
| By: | Zlatan Fröhlich; Sanja Malekovic |
| Abstract: | The regional differences in entrepreneurial activity are only one manifestation of the large regional differences in Croatia. From this it is obvious that Croatia needs regional policy as a part of its overall development policy. Contemporary regional policy gives strategic importance to industrial restructuring and other structural adjustments in regions that lag in development. However, it is not limited to relatively undeveloped regions, since rich regions can create demand that can “pull” growth in relatively less developed regions. A limitation on the implementation of modern regional policy in Croatia is the inherited doctrine of the reconstruction of war affected areas. This doctrine is no longer appropriate to the needs of new regional policy, which must be formulated in the context of EU accession. This is especially important considering that the EU emphasizes that member states must be in a position to withstand competitive pressures in the single market as a key condition for accession. And regional policy has a special role in this. The next limitation lies in the strong sectoral rather than integral approach. This is best seen in the many uncoordinated actions of various ministries and other government bodies. Furthermore, the legal framework is highly compartmentalized, so that Croatia does not have a single legal act that systematically regulates regional development on the whole territory of Croatia. Finally, the greatest limitation lies in the low level of ability of public administration, which is particular deficient in regional planning, programming and evaluating the implementation of development programs. These problems can be overcome through the following four goals of regional policy, which will be as recommendations discussed in the paper: • Reach national cohesion and sustainable development of local and regional communities. • Develop human resources with the aim of maintaining the population by opening prospects for work and employment. • Preserve urban, rural and littoral space, value it and using it optimally • Develop competitive, restructured sectors with special emphasis on the development of small and medium enterprises and the entrepreneurial environment. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p118&r=geo |
| By: | Kerasia Milaka; Yorgos Photis |
| Abstract: | The main objective of this paper is the multivariate analysis of urban space and specifically with the use of data that refer to the level of city block. Part of the analysis has been the comparative assessment of multiple linear regression and geographically weighted regression (GWR) analysis as well as the application of the aforementioned methods in the study of the central district of the Volos metropolitan area. The city of Volos is an urban conglomeration of approximately 110.000 inhabitants, located at the middle-east of Greece and is considered to be in the upper extreme in the cities’ urban hierarchy in Greece. The results provide a response to a question raised by spatial scientists during the last decades: is there a way that regression analysis can reveal spatial variations of results and with respect to scale fluctuation? The use of classical multiple regression analysis provides a single result – equation for the entire area. On the other hand, geographically weighted regression analysis stems from the fact that the above result is inadequate to reflect the different relational levels among selected variables characterizing the entire area. New estimations with the use of GWR declare the existence of various sub-areas – divisions of the initial territory – formulating a set of equations that reveal the spatial variations of variable relations. The results of the application have well proved the dominance of the analysis in the local level towards the analysis in the global level, highlighting the existence of intense spatial differentiations of variables that “interpret” the rate of land values in the city. Moreover, the distinct spatial patterns that emerge throughout the entire area, establish an alternative approach of urban spatial phenomena interpretation and a new explanatory basis for the clarification of obscure relations. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p507&r=geo |
| By: | Liv Osland; Inge Thorsen; Jens Petter Gitlesen |
| Abstract: | In this paper we study the relationship between labour market accessibility and housing prices in a Norwegian region. Through a hedonic approach we estimate implicit prices for a location with a marginally improved labour market accessibility. We test alternative measures of spatial separation between residential location alternatives and job opportunities. Gravity based accessibility measures in general improve model performance compared to a standard approach with one-dimensional measures of distance. We also discuss how sensitive the results are with respect to the delimitation of the geography. Based on our empirical results we finally enter into the discussion of how changes in the transportation infrastructure and the spatial distribution of employment opportunities capitalise through property values. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p355&r=geo |
| By: | Roberto Basile; Luca De Benedictis |
| Abstract: | The existence and persistence of large spatial disparities in un-employment within national economies is a central issue in regional economics. Previous empirical analyses have largely disregarded the role of fundamentals. On the contrary in this paper we explore the link between labour productivity, international trade and regional un-employment differentials. We base our empirical analysis on the predictions of a simple General Oligopolistic Equilibrium effciency-wage trade model. Using semi parametric regression methods, controlling for industry-mix and labour force participation, we give evidence of a non linear negative relationship between labour productivity and regional unemployment, in the cases of European regions. Instead, no significant relationships between these variables have been found for the United States. Keywords: Productivity, Regional Unemployment, Oligopoly, Non parametrics. JEL Classification: C14, D50, F12, F16, J41, L13, R10. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p38&r=geo |
| By: | Michel Mignolet; Marie-Eve Mulquin; Frédérique Denil |
| Abstract: | Belgium is a federal state where regional fiscal competences have been increasing. In particular, the regions are now able to increase or to lower the personal income tax burden of their residents via positive and negative surcharges. Should the regions adopt the possibilities opened by the Law, would it influence interregional mobility? It is not possible to assert directly this question. However, indirect evidence of the impact of fiscal disparities on mobility can be found by analysing the mobility between municipalities. Indeed, for long, the real estate income tax and the local surcharges on the federal personal income tax have not been uniform on the Belgian territory. We tried to quantify whether those tax differences generated population moves from the more expensive municipalities to the less expensive ones. The attractiveness of the municipalities measured by means of their intra Belgium migration balance has been explained by local wealth, employment rate, quality of the local administration, proximity to the coast, three indexes constructed by a factor analysis based on a satisfaction survey, housing prices and local taxation. Our estimations showed that local tax level has no significant impact on the local migration balance. Is this observation transposable at the regional level? On one side, the answer to this question depends on the level of disparities in tax rates that such a practice would introduce. On the other side, if disparities in regional tax were to appear, interregional mobility would be slowed down by the impact of the interregional cultural differences. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p104&r=geo |
| By: | Rosina Moreno; Raffaele Paci; Stefano Usai |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates on the presence of innovation and production clusters in Europe. The analysis is based on an original statistical databank set up by CRENoS on regional patenting at the European Patent Office spanning from 1978 to 1997 and classified by ISIC sectors (3 digit) and on the Cambridge Econometrics database on production activity. We consider 138 regions of 17 countries in Europe, the 15 members of the European Union plus Switzerland and Norway. Firstly, an analysis of the spatial distribution of innovation and production activities in Europe is performed. Some global and local indicators for spatial association are presented, summarising the presence of a general dependence process in the distribution of the phenomena under examination. The analysis is implemented for different manufacturing macro-sectors to assess for the presence of significant differences in the their spatial features. Moreover, the extent and strength of spatial externalities are evaluated for three different periods: 1981-83, 1988-90 and 1995-97. Secondly, the spatial mapping of innovation is compared to the distribution of productive activity. Keywords: Innovation activity, Production specialisation, Spatial analysis, European regions. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p587&r=geo |
| By: | Fotini Athanasiou; Yorgos Photis |
| Abstract: | Social prosperity largely depends on spatial structure, a relation which becomes stronger in urban areas where the quality of life is menaced by several factors. Traffic, over-building, lack of open space and deficient location of services come to the fore. The latter reflects access inequality and is one of the main reasons for everyday movement difficulties of citizens. Particularly, public services, as part of the public sector, are considered to be driven by the principle of social well-fare. Therefore the study of their location gives rise to the question: how can access of city blocks to public services be evaluated and how can the results of this evaluation be combined with the monetary values assigned by the state? In this respect, the main aim of this paper is the determination of a synthetic methodological framework for the locational analysis and evaluation of public services in urban areas. The proposed approach is based on spatial analysis methods and techniques as well as on the analytical capabilities of GIS and finally leads to the definition of the locational value for each city block. The public services are classified according to served population age groups and to their yearly utilization levels. The minimum and average Manhattan distances to the services of each classification group are calculated along with the percentages of services that are closer than a critical radius to each city block. At the final step, city blocks are classified through the use of cluster analysis to the calculated distances and percentages and then ranked according to their overall accessibility to public services. Their score is utilized in the definition of their locational value and in the formulation of a combinatorial index which compares locational and land values throughout the study area. The methodological framework is applied in the city of Volos where according to the results of the analytical process the majority of city blocks (60,7%) indicates a comparatively lower locational than monetary land value. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p506&r=geo |
| By: | Ron Vreeker |
| Abstract: | A recent planning devise aimed at dealing with land scarcity is the propagation of multifunctional land use. Multifunctional land use can generally be defined as the combination of different socio-economic functions in the same area. The goal of Multifunctional Land Use (as a planning concept), just like New Urbanism, Smart Growth and the Compact City Concept, is to save scarce space by intensifying the use of space. Before we can assess the social desirability of multifunctional land use projects, we need to answer the question as to why various activities cluster in space, and what types of synergy might arise from such clustering. We do so by addressing multifunctional land use as an empirical phenomenon instead of a planning concept. Although multifunctional land use encompasses more than the clustering of economic activities, for example also the allocation of land use claims made by housing, transport, water, recreation and nature, in this paper we focus on the economic effects of the clustering of economic activities. We do so by focusing on the concept of agglomeration economies in general and ‘returns to diversity’ in particular. By means of a simple spatial-economic model we show the spatial equilibrium impacts of the existence of multifunctional land use. The model investigates market failures that may hamper the spontaneous emergence of optimal activity mixes in spatial clusters, and addresses the question of whether private monopolistic development of multifunctional sites would by-pass such market failures. Keywords: Agglomeration, competitive advantage, economies of scale, economies of diversity, multifunctional land use. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p346&r=geo |
| By: | Yoshifumi Ishikawa; Toshihiko Miyagi |
| Abstract: | In Japan, We can use many input-output tables for regional economic analysis. However, Most of them are not inter-regional input-output tables but intra-regional input-output tables. Therefore, these do not enable analysis in consideration of interregional interdependence except for a famous nine regions covering the whole of Japan by MITI etc. In this study, we attempted to estimate a 47 region-interregional input-output table at the prefecture level covering the whole of Japan. The hybrid approach of constructing regional input-output tables was adopted in this 47 region-interregional input-output study. First of all, all intra-regional input-output tables at prefecture level were prepared. We can use intra-regional input-output tables of all prefectures in Japan from 1990. The second step is the estimation of interregional trade coefficients. When inter-regional input-output tables are constructed, Estimation of interregional trade coefficients is very important. In this study, we propose a method for estimation of interregional trade using a distribution census and some data. And the interregional trade coefficients were adjusted by using a new iterative method so that the sum total of the total output of 47 regions might suit the amount of total output of Japan. Finally, a 47 interregional input-output table was compiled using tables of 47 all prefectures and the interregional trade coefficients. And also, this paper presents some regional economic analysis using a 47 region-interregional input-output table. We can observe the relation between transportation network and inter-regional economic linkage at prefecture level. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p432&r=geo |
| By: | Charlie Karlsson; Lars Pettersson Jönköping |
| Abstract: | Access to knowledge and local service markets can be assumed to explain regional growth performance. The supply of services and knowledge with respect to regional development are stressed in the seminal papers by for example Rivera-Batiz (1988) and Knowledge referens. In this paper we make an empirical analyse using panel data for Swedish regions. The purpose is to analyse the relationship between regional growth and access to knowledge. We also acknowledge the size of the regional economy and access to the local labour market. We estimate first a cross-section model by using OLS. Second we employ a panel data model, using time distance access to population and the share local labour force with high education as explanatory variables. In the analysis we compare the results from the different models and our own results from the Swedish economy with other studies in this field. We find that local externalities for increasing returns are very important in the Swedish economy. Our estimated models yields a high level of goodness of fit, and the results indicates significant elasticity for high education and population density in the Swedish economy with respect to performance of regional gross domestic product. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p170&r=geo |
| By: | Petri Böckerman; Eero Lehto |
| Abstract: | This study explores domestic inter-regional merger flows. Theoretical considerations based on monitoring are developed. The empirical part of the study is based on the comprehensive public data on domestic mergers and acquisitions that is matched to the micro-level data sources maintained by Statistics Finland in order to obtain several variables that help to characterize the companies involved. The Finnish evidence reveals that geographical closeness matters a great deal for inter-regional merger flows. This means that a great number of domestic mergers occur within narrowly defined regions. Domestic merger flows substantially reinforce the core-periphery dimension. The most important finding from matched data is that the strong ability by an acquiring company to monitor the target (measured by the knowledge embodied in human capital) is able to support mergers that occur across distant locations, other things being equal. Geographical closeness and proximity across industries are not related, based on the Finnish evidence. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p15&r=geo |
| By: | Christiane Krieger-Boden |
| Abstract: | The process of European integration entails regional structural change thereby affecting the economic situation of regions and the objective of regional cohesion in Europe. As some kinds of specialization may be more favourable to regional income opportunities than others, there may be winning and losing regions depending on their characteristic specialization pattern. Relying on regional employment data from national data sources in a deep industrial break-down, I study the long-term structural change of regions from four countries depending on their initial kind of specialization, i.e., their initial set of industries with high or low scale economies and with high resource, labour, skill or research intensities. This approach requires a classification of industries according to their characteristics, and of regions according to their industrial mix, by means of cluster analyses. This will help identifying types of regions like the core regions of each country with usually quite diversified industrial structures and a certain focus on more modern industries, like old industrialised regions with a focus on iron-and-steel or textiles, like peripheral regions with an initial focus on traditional labour intensive industries, and finally like some highly and very specifically specialised regions. The evolution of specialization is then analysed in the context of the identified type-classes of regions with similar specialization. While the overall change of regional specialization is slow and without a clear direction towards an increase or decrease, the analysis for types of regions yields some more explicit results. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p577&r=geo |
| By: | Guillaume Pouyanne |
| Abstract: | The influence of urban form on travel patterns is of growing interest among researchers. It has been notably argued that high density, mixed land use settlements reduce automobile use and distances travelled, hence energy consumption per capita. A precise characterization of urban form calls analysis at an infra-urban level. We have questioned the interaction between land use and mobility in the metropolitan area of Bordeaux, France, by using OLS regressions for usual transportation variables and a multinomial logit model for modal shares. The results confirm a strong influence of both residential and firm density on mobility patterns. Mixed land use patterns doesn’t seem to influence mobility. Some economic and demographic characteristics have an influence on travel patterns. Thus it is unavoidable to take them in account. But sometimes it leads to a logical indecision, and it is difficult to determine the direction of the causal relationship. Keywords : urban sprawl, density, compact city, land use – mobility interaction JEL classification : R12, R14, R41 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p244&r=geo |
| By: | Ugo Fratesi |
| Abstract: | A large number of economic models has been developed in the past 15 years in order to explore the causes of endogenous regional growth and the location of economic activities with the consequent differentials of development among territories. At the same time regional policies have undergone major modifications with increasing importance attributed to bottom up policies and to the efficiency of spending, also due to a situation in which funds are a scarce resource. These developments appear however to have taken place without paying enough attention to the concurrent effects entailed by policies implemented separately by different regions. In fact competing regions can implement policies which are not optimal from an aggregate point of view. At the same time national policies designed to reduce regional inequalities may also be sub-optimal from a country perspective. Unfortunately, it is too often unclear under what values of the parameters regional policies are also able to increase the aggregate economic performance of nations or over-national communities and which policies are, instead, to be simply considered as a means to increase the equality of income across space. Therefore it is on the one hand important to detect which regional policies belong to each of the two categories, then to compare them with different policies (aiming at equality of income or at efficiency) to discover which ones are better suited to achieve the needed results with lower costs. On the other hand, it is important to further investigate which policies are more fruitful if implemented in a context of regional competition and which ones should be top-down. This article addresses the issues presented above. First there is a revision of the existing contributions in order to evidence the general tendencies of the existing literature, the results that can already be considered as achieved and the deficiencies that limit the ability to produce usable policy prescriptions. Then the paper analyses the relationship between regional policies and national competitiveness in a small number of selected existing models of regional growth and localisation, in particular with an extension to the case of competing countries, each composed of more than one region. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p509&r=geo |
| By: | Roberto Basile; Davide Castellani; Antonello Zanfei |
| Abstract: | We examine the determinants of multinational firms’ location choices in Europe by estimating a nested logit model on a data-set of 5,761 foreign subsidiaries established in 55 regions in 8 EU countries over the period 1991-1999. We find that firms perceive regions across different countries as more similar than regions within national borders. This might be revealing that the process of European integration has reduced the national specificities perceived by multinationals and that regions within Europe compete to attract FDIs more across than within countries. Controlling for regional market size and potential, agglomeration economies and labor markets conditions, we also find that EU regional policy, captured by Cohesion Funds and Objective 1 eligibility, played a significant role in attracting multinationals, thus mitigating the agglomeration forces at work. Differences emerge in determinants of EU and US multinationals location choices, with special reference to the role of labor markets. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p37&r=geo |
| By: | Tüzin Baycan-Levent; Peter Nijkamp |
| Abstract: | Urban green spaces play a key role in improving the liveability of our towns and cities. The quality and viability of cities depend largely on the design, management and maintenance of urban green as well as of open and public spaces in order to fulfil their role as an important social constellation and a visual focus. Actually, urban green spaces are seen as an important contribution to a sustainable development of cities. However, the potential of green spaces is not always realized, so that current management practices are sometimes sub-optimal. From a “policy perspective”, the results of several case studies have shown important needs and priorities for the development and management of urban green spaces. It is of strategic importance to compare and evaluate urban green space policies for highlighting the “best practices” for relevant policy recommendations and guidance for society and planning authorities to improve the quality of life in cities. The present study investigates urban green spaces from a policy evaluation perspective and analyses European cities in order to obtain strategic and policy relevant information on the key features of urban green. The study aims to compare and evaluate the current management practices in European cities on the basis of the performance of urban green space policies. The data and information used for comparison and evaluation are based on extensive survey questionnaires filled out by relevant departments or experts of municipalities in European cities that aim to share their experience in innovative green space policies and strategies. A recently developed artificial intelligence method is deployed to assess and identify the most important factors that are responsible for successes and failures of urban green space policies. This approach reveals the most critical policy variables. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p660&r=geo |
| By: | David Doloreux; Saeed Parto |
| Abstract: | In recent years, the concept of Regional Innovation Systems has evolved into a widely used analytical framework generating the empirical foundation for innovation policy making. Yet, the approaches utilizing this framework remain ambiguous on such key issues as the territorial dimension of innovation, e.g., the region, and the apparently important role played by “institutions” or the institutional context in the emergence and sustenance of regional innovation systems. This paper reviews and summarizes the most important ideas and arguments of the recent theorizing on regional innovation systems to provide the basis for a critical examination of such issues as (1) definition confusion and empirical validation; (2) the territorial dimension of regional innovation systems; and (3) the role of institutions. Key-words: Regional innovation systems, institutions, regions, research, policy JEL CODES: O31, R58 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p56&r=geo |
| By: | Raffaello Bronzini |
| Abstract: | A number of empirical works analyzed the effect of agglomeration on multinational investment verifying whether agglomerated areas attract foreign direct investment. Despite the large amount of studies, there has been no systematic attempts to disentangle whether FDI are drawn by the concentration of firms within the same sector (specialization) or within different sectors (diversity). Furthermore, the question whether firms’ size of the host area influences multinational investment is still unanswered. This paper provides an empirical evidence on the role of agglomeration economies in attracting foreign direct investments within Italian regions and provinces, distinguishing between specialization and diversity externalities, and on the role of firms’ size in affecting foreign investors’ choices. We employ a new territorial data set on foreign direct investment collected by the Italian Foreign Exchange Office for industrial and service sectors. We find a strong evidence that specialized geographic areas attract FDI, whereas diversified areas draw FDI only for industrial sectors; finally there is little evidence that firm size has an impact on FDI, if anything, only big firms in Southern regions would seem to affect positively foreign investor decisions. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p321&r=geo |
| By: | X. Vence-Deza; Manuel González-López |
| Abstract: | The emergence of new economic activities is a driving force of economic growth and its geography is clearly controversial. But the Knowledge-Based Economy (K-BE) is something more than new activities, it is also about the ongoing renewal of all economic activities. And this increasing knowledge intensity of every activity could have an effect on the geography of large part of industries. In this paper we aims to contribute to a better understanding of the geography of Knowledge-Based Economy (K-BE), by an empirical examen of its geographic concentration across European regions. To do so we classify economic activities into six sectors according to its knowledge/technology intensity and we analyse its concentration patterns at the EU regional level (nuts 2). The six sectors we set-up are: High, Medium and Low Knowledge Intensive Services and High, Medium and Low Tech Manufacturing. The data has been provided by the REGIO database (Eurostat). At the same time, we also try to capture the regional specialisation patterns. The results regarding concentration show that the higher the knowledge/technology content of the economic activity, the higher its concentration level is. Besides, we found that some services activities (the high knowledge intensive ones), present similar concentration levels than high or medium tech manufacturing. On the other hand, regarding specialisation the most outstanding result is the clear predominance of metropolitan regions in the highest knowledge/technology intensive activities (particularly in the case of services). Altogether, the picture delivered on a whole viewpoint is one where a reinforced oligocentric model remains in Europe, while relativelly reshaping its appearence: southern German regions leading high and medium tech manufacturing and the English Southeast leading high knowledge-intensive services, but sharing all of them its relevance with a peak range of growing state metropolis (particularly capitals) from both northern and southern Europe. Key words: regional concentration,knowledge intensive activities,oligocentric model. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p692&r=geo |
| By: | Jose Paulo Chahad; Antonio Evaldo Comune; Eduardo Haddad |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the interdependence among Brazilian states associated with employment generation by the export sector. Using a unique database — an interstate input-output table for 1996 — employment multipliers are calculated for six different skill groups. Multiplier decomposition techniques are also used in order to reveal intrastate and interstate patterns of dependence. The analysis of the regional impacts of state exports on employment suggests a concentration of skilled labor content in the states in the Southeastern and Southern regions. More developed states benefit to a great extent from Brazilian exports, responding directly and indirectly to the demand for skilled workers. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p457&r=geo |
| By: | Sanna-Mari Ahtonen |
| Abstract: | This paper studies spatial aspects in local labour markets in Finland from the perspective of a matching approach. The monthly data comprise 173 Local Labour Office are as over a 12-year period between January 1991 and August 2002. The basic matching function is extended to account for spatial spill-overs between the local labour markets. The role of population density in the matching process is also examined. According to results, the Finnish local labour markets suffer from a strong congestion effect among job seekers, and spatial spill-overs even strengthen the congestion. An open vacancy is filled much easier than a job seeker is employed. The results show that the matching efficiency is remarkable lower in dense areas than elsewhere, which indicates that mismatch is a problem in the local labour markets with high population density. When taking population density into account, returns to scale in the matching function are constant. Keywords: matching, spatial spill-over, population density, returns to scale, Finland |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p205&r=geo |
| By: | Simonetta Longhi; Peter Nijkamp; Jacques Poot |
| Abstract: | Most ‘wage curve’ studies treat local labour markets as independent ‘islands’ in the national economy. However, when a local labour market is in close proximity of other labour markets, a local shock that increases unemployment may not lead to lower pay rates if employers fear outward migration of their workers. Hence, the unemployment elasticity of pay will be greater, the more isolated the local labour market is. Wages are also expected to be higher in regions that interact strongly with other regions. These hypotheses are confirmed by means of an estimation of wage curves with data for 327 regions of western Germany over the period 1990-97. Key words: Unemployment, wage formation, spatial analysis, local monopsony, Germany JEL classification: J21, J30, R23 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p115&r=geo |
| By: | Johan Lundberg |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates factors that determine the average income growth and net migration rates in Swedish municipalities during the period 1981 to 1999. The main issue is to test the hypothesis that, conditional on a set of other possible determinants of regional growth, the growth rate in one municipality is affected by the growth rates in its neighboring municipalities. We also test the hypothesis of conditional convergence, that is, the hypothesis that initially 'poorer' regions tend to grow faster than initially 'richer' regions conditional on the other explanatory variables in the model. We find a positive correlation between net migration rates in neighboring municipalities, which suggests that net migration tend to 'spill over' to neighboring municipalities. When it comes to average income growth, our results indicate spatial dependence in the error terms during the 1980's. Such dependence is important in the sense that it indicates that shocks into the system not only affect the municipality where the shock has its origin but spread across the country. In addition, and in contrast to previous empirical findings based on Swedish data, we do not find any clear evidence in favour of the hypothesis of conditional convergence. Instead, our results predict conditional divergence between municipalities located in the Stockholm region throughout the period and also for municipalities outside the Stockholm region during the 1990's. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p25&r=geo |
| By: | Simonetta Longhi; Peter Nijkamp; Iulia Traistaru |
| Abstract: | Standard labor market theories predict that workers employed in more specialized areas earn higher wages in comparison with similar workers employed in less specialized areas. Empirical studies for the US generally confirm the existence of a positive effect of sectoral specialization on wages and on unemployment. However, these relationships might not hold in labor markets that are characterized by substantially higher collective bargaining coverage and more centralized bargaining systems. In the EU, for example, collective wage agreements impose identical wages across regions belonging to the same country, thus leaving little room for regional wage flexibility. Using regional data for EU member states, we model regional unemployment as a function of regional specialization measures. The comparison between such countries, that are still characterized by separate and independent collective agreements on wages, can give us new insights on the effects that collective bargaining may have on the relationship between sectoral specialization of regions and regional unemployment rates. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p447&r=geo |
| By: | Pedro B. Moyano; Guillermo Aleixandre; Olga Ogando |
| Abstract: | Two main challenges influence the design of regional policies carried out by European, National and Regional policy makers. The first is the shift towards a knowledge-based economy, where enterprise competitiveness is increasingly linked to intangible assets. The second is the enlargement of the European Union that means important changes in the European Union marketplace and the possibilities of intervention in some less favoured regions. Until today, Regional Policy in many European Union countries has principally been founded on incentives for the creation of employment and investment in tangible assets. In this context, Spanish Regional Policy has been formulated, on the one hand, to achieve decentralisation of the entities responsible for its promotion and, on the other, to foster co-ordination and integration of Community, National and Autonomous Region interventions. Moreover, the design of this policy has taken into consideration the classical conflict between equity and efficiency. The objective of this paper is to assess the results and the gradual changes in regional incentive policy applied in Spain over the last 15 years and to identify the elements in which public intervention could be improved in order to adapt this policy to the demands laid out within the new environment previously defined. This assessment includes: firstly, a brief analysis of the evolution of public intervention; secondly, a study of the spatial distribution of the incentives over the period considered; and thirdly, a comparison of the economic performance of the different areas depending on the awards received. The analysis of this policy is based on a database comprising over 16 000 items referring to award decisions to applications for Regional Investment Grants (Law 50/1985 of 22 December 1985) gathered from the Official State Bulletin (Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE) during the period 1988-2003. KEY WORDS: Spain, Regional policy, Regional incentive, Employment, Investment, Policy assessment |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p433&r=geo |
| By: | Marisa Cesário; Maria-Teresa Noronha Vaz |
| Abstract: | The present paper was motivated by the recent interest put on the regional context as having a major role tracing economic agents behaviours and inducing productive activity. Three main goals have been defined: to emphasise the relation between favourable regional factors for development and firm performance in the case of the most industrialised Portuguese regions; to distinguish in each region its own propensity for sustainable development and to evaluate if the region may be considered as intrinsic co-operative or resistant to co-operation. Methodologically, the analysis followed three major steps: 1) selection of regions with industrial characteristics; 2) creation and use of the endogenous growth capacity indicators; 3) consequent analysis of the SMEs (small and medium size firms) behaviour’s evolution. Based on Multivariate Analysis, the following regions were selected: Ave, Entre Douro e Vouga, Baixo Vouga, Pinhal Litoral and Península de Setúbal. Basically, they represent the areas where industrial activity is predominant in Portugal. When comparing the observed local environmental conditions of these regions with the results for the performance of their small firms, some conclusions could be achieved, regarding to three major issues: the relation between regional development factors development and firm performance; the regional propensity for sustainable development and the regional adequacy to networking. Key words: territorial systems of production; local endogenous capacities; SMEs performance. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p179&r=geo |
| By: | Giuseppe Arbia; Gianfranco Piras |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the convergence of per capita GDP across European regions over a fairly long period. Most of the works are based on either cross-sectional or fixed-effects estimates. We propose the estimation of convergence in per capita GDP across European regions by making use of panel-data models extended to include spatial error autocorrelation and spatially lagged dependent variable (Anselin,1988;Elhorst,2002). This will allow us to extend the traditional ß convergence model to include a rigorous treatment of the spatial correlation among the intercept terms. A spatial analysis of such intercept terms will also be performed in order to shed light on the concept spatially conditional convergence. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p524&r=geo |
| By: | Ramiro Gil-Serrate; Julio López-Laborda |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to determine a theoretical linkage between tax decentralisation and regional growth. For this purpose a two fiscal tiers growth model is specified. First, working on Zou (1996) analytical framework, which account for the potential effects of intergovernmental policies on regional growth, a tax decentralisation process is brought in. Next its original model is expanded taking into account such process. It is shown that the effect of tax decentralisation on regional growth depends on the existing relationship between private and regional public capital productivities ratio and their stocks ratio square root. Finally a hypothesis for the Spanish economy is obtained. It will be checked empirically in subsequent work. Keywords: tax decentralisation; general equilibrium analysis; regional growth JEL classification: H70; O40; R13 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p194&r=geo |
| By: | Alessandra Faggian; Philip McCann |
| Abstract: | Our paper constructs a simultaneous equation model in order to investigate the relationship between interregional human capital knowledge flows and regional knowledge assets. In particular, with the aid of a GIS system, we model the simultaneous relationship between the interregional migration behaviour of UK students and graduates to and from university, the knowledge assets of the regions, and the regions of employment of the graduates. Our results indicate that the innovativeness of a region encourages university graduates to seek employment in that region. However, there is little or no evidence in favour of direct spillovers between university research and regional innovation. Rather, the primary role of universities appears to be as a conduit for bringing potential high quality undergraduate human capital into a region. Many of these migrants will remain in the university region for employment after graduation, thereby subsequently contributing to the innovative performance of the region. We argue therefore that the spillovers of embodied human capital appear far more important than informal spillovers between universities and local firms. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p354&r=geo |
| By: | Simona Iammarino; Cecilia Jona-Lasinio; Susanna Mantegazza |
| Abstract: | Among the reasons underlying the slow economic convergence of some regions towards the national and the European Union average, the strong gap in technological endowment and innovation capacity has been indicated as one of the most important factors. The requirements of the current ‘knowledge economy’ and the contribution of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to socio-economic change are very likely to have a significant impact upon regional differentials in the Union: so far, however, it is rather unclear whether the new paradigm will spur greater socio-economic cohesion or, on the contrary, stronger territorial polarisation. This paper looks at the geographical distribution of ICT-producing small and medium enterprises (i.e. with less than 100 employees) in Italy, comparing locational patterns - as well as other crucial structural indicators - with labour productivity levels. Ultimately, the objective is to shed some light on the role that ICT-producing sectors might have on regional gaps in the Italian economy, traditionally characterised by geographical polarisation and imbalances which are among the sharpest in the “Europe of regions”. The first result of our analysis (carried out by using experimental micro data) is that a clear linkage seems to emerge between high labour productivity and the IT industry. This is in line with the insights of the economic theory of technical change, suggesting that IT-producing sectors are those where gains in productivity are by far the most evident. As expected, the geographical location of firms accounts for a good deal when looking at labour productivity levels across the sectoral range, casting some concern on the development perspectives of the Italian regional divide. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p183&r=geo |
| By: | Tomokazu Arita; Philip McCann |
| Abstract: | Our paper analyses micro-level data from the US and European semiconductor manufacturers. In particular, we will focus on the plants undertaking the wafer manufacturing processes. We integrate a range of production technological indices with spatial data and regional economic variables in order to understand the issues determining the location behavior of the industry. Our results indicate that the locational behaviors of the US and European wafer plants do not correspond to an orthodox product-life-cycle model. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p450&r=geo |
| By: | Martin T.W. Rosenfeld; Diana Roth |
| Abstract: | It is well-known today that innovation activities of private firms play a significant role for economic growth in less-developed regions. There are many studies on these interrelations and on explaining how regional innovation processes are working and which factors are important for them. However, some important questions have still not been completely answered by these studies. One of these questions is that of the role of public research units (PRU, which include publicly financed universities and research institutes) in the process of regional innovation. There have already been several studies on the economic impacts of selected PRU on economic growth. But it is not comprehensively answered so far to what extent the impact on economic growth of a PRU is concentrated on the region where the PRU itself is located. In other words: Whether the ”knowledge transfers offered by a PRU will have more effects on firms located nearby (at a small distance from the PRU) than on firms at other locations - or if other factors than spatial distance are more important for the decision of private firms to use knowledge transfers from certain PRU. The paper presents the results of a research project for answering this question for the case of the Halle region (= the southern part of the German Land Saxony-Anhalt). It is based on an empirical analysis (two postal surveys on PRU and on knowledge-based private firms) with a focus on the most important types of knowledge transfers. For those firms which are cooperating with PRU, if it is shown that spatial distance is an important factor, in the sense that firms which are located nearer to the PRU are cooperating more intensively with the PRU than firms which are located in other regions. But also important for the firms is the import of knowledge transfers from PRU which are located outside Saxony-Anhalt. With regard to the determining factors which are important for the spatial direction of knowledge transfers, it is shown that apart from spatial proximity, also various factors on the demand side may inhibit knowledge transfers. Therefore, for being effective, regional policy should also deal with the demand side (and not just with public research units) to create better conditions for knowledge transfers in structural weak regions. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p160&r=geo |
| By: | Tadeusz Markowski |
| Abstract: | The paper deals with urban development processes in Poland in the historical context. These processes are confronted with Western European urban development pattern. The author focuses its considerations on specific developments and distortion aspects like historical huge scale war devastations and large scale developments from the period of centrally planned economy. The influence of these events on dynamic and cycles of present-day urban processes and urban policy challenges is analyzed. In conclusions author suggests that Poland has own specific business and urban cycles, which makes Poland different than its neighboring countries. Past historical development has left is a strong footprint which should be taken very seriously in contemporary national urban policy. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p365&r=geo |
| By: | Wilson Suzigan; João Furtado; Renato Garcia; Sergio Sampaio |
| Abstract: | This paper sets out to advance further in the development of a methodology for mapping, classifying and characterizing Local Production Systems (LPS) in Brazil. Such effort is justified not only for the importance these systems have been amassing for generating jobs and social welfare, economic growth, exports and technological development, but also for the attention they have received from several public organisms and private institutions, many times lacking adequate methodological criteria, resulting in dispersion of efforts and waste of both public and private resources. Therefore, the main goal of the paper is to provide evidence that allows rationalizing public policies administration criteria and private actions directed to LPS, offering suggestions for policies and actions differentiated according to categories or types of systems with distinct characteristics according to their relevance to local or regional development as well as their importance in the context of the sector in which they are inserted. Key words: Local production systems; industrial clusters; mapping, public policy. JEL Classification: R12; R58; O18. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p267&r=geo |
| By: | Luca Ruggiero |
| Abstract: | The society that emerged out of the crisis of the fordist model of production and organisation of space is increasingly dominated by development, innovation and diffusion of urban technological networks (telecommunications, transport, energy, etc.). There are nowadays, working at different geographical scales, an amount of projects to increase the number of networks and connect a larger number of people and organisations. This is based on the notion that the emergence of an internationally-integrated and increasingly urbanised Network Society would allow better connection between the local and the global level and vice versa, giving those marginal areas the opportunity to take part to the main development dynamics. The rise of the network society is also often associated with a regeneration of the local administrations, in ways that would make them more efficient and clear, improving territorial government and citizens quality of life. Besides, the development of the ‘digital city’ seems to be connected with the emergence of new professional careers and a virtual space interacting community that would help to better meet the needs of local society and increase the level of participation to territorial government decision making. On the opposite side some authors argue that the contemporary conditions of development and innovation of infrastructure networks world-wide are particularly favourable to ‘secessionary tendencies’ and lead to the deliberate creation of premium networks that selectively tend to connect together only the most favoured users and places. In the present paper I will analyse these contradictory tendencies attributed to the development and innovation of infrastructure networks operating within and between cities. I will concentrate mainly on the experience of some, considered, marginal urban realities of the Mediterranean area. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p515&r=geo |
| By: | Joachim Thiel |
| Abstract: | One of the most remarkable and successful regional science publications of the last years is certainly Richard Florida's "The Rise of the Creative Class". Based on the key idea that today's economy is increasingly "powered by human creativity" Florida holds that the presence of a non-conformist creative workforce is the crucial factor for the future competitiveness and development of cities and regions. This in turn will substantially change the subject of local economic policy in that it has to be increasingly directed towards the living conditions of this workforce. The suggested paper, despite acknowledging the vital importance of an individualistic – or 'reflexive' – labour force for the (not only) spatial organisation of the future economy, will be strongly critical with Florida's arguments, maintaining that he starts from a too self-evident and monocausal understanding of the relation between creativity/individualism and economic success. Basically it is held that the way from non-conformism to business is full of ambivalences, uncertainties, frictions etc. which have to be dealt with. The spatial dimension of the future economy is based precisely on and shaped by these 'refractions', respectively by the ways to handle them. The argument will be underpinned by highlighting the evidence of an in-depth study of the spatial structure and spatial change of the German advertising industry. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p222&r=geo |
| By: | Vitor João Pereira Martinho |
| Abstract: | In agreement with the Verdoorn law the growth rate of the work productivity is endogenous and it depends on the growth rate of the industrial product. This relationship (with the coefficient of Verdoorn inferior to the unit) evidences substantial scale economies that are in the base of economic growth models with circular and cumulative causes. With this work we intend to test the Verdoorn Law, with the alternatives specifications of Kaldor (1966), for the 5 Portuguese regions (NUTs II) in the period from 1986 to 1994 and for the 28 Portuguese NUTs III in the period from 1995 to 1999. We intend, like this, to analyse the existence of increasing returns to scale that characterize the polarization processes with circular and cumulative causes and can explain the processes of regional divergence. A little to the similarity of what has been effectuated in other works associated to the New Economic Geography, in that they try to analyse the existence of increasing returns to scale and agglomeration processes with circular and cumulative causes. Although the theoretical base is different, in other words, macro-economic in the Keynesian developments associated to the Verdoorn Law and micro-economic in the New Economic Geography. We intend to test, still in this work, the alternative interpretation of Rowthorn (1975) of the Verdoorn Law for the same regions and periods. The results of this work will be complemented with estimates of these relationships for others economic sectors besides the industry (primary sector and services), for each one of the manufactured industries to operate in the Portuguese regions and for the total of the economy of each region. We did estimates for the others economic sectors (primary sector and services), because the modern economies could have more than a sector subject to increasing returns, especially in some services activities. The estimates for the total of the regional economy intend to verify the scale economies at regional level. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p9&r=geo |
| By: | Yoshitaka Kajita; Masaya Kawano; Tetsunobu Yoshitake; Hiroshi Tatsumi; Satoshi Toi |
| Abstract: | n this paper, the actual conditions and the change structure of land use by using mesh data are studied in urban promotion area in a local hub city of Fukuoka, Japan. Firstly, all meshes are classified into 15 patterns based on distribution of land use. Then, transition probability models are made out based on the change of these 15 patterns. The Change structure of land use in an area depends on whether development projects are carried out or not. Therefore, all of the meshes are divided into two groups, and different transition probability models are proposed. Finally, a prediction method of land use is proposed under the consideration of the changing structure of meshes. Though our proposed approach is a macroscopic forecasting method of land use, it is useful to evaluate the effects of urban policies for development projects. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p512&r=geo |
| By: | Adolfo Maza; José Villaverde |
| Abstract: | Labour market is characterized in Spain by a high persistence in unemployment rates. One of the main reasons of this persistence is the lack of labour mobility. The present paper addresses this issue empirically and analyses the determinants of migration in Spain from a regional standpoint. We used a panel data set that includes annual bilateral migratory flows between the 17 Spanish regions from 1995 through 2000. For this purpose, after a descriptive analysis, we develop a nonparametric approach to show the factors that influence in the magnitude of migratory flows. Later on, semiparametric estimation techniques are applied to provide more econometric evidence regarding migratory flows. Main conclusions are as follows: first, a high inertia in the migratory flows exists, that it is to say, migratory movements are very persistent; second, migratory flows mainly respond, though weakly, to the differentials of wages, unemployment rates and house prices between regions; third, migratory flows are also affected, to a great extent, by non economic factors. Keywords: migratory flows, regions, unemployment, wages. JEL classification: J61, R23, C14 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p50&r=geo |
| By: | Isabelle Thomas; Ann Verhetsel; Frank Witlox; Hakim Hammadou; Hans Tindemans; Dries Van Hofstraeten |
| Abstract: | This paper considers different alternatives for including spatial aspects within the activity-based approach for modeling destination choices. The study area is the urban agglomeration of Antwerpen (Belgium); the city and its suburbs are considered. Individual travel surveys are used. The paper pays particular attention to the inclusion of space within the decision context by including specific land-use explanatory variables generated by Geographical Information Systems. A preliminary geographical analysis is performed in order to represent the city by a limited set of destinations (n = 33) and to characterize those zones in terms of land use. Discrete choice modelling is used: each individual faces the total set of spatial destination alternatives. Several modelling approaches are explored and compared in terms of utility function (for instance Box-Cox; random coefficients) and in terms of global formulation (multinomial logit versus nested logit). The mixed nested logit formulation is selected as best and the parameter estimations are interpreted; it shows the importance of space within destination choices. This paper provides a useful background for decision-makers and planners of transportation policy related to individual mobility patterns. Keywords Discrete choice model, activity-based approach, GIS, land use, urban mobility, Antwerpen |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p70&r=geo |
| By: | Knut Koschatzky; Thomas Stahlecker |
| Abstract: | A key feature of the knowledge-based economy is a remarkable increase in the number, foundation rates, and employees of knowledge-intensive business service firms (KIBS). KIBS are knowledge-intensive, in the sense that they are founded upon highly specialised knowledge. Based on the assumption, that knowledge and knowledge-organisation is tied to personal capabilities and information, spatial "proximity" to knowledge-providers and –users appears to be crucial in the development- and growth-process of KIBS. The idea, that a region matters to foundation activities primarily derives from a resource-based view. Different regional environments (e.g. configurations of incubator and intermediate organisations, regional "entrepreneurial social infrastructure") and the foundation pattern of KIBS are obviously interrelated. In addition to environmental factors affecting the development or growth of newly founded KIBS, factors related to the entrepreneur of KIBS as well as factors related to characteristics of the KIBS-firms have to be taken into consideration. Based upon a survey with founders of KIBS firms in three German regions, a selection of indicators will be used as determinants for new KIBS growth. Comparing the successful KIBS start-ups with those showing an employment decrease in the relevant time period, it has to be emphasized, that KIBS with employment in-crease are co-operating with other firms and institutions on all spatial levels, regardless of the function of the partner-firms for the KIBS activities. Keywords: KIBS – Region - Spatial proximity – Growth |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p295&r=geo |
| By: | Anet Weterings; Ron Boschma |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we concentrate on how evolutionary economics contributes to a better understanding of the spatial evolution of newly emerging industries. Inspired by evolutionary thinking, four types of explanations are discussed and tested in an empirical analysis of the spatial pattern of the software sector in the Netherlands. Traditionally, agglomeration economies provide an explanation for the spatial concentration of an industry. Firms located in a cluster of similar or related sectors benefit from cost reductions, due to lower transportation costs, a thick labour market, specialised suppliers and information spillovers. An evolutionary approach on agglomeration economies provides an alternative view. It focuses explicit attention on knowledge spillovers as a vehicle of local diffusion of organizational routines or competences from one firm to the other. Such transfers of (tacit) knowledge are facilitated by spatial proximity of firms and a common knowledge base. In addition, an evolutionary approach takes a dynamic perspective on the role of agglomeration economies. During the initial stage of development of a new industry, the surrounding environment is still directed to routines and competences related to existing industries. When the new industry concentrates in a particular area to a considerable degree, a supportive environment (specialized knowledge, labour with specific skills) may gradually come into being, and localization economies may arise. Other evolutionary mechanisms may also provide an explanation for the spatial formation of new industries. We distinguish another three of them. First of all, transfer of knowledge and successful routines between firms in an emerging industry may occur through spin-off dynamics. Secondly, (social) networks may function as effective channels of knowledge diffusion and interactive learning, because they can provide a common knowledge base and mutual understanding and trust. Thirdly, firms in new industries with organizational capabilities that can deal effectively with the lack of required resources (such as knowledge, skills and capital) may become dominant, due to selection and imitation. Based on cross-sectional data gathered among 265 software firms in the Netherlands in 2003, we have tested which factors have influenced the innovative productivity of these firms. Using regression techniques, the outcomes suggest that spin-offs and firms with organizational capabilities perform better, while networks relations do not seem to affect the performance of software firms. Geography matters as well: software firms located in a region with a labour market with more ICT-skills show a higher innovative productivity. Keywords: evolutionary economics, industrial location, evolution of industries, software sector, agglomeration economies, organizational capabilities, spin-off, networks |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p208&r=geo |
| By: | José Antonio Díaz Fernández |
| Abstract: | Transport and communication infrastructures constitute one of the mainstays of regional development. The practice of this service attributed to transport and communication networks results in the genesis of a free flux of goods, capital, work and information throughout those regions which are enjoying the best territorial structuring. This way, investment in connectivity tends to encourage the creation of territorial access patterns which give rise, in their turn, to comparative advantages with regard to tertiary regional economies. This investment effort operates within the regional economies as a sort of drive motor. Firstly, it triggers the arrival of foreign capital, considered in terms of Direct Foreign Inversion (DFI). Secondly, the modernization of the transport network tends to have an effect on the industrial re-localization processes as well as on the steadily increasing diversification of the regional productive system. And thirdly, fixed social capital investment in transport tends to boost the action of two factors which are of the utmost importance. On the one hand, we can appreciate the increase of equal opportunity as well as of public property (general interest). On the other, we can see the territorial expansion of inter-territorial solidarity. This all would have a direct effect on regional economies, which would ultimately meet a steadily increase in social an economical cohesion rates. Keywords: Crowding-in, crowding-out, trade-off, fixed social capital, territorial connectivity, territorial accessibility, hinterland, public capital stock, inter-modality, modal chain, multimodality, operativity, Trans-European Transport Network (TEN), spillover effects, potential mobility demand. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p678&r=geo |
| By: | Gunther Maier |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwsre:sre-disc-2005_03&r=geo |
| By: | Masaya Kawano; Tetsunobu Yoshitake; Hiroshi Tatsumi; Yoshitaka Kajita |
| Abstract: | The complex problems shared by many cities throughout Japan are evidence of the impacts of land use plans that have been poorly designed and managed. Most of the existing plans in Japan have focused on the metropolitan areas but nowadays the physical layout or land use of communities is fundamental to sustainability. Community sustainability requires a transition from poorly-managed large-scale plans to land use planning practices at the community scale that maintain efficient infrastructures, and ensure close-knit neighborhoods and a sense of community. This paper provides a scheme for discussing the residential choice of people at the community scale in a local city in Japan in order to help local communities or local authorities concerned with suitable land use planning. First, this paper gives the key principles of residential choice behavior through the statistical analysis of the revealed preference of people who actually made the decision to choose the location of their new residence. Some interesting results are a bigger correlation than expected between the location of residence and the place of work, and a strong attachment of movers to their old communities. The latter half of this paper describes a modeling process for specifying the residential choice at the community scale. The discrete choice model adopted in the present study is a conventional disaggregate logit model that is capable of representing complicated individual choice behavior while they are changing their place of residence. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p40&r=geo |
| By: | Rosario Asián Chaves |
| Abstract: | The spatial polarisation of services is one of the explanations for present regional disparities. A new international division of labour based on Business Services has appeared, in which multinational firms play an important role. This paper aims to examine the repercussions of the behaviour of firms in the advanced business services (ABS) sector on peripheral regions. Particularly, we analyse the case of Andalusia – a region situated in a “central area”, the European Union, but characterised as peripheral-. Using direct research – interviews carried out with a representative sample of enterprises -, we study the impact of these multinational firms, not only from the point of view of the companies which offer these services in Andalusia, but also from the point of view of demand – enterprises which use these services -. Multinational firms Business advanced services Peripheral regions Uneven regional development Andalusia |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p551&r=geo |
| By: | Santiago Alvarez-García; Antonio Aparicio-Perez; Ana Isabel González |
| Abstract: | This paper will analyse the importance that the Regional Solidarity Funds have acquired in the financial systems of those Autonomous Communities able to benefit from them, and the influence that these Funds have had in their development. In addition, the special role that Structural Funds have had in order to bring the Autonomous Communities’ development in line with the average level of the European Member States will be referred to. Then, the different EC tools that are connected with regional development will be described and analysed; next, the Spanish regions that have benefited from these tools since Spain joined the European Union in 1986 will be studied. The Internal Solidarity Funds and their relationship with the EC Structural Funds will also be analysed. The effects of these mechanisms will be examined from three different points of view. First of all, the impact of these resources on the regional financial system will be considered; secondly, the coordination between the EC Structural Funds and the Internal Solidarity Funds, and the impact of this relationship will be analysed; and finally, whether or not these mechanisms are efficient enough to achieve the aim of regional unity will be determined, and their influence in different areas of production will also be observed. Key words: Fiscal Federalism, Spanish Autonomous Communities, Structural Funds, Inter-regional Solidarity. JEL Codes: H7, H77. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p538&r=geo |
| By: | Pablo Sanguinetti; Iulia Traistaru; Christian Volpe Martincus |
| Abstract: | Economic integration leads to a reallocation of resources across sectors and space. Location patterns resulting from North-North and North-South regional trade initiatives have been documented in several studies. However, empirical evidence on South-South agreements is rather limited. In this respect, MERCOSUR provides an interesting case study. This paper aims at answering the following questions: What are the main driving factors explaining location patterns in the Southern Cone? To what extent has the establishment of MERCOSUR affected location of economic activities? Using data for the period 1985-1998, we identify the determinants of manufacturing location patterns and assess their changes in the context of increased economic integration. We find that preferential trade liberalization has fostered the influence of factors underlined by the recent trade theories, such as economies of scale and input-output linkages, relative to comparative advantage considerations. Keywords: Economic Integration, Location of Industrial Activities, MERCOSUR JEL-Classification: F14, F15, L60 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p609&r=geo |
| By: | Andreas Koch; Harald Strotmann |
| Abstract: | Knowledge intensive business service firms (KIBS) are an important element of modern economies and thus attracting increasing interest in scientific research. In the existing literature it is argued that due to the important role of knowledge, innovation and user-producer interaction in the KIBS sector, functional and regional integration are particularly decisive for the firms’ post-entry development. Nevertheless, few existing studies are dealing with questions of entrepreneurship in the KIBS sector using micro firm data. This contribution gives an empirical analysis of the determinants of post-entry performance of KIBS in three German metropolitan regions. Due to the lack of suitable firm micro data, telephone interviews with 547 firm founders have been conducted. By applying multivariate estimation methods it can be shown that functional linkages to knowledge providers, customers and co-operation partners indeed matter for the performance of young KIBS. Regarding regional integration, however, especially a high diversification of spatial reach is proved to be crucial. JEL-Classification: D21, J23, L80, O30 Keywords: Employment growth; Entrepreneurship; Entry; Innovation; Knowledge-intensive business services; Post-entry performance |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p442&r=geo |
| By: | Marina Van Geenhuizen; Holmer Doornbos |
| Abstract: | Knowledge Networks, which Roles for Regions and for Different Communication Modes? Marina van Geenhuizen and Holmer Doornbos This paper presents first results of a study on how knowledge networks of companies are structured and how these are used. It questions the idea that knowledge networks are increasingly regional with a large importance of face-to-face contacts within the region. To this purpose the paper aims to identify the spatial pattern of knowledge contacts (from regional to international) and the use of particular modes of communication, like electronic ones and face-to face-contact, the latter within the region but also somewhere else in the world using air transport. First, theories on the behavior of companies in knowledge networks and theories on the use of communication modes are discussed. This is followed by an empirical analysis based on a selected sample of companies in two regions of the Netherlands: Southeast Brabant and the northern part of the Randstad. The empirical study makes use of rough set data analysis to identify differences between companies in the geographical spread of knowledge contacts and in the communication modes in using these contacts. Key words: Regions, Knowledge networks, Communication modes, Knolwedge contacts, Substitution, the Netherlands |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p448&r=geo |
| By: | Fernando Lera; Margarita Billón |
| Abstract: | The "New Economy" is a concept that is associated with the growth of the US economy in the second half of the nineties, which were characterised by high growth in GDP. In attempt to find an explanation for these events, research to date cites the main determinant to be the marked rise in labour productivity that came about as a result of the impact of Information and Communication Technologies, particularly the Internet. The purpose of the present study is to examine the phenomenon that has arisen around this "new or digital economy" and the development of the Internet from the macro and microeconomic viewpoint and then show how the Spanish regions lag behind the rest of Europe in this respect. Firstly, we present international evidences of the positive impact of ICT in terms of labour and multifactorial productivity in national economies, industrial sectors and firms. These evidences are contrasted with some spanish studies. Secondly, we measure the importance of ICT in Europe. We base our method on a set of indicators, classified into three areas: infrastructure and size of sector, use of Internet and electronic commerce, and social and economic effects. We then examine the Spanish situation electronic commerce, and social and economic effects. We then examine the Spanish situation within the context of the rest of Europe, and discover a major north-south digital divide affecting certain areas, along with major interregional disparities. As far as Internet development is concerned, there are major regional differences. The paper points out the fact that Spain registers the highest standard deviation, in other words, the greatest regional differences, which, reflected in terms of different synthetic/composite indicators. This lag in progress contrasts with Spain's public policies aimed at promoting the Internet. Nevertheless, Internet development can provide the opportunity to close this gap within the EU. It may, however, increase discrepancies between the regions, by giving regions with higher per capita income an advantage in terms of productivity and competitiveness, unless a determined effort is made to implement actions aimed at developing the information society. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p307&r=geo |
| By: | Krisztina Sóvágó; Valéria Jusztin |
| Abstract: | Before 1990, regional development policy as a governmental function was of secondary importance. Although economic planning, control and management were based on sectoral principles, regional processes contributed towards an equilibrium in the sense that differences in social-economic development were decreasing among the various regions. This apparent contradiction is attributable to Hungary’s economic structure. Before 1990, due to the lack of market and competition, the economic system basically gave support to and protected weaker regions at the expense of the strong ones. These tendencies hindered the dynamism of the economy while leading to the mitigation of regional imbalances. In the first half of the 1990s, spatial development activity in Hungary was of transitory nature. Partly because of the untested practice of spatial development management, institutions and mechanism, and partly because of the absence of a medium-level authority with appropriate powers, the issues that required intervention had to be handled by means of direct governmental instruments. The insufficiency of the available instruments, however, hindered the efficiency of individual interventions. The process of economic recession highlighted the need to create new spatial development instruments in order to manage growing regional disparities, the problems of depressed regions affected by serious social and economic crisis. The clearly unfavourable regional trends created the need for establishing a more pronounced regional policy with a new institutional system, decentralisation of decision-making, co-ordination of resources. Its basis was laid down in Act XXI of 1996 on Spatial Development and Planning. The law specifies the tasks and identifies the instruments and institutions of spatial development and planning. With the adoption of the Act, Hungary was the first among the accession countries to create a legal framework in conformity with EU spatial development requirements. A review of spatial processes and measures indicates that in the 1990s spatial development policy established its new network of instruments and institutions, primarily with a view to mitigating spatial disparities and it focused, in particular, on underdeveloped and depressed regions. Although this policy could reduce the unfavourable effects of market-based spatial differences in the economy, it could prevent new excessive depressed (crisis-ridden) regions from surfacing, nevertheless it failed to put a halt to these trends. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p689&r=geo |
| By: | Raúl Ramos; Esteban Sanromá |
| Abstract: | One aspect that has not been widely considered by the literature on the topic is differential overeducation, the existence of differences among men and women in terms of overeducation as a result of the geographical restrictions of married woman when searching for job. In this context, Büchel y Van Ham (2002) have highlighted the relevance of spatial mobility in regional labour markets (basically commuting) as an explanatory factor of women differential overeducation, but also of global overeducation.The objective is this paper is to test the influence of individual variables and some characteristics of regional labour markets related with spatial mobility on overducation in the Spanish Economy. With this aim, we use microdata from the Encuesta de Presupuesto Familiares 1990-91 (Budget Family Survey). The results permits us to conclude that the size of local labour markets and the possibility of increasing the job search to other labour markets through commuting are relevant factors to explain overducation in the Spanish labour market. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p16&r=geo |
| By: | M.Carmen Guisan; M.Teresa Cancelo |
| Abstract: | We analyse the evolution of regional employment in EU countries, and present some econometric models which relate employment with wages, economic growth and productivity. This study points to the main causes the important regional disparities of wages and rates of employment that exist in EU15 and EU24, as well as the low level of the average rate of employment in comparison with the USA and other areas. Finally we suggest some European policies that should be have into account in order to foster employment and real wages in the less developed regions as well as the average rate of employment of European Union. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p460&r=geo |
| By: | Christof Abegg; Alain Thierstein |
| Abstract: | The liberalisation process has many faces. It gives rise to economic, social and cultural change. From a spatial point of view, fears are frequently expressed that liberalisation can lead to disadvantages for peripheral regions, especially in the sparsely populated Alpine region. Companies in these peripheral regions, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SME s) see themselves as confronted by a wide variety of challenges in maintaining their competitiveness. This paper is concerned with the effects of the liberalisation process on firms in the Swiss Alpine region. Following the introduction, a second stage will give a brief characterisation of the liberalisation process, with reference to the changes in the ideas of the state which lie behind it. The third section presents the outline of a research study which looks into the effects of the liberalisation of public services on firms in the Swiss Alpine region. Section four presents some empirical results of this study. Using the four sectors of telecommunications, the postal service, public regional transport and electricity, some liberalisation effects from the point of view of these enterprises are put forward. Section five includes contexts and conclusions: it can be seen that public services are important to enterprises in mountainous regions, but are not a decisive influence on their competitiveness. Overall, liberalisation mainly benefits large companies. The passive and cautious behaviour of small and medium-sized enterprises means that they make insufficient use of the potential advantages of liberalisation. Moreover, liberalisation contributes to an increased spatial polarisation within the Alpine region. The paper concludes by providing information on political strategies for spatial development at canton and Federal state level. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p175&r=geo |
| By: | Fernando Barreiro-Pereira |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses how several spatial variables coming from cities and transportation system can affect money market, specially the income velocity of circulation, assuming an unit-elastic aggregate demand function and considering money velocity as a variable. Fluctuations in velocity caused by some spatial variables, under certain conditions, can affect the aggregate demand curve. The specification of the main relation-ship has found in the Baumol-Tobin model for transaction money demand, and in Christaller-Lösch central place theory. The estimation of the model has been based on panel data techniques and applied across 61 countries during 14 years in the 1978-1991 period. Theoretical and econometric results indicates that seven spatial variables like the country’s first city population, the population density, the passengers-kilometer transported by railways, and several ratios referred to some geographical variables, can provokes fluctuations on aggregate demand curve in the short run. In the long run, the aggregate supply can be also affected by means of these variables. In order to checking this question, considering that these spatial variables are not product factor, we propose to observe if these variables can affect the technological progress coefficient, A, concerning to an aggregate production function, according to a neo-classical growth model. Results by means of the Mankiw, Romer and Weil method, and also by means of an endogenous growth model of technology diffusion, indicates that some spatial variables affect the speed of convergence relative to the real per head income, across these 61 countries. However, a certain amount in some of these variables generates a congestion process in some countries. For checking it, we utilize a Barro and Sala i Martin endogenous growth model which reflects government activities. The concluding remarks indicates that some of these spatial variables above mentioned increases the speed of convergence but generates congestion in some countries. These spatial variables also affect the aggregate supply, and hence the price and output levels. Key words: transportation, regional growth, convergence, congestion. JEL Class.: R41 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p278&r=geo |
| By: | Vitor Braga |
| Abstract: | The competitiveness of regions, as a means of promoting the competitiveness of a country as a whole, has been one of the main topics on the agenda of policy makers over the last decades. Several attempts at promoting competitiveness have been made with different degrees of success. In most cases, public investment in the regions was perceived as the solution to promote regional competitiveness and top-down policies were implemented. However, competitiveness also has an important dimension that is not related to public investment and depends instead on the cultural and institutional norms of a region. These regional characteristics are not easily addressed by traditional regional policies and require the study of cognitive processes and sociological and anthropological issues. Over recent years regional development has emphasised the importance of endogenous development. From this point of view, national or local governments’ policies must recognise that competitiveness not only comes from public investment in physical infrastructures but also depends on the behaviour, attitudes and capabilities of local entrepreneurs within the business environment. The scientific literature has been unanimous in showing that business networks carry advantages for regional competitiveness. Several key issues are raised regarding this issue including trust, local culture, and transaction costs. The networking of activities gains special emphasis with respect to SMEs. In most cases the regional economy depends on these firms and they are frequently seen as a key element within regional development. Also these firms depend much more on potential networks to gain advantages in information and expertise and often require joint ventures with respect to R&D activities. This paper will address the advantages of networking and its contribution to regional development as a way of promoting competitiveness. In so doing it will analyse the factors that lead entrepreneurs to co-operate and apply these findings in the context of regional and national economic development. Keywords: Network form of organisation, Local development, Trust, Co-operation. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p455&r=geo |
| By: | Carlos Azzoni; Andre Souza; Veridiana Nogueira |
| Abstract: | The paper identifies the role of regional and demographic determinants of poverty in Brazil. We first estimate the probability of a household being classified as poor or indigent. We then apply decomposition techniques to identify the role of demographic variables (family size, parent’s education, etc.) and of regional variables in explaining those probabilities. We found out that parent’s education is the most important determinant, but regional aspects also play a role in determining poverty across states in Brazil. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p640&r=geo |
| By: | Bernardino Romano |
| Abstract: | About the matter of the environmental fragmentation due to settlement structure, an important issue is the “fragmentation tendency”. This phenomenon is linked to territorial sprawl sensibility and is determined by different land and urban characteristics. If the general ecological conditions are good, we can be sure that every animal species will increase their individuals number and will occupy larger areas and places. So we can say that this phenomenon is the same for human component, when the morphological, economic, climatic and social conditions are favorable. This means that we could draw the probable evolution of the settlement pattern in the future in order to particular aspects of the territory, as the altitude, slope, land use, exposure, infrastructures and urban location. We can also obtain the particular index (sprawl index) from the cited parameters, to measure the territorial sensibility toward the urban sprawl phenomena and individuate which areas are more critical than others in terms of future environmental fragmentation. Is very interesting to compare the results of these elaborations with the contents of the local planning instruments, to verify if the plan follows and favours these “human ecological” tendencies. The elaboration of the SIX (Sprawl Index) that we present in this paper has been developed and experimented on the study case of Umbria Region (Italy) in the context of the studies finalized at the RERU (Umbria Region Ecological Network). |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p441&r=geo |
| By: | João Couto; José Vieira; Teresa Tiago; Maria Manuela Santos Natário |
| Abstract: | Considering the importance of national competitiveness to economic development and social progress, it is also fundamental to follow how it evolved in regional terms. The present study undertakes this issue using as reference a group of national competitiveness indicators and applies them at the Portuguese regional level. The objective is to verify the subjacent clusters that derived from the group of indicators and the differentiation of the principal factors of the groups found. The results reflect the existence of three regional groups, determined in function of the considered indicators. The first group constituted by the North Region, Center and Alentejo and Azores; the second group encompasses the Algarve and Madeira, and a third region that emerges solidly correspondent to that of Lisboa and Tejo Valley. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p607&r=geo |
| By: | Jens Suedekum; Uwe Blien |
| Abstract: | We address the effects of wages on employment growth on the basis of a theoretical model from which cost and demand effects can be derived. In the empirical analysis we take a highly disaggregated perspective and apply a newly developed shift-share regression technique on an exhaustive and very accurate data set for West Germany. The regression shows that the impact of regional wages on employment growth is significantly negative. There is some variation of this effect across sectors, but in no case we find support for the claim that an exogenous wage increase leads to higher employment growth. Keywords: Employment Growth, Shift-Share-Analysis, Regional Wages, Purchasing Power Argument. JEL- Classification: J23, E24, R11 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p641&r=geo |
| By: | Piet Rietveld |
| Abstract: | When the city centre is the major destination of the passengers, public transport vehicles will get fuller as they approach it. The disadvantage of time loss due to stops on the way to the centre is thus experienced by an increasing number of travellers. We demonstrate that optimal stop distances increase as vehicles get closer to the centre. This is at variance with the usual assumption of constant stop distances employed in this type of models. A Countervailing force is that urban densities increase as one approaches the centre. We demonstrate that there exist combinations of the various cost and density gradient parameters that result in constant stop distances as an optimal outcome. However, this is found for rather steep density gradients, so that the overall conclusion is that there are good reasons to let stop distances increase as one approaches the city centre. Keywords: Stop distance, public transport, density gradient, public transport access |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p43&r=geo |
| By: | Jelena Šišinaèki; Ivana Rasic; Valerija Botric |
| Abstract: | Most transition economies have experienced a prolonged periods of high unemployment rates and decline of the growth rates at the beginning of transition process. However, after the initial decline in the economic activity, a period of stronger growth rates was recorded in most of the transition countries. Many analyses were done on this initial phase of transition process so we are concentrating on more successful period of transition process. Through the analysis of a regional gross domestic product dynamics in Croatian regions and several other European Union Candidate Countries we are identifying common development patterns in selected countries. Furthermore, since the unemployment is severe problem in most of the transition countries in our sample, and the increasing employment is one of the goals of the European Union, we expect that this issue will receive greater attention in the future. Due to the fact that regional structural developments were not sufficiently analysed, at least not in Croatia, we hope that this comparative study will contribute to the existing literature. Previous studies confirm that the economic growth during the more successful phase of transition was not strong enough to help to clear the labour market in selected countries. But these results are predominately concentrated on the country, and not on the regional level. Therefore, we analyse regional development in order to identify whether there are common patterns in Croatian regions with regions in other transition countries. We also compare our set of indicators with those in the European Union regions, particularly those geographically closer to Croatia. The main obstacle to regional analysis in Croatia is the lack of adequate statistical data. Therefore, first part of our paper consists of generating the relevant indicators. Since the paper is oriented to analysis, we do not focus on methodological problems. We are, however, aware of the limitations imposed on the interpretations of our results due to the fact. Key words: RGDP, unemployment, comparative regional analysis. JEL Classification: R19, J69, R11. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p132&r=geo |
| By: | Bernardo Sánchez Pavón |
| Abstract: | Nowadays, goods sea transport involves a penetration of port hinterlands towards inland, which leads to the need for the confluence of the different means of transport in the neighbourhoods of ports and, therefore, new available areas. In the same way, what happened in New York on Septmeber 11th , 2001 have led to exigencies of security measures, which demand new areas and more restrictions on access. From all this, it follows that relations between port and city, where it is placed, are difficult. The purpose of this essay is to analyse the problems that the coexistence between ports and cities is going through, and to propose solutions which could allow a suitable coexistence. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p677&r=geo |
| By: | M.Carmen Guisan; Eva Aguayo; A. David Carballas |
| Abstract: | The role of human capital, industry and tourism in regional development is analysed by means of econometric models with data of both EU15 and the ten countries of the 2004´s Enlargement. The study points to the need to improve economic policies at EU level, in order to increase production in the less developed regions and to get a higher degree of socio-economic convergence among EU regions. We analyse the main measures that have shown a positive impact on regional development during the last years. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p468&r=geo |
| By: | Ben Gardiner; Ron Martin; Tyler Peter |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p333&r=geo |
| By: | Joaquim J.M. Guilhoto |
| Abstract: | Following Furtuoso and Guilhoto (2003) the GDP of the Brazilian Agribusiness is estimated to be around 27% of the Brazilian GDP in 2000, and the latest numbers show that it could be reaching 30% of the Brazilian GDP in 2003. Despite its importance for the Brazilian economy as a whole, the size of the Brazilian territory and the regional differences draws attention for the fact that the importance of the agribusiness is not uniform over the Brazilian regions, and if the agribusiness is also divided into its four components, i.e., a) inputs to agriculture; b) agriculture; c) agriculture based industry; and d) final distribution, the differences are even bigger. In this paper it is made a study of the importance of the agribusiness for the 27 states of the Brazilian economy, taking into consideration its four components. The analysis is conduct for the year of 1999 using an interregional input-output system constructed for the Brazilian economy by Guilhoto et al. (2004). |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p10&r=geo |
| By: | E. Fabio Arcangeli; Giorgio Padrin |
| Abstract: | Libre Software communities are among the most interesting and advanced socio-economic laboratories on the Net. In terms of directions of Regional Science research, this paper addresses a simple question: “Is the socio-economics of digital nets out of scope for Regional Science, or might the latter expand to a cybergeography of digitally enhanced territories ?” As for most simple questions, answers are neither so obvious nor easy. The authors start drafting one in a positive sense, focussing upon a file rouge running across the paper: endogenous spaces woven by socio-economic processes. The drafted answer declines on an Evolutionary Location Theory formulation, together with two computational modelling views. Keywords: Complex networks, Computational modelling, Economics of Internet, Endogenous spaces, Evolutionary location theory, Free or Libre Software, Path dependence, Positionality. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p438&r=geo |
| By: | Francesco Capone |
| Abstract: | Since the past century, Marshall had described some industrial districts, in England, as agglomerations of small and medium enterprises specialized in a specific production activity. Starting from his contribute, in the last decades an immense literature has been written on industrial districts in Europe and around the World. Italian scholars gave particular attention to this local system of production and extended and developed the concept coined by Marshall. In other countries, different territorial models played a central role as milieu or cluster, for instance. In particular, in the last years these models have been extended to non-industrial fields like culture, rural activities and tourism. In the first part of the paper, a review of the main contributions on the territorial models applied to the tourist industry is proposed like the tourist milieu (Peyrache,-Gadeau, 2003, Bramanti, 2001), tourist cluster (Gordon, Goodall, 2000; Nedlac, 1999; Van Den Berg, Braum, Van Winden, 2001) or tourist district (Becattini et ali., 2001; Aci-Censis, 2001; Antonioli Corigliano, 1999). Thus, we define a model of tourist district and we address how extend to the tourist industry the competitive advantages created from networks of traditional marshallian industrial districts (Marshall, 1966; Becattini, 2000). In the second part of the paper, we perform a methodological exercise of spatial identification through GIS tools. The methodology of identification of industrial districts elaborated from Sforzi (1990) is extended to tourist industry and the adaptability of our model in the Italian territory is verified. The analysis starts from the travel-to-work areas (TTWAs) (Smart, 1974; Combees et al., 1982), which interprets the daily commuting flows due to work reasons defined in Italy by the ISTAT on the 1996 Intermediate Census on Industries and Services. A map of the Italian TLS is presented. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p627&r=geo |
| By: | Juan R. Cuadrado-Roura; Rubén Garrido-Yserte; Miguel Ángel Marcos-Calvo |
| Abstract: | Economic and Social Cohesion is one of the principal aims of European Union according to the Treaty. Although it has a clear and rather well defined political dimension, there is not a unique definition that permits a technical definition. ¿Has an increase of Economic and Social Cohesion been observed in recent decades? ¿How could this be measured? To answer these two questions it is necessary to define, first, what is the acceptable degree of regional inequalities and, second, which could be the variables or indexes to measure it properly (not only GDP per capita). The aim of this paper is to propose new answers to the problem, using REGIO database and applying multicriteria methods. We have researched a new empirical approach to the European Cohesion and we have calculated the accomplishment of a higher Economic and Social Cohesion between the European regions. The period analysed is 1987-1999 and the results are rather shocking and suggestive, particularly compared to the ones arising from the most conventional analysis on the evolution of GDP per capita. Key words: Social and Economic Cohesion; Regional Convergence; EU Regional Policy, multicriteria methods. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p657&r=geo |
| By: | Edson Paulo Domingues; Mauro Borges Lemos |
| Abstract: | There is a great interest in free trade areas (FTA) in Brazil, predominantly in the context of a proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). In addition, a free trade area between MERCOSUR (the customs union involving Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay) and the European Union has also been considered. In this paper, an interregional computable general equilibrium (CGE) model is used to analyze the long-run regional effects of alternative trade liberalization strategies on Brazil. The model provides a description of the Brazilian inter-regional economic system, divided into two regions - Sao Paulo and Other Regions in Brazil. One of its innovations is a full specification of foreign trade in both regions, capturing the complete structure of trade flows and import tariffs, linking the two Brazilian regions and a set of foreign markets. In this way, adequate simulations of tariff liberalization can be implemented for several possibilities of trade agreements. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p311&r=geo |
| By: | Elias Soukiazis; Micaela Antunes |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to explain regional convergence in Portugal, at Nuts III level, in terms of per capita income and productivity. In doing so, we employ an alternative estimation approach based on panel data analysis that allows for individual differences across regions, avoiding with this way the omitted variable bias occurred in single cross-section regressions. The known concepts of absolute and conditional convergence are tested between the 30 Portuguese regions, as well as, the importance of some conditioning structural factors related to resource allocation and demand conditions. Our evidence shows that convergence among the 30 regions in Portugal is rather conditional than absolute, both, in terms of per capita income and productivity. On the other hand, labour shares in the main economic sectors as measures of resource reallocation are important in explaining convergence in per capita income and productivity. Output growth, reflecting demand conditions and labour composition by sectors are shown to be relevant conditioning factors in explaining the convergence process in productivity and controlling for differences in regional structures. Our evidence shows a more significant shift of labour from the primary to the tertiary sector and when this element is introduced into the convergence equations, convergence is shown to be higher. Keywords: absolute and conditional convergence, per capita income, productivity, labour shares, panel regressions. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p54&r=geo |
| By: | Gunther Maier; Jouke Van Dijk |
| Abstract: | Cooperation and networking are important instruments and suggestions of an innovation oriented regional policy. They bring together similar, but not identical ideas, practices and problems and can therefore stimulate the creation of new ideas and consequently innovations. In this paper, we intend to look at ERSA and try to identify to what extent the european regional science community implements its own suggestions. Based on the information that is contained in the CD-ROMS from earlier congresses we want to identify the amount of coauthorship in ERSA, the type and spatial reach of this collaboration, and its development over time. We hope to be able to identify key nodes of a co-publication network and its basic structure. This information would be valuable not only from an academic point of view, but also for advancing European regional science toward the intended European research area. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p599&r=geo |
| By: | Marie-Laurence Dekeersmaecker; Pierre Frankhauser; Isabelle Thomas |
| Abstract: | This paper aims at showing the usefulness of the fractal dimension for characterizing the spatial structure of the built-up surfaces within the periurban fringe. We first discuss our methodology and expectations in terms of operationality of the fractal dimension theoretically and geometrically. An empirical analysis is then performed on the southern periphery of Brussels (Brabant Wallon). The empirical analysis is divided into two parts: first, the effect of the size and shape of the windows on the fractal measures is empirically evaluated; this leads to a methodological discussion about the importance of the scale of analysis as well as the real sense of fractality. Second, we show empirically how far fractal dimension and density can look alike, but are also totally different. The relationship between density and fractality of built-up areas is discussed empirically and theoretically. Results are interpreted in an urban sprawl context as well as in a polycentric development of the peripheries. These analyses confirm the usefulness but also the limits of the fractal approach in order to describe the built-up morphology. Fractal analysis is a promising tool for describing the morphology of the city and for simulating its genesis and planning. Keywords: Fractals – dimension – periurbanisation – Brussels Note to the ERSA2004 referees: This is the state of our paper on April 30th 2004. It is not finished nor checked by an English native but results seem quite promising. Please take contact with the corresponding author for the latest version of the paper at the moment of the refereeing process or at the moment of editing the proceedings, if necessary. We thank you for your comments and questions. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p69&r=geo |
| By: | Torben Dall Schmidt |
| Abstract: | National governments often choose to delegate tasks and burdens to lower levels in a comprehensive system of administration. Local and regional governance thereby becomes an important factor in policy implementation. This paper focuses on the incentive problem that follows from such a delegation of competences to collect taxes and do lending at the local level in a multi-level geo-administrative system. The paper uses the Danish administrative system to illustrate the actual outcomes from such incentive problems. A two-step estimation procedure will be used to derive results on the importance of incentive problems in multi-level geo-administrative systems. Setting up elaborate administrative systems will introduce agency problems that lead to inefficiencies in both local and national governance. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p281&r=geo |
| By: | Malcolm Greig; Ronald W McQuaid |
| Abstract: | This paper develops a model of the determinants of visitor expenditure at a one day repeated major sporting event in Edinburgh, Scotland. An econometric model is developed that combines both macroeconomic data and socio-economic information derived from over 1,000 visitor interviews. This allows us to control for individual characteristics and estimate the derived elasticities for the macroeconomic determinants of expenditure. The findings suggest that socio-economic characteristics of individuals may be more significant than macroeconomic indicators in explaining variations in visitor expenditure. Among individual characteristics, the region of origin, length of stay, type of accommodation, type of expenditure and personal income are associated with the level of per capita visitor expenditure. This should assist regional policy formulation in attracting higher spending visitors and thereby maximising the income and employment benefits from sporting events and other areas of tourism. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p618&r=geo |
| By: | Daniel Shefer; Mordechai Cohen; Shlomo Bekhor |
| Abstract: | This paper is concerned with the development of varieties and fertilization techniques of greenhouse tomatoes, and their spatial diffusion in the northwestern region of the Negev in Israel. The main objective of the paper is to identify the factors affecting the farmers’ decision to adopt innovations and the factors inducing the process of knowledge-diffusion in the rural region. The approach adopted is the use of discrete choice models based on random utility theory. Results of the empirical analysis when applying the disaggregate Logit Model indicate that the regional, local and individual attributes have a significant bearing on the farmers’ decision-making process in regard to choosing among alternative tomato varieties and fertilization techniques. The findings indicate that the models constructed for this study may be used as a planning tool for the purpose of evaluating the effect of different factors on the spatial diffusion of innovations in rural regions. The results of the research could also assist decision-makers in formulating development policies for rural regions. Keywords: Spatial diffusion; discrete choice models; greenhouse tomatoes; nested logit |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p484&r=geo |
| By: | Jose Carlos Melendez-Hidalgo; Piet Rietveld; Erik Verhoef |
| Abstract: | Large-scale investments in transport infrastructure have been traditionally evaluated assuming the equivalence between direct and indirect economic effects (Jara-Diaz,1986), which is only correct under -generally non-guaranteed- perfect competition assumptions. Despite this common practice there is still no consensus amongst economists as to how the benefits and costs of large infrastructure projects should be determined. The discussions regarding the desirability, for instance, of the Betuwe railway line, the fifth runway at Schiphol Airport, the North-South underground railway in Amsterdam etc. are illustrative of this. The focus has been, in particular, on the magnitude of ‘indirect’ and ‘strategic’ effects, that is effects on parties other than the direct users of the infrastructure (indirect effects) and those factors that have a favorable effect on the long-term development of the (regional) economy, such as effects relating to firm location and demographics (strategic effects). Focusing on general equilibrium, increasing returns and imperfect competition modeling approach this paper aims to throw light on this subject matter by examining how the social benefits in terms of efficiency resulting from improvements to the infrastructure can be determined in an imperfect regional economy. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p426&r=geo |
| By: | V.Atilla Oven; Dilek Pekdemir |
| Abstract: | Office rent determinants are well established for various metropolitan areas in the US [2, 3, 25] and some other international centres in Europe, especially in the UK [12, 17, 28]. The site selection and investment decisions for new office construction will largely depend on the information how office rent determinants are ranked according to their importance. For this purpose, the ranking of 52 office rent determinants for the metropolitan area of Istanbul are presented using the technique of factor analysis, and later compared with the reported findings of available major metropolitan areas. It has been found that, the only parameter commonly found significant is the vacancy rate. The results point out that regional differences and different economic conditions can significantly alter the perceived importance of rental determinants. Keywords: office rent determinants, factor analysis. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p166&r=geo |
| By: | Peter Haug |
| Abstract: | The paper investigates empirically how costs per inhabitant depend on population density, considering public water and sewerage industry as example. Diverging from prior work, spatial differences in distribution costs within a German municipality are calculated for both industries by using appropriate cost accounting data. Choosing suitable cost allocation bases turned out to be the main problem. The results provide some evidence of the assumed u-shaped per-capita cost curve only for the distribution of water, whereas per-capita distribution costs of the sewerage industry tend to decrease steadily with rising population density. Thus, cost-cover percentages of water and sewage charges rise with increasing population density. These findings suggest firstly, to take rising per-capita costs of providing network-related goods and services into consideration for city deconstruction programmes (e.g. “Stadtumbau Ost”) and secondly, to differentiate charges for local public goods spatially according to the real costs. JEL classification: R00, L32, L95, H42 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p353&r=geo |
| By: | Maria Abreu; Henride Groot; Raymond Florax |
| Abstract: | We investigate the spatial distribution of TFP growth rates using exploratory spatial data analysis and other spatial econometric techniques. Our sample consists of 73 countries and covers the period 1960-2000. We identify significant positive spatial autocorrelation in TFP growth rates, indicating that high and low values tend to be clustered in space. We also find strong positive spatial autocorrelation in TFP levels, which has increased over the period 1960-2000. This result may be indicative of a tendency towards clustering over time, a conclusion reinforced by our finding of two clusters of high TFP growth rates (in Europe and South East Asia), and two clusters of low TFP growth rates (in the Andean region and Sub-Saharan Africa). We estimate the Nelson and Phelps (1966) model of technology diffusion while allowing for spatial dependence in the error term. Our estimation results suggest that both the growth rate and the level of human capital have an important effect on productivity growth rates. JEL:I2,O4,C21. Keywords: human capital, technology diffusion, spatial econometrics. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p425&r=geo |
| By: | Gündüz Atalik; Seda Kundak |
| Abstract: | It is argued that innovation diffusion, in other words the movement of the new ideas or articrafts within an area over a number of time periods could become widespread once introduced in the area. After Schumpeter the role of the innovator has been significant as the inventor, as the developer or as the promoter. It is clear now that a number of economists have one thing in common that profit rates would be pushed to minimal levels in the absence of technical development. In fact, in the new theories of development concepts related to knowledge development and its diffusion take precedence. Moreover, concerning regional disparities and regional convergence issues in the European Union, it is pointed out that R&D investment in lagging areas could be the only way to avoid technology and development divergence between core and periphery. In this connection, it might be worthwhile to consider the enlargement process of the European Union with further expansion period. In this way, the objective of this article will be to find out probable effects of R&D on the development level in a five-years period (1996-2001) in order to examine the efficiency rate of innovation diffusion on the development level and to derive some theoretical and practical results. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p30&r=geo |
| By: | Kjetil Bjorvatn; Nicola Daniele Coniglio |
| Abstract: | The most important policy instrument to promote regional development in the European Union is Strucutral Funds, covering approximately a third of the EU budget. An empirical analysis demonstrates that these funds have on average been ineffective in speeding up the process of convergence with in the European Union. Only in countries with sufficiently good institutions have these funds contributed positively to regional development. Our analysis attempts to shed light on how investment subsidies may create industrialization, and more importantly, how poor quality institutions may prevent this strategy from succeeding. JEL codes: Keywords: Regional policy, rent seeking, industrialization |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p162&r=geo |
| By: | Olga Ogando; Beatriz Fariña |
| Abstract: | EU regional policy is in a challenging and dynamic period of change. Not only are there significant administrative problems to overcome in both the current and the new Member States, but there is also a major ongoing debate about the reform of EU regional policy after 2006. Post 2006, the principal challenge concerns economic and social cohesion in an enlarged Union. Enlargement will lead to a severely unbalanced EU territory in terms of the widening disparities between Member States and regions. The degree to which EU regional policy can meet these challenges will be determined by budgetary constraints. The period of successive increases in EU regional policy ended at the Berlin Council in March 1999. Aspects of the current debate concern not only the EU regional policy budget for 2007-2013 but also the possible allocations. In this context, the paper has two main objectives: a) To identify regional disparities in the forthcoming enlarged Europe using multivariate statistical analysis techniques. b) To assess different proposals arising from the Commission open debate on future Cohesion Policy. The data used in the analysis is Newcronos-REGIO database elaborated by EUROSTAT. As a result, a classification of all regions (NUTsII) in the EU-25 is obtained through factor and cluster analysis techniques. Results obtained show that regional disparities cannot be exclusively explained by GDP per capita. Other factors linked to the behaviour of the labour market and to the demographic characteristics of the territories are also of a great importance Key words: Economic and Social Cohesion, Regional Policy, Cluster Analysis |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p377&r=geo |
| By: | José Manuel Viegas; Miguel Gaspar; Elisabete A. Silva |
| Abstract: | Nowadays Portugal is under a large process of creation/revision of studies and plans related with land use and territorial planning, mainly due to the end of the lifetime period of the actual Municipal Master Plan, but also because of the creation of the new Metropolitan Authorities of Transportation, which will require Mobility Plans. Even though the Portuguese law doesn’t impose these Mobility Plans at the present moment, there is a general feeling about the importance of the mobility system for the society and economics in general. This is the case in highly density areas, where the need and complexity of the system requires these specific studies in order to obtain an efficient management; or in the case of low-density areas where the risk of loosing competitiveness is too high to ignore the importance of the transportation and mobility system, and the advantage of gaining local and regional competitiveness might increase the importance of the municipality in regional context. This paper intends to provide an innovative approach regarding the provision, at an early stage, of technical support to decision-makers in order to define Mobility and Transportation Policies. The opportunity provided by using adapted SWOT analysis (among others) to identify weakening or potential factors, and how to take advantage of the results, always using a cause and effect approach and a coherent policy in order to obtain high quality and effective studies and politics. The methodology relies on a two-stage process. In the first stage a summary diagnose is provided, using inputs which are supposed to well characterise the territory’s mobility patterns. Afterwards, in a second phase, these are inter-related and evaluated in order to build-up a table of options, where policies are proposed with a careful attention to its qualitative cross impact with the measures and objectives intended to be achieved. The proposed methodology was applied in the Alcobaça´s Municipality case study, which provided different lines of action in diverse subjects, such as, public and private transportation networks, parking policies and organisation, and territory competitiveness. This study was particularly relevant, since this Municipality is under great pressure of its neighbour municipalities, has a low level of regional importance and a low intra-municipal cohesion. Finally, the general opinion of the decision-makers about this technical approach is presented. Keywords: Mobility; Transportation; Land Planning and Policies; Decision-making Support |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p254&r=geo |
| By: | Caterina Cirelli; Leonardo Mercatanti; Carmelo Maria Porto; Elena Di Blasi; Enrico Nicosia |
| Abstract: | In the present-day post-industrial society and in a globalised economy there is a strong tendency towards standardization and homologation. If we consider one of the most traditional urban functions - the commercial one - analysing what is happening in the centre of the cities of all the developed countries of the world, we notice a process of standardization regarding the offer, both in the sense of the single articles sold and in the sense of the commercial area in all its complexity (uniformity of the showcases for the exposure, diminution of the historical shops with sale of distinctive articles, diffusion of the branches of national and international chains and the phenomenon of franchising). Therefore, the central areas of our cities tend to be more and more alike. Obviously this is fruit of a more complex process, that is concretized in the tendency towards the diversification of the distributive network through the rapid diffusion of hypermarkets and commercial centres in the outskirts of cities and in the changed behaviour of the consumers, more and more directed to American styles of consumption. What kind of role will the more traditional commercial structures that characterize the Italian historical centres have in the future? Despite the fact that these last ones are, at the moment, under considerable pressure that pushes towards a more radical change, there is the possibility however that the particular "commercial landscape" that characterizes them could itself become a new model of development capable of promoting the urban culture, close to the functionalistic model, currently in expansion, totally directed towards the peripheral spaces. Catania is a city where we find, to a great extent, the evolutionary characteristics of the southern urban system, but in which we find even more the changes and the tendencies present in the cities of the more developed regions when processes of decentralization of economic activities, residential activities and of the social structures are outlined. The commercial patrimony of Catania, besides the cultural one, represents one of the pivots on which the identity of the city is based. It represents a resource for the development of the town and a stimulation of tourism. This research investigates the solidity and the potentialities of traditional commerce in the central areas of the city of Catania in relation to the dynamics of development of the external commercial centres. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p583&r=geo |
| By: | Joana Almodovar; Aurora Amélia Castro Teixeira |
| Abstract: | Current research has revealed the existence of a relationship between networks and firm growth (Jarillo, 1989; Huggins, 2000). Nevertheless, network content and specificity and how these networks influence firm economic and financial performance has been little investigated. In addition, the influence of regions in relation to the spatial proximity on inter-firm networks should be an additional dimension taken into account if the determinants of firm performance are to be adequately understood. The most important linkages tend to be characterised by territorial closeness and have relevant effects over firm performance (Oerlemans and Meeus, 2002; Lechner and Dowling, 2003). Since automobile industry can be regarded as a worldwide cluster, where the evolution tendency on constructor’s behalf has been to gradually delegate technological competencies into industry suppliers, the regional networks acquire a renewed importance beyond the recognized benefits of sharing, interaction and reciprocity. Given that networks “do not happen in a virtual space where spatial proximity does not matter” (Lechner and Dowling, 2003: 9), the Portuguese inter-firm cooperation within the automotive industry can be regarded as a possible source of regional advantage for responding to globalisation competitive challenges. Thus, in this paper we explore how firms grow through the use of external linkages and become competitive, using case study material based on a Portuguese inter-firm network of the auto-parts industry (ACECIA) and one of its founding members, Simoldes. Using a set of performance indicators, we concluded that its positive evolution was contemporaneous and last beyond ACECIA´s constitution date. Moreover, evidence of possible leverage effects from the combined collaboration emerged indicating that the relation between networks and firm performance implies a two-way causality association. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p88&r=geo |
| By: | J. Andrés Faíñaa; Jesús López-Rodríguez |
| Abstract: | In this paper we use a generalized entropy index such as the Theil index to analyze regional inequalities in Europe. We proved that there is a synchronization between the convergence and catching-up process of objective 1 regions towards the EU15 average with the reform of the EU regional policy. During the period 1982-1988 the Theil index shows that inequalities between objective 1 regions and non-objective 1 regions have increased while from 1989 onwards the reduction in the inequalities between these two groups has been the norm. We also remark the fact that there are high disparate rates of growth among objective 1 regions both within countries and across countries but our computations show also a trend towards a more balanced growth among objective 1 regions within and across EU countries. This success of the European Union regional policy in objective 1 regions will mean a big opportunity for Central and Eastern European countries and hence the increases in competition arising from an enlarged European market combined with a suitable regional development policy should in the future boost the growth of those countries. In the last part of the paper we made a simulation for the funding envelope from 2007, based on the 2000-2006 budget. We show that the figures of the Agenda 2000 provide enough financial support for 90% of the total CEEC population and for 75% of “current” objective 1 population. Key Words: Regional Policy, European Enlargement, Central and Eastern European Countries, Strategic Planning, Regional Growth, Regional Development |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p32&r=geo |
| By: | Maria Luisa Decuir - Viruez |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the role of institutional factors in the economic growth of Mexican regions. Assuming an institutional dimension of growth, we will assess the relationships between informal and formal institutional features, infrastructure conditions and growth. Following the approach of the document presented at the ERSA Conference (2003), we introduce the results obtained in the process of measuring the institutional factors for three different periods 1970-1985, 1985-1994 and 1994-2000. Cluster Analysis techniques were applied to a database of 13-14 variables; from we identified patterns of institutional characteristics for the Mexican regions and groups of states that share some features. The results are confronted with the evidence of growth for these periods, in order to identify if a particular regional institutional structure has led to higher or lower rates of growth. Keywords: Institutions, Regional Growth, Mexico, Cluster Analysis. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p273&r=geo |
| By: | Maria Manuela Nêveda Da Costa; Jianjun Ji |
| Abstract: | Some of the most controversial effects of China's post-1978 economic reforms have been on regional income disparities and on the divide between urban and rural development. How important are those income disparities? And how do they affect the elderly, who are perhaps the most vulnerable to the changes brought by China’s transition? What is the government’s role in providing income support? This paper examines the rural-urban disparities in income, expenditures, and government support among the elderly in China. We test for significant differences in levels and sources of income and in types of expenditures using a nationwide survey on rural and urban elderly conducted by China’s Elderly Scientific Research Center in 1992. This survey consists of two separate sets of responses, one for urban areas (9,889 respondents) and the other for rural areas (10,194 respondents), and provides demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics of the elderly. In addition, we propose to investigate the type and level of government income support programs at the local and state level. The findings are evaluated and policy implications discussed in the context of China’s transition to a market economy and choice of development strategies. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p444&r=geo |
| By: | Mihails Hazans |
| Abstract: | The papers analyses regional differences in EU referenda results in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. In each of the three countries, other things being equal, high income regions were significantly more pro-European than low-income ones, while regions with a high share of ethnic minorities were significantly more opposed to the enlargement than other regions. The ethnic effect was strongest in Latvia and weakest in Estonia. These findings clearly indicate necessity of stronger efforts both in integration of the Baltic societies and in the promotion of reliable EU information, especially in less developed regions. On the other hand, we confirm the findings from earlier referenda that support from EU membersip does not come primarily from regions and groups that are likely to benefit from EU-wide redistribution. In Latvia and Estonia the regions bordering with Russia or Belarus were substantially less in favour of EU membership than other regions (controlling for ethnic composition and economic factors). In Latvia, regions on the borders with EU accession countries were significantly more pro-European than other regions. Keywords: European Union, European integration, cross-border development, ethnic minorities, regional income differentials. JEL Categories: D72, J15, P52, R1 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p138&r=geo |
| By: | José António Gil Castanho; Maria-Teresa Noronha Vaz |
| Abstract: | The paper discusses the implications of the security factor in the regional development in Algarve region. Considering the goal of sustainable development and growth, some variables related to criminality at regional level have been observed and compared to the national values. The obtained data bases was applied in a methodological essay to search for significant statistical correlations between criminal registers and a set of so-cial and economic indicators, namely: unemployment, internal regional product at mp and cp, regional added value, population density, entered legalised citizens and visiting foreign citizens. This study, developed at regional level, reports an observation period from 1995 and is based on the bibliographic support kindly supplied by the Cabinet of Legislative Politics and Planning in Ministry of Justice. The results show an inexistence of statistical correlation’s between the regional unem-ployment rates and the criminal registers. Positive correlations were found for follow-ing indicators: internal regional internal product, regional added value (in what con-cerns crimes against the State and the crimes foreseen in Sundry Legislation). Also the population density reacted positively to the tests of correlation with the group of crimes against the State. The same occurrence was found in the registers of foreign legalized citizens. When the association between the registers of visitors was considered, the cor-relation appeared on the crimes against the State and the crimes foreseen in Sundry Legislation. Despite the Algarve region being classified, for its visitors, as “safe tourist destina-tion”, these associations disclosed some concern about the impact of this type of crime in the regional development logic’s to Algarve region, essentially for its tourist pre-ponderance and localisation as peripheral region in the UE. Keywords: Regional Development, Internal Security, Criminal Records GPLP-MJ, Correlations; Social and economic pointers; |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p197&r=geo |
| By: | Aikaterini Kokkinou; Ioannis Psycharis |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to analyze the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) activity in Greece. The paper starts with defining the main FDI terms and giving a general literature review corresponding to the FDI allocation. Then, there is a description of recent trends in FDI activity both worldwide and Greece. Especially FDI investments in Greece are analyzed presenting the magnitudes of inflows, outflows, inward stock, outward stock, as well as foreign mergers and acquisitions, in terms of sales and purchases. The second part of the paper describes the regional and sectoral allocation of FDI in Greece, emphasizing whether the investment incentive scheme contributes to the attraction of FDI in specific regions, or the growth rate of each region is the main motive for locating foreign investment capital. The analysis is based on the most recent statistical data covering magnitudes until 2002. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p559&r=geo |
| By: | Robert J Stimson; Roger R. Stough |
| Abstract: | Theories and approaches to endogenous growth and regional development tend to neglect or at best underplay the role of leadership and the way institutional factors are considered is usually simplistic. This paper builds on work the authors have been developing over the last year or so to develop a model framework of regional economic development that explicitly incorporates leadership and institutional factors along with the consideration of resource endowments and market fit and of entrepreneurship. An approach to operationalizing the model is proposed. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p697&r=geo |
| By: | Juan Carlos Duque; Raúl Ramos |
| Abstract: | In applied regional analysis, statistical information is usually published at different territorial levels with the aim of providing information of interest for different potential users. When using this information, there are two different choices: first, to use normative regions (towns, provinces, etc.), or, second, to design analytical regions directly related with the analysed phenomena. In this paper, provincial time series of unemployment rates in Spain are used in order to compare the results obtained by applying two analytical regionalisation models (a two stages procedure based on cluster analysis and a procedure based on mathematical programming) with the normative regions available at two different scales: NUTS II and NUTS I. The results have shown that more homogeneous regions were designed when applying both analytical regionalisation tools. Two other obtained interesting results are related with the fact that analytical regions were also more stable along time and with the effects of scale in the regionalisation process. Keywords: Unemployment, normative region, analytical region, regionalisation. JEL Codes: E24, R23, C61. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p7&r=geo |
| By: | Komei Sasaki; Ismail Issah; Tariq Khan |
| Abstract: | Developing an extended model of the basic Harris-Todaro model of rural-urban migration, we analyze the effects of infrastructure availability together with the time-tested income effects whilst accommodating government behaviour through the provision and financing of infrastructure. Both the theoretical and empirical analyses confirm the assertion that infrastructure presence can be a force to reckon with as far as migration decisions are concerned. Comparison with the basic Harris-Todaro model also reveals that while the Todaro paradox is absent in the basic model, it can be present in the extended model. Keywords: Rural-urban migration, Infrastructure effects, Income difference, Equilibrium utility, Todaro-paradox. JEL classification: O17, O18, R23 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p26&r=geo |
| By: | Eduardo Haddad; Geoffrey Hewings |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper was threefold. First, we presented a flexible analytical framework, based on sound and consistent economic theory and data, in order to assess the likely state/sectoral/income effects of policy changes in Brazil. This is the first fully operational interstate CGE model implemented for the Brazilian economy, based on previous work by the author and associates. Among the features embedded in this framework, modeling of scale economies and transportation costs provides an innovative way of dealing explicitly with theoretical issues related to integrated regional systems. Results seemed to reinforce the need to better specifying spatial interactions in interregional CGE models. Second, in order to illustrate the analytical capability of the CGE module, we presented a simulation, which evaluated the regional impacts of a decrease in transportation costs, in accordance with recent policy developments in Brazil. Rather than providing a critical evaluation of this debate, we intended to emphasize the likely structural impacts of such policies. Third, previous diagnostics suggested the need to make a more in-depth analysis of trade flows between the Brazilian states, potentially leading to generalizations regarding the type of trade involved, changes in its composition through time as the Brazilian economy develops, and the implications of these structural differences in the coordination and implementation of development policies. In order to address this issue we gave interregional trade its proper place by taking into account a fully specified interstate system of accounts specially developed for the purpose of calibrating the CGE model. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p461&r=geo |
| By: | Michiel de Bok |
| Abstract: | This paper describes the research approach and first empirical results of the estimation of discrete choice models that describe the location decision of moving firms. The model is based on random utility theory and features systematic choice sets to account for the choice context at the highest level of spatial detail (address-level). Firms are analysed categorised to their mobility profile. These mobility profiles are homogenous groups of firms with similar mobility characteristics that are a priori assumed. The models are tested on an extensive revealed preference dataset with firm migration observations in South Holland. To avoid correlations between variables a variety of composed accessibility variables have been constructed that describe the distances to the physical infrastructure or that are an aggregated form of potential accessibility. The location attributes of alternatives have been completed with the business environment type and the rental level. The results are first of all valuable for the development of a simulation model for firm location but the empirical results also yields insight into the spatial behaviour and location preference of firms. Although further research is necessary, the presented addresses some challenges in modelling the spatial behaviours of firms in an urban environment. Therefore the presented approach holds seems valuable for the development of a simulation model for location decisions of moving firms and offers good possibilities for future research. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p338&r=geo |
| By: | Jan Rouwendal; Daniel Van Vuuren |
| Abstract: | In this paper we analyze the impact of a simple regional economic policy in the context of the core periphery model of the New Economic Geography. More specifically, we look at the welfare effects of a decrease in transport cost that is financed by a lump-sum tax on all inhabitants of the country. Our results are based on simulation. We compare the effects of traditional cost benefit analysis that measure consumer’s surplus on the basis of the partial demand curve for transport with the full general equilibrium effects. Since the manufacturing sector is characterized by imperfect competition, there is potentially a substantial difference between the change in consumer’s surplus and the true effects. We also consider the possibility that the investment causes a change in the long run development of the economy. In particular, we look at an investment that induces an economy that was converging to the dispersed equilibrium to move towards agglomeration. We compare the welfare effects of the redistribution of manufacturing workers and industries with those referring to a given distribution of economic activities. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p119&r=geo |
| By: | Rui Alves |
| Abstract: | Portuguese territorial organization has two levels of territorial decision support legitimated: central and local/municipal government (municipalities). The lack an intermediate level of support decision between those levels is a central problem on territorial decision support system. Intermunicipal organization level can it play an important role as an intermediate level of decision-making process. After rejection of the regionalization process in 1998, trough popular referendum, Portuguese government has approved two laws of the Public Administration Framework Reform - Metropolitan Areas Act and Intermunicipal Organization Act (13th May 2003). Metropolitan Areas Act establishes two ways to promote the intermunicipal organization among municipalities: Great Metropolitan Areas (more than 350 000 inhabitants) and Urban Communities (more than 150 000 inhabitants). Intermunicipal Organization Act also establishes two ways to promote the intermunicipal organization between at least two municipalities: Intermunicipal Communities of wide Scope and Intermunicipal Communities of Specific Scope. This paper aims to present and discuss a set of basic principles towards success of this reform, and at the same time, to present some results of the research developed by the author of the paper. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p621&r=geo |
| By: | Jan Stachowicz; Joanna Machnik-Somka |
| Abstract: | Pace and success of transformation of traditional national economies into competitive network-based economies in a global environment in such countries like Poland - countries currently facing intensive economic reconversion - is mainly depending on the role and capacities of regional economic centres in initiating and developing pro-innovative processes. These economic centres, among which the Slaskie Voivodeship, are often characterised by long tradition in heavy, labour- and raw materials intensive industries such as the mining, metallurgic and chemical sector. The Slaskie Voivodeship is placed among the leading regions of Poland as for its social and economic potential. It is characterised by a high number of inhabitants (4.8m. people) living on a relatively small area (3.9% of Poland), resulting in a high population density (3.2 times more than the country’s average). In 2000, the Slaskie Voivodeship was placed second in Poland (behind the Mazowieckie Voivodeship) as concerns its economic potential measured in Gross Domestic Product . The Slaskie Voivodeship is currently playing a pilot role in Poland in developing networks and systems around a regional innovation strategy. More than 150 organisations (R&D institutes, institutes of higher education, SMEs, large companies, local governments, NGO’s) are involved in this process. The paper will – based on the case study of the Slaskie Voivodeship - include problem areas and solutions concerning development of pro-innovative co-operation networks and will discuss the issue of trust between organisations as critical factor in innovation strategy building and implementation processes. The document will also present a methodology related to intellectual capital, among which social capital, as key-condition in the above-mentioned process. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p552&r=geo |
| By: | Eric Koomen; Jan Groen |
| Abstract: | Although the Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries, two thirds of the land area are still under agricultural use. Major socio-economic changes are however expected for the agricultural sector. The increasing globalisation of economic relations in agriculture and the possible reduction of European price support to farmers are examples of such developments that may affect agricultural land use. At the same time other land use functions put increasing pressure on rural land in order to accommodate housing, employment, recreation and water storage. The present study takes a closer look at the expected spatial developments and simulates possible future land use patterns by using an economics based land use model. Two opposing scenarios of anticipated land use change are used to illustrate the possible extremes of future land use configurations. These scenarios vary both in their quantitative and qualitative description of the projected changes. The simulation of low-density residential areas in green areas will illustrate this approach. The development of these new rural living areas is currently a sensitive topic in the public debate on urbanisation. The simulated urbanisation patterns are evaluated in terms of their impact on spatial policy related issues through the application of newly developed indicators. For decades the Dutch government has strived for compact forms of urbanisation in order to preserve the remaining stretches of open space. The applied metrics of land use change will therefor focus on the concentration of urbanisation and the fragmentation of open space. The findings of this study may be especially interesting now Dutch spatial policy seems to be on the brink of loosening its traditional grip on spatial planning. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p639&r=geo |
| By: | Pedro N. Ramos; Pedro G. Carvalho; Ana Lúcia Sargento |
| Abstract: | This paper estimates the trade balance for a small region located in inland Portugal – Beira Estrela – geographically defined as the merge of 3 official NUT III regions – Beira Interior Norte, Serra da Estrela and Cova da Beira. This estimate disaggregates by 31 commodities and includes four essential parts: first, the international trade of goods and services; second, the interregional trade of the same commodities; third, the net balance between in-region consumption by foreigner non-residents and the international consumption by residents and finally the equivalent net balance for Portuguese tourists visiting Beira-Estrela and the consumption of out Beira-Estrela Portuguese residents. Interregional trade (not available in official statistics) is the residual between supply and demand of the different groups of commodities corresponding to the columns and rows of a regional Make and Use table we derive for Beira-Estrela. This regional matrix is the outcome of the application of a simplified non-survey method to the Portuguese (National Accounts provided) Make and Use table decomposition. Moreover we set a survey on lodging and restaurant users that allowed the detachment of the interregional tourist consumption flows from the remaining interregional trade. The aim of this estimate is to assess the relative importance of tourism in the Beira-Estrela regional trade balance. Furthermore, we argue in the paper that, unlike countries, regions do not benefit from trade surpluses and these surpluses are just the counterpart of the income drainage or capital outflows, which weaken the economic region basis. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p303&r=geo |
| By: | Jasper E.C. Dekkers; Piet Rietveld; Adri Vanden Brink; Henk Scholten |
| Abstract: | This paper focuses on rural land prices. Different actors and factors influence land prices. Buurman (2003) has analysed, categorised, and used them to explain spatial differences in transaction prices of parcels using a GIS-based linear regression model. The model distinguishes parcel and transaction characteristics and uses principles of hedonic price and bid-rent theory to explain differences in land prices. Some theoretical aspects regarding the model are discussed. The regression model, estimated on a land transaction dataset covering the province of Noord-Brabant in the southern part of the Netherlands, is re-applied on a dataset covering the province of Noord-Holland. Insight is gained into actors and factors playing a role on the rural land market in this province. It seems that rural land that is included in building plans or located very close to areas for which building plans exist has a land price far higher than average. In most of these transactions, the city council is the buyer. Compared to other buyers, they pay the highest price for land in Noord-Holland. Keywords: land market, hedonic price theory, regression analysis, Noord-Holland |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p574&r=geo |
| By: | António Soares; Gonçalo Santinha |
| Abstract: | Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and their widespread have produced profound changes at economic and social levels. We are now in what is known as Information Society. The ways in which people, firms, institutions and governments deal with ICTs and understand their impacts is an important issue. One of the main characteristics of Information Society is the growing competition between agents through innovation. By innovation we mean the capacity to manage creatively the knowledge as an answer to changes in social needs and in technology. Hence, innovation occurs as a means of competitive advantage. The paper addresses this issue by highlighting the importance of innovation for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which are by far the most relevant actors in European Economy. It is argued that the access and use of information as well as the existence of interaction between agents are key factors for innovation. ICTs, if used in a correct and efficient matter, can play an important role by inducing and help SMEs to innovate. In spite of helping firms overcoming a wide range of barriers, the adoption and the search for efficiency in ICTs use can however become a problem. This is even more significant concerning SMEs and particularly those located in peripheral regions. In fact, acknowledging the existence of a regional digital divide and a digital divide by company size, the European Commission is developing several actions in order to face and overcome these problems. The paper addresses several initiatives undertaken by the European Commission since the Lisbon summit at March 2000. More recently, the European regional policies have changed from simply getting SMEs connected to the Internet to the effective integration of ICTs into business processes. As a conclusion, the authors argue that Digital Policies should take into account that ICT adoption and use by SMEs, cannot be regarded as a panacea to solve the problems of firms and regional development. Regional policies to help SMEs to adopt ICT must be integrated (in a coherent way) within broader regional strategies. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p435&r=geo |
| By: | Roger Vickerman |
| Abstract: | The development of the Trans-European Networks (TENs) in the EU is one of the first attempts at achieving a top-down approach to the development of a genuine European network in the interests of greater competitiveness and cohesion in the European economy. This implies the need for consistency with both national transport policies and with other EU policies, such as those on the environment, regional development and stability and growth. This paper explores the interaction between these policy areas to assess the extent of horizontal co-ordination between different sectoral policies and vertical co-ordination between different policy levels. The analysis of horizontal co-ordination has three main elements: the identification of horizontal spillovers between policy areas; the analysis of how policy responds to the evidence of horizontal spillovers; and the organisational structures put in place to implement policy. A key to this is the distinction between identifying spillovers between policy areas or establishing co-ordination between them as an aim of policy and the implementation of detailed policy objectives and measures to address such matters. This is achieved by examining the extent to which spillovers are recognised in key policy documents and the way this has shaped the policy design and its implementation. As well as the horizontal links between different EU policy areas, the analysis of vertical co-ordination involves enquiring into the relationships between different levels of government and decision making. This addresses the question as to how higher levels of government establish a policy environment within which lower levels operate. This has three main dimensions: the way in which policy is framed to establish the goals which need to be addressed by the lower levels of decision making (top-down policy formation); the extent to which the formation of policy by higher level bodies is informed by and takes cognisance of the views and needs of lower level bodies (bottom-up policy formation); and the way in which high levels of government monitor and police decisions by lower level bodies. The paper provides a schematic framework for analysing policy interaction developed from research as part of the ESPON programme of the EU which identifies opportunities for greater coherence and the risks of conflict. The paper suggests that ignoring these conflicts places the opportunity for further cohesion in regional development in the EU at risk. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p569&r=geo |
| By: | Ewa Bojar |
| Abstract: | A shortfall of capital constitutes a major barrier of regional and local development. Introduced economical and social transformations started a decade ago had opened Polish economy to the inflow of foreign capital. Both the central government as well as regional and even local authorities spent a lot of efforts to attract foreign investments into the country and as a result of these exertions at the end of 2002 foreign investment stock exceeded 65 Bln US dollars, including more than 61 Bln dollars in huge investments (exceeding 1 Mln dollars). The peak inflow of foreign direct investments to Poland was in 2000 when more that 10 Bln US dollars reinforced Polish economy. However, significant drop was observed in the following years (2001 – 7 Bln dollars, 2002 – 6 Bln dollars). Over the course of political and economical transformation of Polish economy and transition into the market-driven economy near 50 thousand business ventures engaging foreign capital were formed. Unfortunately only a little bit more than 700 found favorable environment in the Lublin region. The Lublin region is the third largest region in Poland. As revealed by our survey presently some 22% out of 213 local communities in the region, also called ‘gminas’, recognize the importance of foreign direct investments in stimulating local social and economical development and it is reflected in their development strategies. Joint venture companies with foreign capital operate in 87 gminas of the Lublin region, and 93 local communities successfully applied for structural funds made available by the European Union to the newly accessing countries (PHARE – 32 gminas, SAPARD – 81 gminas). As regards diversification of financial resources to support local development a trail has already been blazed by many local communities successfully attracting foreign capital and the EU funds. The present paper, based on the research carried out by Department of Economics of Lublin University of Technology, surveys the actual role and perspectives of old and emerging opportunities in terms of financing local and regional development. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p124&r=geo |
| By: | Kirsi Mukkala; Jari Ritsilä |
| Abstract: | The success of firms and regions is increasingly defined by their innovation and learning capabilities. It has been emphasized in several studies that a local operational environment may have a positive impact on innovation activity of firms. From policy point of view, the relationship between firms and their local environment is an important research topic. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether there is a demand for regional policy makers in promoting innovative and networking activity of firms, and what are the appropriate strategies in this regard. The concept of innovative milieu provides a theoretical base for this study. The data used is based on personal interviews representing 30 high tech firms located in Jyväskylä Science Park in Finland. The results show that the firms appreciate an individual-level approach by policy makers which enables them to take the real needs of firms into consideration. A developed service structure, that is planned to meet the demand of new and established firms as well as possible, is an essential part of the well functioning operational environment. Supporting contacts with service providers and experts from different fields and organizing collective meetings for firms are important targets for the policy makers. In the innovation process, a commercial view of external part is considered very crucial. The small advances which alternate between the development of the innovation process and networks among firms and their interest groups could form a favourable path towards an operational environment with efficient innovative networks. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p201&r=geo |
| By: | Aleid E. Brouwer |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the tendency of older firms to show stickiness to their home-region or fixed location, with the increase of age (in years since founding), as found in earlier research. Empirical evidence supporting this argument is found from a telephone survey under the population of old firms in the Netherlands. In the current paper an analysis is done to determine which other firm characteristics -next to age in years-, influence this stickiness to place; such as innovative behaviour, network relationships, market, size (in number of employees), region and location type. This analysis is done on written questionnaires of 179 firms in the Netherlands, 37 of these firms are specifically labelled as ‘old firms’ (founded before 1851). Tested is whether inert behaviour, which according to the theory of structural inertia increases with age, also has an influence on the location of firms. Furthermore, the relationship between the spatial environment and other firm characteristics is investigated. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p165&r=geo |
| By: | Franz Tödtling; Patrick Lehner; Michaela Trippl |
| Abstract: | Knowledge has become a key source of competitiveness for advanced regions and nations, indicating a transformation of capitalism towards “knowledge-driven economies“. Know ledge intensive sectors in production and in services have a lead in this respect, they can be considered as role models for the future. The innovation process, the mechanisms of knowledge exchange and the respective linkages in those industries differ quite markedly from those in other sectors. Clustering and local knowledge spillovers are frequently stated phenomena, although it is still unclear to what extent regional networks and collective learning are indeed relevant and what the mechanisms of knowledge flows are. The aim of the paper is to examine in a differentiated way the character of the innovation process and the ype of interactions in those industries, in order to find out how strongly they are related to regional, national and international innovation systems. We will analyse the relevant types of actors, the respective mechanisms of knowledge exchange and the importance of collective learning and innovation. The paper will discuss relevant theoretical concepts and available evidence and it will be based on an empirical analysis for Austria. The data base is a recent firm survey which was carried out in the year 2003. From this analysis conclusions regarding the role of regional and other innovation systems for the development of knowledge-based industries will be drawn. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p167&r=geo |
| By: | Knut Koschatzky; Vivien Lo |
| Abstract: | In recent years, new regionally based strategy building processes emerged at the interface between public policy and the social coordination of collective action. Foresight as a governance process for stimulating regional innovation and for strengthening the regional economic system against global competition became a popular concept. Based on the experiences of a strategy building process in the Italian autonomous province of Trento, it is the objective of the paper to sketch recent theoretical and political developments regarding multi-actor and multi-level governance and policy concepts at the regional level. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p140&r=geo |
| By: | Oscar Bajo-Rubio; Carmen Díaz-Roldán; Simón Sosvilla-Rivero |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we propose a new methodology for the assessment of EU’s regional policies, making use of the HERMIN macro econometric model. A major feature of our approach is that allows us to compare the actual evolution of the economy under analysis, with and without European funds, so that we should be able to assess in a more accurate way the effectiveness of the EU aid over the period of analysis. An empirical application of the methodology is also offered, using as a case study an Objective 1 Spanish region, Castilla - La Mancha, traditionally backward but showing in last years a special dynamism. Key words: EU’s regional policies, Community Support Frameworks, HERMIN-Spain model, Castilla-La Mancha JEL classification: H50, H54, R58 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p152&r=geo |
| By: | Raymond Struyk; Douglas Wissoker; Ioulia Zaitseva |
| Abstract: | The Budget Code of the Russian Federation requires that local self-governments prepare their budgets for the next year taking into account the likely economic situation in that year. To date these governments have had little guidance to use in preparing their budgets. This paper reports the results of initial steps to develop a procedure for forecasting key economic parameters at the local level. “Local level” is defined as cities that are capitals of Subjects of the Federation (similar to U.S. states); generally these are cities of over 100,000 population. Econometric models are reported for employment, manufacturing production, retail sales, average wage rates, volume of newly constructed housing, and fixed capital formation. The choice of estimation procedures was significantly constrained by data availability. The current document is an interim report, prepared after the basic econometric work has been completed but before the model is tested in actual forecasting. The paper consists of six further sections. The first lists the economic variables to be projected. The second describes the economic logic underlying the models specified for each variable. The third section then outlines the econometric strategy. This is followed in the fourth section with an overview of the data employed in the estimates. The fifth section presents the final models. The paper closes with a short discussion of the plans for future work in this direction. In the next phase of the work the forecasting qualities of these models will be evaluated. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p318&r=geo |
| By: | Jaak Kliimask; Garri Raagmaa |
| Abstract: | The aim of this empirical contribution is to analyse social infrastructure (SI) planning and development practices in Estonian local communities. The SI considered: schoolhouses, kindergartens, sports halls, cultural houses and the like, were extensively built by collective farms and local enterprises during the 1970s and 1980s. During the post-socialist transition period, spatial structures have gone through drastic changes. Especially remote rural and old industrial areas lost a major part of their employment and remarkable share of population. The SI facilities are partly out of use because of low demand and high operation costs, simultaneously, they would need remarkable investments to be renovated and upgraded. This paper consists of three principal parts. First, we analyse a historical development of planning practices in the Soviet Union and its consequences to the settlement structure. Secondly, we present an ad hoc typology and genesis of rural settlements and service centres; using census data, we describe their socio-economic and demographic (social) transition of the 1990s. Finally, we analyse comparatively the problems and planning practices of SI in selected communities. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p534&r=geo |
| By: | Jesús María Gómez García; Margarita Rico González |
| Abstract: | The transformation that rural areas have undergone during the last 30 years constitutes a very important phenomenon in Spain, but it is especially relevant in certain regions such as the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León. The constant process of depopulation, which a great number of villages of that region are suffering, primarily caused by the continuous transfer of labour force from agriculture activities to the industrial sector and, more recently, towards the service sector of urban areas, is provoking the progressive demographic and economic decadence of rural areas. In this context, women played a key role in the process of rural exodus, especially in the case of young women. This trend has created highly aged, male rural populations, with few potential human resources, which are incapable of sustaining and promoting economic and social development in the future. This project attempts to determine to which extent women have been and continue to be the protagonists of the social and economic transformations which have affected rural areas during the last decades. To this aim, we will undertake an analysis by sex of different demographic, economic and social variables at the municipal level, which will show women’s spatial situation, according to rural criteria. We will also undertake a prospective analysis of the population evolution of these rural areas, in order to obtain a probable demographic scenario which rural women will have to face in the future. The specific focus of this study will be the territory of the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León. The results of this analysis will serve as a very useful reference for the public authorities as well as for private agents of this and other Spanish regions whenever they have to design alternative policies and actions regarding the role that rural women play and will play in the economic maintenance and development of rural areas. This is especially true given that, until now, studies which focus on the quantitative analysis of the economic and social situation of rural women have been practically nonexistent. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p379&r=geo |
| By: | Antónia Correia; Nuno Videira; Victor Martins; Inês Alves; Catarina Ramires; Rui Subtil |
| Abstract: | Golf is becoming a major industry worldwide. The majority of the Portuguese golf courses are located in the Algarve region. Golf tourism has a great economic impact on the Algarve and is regarded by local tourism developers as a vehicle for tackling the seasonal patterns of “mass tourism”. In consideration of the concerns of those involved in regional tourism and golf, the University of Algarve has developed a prospective study on the sustainability paths of this activity, starting from an integrated analysis of the reference conditions of golf in the Algarve, with respect to environmental, economic and social dimensions. This paper presents the sustainability assessment framework developed in this study and the results from its application to the Algarve’s golf courses through the definition and evaluation of three alternative development scenarios and their associated impacts. The application of economic, social and environmental indicators was a key tool for the construction of the “baseline”, “moderate” and “intensive scenarios”. It was concluded that the development of further golf activity in the Algarve should be framed within high service and environmental quality standards. The sustainability area for golf course development should vary between 29 and 41 gold courses (equivalent of 18 holes). |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p620&r=geo |
| By: | Irena Ðokiæ; Jelena Šišinaèki |
| Abstract: | If you want to run a successful regional policy you need to behave similar to the company manager: you need to have vision, mission, strategy and action plans. In Croatia, during the past 13 years, more than 100 official national and regional documents called "strategies", "programmes" or "plans" have been produced. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that Croatia has an extensive experience in the production of such documents. Nevertheless, in the last couple of years Croatia has and is still receiving international and financial assistance for the production of development projects. Why? Although many, too many strategic documents were produced, once when the supervisory body adopts such documents, they usually end up in somebody's draw and without any repercussion stay there. Through the international assistance a new, participative methodology in regional development planning was applied with three regional programmes as results. The first section of this paper briefly explains the old practice and distinctive features of the participative methodology. The major part of the paper is focusing on the analysis of the three pilot programmes: Island of Šolta, Town of Virovitica and Town of Samobor. The idea behind these analyses is the critical overview and evaluation of the participative methodology implementation successfulness regional development planning. Although the analysis indicate that there are certain objective as well as subjective obstacles for sound implementation of participative methodology, the three pilot programmes clearly mark the new approach to regional development planning in Croatia. The last section of the paper is providing recommendations for the participation methodology future improvement in regional planning. Key words: regional development, strategic planning, participative methodology |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p232&r=geo |
| By: | Nuno M. O. Romão; Vitor M. A. Escaria |
| Abstract: | This paper intends to analyse to what extent does a worker who, along with a job move undergoes a spatial move, gain a wage increase. For that matter, a sample of Quadros de Pessoal is used with information gathered regarding all the workers that are part of those tables, simultaneously for the years 1997 and 1998 as well as their working places. This information is initially used to carry out a bivariate analysis allowing characterizing the workers that change jobs, those who change working places and those who experience both changes. Afterwards, a wage equation is estimated, namely an Augmented Mincer Equation, taking into account both the hourly wage and the wage, making it possible to verify the influence of spatial mobility (through three levels of mobility, according to the distance between the old and new jobs) on the wage. In fact, the results of these estimations suggest that the longer the distance between the old and the new job, higher wage the moving worker will get. KEYWORDS Wage mobility, job mobility, spatial mobility, Portugal JEL Classification: J31, J61, J62, R23 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p584&r=geo |
| By: | Manuel Acosta; Daniel Coronado |
| Abstract: | Relevant scientific literature has demonstrated that in spaces of smaller scale than the national, the availability of scientific knowledge is also relevant for generating spillover effects that benefit the industrial sector. The proliferation of such literature consistently stressing the importance of physical proximity for the two-way flow of knowledge and for the development and fostering of innovation, together with the high degree of self-government of the Spanish regions (which have the competence to develop their own R&D policies), all suggest that the relationships between the scientific community and the industrial sector may be closer and more productive in the regions where the scientific potential is more relevant, in comparison with other regions. The basic objective of this article is to test for the possible differential effects of a favourable scientific environment on science-technology relationships, and more specifically, to determine if the considerable regional resources directed towards scientific research in local universities are being translated into economic results for industry, by way of better utilisation of scientific knowledge to enable companies to generate more and better innovations in processes and products. The methodology that we employ relates the scientific citations in patent documents - as a basic indicator of these science-technology flows- with various indicators of resources and results of academic research that reflect the scientific research environment. With caution, and recognising the limitations inherent in the NPC (non patent citation) methodology, different econometric specifications permit the conclusion to be drawn that companies of those regions with a more favourable scientific environment make greater use of scientific knowledge. JEL Classification: O31, O38, C21, R59. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p270&r=geo |
| By: | Bianca Biagi; Alessandra Faggian |
| Abstract: | This paper focuses on the effect of tourism on quality of life (QOL). Two opposite streams of thoughts exist in the related literature. On one side, tourism is seen to be a factor of development, increasing economic opportunities and therefore affecting the QOL of local residents in a positive way. On the other side, tourism is considered a factor of pressure on local areas, because it exploits natural, social and infrastructural resources therefore negatively influencing the QOL.We collected data on all the municipalities in Sardinia (the most famous Italian island as seaside resort) to try and test whether the QOL in touristic locations is positively affected by the presence of tourists. In order to measure the contribution of tourism to QOL, we applied the hedonic price method (HPM). With this methodology, the willingness to pay for QOL, i.e. its “implicit price”, is measured by the differences in property market prices. In particular, our results show that there is a clear distinction between QOL in coastal touristic locations and inland non-touristic places. This confirms our initial idea, that, under certain conditions, tourism can be seen as a positive factor rather than a negative externality. It, indeed, fosters local communities to develop appropriate amenities and facilities. In the final part of the paper, we used the results obtained in the empirical section to propose a classification of all Sardinian municipalities based on the implicit price of QOL. Key words: QOL, HPM. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p44&r=geo |
| By: | Hannu Tervo |
| Abstract: | Only few in-depth studies of the alternation between different labour market states have been published. This paper deals with the alternation between self-employment, paid-employment and non-employment in Finland in 1987-1999, paying special attention to differences in self-employment dynamics between areas characterized by different labour market conditions, viz. rural and urban locations. The analysis is based on a one-percent random sample drawn from panel data on the census and longitudinal employment statistics. The results show differences in the transition processes between the three labour market states by the type of area. The results suggest that alternation between different employment options is likely to increase, if employment opportunities remain low in local labour markets. Five major types of working careers are identified, all of which are more common in rural than urban areas. The type of area is importantly related to alternating working careers even when all the important control variables are included into the models. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p396&r=geo |
| By: | Hans Westlund |
| Abstract: | The growing role of knowledge as the base of the economy has meant growing expectations of universities all over the world to function as engines for regional growth. The independent role of universities is slowly being replaced by governmental policies for human capital formation, knowledge dispersion, innovation systems, triple helix, etc. One example is Sweden’s new University Act that added a third task to universities’ two traditional tasks, education and research, viz. cooperation with surrounding society. Theoretically, this change in policy is supported the hypothesis presented by Gibbons et al (1995) of an emerging Mode 2 of knowledge production. Based on Swedish, Scandinavian and international experience, this paper summarizes knowledge of regional effects of universities and higher education. One conclusion is that the “regiment effect” (Florax 1992) seems to be the most obvious regional effect of universities and that hopes for university-led innovative regional development have hitherto seldom been fulfilled. The paper also analyses the obstacles to more intimate cooperation between universities and surrounding society and knowledge production a la Mode 2. This analysis is performed by applying the concept of social capital. Two of the conclusions are that most regions do not have the capacity to absorb the output of the universities (Florida & Cohen 1999), and that the internal social capital of universities is not adapted to governments’ demands, nor are the relations between universities and other stakeholders in regions. Keywords: University policy, Regional effects, Mode 2, Social capital |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p154&r=geo |
| By: | Corrado Zoppi |
| Abstract: | Research in the field of urban economics has defined methodologies to assess the degree of consensus of the local communities for policies that derive from land planning decisions. The contingent valuation methods, which are based on people’s expressed thoughts and convic-tions, allow us on the one hand to evaluate their degree of consensus, and, on the other, to in-crease the level of public information and concern towards land planning policies. Undoubt-edly, participation, concern, information and consensus must be deeply tied to each other in order to develop open processes, based on land planning policies, that generate consistency between the planning policies goals and the spatial organization of the city that the local communities would like to realize. In this essay, a case study of contingent valuation is discussed, based on the dichotomous-choice-with-follow-up technique, to rank three planning scenarios concerning the reorganiza-tion of public services and infrastructure for outdoor recreation in the coastal zone of the town of Arbus. Through this technique, the three proposals are ranked with reference to the local community preferences and attitudes concerning a set of decision criteria. The weights of the decision criteria are defined considering the results of the contingent valuation application, and utilized in a multicriteria analysis, developed through the AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process), in order to obtain two rankings of the proposed scenarios: the first ranking is based on the results of the contingent valuation application; the second ranking comes from the weights of the decision criteria derived from the local community preferences. These two alternative rankings give the local planning context (the city administration, entre-preneurs of the profit and non-profit sectors, citizens, civic associations and committees, etc.) a comprehensive frame of the game rules of the decision-making processes, and a sound basis for discussing, recognizing and understanding their mutual convergences and conflicts. This would allow them to define an effective synthesis of their perceived needs, hopes and expecta-tions for the future spatial organization of their city, in view of the implementation of the planning policies. This essay has a marked methodological feature since a general framework- even if perfecti-ble- which should bring near technical and common knowledge is defined in the practice of city planning. This is implemented through discussion and conflict mitigation concerning the relative importance (and weights) of the decision criteria. This should lead to a more-or-less extensive convergence on policy implementation within the city planning processes. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p147&r=geo |
| By: | José Cadima Ribeiro; José Freitas Santos |
| Abstract: | Resources (tangible and intangible) can be mobilized to increase region's reputation and image giving a competitive advantage to certain products with origin in that region. The returns of a region's resources depend upon the ability of local firms to appropriate the rents earned and whether the consumers value the characteristics of the region that are associated with the product, being disposed to pay a price premium. The estimation of a hedonic price function, which relates the price of Portuguese regional cheeses to its various attributes provided empirical support to test the importance of designation of origin on price. The study showsthat some designations of origin and milk types have a significant impact on price, while retailer format (hypermarket versus online store)and cheese characteristics (cured versus not cured)are nor significant. Specifically, while cheeses from regions of Minho e Trás os Montes and Alentejo are expected to have price premiums, cheeses from regions of Beiras and Ilhas are expected to have discounts. Also, cheeses made with mixed milk and goat's and ewe's milk all have positive effects on price regarding cow's milk (base category). |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p41&r=geo |
| By: | Andrea Cerizza; Giovanni Rabino |
| Abstract: | This paper concerns the development of a Decision Support System (DSS), which is a system able to support temporal and spatial choices about land use design, in order to project and manage the antique viability system in San Martino valley (located in Lombardy, Italy) The main purpose is providing to a project manager necessary information to help him to understand problems (in particular concerning the spatial system of viability), therefore assists him to analyze the question from different points of view. This process needs a particular informative architecture, based on a complex and relational structured system (DSS) able to produce response for the whole decision process. The DSS is interfaced with a GIS in order to manage cartography and alphanumeric files with geo-referenced data. It works on information which are supposed to be indispensable for the planners of the San Martino valley. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p202&r=geo |
| By: | Koen Frenken; Frank Van Oort; Thijs Verburg; Ron Boschma |
| Abstract: | We explain employment growth in 40 Dutch regions for the period 1996-2002. Our main interest is to test the effect of sectoral variety using data on five-digit sector employment, while controlling for traditional variables. Our measure of variety is entropy, as this measure allows for decomposition of variety into related and unrelated variety. We distinguish between related and unrelated variety effects. Related variety is associated with Jacobs externalities (spillovers), while unrelated variety tests portfolio advantages. We also take into account the effect of specialisation on employment growth. The results suggest that only related variety significantly contributes to employment growth. The popular dichotomy between variety and specialisation may thus be misleading. Our study underlines the more recent concept of “diversified specialisations” as central driver of growth. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p386&r=geo |
| By: | Peter Dixon; James Giesecke; Maurreen Rimmer |
| Abstract: | Many studies, both of Australia and of comparable developed economies, have found that the economic benefits from investment in urban infrastructure are substantial. However the nature of this infrastructure is often such that it is under-provided by the private sector. In Australia, much of the responsibility for the provision of urban infrastructure rests with state and local government. However throughout the 1990’s many of Australia’s state governments embarked on a period of fiscal restraint, seeking to improve financial positions weakened by exposure to failed state government enterprises in the early 1990’s. Perhaps because of the deferred consequences of reducing spending on infrastructure, a large proportion of this fiscal adjustment appears to have been borne by spending on public infrastructure. Today, policy attention at the state government level is again focussing on public infrastructure. However in spite of the now robust fiscal positions of Australia’s state governments, there remains a reluctance on their part to finance public infrastructure through debt, and raising taxes is perceived as politically unpopular. Instead, governments are exploring alternative financing instruments, such as developer charges and public-private partnerships. This paper uses a dynamic multi-regional CGE model (MMRF) to evaluate the regional macro economic consequences of four alternative methods of financing an expansion in state government spending on public infrastructure. The four methods are developer charges, payroll tax, government debt, and residential rates. The paper confirms that the services provided by public infrastructure can have significant impacts on the regional macro economy. More importantly however, the paper demonstrates that the total gains from urban infrastructure are quite sensitive to the means chosen by government to finance infrastructure investment. In contrast to up-front financing methods (such as developer charges, payroll tax, and residential rates), the paper finds that the gains from urban infrastructure are greatest when the chosen financing method provides a closer match between the timing of the burden of financing the infrastructure and the timing of the benefits provided by the infrastructure. This can be achieved by instruments such as debt, public-private partnerships, and user charges. On this basis the paper finds that a greater reliance by regional government son debt financing might be warranted, and that the gains from infrastructure expenditure are least when that expenditure is financed by developer charges. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p116&r=geo |
| By: | Federico Martín Palmero; Marcos Fernández Francos; Fernando Gonzalez Laxe |
| Abstract: | In the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), the bases for a world sustainable development were set. Ten years later it took place in Johannesburg the World Summit on Sustainable Development, where it was discussed about the fulfilled advances and it favoured actions for century XXI. This document analyses the concern on sustainability in the Spanish regions by means of the creation of a global synthetic index of sustainable development that fulfils three conditions: it is adapted to Pressure-State-Answer principles, it adopts the Local Agenda 21 mandates and it fits in the four basic dimensions of sustainability: institutional, environmental, economic and social. Over the calculation of the changes taken place in the aforementioned decade in a set of selected variables – grouped in indicators and sub-indicators and classified according to the four dimensions aforementioned in the sustainable development – it is proceeded to the estimation of the synthetic index for the Spanish Autonomous Regions, what is useful as an instrument of analysis to make those regions hierarchical according to their degree of adaptation to the sustainability commitment developed in the Summit in Rio. JEL Classification: Q2, R1 Key Words: Sustainable development, regional analysis, Spain |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p383&r=geo |
| By: | Michael Dooms; Elvira Haezendonck |
| Abstract: | Haezendonck (2001) introduced an ecological dimension in conventional port portfolio analysis for seaports and applied it to the seaports in the Hamburg – Le Havre range. Given the fast growth of inland waterway transport, and the development of inland ports in the hinterland of seaports, the analysis can also be extended to evaluate the ‘green’ competitiveness of inland ports, as they are considered as important enablers to reach objectives of sustainable development. In this paper, the ‘green port portfolio analysis’ is applied to a range of eight inland ports in Western Europe. This results in (1) a number of specific methodological issues related to the inland port environment, (2) an interesting research agenda both for policy-makers at the local and regional level as well as for inland port managers. Keywords: Strategic management, port management & development |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p274&r=geo |
| By: | Wilhelm J. Meester; Pieter H. Pellenbarg |
| Abstract: | Empirical studies on firm location and migration show that actual location decisions are often based on incomplete and inaccurate information about potential locations. Decision makers seem to be guided by their subjective interpretation of reality, not so much by reality itself. Twenty years ago this fundamental idea was the starting point for a research program of the Faculty of Spatial Sciences of the University of Groningen that focussed on the subjective rating of locations by Dutch entrepreneurs. The first picture of this subjective valuation, based on an extensive postal enquiry, was taken in 1983 (Pellenbarg 1985) and repeated by an identical project in 1993 (Meester 1999). A third enquiry, again identical to the first and second, was held in 2003. On the basis of the three projects a true comparison can now be made of the mental maps of Dutch entrepreneurs in the years 1983, 1993, and 2003. This paper describes and analyses the three mental maps. Moreover, the data are used in a factor analysis, to try to establish the basic influences that form the entrepreneurial mental maps. It shows that the basic shape of the mental maps (a dome with centrally located Utrecht as a summit) did not change much in twenty years. A closer look however, reveals that the dome is flattening. In the first period (1983-1993) we witness a decrease of appreciation of the locations on its West flank (the ‘old’ Randstad) while in the second period (1993-2003) this decrease extends to the Eastern parts of the Randstad. The factor analysis suggests that three fundamental dimensions determine the entrepreneurs’ judgments: potency, activity, and evaluation. Potency may be understood as centrality of location. Activity is correlated to agglomeration. It is hypothesized that landscape and culture determine the evaluative dimension. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p556&r=geo |
| By: | John H.L. Dewhurst; Max Munday; Annette Roberts |
| Abstract: | Trends in inward investment in Scotland and Wales have influenced manufacturing’s inter-linkages with the local economy in different ways. The paper shows that there could be a hollowing out of the manufacturing sector in these regional economies which is linked to trends in inward investment. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p67&r=geo |
| By: | Javier Revilla Diez; Martin Berger |
| Abstract: | Using firm-level survey data from Barcelona, Stockholm, Vienna in Europe and Singapore, Penang (Malaysia) and Bangkok in South-East Asia the paper enquires into the different R&D and innovation behaviour of multinational and local companies in these Metropolitan Regions. Scrutinizing a set of input, throughput and output indicators as well as information on cooperation characteristics, we try to evaluate a) if the spatial pattern of more (intense) innovation activity in Europe when compared to South-East Asia is still valid; and b) if there are reasons to believe that R&D units of multinational corporations in Europe are mainly concerned with the enhancement of the knowledge base and the development of future competitiveness by tapping into localized knowledge and using the particular host regions’ innovation systems, while, on the other hand, MNCs in South-East Asia use R&D to support existing production facilities in order to exploit an existing competitive advantage. We are able to show that there is still a major gap in the innovation performance between South-East Asia and Europe and that there are indeed indications that R&D units in Europe are more orientated towards the augmentation of the company’s knowledge base. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p642&r=geo |
| By: | Hiroshi Tatsumi; Masaya Kawano; Tetsunobu Yoshitake; Satoshi Toi; Yoshitaka Kajita |
| Abstract: | This study was made on the development plan of Kawahara Avenue, a road project authorized in city planning of Miyazaki City in Japan. The Kawahara Avenue development is planned along the Oyodo River. The land use of the area along the route comprises the tourist hotel zone, residential zone, and industrial zone. The Kawahara Avenue planning, unlike most other road development plans in Japan, requires much more than simply providing for the smooth flow of traffic. In the tourist hotel zone where the leading Miyazaki City hotels are located, the image and impression the tourists may have about the city is an important consideration. Therefore, the city government intends that this section of the road should not have excessive traffic. In the residential zone, the existing road network consists of narrow streets with no sidewalks. In addition to the sidewalks to be built, Kawahara Avenue is expected to handle a great deal of the traffic passing the residential district. This should help meet the goal in providing a safe environment for the pedestrians in other narrow streets without sidewalks. Under the circumstances as stated above, the planning has faced significant constraints in land purchasing involving forced move-out in the result of financial problems and coordination of the views between the city administration and the residents in the vicinity. The purpose of this research is to study under the given constraints what would be the most appropriate plan for the development of Kawahara Avenue. First, a traffic monitoring survey was conducted in the subject districts to compile Origin-Destination (OD) data of traffic flow in the districts. Then, the road network of the subject districts and traffic signal phase data were digitized to carry out microscopic traffic simulation and checked for reproduction accuracy of the current situation. The results confirmed that simulation reproduces the traffic conditions of the districts with sufficient precision. Furthermore, we prepared several hypothetical proposals for the road development and evaluated with the same simulation system as to how the traffic situations would be had those proposals been implemented. As a result it was demonstrated that the original goals can be achieved by developing the road within the given constraints. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p221&r=geo |
| By: | Esa Mangeloja |
| Abstract: | During the past few years, empirical economic growth modeling has emerged by constructing and testing numerous model and explanatory variable alternatives. One of the most promising recent idea consists that also religious aspects should be included as explanatory variables into economic growth models, therefore capturing influences of culture, moral and ethics. Moral institutions and ethics affect the economic development, as for example, trust and honesty are essential requirements for emerging economic activity. In this paper, analysis of economic growth extends from international to regional level. Religious activities and beliefs are documented over a long time period in many Western economies, making quantitative empirical time series data available. Firstly, following the idea and argumentation by Barro and Mc Cleary (2003a, 2002), “religious production efficiency” measure is constructed and used in economic growth regressions for8 OECD countries, proxying quantifiable dimensions of culture. By using panel estimation methods and additionally time-series estimations for each country, rather than usual cross-country regressions, more information is gained concerning the country specific growth and religion characteristics. Empirical evidence from the panel data estimations seems to suggest that religious beliefs attain more relevance than religious attendance. Religious production efficiency, containing both belief and activity aspects, was not found statistically significant with panel data or with individual 8 OECD countries growth model, except for Finland. Significant coefficient for Finland can be explained by referring to Finland’s unique religious market properties, as the level of religious beliefs have historically been unusually high, and continue to be, in Finland. Secondly, interrelationship of Finland’s religious and economic variables are analyzed in regional level. Three small Finnish cities, all with strong religious Christian revival background, gain positive and significant coefficients when consumer income growth is regressed by religious activity. Nevertheless, more exact understanding on the links between these concepts are essentially needed to better model the economic consequences of cultural, religious and moral variables. Therefore, several suggestions are presented to gain better growth information in the future empirical growth modeling, including better theoretical background, more robust estimation techniques and longer data. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p94&r=geo |
| By: | Johan Lundberg; Sofia Lundberg |
| Abstract: | This paper concerns the attractiveness for member ship in Swedish golf clubs. A representative voter model is derived and the attractiveness for member ship in golf clubs estimated using a unique data set on qualities of the golf course, the quality of neighboring courses and characteristics regarding the region where the golf club is located. Characteristics and composition of population within the municipality where the club is located have a significant impact on the attractiveness of the club. The attractiveness increases as the share of number of junior members decrease. Golf is found to be a substitute to publicly financed goods. Keywords: spatial econometrics, sports, utility maximization JEL classification: D71, L83, R12 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p242&r=geo |
| By: | Oto Hudec; Natasa Urbancikova |
| Abstract: | Strategic Planning is a creative, practical planning process for community change. Community Strategic Planning produces a visionary statement of what the community wants to be 10 to 20 years in the future. There is no one ideal strategic planning process that has worked for all communities and community groups. Different communities have successfully used a variety of processes. The article describes methods important for evolvement of the situation analysis, particularly the method of representative public opinion survey that provides basis for SWOT analysis and formulation of the strategic goals. The method reflecting public’s attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding community development is demonstrated on the example of two cities located in the Eastern part of the Slovak Republic - Košice and Spišská Nová Ves. Key words: Community Strategic Planning, Community Needs Analysis, City and Place Marketing, Strategic Planning Methodology, Public Opinion Survey, Questionnaires design. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p632&r=geo |
| By: | M. Carmen Lima Díaz; M. Alejandro Cardenete Flores |
| Abstract: | In this work we present a methodology of multipliers decomposition (including an employment multiplier), for a regional economy as Andalusia using Social Accounting Matrices (SAM). These matrices are able to enlarge the information provided by the input-output analysis, because they complete the interindustrial flows of an economy with the behaviour of productive factors, consumers, public sector and foreign sector. This database allows us to capture conclusions about intersectoral dependences in a region in a double sense: firstly, from a partial perspective based on the results derived for every year, and secondly from an structural point of view along the decade of the nineties. Keywords: social accounting matrix, regional accounting, structural analysis. JEL classification: C67, D57, R15. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p144&r=geo |
| By: | Jorge Alves; Maria José Marques; Irina Adriana Saur |
| Abstract: | This paper stresses the potential of innovative business cooperation networks in promoting regional competitiveness. It is based on the case study of a cooperation network, named “House of the Future”, carried out in the framework of a project where the University of Aveiro has an important role. It suggests success factors in the development of co-operation networks between firms from various sectors and a university. The aim of the “House of the Future” initiative is to promote an innovative approach to inter-organizational cooperation joining together firms from a number of different industrial activities related with the habitat meta-sector. This collaborative effort can function as an experiment for the design of regional innovation policies. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p82&r=geo |
| By: | Michael Dooms; Cathy Macharis; Alain Verbeke |
| Abstract: | Port planning and port management are increasingly influenced by a variety of external stakeholders, each pursuing specific strategic objectives with regard to port activities and port development. A greater focus on external stakeholders may increase the port activities’ legitimacy at the city and regional levels, and may also contribute to sustainable development. In this paper, a new port planning methodology is designed within the context of the development of the Port of Brussels (Belgium) Master plan, time horizon 2015. This new planning methodology describes the port planning process, building upon the decomposition of the total port area in several distinct port objectives were taken into account in this planning process, and how this multi-zone, multi-stakeholder approach can be generalized to improve upon conventional strategic port planning processes. Keywords: Port planning, stakeholder management, evaluation methods |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p271&r=geo |
| By: | Caroline A. Rodenburg |
| Abstract: | Multifunctional land use projects aim to concentrate and combine several socio-economic functions in one and the same area so as to save scarce space and to exploit synergies. The need for efficient urban land use has generated much interest in this (re)new(ed) form of urban architecture. However, despite its positive aspects, the realisation of multifunctional land use is often not easy. Issues of social (un)desirability of the project, spatial quality, as well as cost considerations, such as the distribution of the financial burden across different stakeholders, can be an important obstacle during the decision-making process. By means of a questionnaire among employees located at the multifunctional ‘Zuid WTC’ area in Amsterdam, we try to obtain more information about the benefits that different stakeholders attach to multifunctional land use projects, enabling us to assess issues such as willingness to pay of employees, preferences for specific infrastructure facilities, and the overall social (un)desirability of a multifunctional land use project. In this paper we present empirical evidence concerning the assessment of multifunctional land use by employees in the ‘Zuid WTC’ area, based on questions about preferences for the design of such an area and the value that employees attribute to it. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p280&r=geo |
| By: | António Caleiro; Conceição Rego |
| Abstract: | As it is well known, universities constitute sources of important multiplier effects on the economic activity of the regions where they are located. Plainly, in the case of economically depressed regions, the importance of universities becomes higher. This is certainly the case with the University of Évora as being located in the Alentejo, one of the poorest regions at the European Union level, it have been contributing to the attraction of economic activity. Besides the direct effect on the economic activity of the Alentejo, the University of Évora also have been exerting demographic effects, on the one hand, by allowing people to become residents on the region and, on the other hand, by attracting students which normally become residents during the period of time required to conclude their academic degrees. The paper explores this last effect by the analysis of how and why the University of Évora is chosen by students coming from all over the country (and from abroad). This analysis, which is done through the use of econometric techniques, also indicates which are the decisive factors for the attraction exerted by the University of Évora, in general, and by its degree courses, in particular, on the candidate students. KEYWORDS: Decision Analysis, Discrete Choice Models, Portugal, Universities JEL CLASSIFICATION: C21, R12, R23 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p23&r=geo |
| By: | José Luis Calvo González |
| Abstract: | The article analyses if Gibrat’s law holds in different regions of Spain using a sample of Spanish manufacturing firms over the period 1990-2001. The regions are classified depending on the degree of development of the provinces included. The study draws upon a sample of 1073 manufacturing firms in which only 751 of them survived for the whole twelve years period. The analyses test Gibrat’s law by using the procedure proposed by Heckman, in which a probit survival equation is first estimated to correct for sample selection bias, estimating the model by maximum likelihood methods. The results reject Gibrat’s law for the most developed Spanish regions, supporting the proposition that small firms have grown faster, but accepts it for non developed areas. Additionally, the results show that innovating activity – both process and product – is a strong positive factor in firm’s survival, independently of the region firm is located. Journal of Economic Literature classification: L11; L25. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p20&r=geo |
| By: | Alexander Eickelpasch; Michael Fritsch |
| Abstract: | The paper deals with a new approach in German innovation policy that organizes contests of initiatives for public funds. Based on an overview of the different programs we investigate the advantages and problems of such an approach. We find that this type of policy may have a large impact and can, therefore, be regarded a rather efficient instrument of innovation policy. Compared to conventional policies implementation is a much more critical issue. The contest approach may require more flexibility on the side of the administration, particularly with regard to the design of the assistance. The main disadvantage is the additional time that is required for conducting the contest. As a distinct “picking the winner” instrument it is not suited as a means for achieving a leveling-out of welfare levels. Keywords: Innovation policy, regional competition, innovation networks JEL-classification: H32, O18, O38, R11 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p376&r=geo |
| By: | Neil Sang |
| Abstract: | Consultation with and inclusion of the public on measures to manage and improve water resources is a key tenet of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). This involves establishing people’s opinions but also the perspectives (both metaphoric and literal) which inform these. In particular water is a complex and dynamic spatial entity with many spatial expressions relating to its various functions, so perspectives as to its utility and proper management are equally various. In establishing a catchment rather than discipline based approach to management, the WFD recognises the spatially integrated nature of the issues. It also poses a challenge to research, in that the pattern presented by the interaction between human and biophysical processes is a compound of the complexities of the two systems. Capturing the detail of such a pattern from a sample requires a strategy which is sensitive to the relevant dynamics of each system. This paper considers a case study relating to a postal survey carried out by the Macaulay Institute on behalf of the EU Life Environment Fund’s Ythan Project, which aimed to develop wider participation in the protection of the River Ythan (Scotland’s first Nitrate Vulnerable Zone). A thousand questionnaires were sent to residents and farmers in the Ythan catchment in spring 2002, for comparison the adjacent River Ugie and the more distant Loch Leven catchments were surveyed the following year. The methodology presented represents the attempt to maximise at the design stage the utility this data would have for analysis of responses in relation to both respondent’s social-environs and the proximity of the water body, as well as to ensure a representative over all sample. The somewhat awkward term “water body” highlights the difficulties for the key issue of definition, be that for rivers and lochs, or people, residences and urban areas. The decisions made with regards to definition are explained and results from the survey presented illustrating the practical significance of initial object definitions in conditioning the outcome. The importance of considering spatial aspects post survey is also highlighted. Keywords: Spatial, Sampling, Water Framework Directive, Survey. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p233&r=geo |
| By: | Andreas P. Cornett |
| Abstract: | Innovations and the capacity to innovate are crucial factors in the development of a firm and its ability to adapt to changes in the external environment. Growing attention has been paid to the mechanisms facilitating innovation in firms, both in large, small and medium-sized enterprises. As a consequence, attention has been on the role of innovation policy in economic policy in general and regional development in particular. The aim of this paper is to analyze the linkages between the business advisory system’s efforts to promote innovation and the innovative activity within the firm with special attention to small and medium sized enterprises. The main aspects addressed deal with entities and relations of the innovative environment. The focal point is the interaction between the analyzed business entity and the external environment as a part of a broader network of innovative relations covering intra-firm as well as extra-firm relations and processes. The paper will highlight three aspects of the topic: • In the first part of the paper concepts and policies of innovation are discussed with regard to their ability to influence economic development. • The second section is dedicated to an introduction to the role of the advisory system in the creation of a regional innovative business environment, and will in particular focus on the comparative analysis of regional systems of innovation in an organizational and structural perspective. • The next section analyzes the regional system of innovation based on a survey of manufacturing firms and advisory organizations in Western Denmark and Northern Germany. The essential objective of this survey is to identify the potential of, and the crucial obstacles to a proactive regional innovation policy, since previous studies have shown that in particular small firms have difficulties in using the advisory system and the services offered. Based on this analysis, the study aims at contributing to the ongoing discussion of the role of public support schemes in innovation and technology in a regional and organizational perspective, based on the comparative analysis of regions in two countries. Key words: Regional system of innovation - Advisory system - Business incubators and science parks - R & D programs |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p96&r=geo |
| By: | Anabela Dinis |
| Abstract: | Over recent years territorial cohesion has become an important concern for national and supra-national governments. This concern stems from the unexpected growth in spatial imbalance in terms of economic development. Urban and more developed areas are attracting more and more people and economic activities, while a great part of rural and peripheral territories seem condemned to desertification and abandonment. This is clearly the case of Portugal. This paper shows how the application of marketing tools and philosophy can be used to reverse (or at least slow down) this process when applied to the formulation and implementation of territorial development strategies. With this in mind, the issue of territorial development is looked at and marketing concepts are introduced. Considering rural and peripheral territories as the product to be marketed, the main components of its marketing system are discussed and some of the current trends in society that affect supply and demand of the rural product are presented. Under the light of this theoretical framework, some guidelines for action and the main responsible agents are identified in order to improve the competitiveness of rural and peripheral areas Key words: Rural and peripheral territories, Marketing, Competitiveness |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p681&r=geo |
| By: | Anna Iara; Iulia Traistaru |
| Abstract: | The transition to a market economy and increased economic integration have fostered regional disparities in Central and Eastern European countries. This paper investigates whether and to what extent wages could act as an equilibrating mechanism in these countries by adjusting to local market conditions. Using regional data for the 1990s, we estimate static and dynamic wage curve models for Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania. We find empirical evidence for a wage curve in Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland suggesting that wages could help equilibrate labour markets following labour demand shocks. In the case of Romania, the unemployment elasticity of pay is not significantly different from zero. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p191&r=geo |
| By: | Andrew Beer; Terry L. Clower; Alaric Maude; Graham Haughton |
| Abstract: | This paper discusses the commonalities and differences in local and regional economic development (LRED) across England, Northern Ireland, Australia and the US. The focus is on four themes: the institutional characteristics of the respondents; governance, partners and partnerships; the objectives, regional capacity building and business service activities of responding agencies; and the self-assessment of effectiveness by LRED organisations. Our analysis is based on a survey of LRED agencies in the above-noted countries using a common questionnaire that was slightly adapted for each study area. Using logistic regression, we identify the practices and strategies of local and regional economic development agencies that are associated with higher levels of effectiveness. When all participating nations’ LRED organisations are jointly evaluated, several practices emerge as being positively related to agency performance including being actively involved in industrial estates, labour training and recruitment, marketing the agency’s region to international markets, and promoting industry clusters. Also showing as being positively related to performance are variables identifying whether or not the agency subsidized relocation costs for new businesses, helps local companies access venture capital, engages in education and training programs targeted at youths, and enhances networking opportunities for local business people. Interestingly, we found statistically significant negative relationships between agency effectiveness and engaging in tourism promotion activities, training minority groups, and conducting target industry studies, though this may reflect a correlation between certain activities and problematic economic environments. Though our research methodology of relying on self-assessed performance measures does not allow us to draw sweeping conclusions, we are confident that these findings provide a beginning for identifying a set of best practices that are appropriate for LRED organisations in a multinational setting. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p626&r=geo |
| By: | António Almeida |
| Abstract: | The financial perspectives in the after 2006 are clearly unfavourable for the Portuguese autonomous regions. Financial resources and investment will be channelled to the Easter Europe, and only the outer-most regions able to convince about their specificity (and need for substantial financial support) will receive similar levels of financial transfers. Like the majority of small island economies, the Madeira economy depends on a restricted group of sectors. It’s unquestionable that the EU transfers are decisive in the dynamics of the regional economy. Therefore, post-2007 perspective is not encouraging, which is a concerning scenario. The communitarian funds transfers and tourism have a great effect on the economy dynamics. We intended to contribute to the on-going debate providing some empirical evidence about the importance of the EU and national transfers in the Portuguese autonomous regions. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p610&r=geo |
| By: | Henri De Groot; Peter Mulder |
| Abstract: | This paper provides an empirical analysis of energy- and labour-productivity convergence at a detailed sectoral level for 14 OECD countries, covering the period 1970-1997. A -convergence analysis shows that the development of cross-country variation in productivity performance depends on the level of aggregation. Both patterns of convergence as well as divergence are found. A -convergence analysis provides support for the hypothesis that in most sectors lagging countries tend to catch up with technological leaders, in particular in terms of energy productivity. Moreover, the results show that convergence is conditional rather than unconditional, meaning that productivity levels converge to country-specific steady states, and that cross-country differences of energy-productivity levels are substantially larger than of labour-productivity levels at all levels of sectoral aggregation. Finally, searching for the fundamentals determining cross-country productivity differentials reveals a positive productivity effect of energy prices and economies of scale in several sectors, while wages, investment share, openness and specialization play only a very limited role in explaining (cross-country differences in) energy- and labour-productivity growth. Keywords: energy productivity, labour productivity, convergence, sectoral analysis JEL codes: O13, O47, O5, Q43 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p337&r=geo |
| By: | Valérie Angeon; Dominique Vollet |
| Abstract: | Using the example of a French region (Aubrac), we analyse the way in which resource specification contributes to territorial development. We show that specification of the territorial offer is subject to the participation of organizations and institutions which help in the process of coordination. From this kind of resource development emerge competitive territorial strategies which can set in motion the dynamic of permanent development. A more general analytical grid of territorial development has been drawn up in order to highlight certain elements. JEL classification: R11, R58, Q01 Keywords: resource development, territorial development, territorial income, specific product, coordination |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p68&r=geo |
| By: | David Cantarero; Marta Pascual; Roberto Fernandez; María A. García-Valiñas |
| Abstract: | For the last years, Europe has been subject to fiscal austerity in order to satisfy the Maastrich criteria. In this way, Spanish municipalities have been affected by new regulations and local government structure has changed. This paper is focused on the main factors that explain local government debt. In particular, budgetary information of a group of Spanish municipalities is used (1990-2000). Econometric analysis of cross section and panel data are presented. Key words:Fiscal Federalism, Local Government, debt, decentralization. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p282&r=geo |
| By: | Paulo Mourão |
| Abstract: | This work analyzes the evolution of real public expenditures of local and regional administrations (LRA), in Portugal, in the period after the Second World War. It also aims to estimate the elasticities associated to determinants, which explain the found growth. As most relevant results, it is focused that real public expenditures of LRA did not increase in a constant way – the most significant period of growth was between 1975 and 1990. A long-term relation was found among real public expenditures of LRA (as a proportion of real Gross National Product), the Number of Employees in Public Administration, the Number of Unemployed and Public Revenues. These results are consistent with modern versions of Wagner’s Laws, with the role of lobbying groups and with the bureaucracy being a source of discouragement referring to the decentralized public expenditures. JEL Codes: H50; H54; H72; C13 Keywords: Public Expenditures; Cointegration; Decentralization |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p93&r=geo |
| By: | Francisco Liñán Alcalde; Juan Carlos Rodríguez Cohard |
| Abstract: | At the present time, the entrepreneur's essential role in the process of regional economic development is generally recognized. A greater degree of entrepreneurial dynamism in a region is usually associated with higher growth rates and development levels in the long run. In particular, there seems to be a greater participation in firm creation processes among highly educated people, as well as those aged 25 to 34 years. Therefore, this segment of the population would be the one with the greatest entrepreneurial potential. It would be a strategic segment for the design of more effective entrepreneurial development measures. In the case of the Spanish region of Andalusia, it has an income level well below the national and, especially, the European Union average. At the same time, the entrepreneurial activity is also one of the lowest nationally. Thus, whether we measure the share of the labour force working for themselves, or the mean size of the firms, both indicators are clearly under to the national average. Therefore, it is interesting to analyze the degree of entrepreneurship of the population or, at least, of that segment with highest entrepreneurial potential. Only starting from an accurate diagnosis will it be possible to act in a really effective way. From this standpoint, the objective of this paper is to know the attitudes of the Andalusian university students towards entrepreneurial activity and the creation of enterprises. Those students are especially relevant, since they belong to that strategic segment of higher entrepreneurial potential individuals. In fact, they are both highly educated and around the age of 25. Besides, universities constitute centres of knowledge and excellence. Therefore, their role in the regional economic transformation should be essential. To achieve that objective we have analyzed the situation of two very different centres within the region. The University of Seville is large (more than 60.000 students), old, and located in the greatest metropolitan area in the region. The University of Jaén is new, small (15.000 students), and located in a medium-sized city. Therefore, the existing differences among them may explain some of the factors that would be influencing those entrepreneurial attitudes. From that viewpoint, universities would play a very significant role in entrepreneurial promotion. Indeed, they cannot only guide their students toward self-employment. They can also offer specific training for the creation and dynamism of enterprises -“entrepreneurial education”-. However, Andalusian universities are playing a very limited role in this field so far. Finally, this work is framed within a research project aimed at contributing to the development of economic policy measures that might be more effective to promote the emergence of new entrepreneurs, especially of more dynamic entrepreneurs. Therefore, this project would move along the lines of reports as that of the European Commission (2003): Green Paper Entrepreneurship in Europe. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p161&r=geo |
| By: | Nenad Starc |
| Abstract: | The paper deals with development management in a transition country (Croatian case) and focuses on preparation of strategic development documents on regional and local level. Socialist legacy obvious in still existing formal approach to preparation and adoption of development documents is discussed first. Inadequacies of such a practice are observed and analysed including the gap between strategic document production and actual decision making. A participative, goal oriented methodology for preparing development documents is proposed next. Preparation steps are listed on the basis of common methodology required by European Union structural funds. Adjustments necessary to make the methodology applicable in the Croatian socio-economic environment are derived from various case studies. Main steps are described and explained as follows: i) estimation of readiness of potential beneficiaries, ii) kick-off seminar, iii) establishment of development councils and development teams, iv) SWOT analysis, v) participative identification of problems, goals and measures, vi) drafting the programme, vii) harmonisation with political programmes, current development programs and plans and the budget, viii) public hearing, ix) drafting the action plan, x) formal adoption and xi) monitoring and evaluation. Implementation problems are discussed in the remainder. Main observed barriers to a sound programme based local development management are: lack of participation in strategic decision making, lack of institutional considerations in programme preparation, inappropriate management capacity of local governments and, before all, lack of political will to base development management on appropriate documentation. The paper concludes with policy recommendation. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p188&r=geo |
| By: | Andrew Narwold |
| Abstract: | Previous studies have demonstrated the role that income tax incentives to landlords play in the determination of market rental rates. Landlords typically receive benefits from accelerated depreciation on real assets that are usually appreciating. The value of this tax benefit depends both on the depreciation schedule as well as the landlord's marginal tax rate. Changes in income tax law in the 1980's dramatically affected both of these factors. In 1980, the top federal marginal tax rate was 70%, and rental housing could be depreciated on a double-declining balance over 20 years. The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1980 reduced the top marginal tax rate significantly. Changes were made in 1984 that altered the depreciation schedule so that rental property could be depreciated more rapidly. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 reformed the depreciation schedule so that rental property had to be depreciated over 27 years: a significant change for landlords. In addition, the top federal marginal tax rate was reduced to 33 percent. The main direction of the changes in the federal tax code in the 1980's was to decrease the tax advantages associated with rental property. Decreases in the top marginal tax rate reduced the value of tax write-offs, while increases in the length of time required for depreciation reduced the amount of depreciation taken each year. This paper examines the impact that these changes had on the rental housing market by looking at the changes in the relative cost of renting over the years 1986-1990. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p494&r=geo |
| By: | Fumitoshi Mizutani; Tomoyasu Tanaka |
| Abstract: | The main purpose of this study is to determine whether public capital contributes to productivity growth and, if so, what kind of public capital contributes most. We analyze a dataset of 46 prefectures in Japan over 41 years, from 1955 to 1995, and estimate the production function as the first-differenced form. In the case where analysis was conducted using aggregate public capital, public capital shows a positive contribution to private production. However, we could find no clear productivity effects when using smaller components of public capital. Key Words: Public Capital, Productivity Effect, Infrastructure, Spill-over Effect JEL: Classification H50, H54, R53 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p316&r=geo |
| By: | Andres Rodriguez-Pose; Nicholas Gill |
| Abstract: | As part of the ongoing globalisation of the world economy, the past twenty-five years have witnessed a steep rise in the amount of trade between nations, as well as changes in the composition of trade. This has been linked to economic growth, with most literature on the subject highlighting the benefits of greater openness. Concurrently, however, regional spatial inequalities within nations have also tended to increase steadily. In this paper we explore to what extent there is a link between the phenomena of increased trade flows and regional inequalities. We present a preliminary empirical evaluation based on eight major world economies, and ground these results in the theoretical literature. It emerges that the link between trade and regional inequalities is evidenced most strongly when sectoral shifts in the composition of trade are accounted for. Specifically, we find that as trade in primary sector goods loses importance in the composition of total trade, regional inequalities are likely to increase. Such an impact of changes in the composition of trade on regional inequalities is likely to have a greater negative impact on developing than on developed countries for two reasons. First, because the dimension of intra-national disparities tends to be greater in the developing than in the developed world. Second, because the share of agricultural trade in developing countries has traditionally been higher and has been declining at a much faster rate in recent decades. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p478&r=geo |
| By: | Minki Bae; Deokho Cho; HongSuk Um; Dongho Shin |
| Abstract: | The goal of this study is to build a geographic information system for environmental policymaking. To achieve this goal, this study first surveys the local environment status. Based upon the collected environmental data, it forecasts the future environmental status of each city in Gyeongbuk province and generates a geo-referencing code. Finally, by using these data, it builds up a future environmental geographic information system for supporting environmental policymaking. This study consists of three major parts: 1) developing integrated environmental indicators, 2) establishing an environmental capacity database on the local level, 3) building up an environmental capacity geographic information system, and 4) making an environmental policy monitoring system. The results of this study will contribute to establish a warning system to prevent an excess of environmental capacity. They will also provide the framework and standard for integrating various environmental databases with a local environmental and geographic information system. Key words: Environmental indicators, geographic information system, geo-coding and geo-referencing, environmental policy |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p319&r=geo |
| By: | Paulo Cesar Lima Segantine; Rui António Ramos |
| Abstract: | Nowadays, is a common sense the importance of geotechnologies in urban planning, transportation engineering and other different areas of knowledge. The Geographic Information System (GIS) is one of the geotechnologies that has been used increasingly. The collection of information and creation of a database are the most expensive, complex and important task in a GIS project. The collection of information results from the direct and indirect measurement of the real world. The reason for creating databases is to register and the maintain the different sources of collecting information. This paper has the objective to present the different techniques for data collection as input in GIS, as well as a brief discussion on the cost associated with the collection of data. Furthermore, comments on precision, accuracy and the quality of database are given. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p495&r=geo |
| By: | Julio Huato (City University of New York - Graduate Center - Economics Department) |
| Abstract: | This study assesses the impact across states of for-export, mostly foreign-owned manufacturing plants (commonly known as 'maquiladoras') on various measures of standard of living in Mexico, namely literacy rate, school attendance rates, housing characteristics, life expectancy, infant mortality, and an overall index of human development. The main data set used is from the population and housing censuses of 1980, 1990, and 2000. The study controls for the effect of nonmaquiladora economic activity and prior growth. To remove the endogeneity, maquiladora activity is instrumented with a measure of road transportation time to the nearest major border city in the United States. The resulting IV-TS- OLS and GLS regressions, pooled and with (state and time) fixed effects, are estimated and the results of the respective Hausman specification tests are reported. I conclude that, overall, with the inclusion of state and time effects, maquiladora activity shows no impact on the measures of standard of living analyzed, with one exception: undergraduate schooling rates. |
| Keywords: | Maquiladoras, maquila, Mexico, manufacturing, liberalization, social welfare, standard of living, poverty |
| JEL: | O P |
| Date: | 2005–08–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wpa:wuwpdc:0508006&r=geo |
| By: | Åsa Ode |
| Abstract: | The study focuses on landscape change, from an historical perspective (year 1915) and as a discussion of future changes (year 2015) for a case study area in southern Sweden. The historical situation is based on map data while the situation of 2015 is a predictive modelling based on spatial planning and policy documents for the case study area. The study identifies changes in land cover and their spatial distribution within the landscape. The result is discussed in relation to perceived change as well as the areas sensitivity to change. The paper further outlines implications of the result for management and planning in the context of the European Landscape Convention. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p428&r=geo |
| By: | Antonio Campino; Carlos Augusto Monteiro; W.L. Conde; F.M.S. Machado |
| Abstract: | The main objective of the research is to analyze the relationship between population health status, and processes of economic growth and social development in Brazil by exploring the use of the population's nutritional and health variables to assess the quality of human capital and the mechanisms through which these variables may impact the country’s economic performance in terms of human capital formation, long-term economic growth, and social development. This research includes considerations on recent advances in the economic growth theory that contains the relationship between health, human capital, and long-term economic growth, as well as empirical evidence obtained from the analysis of an important Brazilian database, the Living Standards Measurement Survey, (Pesquisa de Padrao de Vida - PPV), a household survey conducted between 1996 and 1997 in both the Southeast and Northeast Regions of Brazil. The first part of the study focuses on information from individuals belonging to the group of economically active population (people between 19 and 59 years-old, both genders) to analyze the connection of individuals' health variables, such as height and health status, with socioeconomic variables, like income and educational attainment, controlling by area of residence (rural vs urban) and region (Northeast vs Southeast) The second part of the study focuses on information from individuals belonging to the group of economically active population (19 to 59 years-old both genders) with at least one child to support (2 to 21 years-old, both genders) in order to evaluate the intergenerational transmission of human capital, that is, analyzing the relations among parents data on health and nutritional status, income and educational attainment and the investment he/she is providing to the formation of human capital of his/her own child, controlling by area of residence (rural vs urban) and region (Northeast vs Southeast). Results lead to the conclusion that improvements generated through human capital investments made in one individual by the family do not finish at the individual himself, but are propagated to the next generations, independently from mechanisms of income. That is, relevant investments in human capital development, as educational attainment, nutrition, and health, create better opportunities to the individual in terms of employment and income. However, beyond these primary effects, there are secondary effects, mainly based on the transmission of human capital formation through generations, that result in population lifestyle changes, economic growth and development. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p490&r=geo |
| By: | Francesco Scarlatti; Giovanni Rabino |
| Abstract: | It is very discussed about the sustainability of urban areas. One of the requests of urban sustainability consists in the capability of the city to preserve around itself a good level of naturalness: A sustainable economy reflects an image of its territory that must represent a landscape of agreeable towns, of intact agricultural mosaics and of a large natural areas patrimony. Ours research, starting from the proposal expressed from E. Koomen, J Groen, J Borsboom and H Scholten with the work “Modelling the fragmentation of open space. A framework for assessing the impact of land use change on open space” presented at the ERSA Congress in 2002, intends to find the modality with which the naturalness influences the surrounding areas, the zones where nature and population pressure are not in antithesis and the natural areas that risks to be lost. The goal will be reached applying the concept of “field”. The base idea is that the areas with larger “naturalness” constitute a sort of positive virus that influences the surrounding zones. The GIS-oriented model presupposes the discrete division of the territory and the use of a simple field algorithm applied to an naturalness indicator opportunely studied. The application, for the validation of the model, has been implemented on the Bergamo’s province; choosing a territorial scale that allows to do observations and preliminary evaluations at the level of urban planning to locate large infrastructures. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p111&r=geo |
| By: | Matías Mayor Fernández; Ana Jesús López Menéndez; Rigoberto Pérez Suárez |
| Abstract: | The analysis of different economic situations and risk factors is necessary in order to properly define forecasting scenarios. In this paper we focus on the shift-share model as a useful tool in the definition of economic scenarios, based on the different components that contribute to the change of a given economic magnitude (the so called national, sectoral and competitive effects). Although the most commonly used methodology is based on the “constant shift” and the “constant share” hypotheses, additional options can be considered based on the expected behaviour of the competitive effect, thus leading to more realistic scenarios. Once these new options are developed, this approach is applied to the definition of scenarios for the future evolution of the regional employment. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p454&r=geo |
| By: | Corina Huisman; Leo Van Wissen |
| Abstract: | In the last two decades researchers from various disciplines have made attempts to model and estimate developments in the size and structure of the population of firms. Although these attempts give useful insights into possible explanatory factors of firm dynamics, the explanatory value, and hence predictive power of these models is usually not very high. In this paper we follow a pure demographic approach for the modelling of firm survival. Important dimensions of the firm are firm age, firm size (in number of employees), economic activity and firm location. Using empirical firm level data for the region of Gelderland in the Netherlands over the period 1986-2002, developments in survival are described and analysed over time in an age-period-cohort perspective. In a later phase of the project, these (aggregated) scenarios will serve as a point of reference for comparisons to more extended model specifications using micro-simulation that include additional explanatory and spatial variables. Keywords: demography of the firm, Age-Period-Cohort model, firm survival, closures |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p586&r=geo |
| By: | Luis Samaniego; Peter Treuner |
| Abstract: | This paper presents a model aimed at finding an efficient allocation of infrastructure investments in a region. The problem's complexity is due, not only to its combinatorial nature, but also due to the intrinsic multidimensional spatio-temporal relationships of its variables. Furthermore, there is no explicit solution for such NP-complete combinatorial optimisation problem; thus a heuristic optimisation technique such as Simulated Annealing is used to search for ”good" solutions in a finite but huge solution space. In this paper, the approach applied in the “Xuzhou Integrated Settlement and Transportation Planning Project", carried out in the People's Republic of China as a joint venture between the Jiangsu Development Planning Commission (JDPC) and the Institute of Regional Development Planning of the University of Stuttgart (IREUS), is to be presented. This study considered projects in 18 realms of infrastructure, in 115 locations of an administrative unit with about 9 million inhabitants. The results of the study suggest a significant gain in allocation efficiency due to the applied method of optimisation. Keywords: Infrastructure location, combinatorial optimisation, Simulated Annealing. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p45&r=geo |
| By: | Raquel Díaz |
| Abstract: | Since the middle 1980's, as consequence of the worldwide process of liberalization, there has been an important rise in international capital flows, especially Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). In particular, during the second half of 1990’s, worldwide FDI inflows grew four times faster than domestic output, twice as fast as domestic investment and three times as fast as exports. However, the geographical distribution of these flows of international capital was highly uneven. The main receivers of these FDI inflows were the most-developed countries. The developing countries only received approximately 30% of the worldwide FDI inflows. At the same time, there has been a decrease in the speed of economic convergence among countries and regions. Between 1950 and 1990 the rate of convergence has been around 2% annually, but from the mid 1980’s, this rate decreased to the 0.2%-0.5% level on an annual basis. Immediately, a question arises: could the very high share of international capital directed to the most-developed countries, be one reason for the slowdown in the rate of economic convergence?. Most studies on the effects of the internationalization of production processes in economic growth have identified the liberalization process with international trade, excluding the effects of FDI and its consequences on regional convergence. However, the liberalization process has increased not only trade, but also international capital flows. In this paper we address this last point. The main objective is to analyze the possible relationship among FDI and economic convergence. In particular, we present arguments which support the hypothesis that FDI inflows could be one of the elements helping to slowdown the speed of convergence in recent years. We show, on one hand, that FDI is an "engine of growth", the same as international trade. The main reason is that FDI is not merely a transfer of capital. FDI contributes to strengthening the economic structure on the host country, modernizes and internationalises it as well. FDI is usually accompanied by specific intangible assets of the transnational corporation, changes in production systems and/or technological innovations, among others. There is not doubt that all these factors generate positive growth effects in the target destination. On the other hand, we show that the main receivers of this FDI are not the developing countries. The developed countries, with more than two-thirds of the worldwide FDI inflows dominate the global picture. So, if these facts are analysed together, it is possible to show that the positive effects of FDI on economic growth are concentrated mainly in the most developed countries. From this point, the negative effect of FDI on economic convergence is an obvious result. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p374&r=geo |
| By: | Viktor Trasberg |
| Abstract: | The Baltic countries’ local governments have been functioned during the last decade in a permanently changing environment. Like other transition countries, they inherited from the past extremely centralized administrative system. Along with radical reforms, administrative system was decentralized and various functions were devolved from central to lower levels of government. Despite that, municipalities are still fiscally strongly dependent from central authorities. Often their fiscal capacity is not adequate to act in accordance with functions stipulated by laws. Many local governments’ revenues from taxes and user-charges are insufficient to finance efficiently their expenditures. Disparities in municipalities’ fiscal situation are correlated with unbalanced regional growth, social degradation in the low-income regions and growing differentiation by municipalities’ residents on access to education and healthcare. Membership of the European Union brings new tasks and responsibilities for the Baltic local governments. Municipalities should increase their economic sustainability and enhance administrative capacity to explore EU accession funds and implement EU policies. Considering the above-mentioned problems, the paper focuses on current fiscal situation of local governments in the Baltic countries. The main interest is to analyze local municipalities’ revenue level and structure, expenditure composition and fiscal autonomy conditions |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p153&r=geo |
| By: | Christos T. Papadas; Sophia Efstratoglou |
| Abstract: | Theoretical developments and discussions on growth and regional convergence have been accompanied by another debate, associated with the type of data used and quantitative approaches adopted in empirical research. Estimation of convergence equations continues to play a key role in the study of economic convergence, despite criticisms. This paper introduces the use of artificial neural networks (ANN) in the study of convergence. It focuses on the concept of b-convergence and accepts that cross section data can provide useful information for its investigation. Non-linearities of the underlying relationships, the restrictiveness of assumptions on functional forms, and econometric problems in the estimation and application of certain theoretical models, advocate for the use of ANN algorithms. A back-propagation (BPN) artificial neural network is constructed and utilized to study convergence of regional, gross domestic products per capita in Greece, together with the application of a traditional econometric analysis. Cross-section statistical data on Greek prefectures are used while results and repeated testing show that the neural network performs very well in estimating convergence equations. It improves substantially the accuracy of estimates and predictability of the estimated relationships. In addition, the BPN algorithm could be used with time series or panel data, and it could estimate also convergence equations of additional economic or social variables. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p149&r=geo |
| By: | Gunther Maier; Michael Vyborny |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwsre:sre-disc-2005_04&r=geo |
| By: | Jekaterina Dmitrijeva; Mihails Hazans |
| Abstract: | Monthly panel (1998-2003) data from regional labor offices in Latvia are used to conclude on the specificity of matching process in this transition economy and to evaluate the impact of active labor market policy programs on outflows from unemployment. Results confirm that the hiring process is driven by stock-flow matching rather than by traditional matching function: stock of unemployed at the beginning of the month and vacancies arriving during the month are the key determinants of outflow from unemployment to employment, while stock of vacancies and inflow of unemployed are not significant. In the context of such “correct” specification of the matching process, the policy evaluation is performed. We find positive and very significant effect of training on outflows from unemployment to employment, thus providing some evidence against cuts in training expenditures. Fixed effects estimates allow discriminating between regions in terms of matching efficiency. JEL: J41, J64, J68 Keywords: stock-flow matching, augmented matching function, labour market policy, training |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p360&r=geo |
| By: | Tetsunobu Yoshitake; Chikashi Deguchi; Erika Kakoi; Masaya Kawano |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is to investigate local artists’ changes of attitudes and activities concerning community vitalization, on the basis of a concept that the changes have been induced through communication with other local artists and residents. A nationwide questionnaire survey was carried out for artists listed in two published directories. The questionnaire sought answers related to 1) personal attributes, 2) places and opportunities for communicating with other local artists and residents, and 3) community attachment and degree of self-disclosure to other local artists and residents. The major findings are: 1) Quite a few artists change their attitudes and activities regarding community vitalization. 2) Respondent category classification, based on the Hayashi’s Type III quantification method and the cluster analysis, clarified that the artists who positively change their attitudes and activities tend to practice self-disclosure towards other local artists and residents. 3) It was also clarified that the artists, a) who reside for 30-50 years in their communities and b) communicate with other residents at neighborhood associations or events held by artists, c) communicate with other local artists at events held by artists, have positive changes of attitudes and activities. The results of this paper reveal the availability of profound community vitalization from focusing on communication among local artists and other residents. The findings are also useful for vitalization management in connection with art/artists, which has been tried in many municipalities. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p325&r=geo |
| By: | Jane Bryan; Calvin Jones; Max Munday |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the problem of key sector identification in regional economies. Whilst the paper questions the desirability of policy focusing on the promotion of key sectors, it suggests that tools are generally underdeveloped to identify these sectors. The paper suggests that multi-sectoral qualitative analysis provides one means of forming conclusions on sector potentials. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p141&r=geo |
| By: | Paulo Guimarães; Octávio Figueiredo; Douglas Woodward |
| Abstract: | The recent index proposed in Ellison & Glaeser (1997) is now well established as the preferred method for measuring localization of economic activity. We critically review this index and build on the McFadden’s Random Utility (Profit) Maximization framework to develop an alternative measure that is more consistent with the theoretical construct underlying the original work of Ellison and Glaeser. Given that our method is regression based it goes beyond the descriptive nature of the EG index and allows us to evaluate how the localization measure behaves with changes in the systematic forces that drive firms’ location decisions. JEL classification: C25, R12, R39 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p28&r=geo |
| By: | Antonio García-Tabuenca; Justo De Jorge; Carolina Perondi |
| Abstract: | The objective of this paper is to set up, among a group of projects and by means of multivariate techniques, a selection process that allows to choose those with the best performance and to establish the factors and variables characterising successful cases. This way, we can offer a model for the evaluation and selection of development projects. New ideas and approaches for the promotion politics of business services should come out of the extraction of common models and behaviours among the cases with best performance. More specifically, for the empirical development of this research, we have used the project portfolio of business development services of the Inter-American Development Bank between 1995 and 2002. JEL classification: Keywords: business development project, factor, cluster |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p560&r=geo |
| By: | Santiago Alvarez-García; Javier Salinas-Jiménez; David Cantarero |
| Abstract: | The main objective of this paper is to provide a general analysis of the evolution of the funding models of the Spanish Autonomous Communities (regional level) during the last decade and explore the main achievements of the new model (2001). In particular, the funding models that have been applied during these years are assessed comparing their results with the proponsed objectives that they tried to meet. Finally, special attention is paid to the developments achieved by the new model with respect to the previous one in terms of economic sufficiency (static and dynamic), joint responsibility for taxation and interregional solidarity measures. Key words: Federalismo Fiscal, Spanish Autonomous Communities, Economic Sufficiency, Fiscal Corresponsability, Interregional Solidarity. JEL classification: H7, H72, H77 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p391&r=geo |
| By: | Aurora Amélia Castro Teixeira; Pedro Cosme Vieira |
| Abstract: | A study focusing Portuguese textile firms dynamics during the eighties and nineties (Teixeira, 2002; Teixeira and Vieira, 2004) demonstrated that plants which tended to hire workers with higher levels of human capital (education) were those that, on average, presented a lower probability of survival. Macro-level evidence on the relation between human capital, per capita income and productivity seems to be at odds with the micro evidence reported. Specifically, at the economy level the bulk of studies found a positive relation between human capital accumulation and productivity dynamics (Michie et al, 2002; Teixeira and Fortuna, 2003; Maudos et al, 2003) which, at first glance, seems hard to match with the micro-level evidence suggesting that the accumulation of human capital is associated with higher failure rates on firm’s behalf. The potential explanation for this may be related with the fact that firms can be positioned into one of the two possible states – low productivity and low risk or high productivity and high risk. In order for a low productivity-low risk firm to become high productivity-high risk firm it has to hire top educated workers. Successful high productivity-high risk firms, i.e, those that survive, are the ‘engine of growth’. This may explain that regions, which have higher levels of human capital, be those that, in the medium term, have higher levels of per capita income and higher firm failure rates. This association of higher per capita income/productivity levels and higher firm destruction rates translates the schumpeterian issue of creative destruction (Schumpeter, 1942). In the present paper we try to validate this theoretical explanation using empirical evidence at the regional level. Based on panel data relative to 27 Portuguese regions (NUTIII) over the period 1992-1999, we estimate an econometric model of the relation between human capital, firm productivity and firm failure rates. Estimation results suggest important policy implications, namely that policy measures involving schooling incentives, i.e., human capital supply side focused policies, should be replaced by more human capital demand side focused policies aiming to easy bankruptcy processes. Keywords: Schooling, Productivity, Firm Survival, Regions |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p134&r=geo |
| By: | Michael Steiner |
| Abstract: | Clusters and networks have received renewed attention in recent years not only as a tool for regional development in general but as an institution of knowledge creation and diffusion between the knowledge infrastructure of a region and the firms within the clusters. They are therefore often regarded as geographically condensed forms of economic cooperation and knowledge exchange. The recent renaissance of interest in institutions as a factor shaping economic performance has therefore also implications for the creation and sustained existence of clusters and networks as a tool for knowledge management and as learning organisations within and across regions. This institutional perspective serves to identify additional factors influencing economic behaviour leading to cooperation. Different strands of institutional thinking –institutions as “social technologies” in the tradition of evolutionary economics, clusters as a form of Coase institution integrating positive external effects of technological knowledge, the importance of knowledge sharing in the context of the “New Institutional Economics” – emphasize that connectivity cannot be effectively coordinated by conventional markets. Clusters and networks are among the non-market devices by which firms seek to coordinate their activities with other firms and other knowledge-generating institutions. But it is also important to emphasize that clusters as coordinating institutions are not automatically just there but that they are the result of an evolving process shaped by policy activities and entrepreneurial behaviour responding to new challenges. Clusters as social technologies are co-evolving with new physical technologies and are therefore in constant need to change themselves. They can be regarded as an answer to the problems of achieving agreement and coordination in a context where there is a collective interest. They combine different additional elements that are important for regional development and economic growth. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p612&r=geo |
| By: | Ron Boschma; Koen Frenken |
| Abstract: | This paper explains the main commonalities and differences between neoclassical, institutional and evolutionary approaches that have been influential in economic geography during the last couple of decades. For all three approaches, we argue that they are in agreement in some respects and in conflict in other respects. While explaining to what extent and in what ways the Evolutionary Economic Geography approach differs from the Neoclassical (or ‘new’) Economic Geography and the Institutional Economic Geography, we can specify the value-added of economic geography as an evolutionary science. Finally, we briefly outline a research agenda of the Evolutionary Economic Geography we like to explore. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p393&r=geo |
| By: | Patrizia Riganti; Annamaria Nese; Ugo Colombino |
| Abstract: | This paper discusses ways of improving the management of cultural heritage sites and cities, focusing on new forms of involvement and public participation based on public preferences’ elicitation. The problem of city governance and of the appropriate level of democratic participation needs an integrated approach, capable of bridging the practice of urban design, conservation of the built environment and decision-making support system. This paper reports results from a survey using conjoint choice approach questions to elicit people’s preferences for cultural heritage management strategies for an outstanding world heritage site: the Temples of Paestum, in Italy. The potential of the above-mentioned methodologies’ within the current cultural heritage research scenario is also discussed. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p437&r=geo |
| By: | Antonio Morillas; Laura Moniche; Marc Castro |
| Abstract: | The enlargement of the European Union to 25 members implies that relative position of Andalusia will improve with regard to the new GDP per capita average. This fact may derive a reduction in structural funds support for this Spanish region objective 1. This paper is focused in the ex-post assessment of the CSF 1994–99 in Andalusia. Direct and indirect effects, as well as cross-border leakage are analysed. We aim to compare stimuli induced from structural funds in the rest of the national economy with those remaining in Andalusia. If effects on the rest of Spain were important in relative terms, the central idea of regional policy, which defines community convergence tools, would be questioned. Results show evidences for this hypothesis in the case of Andalusia, given the importance of the effects generated in the rest of Spain and the biases of CSF funds towards sectors with a high need for imports, some of which are characterized by an intensive use of the region’s natural resources. Key Words: Structural Funds; Ex-post Evaluation; Convergence; Input-Output; Cross-border leakages. JEL classification: C67; C82; R58 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p674&r=geo |
| By: | Paulo Madruga; José Vieira |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the impact of regions on low wage incidence and mobility in Portugal. In particular, we intend to examine to what extent there are significant differences between the region of Lisbon and the rest of the country. The results indicate that, everything else the same, the region is an important determinant of the probability of the individual being found into the low wage class (defined as two-thirds of the median hourly wage), even in a small country like Portugal. It is also affects the probability of leaving low-pay. In particular, equally-skilled workers working in the region of Lisbon are less-likely to be low-paid than the other workers. They are also more likely to escape from the low-pay segment. Other variables of great importance on low pay determination and mobility, and in both regions, are the level of education of the workers, gender and the size of the firm. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p55&r=geo |
| By: | Thomas de Graaff; Piet Rietveld |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses the case where workers have to choose between the location of work, leisure, commuting hours and the frequency to work out-of-home. Both a short-run and a long-run model are presented. In the short-run, workers are not able to set their optimal amount of commuting time, where in the long-run commuting time is treated as an endogenous variable. Moreover, frequency of working out-of-home is explicitly taken in to account, where it is assumed that there is op optimal frequency of commuting trips. An empirical model and estimation results for the Netherlands are offered. Preliminary results are that workers have an intrinsic preference to work out-of-home approximately 2.5 days a week and need at least 14 hours of leisure time. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p294&r=geo |
| By: | Tüzin Baycan-Levent; Aliye Ahu Gülümser |
| Abstract: | Gated communities are part of the trend of suburbanization that is based on the creation of self-contained, separate communities with carefully constructed identities. There are many definitions of gated communities and they differ from country to country. However, a general definition can be given as “physical privatized areas where outsiders and insiders exist”. In parallel to the increasing diversity and multiplicity, gated communities have grown in both developed and developing countries and they have radically transformed the urban environment. For residents, gated communities are lifestyles choices. For developers, they can be a marketing angle, another way to target specific submarkets or a necessity to meet demand in some areas. The aim of this paper is to investigate the phenomenon of “gated communities” which is one of the most important driving forces in housing market. The paper will focus on the production and marketing of gated communities in Istanbul. How is the production and marketing process of gated communities? The paper will provide an answer to this question while evaluating the data obtained from the extensive survey questionnaires filled out by developers of gated communities. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p525&r=geo |
| By: | Marijana Sumpor |
| Abstract: | If the political climate is stable, local elections in Croatia take place every four years. Budgets are planned for three years, while strategic development programmes cover periods of five to ten years. Technically, the political, financial and developmental programming cycles can be matched, and implementation of the programmes ensured. However, political programmes are generally vague, budgets are every so often fictive and revised mid year and development programmes grow into visionary shopping lists. Reality shows that programmes and plans are elaborated, presented in public and then neatly put into drawers. In the aftermath, local politicians are concerned mainly about the financing flows and this is what they are usually fighting for at council meetings and in various ministries. Regularly, local administration proceeds according to the wishes of the political decision makers, without referring to any program in the end. Consequently, political accountability is lacking, fiscal management is not transparent and development is lagging behind. The main aim of this paper is to show how strategic development programmes, budgetary plans and political programmes can be linked in the Croatian socio-economic and institutional environment. Also, in line with the initiated process of decentralization in Croatia, local governments have to improve their fiscal management in order to be able to take over new functions and responsibilities. Since by now a number of local development programmes exist in Croatia, where a participatory and strategic development planning approach was applied, an analysis of the political programmes, local budgets and development programmes can be done. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate that if local governments better understood the interdependencies between these three segments, they could create reference points for their actions visible in their programmes and budgets. In this way a platform could be created to enhance the political accountability, improve fiscal capacity and fulfil developmental goals in line with real needs and potentials of the local population. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p99&r=geo |
| By: | Nelson Duarte |
| Abstract: | The role played by SMEs in any society is undoubtedly important, for instance, in Portugal around 98% of the industrial fabric is composed by SMEs. Nowadays, entrepreneurship and firm creation is mostly related to small and micro firms, which lead us to look at them as an important development agent in any society. Most of times, firms are seen as a black box on what concerns to development however the measures taken by them, entrepreneurial strategies, and entrepreneurship actions, have influence in the development theatre. At the same, not only the SMEs as a group of firms (industrial sector) must be taken into consideration, but also many factors inside the firm, such as the quality of management, human resources, or innovation factors. This work intends to present the state-of-art on the subjects relating SMEs and development, trying to find out how the SMEs are related to development, which factors are taken into consideration when the role of these firms are analysed, for instance, innovation factors, human resources, or the firm revenues. It is widely accepted that SMEs are an important development agent, but sometimes they are analysed not like an agent by themselves, but as a group of firms creating (the group) another agent. This group might be a cluster, an industrial district or a filière, however it is important to look to the firm by itself. The entrepreneur might take individual actions different from those followed by the group. So the small or micro firm also has an important role for development, the main idea for this work is to find out some important initial literature on SMEs and development, trying to get a perception of the role played, not only on what concerns to enterprises creation, but also on the strategies adopted by these type of enterprises to overcome the bottleneck of regional development. Keywords: Development, SMEs, Entrepreneurship |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p39&r=geo |
| By: | Maria Teresa Arevalo Quijada; Maria Mercedes Castro Nuño; Rocio Yñiguez |
| Abstract: | The principle of the budgetary discipline, compulsory for the Spanish regions by the Law 18/2001, December 12th [General Law of Budgetary Stability] and the Organic Law 5/2001, December 13th, complementary to the former one, established in the frame of the European Agreement for Stability and Growth, can generate conflicting situations with those Spanish regions which investment capacity depends on external borrowing. This paper deals with the corresponding relative position of the different regions, according to its investment capacity, using for that purpose a simulation exercise, in which we advance the budgetary stability constraint for the period 1997-2000. In this paper, the public financial activity is treated, for each region, through different public revenue and expenditure ratios per capita. This situation leads to consider a multicriteria Promethee method as the apropriate one to obtain a global ranking for all of them. In the opinion of Al-Shemmeri, Al-Kloub and Rearman (1997), this method is the most adequate one because of the following advantages: public authorities, as decision takers, can understand easily the results, regardless the knowledge they may have about it; the method uses understandable economic parameters; the method avoids distorting scale effects among different alternatives and, as well, makes possible the deviation evaluation between alternatives and, finally, allows for sensibility analysis. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p227&r=geo |
| By: | Victor Figueira; Francisco Guerreiro |
| Abstract: | It is the aim of the present paper firstly to provide a theoretical frame which enables us to characterize the development of tourism, highlighting the application of the concept of sustained development, and the role played by tourism in the development of rural areas. Aimed as an example and focussing this analysis on the cultural patrimony as a tourist resource, the paper also intends to present the intervention carried out in Cabeço de Vide’s railway station, both as far as the buildings and the green areas are concerned, so as to transform it into a tourist resort, seeking to achieve an adjusted, adequate and agreed integration of the tourist activity. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p272&r=geo |
| By: | Luisa Pedrazzini; Giulia Pesaro |
| Abstract: | The paper aims to present the methodological approach used for the development of the Interreg IIIB Alpine Space project “Cultur ALP - Knowledge and Enhancement of Historical Centres and Cultural Landscape”. The project promoted by Lombardy Region, involves seven European regions from four different countries. The goal is to improve the knowledge of alpine historical settlements and to develop innovative operating policies to protect and enhance this distinctive cultural heritage. The paper will focus on the SWOT analysis methodology, here applied to cultural heritage and aiming to describe, understand and valorise the peculiarities and the values of historical settlements and cultural landscapes in the alpine territory. SWOT analysis indicators have been selected in order to internalise the interdisciplinary approach chosen in the project. The intervention strategy that normally characterises the government and management of historic settlements is sectoral and looks at the settlement itself as an ensemble of valuable buildings to be preserved from depletion. Here this point of view is overtaken in favour of a “systemic” analysis, where historical settlements can be viewed as cultural capital, closely integrated to all the other territorial resources. This to achieve a sustainable and durable territorial development, based on the preservation and valorisation of cultural, historical, artistic, social, economic and environmental identities, according to the peculiar spatial and socio-economic context of the Alps arch. This implies the contribution of different disciplinary approaches and tool boxes, that have to be understood and shared by different knowledge systems (approach, strategies, methodologies, tools…). The real challenge of the project is therefore the use of the interdisciplinary approach in developing integrated policies for the preservation and valorisation of historical settlements and cultural landscapes, pushing architects and historians of art as well as planners, economists, sociologists, administrative professionals and other territorial analysts to work together in a mutual learning process. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p123&r=geo |
| By: | Ana Bela Santos Bravo; António Luís Silvestre |
| Abstract: | This paper aims at presenting a simple model of local decision-making based on the hypothesis of “constrained” monopoly power on the part of local governments. It adds the contribution of the principal-agent theory by assuming that: (a) monopolistic behavior is constrained by voters’ efforts to monitor the outcomes of policies; (b) local governments’ policies affect local property values. An empirical test of the model for the Portuguese local authorities indicates that the hypothesis of “monitoring” may be accepted and that of capitalization can only be accepted in relation to local public services not to local taxes on property. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p576&r=geo |
| By: | Maria Manuela Santos Natário; Ascensão Braga; João Couto; Maria Teresa Borges-Tiago |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the imbalances in the availability and usage of communication and information technology infrastructure in the Côa’ Region. Based on an empirical study, the imbalances could be broadly attributed to differences in funding, management and technical expertise, exposure and awareness to available technologies, training, and other infrastructure like R&D laboratories/institutes and universities. In the organisations studied, the imbalances could be broadly attributed to differences in factors as industry, dimension, management education, but also lack to cooperation, workers mobility and reduced markets which are common factors in disfavoured regions. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p380&r=geo |
| By: | Giovanna Corridore; Elena Santini |
| Abstract: | The Geographical Information System (GIS) works on databases that contain different kinds of information (town-planning, geographical and environmental). It is able to correlate, to integrate and to consult them just using simple or complex inquiries allowing in any moment the introduction of new data or the updating of those available. The management of the natural resources well it is lent to be done through the creation of a GIS : natural resources are connected to the punctual knowledge of the territory but have to be referred to lots of other factors, primarily linked to human activities, that contributes to organize and transform them. It is needed a suitable cartography containing the basic dates and the general subjects to overlap to the whole other series of information, different for origin and contents. The aim is to represent the natural and human structure of the territory, to know the spontaneous or induced events, to manage the norms and to plan the existing resources: from the integration of all the information it is created an adding value. A concrete example of this statement is represented by a project, in course of elaboration, promoted by the province of Rome for the Realization of an Ecological Network in the mountainous complex of the Lucretili-Simbruini-Ruffi. The study area is situated in the centre of Italy and more precisely in Lazio region throw the border with Abruzzo. The location of this place makes it to be a key element in the environmental continuity at territorial scale, therefore the study of the same one will be made analysing more levels, beginning from the landscape, in its components natural and human, continuing with the definition of the functional ecological network, and concluding with the aspects of managerial nature, that more than the others will receive advantages from the creation of the GIS. There are essential elements able to suggest guidelines for planning and maintaining with ecological criteria: it means to verify the planning instruments, to point out the areas with different kind of constraints and to analyze the incongruities and the conflict points that will become the most important in the new action-plan. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p235&r=geo |
| By: | Evert-Jan Visser |
| Abstract: | This paper focuses on factors driving, hindering and enabling a transformation of arm's length outsourcing linkages in supply chains into strategic partnerships between MNEs and core logistic service providers, and on the effects for logistic product and process innovation, the spatial structure of supply chains, and the location preferences of innovating logistic companies. In a setting of deregulation, globalisation, technological change in transport and communication, and ongoing changes in consumer demand, MNEs and their logistic specialists may engage in strategic partnerships so as to develop the competences required to effectively manage global supply chains with a view to lower costs and enhancing service. This introduces problems of governance and competence, however, and therewith, transaction costs (Coase 1991, Williamson 1985, Nooteboom 1999), power, trust (Nooteboom 2002), learning-by-interaction (Nooteboom 1992, 2000), lock-in and path dependence (Boschma, Frenken & Lambooy 2002). This paper investigates the relevance of these factors in the case of the development of a partnership between a Netherlands-based global logistic service provider and several of its clients. Case-study evidence is thus used for developing an integrated theoretical framework fit to study the commercial, logistic and spatial effects of current developments in the logistic service industry. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p532&r=geo |
| By: | Siegfried Alberton; Oscar Gonzalez |
| Abstract: | Switzerland has signed a treaty with the EU on free mobility. Beginning from the month of June 2004, this will replace the actual regulation based on quotas of foreign labor force and will facilitate the entrance of the Italian enterprises in the Ticino market. The evidence found when monitoring the Ticino economy for the period 1980 to 2002, is that the opening of the market has largely been anticipated and the regional economies, north and south of the border, seem to be converging at least from about two decades. The liberalization of the labor market will therefore accelerate an integration process already in action. This paper presents evidence on this process, based on the characteristics of the trans-border labor market (wage differentials, mobility, skills) and indicators on both supply and demand side of this specific regional market. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p526&r=geo |
| By: | Nicola Daniele Coniglio |
| Abstract: | In this paper we extend previous models of migration networks and ethnic cluster formation by considering migration as an ethnic-community wide phenomena where established migrants strategically provide support to newcomers. The incentive to provide support is associated with positive externalities which new waves of migrants might have on migrants already settled in the host location. Culturally-based tastes for particular goods and services generate an ethnic consumer demand and only individuals from the same ethnic community have the skills or the “insider’s information” required to provide these goods (protected market). If the ethnic population is large enough, an ethnic sector will emerge and eventually grow as the ethnic population expands further. According to the degree of preferences toward ethnic consumption, the mobility costs of the source locality population and congestion costs (hostility externalities) in the host location, alternative scenarios may arise. These scenarios provide a possible explanation of why different groups of migrants show different migration dynamics. Keywords: Consumption externalities, immigration, ethnic cluster, ethnic goods. JEL classification: F22, J15, J61. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p146&r=geo |
| By: | Giovanni Rabino; Alberto Girotti |
| Abstract: | In the paper of Cavezzali, Girotti and Rabino presented at ERSA 2003 conference, features of multi-agent models and their potentiality for the study of territorial phenomena are discussed. Starting from this study, the present paper digs deeper mechanisms of multi-agent systems working, describing their ontology in a more complete and articulated way as possible, and investigating: the properties of the actors, the mechanisms of interaction among actors and between actors and environment. About the environment, particular attention has been paid to the consideration about the various modalities of treatment of territory (from pure physical support to active reactive/cognitive agent in relationship with the other agents). For these modalities, finally, two typical case-studies of multi-agent model are shown: simulation of pedestrian paths choice, the software “Turisti”, and a competitive dynamic of service centres location, “Wilson”. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p142&r=geo |
| By: | Jos Van Ommeren |
| Abstract: | In this paper we analyse the commuting distribution from a job search perspective. We have examined under which conditions the commuting distribution is unimodal which is one of the stylised facts of commuting. It appears that a necessary condition is that space is two-dimensional. Furthermore, one of the following ingredients is sufficient: on-the-job mobility, spatiality-differentiated search or heterogeneity of jobs. Residential mobility does not appear to explain the shape of commuting density function as we observe it. JEL classification: R20, R64, J64 Keywords: commuting, search, mobility |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p214&r=geo |
| By: | Ana Isabel Melo; Elizabeth Brito |
| Abstract: | In a context of globalization, competitiveness plays a prevailing role in the national, regional and local development, and depends progressively on companies’ dynamics. In order to overcome an increasingly aggressive competition, companies must anticipate the consumers’ preferences, rely on more innovative, first-rate products and know both their internal and external markets extremely well. In what concerns the metal furniture sector, new companies have been emerging and the existing ones have been expanding over the last few years in the “Distrito” of Aveiro. This sector has revealed a considerable competitive behaviour by creating job opportunities in this region and essentially by showing creativity and the will to innovate. Moreover, these companies are reaching international markets. Thus, the purpose of this study is to analyse the dynamics and competitiveness of this sector. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p403&r=geo |
| By: | Kirby Adam J.R. Faciane (Kirby Faciane / KAJR Faciane) |
| Abstract: | Economic development in the Caribbean, and Barbados in particular, over the past forty years has been stimulated by technological change in the industrial world, particularly the introduction of jet transport, and both tourism and manufacturing expanded in the wake of this revolution in transport. Barbados was among tropical destinations to benefit from the boom in holiday travel that jets made possible. Falling air transport costs and growing wage costs in North America created an incentive for US firms to locate assembly and light manufacturing plants in developing areas with lower labor costs, a development which was to Barbados's advantage. In addition, Barbados offered to potential investors the attractions of a literate population, a stable political system, long-standing ties with North America, good internal and international communications and a well developed infrastructure of roads, ports and utilities. The signing in 1973 of the treaty creating the Caribbean Economic Community (Caricom), with provision for internal free trade and a common external tariff, created a regional market of sufficient size to attract some modest-scale manufacturing. Government welcomed foreign investment with an incentive package, starting with the Pioneer Industries Act of 1958 and encompassing tax holidays, import rebates, promotional activity, provision of factory shells and other inducements. |
| Keywords: | finance, Caribbean, investment, foreign direct investment, international capital |
| JEL: | G G0 G00 |
| Date: | 2005–08–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wpa:wuwpfi:0508016&r=geo |
| By: | Luigi La Franca; Daniela Mortelliti; Silvia Salerno; Salvatore Amoroso |
| Abstract: | The aim of this work is to analyse the air traffic development that interested the airport system in Sicily, consisting of the airport of Palermo “Falcone –Borsellino”, the airport of Catania “Fontanarossa” and that one of Trapani-Birgi “Vincenzo Florio”. The analysis of the possible growth of air traffic volume and performance in Sicily was mainly suggested by the growing importance of the Mediterranean region like a new crossroad of the worldwide traffic on the East-West line. It gives a new chance for the development of this area that mustn’t be loosed. Globalization and the migrant flows from South and East towards the Western Europe, makes of the southern Italy a strategic knot for passengers and goods movements. So, new investments and infrastructures improvements that will be realized in this area are a value added not only for the southern Italy but also for the whole country. We have examined the potential demand attraction for passengers and goods movements in the Sicilian airports considered. For a more careful evaluation of the changes occurred into Sicilian air transport system, the research aimed to: § determine their "catchment area" through the evaluation of accessibility (isochrones); § analyse the air traffic data and the existing degree of integration, not only between the airports and the area, but also in terms of demand in the short and in the long period. Finally, we have evaluated the possibility of integration of traffic flows management among the two airports of Palermo and Trapani, in order to analyse if this two airports are complementary rather than competitors. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p259&r=geo |
| By: | Maud Hensen; Robert de Vries |
| Abstract: | In this paper we investigate the relationship between geographical mobility and education-job mismatches. School-leavers might adjust to local labour market frictions by accepting some education-job mismatch combined with a mobility decision. We focus on the relationship between the mobility decision and the following education-job mismatches: a job below the educational level, outside the educational field, part-time or flexible jobs at the beginning of the career. For this purpose we use data about school-leavers from secondary education and higher vocational education in the period 1996-2001. The analysis is conducted at a disaggregated spatial level to incorporate differences in behaviour of school-leavers at the regional level. We find that school-leavers who are more mobile have a lower probability to have a job below the acquired educational level compared with school-leavers who are less mobile. Moreover, school-leavers who are more mobile experience especially a lower probability of a part-time or a flexible job. This result suggests that school-leavers not only try to prevent a job below the acquired educational level, but also other education-job mismatches in their mobility decision. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p158&r=geo |
| By: | Elli Heikkilä,; Mats Johansson; Ingi Runar Edvardsson; Torben Dall Schmidt; Lasse Sigbjørn Stambøl; Lars Olof Persson |
| Abstract: | Regional imbalances caused by and effecting demographic change are unevenly spread between the Nordic countries. A common threat is that of labour shortage, which is already experienced in certain sectors in particular regions and forecasted on a broader scale in the future. The also common characteristic of an ageing labour force has important side effects from a social and economic perspective in some of the countries and regions, e g increasing rates of sickness leave. The sustainability in economic and social terms of several labour markets is challenged as population decline continues. The institutional preconditions for addressing these and other problems related to economic renewal and demographic change are basically quite similar in all Nordic countries, yet differ in a number of important details. The purpose of this paper is to analyse and evaluate how the different portfolios of policy instruments in Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway and Finland are reflected in differing performance of local labour markets with similar economic and demographic structure and size. A leading hypothesis is that policies reducing risks for the individual when moving between different labour market statuses promotes the flexibility of labour markets. The empirical analysis is based on the transitional characteristics of the local labour market. Each transition or career - such as those from school to job and vice versa, from parental or sick leave to job, from unemployment to job, etc - can be temporary and repetitious. There are a number of theories explaining this increasingly transitional labour force behaviour stressing the individual choice of life-style, and life chances or careers perceived in different places. There are also theories stressing the importance of social capital. Supply side oriented labour market policy is adapting to the differing ”tastes” of individuals and life-style groups. Transition itself is also enforced by policy intervention to encourage temporary leave for life-long learning periods and parental leave. This transition can thus be viewed as a supplementary dimension to that usually described as labour mobility, i.e. qualification or de-qualification careers, inter-industry mobility and inter-regional or international migration. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p206&r=geo |
| By: | Dubravka Jurlina Alibegoviæ; Željka Kordej De Villa |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the role of different levels of government in the design, implementation and enforcement of environmental regulatory measures, including environmental financing mechanisms. The first section presents basic theoretical insights of fiscal federalism. Further, it reviews factors which most affect the decision regarding the governmental level to be responsible for environmental protection – externalities, information, costs, interjurisdictional competition, and government capabilities. The second section elaborates the institutional and administrative framework of environmental policy and questions why local authorities are reluctant to take a more active role in shaping and financing environmental policy. One «success story» of local initiative in Croatia is described. Additionally, this section presents some evidence on budget revenues related to environmental protection and natural resource management, both at central and local levels. The last section summarizes our analysis and offers several recommendations aiming at the improvement of environmental policy. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p220&r=geo |
| By: | Zoltan Acs; Attila Varga |
| Abstract: | Technological change is a central element in macroeconomic growth explanation. Endogenous growth models take a revolutionary step towards better understanding the economic growth process by deriving technological change from profit-motivated individual behavior. In endogenous growth theory knowledge spillovers play a fundamental role in the determination of the rate of technological progress. As such the efficiency of transmitting knowledge into economic applications is a crucial factor in explaining macroeconomic growth. Endogenous growth models take this factor exogenous. We argue that variations across countries in entrepreneurship and the spatial structure of economic activities could potentially be the source of different efficiencies in knowledge spillovers and ultimately in economic growth. We develop an empirical model to test both the entrepreneurship and the geography effects on knowledge spillovers. To date the only international data that are collected on the basis of exactly the same principles in each country are the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data. We use the 2001 GEM cross-country data to measure the level of entrepreneurship in each particular economy. For this purpose we apply the TEA index developed within the framework of the GEM project and calculated for each country participating in this international research. Additionally, data on employment, production, patent applications, public and private R&D expenditures originating from different international and national sources are applied in the paper. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p516&r=geo |
| By: | Francesco Prota; Francesco Contò |
| Abstract: | The delocation of firms is often viewed as a major outcome of a stiff environmental policy. In this paper, we study the impact of a strict anti-pollution policy pursued by a government on domestic firms locational decisions and determine the main variables that interact with such a policy. Some preliminary welfare implications are also provided. Keywords: Environmental policy; Plant location; Imperfect competition. JEL classification: H7; R3; D4. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p413&r=geo |
| By: | Tuuli Juurikkala; Olga Lazareva |
| Abstract: | In the planned economy firms were made responsible for providing their workers with social services, such as housing, day care and medical care. In the transforming Russia of the 1990s, social assets were to be transferred from industrial enterprises to the public sector. A law on divestment was put into force but it provided mostly general principles. Thus, for a period of several years, property rights over a major part of social assets, most notably housing, were not properly defined as the transfer decisions were largely left for the local level players to make. Strikingly, the time when assets were divested varied considerably across firms. In this paper we take a political economy approach and utilize recent survey data from 404 medium and large industrial enterprises in 40 Russian regions to study the effects different forms of bargaining between the firm and the municipality may have on the timing decisions. In particular, we apply survival data analysis to explore the determinants of the divestiture timing. Our results show that the firms which divested assets later receive more benefits from the local authorities, especially in places where there are more benefits to extract (i.e. the local budget is richer). Further, we find evidence that the firms which transferred assets later performed relatively worse in 2002 in terms of profitability, productivity and investments. Finally, the data shows that poorly defined property rights have an adverse effect on the incentives to invest in social assets, and hence on the quality of public service provision. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p637&r=geo |
| By: | Heidi Wiig Aslesen; Arne Isaksen; Lasse Sigbjørn Stambøl |
| Abstract: | The paper departs from a seemingly disagreement between theoretical propositions stressing the importance of the KIBS sector as an innovation agent, and empirical results from quantitative innovation surveys. KIBS are increasingly seen to have a strategic role in stimulating innovation processes, particularly in large cities. However, the alleged importance of KIBS does not show up in empirical surveys. The surveys generally regard KIBS (or consultancy firms) to be of less importance as information sources and innovation partners. The paper somewhat supports the conclusions from the empirical surveys, pointing to the fact that parts of the literature attach larger importance to the role of KIBS in innovation processes than can be confirmed by empirical results. However, the low importance attached to KIBS in quantitative surveys may rely on the fact that surveys only seize some of the roles played by KIBS in innovation processes. Surveys do not map, for example, knowledge spillovers occurring through the mobility of workers. The paper demonstrates that many workers left the KIBS sector in Norway to start working in other sectors during parts of the 1990s, signifying a flow of knowledge following the workers out of the KIBS sector. However, the paper also demonstrates that the flow of knowledge via labour mobility first of all benefits the most central parts of Norway. Less knowledge is seen to flow from the KIBS sector in Oslo and the other large cities to other industries and other parts of the country. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p475&r=geo |
| By: | Gary A. S. Cook; Naresh R. Pandit; Jonathan V. Beaverstock; Peter J. Taylor; Kathy Pain |
| Abstract: | This paper reports a one-year study which investigated the clustering of financial services activity in London. A questionnaire asking about the advantages and disadvantages of a London location was sent to a stratified sample of 1,500 firms and institutions. In addition, thirty-nine on-site interviews with firms, professional institutions, government bodies and other related agencies were conducted. The study finds that banking, including investment banking, forms the cluster’s hub with most other companies depending on relationships with this sub-sector. Generally, the cluster confers many advantages to its incumbents including enhanced reputation, the ability to tap into large, specialized labor pool and customer proximity. The localized nature of relationships between skilled labor, customers and suppliers is a critical factor which helps firms achieve innovative solutions, develop new markets and attain more efficient ways to deliver services and products. Particularly important are the personal relationships which are enhanced by the on-going face-to-face contact that is possible in a compact geographical space. Many of the cluster’s advantages are dynamic in that they become stronger as agglomeration increases. The study also finds important disadvantages in the cluster which threaten its future growth and prosperity. These include the poor quality and reliability of transport, particularly the state of the London Underground and links to airports, increasing levels of regulation and government policy that is not co-ordinated with the whole of the cluster in mind. Key words: Industrial clustering, agglomeration, financial services. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p49&r=geo |
| By: | José Cadima Ribeiro; Laurentina Cruz Vareiro; Carmen Padin Fabeiro; Xulio Pardellas de Blas |
| Abstract: | This paper unveils the results stemming from two parallel researches, whose scope of analysis was tourism in rural areas (TRA) structures, as established in both northeast regions of the Iberia Peninsula which shape the Euro-region Galicia-North of Portugal. Firstly, a descriptive analysis of the regulations and the TRA supply for both territories is presented, and an evaluation of the strategies which have been followed by the private entrepreneurs and the public administration of each of them, as far as the utilisation of resources is concerned, is done. The symmetries and asymmetries of the touristic structures of those regions are also underlined. In the second part of this study, the above mentioned strategies will be discussed at length seeking to pinpoint how they configure and shape very similar touristic models based upon the use of natural and historical resources, which somehow display common features. Finally, it is sought to materialise a brief conclusion. Key Words: Tourism in Rural Areas (TRA), touristic strategies, TRA models |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p405&r=geo |
| By: | Ute Hansen |
| Abstract: | In the State of Schleswig-Holstein the strategy of economic policy is based on a concept which is known as “Cluster Building”. An economic cluster initiates the networking of all participants in a value-added chain. The objective is to bundle the potentials and competences for increasing the innovation power and competitiveness of the partners in a cluster. Because of internet-technology, business and government networking in a rural area will obtain a driving force. Internet-technologies, like infrastructure, applications, platforms, broadband, enable the business processes between companies, research institutes and government to be networked. eBusiness and eGovernment/eAdministration will cause a fundamental structural change of the private and public sector. Owing to this development, there is a new demand for Economic Policy and Technology Policy. With the strategy of eClustering this demand is taken into account. The partners in an eCluster are networked by processes which are more and more standardised and so able to be supported by online-applications. An eCluster needs a central infrastructure and services. Knowledgemanagement, eLearning, eMarketplaces, personnel management and last but not least eGovernment are the main processes and services of an eCluster. Funding activities focuses on innovative eClustering-projects in the State of Schleswig-Holstein: They should on the one hand increase the demand for broadband infrastructure and services and therewith for the regional development of TIMES (Telecommunication, Information Technology, Multimedia, Entertainment, Security) and on the other hand support networking and eBusiness. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p650&r=geo |
| By: | José Manuel Viegas; Helder Cristovão; João Filipe Camisão Caio Vieira; Elisabete A. Silva |
| Abstract: | Some parts of the Portuguese railway infrastructure have been neglected through time: Rural lines have been abandoned, investment in new infrastructure is sometimes delayed, and marketing strategies to keep or attract more users have not been pursued. Simultaneously, problems with urban congestion, pollution and mobility for the young, the elderly, the poor, and the handicapped are putting forward the discussion about new or more sustainable modes of transportation. Common sense of public officials, other lobbying groups, and the locals demand new, trendy train lines. And while some axes may have the potential to justify rail lines, others seem to lack population or funding to be enabled. One major problem in order to evaluate the worthiness of these rail projects has been the fact that very often the studies of travel demand and physical implantation are done separately. Travel demand analysis is done based on the four-step model (trip generation, distribution, modal split, and network assignment) using survey data and the network system, using a relatively wide zoning. The importance of interacting with other, finer, information (i.e. slope, density of population, environmental sensitivity, or other socio-economic and land use information) with the development of the travel analysis demand will enhance the analysis/results and increase the chance of proposing lines that are both optimal in location and will have the maximum use by the citizens. Off the shelf software is still unable to perform this kind of operations. Some perform the analysis using existing networks, and no information on the land is available besides the zoning system, other software propose lines accordingly to land slopes, but no trip information is included. GIS packages have the capacity to include the land information and some have some transportation analysis, but are lacking computation capabilities and algorithms to perform analysis similar to off-the-shelf transportation software. In order to develop this kind of integrated analysis it is important to have a good knowledge of the algorithms and analysis required by transportation and of the tools/opportunities offered by the GIS packages. This paper presents a methodology that integrates the transportation algorithms with the GIS functionalities, using excel macro-language. The result is an interaction of both travel demand analysis and site selection. The characteristics of the place constrain the travel demand analysis, but on its own the travel demand analysis define not only the buffer of the train line, but systematically enhance the shape of the line and the location of the stops each time the results of a phase of the travel demand analysis is outputted. This paper offers guidelines for those developing travel demand analysis including some site selection criteria, and it can be a starting point for those of whom intend to develop further application of in the GIS fields. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p602&r=geo |
| By: | Seda Kundak |
| Abstract: | Natural hazards, especially earthquakes, cause disasters when they hit large settlements such as metropolitan areas. After the first shock, the damage is counted by deaths and injuries. In a while, the destroying effects of disaster appear on economic asset of the region. Direct losses including damages in buildings and lifelines can caused non-structural or indirect losses as interruption of business activities and services. Loss estimation techniques have been developed to evaluate losses from earthquakes and other natural hazards. Recently, loss estimation models have improved due to advances in information technology and have been automated using Geographic Information Systems. The aim of this paper is to find out economic effects of probable earthquake in Istanbul. In this study, damage ratios of the most probable and the worst-case earthquake scenarios have been used in order to estimate total damage cost from destruction of houses and interruption of business activities. Despite the loss estimation model does not include monetary losses in lifeline system, centers of administration, emergency services and historical assets, the findings show that future losses, caused by a severe earthquake in Marmara Sea, will exceed the total damage cost of Kocaeli earthquake in 1999. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p196&r=geo |
| By: | Castillo Manzano Jose Ignacio; Maria Teresa Arevalo Quijada; Maria Mercedes Castro Nuño |
| Abstract: | Due to legislation changes during the Nineties, the Spanish Port System has gone through a series of changes that, simultaneous with a period of economic expansion and generalized marine traffic growth, have affected the Port System’s composition, organization and operation. The gradual transformations produced by this context, give shape to a new model of operation for Port Authorities, which now start to be managed under business criteria and procedures of functional autonomy, competition, effectiveness and profit, moving away from State dependency, and at the same time allowing greater participation of regional governments. As a result, general purpose Spanish ports develop their activity in a very competitive market, where self financing and financial sufficiency prevail as high-priority management goals. Our work considers these circumstances from the approach offered by multiple objective decision models, in order to study the performance evolution of Port Authorities, using certain ratios with economic meaning which will allow determining how their relative ranking within the national set has varied. The great variety of available business ratios and the different concepts to analyze give the problem a discrete multicriteria dimension. Thus we have chosen the Promethee method for our analysis, given its results simplicity and easy understanding for the decision agent, the economic interpretation of its parameters, and the stability of its results. In addition, scale effects between different alternatives are eliminated, allowing the possibility of incomparability among them and offering a sensitivity analysis of the effects. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p647&r=geo |
| By: | Maria Manuel Pinho; Linda Veiga |
| Abstract: | We use a large and unexplored dataset covering all mainland Portuguese municipalities from 1979 to 2001 to evaluate the impact of political forces in the allocation of grants from the central government to local authorities. Empirical results clearly show that, besides variables that proxy the social and economic development of municipalities, political variables also condition the granting system: (1) grants increase in municipal and legislative election years; (2) the larger the number of years a mayor has been in office the larger the amount of funds transferred to his municipality; (3) municipalities ruled by mayors that belong to the prime-minister’s party are favored in the grants distribution process. Keywords: grants, intergovernmental relations, public choice, Portugal JEL classification: H77, D72, D78 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p192&r=geo |
| By: | Stephane Hess; John W. Polak |
| Abstract: | Parking policy is an important component of contemporary travel demand management policies. The effectiveness of many parking policy measures depends on influencing parking type choice, so that understanding the factors affecting these choices is of considerable practical importance. Yet, academic interest in this issue has been, at best, intermittent. This paper reports the results of an analysis of parking choice behaviour, based on a stated preference (SP) dataset, collected in various city centre locations in the UK. The analysis advances the state of the art in the analysis of parking choice behaviour by using a mixed multinomial logit (MMNL) model, capable of accommodating random heterogeneity in travellers’ tastes and potential correlation structure induced by repeated observations being made of the same individuals. The results of the analysis indicate that taste heterogeneity is a major factor in parking type choice. Accommodating this heterogeneity leads to significantly different conclusions regarding the influence of substantive factors such as access, search and egress time and on the treatment of potential fines for illegal parking. It also has important effects on the implied willingness to pay for timesavings and on the distribution of this willingness in the population. Our analysis also reveals important differences in parking behaviour across different journey purposes, and the models reveal an important locational effect, in such that the results of the analysis vary substantively across the three locations used in the SP surveys. Finally, the paper also discusses a number of technical issues related to the specification of taste heterogeneity that are of wider significance in the application of the MMNL model. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p60&r=geo |
| By: | Nils Karl Sørensen |
| Abstract: | Foreigners’ demand for hotel nights in Denmark by nationality are examined using monthly time series covering 30years, and divided into 11 nationalities. Special attention is given to the role of seasonality. Three univariate seasonal presentations of non-stationary data with different characteristics are considered, a stochastic, deterministic, and an error correction mechanism (ECM) approach taking into account economic as well as climatic variables. Based on a presentation of different measures to evaluate the forecasting performance a model selection is under taken. It is found that the single variable presentations in most cases are superior to the ECM. On the other hand the ECM presentation provides a more detailed description of the evolution of inbound tourism. In many cases it is found that the climatic indicators have significant influence on tourism. With regard to the single variable models it is found that seasonality in general is of stochastic nature, but the deterministic presentation is in many cases superior in forecasting performance. Theme: Tourism, regional econometric modelling Key words: Tourism, seasonality, fore casting, climatic variables. JEL Classification: C32. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p92&r=geo |
| By: | Michel Mignolet; Nathalie Eyckmans; Olivier Meunier |
| Abstract: | For decades, most industrialised countries have implemented some forms of fiscal and financial incentives to stimulate fixed capital formation. Tax cuts and capital grants are of great use in regional policy. Since these instruments mobilise huge amounts of public resources the issue of their efficiency is of particular interest for policymakers. The impact of taxation on investment income was traditionally apprehended through models measuring the effective tax rate on marginal investments. However recent literature, especially Devereux and Griffith (2002), showed the interest of resorting to an alternative tax measure – the effective average tax rate (EATR) - when firms face discrete investment choices that are expected to generate positive economic rent before tax. This effective average tax rate is defined by the difference between the net present value of the rent of the investment before and after taxes scaled by the net present value of the pre-tax income stream. In this sense, the effective average tax rate developed by Devereux and Griffith (2002) seems to be particularly relevant to shed a new light on the relative effectiveness of tax cuts and capital subsidy grants. In this paper we intend to compare the costs for public authorities to lower the corporate tax rate or to grant a capital subsidy. These public costs are directly affected by the variation of the after-tax revenue earned by the shareholder. The extent to which each policy must be implemented depends on the channel chosen by the government to stimulate investment. We pay attention to two of these channels: a reduction of the capital cost and a lowering of the EATR. Finally, in order to illustrate the relevance of our approach, we developed a numerical example for the Belgian case. JEL Classification: H25, H32 and R58 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p541&r=geo |
| By: | Peter Friedrich; Anita Kaltschütz; Chang Woon Nam |
| Abstract: | The idea of fiscal decentralisation has become increasingly fashionable world-wide. In some developed countries the systems of intergovernmental finance have evolved gradually and each country has unique features. Transition countries on different continents have had differing reasons and motivations for such reforms. More recently, the acknowledgement of subsidiarity as the basic principle for the European Un-ion, the introduction of the West German federal system in the eastern part of the country, the revival of regionalism in European countries are distinctive examples of the decentralisation process in Europe. Following the equalisation objectives, one tends to argue that those municipalities with greater spending needs automatically require more financial support from central or upper-level government. Yet, the sum of grants to municipalities should basically be induced from the comparison of their expenditure needs with local fiscal capacity from their own resources such as local tax revenues and fees. Surely the expenditure behaviour of municipalities is also, to a great extent, influenced by their present fiscal capacity and by the size of local debts. Four European countries were chosen to survey the recent development of local finance: the UK, Germany, Poland and Switzerland. This paper firstly identifies and highlights the similarities and differences in municipal finance in an international context. Secondly it theoretically examines the possibility of enhancing fiscal autonomy of local governments through increasing revenues from fees. Keywords: fiscal decentralisation, local expenditures and taxes, shared taxes, intergovernmental transfers, municipal borrowings, Poland, the UK, Switzerland, Germany |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p288&r=geo |
| By: | Annekatrin Niebuhr; Silvia Stiller |
| Abstract: | While barriers to trade between EU-15 and accession countries have been completely abolished on May 1st 2004, other integration impediments remain to exist in the enlarged EU. These will steadily decrease within the next years, e.g. by new member states joining the Schengen Treaty and Euro area. A significant outstanding integration step is the liberalisation of labour mobility between EU-15 and new member states which will be realised not later than 2011. In this context it is often argued that the free movement of labour could worsen labour market problems in the former EU-15, especially in regions neighbouring the new member countries. This paper provides an assessment of the impact of enlargement on labour markets in the German-Polish border region. As a starting point for the analysis, current labour market conditions and income disparities in the German-Polish border region are analysed. Furthermore, the paper summarises relevant implications of migration theories and gives an outlook on the development of factors determining cross-border labour migration in the German-Polish border region. Finally, different estimates of migration and commuting potential affecting labour markets in the German-Polish border region until 2020 are discussed. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p234&r=geo |
| By: | Maria Jesus Delgado Rodriguez; Inmaculada Alvarez Ayuso |
| Abstract: | This work decompose labor-productivity grotwh and convergence in EU into components attributable to technological change (shifts in the European production frontier), technological catch-up (movements toward or away from the frontier) and factor accumulation (movement toward or away from the frontier). This work extends previous researchs considering public capital and human capitas as additional productive inputs and analysing its separate constribution to convergence as components of factor accumulation. In the case of human capital, we also test its rate effect as determinant factor of technical change. With this purpose we applied the Malmquist index of total factor productivity to an European data base to provide evidence for the 15 EU State Members. The results show that growth is primarily driven by factor accumulation which contribution is fundamental for lagging countries. We do not find evidence of any significant convergence over the whole period studied related to integration with factor accumulation and efficiency change as important factors of convergence while technical change (encouraged by greater human capital) has worked against it. Key words: Human Capital, Malmquist Index, Source of Convergence. JEL Classification: O47 H54 D24 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p164&r=geo |
| By: | Ilaria Mariotti; Giacinto Micucci; Pasqualino Montanaro |
| Abstract: | Traditionally, scholars describe Italian industrial districts (IDs) as closed manufacturing systems of SMEs embedded in local contexts, able to interact with the outside only at the two ends of the value chain and where well-identified firms were in charge of managing the relationships with final markets (Becattini, 1989; 2002; Piore and Sabel, 1984). However, at the end of the nineteen-eighties and during the nineties, even local systems of SMEs (IDs) perceived the importance of increasing their contacts with firms outside the local district area. The emerging delocalisation process carried out by Italian district SMEs highlights their abilities to globalise not only by selling products manufactured locally in international markets (export-based perspective), but also in terms of the international reorganisation of local supply chains. The purpose of the paper is twofold. First, we investigate whether the internationalization strategies by district SMEs are independent or complementary to each other. Second, we test if they are linked to the lack of low-skilled labour force. The questions will be addressed using data-sample of about 700 district firms (Bank of Italy database). The paper is organised as follows. A general introduction is followed by a discussion of the internationalisation strategies adopted by Italian SMEs. Section three focuses on the internationalisation process of the IDs and offers a review of studies on the subject. Section four presents an empirical analysis on the process as undergone by a sample of district SMEs. The results of the econometric model are described in section five and some ideas for further research are forwarded in the conclusions. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p436&r=geo |
| By: | Peder Axensten; Zhongxin Chen; Shenghe Liu |
| Abstract: | This paper is on work in progress. The China Model exists and runs fast and usually reliably although it still has very simple behavioural modules that do not produce very reliable results. The purpose of the paper is to present the structure, content, and current state of validity of the model. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p631&r=geo |
| By: | Bernardo Sánchez Pavón |
| Abstract: | Rural environment makes important contributions to the society. These contributions will depend, to a great extent, on the role which will be assigned to it in the future. In Galicia (Spain), serious problems of rural population drift and impoverishment of its rural areas have been revealed. So, authorities have made a great effort in order to palliate this situation. An integrated development of rural habitat has been proposed (Plan Estratégico de Desarrollo Económico (PEDEGA 2000-2006)), choosing a model that we could describe as ‘attenuated top-down’. The purpose of this essay is to analyse this model and to make several proposals which could improve its implementation. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p676&r=geo |
| By: | Jens Petter Gitlesen; Inge Thorsen; Jan Ubøe |
| Abstract: | In this paper we perform a simulation procedure of testing models for journeys to work. The testing regime is carried out on a number of such models, mainly within the class of gravity models. We test the models on synthetic populations constructed from an aggregated set of a large number of worker subcategories, reflecting for instance different qualifications. Each subcategory is constructed from a gravity model where the population size and parameters are drawn from random distributions. The advantage of this approach is that a large number of tests can be carried out repeatedly to test the response of different kinds of models. We test how specific attributes of the spatial structure and worker heterogeneity are captured by different modelling alternatives. In addition we find that some model formulations falsely tend to report significant contributions to characteristics that were not taken into account in the data generating simulation process. This illustrates the imminent risk of drawing wrong conclusions in empirical work. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p420&r=geo |
| By: | José da Silva Costa; Ester Gomes Silva |
| Abstract: | The application of the rational choice postulate to a political context invariably leads to the conclusion that most voters are ill informed when making the decision for whom to vote. In this paper, the authors do an empirical evaluation of the rational ignorance theory, based on the results of the 1997 Portuguese Local Elections. The results only partially sustain the hypothesis of rational ignorance, although it is also possible to identify several limitations that prevent the establishment of definite conclusions in this specific field.JEL Classification: H7 Key words: Voter’s Behaviour; Local Elections; Local Governments; Portugal. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p52&r=geo |
| By: | Mário Rui Silva; Hermano Rodrigues |
| Abstract: | In this contribution, we analyse the pattern of the so-called PIP (Partnerships and Public Initiatives) that have been approved between 2000 and mid-2003 in the POE1 framework. In particular, we will evaluate the extent of decentralisation that this new instrument has generated in competitiveness policy. Partnership approaches are a relatively recent phenomenon, but partnerships have received widespread attention and support from economic and political agents, including policy makers at national, regional and local levels. In fact, the term “public-private partnership” covers a wide range of concepts and practices. In our contribution, we will focus on partnerships in a competitiveness policy framework. In a first section, we discuss briefly the meaning and the extent of what we call competitiveness policy. Then, in a second section, we focus our attention in public-private partnerships as a specific instrument for policy. In particular, we make a first assessment on the distinctive principles that differentiate public-private partnerships from more traditional instruments such as direct investment in public agencies or direct subventions to firms. We follow the perspective that these principles, mainly decentralization of policy, may contribute to a greater effectiveness of policy, because a more decentralised policy is supposed to increase focus and accountability and to involve agencies with specialized skills and a more narrow range of objectives. But, also, we will refer that some inefficiencies and some lack of equity may arise from the use of private-public partnerships instrument. Finally, in the main section of this contribution, we will analyse the above-mentioned questions considering the case of the 131 PIP projects approved and financed by the POE between 2000 and mid-2003. As the major part of the variables used are nominal, and in order to define the decentralization pattern induced by this new instrument, we will use multivariate data analysis techniques in order to establish associations between several variables linked to decentralisation criteria and, also, to identify clusters of projects. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p299&r=geo |
| By: | Fernando Perobelli; Eduardo Haddad |
| Abstract: | The relationship between trade and growth has been a familiar topic of discussion in the development literature. More often, the question posed concerns the effects of international trade on economic growth, and thus focuses on trade as an active “agent” of growth. This active role played by international trade can be found in many different models. Todaro (1994) concludes that trade can be an important stimulus to rapid economic growth, although it might not be a desirable strategy for economic and social development. The contribution to development depends on the nature of the export sector, the distribution of its benefits, and the sector’s linkages with the rest of the economy. It seems that, to the extent we are only interested in the effects of international trade on pure economic growth, there is a consensus that trade can provide an important stimulus to growth. At the sub-national level, the export base theory provides the foundations to different models of regional development. Recently, however, given the focus on globalization issues and the implicit assumption that a region’s economic future is inextricably tied with its ability to compete in the international export market, international trade has attracted the attention of regional analysts as well. In this paper we address some of these issues. An interstate CGE model is implemented to simulate the likely implications of state export growth on the structure of the Brazilian economic interregional system. Key-words: regional development, computable general equilibrium, trade. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p464&r=geo |
| By: | José Vieira; João Couto; Maria Teresa Borges-Tiago |
| Abstract: | The interest in the analysis of job satisfaction has increased among economists. Indeed, reported levels of satisfaction have been seen as a good predictor of individual behaviour such as job turnover, productivity and absenteeism. Because of this, several studies have tried to identify the determinants of job satisfaction. This paper is concerned with job satisfaction in Portugal. For this purpose, we use the first six waves of the European Household Panel Data (ECHP). The panel nature of the data allows us to use a random effects estimator in order to control for unobservable individual heterogeneity. The results indicate that wages matter for job satisfaction but do not tell the whole story. In particular, having a good health status, a permanent contract and working the public sector influences positively the level satisfaction. We also find a great heterogeneity in satisfaction by regions, even in a small country as Portugal. These findings are valid for overall job satisfaction as well as for satisfaction with specific job domains such as pay, security, type of work and hours worked. Key words: job satisfaction, wages, regions, unobserved heterogeneity JEL Code: J28 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p667&r=geo |
| By: | Michel Dimou |
| Abstract: | Small islands economic development may follow different pathways, according to the particular combination of growth mechanisms. A comparative study of the long term growth in Mauritius and in La Reunion, two islands with strong historical, sociological and cultural links, shows that they are engaged in two different process of industrialization. La Reunion has |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p190&r=geo |
| By: | Ossi Korkeamäki; Roope Uusitalo |
| Abstract: | The Finnish government implemented a temporary exemption from employer social insurance contributions for the employers that are located in high unemployment areas of the Northern Finland. The payroll tax exemption was designed as an experiment that aimed to evaluate employment effects of a regional payroll tax reduction. As a result of the experiment payroll taxes were reduced by 3 – 6 percentage points for three years beginning in January 2003. In this paper we evaluate the employment and wage effects of the regionally targeted payroll tax reduction. We compare the employment and wage changes in the target region to the employment and wage changes in a control region with a similar unemployment rate and industry structure than the target region. As finding an identical control region is not possible, we adopt a matching procedure by choosing, for each firm in the target region, a matched pair from the control region. We perform propensity score matching and use the estimated propensities as balancing scores to create a control group of firms that is similar to the treatment group in all the observable pre-treatment characteristics. We then estimate the effect of the payroll tax reduction using difference-in-differences estimators, essentially comparing employment and wage changes between the matched pairs after the start of the experiment. We report results from both nearest neighbour and kernel matched comparison groups. To enhance the transparency of the evaluation we have created the matched firm pairs from the plant database of Statistics Finland and designed and published the evaluation method before any data on employment or wage outcomes were available in December 2003. We will follow the employment change of the selected firms based on annual tax reports that will be available in March 2004. Detailed information on the wage responses will be added to the report in May 2004 based on the payroll data of the members of The Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers and The Employers Federation of the Service Industries. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p350&r=geo |
| By: | Lívia Madureira |
| Abstract: | Traditional farming systems are declining rapidly in Portugal. These labour intensive and low productivity systems are incompatible with depopulation and ageing of rural areas. This lack of socio-economic sustainability endangers nature and landscape conservation. Agri-environmental measures, applied in European Union since 1994, can be seen as potential answer to that problem in the Portuguese case. But to be effective, these measures need to be part of an integrated strategy directed to mitigate depopulation. The NGOs and the official organisations related to nature and landscape conservation are aware of that and acknowledge it in the National Strategy for Nature and Biodiversity Conservation. This decline in the farming external benefits supply happens simultaneously with the increasing of its demand. General public, of all ages and socio-economic strata, wants rural nature and landscape conservation for use and nonuse purposes. Contingent Valuation studies conducted in the North of Portugal (Santos, 1997; Madureira, 2001) show a positive willingness to pay of visitors and general public to assure traditional agrarian landscape conservation. To preserve the rural cultural heritage is the main reason presented by the public to stand for landscape maintenance. Official data on land use and demographic trends, data on touristic demand for rural areas and empirical evidence on public preferences for rural nature and landscape attributes are used to witness these different directions in supply and demand for farming external benefits. A closer look to this divergence is taken for the case of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro. This Region contains various typical landscapes where farmer’s action shaped nature in a singular way. This feature attracts many tourists and visitants, which number is expected to grow, specially for Douro vineyards classified as Humanity Patrimony. But all of these landscapes are, to a more or less extent, risking being abandon or restructured to allow mechanisation. Afforestation it is also becoming an alternative pattern in soil occupation at the Region. Thus, this Region exemplifies very well the social and political choices that come up in the context presented in this communication: (1) Which landscapes to preserve? How much of it? And (2) How to do it? Use Beneficiary Pays Principle or Provider Gets based mechanisms? The first questions are mainly social issues, making evident the importance of getting information on public preferences for related political decisions. The second group asks for political choices, where the main challenge is to define and implement solutions capable of tuning in societal choices with local population and economic agents aspirations and resources. Without these solutions traditional landscape will disappear. Some face that as inevitability. But should it be so? The general public seems to disagree with that. And increasing touristic demand indicates opportunities for local development through farming external benefits valorisation. Bringing evidence and discussion on these questions is the main purpose of this communication. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p558&r=geo |
| By: | Alan Townsend; Janet Tully |
| Abstract: | In the UK the formal land-use planning system is once more at a crossroads with the unprecedented levels of public comment on the recent Governmental Green Paper on Planning. A recent international report on the planning process in Westernised countries highlighted a dearth of public participation in the UK planning system this is despite an obvious undercurrent of concern on environmental issues and the like. The paper sets out to gauge the extent of public interest in the Planning system, in the light of current proposals to revise it. The paper concentrates on the nature of public participation in Planning and to consider whether the public are more satisfied with process, seeing it as fair and robust, if they are more actively involved in the process of consultation. Other aspects to consider are the need to seek consultation from the wider public, not just individuals and special interest groups. There are several forgotten frontiers of the past effort to promote public participation. Theory dating from the 1970s exposed differences between sociological approaches in Planning and solutions tended to be lost in complexity of Local Development Plans. Subsequent theory (Healey 1997) has argued for the need to reconcile plural interests across localities. What is neglected in the research is the fuller appreciation of the actual public interest by those in the Planning system. A recent international report by Heriott-Watt University, Edinburgh and DePaul University, Chicago called for the notion of ‘public participation’ to be turned on its head and instead encourage the practice of ‘participatory planning’- the use of third parties to pre-mediate conflicts between stakeholders before and during the process of an open consultation as opposed to seeking public opinions after the plans have been drawn. This paper aims to review the modernising agenda and set out the case for shifting public participation to participatory planning within the context of the UK. Particularly pertinent due to recent recommendations to increase sustainability communities. It uses several qualitative case studies drawn from urban planning authorities and rural districts from the UK, which reveal Local Planning Authorities may be as yet unprepared to fully grasp the concepts underpinning the notion of participatory planning. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p51&r=geo |
| By: | Cristina Borra; Luis Palma |
| Abstract: | Previous work in the demand for freight transportation has focused in the rail-truck substitution problem, leaving aside the prior own-account versus third-party trade-off, often found in transportation decision-making. The purpose of this paper is to analyze shippers’ behavior relative to this question, paying particular attention to whether the decision to use a private form of transport is taken on a short term or on a medium term horizon. In order to provide a quantitative evaluation, as an illustrative case, the models developed are tested on data gathered by means of a sample survey conducted to Andalusian enterprises belonging to the food industry. JEL classification: R410: Transportation: Supply, Demand and Congestion. C350: Econometric Methods: Multiple/Simultaneous Equation Models: Truncated and Censored Models. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p163&r=geo |
| By: | Jørgen Lauridsen; Jesus Mur |
| Abstract: | The robustness of the results coming from an econometric application depends to a great extent on the quality of the sampling information. This statement is a general rule that becomes especially relevant in a spatial context where data usually have lots of irregularities. The purpose of our paper is to examine more closely this question paying attention to one point in particular, namely outliers. The presence of outliers in the sample may be useful, for example in order to break some multicollinearity relations but they may also result in other inconsistencies. The main aspect of our work is that we resolve the discussion in a spatial context, looking closely into the behaviour shown, under several unfavourable conditions, by the most outstanding misspecification tests. For this purpose, we plan and solve a Monte Carlo simulation. The conclusions point to the fact that these statistics react in a different way to the problems posed. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p27&r=geo |
| By: | Olga Ivanova |
| Abstract: | Discussions of road pricing have paid relatively small attention to the potential effects on the provision of public transport services in a region as depending upon the level of competition in a public transit sector. The present paper uses a fairly simple transport network equilibrium model of the greater Oslo region of Norway in order to investigate the impacts of road pricing upon the performance of bus transit sector. Empirical analysis is performed for the case of publicly and privately owned bus transit including the cases of monopoly, oligopoly and perfect competition. Analysis performed in the paper captures the present state of bus transit in the greater Oslo region as well as its possible future developments. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p107&r=geo |
| By: | Jan Capek |
| Abstract: | The e-government should start with electronic collaboration of governmental departments. Several services, like email, video conference, discussion forums, use of shared documents, etc. should be supported for assisting the efficient and productive collaboration of remote governmental departments. Since the functionality of the provided services is well known, no detailed description of each service phase is provided. The services for citizens are offered through so called governmental portals. The typical use of a governmental portal is to provide information to the citizens and to support several types of citizen–government transactions (e.g. issuing birth certificates, submitting tax forms, conducting electronic payments, etc.). These services open security requirements for an e-Government platform. Their compilation has been based on the security requirements derived for each independent service suite, for the Authentication processes |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p619&r=geo |
| By: | Linda Veiga; Francisco Veiga |
| Abstract: | The political article tests for rational political business cycles models on an unexplored and large data set of Portuguese municipalities. This data allows for a clean test of the models due to its high level of detail on expenditure items, an exogenous fixed election schedule and the homogeneity of local governments with respect to policy instruments and institutions. Estimation results clearly reveal the opportunistic behaviour of local governments, that in pre-electoral periods, increase expenditure on items highly visible to the electorate such as roads and street construction, in an effort to signal competence and increase their chances of re-election. JEL classification: H72, D72, D78 Keywords: political business cycles, public finance, local governments |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p427&r=geo |
| By: | Antonio Vazquez-Barquero; Emilio Carrillo |
| Abstract: | The Cartuja 93 Technological Park was created in 1993 and was located at the site of the World’s Fair that took place in Sevilla in 1992. The Park’s emergence and formation, between 1993 and 1999, was a slow and dificult process and during this period it was very common among social scientists to refer to it as as a failure, as the deserted Cartuja. At present, however, it seems that Cartuja 93 is consolidated and has become an urban Tecnological Park. Within Sevilla’s technopolis, research and development centers, technology transfer units and high technology and advanced service firms are located. The paper describes the formation and consolidation process of Cartuja 93, analyses the changes and transformation of the technopolis and asses the results of the Technological Park. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p486&r=geo |
| By: | Lauri Dieter Frank; Sarolta Németh |
| Abstract: | Estonia has shown somewhat remarkable developments in the telecommunications – or more precisely, building up an efficient network of modern information and telecommunications technologies (ICTs) for the Information Society. This paper takes a look at the development of telecommunications infrastructure networks and services in Estonia. The study also evalu-ates what other countries could learn from Estonia. More specifically, by this study we at-tempt at answering whether Estonia is as successful as data suggests, what the factors behind this success are, and whether there are lessons to be learned for the entire European territory. The paper introduces to the development of the telecommunications infrastructure and ser-vices in Estonia, by presenting facts and figures, and comparing the progress of the country with that of other European countries. It also discusses the measures that have helped Estonia on the road to Information Society. The results show that in summary the success of Estonia seems to have been a result of three things: Proximity of Finland and Sweden, active regula-tion and relative early liberalization, and a competition and entrant friendly market environ-ment. The paper is an outgrowth of the ESPON (European Spatial Planning Observation Net-work) project 1.2.2 “Telecommunications Services and Networks: Territorial Trends and Ba-sic Supply of Infrastructure for Territorial Cohesion” (see: http://www.espon.lu). |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p258&r=geo |
| By: | José Manuel Cruz |
| Abstract: | When estimating a specification combining different influences on local public choice, three public issues of different ideological attributes were compared for two periods of Portuguese local government intervention: the beginning and the ending of one electoral cycle. The most exciting results of the paper are the significance of ideology at local level and the decline of its importance in the ending of the electoral cycle. There is also some evidence on the political influence of interest groups, especially in low visible issues. On the general issue, majority is also influent and fiscal illusion is found. Some preliminary panel data results including two electoral cycles are analyzed. JEL CLASSIFICATION: H42; H73; R51 KEYWORDS: Median Voter; Interest Groups; Ideology; Local Government, Opportunistic Political Cycle |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p367&r=geo |
| By: | George Korres; Emmanuel Marmaras; George Tsobanoglou |
| Abstract: | How inequality is generated and how it reproduces over time? This has been a major concern of social scientists for more than a century. The changes in aggregate or average income is a good measure for economic growth but is far from being the only one. There is an increasing “inequality” throughout the world. Over the period 1960-2000, the richest 5 % of the world’s nations averaged a per-capita income that was about twenty-nine times the corresponding figure for the poorest 5 %. Poverty also affects other forms of economic and social functioning. The measurement of poverty is based on the notion of poverty line, which is constructed from monetary estimates of minimum needs. Poverty is highly correlated with the lack of education, and there is an intimate connection between nutrition and poverty. The measurement of inequality is a highly controversial one. It is a field in which there are large differences in social judgments, which translate themselves into differences in social judgments, such as the measure of inequality or the choice of equivalence scale. Social and Economic indicators demonstrate the data for the population based measures on economic, social and health outcomes and answer the question about inequality and well being. This article attempts to examine the relationship between inequality and the process of socio-economic development and also to overview the theories of income inequality and to measure the income distribution and moreover to investigate the role and the effects on socio-economic growth. Keywords: Income distribution, inequality, poverty, convergence, growth. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p500&r=geo |
| By: | Juan Carlos Duque; Raúl Ramos |
| Abstract: | One of the main questions to solve when analysing geographically added information consists of the design of territorial units adjusted to the objectives of the study. In fact, in those cases where territorial information is aggregated, ad-hoc criteria are usually applied as there are not regionalization methods flexible enough. Moreover, and without taking into account the aggregation method applied, there is an implicit risk that is known in the literature as Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP) (Openshaw, 1984). This problem is related with the high sensitivity of statistical and econometric results to different aggregations of geographical data, which can negatively affect the robustness of the analysis. In this paper, an optimization model is proposed with the aim of identifying homogenous territorial units related with the analyzed phenomena. This model seeks to reduce some disadvantages found in previous works about automated regionalisation tools. In particular, the model not only considers the characteristics of each element to group but also, the relationships among them, trying to avoid the MAUP. An algoritm, known as RASS (Regionalization Algorithm with Selective Search) it also proposed in order to obtain faster results from the model. The obtained results permit to affirm that the proposed methodology is able to identify a great variety of territorial configurations, taking into account the contiguity constraint among the different elements to be grouped. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p6&r=geo |
| By: | Heikki A. Loikkanen; Ilkka Susiluoto |
| Abstract: | Cost efficiency of basic welfare service provision in 353 Finnish municipalities in 1994-2002 is investigated in an ongoing study. The municipal sector has a central role in the Finnish economy as a provider of welfare services. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a non-parametric linear programming method is employed, calculating a best practise production frontier for the decision making units, and comparing the various DMUs with this frontier. The inputs consisted of four to ten of the most important services in health, social and educational sector. As the combined output, total real production costs of these services were used. According to the results efficiency differences were considerable between the municipalities, and a small group of a peripheral municipalities scored clearly below the others. Annual changes in cost efficiency were estimated. At the second stage, differences in the DEA efficiency scores were explained by using Tobit panel models. It was found that larger population and peripheral geographic position tend to reduce efficiency of municipal service production, while higher education level of inhabitants increases it. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p283&r=geo |
| By: | Bernardo Batiz-Lazo (Bristol Business School); Robert Locke (University of Hawaii Manoa); Kristine Müller (Independent scholar) |
| Abstract: | This article looks at the past development and potential of the Rhenish capitalist model. We discuss the origins and nature of the model and the model in crisis. Because, we contend, Rhineland capitalism’s future will be decided in East-Central Europe, we focus – using a survey questionnaire – on bank customers perceptions of bank governance and practice in the Polish-German city of Zgorzelec-Görlitz. The experience of Dresdner Bank is stressed as is the fact that the local people not long before lived under Communism. A control group in the UK is used to ascertain the presence of German management traditions as opposed to Anglo-American approaches to management in the context of retail bank markets. |
| Keywords: | banking, corporate governance, UK, Poland, Germany, cross border services |
| JEL: | N |
| Date: | 2005–08–22 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wpa:wuwpeh:0508003&r=geo |
| By: | Deokho Cho; Seungryu Ma |
| Abstract: | The goal of this study is to identify the long-term relationship between housing value and interest rate in the Korean housing market, using the Cointegration Test and Spectral Analysis. The result shows the long-term negative (-) equilibrium relationship between housing values and interest rate. Moreover, the Granger Causality Test for confirming the short-term dynamic relationship between these variables notes the one-way causality from interest rate to the change rate of housing and the transfer function model certifies concretely the causal structure of this relationship. The result of this study suggests that the interest rate adjustment policy in the Korean housing market can work very effectively and it will contribute to forecast the change of future housing values hereafter. Keywords: Dynamic relationship; Housing value; Interest rate; Cointegration and spectral analysis; Long term equilibrium |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p323&r=geo |
| By: | Ignacio Lago-Peñas; Santiago Lago-Peñas |
| Abstract: | The quest for political support drives to upward deviations from forecasted public deficits when i) budget procedures are soft, ii) breaking promises involving higher expenditures and lower taxes is costly in political terms, and iii) ex–post control by voters and political opposition is imperfect. This hypothesis is tested using data from Spanish municipalities during the period 1985-1995. Econometric estimates show that single-party majority incumbents are less prone to change forecasted budgets. While their forecasted deficits tend to be higher, they have lower actual deficits, which may be interpreted as the consequence of a higher consistency in the budgetary process. Secondly, upward deviations in deficit tend to rise in election years. While forecasted deficits are not different in election years, actual deficits are. Moreover, elections cause systematic downward deviations in revenues. On the contrary, the ideology of the incumbent is not relevant to explain deviations in deficit. Key words: Budget deficits, local governments, budget procedures, electoral promises. JEL CLASIFFICATION: H74 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p613&r=geo |
| By: | Gert-Jan Linders |
| Abstract: | Barriers to international trade are more sizeable than can be accounted for on the basis of formal trade barriers and transport costs alone. Search costs in the international marketplace and insecurity of property and contract enforcement have recently been stressed to explain this observation. This paper proposes that both elements can be combined to explain observed trade patterns. Distinguishing between homogeneous and differentiated product groups, we estimate gravity equations to investigate how patterns of bilateral trade are affected by variation in the quality of institutions across countries. JEL codes: F14, F15 Keywords: institutions, bilateral trade, gravity model, sectoral analysis, markets |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p357&r=geo |
| By: | Juana Domínguez-Domínguez; José Javier Núñez-Velázques; Luis Felipe Rivera-Galicia |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is to analyze the evolution of poverty in the 15 countries of E.U., whose household income data is available through the information contained in the European Community Household Panel (ECHP). Several indicators have been proposed in economic literature for measuring poverty, but they may produce different orderings when cases are compared. In this work, a set of poverty one-dimensional indicators are chosen, which best verify some desirable properties. A modification of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is proposed to calculate synthetic cross-sectional measures of poverty using this set of indicators. In order to obtain comparable values throughout time, in addition to cross-sectional sense, joint consideration of single poverty indicators is proposed, independently of their temporary period of reference. Therefore, applying common space analysis to these cross-sectional synthetic measures, a common frame of comparison and a homogeneous weighting structure are obtained, which are stable throughout time. This powerful tool allows static as well as dynamic comparisons, among the EU countries. Furthermore, the determination of groups of countries according to their characteristics in poverty will be accomplished. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p582&r=geo |
| By: | Gemma Larramona; Jesus Clemente; Pedro Garcia-Castrillo |
| Abstract: | In this paper we analyze the effects on the welfare of heterogeneous native workers in the context of the presence of legal and illegal immigrants, and where the main instrument of economic policy takes the form of entry quotas. In the framework of a model of overlapping generations, we find that these effects are not monotonous. More particularly, we note that in certain circumstances the effects on the native workers of a change in the quota are opposite in nature, depending on whether or not these workers are qualified. The key aspect of this result is, on the one hand, the effect of illegal immigration on wages and, on the other, the part of income generated by the illegal immigrants that is appropriated by the natives for managing this “informal” labour market. Keywords: Illegal immigration; entry quotas; qualification. JEL: F22, J61,J68. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p125&r=geo |
| By: | Argentino Pessoa |
| Abstract: | The aggregate picture of world economic growth shows a remarkable diversity in growth performance, both geographically and across time. We find high growth countries and low growth countries; countries that have grown rapidly throughout time, and countries that have experienced growth spurts for a decade or two; countries that took off around 1980, and countries whose growth collapsed around 1980. What is the role of policy in this diversity? How can policy help transform this picture? This paper tries to answer these questions, analysing the performance of the high growth developing countries and the way they developed institutional innovations. Analysis of the success story of China, with an astonishing annual growth rate of 8.0 percent since the late 1970s, together with other well-known East Asian experiences that have taken place in countries such as South Korea and Taiwan, provide the basis to build some stylised facts about the take-off and the process of sustaining economic growth. On the other hand, the experience of liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation in countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru have offered substantial evidence that allows us to question the standard formulae used to propel and maintain economic growth. The paper puts forth three main conclusions that could be extensive to the growth of sub-national regions: a) Successful reforms are those that put together sound economic principles and local capabilities, constraints and opportunities; b) Economic growth is not the natural order of things, and setting up a fair and levelled ground may not be enough to stimulate productive dynamism; c) Institutional innovation requires a not be enough to stimulate productive dynamism; pragmatic approach that avoids ideological lock-in. Keywords: Economic growth, development policy, market/government failure, institutions, spillovers, stylised facts. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p157&r=geo |
| By: | Kondoh Kenji |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates permanent and temporary immigration and remittance under the coexistence of unionized and non-unionized manufacturing firms in a two-sector economy. The impacts of immigration as well as remittance on respectively wages, employment, the union-nonunion wage gap and national welfare are analyzed. It is found that permanent immigration brings positive effects on most variables (except the competitive wage), but enlarges the wage gap and causes income redistribution. The effects of temporary immigration diverge depending on which sector immigrants are allowed to work in and which good is remitted more heavily. In particular, if temporary immigrants work in manufacturing only, then all wages and the union-nonunion wage gap fall. JEL Classification Numbers: F22, J51 Keywords: Temporary and Permanent Immigration, Labor Unions, Remittance, Wages |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p58&r=geo |
| By: | Xulio Pardellas de Blas; Carmen Padin Fabeiro |
| Abstract: | The new configuration of the Euro-region Galicia-Northern Portugal is in need of a debate on the problems regarding its development. Important questions arise, such as the organization and planning of common tourism destinations. In this paper important and valuable scientific literature on this topic and data from a study carried out by the authors for the Eixo Atlántico in 2001 are used to implement some instruments for their application to the Euro-region. The model presented here is a systemic elaboration of the design of the Euro-region as a common tourism destination in which a formal structure of its elements is provided, which will prove useful to managers and planners in their analysis of situations and in decision-making processes. Key words: common destinations, cross-border regions, planning. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p128&r=geo |
| By: | Chang Woon Nam; Doina Maria Radulescu |
| Abstract: | Not only transition countries but also a large number of developing (and developed) countries have established free economic zones (FEZs) with the aim of attracting for-eign capital by providing tax incentives, creating employment opportunities and pro-moting exports as well as regional development. Major theoretical justifications for the establishment of such economic zones generally maintain that there are economies of scale in the development of land and in the provision of common services and utilities as well as external economies of agglomeration by having similar industries grouped together. One of the main characteristics of FEZs is the provision of generous tax in-vestment promotion schemes solely allowed in this enclave. In general such measures include: (a) profit tax exemption, (b) free or accelerated depreciation, (c) investment tax allowance, (d) subsidy for investment costs, etc. The incentive effects of various tax con-cessions on firms’ investment decisions can be compared on the basis of the net present value model. Without taxation, the net present value (NPV) is equal to the present value of future gross return, discounted at an appropriate interest rate less investment cost. An in-vestment project is therefore considered to be profitable when the NPV is positive. After introducing the corporate income tax, the present value of the asset generated from an in-vestment amounts to the sum of the present value of net return (gross return less taxes) and the tax savings, led by, for example, an incentive depreciation provision. In this study the theoretical approach is accompanied by a model simulation based on selected parameters. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p174&r=geo |
| By: | Santiago Rodriguez Feijoo; Alejandro Rodriguez Caro; Carlos Gonzalez Correa |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the convergence in the European Union on Purchasing Power Parity. Firstly, we develop a method for the estimation of PPP series and then, we put it into practice and estimate the monthly Purchasing Power Parity for the period January 1995 to July 2003. Secondly, convergence is studied using distribution dynamics from the continuous and discrete approximations. Results show some slow convergence in the European Union. Keywords: Purchasing Power Parity, Convergence, Distribution Dynamics, Markov Chains |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p369&r=geo |
| By: | Yasuhiro Takarada |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is to examine the welfare effects of pollution abatement technology transfer in a two-good two-country model with transboundary pollution. In each country, one industry emits pollution as a joint product of output and the sum of domestic and cross-border pollution decreases productivity of the other industry. Then, we show that technology transfer can bene?t the recipient country regardless of the level of cross-border pollution. Moreover, the donor country gains from technology transfer if all pollution is transboundary but it may harm the donor country with out cross-border pollution. We demonstrate that the effects of technology transfer depend on the trade pattern as well as cross-border pollution. Keywords: Environment; Pollution; Technology transfer; Pareto-improving transfer JEL classi?cation: D62; F18; O39 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p203&r=geo |
| By: | Yin-Yen Tseng |
| Abstract: | The reliability and scheduling delay of travel time attributes have been considered as important factors in traveler’s decision making. Numerous studies have attempted to incorporate travel time reliability and scheduling delay early/late attributes into traveler’s choice models since the last decade. However, there is still a wide-ranging debate on empirical valuations, and substantial differences of estimation values are shown among studies. Our aim in this study is to investigate several unresolved issues in the empirical valuation of reliability and scheduling delay delay/late and estimate these effects by means of a multivariate statistical technique: meat-analysis. The main finding is that including all reliability and scheduling delay early/late attributes in choice model would lead to lower estimated values for these attributes. We also find that the stated preference data produce substantial lower values for the ratio between scheduling delay early/late and travel time coefficients and the possible explanation may be the misperception error together with the risk aversion attitude of travelers. Key words: travel time reliability, scheduling delay early, scheduling delay late, meta-analysis. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p415&r=geo |
| By: | Silke Haarich; Jaime del Castillo |
| Abstract: | The paper presents the changing role of evaluation for public policies and the increasing importance of comprehensive evaluation systems for more effective and learning public institutions. In this context, evaluation systems are becoming an essential element of governance and democratic processes. Within the framework of the current EU Structural Policy and its new challenges (enlargement, new priorities, regional policy paradigm), the creation and the development of evaluation capacities and comprehensive evaluation systems becomes increasingly an instrument for organizational learning and policy improvement. In this context, the development of evaluation systems is not only fundamental for the new member states, but also for countries with a poor evaluation culture or a fragmented evaluation system. However, evaluation still lacks the necessary resources and infrastructure to become an accepted and integrated governance tool, despite the growth of the European Evaluation Community and the take-off of several National Evaluation Societies in the past years. Unexploited potentials exist on the supply side (evaluators, skills, training, dialogue), but also on the demand side (commissioning, data monitoring, use of evaluations) of the evaluation system. Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB), as an approach for the development of evaluation systems, is the integrated and planned development of skills, resources and infrastructures and the intentional shift towards an evaluation culture in an organization, department or government. Nonetheless, getting to grips with the institutionalisation of the discipline of evaluation and the building of an ongoing evaluation capacity turns out to be extremely difficult: Which are concrete measures of ECB? Who is responsible for the measures, for the implementation? What are the target groups? When has the ECB been successful? are only some of the questions that come up. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p216&r=geo |
| By: | Maria del Mar Cerban; Maria del Pilar Lopez-Ortega; Mercedes Villanueva; Javier Rojas Andrades |
| Abstract: | The objective of the present paper is to analyse the progress of data in shipping demand between 1993 and 2002 in the most important spanish ports, in the others words, those ports that are under State Ports protection, and their relation with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as Freight Index. The methodology that has been used to draw the shipping demand function up is the traditional one, due to we use added variables , i.e. they mean the global behaviour of a certain group of individuals. To prepare this paper, the demand account of sea transport services has been divided in three groups, in function of cargo types: General Merchandise, Solid Bulks and Liquid Bulks. The reason why we use this kind of division is that Principals Institutions in Sea Transport bring their statistics down in this way. Similarly, we pretend to analyse the evolution in the share of different cargos in the whole shipping demand in the period mentioned before (1993/2002). The particular demand function for each cargo type in a certain year is going to be in function of the GDP and the freight rate in that year. The Freight Index used depends on the cargo analysed. So, in case of general merchandise it has been used the liner freight index, since this cargo type use to be transported in liner terms. Usually, Freight Conferences fix prices in this navigation. In case of Solid and Liquid Bulks, we have chosen dry cargo and tanker cargo freight index respectively. The standard procedure to transport these kind of bulks is by "tramp" navigation. In "tramp" navigation, prices use to be fixed by time freight, when ships services are contracted for a limited period of time, or travel freight, when ship services are contracted for a particular trip. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p617&r=geo |
| By: | Izet Ibreljic; Salih Kulenovic |
| Abstract: | Territorial borders of the future European Union imply an integration of the South-East Europe into the EU political and economic structures. Such “map of the European Union” should represent the “European perspective” to the countries of the South-East Europe. At the present time, no-one can foresee when exactly shall countries of the South-East Europe join the EU, however the conditions that must be met are more-less well known and harmonized within the European Commission. Given the political and economic structure of the South-East Europe area, it is primarily “attractive market” for many European producers, as well as for future European investors. To achieve that, it is necessary to create the pre-conditions in the countries of the South-East Europe. Thus, it is necessary to intensify the regional cooperation between the countries in this region, wither by establishing the “classic free-trade zone” or by liberalization of trade through the network of bilateral contracts on free trade. The cross-border cooperation programs should link up all assistance that would be, for this purpose, coming from the EU. The primary goal of this paper is to research the possibilities and priority-areas of the economic-regional and cross-border cooperation in the South-East Europe in the context of its faster integration in the EU, as well as from the perspective of the optimal synchronization of this cooperation with political and economic strategy fo the EU toward these countries. As it is well known, re-unification of the continent is the joint goal of all citizens of the Europe. Key words: cooperation, South East Europe, European Union |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p224&r=geo |
| By: | André Torre; Delphine Gallaud |
| Abstract: | The production of scientific and technological innovations has become essential for many firms, but the latter are seldom in possession of all the knowledge needed for this activity because of the increasing complexity of knowledge bases or because R&D departments are too small. As they do not possess internally all the skills they need, firms wishing to innovate have recourse to external sources, such as cooperation with other firms or public organizations of research. However, acquiring external knowledge is not sufficient; one must also be able to use it in a specific process of production, to transform it into organizational routines, because it is important not only to integrate this knowledge, but ideally to use it to produce new knowledge. This process of creation, re-creation or imitation of new resources not only necessitates several technical and organizational adaptations, but also requires frequent relations of cooperation and partnership. The integration of new knowledge cannot be done in one go, but progressively during the course of the innovation projects, which implies that relations be sustained for a period of time. But the interests of the participants to this interactive process, as well as their opinions concerning technical issues sometimes vary or diverge. This is why co-operations are also sources of tensions and conflicts that jeopardize the adaptation of knowledge produced somewhere else to the context of the firm or even completely hinder the innovation process. In this paper, we try to provide some answers to the following question: What is the role played by geographical and organized proximities in the context of these external acquisitions of knowledge? In other words, can they help reduce the intensity of conflicts and thus facilitate the interactive process of innovations? First, we present shortcomings of innovation theory and works on spillovers claiming the importance of geographical proximity for circulation of knowledge without considering organizational prerequisites to reach this impact. Having explained the relevance of permanent as well as temporary geographical proximity, we will then turn to a discussion of conflicts between cooperators within innovation processes from a theoretical as well as an empirical perspective. The empirical study is based on a case study of French biotechnology firms and will serve to prove our hypothesis that temporary geographical proximity play an important role in preventing and resolving conflicts between innovators. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p35&r=geo |
| By: | João Cerejeira |
| Abstract: | The role of the accumulation of human capital to per capita income growth has been sharply debated among economists and policy makers. One open question of this debate is how to measure human capital. The standard approach is to use the average years of education of the labour force or the school enrolment rates as proxies for the stock of human capital. However, formal schooling achievement does not fully capture all the human capital stock. In fact, other forms of human capital accumulation are unmeasured. Also, it is assumed that the productivity differentials among workers with different levels of schooling are proportional to their years of education. In order to solve these problems, we develop the Mulligan and Sala-i-Martin’s measure of human capital based, on labour income. This measure has some nice properties: is consistent with variable elasticities of substitution across types of workers, and does not impose all workers with the same amount of education to have the same amount of skill. It is also allowed for changes in the relative productivities over time and across different economies. We compute the index at the firm level and, finally, and we compare the evolution of our index with the evolution of average years of education for the Portuguese regions, highlighting the shortcomings of the latter measure of human capital. Keywords: Human capital, wages, income based measures JEL Classification: E24, J24, I21 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p245&r=geo |
| By: | Miguel Roig-Alonso |
| Abstract: | The size and pattern of any public budget depend, among other factors, on the visibility of both the burdens and the benefits of public revenue and public expenditure. Furthermore, such visibility is a necessary - not a sufficient - condition for an efficient allocation of resources between the private and public sectors of an economy. The aim of this contribution, based on a recent research, is to simultaneously present additive and arithmetic indicators for local, intermediate and central territorial government levels and to initially apply them to Spain by using data and information provided by the International Monetary Fund. Conclusions and comments are offered for general criticism, discussion, theoretical development and future application to other OECD countries. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p97&r=geo |
| By: | Marta Pascual; David Cantarero; Jose Maria Sarabia |
| Abstract: | The comparative analysis of income inequality across countries has acquired increasing importance in recent years. This paper is divided in two parts. The first one is focused on the analysis of income inequality in the European Union. To carry out this task, we use different models based on Lorenz curves and quantiles functions and different equivalence scales. The European Community Household Panel Data are used. The second part of the paper is focused on explaining the differences in income and health inequalities across European countries. In particular several hypotheses concerning the economic determinants of health inequalities are studied. KEY WORDS Income inequality, Lorenz curves, quantile functions, equivalence scales, European Community Household Panel, health inequalities |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p304&r=geo |
| By: | Mark Thissen; Frank Van Oort |
| Abstract: | This paper addresses consequences of increased labour migration in Europe due to productivity effects in a core-periphery model. Traditional trade and growth models predict an overall beneficial impact of the accession of the current candidate states to the European Union. However, models incorporating imperfect competition warn that peripheral countries may realise only a small portion of this beneficial impact of the accession. In this chapter we go a step further: On the domestic level the countries accession may have negative effects while on the nationals level the effect will be positive. An empirical indication that benefits of accession may be low is the marginal benefits during the early phases of EU membership for Greece and Ireland and the Neue Länder of Germany. The following main questions are addressed in this chapter. What is the consequence of increased migration within the European Union due to deregulation in the context of the creation of a common market, and what will be the consequence of the extension of the European union with central and eastern European countries? |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p449&r=geo |
| By: | Stephane Hess |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we describe part of an ongoing study of airport choice for passengers departing from the San Francisco Bay area. The aim of the present paper is to test for the prevalence of taste heterogeneity across travellers, using the Mixed Multinomial Logit (MMNL) model. Our results indicate the presence of significant levels of heterogeneity in tastes, especially with respect to the sensitivity to access time, characterised by significant (deterministic) variation between groups of travellers (business/leisure, residents/visitors) as well as random variation within groups of travellers. Our analysis reinforces earlier findings showing that business travellers are far less sensitive to fare increases than leisure travellers, and are willing to pay a higher price for decreases in access time (and generally also increases in frequency) than is the case for leisure travellers. Finally, the results show that the random variation between business travellers in terms of sensitivity to access time is more pronounced than that between leisure travellers, as is the case for visitors when compared to residents. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p61&r=geo |
| By: | Tom Petersen |
| Abstract: | Transport models, and transport/land-use interaction models, are important decision support tools for large-scale infrastructure investments, for example in the road network. A bothersome feature of these tools are their distant forecasting horizon of 10--30 years ahead, and the uncertainty following from this. Although widely used, these models have rarely been put to test after this period have passed. The predictive power of a transport model is dependent on its ability to reproduce reality, which is assessed by validation. Apart from modelling the specific transport demand, which is based partly on socio-economic (demand) factors and partly on the supply of transport facilities (infrastructure), a number of scenarios of the future socio-economic development must be set up, called the scenario assumptions. In this paper we will present three different transport models: FREDRIK/ SSV, COMVIN and SAMPERS/ Skåne, out of which the first two have been used to model the transport across the Öresund Strait. The model structure, forecast results and scenario assumptions are considered in order to identify the key sources of uncertainties, and to prepare for the estimation of the true model error versus the error caused by incorrect scenario assumptions. Key words: infrastructure planning, transport models, validation, Öresund, before-and-after data. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p693&r=geo |
| By: | Isabel Mota; António Brandão |
| Abstract: | This paper aims at explaining how proximity between firms affects cooperation in R&D. For that purpose, it is proposed a three-stage game amongst three firms where each firm decides about location, R&D and output. Firms’ decision about location determines a R&D spillover, which is inversely related to the distance between firms. R&D output is assumed to be cost reducing and exhibit diminishing returns. Cooperation is only allowed in the R&D stage. Our results allow us to conclude that there is a positive relationship between R&D output equilibrium and the distance between firms when firms act independently. When firms cooperate in R&D, R&D output for a cooperating firm increases with the degree of information sharing between them, as well as with a reduction of the distance between cooperating firms. Firms’ decision about location is also affected by R&D activities: if R&D activities run independently, the clustering of firms only occurs for a convex spillover function; if R&D activities run cooperatively, clustering is always observed if there is an increased information sharing between firms. Keywords: Location, R&D cooperation, R&D spillovers |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p177&r=geo |
| By: | Heikki Eskelinen; Lauri Dieter Frank; Timo Hirvonen |
| Abstract: | Broadband infrastructures with a high transmission capacity are seen as a key precondition for the development of an information society, and therefore, their supply and availability have become important issues in public policies. The paper analyses the policy strategies applied in Finland and Sweden for promoting territorial rollout of broadband infrastructures. The experiences of these two countries can be seen to be of scientific interest and political relevance especially for the following two reasons: Both countries have been forerunners in the development of information society in general, and telecommunications in particular. Secondly, these two countries are sparsely populated, which is a most relevant conditioning factor in the rollout of broadband infrastructures characterised by nodal features. Despite the above-mentioned similarities of the two countries, they have applied quite different strategies in the rollout of broadband. In Sweden, the public sector has taken a more interventionist role than in Finland. This implies the question whether and how this difference can be seen in the territoriality of broadband supply. The paper attempts to answer this question, and provide conclusions for effective policy strategies. The paper is an outgrowth of the ESPON (European Spatial Planning Observation Network) project 1.2.2 “Telecommunications Services and Networks: Territorial Trends and Basic Supply of Infrastructure for Territorial Cohesion” (see: http://www.espon.lu). |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p257&r=geo |
| By: | Patrocínia Ferreira; Francisco Diniz |
| Abstract: | Nowadays, before starting any goods or service production process, one tries to learn something about their quality. This is an issue the customers segment is confronted with when choosing from the supply at one’s disposal. The quality movement’s main idea is that all goods and services must achieve a maximum quality. If one is to understand this movement first one has to be able to understand the implications of its assumptions in the production process and organization. (Connor, 1997). In most countries, public administration is the sector which carries the biggest weight upon employment and one supplying most goods and services. Therefore, it cannot ignore Total Quality Management (TQM) The Portuguese Government acknowledges that "presently quality is universally recognized and accepted as the client’s satisfaction at adequate costs and that it became an imperative for all public organizations following the customers’ growing awareness of their rights”(DL n.º 166-A/99, May 13). Portuguese local public administration is facing the challenge of having to solve new and complex problems resulting from economic, social and technologic changes. It is the purpose of this paper to go into such questions as: how can TQM be implemented in a change context in Vila Real municipality? Are there limits or favourable conditions to that implementation? |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p347&r=geo |
| By: | Anna Dokukina |
| Abstract: | The range of up-to-date means to achieve success in business is rather extensive. The question is how to use them effectively taking into consideration conceptual changes in modern business strategies. Characteristics of development of the firm as a learning organization and crea-tion of corporate universities has been discussed during last decades by corporate and human resources managers, economic consultants and business education professionals. Most researchers emphasize the role of a corporate training system as an important competitive advantage in the dynamic conditions of modern business activity. Interest of Russian businessmen and economists to the new ways of solving managerial and production tasks has emerged quite recently. The pursuit of effective decision in management and production corresponding to the actual business strategies leads to the increase of significance of intellectual capital as a base of a system of com-petitive advantages of Russian enterprises. The current and planned research is devoted to the problem of pursuit and crea-tion of unique resources such as systems of corporate training and knowledge manage-ment which are main elements of strategic planning and management of a firm. The framework of research includes the following main points: · Analysis of the modern market development and related new business con-cepts. · The role of intellectual capital as an important part of a business life. · Dynamics of business environment and the necessity of learning organiza-tions’ creation and development. · Modern Corporate Universities as the most important institute of the enter-prise. · International and Russian tendencies in accumulation and application of intel-lectual capital and creation of Corporate Universities. The present article is dedicated to the consideration of the reasons and directions of conceptual changes in the business activity realization; to the problems of the devel-opment of business enterprise as learning organization and creation of the corporate universities; to the experience and tendencies of the concentration and realization of in-tellectual capital. Key words: entrepreneurship, economics of the firm, competition, intellectual capital, learning organization, knowledge management, corporate university. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p109&r=geo |
| By: | José Pedro Pontes |
| Abstract: | Although empirical evidence shows that the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade is complex, theories of international investment (both vertical and horizontal) present simple patterns of relation. By allowing for different locations of vertically-related stages of production and distinguishing between trade in finished goods and trade in intermediate goods, this paper introduces a non monotonic relationship between multinational firms and trade costs, which must be neither too high nor too low for FDI to arise. Exports and FDI be have as complements for high levels of trade costs and as substitutes otherwise. J.E.L. Classification: F23, F12, C72. Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment, Multinationals, Trade, Intermediate Goods, Non cooperative Games. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p47&r=geo |
| By: | Richard Kum-yew Lai (Harvard Business School) |
| Abstract: | Private equity funds of funds (FOFs) have become big business. Today, FOFs form 14% of new money raised. I test six explanations for the rise of FOFs. First, I find that FOFs do not generally deliver superior returns. They do, however, do well enough for the limited partners (LPs) that hire them. Second, FOFs allow small LPs to scale upward, to invest in more funds. However, I find that they do not contribute to diversification. What they really do is to provide smaller LPs avenues to lower the cost of fund management. Third, FOFs allow large LPs to scale downward, to invest vast amounts over a short duration. However, the mechanism is imperfect because LPs can either use many FOFs and risk coordination problems among them or few FOFs and risk getting held up. Fourth, FOFs are used by LPs with weaker governance structures. Fifth, there is some evidence that LPs use FOFs to learn to invest in new areas, but the support is weak. Last, the use of FOFs is partly due to cyclical booms. |
| Keywords: | Venture capital, private equity, agency, economies of scale, outsourcing |
| JEL: | G24 |
| Date: | 2005–09–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wpa:wuwpfi:0509005&r=geo |
| By: | Marco Percoco |
| Abstract: | Following the seminal work by Bullard and Sebald [Effects of Parametric Uncertainty and Technological Change on In put-Out put Models, Rev. of Ec. And Stat., vol. 59,75-81], in this paper we present an innovative approach to sensitivity analysis in Input-Out put model. In particular, we propose a statistical model capable to compute a sensitivity index associated to each technical coefficient. We call the ordered set of these indices Importance Matrix. Finally, in order to show a simple example for this methodology, we consider the case of the Chicago economy. Keywords: Input-Out put Models, Sensitivity Analysis, Importance Matrix JEL Classification: C15, C67, D5 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p90&r=geo |
| By: | Agita Slara |
| Abstract: | Accord Aydalot (1986), the firm in no heaven-sent agent free to “choose” an environment, it is secrete by its environment. The firm is not an isolated innovative agent but is part of the milieu, which makes it act. The competitive and innovative performance of the territory, territories more or less competitive and innovative, requires persistence and participation of the different actors: companies, institutions of support and assistance to the company’s activity, public institutions. We do not have the ambition to cover the whole different actors, but illustrate the approach that reflect the better performance innovative of the companies is associate to different factors of the environment milieu and evaluate the determinant conditions of participation in innovation activities. Our purpose is to analyse the behaviour of the companies of 3 NUTS III of Beira Interior of Portugal, relatively to the innovative initiatives. We use a survey applied to vast set of companies. The methodology is based on the application of the multivariate statistics: k-means analysis clusters that allowed distinguish 3 standard behaviours from the companies. To classify the standard behaviour of the companies and identify the characteristics of each cluster, we applied the crosstabs and compare means. We consider the fowling attributes to the different clusters: process of innovation, the mechanisms of knowledge, the networks and the system of governance. These attributes will help to trace the profile of the innovative behaviours and to perceive which the factors or variables of the environment those are links with the best performance on innovation. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p504&r=geo |
| By: | Ebru Kerimoglu |
| Abstract: | The trends and developments in the tourism industry show that the touristic activities are among the most significant economic and social facts of the 20th century. The Europe preserves its stake in the developing tourism sector of the world. The countries of the European Union do have a position in the lead as far as the international tourist circulation is concerned, in the form of primary resource and major destination. The citizens of the European Union also represent a considerable market for the countries seeking to have a place on the global tourism markets. Most of the international visitors to Turkey are from European Union, who also represents a significant potential for Turkish tourism. This study examines the holiday making ratios, profiles, demands and behaviors of the European Union travelers and gives an analysis and assessment of such considerable potential. Turkey is a special location in the world with regard to its cultural inheritance while Istanbul is its major city in relation with international connections. Istanbul’s significant role in history with its dynamic geographical position and its traditional architecture and the civilizations hosted by the city would well cause Istanbul’s being worthy of a share its deserves from the global tourism market and the tourism functions, that is considered to be most efficient tool in marketing Istanbul, has a significance in the city’s position and future. Istanbul has various urban spaces in the form of touristic products. For providing the development in relation with certain strategies of tourism planning, the demands and preferences of the travelers to Istanbul should be determined. Analyzing the visitors from that point of view has a considerable importance for the potential visitors of the city while planned development shall provide the opportunity to obtain the guiding data. In the light of these data, determining the planning strategies for Istanbul and developing the recommendations that could be used for a tourism plan for sustainable tourism supported by tourism policies in both public and private sectors and planners are very significant. This study focuses on the visitors from European Union and evaluates their trends and behaviors while making deductions from the potentials they own. The study gives the holiday periods of the Europeans, their length of stay in the destinations, the number of persons attending travels, the destinations they prefer, the transportation modes they use, travel organizations as well as the problems they face, and in that parallellity the characteristics of the European Union citizens visiting Turkey and Istanbul were analyzed with comparisons. In conclusion, the general vacation trends and behaviors of the European Union citizens and their relations with the experiences they face in Turkey is very considerable with the current and potential evaluations in the European market which in fact is very important for Turkey. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p410&r=geo |
| By: | Maria Manuela Santos Natário; Felisberto Marques Reigado; Paulo Neto |
| Abstract: | Accord Aydalot (1986), the firm in no heaven-sent agent free to “choose” an environment, it is secrete by its environment. The firm is not an isolated innovative agent but is part of the milieu, which makes it act. The competitive and innovative performance of the territory, territories more or less competitive and innovative, requires persistence and participation of the different actors: companies, institutions of support and assistance to the company’s activity, public institutions. We do not have the ambition to cover the whole different actors, but illustrate the approach that reflect the better performance innovative of the companies is associate to different factors of the environment milieu and evaluate the determinant conditions of participation in innovation activities. Our purpose is to analyse the behaviour of the companies of 3 NUTS III of Beira Interior of Portugal, relatively to the innovative initiatives. We use a survey applied to vast set of companies. The methodology is based on the application of the multivariate statistics: k-means analysis clusters that allowed distinguish 3 standard behaviours from the companies. To classify the standard behaviour of the companies and identify the characteristics of each cluster, we applied the crosstabs and compare means. We consider the fowling attributes to the different clusters: process of innovation, the mechanisms of knowledge, the networks and the system of governance. These attributes will help to trace the profile of the innovative behaviours and to perceive which the factors or variables of the environment those are links with the best performance on innovation. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p502&r=geo |
| By: | Raquel Llorente Heras; Carlos Iglesias Fernández; Juan R. Cuadrado-Roura |
| Abstract: | In the context of the process of construction of a single labour market in the Economic Union, one of the greatest problems is the existence of certain levels of structural unemployment. From this point of view, the imbalance between the qualification characteristics of work supply and demand as well as the determining factors of geographical mobility among jobs become a relevant explication factor. The aim of the paper will be to carry out a comparative analysis of some of the most important characteristics of employment in European countries. For this, how different employed population groups are distributed by sectors of activity and labour occupations will be analysed, how these structures have been modified over time, and the patterns of labour mobility that interconnect activities and occupations in the framework of labour mobility, in order to see whether these evolutions are leading to an assimilation of labour characteristics in the countries, or not. Keywords: labour mobility, employment, service sector, European Union. JEL-Code: J62, L80, F02 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p223&r=geo |
| By: | Carlos José Caetano Bacha; Adriana E. SanJuan |
| Abstract: | This paper makes an econometric analysis of the determinants of Brazil’s pulp exports. The time period from 1980 to 2001 is considered for estimating a supply equation of pulp exports. Exogenous variables considered were: price of Brazilian exported pulp, production cost of Brazilian pulp, productive capacity, exchange rate between dollar and domestic currency and lagged pulp exports. It was observed that Brazil’s pulp exports have responded little to price fluctuation; however, these exports are strongly affected by productive capacity, exchange rate fluctuation and lagged pulp exports. Those results are consistent which the fact that a large share of market-oriented pulp production is headed to foreign markets and that production is sold to these markets partially independent of the current prices that are clearing pulp market. Key words: exports, pulp, econometric model, Brazil. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p691&r=geo |
| By: | Chryssanthi Balomenou |
| Abstract: | In the first part of my paper I will analyze the important role of SMEs as the most crucial factor for the development of the local entrepreneurship. In addition I will quote the arising difficulties in SMEs’ access to loans. This part will be concluded by the presentation of the Third Consultative Paper of The Basel II Capital Accord, in relation to its impact on SMEs, focussing on the comments of the European Central Bank, World Bank Eurochabres, and of the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association and more specifically, on those referring to SMEs.. The second part will refer to the Structure of the New Accord Three Pillars, focussing on the Basel II Capital Adequacy framework and specifically on the first pillar (Minimum Capital Requirement). Obviously, the said part will be completed by the consequences of the aforementioned topic for the SMEs. In the third and last part of my paper I will work out a critical analysis of the New Basel Capital Accord, concentrating on its pros and corns for SMEs’ banking finance. Finally, my paper will contain an appendix of tables and graphs and of course the relevant references. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p336&r=geo |
| By: | Flavio Boscacci |
| Abstract: | A large re-structuring process is running in the European logistics market. The main driving forces come from the globalisation of the Economy, encouraged by the decrease of the unit transportation costs and by the contemporaneous upgrading of the labour level costs and the legal environmental costs. So, a good logistics system has become a must for the competition at both micro and macro-economic levels. Given the effectiveness of the single deliveries of goods, the main problem is to increase efficiency of the logistics services. From the micro-economic point of view, the problem consists in minimising the costs of the production processes of goods management services. In Europe, in particular, we are watching a large re-organisation of the logistics enterprises and of their territorial networks to achieve the best scale and scope economies of production. At the macroeconomic level, the problem is to estimate the rate of the logistics services on the GDP. In this paper we investigate the European logistics market transformations both from microeconomics and macroeconomics points of view. Thus, we will analyse the investments of the logistics sector as well as the logistics supply value as a component of GDP and its contribution to the International balance of commerce. Moreover, the infrastructures system quality (railways, roads, telecommunication, ports, airports, etc.) will be considered as a base asset for the reduction of the private costs of service production and as a territorial resource for the sustainable vehicles circulation. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p481&r=geo |
| By: | David Edward Pitfield |
| Abstract: | This paper, after providing an introduction to the operating context of low cost carriers in Europe, examines the competitive pricing behaviour of airlines. Data is collected by route for cases where more than one airline is in direct competition. Data on fares is obtained from the internet for two airlines with competing services to Alicante, Prague and Malaga, departing from Nottingham East Midlands Airport in the UK, for the six working weeks up to and including the actual departure. These destinations represent leisure traffic. Two domestic business destinations were also selected to illustrate price competition on business demand where departure times were within a maximum of 20 minutes of each other and a further examination of competing services from London Gatwick (LGW) was made. Cross Correlation Analysis is used to examine whether, subject to a variety of lags, the prices offered by one airline can be seen to be both correlated with the other price series and to lead it. This provides some insight into the pricing strategy adopted by the competitors. Autocorrelation Functions (ACFs) and Partial Autocorrelation Functions (PACFs) can also be produced on the prices offered by each airline. These suggest the nature of the ARIMA model that can be fitted to the series and these models can show the degree to which series values are correlated with their own past values and whether a reasonable model could be based on an ARIMA approach. The relative strength of these two relationships is examined; are prices more closely explained by the competitor's actions or the airlines own past price setting? |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p680&r=geo |
| By: | Sjoerd Beugelsdijk; Henri De Groot; Gert-Jan Linders; Arjen Slangen |
| Abstract: | There is large variation in trade patterns across the world. Despite the popular discussion on the ‘death of distance’, distance is still the most important variable explaining this variation. In explaining trade patterns across the worls, it is important to acknowledge the multiple dimensions of distance. In this paper, we empirically investigate the relevance of several of these dimensions. Apart from physical distance, we also consider the effects of cultural distance and institutional distance. Our results reveal the importance of all three dimensions. JEL classification: F14 Keywords: bilateral trade, gravity models, cultural distance, institutional distance |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p265&r=geo |
| By: | Jesus Mur; Ana Angulo |
| Abstract: | The specification of cross-sectional models is usually solved following a traditional procedure, highly supported by practitioners. In the first step, a simple model is proposed that will be subsequently improved with different elements if the evidence so advises. This procedure expedites the econometric solution and fits well into the Lagrange Multiplier approach, which contributes to explain its current popularity. However, there are other methods that could also be used, and some of them are considered in this paper. Specifically, we turn our attention to the Vuong test, developed in the context of the Kullback-Leibler information measure. This test represents an intermediate solution between the complexity inherent in the Wald test and the simplicity of the Lagrange Multiplier principle. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p36&r=geo |
| By: | David Cantarero; Marta Pascual; Jose Maria Sarabia |
| Abstract: | In this paper the causal effects of socioeconomic status, in particular income, on individuals health in the European Union are analysed. We focus on the relationship between income and health. Finally, an international comparison of concentration indices for socioeconomic inequality in health based on the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) is presented. This survey contains data on individuals and households and the information is homogeneous across European Countries. KEY WORDS: Inequality, Health, Social Capital, European Community Household Panel, Ordered probit. JEL CATEGORY: D31, D63, I10 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p230&r=geo |
| By: | Francisco Javier De Miguel; Jesus Perez-Mayo |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we apply SAM linear models to the economy in a Spanish region, Extremadura, from the usual household disaggregation of these matrices. The analysis aims to some issues related to income distribution. To achieve these goals, some relative multipliers are computed and we propose different simulations based on final demand and income transfers. Finally, we also compute the standard statistical measures of inequality and show how these measures change if different transfer policies are applied. JEL CODES: C69, D31, D59, H59 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p237&r=geo |
| By: | María A. García-Valiñas |
| Abstract: | In a context in which environmental protection have become in an important issue, the paper analyses which would be the optimal division of environmental policymaking functions among the different government levels. From the point of view of the fiscal federalism theory, we will design the most appropriate level of decentralization in each situation. In this sense, a proposal of decentralization has been shown, analyzing the consequences that a lax environmental policy could generate on future generations. Key words: Fiscal federalism, environmental policies, water management. Clasificación JEL: H77, Q25, Q28 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p492&r=geo |
| By: | Andrej Horvat; Gunther Maier |
| Abstract: | Based on the review of literature and our own conceptual considerations, we show that absorption problems regarding the EU Structural Funds may be important. Our brief covering of some general macroeconomic aspects of absorption problems brings us closer to the central topic of our paper, namely, the question of how to measure the administrative capacities of particular Candidate Countries for Structural Funds. First, we describe a suitable methodology for calculating the administrative absorption capacities of Candidate Countries. We then turn to some of the Candidate Countries’ institution-building activities in preparation for the EU’s Structural Policy. This shows that the process of preparing programming documents was the central point of the overall institution-building exercise. At the end of this chapter we present calculations on administrative capacities in five Candidate Countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Estonia and Slovenia, respectively. These calculations are based on previous calculations by the European Commission and on the strategic documents negotiated between the Commission and these Candidate Countries before the end of 2003. By calculating the key indicators of administrative capacity, we offer some preliminary statements regarding the present administrative capacity in a particular prospective new Member State and provide additional information on the overall absorption capacity of the countries in the 2004-2006 programme period. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p591&r=geo |
| By: | Isidro Frías; A. David Carballas |
| Abstract: | In this paper we focus on the major determinants of exports and imports in the member states of EU-15, giving a special emphasis on those belonging to the Economic and Monetary Union. For this reason we drive a general picture on the evolution of exports and imports. We analyse also the evolution of export and import prices, as well as the average labour productivity. Finally we estimate foreign trade equations both for imports and exports using the Johansen methodology. Among the major findings we can mention that we can reject the no cointegration among the import and export variables in the EU countries. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p398&r=geo |
| By: | Jouko Kinnunen |
| Abstract: | This article has a dual purpose. Firstly, it presents the nature and the recent development of migration to and from the Åland Islands by means of a probit model. Secondly, the model is estimated in such a fashion that its results are usable in a simulation model. The analysis is conducted by using individual data from longitudinal population censuses, which enables the use of individual-specific characteristics and a panel data specification in the analysis. The results lend support to Harris-Todaro –type expected wage hypothesis, as well to several suggestions of the human capital theory of migration. The results even support an insider advantage hypothesis by showing that staying in Åland is state and duration dependent, i.e. those who already live in Åland, have stayed longer, and are native Ålanders are more probable stayers. However, the results also reveal that there is a time trend in the tendency for native Ålanders to move away from Åland at an increasing rate, whereas the probability of Finnish-born migrants to stay in Åland has slightly risen during the 1990s. The author suggests that this development may be due to a growing internalisation, e.g. through the EU membership, as well as due to a failure to adjust the education policy to changing demand of language skills. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p535&r=geo |
| By: | M. Jose Prieto; Agustin Manzano |
| Abstract: | From to beginning of year 2002, the Spanish Autonomous Communities (CC. AA.) fiscal performance is conditioned by a new legal framework compounded from the financial agreement and the legislation on budget stability. This new framework implies a change in the CC. AA. fiscal behaviour. Are the CC. AA. ready to provide its citizens the public services they demand and fulfil its fiscal stability commitments? Are all the CC. AA. in the same position? Using political economic models and data on past budget execution, this paper is aimed at shedding light over the factors that jeopardize the CC. AA. budget stability in the future and the differences between CC. AA. relevant to its fiscal performance. JEL classification: H61, H62, H71, H72, H77 |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p262&r=geo |
| By: | Dražen Derado |
| Abstract: | Economic integration in Europe will have significant effects not only on participating countries, but also on countries remaining outside of the EU-structures. Starting from the theory of custom union and the trade creation and trade diversion effects, this paper tries to apply the theoretical inferences relating to the countries participating in economic integration to those countries which do not take part in it. The ex ante-analysis focuses mainly on long-term dynamic effects which follow from increasing export possibilities and advantages from economies of scale. Taking into account the foreseen dynamics of trade barriers elimination as well as the effects of trade liberalization so far, the paper estimates the expected effects of further trade liberalization and the adjustment costs arising from increased competition and changing pattern of specialization. In doing so, it makes use of the export similarity index and the methodology of intra-industry trade measurement. Key words: customs union, economies of scale, intra-industry trade, EU, Croatia |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p236&r=geo |
| By: | Catarina Cardoso; Elias Soukiazis |
| Abstract: | The present paper focuses on the analysis of growth sources in Portugal, Greece and Ireland explaining the differences in economic performance between these three countries which constitute the “cohesion group” in the EU. During the nineties, Ireland has made a remarkable economic recovery, converging rapidly to the richest countries of the EU, while Portugal converged at a very modest rate. Greece is a peculiar example of having great difficulties of adaptation at the early years of its integration and only recently (since 1999) revealed signs of recovery in contrast to the slowdown of economic activity in Portugal. This raises the questions why was Ireland able to grow faster, which were the causes of its faster growth, and what can Portugal learn from the Irish success in economic improvement and the recent recovery of the Greek economy. This paper tries to shed light to these questions and to identify the main sources which drove economic growth in the three countries. Our evidence shows that differences in productivity levels, capital accumulation in human resources and technology, foreign direct investment and most of all export capacity are the main factors explaining differences in economic performance between these three countries. Keywords: per capita income, productivity, export-led growth, foreign trade elasticities and error correction models. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p21&r=geo |
| By: | Raquel Vale Mendes |
| Abstract: | This paper studies gender wage differentials among top managers in the Portuguese economy. The objective is to investigate whether men and women within the same occupational group, with relatively high levels of human capital, and who are evaluated basically on their performance, are treated unequally in relation to pay. The Oaxaca wage differential decomposition method is used, relying on 1999 micro data gathered by the Portuguese Ministry of Social Security and Employment. The main findings indicate that a substantial portion of the wage gap between male and female top managers in Portugal is explained by wage discrimination. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p127&r=geo |
| By: | Carlos J. Rodriguez-Fuentes; Antonio Olivera-Herrera; David Padron-Marrero |
| Abstract: | The primary goal of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) monetary policy is to achieve price stability. Whereas during the 1980s and 1990s there was a rapid and strong convergence in terms of price differential among the Euro countries, particularly in those countries with higher inflation rates in the past, single monetary policy has proved to be quite inefficient in continuing this trend and has not achieved further reductions in inflation rate differentials within the euro zone. Since the ECB sets the official interest rate according to the average inflation of the euro area, the persistence of such price differentials within the area would mean that the “one size interest rate policy” would not fit all. This paper studies empirically the inflation rate differentials and their persistence in some currency unions with the aim to draw some conclusions for the working of the ECB monetary policy. KEYWORDS: monetary policy; inflation persistence; currency unions |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p218&r=geo |
| By: | Andrea Gebauer; Chang Woon Nam; Rüdiger Parsche |
| Abstract: | At the end of June 1999 the intra-EU duty free shopping was abolished among the fifteen member nations. The opponents of this resolution argued that such a tax-free sales sector created jobs EU-wide and hardly reduced the value added and excise tax revenue of individual countries. In their opinion, duty free trade not only contributed to the reduction of travel fare within the EU but could also be characterised as a supplement to the normal retail trade for some products. Such ‘old’ ideas are increasingly popular in some Eastern European EU candidates where they are preparing for the introduction of the Single Market and EU membership in the near future. This study primarily shows that the arguments mentioned above were neither significant enough nor conclusive to maintain the intra-EU duty free shopping. Furthermore, the abolition of such tax free sales was approved in the EU in order to ensure the allocation efficiency of the VAT and excise tax system within a single market. Several arguments against the intra-EU tax free shop-ping examined in the study provide some helpful policy orientations for EU membership candidates. |
| Date: | 2004–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p204&r=geo |