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on Economics of Happiness |
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Issue of 2014‒12‒29
ten papers chosen by |
| By: | Vladimir Okrepilov; Vladimir Kvint |
| Abstract: | Analysis of differences in the Quality of Life in multiple economic systems and countries leads to large-scale conclusions in the fields of politics, economics and some technical sciences. Quality of Life and the level of satisfaction with this Quality are determined through values which are subjectively defined by an individual as to how his or her needs are met, for example, by the quality of goods and services. For the political system of any country, the most important strategic concept must be oriented towards preferences that reflect the basic needs and choices of the people. Without understanding such concept it is impossible to sustain market development and substantially improve the Quality of Life. Under the influence of globalization and economic integration various processes across the Global Marketplace move towards conversion of and collision of values of people in the Developed and Emerging Market Countries. This process requires a more unified systemic quality management, starting from managing the quality of goods and services, public governance and ultimately resulting in managing the Quality of Life. In this regard, the study of the authors is aimed at the development and application of various methods of the Economics for Quality, as well as at assessing the impact of Quality on the modernization of economic systems and creating the conditions for their continued sustainable development. Economics for Quality involves the economic analysis and the development of management models - management systems, which can be used at all levels of corporate and state governance in order to ensure sustainable development. Quality Management Systems are a vital part of an innovative socio-economic life and facilitate the generation of initiatives. As the Global Community heads towards a knowledge-based economy using the intellectual potential as the predominant economic force at the Global Marketplace, Quality Management Systems will require worldwide implementation. If Quality Management Systems are practiced in full, then the quality of life in any country regardless of its socio-economic system will increase. Thus, the authors have analyzed the philosophical and political-economic bases of development within a sample of economic systems, looking for the reasons that could explain the difference in the Quality of Life levels in terms of different economic systems, and developing ideas and proposals for managing the Quality of Life based on our findings. The study has resulted in the development of methodological and practical recommendations relating to the future of different political-economic systems in the aspect of ensuring a high Quality of Life. |
| Keywords: | quality of life; globalization; economic strategy; values; economics for quality; sustainable development; quality management systemO5; R1 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p237&r=hap |
| By: | Moreno Baruffini; Federica Origo |
| Abstract: | The effects on employment of the recent economic crisis have become evident and persistent in many OECD countries, exacerbating on the one hand the demand for more flexibility by the firms; on the other the need to ensure workers security. 'Flexicurity', an institutional frame implementing a progressive flexibility of the labor market and at the same time guaranteeing its stability, has been defined as a successful model at the EU level before the crisis. The objective of this paper is therefore to empirically assess the effect of a micro-level measure of flexicurity on workers' job satisfaction using individual-level data from the longitudinal Swiss Household Panel (SHP), related to temporary and permanent employees in Switzerland for the period 2005 to 2011. Switzerland provides a particularly appropriate market to examine the potential effects of flexicurity type arrangements due to the relatively high incidence of flexible employment contracts. To this end, the sample of workers is disaggregated into different groups according to their employment contract and their perceived job security; we therefore analyse whether workers who are heterogeneous in terms of both the type of labour contract and their perceived security do also differ with regard to life satisfaction and specific aspects of the job satisfaction. Usually satisfaction variables, given the ordinal nature of the dependent variable, are analysed using ordered probit models. Van Praag and Ferrer-i-Carbonell (2006), however, developed a procedure, called Probit (OLS) or POLS, that consists in transforming an ordinal dependent variable in a "pseudo" continuous one, and allows the application of a linear model. With longitudinal data the POLS method permits for the inclusion of individual level fixed effects. Our methodology at first estimates a linear fixed effects model, thus controlling for unobserved time-invariant characteristics, while in a second step we implement a two-stage model to control for endogeneity. We also extend our analysis and seek to identify how insecurity affects temporary workers compared to permanent workers examining the impact of regional labour market conditions: we examine the effects on relative satisfaction and perceptions of security on workers in the seven Swiss statistical regions. First results show that job stability and perceived security are not necessary associated, and that job satisfaction is relatively low, mainly when perceived job security is low. The relationship between wellbeing and job security also varies according to regional employment conditions. This indicates that the duration of the contract may be less important if the worker perceives that he is not at risk of unemployment; in this regard, from a policy point of view, a greater 'flexicurity' can be obtained either directly from employer, adopting changes in work organization, or indirectly by policy makers through an appropriate mix of active labour market policies. |
| Keywords: | job satisfaction; Flexicurity; unobserved heterogeneity |
| JEL: | J28 J81 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p366&r=hap |
| By: | Vladimir Fesenko |
| Abstract: | Current situation in the Russian economy in the modern period that is reflected in the 'mirror' of the official statistics shows a substantial differentiation of economic and social characteristics of the Russian regions. Largely this situation is based on the current pre-crisis trends of social and economic development, as well as existing opportunities of regional economies self-development to overcome the consequences of the global economic crisis. Region social development is determined by the system of key-figures (indicators), among which there are the indicators characterizing the population size and population structure, and living standards of the population. The demographic situation in the Southern Federal District, which includes the Volgograd region, is characterized by the fact that during the recent years, the region's population has remained almost unchanged, but for the Volgograd region this indicator has stable negative dynamics. Unemployment rate in the Volgograd region was 1% in December 2013. The main indicator of the living standards (standard of well-being) of the population is the individual income. Volgograd region takes the third place among the regions of the Southern Federal District according to this indicator, being slightly behind the Rostov region and considerably behind the Krasnodar Krai. Volgograd region is also behind in such an important part of personal incomes as the amount of average monthly nominal accrued wages of the working population of all the largest developed regions of the Southern Federal District. Thus, the scope and structure of average income of the regions' population, the territorial constituents of the Southern Federal District, is unequal. Such a territorial disparity of income is determined by the level of economic development of the regions, the main determining factor of which is the size of the GRP, including GRP per capita. According to these indicators, the Volgograd region takes a leading position among the regions of the Southern Federal District. The analysis of population well-being social and economic indicators suggests that for the Volgograd region in comparison with other, primarily the largest SFD regions it is harder to overcome the consequences of the economic crisis and in the context of a macro-regional issue currently has a rating that does not correspond to the real potential of development. |
| Keywords: | Region Social Development Social and Economic Well-being of the Population; Indicators of Social and Economic Well-being; code - R 130. |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p722&r=hap |
| By: | Stephan Humpert (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, Nuremberg, Germany; Leuphana University Lueneburg, Germany) |
| Abstract: | Using three different measures for satisfaction, I investigate gender-specific differences in working time mismatch. While male satisfaction with life or job is slightly not effected by working more or less hours, only over-time lowers male work life balance significantly. Women are more sensitive to the amount of working hours. They prefer part-time employment and are dissatisfied with both changes towards over-time and under-time. |
| Keywords: | Working Hours, Gender Differences, Work Life Balance, European Social Survey (ESS 2012) |
| JEL: | J22 I31 J16 |
| Date: | 2014–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lue:wpaper:327&r=hap |
| By: | de Haan, Arjan; Foa, Roberto |
| Abstract: | This paper, using a new set of social development indices, explores the measurement of social development across Africa, and how this relates to broader development patterns and measurement. Development practitioners worldwide increasingly recognize the i |
| Keywords: | measurement, social development, well-being, indicators |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2014-132&r=hap |
| By: | Masumbu, Gibson; Mahrt, Kristi |
| Abstract: | In this paper we make welfare comparisons among districts of Zambia using multidimensional well-being indicators observed at the household level using the first order dominance approach developed by Arndt et al. in 2012. This approach allows welfare compa |
| Keywords: | multidimensional poverty measurement, first order dominance, Zambia |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2014-137&r=hap |
| By: | Otobe, Naoko |
| Abstract: | The paper attempts to examine the extent to which the ILO-supported projects have contributed to women.s economic empowerment and well-being i.e., from a gender perspective. The paper provides the ILO.s perspectives on gender dimensions of employment prom |
| Keywords: | employment creation, entrepreneurship, feminist economics, self-employment |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2014-091&r=hap |
| By: | Bernal Lobato, N. (Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management) |
| Abstract: | This thesis consists of three chapters dealing with important topics for the well-being of individuals: retirement, health and happiness. All together are micro studies that deal with policy relevant research questions. The first chapter focuses on whether a pension reform has effects on income smoothing and labor supply of older single individuals in the Netherlands, in the presence of uncertainty about income, health and life expectancy. The second one is about the effects of health insurance on individuals' behavior. It evaluates the impact of access to a very popular Health Insurance program in Peru for individuals who work outside the formal labor market on a variety of measures for health care utilization, expenditure and health indicators. Finally, the third chapter explores individuals’ behavior from a different perspective: happiness. It investigates whether reported happiness and utility measures are correlated. The former can be obtained from questions about individual life satisfaction, happiness or well-being that are available in social surveys nowadays. But the latter are not available and have to be constructed. That is exactly what this chapter does and, afterwards, it explores whether there is any correlation between both types of measures. By doing so, the chapter shows that it is possible to link utility economic theory to data on happiness. |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tiu:tiutis:9b638b3d-2f83-452a-b2c8-cf930f074d1e&r=hap |
| By: | Frank, Kristyn; Hou, Feng; Schellenberg, Grant |
| Abstract: | Studies of immigrant well-being primarily focus on economic outcomes. However, immigrants often cite a desire to improve their general quality of life as their main motivation for migrating. This study compares life satisfaction among recent immigrants in Canada with life satisfaction in their country of origin and with the Canadian-born population, and provides an evaluation of the role that national-level economic and social factors play in immigrants? life satisfaction. |
| Keywords: | Health, Mental health and well-being |
| Date: | 2014–12–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:stc:stcp3e:2014363e&r=hap |
| By: | Daniel LaFave; Duncan Thomas |
| Abstract: | Whereas studies have established the intra-household distribution of resources affects allocation decisions, little is known about how these decisions are affected by the distribution of resources among co-resident and non co-resident extended family members. Drawing on theoretical models of collective decision-making, we use extremely rich data from Indonesia to establish that child health- and education-related human capital outcomes are affected by resources of extended family members who co-reside with the child and those who are not co-resident. Extended family members are not completely altruistic but their allocation decisions are apparently co-ordinated in a way that is consistent with Pareto efficiency. |
| JEL: | D1 I0 J13 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:20702&r=hap |