|
on Economics of Happiness |
|
Issue of 2026–06–29
four papers chosen by Viviana Di Giovinazzo, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca |
| By: | Richard Layard; Ekaterina Oparina |
| Abstract: | Optimal public policy requires a social welfare function defined over individual utilities. While there is substantial research on income-based social welfare functions, no published study has directly elicited public preferences over utility when measured by subjective wellbeing. Using a novel survey instrument with a representative UK sample (N=2, 068), we estimate the public's social welfare function for life satisfaction. We find significant aversion to wellbeing inequality, with a median isoelastic parameter $\alpha$=0.48. This implies a social welfare function approximately equal to the sum of square roots of individual utilities. The median respondent values improving the wellbeing of the least satisfied by one unit roughly twice as much as improving the most satisfied by one unit. Our findings provide ethically grounded distributional weights for wellbeing policy evaluation and cost-benefit analysis. |
| Date: | 2026–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2606.13752 |
| By: | Clingain, Clare; Donald, Aletheia Amalia; Hernandez-de-Benito, Maria |
| Abstract: | Psychological constructs related to agency—such as the ability to set goals or feel in control—are increasingly recognized as determinants of economic outcomes and well-being. Yet validated measures are scarce outside Western, educated, industrial, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) contexts. This paper introduces four scales measuring goal-setting capacity, locus of control, generalized livelihoods self-efficacy, and agricultural self-efficacy, tested through representative and specialized surveys in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda. All the scales demonstrate strong psychometric properties, although locus of control shows weaker internal reliability. Five-point Likert scales outperform three-point alternatives. Using these tools, the paper documents significant associations between all four agency constructs and subjective well-being, labor supply, earnings, food security, and intra-household decision-making. Generalized livelihoods self-efficacy shows the strongest and most consistent associations across outcomes. For women, agency's links to labor supply and intra-household decision-making are stronger and hold across more contexts than they do for men. Across constructs, the relationship with expected life satisfaction tends to be larger than with current life satisfaction, suggesting that agency may be particularly relevant for predicting aspirations. These scales are recommended for descriptive surveys and impact evaluations related to well-being, economic livelihoods, and empowerment. |
| Date: | 2026–06–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11401 |
| By: | Oleynov, Anton |
| Abstract: | Contemporary sustainability debates increasingly recognize that ecological crises cannot be understood solely through assumptions of rational utility maximization and growth-centered development. Drawing on insights from behavioral economics, well-being research, and sustainability studies, the paper develops a broader conception of utility that incorporates emotional, relational, and cultural dimensions of human welfare. It makes three contributions. First, it proposes emotional utility, relational utility, and cultural utility as complementary dimensions of human welfare that help explain why well-being depends upon psychological stability, social relationships, and culturally meaningful forms of life. Second, it introduces the concept of behavioral sustainability, defined as the long-term reproduction of sustainable patterns of behavior through supportive social, emotional, cultural, and institutional conditions. Third, it illustrates the relevance of this framework through the case of Thailand, where concepts such as sabai-sabai, kreng jai, nam jai, and the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy reflect culturally grounded understandings of well-being that go beyond material accumulation. The analysis suggests that sustainability should be evaluated not only according to ecological outcomes and economic performance but also according to its capacity to support trust, belonging, resilience, and enduring quality of life. Sustainable development therefore requires conceptions of welfare that account for what people need to live well, not only what they consume. |
| Date: | 2026–06–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:2n43g_v1 |
| By: | Amina Chandad (ENCGT - Ecole Nationale de Commerce et de Gestion de Tanger - UAE - Abdelmalek Essaadi University [Tétouan] = Université Abdelmalek Essaadi [Tétouan]); Mohamed Amine Benchekroun (ENSIT - Ecole des Nouvelles Sciences d’ingenierie, Le Laboratoire Systemes, Controle et Decision (LSCD), Tanger, Morocco.); Mostafa Abakouy (ENCGT - Ecole Nationale de Commerce et de Gestion de Tanger - UAE - Abdelmalek Essaadi University [Tétouan] = Université Abdelmalek Essaadi [Tétouan]) |
| Abstract: | This study examines gender disparities in entrepreneurship within Morocco's emerging economy, investigating how organisational culture, work-life balance, physical infrastructure, and career development affect women entrepreneurs' success. Building on recent research in women's workplace well-being in industrial contexts, this study extends theoretical frameworks to the entrepreneurial ecosystem through a multi- criteria decision-making approach. A fuzzy TOPSIS methodology was employed to prioritise determinants across three dimensions: environmental factors, entrepreneurial capabilities, and individual characteristics. Data from 180 women entrepreneurs across four sectors (manufacturing 40%, technology 30%, services 20%, trade 10%) in Morocco's three major economic regions (Casablanca-Settat, Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra) were analysed using linguistic weights and triangular fuzzy numbers. Results reveal that career development and empowerment (closeness coefficient: 0.847), followed by organisational culture adaptation (0.723), are the most critical factors influencing women entrepreneurs' success. Gender-sensitive support systems and inclusive leadership significantly moderate entrepreneurial outcomes. This study integrates gendered organisations theory with entrepreneurship research, offering systematic prioritisation of gender-specific barriers in Morocco's entrepreneurial landscape, with actionable implications for policymakers and support institutions. This study employs a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach (Fuzzy TOPSIS), where the reported coefficients (e.g., 0.847; 0.723) represent ranking scores rather than statistical parameters. |
| Keywords: | women's well-being multi-criteria decision-making emerging economies entrepreneurial success gender equality. Classification JEL: O16 L26 J16 O15, women's well-being, multi-criteria decision-making, emerging economies, entrepreneurial success, gender equality. Classification JEL: O16, L26, J16, O15 |
| Date: | 2026–03–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05571544 |