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on Heterodox Microeconomics |
| By: | Boeddeling, Jann |
| Abstract: | Answering the call for a new theoretical approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), this paper makes a suggestion from a Weberian perspective. It briefly appraises the existing research on CSR and develops key points of a new approach based on their criticism. Suggesting that CSR is a discourse about the role of the economy in society, it discusses whether a suitable new approach for the analysis of CSR can be found outside of economics and business ethics. It is argued that Max Weber's economic sociology and particularly his concept of ideal interests offer an appropriate framework. This framework is developed from Weber's theoretical writings and demonstrated to be used by him to analyze processes of change in the role of the economy in society. The paper then outlines how an analysis of CSR could be carried out building on an ideal interests-framework. It is suggested that such research would significantly advance the understanding of central, yet under-researched elements of CSR. Finally, I argue that the proposed research has the potential of contributing insights to action theoretical questions of modern economic sociology. -- |
| Keywords: | Corporate Social Responsibility,economic sociology,role of the economy in society,Max Weber,protestant ethic,ideal interests,theory of action |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:uwhdps:222011&r=hme |
| By: | Drasch, Katrin (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany]) |
| Abstract: | "In this paper, I examine how family related employment interruptions for women in the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) and the GDR (German Democratic Republic) looked like in the period prior to German reunification. Furthermore, I investigate how career interruptions developed after the German reunification in the old and new states and whether a convergence of re-entry behaviour can be observed. Following research questions are addressed: Which factors are more important: attitudes towards the employment of mothers, which were transferred through socialisation in childhood and adolescence, or institutional arrangements shaped by parental leave regulations? Based on data from the IAB ALWA study ('Working and Learning in a Changing World'), the results show that even twenty years after the German reunification, significant differences between women in East and West Germany are found to exist with respect to family related employment interruptions. These interruptions are subject to strong institutional control. Women who were raised in the GDR and moved to one of the old federal states after the reunification do not behave differently than West German women. This result suggests that institutional arrangements including for example also childcare availability are more important for re-entry behaviour than socialisation. However, the results must be interpreted carefully: it could be that the willingness to move of East German women is also influenced by socialisation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en)) |
| JEL: | J C41 |
| Date: | 2012–03–28 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iab:iabdpa:201209&r=hme |
| By: | William Coleman |
| Abstract: | The paper interprets the neoliberalism' of Friedman, Hayek (and others), as a partly successful doctrinal reformulation of 'historical liberalism' that certain material realities had by the mid-20th century proved solvent of. It argues that in the post-War period it was the doctrinal reformulations of political and individual freedom associated with neoliberalism that re-established the potency of ideas of 'free market and 'limited government'. |
| Date: | 2012–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:acb:cbeeco:2012-572&r=hme |
| By: | Stephan Humpert (Institute of Economics, Leuphana University Lueneburg, Germany) |
| Abstract: | There is only a few literature on age specific occupational segregation. In this descriptive paper, I focus on job opportunities for newly hired older male and female workers. It is an enriched replication study of Hutchens (ILRR,1988), who showed that firms employ older workers, but hire them less. I use a rich dataset for West Germany with information for almost thirty years, the regional file of the IAB Employment Sample (IABS-R04). By drawing segregation curves and calculating different measures, such as Dissimilarity Index and Hutchens Square Root Segregation Index, I find clear evidence that age related segregation exists. While newly hired workers in the age groups of 18 to 34 and 35 to 54 are quiet similar distributed in terms of the indices, the oldest age group of 55 years and older, and especially older women, are more segregated. Differences for older male and female workers over time, may be explained by changes in labor and retirement policies. |
| Keywords: | Labor Demand, Age Segregation, Older Workers, Gender |
| JEL: | J23 J24 J21 J14 J16 |
| Date: | 2012–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lue:wpaper:235&r=hme |
| By: | Scarlato, Margherita |
| Abstract: | The paper analyses how the theoretical framework of social enterprise proposed in the academic debate could be operationalised in the specific socioeconomic context of Ecuador. Recently, this country designed a new economic paradigm based on the solidarity economy model to reconcile an ambitious developmental state platform with the vision of a participatory strategy that pursues democracy, human rights and poverty reduction. This paradigm was enshrined in the constitution and elaborated through the Plan Nacional para el Buen Vivir 2009-2013. The paper explores the peculiar features of the solidarity model in Ecuador and draws more general insights related to development policy. |
| Keywords: | Social enterprise; human development; social protection; development policy; Ecuador |
| JEL: | O54 O15 L31 |
| Date: | 2012–03–21 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:37618&r=hme |
| By: | Poornima Gayangani Wasana Jayawardana Author_Email: poorja08@apu.ac.jp, japgwj@gmail.com (Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan) |
| Keywords: | Rural Finance, Entrepreneurship, Women’s Empowerment |
| JEL: | M0 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cms:1asb11:2011-031-189&r=hme |
| By: | Berger, Allen N.; Kick, Thomas; Schaeck, Klaus |
| Abstract: | Little is known about how socioeconomic characteristics of executive teams affect corporate governance in banking. Exploiting a unique dataset, we show how age, gender, and education composition of executive teams affect risk taking of financial institutions. First, we establish that age, gender, and education jointly affect the variability of bank performance. Second, we use difference-in-difference estimations that focus exclusively on mandatory executive retirements and find that younger executive teams increase risk taking, as do board changes that result in a higher proportion of female executives. In contrast, if board changes increase the representation of executives holding Ph.D. degrees, risk taking declines. -- |
| Keywords: | Banks,executives,risk taking,age,gender,education |
| JEL: | G21 G34 I21 J16 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:bubdps:032012&r=hme |
| By: | Arbel, Yuval (School of Business, Carmel Academic Center); Tobol, Yossi (Jerusalem College of Technology (JTC)); Siniver, Erez (College of Management, Rishon Lezion Campus) |
| Abstract: | Previous studies of immigrant populations suggest that ceteris paribus (after controlling for the number of years in the receiving country and other socio-demographic variables), the level of income is strongly and positively correlated with fluency in the local language. Based on a phone survey held in 2005 among a representative sample of Former Soviet Union (FSU) immigrants, the current study extends this literature and investigates the possibility that the standard model is misspecified. Unlike previous surveys, our dataset includes detailed subjective questions on the degree of social involvement. Our findings indeed support the conclusion that the standard model is misspecified. At 1% significance level, immigrants who are better assimilated within the receiving country are 11% more likely to attain a level of income that is equal to or higher than the average level of net family monthly income. Moreover, compared to the incorrectly-specified model, at 1% significance level a shift from lower to intermediate and high level of language proficiency does not significantly increase the level of income. Consequently, marginal probabilities of income shift, which have been mistakenly attributed to better language proficiency in the misspecified model, should have been, in fact, attributed to a higher level of social involvement. Finally, stratification of the sample based on gender and marital status shows that compared to unmarried females, married males have a higher return on social involvement. Among married men (unmarried women) a higher level of social involvement significantly increases the chances for higher income level by 15% (only 4%). Research findings thus stress the important role of better social involvement, particularly among married males: a higher degree of social involvement leads to improved social networking and, in turn, to better job opportunities and higher income. |
| Keywords: | social involvement, income level, immigration, gender differences |
| JEL: | J15 Z13 |
| Date: | 2012–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6416&r=hme |
| By: | Cludius, Johanna; Beznoska, Martin; Steiner, Viktor |
| Abstract: | We calculate the expected distributional effects of the European Emissions Trading System combining industry and household-level data. By combining data on direct CO2 emissions by production sector from the German Environmental Account with the German Input-Output Accounts, we calculate the CO2 intensity of each sector covered by the EU ETS. We focus on the impact of price increases in the electricity sector, both directly in the form of higher electricity bills for consumers and indirectly through products that use electricity as an input to production. Distributional effects of price increases are analyzed on the basis of the German Income and Expenditure Survey for the year 2008 data and updated to 2013. We confirm the ex-ante expected regressive effect, which is, however, both rather small in magnitude and can be offset and even more than offset by revenue recycling, in particular the reduction of social security contributions on labour income. -- |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fubsbe:20126&r=hme |
| By: | Nermin Ceren Turkmen (Ýstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi); Sedat Demir (Yildiz Teknik Üniversitesi); Barýþ Akgül (Yildiz Teknik Üniversitesi) |
| Abstract: | Since economics studies on individual preferences, it is a branch of science based on human beings. Most of the economy and finance theories are based on the idea that, an individual uses all of the available information rationally and takes into consideration in a right manner while making a decision. In recent years, some opinions have emerged, proposing rationality assumption is solely insufficient to explain the determination of consumer preferences. An individual is a social being having feelings and interacting with environment. Therefore, every subject including human beings inevitably includes environmental and psychological factors. In this manner, presentation of events changes decisions, besides features such as personality, gender, age and education . “Framing Effect”, which can be defined as the differentiation of decisions as presentation of information changes with visual elements, different words or presentation style, constitutes the core of this study. Effects of “framing” on the preferences of individuals have been analyzed, considering the study of Kahneman and Tversky named “Asian Disease” which is vital in the economic literature. This study, concentrates on outcomes of an empirical study, applied on individuals between ages 18 and 44, living in Istanbul and at least high school educated. In this study, it is analyzed whether randomly applied positive and negative frames create systematic effects based on gender and age over decisions. |
| Keywords: | Framing Effects, Asian Disease, Rationality |
| JEL: | A12 D12 |
| Date: | 2012–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:okn:wpaper:0002&r=hme |
| By: | Kurronen, Sanna (BOFIT) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines financial sector characteristics in resource-dependent economies. Using a unique dataset covering 133 countries, we present empirical evidence that the banking sector tends to be smaller in resource-dependent economies, even when controlling for several other factors which have been shown to have a significant effect on financial sector development in previous studies. Moreover, the threshold level at which the increasing resource-dependence begins to be harmful for domestic banking sector is very low. We also find evidence that the use of market-based and foreign financing is more common in resource-dependent economies. Further, we argue that a relatively small financial sector used to cater the needs of the resource sector might be unfavorable for emerging businesses, thereby hampering economic diversification and reinforcing the resource curse. |
| Keywords: | resource dependence; resource curse; financial sector; banks; panel data |
| JEL: | G20 O16 O57 Q32 |
| Date: | 2012–03–22 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:bofitp:2012_006&r=hme |
| By: | José Allouche (GREGOR - Groupe de Recherche en Gestion des Organisations - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Paris - Université Paris I - Panthéon Sorbonne); Olivier Charpateau (DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - CNRS : UMR7088 - Université Paris IX - Paris Dauphine) |
| Abstract: | Le terme d'éthique est devenu au fil des vingt dernières années un mot commun, dont le sens dépend de son utilisateur et régulièrement mobilisé dans le champ du management. Il est particulièrement prisé pour parler du comportement des entreprises vis-à-vis de ses partenaires et de ses salariés. La séparation entre propriété et décision a servi de point de départ à une analyse qui oscille entre juridisme et économisme pour définir les logiques de responsabilité de et dans l'entreprise. La théorie des parties prenantes s'est construite alors sur le constat que l'entreprise ne peut se limiter à rendre des comptes aux seuls actionnaires en maximisant le profit redistribué. La mise en perspective des textes fondamentaux sur les parties prenantes avec les courants philosophiques portant sur l'éthique permet l'émergence de plusieurs constats et questionnements. |
| Keywords: | éthique - parties prenantes - propriété - responsabilité sociale - utilitarisme - valeurs |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00680314&r=hme |
| By: | Bangsund, Dean A.; Hodur, Nancy M.; Leistritz, F. Larry |
| Abstract: | Agricultural industries in small geographical areas with limited acreage tend to be overlooked by those not associated with the growing region or industry. Sugarbeets continue to be produced in a relatively small geographic area and on relatively limited acreage in eastern Montana and western North Dakota. These factors, along with continued debate over policies affecting domestic sugar industries and recent industry expansions have prompted an analysis of the economic importance of the sugarbeet industry to the regional economy. Revenues from sugarbeet production and expenditures by processors to Montana and North Dakota entities in fiscal 2011 represented the direct economic impacts from the industry. Expenditure information was provided by Sidney Sugars Inc. and marketing cooperatives. Secondary economic impacts were estimated using input-output analysis. The sugarbeet industry, which included the growing regions in eastern Montana and western North Dakota and the Sidney, MT processing facility, planted 31,107 acres and processed 798,624 tons of sugarbeets in fiscal 2011. Production, processing, and marketing activities generated $73.9 million in direct economic impacts. Gross business volume (direct and secondary effects) from the sugarbeet industry in that region was estimated at $212.4 million. Direct and secondary employment in the industry was 186 and 805 full-time equivalent jobs, respectively. The industry paid $474,000 in property taxes and was estimated to generate another $1.8 million in sales and use, personal income, and corporate income taxes in Montana and North Dakota. In real terms, gross business volume of the sugarbeet industry in eastern Montana and western North Dakota increased 4 percent since 2003. Increases in business activity from the industry have resulted from an increase in expenditures and also were influenced by relatively high sugar prices during fiscal 2011. |
| Keywords: | sugarbeet industry, western North Dakota, eastern Montana, economic impact iii, Crop Production/Industries, Public Economics, |
| Date: | 2012–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:nddaae:121713&r=hme |
| By: | Ladislav Kristoufek |
| Abstract: | We investigate whether fractal markets hypothesis and its focus on liquidity and invest- ment horizons give reasonable predictions about dynamics of the financial markets during the turbulences such as the Global Financial Crisis of late 2000s. Compared to the mainstream efficient markets hypothesis, fractal markets hypothesis considers financial markets as com- plex systems consisting of many heterogenous agents, which are distinguishable mainly with respect to their investment horizon. In the paper, several novel measures of trading activity at different investment horizons are introduced through scaling of variance of the underlying processes. On the three most liquid US indices - DJI, NASDAQ and S&P500 - we show that predictions of fractal markets hypothesis actually fit the observed behavior quite well. |
| Date: | 2012–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:1203.4979&r=hme |