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on Knowledge Management and Knowledge Economy |
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Issue of 2007‒06‒02
four papers chosen by Emanuele Canegrati Catholic University of the Sacred Heart |
| By: | Frank van Kouwen (Utrecht University); Carel Dieperink (Utrecht University); Paul P. Schot (Utrecht University); Martin J. Wassen (Utrecht University) |
| Abstract: | Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is struggling with a lack of science-management integration. Many computer systems, usually known as “decision support systems”, have been developed with the intention to make scientific knowledge about complex systems more accessible for coastal managers. These tools, allowing a multi-disciplinary approach with multi-criteria analyses, are designed for well-defined, structured problems. However, in practice stakeholder consensus on the problem structure is usually lacking. Aim of this paper is to explore the practical opportunities for the new so-called Quasta approach to structure complex problems in a group setting. This approach is based on a combination of Cognitive Mapping and Qualitative Probabilistic Networks. It comprehends a new type of computer system which is quite simple and flexible as well. The tool is tested in two workshops in which various coastal management issues were discussed. Evaluations of these workshops show that (1) this system helps stakeholders to make them aware of causal relationships, (2) it is useful for a qualitative exploration of scenarios, (3) it identifies the quantitative knowledge gaps of the problem being discussed and (4) the threshold for non technicians to use this tool is quite low. |
| Keywords: | Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Problem Structuring, Stakeholder Participation, Cognitive Mapping, Interactive Policy Making |
| JEL: | Q5 |
| Date: | 2007–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fem:femwpa:2007.52&r=knm |
| By: | Stenberg, Anders (Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University) |
| Abstract: | This study is the first to explore the earnings effects of credits attained in adult education at upper secondary level (AE) in Sweden. It is also investigated whether individuals with and without AE prior to enrolment in higher studies differ in their achievements at university and/or in their subsequent earnings. The analyses are based on register data of the cohort born in 1970 of which more than one third at some point has been registered in AE. In the preferred specification, credits equal to one year of AE are found to increase annual wage earnings by 4.1 per cent for males and 3.6 per cent for females. The results are mainly driven by course credits with an element of specific knowledge such as health related subjects and computer science, while more general subjects such as Mathematics, Swedish or English are linked with zero returns. Concerning higher education, the results indicate a lower payoff for AE individuals if higher studies are limited to less than two years. There is also evidence of a lower probability of completing four years of higher studies, in particular among females. |
| Keywords: | Adult education; wage earnings |
| JEL: | H52 J68 |
| Date: | 2007–05–23 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:sofiwp:2007_006&r=knm |
| By: | Juergen Antony (University of Augsburg, Department of Economics) |
| Abstract: | Non-renewable resources are an obstacle for positive long run growth if they are essential for production, households solve an intertemporal Ramsey problem and population is growing. Modern growth models predict that growth is positively related to growth in production factors. Hence, there are opposing forces at work if labor as one factor is growing and the use of the non-renewable resource as another factor is shrinking. The paper develops a semi-endogenous growth model with one labor and one resource using sector and derives conditions for stable positive long run growth in per capita production and consumption. |
| Keywords: | non-renewable resources, semi-endogenous growth |
| JEL: | Q32 O31 O33 |
| Date: | 2007–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aug:augsbe:0291&r=knm |
| By: | Américo M. S. Carvalho Mendes (Faculdade de Economia e Gestão, Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto)) |
| Abstract: | In countries where private forest ownership is very important, knowledge of the behaviour of private forest owners is useful for the design and implementation of successful forest policies. This applies to Portugal where 86 % of the forest lands are private property. This paper presents a study carried out in a region of the Northern part of the country covered by a local forest owners’ association. Based on individual data about the members of this association concerning some of their characteristics (implementation of publicly subsidised afforestation projects, size of the forest holdings, number of forest holdings belonging to the same owner and distance between the permanent residence of the owner and his forest holdings), a multinomial logit model is estimated for the probabilities of participation on public incentive schemes to finance individual and grouped afforestation projects. |
| Keywords: | non industrial private forest owners, afforestation projects, public incentives |
| Date: | 2007–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cap:wpaper:092007&r=knm |