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on Sociology of Economics |
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Issue of 2006‒04‒08
four papers chosen by Jonas Holmstrom Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration |
| By: | Michael Rauber; Heinrich Ursprung |
| Abstract: | In this paper we ague that any meaningful bibliometric evaluation of researchers needs to take into account that research productivity follows distinct life cycles. Using an encompassing data set portraying the research behavior of German academic economists, we first show that research productivity crucially depends on career age and vintage. Based on the identified effects, we develop a simple formula that shows how a researcher’s performance compares to that of his or her peers. This kind of information may serve as an input for performance-related remuneration and track-record based allocation of research grants. We then go on to investigate the persistence of individual productivity. The Persistence issue is of special importance in the academic labor market because of the irrevocable nature of tenure. Finally, we show how life cycle considerations can be used in evaluations of university departments in order to render the resulting rankings insensitive to the age structure of the evaluated faculties. |
| Keywords: | research productivity, performance evaluation, life cycles, rankings |
| JEL: | A11 A14 J24 J41 M51 |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_1673&r=sog |
| By: | Luis Eduardo Girón Cruz; Daniel Enrique González Gómez |
| Abstract: | RESUMEN Este trabajo presenta un análisis, tanto de los determinantes, como de la evolución del rendimiento académico y de la deserción estudiantil, en el programa de Economía de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Cali, con base en los estudiantes matriculados entre el segundo semestre de 2000 y el segundo de 2003. Para desarrollar la investigación, se utilizó información secundaria y primaria; esta última se consiguió a través de una encuesta aplicada a la población de estudiantes,activos y desertores, de Economía. Para el análisis, se utilizaron métodos de estadística descriptiva unidimensional y bidimensional, y métodos propios de estadística multivariante. Dado que las poblaciones por cohorte eran relativamente pequeñas, se incluyeron todas las cohortes matriculadas desde el segundo semestre de 2000 hasta el segundo semestre de 2003. Para lograr coherencia en los análisis del rendimiento académico, se estandarizó la permanencia de los estudiantes, razón por la cual se analizó sólo hasta el tercer semestre. Los resultados muestran que el apoyo familiar y el rendimiento académico previo inciden en la deserción. El rendimiento académico de un estudiante se afecta, no sólo por el rendimiento previo en matemáticas y lenguaje, sino también por los factores sexo y número de créditos matriculados. ABSTRACT This work presents an analysis of the determining factors in the evolution of academic performance and the drop-out rate of students in the Economics program of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Cali, from the second semester of 2000 to the second semester of 2003. To carry out this research, primary and secondary information was used; the former was obtained using a survey applied to current students and those who had dropped out. One-dimensional and two-dimensional descriptive statistical methods were used for the analysis, together with appropriate multi-variant statistical methods. Given that the population per group was relatively small, all groups matriculated from the second semester of 2000, up to the second semester of 2003 were included. For the sake of coherence in the analysis of academic performance the permanence of the students was standardized, and for this reason the analysis was made only up to the third semester. Results show that family support and previous academic performance are factors that affect drop-out from the Economics program, and that a student’s academic performance is affected by previous performance in mathematics and language, in the same way as the number of creditsmatriculated, and gender. |
| Date: | 2005–10–31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:001042:002435&r=sog |
| By: | Joan Rosselló |
| Abstract: | In this paper we analyse, from a theoretical perspective, the effects of some of the initiatives implemented in Spain aimed at improving the scientific output in the Spanish Universities. Our results show that those incentives that represent a reduction of the teaching-hours or that represent an increase in the fixed-salary of professors can have little success on scientific output if: i) the distribution of abilities among professors, ii) the possibility that professors participate in the process of hiring new professors and, iii) the difficulties of university managers in monitoring the efforts that are expected to be devoted to research activities –as opposed to time devoted to private activities- by professors, are not considered. Additionally, the model allows us to offer an explanation to the observed fact in Spain that scientific output –in top-quality economic journals- is concentrate in a few Universities (Departments of Economics or Research Centres in Economics). |
| Keywords: | incentives, research, universities. |
| JEL: | I20 I21 |
| Date: | 2004–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ubi:deawps:9&r=sog |
| By: | Aurora A.C. Teixeira (CEMPRE, Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Porto); Joana Costa (Faculdade de Economia and Faculdade de Letras, Universidade do Porto) |
| Abstract: | Using large-scale survey data for (1538) firms located in Portugal, we analyze which firm characteristics are conducive to establishing contacts with universities. Although almost half of the firms surveyed stated they had established some contacts with universities in the period 2001-2003, only a few (21.5%) consider universities an important source of knowledge and information for their innovation activities. A more disturbing finding is that 61% of the total firms claimed they had no intentions of establishing future contacts with universities and 38% would only be moderately interested in doing so (‘if requested’). The Universities of Minho, Porto and Aveiro are the ones that cover a higher percentage of contacts from firms. Furthermore, in terms of the most demanding type of contacts (protocols, partnerships and projects), the Técnica de Lisboa (Lisbon Technical), Aveiro and Porto are the best-ranked universities. Our analysis indicates that the firms’ propensity to draw on each of the Portuguese universities is explained by the characteristics of the different firms and their regional and industrial patterns. For instance, firms that have established contacts with the Aveiro, Coimbra, Évora, Lisboa, and the Nova (Lisbon) universities tend to be relatively R&D-intensive, whereas those that contact the Católica (Porto) and Porto universities are relatively large and export-intensive. If we exclude the Algarve and Beira Interior universities, firms that contact all the other universities tend to be relatively human capital-intensive. Firms belonging to ‘R&D and Engineering services’ show a relatively high propensity to draw on universities in general, and the Aveiro, Beira Interior, Católica (Porto), Porto and Técnica de Lisboa universities, in particular. ‘Textiles and leather’ firms establish more contacts with the Beira Interior and Minho universities, thus reflecting to some extent the specialization pattern of the corresponding region. An unambiguous and statistically robust finding is that proximity matters highly in firms-universities linkages - our estimations reveal that firms are more likely to contacts universities located nearby. |
| Keywords: | University, Firm, linkages |
| JEL: | O38 C25 |
| Date: | 2006–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:por:fepwps:207&r=sog |