The private sector and competition in health care markets

This paper reviews the historical trends in the regulatory and competitive approaches to containment of health care costs, covering efforts in both public and private sectors. The current interest in the potential of private-sector initiatives to stimulate competition in health care insurance and provider markets is highlighted. Since neither the workings of competition in health care nor the role and impact of the private sector in stimulating such competition are well understood, the concluding section discusses important research issues surrounding these topics.     

Productivity growth, trade and FDI nexus: evidence from the Canadian manufacturing sector

Using the confined exponential and logistic models of technology diffusion, this paper investigates the roles played by international trade and FDI in explaining productivity growth through both technology transfer and domestic innovation, with the technology transfer also occurring independently. Using panel data on Canadian manufacturing industries, we first find a robust role for the autonomous and international trade embodied technology transfer in explaining TFP growth. Second, international trade and FDI (as well as research and development) all contribute to productivity growth through the rate of innovation. Finally, we find that the exponential and logistic models of technology diffusion may have different implications for the growth dynamics in a technologically lagging country.     

Government expenditure on public order and safety,economic growth and private investment: Empirical evidence from the United States

The analysis begins by using annual data for the US from 1959 to 2003 to examine the macroeconomic relationship between government expenditure on public order and safety, output and investment. In practice, total spending on public order and safety is divided up into four categories (police force, fire service, law courts and prison service) so in the second part of the analysis we test for Granger causality between output, investment and each category of spending. But the division of aggregate spending may give rise to trade-offs/complementarities so in the final part of the analysis Granger causality tests are used to investigate this issue. Among other things, the results suggest that changes in output Granger cause changes in total spending on public order and safety. In particular, when total spending is disaggregated the findings suggest that changes in output Granger cause changes in spending on the police force and the law courts.     

The dynamic interactions among foreign direct investment, economic growth, exports and unemployment: evidence from Taiwan

The vector autoregression (VAR) method of variance decomposition and impulse response function analysis was applied to analyze dynamic relationships among foreign direct investment (FDI), economic growth, unemployment, and trade in Taiwan. The analysis results show that both economic growth and exports have positive impacts on FDI inflow; however, export expansion has a negative impact on FDI outflow. FDI inflow also has an obvious positive impact on exports and economic performance. The evidence also shows that there is no relationship between FDI inflow and unemployment. In addition, we found that a positive relationship exists between economic growth and exports while a negative relationship exists between unemployment and economic growth.     

Viewing the Crime Wave from the Inside: Perceived Rates of Extortion among Restauraeurs in Germany

The rarer and more serious a type of crime is, the more the public depends on mediated experiences, either via acquaintances or via the mass media. Prior criminological research has also made the point that although the media over-represent and dramatise certain crimes (e.g. by establishing and referring to so-called crime waves) the public perception shows some resistance to these influences and maintains a certain kind of resilience and validity of its own. The mass media discourse in 1990s Germany on extortion of restaurateurs (e.g. via protection rackets) is embedded in the wider interpretation frame of organised crime and is dominated by the assumption that for restaurateurs of foreign origin, especially in big cities, the confrontation is omnipresent. The following article presents the results of a survey of restaurateurs (n = 7,900, Winter 1995/96). In discussing the representativeness and validity of the reported direct, vicarious and perceived victimisation, it is suggested that the aggregate of the perceived victimisation is the most valid measure. However, the perception of the Lebenswelt-experts is far from the media's claim of a ubiquitous threat.     

Innovative activities and investment decision: evidence from European firms

The Journal of Technology Transfer - This paper investigates the role of innovative activity and other micro determinants, on firms’ investment behaviour. The empirical analysis is based on a...     

Spatial and industry proximity in collaborative research: evidence from Italian manufacturing firms

This paper attempts to check the existence of geographic and industry distance effects, alongside other microeconomic determinants, on firms’ decisions to engage in R&D collaboration. Physical distance is defined by geographical coordinates while the measure of industry distance is based on the trade intensity between sectors. The model specified here refers to the combined spatial autoregressive model with autoregressive disturbances and it is estimated through the spatial two stage least square procedure. The results show that both geographical and industry proximity, positively affect the decision to cooperate in R&D.     

Critiquing the regulation of private security in the United Kingdom: views from inside the sector

ABSTRACT

The UK Private Security Industry Act 2001 provided the legal mechanism for the statutory regulation of parts of the private security sector with the explicit aim of reducing criminality in the industry and raising standards. It created the Security Industry Authority as the regulator which commenced operation in 2003. Since then, it has received mixed reviews, and proposals have been forwarded to change its status and the way it works. This paper provides insights from two groups most affected by regulation: security specialists who buy security, and managers and directors of security companies who are subject to regulation and work with its strengths and weaknesses. The paper reports on their views of both the existing regime and some proposed changes. It suggests that the regulator and the industry share similar views albeit there has been a lack of emphasis on what it takes to enhance the ability of the industry to support the public generally rather than just those who pay.     

Competition in the Netherlands and Belgium: Service sector evidence

This paper examines competition in the Dutch and Belgian service sector for the period 1995–1999. The paper explores the link between firm profitability and market structure, and provides evidence of a non-optimal functioning of both markets. While analysis reveals the existence of a market sector effect in both countries, this effect is larger in the Dutch sample than in the Belgian sample, implying that the Dutch service sector is less competitive than the Belgian service sector. An analysis of the market friendliness of regulations in both countries does not provide a comprehensive explanation for this finding. JEL Classification: L12 · L16 · L51 · L80     

Public investment in private problems: legal aid and the family justice system

This paper examines findings from the Legal Aid Board Research Unit's Case Profiling Study in the light of the current reform programmes for both legal aid and family law. The findings relate to over 650 legally aided family cases including divorce, separation, ancillary relief and Children Act 1989 applications. The main aim of the study was to gain a better understanding of what is currently funded by the legal aid fund. Costs have been related to stages of cases and to the strategies employed by solicitors. Finally, I comment on the future role of legal aid in family law, suggesting that, to a large extent, public investment will be maintained. Remuneration of service providers will evolve as systems of contracting are introduced in January 2000. There will be continued emphasis on family mediation as an alternative method of dispute resolution. However, cases involving issues relating to children and their welfare will remain within the scope of public support. Domestic violence and other emergency issues will also merit high priority. Although there will be extensive changes in other areas of legal aid, family law appears to remain relatively unscathed.     

Finance growth nexus across Indian states: evidences from panel cointegration and causality tests

The paper deals with finance-growth relationship across Indian states over 1980–2011 in panel cointegration and causality framework. We apply Engle–Granger two-step procedure for cointegration test in panel setting which takes care of cross-sectional dependence and heterogeneity across states. For panel Granger causality analysis, we employ Dumitrescu and Hurlin (Econ Model 29:1450–1460, 2012) method and apply bootstrapping to account for cross-sectional dependence. We find robust evidence of cointegration between per capita income and credit per capita. Using panel FMOLS, we find that 1 % change in credit per capita results in 0.14 % change in per capita income. Panel Granger causality test reveals that there is bi-directional causality (feedback effects) in the absence of cross-sectional dependence. However, with cross-sectional dependence, we find evidence in favour of supply leading hypothesis. Probable policy implication calls for inclusive financial development and growth strategies in order to mitigate uneven income levels across states.     

Productivity and openness: firm level evidence in Brazilian manufacturing industries

This study investigates the productivity of Brazilian manufacturing industries, particularly addressing the influence of liberalization on productivity. We first calculate total factor productivity (TFP) by estimating the stochastic frontier production function and the inefficiency determination equation simultaneously. Then TFP growth rates are regressed on openness-related variables and other firm characteristics. The results show that firm openness to the world is a crucial determinant of their productivity. Data used for this study were obtained from the Investment Climate Survey, provided by the World Bank.     

Reform and remembrance: the place of the private sector in the future of health care policy

Although the nation failed during the past decade to enact large-scale, structural change in government health policy, it has seen health care in the private sector remodeled dramatically during the same period. In this article I argue that a new round of equally significant changes is quite possible, this time at the hands of the national government. More specifically, I argue that for a variety of reasons, both enduring and more recently born, support for the private sector and the market in health care is relatively weak: that given likely trends in costs, demographics, and inequalities, it is likely to get even weaker; and that in the potential coming crisis of the health care system. there will be a real opportunity for seizing the agenda and winning policy battles on the part of would-be reformers pushing large-scale, public sector-oriented changes that go well beyond the recent reform efforts directed at managed care and HMOs.     

The financial competition,concentration and structure of financial performance nexus in the financial sector of Oman

Economic Change and Restructuring - This study aimed to measure the impact of financial competition, as measured by the Lerner index (LRI) and the Panzar-Rosse model (PRM), and concentration, as...     

The concurrent application of competition law and regulation: the case of margin squeeze abuses in the telecommunications sector

This paper explores the issue of margin squeeze in the telecommunicationssector. It observes that margin squeeze abuses can be addressedthrough ex ante and/or ex post intervention. As far as ex anteintervention is concerned, this paper reviews the various regulatorystrategies that can be used to address margin squeeze beforeconcluding that such conduct has been generally prevented throughprice controls. It then evaluates how wholesale and retail pricecontrol mechanisms can affect the ability and/or incentivesof vertically integrated operators to engage in margin squeeze.As far as ex post intervention is concerned, this paper discussedthe way in which margin squeeze has been addressed under nationaland EC competition law. It then explores several unresolvedissues that emerge from the decisional practice of the competitionauthorities and the case law of the courts. Finally, the paperexplores the interface between competition law and sector-specificregulation and in particular the jurisdictional and substantiveconflicts that it can lead to in the area of margin squeeze.     

Interview mode effects on estimates of need for alcohol and drug treatment among welfare recipients: evidence from a quasi-experiment

Employing a quasi-experimental design, this study compared responses from face-to-face and telephone surveys of welfare recipients to assess the effects of survey modality on prevalence estimates of alcohol and drug abuse and need for treatment. Samples were drawn from adult welfare recipients in Oklahoma in 2001. We generated 1-year and 30-day prevalence estimates of alcohol and drug use, employed several common measures of substance-related behavioral and physical problems to estimate treatment need, and used odds ratios to compare prevalence estimates. Results indicated that telephone surveys provided estimates that were (1) statistically no different from those of face-to-face administration in the categories used to estimate treatment need and (2) significantly higher than those of face-to-face surveys for admission of ever having a substance problem and driving after consuming alcohol or drugs. We conclude that, for welfare recipients, telephone surveys provide similar data quality about treatment need as do more costly face-to-face interviews, a finding that is important and of practical concern to both practitioners and methodologists. More broadly, we argue that further survey methodology research is required for specific populations and subgroups that are often the focus of criminal justice and public health research and response.     

Corruption tolerance as a process of moral,social, and political cognition: evidence from Latin America

Crime, Law and Social Change - While corruption is commonly understood in behavioral terms, the dominance of political and economic approaches has hindered the integration of relevant psychological...