Fairness in Bargaining

This paper uses historical and contemporary philosophical discussions of fairness to present a structural approach to the definition of fairness. After establishing a set of standards (not a specific definition), we assess the impact of fairness in negotiations and bargaining. Our analysis concludes that truly fair behavior is absent in bargaining and negotiations. Instead, behaviors that have been called just can also be characterized as self-interested. Our review suggests that the term fairness has been used rather loosely, as a convenient label or as a more palatable alternative to self-interested explanations for an individual's choices. For reasons of both parsimony and accuracy, we recommend that the self-interest of the actors be carefully considered before calling their bargaining behavior fair.     

Sudden death caused by coronary artery aneurysms: a late complication of Kawasaki disease

The authors describe three cases (two blacks and one Latin American) of sudden death caused by late complications of Kawasaki disease (mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome). At autopsy each heart contained multiple coronary artery aneurysms with luminal stenosis caused by intimal hyperplasia and thrombi. Although virtually all fatal cases of Kawasaki disease occur within six months of the onset of symptoms, there have been other reported deaths up to 14 years after the acute illness. The coronary artery aneurysms of Kawasaki disease may persist and cause death years after the acute illness.     

The intensive agricultural districts programme in India: A new evaluation

The Intensive Agriculture Districts Programme (IA DP) was a major component of the Indian Government's desire to launch a ‘new strategy’ for agricultural development in the nineteen‐sixties. Prior evaluations have been incomplete and flawed by an inappropriate interpretation of the evidence. This paper utilizes more recent data and uses the total factor productivity approach to evaluate gains from the programme. A feature of the analysis is the concept of ‘economic slack¹ existing in these districts at the beginning of the programme. It concludes that the programme induced a very significant increase in the use of ‘modem’ inputs and hence of agricultural production but did not result in a major gain in ‘real’ total factor productivity.     

Technological innovations and firms’ productivity in new patent regime: Evidences from Indian pharmaceutical industry

Innovative firms enjoy more market benefits by conducting both technological (product and process) and nontechnological (organizational and marketing) innovations. This study aims to examine the relationship between technological innovations and firms’ productivity in Indian pharmaceutical industry in new patent regime. In particular, we analyze the direct impact of product and process innovation on the productivity of 168 Indian pharmaceutical firms over 2000–2013. Findings of this study reveal that technological innovations are positive source of firms’ productivity. However, this relationship varies with types of technological innovations and also ownership structure of firms. Moreover, this study also finds that the impact of technological innovation is stronger for multinational enterprises.     

Uneven Development, Territorial Politics and the British Health Care Reforms

The paper considers the relationships between the uneven development of the British economy, the political strategies pursued by the Conservative government, and the changes to the character of the NHS in the 1980s which culminated in the NHS reforms. It describes the context in which spatial resource allocation policies in the NHS were operating—one of heightened uneven development, with particularly rapid growth taking place in South East England with harmful effects on the NHS. It shows that one response was pressure by backbench MPs on government for a more equitable distribution of funds. Developments within the NHS are interpreted as strategic attempts to prioritize the interests of key geographical locations within a broader 'two nations' political strategy. Three issues are raised: the usefulness of the idea of 'spatial coalitions' in understanding pressures for change in health care policy; the extent to which spatially-uneven development and the 'two-nations' political strategy influenced the character and timing of changes in health care policy; and the possibility that the politics of the welfare state will increasingly be shaped by territorially-based conflicts.     

Assessing the factors associated with sexual harassment among young female migrant workers in Nepal

This article explores the extent of, and factors associated with, sexual harassment of young female migrant workers in the carpet and garment factories in Kathmandu Valley. Information is drawn from a survey of 550 female workers aged 14 to 19 and 12 in-depth case histories. Bivariate and multivariate techniques were applied to identify the factors associated with harassment. The survey found that 1 in 10 young women had experienced sexual harassment or coercion. Those who were exposed to pornographic movies were more likely than those with no exposure to any kind of movies to report sexual harassment. Perpetrators included coworkers, boyfriends, employers, and relatives. Case histories revealed that the inability of young women to communicate effectively with their peers and sex partners, lack of self-esteem, job insecurity, and other socioeconomic problems made them vulnerable to these abuses. The results suggest the need for advocacy and a range of factory-based interventions.