Stojanov,D., Culahovic,B.: From Transition to Development: Globalization and Political Economy of Development in Transition Economies; Proceedings of the Second International Conference of the Faculty of Economics Sarajevo.

Review of Journals and Books

Stojanov, D., Culahovic, B.: From Transition to Development: Globalization and Political Economy of Development in Transition Economies; Proceedings of the Second International Conference of the Faculty of Economics Sarajevo.     

Governance Mechanisms in Multi-Party Non-Profit Collaboration

Despite considerable progress in research related to network organizations in recent years, current understanding seems to be more concerned with the reasons why the network mode may be a superior mode of governance, but there is limited understanding of how networks are governed. This study contributes to narrowing this knowledge gap. Moreover, the article contributes to the debate over how networks are governed by identifying governance mechanisms for multi-party collaboration of public organizations. A qualitative methodology based on conversational interviews is used in the cross-case setting consisting of six non-profit multi-party networks including governmental, university and private organizations.     

Vulnerability to poverty revisited: Flexible modeling and better predictive performance

This paper analyzes several modifications to improve a simple measure of vulnerability as expected poverty. Firstly, in order to model income, we apply distributional regression relating potentially each parameter of the conditional income distribution to the covariates. Secondly, we determine the vulnerability cutoff endogenously instead of defining a household as vulnerable if its probability of being poor in the next period is larger than 0.5. For this purpose, we employ the receiver operating characteristic curve that is able to consider prerequisites according to a particular targeting mechanism. Using long-term panel data from Germany, we build both mean and distributional regression models with the established 0.5 probability cutoff and our vulnerability cutoff. We find that our new cutoff considerably increases predictive performance. Placing the income regression model into the distributional regression framework does not improve predictions further but has the advantage of a coherent model where parameters are estimated simultaneously replacing the original three step estimation approach.     

The gender pay gap at labour market entrance: Evidence from Germany

The authors investigate wage differentials between German male and female graduates at labour market entrance at all percentiles of the wage distribution. The wage differentials are decomposed using the single‐index approach suggested by DiNardo, Fortin and Lemieux (1996) and Fortin and Lemieux (1998), and by endowment, price and returns‐to‐skill function effects. The results reveal higher starting salaries for men at all percentiles of the income distribution, with the pay gap varying in magnitude. The endowment and price effects are favourable for men throughout. The effect of the difference in the returns‐to‐skill function works in favour of female graduates.     

Life Satisfaction of Middle-Aged and Older Chinese: The Role of Health and Health Insurance

The Chinese government has launched a series of health reforms to establish universal health insurance coverage, particularly for vulnerable groups, including middle-aged and older adults. However, the current public health insurance system is highly fragmented, consisting of different programs with different levels of premiums and benefits. We analyse whether the universal health insurance system increases the life satisfaction of middle-aged and older Chinese people and to what extent the type of health insurance affects the life satisfaction of this group. Our study is based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative longitudinal survey of Chinese aged 45 and above, in 2011, 2013, and 2015. We find that the life satisfaction of middle-aged and older adults does not depend on having any health insurance coverage but varies with the type of health insurance coverage, controlling for potential confounding variables such as health status, occupation, hukou status, and other demographic variables. Individuals covered by the most generous program, the Government Medical Insurance, reported a higher life satisfaction. In comparison, individuals covered by the Urban Employee Medical Insurance, the Urban Resident Medical Insurance, and the New Rural Cooperative Scheme reported a lower life satisfaction by 0.155, 0.106, and 0.112 standard deviations, respectively. Our results suggest that establishing a more equitable health insurance system should be the next step in health reforms in China.

     

Navigating a new life: Syrian refugees and their smartphones in Vienna

ABSTRACT

Networked technologies are a key tool for today’s refugees; not only on the move but also upon arrival in their new surroundings. Where mobile Internet access is affordable and infrastructures are stable, as in Europe’s metropoles, refugees can use smartphones to cope with everyday challenges. The paper presents findings from a qualitative interview study with Syrian refugees who recently settled in Vienna, Austria. The study implemented a three-fold methodology, combining face-to-face interviews, WhatsApp chats, and participant research. Results are presented from a localized appropriation notion (the act of making use of local specific media environment when drawing a media technology into one’s life) identifying practices in the contexts of: place-making and geographical orientation; information access and self-help; language learning and translation; and ‘doing family’. Hence, refugees are both emotionally attached to and technically dependent on their devices. The article concludes that smartphones hold an untapped potential for integration processes.     

Hybrid Governance: The Case of Household Solid Waste Management in Sweden

Governance is hybrid to the extent that it involves diverse organizational forms, jurisdictional domains, and stakeholders across the public and private sectors. This article analyses the governance of household solid waste management in Sweden from a hybridity perspective, with the City of Helsingborg in North-Western Scania in Sweden as an example. The governance arrangements comprise municipal and company-based organizations, conflicting legislation, and long planning and investment horizons. The latter has resulted in significant innovations over the last 20 years, while changes in organizational forms, tasks, networks and jurisdictions have caused tensions in governance processes and relationships.