Does deregulation decrease unemployment? An empirical analysis of the Spanish labour market

Spain underwent two major labour reforms in 2010 and 2012 under the assumption that deregulating the labour market and decentralizing collective bargaining would automatically reduce unemployment (deregulation hypothesis). This article highlights the impact of demand and the sectoral structure of the economy to explain the behaviour of this variable (structural hypothesis). Analysing subnational panel data, the authors assess the capacity of these two hypotheses to explain unemployment trends. Their results cast doubt on the deregulation hypothesis and indicate the importance of cyclical and structural factors.     

Double emigration: geographical and cultural? The participation of Italian women in the German labour market

Already at the beginning of the fifties on the initiative of Italy, negotiations began between the Italian and German governments for the recruitment of migrant-workers, which ended in 1955 with a bilateral agreement between the two countries. Through this recruitment policy and because of the labour-market (Industry and Building) the Italian migration was composed prevalently of men. Female immigration happened in the setting of family reunification and less as an independent movement project. After years of stagnation of italian emigration in the eighties it may also be noted that, since the early nineties, there has been a revival of immigration to Germany. This and modernisation processes in Italy changed the gender composition of the Italian immigration flow to Germany: the distance between male and female immigration is decreasing. A peculiarity of the Italians in Germany is the low occupational participation of women in comparison with other women from EU countries. However, we could observe regional differences, which depend on the migration typologies and the dominating economic structure in the areas. The paper will analyse this different aspects (immigration-processes, migrant-typologies and labour-market participation) by female Italian migrants.     

Labor market participation in France: an asymptotic least squares analysis of couples’ decisions

This paper examines the interactions between spouses’ decisions to join the labor force. We use the asymptotic least squares method in order to estimate a system of equations with limited dependent variables. We find that when spouse’s decision-making is modeled as simultaneous, this affects primarily the man’s participation equation who appears to be positively influenced by whether the woman works or not, by the number of children and by the birth of a child. The woman’s decision to participate is not affected by whether the man participates or not and depends negatively of the number of children and the birth of a child. This implies that there is a female leadership in decisions to participate in the labor market and that the added-worker effect should be reinterpreted as a function of demography rather than unemployment.

Slovakia in the de–Stalinization and Federalization Process of Crechoslovakia

En 1991, j’ai émis l’hypothèse que le yiddish n’était pas une langue germanique, mais plutôt une variante du sorabe qui s’était soumise à la relexification au moyen haut allemand entre les 9e- 12e siècles pendant la colonisation allemande des territoires slaves d’Allemagne de l’Est. Le but de l’article présent est de montrer que jusqu’au ISe siècle, au plus tard, les juifs slavophones de Kyiv-Polissia (dont la plupart était vraisemblablement d’origine khazar) ont effectué un deuxième processus de relexification—cette fois du kyievo-polissien (l’ancêtre du biélorusse du sud et l’ukrainien du nord) au lexique yiddish (et allemand). En conséquence, le yiddish de l’est utilise une grammaire slave mixte. La plus importante preuve du modèle de la relexification est la capacité de prédire avec très grande précision quels germanismes seront acceptés ou rejetés en yiddish. Quand la sous-couche slave ne permet pas l’acquisition d’un germanisme, le yiddish a besoin des slavismes (non-relexifiés), des hébraïsmes ou des créations quasi-hébraïques (“hébroïdes”). La relexification seule est capable d’expliquer pourquoi le yiddish a beaucoup plus d’éléments hébraïques que toutes les autres langues juives. Pour la première fois, l’article énonce ici l’existence de la catégorie du duel en yiddish, probablement héritée du sorabe, mais largement reconstituée par contact avec le kyievo-polissien. Finalement, l’article suppose aussi que les Khazars, convertis au judaïsme au 9e siècle, constituent une partie composante majeure de l’ethnogenèse ashkénaze.*     

Gender attitudes in the Arab region – The role of framing and priming effects

Most evidence on survey response effects is based in the Western world. We use data from two randomized experiments built into a nation-wide representative household survey in Tunisia to analyze the effects of framing and priming on responses to gender attitudes in the Arab context. Our first experiment shows that questions on attitudes towards decision-making power when framed in an equality frame reduce responses in favor of gender inequality. In our second experiment we find that responses to attitudes towards domestic violence are susceptible to an audio primer. Oral statistical information about the incidence of domestic violence in Tunisia increases disapproval of domestic violence among the male subsample further, but does not affect women. In terms of impact heterogeneity, we find mixed results for treatment interventions interacting with the gender of the interviewer and the interviewer’s perceived religiosity.     

Decision heuristics and tax perception – An analysis of a tax-cut-cum-base-broadening policy

In this paper, both a conjoint analysis and a lab experiment are conducted to analyze the influence of changes in the tax rate and the tax base on the perceived tax burden. Our results show that the majority of individuals do not make rational tax decisions based on the actual tax burden but rather use simple decision heuristics. This leads to an irrationally high impact of changes in nominal tax rates on the perceived tax burden. Taxpayers favor tax options that apply a lower tax rate on their gross income over a higher tax rate applied on their net income despite the lower actual tax burden of the latter option. This result suggests that politicians could combine increasing fiscal revenues and decreasing subjects’ tax perception. Furthermore, overestimation of tax rate changes increases considerably when information on tax rate is considered first (framing effect).     

Inequality of opportunity and (unequal) opportunities in the youth labour market: How is the Arab world different?

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) labour market is emblematic of widespread youth unemployment and high discouragement rates, experiencing disproportionately high levels of unemployment among educated young people. Using ILO School-to-Work Transition Surveys for Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia, the authors explore whether this is related to inequality of opportunity or to deeper structural characteristics that create a mismatch between skill demand and supply on the labour market. The low availability of high-skilled jobs and the low value placed on skills gained through the system of vocational training are found to have high explanatory power.     

Can welfare and labour market regimes explain cross‐country differences in the unemployment of young people?

No single institution can reduce (long‐term) youth unemployment. Welfare and labour market institutions function as “bundles”, through multiple inter‐institutional synergies. Based on a focused literature review for theory and on cluster analysis for empirics, the author identifies five such regimes across the EU‐27 and estimates their effects on the youth unemployment ratio and on long‐term youth unemployment. The most helpful institutional arrangement for young people in the labour market would be a combination of strong dual apprenticeship embedded in a corporatist labour market regime with high levels of social security, active labour market policy, and spending on education and childcare.     

Unpacking “the system”: Multi-level governance gaps in the labour market integration of highly skilled refugees

A plethora of government- and non-government actors are involved in the labour market integration of highly skilled refugees, forming a complex “system” that is difficult to navigate for integration actors and refugees. Based on interviews with 32 labour market integration actors in Sweden, this article examines multi-level governance gaps in the wake of the simultaneous centralization and decentralization of labour market preparation services. It examines various “steps” in the labour market integration process to gain a more holistic perspective of “the system”, and identifies governance gaps in each step. The article finds that the devolution of services has opened up participatory spaces for non-government actors, but narrowly defined mandates and short-term funding mechanisms hamper cooperation within and between territorial levels of policy implementation.     

Seven steps to market — the development of the market-led approach to countryside conservation and recreation

Fifty years of interplay between farming, environment and politics are reviewed within the context of the search for policy tools which reconcile the need for conservation and access to the countryside with the needs of those who own or manage the land. Seven main policy instruments which have been used to reconcile conflicts between the various interest groups representing farmers and landowners, conservationists and recreationists are identified and their strengths and weaknesses analysed. The significance and initial impact of the seventh of these policy tools — the incentives or market-led approach — is considered in greater detail.     

Is fairness in the eye of the beholder? An impartial spectator analysis of justice

A popular sentiment is that fairness is inexorably subjective and incapable of being determined by objective standards. This study, on the other hand, seeks to establish evidence on unbiased justice and to propose and demonstrate a general approach for measuring impartial views empirically. Most normative justice theories associate impartiality with limited information and consensus. In both the normative and positive literature, information is usually seen as the raw material for self-serving bias and disagreement. In contrast, this paper proposes a type of impartiality that is associated with a high level of information and that results in consensus. The crucial distinction is the emphasis here on the views of impartial spectators, rather than implicated stakeholders. I describe the quasi-spectator method, i.e., an empirical means to approximate the views of impartial spectators. Results of a questionnaire provide evidence on quasi-spectator views and support this approach as a means to elicit moral preferences. By establishing a relationship between consensus and impartiality, this paper helps lay an empirical foundation for welfare analysis, social choice theory and practical policy applications.

“There is no objective standard of ‘fairness.’ ‘Fairness’ is strictly in the eye of the beholder... To a producer or seller, a ‘fair’ price is a high price. To the buyer or consumer, a ‘fair’ price is a low price. How is the conflict to be adjudicated?” – Milton Friedman, Newsweek, July 4, 1977.

     

Can service innovations be procured? An analysis of impacts and challenges in the procurement of innovation in social services

This paper addresses the challenges that arise when service innovations are being promoted through public procurement. The academic and policy debate on public procurement of innovation has recently been very vivid, but it has mostly focused on procurement of technologies and tangible goods while considerably less attention has been paid to public procurement of innovation in services. By drawing on conceptual tools from the literature on service innovation and public procurement of innovation, the paper examines an empirical case of procurement of social services for substance abusers carried out by the city of Helsinki, Finland. In particular, the article analyzes whether the characteristics of services and service innovation are compatible with processes and requirements of public procurement. The article shows that service innovations can be procured, but the features of services and service innovation such as intangibility, interactivity, and difficulty to measure the impacts of new services affect the procurement process and set particular requirements for it.     

With tact and measure? French doctors wrestling with the idea of assessing their medical practice

This article focuses on the impact of measuring quality in family medicine. Throwing the reforms that have affected private practice into temporal perspective shows that it has recently undergone a decisive “metric-oriented turn”. Effects of quantitative assessment on general practitioners are observed thanks to two original studies on preventive care. Professionals’ critiques and forms of resistance are examined before delving into the experiences and arguments of GPs who consent to the measurement of medical work, even agreeing to do it themselves. We end by evaluating the ongoing inflections of the professional model and the way the private medical sector in France is governed.     

Vegetation changes at sub-xeric urban forest edges in Finland – the effects of edge aspect and trampling

The relative strengths of the effects of forest edges and recreational use on understorey vegetation were studied at sub-xeric boreal urban forest edges in the greater Helsinki region, Finland. The study was performed at northern, eastern, southern and western edges, and vegetation sample plots were placed on, next to and away from paths with different trampling intensities 0–107 m from the forest edges. We found that human trampling altered vegetation more than the effects of forest edges. Vegetation changed dramatically on paths and the effects of path edges were seen in seemingly untrampled vegetation at least up to 4 m from the path edge. However, our results suggested that the effect of the edge may penetrate up to 50 m into forest interiors. Changes in vegetation composition indicated that the effects of the edge were stronger at eastern, southern and western than at northern edges.     

Why do drug treatment organizations use contingent staffing arrangements? An analysis of market and social influences

Contingent staffing arrangements are defined as conditional and transitory work arrangements. In the drug abuse treatment sector, contingent staffing arrangements have the potential to improve treatment if they are used to increase access to needed services. Alternatively, such arrangements could interfere with the development of consistent, long-term client-staff relationships. Unfortunately, little is known about the consequences of or influences on contingent staff arrangements in this sector. The goal of this study is to examine the conditions under which outpatient substance abuse treatment organizations are more likely to use contingent staffing arrangements. Building on previous research on the social organization of health care structures and practices, we develop a conceptual model based in market economics and institutional perspectives to suggest that treatment organizations choose contingent arrangements in response to market conditions and uncertainty, institutional demands, and client needs. Using data from a nationally representative study conducted in 1988, 1990, and 1995, we find limited evidence that drug treatment units use contingent staff in response to market pressures. Labor market and demand uncertainty, however, are systematically associated with greater use of contingent staff. Study results suggest that expectations and norms from the institutional environment, particularly the organizational context of the treatment unit are strong predictors of the use of contingent staff. By considering both market and social influences of contingent staffing, we contribute to a growing body of research on how markets and institutions interact to influence organizational structures and practices in the health care system.     

“The Role of the PSA in Graduate Student Training and Professional Development”

Attending and presenting at academic conferences can be an unnerving and formidable experience, especially for graduate students. In this essay, I describe some of my experiences as a graduate student, highlighting the benefits of attending and presenting at the Pacific Sociological Association annual conference and how this aided my professional development. I also provide some ideas for the Association to consider in their goal of improving the graduate student experience. Finally, I conclude with some recommendations for current graduate students attending the regional conference.     

Pension norms and pension reforms in Europe – the effects on gender pension gaps

Pension levels in the EU15 are significantly gendered. Various reforms to pension systems explicitly aim at improving women's opportunities to build up pension entitlements. These reforms differ from country to country. We see so-called work–life balance policies to increase women's labour market participation by facilitating part-time employment in particular as well as pension entitlements for care periods outside the labour market. At the same time, however, other seemingly gender neutral reforms generally tend to have the opposite effect. These measures include changes in pension calculation norms and pension composition, increasing the importance of non-public pensions. Therefore, future female pensioners will not be significantly better off. However, for women to be better off is necessary in times of pension retrenchments and individualization.

Based on recent life-course theories and studies, this article analyses the multiplicity of reasons for gender differentiated pension levels. It shows that the numerous direct and indirect pension determining factors related to life courses and welfare arrangements are interlinked on many fronts. Their cumulative effects finally result in (continued) significant gender gaps. It is argued that there are no quick fixes for reducing the gender gaps in pensions but that this will require attention to the degendering of labour market and the reformulation of life course norms.     

Reconsidering the ‘idea’ of evidence in evidence-based policy and practice

Evidence-based policy and practice (EBP) has become an important social work conceptual framework. Yet, the core EBP concept, the concept of evidence, remains ill-defined. I propose a modification of the concept of evidence as applied to EBP effectiveness questions. As a basis for this reformulation ideas about evidence are examined from cross-disciplinary and multidisciplinary perspectives including epistemology, philosophy of science, evidence-science, and law. I propose that for EBP effectiveness questions: (1) to be considered ‘relevant evidence’ an explanatory connection between an intervention and an outcome must be established rather than a mere association; (2) the EBP definition of ‘best available evidence’ should include total available evidence (rather than a subset) about effectiveness, causal roles (i.e., mechanisms), and support factors and be inclusive of high-quality experimental and observational studies as well as high-quality mechanistic reasoning; (3) the familiar five-step EBP process should be expanded to include formulation of warranted, evidence-based arguments and that evidence appraisal be guided by three high level criteria of relevance, credibility, and strength rather than rigid evidence hierarchies; (4) comparative effectiveness research strategies, especially pragmatic controlled studies, hold promise for providing relevant and actionable evidence needed for policy and practice decision-making and successful implementation.     

Partnerships of a feather flock together? An analysis of the emergence of networks of partnerships in the global cocoa sector

In this article, we move away from the case study approach dominant in the literature on partnerships and explore the emergence of networks of partnerships. Taking the global cocoa sector as our research setting, we examine 55 partnerships to analyse the linkages between them, their evolution over time, as well as the simultaneous occurrence of cooperation and competition. We discover that the partnerships are connected to each other through overlapping memberships of organizations and increasingly also through institutional linkages. The linkages between the partnerships channel the flow of resources and thereby reinforce the capacity of individual partnerships. A meta‐governance organization, which steers and coordinates the broader sustainability efforts of the cocoa industry, enhances the impact of the linkages. Our analysis shows that partnerships should be studied not only as autonomous entities but also as networks of partnerships.