A characterization of income distributions in terms of generalized Gini coefficients

Most commonly used parametric models for the size distribution of incomes possess only a few finite moments, and hence cannot be characterized by the sequence of their moments. However, all income distributions with a finite mean can be characterized by the sequence of first moments of the order statistics. This is an attractive feature since the generalized Gini coefficients of Kakwani (1980), Donaldson and Weymark (1980, 1983) and Yitzhaki (1983) are simple functions of expectations of sample minima. We present results which streamline these characterizations motivated by Aaberge (2000). Received: 8 March 2001/Accepted: 31 July 2001     

Status differences in cross-functional teams: effects on individual member participation, job satisfaction, and intent to quit

Cross-functional teams (CFTs) play an increasingly important role in health care. However, despite their potential, CFTs often fail to function effectively. This paper contributes to the literature in medical sociology by examining how the steep and well-defined hierarchy characteristic of the health occupations proves to be dysfunctional in the CFT setting. Previous research has shown that status differences among members of work teams negatively affect their functioning. Yet the specific mechanisms that connect variations in status to poor team functioning remain unclear. We hypothesize that it is the suppression of participation among low status team members that leads to poor CFT functioning. Our theoretical model integrates status characteristics theory and the value attainment theory of job satisfaction to link team members' statuses to participation in team decision-making and, ultimately, to their attitudes about the job. We use causal modeling to test our hypotheses. Our results indicate that relationships between health professionals defined in broader social contexts affect status, roles, and functions within CFTs, and these, in turn, affect the team's interpersonal processes. We suggest changes in organizational structure and in team leadership styles that might make CFTs more effective.     

An extended Gini approach to inequality measurement

It is well-known that, when the Lorenz curves do not cross, the ranking of distributions provided by the Gini index is identical to the one implied by the Lorenz criterion. This does not preclude inequality as measured by the Gini index to increase while the Lorenz curves cross. A suitable modification of the Gini coefficient allows the Lorenz quasi-ordering to coincide with the ranking generated by the application of unanimity over the class of extended Gini indices. Recently the Lorenz quasi-ordering and the underlying principle of transfers have come under attack, while new criteria – the differentials, deprivation and satisfaction quasi-orderings – have been proposed for providing unambiguous rankings of distributions. We suggest to weaken the principle of transfers by imposing additional restrictions on the progressive transfers, which take into account the positions on the income scale of the donors and beneficiaries. We identify the subclasses of extended Gini indices that satisfy these weaker versions of the principle of transfers and we show that the application of unanimity among these classes generate rankings of distributions that coincide with those implied by the differentials, deprivation and satisfaction quasi-orderings.      

基于千户调查的广州城乡居民基尼系数分析

根据广州统计年鉴资料和课题组千户调查数据,运用洛伦兹曲线的函数关系式模型,并借助回归方法估计模型参数,分别计算连续收入分布的基尼系数。研究发现：根据千户调查数据计算的广州市农村居民收入基尼系数为0.4170;广州市2011年城乡居民收入基尼系数为0.3495。这一计算结果优于根据统计年鉴计算的结果,并更符合实践和更具有解释能力。     

只有拼,才会赢

从上世纪80年代的七连胜、五连冠到2019年的十一连胜、世界杯夺冠,中国女排激情燃烧四十载,振奋一代中国人。“广大人民群众对中国女排的喜爱,不仅是因为你们夺得了冠军,更重要的是你们在赛场上展现了祖国至上、团结协作、顽强拼搏、永不言败的精神面貌。”2019习近平总书记亲切会见了载誉归来的中国女排代表,向这支光荣的队伍表示祝贺,号召大力弘扬新时代的女排精神。     

A WINNING PROPOSITION: THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SUCCESSFUL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE FRANCHISES

Research has demonstrated that a Super Bowl victory increases the personal income of the individuals in the metropolitan area from which the winning teams come. We argue that the economic benefits should extend beyond just the championship team's city to the cities of teams that experience seasonal success, and thus, the winning percentages of National Football League teams were included in our model. When controlling for sources of bias, winning percentage of the local professional football team had a significant positive effect on real per capita personal income. Explanations for these conclusions are offered from a psychological perspective. ( JEL L83, R19)     

A general class of inequality elasticities of poverty

Many authors have recently emphasized the crucial role of income inequalities in the design of efficient policies aimed at reducing poverty. However, the link between variations in the degree of inequality and variations in poverty is not well documented. The literature, for instance, does not provide any satisfying tool for predicting how a small relative variation in the Gini index may be associated with a variation in the headcount index. In the present paper, we define a family of Lorenz curve transformations that can directly be interpreted in terms of relative variations of known inequality measures. Then, we extend Kakwani’s (Rev Income Wealth 39(2):121–139, 1993) methodology for the calculation of inequality elasticities of poverty. Improvements are threefold with respect to Kakwani’s work. First, our formulas are not confined to the sole Gini index. Secondly, they embrace the uncertainty and the complexity of the mechanical link between inequality and poverty. Third, using some flexible functional form, one can easily perform an accurate estimation of the point inequality elasticities of poverty corresponding to observed variations of a given income distribution. We also propose a simple measure that may be helpful to assess how “pro-poor” are inequality variations by comparing the observed elasticities with the set of theoretical elasticities that could be obtained from the initial income distribution.     

LOCAL SPORTS TEAMS AND CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE HOME ADVANTAGE

In major sports events between representatives of different cities, the home team has been known to have a major advantage over the visiting team. Drawing on Durkheim, Schwartz and Barsky (1977) have demonstrated that the social support of the audience is the main determinant of this advantage. In their conclusion, Schwartz and Barsky characterize sports events as a "celebration of local community"(p. 658). This article tests the celebration of community thesis by comparing the relative home advantage among 23 professional basketball teams during the 1981–82 season. Three broad variables are hypothesized to affect a team's home court advantage: (1) provincialism and stability of the city; (2) uniqueness of the home arena; and (3) the tradition of the team. Support is found for all three variables. Not only is there a home advantage in organized sports, but the magnitude of the advantage is itself bound by the social context within which the team performs.     

A Family of Correlation Coefficients Based on the Extended Gini Index

The extended Gini is a family of measures of variability which is mainly used in the areas of finance and income distribution. Each index in the family is defined by specifying one parameter, which reflects the social evaluation of the marginal utility of income. The higher the parameter, the more weight is attached to the lower portion of the cumulative distribution, reflecting higher concern for poverty. In this paper we list and investigate the properties of the equivalents of the correlation coefficient that are associated with the extended Gini family. In addition, we show that the extended Gini of a linear combination of random variables can be decomposed, in a way which is equivalent to the decomposition of the variance, with, in addition, terms that reflect additional properties of the random variables. The implication of these properties is that any decomposition that is performed with the coefficient of variation can be replicated by an infinite number of indices that are based on the Extended Gini coefficient.     

Income inequality,redistribution and the position of the decisive voter

A large literature explaining patterns of redistribution makes use of the median voter theorem. Using a novel approach, this contribution shows that in OECD countries the decisive voter, determined by the earner who sees her preferred tax rate being implemented, on average sits around the 50^th percentile in the income distribution, although significant within and between country differences exist. Under the assumption of a lognormal distribution of gross income, we derive the required tax rate to align the observed gross and net Gini coefficients in OECD countries. This estimated tax rate is compared to the tax rate preferred by the median income earner, which gives a new index capturing a nation’s deviation from the median voter position, measured as the difference between the estimated percentile position of the decisive voter and the 50^th percentile position of the median voter. We provide a comparative overview of this index over time and between countries. We also locate the positions of alternative versions of the decisive voter, among which following the ‘one dollar, one vote’ rule, in a Lorenz curve diagram.     

A "READER'S THEATER" INTERVENTION TO MANAGING GRIEF: POSTTHERAPY REFLECTIONS BY A FAMILY AND CLINICAL TEAM

The sudden and accidental death of a child can be one of the most devastating events in the life of a family. This paper describes one couple's reflections of their grief and mourning following the death of their adolescent son as well as the clinical team's reflections of therapy. The uniqueness of this paper is that it offers a "reader's theater" intervention that enabled further change to occur. The clinical team used a belief model, emphasizing that altering constraining beliefs is at the heart of healing from such tragedies as sudden death (Wright, Watson, & Bell, 1996). This approach is operationalized through therapeutic conversations between family members, clinician, and clinical team. Interventions such as reflecting teams, therapeutic letters, and "homework tasks" were used to modify or challenge constraining beliefs of both the family members and the clinical team members. However, the intent to co-author a paper with this couple provided the serendipity intervention of a "reader's theater" that further served to identify, affirm, and solidify facilitating beliefs.     

The impact of unionization,right-to-work laws,and female labor force participation on earnings inequality across states

This study examines the effect of unionization, right-to-work laws, and participation of women in the labor force on income inequality. Two distinct models are developed using 1970 and 1980 census data on the 50 states in the U.S. First, an income inequality model is specified as a beta distribution of the second kind to estimate Gini measures of income inequality. Second, these Gini estimates are used in a simultaneous equations model. The 1970 results indicate that higher unionization rates decreased inequality while right-to-work laws increased inequality. In 1980, the measure of inequality was lower in states with higher female labor force participation. We thank an unknown referee and the editor for comments and criticisms that greatly improved the paper. The usual caveat applies.     

BIDDING TILL BANKRUPT DESTRUCTIVE COMPETITION IN PROFESSIONAL TEAM SPORTS

The analysis and evidence here suggest that the market for star athletes in professional sports could be subject to "destructive competition"—a competitive process which drives some participants from a market even though it is inefficient for them to leave. When pursuing a league championship, the talent which turns an average team into a contender contributes disproportionately to the team's success. Teams which fail to earn enough on the last stars they sign to offset losses on their inframarginal talent will abandon a competitive market for star athletes. Other situations that involve input rivalry between producers might yield similar results.     

THE EFFECT OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY ON INCOME REDISTRIBUTION: EVIDENCE FOR SWITZERLAND

In political economics, the impact of institutions on income redistribution is mainly studied by comparing different forms of representative democracy. In this article, we analyze the influence of direct democratic institutions on redistribution first focusing on welfare and nonwelfare spending using yearly panel data for Swiss cantons. Then, we estimate a model, which explains the determinants of actually achieved redistribution measured by Gini coefficients. While our results indicate that less public funds are used to redistribute income, inequality is not reduced to a lesser extent in direct than in representative democracies for a given initial income distribution. (JEL D7, D78, I30, H75, H11)     

The origins of the Gini index: extracts from Variabilità e Mutabilità (1912) by Corrado Gini

The scope of this paper is to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Gini index by providing the original formulae. Corrado Gini introduced his index for the first time in a 1912 book published in Italian under the name of ??Variabilità e Mutabilità?? (Variability and Mutability). This article provides selected extracts of Part I of the book dedicated to measures of variability. We find that Gini proposed no less than 13 formulations of his index, none of which is known today to the large public. We also find that Gini anticipated some of the developments that derived from the study of his index.     

Decomposition properties of dual choice functionals

The Gini coefficient is a well-known measure of inequality, and it satisfies a non-overlapping additive decomposition property (Ebert 1988b). The Gini coefficient is related to the dual theory of choice, as developed by Yaari (1987, 1988). We determine which other dual choice functionals satisfy a non-overlapping additive decomposition property that is weaker than the additive one suggested in Ebert (1988b). It turns out that the only functionals that do are those that arise from the Lebesgue measure, the measure associated with the Gini coefficient, and degenerate delta functions. Received: 8 January 2001/Accepted: 22 February 2002 We thank the Actuarial Education and Research Fund for financial support of this project. We also thank anonymous referees for helpful comments.     

Global Centrality and Income Inequality in U.S. Metropolitan Areas: A Test of Two Hypotheses

This article provides a quantitative assessment of two global city hypotheses: Sassen’s polarization and Hamnett’s professionalization claims. We conduct our analysis by using a continuous measure of global city status developed by researchers at the Global and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) and examining its correlation with the Gini index of household income inequality with relevant controls across a large sample of U.S. metropolitan areas in 2008. We examine industrial employment distribution as a causal pathway by which global city formation may influence urban income structures, as per Sassen and Hamnett’s original hypotheses. Results show that global city status is consistently associated with higher levels of inequality, but neither theorist’s claims about causal mechanisms are supported. This begs the question: What explains the correlation? We suggest an alternative hypothesis relating global city status to the distribution of educational credentialing.     

Gender inequalities in pensions: different components similar levels of dispersion

While the average gender gap in pensions is quite well documented, gender differences in the distribution of pensions have rarely been explored. We show in this paper that pension dispersion is very similar for men and women within the French pension system of a given sector (public or private). Gender differences are less marked among retired civil servants than among former private sector employees. However, the determinants of these inequalities are not the same for men and women. Using a regression-based decomposition of the Gini coefficient, we find that pension dispersion is mostly due to dispersion of the reference wage for all retirees but gender differences exist. For women, in particular, pension dispersion is also due to the dispersion in contribution periods. We also decompose the Gini coefficient by source of pension to measure the impact of institutional rules (minimum pensions, survivor’s pension) on the extent of pension inequality. Unexpectedly, we find that the impact of minimum pensions is limited, although slightly larger for civil servants than for private-sector employees. Survivor’s pension schemes, on the other hand, contribute positively to pension dispersion among retired women.     

Bootstrap-calibrated empirical likelihood confidence intervals for the difference between two Gini indexes

Measuring the difference between two Gini indexes is important in comparing the inequality between two groups. This paper systematically provides confidence intervals for this difference. First, normal approximation- and bootstrap-based confidence intervals are provided for the difference. Second, empirical likelihood (EL)-based confidence intervals are proposed according to a ratio statistic that is proven to have a weighted Chi-squared distribution with one degree of freedom. Third, two calibration approaches are established to improve the undercoverage issue of the EL method; these two approaches are augmented EL and bootstrap-calibrated EL. Monte Carlo simulations show that bootstrap-calibrated EL generally outperforms other methods in constructing confidence intervals. In the simulations, these methods are compared with the permutation method to test the equality of two Gini indexes. Lastly, these methods are applied to real data.