Beyond single mothers: Cohabitation and marriage in the AFDC program

We investigate the extent and implications of cohabitation and marriage among U.S. welfare recipients. An analysis of four data sets (the Current Population Survey, the National Survey of Families and Households, the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth) shows significant numbers of cohabitors among recipients of AFDC. An even more surprising finding is the large number of married women on welfare. We also report the results of a telephone survey of state AFDC agencies conducted to determine state rules governing cohabitation and marriage. The survey results indicate that, in a number of respects, AFDC rules encourage cohabitation. Finally, we conduct an analysis of the impact of AFDC rules on cohabitation, marriage, and single motherhood and find weak evidence in support of incentives to cohabit.     

Foreign ownership in Latin American microfinance institutions: evidence and impact

Based on a unique dataset covering 84 institutions operating in 15 countries this paper provides evidence as to the impact of foreign ownership on microfinance sustainability and outreach in Latin America. Overall, we find that foreign-owned microfinance institutions have more borrowers than domestic-owned institutions. This suggests that foreign investors, mainly development finance institutions and other investors with close ties to the microfinance industry, exert governance in line with their stated policy goal: expanding financial inclusion among microentrepreneurs and poor households. In contrast to this, majority ownership of foreign investors neither provides a strong push towards the sustainability of microfinance institutions nor does it lead to “mission drift”, i.e. microfinance institutions issuing larger loans to comparatively wealthier clients.     

Book reviews

E. Kofler, G. Menges: Entscheidungen bei unvollständiger Information. Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems 136. Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg-NewYork 1976, 357 S., DM 31.

B. S. Everitt: The Analysis ot Contingency Tables. Chapman and Han, London 1977, 128 S., £ 3.75.

O. Barndorff-Nielsen: Information and Exponential Families in Statistical Theory. J. Wiley & Sons, Chichester-New York-Brisbane-Toronto 1978, 247 S., £ 13.50; $ 28.50.

W. Gilchrist: Statisticai Forecasting. J. Wiley & Sons, London-New York-Sydney-Toronto 1976, 321 S., £ 9.50; $ 19.00.

J. M. Chambers: Computational Methods for Data Analysis. J. Wiley & Sons, New York Chichester-Brisbane-Toronto 1977, 279 pp., £ 11.30.

A. Hughes, D. Grawoig: Statistics: A Foundation for Analysis. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading-Menlo-Park London-Don Mills 1971, 525 S., $ 11.50.

K.Krickeberg, H.Ziezold: Stochastiche Methoden. Springer Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York 1977, 201 S., 13 Abb., DM 28.

Ch. Schneeweiss: Inventory-Production Theory. A Linear Policy Approach. Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems 151. Springer Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg-NewYork 1977, 122 S., 13 Abb., 9 Tab., DM 18.

S. Dworatschek: Grundlagen der Datenverarbeltung, 6., völlig neu bearb. u. erw. Aufl., Walter de Gruyter, Berlin-New York 1977, 538 S., 200 Abb., 212 Üb.Aufg., 59 Fotos, DM 38.

H. E. Steinhagen, S. Fuchs:Objekterkennung. Einführung in die mathematischen Methoden der Zeichenerkennung. VEB Verlag Technik, Berlin 1976, 436 S., 165 Abb., 32 Tab., 49,–.M.

G. Tinhofer: Mathematik für Studlenanfänger, Carl Hanser Verlag, München 1977, 464 S., 191 Abb., DM 38.     

“No strings attached”: A qualitative exploration of gay and bisexual men’s motivations for and attitudes toward engaging in casual sex while on vacation

Prior quantitative research with gay and bisexual men (GBM) has documented high rates of sexual risk behavior during recreational travel. Although some associations are known (e.g., substance use at the tourist destination is associated with sexual risk), less is known about GBM’s motivations for travel and the cognitive and attitudinal factors that influence their sexual behavior while vacationing. In the present study, we conducted qualitative interviews with 46 GBM recruited from three popular gay tourist destinations. Using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a guiding theoretical framework, the findings of the study revealed that the gay-friendly, tropical, relaxing environments resulted in men letting their guard down and engaging in more risk than when they are at home. Various barriers such as peer pressure and substance use affect GBM’s ability to engage in healthier behaviors while traveling, with condom negotiation and HIV status disclosure as additional issues that impact the sex practices of this population. Results highlight the applicability of HBM constructs to provide insight for intervention development for this population.     

Wives who outearn their husbands: A transitory or persistent phenomenon for couples?

In what percentage of married couples do wives outearn their husbands, and, moreover, how persistent are these patterns? This study systematically examined variation in point-in-time estimates across alternative measures of earnings, definitions of types of couples, and data sources and gauged the persistence of these patterns for a period of three calendar years using data from the 2000 Current Population Survey and the 1996–2000 Survey of Income and Program Participation. Among the findings are that in 19% to 30% of all married couples, wives have higher earnings than their husbands. In 60% of such couples, this arrangement persists over the three-year period; for the rest, this arrangement is transitory.     

Contracts,Labor Supply and Income Targeting

In many professions and personal services, a firm offers a contract with either proportional revenue sharing of the worker’s output or a contract with 100% revenue accruing to the worker in exchange for a fixed (debt) payment. Contingent on the contract, the worker chooses the mechanism to achieve the desired level of productivity. A higher revenue split induces the worker to be more productive in output per hour resulting in a higher wage. The relevant price of effort is the after-split, after-tax wage controlled for after-tax household income. Incentives through a higher split raise productivity and the return to effort. The sample is 1,559 U.S. real estate sales professionals paid on contract splits in 2007 and choosing their hours and effort. The compensated labor supply elasticity is positive and between approximately zero and 0.3 suggesting the absence of income targeting for these workers on split and 100% revenue contracts. But the inclusion of contractual income split provisions in the model substantially increases the labor supply elasticity.     

Interface management research in supplier–customer relationships: findings from a citation analysis of international literature

Currently, the terms interface and interface management in the context of interorganisational relationships between suppliers and customers are under intensive discussion. Central issues are the emphasis placed upon the coordination of activities at business interfaces, and the conviction that the concept can make business operations more efficient and thus more effective. That interface management in supplier–customer relationships is discussed in various academic disciplines and characterized by various thematic approaches makes this field complex. Thus the first goal of this article is to investigate the state of interface research, identifying select topics that promise further significant research in the field of interface management in supplier–customer relationships. In addition, based upon a comprehensive citation analysis of 176 journal articles or 4,654 references, the publication development, the important players and the most important academic journals in interface management research in supplier–customer relationships will be briefly presented. Finally, five clusters in interface management research that provide a framework for additional research activities are, based on a co-citation analysis, defined and briefly analysed.     

Fostering family resiliency: a review of the key protective factors

The aim of this integrative review was to identify the protective factors that contribute to family resiliency. Families are comprised of individuals who interact across levels in a socio-ecological system. Family resiliency does not develop through evasion of risk, but through successful application of protective factors to engage in adverse situations and emerge from them stronger. In an effort to move away from pathological labelling, this review provides a foundation for strength-based family interventions. Thirteen peer-reviewed databases were searched for articles and information regarding family resiliency. Careful review yielded 24 protective factors that foster resiliency across three distinct but interactive levels: individual, family and community. The protective factors identified in this review of the literature offer an excellent starting point for development of clinical interventions to support family resiliency.