A Structural Evaluation of a Large‐Scale Quasi‐Experimental Microfinance Initiative

This paper uses a structural model to understand, predict, and evaluate the impact of an exogenous microcredit intervention program, the Thai Million Baht Village Fund program. We model household decisions in the face of borrowing constraints, income uncertainty, and high‐yield indivisible investment opportunities. After estimation of parameters using preprogram data, we evaluate the model's ability to predict and interpret the impact of the village fund intervention. Simulations from the model mirror the data in yielding a greater increase in consumption than credit, which is interpreted as evidence of credit constraints. A cost–benefit analysis using the model indicates that some households value the program much more than its per household cost, but overall the program costs 30 percent more than the sum of these benefits.     

Mapping forest structure and uncertainty in an urban area using leaf-off lidar data

Urban Ecosystems - Forests are important to nutrient cycling, hydrology, climate and aesthetics in urban ecosystems. Effective forest management in urban environments requires detailed data on the...     

POLICIES AND IMPACT: AN ANALYSIS OF VILLAGE‐LEVEL MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS

This paper uses variation in policies and institutional characteristics to evaluate the impacts of village‐level microfinance institutions in rural Thailand. To identify impacts, we use policies related to the successful/unsuccessful provision of services as exogenous variation in effective financial intermediation. We find that institutions, particularly those with good policies, can promote asset growth, consumption smoothing and occupational mobility, and can decrease moneylender reliance. Specifically, cash‐lending institutions—production credit groups and especially women's groups—are successful in providing intermediation and its benefits to members, while buffalo banks and rice banks are not. The policies identified as important to intermediation and benefits: the provision of savings services, especially pledged savings accounts; emergency services; and training and advice. Surprisingly, much publicized policies such as joint liability, default consequences, or repayment frequency had no measured impacts. (JEL: 012, 016)     

Towards Sustainability in Australian Social Work Field Education

The educational framework of Australian social work field education has remained static over the past few decades. Emerging challenges are creating a compelling case for change. These include increasing demand for placements, declining capacity of organisations to provide placement requirements, reduction in practitioners’ incentives and capacity to support student placements and to facilitate a work integrated learning context, and an interrelated web of policies and regulations that constrain adaptation to these changes. In a critical exploration of multiple levels of regulation and policy contexts, we argue that conventional approaches to social work field education are not sustainable given significant changes to the funding arrangements for universities and within the welfare service system. To futureproof integrative learning in social work, we advocate transformation of educational culture, policies, and design toward sustainability.

IMPLICATIONS

• Supervised placements are designed to integrate practice and academic learning but their future use as the single means for achieving this integration will be unsustainable.

• Drawing on an ecological orientation enables social work educators to position sustainability as a key consideration and response to current constraints in higher education and the field.

• Focusing on sustainability across policy, practice, and regulation contexts has potential to generate transformative change that enhances our effectiveness in futureproofing the design of integrative learning in social work.

     

Multivariate models for innovation—Looking at the Abernathy-Utterback model with other data

The contribution of the Utterback and Abernathy model is reviewed from the point of view of methodology; then its feasibility is tested with United Kingdom multivariate data on innovation covering many industries. Although some aspects of innovation are confirmed, some facts that do not fit the model suggest that it might be a building block but still fails to give an integrative framework to understand innovation.     

Do participation rates change when active consent procedures replace passive consent

Researchers face considerable ambiguity and controversy regarding the issue of informed consent. Decisions about consent procedures can affect study participation rates and prevalence estimates among specific populations. Changing from passive to active parental consent procedures was examined in a case study with an anonymous survey of sixth- through eighth-grade students' substance use. Four types of procedures for obtaining parental consent were examined. Results suggest that certain types of consent procedures can yield high levels of participation. This study also demonstrates that low participation rates with some active consent procedures can cause biases in sample characteristics and outcome data.     

Information technology and employment law: Challenges in an evolving workplace

Conclusion Clearly, all of these changes represent a significant change in the current context of employment law; however, in a work context in which traditional roles and working relationships have radically evolved, it is difficult to see the value of continuing to enforce an employment law policy on the basis of distinctions long-passed from the organizational landscape. Equally clearly, there will be a difference of opinion among the parties to employment law as to the imperative for change. Employers will generally see their interests in the perpetuation of the status quo; while it may not be optimal, it is predictable and they have learned to live with it. Employees on the other hand, should see a clear mandate for changes that would solidify the protections of employment law for them in a rapidly changing organizational context.