Deforestation and the Environmental Kuznets Curve: A Cross-National Investigation of Intervening Mechanisms

Objective . We draw on ecological modernization theory and international political economy arguments to examine the sources of an environmental Kuznets curve (or EKC) that produces an inverted U-shaped rate of deforestation relative to economic development. Method . We use ordinary least squares regression with White's (1978) correction for possible heteroskedasticity to examine the rate of deforestation (1980–1995) in less developed countries. Results . Net of controls for initial forest stock and the quality of deforestation estimates, we find strong evidence for an EKC driven by (1) agglomeration effects linked to the level of urbanization, (2) rural-to-urban migration that partially offsets rural population pressure, (3) the growth of services-dominated urban economies, and (4) strong democratic states. We find little evidence that foreign debt or export dependence influence the deforestation rate. Conclusions . Although deforestation continues to pose pressing and potentially irreversible environmental risks, there is evidence of self-corrective ecological and modernization processes inherent in development that act to mitigate these risks.     

Managing human resource shortages in a unionized setting: Best practices in air traffic control

Human resource shortages require effective human resource management (HRM). Findings from research about ongoing labor shortages in air traffic control (ATC) are used to build a preliminary theory of appropriate HRM responses. Our international sample of major ATC agencies generally developed a set of best HRM practices to attract, motivate, and retain human assets. Key factors included (1) cultural and institutional norms, (2) technological change, (3) union responses, and (4) organizational form and structure (e.g., civil service versus commercial firms). While ATC’s rare human aptitudes, lengthy training to develop firm-specific human capital, and lifelong employment may limit the preliminary theory’s general applicability, crucial lessons emerge about human resource planning. This research was conducted with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Rice Fellowship, the Ziegler Fellowship, and the Center for International Business Studies at the University of Alberta. We are indebted to the individuals interviewed.     

Labor market flexibility: An index approach to cross-country comparisons

Recently, researchers have used measures of economic freedom (Gwartney and Lawson, 2002) to quantify the relationship between various institutional factors and measures of economic performance. Using a subset of these data, we develop a labor market flexibility index. This measure should be useful to researchers who study labor market performance among countries.     

Review Essay: Power and Culture in Organizations: Two Contrasting Views

Sociological Forum -     

The preservation of multivariate comparative statics in nonexpected utility theory

This article investigates the preservation of multivariate expected utility comparative statics for “smooth” nonexpected utility representations. Specifically, we answer the following question: if an expected utility comparative statics property depends only on preferences over sure prospects, then when will a nonexpected utility maximizer with identical sure preferences also satisfy that property? We demonstrate that the effects of increased risk aversion are preserved under the “Almost Degenerate Independence” axiom, but that those of distribution changes of exogenous risks are not preserved under stringent assumptions. Hence, nonexpected utility comparative statics may diverge from expected utility, even for “first-order” properties—those whose effect is determinable from restrictions on “local” utility functions.     

AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF SOCIAL POWER IN TERMS OF DECISION THEORY1

The paper presents an extension of decision theory to the analysis of social power. The power of a person, A, over another person, B, is viewed in terms of the effect A has on B's decision. The analysis is based on the idea that B's decision regarding the performance of alternative behaviors is a function of 1) B's utility for the consequences of the behaviors and 2) B's subjective probabilities that the behaviors will lead to these consequences. In these terms, A's power over B lies in A's ability to mediate various consequences for B, contingent upon B's compliance or noncompliance. Subjects were asked to consider eight situations in which hypothetical individuals had to make a choice between two courses of action. In each situation another person (A) was attempting to induce the hypothetical individual (B) to choose one of the alternatives, while various situational factors were influencing B to choose the other alternative. The subjects were asked to consider B's utilities and subjective probabilities in each situation and to indicate whether or not B should comply with A and to make ratings of A's power. The decision theory analysis did well in predicting whether or not subjects would indicate that B should comply with A. Also, subjects generally were able to correctly specify whether A or the situational factors had more influence over B's decision. Finally, the subjects' ratings of A's power in the eight situations were highly related to the decision theoretic measure of power.     

Social norms: Does it matter whether agents are rational or boundedly rational?

The motivation for this paper is to consider whether changes in conformity over time are likely to depend critically on agent behavior. To get some insight on this we use the framework of Chamley [Chamley, C., 1999. Coordinating regime switches. The Quarterly Journal of Economics 114, 869–905] and compare the dynamic of conformity in a setting where agents are rational to one where they are adaptive (or backward looking). This is followed by a more general discussion on the issue.     

Career Maturity in College Students With Learning Disabilities

This study compared levels of career maturity between college students with and without learning disabilities and investigated factors associated with career maturity. Few differences in career maturity were found. However, different predictors of career maturity for the two groups emerged. For students with learning disabilities, number of accommodations and quantity of work experience accounted for 22% of the variance in career maturity. For students without disabilities, academic achievement and type of work experience accounted for 21% of the variance in career maturity. Students with learning disabilities who received more instructional accommodations had lower levels of career maturity.     

Venturing Jointly: Vienna's Innovation Economy

Vienna's role as Austria's largest innovative city-region depends upon many factors, of which a vibrant regional innovation system driven by joint research ventures is a key component. Between 1994 and 2002, various research groups located in the Vienna region participated in 7,334 research projects funded by the EU during the 4th and 5th Framework Programs. Organizations from this region were more likely than elsewhere in Austria to assume scientific leadership positions as project coordinators. The region specialized heavily in research concerning environment, information and communication technology, bio-technology, traffic, and general research topics. The region's most active organizations were concentrated in the city itself: universities, research organizations, small firms, and large firms were represented in a ratio of approximately 4:2:1:1. Among firms that participated, the largest ones dominated during the course of this period, although research participation by firms continually shifted more to small- and medium-sized enterprises. In terms of Austria, most research is concentrated in the about 30 most active postal-code zones, which in turn are dominated by the Vienna region. Over the full period, there is no evidence that Austrian research projects concentrated further and some types of research decentralized slightly. At the same time, the research participation of small- and medium-sized enterprises became more centralized within the Vienna region. The singular importance of stimulating further and more effective research in the Vienna region and its innovation system is obvious and these findings may be helpful in establishing policies that support key organizations, improve research infrastructure, and further stimulate the city's knowledge-generating system to ensure long-term innovation possibilities.