Claim Dependence Induced by Common Effects in Hierarchical Credibility Models

In the usual credibility model, observations are made of a risk or group of risks selected from a population, and claims are assumed to be independent among different risks. However, there are some problems in practical applications and this assumption may be violated in some situations. Some credibility models allow for one source of claim dependence only, that is, across time for an individual insured risk or a group of homogeneous insured risks. Some other credibility models have been developed on a two-level common effects model that allows for two possible sources of dependence, namely, across time for the same individual risk and between risks. In this paper, we argue for the notion of modeling claim dependence on a three-level common effects model that allows for three possible sources of dependence, namely, across portfolios, across individuals and simultaneously across time within individuals. We also obtain the corresponding credibility premiums hierarchically using the projection method. Then we derive the general hierarchical structure or multi-level credibility premiums for the models with h-level of common effects.     

Bayesian inference of the inverse Weibull mixture distribution using type-I censoring

A large number of models have been derived from the two-parameter Weibull distribution including the inverse Weibull (IW) model which is found suitable for modeling the complex failure data set. In this paper, we present the Bayesian inference for the mixture of two IW models. For this purpose, the Bayes estimates of the parameters of the mixture model along with their posterior risks using informative as well as the non-informative prior are obtained. These estimates have been attained considering two cases: (a) when the shape parameter is known and (b) when all parameters are unknown. For the former case, Bayes estimates are obtained under three loss functions while for the latter case only the squared error loss function is used. Simulation study is carried out in order to explore numerical aspects of the proposed Bayes estimators. A real-life data set is also presented for both cases, and parameters obtained under case when shape parameter is known are tested through testing of hypothesis procedure.     

Role of AKRSP on Gender Development: A Case Study in Pakistan

ABSTRACT

In Pakistan, nongovernmental agencies (NGOs) play an important role in program implementation. This study focuses on the contribution of one of these NGO social service programs that serves women in a rural area of Pakistan. To assess program satisfaction and effectiveness, 200 females were surveyed to measure their opinions and overall satisfaction with this particular NGO. The key findings of the study showed that the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) had a significant positive impact on the lives of these women through increasing social and decision-making skills while improving their income and living standards by providing employment opportunities and training. Future recommendations are made to continue to sponsor such programs that focus on a group-support for women while also providing supportive services that empower decision-making and economic standing.     

Emotions and their management during a merger in Brunei

Studies have shown that the emotional impact of mergers influences employees' attitudes to change as well as more distal post-merger outcomes such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment and withdrawal. Understanding the role of emotions during mergers can therefore provide insights into why major change produces varying outcomes. This study presents findings from a qualitative study examining the emotional impact of a merger between two banking institutions on managers in Brunei. The distinctive national culture representing a fusion of Malay and Islamic values was found to influence the emotional impact of this merger. These values place less emphasis on personal control as a means for dealing with uncertainty. The findings suggest that Western transactional models of perceived control to explain how people manage change may have far more limited application within a Bruneian context.     

Patriarchal bargains in short-term women's migration from Bangladesh

This paper looks at the migration of women from Bangladesh to the Middle East as short-term migrants, mainly for work in the domestic care sector as domestic workers, housekeepers, nannies, cooks, etc. This group accounts for about 15 per cent of the total short-term migration cohort. They face particular challenges around not only the precarity of their employment but also in navigating a series of patriarchal norms in both Bangladesh and the destination countries in the Middle East. The paper will build on the work of Deniz Kandiyoti and her seminal work on patriarchal bargains. This paper will explore the challenges women face in migrating to the Middle East: in their decision to migrate, their experiences abroad, and on return and reintegration into Bangladesh society and their home life, and how these are determined by a series of patriarchal bargains both in Bangladesh and the destination country.     

Using the Diffusion of Innovation Concept to Explain the Factors That Contribute to the Adoption Rate of E-journal Publishing

This paper reports on the factors that contribute to the adoption rate of e-journal publishing based upon responses from 82 Malaysian journal publishers. Drawing upon the theory of innovation diffusion, the study examines the role of awareness, three organization variables (publication size, age of the journal, and experience of editors), and attributes of e-journals (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability) as influences to the rate of e-journal publishing adoption. Findings show that only two attributes—complexity and trialability—emerge as significant contributors to e-journal adoption rates, and all three organization variables—journal's age, publication size, and editorial experience—are significant. Collectively, these five significant variables explained 57.8% of the variance in adoption rate. We discuss the results and implication of the findings with respect to the wider context of e-journal publishing.     

Semiparametric Estimation with Profile Algorithm for Longitudinal Binary Data

This article considers analyzing longitudinal binary data semiparametrically and proposing GEE-Smoothing spline in the estimation of parametric and nonparametric components. The method is an extension of the parametric generalized estimating equation to semiparametric. The nonparametric component is estimated by smoothing spline approach, i.e., natural cubic spline. We use profile algorithm in the estimation of both parametric and nonparametric components. Properties of the estimators are evaluated by simulation.     

Influence of personality traits on Facebook engagement and their effects on socialization behavior and satisfaction with university life

Several factors influence Facebook users’ engagement. This study investigates the correlations between Facebook engagement and users’ personality traits. This study also analyses the impact of Facebook engagement on students’ socialization behavior and their satisfaction with their university life. A dataset of 994 Malaysian students was collected and used for analysis. The outcome of the analysis illustrates that students’ personality traits have a positive influence on Facebook engagement. Subsequently, Facebook engagement was found to have an influence over students’ socialization behavior and their satisfaction with university life. The results can be used by educators as a guide for their curriculum development, i.e., consideration of wider usage of Facebook in conducting courses.     

Identifying the Components of Social Capital by Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CATPCA)

Social Indicators Research - Social capital is a promising concept, widely used by social science researchers in analysing factors that contribute to the persistence of various economic issues....     

Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the Prospect of Development of Muslim Personal Law in Singapore

This paper examines Singapore's partial reservations to Articles 2 and 16 of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). It contends that the reservations justified on the basis of protecting the rights of the Muslim minority community to practice its personal law has unwittingly impeded the potential of reviewing and addressing significant gaps and limitations in the ways in which the laws are conceived and administered. More pertinently, the policy reinforces the dominance of traditionalism in the thinking of dominant stakeholders of the law. Taking the standpoint that the values of equality and non-discrimination on the basis of gender espoused by CEDAW are compatible with the objectives of Muslim law, this paper maintains that ratifying the relevant Articles of CEDAW will strengthen the process of the development of the Muslim personal law and address essentialist presumptions of the law. This perspective departs from the dominant discourse on the Muslim law and CEDAW which is framed in terms of conflict and polarity between the law and human rights, religious law and women's rights, and universal values versus cultural relativism.