Improved two-parameter estimators for the negative binomial and Poisson regression models

Negative binomial regression (NBR) and Poisson regression (PR) applications have become very popular in the analysis of count data in recent years. However, if there is a high degree of relationship between the independent variables, the problem of multicollinearity arises in these models. We introduce new two-parameter estimators (TPEs) for the NBR and the PR models by unifying the two-parameter estimator (TPE) of Özkale and Kaç?ranlar [The restricted and unrestricted two-parameter estimators. Commun Stat Theory Methods. 2007;36:2707–2725]. These new estimators are general estimators which include maximum likelihood (ML) estimator, ridge estimator (RE), Liu estimator (LE) and contraction estimator (CE) as special cases. Furthermore, biasing parameters of these estimators are given and a Monte Carlo simulation is done to evaluate the performance of these estimators using mean square error (MSE) criterion. The benefits of the new TPEs are also illustrated in an empirical application. The results show that the new proposed TPEs for the NBR and the PR models are better than the ML estimator, the RE and the LE.     

Separate Ratio Estimators for the Population Variance in Stratified Random Sampling

We propose separate ratio estimators for population variance in stratified random sampling. We obtain mean square error equations and compare proposed estimators about efficiency with each other. By these comparisons, we find the conditions which make proposed estimators more efficient than others. It has been shown that proposed classes of estimators are more efficient than usual unbiased estimator. We find that separate ratio estimators are more efficient than combined ratio estimators for population variance. The theoretical results are supported by a numerical illustration with original data. A simulation study is also carried out to investigate empirical performance of estimators.     

Timor-Leste’s demographic destiny and its implications for the health sector by 2020

Timor-Leste, the newest nation in Asia stands out demographically. The nation-building process of Timor-Leste faces significant demographic challenges due to the population growth which is the fastest in Asia and almost the fastest in the world. This unprecedented growth is primarily an outcome of the extremely high total fertility rate of Timor-Leste which is amongst the highest in the world. Amidst the worrying socio-economic condition in this new nation, it is of great concern that if the current fertility rate and its implied population growth continue as predicted, the population of Timor-Leste will double in 17 years. This paper offers an insight into the future of Timor-Leste’s demography with a particular focus on the impact of rapid pace of population growth on the health sector. The analysis is largely based on 2004 census data, as well as drawing on the broader literature and qualitative research already carried out by the lead author into the reasons behind high fertility in Timor-Leste. On this basis, the authors extrapolate key impacts of this projected population growth, and implications for the health sector.     

Emotional labour,collectivism and strain: a comparison of Turkish and U.S. service employees

ABSTRACT

Global growth in service employment highlights the need to understand how cross-cultural differences impact emotional labour processes for service employees. The current study investigates these differences by examining the impact of national and individual level collectivistic values on emotional labour strategies and employee strain (emotional strain, turnover intentions, job satisfaction, and organisational commitment). Cross-sectional data was collected from U.S. (n?=?191) and Turkish (n?=?249) customer service employees. Results indicate that collectivism impacts the process model of emotional labour via direct and interaction effects. Collectivism was associated with higher emotional labour engagement and lower employee strains. Surface acting was uncorrelated with Turkish employees’ strain, though moderated regression analyses revealed interaction effects associated with national and individual level collectivism. These results suggest that collectivistic values may serve as a buffer against harmful effects associated with surface acting. This study is the first to directly compare emotional labour processes in U.S. and Turkish service employees and expand the process model of emotional labour to include collectivism. The theoretical implications of this expanded model are discussed, along with future research directions and practical applications of these findings.