The Replacement Rate: An Imperfect Indicator of Pension Adequacy in Cross-Country Analyses

Pension systems are usually evaluated from the perspective of two basic criteria: pension adequacy and financial sustainability. The first criterion concerns the level of pension benefits and protection of the elderly from poverty. The second criterion applies to financial liquidity. This paper is primarily of methodological nature. We discuss the problem of measuring pension adequacy, focusing mainly on the replacement rate, which, defined in a number of ways, is the most common measure of pension adequacy. However, as we argue in this paper, it covers only one of its dimensions, namely consumption smoothing. Meanwhile, an equally important dimension, often discussed in the literature and included in most definitions of pension adequacy, is protection of old-age pensioners from poverty. Accordingly, we have proved the thesis that the replacement rate is not a sufficient measure of broadly understood pension adequacy in cross-country studies. Consequently, we have proposed alternative (or possibly complementary) measures called the synthetic pension adequacy indicators (SPAI1-3), defined in basic form as a quotient of relative median income and the at-risk-of-poverty rate. These indicators provide for both the above-mentioned dimensions of adequacy and, according to statistical analysis, also represent them very well. Moreover, the indicators, calculated separately for men and for women, enables evaluation of the third dimension of pension adequacy, namely gender-related differences in pension adequacy.     

Dependence and uncertainty in broker strategies of research intermediaries

This study examines how a research intermediary can successfully manage collaboration among research partners, while mitigating resource dependence in multi-partner programs. For that purpose, two fundamentally different strategies are explored: tertius gaudens and tertius iungens. Previous literature has not addressed the possibility that the effective deployment of tertius broker strategies may be contingent on multiple factors. Using a qualitative in-depth case study, we contribute to the literature by showing that the effective development of the tertius broker strategies in our study context is contingent on partner type, business integration and product readiness.     

Multi-couple reflecting team: preliminary report

The aim of therapeutic help in marital crisis is to break the vicious circle of mutual hurtful accusations. The method that the authors present below involves a group of couples working within a closed cycle of meetings. In the course of successive group meetings, the various couples act as reflecting teams (RTs) for each other. This achieves two objectives: the couple recounting their crisis receives nonthreatening feedback, which helps them to implement positive changes and break out of the self-perpetuating destructive interaction. In addition, the couples acting as the RT learn nonjudgmental, nontheorizing and affirmative communication.     

Voluntary Pensions Development and the Adequacy of the Mandatory Pension System: Is There a Trade-Off?

Social Indicators Research - The policy-makers’ efforts to increase the role of voluntary pension systems observed in many countries reflect a more general tendency, which is the...