scholarly journals Economic System and Welfare Regime Dynamics in Japan since the Early 2000s – The Case of Occupational Pensions

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
HARALD CONRAD
Keyword(s):  
Economic System ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Investment Strategies ◽  
Occupational Pension ◽  
Occupational Pensions ◽  
The One ◽  
Japanese Companies ◽  
The Cost

AbstractThis article discusses significant changes of Japanese occupational pensions since the early 2000s. Our analysis shows that these schemes have been key components of policies to promote private welfare provision and have been highly compatible with human capital investment strategies that are based on long-term employment relationships of regular workers. However, since the 1990s, occupational pensions have come under increased pressure due to underfunding problems caused by depressed stock markets and changes in accounting standards that made these underfunding problems apparent. In response to these challenges, Japanese companies have restructured their occupational pension arrangements. The nature of these efforts can be explained with reference to existing institutional complementarities with the economic system on the one hand and changes in the cost–benefit calculations of employers, employees and the civil service on the other hand. Whereas complementarities, especially with human resource management factors, have ultimately defined the limits of these changes, an actor-centered analysis helps to explain the particular nature of changes within these boundaries.

scholarly journals Can newborn screening be cost benefit procedure if preventing serious complications of cystic fibrosis?

2021 ◽  
pp. 020-023
Author(s):  
Šubat-Dežulović Mirna ◽  
Pelčić Gordana ◽  
Valković Ana ◽  
Flajšman-Raspor Sanja ◽  
Pelčić Goran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Newborn Screening ◽  
Metabolic Alkalosis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Inherited Disease ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Long Term Prognosis ◽  
The Cost

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a common inherited disease with reported mean prevalence of 0.737/10,000 in 27 EU countries (Farrell J Cyst Fibros. 2008). Still, many EU countries have not implemented CF in the Newborn Screening (NBS) programme, including our country. We report the case of a 7-month-old boy whose presenting signs of CF were life-threatening neurological symptoms caused by severe metabolic alkalosis and hypoelectrolytemia. By presenting this case, we argue hoping to persuade the authorities in any country that the available newborn screening for CF is the cost benefit procedure in preventing life treating consequences with the obvious impact on the long-term prognosis of this chronic disease.

Investment Strategies for Sourcing a New Technology in the Presence of a Mature Technology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Hsiao-Hui Lee
Keyword(s):  
Operations Management ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Investment Strategy ◽  
Profit Sharing ◽  
Development Effort ◽  
Investment Strategies ◽  
Cost Shifting ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost

To stay competitive, high-technology manufacturers not only frequently source new technologies from their suppliers, but also financially support the development of these new technologies into component products or production tools. We consider a manufacturer that can either source a new but immature technology from a financially constrained supplier, or source a mature technology from an existing supplier if and only if the development of the new technology fails. To support the new technology, the manufacturer can choose to inject capital in the form of an equity or loan. The investment strategy not only affects the new supplier’s development effort and the probability of technical success (PTS), but also affects the existing supplier’s effort to improve the mature technology, which presents the manufacturer with a trade-off. Following the debt financing literature, we find that a loan contract is associated with a cost-shifting effect and often leads to a higher PTS. However, because the manufacturer not only maintains an investment but also a procurement relationship with the new supplier, we find a profit-sharing effect associated with an equity investment, which does not exist in the traditional equity issuance literature. In particular, we show that the profit-sharing effect can dominate the cost-shifting effect and lead to a higher PTS when the new supplier’s technological capability is sufficiently high. Nonetheless, we also show that the strategy that derives a higher PTS does not necessarily generate a higher payoff for the manufacturer. On the one hand, a loan can be preferred even when it leads to a lower PTS because the cost-shifting effect allows the manufacturer to offer a sufficiently low procurement payment while maintaining a sufficiently high PTS. On the other hand, when the existing supplier is very capable of reducing its costs, a loan can over-incentivize the new supplier to exert excessive effort and backfire. This paper was accepted by Charles Corbett, operations management.

scholarly journals Reliability Worth Assessment in Composite Power System Planning and Operation

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Ali Khraiwish Dalabeeh ◽  
Eng.Hani Hasan Saleh Al-Hajbi
Keyword(s):  
Power System ◽  
Unit Commitment ◽  
Economic Effect ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Electric Power System ◽  
Reliability Indices ◽  
Operational Solution ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Operational Constraints

This study presents a comprehensive procedure for evaluating the reliability indices incorporating reduction in interruption cost, and to relate reliability investments with customer’s benefits. An analytical algorithm is used to obtain the final optimal operational solution by determining unit commitment for each generating unit to reach the maximum profit (minimizing cost) subjected to operational constraints. The paper describes a method based on the complementing short-term planning with long-term planning take into account the cost benefit approach. The proposed method has been demonstrated on the RBTS to show the feasibility and the economic effect of the proposed method, and was applied to the Jordanian Electric Power System (JEPS) to show its application capability.

scholarly journals Cost-Effectiveness of a Problem-Solving Intervention Aimed to Prevent Sickness Absence among Employees with Common Mental Disorders or Occupational Stress

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (14) ◽  
pp. 5234
Author(s):  
Marijke Keus Van De Poll ◽  
Gunnar Bergström ◽  
Irene Jensen ◽  
Lotta Nybergh ◽  
Lydia Kwak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Production Loss ◽  
The Cost

The cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness of a work-directed intervention implemented by the occupational health service (OHS) for employees with common mental disorders (CMD) or stress related problems at work were investigated. The economic evaluation was conducted in a two-armed clustered RCT. Employees received either a problem-solving based intervention (PSI; n = 41) or care as usual (CAU; n = 59). Both were work-directed interventions. Data regarding sickness absence and production loss at work was gathered during a one-year follow-up. Bootstrap techniques were used to conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) and a Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) from both an employer and societal perspective. Intervention costs were lower for PSI than CAU. Costs for long-term sickness absence were higher for CAU, whereas costs for short-term sickness absence and production loss at work were higher for PSI. Mainly due to these costs, PSI was not cost-effective from the employer’s perspective. However, PSI was cost-beneficial from a societal perspective. CEA showed that a one-day reduction of long-term sickness absence costed on average €101 for PSI, a cost that primarily was borne by the employer. PSI reduced the socio-economic burden compared to CAU and could be recommended to policy makers. However, reduced long-term sickness absence, i.e., increased work attendance, was accompanied by employees perceiving higher levels of production loss at work and thus increased the cost for employers. This partly explains why an effective intervention was not cost-effective from the employer’s perspective. Hence, additional adjustments and/or support at the workplace might be needed for reducing the loss of production at work.

Perspectives for Planning Approaches in Promoting Underground Built Heritage - COST Action Underground4value

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Smaniotto Costa ◽  
Tatiana Ruchinskaya ◽  
Konstantinos Lalenis
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
Cost Action ◽  
The Public ◽  
Built Heritage ◽  
Educational Paradigm ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Planning Approaches

<p>The COST Action 18110 Underground4value (http://underground4value.eu) aims to advance knowledge on how to guarantee continuity of use and significance of underground historic fabric. It is collecting information, experiences and knowhow to base the development of research and training. The Action focusses on underground regeneration, revitalisation of the public realm and skills development for people concerned with underground heritage.</p><p>This contribution centres the attention of the Working Group on Planning Approaches. It also looks at the role of local authorities, as enablers and facilitators, in coordination, use  and management of underground built heritage. In this framework underground built heritage is considered as a social resource with integrated programmes of physical, economic and social measures, backed by strategic stakeholder dialogue.</p><p>On the one hand, this contribution discusses the structure and goals of the WG, as it pays attention to the necessary complementarities between functional approaches – at the level of regions and city – and social and cultural approaches involving citizens’ engagement and empowerment – at the local level. This WG aims to provide a reflection on sustainable approaches to preserve the underground built heritage and, at the same time, to unfold the case by case approach for potential use of underground space. On the other hand, to achieve its objectives the WG on Planning Approaches is setting together potentials and constraints in the efforts to make better use of underground heritage. This contribution, therefore, sheds lights on the preliminary results of the WG. It is centred on the learned lessons, challenges and barriers - from a planning science perspective - that experts met in their efforts to tackle Underground Built Heritage. Achieving this goal makes the call for an educational paradigm shift - as the Action is not only interested in compiling the results, rather on experiences that can be analysed and learned. This requires a dynamic understanding of knowledge, abilities and skills, towards creating more effective coalitions of ‘actors’ within localities, by developing structures, which encourage long term collaborative relationships. Enabled by the gained knowledge, the WG will define the best tailored ways to forward this knowledge for planners and decision-makers.</p>

scholarly journals Tail regeneration after autotomy revives survival: a case from a long-term monitored lizard population under avian predation

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1847) ◽  
pp. 20162538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jhan-Wei Lin ◽  
Ying-Rong Chen ◽  
Ying-Han Wang ◽  
Kuen-Chih Hung ◽  
Si-Min Lin
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Predation Pressure ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Tail Regeneration ◽  
Tail Loss ◽  
Avian Predators ◽  
Predatory Birds ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Caudal Autotomy

Caudal autotomy in lizards has intrigued scientists for more than 100 years. Because of the relative lack of literature under natural conditions, the complicated association among field autotomy rate, real predation pressure, the long-term cost of tail loss, and the benefit of regeneration remains equivocal. In this study, we conducted a 7-year capture–mark–recapture (CMR) programme with a wild population of a sexually dichromatic lizard, Takydromus viridipunctatus . We used autotomy indexes and a contemporary bird census mega-dataset of four predatory birds as predictors to examine the association between tail loss and predation pressure. We further estimated the survival cost of tail loss and alleviation by regeneration under natural conditions through CMR modelling. We found that large and small avian predators affect lizard survival through the following two routes: the larger-sized cattle egret causes direct mortality while the smaller shrikes and kestrels are the major causes of autotomy. Following autotomy, the survival rate of tailless individuals over the next month was significantly lower than that of tailed individuals, especially males during the breeding season, which showed a decline of greater than 30%. This sex-related difference further demonstrated the importance of reproductive costs for males in this sexually dichromatic species. However, the risk of mortality returned to baseline after the tails were fully grown. This study indicates the benefit of tail regeneration under natural conditions, which increases our understanding of the cost–benefit dynamics of caudal autotomy and further explains the maintenance of this trait as an evolutionarily beneficial adaption to long-term predator–prey interactions.

scholarly journals Integrated drought risk assessment to support adaptive policy making in the Netherlands

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjolein Mens ◽  
Gigi van Rhee ◽  
Femke Schasfoort ◽  
Neeltje Kielen
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Drought Risk ◽  
Adaptive Policy ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Support Decision Making

Abstract. Adaptive policy-making to prepare for current and future drought risks requires an integrated assessment of policy actions and combinations of those under changing conditions. This entails quantification of drought risks, integrating drought probability and socio-economic consequences for all relevant sectors that are potentially impacted by drought. The investment costs of proposed policy actions and strategies (various actions combined) can then be compared with the expected risk reduction to determine the cost-effectiveness. This paper presents a method to quantify drought risk in the Netherlands under changing future conditions and in response to policy actions. It illustrates how to use this information as part of a societal cost-benefit analysis and in building an adaptive long-term strategy. The method has been successfully applied to support decision making on the Netherlands’ national drought risk management strategy as part of the National Delta Program for climate change adaptation.

scholarly journals Longer-Term Forecasting of Excess Stock Returns—The Five-Year Case

Mathematics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 927
Author(s):  
Ioannis Kyriakou ◽  
Parastoo Mousavi ◽  
Jens Perch Nielsen ◽  
Michael Scholz
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Geometric Mean ◽  
General Tendency ◽  
Investment Strategies ◽  
Excess Stock Returns ◽  
Long Term Forecasting ◽  
Economic Predictors ◽  
One Year ◽  
The One

Long-term return expectations or predictions play an important role in planning purposes and guidance of long-term investors. Five-year stock returns are less volatile around their geometric mean than returns of higher frequency, such as one-year returns. One would, therefore, expect models using the latter to better reduce the noise and beat the simple historical mean than models based on the former. However, this paper shows that the general tendency is surprisingly the opposite: long-term forecasts over five years have a similar or even better predictive power when compared to the one-year case. We consider a long list of economic predictors and benchmarks relevant for the long-term investor. Our predictive approach consists of adopting and implementing a fully nonparametric smoother with the covariates and the smoothing parameters chosen by cross-validation. We consistently find that long-term forecasting performs well and recommend drawing more attention to it when designing investment strategies for long-term investors. Furthermore, our preferred predictive model did stand the test of Covid-19 providing a relatively optimistic outlook in March 2020 when uncertainty was all around us with lockdown and facing an unknown new pandemic.

scholarly journals Cost–benefit analysis of a staff recreation centre project: build or lease? – A Case Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Monica Singhania
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
New Delhi ◽  
Employee Morale ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Community Centre

This case study aims at comprehensively assessing a decision by XYZ Ltd (name withheld due to confidentiality), New Delhi, on whether to build or to lease a recreation centre for its rank-and-file employees. Based on a cost–benefit analysis, we concluded that the centre should be built since the company would recover its investment within 11 years. Apart from the financial considerations, the recreation centre could be considered a long-term investment in employee morale, as it would lead to a better quality of life for the staff and their families, and is likely to enhance their sense of belonging and improve productivity. To date, what little space there is available for hosting family functions is reserved for the use of the officers, and only officers and their families are invited to most company functions. Thus, the other employees feel neglected by the management. Hiring a community centre external to the organisation for a function would involve spending a lot of money as the company is located in a prime real estate area where the cost of land and rentals is huge, and sometimes even availability is an issue. Most of the staff cannot afford such places and are generally under a lot of stress whenever they have a family function. This, in turn, tends to affect their productivity. 

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