Evaluating Mergers and Divestitures: A Casino Case Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
F David Osinski ◽  
Jeremy A Sandford
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Welfare ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Synthetic Control ◽  
Difference In Difference ◽  
Economics Literature ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Public Data ◽  
Merger Remedies

Abstract Despite frequent use in practice, merger remedies receive little attention in the economics literature. We analyze the 2013 merger of two casino operators and the subsequent divestiture of one St. Louis casino. Using public data from the Missouri Gaming Commission, we employ a difference-in-difference framework with other Missouri casinos as the control group to estimate separate effects of the merger and divestiture on each St. Louis casino. Results indicate the merged firm benefited from efficiencies, resulting in lower prices and higher quantity; however, the divested casino performed worse than before the merger. Synthetic control estimates confirm these results. This study raises questions about whether to assess remedies by the performance of the divested asset or the consumer welfare of the entire merger. It also raises questions regarding remedy endogeneity: do firms face incentives to offer declining assets? Both have applicability beyond this case, supporting the need for further research. (JEL L1, L4)

Evaluating the alliance in videolink teletherapy

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 33-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
G J Ghosh ◽  
P M Mclaren ◽  
J P Watson
Keyword(s):  
Working Alliance ◽  
Psychological Treatment ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Personality Factors ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Working Alliance Inventory ◽  
The Face

The use of videoconferencing in psychotherapy remains largely unexplored. Videoconferencing compromises the range and quality of interactional information and thus might be expected to affect the working alliance (WA) between client and therapist, and consequently the process and outcome of therapy. A single case study exploring the effect of videoconferencing on the development of the WA in the psychological treatment of a female–male transsexual is described. The self-rated Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) was used to measure client and therapist perceptions of the WA after each session over 10 sessions of eclectic therapy conducted over a videolink. The serial WAI measurements charting the development of the WA in 4 cases of 10-session, face-to-face therapy by Horvath and Marx1 were used as a quasi-control. Therapist and client impressions of teletherapy are described. WAI scores were essentially similar to the face-to-face control group except for lower client-rated bond subscale scores. It is suggested that client personality factors accounted for this difference and that videoconferencing did not impair the development of an adequate working alliance or successful therapeutic outcome.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Mental-Health Positive Impacts of Agritourism; A Case Study from South Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 8712
Author(s):  
Mehdi Rezaei ◽  
Doohwan Kim ◽  
Ahad Alizadeh ◽  
Ladan Rokni
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Positive Mood ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Considerable Improvement ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Emotional Outcomes ◽  
Mental Health Benefits ◽  
Practical Implications

The stressful lifestyle of urban dwellers has increased the demand for green-based leisure activities; considering such growing demand, this paper investigated the potential mental health benefits of agritourism activities. The assessments were based on a questionnaire survey of two groups: visitors of agritourism sites around Seoul and a control group staying home (n = 200). In addition to measuring the participants’ well-being level and stress level, they were also asked to self-estimate their immediate mood after their activities of the day. The analysis was conducted with R version 4.1.0 to explore the potential relationships and interactions between the activity of the day, perceived psychological factors, and the immediate emotional outcomes. Findings reveal that visitors to the agritourism sites perceived considerable improvement in their immediate mood compared to the control group who stayed home. Results indicate a significant interaction between self-reported wellbeing and agritourism activities and a combined effect on improved mood. Therefore, agritourism can potentially be a resource for a positive mood boost and improved mental health. The suggested practical implications can be applied as strategies to evoke the feeling of more connection to the agritourism activities and raise awareness of potential mental health outcomes.

scholarly journals When is a Match Sufficient? A Score-based Balance Metric for the Synthetic Control Method

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 209-228
Author(s):  
Layla Parast ◽  
Priscillia Hunt ◽  
Beth Ann Griffin ◽  
David Powell
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Control Unit ◽  
Treated Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Synthetic Control ◽  
Donor Pool ◽  
Synthetic Control Method ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn some applications, researchers using the synthetic control method (SCM) to evaluate the effect of a policy may struggle to determine whether they have identified a “good match” between the control group and treated group. In this paper, we demonstrate the utility of the mean and maximum Absolute Standardized Mean Difference (ASMD) as a test of balance between a synthetic control unit and treated unit, and provide guidance on what constitutes a poor fit when using a synthetic control. We explore and compare other potential metrics using a simulation study. We provide an application of our proposed balance metric to the 2013 Los Angeles (LA) Firearm Study [9]. Using Uniform Crime Report data, we apply the SCM to obtain a counterfactual for the LA firearm-related crime rate based on a weighted combination of control units in a donor pool of cities. We use this counterfactual to estimate the effect of the LA Firearm Study intervention and explore the impact of changing the donor pool and pre-intervention duration period on resulting matches and estimated effects. We demonstrate how decision-making about the quality of a synthetic control can be improved by using ASMD. The mean and max ASMD clearly differentiate between poor matches and good matches. Researchers need better guidance on what is a meaningful imbalance between synthetic control and treated groups. In addition to the use of gap plots, the proposed balance metric can provide an objective way of determining fit.

Librarians, step out of the classroom!: how improved faculty-led IL instruction improves student learning

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meagan Lacy ◽  
Alexandra Hamlett
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Actual Application ◽  
Faculty Teaching ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
The Impact

PurposeIn most higher education institutions, information literacy (IL) instruction is usually considered the purview of librarians, not disciplinary faculty. However, a small but growing body of research indicates that students learn the research process best when these skills are taught in the context of a course or a discipline. For this reason, teaching faculty should share ownership of IL instruction — but how? In this case study, community college librarians explain how they successfully trained faculty to integrate IL into their English Composition courses and teach IL independently.Design/methodology/approachUsing a multimethods approach, the investigators draw on faculty interviews, student surveys, and content analysis of student essays to evaluate the impact of faculty-led IL instruction on student learning after one semester.FindingsFaculty reported that their instruction of IL was improved, and students work better as a result of their collaboration with the librarians. Compared to previous semesters, faculty perceived gains in terms of students’ ability to synthesize and cite evidence in their writing. Student survey results indicate perceived gains in their IL skills, but an assessment of their written work reveals a discrepancy between this perception and the actual application of these skills.Research limitations/implicationsBecause there is no control group, no conclusions can be drawn as to whether faculty-led IL instruction is as effective as librarian-led IL instruction or whether students’ academic performance improves due to faculty teaching IL. However, the purpose of this study is primarily descriptive. It addresses how other libraries may create a culture of shared ownership of IL instruction on their campuses.Practical implicationsThis study offers an alternative model to library instruction and suggests ways instruction librarians can prioritize their outreach and instructional efforts to maximize impact on student learning.Originality/valueWhile much has been written about how librarians can improve IL instruction, few studies mention the role of faculty. This case study starts the conversation.

scholarly journals The Impact of Rhetorical Argumentation on Achieving the Mastery of Fluency and Accuracy in Communicative Competence: A Case Study of 2 nd Year Students at the University Des Frères Mentouri, Constantine

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Abderrahim Bouderbane
Keyword(s):  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Procedural Fluency ◽  
Language Knowledge ◽  
Problematic Issue ◽  
Rhetorical Argumentation ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The present study is a comparison between the impact of rhetorical argumentation and narrating stories on students’ fluency and accuracy in communicative competence. We aimed at evaluating the usefulness and suitability of these tasks, and their efficiency when it comes to teaching fluency and accuracy by analysing the direct effects of the tasks on the indices of fluency and accuracy. The problematic issue in this research investigates the effects of the task rhetorical argumentation, and whether it is an important task that teachers should rely on it in teaching speaking in academic contexts. The sample is composed of 65 students which are divided in between 30 students in the control group and 35 students in experimental group. The data was collected by a test which was used to evaluate three main areas which are: classroom interaction, topic knowledge and language knowledge. The results of the experiment show that there are two types of fluency which are procedural and automatic. Rhetorical argumentation can be used to develop procedural fluency, and not automatic since the task is considered as difficult and students were not familiar with it.

scholarly journals Assessment of the impact of the employment roadmap on the unemployment rate of the Republic of Kazakhstan: synthetic control method

2021 ◽  
pp. 121-130
Author(s):  
T. S. Sokira ◽  
Z. T. Myshbayeva
Keyword(s):  
Unemployment Rate ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Synthetic Control ◽  
Donor Pool ◽  
Synthetic Control Method ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Weighted Combination

The purpose of the research is to assess the impact of the action plan of the Employment Roadmap on the unemployment rate in Kazakhstan.Methodology. Synthetic Control Method was used in this paper. The method, which compares one or more units exposed to the event and determines what would have happened if the unit had not been treated. In other words, this method creates a weighted combination of control states to create a single «synthetic» control group, in order to approach the counterfactual unit in Kazakhstan in the absence of a plan or Roadmap.The originality / value of the research based on the analysis, panel data from Kazakhstan and 13 donor pool countries for the period 2000-2019 were taken for modeling.Findings: As a result of the study, it was revealed that the unemployment rate would have been 2% higher in 2019 if Kazakhstan had not adopted an action plan in the form of an Employment Roadmap in 2009.

scholarly journals Flipping the Undergraduate Classroom: A Case Study

2019 ◽  
pp. 134-138
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Conventional Teaching ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Convenience Sampling ◽  
Group 2

Rapid development in information and communication technology (ICT) is changing the instructional strategies in Higher Education. This study aimed to identify the level of self-efficacy of B.Ed. (IT) undergraduates of a local University in a flipped classroom. Further it also investigated gender difference among the undergraduates self-efficacy in the classroom. A group of 35 student selected using convenience sampling method. This group divided into Group 1 as control group and Group 2 as intervention. Group one consists of 17 students and two consist of 18 students. Initially the two classes answered pre-survey questionnaire of self-efficacy. Then control group was exposed to conventional teaching whereas intervention group intervened with Padlet. Data were analyzed with SPSS and revealed the intervention group has high Cohen effect (d) = .53, which is considered moderate size compared Cohen effect (d) = .17, considered small. This study clearly exhibits intervention group has better self-efficacy than control group. Further, the effect size of control group revealed decline in self-efficacy. In study exhibits there is no difference by gender in terms of self-efficacy. It is expected further study should be conducted by taking in to account sample size, duration of intervention, and method.

scholarly journals A Case Study of Milk Processing: The Idara-e-Kissan Cooperative

2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-128
Author(s):  
Khalid Riaz
Keyword(s):  
Service Provision ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Milk Product ◽  
Net Returns ◽  
Fresh Milk ◽  
Breed Improvement ◽  
The Government ◽  
Animal Vaccination

The paper focuses on Idara-e-Kissan, a vertically integrated cooperative in the dairy sector, which procures fresh milk, processes it and uses the profits earned in urban milk product markets to provide development services to member farmers. The analysis suggests that, compared to a control group of non-members, the cooperative’s members had 29% higher net returns per milk animal, 9% more milk buffaloes, 6% fewer dry buffaloes and they used three times more milk fat-enhancing cottonseed cake. The members had better access to animal vaccination, artificial insemination, and visits from livestock extension workers; they were able to secure more animal treatments per year, and reported greater satisfaction with service provision. The cooperative’s successes were more modest in areas where the benefits of inputs and services provided were more public, e.g. livestock breed improvement and enhancing fodder productivity, indicating that there is an important role for the government in supplying public goods such as livestock/agriculture R&D.

Paying the right price for pharmaceuticals: a case study of why the comparator matters

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean M. Spinks ◽  
Jeff R. J. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Pricing ◽  
Regulatory Capture ◽  
Pharmaceutical Pricing ◽  
Pricing Policy ◽  
Pharmaceutical Expenditures ◽  
Public Data ◽  
The Right ◽  
Effective Use

This article considers the pricing policy for pharmaceuticals in Australia, which is widely seen as having achieved low drug prices. However, compared to New Zealand, the evidence implies that Australia might have improved its performance significantly if it had proactively sought market best pricing. The Australian record suggests that the information sought by authorities may not be sufficient for optimal pricing and that the economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals may be neither necessary nor sufficient for achieving this goal. What is known about the topic? Pharmaceutical expenditures vary significantly across countries. Few surveys exist to determine the role of price but these suggest that Australian prices are relatively low compared with most OECD countries. What does this paper add? An analysis of public data implies that Australia pays significantly higher prices than NZ for its pharmaceuticals. This is attributable to NZ’s more effective use of competition, especially in the market for generics. Australian policy effectively limits competition by the provision of price information to competing companies. Recent agreements are similarly consistent with de facto regulatory capture. What are the implications for practitioners? There should be a review of pharmaceutical pricing policies with the criterion for success being the ‘lowest’, not ‘comparable’ world prices. Comparators should include prices paid for quality drugs in all, not selected countries, where data are available.

Interprofessional Teamwork Innovation Model (ITIM) to promote communication and patient-centred, coordinated care

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 700-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Li ◽  
Preetham Talari ◽  
Andrew Kelly ◽  
Barbara Latham ◽  
Sherri Dotson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Readmissions ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Difference In Difference ◽  
Academic Medical Centre ◽  
Difference Analysis ◽  
Interprofessional Teamwork ◽  
Innovation Model ◽  
Ed Visits

BackgroundDespite recommendations and the need to accelerate redesign of delivery models to be team-based and patient-centred, professional silos and cultural and structural barriers that inhibit working together and communicating effectively still predominate in the hospital setting. Aiming to improve team-based rounding, we developed, implemented and evaluated the Interprofessional Teamwork Innovation Model (ITIM).MethodsThis quality improvement (QI) study was conducted at an academic medical centre. We followed the system’s QI framework, FOCUS-PDSA, with Lean as guiding principles. Primary outcomes included 30-day all-cause same-hospital readmissions and 30-day emergency department (ED) visits. The intervention group consisted of patients receiving care on two hospitalist ITIM teams, and patients receiving care from other hospitalist teams were matched with a control group. Outcomes were assessed using difference-in-difference analysis.ResultsTeam members reported enhanced communication and overall time savings. In multivariate modelling, patients discharged from hospitalist teams using the ITIM approach were associated with reduced 30-day same-hospital readmissions with an estimated point OR of 0.56 (95% CI 0.34 to 0.92), but there was no impact on 30-day same-hospital ED visits. Difference-in-difference analysis showed that ITIM was not associated with changes in average total direct costs nor average cost per patient day, after adjusting for all other covariates in the models, despite the addition of staff resources in the ITIM model.ConclusionThe ITIM approach facilitates a collaborative environment in which patients and their family caregivers, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, case managers and others work and share in the process of care.

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