scholarly journals Rationale and Design of EU Cohesion Policies in a Period of Crisis

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 11-19
Author(s):  
Roberto Camagni ◽  
Roberta Capello

The aim of the paper is to reflect on the justifications and design of cohesion policies in a period of deep economic recession. In particular, the paper tackles two important topics. The first topic deals with the justification for structural policies like cohesion policies in a period of economic downturn, since they look less urgent and appropriate than short term demand policies. In this case, cohesion policies are called to rebalance the effects that the ongoing crisis has on the convergence trends of the last two decades. The second topic relates to the most appropriate design that cohesion policies should have. The message that the paper provides from a conceptual point of view, corroborated by empirical results, is that the winning strategy is neither to focus on champions, calling for competitiveness, nor on lagging areas, in favor of cohesion; policies targeted to each regions’ needs are the right policies, able to enlarge and embrace all possible excellences. This strategy demonstrates that the traditional trade-off between efficiency and equity goals may be overcome.

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-28
Author(s):  
O. S. Chudinovskikh

The article discusses various approaches to estimate the scale of illegal migration in Russia, based on the use of administrative data of the Federal Migration Service, the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (MDM) and the Border Service of Russia. It is noted that the problem of assessing illegal migration for the Russian Federation has become very relevant since the late 1990s, when the migration landscape changed, and forced migration flows were replaced by mass labor migration, mostly undocumented.The article discusses the definitions of illegal migration and the main methodological and practical approaches to determining its scale. It is emphasized that in Russian practice, the definition of illegal migrants mainly implies foreigners with short-term or temporary status, working without permits and without the right to stay in Russia (most often, due to the excess of the permitted duration of stay). This narrowing of definitions is explained by the nature of migration processes in Russia: the predominance of short-term and temporary forms of migration, mainly for the purpose of employment, as well as visa-free entry for 90% of labor migrants.The paper provides a brief overview of the foreign practices of assessing illegal migration and explains the possibilities of using these methods in Russia. Several methodological approaches are considered in the article, based on different types of statistical information and involving different calculation algorithms for assessment of the stocks and flows of illegal migrants. In particular, it describes the system of criteria related to the right to work and stay in Russia, which was until recently used by the MDM of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia to identify the stock of violators among foreigners who were staying at a certain moment of time on the territory of Russia. In addition, a method of reclassification of purposes of entry to estimate the stock of potential undocumented labour migrants is being considered. To calculate the number of long-term illegal migrants staying in Russia for more than a year, it is proposed to use the “residual method”, which is common in foreign practice. The article also shows the possibility of assessing the flows of undocumented labor migrants based on comparison of data on migrants’ registration at a place of stay with the purpose “work” with the number of persons who received permits. The method based on the border control data which was used in early 2000s is discussed from a critical point of view.All approaches are illustrated with relevant statistical examples and accompanied by comments on possible vulnerabilities, dealing with both the data itself and the methodology. Explanations are given regarding the prospects and limitations of the materials of the all-Russian population censuses and the Labor Force Survey for estimates of illegal migration. In the final section of the article, the author formulates some recommendations to adjust the methodology for assessing the scale of illegal migration in Russia, for improvement of its accuracy. The necessity of changing the time criteria associated with excess of permitted duration of stay (those with visa and visa-free regime of entry to Russia) and the feasibility of structuring the stock of illegal migrants by duration of stay, that will allow to identify those who already refer to the permanent population, and to improve the international comparability of the Russian estimates.


Author(s):  
Maria João Guedes ◽  
Tânia Mafalda Antunes Saraiva ◽  
Teresa Felício

The Portuguese economy has experienced a recent economic recession that forced firms to look for different ways to finance themselves in order to be able to respond and overcome the crisis. This study investigates whether the capital structure of new ventures differ as a response to the crisis. Drawing on a panel of 75,826 Portuguese new ventures (241,284 venture-year observations) established between 2006 and 2015 and followed until 2017, the results show that new ventures capital structure responds to economic downturns. New ventures founded during the crisis have higher values of debt-ratio, for both total and short-term debt ratio, higher profitability, higher growth, and lower tangibility. Furthermore, ventures that are financed mainly with equity resort to less short-term debt have higher profitability and liquidity but experience lower growth. This study informs managers, practitioners, and policymakers that new ventures' capital structure is responsive to an economic downturn and has implications for the establishment of ventures during recessionary periods.


2020 ◽  
pp. 2050013
Author(s):  
DUONG DANG KHOA ◽  
PHAM THI TRAM ANH ◽  
LE THI MY DUYEN

This study investigates empirically how net-working-capital (NWC) affects firm value, using a sample of the Vietnamese stock market. Our empirical results indicate an optimal NWC level that maximizes firm value. Our research also shows empirical evidence that deviations from actual and estimated NWC levels (above and below optimal level) can reduce firm value. We show that more than 40% of NWC observations in our sample on the right-hand side of the breakpoint reduce firm value. Managers tend to build up excessive working capital to prevent hiking funding costs after the 2008 crisis. Therefore, our findings help managers determine an optimal level of NWC, which enhances firm value. Our findings are consistent with the trade-off theory.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Yéssica Elizabeth Barreto Macías ◽  
Colón Avellán Velásquez

El actual trabajo afronta una de las problemáticas más apremiantes de los actuales momentos como es el alto índice de dispendio de drogas en las Instituciones Educativas, que afectan considerablemente a la sociedad ecuatoriana. Su objetivo es analizar los lineamientos que permitan mejorar la orientación familiar, y desarrollar relaciones interpersonales apropiadas que fomenten la unión familiar, practicar principios, fomentar valores morales, y que los jóvenes aprendan a decir “no” ante una eventual propuesta de consumir compuestos prohibidos, que lo único que se consigue es materializarse en un estado no idóneo ante la comunidad, considerar que las consecuencias para la salud son devastadoras, personas que a temprana edad padecen de enfermedades que en muchas ocasiones son gravísimas, causando malestar no solamente propio sino a la familia. Puedo mencionar como aporte de este artículo; y en base a resultados establecidos que resulta primordial e importante mantener la asistencia de un profesional especializado en psicología, diálogos científicos y motivadores, conjuntamente con atención médica provocarán en la persona afectada la erradicación del consumo de drogas. Constan muchos factores que causan gran influencia negativa en las familias, partiendo de que actualmente el mundo vive la tendencia del consumismo lo que influye en sobremanera que exista menos dialogo en el hogar, la aparición de la tecnología es otra de las situaciones adversas. Los profesionales encargados de brindar orientación familiar deben considerar siempre, que el comportamiento del ser humano debe ser comprendido desde el punto de vista de su forma de pensar, solo así se desarrollara una cultura que permita a las familias tomar las decisiones acertadas al momento de formar a sus hijos, lo que en un futuro se evidenciará como seres útiles a la sociedad. PALABRAS CLAVE: Consumo de drogas; orientación familiar; valores morales.  FAMILY COUNSELING, FOR THE PREVENTION OF DRUG USE IN THIRDYEAR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS  ABSTRACT  The current work addresses one of the most pressing issues of current times such as the high rate of drug use in educational institutions, which greatly affect Ecuadorian society. Its objective is to analyze the guidelines for improving family orientation, and develop appropriate interpersonal relationships that promote family unity, value the principles, and that young people learn to say "no" to a possible proposal to use prohibited drugs, that the only thing that is achieved is to materialize in an unsuitable state before the community, to consider that the consequences for health are devastating, people who at an early age suffer from diseases that in many occasions are very serious, causing discomfort not only their own but also the family. I can mention as contribution of this article; and based on established results that it is essential and important to maintain the assistance of a professional specialized in psychology, scientific and motivational dialogues, together with medical care, will cause the affected person to eradicate drug use. There are many factors that cause great negative influence on families, based on the fact that the world currently lives the trend of consumerism which greatly influences that there is less dialogue at home, the emergence of technology is another of the adverse situations. The professionals responsible for providing family counseling should always consider that the behavior of the human being should be understood from the point of view of their way of thinking, only in this way will a culture be developed that allows families to make the right decisions when forming to their children, which in the future will be evident as useful beings to society. KEYWORDS: drug use; family orientation; moral values.


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-176
Author(s):  
Andrew J Serpell

Payday loans are small-amount, short-term, unsecured, high-cost credit contracts provided by non-mainstream credit providers. Payday loans are usually taken out to help the consumer pay for essential items, such as food, rent, electricity, petrol, broken-down appliances or car registration or repairs. These consumers take out payday loans because they cannot — or believe that they cannot — obtain a loan from a mainstream credit provider such as a bank. In recent years there has been a protracted debate in Australia — and in several overseas jurisdictions — about how to regulate the industry. Recent amendments to the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 (Cth) — referred to in this article as the 2013 reforms — are designed to better protect payday loan consumers. While the 2013 reforms provide substantially improved protection for payday loan consumers, further changes to the law may be warranted. This article raises several law reform issues which should be considered as part of the 2015 review into small amount credit contracts, including whether the caps on the cost of credit are set at the right level, whether the required content and presentation of the consumer warnings needs to be altered, whether more needs to be done to protect consumers who are particularly disadvantaged or vulnerable and whether a general anti-avoidance provision should be included in the credit legislation.


Author(s):  
Joshua May

This chapter considers remaining empirical challenges to the idea that we’re commonly motivated to do what’s right for the right reasons. Two key factors threaten to defeat claims to virtuous motivation, self-interest (egoism) and arbitrary situational factors (situationism). Both threats aim to identify defective influences on moral behavior that reveal us to be commonly motivated by the wrong reasons. However, there are limits to such wide-ranging skeptical arguments. Ultimately, like debunking arguments, defeater challenges succumb to a Defeater’s Dilemma: one can identify influences on many of our morally relevant behaviors that are either substantial or arbitrary, but not both. The science suggests a familiar trade-off in which substantial influences on many morally relevant actions are rarely defective. Arriving at this conclusion requires carefully scrutinizing a range of studies, including those on framing effects, dishonesty, implicit bias, mood effects, and moral hypocrisy (vs. integrity).


Author(s):  
Tyler S. Gibb ◽  
Kathryn Redinger ◽  
Casey Fealko ◽  
Sonia Parikh

Guidance regarding the decision to remove an adolescent from athletic competition immediately following an acute concussive injury and the safe return of play in the short term is widely accepted and supported by clinical evidence, local institutional policies, and state and federal laws. There is considerably less guidance regarding the decision to permanently retire an adolescent athlete for medical reasons due to concussive injuries. In this article, we discuss the clinical and non-clinical considerations that should guide clinicians in discussions regarding the adolescent athlete’s permanent retirement by emphasizing the ethical obligation to protect the child’s right to an open future as possibly determinative in otherwise ambiguous cases.


Author(s):  
Thomas Dangl ◽  
Josef Zechner

Abstract This paper shows that short debt maturities commit equityholders to leverage reductions when refinancing expiring debt in low-profitability states. However, shorter maturities lead to higher transaction costs since larger amounts of expiring debt need to be refinanced. We show that this trade-off between higher expected transaction costs against the commitment to reduce leverage in low-profitability states motivates an optimal maturity structure of corporate debt. Since firms with high costs of financial distress and risky cash flows benefit most from committing to leverage reductions, they have a stronger motive to issue short-term debt. Evidence supports the model’s predictions.


Author(s):  
Mohamed Zahoor Ul Huqh ◽  
Rozita Hassan ◽  
Roselinda Abdul Rahman ◽  
Asilah Yusof ◽  
Ida Bagus Narmada ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term effect of active skeletonized sutural distractor (ASSD) appliance on temporomandibular joint morphology of class III malocclusion subjects. Materials and Methods This was a prospective interventional study. Cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) images of 22 patients were taken before and after treatment by using Planmeca Promax 3D CBCT machine version 2.9.2 (Planmeca OY Helsinki, Finland). The condylar width, height, length, roof of glenoid fossa thickness, and all joint spaces were measured. The condylar position was determined based on Pullinger and Hollander formula. The condylar shape was determined as per Kinzinger et al. The condylar volume was calculated by using Mimics software (Materialize, Belgium). Statistical Analysis Data analysis was performed by using SPSS software version 24. Wilcoxon paired signed-rank test was used to compare the difference in temporomandibular joint morphology and condylar volume between pre- and post-treatment measurements. Chi-square test was used to compare the condylar position and shape. Results The superior (p = 0.000 on the right side, p = 0.005 on the left side) and posterior joint spaces (p = 0.000 on both sides) were decreased after the treatment, respectively. The condyles were rotated upward and backward, thereby increasing the anterior joint spaces (p = 0.000 on both sides) after the treatment. The condylar volume increases after treatment, but no significant differences were observed (p = 0.903 on the right side, p = 0.062 on the left side). Conclusion The significant changes were observed in joint spaces. The condyles were more anteriorly placed before treatment. Condylar position and shape alter in response to ASSD treatment. The condylar volume did not show any significant change.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 205630512110213
Author(s):  
Alessandro Caliandro ◽  
Guido Anselmi

In this article, we argue that, in an era of platformization of culture, social media users tend to relate with brands through modalities that are more informed by platforms’ affordances (i.e., by the technical architecture of and participatory cultures thriving on social media platforms), rather than shared systems of values and meanings promulgated within brand communities or influencers’ fandoms. Our argument grounds on an analysis of 757,776 Instagram posts related to six global brands, through which we show how users create branded content by following and reproducing a memetic logic. Drawing on our empirical results and Limor Shifman’s theory of Internet memes, we introduce the notion of memetic brands. Memetic brands are collections of branded social media posts, which derive from a standard branded template that repeats from user to user with small compositional changes at every iteration and on top of which users attach expressions of their vernacular creativity. In the process, memetic brands vehiculate a hypersignification, that is, an implicit discourse on fluid and situational consumption. Through the concepts of affordances-based brand relations and memetic brands, the article contributes (from a theoretical and methodological point of view) to the emerging literature on platformization of culture.


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