Rethinking economies: regulation and responsibility in contemporary ethnographic cases of production and exchange

Informe de investigación realizado a partir de una estancia en la University of London entre el 3 de marzo al 10 de abril 2007. Redacción de un artículo sobre aspectos metodológicos centrales para las ciencias sociales en su vertiente tanto teórica como aplicada: la articulación entre la investigación etnográfica y los modelos abstractos. Tanto la etnografía en sus múltiples formas de describir la realidad observable, como los modelos en su intento por reducir la complejidad con el fin de subrayar las conexiones causales son instrumentos de las ciencias sociales. Los modelos cambian el mundo: gracias a su cualidad abstracta pueden presentar no sólo una imagen de cómo funcionan las cosas, sino también subrayar el aspecto procesual de las conexiones permitiendo de este modo establecer proposiciones prospectivas y guiar las políticas públicas de desarrollo. En la base de la acción encontramos siempre alguna forma de modelización, incluso en el ámbito de las disposiciones subjetivas que mueven a la gente a la toma de decisiones cotidianas. A menudo la realidad escapa a la matriz de los modelos, sin embargo, y el cambio y la adaptación toman caminos insospechados y no planificados. Este proyecto busca construir la posibilidad de un diálogo constructivo, creativo y no-jerárquico entre los modelos de desarrollo económico y la etnografía(...)

On a size-structured two-phase population model with infinite states-at-birth

In this work we introduce and analyze a linear size-structured population model with infinite states-at-birth. We model the dynamics of a population in which individuals have two distinct life-stages: an “active” phase when individuals grow, reproduce and die and a second “resting” phase when individuals only grow. Transition between these two phases depends on individuals’ size. First we show that the problem is governed by a positive quasicontractive semigroup on the biologically relevant state space. Then we investigate, in the framework of the spectral theory of linear operators, the asymptotic behavior of solutions of the model. We prove that the associated semigroup has, under biologically plausible assumptions, the property of asynchronous exponential growth.

Public policy for entrepreneurship and innovation: impact in managed and entrepreneurial economies

Many of the most advanced economies of the world have undergone significant transformation in the last few decades. Globalization and technological changes, especially developments in information technologies, have helped to stimulate this transformation. These have contributed to changing institutional frameworks in many respects within the economies including adjustments to economic policies. The results of these transformations take many different forms and are manifested in different areas of an economy. At the heart of these changes however, has been the increasingly important role of entrepreneurship in the economy. The transformed ("new") economy stimulates and supports activities in innovation and entrepreneurship and is labelled the entrepreneurial economy. The "old" economy on the other hand restricts such activities and is referred to as the managed economy (Audretsch & Thurik, 2001).

Inversion of analytic characteristic functions and infinite convolutions of exponential and Laplace densities

This paper shows that certain quotients of entire functions are characteristic functions. Under some conditions, we provide expressions for the densities of such characteristic functions which turn out to be generalized Dirichlet series which in turn can be expressed as an infinite linear combination of exponential or Laplace densities. We apply these results to several examples.

Nash equilibrium strategies in discrete-time finite-horizon dynamic games with risk-and effort-averse players

The objective of this paper is to re-examine the risk-and effort attitude in the context of strategic dynamic interactions stated as a discrete-time finite-horizon Nash game. The analysis is based on the assumption that players are endogenously risk-and effort-averse. Each player is characterized by distinct risk-and effort-aversion types that are unknown to his opponent. The goal of the game is the optimal risk-and effort-sharing between the players. It generally depends on the individual strategies adopted and, implicitly, on the the players' types or characteristics.

On the effect of the geographical scope of agglomeration economies on firm location

This article analyses how agglomeration economies shaped the location decisions of new manufacturing start-ups in Catalan municipalities in 2001-2005. We estimate whether the locations of new firms are spatially autocorrelated and whether this phenomenon is industry-specific. Our aim is to estimate the geographical scope of agglomeration economies on firm entries. The data set comes from a compulsory register of manufacturing establishments (REIC: Catalan Manufacturing Establishments Register). JEL classification: R1, R3 Keywords: firm location; spatial autocorrelation

Pseudomarkets with priorities in large random assignment economies

I study large random assignment economies with a continuum of agents and a finite number of object types. I consider the existence of weak priorities discriminating among agents with respect to their rights concerning the final assignment. The respect for priorities ex ante (ex-ante stability) usually precludes ex-ante envy-freeness. Therefore I define a new concept of fairness, called no unjustified lower chances: priorities with respect to one object type cannot justify different achievable chances regarding another object type. This concept, which applies to the assignment mechanism rather than to the assignment itself, implies ex-ante envy-freeness among agents of the same priority type. I propose a variation of Hylland and Zeckhauser' (1979) pseudomarket that meets ex-ante stability, no unjustified lower chances and ex-ante efficiency among agents of the same priority type. Assuming enough richness in preferences and priorities, the converse is also true: any random assignment with these properties could be achieved through an equilibrium in a pseudomarket with priorities. If priorities are acyclical (the ordering of agents is the same for each object type), this pseudomarket achieves ex-ante efficient random assignments.

An algorithm for semi-infinite polynomial optimization

"Vegeu el resum a l'inici del document del fitxer adjunt."

Simulating the Impact of Sectorial Productivity Gains on Two Regional Economies: Key Sectors from a Supply Side Perspective

In this paper we simulate and analyse the economic impact that sectorial productivity gains have on two regional Spanish economies (Catalonia and Extremadura). In particular we study the quantitative effect that each sector’s productivity gain has on household welfare (real disposable income and equivalent variation), on the consumption price indices and factor relative prices, on real production (GDP) and on the government’s net income (net taxation revenues of social transfers to households). The analytical approach consists of a computable general equilibrium model, in which we assume perfect competition and cleared markets, including factor markets. All the parameters and exogenous variables of the model are calibrated by means of two social accounting matrices, one for each region under study. The results allow us to identify those sectors with the greatest impact on consumer welfare as the key sectors in the regional economies. Keywords: Productivity gains, key sectors, computable general equilibrium

What underlies localization and urbanization economies? Evidence from the location of new firms

The objective of this paper is to analyze why firms in some industries locate in specialized economic environments (localization economies) while those in other industries prefer large city locations (urbanization economies). To this end, we examine the location decisions of new manufacturing firms in Spain at the city level and for narrowly defined industries (three-digit level). First, we estimate firm location models to obtain estimates that reflect the importance of localization and urbanization economies in each industry. In a second step, we regress these estimates on industry characteristics that are related to the potential importance of three agglomeration theories, namely, labor market pooling, input sharing and knowledge spillovers. Localization effects are low and urbanization effects are high in knowledge-intensive industries, suggesting that firms (partly) locate in large cities to reap the benefits of inter-industry knowledge spillovers. We also find that localization effects are high in industries that employ workers whose skills are more industry-specific, suggesting that industries (partly) locate in specialized economic environments to share a common pool of specialized workers.

2010 Horizon Report: Iberoamerican Edition

The series of Horizon Reports is the most tangible outcome of the New Media Consortium's Horizon Project, a qualitative research endeavour launched in 2002 which identifies and describes the emergingtechnologies with the greatest potential to have an impact on teaching, learning, research and creative expression in the global education field. This volume,the 2010 Horizon Report: Iberoamerican Edition, focuses on research in countries of the iberoamerican region (including the whole of Latin America, Spainand Portugal) and in the field of higher education. The 2010 Horizon Report: Iberoamerican Edition is the first to offer this regional contextualization and hasbeen produced by the NMC and the eLearn Center of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).

Relatório Horizon : edição Ibero-americana 2010

La sèrie d'informes Horizon és el resultat més tangible del Projecte Horizon del New Media Consortium, un esforç de recerca qualitativa iniciat el 2002, que identifica i descriu les tecnologies emergents amb més potencial d'impacte en l'ensenyament, l'aprenentatge, la recerca i la expressió creativa en l'àmbit educatiu global. Aquest volum, l'Informe Horizon 2010: Edició Iberoamericana, se centra en la investigació en els països de la regió Iberoamericana (incloent-hi tota Llatinoamèrica, Espanya i Portugal) i en l'àmbit de l'educació superior. L'Informe Horizon 2010: Edició Iberoamericana és el primer que ofereix aquesta contextualització regional i ha estat produït per l'NMC i el eLearn Center de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

Informe Horizon : edición iberoamericana 2010

La serie de Informes Horizon es el resultado más tangible del Proyecto Horizon del New Media Consortium, un esfuerzo de investigación cualitativa iniciado en 2002, que identifica y describe las tecnologías emergentes con mayor potencial de impacto en la enseñanza, el aprendizaje, la investigación y la expresión creativa en el ámbito educativo global. Este volumen, elInforme Horizon 2010: Edición Iberoamericana, centra la investigación en los países de la región Iberoamericana (incluyendo a toda Latinoamérica, España y Portugal) y en el ámbito de la educación superior. ElInforme Horizon 2010: Edición Iberoamericana es el primero que ofrece esta contextualización regional y ha sido producido por el NMC y el eLearn Center de laUniversitat Oberta de Catalunya.

Informe Horizon : edició iberoamericana 2010

La sèrie d'informes Horizon és el resultat més tangible del Projecte Horizon del New Media Consortium, un esforç de recerca qualitativa iniciat el 2002 que identifica i descriu les tecnologies emergents amb més potencial d'impacte en l'ensenyament, l'aprenentatge, la recerca i la expressió creativa en l'àmbit educatiu global. Aquest volum, l'Informe Horizon 2010: Edició Iberoamericana, se centra en la investigació en els països de la regió Iberoamericana (incloent-hi tota Llatinoamèrica, Espanya i Portugal) i en l'àmbit de l'educació superior. L'Informe Horizon 2010: Edició Iberoamericana és el primer que ofereix aquesta contextualització regional i ha estat produït per l'NMC i el eLearn Center de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

Alternation and Cooperation in a Two-party System: Implications for Resource-Based Developing Economies

This paper studies cooperation in a political system dominated by two opportunistic parties competing in a resource-based economy. Since a binding agreement as an external solution might be difficult to enforce due to the close association between the incumbent party and the government, the paper explores the extent to which co-operation between political parties that alternate in office can rely on self-enforcing strategies to provide an internal solution. We show that, for appropriate values of the probability of re-election and the discount factor cooperation in maintaining the value of a state variable is possible, but fragile. Another result is that, in such political framework, debt decisions contain an externality element linked to electoral incentives that creates a bias towards excessive borrowing.