Dispersi��n de precios en la industria de seguros sanitarios privados

Presentamos un modelo de diferenciaci��n vertical y horizontal de productos que explica la dispersi��n de precios de la industria de seguros sanitarios con prestaci��n de servicios en Espa��a. El modelo capta la competencia en precios de grandes aseguradoras con peque��as mutualidades de ��mbito local y establece que las primeras cargan, en general, primas mayores. Tambi��n obtenemos que, aunque el mercado permite la entrada de un n��mero excesivo de empresas, la presencia de aseguradoras de ��mbito local aumenta el bienestar social, al completar la gama de productos disponibles por los consumidores, a partir de unos reducidos costes de entrada en la industria. Organizaci��n industrial, seguros sanitarios, econom��a de la salud

Scheduled Service Versus Personal Transportation: The Role of Distance

This paper presents a theoretical and empirical analysis of the relationship be- tween frequency of scheduled transportation services and their substitutability with personal transportation (using distance as a proxy). We study the interaction between a monopoly firm providing a high-speed scheduled service and private transportation (i.e., car). Interestingly, the carrier chooses to increase the frequency of service on longer routes when competing with personal transportation because by providing higher frequency (at extra cost) it can also charge higher fares which can boost its profits. However, in line with the results of earlier studies, frequency decreases for longer flights when driving is not a viable option. An empirical application of our analysis to the European airline industry confirms the predictions of our theoretical model. Keywords: short-haul routes; long-haul routes; flight frequency; distance JEL Classification Numbers: L13; L2; L93

Environmental Kuznets Curves for Carbon Emissions: A Critical Survey

The empirical finding of an inverse U-shaped relationship between per capita income and pollution, the so-called Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), suggests that as countries experience economic growth, environmental deterioration decelerates and thus becomes less of an issue. Focusing on the prime example of carbon emissions, the present article provides a critical review of the new econometric techniques that have questioned the baseline polynomial specification in the EKC literature. We discuss issues related to the functional form, heterogeneity, ���spurious��� regressions and spatial dependence to address whether and to what extent the EKC can be observed. Despite these new approaches, there is still no clear-cut evidence supporting the existence of the EKC for carbon emissions. JEL classifications: C20; Q32; Q50; O13 Keywords: Environmental Kuznets Curve; Carbon emissions; Functional form; Heterogeneity; ���Spurious��� regressions; Spatial dependence.Residential satisfaction is often used as a barometer to assess the performance of public policy and programmes designed to raise individuals' well-being. However, the fact that responses elicited from residents might be biased by subjective, non-observable factors casts doubt on whether these responses can be taken as trustable indicators of the individuals' housing situation. Emotional factors such as aspirations or expectations might affect individuals' cognitions of their true residential situation. To disentangle this puzzle, we investigated whether identical residential attributes can be perceived differently depending on tenure status. Our results indicate that tenure status is crucial not only in determining the level of housing satisfaction, but also regarding how dwellers perceive their housing characteristics. Keywords: Housing satisfaction, subjective well-being, homeownership. JEL classification: D1, R2.

Selecci�� d'espais oberts a recuperar i propostes d'��s: una aproximaci�� per an��lisi espacial i multicriteri

Dins de matrius eminentment forestals, els espais oberts agr��coles juguen un paper important diversificant els h��bitats i, de retruc, donant cabuda a l���ecosistema a un nombre d���esp��cies que d���ells depenen en tots o en alguns moments del seu cicle biol��gic. La p��rdua d���espais agr��coles tradicionals va m��s enll�� de la p��rdua de varietats agr��coles i ramaderes i de flora arvense associada, i afecta tamb�� a molts d���altres organismes. A m��s de la seva import��ncia directa en la biodiversitat, els espais oberts agr��coles tamb�� representen un trencament de la continu��tat del combustible i requereixen el manteniment de vies d���acc��s, tot coadjuvant a mantenir un paisatge amb un menor risc d���incendi. La zona d���estudi ha estat els Parcs Naturals de Sant Lloren�� de Munt i L���Obac, i Garraf, Ol��rdola i Foix. Hem considerat de forma simplificada el paisatge dels Parcs com a mosaics amb diferents fases (arbrat dens, arbustiu dens, espais oberts, roquissars i petites zones urbanes) i pressuposa que l���objectiu de la gesti�� dels Parcs ��s la conservaci�� d���aquests mosaics i no la seva uniformitzaci�� en paisatges forestals continus. Hem localitzat e inventariat els espais oberts agr��coles actius i abandonats (recentment i des de 1957) de la zona com a capes SIG, tot associant a cada espai el conjunt de caracter��stiques necess��ries per la seva gesti�� i organitzant-los en una Base de Dades lligada a les capes SIG. Un cop fet aix��, i per tal d���ordenar les actuacions de recuperaci��, hem establert un sistema de prioritzaci�� dels espais candidats a trav��s d���an��lisi multi-criteri. En aquesta prioritzaci��, ha jugat un paper destacat l���impacte de l���eventual recuperaci�� de cada espai en la geometria del mosaic, la qual cosa ha requerit an��lisi i simulaci�� espacial. Finalment, hem elaborat un conjunt de projectes d���actuaci�� en certs espais concrets per a que serveixin com a models d���actuaci��.

The determinants of university patenting: Do incentives matter?

In recent years various studies have examined the factors that may explain academic patents. Existing analyses have also underlined the substantial differences to be found in European countries in the institutional framework that defines property rights for academic patents. The objective of this study is to contribute to the empirical literature on the factors explaining academic patents and to determine whether the incentives that universities offer researchers contribute towards explaining the differences in academic patenting activity. The results of the econometric analysis for the Spanish universities point towards the conclusion that the principal factor determining the patents is funding of R&D while royalty incentives to researchers do not appear to be significant.

Decentralization and the Gains from Monitoring

This paper analyzes the delegation of contracting capacity in a moral hazard environment with sequential production in a project which involves a principal and two agents. The agent in charge of the ��nal production can obtain soft information about the other agent's effort choice by investing in monitoring. I investigate the circumstances under which it is optimal for the principal to use a centralized organization in which she designs the contracts with both agents or to use a decentralized organization in which she contracts only one agent, and delegates the power to contract the other agent. It is shown that in this setting a decentralized organization can be superior to a centralized organization. This is because the principal is better off under monitoring and the incentives for an agent to invest in monitoring can be higher in a decentralized organization. The circumstances under which this is true are related to the monitoring costs and the importance of each agent for production. The results explain the recent application of the design-build method in public procurement. Journal of Economic Literature Classi��cation Numbers: D23, D82, L14, L22. Keywords: Decentralization of Contracting, Monitoring, Moral Hazard.

Migration and trade: Theory with an Application to the Eastern- Western European Integration

The remarkable increase in trade flows and in migratory flows of highly educated people are two important features of globalization of the last decades. This paper extends a two-country model of inter- and intraindustry trade to a rich environment featuring technological differences, skill differences and the possibility of international labor mobility. The model is used to explain the patterns of trade and migration as countries remove barriers to trade and to labor mobility. We parameterize the model to match the features of the Western and Eastern European members of the EU and analyze first the effects of the trade liberalization which occured between 1989 and 2004, and then the gains and losses from migration which are expected to occur if legal barriers to labor mobility are substantially reduced. The lower barriers to migration would result in significant migration of skilled workers from Eastern European countries. Interestingly, this would not only benefit the migrants and most Western European workers but, via trade, it would also benefit the workers remaining in Eastern Europe. Key Words: Skilled Migration, Gains from Variety, Real Wages, Eastern-Western Europe. JEL Codes: F12, F22, J61.

(Optimal) Spatial Aggregation in the Determinants of Industrial Location

Empirical studies on the determinants of industrial location typically use variables measured at the available administrative level (municipalities, counties, etc.). However, this amounts to assuming that the effects these determinants may have on the location process do not extent beyond the geographical limits of the selected site. We address the validity of this assumption by comparing results from standard count data models with those obtained by calculating the geographical scope of the spatially varying explanatory variables using a wide range of distances and alternative spatial autocorrelation measures. Our results reject the usual practice of using administrative records as covariates without making some kind of spatial correction. Keywords: industrial location, count data models, spatial statistics JEL classification: C25, C52, R11, R30

Does Internationalization Alter the R&D-Productivity Relationship?

R&D investment is an important driver of productivity gains. However, firms differ in their ability to appropiate the returns to their R&D efforts. This paper analyses to what extent firm's internationalization influences the endogenous relation between R&D and productivity. In particular, we assess the contribution of R&D to productivity for a panel of UK firms that differ in their degree of internationalization. We find that, on average, multinationals obtain higher gains from their investment in R&D. However, the influence of internationalization on the contribution of R&D to productivity varies along the distribution of the returns to R&D. Keywords: R&D, Multinationals, Productivity. JEL Codes: C14, D24, F23.

Dead-End Jobs or Career Opportunities? Advancement opportunities in call centers

Employment in call centers has grown significantly throughout the world over the past 15 years. In debates about the quality of these new jobs, there are few studies that specifically address promotion opportunities. Using a survey of over 2400 call centers in 16 countries, this paper documents levels and analyzes factors shaping promotions in call centers, and discusses implications for promotions in the service sector generally. On average, less than 10% of call center agents are promoted in any year--5.7% promoted internally to the call center, and 4% promoted elsewhere in the business. Firms that have more complex labor processes and require agents to have higher levels of firm-specific knowledge tend to also have greater promotion opportunities, which might be expected. There are also unexpected findings, including that increased autonomy in the workplace often provides a ���substitute' to advancement opportunities, and that unionization is associated with fewer advancement opportunities within call centers, though more advancement opportunities to other parts of the business. Key words: promotions, service industries, call centers.

Innovation sources and productivity in Catalonian firms: a quantile regression analysis

This paper explores the effects of two main sources of innovation - intramural and external R&D��� on the productivity level in a sample of 3,267 Catalonian firms. The data set used is based on the official innovation survey of Catalonia which was a part of the Spanish sample of CIS4, covering the years 2002-2004. We compare empirical results by applying usual OLS and quantile regression techniques both in manufacturing and services industries. In quantile regression, results suggest different patterns at both innovation sources as we move across conditional quantiles. The elasticity of intramural R&D activities on productivity decreased when we move up the high productivity levels both in manufacturing and services sectors, while the effects of external R&D rise in high-technology industries but are more ambiguous in low-technology and knowledge-intensive services. JEL codes: O300, C100, O140 Keywords: Innovation sources, R&D, Productivity, Quantile Regression

Mobility and Housing Satisfaction: An Empirical Analysis for Twelve EU Countries

Using panel data for twelve EU countries, we analyze the relationship between selfreported housing satisfaction and residential mobility. Our results indicate the existence of a positive link between the two variables and that housing satisfaction exerts a mediating effect between residential characteristics and dwellers' mobility propensities. Some interesting cross-country differences regarding the effect of other variables on mobility are also observed. Our results can be used in defining, implementing and evaluating housing and neighbourhood policies. Residential satisfaction is put forward as one of the most appropriate indicators of the success or failure of such policies. Keywords: Housing satisfaction, residential mobility JEL classification: R21, D19

Risk Attitude And Wage Growth: Replication And Reconstruction

We replicate Shaw (1996) who found that individual wage growth is higher for individuals with greater preference for risk taking. Expanding her dataset with more American observations and data for Germany, Spain and Italy, we find mixed support for the earlier results. We present and estimate a new model and find that in particular the wage level is sensitive to attitudes towards risk taking. Comments given at the Labour Economics Conference in honour of Niels Westergaard (Nyborg, August 2008) and EALE 2008 (Amsterdam) and at seminars in Maastricht,Reus and Essen (RWI) are gratefully acknowledged. The authors also acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant number SEJ2007-66318) and from the Barcelona Economics Program of CREA. JEL code: J24; J30. Key words: wage growth, risk, post-school investment.

Disentangling the Housing Satisfaction Puzzle: Does Homeownership Really Matter?

There is a general consensus that homeownership has beneficial effects for both individuals and society in many outcomes. However, research regarding the effect of homeownership on individuals' subjective well-being remains inconclusive. In this paper, for the first time, we provide empirical evidence for the link between homeownership and housing satisfaction using panel data. We use the eight waves of the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) covering the period 1994-2001. We observe that renters who become homeowners not only experience a significant increase in housing satisfaction, but also after changing their tenure status, they obtain a different utility from the same housing context. This evidence might provide support to the hypothesis that a share of the differences in the perceived utility derived from housing can be attributed to (un)fulfilled expectations or aspirations regarding homeownership. Keywords: Housing satisfaction, subjective well-being, homeownership, fixed-effects, housing aspirations JEL classification: D1, R2.

Estudi i edici�� cr��tica de Records de l'Avi

Treball de recerca realitzat per una alumna d'ensenyament secundari i guardonat amb un Premi CIRIT per fomentar l'esperit cient����fic del Jovent l'��any 2009.Es tracta d'estudi de car��cter hist��ric, literari i cr����tic del mon��leg d'un sol acte 'Records de l'Avi', escrit per l'igualad�� Gabriel Castell�� i Raich (1876-1959) l'any 1913. L'obra narra una jornada de la batalla del Bruc (1808). L'estudi s'inicia amb una recerca sobre la situaci�� hist��rica del territori de l'autor. A continuaci��, inclou la biografia i la contribuci�� liter��ria de Gabriel Castell��. D'altra banda, la part de car��cter literari fa refer��ncia als aspectes referents a l'obra 'Records de l'Avi', per tal de donar a con��ixer els seus aspectes interns. Tamb�� es fa una edici�� cr����tica, en la qual s'analitzen els errors de l'obra a partir de la comparaci�� de dos testimonis -un dels quals manuscrit- que actualment encara existeixen. Amb aquesta comparaci�� s'han pogut realitzar alguns canvis, fets amb l'objectiu de poder aproximar l'obra de la manera m��s precisa possible al format que l'autor hauria desitjat.