Essays on administrative protection and trade deflection

This dissertation analyzes the trading effects and the politics of antidumping. The first essay empirically examines the influence of partisanship on antidumping. I show that an increase in the leftist orientation of the government makes labor intensive industries less likely to file an antidumping petition. I also demonstrate that the increase in the leftist orientation of the government is associated with an increase in the likelihood of an affirmative antidumping outcome for the petitions of labor intensive industries. The second essay investigates the effect of past exporting relationships of the firms, whose products are targeted by antidumping duties, on their export flows to alternative markets. My estimations show that facing an antidumping duty on a product leads to a 18% increase in the exports of the firm for that product to the alternative countries where the firms previously exported the same product and a 8% increase to the countries where the firms exported another product. On the contrary, I fail to find a significant effect of antidumping duties on the exports of the particular product to third countries to which the firm did not export before. Further, I show that a firm’s probability to start exporting the duty imposed product in a different destination increases by 8–10% if the firm already exported another product to that destination. However, I find no such evidence for the countries to which the firm did not export before. The third essay empirically analyzes the effect of potential antidumping claims, resulting from an antidumping investigation in the domestic market, on the quality of exported products to the target countries. My findings suggest that retaliation threats increase the quality of firms’ shipments for the named industries’ products to the target countries by 11%. This effect is also significantly increasing in the share of the exports of the named industries’ products shipped to the target country in the firms’ total exports. Further, I show that this effect is 4% higher for the exporters serving the developed countries and 3% higher for ones serving the heavy antidumping users.

Quantifying the Impacts of the Recent Economic Crisis on Regional Tourism Industry and Economy

The purpose of this study is to explore the accuracy issue of the Input-Output model in quantifying the impacts of the 2007 economic crisis on a local tourism industry and economy. Though the model has been used in the tourism impact analysis, its estimation accuracy is rarely verified empirically. The Metro Orlando area in Florida is investigated as an empirical study, and the negative change in visitor expenditure between 2007 and 2008 is taken as the direct shock. The total impacts are assessed in terms of output and employment, and are compared with the actual data. This study finds that there are surprisingly large discrepancies among the estimated and actual results, and the Input-Output model appears to overestimate the negative impacts. By investigating the local economic activities during the study period, this study made some exploratory efforts in explaining such discrepancies. Theoretical and practical implications are then suggested.

The Industry and Recent Graduates: A Relationship in Transition

The industry is attempting to become more involved with graduates and currently-enrolled students in hospitality education programs. This article re- views the current situation, describes problems which exist, and proposes potential strategies to help resolve the problems.

Past, Present, and Future: The Food Service Industry and Its Changes

In the article - Past, Present, and Future: The Food Service Industry and Its Changes - by Brother Herman E. Zaccarelli, International Director, Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management Institute at Purdue University, Brother Zaccarelli initially states: “Educators play an important role in the evolution of the food service industry. The author discusses that evolution and suggests how educators can be change agents along with management in that evolutionary progression.” The author goes on to wax philosophically, as well as speak generically about the food service industry; to why it offers fascinating and rewarding careers. Additionally, he writes about the influence educators have on students in this regard. “Educators can speak about how the food service industry has benefited them both personally and professionally,” says Brother Zaccarelli. “We get excited about alerting students to the many opportunities and, in fact, serve as “salespersons” for the industry to whoever (school administrators, legislators, and peers in the educational institution) will listen.” Brother Zaccarelli also speaks to growth and changes in food service, and even more importantly about the people and faces behind everything that food service, and hospitality in general comprise. The author will have you know, that people are what drive an educator. “What makes the food service industry so great? At the heart of this question's answer is people: the people whom it serves in institutional and commercial operations of all types; the people who work within it; the people who provide the goods, services, and equipment to it; the people who study it,” says Brother Zaccarelli. “All of these groups have, of course, a vested personal and/or professional interest in seeing our industry improve.” Another concept the author would like you to absorb, and it’s even more so true today than yesterday, is the prevalence of convergence and divergence within food service. For food service and beyond, it is the common denominators and differences that make the hospitality-food service industry so dynamic and vibrant. These are the winds of change presented to an educator who wants to have a positive impact on students. The author warns that the many elements involved in the food service industry conspire to erode quality of service in an industry that is also persistently expanding, and whose cornerstone principles are underpinned by service itself. “The three concerns addressed - quality, employees, and marketing - are intimately related,” Brother Zaccarelli says in stripping-down the industry to bare essentials. He defines and addresses the issues related to each with an eye toward how education can reconcile said issues.

Closing the productivity gap and trade *policy

The relationship between trade policy and productivity growth is regarded as ambiguous in the literature. This dissertation examines under what condition the relationship would be positive (or negative). Through the use of static and dynamic analysis, we find two conflicting effects (the pro-protection effect and the pro-competitive effect) that cause the relationship to be ambiguous. If there exists a productivity gap between the import-competing and foreign industries, and if the level of protection is low (high), the relationship is positive (negative). We also show that the import-competing firm responds to a change in the protection level by choosing a level of investment in innovation which yields a different rate of productivity growth. The policy implication, therefore, is that a trade-policy maker should set the trade protection at a level which induces the firm to choose the highest rate of productivity growth, and, as a result, leading the firm to close the initial productivity gap in the most efficient way. ^

Quantifying the Impacts of the Recent Economic Crisis on a Regional Tourism Industry and Economy

The purpose of this study is to explore the accuracy issue of the Input-Output model in quantifying the impacts of the 2007 economic crisis on a local tourism industry and economy. Though the model has been used in the tourism impact analysis, its estimation accuracy is rarely verified empirically. The Metro Orlando area in Florida is investigated as an empirical study, and the negative change in visitor expenditure between 2007 and 2008 is taken as the direct shock. The total impacts are assessed in terms of output and employment, and are compared with the actual data. This study finds that there are surprisingly large discrepancies among the estimated and actual results, and the Input-Output model appears to overestimate the negative impacts. By investigating the local economic activities during the study period, this study made some exploratory efforts in explaining such discrepancies. Theoretical and practical implications are then suggested.

Seed Dispersal and Reproduction Patterns Among Everglades Plants

In this study three aspects of sexual reproduction in Everglades plants were examined to more clearly understand seed dispersal and the allocation of resources to sexual reproduction— spatial dispersal process, temporal dispersal of seeds (seedbank), and germination patterns in the dominant species, sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense). Community assembly rules for fruit dispersal were deduced by analysis of functional traits associated with this process. Seedbank ecology was investigated by monitoring emergence of germinants from sawgrass soil samples held under varying water depths to determine the fate of dispersed seeds. Fine-scale study of sawgrass fruits yielded information on contributions to variation in sexually produced propagules in this species, which primarily reproduces vegetatively. It was hypothesized that Everglades plants possess a set of functional traits that enhance diaspore dispersal. To test this, 14 traits were evaluated among 51 species by factor analysis. The factorial plot of this analysis generated groups of related traits, with four suites of traits forming dispersal syndromes. Hydrochory traits were categorized by buoyancy and appendages enhancing buoyancy. Anemochory traits were categorized by diaspore size and appendages enhancing air movement. Epizoochory traits were categorized by diaspore size, buoyancy, and appendages allowing for attachment. Endozoochory traits were categorized by diaspore size, buoyancy, and appendages aiding diaspore presentation. These patterns/trends of functional trait organization also represent dispersal community assembly rules. Seeds dispersed by hydrochory were hypothesized to be caught most often in the edge of the north side of sawgrass patches. Patterns of germination and dispersal mode of all hydrochorous macrophytes with propagules in the seedbank were elucidated by germination analysis from 90 soil samples collected from 10 sawgrass patches. Mean site seed density was 486 seeds/m2 from 13 species. Most seeds collected at the north side of patches and significantly in the outer one meter of the patch edge (p = 0.013). Sawgrass seed germination was hypothesized to vary by site, among individual plants, and within different locations of a plant’s infructescence. An analysis of sawgrass fruits with nested ANOVAs found that collection site and interaction of site x individual plant significantly affect germination ability, seed viability, and fruit size (p < 0.050). Fruit location within a plant’s infructescence did not significantly affect germination. As for allocation of resources to sexual reproduction, only 17.9% of sawgrass seeds germinated and only 4.8% of ungerminated seeds with fleshy endosperm were presumed viable, but dormant. Collectively, only 22% of all sawgrass seeds produced were viable.

Political parties and trade unions in the post-communist Poland:class politics that have never a chance to happen

Trade unions in Poland have not built the stable and long-term relations with political parties as are observed in Western democracies. By analysing the historical and symbolic background of the transformation to a democratic civil society and free market economy, political preferences of working class, trade union membership rates, and public opinion polls, we argue that, in case of Poland, the initial links between political parties and trade unions weakened over time. Polish trade unions never had a chance to become a long-term intermediary between society and political parties, making the Polish case study a double exception from the traditional models.

Chinese export competition, declining exports and adjustments at the industry and regional level in Europe

We analyze how a set of 22 European countries was affected by increased Chinese export competition between 1995 and 2008. Employing product-group level data, we observe a reduction in the export volumes of European countries due to increased Chinese export competition. This deceleration in the export sector induces changes within the manufacturing industries, especially a decline in employment. When using more aggregated, regional-level data, our analysis shows that the industry sector as a whole declines, resulting in an increased unemployment rate. The importance of Chinese export competition for Europe is attributable to its high export intensity.

Economic and trade relations between Latin America and Asia Pacific: The link with China

Includes bibliography

Changes in biodiversity and trade-offs among ecosystem services, stakeholders, and components of well-being: the contribution of the International Long-Term Ecological Research network (ILTER) to Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS)

The International Long-Term Ecological Research (ILTER) network comprises > 600 scientific groups conducting site-based research within 40 countries. Its mission includes improving the understanding of global ecosystems and informs solutions to current and future environmental problems at the global scales. The ILTER network covers a wide range of social-ecological conditions and is aligned with the Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS) goals and approach. Our aim is to examine and develop the conceptual basis for proposed collaboration between ILTER and PECS. We describe how a coordinated effort of several contrasting LTER site-based research groups contributes to the understanding of how policies and technologies drive either toward or away from the sustainable delivery of ecosystem services. This effort is based on three tenets: transdisciplinary research; cross-scale interactions and subsequent dynamics; and an ecological stewardship orientation. The overarching goal is to design management practices taking into account trade-offs between using and conserving ecosystems toward more sustainable solutions. To that end, we propose a conceptual approach linking ecosystem integrity, ecosystem services, and stakeholder well-being, and as a way to analyze trade-offs among ecosystem services inherent in diverse management options. We also outline our methodological approach that includes: (i) monitoring and synthesis activities following spatial and temporal trends and changes on each site and by documenting cross-scale interactions; (ii) developing analytical tools for integration; (iii) promoting trans-site comparison; and (iv) developing conceptual tools to design adequate policies and management interventions to deal with trade-offs. Finally, we highlight the heterogeneity in the social-ecological setting encountered in a subset of 15 ILTER sites. These study cases are diverse enough to provide a broad cross-section of contrasting ecosystems with different policy and management drivers of ecosystem conversion; distinct trends of biodiversity change; different stakeholders’ preferences for ecosystem services; and diverse components of well-being issues.

Construction Innovation Futures - Industry and Environmental Opportunities.

During the next two decades global construction investment will top $100 trillion (US). New directions in construction innovation will be driven by industry to address challenges in skills, environmental regulations and maximise the benefits of low carbon building systems. Growth productivity catalysts such as offsite construction, higher BIM levels and multi-skill operatives will be instrumental contributors in achieving some of these aims. The increasing use of timber architecture across domestic, public and commercial buildings also opens new pathways. This event will discuss some of the key changes taking place in the UK and parallels with Hong Kong’s ambitions towards delivering a sustainable legacy in this sector.

Industry wage survey.

Description based on: June 1984; title from caption.

Industry wage survey.

Description based on: Sept. 1990; title from caption.