Women, Power & Money — The Female-Driven Economy

In an effort to shed some light on the American woman and how to reach her, Fleishman-Hillard, in conjunction with The Harrison Group, conducted a pre- and post-economic meltdown survey, “Women, Power & Money — The Shift to the Female Driven Economy.” The objective? To define the female consumer’s role in purchasing decisions, her influence on the economy and what it means to marketers. Central to the eye-opening results was a clear revelation that this “new world of women calls for a new world of communication.”

Download pdf : Women, Power & Money — The Female-Driven Economy
Link to Fleishman-Hillard

Nonprofit Pay In 2008

How Much the Leaders of America's Biggest Charities and Foundations Make

Leaders of nonprofit groups saw their pay increase by a median of 7 percent last year, The Chronicle's survey found, but now many chief executives are taking pay cuts in response to the recession.

Data available to search and download tables

Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy (Subscribers only)

Link to online article

Social Networking and Constituent Communication: Member Use of Twitter During a Two-Week Period in the 111th Congress

During the past 15 years, the development of new electronic technologies have altered the traditional patterns of communication between Members of Congress and constituents. Many Members now use e-mail, official websites, blogs, Youtube channels, and Facebook pages to communicate with their constituents--technologies that were either non-existent or not widely available 15 years ago. These technologies have arguably served to potentially enhance the ability of Members of Congress to fulfill their representational duties by providing greater opportunities for communication between the Member and individual constituents, supporting the fundamental democratic role of spreading information about public policy and government operations. In addition, electronic technology has reduced the marginal cost of constituent communications; unlike postal letters, Members can reach large numbers of constituents for a fixed cost. Despite these advantages, electronic communications have raised some concerns. Existing law and chamber regulations on the use of communication media such as the franking privilege have proven difficult to adapt to the new electronic technologies. This report examines Member use of one specific new electronic communication medium: Twitter. After providing an overview and background of Twitter, the report analyzes patterns of Member use of Twitter during two one-week periods in July and August 2009. This report is inherently a snapshot in time of a dynamic process. As with any new technology, the number of Members using Twitter and the patterns of use may change rapidly in short periods of time. Thus, the conclusions drawn from this data can not be easily generalized nor can these results be used to predict future behavior. The data show that 158 Representatives and Senators are registered with Twitter (as of August 2009) and issued a total of approximately 1,187 "tweets" during the data collection periods in July and August 2009. With approximately 29% of House Members and 31% of Senators registered with Twitter, Members sent an average of 85 tweets per day collectively. House Republicans sent the most tweets (54%), followed by House Democrats (27%), Senate Republicans (10%), and Senate Democrats (9%). The data also suggest that more tweets were sent on Thursday than any other day of the week. Members' use of Twitter can be divided into six categories: position taking, press or web links, district or state activities, official congressional action, personal, and replies. The data suggest that the most frequent type of tweets were press and web link tweets, which comprised 43% of in- session and 46% of recess tweets. This is followed by official congressional action tweets during session (33%) and position-taking tweets during recess (14%).

Source: Congressional Research Service

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The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview

From Online Overview:

On June 11, 2009, in response to the global spread of a new strain of H1N1 influenza ("flu"), the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak to be an influenza pandemic, the first since 1968. WHO said that the pandemic declaration was based on the geographic spread of the new virus, not on increasing severity of the illnesses it causes. Officials now believe the outbreak began in Mexico in March, or perhaps earlier. The novel "H1N1 swine flu" was first identified in California in late April. Health officials quickly linked the new virus to many of the illnesses in Mexico. Since then, cases have been reported around the world. On July 16, WHO said it was suspending worldwide case counts of illnesses caused by the virus, and that it no longer wanted member nations to report individual cases. WHO said that tracking in this way was no longer helpful in monitoring the pandemic, but was unnecessarily burdensome for reporting countries. In the final WHO case count of July 6, almost 100,000 cases, and more than 400 deaths, had been reported around the world, on all continents but Antarctica. Early in the outbreak, most of the cases were in North America, and then Europe and Asia. This was followed by increasing spread in countries in the Southern Hemisphere during their winter, when flu transmission is more efficient. Transmission continued at low levels in North America throughout the summer. U.S. health officials and others are preparing for a resurgence of infections in the fall, with the onset of cooler temperatures. When the outbreak began in late April, U.S. federal agencies adopted a response posture under the overall coordination of the Secretary of Homeland Security. Among other things, officials have released antiviral drugs from the national stockpile, developed and released diagnostic tests for the H1N1 virus, and developed guidance for the clinical management of patients and the management of community and school outbreaks. The Obama Administration requested about $9 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to address the situation. On June 26, the President signed P.L. 111-32, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009, which provided $1.9 billion immediately, and an additional $5.8 billion contingent upon a presidential request documenting the need for, and proposed use of, the additional funds. U.S. health officials have procured millions of doses of pandemic flu vaccine, which is expected to become available in stages over a period of a few months, beginning in October. Plans for a voluntary nationwide vaccination campaign are underway, to be coordinated by state health officials and carried out through public clinics, private health care providers, schools, and others. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has implemented waivers of liability and an injury compensation program in the event of unforeseen vaccine safety problems. Allocation schemes have been developed to give priority for limited vaccine doses to high-risk groups. This report first provides a synopsis of key events, actions taken, and authorities invoked by WHO, the U.S. federal government, and state and local governments. It then discusses the WHO process to determine the phase of a flu pandemic, selected activities by the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, and selected activities by state and local authorities. Next, it lists congressional hearings held to date, and provides information about appropriations and funding for pandemic flu activities. Finally, it summarizes U.S. government pandemic flu planning documents and lists sources for additional information about the situation. This report will be continually updated to reflect unfolding events.

Source: Congressional Research Service

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Hispanics, Health Insurance and Health Care Access

Introduction:

Six-in-ten Hispanic adults living in the United States who are not citizens or legal permanent residents lack health insurance. The share of uninsured among this group (60%) is much higher than the share of uninsured among Latino adults who are legal permanent residents or citizens (28%), or among the adult population of the United States (17%).

Hispanic adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents tend to be younger and healthier than the adult U.S. population and are less likely than other groups to have a regular health care provider. Just 57% say there is a place they usually go when they are sick or need advice about their health, compared with 76% of Latino adults who are citizens or legal permanent residents and 83% of the adult U.S. population.

Source: Pew Hispanic Center

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Law and Economics from a Moderate Islamic perspective (LEMI)

Economic science is a high powered analytical discipline as such that can explain and predict the human and social behavior. Production and extension of law and economics is one of such developments. Religious oriented behaviors are, in my view point, amongst other dimensions of human life. In this paper I am going to analyze Law and Economics from a Moderate Islamic perspective, LEMI. Contract law is our case study in this regard. By using “moderate” term, we are excluding the religious extremist view points. One further fact which inspired me to insist on LEMI, was recent combating of two distinct Islamic view points (extremist and moderate) during current Iranian election (June 2009). In developing this paper, we are using a coherent synthesis of law and economic theories at one hand and moderate Islamic teaching at the other. I
maintain on one or two points (or arguably one or two contributions) in this paper;the sacredness of humanity in LEMI, and its remarkable compatibility with conventional law and economics. Analyzing the interrelationship between economics and law from Islamic perspective, and comparing LEMI with other schools of economics and law, are possibly some new scientific debates.

Source: Berkeley Program in Law & Economics, Working Paper Series. Paper 240. [via eScholarship repository]

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The Aging Workforce and Paid Time Off

From the introduction:

"... the subject of this article, is the need among older workers for occasional, temporary, work interruptions. As I will elaborate below, older workers have a higher risk of health complications, and as a corollary to this, may need to miss work. If such leaves require a suspension of pay, they can impose economic strain on the workers who take leave and their families. In this chapter, I argue that policies to accommodate the need for income security during temporary work interruptions may be desirable for a number of reasons: first, they might alleviate economic strain on older workers who need time off, as well as similar strains on younger workers who must interrupt work to care for elderly parents. In addition, by responding to a heightened need for flexibility, they have the potential to encourage extended workforce participation by older citizens, which for reasons mentioned earlier, might be desirable as a matter of social policy."

Source: Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Working Paper Series. Paper iirwps-186-09.

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Whither the Keiretsu, Japan's Business Networks? How Were They Structured? What Did They Do? Why Are They Gone?

From the introduction:
It is our view, supported by wide-ranging and consistent evidence, that the Japanese postwar keiretsu system is mostly a thing of the past. In the face of powerful forces of
institutional and economic change, the groups have “withered away,” such that they no longer represent a significant feature of the Japanese economic landscape, despite having been so from the 1950’s to the early 2000’s.

Source: Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Working Paper Series. via eScholarship Repository

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Dignity, Rank, and Rights: The 2009 Tanner Lectures at UC Berkeley

Author: Waldron, Jeremy J.:

In the first of these lectures, I present a conception of dignity that preserves its ancient association with rank and station, and (following Gregory Vlastos, James Whitman and others) a conception of human dignity that amounts to a generalization of high status across all human beings. The lectures argue that this provides a better understanding of human dignity and of the work it does in theories of rights than the better-known Kantian conception. The second lecture focuses particularly on the importance of dignity - understood in this way - as a status defining a person's relation to law: their presentation as persons capable of self-applying the law, capable of presenting and arguing a point of view, and capable of responding to law's demands without brute coercion. Together the two lectures also illuminate the relation between dignity conceived as the ground of rights and dignity conceived as the content of rights; they also illuminate important ideas about dignity as noble bearing and dignity as the subject of a right against degrading treatment; and they help us understand the sense in which dignity is better conceived as a status than as a kind of value.

Source: New York University Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers. Paper 151.

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Competing Theories of Blackmail: An Empirical Research Critique of Criminal Law Theory

From Abstract:

Blackmail, a wonderfully curious offense, is the favorite of clever criminal law theorists. It criminalizes the threat to do something that would not be criminal if one did it. There exists a rich literature on the issue, with many prominent legal scholars offering their accounts. Each theorist has his own explanation as to why the blackmail offense exists. Most theories seek to justify the position that blackmail is a moral wrong and claim to offer an account that reflects widely shared moral intuitions. But the theories make widely varying assertions about what those shared intuitions are, while also lacking any evidence to support the assertions.

This Article summarizes the results of an empirical study designed to test the competing theories of blackmail to see which best accords with prevailing sentiment. Using a variety of scenarios designed to isolate and test the various criteria different theorists have put forth as “the” key to blackmail, this study reveals which (if any) of the various theories of blackmail proposed to date truly reflects laypeople’s moral judgment.

Source: Scholarship at Penn Law. Paper 290.

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Inside the Creative Class: A Closer Look at U.S. Unemployment Rates

From Introduction

The effects of an economic downturn are felt unequally by different groups, a phenomenon we have examined in earlier Insights (see Unemployment on the rise: Who’s hit most by the recession?). Those in creative class occupations – high-autonomy occupations where workers are paid to think such as artists, senior managers, doctors, and architects – experience a much lower rate of unemployment than other workers in both good times and bad. Our time series analysis of United States labour data finds that while some sub-groups of the creative class exhibit consistently higher unemployment, all of them typically outperform the national unemployment rate.

Source: The Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management

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The Meaning(s) of Happiness

Abstract:

An examination of emotions reported on 12 million personal blogs along with the results of three experiments reveal that the meaning of happiness is not fixed; instead, it shifts as people age. Whereas younger people are more likely to associate happiness with excitement, older people are more likely to associate happiness with feeling peaceful. This change is driven by increased feelings of connectedness (to others and to the present moment) as one ages.

Source: Stanford University Graduate School of Business

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Why Do People Give? The Role of Identity in Giving

Why do people give to others? One principal driver involves one’s identity: who one is and how they view themselves. The degree to which identities are malleable, involve a readiness to act, and help make sense of the world have significant implications determining whether and how much people give. Drawing on the Identity-Based Motivation model (IBM; Oyserman, 2009), we provide a tripartite framework to help advance the research on the psychology of giving.

Source: Stanford Graduate School of Business Research papers

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Real Property and Corporate Social Responsibility

Abstract:
This paper provides the first systematic analysis of the choice by organizations to occupy green office space. We develop a framework of ecological responsiveness, and we formulate five propositions to explain why specific firms and industries may be more likely to lease green space. We test these propositions by analyzing the decisions of more than 11,000 tenants to choose office space in green buildings or in otherwise comparable non-green buildings located nearby. We find that corporations in the oil and banking industries, as well as government-related and non-profit organizations, are among the most prominent green tenants. After appropriately controlling for building quality and for location within one quarter mile, our empirical analysis shows that firms in mining and construction and organizations in public administration are relatively more likely to lease green rather than conventional office space. Furthermore, organizations employing higher levels of human capital (as measured by skills and compensation) are more likely to lease green office space.

Source: University of California Energy Institute. Policy & Economics. Paper EPE-024.[via eScholarship repository]

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Does Customer Auditing Help Chinese Workers?

Auditing by a downstream firm of a Chinese supplier does not affect that the supplier’s blue-collar employees’ wages, probability of belonging to a union, or likelihood of working overtime. However, auditing makes it more likely that rural migrant workers receive pensions, business medical insurance, and unemployment insurance.

Source: Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Working Paper Series. [via eScholarship Repository]

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The Impact of Living Wage Laws on Urban Economic Development Patterns and the Local Business Climate: Evidence from California Cities

Traditional local economic development policies entice private businesses to create highpaying jobs in a given jurisdiction through direct subsidies or by projecting a positive “business climate” within regional and global arenas. Since 1994 however, “living wage” ordinances have emerged as an alternative response to labor market polarization in urban areas. However, these laws raise labor costs for employers and thus have the potential to reduce economic growth. I assess the impact of living wage laws on employment and establishment levels in the cities that pass them. I provide separate estimates for government contractors and other firms that may be indirectly signaled by a change in the local political environment. I use the National Establishment Time-series database to construct a panel dataset that tracks employment and establishment levels for all California jurisdictions. I produce difference-in-difference estimates that indicate that living wage laws have no significant impact on employment or establishment growth. Additionally, I find no evidence that the passage of living wage laws sends a negative “signal” to businesses about a potentially harmful local business climate.

Source: Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Working Paper Series.

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Collective Management of Copyrights and Human Rights: An Uneasy Alliance Revisited

Abstract:

This essay analyzes the “creators’ rights” provisions of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in the context of the collective administration of copyright and neighboring rights and the policies and practices of collective management organizations (CMOs). It also addresses other human rights treaties and international court rulings relevant to collective rights management.

The essay begins with an overview of the ICESCR Committee’s General Comment on ICESCR Article 15(1)(c), “the right of everyone to benefit from the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.” It then analyzes the key provisions of the General Comment relevant to the collective administration of copyright and neighboring rights. The essay next considers two legal and policy issues with important human rights implications: whether membership in CMOs should be mandatory, and whether CMOs should promote national culture. The essay concludes by evaluating the practical implications of adopting a human rights framework to analyze collective management issues.

Source: Duke Law School Faculty Scholarship Series. Paper 187.

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Knowledge@Wharton Marketing Research Article View Article on Knowledge@Wharton Mobile Time vs. Money: Analyzing Which One Rules Consumer Choices

"'The Time vs. Money Effect': Shifting Product Attitudes and Decisions through Personal Connection," abstract:

The results of five field and laboratory experiments reveal a “time versus money effect” whereby activating time (vs. money) leads to a favorable shift in product attitudes and decisions. Because time increases focus on product experience, activating time (vs. money) augments one’s personal connection with the product, thereby boosting attitudes and decisions. However, because money increases the focus on product possession, the reverse effect can occur in cases where merely owning the product reflects the self (i.e., for prestige possessions or for highly materialistic consumers). The time versus money effect proves robust across implicit and explicit methods of construct activation.

Source: Journal of Consumer Research via Knowledge@Wharton and Stanford GSB

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The Disney/Marvel Marriage: Will They Live Happily Ever After?

"Trying to picture the edgy, ultra-macho characters of Marvel Comics (like Spider-Man or the Hulk) teaming up with Walt Disney's fairy tale princesses and cheery spokesmouse is not an easy task. Nonetheless, Wharton faculty and entertainment analysts predict Disney's $4 billion acquisition of Marvel will overcome some major challenges and help the company enter a key market where its presence has traditionally been weak."

Source: Knowledge@Wharton, University of Pennsylvania

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Financial Market Supervision: European Perspectives

From Online Overview:
"This report addresses the European perspectives on a number of proposals that are being advanced for financial oversight and regulation in Europe. The European experience may be instructive because financial markets in Europe are well developed, European firms often are competitors of U.S. firms, and European governments have faced severe problems of integration and consistency across the various financial structures that exist in Europe."

Source: Congressional Research Service

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