Utilizando a survey junto ao consumidor da universidade de Michigan, obtivemos dados a respeito das expectativas dos agentes não só sobre inflação, mas também sobre nível de atividade (os estudos de Roberts (1997) utilizaram apenas os dados de survey sobre expectativas inflacionárias). Verificamos, então, que grande parcela do custo das estabilizações dos EUA foi antecipado pela maior parte dos agentes, o que nos levou a rejeitar os modelos de Taylor (1979, 1980) e de Calvo (1983), mesmo em suas versões com as hipóteses de falta de credibilidade e informação homogeneamente defasada. Em seguida discutimos como um modelo com fairness, pode explicar este quebra cabeças. Finalmente, examinamos, três possíveis fatores (mutuamente compatíveis): a hipótese de que parte da população tenha expectativas inconsistentes, incerteza knightiana e o modelo com fairness. Nossos resultados empíricos penderam a favor de uma combinação de pelo menos uma das duas últimas alternativas com a primeira. / Using the Michigan Universitys consumer survey, we obtained data about agents expectations of both inflation and output (the latter had not been used in Roberts (1997) studies). With this, we were able to verify that a great part of the sacrifice ratios of the US stabilizations were anticipated by common agents, rejecting the Taylor (1979, 1980) and Calvo (1983) models and, with it, the hypothesis that the only reasons underlying them are staggered contracts, homogeneous sticky information and lack in credibility. WE, then, discuss how a model with fairness can explain this puzzle. Finally, we examine three (mutually consistent) factors: the hipothesis that part of the population have inconsistent expectatitons, Knightian uncertainty and te model with fairness. The results favored the combination of at least one of the two latter alternatives with te former.

The purpose of the thesis is to introduce novel measure of real marginal cost in the New Keynesian Phillips Curve (NKPC) and compares its performance with conventional mea- sures such as output gap and labour share of income. Real marginal cost is derived from a flexible function whereas labour share is based on restrictive assumption of Cobb-Douglas technology. Dynamic correlations and results of NKPC indicate that real marginal cost is better than ad hoc measure of output gap and labour share. Given the heterogeneity in price setting behaviour across sectors, cost functions and NKPC are estimated for the agriculture, manufacturing and other sectors of Pakistan's economy. Real marginal cost is derived from static and dynamic cost functions. In the presence of adjustment costs, dynamic cost functions that are consistent and integrated with their static systems are required. Such dynamic translog cost functions are estimated after testing the theoretical properties and existence of long term relationships in the static functions. Cost attributes, marginal cost, total factor productivity, technological progress, demand and substitution elasticities are derived from static and dynamic functions. Three specifications of forward looking and hybrid form of the Phillips curves are estimated with real marginal cost, output gap and labour share. Results indicate that hybrid specifications perform better than the forward looking models in terms of goodness of fit and statistical significance. Further, comparison of Phillips curves estimated with real marginal cost, output gap and labour share indicate that real marginal cost performs better in explaining inflation dynamics in Pakistan. The results indicate that forward looking behaviour dominates and high level of nominal rigidities persists in Pakistan. Finally, hybrid form of the NKPC is estimated for a panel of sixteen Asian economies. With the consideration of heterogeneity and aggregation bias, the mean group, random coefficient and weighted average coefficients are derived from individual estimates. The unobserved time variant common factors cause cross correlation in the errors that may lead towards inconsistent estimates. Therefore, cross section averages of the explanatory and the dependent variables are augmented in hybrid specification to capture the effect of latent variables. Findings suggest that the discount factor is almost 0.94, the nominal rigidities are 33% and the weights of expected and past inflation are 66% and 33% respectively. Nominal rigidities of the Asian economies are lower than the estimates for US and Euro areas. The weights of expected and past inflation of the Asian economies are consistent with the US but lower than the estimates from the Euro areas.

The dissertation contains essays concerning the linkages between macroeconomy and financial market or the conduct of monetary policy via DSGE modelling. The dissertation contributes to the questions of fitting macroeconomic models to the data, and so contributes to our understanding of the driving forces of fluctuations in macroeconomic and financial variables. Chapter one offers an introduction to my thesis and outlines in detail the main results and methodologies. In Chapter two I introduce a statistical measure for model evaluation and selection based on the full information of sample second moments in data. A model is said to outperform its counterpart if it produces closer similarity in simulated data variance-covariance matrix when compared with the actual data. The "distance method" is generally feasible and simple to conduct. A flexible price two-sector open economy model is studied to match the observed puzzles of international finance data. The statistical distance approach favours a model with dominant role played by the expectational errors in foreign exchange market which breaks the international interest rate parity. Chapter three applies the distance approach to a New Keynesian model augmented with habit formation and backward-looking component of pricing behaviour. A macro-finance model of yield curve is developed to showcase the dynamics of implied forward yields. This exercise, with the distance approach, reiterate the inability of macro model in explaining yield curve dynamics. The method also reveals remarkable interconnection between real quantity and bond yield slope. In Chapter four I study a general equilibrium business cycle model with sticky prices and labour market rigidities. With costly matching on labour market, output responds in a hump-shaped and persistent manner to monetary shocks and the resulting Phillips curve seems to radically change the scope for monetary policy because (i) there are speed limit effects for policy and (ii) there is a cost channel for monetary policy. Labour reforms such as in mid-1980s UK can trigger more effective monetary policy. Research on monetary policy shall pay greater attention to output when labour market adjustments are persistent. Chapter five analyzes the link between money and financial spread, which is oft missed in specification of monetary policy making analysis. When liquidity provision by banks dominates the demand for money from the real economy, money may contain information of future output and inflation due to its impact on financial spreads. I use a sign-restriction Bayesian VAR estimation to separate the liquidity provision impact from money market equilibrium. The decomposition exercise shows supply shocks dominate the money-price nexus in the short to medium term. It also uncovers distinctive policy stance of two central banks. Finally Chapter six concludes, providing a brief summary of the research work as well as a discussion of potential limitations and possible directions for future research.

Une forte croissance économique en Chine et son rôle important dans le commerce mondial impliquent que nous devons analyser son inflation avec les pressions intérieures et extérieures. Tandis que les papiers récents ont concentrés leur travail sur les processus d'inflation en Chine en utilisant des données nationales (voir, par exemple Brandt et Zhu, 2000; Feyzioglu & Willard, 2006; Porter, 2010), très peu d'attention a été mise sur l'inflation entre les différentes juridictions Chinoises. Ainsi, la compréhension de la dynamique de l'inflation et ses interactions entre les juridictions Chinoise sont des questions importantes pour les décisions des banques centrales en matière de politique monétaire. Dans ma thèse, tout d'abord, en considérant les pressions intérieures et extérieures de l'inflation, j'analyse les dynamiques de l'inflation entre les juridictions Chinoises (Chapitre 3). Ensuite, grâce à la libre circulation des biens et les migrations intérieures en Chine, je m'intéresse aux effets d'interactions de l'inflation à travers le pays avec les pressions intérieures et extérieures (Chapitre 4). Enfin, nous conjuguons la variation provinciale dans la dynamique de l'inflation Chinoise et les caractéristiques d'économie ouverte en estimant la courbe de Phillips hybride dans l'économie ouverte pour les provinces chinoises (Chapitre 5). / China's swift economic development and share in global trade increasing rapidly imply a need to understand its inflation dynamics with internal and external pressures. While recent papers focus on inflation process analysis in the mainland of China by using a country-level data (see, e.g. Brandt & Zhu, 2000; Feyzioğlu & Willard, 2006; Porter, 2010), less attention has been paid to differences across China's jurisdictions. Thus, understanding of inflation dynamics and its interaction among the Chinese provinces are the important issues for central bank's monetary policy decisions. Firstly, considering the internal and external inflation pressures, I analyze the inflation dynamics among the CMU (Chapter 3). Secondly, because of the free flow of goods and internal migration across the country, I'm interested in analyzing the effect of inflation interaction among its provinces with internal and external pressures (Chapter 4). Finally, we combine the interest in the provincial variation in China's inflation dynamics with its characteristic of economic openness by estimating hybrid open-economy Phillips curves for the Chinese provinces(Chapter 5).

The main aim of this thesis is to explain the inflation dynamics in Turkey within a theoretically consistent empirical framework. The New Keynesian Phillips Curve (NKPC) is chosen as the basis model for our analysis because, by describing the inflation process within an intertemporal optimizing dynamic general equilibrium model, it provides a rigorous analytical groundwork for credible welfare and policy analysis. We have contributed to the literature by developing a NKPC formulation that is novel in the literature: A constant elasticity of substitution (CES) type of production function incorporating imported and domestically produced intermediate goods was combined with incomplete exchange rate pass through to import prices. The short-run inflation dynamics were analyzed within the context of this new specification by estimating the model&rsquo / s highly nonlinear structural parameters that capture the price-setting behavior in Turkey for period 1988:1 - 2009:4. Our findings suggest that this NKPC formulation can explain the 1994 and 2000-01 crises as well as the current environment of low inflation achieved with the adoption of the implicit and fully fledged inflation targeting regimes quite well. As a policy application we explored the effects of the inflation targeting framework adopted after the 2000-01 crises on the parameters characterizing the inflation process in Turkey. The subsample econometric results suggested that the inflation targeting framework applied was quite successful in decreasing inflation inertia in Turkey. Thus, should the success of the inflation targeting regime continue, this should be taken as an opportunity to reduce inflation substantially with very low output losses.

Le premier chapitre consiste en une brève revue de littérature dont les éléments sont repris dans les différentes introductions des études empiriques proposées dans la suite de la thèse. L'objet de cet état des lieux est de fixer le cadre général des analyses macro-économétriques opérées dans la thèse. Ce cadre nous permet d'une part, d'envisager une adéquate intégration des anticipations des agents économiques dans le raisonnement ayant mené aux modèles keynésiens actuels et d'autre part, d'effectuer des estimations des principales versions de la courbe de Phillips introduites dans la littérature macro-économique post-seconde guerre mondiale. Dans cette optique, la thèse est constituée de trois études empiriques. Dans la première de ces études, nous nous plaçons au sein d'un cadre uni-varié et tentons de discriminer entre plusieurs spécifications, proposant différentes caractérisations économétriques de la dynamique du taux d'inflation U.S. Essentiellement, trois types de spécifications, théoriquement associés à trois évolutions possibles du taux d'inflation espéré (anticipé), sont mis à l'épreuve. Les résultats de cette première étude montrent que la dynamique du taux d'inflation peut être pertinemment décrite à l'aide d'un modèle à changements de (trois) régimes markoviens dans les dérives (Intercepts) d'un processus autorégressif (d'ordre deux), soit le modèle MSI(3)-AR(2). La deuxième étude s'opère dans le cadre multi-varié d'une Nouvelle Courbe de Phillips Keynésienne à Inflation tendancielle Positive (NKPC-PI). Au sein de ce cadre, la relation d'arbitrage Inflation/Activité réelle est estimée suivant une procédure en deux étapes. Dans la première, nous identifions des régimes distincts du taux d'inflation U.S. à l'aide d'un modèle à changements de (trois) régimes markoviens dans les dérives d'un processus vectoriel autorégressif (d'ordre deux), soit le modèle MSI(3)-VAR(2). Dans la seconde étape, nous estimons les paramètres structurels de cette économie keynésienne afin d'extraire la courbe de Phillips résultante des changements de régimes initialement identifiés. Les résultats de cette deuxième étude nous amènent à conclure à une non-négligeable instabilité de la courbe de Phillips au cours de la période post-seconde guerre mondiale. La troisième étude se présente comme un prolongement et/ou un approfondissement des deux premières. Aussi, dans sa première partie, nous revenons sur les dynamiques tendancielles individuelles des quatre variables intervenant dans le cadre de modélisation NKPC-PI. Les résultats issus de ces premières estimations en contextes uni-variés montrent que seule la dynamique du taux d'inflation et, dans une moindre mesure, celle du coût marginal réel semble obéir à des changements de régimes. La spécification retenue pour l'inflation est celle de la première étude (MSI(3)-AR(2)), tandis que la dynamique du coût marginal réel pourrait être approchée à l'aide d'un modèle à changements de (deux) régimes dans les dérives d'un processus autorégressif (d'ordre deux), soit le modèle MSI(2)-AR(2). Les dynamiques du taux d'actualisation nominal et du taux de croissance de l'output (les deux autres variables du modèle NKPC-PI) semblent, quant à elles, être assez bien caractérisées par des spécifications linéaires autorégressives à deux retards (AR(2)). Sur la base de ces premiers résultats, nous estimons, dans la deuxième partie de l'étude, la nouvelle courbe de Phillips keynésienne en considérant que les processus générateurs des quatre séries du modèle peuvent répondre à de possibles intégrations fractionnelles. Les résultats de ces dernières estimations montrent que la prise en compte simultanée des changements de régimes et de la longue mémoire dans les dynamiques des variables du modèle apporte certains éclairages sur l'évolution du débat mené autour de la relation d'arbitrage post-seconde guerre mondiale. / This PhD thesis proposes, through her three articles, a macro-econometric framework of integrating, in the most adequate way to our sense, the expectations of the economic agents in the reasoning having led to current New-Keynesian models. Upon this specified frame of analysis, we evaluate the effectiveness of various versions of the Phillips curve introduced into the macroeconomic literature. The first study of this thesis takes place in a univariate context and we seek to determine an econometric model leading to best characterize the U.S inflation rate dynamic. In order to achieve this, three types of specifications, associated with three possible evolutions of the expected rate are considered. The first allows an overall instability of the trend or the expected inflation rate. The second considers an alternative specification in which the expected inflation rate is unstable in periodic segments of the sample. Finally, the last specification allows instability of a "mixed type" in which the trend inflation rate is assumed to be random or subject to a probability schema. The results of our study indicate that this last specification is the one that gives the most adequate characterization of the inflation rate dynamic. The inflation rate then appears generated by a second order autoregressive process with, on the one hand, unchanging lag coefficients and, on the other, an unconditional mean which switch between three global regimes of different frequencies of accession. Based on these first results, we extend the analysis in a multivariate framework. The main topics of the second paper are to challenge the rational nature of the agents expectations and the structural effectiveness of the behaviorally micro-based New Keynesian Phillips Curve with a Positive steady state Inflation (NKPC-PI). We then model the trade-off between the U.S inflation rate and a Unit Labor Cost-based measure of the real activity through Markov Switching - Vectorial AutoRegressive (MS-VAR) specifications. These specifications allow to adequately capturing the rationality in the agents expectations process as they underlie a finite number of expected inflation rate regimes, which highlight the agents adaptive beliefs on the achievements of these regimes. Moreover, the results confirm the structural stability of the NKPC-PI over the inflation rate regimes as its deep parameters seem to be unaffected by the regimes switching (Cogley & Sbordone (2005) and Groen & Mumtaz (2008)). In the third study, we extend the analysis of the Phillips curve trade-off. First, we look at determining econometrics models leading to characterize the dynamics of all the variables underlying the trade-off in univariate contexts. As a result, it appears that an adequate way to characterize the agents expectations regarding the dynamics of these variables is to consider a combination of some fixed levels (regimes) in the variables evolutions with an agents adaptive beliefs notion. Finally, based on the implied expectations values of the variables, we show that the Phillips curve seems to disappear when the impact of the expected inflation rate on its current value converges to its long-term value.

Recent breakthrough studies by Gali and Gertler (1999), Sbordone (2002) and Roberts (2001) argue that the New Keynesian Phillips curve (based on Calvo pricing model) is empirically valid concept and they conclude that the real marginal costs are preferred driving force to output gap in inflation dynamics for open economies. Neiss and Nelson (2002) and Gali, Gertler and Salido (2001), in turn, contradict that to date, there has been only little empirical evidence to support this statement. Neiss and Nelson (2002) add that "once output gap is defined consistently with economic theory, the gap-based New Keynesian Phillips curve has a fit with data which is at least as good as the real marginal costs-based one". For this purpose, my study investigates relationship between output gap and inflation described in the hybrid New Keynesian Phillips curve. Study estimates key coefficients of the hybrid gap-based New Keynesian Phillips curve, with both forward- and backward-looking inflation components, in the Czech Republic for periods 2000Q1 - 2012Q4 using Kalman filtration. My findings suggest that (i) output gap has a significant impact on Czech inflation dynamics (ii) share of forward-looking agents predominates to backward-looking agents in the Czech Republic and (iii) Czech inflation seems to be significantly driven by change in import prices.

[pt] O problema de identificação fraca surge naturalmente em modelos macroeconômicos. Consequentemente, métodos de variáveis instrumentais produzem resultados enigmáticos de forma mais frequente do que seria empiricamente razoável. Neste trabalho, propomos dois novos métodos para tratar destas dificuldades, no que tange a duas das principais equações de modelos macro: a Curva de Phillips Novo-Keynesiana (NKPC) e a Equação de Euler (EE). Sabe-se das dificuldades em se estimar um coeficiente de sensibilidade positivo entre inflação e produto no primeiro caso, e que, mesmo quando se obtém uma estimativa positiva, o nível de rigidez nominal implicado para a economia é incompatível com o que sugerem os micro dados. Nós abordamos essa questão no primeiro capítulo, propondo um modelo de economia multi-setorial com heterogeneidade na fixação de preços entre setores. O método gera coeficientes de sensibilidade positivos e estáveis para diferentes configurações econométricas, assim como níveis de rigidez nominal alinhados com a evidência micro, para a economia como um todo e também para cada setor individualmente. Todas essas estimativas variam em linha com implicações teóricas, quando hipóteses do modelo são alteradas. O foco do segundo capítulo é a estimação da elasticidade de substituição intertemporal (EIS), parâmetro central da EE. Argumentamos como o uso de séries oficiais de consumo – que são estatisticamente tratadas antes de disponibilizadas – distorce estimativas da EIS. Propondo um modelo generalizado para desfiltrar diferentes tipos de séries de consumo disponíveis, – micro e macro, com várias frequências –, demonstramos como a utilização de consumo não filtrado gera estimativas da EIS que são consideravelmente mais estáveis, independente do arcabouço econométrico e da série de consumo usada. Resultados também parecem menos sensíveis à presença de instrumentos fracos, comparativamente a estimações usando séries oficiais. / [en] The weak identification problem arises naturally in macroeconomic models. Consequently, instrumental variables methods produce puzzling results more often than what is empirically plausible. We propose novel methods to address puzzles usually featured in two of the main equations in macro models, namely the New-Keynesian Phillips Curve (NKPC) and the Euler Equation (EE). For the former, difficulties to estimate a positive slope without incurring a degree of stickiness incompatible with the micro evidence are widely known. We address the matter in the first chapter, proposing a richer framework of a multi-sector economy with price-setting heterogeneity. The procedure generates positive and roughly unchanging slope coefficients across econometric settings, as well as degrees of stickiness in line with the micro data, both regarding the entire economy and the cross section of sectors. Importantly, all of these estimates move consistently with implications by theory when modifying the model assumptions. The second chapter focuses on the estimation of the elasticity of intertemporal substitution (EIS), central parameter of the EE in models of dynamic choice. There, we argue that the use of officially reported consumption data – which is usually filtered, smoothed, interpolated, etc – distorts estimates of the EIS. A generalised model to unfilter available consumption data is proposed, suitable for several types of data – macro and micro – at different frequencies. Estimations based on unfiltered consumption produce considerably more stable estimates of the EIS, regardless of the econometric approach and the type of consumption data used. Results also seem less sensitive to the presence of weak instruments, compared to officially reported data.

Cette thèse s’articule autour de trois chapitres indépendants qui s’inscrivent dans les champs de la macroéconomie, de l’économie monétaire et de la finance internationale. Dans le premier chapitre, je construis un modèle néo-keynesien d’équilibre général sous incertitude pour examiner les implications de la production domestique des ménages pour la politique monétaire. Le modèle proposé permet de reconcilier deux faits empiriques majeurs: la forte sensibilité du produit intérieur brut aux chocs monétaires (obtenue à partir des modèles VAR), et le faible degré de rigidité nominale observé dans les micro-données. Le deuxième chapitre étudie le role de la transformation structurelle (réallocation de la main d’oeuvre entre secteurs) sur la volatilité de la production aggregée dans un panel de pays. Le troisième chapitre quant à lui met en exergue l’importance de la cartographie des échanges commerciaux pour le choix entre un régime de change fixe et l’arrimage à un panier de devises. "Household Production, Services and Monetary Policy" (Chapitre 1) part de l’observation selon laquelle les ménages peuvent produire à domicile des substituts aux services marchands, contrairement aux biens non durables qu’ils acquièrent presque exclusivement sur le marché. Dans ce contexte, ils procèdent à d’importants arbitrages entre produire les services à domicile ou les acquerir sur le marché, dépendamment des changements dans leur revenu. Pour examiner les implications de tels arbitrages (qui s’avèrent être importants dans les micro-données) le secteur domestique est introduit dans un modèle néo-keyenesien d’équilibre général sous incertitude à deux secteurs (le secteur des biens non durables et le secteur des services) autrement standard. Je montre que les firmes du secteur des services sont moins enclin à changer leurs prix du fait que les ménages ont l’option de produire soit même des services substituts. Ceci se traduit par la présence d’un terme endogène supplémentaire qui déplace la courbe de Phillips dans ce secteur. Ce terme croit avec le degré de substituabilité qui existe entre les services produits à domicile et ceux acquis sur le marché. Cet accroissement de la rigidité nominale amplifie la sensibilité de la production réelle aux chocs monétaires, notamment dans le secteur des services, ce qui est compatible avec l’évidence VAR selon laquelle les services de consommation sont plus sensibles aux variations de taux d’intérêt que les biens non durables. "Structural Transformation and the Volatility of Aggregate Output: A Cross-country Analysis" (Chapitre 2) est basée sur l’évidence empirique d’une relation négative entre la part de la main d’oeuvre allouée au secteur des services et la volatilité de la production aggrégée, même lorsque je contrôle pour les facteurs tels que le développement du secteur financier. Ce resultat aggregé est la conséquence des développements sectoriels: la productivité de la main d’oeuvre est beaucoup plus volatile dans l’agriculture et les industries manufacturières que dans les services. La production aggregée deviendrait donc mécaniquement moins volatile au fur et à mesure que la main d’oeuvre se déplace de l’agriculture et de la manufacture vers les services. Pour évaluer cette hypothèse, je calibre un modèle de transformation structurelle à l’économie américaine, que j’utilise ensuite pour générer l’allocation sectorielle de la main d’oeuvre dans l’agriculture, l’industrie et les services pour les autres pays de l’OCDE. Dans une analyse contre-factuelle, le modèle est utlisé pour restreindre la mobilité de la main d’oeuvre entre secteurs de façon endogène. Les calculs montrent alors que le déplacement de la main d’oeuvre vers le secteur des services réduit en effet la volatilité de la production aggregée. "Exchange Rate Volatility under Alternative Peg Regimes: Do Trade Patterns Matter?" (Chapitre 3) est une contribution à la litterature économique qui s’interesse au choix entre divers regimes de change. J’utilise les données mensuelles de taux de change bilatéraux et de commerce extérieur entre 1980 et 2010 pour les pays membre de l’Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA). La monnaie de ces pays (le franc CFA) est arrimée au franc Francais depuis le milieu des années 40 et à l’euro depuis son introduction en 1999. Au moment de l’arrimage initial, la France était le principal partenaire commercial des pays de l’UEMOA. Depuis lors, et plus encore au cours des dix dernières années, la cartographie des échanges de l’union a significativement changé en faveur des pays du groupe des BICs, notamment la Chine. Je montre dans ce chapitre que l’arrimage à un panier de devises aurait induit une volatilité moins pronnoncée du taux de change effectif nominal du franc CFA au cours de la décennie écoulée, comparé à la parité fixe actuelle. Ce chapitre, cependant, n’aborde pas la question de taux de change optimal pour les pays de l’UEMOA, un aspect qui serait intéressant pour une recherche future. / This thesis includes three independent essays in the fields of macroeconomics, monetary economics and international finance. In the first essay, I build a new Keynesian DSGE model to examine the implications for monetary policy of household production. The proposed theory helps reconcile the relatively strong response of output to monetary policy shocks as suggested by VAR-based evidence and the low degree of price rigidity found in micro data. The second essay analyzes the role of structural transformation (the reallocation of labor across sectors overtime) in shaping the volatility of aggregate output across countries. Finally, the third essay illustrates the importance of trade patterns in choosing between a single currency peg and a peg to a composite basket of currencies. “Household Production, Services and Monetary Policy” (Chapter 1) builds on the observation that consumer services (unlike consumer nondurable) have close substitutes at home. Households may therefore switch between consuming home and market service as the real wage (the opportunity cost of working at home) changes. To study the implications of this arbitrage for monetary policy, I embed a household sector into an otherwise standard two-sector (a nondurable good sector and a service sector) new Keynesian DSGE model. The fact that households are able to produce services at home makes service sector’s firms more reluctant to change their price. This translates into an extra endogenous shift term in the new Keynesian Phillips that is increasing with the extent of substitutability between home and market services. This increased nominal rigidity endogenously amplifies the output response to monetary policy shock, especially in the service sector, which is consistent with VAR-based evidence in the paper that consumer services are more interest-rate sensitive than consumer nondurables. “Structural Transformation and the Volatility of Aggregate Output: A Cross-country Analysis” (Chapter 2) is based on the evidence of a negative relationship between the employment share of the service sector and the volatility of aggregate output, which I obtain after controlling for several factors (including the level of financial development). This aggregate result is driven by sectoral labor productivity differentials: Labor productivity is substantially more volatile in agriculture and manufacturing than in services. Aggregate output would therefore become mechanically more stable as labor shifts away from agriculture and manufacturing, and toward the service sector. To quantify this conjecture, I first calibrate a model of structural transformation (secular reallocation of labor across sectors) to the U.S. economy, which I use to match the time path of labor shares in agriculture, manufacturing and services across OECD countries. The model is subsequently used to conduct a set of counterfactual experiments in which labor is endogenously constrained from moving across sectors. Computations suggest that the shift of labor toward the services sector is indeed volatility-reducing. “Exchange Rate Volatility under Alternative Peg: Do Trade Patterns Matter?” (Chapter 3) is a contribution to the literature on the choice of exchange rate regimes. I use monthly bilateral exchange rate and external trade data from 1980 to 2010 for the member countries of the Western African and Monetary Union (WAEMU). These countries have their common currency (the CFA franc) pegged to the French franc since the mid-40s and to the euro since its introduction in 1999. At the time of the initial peg arrangement, France accounted for most of the external trade of WAEMU countries. Since then, and more notably since the early 2000s, the trade patterns of these countries shifted briskly away from France and other Euro area countries and towards the BICs (China in particular). The chapter finds that a peg to a composite basket of currencies would have led to a less volatile effective exchange rate over the last decade compare to the current hard peg. This chapter, however, does not derive an optimal exchange rate for WAEMU countries, which is an important area for further research.

In dieser Arbeit werden die Folgen der Calvo-Annahme in dynamischen makroökonomischen Modellen untersucht. Dafür wird die Calvo-Annahme unter Anwendung des Konzepts der statistischen Hazardfunktion verallgemeinert. Ich untersuche zwei mögliche Anwendungen dieses Ansatzes innerhalb von DSGE-Modellen. Im ersten Artikel zeige ich, dass der Zugewinn an Handhabbarkeit, der aus der Calvo-Annahme für Neu-Keynesianische Modelle folgt, mit unerwünschten Folgen in Bezug auf die Inflationsdynamiken einher geht. Der zweite Artikel schätzt die aggregierte Hazardfunktion unter Verwendung des theoretischen Rahmens des ersten Artikels. Es zeigt sich, dass die Annahme einer konstanten Hazardfunktion, die aus der Calvo-Annahme folgt, von den Daten eindeutig abgelehnt wird. Im dritten Artikel analysiere ich die Implikationen der empirisch geschätzten Hazardfunktion für die Persistenz von Inflation und die Geldpolitik. Die Untersuchungen zeigen, dass mittels der empirisch plausiblen aggregierten Hazardfunktion Zeitreihen simuliert werden können, die mit der Persistenz der inflatorischen Lücke im US Verbraucherpreisindex konsistent sind. Anhand dieser Ergebnisse komme ich zu dem Schluss, dass die Hazardfunktion eine entscheidende Rolle für die dynamischen Eigenschaften von Inflation spielt. Der letzte Artikel wendet den selben Modellierungsansatz auf ein Real-Business-Cycle Model mit rigidem Arbeitsmarkt an. Unter Verwendung eines allgemeineren stochastischen Anpassungsprozess stelle ich fest, dass die Arbeitsmarktdynamiken von einem Parameter beinflusst werden, der das Monotonieverhalten der Hazardfunktion bestimmt. Insbesondere steigt die Volatilität des Beschäftigungsniveaus, wohingegen dessen Persistenz mit zunehmendem Parameterwert abnimmt. / The Calvo assumption (Calvo, 1983) is widely used in the macroeconomic literature to model market frictions that limit the ability of economic agents to re-optimize their control variables. In spite of its virtues, the Calvo assumption also implies singular adjustment behavior at the firm level as well as a restrictive aggregation mechanism for the whole economy. In this study, I examine implications of the Calvo assumption for macroeconomic dynamics. To do so, I extend the Calvo assumption to a more general case based on the concept of the statistical hazard function. Two applications of this approach are studied in the DSGE framework. In the first essay, I apply this approach to a New Keynesian model, and demonstrate that tractability gained from the Calvo pricing assumption is costly in terms of inflation dynamics. The second essay estimates aggregate price reset hazard function using the theoretical framework constructed in the first essay, and shows that the constant hazard function implied by the Calvo assumption is strongly rejected by the aggregate data. In the third essay, I further explore implications of the empirically based hazard function for inflation persistence and monetary policy. I find that the empirically plausible aggregate price reset hazard function can generate simulated data that are consistent with inflation gap persistence found in the US CPI data. Based on these results, I conclude that the price reset hazard function plays a crucial role for generating inflation dynamics. The last essay applies the same modeling approach to a RBC model with employment rigidity. I find that, when introducing a more general stochastic adjustment process, the employment dynamics vary with a parameter, which determines the monotonic property of the hazard function. In particular, the volatility of employment is increasing, but the persistence is decreasing in the value of the parameter.