We contribute to the foreign direct investment (FDI) literature by providing first empirical evidence on the relative importance of location fac- tors for service and manufacturing FDI. This is of particular interest as the global stock of inward FDI in the service sector has become predominant in the last ten years. Based on a sectoral panel of eight new European member states in the period of 1998 to 2004 we perform a dynamic panel analysis al- lowing for individual adjustment periods across sectors. Results support our assumption that investment into the service sector, which is characterized by low installation costs, adjusts much faster to its desired level than manufactur- ing FDI. Furthermore, since services are mostly non-tradable, FDI into this sector is largely based on market-seeking motives while manufacturing FDI is also driven by international price competitiveness measured via real unit labor costs. (author´s abstract) / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T13:51:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rafael Bridi Corteletti.pdf: 1956935 bytes, checksum: 6892bb77244e2fe3eb75850c06a164a4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-02 / Front of gradual increase in areas planted paricá (Schizolobium amazonicum) and the growing interest of this species for plywood industry, biometric information about this species are scarce in the literature. This study was conducted with the objective of provide information dendrometric and growth for paricá in Paragominas region, Pará, through stem analysis complete. To attain the purpose, trees have been cut down thirties seven years old and these discs were obtained along the trunk, the positions of 0.1 m, 0.3 m, 0.7 m, 1.3 m and from this point of meter in meter, untill the first bifurcation. After collecting the discs, these were air dried and polished with a sequence of sandpaper for easy viewing of growth rings. With the polished surface of the discs were traced four rays perpendicular discs and with the assist of a magnifier rings were marked growth. After the delimitation of the rings, discs were scanned and the Image-Pro Express 6.0 was performed to measure the width of the rings from pith to bark. Discs in the height of 1.3 m above the ground, was made synchronization and microscopic characterization of annual growth rings. Logistic models were fitted volumetric, models taper, models form factor models average and diameter growth in structure prediction and projection. The models has been evaluated using measures the residual standard error precision absolute and percentage coefficient of determination, graphic residue analysis and statistics bias, mean absolute differences and standard deviation of the absolute differences. For the analysis of growth rings, can observe that this zone is demarcated fibrous. It was noted for the master series own paricá ring width favorable growth in the first two years. In commercial volumetric models showed that the model is Schumacher & Hall more accurate. In evaluating the taper functions in diameter model Demaerschalk was indicated that more precise results and height models Demaerschalk Ormerod showed similar results. The Logistic model stood out in terms of accuracy to estimate the average form factor. Finally, the model to describe the growth in diameter structure prediction was selected Exponential model to estimate the diameter in the form of Linear projection model was the most accurate / Diante do gradativo aumento de áreas plantadas de paricá (Schizolobium amazonicum) e o crescente interesse desta espécie para a indústria de compensados, informações biométricas a respeito dessa espécie ainda são escassas na literatura. Este trabalho foi conduzido com o objetivo de fornecer informações dendrométrica e de crescimento para o paricá, na região de Paragominas, Pará, por meio de análise de tronco completa. Para atender ao objetivo, foram abatidas trintas árvores de sete anos de idade e delas foram retirados discos ao longo do tronco, nas posições de 0,1 m; 0,3 m; 0,7 m; 1,3 m e a partir deste ponto de metro em metro, até a primeira bifurcação. Após a coleta dos discos, estes foram secos ao ar livre e polidos com uma sequencia de lixas para facilitar a visualização dos anéis de crescimento. Com a superfície polida dos discos foram traçados quatro raios perpendiculares por discos e com o auxilio de uma lupa foram demarcados os anéis de crescimento. Após a delimitação dos anéis, os discos foram escaneados e com o programa Image-Pro Express 6.0 foi realizada a medição da largura dos anéis no sentido medula-casca. Nos discos da altura de 1,3 m do solo, foi realizada a sincronização e a caracterização microscópica dos anéis de crescimento anuais. Foram ajustados modelos volumétricos, modelos de afilamentos, modelos de fator de forma comercial médio e modelos de crescimento em diâmetro na estrutura de predição e projeção. Os modelos foram avaliados por meio das medidas de precisão erro padrão residual absoluto e em percentagem, coeficiente de determinação, análise gráfica de resíduos e pelas estatísticas bias, média das diferenças absolutas e desvio padrão das diferenças absolutas. Pela análise dos anéis de crescimento, pode-se observar que este é demarcado por zona fibrosa. Notou-se pela série master que o paricá possui largura dos anéis de crescimento favoráveis nos dois primeiros anos. Nos modelos volumétricos comerciais verificou-se que o modelo de Schumacher & Hall foi o mais acurado. Na avaliação das funções de afilamento em diâmetro o modelo de Demaerschalk foi o que indicou resultados mais preciso e para altura os modelos de Demaerschalk e Ormerod indicaram resultados semelhantes. O modelo Logístico destacou-se em termos de precisão para estimar o fator de forma comercial médio. Finalmente, o modelo para descrever o crescimento em diâmetro na estrutura de predição foi selecionado o modelo Exponencial e para estimar o diâmetro na forma de projeção o modelo Linear foi o mais acurado

Thesis (M. Sc. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / The South African dairy industry is approximately 0.5% of the global production. The production of milk contributes to exports, manufacturing, employment, food security and development of other producers of agricultural products such as maize and soya bean. Following the deregulation of the agricultural markets in 1996, the dairy industry has seen a decline in the number of producers, with Milk Producer Organisation noting that between 2008 and 2015 there has been a decline of 58%. Therefore, the decline in producers necessitates the need to understand the nature and factors that influence the remaining producers to continue producing. This study, therefore, was undertaken to examine the supply response of milk production to price and non-price factors in South Africa using the Nerlovian Partial adjustment model. In that regard, the historical data for the period of 1996 to 2014 was used and analysed in Eviews 10 software. The short-run and Long-run elasticities of milk production were found to be inelastic. The results of the study further indicated that milk production was responsive to changes in price of beef, technology, previous production, and temperature. Given the study findings, thus recommendations made are that technological research and advancement, such as animal cross breeding is necessary to improve production of milk in the country. Furthermore, better price incentives such as price floors and subsidies are necessary in the industry, to encourage more milk production and reduce likelihood of farmers to switch from milk to beef, given the changes in price.

This study examines the divide between finance theory and practice by analysing the significance of the determinants of capital structure choice among 123 listed firms on the JSE, to determine whether these firms follow the trade-off theory or the pecking-order theory. Data obtained from McGregor’s Bureau of Financial Analysis database was analysed using standard multiple regressions, stepwise regressions and ANOVA techniques to test for financing behaviour. The results indicated that the trade-off model has both cross-sectional and time-series explanatory power for explaining the financing behaviour, while tests on the pecking-order model were weak. The results further revealed a significant positive correlation between debt financing and financial distress, and a significant negative correlation between debt financing and the collateral value of assets during the period under study (1995-2005). These findings suggest a divergence between finance theory and practice for JSE listed firms and manifest conflicting ideologies between finance practices of developed and developing economies. / Business management / M. Com. (Business Management )

O presente estudo tem como propósito fazer uma análise empírica da estrutura dos custos de ajustamento do emprego em indústrias no Brasil, a partir de dados microeconômicos de empresas industriais do Rio Grande do Sul. O estudo é motivado pelas grandes mudanças no emprego industrial nos anos 90 e 2000 e o fato estilizado de grande heterogeneidade na flutuação do emprego revelado na literatura de fluxos de emprego. Inicialmente, identifica-se a existência de diferentes estruturas teóricas para custos de ajustamento do emprego, que podem ser agrupadas em custos convexos e nãoconvexos e funções quadráticas (simétricas) e não lineares. Uma revisão da literatura empírica revela que poucos estudos no mundo e nenhum usando dados brasileiros consideram a possibilidade de custos não quadráticos e/ou convexos. A identificação da estrutura de custos de ajustamento divide-se em metodologias empíricas complementares. Primeiro, uma metodologia semi-paramétrica de flutuação do emprego industrial empregando modelos de sobrevivência e matrizes de transição, de modo inovador no Brasil, para diferenciar se os custos são convexos ou não. Segundo, dentro de um modelo paramétrico de demanda por emprego usual, permitindo comparações com a literatura, a estimação de forma funcional da função de demanda com custos de ajustamento quadrático e linear. Os resultados mostram que o modelo dinâmico com custos de ajustamento quadrático pode se útil para dar uma idéia da dinâmica do ajuste do emprego, porém não é o modelo mais adequado. Isso fica evidente a partir do momento em que os resultados do modelo geral, o qual contempla os custos de ajustamento quadrático e fixo, demonstram a necessidade de incorporar ambos os custos. Ao mesmo tempo, os modelos semi-paramétrico sugerem que os custos de ajustamento não-convexos têm mais apoio nos dados. / The aim of this study is, from microeconomic data from industrial companies of Rio Grande do Sul, to perform an empirical analysis of the employment adjustment costs in industries in Brazil. This study is motivated by the changes in industrial employment in the last and present decades and by the stylized fact of heterogeneity in job flows revealed in jog flow literature. Initially, is showed the existence of different theoretical structures to explain employment adjustment costs, which can be classified as convex and non-convex costs and quadratic (symmetrical) and non-linear functions. An empirical literature review reveals that few studies in the world, none of them using brazilian data, consider the possibility of non-quadratic and/or non-convex costs. The identification of the structure of adjustment costs is split in complementary empirical methodologies. First, an industrial job flow semi-parametrical methodology that uses survival models and transition matrixes, innovative in Brazil, to state if the costs are convex or not. Second, in the context of a usual employment demand parametric model, allowing comparisons with the literature, the estimation of the quadratic and linear adjustment costs’ demand function’s functional form. Results show that the dynamic model with quadratic adjustment can be useful to give a clue about the job adjustment dynamic, but that it’s not the most adequate one. This stays clear from the moment in which the results of the general model, which considers the lumpy and quadratic adjustment costs, show the need of incorporating both of these costs. At the same time, the semi-parametric models suggest that the non-convex adjustment costs have more data appeal.

O presente estudo tem como propósito fazer uma análise empírica da estrutura dos custos de ajustamento do emprego em indústrias no Brasil, a partir de dados microeconômicos de empresas industriais do Rio Grande do Sul. O estudo é motivado pelas grandes mudanças no emprego industrial nos anos 90 e 2000 e o fato estilizado de grande heterogeneidade na flutuação do emprego revelado na literatura de fluxos de emprego. Inicialmente, identifica-se a existência de diferentes estruturas teóricas para custos de ajustamento do emprego, que podem ser agrupadas em custos convexos e nãoconvexos e funções quadráticas (simétricas) e não lineares. Uma revisão da literatura empírica revela que poucos estudos no mundo e nenhum usando dados brasileiros consideram a possibilidade de custos não quadráticos e/ou convexos. A identificação da estrutura de custos de ajustamento divide-se em metodologias empíricas complementares. Primeiro, uma metodologia semi-paramétrica de flutuação do emprego industrial empregando modelos de sobrevivência e matrizes de transição, de modo inovador no Brasil, para diferenciar se os custos são convexos ou não. Segundo, dentro de um modelo paramétrico de demanda por emprego usual, permitindo comparações com a literatura, a estimação de forma funcional da função de demanda com custos de ajustamento quadrático e linear. Os resultados mostram que o modelo dinâmico com custos de ajustamento quadrático pode se útil para dar uma idéia da dinâmica do ajuste do emprego, porém não é o modelo mais adequado. Isso fica evidente a partir do momento em que os resultados do modelo geral, o qual contempla os custos de ajustamento quadrático e fixo, demonstram a necessidade de incorporar ambos os custos. Ao mesmo tempo, os modelos semi-paramétrico sugerem que os custos de ajustamento não-convexos têm mais apoio nos dados. / The aim of this study is, from microeconomic data from industrial companies of Rio Grande do Sul, to perform an empirical analysis of the employment adjustment costs in industries in Brazil. This study is motivated by the changes in industrial employment in the last and present decades and by the stylized fact of heterogeneity in job flows revealed in jog flow literature. Initially, is showed the existence of different theoretical structures to explain employment adjustment costs, which can be classified as convex and non-convex costs and quadratic (symmetrical) and non-linear functions. An empirical literature review reveals that few studies in the world, none of them using brazilian data, consider the possibility of non-quadratic and/or non-convex costs. The identification of the structure of adjustment costs is split in complementary empirical methodologies. First, an industrial job flow semi-parametrical methodology that uses survival models and transition matrixes, innovative in Brazil, to state if the costs are convex or not. Second, in the context of a usual employment demand parametric model, allowing comparisons with the literature, the estimation of the quadratic and linear adjustment costs’ demand function’s functional form. Results show that the dynamic model with quadratic adjustment can be useful to give a clue about the job adjustment dynamic, but that it’s not the most adequate one. This stays clear from the moment in which the results of the general model, which considers the lumpy and quadratic adjustment costs, show the need of incorporating both of these costs. At the same time, the semi-parametric models suggest that the non-convex adjustment costs have more data appeal.

This study examines the divide between finance theory and practice by analysing the significance of the determinants of capital structure choice among 123 listed firms on the JSE, to determine whether these firms follow the trade-off theory or the pecking-order theory. Data obtained from McGregor’s Bureau of Financial Analysis database was analysed using standard multiple regressions, stepwise regressions and ANOVA techniques to test for financing behaviour. The results indicated that the trade-off model has both cross-sectional and time-series explanatory power for explaining the financing behaviour, while tests on the pecking-order model were weak. The results further revealed a significant positive correlation between debt financing and financial distress, and a significant negative correlation between debt financing and the collateral value of assets during the period under study (1995-2005). These findings suggest a divergence between finance theory and practice for JSE listed firms and manifest conflicting ideologies between finance practices of developed and developing economies. / Business management / M. Com. (Business Management )

O presente estudo tem como propósito fazer uma análise empírica da estrutura dos custos de ajustamento do emprego em indústrias no Brasil, a partir de dados microeconômicos de empresas industriais do Rio Grande do Sul. O estudo é motivado pelas grandes mudanças no emprego industrial nos anos 90 e 2000 e o fato estilizado de grande heterogeneidade na flutuação do emprego revelado na literatura de fluxos de emprego. Inicialmente, identifica-se a existência de diferentes estruturas teóricas para custos de ajustamento do emprego, que podem ser agrupadas em custos convexos e nãoconvexos e funções quadráticas (simétricas) e não lineares. Uma revisão da literatura empírica revela que poucos estudos no mundo e nenhum usando dados brasileiros consideram a possibilidade de custos não quadráticos e/ou convexos. A identificação da estrutura de custos de ajustamento divide-se em metodologias empíricas complementares. Primeiro, uma metodologia semi-paramétrica de flutuação do emprego industrial empregando modelos de sobrevivência e matrizes de transição, de modo inovador no Brasil, para diferenciar se os custos são convexos ou não. Segundo, dentro de um modelo paramétrico de demanda por emprego usual, permitindo comparações com a literatura, a estimação de forma funcional da função de demanda com custos de ajustamento quadrático e linear. Os resultados mostram que o modelo dinâmico com custos de ajustamento quadrático pode se útil para dar uma idéia da dinâmica do ajuste do emprego, porém não é o modelo mais adequado. Isso fica evidente a partir do momento em que os resultados do modelo geral, o qual contempla os custos de ajustamento quadrático e fixo, demonstram a necessidade de incorporar ambos os custos. Ao mesmo tempo, os modelos semi-paramétrico sugerem que os custos de ajustamento não-convexos têm mais apoio nos dados. / The aim of this study is, from microeconomic data from industrial companies of Rio Grande do Sul, to perform an empirical analysis of the employment adjustment costs in industries in Brazil. This study is motivated by the changes in industrial employment in the last and present decades and by the stylized fact of heterogeneity in job flows revealed in jog flow literature. Initially, is showed the existence of different theoretical structures to explain employment adjustment costs, which can be classified as convex and non-convex costs and quadratic (symmetrical) and non-linear functions. An empirical literature review reveals that few studies in the world, none of them using brazilian data, consider the possibility of non-quadratic and/or non-convex costs. The identification of the structure of adjustment costs is split in complementary empirical methodologies. First, an industrial job flow semi-parametrical methodology that uses survival models and transition matrixes, innovative in Brazil, to state if the costs are convex or not. Second, in the context of a usual employment demand parametric model, allowing comparisons with the literature, the estimation of the quadratic and linear adjustment costs’ demand function’s functional form. Results show that the dynamic model with quadratic adjustment can be useful to give a clue about the job adjustment dynamic, but that it’s not the most adequate one. This stays clear from the moment in which the results of the general model, which considers the lumpy and quadratic adjustment costs, show the need of incorporating both of these costs. At the same time, the semi-parametric models suggest that the non-convex adjustment costs have more data appeal.

There are many different types of non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) available in the United States today compared to a decade ago. Additionally, the needs of beverage consumers have evolved over the years centering attention on functionality and health dimensions. These trends in volume of consumption are a testament to the growth in the NAB industry. Our study pertains to ten NAB categories. We developed and employed a unique cross-sectional and time-series data set based on Nielsen Homescan data associated with household purchases of NAB from 1998 through 2003. First, we considered demographic and economic profiling of the consumption of NAB in a two-stage model. Race, region, age and presence of children and gender of household head were the most important factors affecting the choice and level of consumption. Second, we used expectation-prediction success tables, calibration, resolution, the Brier score and the Yates partition of the Brier score to measure the accuracy of predictions generated from qualitative choice models used to model the purchase decision of NAB by U.S. households. The Yates partition of the Brier score outperformed all other measures. Third, we modeled demand interrelationships, dynamics and habits of NAB consumption estimating own-price, cross-price and expenditure elasticities. The Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System, the synthetic Barten model and the State Adjustment Model were used. Soft drinks were substitutes and fruit juices were complements for most of non-alcoholic beverages. Investigation of a proposed tax on sugar-sweetened beverages revealed the importance of centering attention not only to direct effects but also to indirect effects of taxes on beverage consumption. Finally, we investigated factors affecting nutritional contributions derived from consumption of NAB. Also, we ascertained the impact of the USDA year 2000 Dietary Guidelines for Americans associated with the consumption of NAB. Significant factors affecting caloric and nutrient intake from NAB were price, employment status of household head, region, race, presence of children and the gender of household food manager. Furthermore, we found that USDA nutrition intervention program was successful in reducing caloric and caffeine intake from consumption of NAB. The away-from-home intake of beverages and potential impacts of NAB advertising are not captured in our work. In future work, we plan to address these limitations.

近幾年針對資本結構的研究發現,在比較先進國家的企業確實有逐步調整回自己的最適資本結構的動作。本論文進一步將研究擴大到開發中國家，發現研究中的32個國家，不論是已開發或是發開中國家的企業，確實都有維持最適資本結構的動作。當資本結構偏離時，企業會逐步地調整回其最適值，然而每個國家調整回最適資本結構的調整速度則存在著差異性。本論文進一步利用國家間法律、會計、制度以及規範面的差異下去分析，發現國家發展程度以及會計制度是影響調整回最適資本結構的速度快慢的重要因子。此外，本論文亦探討融資順位理論及擇時理論的影響，發現加入融資順位理論因子後，調整速度會有相當程度的減緩，而減緩的幅度，則與國家發展程度、法律保護、公司稅率以及會計制度有顯著的關連性。 / Recent empirical literature provides evidences that firms in most developed countries do partially adjust toward their target capital structure. In this paper, we show that no only firms in developed countries, but also those in emerging countries gradually move back to their long-run equilibrium when they are away from it. But the adjustment speeds vary from country to country. We study the determinants of adjustment speeds around the world by focusing on differences in laws and regulations across countries. Our evidences show that firms in countries with common-law tradition, stronger shareholder right, or more completed accounting standards tend to move back to their optimal leverage quicker. Furthermore, we add two variables related to other two main capital structures (pecking order and market timing) in our analysis to capture their effects. Both theories add some information in explaining capital structure, but the impacts differ when applying different leverage measures. When we define leverage ratio as long-term debts dividend by net assets, we observe that pecking order factor lowers the adjustment speed a lot. And the magnitude of decrease on adjustment speed is significantly correlated with market condition, law enforcement, corporate tax rate and accounting standard. More developed countries and countries with stronger law enforcement, higher corporate tax rate, or more completed accounting standards tend to have less reduction on adjustment speed when including pecking order factor, because they have less information asymmetries.