This dissertation studies the effects of female labor market participation on fertility spacing in U.S., and the impact of special language programs on academic achievement of English language learners in Texas public schools. The first essay studies the relationship between labor market participation and childbirth spacing. I construct a simple dynamic discrete-choice model to theoretically develop several implications. My model's key prediction is that while continuously working women would like to smooth the stream of children (longer spacing), those who transitorily drop out of the labor force would want to do the opposite (shorter spacing). Empirically testing the predictions of the model requires a serious effort to deal with endogeneity of the labor market participation around the time of the births. I propose to use a set of simulated marginal tax schedules and unemployment rate as instruments for labor market participation. Using National Longitudinal Survey Youth (NLSY) data I find that the current participation effect is positive and motivates working women to delay the second birth three to five years, while the future participation effect is negative and encourages women who transitorily drop out of the labor force due to childbearing to have their second child one to two years earlier. These participation effects on spacing become stronger with fewer years of education, lower non labor income, lower complete fertility, and early motherhood. The second essay studies the impact of special language programs on academic achievement of English language learners in Texas public schools. A considerable proportion of Hispanic students are classified as English Language Learners (ELL) and might have difficulty performing ordinary classwork in English. There is evidence that students designated as ELL are considerably behind the rest of the student population with respect to meeting the proficiency requirements under No Child Left Behind. Using student-level TAKS testing data and campus-level data for years 2003-2009, I study the effects of Bilingual and ESL programs on academic achievement of Texas public school students. Program effects are identified by following achievement gains of several cohorts of students across grade, using individual and school fixed effects. Results show that academic performance of ELL students improves with bilingual program participation. Bilingual effects on achievements gains in the reading test are higher for English language learners (between 0.08 and 0.15 standards deviations); bilingual effect in reading is greater than in math; and bilingual effect in sixth grade exceeds the bilingual effect in fourth and fifth grades. There is also evidence that changing programs from bilingual to ESL or from bilingual to regular can result in lower achievements grades.

Studies of terrorism have explored a number of factors thought to drive the phenomenon. Authors often tie socioeconomic development to reducing terrorism. Among structural explanations of terrorism, however, authors generally neglect the effect of gender inequality, though studies show that gender inequality increases the risk of international and civil conflict. Therefore I explore the impact of gender inequality in important socioeconomic issues on terrorism for 143 countries from 1998-2009. I argue that socioeconomic gender inequality reflects poor state capacity, resulting in grievances that contribute to domestic non-suicide and suicide terrorism. I study gender inequality in the areas of education, labor participation, and life expectancy. Results indicate that education and life expectancy inequality increase the risk of terrorism, while labor inequality is unrelated. While the time frame and data used in this study limit generalizability, results indicate that states should provide socioeconomic gender parity to reduce the risk of domestic terrorism.

La educación es el instrumento clave para asegurar el éxito en el mercado laboral. Sin embargo, las características de este mercado laboral son factores importantes para decidir si resulta óptimo invertir en un año de educación adicional. Por ello, en esta investigación se analiza el efecto de las expectativas salariales sobre la decisión de participación en educación y cómo este eventualmente aseguraría la probabilidad de insertarse en el mercado laboral. Por tal motivo, se aplica el método de Heckprobit y se utiliza las Rondas 4ta y 5ta de la base de datos longitudinal del estudio internacional de Young Lives (Niños del Milenio)1. Debido a que esta información permite recoger los ingresos salariales del pasado para evaluar su efecto en el presente. La investigación concluye que se cumple la hipótesis de que las expectativas salariales no serían suficientes para decidir invertir en educación con el propósito de asegurarse la participación en el mercado laboral. Esto se debe a que el análisis se centra en jóvenes de 15 a 22 años que, en su mayoría, prefieren seguir educándose y depender de otras características para seguir invirtiendo en un año más de educación. / Education is the main instrument to guarantee success in the labor market. However, the characteristics of this labor market are important factors in deciding whether it is optimal to invest in an additional year of education. Therefore, this research analyzes the effect of salary expectations on the decision to participate in education and how this would eventually ensure the probability of the labor force participation. For this reason, the Heckprobit method is applied and Rounds 4 and 5 of the longitudinal database of the international Young Lives study are used. Due to, past salary income can be collected to evaluate its effect in the present. The research concludes that the hypothesis is fulfilled about the salary expectations would not be sufficient to encourage the education in order to ensure participation in the labor market. It is because, the analysis focuses on young people between 15 and 22 years old, who, for the most part, prefer to continue their education and depend on other characteristics to continue investing in another year of education. / Trabajo de investigación

Una de las preocupaciones que tienen los países en vías de desarrollo es el desempleo. Por este motivo, la presente investigación se centra en los efectos que tiene un conjunto de variables socioeconómicas sobre la empleabilidad resaltando a la discapacidad. Pese a las políticas a favor del empleo formal por parte del Estado peruano, ser discapacitado en Perú restringe la participación laboral. En el presente estudio se utilizó la Encuesta Nacional de Hogares (ENAHO) desde el año 2016 al 2019. Asimismo, se desarrolló tres categorías de discapacidad siguiendo la literatura (Discapacidad sensorial, Discapacidad física y Discapacidad Mental), así como la categoría discapacidades que englobe a las seis limitaciones mencionadas en la base de la ENAHO. Por otro lado, para la aproximación metodológica se aplicó los estudios de Wilkins (2003), Malo (2004), Campolieti (2007), siendo la metodología Logit y Probit la que analiza el efecto directo de la discapacidad en la empleabilidad y la metodología Heckprobit analiza el efecto de la discapacidad en la empleabilidad vía una limitante en el proceso educativo. En efecto, el estudio concluye que la discapacidad tiene un efecto negativo en la probabilidad de participación laboral. En los resultados se muestra que la discapacidad mental tiene un mayor efecto negativo significativo en la empleabilidad cuando se utiliza la metodología Logit y Probit. Mientras que al aplicar la metodología Heckprobit es la discapacidad física la que tiene un mayor efecto negativo significativo en la empleabilidad porque presenta mayor dificultad en el proceso educativo formativo. / One of the concerns that developing countries have is unemployment. For this reason, this research focuses on the effects of a set of socioeconomic variables on employability by highlighting disability. Despite policies in favor of formal employment by the Peruvian State, being disabled in Peru restricts labor participation. This study used the National Household Survey (ENAHO) from 2016 to 2019. In addition, three categories of disability were developed following the literature (Sensory Disability, Physical Disability and Mental Disability), as well as the category of disabilities that encompasses the six limitations mentioned in the basis of ENAHO. On the other hand, for methodological approximation the studies of Wilkins (2003), Malo (2004), Campolieti (2007) were applied, with the Logit and Probit methodology analyzing the direct effect of disability on employability and the Heckprobit methodology analyzing the effect of disability on employability via a limitation in the educational process. Indeed, the study concludes that disability has a negative effect on the likelihood of employment participation. The results show that mental disability has a greater significant negative effect on employability when using the Logit and Probit methodology. While applying the Heckprobit methodology it is physical disability that has the greatest significant negative effect on employability because it presents greater difficulty in the educational process. / Trabajo de investigación

勞工參與制度之實踐，有助於達成勞資平等及保障勞工權益。然因勞工參與制度之推動涉及公司治理法制及公司經營上之廣大利益，須在社會各方成員達成共識之後，才有透過立法推動之可能，亦即釐清社會各界疑慮及提供資方足夠誘因，為勞工參與企業經營制度於我國擴大實施之關鍵。 我國公司治理法制及公司法領域之專業意見，皆對勞工參與企業經營制度作為公司治理模式抱持懷疑的態度，主因在於我國公司治理主流之美國法思維。但事實上反對觀點所呈現者，並非勞工參與企業經營制度本質上之瑕疵，僅是身為法律繼受者在思考上之侷限。 觀諸德國勞工參與制度之經驗，在共同決定制度逾50年之發展中，雖面臨諸多質疑，近年亦因歐洲公司成立亦引起勞工參與制度彈性化之論爭。但在歷經金融風暴等全球性經濟危機後，德國企業之快速重建卻證明共同決定制度塑造之和諧勞資關係確實有助於公司永續發展；而德國勞工代表長期參與公司監事會之運作亦提供勞工參與作為公司治理模式之正當性。 雖然我國勞工董事制度實施至今，適用主體仍限於國營及公營轉民營企業，但在這些少數企業中，仍有勞工董事制度實踐之成功案例。本文即藉由中鋼勞工董事實踐之經驗，說明中鋼勞工董事參與公司經營後帶來之效益，破除國內反對見解之疑慮並提供資方實施之誘因。希望在德國與我國經驗之背書下，能夠促進社會共識之凝聚，以利勞工參與企業經營制度之推動，改善勞資關係，達成公司治理促進公司永續經營之目標。 / The practice of the labor participation system helps to achieve equality of labor and capital and safeguard labor rights. However, the promotion of the labor participation system involves the change of Corporate Governance System and the interests of the company, it is only after the consensus reached among the community, there is a possibility to promote it through legislation, that is, clarifying the concerns of the community and providing sufficient incentives for the emlpoyers turn into of the key to the promote Company Level Labor Participation System . Based on the viewpoint above, this study uses the experience in implementing the labor participation system of Germany and China Steel Corporation to verify that the labor participation system can and should be the model of corporate governance to break the doubts of the opponents and provide sufficient incentives for the emlpoyers. It is hoped that under the endorsement of Germany and China Steel Corporation's experience, can help the community reach the consensus, accelerate the promotion of Company Level Labor Participation System, improve the labor-management relations, and achieve the goal of Sustainable Operation.

日本企業の職場において個別化された仕事・労働条件決定のルールの構造を記述するフレーム、そして青木昌彦が展開した組織アーキテクチュアとコーポレートガバナンスの分析枠組みを労使関係・労働組合機能の分析に活用できるよう詳細化したフレームを提起し、企業別労働組合が個別化する労働条件決定における合意形成に向けてどのような役割を果たしているのかを賃金制度の労使協議・労働時間決定・経営参加の事例を展開した上で明らかにした。 / 博士(産業関係学) / Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial Relations / 同志社大学 / Doshisha University