My dissertation consists of three essays on labor supply responses, along the extensive margin (participation into the labor force) and along the intensive margin (intensity of work on the job). The first two essays focus on the labor supply responsiveness of single women with children to taxation and welfare programs. The third essay investigates the effects of marriage, the wage rate, and the associated tax rate on men's labor supply. In the first essay, to avoid bias from the fact that labor supply outcomes are being driven by self-selection, I build a dynamic stochastic discrete choice model to investigate the long run effects of the earned income tax credit and welfare policies on single mothers' labor supply. Simulated method of moments is used to estimate parameters of this dynamic model, based on March CPS data files from 1964 to 2013. I compare the performance of the dynamic stochastic discrete choice model, a static model, and a reduced-form model. My analysis concludes that the dynamic stochastic discrete choice model captures the simultaneous impact of the state variables on the predicted employment decision. My study provides evidence of the long-run positive effect of public policy on low income families in a life-cycle setting. This essay also emphasizes the importance of education in increasing single mothers' labor supply. The second essay is designed to identify factors that help single mothers leave TANF within a short span of time. I find strong evidence for the importance of child support assistance to single mothers' success in exiting TANF with a job. I uncover evidence that work-related activities do not induce TANF participants to leave within a short span of time. My analysis also suggests that health issues significantly limit the ability of single mothers to exit TANF. In the third essay, the main research question is how marital status affects the elasticity of the labor supply of males with respect to wages and taxes, in a life-cycle setting. A dynamic panel data model, which extends the literature on dynamic labor supply, indicates that the elasticity of men's labor supply with respect to wages and taxes is affected by marital status. The empirical results using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data show that men who are continuously married to the same wife have a lower average Frisch elasticity than others. / Ph. D.

The present dissertation research has three purposes: the first one is to predict anthropogenic deforestation caused by small farmers firstly using only pathways of past land cover change and secondly using demographic, socioeconomic and land cover data at the farm level. The second purpose is to compare the explanatory and predictive capacity of both approaches at identifying areas at high risk of deforestation among small farms in Rondõnia, Brazil. The third purpose is to test the assumptions of stationary probabilities and homogeneous subjects, both commonly used assumptions in predictive stochastic models applied to small farmers' deforestation decisions. This study uses the following data: household surveys, maps, satellite images and their land cover classification at the pixel level, and pathways of past land cover change for each farm. These data are available for a panel sample of farms in three municipios in Rondõnia, Brazil (Alto Paraiso, Nova União, and Rolim de Moura) and cover a ten-year period of study (1992-2002). Pathways of past land cover change are graphic representations in the form of flow charts that depict Land Cover Change (LCC) in each farm during the ten-year period of study. Pathways were constructed using satellite images, survey data and maps, and a set of interviews performed on a sub-sample of 70 farms. A panel data analysis of the estimated empirical probabilities was conducted to test for subject and time effects using a Fixed Group Effects Model (FGEM), specifically the Least Square Dummy Variable (LSDV1) fixed effects technique. Finally, the two predictive modeling approaches are compared. The first modeling approach predicts future LCC using only past land cover change data in the form of empirical transitional probabilities of LCC obtained from pathways of past LCC. These empirical probabilities are used in a LSDV1 for fixed–group effects, a LSDV1 for fixed-time effects, and an Ordinary Least Square model (OLS) for the pooled sample. Results from these models are entered in a modified Markov chain model's matrix multiplication. The second modeling approach predicts future LCC using socio-demographic and economic survey variables at the household level. The survey data is used to perform a multinomial logit regression model to predict the LC class of each pixel. In order to compare the explanatory and predictive capacity of both modeling approaches, LCC predictions at the pixel level are summarized in terms of percentage of cells in which future LC was predicted correctly. Percentage of correct predicted land cover class is compared against actual pixel classification from satellite images. The presence of differences among farmers in the LSDV1-fixed group effect by farmer suggests that small farmers are not a homogeneous group in term of their probabilities of LCC and that further classification of farmers into homogeneous subgroups will depict better their LCC decisions. Changes in the total area of landholdings proved a stronger influence in farmer's LCC decisions in their main property (primary lot) when compared to changes in the area of the primary lot. Panel data analysis of the LCC empirical transition probabilities (LSDV1 fixed time effects model) does not find enough evidence to prefer the fixed time effects model when compared to a Ordinary Least Square (OLS) pooled version of the probabilities. When applying the results of the panel data analysis to a modified markov chain model the LSDV1-farmer model provided a slightly better accuracy (59.25% accuracy) than the LSDV1-time and the OLS-pooled models (57.54% and 57.18%, respectively). The main finding for policy and planning purposes is that owners type 1—with stable total landholdings over time—tend to preserve forest with a much higher probability (0.9033) than owner with subdividing or expanding properties (probs. of 0.0013 and 0.0030). The main implication for policy making and planning is to encourage primary forest preservation, given that the Markov chain analysis shows that primary forest changes into another land cover, it will never go back to this original land cover class. Policy and planning recommendations are provided to encourage owner type 1 to continue their pattern of high forest conservation rates. Some recommendations include: securing land titling, providing health care and alternative sources of income for the OT1's family members and elderly owners to remain in the lot. Future research is encouraged to explore spatial autocorrelation in the pixel's probabilities of land cover change, effects of local policies and macro-economic variables in the farmer's LCC decisions. / Ph. D.

The general focus of this thesis is on how the family, work and the welfare system are intertwined. A major determinant is the way responsibilities are shared by the state, the market and civil society in different welfare state regimes. An introductory chapter will therefore be dedicated to the development of the social dimension in the process of European integration. A first chapter will then go deeper into the comparative analysis of welfare state regimes, to comment on the provision of welfare in societies with a different mix of state, market and societal welfare roles and to assess the adequacy of existing typologies as reflections of today’s changed socio-economic, political and gender reality. Although they stand strong on their own, these first two chapters also contribute to contextualising the research subject of the remainder of the thesis: the study and comparison of the differential situation of women and men and of mothers and non-mothers on the labour markets of the EU-15 countries as well as of the role of public policies with respect to the employment penalties faced by women, particularly in the presence of young children. In our analysis, employment penalties are understood in three ways: (i) the difference in full-time equivalent employment rates between mothers and non-mothers, (ii) the wage penalty associated with motherhood, and (iii) the wage gap between part-time and full-time workers, considering men and women separately. Besides from a gender point of view, employment outcomes and public policies are thus assessed comparatively for mothers and non-mothers. Because women choose to take part in paid employment, fertility rates will depend on their possibilities to combine employment and motherhood. As a result, motherhood-induced employment penalties and the role of public policies to tackle them should be given priority attention, not just by scholars, but also by politicians and policy-makers.

綜觀台灣過去數十年來的產業經濟發展歷程，在國際間有許多正面的評價，稱之為「台灣經濟奇蹟」。在政府政策致力於塑造有利於科技產業發展的環境下，製造業為台灣產業帶來重大的貢獻，當我國不同的產業類別之製造業發揮其優勢競爭力的同時，亦使得台灣地區北、中、南三大區域發展出各自獨特且具有潛力的製造業特性。 事實上，區域產業特性與賦能之優劣將可透過區域中廠商與行動者的活動來表現，尤其是區域中的模範角色，是檢視區域中有無可學習的模範者和模仿其整體投資階段過程的重要指標，對於區域內外企業進駐和設立工廠的組織決策相當重要（Bandura, 1986; van Praag, 1996; Kriegesmann, 1999; Fornahl, 2003）。這樣的仿效行為將指向區域中旗艦廠商投資設廠區位選擇與組織決策行動，換句話說，旗艦廠商（flagship firm）是區域發展中重要的模範角色（role model）（Fornahl, 2003），而其區位選擇與組織決策行為對於區域發展將佔有舉足輕重的地位。另一方面，過去傳統投資區位選擇的討論，多論及單一廠商設立工廠在地理空間的決策行為。然而本研究認為旗艦廠商多工型工廠（multiplant）的特性在組織決策上的區位選擇行為，面對各區域經濟與產業發展特性的差異，應有不同於過去文獻與理論的考量。 是故，本研究透過天下雜誌公佈台灣地區2007年製造業1000大廠商，聚焦台灣地區製造業旗艦廠商面對投資母國區位選擇的考量，透過旗艦廠商在台投資多工型工廠歷程決策之整體分析，藉由投資時間與空間區位，以及廠商組織型態面向的討論，了解台灣地區旗艦廠商投資多工型工廠於母國區位選擇之因素。透過多項羅吉特模型的實證研究，本研究歸納研究成果，提出下列政策建議： 一、推動企業總公司在地化發展，有助區域內旗艦廠商再投資母國之活動 二、透過旗艦廠商在區域內之投資經驗，引導再投資活動，以利區域發展 三、區域內產業特性強化與升級，以加強區域高科技產業支撐力 四、科學工業園區與區域內科技基礎產業優勢分進合擊，提升產業關聯性 五、提升區域總體經濟發展，有助於吸引區域內高科技產業再投資之活動

We estimate the willingness-to-pay for conserving crop diversity in the Czech Republic. Discrete choice experiments are used to elicit preferences for the conservation of wine, hop, and fruit tree varieties, while a double-bounded dichotomous choice approach is used to elicit preferences for the conservation of unspecified, "general" crop diversity. The WTP values are derived for both of these contingent products from a sample representative of the general Czech population (n=731) and a sample of respondents living in the South Moravian region that is characterized by agriculture and wine production (n=418). We demonstrate a strong preference for conserving fruit trees over hops and wine varieties, and derive positive mean WTP of the general Czech population (ages 18-69) of 56 Kč ($2.26). Mean WTP for the conservation of general crop diversity is 167 Kč ($6.80). On average, residents of South Moravia have a greater WTP for "general" crop as well as fruit tree conservation. In total, the Czech adult population (ages 18-69) has an aggregate WTP of ~1.25 billion Kč ($50.5 million) for the conservation of general crop diversity, and ~410 million Kč ($16.8 million) for the conservation of fruit trees, revealing the previously unmeasured social welfare benefits of these activities. The estimated benefits...

Apresenta-se um procedimento para estimativa da matriz origem-destino (O/D) a partir de um modelo de escolha discreta em combinação com uma matriz O/D de transporte público, a qual pode ser estimada de maneira relativamente fácil e rápida. O modelo de escolha discreta utilizado para realizar a divisão modal é o modelo logit multinomial. A calibração do modelo logit é realizada com base em 505 observações e considerando três situações: a população de viajantes sem segmentação, com segmentação segundo posse de automóvel no domicílio, e com segmentação segundo a distância de viagem. Analisa-se a precisão da estimativa do número de viagens quando as zonas de controle que formam a área de estudo são divididas segundo o critério de distância de acesso às linhas de ônibus. Na verificação realizada são empregados dados obtidos da pesquisa domiciliar realizada na cidade de Bauru, SP. Os erros cometidos na estimativa são medidos e comparados com os resultados obtidos na pesquisa domiciliar sem expansão. O trabalho demostrou experimentalmente que o procedimento proposto é uma alternativa viável para se obter a distribuição de viagens e, portanto, para determinar a matriz O/D. / A procedure is presented for estimating an origin-destination (O/D) matrix using a discrete choice model jointly with a public transport O/D matrix; the latter being relatively easy and fast to obtain. A multinomial logit discrete choice model is used to determine the mode split of travelers among several available modes. The model is estimated using a sample of 505 observations chosen from a household 0/D survey in the city of Bauru, state of Sao Paulo. This survey is used throughout to verify the results of the proposed methodology. Three different models are considered: one without segmentation of the population, one with segmentation according to car ownership and one with segmentation according to travel distance. An examination is made of the changes on the level of precision of the number of trips estimated with the division of the control zones that conform the study area; the aforementioned division was carried out on the basis of an access distance to the bus network criterion. The estimation errors are measured and compared to the unexpanded O/D survey results. The research shows empirically that the proposed procedure can be used to obtain the distribution of trips and hence to determine an aggregate O/D matrix.

Cette thèse, portant sur le choix de localisation résidentielle des ménages, s’inscrit dans le cadre théorique de la microéconomie urbaine et de l’utilité aléatoire. Si l’approche des choix discrets reste la plus appropriée dans ce domaine, la difficulté réside dans l’adaptation de ce type de modèles au contexte spatial (autocorrélation spatiale, grand nombre d’alternatives de choix) d’une part, et dans la manière de définir l’échelle de désagrégation d’autre part. Pour ce faire, nous avons procédé en deux temps. Nous avons estimé un logit multinomial avec un échantillon aléatoire d’alternatives pour comprendre le processus de choix de localisation résidentielle, avant de tester l’apport d’une structure hiérarchique pour traiter les problèmes d’autocorrélation spatiale. Cela a aussi permis l’investigation d’une nouvelle méthode de correction des biais liés à l’échantillonnage d’alternatives dans le cas du modèle logit emboîté. En termes de résultats, nous avons montré que la qualité de l’environnement social est le facteur le plus déterminant, sans remettre en cause le poids toujours important de l’accessibilité à l’emploi. Au plan méthodologique, nous avons été en mesure de tester l’apport de l’utilisation d’un modèle logit emboîté pour analyser les choix de localisation de l’aire urbaine de Lyon. Cependant, nous n’avons pas pu dépasser la difficulté de séparer l’autocorrélation spatiale et entre les nids. Le calage du modèle de choix de localisation en 1999 et en 2007 a aussi permis de donner des éléments de réponse sur la transférabilité temporelle des modèles de choix de localisation et de questionner, dans les travaux futurs, le pouvoir prédictif d’un modèle de choix de localisation. / This thesis, focusing on the choice of residential location, is based on the theoretical framework of urban micro-economy and random utility. Though discrete choice modelling is the most appropriate in this field, the difficulty lies in choosing the appropriate model to the spatial context of residential location choice (spatial autocorrelation, large number of alternatives), on the one hand, and in the way of defining the spatial scale, on the other hand. For this purpose, we proceeded in two stages. We estimated a multinomial logit with random sampling of alternatives to understand the process of residential location choice before taking into account the spatial autocorrelation, and estimating a nested logit model. It also allowed to investigate the feasibility of applying a new method to correct biases of sampling alternatives in the case of nested logit model. In terms of results, we have shown that social environment are the most important determinants of residential location choice. Though job accessibility still weigh on household choice decision. In terms of methodology, we were able to test the feasibility of estimating a nested logit model with sampling of alternatives to analyze the choice of location of Lyon urban area. However, we could not overcome the difficulty of distinguishing spatial autocorrelation from nesting. The use of 1999 and 2007 databases to model residential location choice also helped to provide answers on the temporal transferability of location choice models and discuss in future work the predictive power of a location choice model.

Apresenta-se um procedimento para estimativa da matriz origem-destino (O/D) a partir de um modelo de escolha discreta em combinação com uma matriz O/D de transporte público, a qual pode ser estimada de maneira relativamente fácil e rápida. O modelo de escolha discreta utilizado para realizar a divisão modal é o modelo logit multinomial. A calibração do modelo logit é realizada com base em 505 observações e considerando três situações: a população de viajantes sem segmentação, com segmentação segundo posse de automóvel no domicílio, e com segmentação segundo a distância de viagem. Analisa-se a precisão da estimativa do número de viagens quando as zonas de controle que formam a área de estudo são divididas segundo o critério de distância de acesso às linhas de ônibus. Na verificação realizada são empregados dados obtidos da pesquisa domiciliar realizada na cidade de Bauru, SP. Os erros cometidos na estimativa são medidos e comparados com os resultados obtidos na pesquisa domiciliar sem expansão. O trabalho demostrou experimentalmente que o procedimento proposto é uma alternativa viável para se obter a distribuição de viagens e, portanto, para determinar a matriz O/D. / A procedure is presented for estimating an origin-destination (O/D) matrix using a discrete choice model jointly with a public transport O/D matrix; the latter being relatively easy and fast to obtain. A multinomial logit discrete choice model is used to determine the mode split of travelers among several available modes. The model is estimated using a sample of 505 observations chosen from a household 0/D survey in the city of Bauru, state of Sao Paulo. This survey is used throughout to verify the results of the proposed methodology. Three different models are considered: one without segmentation of the population, one with segmentation according to car ownership and one with segmentation according to travel distance. An examination is made of the changes on the level of precision of the number of trips estimated with the division of the control zones that conform the study area; the aforementioned division was carried out on the basis of an access distance to the bus network criterion. The estimation errors are measured and compared to the unexpanded O/D survey results. The research shows empirically that the proposed procedure can be used to obtain the distribution of trips and hence to determine an aggregate O/D matrix.

The aim of this thesis is to provide an overview of methods used in cause-of-death mortality analysis and to demonstrate the application on real data. In Chapter 1 we present the continuous model based on the force of mortality and review the approach using copula functions. In Chapter 2 we focus on the multinomial logit model formulated for cause-specific mortality data, discuss life tables construction and derive life expectancy. In Chapter 3 we apply the multinomial logit model on the data from Czech Statistical Office. We identify the regression model, check its assumptions, present the outputs including the fitted life expectancy, and predicted mortality rates. Later in Chapter 3 we consider several stress scenarios in order to demonstrate the impact of shocked mortality rates on the life expectancy.

股利政策之選擇攸關公司資金成本效益與投資者權益，投資者依據公司未來股利發生時點、金額與不確定性等因素來判斷公司的內涵價值（intrinsic value），亦即股利的配發是公司管理當局與股東利益間的抵換。本論文將考量我國企業實務上股利支付內容，將股利形式細分為無股利分配及有股利配發，包含單一股利政策－現金股利、盈餘配股、公積配股，複合股利政策－現金股利搭配盈餘配股、現金股利搭配公積配股、盈餘配股搭配公積配股及綜合股利政策（現金股利、盈餘配股、公積配股三者兼發）之發放模式，共計有八種股利支付類型。 　　共同基金乃證券市場中連接有價證券與投資者間之專業投資管道，由於基金收益直接進行再投資產生之租稅規避濾網（tax-free filter）效果，藉以探討公司選擇股利政策時之顧客效應。同時將影響股利政策制定之構面因素－公司的股利配發來源、獲利性狀況、資金融通與債務償還能力、企業未來投資成長機會、產業類別與租稅改革制度等一併納入分析檢證。 　　本論文採用實證模型分析為主，文獻檢閱分析為輔，以1995- 2000年我國上市公司曾被國內股票型投信基金選為投資標的者，運用Mutinomial logit model及股利政策相關文獻，建構本研究實證模型；在政策意涵上，股利稅制的規劃與共同基金租稅課徵問題亦一併討論，以檢討我國現行稅制環境是否健全。 　　本研究所獲結論歸納如下： 　　(1) 共同基金持股比重變動對股利政策影響存在明顯差異 　　　　股票型基金持股比重大小對現金股利搭配盈餘配股與盈餘配股搭配公積配股選擇皆有顯著正效果，但是否基於股東特性而論則難以斷定。現行我國共同基金持股率占公司股權結構比重不大、透過除權日規避股利發放及大股東利用共同基金進行投信交叉持股等問題，皆是造成實證結果與預期相左之可能原因。 　　(2) 租稅制度改革對股利配發內容的選擇扮演要角 　　　　兩稅合一制度實施後，總股利支付率較實施前為高，主要在於規避保留盈餘加徵10﹪的稅負及股利的發放具有抵稅權，使公司不再傾向保留盈餘而提高發放股利之意願。 　　(3) 股利配發形式選擇 　　　　◎支持股利配發來源與股利政策的關係 　　　　◎公司舉債程度高低與現金股利配發機率呈負相關 　　　　◎公司獲利性狀況攸關股利發放與否 　　　　◎未來成長機會與現金股利配發呈反向關係 　　　　◎股利政策具有產業差異性，高科技產業傾向選擇股票股利偏 高之股利組合政策 　　以公司立場而言，宜需定期評估經營利基與股利政策選擇因素，建立一套合理之股利預測分析模式，並考量平衡股利政策（現金股利與股票股利搭配）模式，以減緩我國企業普遍採股票股利配發造成股權過度膨脹及盈餘稀釋之弊。從投資者角度來看，共同基金係專業化投資管道，藉由大眾資金匯集之規模效益，能使資金有效配置（或風險分散）並提升國內專業法人比重，減緩市場投機風氣。然共同基金投資相關法令之設立仍需更臻完備，稅制環境對公司股利決策具重要影響性，對追求租稅中立目標而言，證券交易所得是否復徵所得稅，亦是政府單位需審慎考量的議題。