Thesis (Docteur ès lettres)--Université de Strasbourg II, 1975. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [1151]-1189) and index.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Washington State University, December 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Dec. 11, 2009). "School of Molecular Biosciences." Includes bibliographical references.

This research primarily represents a contribution to the lobbying regulation research arena. It introduces an index which for the first time attempts to measure the direct compliance costs of lobbying regulation. The Cost Indicator Index (CII) offers a brand new platform for qualitative and quantitative assessment of adopted lobbying laws and proposals of those laws, both in the comparative and the sui generis dimension. The CII is not just the only new tool introduced in the last decade, but it is the only tool available for comparative assessments of the costs of lobbying regulations. Beside the qualitative contribution, the research introduces an additional theoretical framework for complementary qualitative analysis of the lobbying laws. The Ninefold theory allows a more structured assessment and classification of lobbying regulations, both by indication of benefits and costs. Lastly, this research introduces the Cost-Benefit Labels (CBL). These labels might improve an ex-ante lobbying regulation impact assessment procedure, primarily in the sui generis perspective. In its final part, the research focuses on four South East European countries (Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia), and for the first time brings them into the discussion and calculates their CPI and CII scores. The special focus of the application was on Serbia, whose proposal on the Law on Lobbying has been extensively analysed in qualitative and quantitative terms, taking into consideration specific political and economic circumstances of the country. Although the obtained results are of an indicative nature, the CII will probably find its place within the academic and policymaking arena, and will hopefully contribute to a better understanding of lobbying regulations worldwide.

Bakgrund: Denna studie har genomförts för att bringa klarhet i hur väl relativvärdering fungerar som investeringsstrategi mellan åren 2005 och 2014 på de nordiska marknaderna. Huruvida det finns någon skillnad mellan hur väl strategin fungerar om marknaderna sorteras efter branschtillhörighet samt om tidigare välanvända nyckeltal kan generera olika hög avkastning i olika branscher är ett outforskat område. Tidigare studier på området har antingen undersökt hela marknader eller enskilda branscher där resultaten delvis har tolkats med hjälp av aktiemarknadspsykologi.Syfte: Syftet med studien är att analysera huruvida det finns skillnader i hur väl relativvärdering fungerar som investeringsmetod inom olika branscher för att generera överavkastning; samt huruvida det statistiskt går att säkerställa om det finns en koppling mellan bransch och nyckeltal.Genomförande: Studien använder en kvantitativ metod där aktierna sorteras i kvartilportföljer baserade på dess branschtillhörighet och sin värdering relativt branschkonkurrenter. Portföljerna omplaceras på årlig basis och avkastning räknas ut på månadsbasis samt kumulativt. Portföljerna utvärderas sedan med hjälp av välanvända riskmått samt en diversifieringsprocess och aktiemarknadspsykologi.Resultat: Relativvärdering kan användas för att generera överavkastning i samtliga branscher utom i energibranschen. En skillnad i avkastning, beroende på i vilken bransch, kvartil och nyckeltal som används för investeringen kan konstateras. Diversifiering sänker effektivt risken samtidigt som avkastningen inte sjunker i samma takt. Aktiemarknadspsykologi kan endast till viss del kopplas till skillnaderna i avkastning mellan portföljerna. / Background: This thesis has been executed in order to bring clarity into the matter whether relative valuation works as an investment strategy in the Nordic region between the years 2005 and 2014. Whether the strategy performs differently if the markets are sorted by sector affiliation, as well as if previously commonly used key ratios can generate different returns in different sectors is an unexplored area. Previous studies have focused on examining entire markets or specific industries where the results partially have been interpreted with behavioral finance.Aim: The aim of the thesis is to analyze whether there are any differences in how well relative valuation works as an investment method in different sectors, in order to generate excess return; as well as if it is statistically possible to find a connection between sectors and key ratios.Completion: A quantitative approach is used where the stocks are sorted into quartile portfolios in accordance with their sector affiliation and based on their valuation relative to sector competitors. The portfolios are then rebalanced on a yearly basis and returns are calculated on monthly and cumulative basis. Furthermore the portfolios are evaluated using risk measures, a diversification process and behavioural finance.Results: Relative valuation can be used to generate excess return in all sectors except in the energy sector. A discrepancy in returns is shown, depending on which sector, quartile and key ratio that is used for the investment. Moreover, diversification effectively lowers the risk without lowering the return at the same pace. Behavioural finance can only partially explain the differences in return between the portfolios.

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In the first chapter we develop a theoretical model investigating food consumption and body weight with a novel assumption regarding human caloric expenditure (i.e. metabolism), in order to investigate why individuals can be rationally trapped in an excessive weight equilibrium and why they struggle to lose weight even when offered incentives for weight-loss. This assumption allows the theoretical model to have multiple equilibria and to provide an explanation for why losing weight is so difficult even in the presence of incentives, without relying on rational addiction, time-inconsistency preferences or bounded rationality. In addition to this result we are able to characterize under which circumstances a temporary incentive can create a persistent weight loss. In the second chapter we investigate the possible contributions that social norms and peer effects had on the spread of obesity. In recent literature peer effects and social norms have been characterized as important pathways for the biological and behavioral spread of body weight, along with decreased food prices and physical activity. We add to this literature by proposing a novel concept of social norm related to what we define as social distortion in weight perception. The theoretical model shows that, in equilibrium, the effect of an increase in peers' weight on i's weight is unrelated to health concerns while it is mainly associated with social concerns. Using regional data from England we prove that such social component is significant in influencing individual weight. In the last chapter we investigate the relationship between body weight and employment probability. Using a semi-parametric regression we show that men and women employment probability do not follow a linear relationship with body mass index (BMI) but rather an inverted U-shaped one, peaking at a BMI way over the clinical threshold for overweight.

Obiettivo del lavoro è quello di legare tra di loro due aspetti che storicamente sono sempre stati scollegati. Il primo è il lungo dibattito sul tema “oltre il PIL”, che prosegue ininterrottamente da circa mezzo secolo. Il secondo riguarda l’utilizzo dei sistemi di misurazione e valutazione della performance nel settore pubblico italiano. Si illustra l’evoluzione del dibattito sul PIL facendo un excursus storico del pensiero critico che si è sviluppato nel corso di circa cinquanta anni analizzando le ragioni assunte dagli studiosi per confutare l’utilizzo del PIL quale misura universale del benessere. Cogliendo questa suggestione l’Istat, in collaborazione con il CNEL, ha avviato un progetto per individuare nuovi indicatori da affiancare al PIL, in grado di misurare il livello non solo della crescita economica, ma anche del benessere sociale e sostenibile, con l’analisi degli indicatori riferiti a 12 domini di benessere individuati. Al progetto Istat-CNEL si è affiancato il progetto UrBES, promosso dall’Istat e dal Coordinamento dei sindaci metropolitani dell’ANCI, che hanno costituito una rete di città metropolitane per sperimentare la misurazione e il confronto sulla base di indicatori di benessere urbano equo e sostenibile, facendo proprio un progetto del Comune di Bologna e di Laboratorio Urbano (Centro di documentazione, ricerca e proposta sulle città), che ha sottoposto a differenti target un questionario on line, i cui risultati, con riferimento alle risposte fornite alle domande aperte, sono stati elaborati attraverso l’utilizzo di Taltac, un software per l’analisi dei testi, al fine di individuare i “profili” dei rispondenti, associando i risultati dell’elaborazione alle variabili strutturali del questionario. Nell’ultima parte i servizi e progetti erogati dal comune di Bologna sono stati associati alle dimensioni UrBES, per valutare l’impatto delle politiche pubbliche sulla qualità della vita e sul benessere dei cittadini, indicando le criticità legate alla mancanza di dati adeguati. / The Aim of the work is to link each other two aspects which historically had always disconnected. The first is the long discussion on the theme "beyond GDP", which continues without stop for nearly half a century. The second concerns the use of systems of measurement and evaluation of performance in the Italian public sector. It discusses the evolution of the discussion on GDP, making a historical overview of critical thinking which has developed in the course of about fifty years, analyzing the reasons assumed by researchers to refute the use of GDP as a measure of universal welfare. Following this suggestion the National Statistical Institue, (Istat) in cooperation with CNEL, has launched a project to identify new indicators using joint with GDP, to measure not only the level of economic growth, but also social and sustainable welfare, analysing indicators linked to 12 domains identified. The Istat-CNEL project was joined the project Urbes, promoted by Istat and the Coordination of ANCI, which formed a network of metropolitan cities to test measurement and comparison on the basis of welfare and sustainable indicators, doing just a project of the City of Bologna and Urban Laboratory (Centre for Documentation, Research and Proposal on the city), which referred to different target an online questionnaire, the results of which, with reference to the answers to open questions, have been developed through Taltac, a software for the analysis of texts, in order to identify the "profiles" of respondents associated with the structural variables of the questionnaire. In the last part of the research the services and projects provided by the city of Bologna have been linked to the size Urbes, to assess the impact of public policies on quality of life and well-being of citizens, indicating the critical issues related to the lack of adequate data.

I cambiamenti e le innovazioni sociali, che hanno caratterizzato il secolo scorso, hanno generato mutamenti significativi nella struttura dei consumi, legati in particolare a una maggiore consapevolezza dei consumatori e allo scoppio della crisi economica. Assume sempre maggiore importanza, all’interno delle politiche di brand management, il ruolo della Responsabilità Sociale d’Impresa, che spinge la Grande Distribuzione Organizzata a proporre prodotti con più alti standard qualitativi e di sicurezza. Il caso analizzato è quello della linea biologica ViviVerde Coop, la cui offerta di prodotti biologici a private label ha avuto un impatto molto positivo sul mercato. L’analisi dell’elasticità della curva di domanda di alcuni di questi prodotti nel periodo gennaio 2010-maggio 2012 rivela diversi valori positivi e maggiori di 1, indice del fatto che il prezzo non abbia avuto effetti negativi sulle vendite dei prodotti considerati. Tale evidenza risulta rilevante proprio in un periodo di profonda crisi economica che ha interessato, in modo significativo, anche i consumi alimentari. / Social changing and innovations that characterized the last century, mainly caused by the globalization processes, led to important changes in the consumption paths, the most of them driven by the increased awareness of the consumers. This is why the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is getting more important for the brand management policies of the Large Scale Retail (LSR). LSR is nowadays encouraged to provide products that achieve higher safety and quality standards, in order to meet the new forms of demand. In this paper we analyze the case of the biological line ViviVerde by Coop, a private label line which reached good market shares since its introduction. The analysis of elasticity of the demand curve of some ViviVerde food products, for the period from January 2010 to May 2012, shows the presence of several positive and greater than values: this means that the price does not prevent the sales of those products. Those results are relevant especially in this period of deep economic crisis, which has affected even food consumption. The changes and social innovations that have characterized the last century have generated significant changes in the structure of consumption, in particular related to aincreased consumer's behaviour.It's becoming more important,within the policies of brand management, the role of Corporate Social Responsability,which pushes the mass retailers to offer products with the highest quality standards and safety. The case analyzed is that of the organic line ViviVerde Coop, whose offer of organic products to private label has had much impact positive on the market. The analysis of the elasticity of the demand curve of some of these products in the period January 2010-May 2012 reveals values positive and greater than 1. This means that price has had a negative impacts on sales of the product

In the first paper, I assess if financial incentives may be used as an effective device to induce workers to postpone retirement by evaluating the Italian so called “super bonus” reform. The bonus consisted in economic incentives given for a limited period to private sector workers who had reached the requirements for seniority pension. Crucially for this study, public workers were not entitled to the bonus. Using data from the Bank of Italy Survey on Household Income andWealth, and exploiting the DID-Probit strategy proposed by Blundell et al. (JEEA, 2004), I assess the effect of the bonus on the decision to postpone retirement, by comparing private and public workers before and after the reform. Results suggest a reduction of 12ppt in the proportion of private workers who decided to retire among those qualifying for retirement. Results also suggest, not trivially, that most of the effect of the reform is driven by low-income workers. Finally, I propose an estimate of the extensive margin elasticity of Italian older workers. The second study estimates a structural reduced form of the “option value” model developed by Stock and Wise (1990) using Italian data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).Exploiting exogenous changes in social security wealth (SSW) results show a significant effect in the expected direction of SSW and of marginal incentives to retire. Results are robust even after controlling for individual heterogeneity and its correlation with financial incentives. Using detailed information on individuals, the results also highlights the importance of individual and job characteristics, which have been very little explored by this literature, as determinants of retirement. This suggests the potential of “tagging” in the design of social security incentives in order to reduce choice distortions and improve the overall efficiency of the system.