The 2015 mandate of Europay MasterCard and Visa (EMV) “chip card” technology in the U.S. left the payments market primed for the adoption of alternative technologies. The goal of this study is to determine the factors that contribute to the adoption of new, alternative payment technologies by integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Switching Cost Theory and operationalizing both theories in a consumer context. Through a survey of 210 chip card and mobile payment users, this study finds the TAM dimensions of self-efficacy, perceived usefulness, and social influence are key determinants of a user’s propensity to use a new technology in a mandated consumer context and introduces switching costs as an important antecedent to a consumer’s likelihood to use an alternative payment technology. More generally, this work integrates those theories to gain insight into how industry mandates influence user behavior with regards to consumer acceptance of alternative technologies. / Business Administration/Interdisciplinary

Darbe nagrinėjami šiuo metu rinkoje naudojami elektroninių atsiskaitymų modeliai ir jų saugumo problemos. Kadangi elektroninių transakcijų metu operuojama svarbiais ir konfidencialiais duomenimis, aukštesnio saugumo lygio užtikrinimo problema visada išlieka itin aktuali. Darbe išnagrinėtos dažniausiai sutinkamos elektroninių atsiskaitymų schemos (tiesioginis atsiskaitymas ir atsiskaitymas per Paypal sistemą), jų saugumo užtikrinimo principai, technikos ir spragos. Atsižvelgiant į dabartinius rinkos poreikius ir informacijos saugumo spragas šiuo metu naudojamuose modeliuose, suprojektuotas aukštesnio saugumo lygio elektroninių atsiskaitymų modelis ir realizuotas šio sprendimo prototipas. Šio prototipo projektas ir realizacija gali būti naudojamos kaip rekomendacijos kūrėjams, tobulinantiems elektroninių atsiskaitymų modelių saugumą. / The work deals with electronic payment models used in the market and their security problems. As electronic transactions operate with important and confidential data, ensuring higher level of security is always an actual issue. The study generally concerns the main electronic payment schemes (direct payment and payment through Paypal), their safety principles, technical decisions and security ensuring gaps. Considering the current market needs and information security gaps in current eCommerce models, a new, ensuring higher level of security in electronic payments, model was designed and a prototype of this decision was implemented. The prototype design and implementation may be used as recommendations for developers, improving electronic payment security models.

<div>This dissertation consists of three chapters. The first chapter, Inertia and Switching in Health Insurance Plans, seeks to examine health insurance choice of families and individuals employed by a large Midwestern public university during the years 2012-2016. A growing number of studies indicate that consumers do not understand the basics of health insurance, make inefficient plan choices, and may hesitate to switch plans even when it is optimal to do so. In this study, I identify what are later defined as unanticipated, exogenous health shocks in the health insurance claims data, in order to examine their effect on families' plan choice and switching behavior. Observing switches into relatively generous plans after a shock is indicative of adverse selection. Adverse retention and inertia, on the other hand, may be present if people remain in the relatively less generous plans after experiencing a shock. The results could help inform the policy-makers about consumer cost-effectiveness in plan choice over time.</div><div> Physicians’ relationships with the pharmaceutical industry have recently come under public scrutiny, particularly in the context of opioid drug prescribing. The second chapter, Pharmaceutical Opioid Marketing and Physician Prescribing Behavior, examines the effect of doctor-industry marketing interactions on subsequent prescribing patterns of opioids using linked Medicare Part D and Open Payments data for the years 2014-2017. Results indicate that both the number and the dollar value of marketing visits increase physicians’ patented opioid claims. Furthermore, direct-to-physician marketing of safer abuse-deterrent formulations of opioids is the primary driver of positive and persistent spillovers on the prescribing of less safe generic opioids - a result that may be driven by insurance coverage policies. These findings suggest that pharmaceutical marketing efforts may have unintended public health implications.</div><div> The third chapter, Accountable Care Organizations and Physician Antibiotic Prescribing Behavior, examines the effects of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Physician accountable care organization affiliation has been found to reduce cost and improve quality across metrics that are directly measured by the ACO shared savings program. However, little is known about potential spillover effects from this program onto non-measured physician behavior such as antibiotic over-prescribing. Using a two-part structural selection model that accounts for selection into treatment (ACO group), and non-treatment (control group), this chapter compares physician/nurse antibiotic prescribing across these groups with adjustment for geographic, physician, patient and institutional characteristics. Heterogeneous treatment responses across specialties are also estimated. The findings indicate that ACO affiliation helps reduce antibiotic prescribing by 23.9 prescriptions (about 19.4 percent) per year. The treatment effects are found to vary with specialty with internal medicine physicians experiencing an average decrease of 19 percent, family and general practice physicians a decrease of 16 percent, and nurse practitioners a reduction of 12.5 percent in their antibiotic prescribing per year. In terms of selection into treatment, the failure to account for selection on physician unobservable characteristics results in an understating of the average treatment effects. In assessing the impact of programs, such as the ACO Shared Savings Program, which act to augment how physicians interact with each other and their patients, it is important to account for spillover effects. As an example of such spillover effect - this study finds that ACO affiliation has had a measurable impact on physician antibiotic prescribing.</div>

Välfärdsjobb är en relativt ny typ av insats som används i flera kommuner i Sverige. Den går ut på att personer som har levt länge med försörjningsstöd ska få en tidsbegränsad anställning med kollektivavtalsenlig lön för att komma närmare den reguljära arbetsmarknaden. Uppsala har börjat ge insatsen under hösten 2013 och där startade intresset för att genomföra en undersökning. Den har ett barnperspektiv för att belysa barns situation. För att besvara frågeställningarna har en kvalitativ innehållsanalys använts. Materialet har bestått av en utvärdering, en delrapport och en rad olika kommunala texter. De kodades och kategoriserades utifrån barndomssociologiska begrepp och Jahodas (1982) teori om arbetets latenta och manifesta effekter. Dessa delades upp i underrubriker som passade ihop med datamaterialet. Kommunerna som använts är Malmö, Sigtuna, Sundsvall, Uppsala, Botkyrka och Ludvika. De inkluderade kommunerna är positiva till resultaten av insatsen välfärdsjobb. Malmö har fortsatt använda sig av den sedan år 2005 och Sigtuna redovisar stora ekonomiska vinster av insatsen. Personerna som deltagit i insatsen berättar om hur de har fått bättre självförtroende, större nätverk och förbättrad ekonomi. Flera av deltagarna har efter insatsen fått en reguljär anställning. Vissa deltagare har dock framfört kritik för att arbetsuppgifterna känts enformiga och påhittade. Malmö hade problem att få in kvinnor i insatsen och att några inte förstod att insatsen var tillfällig. Barnen syns inte så mycket i kommunernas texter. Några kommuner prioriterar barnfamiljer medan till exempel Malmö enbart nämner barnen som blivande motiverade studenter. Kopplat till vad som framkommer i tidigare forskning skulle insatsen kunna vara bra även för barnen, de får till exempel bättre ekonomi och därmed möjlighet till fler aktiviteter. Om föräldrarna mår bättre gör barnen det också. En nackdel som kom fram var att insatsen är tillfällig då barnen känner en osäkerhet i vad som händer efter insatsen. Det framkommer skillnader i hur mammor, pappor, barn och familjer representeras i kommunernas material. För framtida forskning skulle det vara intressant att ha med barns perspektiv vid utvärdering av insatsen. Nyckelord: långvarigt försörjningsstöd, arbetslöshet, välfärdsjobb, barnperspektiv, arbetets effekter / ”Välfärdsjobb” is a relatively new kind of intervention that is used in some municipalities in Sweden. It means giving people that have been living a long time with welfare payments a fixed term employment contract. The participants get a salary and get closer to the regular labor market. Uppsala started a project called “Välfärdsjobb” autumn 2013 and that is where the interest for the subject came from. The study has a child perspective. A qualitative content analysis has been used to respond to the research questions. The data material consists of an evaluation, an interim report and different documents from the municipalities. The material was coded in relation to childhood sociology and Jahoda’s theory of latent and manifest effects of unemployment. The municipalities that have been used are Malmö, Sigtuna, Sundsvall, Uppsala, Botkyrka och Ludvika. The involved municipalities are positive to the intervention. Malmö has had it since 2005 and Sigtuna shows great economic savings. The persons participating in the intervention convey that they have gained better self-confidence, larger social networks and better economy. Several of the participants have a regular job after the intervention. The negative aspects of the intervention were that some of the participants have expressed that the work tasks felt repetitive and made up. Malmö failed to recruit women and some participants did not understand that the job was temporary. The children are not very visible in the data material. Some of the municipalities have families with children as a prioritized group, while Malmö just mentions children in terms of becoming motivated students. Looking at earlier research the intervention seems positive for children. They get a better economy and hence a wider array of activities are possible. Also, if the parents feel good, it affects the children positively. Something that could have a negative impact is that the intervention is temporary, since the children often feel worried about what will happen next. There are differences in how mothers, fathers, children and families are represented within the material from the municipalities. For future research it would be interesting to have a children’s perspective included in the evaluations of the interventions. Key words: long-time welfare payments, unemployment, workfare jobs, children’s perspective, effects of employment

Tyrimo objektas – tiesioginių išmokų reikšmė ūkininkų ūkių pajamoms. Tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti tiesioginių išmokų reikšmę ūkininkų ūkių pajamoms. Uždaviniai: 1) išanalizuoti tiesioginių išmokų žemės ūkyje paskirtį bei apskaičiavimo principus; 2) atlikti ūkininkų ūkių pajamų pagal pasirinktus kriterijus analizę; 3) nustatyti tiesioginių išmokų reikšmę ūkininkų ūkių pajamoms. Tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros, statistinių duomenų analizės ir sintezės, grafinio vaizdavimo bei apklausos metodai . Tyrimo laikotarpis. 2004 - 2009 metai. Tyrimo rezultatai: • pirmoje darbo dalyje išnagrinėtos ir aptartos mokslinėje literatūroje tyrinėtos žemės ūkio pajamos ir jas įtakojantys veiksniai. Taip pat aptarta tiesioginių išmokų paskirtis, jų apskaičiavimo principai bei tiesioginių išmokų turinio kaita; • antroje dalyje atlikta ūkininkų ūkių pajamų analizė, nustatyta kokią dalį pajamose sudaro tiesioginės išmokos bei parama investicijoms. Taip pat parodomi ūkininkų ūkių pajamų pokyčiai 2004 – 2009 metais. Dėl nepalankių meteorologinių sąlygų ir žemės ūkio produktų kainų svyravymų, ūkininkų ūkių pajamos kito nevienodai, tačiai išliko bendra didėjimo tendencija; • trečioje dalyje atliktas tiesioginių išmokų reikšmės ūkininkų ūkių pajamoms tyrimas, anketinės apklausos pagalba nustatyta, kad tiesioginių išmokų reikšmė ūkininkų pajamoms yra didesnė ūkininkų ūkiuose, kurie vysto savo veiklą mažiau derlingose vietovėse, kurie užsiima ekologiniu ūkininkavimu bei naudoja mišriuosius... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Object of the research – influence of direct payments on income of farmers' farms. Aim of the research – to evaluate the impact of direct payments on incomes of farmers’ farms. Objectives: 1) to analyze purposes and calculation of direct payments for agriculture; 2) to analyze income of farmers’ farm’ according to specific criteria; 3) to determine the influence of direct payments on farmers’ farm income. Research methods: analysis of scientific literature, statistical data analysis and synthesis, graphical representation and interviewing techniques. Research period: 2004 - 2009 Research results: • The first part analyzes and discussed income from agricultural and influencing factors, discusses the purpose of direct payments, principles of their calculation and change of direct benefits content. • The second part analyzes income of farmers’ farm, determines the proportion of direct payments and investments support in the income, shows changes in farmers’ farm income in 2004 - 2009. Due to unfavorable weather conditions and fluctuations of agricultural production prices, the income of farmers’ farms varied, however, the overall increasing trend remained. • The third part investigates the importance of direct payments for the farmers’ farm income. The questionnaire results provide that direct payments are of greater importance in the for farmers' farms, which develop activity in less fertile areas, which are involved in organic farming and in mixed farming. Direct... [to full text]

The thesis complexly assesses the role of Germany in present European Union and Eurozone, especially its influence and responsibility on the formation of the macroeconomic imbalances before the Eurozone crisis, as well as its resolution. The crisis is caused by a divergence in unit labour costs between member countries, and the thesis aims to evaluate the effect of applied austerity measures in the debtor countries on the adjustment of said unit labour costs divergence. It explores additional policy options available as well. Keywords Germany, Eurozone, European Union, crisis, balance of payments, unit labour cost Author's e-mail Thorrmartin@gmail.com Supervisor's e-mail dedek@fsv.cuni.cz

Payments for ecosystem services (PES), or conservation incentives, are an increasingly popular approach to encouraging natural resources conservation on private lands. The goal of PES approaches is to motivate conservation by private landowners that would not otherwise take place by providing an economic incentive. To achieve this goal, incentive programs must be available to landowners who can provide the desired services; supportive policy structures must be in place; landowners must be willing to participate as sellers of ecosystem services; and the program itself must have an institutional structure that effectively regulates the production, sale, and maintenance of targeted ecosystem services. This dissertation uses a combination of case study and comparative research methods to develop new knowledge and tools for assessing each of these necessary conditions for success. The potential development of an incentive program to conserve habitat for endangered jaguars in southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico is used as a case study to understand the attitudes of ranchers toward participation in PES programs and related policies and regulations. Results show that ranchers have strong intrinsic conservation motivations unrelated to economic incentives, coupled with significant concerns about the impacts of government regulations that could accompany participation in a PES program. Comparative research of the institutional structures of existing PES programs is carried out using the Institutional Analysis and Development framework. Focusing on water quality trading, one of the most common types of PES program, a classification system for PES program institutional arrangements is developed and the utility of the classification system for analyzing institutional diversity is demonstrated. Together, the case study and comparative research provide a means of linking empirical assessment of PES governance models with the preferences of targeted participants, increasing the likelihood of successful conservation outcomes.

The thesis analyses the trend in external economic balance of the Czech Republic since 2000. The main instruments for the analysis were found in level of balance of payments and external debt statistics. The emphasis is also placed on exchange rate of Czech currency which is considered to be one of the leading determinants of external economic relations. The main goal of this paper lies in examination of past, present and also expected future trend in external balance with respect to various indicators and to comparison with other EU members, especially with Central Europe region (Poland, Slovakia and Hungary). The thesis should provide general overview of external economic relations of the Czech Republic in situation when some European countries are being threatened by deep debt crisis and in some cases the life-line from European union or International Monetary Fund must come.

En la presente investigación tiene como propósito evaluar el impacto tributario que tiene los pagos adelantados por la venta de un bien inmueble. Para obtener dicha información se realizará una evaluación a las empresas inmobiliarias que tengan o hayan tenido proyectos inmobiliarios en el distrito de Jesús María. Esta investigación se basará en la aplicación de las normas tributarias tanto como la Ley del Impuesto General a las Ventas, Ley del Impuesto a la Renta, Reglamento de Comprobante de Pago y sanciones impuestas por SUNAT. Para el mismo, se utilizará una metodología de investigación mixta, es decir, cuantitativa y cualitativa. Para el desarrollo de esta investigación, se validará las hipótesis propuestas para ello se ha realizado trabajos de campo a las principales empresas inmobiliarias como encuestas, entrevistas, también apoyado en información documentaria y casos para así generar un análisis lo más completo posible. De los datos analizados se llegó a la conclusión que el efecto tributario que ocasiona los pagos adelantados en la venta de inmuebles, impacta en las empresas del sector inmobiliario en proyectos del distrito de Jesús María. / The purpose of this research is to evaluate the tax impact of advance payments for the sale of real estate. To obtain this information, an evaluation will be made to the real estate companies that have or have had real estate projects in the Jesus Maria district. This investigation will be based on the application of tax regulations as well as the General Sales Tax Law, the Income Tax Law, the payment voucher regulation and sanctions imposed by SUNAT. For the same, a methodology of mixed research will be used, that is, quantitative and qualitative. For the development of this research, the hypotheses proposed for this will be validated. Field work has been carried out to the main real estate companies such as surveys, interviews, and also supported by documentary information and cases in order to generate the most complete analysis possible. From the analyzed data, it was concluded that the tax effect caused by the advance payments in the purchase of real estate, impacts on companies in the real estate sector in projects of the Jesus Maria district. / Tesis

Mesmo com o crescimento da dependência da vida humana em relação aos serviços ecossistêmicos, a taxa de perda de diversidade genética no planeta tem alcançado níveis semelhantes à de grandes eventos de extinção, evidenciando a necessidade de ações para a conservação dos recursos naturais. Em adição aos tradicionais instrumentos de comando e controle para a conservação, os instrumentos econômicos têm tido crescente atenção no mundo nos últimos anos, com especial destaque para os Pagamentos por Serviços Ambientais (PSA). A abordagem de pagamentos de incentivos tem crescido na última década e, apesar das potencialidades que o PSA apresenta, muitos programas falham em incorporar o conhecimento científico em sua execução, sendo esse um dos aspectos que podem acarretar baixo desempenho ambiental e econômico. Neste contexto, o presente projeto buscou avaliar a custo-eficácia do PSA em paisagens fragmentadas. A área de estudo é o estado de São Paulo, cuja fragmentação historicamente ocorre pela expansão agropecuária e pelos diversos impactos decorrentes do grande crescimento populacional em seu território. Foram distribuídos questionários para a obtenção das preferências dos proprietários rurais paulistas em relação aos programas de PSA para restauração de vegetação nativa. Os dados coletados foram relacionados a características socioeconômicas e ambientais e um modelo beta inflacionado de zero misto dentro da classe GAMLSS foi utilizado. Em seguida, o modelo foi utilizado para predizer os resultados para os proprietários não entrevistados e a curva de investimento para diferentes retornos para conservação foi construída. Os resultados apontaram que o PSA é uma alternativa muito custosa frente aos orçamentos ambientais paulistas e que traz poucos benefícios para a restauração no estado de São Paulo. A pesquisa possui uma vertente teórica, pois contribui para a compreensão da adequabilidade do PSA em paisagens fragmentadas, e uma vertente prática, pois explicita a quantidade de recursos necessária para a execução dos programas analisados. / Although the dependence of human activities on ecosystem services has risen in the past decades, the current rate of genetic diversity loss has substantially declined and reached alarming levels. In addition to the traditional command and control approach for the promotion of conservation, growing attention has been given to economic instruments, especially to Payments for Environmental Services (PES). Despite all potentialities of the PES instrument, many programs fail to introduce scientic knowledge in the execution. Such a lack of foundation may result in low environmental and economic performance. The present research aims at evaluating the cost-effectiveness of PES in fragmented landscapes. The study area is the state of São Paulo, which has been fragmented by the agricultural and pasture expansion, and the impacts linked to the large population growth. A survey with dierent PES programs was sent to rural landowners and responses were analyzed and linked to socioeconomic and environmental characteristics through a zero-inflated beta mixed model, within the GAMLSS framework. The model was used to predict enrollment of non-respondents in different PES programs. Finally, the relationship between total area for restoration and the amount of resources needed for each program was compared to the environmental budget of the state of São Paulo. Results show that PES is a very costly alternative that can provide only few results for restoration. The present work has a theoretical orientation, as it contributes to the comprehension of the feasibility of PES programs in fragmented landscapes, and a practical orientation, as it quantifies the amount of resources required by the programs analyzed.